Dear Parents,
First, thank you for regularly checking the emails that you receive from google classroom. I have yet to put in the January book report grades, so it will still show as "missing" until either your child goes into google classroom and clicks on "submit" for the assignment, or I put your child's grade into the system.
Please note that you will not be able to view assignment attachments etc. unless you log into google classroom with your child's account. This means that your weekly email is basically just a "check up" to remind them to do the work that they are supposed to be doing.
Second, our Valentine's Day "festivities" this Friday will be a lot more subdued than our October party.
Students are encouraged to:
- bring a box or a bag (I can supply some easy materials for the bag) for any cards that are handed out.
- bring valentines for all of their classmates, please make sure you are giving one to each classmate.
- wear comfortable clothes (like pajamas) and
- bring a book that they "love" if they don't have a favorite already at school.
We will be having quiet reading time, doughnuts, and hot chocolate/cider in the morning with some small decorations around the classroom, and will exchange valentines in the afternoon.
I appreciate the interest in volunteering, but this is hopefully going to be a more relaxing affair that will take place throughout different times of the day, instead an official "party" of sorts.
Third, last week we covered sexual exploitation and our first day of our puberty lessons.
We went over the following definitions:
Exploitation - one person using another person to make themselves feel good or to get something from the other person no matter how the other person feels.
Sexual Exploitation - when someone tricks or pressures someone into "secret touching."
- Adults can also be sexually exploited, as well as children can be exploited by other children, but when a child is sexually exploited by an adult or older child, that is called "Sexual Abuse."
Private Parts - the parts of the body covered by a bathing suit: the bottom, a boy's or man's penis and scrotum, a girl's or woman's labia and vagina, and girls' chests, even if they are too young to have breasts.
A student asked about the term "rape" which was defined as a violent form of sexual exploitation in which someone is forced to do things that they do not want to do.
We covered Safe/Healthy, Unsafe/Unhealthy, and Confusing Touch. You can find more information on these two lessons Here (day 1) and Here (day 2)
On Day 2 of this lesson, we covered how we can help someone who has been (or is being) sexually exploited. We went over a poster that consisted of
5 things a friend can do:
1) Listen.
2) Believe them.
3) Show you care.
4) Don't blame them.
5) Tell an adult, not other classmates.
These were very tough lessons for students, and it is my hope that they have been talking and processing with you about these topics at home afterwords.
On Friday we covered the first day of Puberty by making a chart of changes that Boys, Both, and Girls go through. A complete list of those changes is provided Here (Day 1)
Students noticed how many items were in the "Both" category, and we finished the week with some really good understanding between everyone.
This week we will cover the 2nd day of our Puberty lesson, Reproductive System (Day 1 and 2), as well as HIV/AIDs (Day 1 and 2). We will be using the OSPI KNOW curriculum for our HIV/AIDs lessons, which were included in the binder in the nurses office for you to preview.
Finally, in Math we are finishing up a unit on Proportions, and will most likely be taking a test on Thursday or Friday.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Regards,
Mrs. Hart
Monday, February 10, 2020
Friday, January 24, 2020
January Updates!
Good Afternoon Parents,
I am sorry that I am so delayed in writing my new blog post, the district has put some tighter security around this website (even though they recommended that I use it...) so I can't access it at school.
I wanted to give some important updates from the work we have been doing these last few weeks, as well as looking ahead.
Students spent this week finishing their final (yay!) iReady reading assessments, and most will be finishing the Math assessment next week (if they haven't already.) I am happy to see all of the growth in their scores!
In Language Arts we are trying to finish our Sci Fi unit with 2 different writing activities, a comparative analysis of two sci fi books, one of them our class read aloud, and the other an independent sci fi book, analyzing themes that each have in common. So far I am seeing some really good thinking from students, and I look forward to seeing their work!
We are also working on developing our story for students' own Science Fiction picture books. We have worked really hard the last two weeks to develop a character with some depth and background, and will most likely move on to the setting of our stories next week.
We have started a read aloud by Malala Yousafzai called "We are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World" to transition us back into non-fiction reading.
Another activity that we worked on these last two weeks related to non-fiction was our Time for Kids magazines, sponsored by our PTA! This week students were asked to create a small brochure of a place in their community that is cool or special to them. I can't wait to see what everyone came up with!
In Math, our schedule has been a little out of sync with the other 5th grade classes with the snow days and winter break. Luckily, we are the ones ahead! Way to go hard workers! As a result, we have spent some more time reviewing the concepts in this first Block of our Proportions and Probability Unit. We will most likely take the Block 1 test on Wednesday of next week.
In Science, we have had several Nature Vision visits into our classroom, one covering soil and decomposers (today!) and another talking about space and our solar system (last week!). These are both finishing up our first science unit (Ecosystems), and starting our second one (Earth, Moon, Stars.)
As you are aware, we will be starting our Health unit next week as well. Lessons that we will cover next week include:
1) Introduction - setting expectations and rules for how we behave during this unit.
2) Family - "what families are for and how they (students) can contribute to their own families."
3) Self-Esteem - helping students learn to like themselves and the benefits of doing so.
4) Gender Roles - discussing the "similarities and differences between the expectations of each gender."
Many students seem nervous about this unit, and will be taking worksheets etc. home with them to discuss what they learned each day with you. Please, if possible, try to be open and available to discuss and help students process some of what they will be learning.
In Social Studies, we will be starting our unit on Discovery and Colonization most likely after mid-winter break. We just have too much going on to fit it in right now!
