Enrichment for All Session 2

I am VERY excited about the second session of Enrichment for All this year.  We have gotten a large number of teachers in a variety of subjects---something for EVERYONE! So if you always do after school enrichment, or are considering it for the first time.....this session is a GREAT one!

Check out these topics!!!!
Yoga
Drama
Celtic Dance
Jump Rope
Beading
Model Building
French Culture
Knitting
Science and Chemistry Using Everyday Materials
The World of Panda Bears
Creating Greeting Cards
Cooking

Enrollment forms will be sent home on Monday January 3rd (our first day back) and the deadline for enrollment will be January 6th....but placement is done on a first come first serve basis---so get those forms back ASAP!

Science Fair COMING SOON!

Start planning your science fair projects! The RES fair is set for Tuesday February 16th!  The fair is a non-judged family event that encourages everyone to explore their innate curiosity!  Have fun and do a science fair project!  Entry Forms will be sent home next week and students will have until February 1st to submit their projects---but don't delay--start your project now!

Word of the Week - 1/3/2011

Happy NEW YEAR!

The word of the week for our first week back is 
RESOLUTION

Resolution means determining a path or course of action, OR a firmness of purpose OR the settling of a problem.

I wonder if any students or families at RES have a New Year's resolution?

This would be a great word to think about ways we can set goals in the new year! 
Do we have some academic goals? Will anyone resolve to do an enrichment challenge once a week?  How about create a science fair project for the February fair??? I hope so!

Word of the Week - 12/20/2010

A short week next week!  The word for next week is:
FESTIVE

Festive means joyous or merry, or characteristic of a holiday.

Did you see all the festive teacher sweaters at the RES sing along on Friday?
What festive things will you do over the vacation break?

Celtic Rhythms- After School Enrichment

I had an opportunity to observe the Celtic Rhythms after school enrichment class, run by Heather Morris this week.  I love the idea that this class is just not a dance class, but incorporates musical instruments (mainly drumming) AND dance.  It was also great to see a mix of male and female students participating from a variety of grades!

Enrollment spots for this class were limited....but look out for a similar offering during the after school enrichment program in the Spring!

A few picture hi-lights from Celtic Rhythms:

Science Fair Exploration a Success!

We have had a great time exploring science and topics for possible science fair projects during a new after school event called 'Science Fair Exploration'.  This free program, offered school wide, attracted approximately 25 students to study science for an hour, once a week for three weeks.  Parent, teacher, and community volunteers allowed for a great experience in which students worked in small groups on topics that were of interest to them.  RES librarian Beth Redford provided books and resources and supported students in the library in order to investigate topics in more depth.  Volunteers brought knowledge and enthusiasm for science which has been contagious!

We have been exploring electricity, magnetism, airplane flight, volcanoes, crystals, water, animals, and whatever science concepts that students express an interest in learning about!

I hope that students will walk away with an excitement and enthusiasm for science (they have certainly displayed it during the program!) and lots of potential ideas to bring to the RES Family Science Fair!

Here are a few picture hi-lights of our activities last week:

Kindergartners learn about and create crystals!

Students work together with a parent volunteer to think about how to build a waterway experiment.

Electronic Snap Kits provided by a community member and IBM employee create intense concentration and exploration!

Volcanoes ERUPT!

After School Enrichment for All Sessions Scheduled in 2011!

We have two more after school enrichment sessions planned for the new year.  The teachers and class specifics are still in the works.....but we plan to offer another great variety of classes!

Please put these dates on your calendar if your student is interested in attending after school enrichment during either session!

Enrichment for All Session 2:  Wednesdays, January 12^th  – February 16^th 2011

Enrichment for All Session 3:  Wednesdays, March 9^th- April 13^th 2011

All sessions are once a week on Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:30pm, unless otherwise noted on the sign up sheets.

Word of the Week - 12/13/10

The word of the week is
 courteous  


Each month we are trying to select a variety of words, but ensure that one of the words each month is a 'social responsibility' word. 

Courteous means polite and considerate in manner. The courteous students held the door for each other as they entered RES!

I hope you will enjoy talking about courtesy next week...and noting all the different ways we can be courteous towards our classmates, teachers and families!
You might look for a book where characters exhibit courteous behavior, or keep a tally of courteous behavior you witness throughout the week!

