Featured Artist at Horace Mann Elementary's Student Art Show

Caiden has been folding origami for over a year.  

His obsession began in 3rd Grade.  In Enrichment Support, Caiden studied origami folding videos and practice till he perfected his folds.  

We decided that an art installation would be a wonderful way to share his work with others. 

Here you can see Caiden's flock of cranes, his marine animals, dragons, rabbits, kangaroos, and even his own original origami designs.  

Less Stress, More Fidget for the PSSA!

Andrew and Caiden

Enrichment Support Mrs. Woods

4th grade

Click. Flip. Snap. Students in Pennsylvania just finished taking the 2016-2017 PSSA here in Pennsylvania.  We believe that along with mints, erasures, two number two pencils,  highlighter, scratch/graph paper, protractor, and or calculator one of the items provided to test takers should be a fidget cube. There are several reasons why we believe test takers should be allowed to use fidget cubes while taking the PSSA test.  

What is a fidget cube, you may wonder. A fidget cube is a 6 or 12 sided cube with different actions that you can do on each side of the cube.  Fidget cubes help with stress. If you get stressed during the assessment, like most testers working on an open ended math questions or tackling the Text Dependent Analysis questions, then just push the buttons on the sides of the Fidget Cube and suddenly you are calmer, able to focus more, and do your best on the test. Also, there are six sides so if you get bored with one side you can use another side.

Fidget Cubes help you focus.  It is crucial to focus on the PSSA because teachers use the test scores to place students in classes.  Also, you need to focus extra hard on the open ended questions or the Text Dependent Analysis because they are very important for your overall scores.   Fidget Cubes help you focus by removing nervous energy by giving you something to fiddle with.  Also, if you don’t have a fidget cube you will find yourself fidgeting all the time, either tapping your pencil, cracking your fingers uncontrollably, or playing with the small rubber strings that come off of the erasures, instead of focusing on the test questions.

It could be argued that kids will get distracted by their fidget cubes.  However, teachers can make sure test takers are paying attention and not being distracted by the fidget cube.

As stated above, these stress/anxiety relieving items soothe stress and give you a strategy to help during and after the test. The Pennsylvania Department of Education, (PDE) could add to their code of conduct “Test takers are allowed to use fidget cubes during and after the test.” Fidget Cubes should be provided to every student in Pennsylvania to ensure that students do their best and have a positive experience when taking the PSSA.  The creators of the fidget cube, Mark and Matthew McLachlen, stated,”We appreciate you have taken our 15,000$ goal and have made it so much more.

One example of a fidget cube can be viewed at the following web address:

https://www.amazon.com/Comfort-Cube-Fidget-Toy-Productivity/dp/B071RQ6JDL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493666159&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=fidget+cube&psc=1

Two videos that explain the research and benefits of fidget cubes can be viewed at the following web address:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oKkrdqTqVWc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m5eq0TVxCKw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Stay tuned for the music video for:

Check Mate

Written and performed by Joshua, Griffin, Rielle, and Danny

Check, check, check, but it ain’t no mate

Check, check, but it ain’t no mate

We’re playing chess

Almost got you in mate

Thought you’d go for the bait

I’m gonna seal your fate

Check, check, check, but it ain’t no mate

Check, check, but it ain’t no mate

I’ll take compliments

For my en passant

My moves are so slick

I’m coming real quick

Better watch your pawn

Make sure you move 'em

To where they belong

Check, check, check, but it ain’t no mate

Check, check, but it ain’t no mate

First minute,

I’m playing with some kid

I could mock

Next minute, I’m playing

The best kid on the block.

I thought chess

Was easy like checkers,

But, it’s harder than ever

The kid, one move away from mate,

Then I did a crazy move,

Not thinking ‘Bout what it would do

Check...mate!  

I was shocked

That I just beat

the best kid

on the block

Check, check, check, and I got you in mate

Check, check, and I got you in mate

Want to watch Room 28's Reading Rainbow Episodes 1-5?

Room 28’s Reading Rainbow: Episode 1-5

What Good Readers Do!

Check out what good readers do at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHinaAohTCc&t=311s