Post date: May 14, 2016 5:13:52 AM
In this issue:
1. San Jose Trip Recap
2. Scooter Donation Request
3. Waterfall Rejuvenation
4. Standardized Testing
5. Health Week Preview
6. Wave Unit Overview
Hello Parents,
Another great week has come and gone. This time of year feels similar to easing into fifth gear in a convertible cruising along the bluffs of the beautiful straight-aways of The PCH -- smooth sailing with those awesome views, coastal breeze, and sun-drenched skin. The kids are all so easy to work with as they have matured much and come to know each other so very well. Although not all of the work is getting done and in, most of the kids are working and thinking most of the time, and I've come to really appreciate that. 1. Take, for example, our recent "Scooter San Jose" trip; the kids did their research, planned parts well, and really were a great group to travel with. The cohesion and camaraderie are powerful! We toured the TechShop, scootered through SJSU and Civic Center, spread out to various lunch spots on the Paseo, and then cruised along miles of the Guadalupe River trail, with very fun stops at two parks along that way (Arena Green and Rotary Park). Friendliest felons I've ever hung out with.
2. A few years ago, and at a younger age than your kids are now, scooters (eg Razors) hit quite the peak of popularity. To me, their practicality still has the same draw -- they're a great way to get a group of kids around on local trips or even, in conjunction with VTA, for long trips. So, I'm starting a collection, hoping to accumulate a "class set" of 20ish functional scooters to store in my room (in the ceiling, of course) for simple and/or spontaneous use for trips. I've already bought one ($8 at Goodwill) and got a donation from a family with college-age kids. So, I'm wondering if any of you have an outgrown scooter that has sat idle in the garage that you might be willing to donate to school. Or, if you would be willing to keep your eyes open for that kind of thing if you ever see one at a garage sale or in a friend's garage.
3. At both of my previous middle schools, Kennedy and Peterson, there were wonderful outdoor "nature center" areas with ponds and streams. When I first got to DCS I missed the powerful effect of flowing water so much that I got kids and friends to help me build a small waterfall in the then-barren middle school alley. Many years later, it is intermittently functional and leaking water while running; as a result, I've left it turned off for almost a full year now. I'd like to get some volunteers to help fix it sometime next week. It will involve some tedious work carefully moving rocks, hand-scooping mud, inspecting the liner, and keeping the scope of our work limited to the time and space we have.
4. The standardized testing (formerly STAR, then Smarter Balance, now CAASPP) started on Friday. Other than the fact that our class had to borrow 11 loaner Chromebooks, it went very well. The kids seemed to be working hard to do their best and I honor their sincere efforts. This coming week we have another ELA test as well as math tests and science tests. For most kids, there are varying amounts of extra time that they need to fill between the time they finish and when the last person in the class finishes, so I want them to bring in something (not technology based) to do during that time.
5. Typically, sometime during the final weeks of school, the 8th grade classes participate some kind of "sex-ed" lessons and discussions. We've come to call it "health week" or "human growth and development", but that renaming really hasn't mitigated the intensity of the topics or eased the inevitable (and important) debates about what is important/appropriate/comfortable to answer and discuss. The parent meeting on Thursday evening was tense at times as I showed some sample student questions from previous years and floundered through my explanations of exactly how I foresee the discussions happening in our class and what I (and the kids) should and shouldn't talk about. I will do my best to give the kids a comfortable atmosphere for their questions and the information, including images, that is clear and detailed enough to be truly educational. Here is a document that I'm building and will revise as needed, based on your input, before using it in class. The topics of reproductive anatomy, arousal, sexuality and sex involve opinions, morals, ethics, and deep-seated feelings for everyone; I hope to help your kids to be comfortable, informed, and prepared for the onslaught of challenges that will likely confront them in the next few important years of their lives.
6. The final physics topic for the year is waves. Thursday morning Thomas and I used a taut rope oscillated by a variable-speed Sawzall to get the kids intrigued and informed about wavelength, amplitude, frequency, and nodes. It was amazing to see a 30 foot rope vibrating at 1200 rpm, with clearly visible standing waves, and observable in close detail. Other great topics for this unit include the electromagnetic spectrum, sound and hearing, light and vision. Useful knowledge and great activities.
Thanks, parents, for reading my long emails each week. It would be helpful to me if you could respond about item 5, the linked document (on which you can add written comments), and/or anything else.
May 16 to 19: Standardized Testing
May 20: DCS to Maker Fair
May 27 (Friday): Staff Development Day
June 1 (Wednesday): Talent Show (before rafting departure)
June 1, 2, 3 (Wed-Fri) Rafting South Fork American
June 6-10: Chris doing Google training for Hawaii public school teachers
June 8: Science Fair (design challenges)
June 13: 8th Grade Pool Party
June 16: Last Day of School