Word of the Week - 12/6/2010

The word of the week this week is 


CAJOLE


Cajole means to convince or persuade with flattery or repeated appeals, to coax.

Some fourth graders picked this word because they thought they might try to cajole their teachers into not giving them homework.  

It might be interesting to think about times when students have used this technique....or have them try to cajole the class into believing something....what does acting like this look like?

Word of the Week - 11/29/2010

The word of the week is: 

citizenship

 

Citizenship means the character of an individual viewed as a member of a society.  A citizen is an inhabitant of a place, and citizenship is displaying the characteristics of that place.

 

We all have citizenship in our Richmond Elementary School community.

 

Things to discuss might include:

What are we a citizen of? (country, community, school...)

What characteristics do citizens have?

What is the value of citizenship in our school, community, country?

How do we exhibit strong citizenship?

Word of the Week - 11/15/2010

Looking forward to Thanksgiving break, the word of the week for the week is ABUNDANT.
Abundant means marked by great plenty or supply.  There was an abundant amount of delicious food at the Thanksgiving Lunch last Thursday!

Students might use this word to describe the crops that were picked at the picking parties, or the Thanksgiving lunch this week! Did the first settlers have an abundant supply of food and crops might be a great discussion? There are also lots of great synonyms and antonyms for these words:
Synonyms:
plentiful, ample, aplenty, bounteous, bountiful, comfortable, cornucopian, galore, generous, liberal, plenteous, plenty
Antonyms:
bare, minimal, scant, spare

Have fun!

PTO Enrichment Presentation

Here is the summary of my presentation from the PTO meeting. I have also placed this in a word document on the RES Enrichment class page.
 

PTO Enrichment Discussion 11/9/2010

Enrichment Philosophy

The Enrichment Program at Richmond Elementary School (RES) creates meaningful experiences that enhance all students time at school.  The Enrichment Program provides activities throughout the year for all students, works with teachers to enhance the regular classroom curriculum, and strives to provide academic challenges for all students. The Enrichment Program relies on the teamwork of classroom teachers, school administration, parents and caregivers, and community members to provide outstanding opportunities for our students.

RES Tenets of Enrichment

Enrichment is defined as “the act of improving something”.  This is a broad term that can encompass a wide array of areas. At RES we have tried to define those areas in which we feel enrichment improves  our students' experience by enhancing the enjoyment of learning, and preparing our students for continued success as a community learners and individuals. The Enrichment Program will strive to focus on these skills:

ü  Creativity and Innovation

ü  Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

ü  Communication and Collaboration

ü  Information Media and Technology Skills

ü  Social and Emotional Life Skills

School Wide Enrichment Activities

Word of the Week

ü  Introduces interesting vocabulary to all students

ü  Provides a topic of discussion across grades, within classrooms, and at home

What the research says:

ü  Enriched vocabulary is linked to improved reading comprehension and more interesting and advanced writing

What can parents do to expand on the word of the week and vocabulary?

ü  Make an effort to use new vocabulary 

ü  Have a word of the day/week at your house

ü  Talk about the word of the week, look for it in books you are reading, the context of your daily lives, and expand the idea through discussing synonyms and antonyms

ü  Repeat what students say, using a more advanced vocabulary

Enrichment Challenge

ü  Provides an opportunity for learning to be expanded into areas of student interest at home

ü  Extends learning beyond the classroom in multiple areas of talent

What the research says:

ü  Student talent is diverse and interest and engagement lead to learning!

What can parents do at home?

ü  Work on your enrichment challenge booklet! Pick an activity each week, or encourage students to look at the book when they are “bored”.

ü  Encourage students to try activities that are their strengths, and areas that they may not have developed skills in yet.

Flynn Theater Trips

ü  Provides access for all students to the performing fine arts and encourages the appreciation of arts in our school community

ü  Provides connections to classroom curriculum

What can parents do at home?

ü  Discuss the Flynn theater trip with students

ü  Find other performing art opportunities within our community and share them with your child

After School Program

ü  Provides out of school opportunities for students AND teachers to explore topics that interest them

ü  Provides students with an opportunity to connect with volunteers and community members who are willing to share their time and talent

What can parents do to support this program?

