Imagining the Possibilities

Reading Buddies Published!

2009-02-26T16:06:00.004-05:00

Back in November, my Leadership Team initiated an innovative safety net. Each of us selected a handful of students based on our state accountability test and district Benchmark test results. The goal was to begin a dynamic, two-way conversation about our habits, preferences, strategies and thinking as readers. We decided to begin a Reading Response Journal with each of these third, fourth & fifth grade readers in the form of letter writing.

The initial letters were delivered in a black and white compostion notebook labeled "Reading Response Journal" to each young reader. The first letter that I wrote to each reader was based on a teacher letter published in a chapter from Fountas and Pinnell's Guiding Readers and Writers, Grades 3-6:

Dear_____,
This year, you and I will write letters to each other about books, reading, writers, and writing. Our letters will help us learn together. The letters will help you learn more about reading.

When you write letters to me in this Reading Response Journal, do your best work and share your best thinking. For example, you might:

Tell what you like or dislike about a book and why.
Tell what you noticed about the characters, such as what made them act as they did or how they changed.
Tell about parts of your book that puzzled you or made you ask questions.
Write about something in the book that surprised you or that you found interesting.
Write your predictions and about whether your predictions were right.
Ask for help in figuring out the meaning of your book.
Tell about the connections you made while reading the book. Tell how it reminds you of yourself, of people you know, or of something that happened in your life. It might remind you of other books, especially the characters, the events, or the setting.
Write about the author's style and how it makes you feel.
Write about the language the author used and why you think the author wrote this way.
Write about the author's craft - what was effective about the way the author wrote.

Write a letter to me once a week. The completed letter is due on Fridays. Use a letter form and include the title and author of the book you are reading. It is important that your letters are neat and easy to read so I can understand what you are thinking. Read through your letter to make sure that it says all you want it to say before you put it in the front office Reading Response Journal basket.

When I read your journal, I will learn from you, and we will learn together about books. What fun we will have getting to know each other and BOOKS!

Your Reading Buddy,

Ms. Ferguson

The student response to this Leadership Team safety net was exciting and I was eager to share my reading buddys' thinking on my Blog. Originally I had planned to take pictures of our letters and copy them into a post. However, after the winter break, I decided to add a bit of flare to motivate some of our more reluctant readers. I gathered all of my reading buddies in my office one Friday and showed them my Blog, my own Voki, and the cluster map that demonstrated the vast audience that "tuned in" on a regular basis. The deal was that as soon as each of my reading buddies had exchanged 5 letters with me, they could publish the letter of their choice by creating their own Voki Avatar. This idea was met with with "cool" and "awesome" along with "wow, really?" comments. By the end of the first week, Zaria wrote the following at the end of her response letter:

P.S. Ms. Ferguson, I just wanted to let you know that I have already written five letters.

So, Zaria was the first to create her own Voki Avatar and publish a podcast read-aloud of one of her Reading Response Journal letters. You can enjoy the published Reading Response Journal letters from my reading buddies by pressing the "Play" button on the Vokis in the column to the right of my Blog Posts. I hope you enjoy listening to their letters as much as I enjoy reading and responding to them each week!

Fourth Grade Students Complete FCAT Writing Genre Study

2009-02-20T17:15:00.007-05:00

For 20 days our fourth grade writers buckled down to hone their writing skills towards meeting the expectations of Florida's FCAT Writing Test. Students examined student work that received the maximum score of 6.0 in both narrative and expository essays and worked on revising their own writing using lessons learned from these students combined with teacher instruction, small group lessons, peer feedback in author's chair and one-to-one writing conferences. The initial outline of the 20 Days of Instruction was as follows:

Lesson #1 (1/5): Narrative Writer Transition to Landscape of Timed Test/Pre-test with Stamina Assessment
Lesson #2 (1/6): Benchmarking a Narrative 6.0
Lesson #3 (1/7): Understanding the Prompt – Circle, Box, Underline
Lesson #4 (1/8): Narrative Revise to a 6.0 – Structure
Lesson #5 (1/9): Narrative Revise to a 6.0 – Quick & Dirty Revision – Nouns
Lesson #6 (1/12): Narrative Revise to a 6.0 – Quick & Dirty Revision – Verbs
Lesson #7 (1/13): Narrative Revise to a 6.0 – Adding Details
Lesson #8 (1/14): Narrative Editing
Lesson #9 (1/15): Stamina & Pacing/Post-test with Stamina Assessment
Lesson #10 (1/20): Narrative Self-Assessment
Lesson #11 (1/21): Compare & Contrast Narrative & Expository Writing
Lesson #12 (1/22): Expository Writer Transition to Landscape of Timed Test/Pre-test with Stamina Assessment
Lesson #13 (1/23): Benchmarking an Expository 6.0
Lesson #14 (1/26): Expository Draft – Structure
Lesson #15 (1/27): Expository Revise to a 6.0 - Reasons
Lesson #16 (1/28): Expository Revise to a 6.0 - Support: Examples & Elaboration
Lesson #17 (1/29): Expository Revise to a 6.0 – Small Group Re-teaching
Lesson #18 (1/30): Expository Revise to a 6.0 – Strong Closings
Lesson #19 (2/2): Stamina & Pacing/Post-test with Stamina Assessment
Lesson #20 (2/3): Expository Self-Assessment

This was an exciting collaboration with Ms. Collins, my fourth grade Language Arts teacher! For twenty days I was co-teacher in her Writers Workshop. Each day we examined student work together to inform and sometimes revise the next day's minilesson, the order of lessons over a period of a few days, or determine which writers needed small group instruction and one-to-one conferencing.

