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Patrick Henry Post

October 25, 2019

Patrick HenryPostOctober 25, 2019

A glimpse into our classrooms...

This week, we had a team from the Board of Education visit Patrick Henry and all of our classrooms. Patrick Henry got to show off some of our great features and beautiful classrooms, and it inspired me to include some photos in this week's Post. Our teachers and staff work hard to keep Patrick Henry running in tip top shape, and they care about what their classrooms look like, how our staff interact with our students and families, and how our students feel when they're in our building. Thank you to all of our staff members for the hard work, dedication, and extra hours that it takes to make a school look this good!
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Guided Reading Rotations

All teachers at Patrick Henry teach small group instruction called Guided Reading. This is an important time of the day where students get to read a book on their exact reading level and feel challenged by their teacher and their peers in a small group setting.
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What are we learning today?

Teachers create standards-based lesson plans every day in every subject, and then create something called a BBC (pictured here) to let visitors know what students are doing that day. When you visit your child's classroom, take a look and see what they're focused on that lesson!
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Interactive Word Walls

Word Walls are intended to be a record and reminder of vocabulary that students have learned throughout the school year. Ms. Shea's first grade "word wall" is interactive, and students can find their vocabulary words on popsicle sticks, take them back to their seats for help, and replace them to the correct beginning sound.
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Dr. Seuss Inspiration

Ms. Jones allowed Dr. Seuss to invade her classroom. When you visit, keep an eye out for the Lorax and other favorite characters.
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Dr. Pollack helps with math

Dr. Pollack, Network Superintendent, and Dr. Adams, Superintendent, visited Ms. Versen's first grade classroom. Dr. Pollack himself got into the math work with students!
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Heart to heart with Dr. Adams

One of our kindergarten students got some quality conversation time with our district Superintendent. Dr. Adams showed all of us that no matter your job title, you are always an educator first.
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Classroom Libraries

Pre-K showed us how it's done in creating a welcoming and snuggly spot to curl up with a favorite stuffed animal and a great book!
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Word Walls in Pre-K

Ms. Patti's interactive word wall gives preschool students the opportunity to not simply see the word and the letters, but also a visual cue. Pre-K students are able to take cards out of the word wall envelopes to study them or find connections throughout the classroom to their vocabulary words.
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Student Work, Proudly Displayed

Ms. Willard's kindergarteners have some incredible things to share with the world! Posting student work with feedback shows our students not only that we are proud of their first effort, but also that we always want to challenge them to push their thinking further!
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Leveled Libraries

Students in Ms. Wildermuth's kindergarten class have a cozy spot to find a book on their reading level so they can enjoy it independently.
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Upper elementary reading opportunities

This small but mighty classroom library has books for all levels in Ms. Jackson's third grade class.
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Collaborative Seating

Ms. Williams' fifth graders have the opportunity to work together in their collaborative group seating. Discussion with peers is a powerful teaching tool for any grade level!

Highlight on Diverse Learning Opportunities at Patrick Henry

This week, we saw students learning in so many different ways. We love opportunities for diverse learning because we know that no child is the same, and in order to reach every single student, we must provide as many experiences as possible. We are thankful to our community partners and our staff for working diligently to provide Patrick Henry students with incredibly fun and engaging learning experiences!
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Speech Club

Mr. Farmer's club is so popular, students request it on a daily basis! Small group learning is essential to meeting the needs of our students. We only wish we had Mr. Farmer on staff full time!
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St. Louis Public Radio

Mr. Ryan Delaney of St. Louis Public Radio teaches our students how his microphone picks up sound during an impromptu journalism lesson.
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Getting comfy

I'm always amazed at how much kids like sitting on the floor to learn. This third grade class felt the most comfortable to use their iPad time close together on their classroom floors.
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Field trip fun

Students had the opportunity to visit the St. Louis Police Academy to learn what their Books and Badges Recruit reading partners do all day while they train.
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Art come to life

Ms. Terrance and Ms. Bryant took our kindergarteners to The Sheldon for a special performance. One of our students got to join the performers on stage and in an incredible moment, began to dance with them!
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Push-up Challenge

Students at the Police Academy learn how tough it can be to train as a police officer.
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The Body Pull Challenge

Students learned how to move someone to safety in life saving maneuvers.
Each of these students is working on adding embellishments to their Day of the Dead artwork. Ms. Bryant's fifth graders were not only proud of their work, but they also taught me about what their artwork represented, the techniques they were using to create beautiful displays, and how it fit into the Mexican cultural context.

Congratulations, Ms. Bivens!

Ms. Ira Bivens, our school counselor, has retired after 33 years of service in St. Louis Public Schools. Our students sent her off in style with a song performance, an artistic display, handwritten/drawn cards with notes of farewell and congratulations, and of course, a sweet treat to match Ms. Bivens' personality. Thank you to all of the staff who organized this delightful celebration. Thank you most of all to Ms. Bivens for your years of service and your dedication to the students of not only Patrick Henry, but of all the schools you have served over the years. You will be missed, and you will always be welcome when you need a visit!