Extra stuff that we have been doing:
1) We had a Domino presentation and exploration from a parent from Sunrise Elementary that introduced the domino activities that are now available on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Library.
2) We have done some AWESOME art most recently with sewing and water colors!
3) We had a VERY important/impactful social emotional lesson today about empathy by practicing putting ourselves into other people's shoes using comments that my students from 2 years ago, as well as some from last year, wrote down and reading them while imagining what it would be like to live in their shoes. I am having students do something similar for homework this weekend for next year.
I am sure that there is a lot more that I wanted to talk about, but my head is currently full of report card thoughts! Don't forget that Monday is a teacher work day so there is no school!
As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Hart
I am sorry that I am so delayed in writing my new blog post, the district has put some tighter security around this website (even though they recommended that I use it...) so I can't access it at school.
I wanted to give some important updates from the work we have been doing these last few weeks, as well as looking ahead.
Students spent this week finishing their final (yay!) iReady reading assessments, and most will be finishing the Math assessment next week (if they haven't already.) I am happy to see all of the growth in their scores!
In Language Arts we are trying to finish our Sci Fi unit with 2 different writing activities, a comparative analysis of two sci fi books, one of them our class read aloud, and the other an independent sci fi book, analyzing themes that each have in common. So far I am seeing some really good thinking from students, and I look forward to seeing their work!
We are also working on developing our story for students' own Science Fiction picture books. We have worked really hard the last two weeks to develop a character with some depth and background, and will most likely move on to the setting of our stories next week.
We have started a read aloud by Malala Yousafzai called "We are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World" to transition us back into non-fiction reading.
Another activity that we worked on these last two weeks related to non-fiction was our Time for Kids magazines, sponsored by our PTA! This week students were asked to create a small brochure of a place in their community that is cool or special to them. I can't wait to see what everyone came up with!
In Math, our schedule has been a little out of sync with the other 5th grade classes with the snow days and winter break. Luckily, we are the ones ahead! Way to go hard workers! As a result, we have spent some more time reviewing the concepts in this first Block of our Proportions and Probability Unit. We will most likely take the Block 1 test on Wednesday of next week.
In Science, we have had several Nature Vision visits into our classroom, one covering soil and decomposers (today!) and another talking about space and our solar system (last week!). These are both finishing up our first science unit (Ecosystems), and starting our second one (Earth, Moon, Stars.)
As you are aware, we will be starting our Health unit next week as well. Lessons that we will cover next week include:
1) Introduction - setting expectations and rules for how we behave during this unit.
2) Family - "what families are for and how they (students) can contribute to their own families."
3) Self-Esteem - helping students learn to like themselves and the benefits of doing so.
4) Gender Roles - discussing the "similarities and differences between the expectations of each gender."
Many students seem nervous about this unit, and will be taking worksheets etc. home with them to discuss what they learned each day with you. Please, if possible, try to be open and available to discuss and help students process some of what they will be learning.
In Social Studies, we will be starting our unit on Discovery and Colonization most likely after mid-winter break. We just have too much going on to fit it in right now!
Extra stuff that we have been doing:
1) We had a Domino presentation and exploration from a parent from Sunrise Elementary that introduced the domino activities that are now available on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Library.
2) We have done some AWESOME art most recently with sewing and water colors!
3) We had a VERY important/impactful social emotional lesson today about empathy by practicing putting ourselves into other people's shoes using comments that my students from 2 years ago, as well as some from last year, wrote down and reading them while imagining what it would be like to live in their shoes. I am having students do something similar for homework this weekend for next year.
I am sure that there is a lot more that I wanted to talk about, but my head is currently full of report card thoughts! Don't forget that Monday is a teacher work day so there is no school!
As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Hart
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Some Trends from our Conferences, Some Information.
Dear Parents,
Thank you all for your flexibility over the last two weeks with half day, conferences, and progress reports! November is such a busy month! We have been very busy in class as well, however, based on the majority of conversations that I have had with you all over the last two weeks, some of your children have not been as busy at home as you would like, or as you feel they should be.
First, let me state that all lessons, work, homework, and projects, are supposed to be written down in their planner every day. I reserve 15 minutes of every afternoon to write these things down. It would take me 15+ minutes to also check every assignment written down by every student, and many days I simply do not have the time. I will attempt to hold students accountable better at school, however, it is important that your child know that you also expect them to come home with this information.
In order to help you and your students keep track of assignments, I am looking into a few options:
1- adding "guardian email addresses" to your child's google classroom account. This will send periodic emails with work and grades that your child has been given on assignments. It will also notify if your child has not turned in an assignment. I have to enter these in individually, so I will work on doing that next week.
2- researching a way to post or display the lessons and assignments online, every day. I have to confirm with our Technology department, on whether I am allowed to set up a twitter feed or something that parents can choose to follow, where I can post images of our planner and/or notifications of assignments every day.
3- I will be emailing all of you with the login credentials for the student login for our math curriculum. If your child is not bringing math homework home, even if it is finished, you can easily access the worksheets that I assign online and print out another copy. There are also practice pages in each of the lessons in the student textbook, which is in PDF format for students to view as well as videos and power point slides of each of the lessons.
One of the reasons that kept me from making all of this information available earlier, is because I do not hear from many of you. While my last blog post had 48 views, the rest of my posts have only been viewed by about half of my families.
Just like students, I put my energy into what seems important to all of you. If families are not interested in keeping up with the goings on in the classroom, then I will divert my efforts to other tasks to help your children be as successful as possible.