The result was that in both genres every student scored at least one point higher on the post-assessment. On February 10th, the BIG DAY of testing, students arrived confident and eager to demonstrate what they had learned as writers. All writers stayed with the writing process for at least 35 of the 45 minute testing period demonstrating exceptional writing stamina. 95% of our writers used their optional planning sheets, a step often skipped by novice writers. We have seen great growth in our fourth grade writers in a very short period of time with this focused collaborative instruction!

Students Respond to The Red Book

2009-02-19T09:15:00.005-05:00

100 Possibilities Realized at Mayport Elementary

2009-02-16T16:11:00.003-05:00

We celebrated our 100th day of school last Monday with much ado! Students, teachers, parents, and community members have helped to construct the final list of "100 Possibilities Realized at Mayport Elementary" below. We have much to celebrate as we move through the second half of an extraordinary year!

1. We welcomed new Learning Leaders, Ms. Martin and Ms. Price to our faculty!
2. Imagineers were gifted Imagine the Possibilities T-shirts!
3. Mayport Elementary is an “A” school!
4. Mayport Elementary met AYP for the second year in a row!
5. New white boards were installed in classrooms over the summer!
6. The last of the portable classrooms were removed!
7. The Dolphin Connection board was created to communicate with community & parents!
8. Our new world-class 2nd-5th grade playground was built!
9. We welcomed students, parents, and community members with a Spaghetti Dinner Open House!
10. Girl Scout & Cub Scout round-ups for our young citizens!
11. Habitat for Humanity completed homes for our new neighbors and we welcomed new families & students to our Mayport family!
12. We survived and recovered from Tropical Storm Fay & a three-day school delay!
13. Students are enjoying our new, beautifully landscaped deck by the art room!
14. PTA continued its growth with the addition of a Vice-President for Membership and a Treasurer!
15. A fantastic Fall Scholastic Book Fair sold dozens of books to our avid readers!
16. Historic Mayport Elementary T-shirts designed & sold!
17. We have a top-notch Fitness Room with equipment to get our Imagineers into the habit of exercising!
18. Mimis restaurant at the St. John’s Town Center joined our growing list of business partners!
19. Mayport was named a pilot for the Compass Odyssey Learning elementary web-based instructional software!
20. Mayport was selected as a pilot for the Classworks elementary web-based instructional software!
21. New Math Lead teacher has focused on the development of our K-5 mathematicians through Math Investigations & Every Day Counts Calendar Math!
22. Our schoolwide bookroom is organized to support strong reading instruction!
23. All Imagineers were provided a student planner to promote and assist with home and school communication!
24. The Memo faculty & staff newsletter has kept Learning Leaders informed and prepared for teaching and learning opportunities weekly!
25. The Friday Flag Raising tradition has been enhanced with Patrol Imagineers leading the pledge and the national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner!
26. PTA Fun Fridays continued with sales of candy, pickles, & popcorn!
27. District Accreditation visit a resounding success!
28. Foundations, the district behavior management program, has taken root in the rituals and routines of every moment of every day!
29. Reading Buddies established as a weekly safety net for 3rd-5th grade Imagineers!
30. The Jacksonville Symphony brought the Instrument Zoo to our 4th grade Imagineers!
31. Kindergarten hosted a Family Night with a guest celebrity Mouse from the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie!
32. PTA Cookie Dough fundraiser resulted in over $2,000 to support the learning and achievement of our Imagineers!
33. The Beaches Honor Guard helped us celebrate Veteran’s Day at our November Flag Raising!
34. We have an instructional coach to support best teaching practices in literacy!
35. Two Technology Labs have given all K-5 Imagineers access to web-based instruction and software to improve their mathematical skills!
36. Mayport Elementary named Distinguished Title I School by the Florida Department of Education!
37. Book of the Month bulletin boards showcase our K-5 reading, writing, and thinking!
38. Two Science labs and a Science Resource teacher to give all students experience in applying the scientific method!
39. Kindergarten Imagineers go on a field study to the Jacksonville Agricultural Fair!
40. Quilt entered into the Jacksonville Agricultural Fair won an Honorable Mention!
41. Families came in droves for Thanksgiving Lunch!
42. Our Book Character Parade marched through the school joyfully in October!
43. Math Navigator was purchased as a safety net for our 3rd-5th grade Imagineers!
44. 383 Imagineers smiled for the camera on Picture Day!
45. Fourth & fifth grade Imagineers visited the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra!
46. Fourth & fifth grade Imagineers visited Mayport Middle for a special Power Team Assembly!
47. Santa Claus visited our Friday Flag Raising!
48. Families returned in droves for a Holiday Lunch!
49. 383 Books were wrapped by PTA parents & gifted to every student compliments of Books-a-Go-Go!
50. Holiday gift baskets of food donated by Imagineers and coordinated by our PTA were given away at Thanksgiving and before the winter holiday.
51. Second grade Imagineers go on a field study to IMAX to see The Polar Express!
52. Amy Bumpus was named Teacher of the Year!
53. Debra Martois was named Volunteer of the Year!
54. Third grade Imagineers learned about our Florida ecosystem at Blue Springs Park!
55. Fifth grade Imagineers learned about our Florida coast at the Marine Science Center!
56. First grade, & third grade Imagineers enjoyed a field study to our local Museum of Science & History.
57. Learning Leaders have participated in over 100 hours of professional development!
58. New courtyard doors installed in interior classrooms!
59. Fourth grade Imagineers participate in 20-day Test Genre Study for the FCAT Writes!
60. 22 editions of the The Mayport Dolphin Connection have gone home to keep parents informed of school events!
61. 383 Imagineers were seen during Vision screening!
62. Our Imagineers are getting better at estimations thanks to WMES competitions!
63. Hearing Screening was held for all K and 1st Grade Imagineers!
64. Benchmark Testing resulted in gains for all subjects and all grade levels!
65. School-wide writing prompts for Narrative & Report Writing!
66. Coast Guard volunteers spent a Saturday in January cleaning up our campus!
67. 100+ pieces of data have been gathered to help guide and individualize instruction!
68. 5 Books of the Month have been shared with our Imagineers!
69. WMES News has broadcast four days a week since the first day of school!
70. Tutoring is taking place after school to boost student achievement!
71. Angela Hernandez won the Mayport 5th Grade Spelling Bee and advanced to the District Spelling Bee!
72. We served a delicious lunch and breakfast for 100 days!
73. We delivered 383 children home safely for 100 days!
74. 100 days of physical fitness on the way to the President’s Physical Fitness Challenge have been completed!
75. 100 days of PE, Music, Science, Art and Media have occurred!
76. 100 + Positive Post Cards have gone home to parents, students and teachers!
77. Over 100 volunteer hours have been logged!
78. Learning Leaders have skillfully taught children for 100 days!
79. Custodial Imagineers have worked to keep our school clean and shiny for 100 days!
80. Office Imagineers have answered phones, made copies, interacted with students and parents, ordered materials and called in repairs for 100 days!
81. Ms. Brintley, our CRT Imagineer, has input student records and kept accurate attendance for 100 days!
82. The Media Center has circulated over 1,000 books in 100 days!
83. Exceptional Education teachers support diverse learning needs and accommodations!
84. Soar to Success used as a reading intervention in our after-school tutoring!
85. Kiwanis K-Kids Club was launched with 19 founding 3rd-5th grade members!
86. Coast Guard volunteers mentor 12 third grade Imagineers!
87. The School Advisory Council has met monthly to discuss student achievement and school needs!
88. We made it through the first phase of the ACE Community Meeting process!
89. Paraprofessionals administer a primary reading assessment –DIBELS.
90. Linda Bass speaks out and advocates for Mayport Elementary on local news!
91. We have given away over 1500 books to Imagineers through our weekly Read-a-Book Get-a-Book initiative!
92. Our PTA Board has met monthly to support Learning Leaders and activities for our K-5 Imagineers!
93. Extended Day has provided safe and fun after school activities for our Imagineers for 100 days!
94. Ms. Chalot & Ms. Faulkner have worked to organize our media center and refresh our collection of books!
95. We dedicated a bench to beloved Kindergarten Learning Leader, Peggy Fisette!
96. Leadership Team has met weekly to support increased student achievement!
97. Girl Scout plaques created to be posted throughout the school to inspire all with motivational quotes!
98. Parent Involvement wall created by front office to engage and inform parents!
99. Every Imagineer celebrated the 100th Day of School in grand fashion by viewing the display of Collections of 100 in the auditorium!
100. K-5 Imagineers, Learning Leaders & Parent Imagineers added to our “100 Things We’re Grateful for at Mayport Elementary” bulletin board!

