We just finished our second week of school at Laurel Mountain. And things are in full swing, including our Enrichment Slot, or E-slot, time that occurs Friday morning from 8:00-9:00. This is a time when students can explore special topics or projects, based on their interests. And yes, this happens EVERY Friday at LME.
How do the teachers know what the students are interested in? During the first few weeks of school EVERY student at Laurel Mountain completes an interest survey. The surveys contain a list of different areas that we think the students would be interested in. The students complete the survey but indicating their top ten or five interest areas. Then, the data is calculated and organized.
The teachers use the information from interest surveys to come up with different activities during the E-slot. For example, if a class indicated on the interest survey they love to cook, then the teacher might teach the class how to cook a kid-friendly recipe or even ask a parent to come in and demonstrate a family or cultural favorite.
Here is an example of what Mrs. Castro's Cougars did last week during their second E-slot:
Today the Castro Cougars watched the video based on the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds and had a lively class discussion about how we are all creative in many different ways. Then we decided to put our talents to work to create a work of art using paint. We look forward to a great year of exploring our talents!
Continuing to develop the whole child...
Monday, September 10, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Connecting a Hurricane to LME
What does a hurricane have to do with the teachers and staff at Laurel Mountain? During our staff development on August 24th, we found out. Nancy and Debbie from Mesquite ISD presented "Connectors" to all of the Laurel Mountain staff.
What is a connector? A connector is a way to look at and think about relationships, any type of relationship. First, you start with the output...what to do want to happen? Then, you look at the input...what is the current situation? Finally, you focus on the transforms or the actions that connect your input to the output. In the end, the only thing we have real control over are the transforms, or the actions that you can make in a situation.
In simpler terms, every teacher, every student, every parent, we are all connected at Laurel Mountain. What we say and how we act affects everyone within our learning community. And every one's output as a direct affect one someone else's input.
Let me give you an example. Let's pretend that I am not a morning person (side note: I know this is a stretch, since why would a person pick the profession of a teacher if he/she was not a morning person? But for this situation, we are just going to pretend). And let's say that I am on morning duty and I do not smile or greet a child walking in to school. That child goes to class upset because I did not acknowledge him/her. That child acts rude to his/her teacher, which then has started off that teacher's day on a bad note. My output 9not smiling) had a direct affect on that teacher's input (being treated with disrespect). It is all about the connections and the relationships that we create.
Nancy and Debbie lead us through several different activities to demonstrate this point: my output directly affects some one's input.
Next, we created a BIG connector. We thought about about Laurel Mountain and how we want students to leave our school at the end of 5th grade (problem solvers, love to learn, prepared, respectful, etc.). This became our output. Then, we thought about how our students come to us (excited, nervous, experienced, tired, etc.). This became our output. Finally, we focused on the transforms in the middle. What do we need to do as teachers to get our students from input to output (listen, teach, guide, question, support, love, etc)? Here is a picture of this big connector, or as we named it, Lory the Lion.
Next, we discussed how in any organization there are smaller connectors inside the BIG connector. See picture below.
We were put in small groups and thought about the other connectors that fit inside Lory. We first worked on our relationship connectors. How we act towards others has direct affect on our students, staff and parents. The picture below shows how our relationship connectors line up inside Lory. Each output affect another group's input.
Next, we worked on our academic connectors. This time, we were grouped by grade level. We discussed how we want our students to leave that grade level (output), how they come to that grade level (input) and finally what we can do as teachers to get them to that desired output (transforms/actions). In the end, the only thing we have control over as teachers are the transforms, or what we can do to make sure our students are ready for the next level. See the picture below to see how our academic connectors fit inside Lory.
It was a eye-opening day of learning. There were several "ah-hahs!" and "hmmm..." throughout the day. Nancy and Debbie were very easy to listen to and entertaining. But they did get the message across that our output affects the input of everyone we come in contact with.
So, finally back to the title of this entry, "Connecting a Hurricane to LME". What does a massive storm have to do with our school. Well, look at the definition below:
An individual raindrop can't do much good. It can water one blade of grass. However, one raindrop is not going to do much good for the whole yard. But when those raindrops get together and cooperate, massive change can happen (as shown to us this past week with Hurricane Issac).
At Laurel Mountain, we want to be a hurricane. We want to be strong. We want to be a powerful force of change. The only way we can do that is by working together. That means all of us, teachers, parents and students. By thinking about, creating and remembering our connectors we can guarantee a successful and powerful year of learning for all of the students at Laurel Mountain.
Continuing to develop the whole child....
What is a connector? A connector is a way to look at and think about relationships, any type of relationship. First, you start with the output...what to do want to happen? Then, you look at the input...what is the current situation? Finally, you focus on the transforms or the actions that connect your input to the output. In the end, the only thing we have real control over are the transforms, or the actions that you can make in a situation.
In simpler terms, every teacher, every student, every parent, we are all connected at Laurel Mountain. What we say and how we act affects everyone within our learning community. And every one's output as a direct affect one someone else's input.
Let me give you an example. Let's pretend that I am not a morning person (side note: I know this is a stretch, since why would a person pick the profession of a teacher if he/she was not a morning person? But for this situation, we are just going to pretend). And let's say that I am on morning duty and I do not smile or greet a child walking in to school. That child goes to class upset because I did not acknowledge him/her. That child acts rude to his/her teacher, which then has started off that teacher's day on a bad note. My output 9not smiling) had a direct affect on that teacher's input (being treated with disrespect). It is all about the connections and the relationships that we create.
Nancy and Debbie lead us through several different activities to demonstrate this point: my output directly affects some one's input.
In this activity, we learned how hard it is to stay calm with so many "balls" in the air.
Lory the Lion
Next, we discussed how in any organization there are smaller connectors inside the BIG connector. See picture below.
All of the connectors need to line up for the organization to run smoothly.
We were put in small groups and thought about the other connectors that fit inside Lory. We first worked on our relationship connectors. How we act towards others has direct affect on our students, staff and parents. The picture below shows how our relationship connectors line up inside Lory. Each output affect another group's input.
Those blue papers are our relationship connectors. Notice how all of the outputs line up with the next group's input.