ü  Consider volunteering to teach a program

ü  Discuss what students are doing and learning during their time at afterschool enrichment

ü  Thank community member teachers for sharing their gifts with our school when you pick students up, or see them around town

ü  Fill out the after school enrichment survey, coming soon, to provide feedback on your ideas about this program

Science Fair

ü  Encourages independent and family exploration of science topics

What can parents do to support this program?

ü  Work on a science fair project with your child!

Other Ideas I am considering:

Enrichment Take Home Bags

Enrichment Monthly Contests

Enrichment At School

This is a daily, cooperative venture between the enrichment teacher and classroom teachers and staff. Therefore, by grade level and class the daily activities of enrichment are varied!

My goals for the year include:

ü  Becoming an engaged member of each of the classrooms

ü  Supporting teachers and students in enriching learning in the classroom environment

ü  Clear communication of my work with students

ü  Providing exciting learning experiences for students in areas that interest them

ü  Looking at ways to create a long term approach to enrichment that meets the philosophy and tenets that we have established

I welcome any and all feedback on enrichment.

Contact me at darcierankin@cesu.k12.vt.us or 434-2461.

PTO Meeting/Enrichment Discussion

I will be discussing enrichment at RES at the PTO meeting on Tuesday Nov 9th at 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Word of the Week-11/8/2010

The word of the week is vigorous.


Vigorous means characterized by an energetic manner, displaying vitality, or robust.  The fourth graders noticed that the principal was walking to his office in a vigorous manner.

Word of the Week - 11/1/2010

November has arrived--and with this seasonal 'in between' month, we may have some dreary weather!

The word of the week is:
dreary

Dreary means a miserable or unhappy state.
Can you think of some antonyms for this word that are more positive??

Word of the Week- 10/25/2010

In honor of the haunted gym, the word of the week is:

 eerie 

Eerie means creepy or causing fear.  The house on the top of the hill was eerie in the moonlight.

Word of the Week 10/18-10/20

The word of the week is:

MASSIVE


Massive means very large or enormous. 
The high ceiling was held up by massive pillars.


Have fun using this word throughout the week!

The Enrichment Challenge

Today an enrichment challenge was sent home to students in each classroom.  Each student received their own personal scorecard, which will be used for tracking their completion of enrichment activities. The enrichment challenge is a year long, individual challenge!

The enrichment challenge is intended to provide activities in a variety of intellectually stimulating areas.  Students will have the opportunity to perform tasks in areas of strength and interest, and also try NEW things!

I would like to encourage everyone to look over the challenge scorecard, and TAKE THE ENRICHMENT CHALLENGE!

I would love to hear about progress towards completion of these enriching activities!
Have FUN!

Word of the Week 10/11-10/15

The word of the week is:
 ACCUMULATE.

Accumulate means to collect, gather or pile up.

Leaves accumulate on the ground in the Fall.

Word of the Week-Introduction and Purpose

One of my goals as the enrichment teacher is to provide school wide enrichment activities that impact daily classroom routine minimally, but deliver enrichment to our students.  With this goal in mind, we have created a school wide 'Word of the Week'.  

The expansion of vocabulary is beneficial and accessible to all students, and the usefulness of rich vocabulary will be seen in writing and verbal communication as well as reading comprehension.   

We  will select a new word each week.  The word will be announced in the Monday morning school announcements, accompanied by a school display in the front lobby, posted on my blog, and distributed to teachers in advance for their use during morning meetings or vocabulary discussions.

I would like to encourage family members to ask their students about the word of the week.  Try to help students practice the word and verbalize it in as many contexts as you can think of!  

If you have any questions or ideas/comments about the Word of the Week, please let me know.

Volcanoes!

At the end of today, I worked with two classes of third graders to create volcanoes! 40 students and 10 volcanic eruptions!

The third graders  have been studying these awesome geological phenomenons during science/geology and this was a great activity to ignite their enthusiasm on this topic.  We used the art room as our staging area (easily cleanable floors) and began with each group labeling their volcano.  Next students used simple household ingredients to create the volcanic eruption.

Students were enthusiastic and excited about this task, and I think it was very memorable!

