The chilly, crisp air and the leaves falling all around declares a definite fall is here. We are making progress just like our elements. Students have been studying mapping, common and proper nouns, sentence parts like subject and predicate, weather and climate, math in many forms and lots of writing.
What I’ve noticed is that writing is a great challenge for most of our students, whether it be due to the physical exercise of writing or due to the task of grasping an idea from the mind and translating it onto “paper.” Our students NEED these tools. They have technology tools we never had. And while I will expect students to continue their handwriting practice and write notes and other assignments by hand, we could really use your parental help with learning how to write. If your student is a fifth or sixth grader, they need to be going online to their google journal and writing in their journal daily. Yet, any student can create a journal or a storybook. Ask your student to tell you a story from his or her life every day. Then ask the student to write that same story down!
Don’t critique the spelling or the punctuation yet. Just help them start putting their ideas on paper or on a Google doc or even telling it to Siri, who will type it for them. This is a fabulous tool that will also help them learn the spelling of many words because they will see it in front of them as it types. Most computers have this voice-to-text feature too. Nonetheless, this is where we are. Our children have a need; let’s provide for it.
Within the classroom, we have had some class meetings where we discussed our general needs and discovered that space is a critical piece. Comfortable working space. Thus, we are looking for another sturdy wooden table approximately 70″ L x 26-28″ T x 24-28″ W. If you know of one that we could use, please let me know. If you know of someone who could make one, let me know that too. We would so appreciate it.
We had a great time at our Newsies field trip. It really was a blast and the children spoke highly of the experience. I hope we can do another arts trip!
Newsies certainly was a welcome up-swing to our otherwise rather disheartening and troublesome week last week. We did have many conversations about how everyone processes loss differently and what most would consider etiquette for public grieving. For those who would like to attend, there will be a Memorial Service at Lindquist from 5-8pm tomorrow, Thursday, November 1st. As I told my students last week, this has been a difficult thing for me personally. I see my students as my own children in so many ways; I love them so much. Thus, losing two that I shared time and space with, shook me. I hope that I have been able to provide a secure and safe place for our students while we heal from this loss.
In further updates, I hope the Parent-Teacher Conferences were beneficial to all and I was thrilled that I was able to meet with almost every parent this time. If there is ever a need to contact me, please do so.
Also, (I like to use this car analogy) we have been going at about thirty mph – a good speed for getting there – and now will be going into a season of about forty-five. It will feel fast and busy (and won’t slow down!) Thus, here is a quick synopsis at present:
Monday, November 5th We will have a walking field trip to the library on 26th. Forms coming home Thursday.
Nov 5th – Nov 9th Red Ribbon Week – If you are able to assist me with these activities through volunteerism, PLEASE HELP! Yay 🙂
Thursday, Nov 15th Cultural Festival Projects due in class. Overview and guidelines went home Tuesday and assignments were picked today, Wednesday. Questions unanswerable by the guideline, contact me. A copy is also on this blog’s PDF page. Here is the Decades Listing Every student selected a different decade, except 4. There are 4 that will have two students assigned to it.
Nov 15th Another Picture Day
Friday, Nov 16th Students will present their projects for the whole school to peruse. Come visit with everyone from 1-3pm.
Nov 19th-Nov 23rd NO SCHOOL: CLOSED FOR THE GRATITUDE CELEBRATION OF THANKSGIVING
Dec 6th Parent Education Evening: Details to come!
Please put these dates on the calendar. There will be more to come and I will keep you as informed as possible as we continue to learn. Presently, our focuses are security in mathematics fundamentals, weather & climate, calendar & time, Exploration and the Colonists, handwriting execution, and writing our ideas with a beginning, middle and end. So, help us tell stories and get our brilliant ideas out of our brains! Thanks for all you do, parents!