Next, we worked on our academic connectors. This time, we were grouped by grade level. We discussed how we want our students to leave that grade level (output), how they come to that grade level (input) and finally what we can do as teachers to get them to that desired output (transforms/actions). In the end, the only thing we have control over as teachers are the transforms, or what we can do to make sure our students are ready for the next level. See the picture below to see how our academic connectors fit inside Lory.
The pink ones are our academic connectors.
It was a eye-opening day of learning. There were several "ah-hahs!" and "hmmm..." throughout the day. Nancy and Debbie were very easy to listen to and entertaining. But they did get the message across that our output affects the input of everyone we come in contact with.
So, finally back to the title of this entry, "Connecting a Hurricane to LME". What does a massive storm have to do with our school. Well, look at the definition below:
"A hurricane: many individual raindrops cooperating."
An individual raindrop can't do much good. It can water one blade of grass. However, one raindrop is not going to do much good for the whole yard. But when those raindrops get together and cooperate, massive change can happen (as shown to us this past week with Hurricane Issac).
At Laurel Mountain, we want to be a hurricane. We want to be strong. We want to be a powerful force of change. The only way we can do that is by working together. That means all of us, teachers, parents and students. By thinking about, creating and remembering our connectors we can guarantee a successful and powerful year of learning for all of the students at Laurel Mountain.
Continuing to develop the whole child....
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Building SEM Brick by Brick
This past July, I had the opportunity (along with eight fellow staff members) to attended Confratute at the University of Connecticut. This conference, attended by educators from all over the globe, provides research-based practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students.
I was very excited to present this year at Confratute. I was honored to share Laurel Mountain's successes with fellow attendees. My presentation was titled "Building SEM Brick by Brick". I discussed how we implemented the Schoolwide Enrichment Model at LME. I also talked about what has and has not worked. I was a little nervous at first. But once I got started, it was hard for me to stop talking about the important work we are all doing for all of our students.
Below is my presentation on Prezi. Feel free to take a look.
Continuing to develop the whole child...
Building SEM Brick by Brick
I was very excited to present this year at Confratute. I was honored to share Laurel Mountain's successes with fellow attendees. My presentation was titled "Building SEM Brick by Brick". I discussed how we implemented the Schoolwide Enrichment Model at LME. I also talked about what has and has not worked. I was a little nervous at first. But once I got started, it was hard for me to stop talking about the important work we are all doing for all of our students.
Below is my presentation on Prezi. Feel free to take a look.
Continuing to develop the whole child...
Building SEM Brick by Brick
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Our Teachers are Learners at Confratute
This past July, nine Laurel Mountain Elementary educators had the opportunity to join more than 600 educators from across the US and fifteen countries at Confratute, a week long program at the University of Connecticut that provides educators with research-based practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students. Attending this past summer:
Mrs. Lucy Castro, 5th grade teacher
Mrs. Melissa Hein, 5th grade teacher
Mr. Trevor Hance, 4th grade teacher
Ms. Kate Fredrickson, 3rd grade teacher
Ms. Jessica Lofaro, 2nd grade teacher
Mrs. Charlotte Justice, Counselor
Mrs. Nicole Levitan, Enrichment Coordinator
Mrs. Johanna Kelley, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Jan Richards, Principal
For the past 35 years, Storrs, Connecticut, has attracted more than 20,000 educators worldwide for this highly acclaimed, enrichment-based program sponsored by the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. It blends educators interested in gifted education, differentiation of instruction and curriculum, and creativity and innovation in education.
Confratute started in 1978, when Dr. Joseph Renzulli and Dr. Sally Reis decided that they wanted to host a summer conference focused on Enrichment Teaching and Learning. They didn't want it to be just any conference, though. They wanted to combine the best qualities of a CONference with a summer instiTUTE and add a whole lot of FRAternity in between.
This summer, Confratute offered a jam-packed schedule of events to engage, inspire and rejuvenate educators. Some of the sessions our staff attended included Math for Those Who Think They Can’t Do Math; Storytelling, Mime and Movement; Silk Screen Printing; Enrichment Clusters-Advanced; The Kaplan Depth and Complexity Model; Fun and Friendly Algebra and numerous other sessions. Mrs. Levitan presented a Special Topic Session titled “Building SEM Brick by Brick”. She was proud to share Laurel Mountain’s successes and challenges implementing and sustaining SEM.
For the first time, Confratute hosted the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) Leaders Forum, an intensive week for principals who are interested in school change using a philosophy of Enrichment Learning and Teaching. Mrs. Richards attended the SEM Leaders Forum and was able to share her experiences. Just as important, she learned from other principals and leaders from around the country on how they have implemented SEM at their schools.
Through exposure to differentiation, talent development and enriching learning experiences, the community of adult learners at Confratute are able to share similar interests, as well as foster professional growth. All of our staff members returned to Austin energized, excited and ready to enrich the lives of our students at Laurel Mountain Elementary to ensure that we are developing the whole child for a lifetime of success.
Mrs. Lucy Castro, 5th grade teacher
Mrs. Melissa Hein, 5th grade teacher
Mr. Trevor Hance, 4th grade teacher
Ms. Kate Fredrickson, 3rd grade teacher
Ms. Jessica Lofaro, 2nd grade teacher
Mrs. Charlotte Justice, Counselor
Mrs. Nicole Levitan, Enrichment Coordinator
Mrs. Johanna Kelley, Assistant Principal
Mrs. Jan Richards, Principal
For the past 35 years, Storrs, Connecticut, has attracted more than 20,000 educators worldwide for this highly acclaimed, enrichment-based program sponsored by the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. It blends educators interested in gifted education, differentiation of instruction and curriculum, and creativity and innovation in education.
Confratute started in 1978, when Dr. Joseph Renzulli and Dr. Sally Reis decided that they wanted to host a summer conference focused on Enrichment Teaching and Learning. They didn't want it to be just any conference, though. They wanted to combine the best qualities of a CONference with a summer instiTUTE and add a whole lot of FRAternity in between.
