Learning about Art makes us think and feel
Prichard Art Gallery Exhibit
About Ms. Bonzo
Welcome to 4th Grade! Raise the Roof!
A little background: My teaching career started in St. Augustine, Florida, after graduating from the University of South Alabama. Then, my husband and I lived, taught, and traveled overseas for almost a decade in Algeria, Singapore, and the Dominican Republic before coming to Idaho. We moved here in 1994 with our daughter and have really enjoyed being involved in the community and participating in all kinds of outdoor opportunities.
I have taught and coached kids from preschool to high school. I graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching majoring in History from the University of in 1999 and have always continued to add to my professional and content knowledge.
A little about the present at MCS: The students in 4th Grade get to integrate what they have learned from K-3. It is a special year developmentally because kids at this age want to be active and make a difference in the world. One way that I like to help grow their curiosity and interests is to take them off campus for field trips and do my best to bring in experts (which are often parents:)).
Classes
Posts
Writers Feedback about Introduction Narration for Radio Show
This Reading Group performed their beginning and the class gave them compliments, comments, or suggestions on their work. For all groups, it was fun to have them speaking into a microphone to tell a story. The big white room divider is what they sit behind and it is in the process of turning into a 'set'. It will look like a table with a radio on it and the performers will be behind the set.
Writing the Intro Narration of their Radio Show
Each Reading Group is working on the information that will be ready to start their story. They are thinking of the music, sounds and character information that will be needed to be explained to their listener audience in order to know what scene they are doing from the book they read.
They have been listening to classic radio show starts like-- Gunsmoke, Johnny Dollar, and War of the Worlds in order to get the importance of setting up the story. It's fun to listen to them come up with voices as they experiment with tone and inflection to get the effect they want. Creative juices are flowing!
And, it all started with 4th Graders in 2019!
Our community had its 3rd Collection Day for Plastic Film on Saturday. I drove over 2 full pickup loads. At the end of the day, 1596 pounds was collected into 13 containers! This year, our school has collected 6000 pounds or 3 tons!
Remember the next collection will be Saturday, April 4.
Morning Meeting Activity
Today, I took the kids outside and we practiced coordination moves. They learned the heel-toe walk. It was hard and they had a good attitude about it. This rhythmic move we started in our classroom and then took it outside. I used the song by Pharrel, Happy, to study Parts of Speech and for us to move while sitting and all the ways that you move. They were excited to find out the challenge from something that looked simple.
MCS Spelling Bee 2020
It went 20 Rounds and there were 16 kids that started out this morning!
4th Grader Michael Synder won and 5th Grader Becky Manning is Runner Up! Thank you to our Pronouncer Ms. Buehler, and Judges Ms. Kelley and Mr. Francetich!
The Inland Northwest Regional Spelling Bee will be March 14 at LCSC and the winner will represent our area in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. in May.
Site Inventory for Stormwater Landscape Design
The kids cataloged trees, low spots, impervious areas and other types of things that make up our campus. We did this work in partners in the area of the new school. When Kelli Cooper from the City of Moscow came after lunch she taught a lesson and then the kids went through the back play area and cataloged again. The observed what would be areas to change and noticed how the water on our campus moves. They did a good job thinking about MCS in a 'design' way.
Aaron Johnson (Ruby's Dad) shares how he created the 2020 Lionel Hampton Jazz Poster!!
This was a fabulous lesson!!
Ms. Mickey, Latah County District Nurse teaches our class how to use a stethoscope.
We are studying the body systems. It is really interesting to see the kids hunt for their heart and then once they find it, get quiet and listen to their own rhythm. :)
Writers' Workshop led by Ms. Pimental-- A great part of BOOK A BUNGA
She taught "Introductory Hooks" with the kids to teach them about the power of 'carrying the reader along' to get into a story. She used facts about dinosaurs with the kids to get them to focus on how to write these very important parts of storytelling.
Lucas is sharing his work at the document camera and the class is looking at the list of techniques to assess which on he used. All were eager to come and share. We had great participation because our class is always super engaged.
Rainbow Dance Theater at the Gladish Center
Festival Dance brought together so many students from the area to see the performance of the history of Hip Hop. It was interactive with kids learning a lot of rhythm and communication through movement.
It was free thanks to sponsors! What a great experience and very educational.
Readers' Workshop Book Groups
The kids are starting to read together and when finished collecting details about characters, setting, and understanding the plot, they will write their own radio scripts.
Each group has a different book. We have been listening to parts of classic radio shows to help them understand what they will be doing.
It is fun to imagine and tell a story that only will be heard.
Passing Out Valentines-- Action Shot!
The kids put the thoughtful and carefully prepared Valentine Cards to each other in their Home Base Bins. We had a really fun afternoon.
Cooperative Musical Chairs
The 4th grade has been working together so well. One of the best ways to show how much they have learned to cooperate it for them to play "Cooperative Musical Chairs".
In Morning Meeting, I explained the game and how it is so different from competitive musical chairs. In our game, there is a lot of laughter and they are so excited to see that they can be responsible for holding up themselves while leaning on the knees of a classmate. We finished up with only one chair!! It was a fun morning and our UI Education Student played with us too.
Check out my blogs from previous years: