Post date: Feb 07, 2016 4:54:27 AM
Dear Room 25 People!
Today was a great day! I took Olivia to Metcalf motorcycle park and I enjoyed the new grass and crisp sunshine as she buzzed around the trails on the dirt bike that has been mostly quiet since I got it for her at Christmas. I also got our plumbing fixed (yay, no more early-morning outdoor hose-water showers at 6 AM) and pruned the now-bare limbs of the apple tree. While we were out doing airport and train station pick ups this evening it was fun to see the whole South Bay abuzz with pre-game parties and predictions.
Time flies these days and as talk of high schools and graduation begins to emerge I am reminded that my time with this group is all-too finite -- I want to make every minute matter! We have much valuable work ahead of us before these kids head off to make good on the long term investment in their own learning. Our job is to challenge them daily and push them towards their highest potential.
Highlights of This Week:
1. Target Topic Presentations: Every week each kid adds a new slide to their growing list of topics about which they are curious. For the past month they have also been learning a bunch more about a single "target topic" and presenting it to the class. Some of those have been great, but others have been lousy. I have not been very gentle about this. They should be much better at making an informative and intriguing presentation than some have shown. Three have been dismal, two mediocre, and three have been good or great. Your kid, if they have presented, should be able to tell you where they feel they fit in my brutal assessments. For those yet to present, please make them great.
2. Weekly Word Slides: We've been trying a variety of vocabulary strategies this year and I think that the current one has the most potential to give the kids the most autonomy as well as meaningful accountability. Each kid chooses one word each week and creates a single slide about it, and teaches it to the class. (here is set 1, set 2, and set 3). I create a quiz for each week. The kids, then, should be active in the teaching process as well as the learning process. The results, of course, are varied and I feel that they accurately reflect the student effort.
3. San Francisco Slides: After doing some research about places/activities in SF that fit the "history, culture, art, or stewardship" theme, each kid is learning about one of our destinations and creating a slide with the basic information. Next, they will create a cheat-sheet that they will use when they act as tour guide at that location.
Coming Up:
This coming week will be the last week for our class's intensive with Bonnie, as well as the last week of school before a week off. In science we will get into heat energy, and in English we'll finish up the interview newspaper articles and infographics. The social studies time will be spent, of course, learning SF history, geography, and culture.
The report cards for first semester will come home Wednesday 2/10. Letter grades are a big topic of discussion and difference amongst the staff (and parents, I assume). I'll include semester 1 PowerSchool printouts along with the other report card components, with the understanding that grades measure productivity and information retention, but rarely do they fully reflect learning, autonomy, curiosity, and maturity. While it is important to recognize the students' accomplishments, it is more important to recognize their individuality, catalyze curiosity, and facilitate the next challenge.
Last Thing: I still need one more chaperone for the SF trip, February 23 to 26 (or part there-of if we can work that out). Moira has volunteered but we need at least one more parent; I'm hoping that a dad will be able to work it into their schedule.
Here's that expanded calendar:
February 10 (Wednesday): Progress reports go home
The new skills-based report card is a big change from the grades-based report card and it is involving much more input from students and subjective evaluations from us teachers.
February 15 to 19: February Break
Chris & family headed to Yosemite or Ashland!
February 23 to 25: Room 26 Walkabout
Bonnie's class will do their version of the Cal Coast Walkabout, spending most of day 1 at Big Creek Lumber, north of Davenport.
February 23 to 26: Room 25's San Francisco Trip
The kids and I will plan each day's locations, routes, transportation, and teaching activities, but I really am hoping to get 1 more chaperone. You?
March 4 (Friday): Laps for Learning
Although the proceeds benefit next year's class (and me!), I'm really hoping that the kindness and giving nature of this class will get them into action.
March 14 (Monday): Pi-day math activities until 10:15 then we'll head off to Google for a tour and some first-hand exposure into the projects, products, and culture of Google.
March 18 (Friday): Staff Development Day
No school for students, great times for us teachers.
March 23 & 24: Evening and morning science fair exhibits
This year, science fair is split into two separate events. This portion if for kids to share their "trifolds" describing their scientific investigation. They did an "effect of this on that" experiment in the fall, and this round has wider scope and a more tangible form of reporting.
March 29 (Monday): Chemistry intensive starts
This time our class goes to Mr. Dowling for five weeks of fun science. His chemistry curriculum involves atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical properties and interactions, and the specifics of accurate investigation.
May 7: Spring Auction
Kate Nickerson will be meeting with the class about this to elicit ideas and plan out the process of making a great room 25 "basket" around a chosen theme.