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 and Illustrator Matt Tavares visits Kindergarten, First, and Third Grade

On Monday, November 28th, author/illustrator Matt Tavares came to visit Zervas Elementary.
With three separate magnificent Creative Arts and Science presentations, Mr Tavares entertained students and teachers explaining the writing, illustrating, and editing process.

Adults have to edit their work too!  This message was delivered when Mr. Tavares showed students his manuscript with editors notes.  Writing and illustrating is a process, one that students got to experience.

Explaining the editorial process to grade 3

Real-time sketch!

Reading a story to Kindergarten

Real-time action sketch!

Explaining revision to grade 1

Real-time action sketch!

Celebrating International Peace Day with Jubilee!

How can we be champions of peace?  What are our hopes and dreams for a peaceful school year?

These are questions third graders asked on September 21, the UN International Peace Day. Together we read Jubilee! One Man's Big Bold and Very Loud Celebration of Peace written by Alicia Potter and illustrated by Matt Tavares.  A local story about a musician who wanted to celebrate the end of the Civil War with the 1869 Peace Jubilee.

After reading this story, students then thought about their hopes and dreams and how they could help create peace at Zervas Elementary, in their neighborhoods, and during this school year.  We decorated cards that will be saved and opened in June to reflect upon their school year.

Local Author Visits Grade 3

The Magic of Norumbega

The temperature almost hit 90 today in Newton, but we kept cool in the library with a special visit from local author Leena Kutner.  Ms. Kutner captivated her listeners with stories about historic Newton and the long lost park of Noruembega.  Currently this park is a dog park, but decades ago, it was a popular destination spot.

Peppering her talk with historic photographs, and wondrous stories of this park that no longer exists.  At the turn of the last century, Norumbega Park was THE park in all of New England.  Rides, boating on the Charles River, a zoo, and the famous Totem Pole Ballroom.  Third graders were spellbound by stories of Newton's past, and laws, and many wish Norumbega still existed today.  Thank you, Ms. Kutner for your stories!

Norumbega Park, opened in 1897 and closed in 1963

Spellbound Third Graders

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

Spring at Zervas

Overdues by Shel Silverstein

It's May, and the weather is glorious, which means there are only a few more weeks until summer vacation!  Time to start looking everywhere for those missing library books: under beds, in closets, on book shelves, grandparents houses...

If a book can't be found, replacement costs are $15 for all books.

The Newton Free Library will be visiting grades 3-5 to showcase their summer reading program. You can find out more about their reading suggestions and incentives here:

Newton Free Library Summer Reading