Halloween in the Pine Room
Tara Zaro, Pine Room Head Teacher at 45th Street
It is spooky season here in the Pine Room! We wanted to share with all of you what we have been up to the past couple of weeks as we get ready to celebrate our favorite holiday… HALLOWEEN!
In Language Arts, we first got into the spirit by discussing all things Halloween. Our second graders shared their favorite Halloween memories and the teachers briefed students about the fun activities and events planned to commemorate the holiday this year. Next, we read Stellaluna by author and illustrator Janell Cannon, an all-time favorite that is listed in the National Education Association’s Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children and in School Library Journal’s Top 100 Picture Books. Teachers chose this classic because the main character is a bat, an animal that is widely associated with Halloween. After reading the story aloud, the class considered all of the plot details and worked together to create a flow map, a visual tool that is part of Aaron School’s Thinking Maps curriculum. Flow maps help us to organize a sequence of events and show how the events are related to one another. Through this process, students reviewed the beloved story, practiced their reading comprehension skills, and shared what they loved most about the book. Finally, students tapped into their creativity and originality to decorate their own bats using art materials.
The Pine Room students look forward to next week’s festivities: a costumed Halloween parade, a combined party with the Spruce Room, and eating yummy treats. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
