The kids have been enjoying reading block these past few weeks because I'm in the process of testing them all to figure out their Guided Reading Level. That means they've had lots of relaxing independent reading time! We're also in the midst of our "launch" unit which just gets the kids acclimated to the reader's workshop framework of read aloud, independent reading time, and reconvening together on the rug. I'm almost halfway through the testing, but when I'm done I'll be able to meet with all of my students and share with them their level, their strengths, and what we need to work on together this school year. This will range from fluency to decoding to literal and abstract comprehension.

I had Mrs. O'Keefe's homeroom this past week for writing and social studies. We'll be doing the writer's workshop model of writing this school year, which involves the students writing in writer's notebooks on a regular basis. Every once in a while, they will select one of their writings to carry through the full writing process: drafting, revising, editing, publishing. I'm excited for writing this year because I took a writing course this summer at Lesley and gathered a lot of valuable resources on writing instruction.

Bucket Fillers this week were Kailyn and Amanda. Kailyn is such a sweet, hardworking girl and I've been looking forward to being her teacher for a few years now. I've also known Amanda since kindergarten, and having her in class is as wonderful as I had anticipated it would be. She participates in class and puts a lot of effort into her work. Great job ladies!