Bringing School into Focus November 2016 | Issue 2 Vol. 2
CHOICE What makes Wednesday Different
Bringing School into Focus 2 NovemBer 2016 | ISSue 2 vol.
CHOICE What makes Wednesday different
wHat’s InsIdE 2
opening letter
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shorts Page
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gamesday
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more choices
36 Book shopping 46 Party time 48 10 sticks 52 secret life of Betty 60 friday funday
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two Hours so much happens on Wednesday mornings this issue started as a simple question for ms. yadoo: “is your debate group meeting tomorrow? can i take pictures?” and then i saw mr. carreker. “can i take pictures of your board games group?” But then ms. komissarova had her door open. and ms. crouch invited me into rutgers. and i spotted Play-doh on the desks in WcU. i was quickly going from one or two little stories about what some third graders do to 60 pages of pictures. hopefully it gives you a better understanding of how scholars hone some skills, take care of business, and still have fun on such a short day.
Madeline madeline vega
watCH VIdEOs Join us on facebook for more scholars from all grades wished mr. dant a happy birthday with songs and greetings in different languages. third grade sang “happy Birthday” and presented him with a giant card signed by many scholars and staff members. check it out on facebook.com/groups/sabhfamilies.
sHOw & tEll let’s put a face on the problem of not expanding there simply aren’t enough seats at good schools. my son’s zoned school has a wait list of zoned children. he had to wait a year to be offered a seat, but by that point Sa had offered to skip him a grade. Now, if I want his brother to have a chance in the lottery for Kindergarten, I will have to pull my first son from Sa (to probably repeat a grade) in december so that my second son has zoned sibling priority. I don’t trust that the experience they will receive at a Blue ribbon school will be as joyful or rigorous as the experience the whole family is receiving at Sa-Bh. But what if Sa doesn’t get a South Brooklyn middle school? we need to start telling our stories now. how inconvenient is the lack of pre-K? What will you do with a 4th grader in Sa but a 5th grader wherever the doe assigns a seat? Is your scholar taking the g&t test to possibly repeat 3rd grade? in the spring of 2014, tv ads attacked Bill de Blasio for evicting middle school scholars in harlem. the ad was easy to understand with tense music and a serious voice over. “these are the 194 faces of success academy’s public middle school in harlem.”
CElEbratInG HErItaGE november 18 at sa Bensonhurst is multicultural day with a scavenger hunt through Brooklyn neighborhoods in the gym and global potluck in classrooms. Be sure to have your scholar wear something to represent your family’s culture and talk to other families in your class about what you can contribute to the potluck. all through november, add to our map of the world on the bulletin board outside the main office with pictures and facts about your family’s heritage. has your family always been in Brooklyn? tell pcec@sabhfamilies.com.
the problem seemed very clear— top performing students shouldn’t be punished. Unfortunately, #saveourPrek couldn’t inspire the same instant sense of injustice as #savethe194. now the naacP has voted for a moratorium on charter school expansions. i want to put a face on the problems families face with the current school system. email me at madeline@madelinestrum.com —Madeline
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on the third floor IUP-Buffalo cuts a rug.
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Math is All Around You Bates scholars track Mr. Abernathy as he counts on the board. While scholars do spend plenty of time during the day thinking about how to combine numbers and solve number stories, there are always more opportunities at home to reinforce how important (and easy) it is to care about numbers. What’s the change in temperature? The price of something? Time until school starts? Days until Halloween?
Gamesday Board games on Wednesdays
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9:09 A.m. Second Grade Scholars play Monopoly as Part of “Wednesday Choice” Board Games group. All second grade scholars play Monopoly during a period called “gamesday.”
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Reading together Scholars work together in roots to master sounds and answer questions about the story.
9:07 A.m. Ms. Komissarova helps scholars understand their available options. The other side of the table anxiously awaits a decision.
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MOre than counting and following rules Board games help scholars bond, manage competitive feelings, and strengthen their ability to focus.
