Winter Party and Holiday Fun

Happy Holidays!

My class celebrated the season with a winter party last Thursday afternoon.  A reading of the Gingerbread Baby by a class parent kicked off the winter festivities...

...before the students feasted on sweet treats, like green frosted cupcakes!  Do you think this boy enjoyed it?

The following morning I woke up bright and early to make homemade hot chocolate for my 6D friends for a special reading of The Polar Express (a 6D holiday tradition).

I blended the following ingredients in a saucepan before transferring the finished creamy chocolate mixture into a crockpot to stay warm throughout the morning.

I enjoyed sharing this time with my students!

Students were permitted to dress down in festive colors on this day.  This is an adorable photo I snapped of two especially dapper students, bowtie and all!

Students then gathered in the audorium for the Lower School Holiday Sing-a-long, led by music teacher, Mrs. Elliott.

Following dismissal, I left for a weekend long trip to New York City. 

Coincidentally, I sat next to Calvert students on the bus ride up, can you believe it?

When we arrived, I saw the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall...

...and there was this really cool part where the dancers dressed as soliders and then did a domino-like fall- I was impressed!

I even had time to climb the Empire State Building, where I took in spectacular vistas of the city.

This is my husband and I in the lobby, pre- 86th floor.

Me on the top....

If you look closely you can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

Can you spot the Chrysler Building? (It's one of my favorites.)

Now I am off to the Eastern Shore for the evening before I celebrate Christmas with my family.

To all of my Calvert friends: best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and restful break! 

xoxo

Mrs. Armstrong

Calvert Bear

Calvert Bear visited another reading student this week.  Apparently he is a picky eater but loves to swim!  It's a good thing he brought a change of clothes after his swim lesson.  Calvert Bear will travel to another student's home this week and is so excited!

Holiday Card Bags

Some holiday birds flew on the windowsill outside of my classroom today!  Aren't they adorable?

9th Age Holiday Books!

The 6D students curled up with holiday books and their 9th Age friends last week.  Fun was had by all!

Calvert Bear's Travels!

Calvert Bear has been listening to my reading students learn many new things over the past several months, and he wanted to join in on the excitement!  Thus, a new project began last week where a student per week will take home Calvert Bear, and will then write about their experiences in a journal. 

This student did a wonderful job of reflecting on her time with Calvert Bear- he took a swim, went to piano practice, and even toured this child's neighborhood to view the holiday lights.

I look forward to sharing many more of Calvert Bear's experiences soon!

Pencil Pals with our 5th Grade Partners

The students spent time with their 5th Grade friends in the middle school this afternoon. They made "pencil pal" crafts using one pencil, pom poms and pipe cleaners.  As special holiday treats, the 5th Graders gave their 6D friends some magic beans (they expand in water) and a lollipop.  Thank you, 5th Graders! 

'Tis the Season

I am getting very excited to celebrate the holidays with my students during next Thursday's Winter Party and Friday's Lower School Sing-a-long.  It will be so much fun!

The children will make holiday gifts tomorrow- take a peek at these cute handprints!  Won't they be a treasure for years to come?

Of course I had to do a run-through at home and thought the perfect candidate would be my dog's pawprint!

His initials are TPA and I added '11 for the year. We will try this at school tomorrow!
Speaking of the holidays, here is my family Christmas photo!

xoxo, Mrs. Armstrong

Favorite Puzzles and Games

The students shared their favorite puzzles and games last week during our structured Sharing time.  Many students were so enthusiastic about teaching their game to friends that I decided to allow them the opportunity to play these together this week.  This is a candid shot of some students playing Candyland, which seems to be a favorite.  I have been so impressed by how well they are sharing their games, teaching their friends, and resolving conflicts as they come along.  Keep up the good work, 6D!

Mrs. Whitman Visits 6D

"How is your engine running?"

My students often hear me ask them this question in the morning during opening.  Our engines are our bodies, and from the early fall we have been discussing how we can make our engines run smoothly.  Ten to twelve hours of sleep each evening, as well as eating a healthy breakfast will help our engines run nicely during the school day.  Kind words from friends and running around outdoors during recess helps our engines run at premium speed.

Oftentimes students answer that their engines are hungry or tired.  I remind students that snack and rest time after recess are wonderful moments for our bodies to recharge.  How fortunate that the Sixth Age schedule additionally includes two outdoor recesses every day and P.E. four times a week!

Of late, many students' engines have been running at low speed, so I took the liberty of inviting Mrs. Whitman, our school nurse, into 6D to speak about being healthy as colder weather approaches.  She stressed the importance of handwashing, as well as noted what symptoms warrant a trip to her nurse's office.  A small bruise, headache, or sore can usually be cured by yours truly!

