Wow! Clinefest was the most fun, most marvelous one of all!
Thank you all parents who worked so hard and so long to make this year's
Clinefest so incredible! Your talent and skill just take my breath away!!
Please know how very much I appreciate every moment you spent!!
A little clarification on the Reader's Responses:
Response Journal
Students are expected to write a letter to me any time (but at least once a
week—each child’s assigned day that their letter is due is on a chart on the
chalkboard) to respond to their reading.
They may ask questions about what they have read or tell me about what they
are thinking while they are reading, or write about how they connect what they
are reading to their own lives, to something else they have read, or to
something occurring in the world.
They do not have to finish the book before they write. It's not a book
report, rather a way to get kids to think and write about what they are
thinking about their reading, while at the same time learn and use the
friendly letter format.
In November I will teach the children how to draw an illustration of their
favorite part with a caption telling the name of the book, the author, and
what the picture is illustrating. Students will still need to write at least
one letter telling me what they are thinking about their reading in each book.
In December I will be introducing a project where students will create an item
that one of the characters from the book would need to survive, or achieve
their goal, or use in the story. An index card naming the book, the author,
and the character will accompany the invention. An explanation of the item
created and how the character would use it will also be written on the card.