Tuesday, February 28, 2017

First Grade "Expert" Writers in the Lab this Week

First grade students visited the Heritage Writing Lab this week to learn about the organizational structures associated with Informational Writing.  To establish a sense of information writing as a genre, students worked through topics that they knew a lot about.  Topics included: soccer, gymnastics, video games, cities, cats, and friendship.  Studying Steve Bloom's mentor text Elephants, first grade writers explored organizing their topics by varied text structures including: compare and contrast, parts, pros and cons, and types and kinds.


Friday, February 24, 2017

The Pittsburgh CLO Presents "Steel" for Heritage Students

This week, Heritage students engaged in the rich history of the CLO musical Steel.  Cast and crew of the CLO led students through stories of immigrant families, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the steelworkers struggle to form a union.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

February Poetry Posts



Baseball
by: Deven R ~ 4th Grade


You’d have to be crazy to play a sport like baseball.
Playing such a time consuming sport that you can easily get injuries from.
You’d have to be crazy to want to practice SO much, over and over again,
Playing on a dirty, rust colored field.
You’d have to be crazy to put up with all the oh’s and ah’s from the fans,
As the dust is flying around as the cleats on your feet scrape across the ground.
Cool breezes come and go as you dash around the field.
Winds so strong it feels as if it’s a wolf howling in the night.
The CLAMP! Of the ball hitting the leather of your glove.
You’d have to be crazy to play a sport like that.


Jelly

by Jake R ~ 4th Grade


You’d have to be crazy to not like Jelly as your favorite youtuber because he is nice to subscribers, his friends and his haters.
You’d have to be crazy to not like Jelly as your favorite youtuber because he rage quits in some games that are hard.

You’d have to be crazy to not like Jelly as your favorite youtuber because he is funny and he makes jokes.
You’d have to be crazy to not like Jelly as your favorite youtuber because he has 5,285,860 subscribers in 2017.




Monday, February 20, 2017

February Poetry Posts

Dirt and Dust
by Reagan T ~ 5th Grade

I will never understand why on days like this,
when the leaves turn golden brown, and the
air is cold and hard, I am brought to
the field, enjoying long breaths that I
take, of dirt and dust.

I will never understand why I am
lifted  by the ringing sound of hollow metal,
violently swinging, the whistle in the air, until
it bashes into the hard, solid mass of
the pitch. The feel of yelling "RUN," to
the batter. Then it is my turn.

I will always imagine the whistle of
my bat, the ringing of the hit, the smell
of dirt and dust rolling in, even before I
go. To run towards the orange, rubber
bag, sinking under my right foot, letting me
push off easily, with sweat rolling down my face.

When I grow old, I will still enjoy
the breath of dirt and dust. I will love
hearing pitches and hits; not knowing why
it lifts me.

Swimming
by Jack S ~4th Grade

Every Saturday,
I rise up,
to the lowly daylight,
for swimming.


Every Saturday,
I drift into
the backseat,
as I cruise down the road,
half asleep.


Every Saturday,
I arrive at a high school,
I warm up in this pool.


Every Saturday,
I jump up onto the miniature,
diving board,
With five others.


Every Saturday,
I shoot through the air
off the miniature diving board,
and begin.


Every Saturday,
I crush old records.

Every Saturday.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

February Poetry Posts

What lifts me...
by Mr. Keys

What lifts me
roots me
grows me
moves me
shifts me

What lifts me
mutes me
knows me
proves me
gifts me

Stretching me beyond myself
leaving me breathless with wonder
as "whats" so rarely do
refining
entwining
defining
Not a what
a
Who

It's Raining
by Danny A ~4th Grade

Little splashes in the puddle
on my driveway.
Kids in bright yellow rain coats
Splashing through the heavy rain.
The trees' leaves shine with
droplets of water,
people rushing inside because 
they forgot their umbrellas.
Water soaking our windows. The 
most beautiful weather. Rain. 
I look outside my bedroom, as I 
see all of this. And the only thing
   I can
   think
  is
    rain.



Wednesday, February 15, 2017

February Poetry Posts

A Winter Day
by Adriana A~3rd Grade

Imagine a day when snow falls
Leaving no blank ground behind
Imagine if every yard had a big, beautiful snowman
With a bright smile.
Imagine snow angel shaped clouds
Almost as if they are watching
Imagine smiles on everyone’s face
As greetings come and go
And a new friend is met
Every hour.
Your house is warm
With a fire blazing
Sparking red and orange flames
You’re in your pajamas
Gently sipping hot cocoa
And everything is peaceful
And still
And quiet
The snowflakes look as if
Magical dust if falling on your tongue
Wintery treats such as cinnamon rolls
Are being bought and sold
This is how a winter day goes

Or so I’m told.

