Thursday, December 20, 2018

Sprague Winter Break Reading Challenge!



Read while away
For comfy cozy day!

85,000 minutes.  That's a lot of minutes.
That's 1,416 1/2 hours.
Its 59 days!

The Sprague school community (all students and staff) are going to try to read 85,000 minutes or more over this winter break that kicks off Friday at 3:05. Winter break is only 12 days long, but still if we all read together we can read over 59 days. That's just crazy!

If we do it... if we read 85,000 minutes we will win a school-wide comfy cozy day.

I love pajamas. I want to wear pajamas to school.
Let's read a ton over break and get to wear our pjs to school in January.


Lost your reading log? No worries. Here a link to the online form you can print out and keep track of your minutes with.

All reading logs (and 1st Grade bingo cards) due back to the Sprague Library by Friday, January 4, 2019.

Read on!
Ms. J.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Honoring Wellesley First Responders

Sunday, October 28th is National First Responders Day.


Sprague First Graders, who are learning about Community Helpers in social studies this year, learned about First Responders in both the classroom and library class over the last month and wrote thank you letters to Wellesley Police and Firefighters.  Ms. Belli, Sprague's new art teacher, jumped into right into this project and helped students create amazing thank you cards in Art Classes. Students attached the letters and the cards and...

This Sunday, a few Sprague families will drop off our First Grade thank you letters at the Wellesley Police Station and the Wellesley Fire Station.  See a few more great examples below.










Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Some fun with Vegetables!

This week in 3rd Grade Library we continued our series of old stories that have been re-told in a new and creative way. 


Students helped me remember the original version of the story before we dived into this fun alternate version. Then came the really challenging part.  I asked students to draw me a picture of their favorite vegetable. "What?!" they asked.  A favorite vegetable? I don't have one of those.  Well, after some thinking and some discussion here are a few favorite veggies that students came up with:






Read On!
Ms. J.

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Summer Reading suggestions and lists!

 I'm so (soooooo!) excited about our Sprague Summer Reading packets this year.

So colorful!
So fun!

That cool, lime green bookmark on the top... that has a link to our online list of suggested new books.  Looking for your next book? You will want to take a look at that list.

Every student will get one to bring home before the end of school.

Misplaced a sheet?
If you misplace any of your copies just go here to find printable versions of everything we sent home.



Summer Reading is meant to be fun.
I know I am looking forward to it!
Nothing is required, but there are a lot of fun suggestions.

Here's a thoughtful look at Summer Reading from Meghan Cox Gurdan who writes a weekly Children's Book Review column for the WSJ:

"For children, the phrase “summer reading” has two meanings, one a lot sunnier than the other. The first pertains to the books that teachers oblige kids to get through before classes resume in September. However good such assigned reading may be, it can’t help carrying a whiff of pedagogy. The second kind of summer reading, though, is the stuff of freedom: These are the books devoured for fun, at the beach, in a tree house or anywhere else that lends itself to the season’s long, languid hours."

And don't forget to get Caught Reading!

I'll post about that one again (of course)... I like to get caught reading in some strange places over the summer and I can't wait to see where all our Sprague students get Caught Reading.

Reading and fun.


One optional thing that's new this year is the Book Buzz sheet - if a student would rather write about her favorite book or his favorite few books than keep a reading log he or she can try this out instead.

And last, but not least... Sprague students who bring back anything (Caught Reading, Book Buzz or the Reading Bingo/Mission cards) will automatically be entered into our raffle for Wellesley Books gift certificates at the Summer Reading Assembly in September!

Cool!

Read On,
Ms. J.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

5th Grade - Historical Fiction Books we book talked today!

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (Newbery Honor)













Elijah of Buxtan by Christopher Paul Curtis (Newbery Honor)
 also The Madman of Piney Woods and Bud, Not Buddy





Mort Ziff is Not Dead by Cary Fagan

True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (Newbery Honor)

Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (Newbery Honor)
 also The Midwife's Apprentice  (Newbery Medal winner)

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (Newbery Honor)
 also P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama

The Letter for the King by Tonke Dargt

Mr. Revere and I by Robert Lawson

Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Newbery Honor)
 also The War I finally Won

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

5th Grade - Books we book talked!

As promised here are the books we talked about today:

The Newbery Medal winner:
Hello, Universe (FIC KEL)











Other new books:

Almost Paradise (FIC SHO)











Beyond the Bright Sea (FIC WOL)
The Book of Boy (FIC MUR)
The Explorer (FIC RUN)
Pashmina - graphic novel (GC CHA)
The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade (FIC SON)
Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince (The African Graphic Novel Series) - public library
Orphan Island (FIC SNY)
Tumble & Blue (FIC BEA)
Wonderling (FIC BAR)