IN THE CLASSROOM

Danette Goulet

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot education

writer Danette Goulet visits a campus within the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District and writes about her experience.

During the hectic days before the final school bell rings in the

beginning of summer vacation, a first-grade class was buzzing with

activity.

Students zipped around from area to area, scrambling to get everything

done.

Colorful painted fish hung from the ceiling, each bearing a child’s name.

Most of the walls in the Newport Elementary School classroom were still

packed with alphabet charts and children’s work -- the dismantling was

just beginning on one wall.

One little girl packed up her books and took her drawings from the walls

because she was going away with her family and it was her last day of

school.

In one corner, the teacher’s aid was playing math bingo with a group of

students.

“Eight plus two,” she said.

There was a pause, then hurried shouts of “That’s 10, that’s 10 -- I have

that.” And singsong voices declared, “I just need one more.”

There were two parents in the room helping out. One called children over,

one at a time, and had the student read a book to her.

The second parent was beginning to take items off of the walls, letting

students choose photos to take home.

In the midst of the chaos, teacher Sharon Fairborn had the remainder of

the class kneeling on the floor in front of her as she slowly and clearly

explained how they would write letters to their pen pals at Andersen

Elementary School -- who were coming for a visit after snack time.

Despite the noise around them, the young writers carefully composed and

created.

I sat with Regan Bonn, 6, on one side and Mac McKelvey, also 6, on the

other. Each agonized over what their next sentence should be.

The students were just learning to write. They were flooded with ideas,

yet limited by little things like selecting words and spelling.

“Mrs. Fairborn, I don’t know what to write next,” Regan said.

“Thank you for the lovely letter?” Fairborn suggested.

Upon hearing the delightful sentence, Regan beamed and grabbed her

pencil. Then she paused and looked at me.

“How do you spell lovely?” she asked.

FYI

WHO: Students in Sharon Fairborn’s first-grade class

WHERE: Newport Elementary School

WHAT: Regular class during the last week of school before summer