Post date: Aug 22, 2015 3:45:27 AM
Hello Parents and Kids of Room 25.
We made it through our first (half) week, and whatever typical trepidation I may have felt before meeting this great group has fallen by the wayside. After only 3 days of various activities and conversations, I am quite sure that this will be an excellent year -- one that can honor its position as the kids' capstone year at DCS. The diverse personalities in our class and the positive dynamics within the group(s) are excellent and I intend to take advantage of the tremendous potential we have!
Recap of the Week
The activities for the week all revolved around team building, sharing things about ourselves, and having fun being together. We did a lot in only three days, and some of the visible signs are graffiti-style cubby labels, charts of common and differential characteristics, the beginnings of a vocabulary collection, towers of well-used stacking cups, and the trash cans full of popped balloons. Communication, camaraderie, and confidence are all factors that I'm seeing grow as we play games together and learn to work together, educe creativity, and solve challenges.
Academic Calendar for Eighth Grade
The 8th grade schedule is a combination of homeroom time during which a variety of academic topics are explored, interspersed by a series of 6 intensives (two taught by each teacher) through which all kids rotate. Bonnie Malouf will run a 3-week literature intensive and a 5-week Civil War intensive, Dan Dowling will teach the 5-week chemistry class and a 3-week stories & poetry intensive, and I will lead a 5 week intensive focussing on the Constitution and government and a shorter (but even more fast-paced) physics intensive. I created this document as a way to visualize and plan things out a bit. During the sessions between intensives, each homeroom will be working on curriculum as well as student-initiated projects and educational endeavors. The idea here is that each homeroom have a opportunities to be independent but that there is a core curriculum that is learned by all 8th graders. We'll talk about this much more at our first parent meeting (date TBD).
Work Shifts
This is my 6th year at DCS and one of the things that is most unique and powerful about the school is the parent involvement and work shifts. It is really important to me that we find you a workshift that appeals to you, utilizes your talents, fits your schedule, and serves the classroom and student needs. Marcy Bates, our Class Coordinator and I met this week to discuss the various ways that I think parents can do their workshifts, and this page is intended to explain them. Please read about the 4 Classroom Helper Roles described on the top of that page and let me know if you have any questions. The types of jobs and the timing of the shifts is quite different from the typical scenario, but I am pushing the boundaries in order to create the best match between what you can offer and what the kids and I can benefit the most from.
Parent Presenters for September
Ok, here's a more detailed explanation of that odd request that I mentioned in my last newsletter: would any of you be willing to teach/demonstrate/discuss/play something with our class for an hour or so anytime during the next five weeks? While I can certainly keep the kids engaged and busy for a month of "all-homeroom" days (no selectives), it would be fantastic if a bunch of you could come in for an hour or so to do something with/for the kids. There are no constraints on the possibilities and so take a minute and let your imagination fly and let me know what you come up with. Check out this list of ideas and then, if at all possible, sign up for a spot on this editable chart -- there are 100+ possible times to come in!
Website Resources & Homework Page
In 1994 I built my first classroom website and, although the technology and ease-of-authoring has increased, the basic purpose hasn't -- I try to have all necessary information available and user-friendly. My current site is the current culmination of abundant content perhaps a bit overwhelming unwieldy, but there are a few spots that you should visit. The "Daily Schedule" page shows the detailed agenda for each day and the "assignments" page shows the homework for each night. There are pages about projects, trips, procedures, curriculum, assessment, calendars, and lots of other stuff (too much, actually) from previous years. I would suggest that once per night, parents and student look at the assignment list together to confirm that things are getting done, and that once a week you take a few minutes to read and discuss these "Coupla Things" newsletters. Deal?
Upcoming Events (subject to change):
August 24 (Monday): Math and PE classes start (our class has PE on Tuesday & Thursday from 2:10 to 2:35)
August 28 (Friday): Middle school selectives information assembly
September 3 (Thursday): Selective Sign-Ups for 8th graders
September 7: (Monday) No School (Labor Day)
September 9: (Wednesday) DCS 10th Birthday Assembly & Celebrations
September 10: (Thursday) 8th grade parent meetings (6:30 to 8:00)
September 12 (Saturday): DCS International (4 to 7)
September 24 (Thursday): Room 25 to Ropes Course -- if you would like to drive on this trip, please email Susan Raymond and/or Jane Hintz
September 24 (Thursday) Parent 101 at Westgate Church (7 to 9)
September 28 (Monday): Selective & Parent Workshifts start
October 16 (Friday): Teacher Learning Day (no school for kids)
October 17 (Saturday): Fall Festival
October 26-30: Fall conferences
November 11: Veteran's Day (no school)
November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break
December 18 (Friday): Early dismissal
December 21 - January 10: Winter Holiday
Quick Recap:
Great first few days
Kids do most subjects in homeroom but have a 5-week intensive and a 3-week intensive with each of the 3 8th grade teachers
Parent workshift jobs are varied and flexible.
Please consider teaching something to the class sometime soon
My website has lots of information.
Check the assignment sheet each night with your kid just to confirm completion.
Thanks for having such awesome kids and please click reply if you have questions, concerns, or comments.