That Really Happened
We paired up with these younger students to build forts, craft airplanes and just hang out together.
Who are our 1st grade buddies?
We studied this ancient South American civilization known for building Machu Picchu and running a vast empire through the Andes mountains — name them and tell me one interesting fact.
Who are the Incas? (Facts can include — quipu, no written language, road systems, etc.)
This student could always be found flipping, spinning, or contorting themselves while somehow still in their seat.
Who is AJ?
This is the name/saying of the method we use to divide fractions.
What is Keep Change Flip (KCF)?
This book about a boy digging holes in the Texas desert is my all-time favorite read-aloud.
What is Holes?
We were so hooked on this book that some of us couldn't put it down even during testing season — and later celebrated the movie with a themed drink.
What is Holes and Sploosh?
We read poems from multiple celebrated poets this year — name at least two for the points, and earn a bonus point if you can share something about one of their poems.
Answers may include: Who are Emily Dickinson, William Carlos Williams, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Langston Hughes?
This student made history as the 5th Grade Aurora Scholars winner this year.
Who is Nehemiah?
We played this fast-paced game all year to sharpen our math facts under pressure.
What is Minute Math or 99 Math?
Whether it's waves or powder, I'm happiest when I'm on one of these.
What is wake surfing/snowboarding?
We pulled off the ultimate prank on other classes — luring them in with holiday cheer before launching a full indoor ambush.
What is the caroler snowball fight prank?
These two activists we studied changed history in different ways at different times in history for Black Americans. Name both and tell me what they did.
Who are Rosa Parks and Frederick Douglass? (One refused to give up her bus seat, the other escaped slavery to become a powerful abolitionist voice)
Don't let the quiet fool you — this student could silence a room with a single perfectly-timed comment.
Who is Leilani?
Solve this: 1/2 ÷ 1/4
What is 2?
Forget fancy gifts — this heartfelt, handmade gesture means more to me than anything from a store.
What is a personalized note or drawing?
We kicked off spooky season by pushing back the desks and turning our classroom into this.
What is the Halloween costume dance party?
A strong essay has several key parts — name them all, Hint: including everything that goes inside a body paragraph.
What are introduction, topic sentence, body paragraphs (point, text evidence, own reasoning), and conclusion?
This student arrived one day with a truly iconic, pasta-forward snack choice that was a wild start to the day.
Who is Ky'Moni?
This is what makes the zeros in 300 matter — they aren't just placeholders for nothing, they determine the value of the 3.
What is place value?
These cozy, casual hangouts with a small group of students are what I'll miss most when summer hits.
What are lunch bunches?
The teachers at CalWood had everyone reflecting and laughing when they pretended to be this for their skit.
What are 5th Graders?
We studied five different text structures this year — name all five.
What are compare and contrast, sequence of events, cause and effect, problem and solution, and description?
These classmates left us too soon this year — name all of them for full credit.
Who are Anastasia, Isaiah, Alejandro, and Nico?
Solve this using the standard algorithm or long division: 536 ÷ 4
What is 134?
My dog answers to this name — shared with a certain Lost Boys character and a very memorable movie we watched.
Who is Rufio?