Want to make your own volcano at home? Here was our method:

Materials (per volcano):
Half a sheet of poster board
small margarine container
2-3TBSP of baking soda (per explosion)
1/4- 1/2 cup of vinegar
1tsp of clear dishwashing detergent (thickens and slows initial reaction)
a few drops of red dye
1/4 cup of water
(newspaper to cover table and catch the 'lava')

Directions:
1.  Create a cone with poster board that is free standing and can support the margarine container in the top.
2.  In the margarine container place water, food coloring and dishwashing soap
3.  Spoon in baking soda and stir
4.  Pour in vinegar and stand back!

Have fun!

RES Enrichment for ALL Enrollment Begins!

The after school enrichment program Session 1 enrollment forms will be sent home on Friday October 1st.  The deadline for returning the forms is October 6th, but the enrollment will be done on a first come, first serve basis.  Below you will find a list of the classes which will be offered as well as the grade levels for each.  We have some great offerings with some enthusiastic teachers....we hope you will consider taking advantage of this program!
*Technology and Digital Story Telling (Grades 3-4)
*Yoga (Grades K-2)
*Aikido (Grades 3-4)
*Drama (Grades 2-4)
*Cooking (Grades 1-2)
*Shoelace Tying and Games in the Gym (Grades K-2)
*Legos, Games and Chess (Grades 3-4)
*Creating Calendars (Grades 2-4)
*Beading (Grades K-4)
*Nature Exploration and Poetry (Grades 3-4)
*Cooperative Games (Grades 1-2)

Contact Darcie Rankin, Enrichment Teacher darcie.rankin@cesu.k12.vt.us with any questions

Principal Berry in the Press

There was a great article in the Hometown section of the Burlington Free Press on Weds, September 22nd about Principal Berry.  I am happy to see RES getting positive media exposure!
Check it out:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100922/LIVING07/9220308/-1/living07/Meet-the-new-Richmond-principal

Open House and Water Experiments

     I had a great time meeting students and families at the open house on the 23rd of September.  The water experiments were a big hit, and I saw some amazing scientific reasoning and experimentation!  As well as all of the great experimentation,  I noted  hesitation from some students to make guesses before trying out their plan.   I hope I can address this with some estimation games throughout the year.  
     All of the experiments we did are very accessible, because the materials are so readily available: water, cups, pennies, string, tin foil.  I hope you will try some of these at home, and come up with your own variations.  We had one tin foil boat that held 169 pennies....! 


Here is a list of the experiments that were in the enrichment room..Have Fun!

Experimenting with WATER!

How Many Drops of Water will a Nickel Hold?
Materials:
pipette
nickel
water
Directions:  Carefully place a drop of water on a nickel.  Keep adding drops.  What do you notice?  Are you surprised at how many it holds?
Skin on Water?
Materials:
Clear Glass
Water
Pennies
Directions:  Fill the glass to the brim with water.  How many pennies do you think you can gently add to the water before the glass overflows? After you have made your guess, gently place pennies into the water. Look at the surface of the water. What is happening?
Water on a String
Materials:
Bowl
Pitcher
Wet String
Water
Directions:  Place a cup of water in the pitcher.  Pouring over the water containers in case you spill, can you pour the water down the string and directly into the bowl? Why do you think this works?
Build a Boat
What makes a boat float? What shapes are common for boats?
Materials:
Tin foil rectangle
Pennies
Water
Directions: Using one piece of tin foil, construct a boat.  Your goal is to see how many pennies your boat can support before it sinks.
Measurement Guidelines: No other materials can be used in making the boat except the tin foil.  If any penny touches the water, the boat has sank. If any part of the boat touches the bottom of the container, your boat has sank.  Think you came up with the best design?  Share how many pennies you supported and your design on the board!
Water Can Flow Uphill!
Materials:
Glass of water
empty bowl
damp and twisted paper towel

Directions: Place one end of the twisted paper towel  into the glass filled with water and the other into the empty glass. In the empty glass the paper towel should sit just at the rim.  Watch what happens (this experiment takes a little bit of patience). How did water go uphill to get to the bowl?

The Magic Egg

Directions:  Take an egg from the table and gently place it into a glass of water.  Does it float or sink?  Look at Mrs.Rankin's egg----how did I do that?  Hint: I used one kitchen item used in cooking, but I did nothing to the egg!

Water Play
*Dunk sieves and colanders in water. Pour water through funnels. What does the size of the holes have to do with how fast the water flows?
*Use measuring cups and spoons to figure out the volume of some containers.
*Can you empty containers faster by changing the motion you use when emptying them?