This summer, Confratute offered a jam-packed schedule of events to engage, inspire and rejuvenate educators. Some of the sessions our staff attended included Math for Those Who Think They Can’t Do Math; Storytelling, Mime and Movement; Silk Screen Printing; Enrichment Clusters-Advanced; The Kaplan Depth and Complexity Model; Fun and Friendly Algebra and numerous other sessions. Mrs. Levitan presented a Special Topic Session titled “Building SEM Brick by Brick”. She was proud to share Laurel Mountain’s successes and challenges implementing and sustaining SEM.
For the first time, Confratute hosted the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) Leaders Forum, an intensive week for principals who are interested in school change using a philosophy of Enrichment Learning and Teaching. Mrs. Richards attended the SEM Leaders Forum and was able to share her experiences. Just as important, she learned from other principals and leaders from around the country on how they have implemented SEM at their schools.
Through exposure to differentiation, talent development and enriching learning experiences, the community of adult learners at Confratute are able to share similar interests, as well as foster professional growth. All of our staff members returned to Austin energized, excited and ready to enrich the lives of our students at Laurel Mountain Elementary to ensure that we are developing the whole child for a lifetime of success.
Monday, May 14, 2012
SEM Update - May Newsletter
SEM Accomplishments for 2011-2012
Written by Nicole Levitan, LME Enrichment Coordinator
Schoolwide Enrichment is more than just what takes place on Fridays at Laurel Mountain. It is the philosophy that drives our instruction and the way that we teach. It is how your child’s teacher looks at the strengths and interests of the class and creates various learning opportunities that allow them to further explore those interests. It is the freedom that our teachers and students have to think outside the box and try something new. Thanks to your support and generosity, we have been able to continue to grow and excel with SEM.
Each year, we establish goals for SEM at Laurel Mountain. Many of the goals are simply restating the foundations of the program, while others may extend previous successes to new areas in the curriculum. We are excited to share the accomplishments of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) at Laurel Mountain for the 2011-2012 school year.
Renzulli Learning System: Teachers and student utilized the Renzulli Learning System (RLS) within the classroom by creating projects and assignments completed by students. This year, students visited a total of 13,370 sites and teachers visited a total of 469 sites!
In addition, teachers utilized the Renzulli Differentiation Engine on RLS to help meet the needs of all learners. This program on RLS allows for unique differentiated activities in curriculum areas, engaging interest based resources and assessment questions for the students so they can reflect on the work they have completed.
Total Talent Portfolios: Built and utilized each child's Total Talent Portfolio (TTP) and communicate contents with parents. The TTP were shared with parents during conferences.
Independent Investigative Method (IIM): IIM of continued to be used in all grade levels K-5. There were IIM project that related to the regular classroom curriculum. For example, in kindergarten classes the students did an IIM project on butterflies. In first grade, the students focused on winter animals. In second grade, the students did IIM projects on famous people in history and another IIM on animals. There were also numerous IIM projects where students chose their own topics of research. These happened in several grade levels, including third, fourth and fifth grades.
LEGO Educational Lessons: Lego Educational lessons were taught in all grades, 1-5. In first and second grade, the students worked with the WeDo LEGO system during class time. In third grade, the students concentrated on gears using the LEGO Educational Kits. In fourth grade, some students worked with the LEGO Simple Machine kits and worked with levers and pulleys. Finally, in fifth grade, all students worked with the LEGO NXT Mindstorm kit, which adds in the programmable aspect using the NXT software on the computer.
Service Learning: Teachers and students created Service Learning opportunities in the classroom:
Kindergarten: Our kindergarten students created festive turkey centerpieces for the HEB Feast of Caring that took place in November 2011.
Each year, we establish goals for SEM at Laurel Mountain. Many of the goals are simply restating the foundations of the program, while others may extend previous successes to new areas in the curriculum. We are excited to share the accomplishments of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) at Laurel Mountain for the 2011-2012 school year.
Renzulli Learning System: Teachers and student utilized the Renzulli Learning System (RLS) within the classroom by creating projects and assignments completed by students. This year, students visited a total of 13,370 sites and teachers visited a total of 469 sites!
In addition, teachers utilized the Renzulli Differentiation Engine on RLS to help meet the needs of all learners. This program on RLS allows for unique differentiated activities in curriculum areas, engaging interest based resources and assessment questions for the students so they can reflect on the work they have completed.
Total Talent Portfolios: Built and utilized each child's Total Talent Portfolio (TTP) and communicate contents with parents. The TTP were shared with parents during conferences.
Independent Investigative Method (IIM): IIM of continued to be used in all grade levels K-5. There were IIM project that related to the regular classroom curriculum. For example, in kindergarten classes the students did an IIM project on butterflies. In first grade, the students focused on winter animals. In second grade, the students did IIM projects on famous people in history and another IIM on animals. There were also numerous IIM projects where students chose their own topics of research. These happened in several grade levels, including third, fourth and fifth grades.
LEGO Educational Lessons: Lego Educational lessons were taught in all grades, 1-5. In first and second grade, the students worked with the WeDo LEGO system during class time. In third grade, the students concentrated on gears using the LEGO Educational Kits. In fourth grade, some students worked with the LEGO Simple Machine kits and worked with levers and pulleys. Finally, in fifth grade, all students worked with the LEGO NXT Mindstorm kit, which adds in the programmable aspect using the NXT software on the computer.
Service Learning: Teachers and students created Service Learning opportunities in the classroom:
Kindergarten: Our kindergarten students created festive turkey centerpieces for the HEB Feast of Caring that took place in November 2011.
Ms. Rumpf's 2nd grade class: To thank the U.S. military in Afghanistan, students in Ms. Rumpf’s class collected 87 pounds of snacks, food items, books and games for a care package that were sent to United States Airmen. Also included in the care package were letters, jokes and poems written by the 2nd grade students.
Ms. Rumpf's 2nd grade class: In class, the students had a discussion about hunger and what it means to be hungry. They looked at causes of hunger and how the students could help. Students discovered that there is a fun way to help those that are hungry. They logged on to freerice.com and answered questions on different subjects. For each answer they got right, 10 grains of rice are donated to World Food Programme. Since May 6, 2012, the Respectful Bats have donated 112,460 grains of rice. The students learned that it is an easy and fun way to help end hunger.
