Forager Elementary- August/September Highlights
Forager Elementary is OPEN! We are so happy to welcome our inaugural class of learners and start establishing the community guidelines and rituals that make the classroom a safe and welcoming place for learning.
August and September were dedicated to building that foundation. It was a great start to the year!
Highlights:
Tea Time! Once a week, students prepare a cuppa and listen to a read-aloud during this post-lunch ritual. Such a special way to get back into indoor learning mode after some busy outside time!
Music! With Teacher J, the room came alive with song! We learned about solfege, practiced scales, learned note values, and tapped out beats on rhythm sticks.
Student Compass! This weekly exploration of the outdoor environment takes places in various local ecosystems. We found all sorts of incredible specimens, from blue jay feathers and banana slugs to shaggy ink caps and huckleberries. We examined our finds under the microscope back in the classroom.
Pen pals! We dove headfirst into our penpal project, writing sweet and thoughtful letters. We also learned about the essential components of letter writing and envelope addressing. Finally, we took a walking fieldtrip to the post office to mail our letters!
Writers’ Workshop! We began our first writing unit, “Small Moments” where students craft true stories that unfold over the course of a single day. Together we’re discovering that writing is an iterative process: we return, revise, and grow stronger each time. The difference between talent and skill is simply practice!
Math! “How do we use math?” This simple question drove our work this month as we explored measurement, money identification, place values, the number line, and more- all essential foundation for the work to come.
