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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

Young Writers Experiment with Poetry in the Lab

Student writers in 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th 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 ~5^th 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~ 5^th 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~ 5^th 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 4^th grade students worked to sort, organize, and bag the donations which will be taken to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh for distribution.   

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!

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!