The day started out with our long-awaited celebration...PANCAKES with the PRINCIPALS for being the 4th grade class that read the most minutes over Winter Break!
Our top reader, Allena Jeter, was proud to be the one to bring back the trophy for our classroom!
Alexey was wanting the works on his pancakes... syrup, chocolate, sprinkles, and, of course, whipped cream!
Miyona, Catherine, and Julia dressed up for the occasion, down to their fingernails.
Three is not a crowd especially when there are so many pancakes to eat!
One hour later we were welcoming our guests into the Media Center for our 2nd Annual Beatnik Poetry Café. (To say we were a little excited would be an understatement!)
We were finally ready to shine after practicing for weeks. The room was decorated with posters of famous poets, the programs had been printed, the mic was on its stand by the Walt Whitman stool, and our refreshments were set up.
Aynee was the first to welcome everyone and explain how in real poetry cafes back in the 40s and 50s you snapped your fingers instead of clapping. She started us off reciting "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelo...
There's nothing that compares to a grandmother's love and here's proof...Kameron's grandmother sat through two Poetry Cafes because Kameron got the time mixed up and she's still smiling!!
Sydney knew that if she brought a prop she would get extra points, so she brought her mom to help prove her point in Kenn Nesbitt's poem "My Mother Does My Homework!".
Last but not least, a big thank you to Reese, her grandmother and mom for bringing refreshments for all!
Congratulations Students! You did it! You read more minutes than any other 4th grade class at OES over Winter Break!
All the grade level winners will be invited to have pancakes with the principals and claim ownership of the Best Reader trophy for the remainder of 2016. I couldn't be prouder of you! Special thanks to Allena who read 3.000 minutes and Brooke who read 1,500 minutes.
We did it!!
Meet Austin Kleon and his Blackout Poetry. Check out the videos below and get a preview of what we will be trying this week in our poetry unit. Professional writers sometimes find it difficult to think of an idea to write about and the words just won't come...Writer's Block! But, when it does he has a totally different way to making the words flow again. He gets grabs a newspaper and a black Sharpie.
