March 8-12

Eagles have been busy preparing their butterfly habitats for their transformation from caterpillar to butterfly.  Many caterpillars formed their chrysalises this week and anticipation is building as we watch the life cycle happen before our eyes!  

  

In Writer's Workshop, the Eagles are using their Pixar Story Spine to create a first draft.  We took a look at Joanna Cole's Magic School Bus: Under the Ocean Floor to see another example of Science-Based Fiction.  We learned many ocean facts and were inspired to incorporate research into our own fiction stories in unique ways.

  

One of our favorite times of the week continues to be DEAR and Listen to Reading.  We deeply believe in the power of reading for enjoyment! Therefore, the Eagles have 20-40 minutes each day to simply read.  They have a vast library of chapter, picture and audio books to choose from.  

 

In last week's Town Hall, the Eagles brought up the issue of the Mess Monster and talked Mr. Michael into sending them a video clip of the Mess Monster at work.  As we anxiously wait to discover his identity, the Mess Monster has made his presence known! He has taken away the boys' bathroom freedom, locked the library, taken away the Excellence Committee's freedom to check work during Studio Maintenance and rewarded some hard-working cleaners.  On Wednesday and Friday, the Mess Monster gave four different friends the opportunity to play outside instead of clean! 

Every day we are taking steps to remove the need for an adult in the studio. During Core Skills, the Eagles have chosen to take a 5 minute Brain Break by moving to GoNoodle videos.  This week, the Eagles took this over by choosing to have Level 3 and 4 learners utilize their computers for the break, instead of Mrs. Ashley's.  The Bell Ringer then chooses the 5 minutes of videos for the day. 

 

Layla and Jack led PE this week! They chose to work on push-ups and play soccer.  A tough lesson was learned when they realized they forgot their soccer ball inside for their game.  So, freeze tag was played as a backup. 

 

This week in Drama, the Eagles were challenged to become the characters in the Lion King.  Each group was given a questionnaire to complete about their character; Simba, Timon, or Pumba.  We then ended with a fun Talk Show interviewing their given characters.  They were challenged to answer questions like "How do you feel about Scar?" or "What is your favorite place?"

 

Enjoy your Spring Break Acton Eagles!