Coupla Things v11 (11/1/15)

Post date: Nov 01, 2015 11:53:57 PM

Hello Rm 25 Families,

Time is short today so this email will be more succinct than my usual weekly blather. Even with the "Fall back" extra hour, I still have more on my to-do list for today than I have time to get done.

1. Conferences: From slow and uneventful to emotional and intense, the conferences were a good experience. I really valued our indivudual times together and appreciate the candor and glimpse into family dynamics. Almost ever kid participated sincerely and evenly, showing great poise and maturity. There were belly-laugh moments, tearful moments, and the gamut inbetween.

2. Assignment Completion: I have an unsettling feeling that there is an unhealthy disparity between the level of effort that I and parents are putting into missing or below-potentialstudent work, as compared to the level that is effectively invested by many of the kids. I wrote a bit of a scathing email to all of them on Friday explaining the issue as I perceive it and asking for a reply from each kid. True to unfortunate form, I only got 2 emails back and not from the kids that are even remotely culpable for the missing work issue I addressed. Put briefly, too many kids are not completing/submitting work and/or notfollowing directions accurately and immediately. It is becoming draining to me to have to cycle-back so often (and uselessly), so my new admittedly-calloused response will be to let the culprits "sink" or stagnate, as I and the productive/participatory portion of the class moves on.

3. Library Revitalization: Four parents have brought in bags of books for our library and the kids and I will be updating the inventory list. Mae and Christine will be sorting books by genre and I'll make shelves to better fit the expanding volume. It will be great to have a useful and inviting set of books in our room.

4. Walkabout Preparation: This coming Thursday I will meet with the 6 trip chaperones (Violeta, Leo, Janet, Kevin, John, and Diann) to plan out this trip into much detail. The kids have created and come to agreement on the car and room configurations as well as put a bit more time into their tour guide documents. Parents, please take a look at the various documents on the Walkabout page of my site, and also quiz your kid about their "docent group" topic -- each kid will have to be knowledgable and engaging while they are explaining things to their group of 8 at a certain location.

Calendar:

November 2 (Monday): Homework club starts. After school, every Monday & Thursday in room 29

November 5, 2015 (Thursday): Cal Coast Walkabout chaperone meeting (6 to 7 PM)

November 11: Veteran's Day (no school)

November 16 to 18: Cal Coast Walkabout

November 17 to 20: Scholastic book faire

November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break

December 3 (Thursday): Exploratorium trip (tentitive)

December 4 (Friday): Middle School Dance

December 12 (Saturday): DCS alumni volunteering at Family Giving Tree

December 18 (Friday): Early dismissal

December 21 - January 10: Winter Holiday

January 18 (Monday): No School, MLK day

January 26 (Tuesday):8th grade class photo

February 5 (Friday): Semester 1 ends

February 6 (Saturday): DCS 10 Year Celebration

February 15 to 19: February Break

March 18 (Friday): Staff Development Day