October 22 2015

Best Blogs of the Week

It has been my pleasure to read and approve all of these blog posts and comments! You are writing interesting and thoughtful blogs. I am so impressed! Please keep writing. Here are a few blogs and blog posts to check out if you haven’t! I am SO proud!! Keep it up, my talented writers!

http://erms01jason.edublogs.org/2015/10/22/1-parents-post/

http://erms01joshua.edublogs.org/ 

http://erms01logan.edublogs.org/

http://erms01corbin.edublogs.org/

http://erms01maya.edublogs.org/2015/10/21/my-d-i-y-lipbalm/

http://erms02shanell.edublogs.org/2015/10/20/lockers-there-is-no-escape/

http://erms02veronika.edublogs.org/2015/10/20/my-journal-%f0%9f%98/

http://erms02kayla.edublogs.org/2015/10/22/comic-con/

http://erms02athena.edublogs.org/

http://erms4kamal.edublogs.org/

http://erms04matthew.edublogs.org/2015/10/16/pushing-to-do-better/

October 17 2015

Celebrating Blogs, Recess, and Books!

I am celebrating my students today!

 

We launched our blogs this week. I nudged and pushed and stretched them this week. We became problem solvers. We became published writers. We worked hard and worked together and created our own place in the blogosphere. I celebrate their perseverance and their strong writing voice.

This week we took a little time to relax. Recess!! I think this picture says it all!

IMG_3931

New books. A favorite author of mine, Adriana Trigiani, published a new book. It is based on the true story of the Hollywood star Loretta Young. Her words are like a symphony on paper.  It’s one of those books I can’t put down. 

Finally, I celebrate this beautiful autumn morning. There’s something about how the sun shines in the fall. It seems more golden. The leaves and the cool, crisp air make for a perfect day! Enjoy!

November 16 2014

Celebrating Student Blogs

 

I am grateful for my students.


I am grateful for their great big hearts!



I am grateful for their empathy!



I am grateful for their kindness!

 

I am grateful for their joy & humor!

 

 


I am grateful for their reflection!



I get to spend my days with these students. Guiding them. Watching them. Nudging them…and then getting out of their way as they take on the world!


I am grateful for my students! Today I celebrate each one of them!

 

 

September 25 2014

Beautiful Words

Today we will begin sharing Beautiful Words! Take these Beautiful Words. Read them. What are they saying to you? Make notes all over these beautiful words. NOW, make them your own. Let them inspire your own beautiful words today. Borrow a line, a phrase, or the format and create your own beautiful words. I can’t wait to hear your beautiful words. We will end class by sharing our beautiful words. 

April 4 2014

Writing Marathon

Writing in the outdoor amphitheater

Joy is…

watching

sixth graders

write

create

relax

observe

©2014 Michelle Haseltine

All Rights Reserved

 

Our field trip included a writing marathon. 


The students 

walked around and 

wrote

Some wrote poetry, 

some wrote stories, 

some wrote about what they want to be when they grow up,

some wrote lists, 

some wrote comics…they all wrote. 

Students 

wrote in different 

spots

some wrote on a basketball court

some wrote in a tunnel

some wrote sitting next to a brook

some wrote in a football stadium

some wrote in a library

some wrote in a cemetery…they all wrote. 

©2014 Michelle Haseltine

All Rights Reserved

 

 


I wrote this poem while we sat in an underpass…


Blue lights

stand watch

footsteps echo

twenty steps (I counted)

connect

one side

to

another


Runners

Saunter-ers

Laughers


They walk

they look

they smile

and

they wonder…


What are they doing?


But no one asks

because

writers are observers 

recording life around us

in our

notebooks

with our

pens

and our imaginations…

©2014 Michelle Haseltine

All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

November 18 2013

Navigating Early Book Review

Another amazing book review. This one is written by Grace G. Thanks for sharing Grace!

 

NAVIGATING EARLY

BY: CLARE VANDERPOOL

After his mother passed away near the end of World War Two,  Jack Baker moved from his home in Kansas to a boarding school Maine. While he was there he met the strangest of boys named Early Auden. Early makes up stories with pi the unending number. Also collects clippings of sightings a certain black bear in the nearby mountains. Jack can’t help being drawn to be friends with Early. Early refuses to believe that everybody accepts to be the truth about timber rattle snakes, the Appalachian bear, and the legendary school hero known as the fish, lost in war. When Jack and Early find themselves alone at school they take a quest for the great black bear. While they’re there they meet some strange characters, some dangerous, all lost in some way or another. But somehow all connected to the story of pi Early continuous to reveal slowly. Jack’s ability to stay friends with Early while they discover new things about themselves. I loved this book and I hope you will love this book too.

November 10 2013

A Whole Nother Story

Recommendation by Chelsea

I finished this really funny book called A Whole Nother Story.

A Whole Nother Story

It’s about this family, the Cheeseman’s, and they are a family on the run.  Every few chapters, there is a piece of advice which is the funny part in the story. They always go along with what is happening in the story.  Anyway, the story is about the Cheeseman’s on the run from government superspies, corporate villains, and a monkey. They have to move from town to town and have to change their names each time.  The superspies, villains, and the monkey are chasing this family because the brilliant mind of Ethan Cheeseman and his late wife, invented this LVR which is a time machine.  One of my favorite line from the story is:

“don’t be afraid, be amazing.”

I think this book is to laugh for! Get it. Instead of to die for, to laugh for.  You’ll get when you read  

A Whole Nother Story 

By Dr. Cuthbert Soup

recommendation by Chelsea

 

October 23 2013

What to do?

Today we will finish up our writing pieces. Some of you need to finish revising and some of you need to edit. What’s your plan? What will you DO today? Remember the things I need to see in your writing:

* Strong, creative lead
* Imagery
* One moment (ten minutes)
* Dialogue 

Once you have everything in your writing, you need to make sure that it’s correct. Editing is very important when in writing! Please check and fix:

*spelling
* complete sentences (including capitalization and punctuation)
* paragraphing
*dialogue punctuation

What do you need to change to make your writing better? What do you need to fix? Share your plan  (be SPECIFIC) in comments and then get to work!

 

Happy Revising!