11-28-17 GBH Newsletter

Important Events (Always defer to the parent calendar on our website, if you notice a discrepancy.)

Secret Snowflake Exchange: Dec 15th (Presents must be there the day before)
December 18th -January 1st: No School- Winter Break

Reminders:

• Our classroom blog is: crsblueherons.blogspot.com  It has digital versions of these newsletters, as well as digital versions of the learning journal maps.
• Make sure your child has PE shoes every day at school- this is important for both our fun and our safety.
• Make sure your child brings warm gear and rain gear to school every day- we are committed to making time for being outside daily throughout the winter- whether it is PE, walks for biology lessons, outdoor school, garden groups, or lunch/recess.

Weekly Update:

We hope that your Thanksgiving was rejuvenating and full of love.  It was so nice to meet with so many of you for conferences this last week.  It is so valuable to hear from the families, and it is so inspiring to be part of such a caring, holistic, dedicated community.  

In the student run meeting the students decided they want to do Secret Snowflake again this year.  Please help your child brainstorm what they are going to give/make for their friend.  We will send more information next week, but here is a quick overview.

The large gift has to be made by hand. (You may buy containers, materials, and wrapping paper, and you can use things you have in the house.)  Children do not have to participate, but if they do, they should focus on trying to make a great gift for the other person.  If they make food, be very careful with dietary restrictions (or don’t make food for someone who requests no homemade food).  The goal is to keep the secret snowflake a secret (but not from parents).
The gift has to be there the Thursday (Dec 14th)  before we open them.
                As we discussed in conferences with many of you, we are very excited to be spending the next 3 weeks helping the children guiding them through projects to practice exploring passions, working as a team, solving problems, and developing concentration. We will update you next week on the progress of those projects.  For this week, here are some questions to ask your children as they are resuming being in the classroom community:

• Did you learn any new words today?
• What are you doing on your project?
• What is something that challenged you today?
• How were you brave today?
• Did you help anyone today?
• What made you feel loved today?  What did you do to make others feel loved?

GBH Learning Journal Map (Nov 27-Dec 15)

Great Blue Heron Upper Elementary – Learning Journal Map #5 (Nov 27th - Dec 15th)  

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3
Daily Challenges/ Morning Work:	Math Monday Challenge                      □ Week 1                      □ Week 2                         □  Week 3       Trivia Tuesday Challenge                     □ Week 1                      □ Week 2                         □  Week 3 Wordly Wednesday Challenge           □ Week 1                      □ Week 2                         □  Week 3 Thoughtful Thursday Challeng          □ Week 1                     □ Week 2                         □  Week 3 Finish Friday Challenge (Math Mountain)     □ Week 1                     □ Week 2                         □  Week 3
Project 1:	□ The type of project I am working on: ___________________________________________________ □ FIlled out Project Plan (and got it approved/edited) □ Completed Project         or          Abandoned Project           or                Requested more time
Project 2:	□ The type of project I am working on: ___________________________________________________ □ FIlled out Project Plan (and got it approved/edited) □ Completed Project    or      Abandoned Project     or       Requested more time
Math Workshop	□ Math Lesson: ________________________ □ Follow up  _______  Follow Up _________ □  Mountain Math  ______ - _______	□ Math Lesson: ________________________ □ Follow up  _______  Follow Up _________ □  Mountain Math  ______ - _______	□ Math Lesson: ________________________ □ Follow up  _______  Follow Up _________ □  Mountain Math  ______ - _______
Reader’s/ Writer’s Workshop	□ Partner Read the Short Story. □  Complete 1 pink card. □ Complete 1 Paraphrasing Activity.	□ Partner Read the Short Story. □  Complete 1 pink card. □  Complete 2 Paragraph cards.	□ Partner Read the Short Story. □  Complete 1 pink card. □ Complete 1 Holiday Challenge.
Organization	□  Conference                     □ Clean out Cubby □  Portfolio Additions        □ Reflection Letter	□  Conference                     □ Clean out Cubby □  Portfolio Additions       □ Reflection Letter	□  Conference                     □ Clean out Cubby □  Portfolio Additions        □ Reflection Letter

Extension:

Reading:	Books I am reading: __________________________________, ________________________________, __________________________________ Circle when you have finished them.
Project 3:	□ The type of project I am working on: ___________________________________________________ □ FIlled out Project Plan (and got it approved/edited) □ Completed Project    or      Abandoned Project     or       Requested more time
Project 4:	□ The type of project I am working on: ___________________________________________________ □ FIlled out Project Plan (and got it approved/edited) □ Completed Project    or      Abandoned Project     or       Requested more time
Project 5:	□ The type of project I am working on: ___________________________________________________ □ FIlled out Project Plan (and got it approved/edited) □ Completed Project    or      Abandoned Project     or       Requested more time

11/13-11/17 Learning Journal Map

Student Name: ___________________________________________________  

Great Blue Heron Upper Elementary – Learning Journal Map #4 (Nov 13th - Nov 17th)  

	Week 1
Literature	□ Partner read Minimum: 10 minutes every day □ 1 Pink Reading Card from the partner story.
Writing/ Language	□ Author’s Challenge: Write a 4 day narrative.   □ Do the language daily challenge.
Word Study	□ Do 3 color activities for lesson 2 in your color folder.
Math	□ Attend math lesson:   follow up date ____   follow up date_____ follow up date ________   Portfolio example _____
Geography	□ Complete a curiosity study with a teacher. □  Replicate the curiosity study with your group.
Independent Learning	□ One inspired elevated work that shows concentration and effort.                                                         Can be a SWYK, a research, a final draft art project, a command card
Organization	□  Conference                               □ Clean out Cubby                           □  Portfolio Additions                        □ Reflection Letter
My Goal/ Focus

11-14-17 GBH Newsletter

Important Events (Always defer to the parent calendar on our website, if you notice a discrepancy.)