A majority of you have indicated over the last two weeks that a communication of assignments and due dates is important to you. Therefore, I will do my best to keep you all as updated as possible.
One important due date coming up is your child's November Book Project. This assignment is due This Monday, December 2nd. Your child was assigned a "free choice" to show the underlying themes or lessons in a Realistic Fiction book. Themes can include: the author's message, a lesson learned by the character, problems or the solutions to a character's problems that are apparent in the book. Students can show this understanding in any way that fits them, there are several suggestions in the assignment packet in the reading section of your child's binder.
I have said many times this year: I would rather your child turn in a quality project late, than a sloppy project on time. If this book report was "news," then I recognize that they may not have a book read and a project done by Monday. I do expect that these projects show care and effort. It is highly recommended that these projects be worked on in little pieces at home throughout the month.
As always, please feel free to contact me with questions.
Regards,
Mrs. Hart
Thank you all for your flexibility over the last two weeks with half day, conferences, and progress reports! November is such a busy month! We have been very busy in class as well, however, based on the majority of conversations that I have had with you all over the last two weeks, some of your children have not been as busy at home as you would like, or as you feel they should be.
First, let me state that all lessons, work, homework, and projects, are supposed to be written down in their planner every day. I reserve 15 minutes of every afternoon to write these things down. It would take me 15+ minutes to also check every assignment written down by every student, and many days I simply do not have the time. I will attempt to hold students accountable better at school, however, it is important that your child know that you also expect them to come home with this information.
In order to help you and your students keep track of assignments, I am looking into a few options:
1- adding "guardian email addresses" to your child's google classroom account. This will send periodic emails with work and grades that your child has been given on assignments. It will also notify if your child has not turned in an assignment. I have to enter these in individually, so I will work on doing that next week.
2- researching a way to post or display the lessons and assignments online, every day. I have to confirm with our Technology department, on whether I am allowed to set up a twitter feed or something that parents can choose to follow, where I can post images of our planner and/or notifications of assignments every day.
3- I will be emailing all of you with the login credentials for the student login for our math curriculum. If your child is not bringing math homework home, even if it is finished, you can easily access the worksheets that I assign online and print out another copy. There are also practice pages in each of the lessons in the student textbook, which is in PDF format for students to view as well as videos and power point slides of each of the lessons.
One of the reasons that kept me from making all of this information available earlier, is because I do not hear from many of you. While my last blog post had 48 views, the rest of my posts have only been viewed by about half of my families.
Just like students, I put my energy into what seems important to all of you. If families are not interested in keeping up with the goings on in the classroom, then I will divert my efforts to other tasks to help your children be as successful as possible.
A majority of you have indicated over the last two weeks that a communication of assignments and due dates is important to you. Therefore, I will do my best to keep you all as updated as possible.
One important due date coming up is your child's November Book Project. This assignment is due This Monday, December 2nd. Your child was assigned a "free choice" to show the underlying themes or lessons in a Realistic Fiction book. Themes can include: the author's message, a lesson learned by the character, problems or the solutions to a character's problems that are apparent in the book. Students can show this understanding in any way that fits them, there are several suggestions in the assignment packet in the reading section of your child's binder.
I have said many times this year: I would rather your child turn in a quality project late, than a sloppy project on time. If this book report was "news," then I recognize that they may not have a book read and a project done by Monday. I do expect that these projects show care and effort. It is highly recommended that these projects be worked on in little pieces at home throughout the month.
As always, please feel free to contact me with questions.
Regards,
Mrs. Hart
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Important Information for BizTown, and Classroom Procedures
Good Afternoon Parents!
First, let me thank our team of party planners for such a fun Harry Potter Harvest Party last Thursday! This was the 4th year that I have had a Harry Potter party in my classroom, and every year they are just as exciting and fun for all involved. Thank you for all of your contributions and for everyone who volunteered their time to help out!
I have a lot of important pieces of information and reminders:
1) BizTown is THIS MONDAY.
a) Please have your child to school starting at 8:05, but no later than 8:30am. (If you are chaperoning this trip, some of our 5th grade teachers (myself included) will be at school early enough to supervise those students so that you can carpool down to Auburn ahead of time.)
b) There is a chance that our coaches will arrive back to Bear Creek after the school buses depart, in which case please have a backup plan to get your child from Bear Creek to home if your child misses the bus. Please also make sure your child knows of this backup plan, so that they are not worried about being able to get home. You will not be able to pick up your child from BizTown unless you are a chaperon and decided not to carpool.
c) Please send your child to school with a disposable lunch, and water bottle with their names on them. This way your child does not have to bring their backpack and can leave it at school. There is no secure backpack storage at BizTown. Student backpacks will be on a table outside of the general area, which means that it is highly discouraged that they bring any electronic devices or other valuables on the trip with them.
Please contact me if you have any concerns about providing a disposable lunch for your child.
2) Halloween Candy in the Classroom.
While I recognize the excitement of all of that candy for those who celebrate Halloween, I do not share in the excitement of having 23 hyper children full of sugar and stomachaches from eating all of their candy in my classroom all day.
My policy is as follows:
a) Candy is not a snack.
b) Candy is not a meal.
c) If students want one piece of candy as a treat with their lunch, that is fine.
d) We have severe nut allergies in this classroom. For the safety of these students, please refrain from bringing candy with nuts.
e) Because of these food allergies, I also do not allow students to share candy, snacks, or lunch with other students.
