Newsletter: Run-Walk-A-Thon Numbers Are In!

Important

Thank you for all the sponsors. Please ensure money is collected and brought to school!

I'm attaching the packing list for the field trip. Please remember we will be leaving promptly at 8:00 am on Oct. 7th with an approximate return time of 8:00 pm on Oct. 9th.

Graded work was sent home Friday and more will be sent home this Friday as well.

Keep study habits and homework consistency strong by checking in on Student Planners.

Upcoming Dates

Oct. 7-9 Field Trip! Leaving at 8 am and returning at 8 pm. We will be calling families on our way home to confirm arrival

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We will finish Bud, Not Buddy this week! Students will take a test on the book so check in that they are caught up.

Students will soon be picking their own books and articles to read and will need parent signatures for reading minutes.

In social studies, we will  continue to understand how Islam grew.

In science, we will continue exploring weathering and erosion.

Updates and Information

Wow! Our class ran  772 laps for the Run-Walk-A-Thon which works out to about 86 miles! Thank you so much for all the support and sponsors!

This week we had quite a few thoughtful discussions regarding classroom safety and antibullying.

We also analyzed the first stanza of "If" by Rudyard Kipling, learned about the origins and beliefs of Islam, and sorted earth material using Wentworth's Scale of Particle Size.

The trimester is nearly halfway done! I will be sending home progress reports next week.

Newsletter

Important

We're on the final countdown for students to get sponsors for the Run-Walk-A-Thon to help pay for our field trip. They're due Wednesday.

Graded work will be going home this Friday.

Keep study habits and homework consistency strong by checking in on Student Planners.

Upcoming Dates

 Sponsor sheets due Wednesday the 23rd.

 Wednesday, September 23rd is a Minimum Day. Students released at 12:45.

 Run-Walk-A-Thon on Friday the 25th. Bring water and wear good shoes.

 Oct. 7-9 Field Trip! Leaving at 8 am.

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Many new beginnings!

In social studies, we will understand the origins of Islam and the rise of Muslim states.

In science, we will be exploring weathering and erosion.

And in ELA, we will be comparing and contrasting the poem "If" by Rudyard Kipling with our hero, Bud.

Updates and Info

Our class celebrated  our first Dojo Party which they earned through good behavior and strong thinking. We also completed the first module of our "Rules to Live By" literature unit by analyzing President Obama's 2009 back to school speech. We took our social studies test on Friday and finished up our first rock investigation. At this point students should know why there are stripes at the Grand Canyon and what types of rock are there.

Most students seemed really prepared for the social studies test. Thanks for the at-home study habits families help build.

This week we will be discussing how to show respect to each other, call out hurtful "jokes" as a bystander, and celebrate, or at least tolerate, our differences. I always encourage families to incorporate these discussions at home as well. 

Newsletter

Important

 Please sign permission slips and behavior contract for the Oct. 7-9 field trip. The packet was sent home on Friday. I need these back by Wednesday for students to attend.

Please keep getting those sponsors for the Run-Walk-athon! They are critical to our field trip.

I have sent home a few graded quizzes including two spelling tests and a figurative language assessment from our literature unit. Grades for homework and assessments are posted online as well.  

 Upcoming Dates

§  Wednesday, September 23rd is a Minimum Day. Students released at 12:45.

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 We will look at the legacy of Ancient Rome to finalize our fast track Rome unit. There will be an test on Friday!

There will be more geological investigations on the colorful stripes in the Grand Canyon during science.

We will finish watching, reading Steve Jobs' commencement address and make our final connections to Bud Not Buddy. Then on to analyzing President Barack Obama's 2009 back to school speech.

Soccer starts in PE!

Updates and Info

Our class analyzed over half of Steve Jobs' 2005 commencement address to Stanford graduates and compared his life experiences to Bud's. In history, we learned about the Byzantine Empire and the fall of Rome. During science we explored the history and geology of the Grand Canyon ending with a very fun hands-on observation of still-as-yet unidentified rocks on Friday. In health we learned about bones, joints, and fractures.

It makes such a difference in students' scores when they study for quizzes at home. Consider offering your student to quiz them on spelling, vocabulary cards (6th grade only), and the upcoming social studies test on Rome. They have notes on the history content and are always welcome to take their book home to study.

The speeches we analyze in class are on YouTube if you're interested!

Newsletter

Important

Your continued checks and signatures on the Student Planners are really helping keep our class on track with homework – thank you!

Our Run-Walk-athon sponsor sheet was sent home last Friday. Please know that we can only go on field trips and schedule enriching projects with fundraising support.

A few families have reached out asking for resources to support their students in the new Common Core math. I’ve posted a list of tips and resources on the website. Feel free to check in with me if you still have questions.

 Our field trip is one month away! October 7th-9^th. We will be returning the evening of the 9^th which is before Fall Break. Contact me soon if you have concerns about your student attending.

Upcoming Dates

§  This Wednesday, September 9th is a minimum day for staff inservice. School will be released at 12:45.

§  September 23^rd is a minimum day.

§  September 25^th is our Run-Walk-athon!

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We will be learning abou the Byzantine Empire and the lasting impacts of Ancient Rome this week.

Our rock detective work will officially start in science!

We will read, listen and watch Steve Jobs’ Harvard commencement speech and relate his message to Bud’s life in our reading and language arts class.

Updates and Info

Our class toured landforms across the country on Google Earth in science. We learned the various reasons ancient Rome rose and fell in history. We are getting to know Bud in Bud, Not Buddy better and are learning how figurative language and word choice creates tone in a text. Our first week of spelling went well! Elective classes started last Thursday and reports were positive all around.

Our class needs a male chaperone for the October 7-9 field trip to Marin Headlands. The chaperone would need to be able to drive their own vehicle and enforce rules and expectations in the boys’ dorm. There will also be fun hiking trips and ocean time! Please let me know as soon as possible if you are willing and interested. If multiple menfolk apply, I’ll do a drawing.

Math Homework Help

With the new Common Core State Standards, we recognize that the math your student is doing looks different from the math you learned. Though the changes in math can be frustrating, we are seeing a lot of success overall with this math. Students are finding multiple ways to conceptual mathematics. Some parents and caregivers have asked for extra resources to support their students with math homework.

I've included a tab to the right with this post for you to refer back to.

Here's are some tips and resources:

1. This website has extra support for students using our math program, Engage New York (ENY). They have resources through 6th grade, so unfortunately this won't work for students in my 7th and 8th grade math classes.

2. Consider sending your student to the after school program. The ladies who manage the program teach ENY, have our answer books, and offer homework help.

3. Students are welcome to ask me questions prior to school beginning. Students who are struggling with their math homework can get it finished in class between 8:00 and 8:25 every morning except Wednesday when I have recess duty. On Wednesday, they can still ask me questions on the playground.

4. Phone a friend. Encourage your child to ask for a friend's phone number. I think it's great for students to discuss math homework in the evenings.

5. Refer back to previous notes in the lesson. Oftentimes, students can remember how to tackle new problems if they look back on older problems in their lesson that they completed in class. This requires that they take neat notes during class which I encourage them to do daily. If they choose not to be careful during class, a natural consequence is that they will have less hints to work with at home.

6. Encourage your student to do what they can. Perhaps your student is unable to solve the entire problem, but can they solve part of it? Can they draw a model or representation. Putting pencil to paper is always the first step and can often unravel problems the student didn't notice before. When students show up to school with completely blank homework papers, I cannot give partial credit. When I see some amount of work and effort, I will give partial credit. This also helps me ascertain at what step of the problem, the student became confused.

I hope this helps you. As always, you are welcome to schedule a meeting or shoot me an email.