Post date: Sep 09, 2017 7:13:40 PM
Happy Sunday, All!
Busy weekend for me, most of it on the road -- Santa Cruz (daughter, Olivia's, overnight beach party), Mount Madonna (looking for y'all at campsite... wrong weekend!), Gilroy (check in with granite fabricator), and Sacramento (pick up new refrigerator). We're down to just one kid at home now, so the 20 years of home improvements is picking up pace. Speaking of family, my middle daughter (Abbi) has settled into her first year of college well but it certainly is an adjustment for us here at home, and with her conscious effort to get active and involved. This reminds me that it really wasn't too long ago that she was doing her 8th grade year with me at DCS and highlights just how important it is that I make the best of the limited time I'll have with your kids this year. I want them to work hard, feel good, and have a really fun time (in that order)!
History: In addition to the daily current events discussions within table groups, most of the social studies time has been focused on Native American culture, past and present. To start, I read them a section of the textbook about geographical influences on their cultures and the kids also read some on their own and wrote questions on a whole-class document. There was also a John Green video on The Columbian Exchange. We watched the rest of Dances With Wolves, discussed Native American peoples, culture, and stereotypes. This weekend the kids are writing their reflections there-of. We watched a video about the government sponsored assimilation processes of the mid 20th century as well as one describing modern day reservation life (the daily schedule has links to those if you're interested).
Geography: After the US map activities and the kids' "Travel Plan", our next project in this area will be an investigation of a National Park (or similar). This page on my site has details and the kids should have completed phase 1 by now. I'm an enthusiastic explorer of our natural lands and hope that the kids get intrigued (and educated) about this as well.
Science: Our science got a bit more active this week as the kids each tried their hand at the apple preservation lab. This weekend they should have started writing up the lab report using proper format. This coming week will be invested in learning more about measurement systems and tools and delving into "dimensional analysis", a process with often poses challenges for some kids but is quite useful in academic and real life!
English: The "My Name" essay final products got turned in last week. I've started going through the bundle of papers that each kid was to save during the writing process and turn in (two on-paper edited drafts, outline, and brainstorming sheet). I've been pushing the kids to see writing as a whole process rather than just a "sit down and write until required length is reached" process, and that focus was uncomfortable/unfamiliar to many of the kids. I predict that our next go at this essay writing process (and not just product) will be somewhat easier (that next writing assignment will be a photo essay, by the way)
Parent Presentations/Activities and Invitations: These are turning out great! The kids have learned about India & Pakistan, chickens, coffee, pies, and advertising, as well as played card and board games. There are more great things to come (chart). I do appreciate the respite you are providing for me but more importantly, I value the education that the kids are getting, the questions they are asking, and the new interests/knowledge that may be triggered by your presentations.
Communication: These newsletters are lengthy and verbose, I know. (as Mark Twain said, "I apologize for the long letter; I didn't have time to write you a short one".) I use this weekend email as my main vehicle of communication with you and appreciate your reading (and replying!). Additionally, I'm hoping that each of you will participate in an anonymous text-message distribution list called Remind. If you subscribe (by sending a message that says @dcsrm25 to the number 81010), I will be able to text all of you at the same time, and I promise to do so only rarely and in time-sensitive situations where email won't suffice. Right now I don't have an entry for parent(s) of Alex, Andres, Bitanya, Bruce, Dominick, Elizabeth, Elliot, Jamie, Kiya, Panda, and Yaseen.
-September 19 (Tuesday) Parent 101 at DCS (7 to 9)
-September 14 (Thursday): Picture Day
-September 22 (Friday): Teacher Learning Day (no school for kids)
-September 22 - 24: 8th grade camping trip at Mount Madonna County Park (Valley View loop 1)
-October 2 (Monday): Selective & Parent Workshifts start
-October 16 (Monday): Room 25 to Henry Cowell Redwoods and Mount Hermon Ropes Course
-October 13 (Friday): Middle School Dance
-October 16 (Monday): Chemistry intensive with Mr Dowling starts (calendar)
-October 20 (Friday): Teacher Learning Day (no school for kids)... and Amy's birthday!
-October 21 (Saturday): Fall Festival
-October 23-31: Fall conferences
-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