“Non-fiction is tasty” was theme in a second-grade classroom at Northwest Elementary School where students participated in a book tasting.

To begin the non-fiction unit in Reader’s Workshop, students on Nov. 5 visited the Smaulkner Café, named for second-grade co-teachers Jenny Smith and Kerrin Faulkner. With red tablecloths and teachers wearing chef hats, the room truly resembled a restaurant. 

There were seven tables and each had a different theme: animals, holidays, insects, people, polar animals, weather and vehicles. Each seat had several books on that topic for students to sample.

After five minutes of reading, students discussed the books with their classmates while also enjoying themed snacks like candy corn at the holidays table and gummy worms at the insects table. They rotated through all seven stations. 

Before their tasting, students learned about the different elements of non-fiction books such as the table of contents, headings, glossary and diagrams. Ms. Faulkner said that students will soon be creating their own non-fiction stories through Writer’s Workshop. Each child will be charged with selecting a topic to become an expert about. 

“The book tasting exposes them to a lot of different non-fiction stories to broaden their horizons and find topics they want to learn more about,” she said. 

To foster an appreciation for the men and women who served their nation, local veterans spoke to students at Northwest Elementary School on Nov. 9.

Veterans and spouses visited first-, second- and third-grade classes to share stories, experiences and photos. The school partnered with American Legion Hunter Squire Jackson Post 1218 in Amityville. Guests included veterans Lenore Braithwaite, Bob Jones and Yvette Nosworthy, as well as Jaculynne Jackson who spoke about her husband who was a medic during the Vietnam War.

Classes presented gifts to the special guests, such as Franca Adams’ second-graders who made a large thank-you card out of red and blue construction paper. Instructional Coach Abbey Hunter said many of the students may not have met a veteran before, and this was an opportunity to give them an understanding of the sacrifice made by citizens who join the military and defend their country.

As part of the second-grade social studies curriculum, students learn about different types of communities. Children at Northwest Elementary School took the lesson to the next level with the creation of an elaborate hallway display.

Students learned about the characteristics of rural, suburban and urban communities. Each class was assigned one of three types and had to create a large-scale art project. The rural section of the hallway featured a barn with animals, while the suburban area was filled with pictures of cars, houses and stores. 

Second-grade teachers said that purpose of the project was to help students understand the differences in the three types of a communities through a visual representation. 

During their art classes, students at Northwest Elementary School read popular Peter Reynolds book, “The Dot,” then followed with their own inspired creations. The main idea is to encourage students to “Make your mark and see where it takes you!” 

The story is about a girl who thinks she can't draw and gives up, but her art teacher encourages her to try by having her sign her name to a simple dot. That single mark inspires the girl's creativity and confidence. By the end of the story, she is encouraging another timid artist. 

After the story, each Northwest student was given a small piece of paper and encouraged to draw whatever they wanted — whether they started with a dot or not. Children had access to paint, markers and crayons and were able to use those materials in any way or combination they chose. All of the creations from each class were collected together on a single colorful dot and put on display for all to see.

This was a very liberating experience for our young artists and many expanded their own ideas beyond the idea of a dot,” said art teacher Lydia Robinson. “The only requirement was that they sign their name to the front of their art to show off their dot experience, which they did so proudly.”