Thursday, October 30, 2014

A Culture of Learning

It can be argued that one of the most important things teachers do is create a "culture of learning" in their classrooms. It takes a lot of intentional, expert and careful planning of children's learning experiences to create such an environment, and is truly inspirational to observe in action. Charlotte Danielson, author of Enhancing Professional Practice describes a culture of learning in its ideal form:

Students demonstrate through their active participation, curiosity, and taking initiative that they value the importance of what they are learning. 

Instructional activities and classroom interactions convey high expectations for all students, and students have internalized these expectations. 

Students demonstrate attention to detail and take obvious pride in their work, initiating improvements in it by, for example, revising drafts on their own or helping peers. 

As you can see, it's not just what the children are learning at school that is important. At least as important is how they are learning and that they are internalizing a love of learning that will last a lifetime!

Friday, October 24, 2014

A Very Special Week

Second Grade sang their hearts out Tuesday evening at their musical performance, A Tribute to Music. It was a delightful evening for the children to showcase their flare for singing, dancing, public speaking, kazoo-playing and rocking out!






A huge shout out to all who made Character Counts Week a big success! Our school mascot, Echo the Dolphin, was such a friendly, fashionable reminder of each character pillar. Each day's wave of color that we all wore conveyed a powerful message of school unity. The beautiful chalk drawings and focus on healthy choices in the lunchroom and at recess were inspirational. The morning messages by the Student Council started each day on a very positive note. 

The classroom discussions that took place about bully prevention are a wonderful support for our students when they are in or see someone in a sticky situation. It's important to take the time to have these discussions, and to practice and rehearse these strategies not just this week but throughout the school year.  It is well worth it, especially knowing we can actively work to prevent the bully-victim cycle.




Fall just wouldn't be the same without pumpkins! Our first graders were delightfully surprised to see the pumpkin patch as they arrived at school early Monday morning. They completed a number of math and science activities, then with the help of many volunteers and family members creatively carved their pumpkins.









On a final note, THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS to our WONDERFUL PTA. The Dryden PTA was recognized Monday night at a regional council dinner. They received two plaques for programming and membership. How reflective this is of the enriching clubs, special events and resources they provide our students.



Thursday, October 16, 2014

Bully Prevention Month

October is Bully Prevention Month. Although it requires a lot more attention and care than one month out of the year to prevent bullying, this is a worthwhile opportunity to bring to light a very important topic and renew our commitment to ongoing bully prevention.

Young children don't choose to become a bully or a victim.  In the primary grades young children may look like they have difficulty playing with friends or forming relationships. The child's brain may begin to associate the social pain of rejection with physical pain, and as a result they begin to withdraw from relationships. If not addressed, this can lead to social exclusion in the intermediate grades.

To prevent this negative outcome, there are two major skill sets our children need support in developing and understanding:

1. slow stages of relationship building
2. quick, effective strategies for responding to bullying behaviors

It's important to teach our children to firmly and promptly tell someone to stop using bullying behaviors, whether the victim or a witness. If the bullying behavior continues, children need to understand they should quickly walk away and ask an adult for assistance.

It's also important to teach our children to respectfully and promptly stop a behavior that someone else has found bothersome or hurtful.

We will be talking about these strategies with children in the coming week, but learning and using them is really a lifelong effort that requires the ongoing support of parents, teachers and community.

Earlier this week, our fifth grade students attended Camp Duncan, where they participated in many valuable team-building activities that emphasized trust, communication and problem-solving--the cornerstones of positive relationships. We thank the PTA and our teachers for opportunities like this that support our children's social development!









Thursday, October 9, 2014

Fall Fun!

It's been a beautiful fall! 
Thanks to our PTA, the children have enjoying the changing of the seasons. 
Several parents facilitate an after school running club. What a great way to get some fresh air, exercise and spend time with friends!



                                      


Last Friday, the PTA sponsored a Fall Fun Fest at Dryden. It was a great way for our families to come together for some fun to see familiar friends and make new friends.  

The Arlington Heights Fire Department came to Dryden and provided a demonstration and gave tours of the fire engine. Our school resource officer, Officer Veenstra, also came and gave police badge stickers to the children.

There was a pumpkin patch set up outside the school. The children enjoyed picking pumpkins and painting them once inside the school. 



There were other crafts like spin art and lollipop decorating.


Face painting was another highlight of the Fall Fun Fest. We thank all the former Dryden students returned to volunteer their artistic talents.






Inflatables provided a way for students to actively play and let off some steam. 


There were many fun games, too!
Cup Stacking

Pumpkin Ring Toss

Candy Corn Estimation

An old-fashioned cake walk was another highlight of the evening. Thanks to many of our parents for the delicious home made donations!


There was plenty of good food to eat: popcorn, pizza and fresh apples!




Thursday, October 2, 2014

So Many Ways to Learn!

At Dryden, we recognize that children have many different learning styles and preferences. We strive to understand how each individual best learns and provide diverse, rich learning opportunities for all children.

 
Some students learn best through role-playing and dramatization.

Experiential learning through field trips and simulations helps students gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic being studied. 

Learning is social. We learn so much through our discussions and interactions with one another. 

Deep learning often requires calm, quiet, uninterrupted space and time to concentrate, reflect and process new information. 

Direct instruction and modeling from the teacher is an important way to present and share new skills before students attempt to practice and apply their learning independently.

Learning more about self-selected topics is highly motivating. Learners tend to persist with more challenging material when the content is of personal interest. 

Kinesthetic (hands-on) and visual learning strengthens our understanding of new concepts. We need more than just text and verbal instruction to do our best learning. 

How does your child learn best? How do you nurture their curiosity and support their learning interests? How do you give them the time and space to learn and grow?