3) Snacks/Food in the Classroom.
a) Recognizing that there are times that students forget to bring a snack, I have started to provide snack in the classroom. If you would like to donate snack for students who forgot to bring some, please send me an email.
b) Please remember that your children are growing and might be needing more food to support this growth. While candy and sugar-induced stomachaches are probably the most distracting, trying to learn an empty stomach is a close second!
c) On a related note, if your child is packing their own lunch (as I know several in my classroom are) please check what they are bringing each day. While I am all for giving students more responsibility at home and at school, they still need some support from you in taking on some of these responsibilities. I say this because I have seen several students consider something small like a string cheese and an apple as a "lunch" when they wonder why they are still hungry.
4) Language Arts Assignments Due!
We have 2 assignments due next week:
a) Folk Tale Comic Strip - This was assigned at the beginning of the year, and while the date says it is due on Monday, once we knew about the field trip, I changed it to Tuesday, Nov. 5th. Information about this assignment should be in a packet inside your child's "Language Arts" or "Reading" section of their binder.
b) Reading About a Ballot Measure - Students have an assignment on their Google Classroom page, where they will read on this website about 3 initiatives on the ballot: Referendum No. 88 and No. 976, as well as Senate Join Resolution No. 8200. These are not easy to understand and students would benefit from your assistance in understanding them. Students should read any arguments for and against for these issues, as well as the fiscal impact and the background of the laws. We will vote in our mock election on Tuesday, Election Day.
c) Persuasive Writing about a Ballot Measure - Students' persuasive writing essays on a ballot measure of their choice are due by Friday, Nov. 8th. Students will choose a side on one of the ballot measures, and using their informed opinion, will write a persuasive essay, with evidence, on why they think this measure should pass or fail. While essay length mostly depends on the measure chosen and how much information they are able to get from their research. It should be at least 2 paragraphs long.
In other news:
- We are finishing up our first of 2 literacy pilots! I am sad that we weren't able to get another book club in before we have to give back the curriculum. If you and your child have had some discussions about the book club activities that we have done in school, and you have an opinion on the curriculum, please take a moment to take the survey linked here.
- We were fortunate enough to have Beecher's Pure Foods Program come to our school on Friday and teach everyone about healthy nutrition! Students learned about additives and processed foods, and how delicious something can taste when it is made with whole, unprocessed ingredients. We also learned about how nutrition labels can distort or mislead the consumer (us) into thinking they are healthier than they really are. Many students were shocked to learn how much added sugar is in so much of their food!
- We wrapped up our third block in our Math curriculum, and will be starting our unit on basic algebra starting next week. This was a very difficult unit for a lot of my students last year. I highly recommend spending some extra time talking with students about these concepts, especially if they are hoping to make another math jump into Algebra I next year.
I can't think of anything else at the moment, but please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Hart
First, let me thank our team of party planners for such a fun Harry Potter Harvest Party last Thursday! This was the 4th year that I have had a Harry Potter party in my classroom, and every year they are just as exciting and fun for all involved. Thank you for all of your contributions and for everyone who volunteered their time to help out!
I have a lot of important pieces of information and reminders:
1) BizTown is THIS MONDAY.
a) Please have your child to school starting at 8:05, but no later than 8:30am. (If you are chaperoning this trip, some of our 5th grade teachers (myself included) will be at school early enough to supervise those students so that you can carpool down to Auburn ahead of time.)
b) There is a chance that our coaches will arrive back to Bear Creek after the school buses depart, in which case please have a backup plan to get your child from Bear Creek to home if your child misses the bus. Please also make sure your child knows of this backup plan, so that they are not worried about being able to get home. You will not be able to pick up your child from BizTown unless you are a chaperon and decided not to carpool.
c) Please send your child to school with a disposable lunch, and water bottle with their names on them. This way your child does not have to bring their backpack and can leave it at school. There is no secure backpack storage at BizTown. Student backpacks will be on a table outside of the general area, which means that it is highly discouraged that they bring any electronic devices or other valuables on the trip with them.
Please contact me if you have any concerns about providing a disposable lunch for your child.
2) Halloween Candy in the Classroom.
While I recognize the excitement of all of that candy for those who celebrate Halloween, I do not share in the excitement of having 23 hyper children full of sugar and stomachaches from eating all of their candy in my classroom all day.
My policy is as follows:
a) Candy is not a snack.
b) Candy is not a meal.
c) If students want one piece of candy as a treat with their lunch, that is fine.
d) We have severe nut allergies in this classroom. For the safety of these students, please refrain from bringing candy with nuts.
e) Because of these food allergies, I also do not allow students to share candy, snacks, or lunch with other students.
3) Snacks/Food in the Classroom.
a) Recognizing that there are times that students forget to bring a snack, I have started to provide snack in the classroom. If you would like to donate snack for students who forgot to bring some, please send me an email.
b) Please remember that your children are growing and might be needing more food to support this growth. While candy and sugar-induced stomachaches are probably the most distracting, trying to learn an empty stomach is a close second!
c) On a related note, if your child is packing their own lunch (as I know several in my classroom are) please check what they are bringing each day. While I am all for giving students more responsibility at home and at school, they still need some support from you in taking on some of these responsibilities. I say this because I have seen several students consider something small like a string cheese and an apple as a "lunch" when they wonder why they are still hungry.
4) Language Arts Assignments Due!
