Post date: Dec 21, 2011 7:22:48 AM
Happy Holidays HR 25 and HR 26!
With two weeks of upcoming vacation ahead of me, complacency set in quickly. The usual punctuality of my weekly email routine has given way to putting new shingles on a shed roof, putting drywall up in the mud room, and building a storage bench for/with my youngest daughter, Olivia. In addition to tackling my list of home projects, it has also been nice to get into the spirit of the holidays. Amy (wife) and I wrapped gifts today (kids still in school), decorated the house even a bit more, and built a whopping playlist of Christmas songs in iTunes. Oh, how I love vacations!
During the last week of school there was much accomplished as well:
English: The writing assignment of the week was the Gift I Gave essay. As kids get older, the magic of gift exchanges often inverts as they discover the great feelings that result from giving something great to someone special. I remember working hard for weeks at the age of twelve in order to earn enough money to get my mom a bracelet that I noticed her admiring at a local crafts store. That Christmas I really learned about the gift of giving. I am hoping that the writing assignment elicits similar stories or at least widens students' awareness. Similar to last week's "Composition Composition" I asked the kids to create an outline, then a first draft, followed by a few revisions, and then submit the final project.
Another ELA task for this past week was the completion of two book projects that were due Friday (no extensions this time, due to the impending end-of-semester). If my walls, draped with colorful and creative projects, are any indicator, these are excellent summative assessments of the students' understanding and analysis of their books.
Science: This was the third and final week of unit 4 on heat. One whole class period was taken up by a great NOVA video on the history and current investigations into heat and cooling technologies. The kids also "raced" to melt a cup of ice by finding the most efficient way(s) to increase its surface and facilitate energy transfer. As always it is great to see creative ideas, collaboration, and determination flourish during these hands-on experiences. The test for chapter 10 was a bit tougher than the kids expected and so I split the testing session over two days and let them write down a list of topics to study during the night between. I believe that any test best serves the kids when it is used as a teaching tool rather than just a grading tool -- identifying areas of weakness and misunderstanding and then working to learn them better, is an important purpose for a test. I have been encouraged and impressed to see almost all of the kids become more aware of their learning style and studying methods, and refine each as they've progressed through the book. My daughter Hannah, who is in her first year at Los Gatos High, is taking finals this week, and she has told me time and again, that learning how to work and learn efficiently is the best skill that I can encourage in "my" students. I hope that the text-reading, note-taking, studying, and test-taking routine that the kids are doing is providing the opportunity to build those skills.
Upcoming After Break:
I'll be doing a lot of essay reading over the break and that will give me some indication of what types of writing we will do in January. In addition to the usual writing, vocabulary, and grammar activities, I will also be working on speaking skills. Starting at the beginning of the new year, each student will be giving a 3 minute speech on a topic of their choosing. The art of effective oratory is one that is under addressed in schools and yet most necessary. I know that speaking in front of a group is challenging for many so I hope to increase their comfort level by giving enough structure to provide security and confidence, but not so much that I impede creativity or personal style.
Notes of Thanks, Request for Help:
The class celebration on Friday was a great success thanks to all the parents who contributed time and food. Thanks to Roseanne for organizing it and to Kerry, Kimberly, Debbie, Andee, Joe, Kimberly, Barbara, Elizabeth, and all the other parents who sent in food and/or helped out (I'm sure I've left off a name or two). Thanks too, to all the kids who brought in things for the gift exchange. Lastly, opening the generous and thoughtful gifts that were given to me or left of my desk on Friday was a heart warming and humbling experience. I thank you all for thanking me, and hope to continue to put my best work and heart into each day with you and your kids.
During this break I want to do some more work on the middle school alley waterfall and plant area outside our rooms. Yesterday I went to Peninsula Building Materials and talked the manager, Patrick, into donating another 3000 pounds of rocks to the school (it wasn't hard, he is very generous). Now, I need help getting those rocks over to DCS. Which of you wonderful parents has a truck and might be willing to spend a few hours with me hauling a few loads of rocks (about 50 of them, each of which is the size of a basketball) from PBM (Lawrence & Reed) to DCS? The rocks will be used as borders for the existing planted area as well as for an additional raised bed adjacent to the waterfall. Please let me know if/when/how you (and your kid) might we willing to help me with this project over vacation.