3rd grade: Each class did trick or treating for UNICEF during Halloween. The entire 3rd grade collected over $1,100!
Mrs. Schuster’s 3rd grade class: The Superstars complete community service projects upon earning 100 compliments, and they chose to do a campus trash pick-up.
5th grade students: 5th grade students who worked in the Edible Garden harvested lettuce and sent it home with students at Anderson Mill Elementary. These 5th graders also served their fresh produce in the cafeteria to other students.
Schoolwide: During Red Ribbon Week 2011, the school collected 342 pounds of food during the “I Can, You Can, We Can All Be Drug Free” Canned Food Drive. The food was donated to the Capital Area Food Bank, which serves our local Central Texas hunger needs. 342 pounds of donated food equates to 273 meals.
Schoolwide: This year, the Read-a-thon raised $7,131.80 for Libraries of Love and Berkman Elementary in Round Rock ISD.
Lionheart Leadership Team: After a successful Read-a-thon, the Lionheart Leadership Team planned and executed a school wide food drive for students at Berkman Elementary. They collected 1,755 different food items for Berkman. The food was boxed and brought over to the school, where it was distributed to students who needed meals over spring break.
Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS): Mrs. Levitan, our Enrichment Coordinator, continued to teach PETS lessons in grades 1 and 2 this school year and she added grade 3. This was the first year that the PETS lessons were taught in 3rd grade. These lessons teach the students about the different types of thinking (convergent, divergent, visual and evaluative) that people use to solve problems.
Math Compacting: Mrs. Levitan provided math compacting services for 2nd and 3rd grade students throughout the school year. Compacting is a type of differentiation that allows the different needs of students to be met within the school day. When students demonstrated a level of proficiency on a pre-test in a specific math concept they were allowed to exchange instructional time for accelerated and/or enriched work relating to the math concept being taught in class.
Teacher Collaboration and Resource: Mrs. Levitan continued to collaborate with teachers in a variety of areas, such as using the Renzulli Learning System, IIM, service learning, enrichment clusters, enrichment slot activities, Philanthropy Mentoring Program, compacting math enrichment, PETS lessons and many others. This allows LME to reach all of our diverse learners.
Visitors from Around the State: In addition to our Parent Tours, we offered Enrichment tours to several groups this school year. We had faculty and staff from Austin Elementary in Coppell ISD visit LME twice during the school year. We had staff from DeSoto ISD visit us during our 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment clusters. We had members of Renzulli Learning Systems and Compass Learning take a tour of our 4th and 5th grade enrichment clusters. From Round Rock ISD, we had friends from Pond Springs come and tour our 4th and 5th grade Enrichment Cluster Showcase. Finally, we had the pleasure of having Dr. Matt Matthys, who is the Assistant Superintendent with Instructional Support, tour our 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment clusters.
Professional Development for Staff: This summer, nine of our staff members will be attending Confratute at the University of Connecticut. Confratute was started 35 years ago by Dr. Joseph Renzulli and Dr. Sally Reis, who wanted to host a summer conference that focused on Enrichment Teaching and Learning. Confratute is geared toward providing educators with research-based practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students. The staff members attending are Principal Jan Richards, Assistant Principal Johanna Kelley, 5th grade teachers Lucy Castro and Melissa Hein, 4th grade teacher Trevor Hance, 3rd grade teacher Kate Fredrickson, 2nd grade teacher Jessica Lofaro, Interventionist Charlotte Justice and Enrichment Coordinator Nicole Levitan. We are excited to come back to LME and share our new knowledge with fellow staff members.
Enrichment Clusters: In grades K-5, students participated in an Enrichment Clusters for 6-8 weeks. There were a total of 50 different enrichment cluster offered in a variety of topics this school year. This is an increase from last year when we offered 44 different enrichment clusters.
Service Learning within Enrichment Clusters and E-slot: We continued to make Service Learning a focus within our enrichment clusters and E-slot activities:
2nd – 5th grade “Clay Creations” Enrichment Clusters: Students participated in the Empty Bowl Festival and contributed their handmade bowls to the event. The Empty Bowls Festival raised $10,221!
2nd and 3rd grade “Rainforest Heroes” Enrichment Cluster:
Students created valentines to send to an agribusiness company that cuts down trees in the rainforest. The valentines asked the company to have a heart for the world’s rainforests.
2nd and 3rd grade “Friendship Bracelet Fanatics” Enrichment Cluster: The students worked hard to make bracelets for children who are currently hospitalized due to illness or other medical reasons. Each bracelet has a handmade get well note attached signed by a member of the cluster.
2nd and 3rd grade “Card Making Extravaganza” Enrichment Cluster: The group enjoyed making cards for the Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast for our wonderful parents and “Welcome to Laurel Mountain” cards for new students.
4th and 5th grade “SEW…You Want to Save the World?” Enrichment Cluster: In this enrichment cluster, the students explored plastic bag recycling and how it affects our environment. They developed a plan to collect gently used t-shirts and turn them into washable, reusable bags, instead of using the bags that stores give out. They collected close to 100 T-shirts and turned them into bags. The students in this enrichment cluster delivered the bags to classroom teachers who thought they had a use for our bags. They also made a “How To” video to show people how simple it is to make reusable bags and reduce the use of plastic bags in Austin.
4th and 5th grade “Lionhearts Peer Mediation Team” Enrichment Cluster: Twenty-two 4th and 5th grade students completed the PAX UNITED training to become LME's first ever Laurel Mountain Lionhearts Peer Mediation Team. They learned that conflict is a normal part of life and that a caring and supportive mediator can help people find solutions to conflict.
4th grade “Watt Watchers Leadership Team” E-slot Elective: During this E-slot Elective, these students planned the Watt Watchers marketing campaign and trained other 4th grade Watt Watchers. The purpose of the Watt Watchers is to reduce energy usage and costs by reminding people to turn off the lights when they leave a room.