Next, Mrs. Whitman reminded the students the benefits of daily exercise.  She instructed the students on how to listen for their heartbeats using a special nurse's tool called a stethoscope. The children enjoyed practicing on their own.

6D enjoyed her visit and I am thankful for the time she spent sharing this information.  Thank you, Nurse Whitman!

Wonder of the Day

Kids are curious all the time, aren't they?  Oftentimes they ask me questions I don't have an immediate answer to.  There is a great website where many of these "wonders" are answered titled "wonderopolis.org". 

Today's wonder is: "Could you ever be royalty?"  Historical information as well as a summary of the royal wedding via YouTube is attached.  This is a nice website to explore on a rainy day!  It can be found under "Educational Websites" on my blog.

Happy Wondering!

Mr. Spahn visits 6D!

The students were visited my Mr. Spahn yesterday.  6D loved Mr. Spahn's "reading voices"- they really added to our understanding and appreciation of the picture books he shared!

Mr. Spahn wrapped up his visit by teaching us how to dance the "Cha Cha Slide"!  This was the most entertaining part of my day.  Thank you, Mr. Spahn!  Come back again soon!

Mr. Spahn dances the "Cha Cha Slide"!

Mystery Messenger

My reading class is frequently (and mysteriously) visited by a "Mystery Messenger".  Students always eagerly anticipate notes from this person and often curiously peak into my mailbox when the flag is in the up-position (signaling mail is inside!).

This week the Mystery Messenger (this person refers to themselves as "M. M.") sent us a word search which included both sight words and holiday words.  It was such a special activity!  Here are the students completing their word searches....

...along with a special video for the M. M. (We're pretty sure this person has access to this blog.)

Thank you, M. M.!

Thank you, Calvert!

My Sixth Age Reading class recently finished reading a story titled Try Your Best, about a coach who helps his team try their best through motivation and praise.  Upon reading, the students were asked to brainstorm a list of Calvert teachers who have helped them try their best, along with reasons why these Calvert people are so special.

Students drafted a "rough" or first draft, where they were encouraged to phonetically sound out words independently or utilize their sight word books.  Students realized that mistakes are often made on first drafts (I'd like to think that showing my students a sample rough draft paper of my own was helpful).

Second, or final drafts, were written and then hand-delivered and read to these Calvert teachers this morning. Students were beaming afterwards! Thank you to my students for your hard work!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The 6D students celebrated Thanksgiving and Grandparents' Day last Wednesday afternoon by dressing as Wompanoag Indians in the Pilot/Sixth Age Thanksgiving Play.  After much rehearsing, lines were recited and festive songs were sung.  I am so proud of my students for their hard work! Kudos to a job well done!

New Toys

Madame Cooke recently gave me a few of her children's old, well-loved toys for use in the 6D classroom. After dusting and a little washing, they look like new! I enveiled them during last week's morning time, where many students enjoyed playing together.

Playing "Dad"

Playing "House"

Additional toys added to the classroom include a cash register, large pink Barbie cadillac and a highchair- what fun!

Friendship Bracelets

Miss Preston's class joined 6D this month to make friendship bracelets.

The students had a wonderful time!

Mrs. Cooper reads to 6D!

Thank you to Mrs. Cooper, who read to 6D last week! The students enjoyed your visit and the wonderful books you shared!

Go, Ravens!

Class parents recently gave my husband and I tickets to the Ravens game against the Houstan Texans. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Spahn! We had a blast!

Thanksgiving Play

It's that time of year again...time for the annual Pilot & 6th Age Thanksgiving Play!  The Pilot boys and girls will be the Pilgrims and the 6th Age boys and girls will be the Native Americans.

In honoring the true spirit of the Wompanoag tribe, the 6th Age students will be creating costumes that are reflective of what the men and women of this tribe would have worn during the first Thanksgiving.  Take a look at the following pictures which will serve as a guide:

The boys will make decorative breechcloths (to be worn over khaki pants), a pasta necklace, and a simple headdress with one feather.  In addition, they will wear a mantle (to resemble an animal skin) and red face paint.  Did you know red was a popular color of the Wompanoag tribe?

The girls will make fringed skirts (to most likely be worn over their jumpers) and a pasta necklace.  They will also wear a mantle and red face paint.

The play will begin promptly at 11:00- we look forward to sharing the festivities with you at this time!  A special thanks goes out to Mrs. Elliot, our music teacher, who has spent countless hours prepping the students in song over the past several weeks.  Thank you, Mrs. Elliot!



Picture Books and a Middle School Tour

The 6D students recently visited the middle school and spent time with their 5th grade partners.  The 5th grade boys read a picture book to each 6th Ager

before taking them on a tour of the middle school.  They showed these young students their lockers, their laptops, and even introduced them to a new middle school friend. 

Thank you to Mrs. Liotta's class- we look forward to visiting with you again soon!