100 Things We're Grateful for at Mayport Elementary

2009-02-16T15:57:00.009-05:00

With 100 days of school already gone by, there are multitudes of things that we may never pause to give thanks for that are truly deserving. On February 2nd, our 100th day of school at Mayport Elementary, teachers, parents, administrators, staff, volunteers, and students took a moment during the day to pause and reflect on this very topic. What resulted was 100 reasons we are thankful and multiple votes for each reason. A few representative photos below depict the gratitude of our Mayport Learning Community:

100 Days of Possibilities!

2009-01-30T18:41:00.009-05:00

Our Learning Community has rallied around this new school wide tradition with great amounts of enthusiasm and creativity. Our first 100 days at Mayport Elementary has been full of rich teaching and learning for both faculty and students! On Monday, February 2nd, the official 100th day of school, classes will go on a walking tour to view all the 100 Collections on display in our auditorium. One school wide bulletin board will be filled with student thinking throughout the day about "100 Things We are Thankful for at Mayport Elementary." In addition, a list of "100 Great Things Happening at Mayport Elementary" will be published in the weekly parent newsletter. Below are some of the magnificent displays that have already been set up for Monday's celebration.

Ms. Bumpus's first grade class showcased 100 balloons from their reading of our Book of the Month, The Red Book:

The office staff had a plethora of creative displays such as Ms. Lacsamana's collection of 100 bandaids from her work of the heart in the clinic:

Ms. Santana's 2nd grade class each drew a picture of what they thought they would look like when they were 100 years old!

The 4th graders produced a 100 square quilt of their favorite books:

Ms. Hastings' 5th graders represented 100 Reasons that Science is fun: We are going to have a 100th day full of celebration of all the possibilities realized in our first 100 days of school at Mayport Elementary!

January Book of the Month, The Red Book

2009-01-25T18:02:00.004-05:00

This perfectly eloquent wordless book tells the complex story of a reader who gets lost, literally, in a little book that has the magic to move her to another place. On her winter-gray walk to school, a young girl spies a book's red cover sticking out of a snowdrift and picks it up.