4th grade “Art from the Heart” E-slot Elective: This was an E-slot Elective art project dedicated to creating art. The art created by the E-slot elective were delivered to elderly and/or sick people. The hope is that the art created by the students will be inspiring and bring a smile to the faces of those who don't always have the most attention or who just might like a healthy dose of color in their life. The art created by students was delivered to nursing homes and assisted living homes in our community.
4th grade “Fuel Up to Play 60”E-slot Elective: “Fuel Up To Play 60” is sponsored by the NFL and the National Dairy Council. It is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program helping make wellness part of the game plan in more than 70,000 schools across the country. We had nineteen 4th grade student ambassadors who helped plan the Family Fitness night that took place in the spring.
Enrichment Cluster Showcase: Students participated in three different Enrichment Cluster Showcases to highlight their journey during the enrichment clusters, along with the product and services that the students worked on during the 6 to 8 weeks.
Student Facilitators: This year we had 64 student helpers from fifth grade who helped facilitate the 2/3 and K/1 enrichment clusters. This was an increase from last year when we had 59 student helpers.
Parent and Community Helpers: This year we had over 80 parent and/or community members assist with enrichment, enrichment clusters or Enrichment slots (E-slots) taking place in the classroom.
Enrichment Cluster Tours: We offered eight enrichment cluster tours to about 60 parents this year. These tours allow our parents to witness enrichment clusters in action.
Thank you to our Family and Community Enrichment Supporters!
Monica Araoz, LME parent and presenter to Dreamy Drawing, a 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment cluster.
Hazel Barbour, Rainforest Partnership Board Member and presenter on Rainforest Conservation to Rainforest Heroes, a 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment cluster.
Amy Brown, LME parent, owner of Cupprimo Cupcakery and presenter on entrepreneurs to 4th grade students during their economic unit.
Dr. Annetrea Cassens, Veterinarian and presenter to Vets and Pets, a Kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
Seaton Collard, former LME student and presenter to Mrs. Miranda’s kindergarten class and their 4th grade buddies on water and water purification.
Eric Deal, LME parent, webmaster for our SEM website and enrichment cluster sorter for kindergarten and 1st grade students.
Liz Gardner, LME parent and presenter to Amazing Animals, a kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
SueEllen Gawiser, LME parent and presenter to Mrs. Prentice’s kindergarten class on Hanukkah.
Carolyn Honish with therapy dog Lumpi, with Austin Dog Alliance who presented to Vets and Pets, a Kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
Nick Hopkins, Graphic designer and presenter to Dreamy Drawing, a 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment cluster.
Cyndi Lessard with therapy dog Logan, with Austin Dog Alliance who presented to Vets and Pets, a Kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
Ben McLellan, Professional Landscaper and presenter to Mrs. Sorrell’s 5th grade class on Xeriscaping.
Colleen Millian, LME parent and presenter to Mrs. Prentice’s kindergarten class on blood.
Rudy Millian, LME parent and presenter to Mrs. Prentice’s kindergarten class on a cultural holiday.
Chas Peacock, husband to Mrs. Peacock and presenter of instruments and rock music to Music Cluster, a kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
Gilbert Sauceda, graphic artist, children’s book author, illustrator and presenter on drawing to Art from the Heart, a 4th grade E-slot Elective.
Jenny Shepherd, LME parent and helper in the Kindergarten and 1st grade Snappy Snapshots enrichment cluster.
Anne Webster, LME parent and helper in the Kindergarten and 1st grade Create a reading Garden enrichment cluster.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Showcase and Friends
Today we had our Kindergarten and 1st grade Enrichment Cluster Showcase. The students were so eager and excited to show off their journey in enrichment clusters over the past six weeks. Thank you to all of the parents that came to today to be part of our SEM success.
Also, a quick shout-out to our friends from Austin Elementary in Coppell ISD that came to see the showcase this morning. The left the Dallas area around 4:45 a.m. to make it to Laurel Mountain! Thank you for taking the time to drive in and visit us again. And thank you for the energizing and inspiring discussions today. We look forward to seeing you at Confratute this summer.
Also, a quick shout-out to our friends from Austin Elementary in Coppell ISD that came to see the showcase this morning. The left the Dallas area around 4:45 a.m. to make it to Laurel Mountain! Thank you for taking the time to drive in and visit us again. And thank you for the energizing and inspiring discussions today. We look forward to seeing you at Confratute this summer.
Dino Hunters' display
Out of this World
Games and Puzzles
Create a Reading Garden
Water Bottle Flowers for the Reading Garden
Reading Rocks for the Reading Garden
Snappy Snapshots
The students' photography portfolios from Snappy Snapshots
Vets and Pets
Clay Creations
Sports Fanatics
Sports books from Sports Fanatics
Creative Card Making
Instantaneous Experiments
Demonstrating Experiments
Amazing Animals
Kid created amazing animals
Music Cluster
Origami
Wild About Animals
Student artwork from Wild About Animals
Lion Cub Book Club
Continuing to develop the whole child...
Monday, April 30, 2012
Last Enrichment Cluster of the 2011-2012 School Year
This past Friday, our kindergarten and first grade students met for the last time with their enrichment clusters for this school year. During the 2011-2012 school year, Laurel Mountain had a total of 50 different enrichment clusters in grade kindergarten through fifth grade. That means that EVERY SINGLE one of our students, participated in an enrichment cluster of their choice where they had an opportunity to explore an area of interest. Our students had a chance during the school day to increase their knowledge in a topic that they are passionate about. We are creating life long learners.
Below are the summaries from the kindergarten and first grade enrichment clusters. Make sure to come to our Enrichment Cluster Showcase on Thursday, May 3. Our first graders will be touring from 88:45 am and our kindergartners will be touring from 9:15-9:45 am.
Continuing to develop the whole child...
Vets and Pets: Our honorary veterinarians of Laurel Mountain had a “grrrreat” time during the Vets and Pets cluster! We learned about becoming a veterinarian from Dr. Cassens, a real vet. She shared with us about what vets do, how to become a vet and what types of animals vets care for.
We also had the opportunity to practice some vet skills with our own furry friends. Using stuffed dogs and cats we practiced giving vaccinations to keep our pets healthy. We also practiced wrapping hurt legs, checking heart rates, looking in ears and taking temperatures.
