Epic Fail

So I've been using the three questions around my house.  You know!  The ones I wrote about in the last blog... How were you brave; how did you fail; how were you kind today?  And they've worked! Noah (usually) has so much to say about each one.  One day we walked out the door in the morning and went to get in the car.  "Oh no.  I forgot my keys!" I lamented.  We climbed in the car (that I had, ironically, remote started from inside the house), called my husband and waited.  As the wait dragged on, Noah looked over at me and said, "I guess I know what your fail is going to be today."  I love that he could joke about it and that he's always looking for the answers!  The best part is that he asks the questions right back to me each day.  Even when he doesn't have an answer from his day, he asks me about mine, and we start some great conversations.  Knowing that the questions are coming right back to me at the end of the day has caused me to live each day more aware, and I have to think it's causing Noah to live that way too.  If you haven't tried them yet, I highly recommend giving them a go!

Narrative Writing: The Scary Story Project

On Halloween, students wrapped up a month-long scary story writing, speaking and art project. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us Halloween afternoon for a spooky showcase.  These projects will come home on Monday, but let me share with you what we did:

Students began the project by listening to two scary story mentor texts: "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Buckle My Shoe".  As we read, students jotted down ideas, craft moves they appreciated and quotes that resonated with them.  They spent the next day planning and writing a completely original scary story.  This was a quick writing assignment, meant only to offer me insights into their narrative writing abilities (something of a pre-assessment, if you will).

Students worked with partners to identify the most impactful scene of their story, and we went to town revising just this scene.  Our lesson was "When I write narratives, I ADD: inner thinking, action, dialogue and details."  This is the heart of our elaboration expectations in the sixth grade narrative writing rubric.

While we spent time writing and revising in the classroom, we also had time to turn our scenes into artwork with the help of Mr. Greenman in the art room.  Mr. Greenman taught us about mediums, lettering techniques, using light, and he had amazing ideas about how to best replicate blood in our artwork.  Take a look at the students at work:

Mr. Greenman helps a student. 

Students try the light table technique using a window.

Students try the light table technique using a window.

A student tries the blood drip technique with paint.

Another student tries the blood drip technique with markers.

Finally, students also took on the task of creating a GarageBand recording of their revised scenes. Students in the Barbaro advisory helped me create the rubric for this project.  Though GarageBand was not an app with which the students were 100% comfortable, they showed great perseverance as they put together projects.  Please enjoy these exemplary projects:

Trick-or-Treat for Canned Goods: How can we help those who are food insecure?

Since mid-September, we've been looking into food insecurity in America.  When we looked at the issue on a local level, we learned about The New Trier Food Pantry.  Students were very interested in the struggle many on the Northshore are facing with food insecurity.  We decided to help by gathering items for The New Trier Food Pantry.

We are so incredibly proud of the students, parents and community members who helped us gather 600 items for The New Trier Food Pantry.  What an amazing feat!  Take a look at a photo history of our work on this project:

Students work together to create a poster for the community to see from Mrs. Barbaro's window.

Students work together to create a goal tracker to keep in the front hallway.

Students work together to create a poster for the cafeteria.

Students work together to create fliers for the community.

Students created a challenge for the rest of the school to get involved.

A group with their items after their trick-or-treat adventure.

Another group after trick-or-treating.

Students work together to load the boxes into Mrs. Barbaro's car.

Students work together to load the boxes into Mrs. Barbaro's car.

Students work together to load the boxes into Mrs. Barbaro's car.

Loaded and ready to go!  600 items in one mini-van!

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to make this experience a reality for our students.  It was a truly special experience, and they helped a lot of people in need on the Northshore.

Book Recommendation: Moo by Sharon Creech

Few authors have the ability to get me out of a funk like Sharon Creech.  Her newest book, Moo, did not disappoint.  Told in a mix of poetry and prose, Moo tells the story of a family's move to rural Maine.  The relationships that develop between both human and nonhuman characters is heartwarming.  It was a book I couldn't put down and would highly recommend for the whole family.