I chose The Red Book because Lehman's story captures the magical possibility that exists every time readers open a book–if they allow it: they can leave the "real world" behind and, like the heroine in this story, be transported by the helium of their imaginations.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:

PNWC Chart:
K-5 grade students can think through this wordless book by making Predictions, Noticings, Wonderings, and Connections about the story with teacher modeling during the minilesson. This incorporates a combination of reading strategies that students have learned and practiced with previous Books-of-the-Month and Readers Workshop Strategy Study to help students make sense of this text.

Response to Literature:
Using appropriate grade-level scaffolds, students will use the PNWC class chart to craft their own written response to The Red Book. Teachers should refer to the grade-level Response to Literature standard and student work samples to determine appropriate grade-level expectations for this written work. Teachers should refer to the grade-level Response to Literature standard and student work samples to determine appropriate grade-level expectations for this written work.

Student Thinking About The Polar Express

2009-01-04T12:44:00.002-05:00

December Book of the Month, The Polar Express

2009-01-02T14:21:00.007-05:00

The reindeer were excited. They pranced and paced, ringing the silver sleigh bells that hung from their harnesses. It was a magical sound, like nothing I’d ever heard.
Imagine…listening for sleigh bells and hearing the “sounds of hissing steam and squeaking metal” instead as you embark on an unforgettable journey to the North Pole on a magical train. A young boy makes this train trip amidst breath-taking descriptions of the wilderness, mountain peaks, valleys, snow-covered plains, and the Great Polar Ice Cap while struggling with his belief in Santa. Once he arrives at the North Pole, the young boy rejoices as he hears the sound that a friend told him he’d never hear – the sound of the ringing bells on Santa’s sleigh. He chooses the gift of a sleigh bell to keep as a reminder of that magical night and the sound of the bell that “still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”

I chose The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg to celebrate a special quality of childhood symbolized in this story by the sleigh bell – truly believing. From believing in the magic of the holiday season to believing in the possibilities that can be uncovered inside each child, we can all share in the joy that comes when we truly believe!

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:

K/1 (Reading Standard 2: Comprehension – create artwork or a written response that shows comprehension of the story that was read making Text-to-Self connections)

While reading aloud The Polar Express, pause periodically to think aloud about your Text-to-Self connections (____reminds me of____) while you are reading. Think aloud about how your connection helps you understand the The Polar Express better. Reread the story and ask students to raise their hand when they have a Text-to-Self connection to share (You may need to prompt them with ______reminds me of______). On one side of a class T-chart, record the part of the story the student is thinking about and on the other side record the student’s Text-to-Self connection. Write the student’s name next to their connection so that they can refer back to it during the work period. Next, demonstrate how you drew a picture of the part of the story where you made a Text-to-Self connection and how you wrote about your connection to that part of the story (_____reminds me of_____). During the work period, students will demonstrate comprehension of the text by drawing a picture of a part of the story and then writing their Text-to-Self connection.

2-5 (Reading Standard 2: Comprehension – discuss or write about the themes of a book; E1b … evaluates writing strategies and elements of the author’s craft.

Before reading The Polar Express, explain to the class that the author uses a concrete object, a sleigh bell, to share a significant theme with readers. Display quotes from the book that reference the sleigh bell to demonstrate how it continues to be important throughout the story. Ask students to think about what the significance or meaning of the sleigh bell might be while you read the story aloud. Pause and wonder aloud about the significance of the sleigh bell each time it is referenced in the story. When you are finished, lead a class discussion about what students think the significance of the sleigh bell is in the story (4th & 5th only: and why the author chose to use a sleigh bell to convey this message). Encourage divergent thinking asking students to justify their thinking using details from the text. To demonstrate comprehension, students will write a letter to the author, Chris Van Allsburg, explaining what they think is the significance of the sleigh bell in the story (4th & 5th only: and why they think the author chose to use the sleigh bell as a symbol).

Wordle Duck Surprise!

2008-12-31T12:47:00.014-05:00

I am always up for a good challenge and I received one right in time for the new year. This particular challenge came as I was reading the blog of a fellow principal, Susan Phillips. Innocent and unsuspecting, I read with curiousity her description of casting her first Wordle. As I approached the bottom of Susan's post, she announced that she was now "tagging" colleagues to Wordle their blogs...maybe even once a month as a new year's resolution. "Great idea!" I think to myself. Moments later, my name appears as the second innocent and unsuspecting colleague on Susan's Wordle challenge list! Well, now that changes my entire blog-reading experience. I cannot just passively read and ponder the wonderful work of Susan Phillips, I have to DO something in response.

Here goes another fun and adventurous Web 2.0 interactive discovery. I followed the Wordle directions (they are very simple unless you have firewall issues or need to take a minute to update JAVA - as I did). I was eager to see what words would dominate my Wordle cloud. Would they define my work, my focus, my principles, and my leadership? Duck, no! The biggest word in my cloud was D-U-C-K. Is there anything redeeming about a duck that can offer me comfort or support as I waddle through my first year as a principal? You decide...

K-5 Students Respond to our November Book of the Month!