Crazy - by Mrs. Ryan

You’d have to be crazy,
To want to be surrounded by little people
All. Day. Long.

You’d have to be crazy,
To make every part,
Of every day,
Fun and filled with knowledge.

You’d have to be crazy,
To take the time
And get to know
22 different souls
What they love
What they don’t
Just to have them all leave you.

You’d have to be crazy,
To let 22 little minds,
Into yours.
To know your feelings,
And your emotions.

You’d have to be crazy,
To love.
Not just one.
But all 22,
All as your own.

You’d have to be crazy.  

Monday, February 13, 2017

Young Writers Experiment with Poetry in the Lab

Student writers in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades are immersing in a study of poetry this month in the Lab.  In order to be able to write a poem, one must first read a variety of poems with a poet’s eye. After time spent studying the craft moves of varied poets, students take pen to paper and have-a-go with emulation of the characteristics that make up this creative genre! Throughout the month of February, sample student poetry will be posted on the Heritage Blog, please take a moment to read a few of our first entries!

Imagine
by River C ~5th Grade

Imagine a night when the air is still warm from the sun,
Where the stars make signs like constellations
And the trees and leaves blow around crazy like bees
Looking for nectar.

Imagine a day when there’s a chilly breeze in the wind,
Where the cars in the city go back and forth all day
Like a bee when going in between his hive and flowers
And when they flowers blossom and bloom
 In the warm and sunny day.

Imagine, Imagine, Imagine a beautiful day and night,
Where the skies light up like a rainbow
When the sun dies down,
The warm sun stays late
As if to play with the children.

Imagine.

Crazy
by Nora V~ 5th Grade

You’d have to be crazy
To prepare in minutes
To put on that large bulky helmet
To put on that large outfit
To get out there and compete
And take risks of injuries
And failing

You’d have to be crazy
To keep going
To actually get up there
And do it while risking
Your life and health

You’d have to be crazy
To do BMX

What is it about 6 AM?
by Shaeley R~ 5th Grade

What is it about 6 AM?
The quiet pitch black darkness before sunrise
All you can hear is the subtle sound of crickets
Getting more quiet with every second.
And me.

Me opening and closing every morning.
The same time. Place. And spot every morning.
Me waiting for the call for breakfast
And me packing my backpack for school.
Me with my thoughts about today.
Tomorrow. And the week.

What is it about 6 AM?
The quiet steps down the stairs to the kitchen.
The light sound of the garage door when my dad leaves.
Waiting and waiting until I get to school to see my friends.
Every morning to night and night to morning.


What is it about 6 AM?

Heritage Students and Families Show Their Hearts!

Last week, Heritage Elementary students and families participated in CHD (Congenital Heart Defects) awareness week.  During this week, we once again partnered with Mended Little Hearts of Southwestern, PA, a non-profit organization that supports families affected by CHD’s. Heritage students generously donated items for Mended Little Hearts Bravery Bags. These care packages are filled with personal care items, snacks, and children’s items. Mrs. Ryan’s 4th grade students worked to sort, organize, and bag the donations which will be taken to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh for distribution.   


Friday, February 3, 2017

Junior Digital Ambassadors

Students in Mr. Bielewicz's Kindergarten and Mrs. Melucci's fourth grade classes integrated a multi-disciplinary lesson incorporating technology through the use of Google Chromebooks to study the five senses. Fourth grade buddies guided their Kindergarten friends through ABC YA! "Five Senses",  a student directed Google Slide Show, and  read three stories about the five senses from the Heritage Science Lab. In addition they sang The Five Senses Song, colored images of what they heard, smelled, saw, tasted, and touched. They also created sentences to describe the attributes of the five senses. The fourth grade students celebrated the success with their buddies as they accomplished  great things with the five senses in a techno-savvy way!


Thursday, February 2, 2017

Heritage Students Celebrate 100 Days of School!

Coming to school for 100 days is a really big deal. This week students throughout the school celebrated 100 days of learning in fun-filled and engaging ways! In Mrs. McCabe's kindergarten class, students became 100 times smarter by creating a picture with 100 centimeters of yarn, by sorting, weighing and balancing bags of 100 items, by making groups of ten with their thumb prints, by counting out pieces of ten different kinds of food to create 100 pieces of trail mix (which they ate and enjoyed), and by collaboratively creating a structure from 100 Dixie cups!