Post date: Apr 27, 2014 7:12:9 AM
Hello Parents and Students,
Thirty weekly newsletters ago I began to communicate to you the depth of the appreciation I felt being a part of DCS and having the honor of working with great kids, families, and teachers. As this year winds down I still feel that same gratitude, but to an even higher degree. This past week provided yet another great boost in energy and enthusiasm for me. There are only 38 schooldays left, y'know?!
Recap of the Week
Science: This was the first of 3 weeks that we will spend on the supply systems -- those that provide your body with the ingredients for the "burning" going on at a cellular level (respiration, digestion, circulation, excretion). Early in the week the kids learned about the mechanics of breathing, the anatomical structures involved in the air path, and the gas exchange processes in the alveoli of the lungs and the myriad cells of the entire body. For the last two days of the week I had them draw diagrams and take notes as I explained various aspects of the circulatory system. If you have a chance, please ask them to relate to you what they've learned about the parts of the heart, the various types of vessels, and the types and components of blood. This is great stuff and I think that they are learning a lot. Also, hopefully your kid has reviewed with your their unit 9 (Bone, Muscle, Skin) packet.
English: This week was all about InfoGraphics -- a recently-popularized method of communicating information that utilizes graphics and design strategies. The kids have already analyzed many and started one of their own. During the second half of the week I asked them to find an interesting InfoGraphic and convey the same information in three-paragraph essay form. Those essays are slow in the making and only a few kids had them ready for review on Friday when the book club parents were available to help them improve their writing.
Social Studies: Jennie Hare is doing great things with the room 19 and 25 kids in their current social studies unit. They've had some interactive lessons/experiences and some more traditional note-taking times as well. Ask your kid about the art comparisons, the city-state trading and the science experiment. The science experiment tied into the questions raised by humanism. (The ideas of studying the classics, including architecture and asking, how are things made and what makes something beautiful - basically form vs. function.)
Next week they'll be practicing observation and have opportunity to show vs. tell with their writing. In addition, they will start a project related to the Renaissance. By Thursday, they should have a good idea of due date, depending on our efficiency and complexity of topic areas. (copied from Jennie Hare's email to me).
Rant: Speaking of delays in assignment completion (as I did in the English paragraph above), I have to rant a bit here: Although daily assignments (usually in science) often come in on time for most kids, the multi-day projects rarely do. Only 4 kids had their animal book projects done by their self-assigned due dates, only a handful of kids have shown evidence of significant progress on their InfoGraphic, and a meager two people turned in the science expo write-up on time (Friday).
Rave: After hearing about the tragic family car crash in Cupertino on Monday afternoon resulting in the death of a McAuliffe third grader and critical injuries to her brother, I began to feel much of my attention going to the fragility of the gift of life and the impact of death on us all. Memories of my mom's death on Easter morning exactly 10 years ago and vivid memories of various other deaths in my life (including a 7th grade student of mine not too long ago), prompted me to bring it up as a topic of class discussion on Wednesday morning. I was very impressed by the maturity of the kids, their willingness to share and listen to each other's stories, and their amazing empathy and respect as they listened to me read some journal entries that my sister wrote about our mom's bout with cancer and the peaceful death that our family experienced together. The love in our classroom as I read and quietly wept was wonderful and I'll never forget the gift that befell us all in those moments. The capacity of so many of these kids is nothing less than miraculous.
End of Year Excursions: Mrs. Hare is going to be taking room 19 on the whole Walkabout on May 13 to 15, which means that I won't be absent from our class class for those 3 days! Room 26 will be on part two of their Walkabout the week prior as well. There is a possible all-7th grade beach trip in the planning phase and the date for that is June 16th. I'm also hoping to get a camping trip approved for our class. We'd go to the Graham Hill Road Campground in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park on May 28 then spend much of the next day at the San Lorenzo River, Railroad Camp, and Felton. I've done that trip with the GPS class (via public transit) and a group of last year's 8th graders and parents. Mark the 28th and 29th in pencil on your calendar, and please let me know if you might want to chaperone that great overnight camping adventure (I'll need 2 or 3 parents to purchase campsites with me so that we can get a cluster together).
Calendar:
Spring Auction -- May 3
Room 26 to Headlands -- May 7, 8
Room 19 Walkabout -- May 13, 14, 15
Sleeping Beauty Ballet -- May 23
Memorial Day -- May 26
Room 25 Campout (maybe) -- May 28 and 29
Last Middle School Dance -- May 30
Step-Up Day -- June 2
Talent Show -- June 11
Field Day & BBQ -- June 13
7th Grade Beach Day (maybe) -- June 16
Last Day of School -- June 18
Thank you for your constant abundant support, enthusiasm, and friendship.
Live!
Chris