2008-12-12T13:55:00.015-05:00

Students were extremely engaged in responding to this Book of the Month due to the fervor surrounding our nation's Presidential Election. It was a fun way to interact with students in Kindergarten through 5th grade about the electoral process and the idea of having a duck for President! Students responded to the text after a read-aloud through shared retellings, written responses, and making predictions based on the details of the text and their own personal knowledge. Enjoy our K-5 learning community's responses to Duck for President, by Doreen Cronin:

Reading Response Journals as Safety Net

2008-12-04T12:49:00.002-05:00

Last month the Leadership Team launched a one-on-one safety net with 21 of our readers in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. After initiating the weekly two-way communication with an introductory letter, each member of the Leadership Team waited anxiously for a return letter from each student. The letters received demonstrated that each of the 21 students were deeply engaged by the opportunity to write about their reading lives and the meaning they were (or were not) making of the book they were reading independently. The second and third letters revealed that students were not only engaged, but they picked up on the language of a reading conversation quickly. Many initiated their own thoughtful interpretations, responded to questions posed, and asked questions generated by their own interaction with text. A few students even began to mimic the language that their Leadership Team mentor was using (i.e. signing off using creative phrases such as "Your Reading Buddy"). Stay tuned for posted student and mentor Reading Response Journal samples as this safety net demonstrates how readers can grow through a written conversation about making meaning, self-monitoring, and reading inquiry.

Duck for President!

2008-11-20T17:39:00.010-05:00

“The voters had spoken. Duck was officially in charge.”

Imagine…a duck is tired of doing his chores, and decides to hold an election to replace Farmer Brown. When Duck wins, Duck quickly realizes that running a farm requires too much hard work, and sets out to run for governor. With the help of the hens, and speeches "that only other ducks can understand," he eventually ends up running the country.
I chose this book as a fun way to engage our students in the Presidential electoral process in this 2008 election year. Mayport students have already participated in a nationwide online Mock Presidential Election – now they can enjoy an author’s fictional spin on this important civic right and responsibility! As we conclude our K-5 Narrative Genre study, students can appreciate Doreen Cronin’s use of a simple repeating line (The voters had spoken. Duck was officially in charge.) to organize the events of Duck’s story. Our young authors can also learn from Ms. Cronin’s use of a circular story structure where the beginning (Running a farm is very hard work.) is the same as the end of the story (Duck is writing his autobiography which takes us back to the beginning of the story we just read…Running a farm is very hard work.).

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:

K/1 (Reading Standard 2: Comprehension – retell the story & predict what Duck will do next after he finishes writing his autobiography)
After hearing Duck for President read aloud with pauses to think aloud about predictions you are making as a reader, each class will produce a retelling of the story. Using a large sheet of chart paper, facilitate the writing of a shared, whole group, interactive piece to be displayed on the standards-based bulletin board outside your classroom with teacher commentary. Then, discuss student predictions about what Duck will do next after he finishes writing his autobiography (i.e. Duck will fall in love with another Duck and have a baby duckling; Duck sells so many of his books that he becomes rich and never has to work again.) Next, give students a piece of paper to record their predictions and illustrate.

2/3 (Reading Standard 2: Comprehension – infer cause-and-effect relationships that are not stated explicitly: Predict/Infer)
After hearing Duck for President read aloud with pauses to think aloud about predictions you are making as a reader, each class will produce a retelling of the story and add at least 2-3 predictions to the end using original ideas (i.e. Next Duck will get bored again with his farm chores and take his book to Hollywood to make it into a movie.) Using a large sheet of chart paper, facilitate the writing of a shared, whole group, interactive piece to be displayed on the standards-based bulletin board outside your classroom with teacher commentary. Next, invite students to create their own written predictions to post with the shared retelling.

4/5 (Elb The student makes and supports warranted and responsible assertions about the text: Predict/Infer)
Read aloud Duck for President and pause to think aloud about predictions you are making as a reader. After each prediction, note the details from the text that support your prediction. Next, brainstorm student predictions about what Duck will do next after he finishes writing his autobiography. Make a list of student predictions on the left side of a T-chart. Once you have 2-3 strong predictions, lead a discussion to identify details and events in the text that support each prediction. Create a bulleted list of these details and events on the right side of the T-chart next to each prediction. Assign groups to record a single “warranted and responsible” prediction and write details or events from the text that support the group’s prediction. Post the class chart and group predictions on your standards-based bulletin board with teacher commentary.

Kindergarten Family Night Live!

2008-11-16T12:08:00.001-05:00

Kindergarten Family Night

2008-11-16T11:13:00.007-05:00

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, he might just spend the evening decorating cookies, choosing his favorite cookies, estimating how many cookies are in a jar, making finger puppets, counting cookies in a jar, patterning cookies, and trying to remember all the things he did in the course of the story. Our Kindergarten teachers and volunteers coordinated a spectacular Family Night full of fun learning centers for our youngest Mayport Dolphins and their families on October 23rd starring the Mouse himself from the very popular book by Laura Joffe Numeroff. We’d like to especially thank Linda Bass, Ramona Blanton, Brittany Blanton, Diane Ewton, Nanci Faulkner, Dawn Foster, Kenny Foster, Karen Gross, Marty Guthrie, Edith Jenkins, Elyza Laparan, and David Risden for volunteering to make this a most memorable Mayport event! We also wish to thank our business partners, Publix and Make-Believe Costumes, for their generous donations.

Students Respond to our October Book of the Month, Imagine, by Alison Lester!

2008-11-06T19:49:00.002-05:00

October Book of the Month: Imagine

2008-10-13T18:50:00.009-04:00

Imagine by Alison Lester is the beautifully illustrated adventure of two children as they “visit” exotic spots around the planet using cardboard boxes, blocks, plastic animals, sheets, flashlights, and other common play items to construct concrete representations of the real world. Through the familiar rhythm of a repeating line, “Imagine if…,” this stimulating picture book invites the reader to journey deep into the jungle, under the sea, in a land of ice and snow, on a farm, in the moonlit bush, on an African plain, and in a prehistoric swamp. Then, with the turn of a page, the reader finds all the animals living there!

