OES Reads: Week 4

Despite the uncooperative weather and a slew of recent snow days, our whole-school family reading project (OES Reads) presses on. Here's another round of related literacy projects

(Find more information about OES Reads in these previous blog posts in the series: Building Excitement, the Big Reveal, Week 1, Week 2, Family Literacy Night.)

Our fourth week of OES Reads coincided with a parent-student-teacher conference day. A number of classrooms featured writing from their Ranger in Time work. Second grade has been delighted that Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail supports their Westward Movement unit!

These second grade students had to choose only the most important items to pack on a wagon trail ride. They wrote about their selections. They also were hard at work retracing other trails besides the Oregon Trail.

Third-graders were challenged to choose only one thing they would take with them on the Oregon Trail as a reminder of home. They wrote and illustrated their responses.

Third-graders were busy crafting yarn dolls this week, too. They followed directions and made a new pal. Now they are at work writing fiction stories about their new friends.

Some of our first-graders have been learning to square dance, too. They are practicing in hopes of sharing at our closing assembly.

Sixth-graders have been studying Anna, Jose, and Henry closer as part of their character analysis work. They have interpreted and reflected on the way the young super-sleuths have been acting, feeling, and thinking while trying to reclaim the Star-Spangled Banner.

Items from the activity calendars keep trickling in. This creation is a pocket watch with a family photo stored inside. This product was made by a third grader and her family in addition to briefly explaining what single pocket-sized item she would take with her as a memory of home.

The day is drawing near for some lucky students who will win Kate Messner books, an incentive sponsored by their fifth-grade teacher. Students have been earning raffle tickets for completed calendar items and attendance at the Family Literacy Night. Those will be some wonderfully lucky students no doubt!

It's hard to believe, but now we are in the final week of our OES Reads program. Friday will be the big culminating event, with many students and classrooms contributing to the celebration. Don't forget to come by again and see how we wrap it all up!