The Vets also had a visit from Lumpi, a therapy dog. Lumpi’s owner taught us about service and therapy animals. We learned how to greet a dog we don’t know. We even practiced teaching dog tricks to each other.
During our three weeks we meet some other fun pets too. We were able to interact and care for Dr. Cassen’s pet skink, our class guinea pig Sebastian and Mrs. Hall’s dog Rosie! Using an interactive chart we graphed everyone's favorite pet and recreated our own graph using paw stamps. Can you guess which animal had the most votes? It was "doggone" close.
Finally we built upon what we learned by creating a pet care book. We researched different types of pets on the computer and in books. We included pictures and information about dogs, cats, rabbits and fish. These hands-on experiences tickled the vets’ interest in pets. We gained new knowledge about careers with animals, service dogs and training pets. It was a “purr-fect” cluster.
Out of This World!: During week one, we explored and discovered all kinds of interesting things about space. We went through four stations with books, games, toys and puzzles to get ourselves into the outer atmosphere!
The second week we constructed rockets and used the air from our lungs to "blast" them out into space. Then we made wooded gliders and a foam space shuttle to test our flying skills!
Our final week we made a rocket using a film canister to hold our fuel. We used water and Alka-Seltzer to power the engine and blast our rockets into the sky! We took extra fuel home to blast off our rockets over the weekend!
Our cluster was truly "out of this world"!
Origami Cluster: In the “Origami Cluster” we learned the basic steps of folding paper to create fun items including 3-D animals, boxes, fortune tellers, boats and a pinwheel. We learned the importance of precise folds, sharp creases and following directions carefully. We practiced problem-solving skills as we checked our folds and corrected mistakes. A great website for step-by-step animated origami directions is http://en.origami-club.com/ and the fortune-teller directions can be found at http://pbskids.org/arthur. We are excited to share our origami creations with others!
Clay Creations: The enrichment cluster started with a video of the coil method of making a pot. The children then used modeling clay to make coil pots. During the second meeting the children learned the method of pinch pots. Then, they made their own. During these two meetings there was much socializing and we also learned about each other’s favorite music. Mrs. Jackson put on Taylor Swift for us to listen to. On the last cluster day, we made baker’s clay and brought it home. Mrs. Jackson hopes the food coloring came off our hands by the weekend! The recipe for the baker’s clay is below. J
· Ingredients: 4 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 ¾ cups warm water
· Knead for 5 -10 minutes. Model objects. Bake at 300 degrees for 1-3 hours, or air dry for several days.
Dino Hunters: Kindergarten and first grade students had a DINOmite time in the “Dino Hunters” enrichment cluster over the past three weeks. Students explored and shared their knowledge of dinosaurs. They dug for "fossils" to reconstruct a model and even searched LME's very own preserve to find fossils of plants and animals that were in this area over 100 million years ago!
The Creative Card Making: The “Creative Card Making” enrichment cluster enjoyed creating original greeting cards. We learned several card making techniques such as: stamping, die cuts, layering, “pop out” cards, yarn embellishments, punches and MORE! Our enrichment cluster made many cards for friends and family. On the last day, we made a card making kit. Now we are prepared to make a new card for any upcoming occasion!
Lion Cub Book Club: The Lion Cub Book Club had a very busy three weeks! Each week, we explored the works of a different author including Steven Kellogg, Kevin Henkes, and Margaret & H.A. Rey.
After reading a selected story, we enjoyed a group discussion. During these, we made connections and shared our thoughts.
We also had a crafts activity each time, writing notes and cards and designing hats. We look forward to sharing these with you at the showcase.
Everyone had a great time and enjoyed sharing our love of reading!
Music Cluster: Classical music was playing as the students walked in, to remind them what it sounded like so they could hear the difference between the 2 different styles of music and connect from last week's lesson on Classical Studies.
We told the students we were going to introduce them to a new type of music called jazz. We played a piece, they closed their eyes and visualized what they thought was happening in the song.
They drew a picture of what they thought the jazz piece was about and we discussed the piece of music and how it has been used in movies and on TV.
We learned what jazz music was and the 5 instrument parts used to make up a jazz band. The students each chose an instrument and played along with the lead part to form our own classroom jazz band.
We learned about jive talk and studied the life of Duke Ellington. We then made Duke Ellington Hats. While the students were working on their Duke Ellington top hats, we also watched a short clip of Buddy Rich (one of the best jazz drummers of all time) and Animal (from the Muppets) have a drum battle. It was good for the kids to see the precision and speed and coordination that go into playing drums well.
The next week, Mr. Peacock made a guest appearance at our enrichment cluster in order to teach the students about Rock and Roll. He showed them an electric guitar, an amplifier and a distortion pedal and showed them how they all worked. Students got a chance to strum the guitar while Mr. Peacock changed the chords for them. He then showed them the kick drum and snare drum and talked about how they were made and how they worked. The students were allowed to take turns playing the kick drum and snare drum at the same time. They were encouraged to keep a steady rhythm and work together with their partner. After introducing the students to various instruments, Mr. Peacock did a presentation on The Beatles and their contribution to Rock and Roll Music.
Amazing Animals: We had an AMAZING time in our enrichment cluster. First we explored remarkable reptiles. Cleo the corn snake shared her slither as she moved on the floor, through our hands and over our heads. We learned about the hundreds of ribs in a snake. If one were to break the snake might starve as they help move its food to the stomach. We also met the bearded dragons Snap and Linder. They ran across the floor, bobbed their heads and flicked their tongues. We even saw Snap’s beard go from white to black when he saw his brother Linder. We used sculpty clay and made a replica of our favorite reptile.
Next, we explored brilliant birds. Homer, the African Grey parrot, strutted his stuff as we beat-boxed. He even perched on our arm so we could get a closer look at his bright red tail feathers and grey body. We made a treat for our outdoor feathered friends so they can have tasty seeds in our mini bird feeders.
Finally we enjoyed marvelous mammals. We learned that mammals are warm- blooded, feed their young milk and have hair on their bodies. We saw and held baby rats, a fury hamster and two guinea pigs. We noticed how the mammals were the same and different. We discovered how AMAZING animals really are!