I chose Imagine for our October Book-of-the-Month because of its vivid language and detailed descriptions of sounds and images in the natural world. As we conclude our K-5 Narrative Genre study in October, students will be shown models of descriptive language and be “nudged” to include sensory details and concrete language in their own stories as they revise their drafts in Writers Workshop. Alison Lester demonstrates for young writers the use of details in language and in pictures to tell a powerfully imaginative story and introduce rich vocabulary to readers.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
PLS: Reading Standard 2: Comprehension/NSPS: Reading Standard E1b
K/1 (Reading Standard 2: Comprehension - retell the story)
After hearing Imagine read aloud and having a discussion about the words and pictures, each class will produce a re-telling of the story. Using a large sheet of chart paper, facilitate the writing of a shared, whole group, interactive piece to be displayed on the standards-based bulletin board outside your classroom with teacher commentary. You may wish to invite students to create illustrations to accompany the class retelling. A completed shared, interactive writing with Ms. Haines’ Kindergarten writers is available to view as a model and will be on display outside her classroom.

2/3 (Reading Standard 2: Comprehension – extend the story) This is an element of the first grade reading standard that is being revisited.
After hearing Imagine read aloud and having a discussion about the words and pictures, each class will produce a re-telling of the story and at least 2-3 extensions using original ideas (i.e. Imagine if we were lost in the swamp where alligators snap and mosquitoes bite, where frogs croak and fireflies light.) Using a large sheet of chart paper, facilitate the writing of a shared, whole group, interactive piece to be displayed on the standards-based bulletin board outside your classroom with teacher commentary. You may wish to invite students to create illustrations to accompany the class retelling (especially the original extensions).

4/5 (Elb The student produces evidence of reading by making perceptive and well developed connections)
After hearing Imagine read aloud and having a discussion about the author’s craft (i.e. repeating line, vocabulary as border) and why Alison Lester chose to use the identified craft in her text and illustrations, model a “perceptive and well developed connection” that you made as you read the story (i.e. Text-to-Self: Alison Lester’s descriptions of prehistoric dinosaurs and illustration of the children dressing up remind me of a Halloween when my 4-year old daughter, Anisa, dressed up in the family’s hand-stitched, hand-me-down blue and yellow T-Rex costume. It must have been the "Year of the Dinosaur" that Halloween as we encountered every possible dinosaur from the movie, The Land Before Time, on every corner of our neighborhood.)

Students Share Their Voice

2008-10-05T13:47:00.005-04:00

At our September 26th weekly Flag Raising Ceremony, the address to students focused on three aspects of citizenship: 1) Know what is important in your neighborhood, school, and community; 2) Listen, read and think about everyone's opinion respectfully even if it doesn't match your own; and 3) Do something to make your neighborhood, school, and community a better place!

The Flag Raising Ceremony ended with an invitation to all students to think about something that matters in their neighborhood, school, and community and then write a letter expressing their opinion. I told our Mayport Elementary students that this is one way that citizens make their voices heard. The plan that I shared with our Mayport students was to send every letter that I received to our local newspapers. Each letter would definitely get read by the editor. They may even get published!

On Monday, the following letter was delivered by a first grade teacher who shared that Cecilia walked into class and announced that she needed to see the principal immediately. After asking why this was necessary, Cecilia explained that she had written a letter and had to give it to the principal right away! The text of her letter reads:

I was delighted to see a first grade student so engaged as a citizen and eager to respond to a call to action. Her concern for the environment is heartfelt and expresses to readers exactly what they can do to help-"Pic-up litr."

This letter reveals the degree to which our children are in tune with the world around them and have significant thoughts to share. I am so very proud of the students at Mayport Elementary who chose to exercise their citizenship last week by voicing their concerns about their neighborhoods, school, and community using the power of the written word.

K-5 Responses to The Spyglass by Richard Paul Evans

2008-10-05T13:25:00.001-04:00

Google Docs Rock the Imagination!

2008-09-22T16:07:00.010-04:00

At exactly 7:12 a.m. last Thursday I decided to undertake the journey into the unknown but intriguing world of sharing documents online...with the entire planet! I finally had a reason and a chunk of time for a trial-and-error learning session. The reason? The Mayport Faculty had experienced a power packed Web 2.0 Presentation by our Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Terri Stahlman, the week before. She appropriately closed with the promise, "...and I'm sure that you'll be able to access a copy of this power point on Yvonne's blog so that you can explore these resources and connect them to your classroom and instructional work..." Okay then. It was time to publish my first document. I knew enough about this from my colleague, Melanie Holtsman, that it could not be done with the simple "attach document" function that is used with email. "Google docs," "upload," and "html code" were a few key phrases that kept appearing in my conscious thoughts from her patient tutoring. I leafed through my notebook to find the synopsis of my Blogging 101 session.

Then, at 7:12 a.m. I launched my online exploration and application and by 7:26 a.m. the Power Point Presentation was published as a Google doc on the web! Fourteen minutes is exceedingly speedy for a novice learner, a digital immigrant. It demonstrates the power, ease, and accessibility of Web 2.0 tools. It increases my determination as an instructional leader to ensure that every student has access to and knows how to use these tools in meaningful ways. My imagination cannot even begin to encompass all of the ways in which this Web 2.0 tool can impact instruction!

