Getting into the Groove

With the first couple weeks of school under our belt, we're getting into the learning groove and enjoying every minute of it! 

In art class, these fifth grade students have been designing robots. I really enjoyed listening to their "ooh"s and "aah"s as they visited with each other and admired each other's work and creative ideas. A snake-bot, music-bot, dog-bot and baker-bot were just a few of the unique robot drawings I got to see. I'm looking forward to seeing how these students will bring these sketches to life in the coming weeks!

Bongo from Wishtree by Katherine Applegate has been found flitting about Dryden! It's fun to see the personal connections our students feel with these imaginary characters, and how these characters come to life with the children's vivid imaginations! Our One Book, One School reading of Wishtree has all of us focused on thinking about friendship and what it means to be welcoming. 

Engagement!! This group of writers truly captures what deep engagement in learning is all about. I was so impressed by their attention to detail as they wrote personal narratives including a problem, vivid description of emotion, and a solution. They were proud of their work and excited to share what they wrote with one another. 

Play and social and intellectual learning collide during recess! I witnessed this firsthand during indoor recess on a rainy day this week as children play all kinds of games and engaged in creative, imaginative play with one another. 

And who wouldn't want to enter this classroom??? No wonder there is such a deep love of reading in our school!!