We have 2 assignments due next week:
a) Folk Tale Comic Strip - This was assigned at the beginning of the year, and while the date says it is due on Monday, once we knew about the field trip, I changed it to Tuesday, Nov. 5th. Information about this assignment should be in a packet inside your child's "Language Arts" or "Reading" section of their binder.
b) Reading About a Ballot Measure - Students have an assignment on their Google Classroom page, where they will read on this website about 3 initiatives on the ballot: Referendum No. 88 and No. 976, as well as Senate Join Resolution No. 8200. These are not easy to understand and students would benefit from your assistance in understanding them. Students should read any arguments for and against for these issues, as well as the fiscal impact and the background of the laws. We will vote in our mock election on Tuesday, Election Day.
c) Persuasive Writing about a Ballot Measure - Students' persuasive writing essays on a ballot measure of their choice are due by Friday, Nov. 8th. Students will choose a side on one of the ballot measures, and using their informed opinion, will write a persuasive essay, with evidence, on why they think this measure should pass or fail. While essay length mostly depends on the measure chosen and how much information they are able to get from their research. It should be at least 2 paragraphs long.
In other news:
- We are finishing up our first of 2 literacy pilots! I am sad that we weren't able to get another book club in before we have to give back the curriculum. If you and your child have had some discussions about the book club activities that we have done in school, and you have an opinion on the curriculum, please take a moment to take the survey linked here.
- We were fortunate enough to have Beecher's Pure Foods Program come to our school on Friday and teach everyone about healthy nutrition! Students learned about additives and processed foods, and how delicious something can taste when it is made with whole, unprocessed ingredients. We also learned about how nutrition labels can distort or mislead the consumer (us) into thinking they are healthier than they really are. Many students were shocked to learn how much added sugar is in so much of their food!
- We wrapped up our third block in our Math curriculum, and will be starting our unit on basic algebra starting next week. This was a very difficult unit for a lot of my students last year. I highly recommend spending some extra time talking with students about these concepts, especially if they are hoping to make another math jump into Algebra I next year.
I can't think of anything else at the moment, but please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Hart
Saturday, October 5, 2019
October Fun!
Dear Parents,
Thank you for your patience through the district's "cyber attack" and all of the side effects of it! We have been very busy in class and I wanted to give you an update!
1) Reading: We have finished our first round of book clubs! Students were put into groups based on their book preferences, they read independently while taking notes on important parts, and met to talk about their books in their groups with me over the last two weeks. The books that we read were all related to the theme "Caring and Compassion for Others." While the books were on the shorter side, they had highly thought-provoking topics. Here are some abbreviated summaries:
The Harmonica - This picture book is inspired by a true story of a young Jewish boy in Poland in 1939 during the Nazi invasion.
Kids at Work - Lewis Hine was a New York City schoolteacher who later became a pioneer and investigative photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC). Because of his photographs, he was able to help enact legislation that changed modern working conditions for adults and children as well as enlighten the American people about a troubling reality most had never seen before.
Half a Man - In post-war London, young Michael dreaded visits from his semi-estranged grandfather. Michael’s parents cautioned him not to stare at his grandfather’s scars, but Michael couldn’t help stealing a glance and wondering what happened. By learning his grandfather’s story about the war and its aftermath, Michael forms a special bond with him.
Iqbal - This book is a fictionalized account of the real Pakistani boy, Iqbal, who is sold into bonded slavery by his parents and forced to work in deplorable conditions at a carpet factory. He inspires his friends to dream of a different future and helps break the cycle of generational poverty and child slavery.
We will be doing a second round of these books before moving on, allowing comparing and contrasting between two books and how they relate to the theme of the book club.
This week we also started our "Global Read Aloud" book, Front Desk. Thanks to Mr. Parker, our librarian, for arranging for this program for us!
Yesterday was our first official trip to our little buddies' first grade classroom. We were supposed to read with them last week, but the "bearpocalypse" kept us from going. I couldn't have been more proud of all of my students. They were patient, helpful, and friendly to all of these very excited little ones. They listened to their little buddies proudly read their books, and helped them when needed. I loved seeing the "big brothers" and "big sisters" come out in many of them, and I know that Ms. Vandebeld's class was over the moon to have all of the attention.
2) Writing: We have started our persuasive writing using a middle school curriculum from iCivics. Students are currently learning how to construct an argument, based on facts and evidence, using a scenario that may (or may not) violate children's freedom of expression in schools. Students are working on both sides of this argument, showing the importance of being able to see multiple perspectives on an issue. Later this month, students will be using these skills to write a persuasive essay on an item on this November's election ballot.
3) Social Studies: Related to this writing activity, we are also spending time learning about our federal government, the constitution, and the separation of powers. By learning about our federal government, I am hoping to set the stage to review about our state government in time for our trip to Olympia in February.
4) Science: I am so grateful to have one of my fabulous parent volunteers helping me prepare to start our science unit next week on Ecosystems!
One way that we will be enriching this unit is through the field trip permission slip that was sent home on either Thursday or Friday. This will be a **free** walking field trip to cottage lake park to learn about watersheds and the aquatic life that lives in them. Students must return this permission slip before our trip on Oct. 18th. If you need an extra copy of this paper, please email me!
We also did 2 STEM/Teamwork challenges this week! On Wednesday, groups worked together to move a platform with a "radioactive" 2 liter bottle (of seltzer water) from one place to another.
On Thursday and Friday, students were given a very limited amount of supplies to design a tool that could help scientists deliver a small machine (ping pong ball) into the middle of a volcano (a circle of tape with a 6ft diameter with a paper cup in the middle) without endangering themselves by getting too close.
