Winter 2021
Hello Escalante Families!
Well, I don't know about all of you, but this has not only been year to remember, but a Winter to remember! Where did December and January go? I just received the last of my Christmas packages that were supposed to be delivered December 15th! And, how can it be February 22nd already!!! I kind of let this "blog" go the past few months because I've been in contact with almost all of you via weekly updates and/or phone calls (something had to give!). I will try to keep up with it better moving forward . . .
But, to try and reach everybody, here's some news and information to fill-in any gaps:
We are in the middle of our Humanities Unit which incorporates the subjects of Reading, Writing and Social Studies and focuses on the three characters in the historical fiction story Refugee by Alan Gratz. I personally love this idea of joining forces in the subject areas because it reinforces the subject matter and "lightens" the load on kids by keeping learning centered on one subject. The whole class and small group conversations have been amazing to see and hear as each kid brings their personal knowledge, history and passion to the three different characters, their conflicts and time periods. It's so natural for me to start a conversation with them about Hitler and the Holocaust and then sit back and listen as they segue into serious conversations about Castro's Cuba and al Assad's Syria--the kids can't believe that Syria is still in the midst of a Civil War, or that al Assad is still alive after all he has done to his people. Their angst is obvious as they share deep feelings and indignation at the atrocities that we, as a WORLD, have said would never allow to happen again (after the Holocaust), yet they are still occurring every day in Syria. They have been engaging in Interactive Read Alouds, working to write a Literary Essay on Character, and researching the social, economical and historical aspects of the geography involved in the story/time periods.
In Math we are in the middle of a unit on Ratios. Funny how much we forget about fractions . . . The kids are getting so much better at utilizing the DreamBox platform to improve their Math skills--to remind you, this is a program that "learns" each students' strengths and weaknesses and adjusts to their needs. So, the more they work with the program, the better they fill in their own achievement gaps!
In Science, we have been studying the effects of Climate Change on our World and to us personally. I know many of you helped them complete the "Carbon Footprint" survey a few weeks ago. It was truly an eye-opener for me to see how much of a carbon footprint I leave--and I consider myself a "tree hugger" extraordinaire! I recycle everything! Unfortunately, that is only part of the change I/we need in our world.
Encouraging their DAILY reading and completion of their Daily Reading Log remains one of the most important things you can do to support them from home. This is a 30 minute a day, minimum, assignment. If completed correctly, they should be building their reading stamina from 30 minutes to 45, and then 60 minutes a day. Chapter books of at least 150 pages are preferred at the 6th grade level. All students should be at approximately 20 books out of the 40 for the national "40 Book Challenge" issued in September. I sent home "Praise Notes" this week to alert you on your child's status. Please keep them reading!
This is all I've got for now. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to me with questions or comments--and remember to include some glows and shout-outs! Perhaps some milestone your child has reached despite the times . . .
Take care,
Ms. Swensen :o)
A typical remote learning day for me includes losing feeling in my lower legs and feet for some strange reason . . . . LOL!
Teacher Bio:
I continue to volunteer on the Granby Ambulance whenever I can, usually Friday nights into Saturday morning 6p-6a. This has been such a rewarding part of my life for the past 25 years. Wow, every time I say that out loud it makes me feel old! But, I can't think of a better way to serve my neighbors, family and friends than by showing up in their time of need. Despite the pandemic, I have managed to stay healthy (mostly!) and safe--does wiping out on the ice in my driveway last week count? I finished the vaccine series and, other than a sore arm (1st dose) and some pretty strong fatigue (2nd dose), am still here!
I am known to cover the occasional shift in the ER at Sharon Hospital, mostly to get out of the house! No, really, I am grateful to give the full-timers some much needed time off when I can. It has been amazing to see how resilient medical staff have become over the past year. Exactly how many times can you reuse that PPE?? Thank you ALL essential workers . . .
My family and fur-babies are all healthy too, so what more can I ask for?
Be well!
:o)
November 2, 2020
Happy Month of Thanksgiving !
How can it possibly be November already? Hard to believe, but it is true. November has always marked the beginning of the Holiday season for me and my family--I love the Holiday season so much, I was actually told as a child that I couldn't start singing Christmas songs until after my birthday (which was 10/30), so I of course started the very next day. That was soon changed to, no Christmas songs until after Thanksgiving, so I of course started them the very next day! Now, I catch myself singing them mid-summer and stop, only to laugh and tell myself I can start whenever I want--no older brothers around to complain!
Grades close today for the first marking period. I'm a bit concerned that so many of my students have not been taking their education seriously this year, and many will be shocked to see that reflected in their grades. All I can say at this point is they need to start afresh this second quarter and start making better choices, start using their time more wisely and step up to what they need to get done each day, know where they need to be and when, and of course, take responsibility for their learning. If assignments have been returned to them, please make sure they are reading the comments I've placed in each, have them address the issue(s) and then resubmit. For those who have been taking things seriously, well done and keep up the great effort!