• Conferences and Thanksgiving- No School: November 20th-24th
• Conferences: Nov 20th and 21st.  

Requests:Please read this newsletter and prepare for the conferences.  We are very excited to get the time with you, and want to make sure it is as meaningful as possible.

Weekly Update:

Next Week is conferences.  That means that this week there will be no reflection letter going home with this newsletter, because we are using our student’s reflection time to focus on  preparing for conferences.  

We are very excited to get time next Monday and Tuesday with each of you.  These conferences are very valuable and we appreciate everyone taking time to come and share insights and make goals to support the children in our community.  We love the relationship building from conferences and always leave the long days with a sense of excitement and inspiration for our children.

Here are the 4 goals we have for our 25 minute conference times:

1. To listen to insights from home and hear from families.
2. To share observations of student’s strengths and challenges so far this year, and present output in academics, self- regulation, and social emotional interaction in class.
3. To make a plan for how families can support the children’s specific goals and general progress, while discussing what we will be doing at school to support the children’s goals.
4. Discuss any questions, concerns or celebrations families have, or set a follow up time to meet if the topic is too large to address in the time we have.

You might be thinking (like we are) that that is a lot to fit into 25 minutes. In order to make the most of our conference time, please do the following 3 things before the conference:

1. First, look at the above conference goals and prepare any questions or insights you have. Be ready to share them with us.
2. Second, this weekend, discuss with your child what goals they set this week.  Get insights from them about how they feel they are doing so that we can compare that with our other observations.  
3. Third, please, read through the attached home support ideas.  Feel free to bring questions or ideas to add and discuss.

Thanks again for everything you all do.  This community has been so hard working and supportive.  The love and energy I see every day is inspiring.  What you do to support not only your individual children, but the whole community makes this place so special!  We cannot wait to have time with each of you next week.

Gratitude Corner:

Thank you to the parents who are helping with LEGO robotics!  We are excited to see the work coming together.

 Home Support Ideas

for Great Blue Heron Families

Important Notes:

• The importance of limiting screen time and protecting full nights of sleep (8-10 hours) are well documented.  Please start home support by examining those two elements of your child’s life.  If you are looking for a thought partner, feel free to discuss this with the teachers at conferences.
• Establishing a routine of a supportive quiet place and a consistent time will help students now AND will prepare students for success in middle school.
• According to Montessori philosophy (and modern motivation research), working with children to pick the homework and working together to make the plan is crucial.
• “Homework” should NOT be more than 30-60 minutes a night, because all other activities- family time, sports, music practice, chores (yes, chores), hobbies, activities, and unstructured time (without screens) have been shown to GREATLY benefit development as well.

MOST IMPORTANT: To help with reading comprehension, empathy, and critical thinking: Set aside 20-40 minutes a night to read.  If possible, make it a family routine; children want to participate in the life of the family.     Go to the library and pick a book to read together. Discuss it as a family after each chapter. Read Stories together out loud (or listen to audio books together) and discuss them- it is okay if the adult does most of the reading, but alternate and let the child get some practice. Read periodicals or listen to the radio together and discuss multiple perspectives of current events.

To help with passion, interest, and projects:

• Ask your child what their projects are and help them by going to the library in the evening, helping them search the internet and printing out resources with them.
• Discuss with your child what projects they are working on at school, ask them how they are doing on their plan- help them brainstorm if they are having interpersonal struggles or planning challenges.
• Ask your child if there are any supplies they need for their project or places they need to visit and take them on errands for what they are working on.  
• For the aspiring authors: Find a writing competition and enter it. Set deadlines for the project and invite your children’s friends to enter with you. http://imaginationsoup.net/2016/01/12/writing-contests-kids-ways-get-published/

To help build a strong base of math skills:

• Math Facts: Make and practice flash-cards and practice just one fact family at a time. Practice skip counting and writing the multiples out in different colors
• Play math fact games (like multiplication war or fast 10s).  There are many games possible for this (best if done with an adult). Reach out to Josie if you want some ideas.

To help with critical thinking skills and academic work:

• Use the discussion lists from the newsletters to discuss and process school work.
• Have your child teach you a skill they are practicing 2 times a week.
• Ask your child if they are doing any writing, help them edit and revise their project work.
• Discuss an issue as a family and write a letter to the editor or to your government.
• Plan and perform science experiments together as a family- practice keeping track of data together and using the scientific method curriculum card.