The ingenuity and teamwork shown for both of these tasks was highly commendable! Almost all of the teams were successful, and those that weren't were so close! I have to give kudos to all for being good sports through it all by staying kind and supportive to everyone inside and out of their own teams.
5) Math: In math we finished up our unit on computation of fractions and decimals, and have started learning about adding and subtracting negative numbers.
Their Block 1 tests are not yet fully graded, and will be sent home as soon as they are. I try to be prompt on returning math tests, however, my substitute on Monday (though trying to be helpful!) took in upon themselves to partially grade the tests, and it has made my own grading of them rather slow-going.
A few things I did not get to go over during curriculum night regarding math tests:
- Once tests are graded, they will have a cover sheet attached to them with your child's score and space for you to write any comments you might have.
- These tests and cover sheets need to be returned by the following Monday, signed by the reviewing parent. I reference these tests in order to be as accurate as possible on my report cards. If I do not get the tests back, then I am forced to generalize based on their overall grade, instead of their performance on each standard.
- I do not usually do test corrections. I feel it is important for students to work with accuracy from the start, and not rely on a second chance later.
- I do not usually do open book or open notebook tests. I want to encourage students to study and ask questions, instead of relying on looking up the information during the test.
All of that said, these guidelines are subject to change based on the unit and overall student performance on the skills.
6) Finally, we have also started our BizTown Financial Literacy curriculum in preparation for our trip on November 4th. These permission slips will be going home soon, and I will send out an email when they do.
If you signed up as interested in going with us as a volunteer:
- I will be sending you an email next week to make sure you are still interested.
- This email will also ask you if you are willing to drive a carpool of other volunteers, and if so, how many seats you have available.
- BizTown relies on parent volunteers to help set up the businesses before the students arrive, which means it is an early day for all of us. Last year I was happy to provide a classroom for all carpooling parents to drop their (5th grade) children off early while they make their way down to Auburn.
- Children not going on the field trip would have to get to school in another way, as we will also be leaving the school before the day begins.
If you are interested in going and didn't sign up on Curriculum Night:
Our portion of the list is currently full, but please send me an email and I will put you on the wait list for when the other 5th grade classrooms are finished compiling their own volunteers. If one of our parents is unable to go, or another classroom is unable to find volunteers, you will be in line to get a spot!
I think that is enough for one blog post! Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!
Thank you for your patience through the district's "cyber attack" and all of the side effects of it! We have been very busy in class and I wanted to give you an update!
1) Reading: We have finished our first round of book clubs! Students were put into groups based on their book preferences, they read independently while taking notes on important parts, and met to talk about their books in their groups with me over the last two weeks. The books that we read were all related to the theme "Caring and Compassion for Others." While the books were on the shorter side, they had highly thought-provoking topics. Here are some abbreviated summaries:
The Harmonica - This picture book is inspired by a true story of a young Jewish boy in Poland in 1939 during the Nazi invasion.
Kids at Work - Lewis Hine was a New York City schoolteacher who later became a pioneer and investigative photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC). Because of his photographs, he was able to help enact legislation that changed modern working conditions for adults and children as well as enlighten the American people about a troubling reality most had never seen before.
Half a Man - In post-war London, young Michael dreaded visits from his semi-estranged grandfather. Michael’s parents cautioned him not to stare at his grandfather’s scars, but Michael couldn’t help stealing a glance and wondering what happened. By learning his grandfather’s story about the war and its aftermath, Michael forms a special bond with him.
Iqbal - This book is a fictionalized account of the real Pakistani boy, Iqbal, who is sold into bonded slavery by his parents and forced to work in deplorable conditions at a carpet factory. He inspires his friends to dream of a different future and helps break the cycle of generational poverty and child slavery.
We will be doing a second round of these books before moving on, allowing comparing and contrasting between two books and how they relate to the theme of the book club.
This week we also started our "Global Read Aloud" book, Front Desk. Thanks to Mr. Parker, our librarian, for arranging for this program for us!
Yesterday was our first official trip to our little buddies' first grade classroom. We were supposed to read with them last week, but the "bearpocalypse" kept us from going. I couldn't have been more proud of all of my students. They were patient, helpful, and friendly to all of these very excited little ones. They listened to their little buddies proudly read their books, and helped them when needed. I loved seeing the "big brothers" and "big sisters" come out in many of them, and I know that Ms. Vandebeld's class was over the moon to have all of the attention.
2) Writing: We have started our persuasive writing using a middle school curriculum from iCivics. Students are currently learning how to construct an argument, based on facts and evidence, using a scenario that may (or may not) violate children's freedom of expression in schools. Students are working on both sides of this argument, showing the importance of being able to see multiple perspectives on an issue. Later this month, students will be using these skills to write a persuasive essay on an item on this November's election ballot.
3) Social Studies: Related to this writing activity, we are also spending time learning about our federal government, the constitution, and the separation of powers. By learning about our federal government, I am hoping to set the stage to review about our state government in time for our trip to Olympia in February.
4) Science: I am so grateful to have one of my fabulous parent volunteers helping me prepare to start our science unit next week on Ecosystems!
One way that we will be enriching this unit is through the field trip permission slip that was sent home on either Thursday or Friday. This will be a **free** walking field trip to cottage lake park to learn about watersheds and the aquatic life that lives in them. Students must return this permission slip before our trip on Oct. 18th. If you need an extra copy of this paper, please email me!