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9:06 a.m. Ms. Komissarova keeps an eye on three separate games, Each displaying its own level of intensity
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9:11 a.m. Schoalrs speak up for what they believe are the appropriate actions, explain their choices, and deal with the consequences.
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Scholars explore and refine emerging talents
More Choices
In the Cafeteria, “Feed Your Mind posters” advertise the schoolfoods’ initiative to offer “delicious and attractive” menu options to Seth Low students. In the Teacher Work Room, Staff celebrate Ms. Calish’s birthdaY (yesterday).
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Like last year, but different With more grades and new teachers, the options for Wednesday choice changed a bit to include astronomy, Sign language, and Harry Potter.
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9:16 a.m. second grade scholars tell Ms. levine about the film they are creating with Mr. Okotieuro.
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Behind the scenes A change of shoes, so many golden crowns, and help with a long skirt on stairs
9:24 a.m. Ms. Levine starts her Third grade Basketball Choice group with drills.
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magnificent outdoors Scholars carry on with recess as though it were any nice day.
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9:31 a.m. Third grade Scholars prepare to practice conversational Mandarin CHinese with Mr. Dant. Across the Hall, Harry Potter fans get comfortable on Ms. Lieberman’s floor.
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9:29 a.m. Third Grade scholars set up Settlers of Catan, which has proven to take “the whole time� to set up. Downstairs, Mr. Avila takes over the dance studio with the third Grade Latin Dance Group.
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Through the doorway, IUP-Buffalo’s bulletin board welcomes you to the third floor Bulletin boards were recently redecorated for fall.
9:37 a.m. THird grade scholars perform a dramatic reading of Because of winn Dixie in Ms. Pregony and Ms. Daniel’s Theater Group.
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9:37 a.m. Ms. Pregony plays the part of Winn Dixie.
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9:23 a.m. Third Grade scholars decide what to debate with Ms. Yadoo.
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9:41 a.m. Scholars overwhelmingly voted to debate “Should Junk Food be allowed in school?� Then Ms. Yadoo divided the group arbitrarily to force them to be more creative in their arguments.
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9:49 a.m. The pro Junk Food group wins Rock, Paper, scissors to present their case first. That day’s Judge, Ms. Kline, felt they won with their more passionate argument.
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Book Shopping shared space Third Grade Guided Reading groups meet At Mr. Dant’s conference table and on his shag rug.
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10:14 a.m. Ms. Crouch teaches scholars in Rutgers how to put the books away. Orange and green stickers signal whether a book is fiction or non-fiction. There are bins for reading levels and topics.
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10:11 a.m. Maryland scholars shop for books.
Reading with Teachers First graders and Third graders work with lead teachers.
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10:11 a.m. Ms. Carey sorts books in Maryland while scholars shop the bins in Rutgers.
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10:16 a.m. A view on why some teachers are hesitant to let scholars return books on their own.
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Party Time rewarding effort
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10:12 a.m. time with Play-Doh in WCU for good behavior.
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Up close First graders use their fingers and softly say the words as they read during a session of independent reading. On this day, First Grade was still being tested and assigned for Guided Reading.
10 Sticks
counting in concrete numbers
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11:00 a.m. Rutgers solves number stories. Be sure to contact your teacher If your scholar does not have a set of ten sticks at home.
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10:59 a.m. Betty visits Ms. Salazar in Setts.
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Secret Life of Betty
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9:51 a.m. Betty ditches Debate to go visit her new favorite thing in the school—the laminator cabinet keys.
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10:11 a.m. No help for Maryland. 10:19 a.m. Betty finds a pink marker and draws on Rutgers’ board.
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9:37 a.m. Betty visits the Theater group.
the baby has been visiting the school since she was 5 weeks old
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9:41 a.m. Betty puts on her debate face to check on both teams’ arguments.
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9:28 a.m. She does not succeed in pulling Judy hopps off the wall.
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Friday Funday Selfies with an SA hopeful