Rosie Revere Engineer

Students enjoyed learning about mindset through the success and failures of engineering. Third, fourth, and fifth graders read Rosie Revere, Engineer, by Andrea Beaty and discussed engineering as a career as well as the meaning of failure. The story emphasizes never giving up and that failure only happens when you quit.

After the story, students made helicopters as described in the author's website.  One helicopter would remain the same. This helicopter was their "constant". They could not make any changes to this helicopter. However they made a second helicopter and they had to brainstorm ideas and variables that would make their helicopter fly "better". Some students wanted their helicopter to spin faster; some wanted it to spin slower. The students enjoyed making their helicopters and test flying their helicopters.

William Wood Welcome Wounded Warriors

 Thank you for your service!

Communication is the Key!

Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students learned the art of communication. One partner pretended they we were in space headed to Mars and the other partner pretended they were in Mission Control They each had to give clear, specific directions to each other and produce the same final product. Privacy folders were used so the partners could not see each other.

Students first used paper, crayons and pencils to make their pictures. Partners were encouraged to ask questions and clarify their directions throughout the process.

The students continued working on communication using LEGOS. Partners were given identical sets of 5-7 LEGOS. They had the challenge of building exact models using only verbal directions.

Reflection Questions: What made the activity challenging? What did you do differently the next time? Was it more difficult to give the directions or to draw/build? What made drawing/building more difficult? What would make it easier?

Awarded 2015-2016 No Place for Hate Honor

Congratulations Guadalupe Elementary and William Wood Elementary! You have been designated by the ADL as a 2015-2016 No Place for Hate school. Throughout the year students participated in school-wide events that united us in kindness and united us against bullying. Let's continue to build an inclusive community of respect and fairness for everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

High Five for Perseverance!

Students worked hard on this multi-day art project. The first day we discussed the similarities between their project and their schoolwork. Students noticed that they had to pay attention to the directions and watch how to do each step. Students also noticed that they needed to pay attention to detail. One of the deepest discussions was about the difference between "being hard" and "effort". As the students wind down the school year, it's important for them to understand that their outcomes and final project will show their character through effort and perseverance.