Gombert Project Arrow

Week of November 3rd

I was very pleased with your children's efforts during our first Socratic Seminar for "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence." Students were prepared and shared some very thought-provoking comments. During the upcoming week, students will begin learning about a performance task for which they will need to create their own theme park. This project is a learning extension and relates to the literary piece entitled "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence" which we have been exploring for the last couple of weeks. I will encourage each learner to let their creative juices flow and to consider what elements will cause their project to exceed the expectations. They will be given approximately a week and a half to work on it during class. However, please be aware that students may have to complete some work at home. We will take some time to share the projects once they are complete. Have a great week!

Week of October 27th

This week, students will spend time learning about the process of Socratic Seminar. Then, we will complete our first seminar of the year. I am confident that we will have a rich discussion about the focus text. Afterward, students will begin learning about a performance task for which they will need to create their own theme park. This project is a learning extension and relates to the literary piece entitled "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence" that we have been exploring for the last couple of weeks. I will encourage each learner to let their creative juices flow and to consider what elements will cause their project to exceed the expectations. They will be given approximately a week and a half to work on it during class. We will take some time to share the projects once they are complete. Have a great week!

Week of October 20th

Please be aware that students will only have one day of Project Arrow this week due to their fied trip to Cantigny Park and an important presentation that will occur on Friday. During our time together, students will continue to work on annotating "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence".

Week of October 13th

Last week, students read "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence"; however, we did not begin the annotation process. Students will spend the bulk of their class time doing a close read of the text and annotating. They will be required to use the Depth & Complexity framework during this process. I will begin by modeling the expectations for students. Afterward, they will be given the option of working with a partner to support understanding of the overall annotation process. If time permits, students will be completing a Depth and Complexity frame and recording their thinking related to ethical issues, big ideas, change over time, and unanswered questions.

PA conferences will take place on Thursday, October 16th from 4:30-8:00 p.m. and Monday, October 20th from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and 4:30-8:00 p.m. If you have not signed up, you can find the links in a previous email that was sent last week. Please be sure to complete the "Parent Homework" questionnaire and have your child turn it in on Tuesday, October 14th, if you have a conference. This will help to guide our discussions during the conference. Have a great week!

IMPORTANT: Please remember that conferences are for parents of students who are new to PA. However, you may request a conference, if you would like.

Week of October 6th

During the upcoming week, students will wrap up a review of the Depth and Complexity icons and will practice using the icons after reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This may be a familiar book to many. Oftentimes, it is beneficial for learners to apply complex reading strategies or skills with simpler texts, especially when learning new concepts. Each learner will be using Padlet, an online discussion board, to showcase how the Depth and Complexity icons relate to the text.

Later in the week, each learner will review vocabulary and complete an initial read of "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence". This will be our first major text of the year, and I am confident that the students will find it to be quite engaging. They will be spending the bulk of their class time doing a close read of the text and annotating. Students will be required to use the Depth & Complexity framework during this process. I will begin by modeling the expectations for students. They will then be given the option of working with a partner to support understanding of the overall annotation process. In the future, students will be responsible for independently annotating. Have a great week!

Week of September 29th

Toward the latter part of last week, students began reviewing theme. We read a text entltled Rosie Revere, Engineer and discussed thematic topics. We then used selected topics to identify theme. Afterward, they were assessed to determine their understanding of how to appropriately identify theme. After independently reading a short piece of text and brainstorming thematic topics, I realized that students needed a mini lesson on the difference between traits and abstract nouns. For example, I noticed some students were selecting words such as compassionate, determined, and loyal. After the lesson, they better understood the importance of using abstract nouns (e.g., compassion, determination, and loyalty). This was an impromptu but necessary lesson. As a result, we are a little behind. We will be focusing on Depth and Complexity during the upcoming week. Please be aware that students will only be attending PA on 9/29 and 9/30. The remainder of the week, they will be participating in CogAT testing. Have a great week!

Week of September 22nd

During the upcoming week, we will be wrapping up our review of plot development. Students will also review the Depth and Complexity icons and will practice using the icons after reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This may be a familiar book to many. Oftentimes, it is beneficial for learners to apply complex reading strategies or skills with simpler texts, especially when learning new concepts. Each learner will be using Padlet, an online discussion board, to showcase how the Depth and Complexity icons relate to the text. I am looking forward to another wonderful week of learning!

Week of September 15th

During the upcoming week, students will be responsible for completing a literature preassessment to determine their current knowledge of theme, change, and their ability to use interpretive thinking. If time permits, we will begin reviewing literary elements and plot development. Each learner will view Pixar Shorts and will be responsible for identifying the different elements of plot that are present. They will also be recording their ideas on plot development organizers to support their understanding. I am looking forward to a great week of learning!

Week of September 8th

Students are making steady progress on their creativity projects despite having a shorter amount of time to work. Please be aware that each learner will continue their iReady assessments during the upcoming week (9/8, 9/10-9/11). As a result, PA classes will be canceled. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. Have a great week!

Week of September 1st

Please be aware that students will be participating in iReady testing on 9/3-9/5. As a result, PA services will be canceled. During the upcoming week, we will continue to work on our introductory project. Students will be encouraged to consider their passions, desires, and interests. We have begun the process of brainstorming ideas. Each learner has been exposed to the components of creativity, and the hope is that they will consider these throughout the design process. Also, I would like to remind any students who have not yet turn in their supplies to bring them in as soon as possilble. Finally, I'd like to remind you about the parent survey. This will help me to learn more about your child. Click HERE if you still need to complete the questionniare. I am looking forward to another wonderful week with your children. Enjoy your weekend!

Week of August 25th

I am extremely excited to begin the 2025-2026 school year, and I am confident we are going to have an awesome year! Students will begin Project Arrow on Monday, August 25th. This week, we will begin to create a community in our classroom through the use of team building activities. They will be encouraged to communicate and collaborate with one another to be successful.

Students will also begin a project that will help them to consider what their passions, interests, and desires are. They will be creating a pictorial representation of these ideas. They will be encouraged to integrate the components of creativity (fluency, flexiblity, originality, and elaboration) throughout the design process. Prior to beginning the project, we will be reading a book entitled Sarabella's Thinking Cap by Judith Byron Schachner. My hope is that this text will inspire thoughtful ideas for their project.

Please be aware that your child brought home a teacher bio, PA schedule, and a supply list last Friday. You can also find a digital copy of the supply list as well as the schedule on the homepage of the PA Google site. Please have your child bring in their supplies no later than Friday, August 29th. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy the remainder of your weekend!

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