Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month!

Students Grades K-5 read, created, and listened to poetry.

We read and studied many types of poems: color poems, shape/concrete poems, creating poems from a word bank, listening to music and creating poems from what they heard.  Students created blackout poems, haikus, and acrostic poems.  

Best of all students read and found some new favorite poems to read and share!

We learned about shape/concrete poems

And more shape poems 

We learned about color poems

We read class favorites poems

Students created shape poems

Students used the Word Mover app to create poems from a word bank

And the Winners are...part one

For the past several weeks Zervas students grade 2-5 have been reading picture books, discussing picture books, comparing picture books, all to decide what is the best of the best for ZervCott 2017.

And now the results are in.

Winner of the 2017 ZervCott is:

They all Saw a Cat 

written and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel

Students loved the illustrations, and felt that this book best represented the criteria #3. Importance.  Illustrations must be necessary to understand the story. 

Following the cat walking through the world with its whiskers, ears and paws, many animals see the cat, and all from a different perspective. Bright, bold illustrations make this a fun read for everyone.

There were three honor books including: 

This is Not a Picture Book

written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. 

This simple book packs a lot. Students felt this was a great example of criteria #2: Appropriateness.  Illustrations are a good match for the mood, tone, and theme in the story.

Little duck finds a book on the ground and is dismayed to see that it has no pictures!  But he sticks with it and even though the words are hard, he gives it a try and sees pictures in his imagination.

Bonus: the endpapers narrate the story!

Maybe Something Beautiful               by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell and illustrated by Rafael Lopez.

This vibrant, colorful book based on a true story, is a great example of criteria #1 Excellence. The illustrations are an example of excellence in technique.

A little girl and an artist gather new neighborhood friends to brighten their gray city with creating murals and art everywhere.  A wonderful story about the power of art that transforms.  The illustrator is a muralist, and it shows.

What to do with a Box
written by Jane Yolen and Illustrated by Chris Cheban

A box.  Such a simple concept, but it makes for an extraordinary toy with a little imagination.  Because of this simple, universal theme, this book appealed to many Zervas students after one read (criteria #4 Appeal).

Detailing the edges of the pages with a box, this book is about endless possibilities of imagination.  The illustrations take children to the beach and France and back.  What can you do with a box?

Author Bethany Hegedus Visits Zervas Second Graders

On Tuesday October 18th, author Bethany Hegedus spoke to Grade 2 about her books Grandfather Gandhi and Be the Change. Students were also treated with stories of their favorite authors and illustrators that Ms. Hegedus has worked with at the Writing Barn, her writing retreat center in Austin, TX.

Her new picture book, Be the Change, is a Grandfather Gandhi story.  Second in her picture book series about Gandhi and his message of peace, told from his grandson Arun's perspective.  The provocative collage illustrations by Evan Turk guided the discussion as students read what the characters were feeling throughout the story.

Zervas Elementary is a Responsive Classroom school and Ms. Hegedus' picture book of peaceful resolution, aligns with the social emotional learning in our school.  Her visit and the message in her books will be reflected upon throughout the school year.

Ms. Hegedus shares her favorite books from her childhood

Exploring the pictures in the new book by Ms. Hegedus, Be the Change

Reflecting on Gandhi's message

Star Wars Reads Day

Star Wars Reads Day is a nation-wide celebration of reading that is sanctioned by Lucas Films.
Zervas Second Graders celebrated October 11th in library class. 

Students practiced searching the catalog in
visual search.After clicking on the BB8 
reading icon, students learned the 
location  of the Star Wars book in the library.

Listening Centers were set up.
Students scanned QR codes to watch an online story.

Students borrowed books, and chose a center.

Coloring stations were also available.

Some students designed their own lightsabers.
This student created an everlasting lightsaber.

Word searches and puzzles were a challenge to complete

Irene Smalls visits Grades K-3

On Monday May 16th, local Boston writer visited grades K-3 for storytelling, poetry, movement, and songs.  A special thank you to the generous Creative Arts and Sciences Program for funding this wonderful event!

We have several of Ms. Small's books in the Zervas Library, see Ms. Kinney for availability.

Kindergarten acting out "Down Down Baby"

Grade 1 listening to the story of the Jack Muh Lantern

Grade 2 Taking Dancing Steps