Hutchinson: Who are we? Where are we starting?

Welcome to the beginning of our Inquiry Notebooking project.  Because teachers from Van Arsdale and Hutchinson will be working on this project and sharing ideas throughout the year, it makes sense that you should know each other and each other's work.

Hutchinson Kindergarten Team

Amie Gilbert

Mallory Mortvedt

This is Amie's second year teaching Kindergarten at Hutchinson. After staying home to raise her own children, Amie came back to education and worked as a para before teaching second grade and kindergarten. This is Mallory's first year teaching! She graduated from UNC and student taught in 1st grade at Ute Meadows where she was a student.

Both teachers teach all day, and their half-day students leave after the morning.

schedule not available at this time

Focus for Inquiry Cycle One

The Kindergarten team is eager to think about the process of using notebooks and deciding what might go in the notebook.  They want to make using notebooks meaningful for kindergartners, at their level.

Van Arsdale: Who are we? Where are we starting?

Welcome to the beginning of our Inquiry Notebooking project.  Since teachers from Van Arsdale and Hutchinson will be working on this project and sharing ideas throughout the year, it makes sense that you should know each other and each other's work.

Van Arsdale Kindergarten Team
Linda Jordan - Full Day
Melissa Boyer - 1/2 Day Morning

Linda and Melissa both implement Tools of the Mind curriculum in kindergarten at Van Arsdale. Linda is a veteran primary teacher while Melissa is new to kindergarten this year after teaching 5th grade last spring.

Linda Jordan  All Day Kindergarten 

8:50-9:20 - Opening

9:20-10:50 – Literacy/Choices

10:50-11:35 – Writers Workshop

11:35-12:15 – Lunch/Recess

12:00-12:40 – Recess/Lunch

12:15–12:50 – Music and Movement/Story time

12:50–1:35 – Specials/Planning

1:35–2:35 – Math

2:35–3:15 – Science/Social Studies

3:15-3:30   Closure and Dismissal

Melissa Boyer ½ Day Kindergarten

8:50-Opening

9:10- Math

10:10-Literacy/Centers

11:15- Clean up/pack 

Focus for Inquiry Cycle One

Melissa is going to focus on her 1/2 day Tools of the Mind curriculum to see how to incorporate more science and social studies into her short time with students.  Linda wants to focus on how to make Inquiry Notebooking more meaningful for kindergarten students.

Chalk Talk: "Why use notebooks?"

As we begin this year's project (Inquiry Notebooking in Science and Social Studies), we're starting to explore the tool that will be used to capture thinking and work of students.  The tool (the notebook) can be used in a variety of ways to support student learning.  Consider taking a look at the charts created during Van Arsdale's chalk talk. It reveals their thinking about the question, "Why use notebooks?"  Feel free to add additional thoughts, now and in the future, in the comment space below this blog post.  Let's see how our understanding and ideas grow throughout the year as we examine the notebook as a tool for learning.