Dear Students,
This week we wrapped up our study of the book, Dear Mr. Henshaw. We've been working with this book since the second week of school, and we have talked about the many different things that happened in the book. I think it is very interesting that after reading a book about a boy writing in his diary, we are beginning a diary of our own. Our class blog will be a type of diary or journal that we can use to record the events of our year together.
My favorite part of the book was when we realized Leigh had finally made a friend. I know what it is like to move to a new place and how hard it can be to make friends sometimes. Some of you can also relate to this feeling. I remember how good it felt to finally have someone to spend time with and talk to. I could remember those feelings as we read this part of the book.
Now, I would like to know....what was YOUR favorite part of Dear Mr. Henshaw?
Friday, September 25, 2009
Meet the Class of 2009-2010
Welcome to a new year in Mrs. Staton's class. This year we have 24 students, four of whom are brand-new to America! (Last year there were only 16 students in my class....). I would like to introduce to you the members of our class. Together we represent 9 different countries!
I will put a picture of a country's flag and then list the students who are from that country.
From Mexico, we have Guillermo, Chabely, Wendy, Brenda, Carlos, Itzayana, and Enri. With this many Spanish speakers, I'm hoping they will teach me something this year!
Brian's family is from Colombia (although he was born in America.)
Walter's family is from Guatemala (although he was also born in America).
Leshley and Genesis are both from Puerto Rico. Genesis's mom serves as our school's bilingual secretary!
Tui is from Vietnam. His brother, Ti, was in my class last year!
Two of our new-to-America students are from the Kareeni State of Myanmar (Burma). These students are Bomeh and Mehreh. Bomeh was with my class last year for the last few weeks of school so she could see what school was like. I am so glad to have her with us again this year.
And finally, from the country of Turkey, is our newest student, Kaan. He is the fourth of our new-to-America students.
I will put a picture of a country's flag and then list the students who are from that country.
From the United States, we have Amiayah, Miajia, Devin, Emerald, Breanna, Angela, SheMira, Erick, Brian, Walter and Mrs. Staton.
From Mexico, we have Guillermo, Chabely, Wendy, Brenda, Carlos, Itzayana, and Enri. With this many Spanish speakers, I'm hoping they will teach me something this year!
Brian's family is from Colombia (although he was born in America.)
Walter's family is from Guatemala (although he was also born in America).
Leshley and Genesis are both from Puerto Rico. Genesis's mom serves as our school's bilingual secretary!
Tui is from Vietnam. His brother, Ti, was in my class last year!
One of our new-to-America students in Ali, who is from Iraq.
Two of our new-to-America students are from the Kareeni State of Myanmar (Burma). These students are Bomeh and Mehreh. Bomeh was with my class last year for the last few weeks of school so she could see what school was like. I am so glad to have her with us again this year.
And finally, from the country of Turkey, is our newest student, Kaan. He is the fourth of our new-to-America students.
I guess you could say this year's class is Mrs. Staton's United Nations!! I can't wait for multicultural week. I'm sure my families will have a lot to share with us.
Back to School
Well, as you can see, it's been a while since our class has posted to this blog. Last school year got very busy and, honestly, the blog got put on the back burner. Now it's a new school year and I am ready to begin blogging again with my new group of students!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thoughts about Inauguration Day
Yesterday we held a discussion about Inauguration Day. Even though we didn't get to watch it together as a class (due to the "snow" day), I was glad to find out that ALL THE STUDENTS watched at least part of it while at home. Many students said they watched the whole thing!! Many were excited about the idea of our country's first African-American President.
We mentioned how this was a history-in-the-making event. I told the students that this was something that many years from now, their own children will read about it in their history class, but they got to watch it happen. We talked about how history repeated itself--with President Obama doing many of the things that President Lincoln did many years ago. They thought it was interesting that President Obama used President Lincoln's Bible for the swearing-in ceremony. Some students did not realize that all the living former Presidents would also be attending.
***Interesting Fact---all the living former Presidents are the ones that have been the President during my lifetime!!***
A couple of students noticed that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s son was sitting right behind the First Family.
