Congratulations to all the students who performed and worked on 12th Night this past Wednesday! Although I was unable to make it to the evening performance, I heard from both parents and teachers that it was a great success. Fortunately, I was able to watch the final dress rehearsal. Having myself performed in many a Shakespeare play, I was very proud of the way all of our kids committed to the work and put on a great show. A good deal of time was spent preparing for all aspects of the show, including performance, costumes, sound, lights and set design. Well done to all involved, including Ms. Metz!
This past week we finished Night by Elie Wiesel. We will continue to explore literature focused on World War II and the Holocaust by reading and sharing these illustrated stories: Faithful Elephants by Yikio Tsichiya, The Grand Mosque of Paris by Karen Gray Ruelle and Deborah Durland DeSaix, So Far From the Sea by Eve Bunting and The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco.
On Monday and Tuesday, we will take a break from reading to watch a film about Anne Frank so that we can compare and contrast Anne’s story to Elie Wiesel’s story in Night.
Having just finished English and Italian sonnets in writing class, we will continue to explore various poetic devices and try our hand at writing a Sestina, which is a French form of poetry. Lastly, in grammar, we will practice different types of clauses and verbals, including gerunds and gerund phrases.
In Social Studies, we have started our study of the Progressive Era (1890-1920). Progressives hoped to address and improve many of the problems and issues that were brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Students will be completing research on key events, Presidents, Significant Laws/Court Decisions, Landmarks and Conservation efforts, and significant reformers during this important period.
Friday? It’s a day off for the students. Time for more winter fun!
Poetry Foundation Field Trip forms went home last week. Please look for them and return as soon as possible. We will be visiting the Poetry Foundation on 2/3/20 for Room 202 and 2/6/20 for Room 302.