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Post date: Nov 04, 2017 11:10:24 PM
Happy Saturday Everyone,
I hope that this email finds you all in great spirits and amidst rewarding endeavors. It is cleaning and winter-prep weekend here in our neighborhood and I'm enjoying time outside between rain showers. Amy is in SF at a music recital today and she says that it is sunny and beautiful there.
1. Cal Coast Walkabout: From three weeks out, the invariably inaccurate weather forecast for the coast shows temperatures in the low 60s, so I'll be adding some cold/wet weather items to the packing list, which is one of the many documents embedded onto the walkabout page. Over the past 6 years of doing this trip, the kids, parents, and I have planned out an ever-evolving itinerary which is specific but along the trip we'll be flexible and spontaneous as each situation presents its great possibilities. The kids in our class will be preparing for their tour-guide job and other responsibilities, so I think that this will all come together very well. Mona and/or Craig will be contacting you about forms and medications if necessary, and the 6 chaperones and I will getting together one evening fairly soon do go over details (Rob, Marla, Tudor, Marina, Marie, and Barbara). This trip can be a timely and important time for our class and, as odd as it may sound, I really am hopeful that the powers of our spirits and the blessings of nature can help us create the magic that is possible with a group like this in places like the ones we'll explore.iz
2. Living History trip to Angel Island is December 13 and 14. Bonnie Malouf is running this one, and so far we've got one of the 6 chaperones that we need on this 36 hour journey back in time. Please take a look at the information on this page and let Mona or Craig if you might be willing to go along on this trip.
3. Science: The five week chemistry intensive with Mr. Dowling is ending after this coming week. With an increase in the amount of homeroom time that we'll have, our physics curriculum will start on Monday the 13th. The kids will be reading a bit from their science textbook each night, doing a quick did-I-read-well-enough quiz the next morning, and then doing activities/labs that put the day's concepts into action. The first unit will be on forces and motion, and from there we'll get into machines, energy, magnetism, electricity, waves, sound, and light.
4. English: The kids finally got their name essays back with my comments and grade-level comparisons attached to the copy they submitted. The scores varied by only a few points and are less important (in my opinion) than the process that it took to build their final product (idea formation, organization, drafts, edits, and re-work). The next writing assignment will be a theme-evidence essay that we'll probably start in January.
The book club discussions on Mondays are sometimes being limited (hindered) by kids who aren't keeping up with the reading schedule created by each group and/or weekly responsibilities/roles. Parents, please help us out is this regard by checking in with your kid over the weekends and assuring that they are up to speed.
5. Social Studies: The kids did an each-one-teach-one about the branches of government this week and I gave them a quiz on Friday. It asked the kids to repeat the quiz until they got a perfect score and I was surprised how many tries it took and moreover, that most kids didn't get 100% to start with. I suspect that too many kids didn't live up to their responsibility to learn lots about their branch, teach it to their partners, and assure that they had a good understanding.
6. IDK Project: I explained this idea to some of you during conferences and to the whole class on Wednesday. Essentially, the kids are each choosing a topic of very high personal interest and 'get into it'. This will involve stating some initial questions, starting online research, and then drawing a flowchart that document/guides their inquiry. I'll push most kids to find information in ways beyond online research -- perhaps doing a phone interview with a subject-area expert, or maybe even building something related to their topic. We'll see.
7. Student Spacecraft Experiment Program: Samek, Adi, Lance, and Netta have submitted a project entitled "Cancer Cells in Space". I applaud their diligence and determination and I'm eager to support them as the experiment takes shape and evolves as necessary.
8. Calendar
-October 30-November 3: Spirit Week
-October 31 (Tuesday): Halloween Parade
-October 23-31: Fall conferences (sign-up chart)
-November 9 (Thursday): Principal Perry's Potter Movie Night!!!
-November 10 (Friday): Veteran's Day (no school)
-November 20-24: Thanksgiving Break (all week)
-November 27-29 (Monday to Wednesday): CalCoast Walkabout
-December 1: Middle School Dance
-December 13-14: Angel Island "Living History" overnight with Bonnie
-December 23 - January 14: Winter break
-January 24 (Wednesday): 8th Grade Panoramic Photo
-January 26 (Friday): End of first semester
9. Student Newsletter Article: Bruce Holley on Magic: The Gathering at DCS (copied below)
Magic: The Gathering at DCS
by Bruce Holley
At our school, Discovery, there are many things you can do at recess or lunch. One of these things is Magic The Gathering, and I, Bruce Holley, like to play the game myself. If you were to walk onto DCS at lunch, you would probably find a group of kids playing Magic.
Magic: The Gathering was a game created by Richard Garfield, first published in 1993, and was the first trading card game produced. Magic The Gathering is another trading card game like Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon, where you can collect and trade cards to play games with them. In Magic, the goal of the game is simple; to defeat the other player. There are different variations of the game, but most people I know, myself included, play the same way. First, you have to make or get a deck to play with. Second, you need someone else with their own deck to play (and it could be multiple other people). You can also get a 20 sided die for keeping track of your health, because you start with 20 health. The individual cards have their own unique abilities, but all cards have an attack power, and you attack with that to deal damage.
If you want to play Magic, it’s not hard to get involved. When I started playing magic, I originally just played with my friend’s deck until I got my own. At DCS, I know a group of people who play magic under the tree in the middle of middle school alley. However, if you just want to get your own deck and not borrow anyone else’s, there are many places where you can get cards. My first deck was a Gideon deck I got at a local comic shop. If you want to start, I recommend getting a premade deck and playing a bit before attempting to make your own deck, because making your own deck isn’t so easy.
Some people at DCS have played for a few years, while others have played just for a couple of months. It’s popularity spreads quickly among friends. My friend Simon showed me how to play and let me play with his deck, and then I showed some of my other friends it they started to play to. Some people play sometimes just because it’s their time to be social. Adi, a person who doesn’t usually play Magic, said “I haven’t had any interest in playing and buying cards, but if my friends are playing, I’ll play.” Some people said “They’re nerds,” or, “They’re geeks,” but then went on to talk about how they wish they could learn to play too. Everybody I interviewed knew what Magic: The Gathering was, and it makes me happy that more people are knowledgable of this game.
While Magic is a fun game, people might wonder why students might choose Magic over other things at recess. After all, it’s their free time to do anything, so why choose Magic? “Because it’s fun,” said Andres, a person who plays often. As a player myself, I agree that’s it’s definitely a fun game, and it’s a chance to bond with your friends. However, Benjamin, also an 8th grader at DCS, said, “Recess is boring because all people do is talk”. Benjamin said that he plays about once a week, and plays a lot of board games. Of all the players that I interviewed who play, all agreed that more people should try it out. So, altogether, I think people generally like to play Magic because it’s a fun game and better than other things at recess.
In the end, Magic: The Gathering may just be another fun thing to play in your free time, but I think that everyone should at least try it. If they have any friends who play, I suggest that they try playing it with them. You’d be surprised; more people play than you think. Plus, even if you don’t like to play it all the time, I think it’s just fun to play with your friends.
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