Post date: Mar 05, 2011 9:12:12 PM
Dear Parents and Students,
It is a beautiful Saturday morning and there are lots of things on my outdoor to-do list for the day so this is bound to be a short email -- you've heard that from me before, eh?
First, I have to share a bit of personal pride with you. My three daughters are in the Sunnyvale Community Theater production of the show Annie and I am so proud of them. I'm not much of a show guy, but this has been an amazing experience for our family. The show runs until 3/20 if perhaps any of you are interested -- this proud dad probably be at all of 'em! Tickets are slightly cheaper through the deals offered by artsopolis.
Recap of the Week:
English:
Round two of "Daily Edits" started this week and this daily routine has actually resulted in better writing. The kids seem to be more attentive to their own spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The book clubs are also going strong and many of the kids have chosen books for the next round (autobiography) and entered them into the form. Please check to see if that is done. Another activity was the "Common English Errors" activity in which the students choose one and teach it to five others. A week or so from now I will ask the learners to explain what they learned, and if they can then both the "teacher" and "learner" will get extra credit points. Lastly, I gave a quick lesson on idioms on Friday. The kids were familiar with many and most breezed through the assignment.
Science:
For two of the days I have the kids time to work on their element posters or shirts, which were due Friday. Many of the products I've seen so far are great and I'm looking forward to the next steps (a ceiling that looks like the periodic table, and the t-shirt fashion show). The highlight of the week was our trip to NASA Ames Research Center at Moffet Field. Bruce Felt must have worked very hard and pulled some big strings in order to give us the experience we had. The guides were great and it was nice to see some of the kids get really interested and intrigued by the mysteries and discoveries of space science.
Our next big adventure, which should be well under way, is the students' projects for the science exposition. This is a DCS tradition but one to which I am relatively new, so I'm depending greatly on the students' memories from years past. Most of the instructions and details are coming from Mrs. Stuart and her website.
Other Things:
Waterfall: The rocks from Peninsula Building Materials sat idle all week but the interest in the project is spreading. A few parents and students have offered their ideas and assistance. Today and/or tomorrow I will be doing the basic layout and perhaps setting the first few rocks into place. The next immediate need if for a few cubic yards of fill dirt, so if you have any ideas about where we can get some how we can get it delivered, please let me know. I'll call one person that I know who does tractor work and see if he might be able to hook me up!
Selectives:
The "Interest-Based Mini-Courses" that started Friday resulted from the 8th grade teachers wanting to make the best use of students' core time as well as the school's belief in integrated learning experience. The group that met in my room began their journey into the exploration of their exposer to and interest into the world of current events and controversial issues -- this is going to be a great experience for us all.
Woodshop students finished their toolboxes and then cut curves into the end pieces of their shelves. I've been visiting the Operations Manager at Home Depot a few times a week in order to secure the donation some rather expensive power tools (teacher-use table saw and impact driver). The next big (group) project will be the construction of our woodshop shed. Big plans ahead!
Have a great day -- maybe I'll see you at the show!
--
Chris Heumann