The biggest issue I see with my students is they are not using their remote learning time correctly. They are supposed to be up and working at 8:25 am each day they are not in school. They may not have to log into a Meet at that time, but they should be reading for at least 30 minutes a day, going back into the previous day's assignments and finishing what they started, checking things over and asking questions before they click "Submit" or "Turn in". They should revisit the goals that they set a couple of weeks ago in reading and writing, science, social studies and math, to see how they are progressing. We've been talking about how it is perfectly fine to adjust their goals if they aren't making the progress they expected. However, they should never want to lower their goals or expectations of themselves just because they didn't put in the work. Please remind your students that not only should they be reading daily, they should also be recording what they read and for how long they read. Students chose the reading log that they felt best suited them, so ask to see it! To help them improve their time management skills, I will be posting a daily "Online Student Agenda" each day for those who are not in school--please look for it in Google Classroom.
Our new special for the second marking period will be World Language with Mrs. Moskites. Students will get instructions on Monday, November 2 on how to join her class. They will continue to have gym and recess daily. Speaking of recess, when the weather permits, students will have recess outside, however, if it is raining or snowing, students will have indoor recess. Since students spend so much time on their Chromebooks already, I would like to avoid having them use them during recess. Given the nature of our times, students can't play cards, board games or Legos, like I would normally have them do. So, if your student would like to bring in a craft/hobby that they enjoy they can bring it to school to play with independently during recess. Now, of course space is limited and safety is always a concern, so I'm talking about drawing/coloring, puzzles, Legos, etc.; anything that they can enjoy at their desks. Please reach out if you have a specific question about indoor recess activities.
Tuesday, November 3, will be an online learning day. However, we will follow our same Tuesday schedule. So, Cohort B students should log on with me at 8:10 am Tuesday morning and we'll follow our regular schedule for the day. This doesn't impact Cohort A. They will still log on with me at 1:15 like they normally do on Tuesdays.
On behalf of the Media Center staff, thank you to the families that were able to participate in the virtual book fair. I know they're looking forward to using any proceeds to buy more books for the media center. Thank you!
Thank you in advance for reminding your 6th grader to read for at least 30 minutes each day and to record it on their daily reading log. It is the single most important skill they need to constantly build.
Ms. Swensen
Click the link below to be directed to the Parents & Guardians/Home Access Center
(Manchester School District web page)
Final Schedules for Cohorts A and B, Remote Wednesdays--UPDATED 10/20/2020
Swensen--Cohort A 2020-2021 Daily Schedule 2nd Q.pdfSwensen--Cohort B 2020-2021 Daily Schedule 2nd Q.pdf
September 2020
Hello Team Escalante Families and Students!
I am a 6th grade Cohort teacher for Team Escalante. This is my third year at Bennet, but I had been teaching for 12 years elsewhere in Connecticut, where I was born and raised--mostly. I have been an avid reader since as far back as I can remember, often finding peace and adventure in books--mostly to escape my older brothers--so I'm loving what I get to do every day for your child. I try to share my love of reading and writing with all my students and love sharing a favorite read with them almost as much as I love it when they share a favorite book with me! I have been a volunteer EMT/Paramedic for the towns of Granby, East Granby and East Hartland for over 20 years and love to share anecdotes of experiences with them--rated "G" of course! In my "spare" time I love spoiling my 30! nieces and nephews . . . phew!
Due to the complete overhaul of Learning I will be teaching your kids in the areas of Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Kinda a step-back-in-time for them! Besides the extra safety measure of limiting the number of people they are exposed to (and expose!), this also lightens their load in terms of how many teachers they need to "report to" each day, whether in-school or during remote times. Although I have been primarily teaching ELA the past several years, I have previously taught all the subjects listed--and some not listed--Basic Spanish, Humanities (CPR & First Aid), and am looking forward to catching up and refreshing my learning in each area. As a career learner, I see this as an opportunity to increase my knowledge too!
There will be five Google Classrooms, one for each subject listed above, for your kids to check for assignments and notices. They will be walked through this process multiple times before being expected to manage at home/on their own. Please be patient as we are ALL learning to be even more flexible and creative during these days.
Once lesson plans are finalized and shared with me, I will do my best to post updates and important information for each subject area here, so everyone can stay informed. Please be sure to check in with your student(s) when they are working remotely--what may look like diligent computer work often turns out to be socializing and/or video game playing. I can't tell you how many parents told me last winter/spring how their child was working on an assignment for "all day" and still didn't finish or understand it, only to find out they hadn't even put their names on the documents (we can see that through Google). Amazing how many attended our Meets the next days!
Finally, if you have any questions or concerns, or if your child does, please feel free to contact me. E-mail is best, sswensen@mpspride.org, and my number is (860)647-3571, ext. 70520, but a regular note works well too. I do my best to respond right away, but obviously classroom instruction comes first, so I may not be able to answer/reply until after school.
--Ms. Swensen