Week 16 Holiday Time

Only four more school days until Christmas break. The kids have worked hard these past few months and definitely deserve a little time off. This week we have a few things going on.

• Our class party will happen on Wednesday. Please send a healthy snack for your student that day. We will have pizza for lunch and then PARTY! I'll provide the party food. If your child has a favorite board game, send it on Wednesday. And don't forget the Secret Santa gift. Parents are welcome to come and share in the fun.
• Thursday (December 20) is our last day and one of school wide celebration. Chapel and our Christmas play will start off the morning, followed by Holiday Happenings from 10:30 to 12:00. We can still use some craft centers. If you want to come and help out, just let me know. In the afternoon we'll wind down with a movie and then clean up, pack up, and get out! 

The students have been practicing the mechanics of paragraph writing. By responded to a visual prompt, they practiced writing hooks, topic sentences, details related to the topic sentence,  transition words, descriptive words, and concluding sentences reflecting back to the topic sentence. We took a little time to learn about Norman Rockwell, his art, and his contributions to our country. The students chose one of his Christmas pictures to write about. Enjoy a few of these student samples.

Once there was a man who made Christmas stuff like toys, Christmas lights, and ornaments. When he was a kid, he was a big fan of Christmas. His favorite holiday was Christmas and he wanted to make Christmas things. When he went to school, he always talked about Christmas to his friends. One day three kids bullied him...  Aiden

And it goes on from there with Santa coming out ahead and the bullies getting their dues. It's always interesting to get inside of the minds of the kids.

A Christmas tree is a fun thing. It is fun to decorate it with family. The tree is tall, thin, and rugged. The ornaments are old, rusty, and also breakable and at last the star which is shiny, bold, and big...

So the tree is a very important part in the holidays. Cody

His concluding sentence refers back to his topic sentence and he took the time to add adjectives.

Whoosh - a big, fat guy flew through the sky being pulled by a group of not so excited reindeer. It had been a long night and the man had been drinking a little too many spiked eggnogs... Ian B.

This is certainly an attention getting hook!

...My mom was untangling lights, my dad was hanging decorations on the walls, and my brother just got back from the store with a present for my mom... Jada

This topic sentence spells out what her paragraph should be about.

...The snow was sparkling on the ground, but the kids had their eyes fixed on the skies. They were looking for any signs of reindeer. And then a flash in the sky, like the shimmer of a sleigh... Julia

She used descriptive words and even threw in a simile.

Grandma, who is very kind, is the best grandma there ever was. We pack, drive in the car, and arrive there to see our aunts and uncles... When we get there, we bring in the gifts, help decorate the huge tree, and spend time with grandma. We decorate her tree with all of her ornaments... Mary

She wrote a topic sentence telling what she is writing about and then added details for each idea.     

...They snuggled in bed and as soon as they were absolutely sure their parents were asleep, they crept down the stairs on silent toes. The squishy armchair that sat by the fire bent under the weight of the two children that had just flounced onto it. They stared intensely at the hollow fireplace that was black with soot and coal. However, when Bonnie looked over, Ben was fast asleep, sandy blonde hair spilling over the arm of the chair where his head rested... Maxine

Her word choice is excellent and she even used personification.

The scent of pine trees filled the air. The train screeched to a stop in the place I call home. It was Christmas Eve when I hopped off the train watching families embrace with tearful hellos. I looked at the clock - eight o'clock on the dot. With a long held sigh, I slung my sack over my back, and I waited and waited for the ones I hold dear to show up and be near... Victoria

Yes, I want to read more!

Happy Holidays. Enjoy!

Mrs. J