“In designing projects, we strive to have students doing the work of the world. Inviting those who actually do that work in the world into your project can be extremely powerful" (PBLWorks). Pacific Northern Academy is a community of students, teachers, and parents...
NEWS FROM THE CLASSROOM
GRADES
Latest news from the 1st Grade classes
“Creativity Takes Courage.” -Henry Matisse
Oct 30, 2021 | 1st Grade, Integrated Subjects, Middle School
Creativity is everything, and children have it expressed so much. Anytime I give them a topic, they pour out all of their imagination into their artworks that I am always blown away by the enthusiasm they have, which makes it even better. October is the month of...
Connecting with the Past
Oct 16, 2021 | 1st Grade
In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, a day to celebrate those who lived on the land before us, first-grade students learned a “game” that Indigenous peoples once played, “Story Stones.” This “game” was played to help tell stories and to help share & memorize...
Playing Our Way Through Fall- Music for Preschool through Second Grade
Oct 9, 2021 | 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, Kindergarten, Preschool, Uncategorized
I love fall. I love the colors, the smells, being able to still camp, and being colder but not too cold to have to pull out the heavy coat. Instead of shoveling snow, it is sweeping and raking leaves, rituals that mark time. I...
Peer Teaching
Sep 25, 2021 | 1st Grade
Teachers, new and veteran, will tell you that they are always learning from their students, and one thing that first-graders at PNA hear is that they are often the best teachers. They can see and express concepts differently than the classroom teacher, which can make...
Bridges Number Corner
Sep 11, 2021 | 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, Kindergarten
Number Corner is an essential part of the Bridges math program used by PNA from preschool through 5th grade. While a large part of number corner revolves around the classroom calendar, it is so much more than just finding today's date. Using a spiraling theory,...
Good Morning!
Sep 4, 2021 | 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, Kindergarten
Such simple words but yet so powerful! At PNA, we start each morning with a morning meeting as part of the Responsive Classroom approach that we utilize in our classrooms. Morning Meetings are an integral part of our day as they build a strong sense of...
Building Strong Foundations
Aug 28, 2021 | 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, Featured, Kindergarten
We've had a great start to the year in K,1 and 2. Students were excited and ready to be back and to explore not only their new classrooms but the school in general. Here is a quick glimpses of how we all started to build a positive learning community. PNA utilizes...
Growth
May 15, 2021 | 1st Grade
Spring! The time of year when babies and growth appear in the plant and animal world, and the theme for the last science unit of first grade! For the past month, first-grade students have enjoyed the increase of sunshine and warmer temperatures while also learning how...
Making Waves
Apr 17, 2021 | 1st Grade
As we move through the unchartered waters of Covid-19, communicating with distance has become all too familiar, but without the pioneers who had the vision of holding meetings on a platform called Zoom, what would we have done? Here in Alaska, there are potential...