Web 2.0 Faculty Presentation by Dr. Terri Stahlman

2008-09-22T16:02:00.000-04:00

True Joy - True Purpose

2008-09-17T12:33:00.008-04:00

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by “yourself as a mighty one”; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy; I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.
-Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, 1903, p. ii

This quote resonated with me when I read it in Michael Fullan's new book What's Worth Fighting For in the Principalship and then shared it with the Mayport faculty and staff in our September 12th Memo. It is always a joy to think about why I chose to be an educator, directly working with future generations. How lucky I am to experience purpose, mindfulness, and joy in every single day!

Countdown to Florida Writes!

2008-09-09T09:19:00.003-04:00

Get this widget!

As Mayport students begin to learn how to craft their writing in Kindergarten through fifth grade following the elements of our writing standards in Writers Workshop, they are preparing for success on this vital assessment.

Talk to your fourth grader about what they are writing as they learn how to incorporate the following 4th grade narrative writing standard elements in their work. Narrative Writing is the first unit of K-5 writing instruction this year:

Engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a point of view, or otherwise developing reader interest;
Establishes a point of view, plot, setting, and conflict (and for autobiography the significance of events);
Creates an organizing structure;
Includes sensory details and concrete language to develop plot and character;
Excludes extraneous details and inconsistencies;
Develops complex characters;
Uses a range of appropriate strategies such as dialogue and tension or suspense;
Provides a sense of closure to the writing.

Open House Exceeds Imagination!

2008-09-08T13:41:00.005-04:00

A successful face-to-face team is more than just collectively intelligent. It makes everyone work harder, think smarter and reach better conclusions than they would have on their own.

-James Surowiecki, as quoted in Results Now by Michael J. Schmoker, p. 105

Our September 4th Spaghetti Dinner, PTA Meeting, Scholastic Family Night and Open House was a perfect example of professional collaboration leading to exemplary results! As I circulated during the Open House presentations, each classroom was a model of professionalism, hospitality, teaching and learning. It was a joy to see carefully prepared power point presentations, parent "handbooks," student work, pretzels and cookies, question and answer opportunities, conference sign-up sheets, art projects, book displays, music...and of course, A LOT of spaghetti. Together, every team and the school as a team collaborated to produce an Open House experience for students and families that was truly memorable and exceeded all imagination!

Fay Delay

2008-08-25T23:13:00.004-04:00

With an unanticipated “break” in our grand opening of school, I am relieved that Tropical Storm Fay resulted in lower levels of damage than anticipated in our Mayport community.

On Wednesday, August 20th, the first "day of waiting" for Tropical Storm Fay, Ms. White, Ms. Lacsamana and I reported to school for a half day. We discovered that our school was designated a JTA evacuation site for any residents wishing to take public transportation to a city shelter. Four JTA buses waited in our school parking lot until 5:00 p.m. as a part of the citywide emergency response system.

A handful of parents and students called and/or came by to determine if school really was closed on Wednesday. One mother patiently sat in her red van in the parking lot until I went outside to greet her. She rolled down the passenger window to reveal a first grade student with a book in her lap and asked, “What time can my daughter come inside and read?” Wow. That is one child who is ready and eager to learn! It has been quite an unusual first “week” of school for everyone.

August 18th Imagination Journey

2008-08-25T22:36:00.012-04:00

My gratitude is heartfelt for all the faculty and staff who helped to plan, organize, set-up, and execute a fabulous Imagination Journey for our Dolphin Imagineers on the first day of school! After the read-aloud of our August Book-of-the-Month, The Spyglass, students were greeted with creative displays and engaging invitations to "Estimagine" how many animal crackers were in a jar, imagine what was inside a collection of boxes using only their sense of touch, imagine what they saw in an optical illusion, imagine how many minutes had to be run to burn off the calories contained in a Hershey candy bar, and imagine how many people they could feed by playing the Free Rice vocabulary game online. At the end of a fast-paced 45 minute journey, students were surprised in the Media Center with their very own Imagine the Possibilities spirit T-shirts. This team effort resulted in a memorable first day for every student!

August Book of the Month: The Spyglass

2008-08-20T16:36:00.005-04:00

The Spyglass , by Richard Paul Evans, is a book about vision and faith. I chose this book to help us focus on the importance of developing a clear vision of our work as 21^st century standards based learning leaders. It is only by rethinking past practices and having faith in new practices that we will be able to envision a 21^st century school of learners and leaders. Vision requires seeing from a different point of view with a different set of lenses. Faith is an untouchable virtue that can carry you to places well beyond your intellectual understanding or even your fears. “The eye of faith sees without bounds or limits.”

In order for us to move our learning community forward, we must combine a vision that is shaped by constant collegial conversations and support with a faith in best teaching practices. The leap into reshaping an entire culture is risky, frightening and often times paralyzing. But with vision, faith and hard work we will do just that. For each of us, our “spyglass” is the belief that we will maintain our high academic standards by keeping our sights fixed on best teaching practices combined with 21^st century tools. In this way, we will not only ensure academic success for each student, but we will play a pivotal role in the rebirth of our community. We have Imagined the Possibilities and now it is a matter of “making them so...”

