Monday, November 1

 Hi parents,

We had a surprisingly calm, peaceful, and productive day today, considering it was a 'Halloween Hangover' Monday. 

In the morning, we watched this episode of Molly of Denali. The students seemed to really enjoy the wildlife connections and mapmaking.

We learned that 'masih' choo' means 'thank you' in Gwitch'in. I'm hoping we can learn some simple Blackfoot words and phrases in the near future too!

The students had a lot to write about in their journals today - mainly Trick or Treating, but some chose to write about other things too. Before writing today, we talked about the ways different sentences can have different effects on the reader. For example, beginning a journal entry with a sound effect (crash, boom, boo, etc.) can make people feel excited, and want to read more about what may have caused that sound. Similarly, using a 'cliffhanger' sentence, such "That's when the trouble started", can give readers a hint as to what comes next, and make them feel more curious. I challenged the students to try to include some  interesting sentences in their own writing today, and they rose to the occasion.

We went to the library and exchanged books. Then, we talked about the 'aw' blend, and used this picture as a visual cue. 

If you saw this guy, what would you say? 

Probably 'aw', and kittens have paws, so hopefully that helps them remember. I know it's a bit of a stretch.

In the afternoon, we spent some time on Quiet Reading, working in literacy groups, and playing class vs. teacher dodgeball in gym. We ended the day with a math game that tested the students on their basic fact knowledge.

Have a nice night,

Zac