The Bradley Elementary School is in the far northeastern corner of Boston, high on a hill overlooking Revere and the bay beyond, and serves 300 students in grades K-5. Large hand-lettered signs in stairwells welcome students to the school in a variety of languages.
Everywhere throughout the building students are working on literacy activities. Outside one 5th grade classroom is a display of student work analyzing the figurative language in Esperanza Rising.
On the K2 door teacher Deicy Sturm has written an alphabet poem illustrated with photos of her students. Children in her class draw pictures and write sentences based on a poem about seeds. During a “Fundations” lesson in Erin Moran‘s class across the hallway, K2 students take turns spelling out “CVC” words (a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern, for those of you who don’t teach literacy to young children) while classmates tap out the letters.
Having read The Dot, 1st graders in Lynne Woods‘ class are creating their own dot pictures and writing about them, while those who finish early read independently.
In Ryan Flynn‘s 2nd grade classroom, students are learning about Amelia Earhart’s life and the mystery of her disappearance, while Grade 3 students are reading about Japan with teachers Stacey Bruno and Martin Barry.
Emily Corwin‘s 4th graders are meeting in literature groups and using context clues to figure out unfamiliar words. In Naasia Moore‘s class students are reading Bud, Not Buddy and writing “Hooverville stories” about life during the Great Depression.
Fifth grade teacher McKenzie Powers is reading The Phantom Tollbooth to her students, while science teacher Adriana Estrada is helping Kristin McComb‘s 5th graders use computers to research endangered animals.
Kara Nelson of Community Music teaches dance at the Bradley 2.5 days per week and tells me that she loves being here because the staff works well together – several have been at the school more than twenty years! Technology teacher Kim Deluca appreciates the principal’s “shout outs” announced at the end of each day and says that the children look forward to hearing these public acknowledgements.
Here’s wishing you all a relaxing and fun-filled summer – please invite me to visit your school next year!