A Reflection on Day 8

       Today was my eighth day as a RES teacher. I am fortunate as a new teacher that I am beginning my year by observing classrooms at work. Today I spent the day moving from classroom to classroom, and witnessing incredible teaching by our talented staff and the great community of learners that are our students.

     I began my day in a third grade room. I walked in to the buzz of students at work. They were finishing self portraits and recording their hopes and dreams. Each thoughtful idea was being prepared for the wall, where they will be looked at through the year. I got the opportunity to attend morning meeting with this class. I observed friendly handshakes and an awesome discussion about a student's summer share. Students were respectful of their peers and truly interested in learning about their classmates experiences.

     Next I went to a second grade class. Here they were wrapping up a meeting by focusing on a set of math activities. Students volunteered readily, and one exclaimed that the material was hard, to which another said his brother had not done this until sixth grade! Did they give up? No --they all increased their focus and excitement for solving the teacher's question. This discussion moved to a math lesson. Students were paired together while the teacher worked with some students one on one. Work plans were individualized, and pairs helped to answer each others questions.

      Next I visited another third grade classroom which was in the middle of reading Chrysanthemum by Peter Henkes. Students sat thoughtfully on the carpet, and the discussion that followed was a discourse on treating each person in class with positive respect. Students clearly got this message, as they followed up by sharing and listening to written reflections on their summers.

     Next I went to a kindergarten class. They were finishing up a math materials discovery. The table I sat with was building two and three dimensional objects. One student proudly showed me the hexagons he had built from shape blocks—applying the new shape they had discussed as a class and pointing out that it matched the shape of the table—what a great connection! I watched as other students tried to imitate this work. I attended lunch with the kindergarten group where I heard comments in the cafeteria line that students could eat this spaghetti for every meal. I then walked between tables as students ate and chatted comfortably about every topic under the sun. Several students asked for help opening drinks or getting water....and each time I was pleasantly surprised at their use of please and thank you!

      Next I visited a fourth grade class. I was lucky enough to walk into a class setting up a 'me museum'. Each class member had brought artifacts from home to represent the important aspects of their lives. I got to see baby pictures, track ribbons, and special mementos of trips. And I also witnessed students interviewing classmates about their objects, and showing interest in each other and their lives.

     Next I went to a first grade class. Sitting on the rug they were reading a monarch butterfly book. The teacher could not turn a page or read a sentence without a set of hands being raised. Students had stories, questions, connections to the classroom caterpillars, ideas about the authors intent in the drawings.....this was just not about reading a book, the class was alive with students thinking and sharing (even at the end of a Monday!). As they lined up to go to the library, one student was helping to tie the shoe of another. When someone asked what the hold up was, the student who was receiving help told everyone that their friend could tie shoes and 'wasn't that great because they could not'. The entire class waited patiently, acknowledging the importance of helping others without words, but just by their patient understanding.

     Lastly I visited another second grade class. After wrapping up their homework directions the students sat on the rug to listen to Elmer the Elephant by David McKee. The conversation that followed the book was an excellent conclusion and summary of my entire experience today. The elephants learned to respect each others differences, no matter what the color of their skin, to think of others feelings, to enjoy being themselves---to enjoy being different!

What an amazing day! What an exciting environment to grow as a teacher.

RES Enrichment Philosophy

Enrichment Philosophy

The Enrichment Program at Richmond Elementary School (RES) creates meaningful experiences that enhance all students time at school. The Enrichment Program provides activities throughout the year for all students, works with teachers to enhance the regular classroom curriculum, and strives to provide academic challenges for all students. The Enrichment Program relies on the teamwork of classroom teachers, school administration, parents and caregivers, and community members to provide outstanding opportunities for our students.

RES Tenets of Enrichment

Enrichment is defined as “the act of improving something”. This is a broad term that can encompass a wide array of areas. At RES we have tried to define those areas in which we feel enrichment improves our students' experience by enhancing the enjoyment of learning, and preparing our students for continued success as a community learners and individuals. The Enrichment Program will strive to focus on these skills:

• Creativity and Innovation
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Communication and Collaboration
• Information Media and Technology Skills
• Social and Emotional Life Skills