Archives

Welcome New and Returning Families

Jul19

It’s hard to believe the start to the new school year is just around the corner!  As such, I want to share some important housekeeping items.

Housekeeping Items

Please be sure to check the specific supplies for our classroom as each teacher requires something different.  You can find the list and guideline for preparation here.   If you choose to deliver supplies (highly recommended) prior to the first day of school, please be sure to put your child’s name and my name (Ms. Amity) on the bag so they make it to the correct classroom.

If you have a sixth grade student, your child will need an additional white 2-inch 3-ring binder for their Expert Project.  I will address this project in a separate post.

The school dress code can be found here .  Providing your child with appropriate options for school reduces the number of dress code reminders that we need to fill out allowing us to focus on education.  Please help Ms. Kari and I do our job effectively by ensuring your child adheres to the school dress code.

Subscribe to the school’s main blog here and read the most recent school newsletter here.

Purchase school spirit shirts at this link.  School spirit shirts can be worn in lieu of collared shirts and proceeds support science at MMA.

Pool Party

Join us for our annual pool party Tuesday, August 2 from 7-9pm at North Shore Aquatic Center across the street from the pool.  You will have an opportunity to purchase shirts, sign up to volunteer, reconnect with friends and chat with Ms. Kari and myself.

School Supplies 2016-17 School Year

Jul5

School supplies are starting to appear in stores so I am posting this year’s list so that you can get the best deals.  If your student is returning from last year, feel free to reuse any non-consumables that are still in good shape (pencil boxes, binders, scissors etc).  If items are falling apart or in poor shape, please replace items as you are able.

Students are required to do some preparation of their school supplies prior to the first day of school.  Please find a PDF of the school supplies and the preparation information here.

In addition to the general school supplies, 6th grade students will need a 2″ 3-ring binder and 2 packages of 3×5 note cards (can be any color – they may need more cards as the year progresses) for their expert project.

 

April 18 Update

Apr18

This morning your children were talking about there only being 6 weeks of school left.  I knew the school year was coming to an end, but I hadn’t completely wrapped my mind around it until this morning.  I am also a parent, and I know how fleeting these moments with our kids are.  One minute they are just learning how to talk, the next they are writing 5 paragraph essays for their SAGE exams.  Whew!  Time flies.

We ended our studies last week with an amazing art project that had a basis in math (photos forthcoming, I’m not the greatest at taking photos).   I want to thank Sharon Johnson for the countless hours she spent cutting thousands of 1×1 inch squares, enabling us to create this project that crossed math with art.  The artists we studied were, Ellsworth Kelly, Piet Mondrian, Victor Vasarely, Kenneth Noland, and Frank Stella.  Each of these 20th century artists utilize(d) math in their artwork.  Students created an abstract piece of art and then calculated the fraction, decimal and percent component of each color they used in their piece.  This has been my favorite project of the year.

This week we are cracking down on the following math concepts:

4th – Decimal Fractions

5th- Classifying 2D figures

6th- Percents (review), equations and equations (ongoing practice) and Statistics (just starting)

In addition to in class work, your children all have an essay due on Friday (Utah Compose) and IXL homework.  Each of them are given 20 minutes of computer time each day.  Any work not completed in this time is considered homework.

Lastly, the 6th grade students (and I) are headed to the Redwoods on Sunday, April 24.  Rachael Bush will be in our classroom with Ms. Kari during this week.

 

End of March Updates

Mar23

I can’t believe we are nearing the end of March.  Spring is definitely here, with the fluctuation in weather, and mood, I can tell your kids are ready for spring break!  Having said that, it is important that your children are fulfilling their potential, as well as the expectations that have been set for them.

Each week your child has a Utah Compose essay due.  Assignments are available Monday, and due Friday morning.  Your child has time during class to work on this (approx. 20 min each day Mon-Thurs), but it should be considered homework.  4th level students should be writing a minimum of three complete paragraphs, while 5th and 6th level students should be writing at least 5 complete paragraphs.

We have our first SAGE language assessment on Monday, March 28.  Please ensure your child gets plenty of sleep, eats a healthy breakfast, brings a protein packed lunch as well as a nice healthy (no chips or fruit snacks please) snack so they can do their best.  This is the time to show what they know.  I have stressed to the children that they wouldn’t show up to a music recital or a sporting event without having practiced;  the same is expected for our state testing.

Knowing that some children feel extreme anxiety over the test itself, I try to treat the exams as a “show what you already know” event.  All of their hard work for the school year so far, is on display this coming Monday.