Happy New Year & welcome back to school! I hope you all had a great break and you're feeling refreshed. I was able to spend lots of time with my family & friends, and of course, my pups. We're gearing up for an exciting winter, so I wanted to give you a quick update on what to expect in the coming weeks.
1/5/ - 1/9:
Students will be working hard to out the finishing touches on our opinion letter writing unit and demonstrating the skills they've learned in our informational text reading unit. Because these were "flipped" units, we have students working at their own pace, however, I anticipate all to finish by this Friday. With that in mind, there won't be any official "homework" other than Spelling City. I've updated the lists and posted the new words for this week through February Break. Math will stay as planned. :)
I'd encourage you to sit down with your child and let them show you the work they've done for writing their opinion letters. If they're a little behind, please help me get them moving along. I'm doing the same here. At this point, they should all be nearing the end of the unit. Some of them are having a hard time motivating themselves to transition what they've learned in the lesson to the actual writing. This is true for the traditional setting, too. Encourage them to watch the video over and take clear and concise notes! As always, 207-632-2668 if you need me. Open Office hours are a 7pm, so please take advantage.
1/12 - February Vacation:
We're going to continue with the flipped model. It has been AWESOME! However, I'm going to spread the videos out over 2 days versus 1 per night. I'm finding we need more time to apply the lessons here at school. Also, I'm finding this will allow me to work small groups on those off days. On the nights we don't have the videos, we'll make math rote skills, spelling, reading choice books, and blogging (or journaling) our homework. More to come later this week with a detailed schedule.
Post February Vacation:
We'll be gearing up for an awesome project-based learning unit that will turn your children into young entrepreneurs! We'll work as a class to create a product(s) and dive deep into the driving question: "How can we, as entrepreneurs, design, create, and sell a unique product that is financially successful?" I've taught this unit before to a group of 3rd graders at Jameson. Your kids will learn about the entrepreneurial cycle and get the chance to put the 4 C's into action in what is designed to simulate a real world experience. For example, the 3rd graders from Jameson created an ice cream with a local businessman. The students created everything from the flavors, labels, marketing campaign, sales pitch for a bank loan, to the final ice cream sale at school and on our website. It was a lot of fun and the kids really got into the project. Read all about it by clicking here.
Office Hours:
Remember I'm available from 7-7:30pm via Google Hangouts. Your children know how to access the link via Google Classroom. Please note, I'm starting 2 graduate classes online this semester, so I'm a busy man myself. If your child needs help that night, shoot me a text/email and let me know. I won't be signing onto the Google Hangout anymore unless I'm requested because of my crazy schedule, but I am always here and will make time for those who need me. Together, we can make it work & we can do more.
Thank you for all of your support. Please, don't hesitate to ask questions or for clarifications on the above or anything at all. On a personal note, I send you all positive thoughts & hopes for the coming year. A fresh year presents us all with the opportunity for new beginnings. Best of luck with both new and old endeavors!
Yours in education,
Billy
1/5/ - 1/9:
Students will be working hard to out the finishing touches on our opinion letter writing unit and demonstrating the skills they've learned in our informational text reading unit. Because these were "flipped" units, we have students working at their own pace, however, I anticipate all to finish by this Friday. With that in mind, there won't be any official "homework" other than Spelling City. I've updated the lists and posted the new words for this week through February Break. Math will stay as planned. :)
I'd encourage you to sit down with your child and let them show you the work they've done for writing their opinion letters. If they're a little behind, please help me get them moving along. I'm doing the same here. At this point, they should all be nearing the end of the unit. Some of them are having a hard time motivating themselves to transition what they've learned in the lesson to the actual writing. This is true for the traditional setting, too. Encourage them to watch the video over and take clear and concise notes! As always, 207-632-2668 if you need me. Open Office hours are a 7pm, so please take advantage.
1/12 - February Vacation:
We're going to continue with the flipped model. It has been AWESOME! However, I'm going to spread the videos out over 2 days versus 1 per night. I'm finding we need more time to apply the lessons here at school. Also, I'm finding this will allow me to work small groups on those off days. On the nights we don't have the videos, we'll make math rote skills, spelling, reading choice books, and blogging (or journaling) our homework. More to come later this week with a detailed schedule.
Post February Vacation:
We'll be gearing up for an awesome project-based learning unit that will turn your children into young entrepreneurs! We'll work as a class to create a product(s) and dive deep into the driving question: "How can we, as entrepreneurs, design, create, and sell a unique product that is financially successful?" I've taught this unit before to a group of 3rd graders at Jameson. Your kids will learn about the entrepreneurial cycle and get the chance to put the 4 C's into action in what is designed to simulate a real world experience. For example, the 3rd graders from Jameson created an ice cream with a local businessman. The students created everything from the flavors, labels, marketing campaign, sales pitch for a bank loan, to the final ice cream sale at school and on our website. It was a lot of fun and the kids really got into the project. Read all about it by clicking here.
Office Hours:
Remember I'm available from 7-7:30pm via Google Hangouts. Your children know how to access the link via Google Classroom. Please note, I'm starting 2 graduate classes online this semester, so I'm a busy man myself. If your child needs help that night, shoot me a text/email and let me know. I won't be signing onto the Google Hangout anymore unless I'm requested because of my crazy schedule, but I am always here and will make time for those who need me. Together, we can make it work & we can do more.
Thank you for all of your support. Please, don't hesitate to ask questions or for clarifications on the above or anything at all. On a personal note, I send you all positive thoughts & hopes for the coming year. A fresh year presents us all with the opportunity for new beginnings. Best of luck with both new and old endeavors!
Yours in education,
Billy