Hello Families,
Today is already the last day of the 3rd quarter! There is NO School tomorrow due to Staff Development Day. School is in session on Monday, as we start our final quarter of the school year!
We are excited to share about the learning that has happened this week at Manchester!
In Ms. Nicole and Ms. Laura’s class
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is off and running and it has been an exciting and fun experience for both students and teachers! Together, we are working on one big project that connects all our subjects, with the theme of “Geo-City Fiesta: Math Meets Español” as our central focus. Students are designing a model city that incorporates geometrical principles and celebrates cultural diversity. In Spanish, students will label and present their city features. Through this process, they are learning vocabulary about places and cultures from different Spanish-speaking cities; in Geography, they are studying maps and creating their own; in Math, they are learning about polygons, calculating areas, and creating three-dimensional figures; and in ELA, they are going through the writing process to create stories or guides about their cities. It’s been amazing to see how students are using what they learn in different classes to create something meaningful and unique. We're all enjoying this engaging way of learning and we’re excited to see the final projects come to life!
Also, last Saturday, three of our students competed in the Mendocino County Science Fair with Manchester staff and students there to cheer them on! Congratulations to the following students for making it to county and for being recognized for Excellence: Billie Piper, Zurielle Herrera, Alejandro Fuentes, and Max Post-Leib.
In Ms. Goija’s ELA/SS classes, students recently completed honoring Black History Month and are now focusing on Women's History Month. The 8th graders are working on biographical research papers and are taking trips to the Coast Community Library. In ELA students are studying poetry and our guest teacher, 'City of PA Poet Laureate, Blake More, has joined our classes to inspire students with her creativity and talents. The resulting student work will be published. Students have been working on writing skills, comprehension, and oral expression as they reflect and react to group and individual readings.
In Ms. Amee’s/Ms. Isidora’s Tk-2 dual language classes, students just completed a paper mache mask project for Art in the Redwoods that students are very proud of. In Math they are working on simple fractions and ordinal numbers, in Spanish they just finished Sonido B while students practiced sewing techniques to make a “Bolsa.” Students are are also working on a “fantasia” project and are making their own props. They will write their own fantasy story and use the props to present the story to class!
As part of the Letter B through Fantasy and Matter project, students are engaging with the letter B through hands-on activities that make literacy tangible and meaningful. Using concrete materials, they progress through three levels of difficulty at their own pace, while we encourage them to step beyond their comfort zones.
At the first level, they recognize the letter B and its sound. At the second level, they combine it with vowels to form and identify syllables. At the third level, they create new words, count and segment syllables, and develop reading and writing skills.
This approach aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) by providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression, ensuring that every student can access and demonstrate their learning in ways that work best for them.
Wednesday’s Culinary Classes are Back! Thank you, Ms. Laura, for bringing our culinary artists back into the kitchen! Students are enjoying exploring, applying measurement, and creativity by cooking on Wednesdays during the after-school program.
