Picture this: It's Monday morning. The kids stroll into room 210, ready to tackle another week of 4th grade. It's (relatively) quiet in the classroom, as the kids get started on their Quick Write and I put the finishing touches on the lesson's learning target. I open my mouth to speak when, all of a sudden, music floods the classroom. It's loud, and it's catchy, and we have NO idea where it's coming from. With puzzled expressions on our faces, we hastily crane our necks every which way in hopes of finding the source of the spirited tune, and as I begin to mentally rehearse my "No cell phones in school!" lecture, the music is interrupted by a thundering voice. "GOOOOD MORNING BOYS AND GIRLS! COACH MARSHALL HERE, AND WELCOME TO HEALTH AND FITNESS WEEK!" It. Was. Hilarious. And it definitely kicked off our first community week of the school year with a memorable bang. I really enjoy the themed weeks we have sprinkled throughout the school year at the Kennedy School, and this one was especially nice in that I got to wear comfy workout clothes every single day! Some of the events included a school-wide dance lesson, a fitness challenge, an obstacle course in gym class, and school-wide mindfulness led by Ms. Vendola over the intercom. The kids were soooo good during the mindfulness exercise, and even though it lasted close to five minutes, I got to participate too. I genuinely didn't have to redirect anyone or quiet anyone down-- it was awesome! It was ironic that our last week of yoga fell on this week of health and fitness. Jess, our yoga instructor, is absolutely wonderful. She's such a talented instructor that by the end, the students were leading the sun salutations. It was incredible to watch them progress over the four weeks. We'll miss her, but she plans on visiting us as she moves on to her next cycle with the 5th graders.


This week, we began implementing a focus on words. Every year, I've noticed that kids have trouble with vocabulary and spelling. So this year, I really want to foster my students' awareness of words, build their vocabulary, and explore spelling patterns. I'm working with our ELA coach Mrs. George on developing a systematic vocabulary routine that will eventually lead to students selecting and "digging into" unfamiliar words. (The two words we focused on this week? Plot and context...test your child's understanding of the two words!) For spelling, Ms. Fudge, Ms. Jareo, and I will be working together to plan and lead spelling lessons and activities 3-4 times a week. We are using a program called Spellography that introduces students to spelling patterns and rules that they can apply beyond just weekly preselected lists. I have high hopes for this approach, and I'm grateful to be collaborating with so many of my colleagues.

Our Bucket Fillers of the week were Dylan and Rakia. It's funny that these two got picked on the same week, as they both stand out to me for their thoughtfulness and positive attitudes. They both help their classmates and teachers without expecting anything in return. Dylan helped me clean up every single yoga mat on Thursday after he saw me start helping Jess roll them up. He seemed unfazed by his classmates eagerly grabbing their belongings to go home, as he continued to quietly and calmly roll up his peers' mats. It was really admirable. Rakia is new to our school this year, but you'd never know it. She gets along with everyone, and is the first person to ask me how my day's going or to wish me a good afternoon. I love how polite and attentive she is. Nice job, Rakia and Dylan!