First Week Finished!

What a wonderful first week at Blue Star!!! I think I have mastered all the students names and now just working on the teachers' and staffs' names!

In the Classroom Update:
This week, I began reading aloud a Biography of Anne Frank. The students are practicing the questioning reading strategy by recording questions that come to mind while they listen to the book.
We worked on there/their/they're in word study. (You should have seen a take home task!!!)
I also introduced the next trait we will be working on in writing, sentence fluency. In the coming weeks students will be writing much more and focusing on sentence fluency!

Writing Opportunity:
I am entering some of my writing in the Kalamazoo Gazette Literary Awards.
The deadline for all entries is February 8,2008 at 5pm.
The entry forms and more information will be in the classroom for all intrested students.
The awards are 50 dollar gift card to the participating book stores and the runners up get $25!
I will have the guidelines and entry forms in the classroom up until the deadline for those who are interested.
Poems are the only category for 10 years olds and younger.
Short stories and memoirs (non-fiction/personal accounts) are for 11 year olds and older.
** I encourage all students to participate in the contest. I will be avaliable to help students improve and revise their writing up until the deadline.
www.kalamazoogazette.com/litawards
*Above is the website for more information about the contest and the registration form.

Stay tuned for more updates!