The students were also excited for President Obama's daughters since they would be living in the White House. We talked about how their lives will be changing in incredible ways, and when their teachers discuss the President, they will be discussing their own father!!
This has been a historical week for our country with the election of the first African-American President.
We mentioned how this was a history-in-the-making event. I told the students that this was something that many years from now, their own children will read about it in their history class, but they got to watch it happen. We talked about how history repeated itself--with President Obama doing many of the things that President Lincoln did many years ago. They thought it was interesting that President Obama used President Lincoln's Bible for the swearing-in ceremony. Some students did not realize that all the living former Presidents would also be attending.
***Interesting Fact---all the living former Presidents are the ones that have been the President during my lifetime!!***
A couple of students noticed that Martin Luther King, Jr.'s son was sitting right behind the First Family.
The students were also excited for President Obama's daughters since they would be living in the White House. We talked about how their lives will be changing in incredible ways, and when their teachers discuss the President, they will be discussing their own father!!
This has been a historical week for our country with the election of the first African-American President.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Welcome to 2009!
We have been so busy getting back into the swing of school that our class has not taken the time to blog much lately. We will start working on that tomorrow, as we are on a "snow" day today. Unfortunately, there is no snow....
Anyway, last Friday we held our school wide spelling bee. Sohani did a great job representing our class. She was not our school winner, but we are so proud of her efforts. It is a nerve-wracking thing to be on stage in front of a large crowd of peers, trying to remember how to spell words. Our school winner is a fourth grade student, for the second year in a row.
Today is also Inauguration Day. I am hoping we can have a good discussion of this in class and be able to write down some thoughts about this day.
Anyway, last Friday we held our school wide spelling bee. Sohani did a great job representing our class. She was not our school winner, but we are so proud of her efforts. It is a nerve-wracking thing to be on stage in front of a large crowd of peers, trying to remember how to spell words. Our school winner is a fourth grade student, for the second year in a row.
Today is also Inauguration Day. I am hoping we can have a good discussion of this in class and be able to write down some thoughts about this day.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Class Spelling Bee Winners
Yesterday we held our class spelling bee, in preparation for the school-wide spelling bee in January.
We had 8 students who participated....that's half our class!! I was very proud of their willingness to come in front of the group and try to spell words.
I am proud to announce that our class winner is Sohani! Our runner-up is Jonathan.
Stay tuned to see if Sohani will be our school champion!
We had 8 students who participated....that's half our class!! I was very proud of their willingness to come in front of the group and try to spell words.
I am proud to announce that our class winner is Sohani! Our runner-up is Jonathan.
Stay tuned to see if Sohani will be our school champion!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Brass Ensemble
Today we had an assembly for the fourth and fifth graders. The Brass Ensemble from our city's symphony orchestra came today to put on a mini-concert for the students. The symphony does this every year in anticipation of the concert they put on for all the fifth grade students in the entire city.
Today was the Brass group. The Strings came earlier in the school year. I enjoy these musical assemblies, mostly because I played clarinet in middle and high school. I enjoy hearing the different groups.
There were some parts of the program I think stood out to the students. They liked seeing how each instrument played its notes. They enjoyed seeing which instrument could play the lowest notes.
I think the best part was when the musicians demonstrated the different types of mutes. A mute is the piece the musician puts into the bell of the instrument in order to change the sound of the notes. I never knew this, but the role of the "teacher" on Charlie Brown was played by a trombone with a mute in it!
Mrs. Staton
Today was the Brass group. The Strings came earlier in the school year. I enjoy these musical assemblies, mostly because I played clarinet in middle and high school. I enjoy hearing the different groups.
There were some parts of the program I think stood out to the students. They liked seeing how each instrument played its notes. They enjoyed seeing which instrument could play the lowest notes.
I think the best part was when the musicians demonstrated the different types of mutes. A mute is the piece the musician puts into the bell of the instrument in order to change the sound of the notes. I never knew this, but the role of the "teacher" on Charlie Brown was played by a trombone with a mute in it!
Mrs. Staton
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