Post date: Apr 08, 2018 4:46:18 AM
Hello Room 25 Families,
Four Things:
1. SF Recap
2. Biography Book
3. Science Fair
4. Conferences
1. San Francisco: The planning and preparation paid off and things went mostly as scheduled, or as changed by consensus. The group was great and SF gave us her amazing, diverse, and eye-opening best! I'm not sure if the kids had much fun, but they hopefully learned a lot and felt independent and important to the process. There were times when I would look at the group and be so thrilled at the level of engagement and energy, and there were also (far fewer) times when I would get discouraged by their tendency to just sit and go on-screen when there was so much to see around them and do with each other. My most sincere appreciation to Pooja, Thomas, Sherri, and Marie who helped out in every way, held things together, and kept all of us on our best game. They and the kids made it a great team effort.
2. Biography Book: On the day that we return from vacation (April 16), the kids will be asked to turn in a two-part assignment regarding their biography book. The first part is a timeline of the "ups and downs" in the person's life, and the second is a set of 5 short paragraphs, each responding to a different question. They've had a long time to work on this and so I hope that no one will be caught off guard when it comes time to turn things in on Monday morning.
3. Science Fair: The eighth graders are expected to participate in the science/engineering fair by completing any one of the many choices of projects. Most focus on physical science and engineering and should be the kind of thing that the kid wants to investigate, build, deconstruct, test, assemble, and/or test to the limits. All the details are on this page of the school's science website (www.dcsscience.com) and to keep track of their progress, I'm going to have each kid create and share with you a personal progress tracking sheet. I've provided time for them to work during class time, and yet most kids will have to work at home as well in order to utilize the resources and create something educationally powerful.
4. Spring Conferences: During the week of April 30 to May 4, school will end at 1:15 to allow time for afternoon conferences. They are usually productive and enjoyable. The kids will show some of the work they've done and possibly discuss various aspects of high school or even intentions for the upcoming summer. To schedule a conference, please take a look at this document and sign up in a cell (let me know if you can't edit).
Calendar:
April 18 (Wednesday): Discovery Has Talent
April 25 (Wednesday): Middle School Science Fair DCSscience.com website.
April 27 (Friday): Bingo Night
April 30 to May 4 (Monday to Friday): Conferences
May 5 (Saturday): Spring Auction (Campbell Community Center)
May 11 (Friday): Middle School Dance
May 13 (Sunday): Mothers Day
May 14 to 17 (Monday to Thursday): CAASPP Testing
May 20 (Sunday): Deliver Goodwill items to DCS (9:00-3:00)
May 28 (Monday): Memorial Day
May 30 (Wednesday): Field Day & BBQ
June 1 (Friday): Final Middle School Dance
June 5 (Tuesday): School Musical
June 6 to 8 (Wednesday to Friday): 8th Grade River Rafting Trip Information is here
June 11 (Monday): DCS Maker Day
June 11 to 14 (Monday to Thursday): Early Dismissal
June 13: (Wednesday): Graduation! Practice at Westgate Church 9 to ~12, ceremony 5 to ~6:30, dance 7:30 to 10 .
June 14 (Thursday): Last Day of School & Chris retires
June 14 (Thursday evening): All 8th grade celebration at Saratoga Springs
June 16 (Saturday): Parent Work Day
July 8 (Sunday): DCS Alumni Boating and Barbecue at Vasona