"Blue Sky" Celebration--August 11th

2008-08-20T15:53:00.004-04:00

"The sky's the limit!" read the banner high on the wall under the media center skylight. As teachers greeted each other on the first day of pre-planning, all were invited to Imagine the Possibilities of a new school year. Our "Blue Sky" celebration was inspired by the following quote from Kevin Rafferty, a Disney Imagineer in the book The Imagineering Way:

"When you want to make the most of your creative abilities or rediscover what they are, do what Imagineers do: allow yourself to be a kid again and let the fun and fearlessness of childlike creativity set you free! Untie the ropes of opinion and rejection that are holding your imagination down, so it can soar into the deep blue sky of endless opportunity. Then hop onto that noble purple-and-pink-polka-dotted elephant, face your enemy--fear--with a kitchen-pot helmet and cardboard sword, and charge full speed ahead into that land of countless dreams and untold surprises!" (p. 27)

Teams of teachers embraced the 2008-09 theme with a variety of creative mediums: music, poetry, power point presentation, and drama. Our morning of celebrations concluded with an introduction of our 2008-09 Faculty Book Study, Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools, with the help of Suzy "Webb 2.0," a Duval County Instructional Technology representative. EVERY teacher created their own blog before lunch! Wow. Our 21st century faculty of learners and leaders embraced this Web 2.0 tool and were exceedingly imaginative in designing a first blog and publishing an initial post. If you'd like to view these teacher blogs, I invite you to visit Mayport Elementary's Website. You can scroll through our faculty list and connect to see the beginnings of their 2008-09 blogging journeys where the possibilities are endless and the sky's the limit!

Learning Village

2008-08-04T09:55:00.005-04:00

If you are looking for a Learning Schedule for teaching Reader’s Workshop and Writer’s Workshop, follow the easy steps to sign-in to the Learning Village. You simply need to follow the links to K-5 Curriculum, your grade level, and the tab for the Reading/Writing Learning Schedules. When you are ready to view these to plan or print, refer only to the 1st nine weeks on the Learning Schedule since the rest is still under revision. The Anchor Lessons for establishing rituals and routines in each of your Workshops can be found here as well. These tabs will be updated regularly throughout the year as new tools for using our new reading series to support Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop become available. Getting ready for reading and writing instruction is right at your fingertips!

Welcome Back Imagineer Celebration!

2008-08-01T10:17:00.003-04:00

At first, it sneaks up on you. You do not recognize it because it has been such a long time gone. It takes you some time. It has to literally fight its way through doubts and disappointments, fears and questions…many questions. But, as with many of the best things in life, it is at the moment when you feel the weakest that the biggest and most promising changes take place…

It is during this time that you begin to remember, again, what it was that brought you here to start with. Maybe there is the fleeting memory of a child’s smile, or the short visit of that feeling of triumph that comes when you hit your target and you see the light of understanding click on in your students’ eyes. It is starting to find its way to the top now…a small smile creeps across your own face…

Then come the butterflies in the pit of your stomach…the same ones, perhaps, that you felt way-back-when in your very first days in the classroom as a young student yourself…or as a beginning teacher…the very ones that your own students will feel in August. This is when you know that it has finally arrived and taken hold. There is the nervous feeling, but far more, there is possibility. It is the thing that keeps you coming back. It is the fuel that drives you forward. It is the fire that ignites your imagination.

Now, you find that you can only Imagine the Possibilities of this upcoming school year. There is nothing else. The possibilities of an inspired mind, a generous heart or a boundless spirit. The possibilities of an empty canvas, a freshly sharpened pencil, an unread book or a newly planted seed. The possibilities that can only come from exuberant youth lead in mass by tempered wisdom and steady knowledge. The possibilities that only our great and noble profession offers.

I invite you to your new laboratory of possibilities on August 11, 2005 at 7:50 am at Café Mayport. Please bring to share with your colleagues some representation of the possibilities that this year holds for our school –-get together with your grade level team and build a vision to share of possibilities that you will achieve TOGETHER (banner, model, skit, significant object, poem etc).. Mayport Elementary’s success will begin first with our Imagining the Possibilities together, then taking the Risks to put those possibilities into action through Rigorous application of best teaching practices so that we can ultimately see the Results in outstanding student achievement.

Mayport Elementary…Imagine the Possibilities !

Shift Happens

2008-07-30T18:58:00.007-04:00

This video is an exceptional introduction to the Web 2.0 world that our students, "digital natives," already participate in daily. It helps those of us who are "digital immigrants" make a 21st century paradigm shift in our thinking. Are you ready to embrace these powerful instructional tools and energetically pursue ways to integrate them into your teaching and learning practices? If you have seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds, press play on the video screen below and be prepared to make the shift!

The Journey Begins

2008-07-10T14:33:00.000-04:00

After my official first week as principal of Mayport Elementary School, I am extremely excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. I've met with approximately half of the faculty and staff, many members of the school community, business partners, custodians, district support staff, and of course the retiring principal, Dr. Nancy Bragan. Dr. Bragan has built a strong foundation and developed a learning community focused on student performance data and safety nets. She has developed the campus grounds and facilities to include a new playground, a baseball diamond, a golf putting green, a covered walkway for car riders, a wooden deck, picnic table area, and numerous other projects. Her legacy speaks for itself.

On July 8, Mayport Elementary was designated a Florida "A" school, meeting Adequate Yearly Progress targets for all subgroups for the second consecutive year. After such resounding student success the course for 2008-09 is crystal clear--continue to develop a 21st century school where every learner can experience the thrill of success!

I invite every Mayport Elementary stakeholder--teachers, paraprofessionals, office staff, parents, students, custodians, cafeteria staff, business partners, neighbors, and community members--to join me on this journey where the possibilities are as limitless as our imaginations!

Yvonne Ferguson, Principal