Wild About Animals: In this enrichment cluster we learned about the many classifications animals fall under. We learned characteristics of each classification and chose a class as out "favorite." Once our favorite was chosen we then researched a few animals from that class. We chose one animal to make an artistic representation of. We listed some interesting facts about our animal of choice and then used watercolor paints and step-by-step directions to paint a realistic image of our animal of choice.
Games and Puzzles: The “Games and Puzzles” enrichment cluster had a great time getting to know each other through games. We played paddle ball, beach ball, made tangram pictures, played Simon Says, Who Am I? and lots of board games. We were practicing our skills of being on a team, taking turns and being a good sport, whether we won or lost!
Instantaneous Experiments: We have truly been Junior Scientists these past three weeks! We have created soap volcanoes with peroxide and yeast, lava lamps made from oil and Alka-Seltzer and did a lot of fun stuff with our favorite thing - dry Ice! All of these cool experiments can be done at home with ease and very little cost.
Sports Fan'atics: The “Sports Fan'atics” finished off a great three week enrichment cluster this past Thursday. During the time in our enrichment cluster the teammates played and worked on drills in soccer, volleyball and basketball. It was a lot of fun to watch everyone pick up the sports so quickly. We enjoyed watching them as much as they enjoyed playing the games. A big part of the focus for the enrichment cluster was to be a good sport, teammate and leader. The students had really great input on this and which allowed us to be successful during this enrichment cluster. Great job teammates!
Amazing Castles: In the “Amazing Castles” enrichment cluster we spent three sessions constructing, painting, and adding details to shoebox castles. The students enjoyed engineering their drawbridges to close quickly with a "rope" at another end of their castle. We also read and learned some facts about castles and their architecture.
Create a Reading Garden: The “Create a Reading Garden” enrichment cluster was a big success. Week one, we made water bottle "flowers" to plant in our new garden. Week two, we painted rocks with reading quotes or garden pictures. Week three, we made a lovely wind chime out of plastic drinking glasses. We can't wait for the garden to be finished so we can add our finishing touches. We will have a new place to read outside at school!
Snappy Snapshots: The “Snappy Snapshots” enrichment cluster began with an introduction into photography—why we take pictures, what we take pictures of, and how to take pictures. Students were able to walk around the room with framing mats to practice how they would frame a picture before we learned how to use a digital camera. Full of excitement and anticipation, we ventured to the kindergarten and 1st grade playground to take our very own pictures! During the second and third weeks, we learned how to "zoom in" on subjects and to think about the background as we took pictures. We also learned how to download the pictures onto the computer and we picked the ones that we wanted to put in our portfolios! We hope to see you at the Showcase on May 3rd!
Below are the summaries from the kindergarten and first grade enrichment clusters. Make sure to come to our Enrichment Cluster Showcase on Thursday, May 3. Our first graders will be touring from 88:45 am and our kindergartners will be touring from 9:15-9:45 am.
Continuing to develop the whole child...
Vets and Pets: Our honorary veterinarians of Laurel Mountain had a “grrrreat” time during the Vets and Pets cluster! We learned about becoming a veterinarian from Dr. Cassens, a real vet. She shared with us about what vets do, how to become a vet and what types of animals vets care for.
We also had the opportunity to practice some vet skills with our own furry friends. Using stuffed dogs and cats we practiced giving vaccinations to keep our pets healthy. We also practiced wrapping hurt legs, checking heart rates, looking in ears and taking temperatures.
The Vets also had a visit from Lumpi, a therapy dog. Lumpi’s owner taught us about service and therapy animals. We learned how to greet a dog we don’t know. We even practiced teaching dog tricks to each other.
During our three weeks we meet some other fun pets too. We were able to interact and care for Dr. Cassen’s pet skink, our class guinea pig Sebastian and Mrs. Hall’s dog Rosie! Using an interactive chart we graphed everyone's favorite pet and recreated our own graph using paw stamps. Can you guess which animal had the most votes? It was "doggone" close.
Finally we built upon what we learned by creating a pet care book. We researched different types of pets on the computer and in books. We included pictures and information about dogs, cats, rabbits and fish. These hands-on experiences tickled the vets’ interest in pets. We gained new knowledge about careers with animals, service dogs and training pets. It was a “purr-fect” cluster.
Out of This World!: During week one, we explored and discovered all kinds of interesting things about space. We went through four stations with books, games, toys and puzzles to get ourselves into the outer atmosphere!
The second week we constructed rockets and used the air from our lungs to "blast" them out into space. Then we made wooded gliders and a foam space shuttle to test our flying skills!
Our final week we made a rocket using a film canister to hold our fuel. We used water and Alka-Seltzer to power the engine and blast our rockets into the sky! We took extra fuel home to blast off our rockets over the weekend!
Our cluster was truly "out of this world"!
Origami Cluster: In the “Origami Cluster” we learned the basic steps of folding paper to create fun items including 3-D animals, boxes, fortune tellers, boats and a pinwheel. We learned the importance of precise folds, sharp creases and following directions carefully. We practiced problem-solving skills as we checked our folds and corrected mistakes. A great website for step-by-step animated origami directions is http://en.origami-club.com/ and the fortune-teller directions can be found at http://pbskids.org/arthur. We are excited to share our origami creations with others!
Clay Creations: The enrichment cluster started with a video of the coil method of making a pot. The children then used modeling clay to make coil pots. During the second meeting the children learned the method of pinch pots. Then, they made their own. During these two meetings there was much socializing and we also learned about each other’s favorite music. Mrs. Jackson put on Taylor Swift for us to listen to. On the last cluster day, we made baker’s clay and brought it home. Mrs. Jackson hopes the food coloring came off our hands by the weekend! The recipe for the baker’s clay is below. J
· Ingredients: 4 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 ¾ cups warm water
· Knead for 5 -10 minutes. Model objects. Bake at 300 degrees for 1-3 hours, or air dry for several days.
Dino Hunters: Kindergarten and first grade students had a DINOmite time in the “Dino Hunters” enrichment cluster over the past three weeks. Students explored and shared their knowledge of dinosaurs. They dug for "fossils" to reconstruct a model and even searched LME's very own preserve to find fossils of plants and animals that were in this area over 100 million years ago!
