News from Empower!
Mrs. Taylor's Update March 1st
Empower in Action
SHOW IT OFF! k-4
The students in k-1 started with imaginative play inside of our SIX amazing play centers (the hospital, the veterinary clinic, the restaurant, the construction site, the salon, and the puppet theater)! They were challenged with telling a story and you can SEE those stories come to life on Schoology in the Show it Off assignment. They were then challenged to extend their Story Champs learning that they do in their classrooms with their teachers and Mrs. VanPelt our amazing Speech and Language Pathologist to create puppets, a setting, and a story sequence! Students acted out their puppet shows and recorded them on Schoology! You can see your child's puppet show there!! Our kindergarten students got a bonus week of imaginative play while our first grade students got their first introduction to Stop Motion!! You can see their stop motion movies in Schoology and there is an example below!
Our students in 2nd-4th grade started their storytelling experience by playing dramatic games that focused on imagination, collaboration, communication, and LOTS of laughs! You can ask them about Mystery Function! They then learned the ins and outs of dramatic play and storytelling. They got to experience our centers and record mini-movies! We then jumped into Stop Motion and started creating! You can view your student's stop motion videos on Schoology. Our 3rd graders are now experimenting with iMovie and creating their own movie trailers!!
4th Grade Expert Session-
5th Grade Get on Board!
Students then formed groups last week to create their own board game. These games are starting to come together and are absolutely amazing. I love seeing the groups challenge each other, iterate, create, and create again! You can see some of the process below!!
Each month an electronic copy of the Monthly Maker Challenges will be sent out via email! Please submit a picture, video or bring in your creation to class! You can do this directly in Schoology by clicking on the assignment called "Maker Challenge Creation"!! You can launch your challenge to your class and school!
Monthly challenges are a way to EMPOWER the whole family to get involved and be creative! Pick one, three in a row or do them all! HAVE FUN!
Each month you can explore all about our monthly Empower Hero! The Empower Hero is someone that inspires, empowers, or encourages others to change the world! They all have one thing in common... their accomplishments changed history and the way we live today!
DONATIONS WANTED!!
- toilet paper rolls
- cardboard boxes
- shoe boxes
- paper towel rolls
- wrapping paper rolls
- OLD used board games (even if they are missing pieces!!)
If you are cleaning/ toy purging!! We could utilize:
- Legos
- Magna Blocks/ Picasso Tiles
- Big foam blocks
- Marble Runs
- Felt/ Fabric
- Pom Poms, pipe cleaners, feathers, buttons and other craft supplies
THANK YOU to all that have donated throughout the year!!
Michelle Taylor
Empower Teacher
Bell Graham Elementary School
Email: michelle.taylor@d303.org
Website: https://district.d303.org/
Location: 4N505 Fox Mill Blvd, St. Charles, IL 60175
Twitter: @Empower_BG