We also did 2 STEM/Teamwork challenges this week! On Wednesday, groups worked together to move a platform with a "radioactive" 2 liter bottle (of seltzer water) from one place to another.
The ingenuity and teamwork shown for both of these tasks was highly commendable! Almost all of the teams were successful, and those that weren't were so close! I have to give kudos to all for being good sports through it all by staying kind and supportive to everyone inside and out of their own teams.
5) Math: In math we finished up our unit on computation of fractions and decimals, and have started learning about adding and subtracting negative numbers.
Their Block 1 tests are not yet fully graded, and will be sent home as soon as they are. I try to be prompt on returning math tests, however, my substitute on Monday (though trying to be helpful!) took in upon themselves to partially grade the tests, and it has made my own grading of them rather slow-going.
A few things I did not get to go over during curriculum night regarding math tests:
- Once tests are graded, they will have a cover sheet attached to them with your child's score and space for you to write any comments you might have.
- These tests and cover sheets need to be returned by the following Monday, signed by the reviewing parent. I reference these tests in order to be as accurate as possible on my report cards. If I do not get the tests back, then I am forced to generalize based on their overall grade, instead of their performance on each standard.
- I do not usually do test corrections. I feel it is important for students to work with accuracy from the start, and not rely on a second chance later.
- I do not usually do open book or open notebook tests. I want to encourage students to study and ask questions, instead of relying on looking up the information during the test.
All of that said, these guidelines are subject to change based on the unit and overall student performance on the skills.
6) Finally, we have also started our BizTown Financial Literacy curriculum in preparation for our trip on November 4th. These permission slips will be going home soon, and I will send out an email when they do.
If you signed up as interested in going with us as a volunteer:
- I will be sending you an email next week to make sure you are still interested.
- This email will also ask you if you are willing to drive a carpool of other volunteers, and if so, how many seats you have available.
- BizTown relies on parent volunteers to help set up the businesses before the students arrive, which means it is an early day for all of us. Last year I was happy to provide a classroom for all carpooling parents to drop their (5th grade) children off early while they make their way down to Auburn.
- Children not going on the field trip would have to get to school in another way, as we will also be leaving the school before the day begins.
If you are interested in going and didn't sign up on Curriculum Night:
Our portion of the list is currently full, but please send me an email and I will put you on the wait list for when the other 5th grade classrooms are finished compiling their own volunteers. If one of our parents is unable to go, or another classroom is unable to find volunteers, you will be in line to get a spot!
I think that is enough for one blog post! Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!
Friday, September 13, 2019
Welcome to the first full week of the 2019-2020 School Year!
Dear Parents,
Happy Friday!
Your children looked about as tired as I felt by the end of the day today!
Our first full week of school was very busy!
We took our pre-test for our first unit in math, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well everyone did on their first pre-test of the year. The results of the pretest give me information about what students already know coming into a unit, which can help inform how fast or slow I teach the lessons. Our first math unit is a review of computation skills with fractions and decimals, and will be important for the rest of the year.
Students also participated in a week of high interest math activities thanks to the website YouCubed.com. The picture below is of our class's work in a game called Four 4's. Students must figure out how to create equations using only the number 4, and must use that digit four times to equal numbers 1-20. Here is what they figured out!
Students has a lot of fun and learned new and exciting ways to do math from their peers.
In reading, we are starting our year with a few lessons that promote inquiry and discussion in shared readings. Each lesson contains a very short, high interest, story that we discuss in a variety of depths.
We watched some inspirational speeches by child activist Greta Thunberg, which is starting our discussion around persuasive and argumentative writing.
We started our Social Emotional curriculum, Second Step, this week as well. Students will be (if they haven't already) taking home a worksheet that requires an adult's participation and signature before it is due on Monday.
During our daily Morning Meetings, we discussed brain science, people that we can trust in our lives, how we are feeling that day, and interpreted a quotation about how important our mindset is for dealing with failures as well as successes.
All of these activities are helping me get to know my new and returning students even better.
One activity that took a lot of time this week were our new adaptive diagnostic iReady tests. The deadline to finish the iReady math assessment is next Wednesday so that we can discuss the results during our afternoon meetings. The reading assessment isn't due for another week after that. These assessments, whether because they are new or because students are cautious and careful, took much longer than anticipated, but are almost complete. Once all of our data gathering is completed, we will have some more time to spend doing the things we love, like science, social studies, and art!
A few things that I need from parents right now, as the year is starting:
1) Please take a moment to fill out this survey about your child. If a student's parents live in separate homes, I would appreciate both parents filling out the survey so that I may get to know you all (and your child) even better.
2) If you haven't read and approved your child's Technology Contract, please do so and send back to school with your child. This allows for common technology expectations for all students, and I will not allow any children who haven't returned signed contracts to use the computer for more purposes than testing.
3) Please mark your calendars for Curriculum Night right here in our classroom next Tuesday, September 17th from 6:45-7:30!
I look forward to seeing you all, presenting on our year together this year, and answering your questions. If you have any burning questions about what we are doing right now in class, please don't hesitate to email me!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Regards,
Mrs. Hart
Happy Friday!
Your children looked about as tired as I felt by the end of the day today!
Our first full week of school was very busy!
We took our pre-test for our first unit in math, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well everyone did on their first pre-test of the year. The results of the pretest give me information about what students already know coming into a unit, which can help inform how fast or slow I teach the lessons. Our first math unit is a review of computation skills with fractions and decimals, and will be important for the rest of the year.