The Creative Card Making: The “Creative Card Making” enrichment cluster enjoyed creating original greeting cards. We learned several card making techniques such as: stamping, die cuts, layering, “pop out” cards, yarn embellishments, punches and MORE! Our enrichment cluster made many cards for friends and family. On the last day, we made a card making kit. Now we are prepared to make a new card for any upcoming occasion!
Lion Cub Book Club: The Lion Cub Book Club had a very busy three weeks! Each week, we explored the works of a different author including Steven Kellogg, Kevin Henkes, and Margaret & H.A. Rey.
After reading a selected story, we enjoyed a group discussion. During these, we made connections and shared our thoughts.
We also had a crafts activity each time, writing notes and cards and designing hats. We look forward to sharing these with you at the showcase.
Everyone had a great time and enjoyed sharing our love of reading!
Music Cluster: Classical music was playing as the students walked in, to remind them what it sounded like so they could hear the difference between the 2 different styles of music and connect from last week's lesson on Classical Studies.
We told the students we were going to introduce them to a new type of music called jazz. We played a piece, they closed their eyes and visualized what they thought was happening in the song.
They drew a picture of what they thought the jazz piece was about and we discussed the piece of music and how it has been used in movies and on TV.
We learned what jazz music was and the 5 instrument parts used to make up a jazz band. The students each chose an instrument and played along with the lead part to form our own classroom jazz band.
We learned about jive talk and studied the life of Duke Ellington. We then made Duke Ellington Hats. While the students were working on their Duke Ellington top hats, we also watched a short clip of Buddy Rich (one of the best jazz drummers of all time) and Animal (from the Muppets) have a drum battle. It was good for the kids to see the precision and speed and coordination that go into playing drums well.
The next week, Mr. Peacock made a guest appearance at our enrichment cluster in order to teach the students about Rock and Roll. He showed them an electric guitar, an amplifier and a distortion pedal and showed them how they all worked. Students got a chance to strum the guitar while Mr. Peacock changed the chords for them. He then showed them the kick drum and snare drum and talked about how they were made and how they worked. The students were allowed to take turns playing the kick drum and snare drum at the same time. They were encouraged to keep a steady rhythm and work together with their partner. After introducing the students to various instruments, Mr. Peacock did a presentation on The Beatles and their contribution to Rock and Roll Music.
Amazing Animals: We had an AMAZING time in our enrichment cluster. First we explored remarkable reptiles. Cleo the corn snake shared her slither as she moved on the floor, through our hands and over our heads. We learned about the hundreds of ribs in a snake. If one were to break the snake might starve as they help move its food to the stomach. We also met the bearded dragons Snap and Linder. They ran across the floor, bobbed their heads and flicked their tongues. We even saw Snap’s beard go from white to black when he saw his brother Linder. We used sculpty clay and made a replica of our favorite reptile.
Next, we explored brilliant birds. Homer, the African Grey parrot, strutted his stuff as we beat-boxed. He even perched on our arm so we could get a closer look at his bright red tail feathers and grey body. We made a treat for our outdoor feathered friends so they can have tasty seeds in our mini bird feeders.
Finally we enjoyed marvelous mammals. We learned that mammals are warm- blooded, feed their young milk and have hair on their bodies. We saw and held baby rats, a fury hamster and two guinea pigs. We noticed how the mammals were the same and different. We discovered how AMAZING animals really are!
Wild About Animals: In this enrichment cluster we learned about the many classifications animals fall under. We learned characteristics of each classification and chose a class as out "favorite." Once our favorite was chosen we then researched a few animals from that class. We chose one animal to make an artistic representation of. We listed some interesting facts about our animal of choice and then used watercolor paints and step-by-step directions to paint a realistic image of our animal of choice.
Games and Puzzles: The “Games and Puzzles” enrichment cluster had a great time getting to know each other through games. We played paddle ball, beach ball, made tangram pictures, played Simon Says, Who Am I? and lots of board games. We were practicing our skills of being on a team, taking turns and being a good sport, whether we won or lost!
Instantaneous Experiments: We have truly been Junior Scientists these past three weeks! We have created soap volcanoes with peroxide and yeast, lava lamps made from oil and Alka-Seltzer and did a lot of fun stuff with our favorite thing - dry Ice! All of these cool experiments can be done at home with ease and very little cost.
Sports Fan'atics: The “Sports Fan'atics” finished off a great three week enrichment cluster this past Thursday. During the time in our enrichment cluster the teammates played and worked on drills in soccer, volleyball and basketball. It was a lot of fun to watch everyone pick up the sports so quickly. We enjoyed watching them as much as they enjoyed playing the games. A big part of the focus for the enrichment cluster was to be a good sport, teammate and leader. The students had really great input on this and which allowed us to be successful during this enrichment cluster. Great job teammates!
Amazing Castles: In the “Amazing Castles” enrichment cluster we spent three sessions constructing, painting, and adding details to shoebox castles. The students enjoyed engineering their drawbridges to close quickly with a "rope" at another end of their castle. We also read and learned some facts about castles and their architecture.
Create a Reading Garden: The “Create a Reading Garden” enrichment cluster was a big success. Week one, we made water bottle "flowers" to plant in our new garden. Week two, we painted rocks with reading quotes or garden pictures. Week three, we made a lovely wind chime out of plastic drinking glasses. We can't wait for the garden to be finished so we can add our finishing touches. We will have a new place to read outside at school!
Snappy Snapshots: The “Snappy Snapshots” enrichment cluster began with an introduction into photography—why we take pictures, what we take pictures of, and how to take pictures. Students were able to walk around the room with framing mats to practice how they would frame a picture before we learned how to use a digital camera. Full of excitement and anticipation, we ventured to the kindergarten and 1st grade playground to take our very own pictures! During the second and third weeks, we learned how to "zoom in" on subjects and to think about the background as we took pictures. We also learned how to download the pictures onto the computer and we picked the ones that we wanted to put in our portfolios! We hope to see you at the Showcase on May 3rd!
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