Language Arts

Readathon Results

A big shout out to the Grade 7’s for doing the most amazing job organizing and running the school Readathon. From presenting the idea to Mrs. Green, writing the letter to the parents in English and Italian, explaining to the rest of the school about the project, to making reading logs and sponsorship forms the Grade 7’s took full responsibility for everything. I am incredibly proud to announce that we raised over €2000!!! This week we have prepared the books to send to Samos and any money we don’t use for postage will be sent to the school in Samos and Still I Rise. Thank you to all the students who participated in the Read-a-thon you have been part of something wonderful!

Ms. Rhi

Language Arts Teacher

The Best School in the World! 

The Grade 1 students are amazing – they started the year barely writing sentences and now they are writing their own opinion pieces! 

First, they had to understand what the word “opinion” means.  An opinion is something that you think and feel. We discussed how we all have opinions about things, and we shared some of our opinions.

The students came up with a list of favourite things that they could share their opinion about. They created a writing web to add as many reasons as they could to support their opinion. 

This past week they learned that there are 3 ways to write a strong introduction to grab the reader’s attention: ask a question, share a strong feeling, or tell an interesting fact.  We practised by writing about our school:  

1. Do you want to attend the best school in the world? The Udine International School is the best school in the world because….  
2. My school is a fun and an amazing place to learn! The Udine International School is the best school in the world because….  
3. The Principal Mrs. Green believes that children, when nurtured and inspired, have the potential to do amazing things. The Udine International School is the best school in the world because….  

Finally they learned how to add a strong conclusion. 

Now that you know the Udine International school is the best school in the world, come and see it for yourself!   

Daniela DiBiaggio 

Grade 1 teacher

Utopia or Dystopia?

Grade 7 have recently finished reading the novel The Giver, a dystopian novel about how a community, though created with the best of intentions, can go horribly wrong!

The question, in fact, was raised about whether Jonas, the protagonist, would stay or run away……

With this in mind, the two classes separated into groups and planned their own ‘Perfect Communities’ with varied and surprising results. Their governments ranged from the democratic to the idea of immortal leaders! Their environments varied from a butterfly island in the middle of the ocean to a Martian community within a bubble. In one of their schools there were no exams and in another the children were homeschooled. One group were careful to include a fast food cafe while others included farming as fundamental. Even the question of curfew came up…..surely a sign of the times! 

A lot of effort and thought went into these projects and I would hope that by the end, they were not torn in the same way as Jonas, between wanting to stay or wanting to escape from their ‘Perfect Communities’!   

Mrs Nevin

Grade 7 Literature

Grade 7 has a Plan.

What could it be?

Watch this space and you will see……

However, a little clue for you to think things through

We are prepared to give to you…..

Look at these photos.

Who do you see?

What idea could it possibly be?

Look out soon for flyers, forms and letters….

A mystery to solve, is there anything better?

Ms. Rhi 

Middle School Language Arts Teacher 

CREATING CHARACTERS IN GRADE 5

This week, Grade 5T would like to introduce you to the newest UIS student, a porcupine they have named “Ricci Junior”. Now, Ricci isn’t just any porcupine. Ricci reads, writes, solves Math problems and even participates in Guided Reading groups. Two students in particular, Stella and Giorgia, have supplied him with everything he needs to feel right at home: a UIS school cap, a personal diary, a computer, and writing supplies. They have even offered him help with challenging concepts. The students have been brainstorming how Ricci could become a character for a series of children’s books, imagining all the adventures their friendly rodent could experience. Stay tuned for Ricci’s future escapades! 

Mara Tramontin 

Grade 5 Teacher

Books, Books, Books.

Over the past week the Grade 7 classes have been presenting their independent reading books to their schoolmates.

It is always interesting to see the varied choices each student has made and this selection was no disappointment, ranging from historical fiction and reworked fairy tales to troubled teenagers and Harry Potter, paying tribute along the way to Michael Morpurgo and Louis Sachar.

We have heard about intrigue and humour, suspense and sadness, been caught up in plot overviews and shared such themes as friendship, jealousy, courage and empathy.

Most interesting of all is hearing the students’ response to their reading, especially when they have found something particularly moving or particularly entertaining. Now, hampered by masks and their facial expressions all but hidden, their spoken responses take on an increased relevance; the verve and enthusiasm which comes through when they are really absorbed or fascinated by a book is unmistakable.

Mrs Nevin 

Grade 7 Literature Teacher

GRADE 3’s ALONG THE BANKS OF THE NILE

Grade 3 has been exploring Ancient Egypt this term, learning about what an important feature the Nile river was to Ancient Egyptian society. Even in our read-aloud stories, we have encountered characters from that far away time. The latest story was “The Little Hippo”, by Anja Klauss. This enchanting story begins on the banks of the river Nile where the hippos bask in the sun, letting the beautiful designs of water plants decorate their bodies and ends, with little Hippo finding his family again centuries later and miles away, in the Louvre Museum. Here, his family can still be visited in the form of lovely little turquoise-colored statues, along with the incredible wealth of archaeological artifacts that still guide our learning through this ancient civilization. The children drew and painted their own blue hippos, paying close attention to faithfully adding the shapes and designs of reeds, lilies and flowers that grew along the Nile. 

Paola Gandrus 

Grade 3 teacher

Life in the Scriptorium

After writing letters to oblates from the point of view of medieval monks, the grade 5’s try to “age” their manuscripts to make them look like antique parchments.

The Refugee Crisis

“History will judge us for turning our backs while people drowned”

 This statement has provoked a desire for change among the Grade 7 students. They are no longer happy to sit back and ignore what is happening in Syria. We have been taking a close look at the refugee crisis and thinking about what we can do. We took part in a simulated Syrian journey to try and understand some of the decisions they are faced with: “I made it to  Europe, but I had to make  very difficult choices that maybe I wouldn’t have done if I was in that situation for real. I realise why refugees are trying to reach Europe and I really feel lucky.” Gianmarco. “I made it only after countless attempts but I had to sacrifice nearly everything I owned on the way. I also had to ignore people that were in need to avoid getting noticed by border security. Overall a very horrible experience which made me realise how hard it is for these refugees to reach safety.” Filippo R.   

This week we are holding a formal debate to discuss whether countries should limit the number of refugees they accept and what are the alternatives. We have also been in touch with the organisation Still I Rise and we hope to collaborate with some of their students. Watch this space for more developments!

Rhiannon Thomas Grade 7 LA Teacher