Students also participated in a week of high interest math activities thanks to the website YouCubed.com. The picture below is of our class's work in a game called Four 4's. Students must figure out how to create equations using only the number 4, and must use that digit four times to equal numbers 1-20. Here is what they figured out!
In reading, we are starting our year with a few lessons that promote inquiry and discussion in shared readings. Each lesson contains a very short, high interest, story that we discuss in a variety of depths.
We watched some inspirational speeches by child activist Greta Thunberg, which is starting our discussion around persuasive and argumentative writing.
We started our Social Emotional curriculum, Second Step, this week as well. Students will be (if they haven't already) taking home a worksheet that requires an adult's participation and signature before it is due on Monday.
During our daily Morning Meetings, we discussed brain science, people that we can trust in our lives, how we are feeling that day, and interpreted a quotation about how important our mindset is for dealing with failures as well as successes.
All of these activities are helping me get to know my new and returning students even better.
One activity that took a lot of time this week were our new adaptive diagnostic iReady tests. The deadline to finish the iReady math assessment is next Wednesday so that we can discuss the results during our afternoon meetings. The reading assessment isn't due for another week after that. These assessments, whether because they are new or because students are cautious and careful, took much longer than anticipated, but are almost complete. Once all of our data gathering is completed, we will have some more time to spend doing the things we love, like science, social studies, and art!
A few things that I need from parents right now, as the year is starting:
1) Please take a moment to fill out this survey about your child. If a student's parents live in separate homes, I would appreciate both parents filling out the survey so that I may get to know you all (and your child) even better.
2) If you haven't read and approved your child's Technology Contract, please do so and send back to school with your child. This allows for common technology expectations for all students, and I will not allow any children who haven't returned signed contracts to use the computer for more purposes than testing.
3) Please mark your calendars for Curriculum Night right here in our classroom next Tuesday, September 17th from 6:45-7:30!
I look forward to seeing you all, presenting on our year together this year, and answering your questions. If you have any burning questions about what we are doing right now in class, please don't hesitate to email me!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Regards,
Mrs. Hart
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Camp, 5th Grade Baby Photos, Testing, and Events!
Dear Parents,
First of all, I want to thank Heather Dean for joining us at 5th grade camp this year, our 5th graders had such a great time! I am so proud of the good behavior and hard work everyone put into these 3 days, whether they were at school or at camp!
I am so glad, however, to be back in the classroom with all of my students!
5th Grade Parents, I will be sending you a link to a folder for you to upload your child's baby/toddler pictures to for the end of the year assembly! Please keep an eye out for that in your inbox, I have 2 of 10 so far!
I want to give more compliments to the hard work that students have put into their SBA tests so far. Everyone should feel good about their work!
Next week we have our Math SBA tests on Wednesday the 21st and Thursday the 22nd, with Science WCAS on the following week, May 30th.
We have been covering Matter and its Properties in Science, and completed a pretty intense day of experiments yesterday! Students were testing several different powders to determine their characteristics/attributes so that they could correctly identify the "mystery substance." So much messy science fun!
In Social Studies, we are kicking off our Revolutionary War unit with some role-playing and research. Students are broken up into families, and while they will be learning about the Revolutionary War from a predominantly European perspective, we will be making some connections with indigenous tribes as well as discuss some parallels with British colonization and the libration of former colonies around the world.
Finally, I want to share with you a family event that is coming on Saturday, June 1st that I am SO excited about. Erin Jones, a former teacher who ran for superintendent of public instruction a couple years ago, is going to be coming and speaking with Delbert Richardson’s traveling museum, The Unspoken Truths in American History at our very own North Creek High School! You can register for this free event here. I met Erin Jones at WAETAG last fall and find her a wonderful public speaker and an all-around inspiring individual.
I hope you will join me!
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Hart
First of all, I want to thank Heather Dean for joining us at 5th grade camp this year, our 5th graders had such a great time! I am so proud of the good behavior and hard work everyone put into these 3 days, whether they were at school or at camp!
I am so glad, however, to be back in the classroom with all of my students!
5th Grade Parents, I will be sending you a link to a folder for you to upload your child's baby/toddler pictures to for the end of the year assembly! Please keep an eye out for that in your inbox, I have 2 of 10 so far!
I want to give more compliments to the hard work that students have put into their SBA tests so far. Everyone should feel good about their work!
Next week we have our Math SBA tests on Wednesday the 21st and Thursday the 22nd, with Science WCAS on the following week, May 30th.
We have been covering Matter and its Properties in Science, and completed a pretty intense day of experiments yesterday! Students were testing several different powders to determine their characteristics/attributes so that they could correctly identify the "mystery substance." So much messy science fun!
In Social Studies, we are kicking off our Revolutionary War unit with some role-playing and research. Students are broken up into families, and while they will be learning about the Revolutionary War from a predominantly European perspective, we will be making some connections with indigenous tribes as well as discuss some parallels with British colonization and the libration of former colonies around the world.
Finally, I want to share with you a family event that is coming on Saturday, June 1st that I am SO excited about. Erin Jones, a former teacher who ran for superintendent of public instruction a couple years ago, is going to be coming and speaking with Delbert Richardson’s traveling museum, The Unspoken Truths in American History at our very own North Creek High School! You can register for this free event here. I met Erin Jones at WAETAG last fall and find her a wonderful public speaker and an all-around inspiring individual.
I hope you will join me!
Warmest Regards,
Mrs. Hart
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