Dear Families,
Tomorrow is our free day at the San Diego Zoo. We will be leaving right after attendance and getting organized in volunteers' cars. Please remember to pack a lunch that requires neither a microwave or can opener. If you have a backpack, please put your child's lunch in it, along with at least two bottles of water. Finally, please remember sunscreen!
Tuesday, June 7th is our final Family Night of the year. A pizza dinner will be available from 5-6pm. Tickets can be purchased ahead with Donna at the front desk. During that time be sure to stop by our classroom to see your child's latest project. I'm sure you have heard about the Passion Project as the students have been so excited about it. They have written amazing informational reports, created Power Points, made dioramas, and designed posters to represent their interests. This is the first time I have seen students at this grade level create visual representations that vary from one another! Yay! Oops, I have trangressed- back to the Family Night! Christine will speak at 6pm regarding our new facility in Scripps Ranch and performances from our CAMPS program will take place at 6:30pm (Hip-Hop, Glee Club, etc..). I hope you will all come and enjoy yourselves.
Next, on Monday, June 13th we will be having our annual Field Day at Allied Gardens Recreational Center. Each teacher at IA has come up with a station for a field activity. Mine will be an egg relay race. Students will have to transport eggs on spoons to one another without dropping them. I need help with donations - we need approximately 10 dozen eggs, plastic spoons, and larger kitchen spoons if you can spare them! Please committ to bringing eggs right away, but don't actually bring them until the Friday before or on the day of the race! I also need drivers to transport children there. We will leave at 9:45am and return at 2:00pm, so driver's will need to be prepared to drive both ways. I also need two volunteers to help with stations - thanks ahead of time!
On Tuesday, June 14th, I have a graphic artist coming into the classroom to work with the children. Deborah Mori is Kainoa's mom and has generously offered to share her craft in our classroom. Children will be creating collage type pieces using their own designs and paint. If possible, I need a parent to donate 81/2" X 11" white cardstock paper for this fun experience.
Finally, on Friday, June 17th we are headed to the park for a picnic/playday!!!! A sign-up sheet is on my big table for food contributions. I would also like to have parents bring balls and ideas for games. This should be great fun as the children love the park. We will leave right after morning meeting and stay until it is time to come back to school for some stories and good-byes.
I believe that it is for now,
Kim
Arriving at Smith Ranch
Arriving at Smith Ranch!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Weekly Update!
Dear Families,
We are careening towards the end of the year and there are many events to know about!
Before I get started with the list, I do want to take a moment and thank you all for your acknowledgements during "Teacher Appreciation Week", "Mother's Day", and my birthday. Near the end of the year, everyone starts running "out of steam"; however, hearing your words of caring in person, through emails, greeting cards, and your beautiful children has been sustaining. Bravo!
OK, back to business! First on the agenda is student-led conference week. Monday, the 23rd through Thursday, the 26th are all half-days. School will last until 12:30pm on those days and conferences will follow. A sign-up sheet is attached to my big table at the front of the room. Please remember to bring your child to these conferences as they will give you a tour of their learning and of course, I will be there to meet with you afterwards.
There will be no school on Friday, May 27th due to a Teacher Professional Day and on Monday, May 30th for Memorial Day!
I am going to be setting up a field trip to the zoo which will be at no cost to students. The date I have in mind is June 2nd. I will need drivers and will let you know details next week. Mark your calendar!
Monday, June 13th is field day for all of I.A. Students will be engaged in relay races, obstacle courses, balloon toss (my station), etc...I need the following supplies donated: 250+ water balloons as every child at I.A. will participate, buckets to hold premade balloons - as many as possible, and volunteers to help run this station and make balloons. Calling all volunteers!
Finally, on Friday, June 17th I would like to have a potluck picnic in our nearby park! I need volunteers to sign up to bring entrees, salads, beverages, fruit, and desserts. It would also be nice to see some Frisbees, balls, and picnic blankets come on that day as there only a few picnic tables. I will post a sign-up sheet on my big table at the front of my room as of Monday, May 23rd!
In our classroom, students are working on writing a "Response to Literature". This is being closely guided by me and is based on a short story, "The Stranger", by Chris Van Allsburg. The genre is fantasy! We are also continuing to edit authentic writing by students as a whole group, and researching for our Passion Projects. So far students' passions are being presented by informational reports, power points, posters, tri-fold posters, and video. I have requested that all students interview an expert or ask an expert to present their expertise in front of the class. The kids can't wait to get started on their projects each and every day! Finally, in math your children are doing a fantastic job of converting fractions into decimals and percentages!
I believe that is it for now! Contact me anytime via email or in person.
We are careening towards the end of the year and there are many events to know about!
Before I get started with the list, I do want to take a moment and thank you all for your acknowledgements during "Teacher Appreciation Week", "Mother's Day", and my birthday. Near the end of the year, everyone starts running "out of steam"; however, hearing your words of caring in person, through emails, greeting cards, and your beautiful children has been sustaining. Bravo!
OK, back to business! First on the agenda is student-led conference week. Monday, the 23rd through Thursday, the 26th are all half-days. School will last until 12:30pm on those days and conferences will follow. A sign-up sheet is attached to my big table at the front of the room. Please remember to bring your child to these conferences as they will give you a tour of their learning and of course, I will be there to meet with you afterwards.
There will be no school on Friday, May 27th due to a Teacher Professional Day and on Monday, May 30th for Memorial Day!
I am going to be setting up a field trip to the zoo which will be at no cost to students. The date I have in mind is June 2nd. I will need drivers and will let you know details next week. Mark your calendar!
Monday, June 13th is field day for all of I.A. Students will be engaged in relay races, obstacle courses, balloon toss (my station), etc...I need the following supplies donated: 250+ water balloons as every child at I.A. will participate, buckets to hold premade balloons - as many as possible, and volunteers to help run this station and make balloons. Calling all volunteers!
Finally, on Friday, June 17th I would like to have a potluck picnic in our nearby park! I need volunteers to sign up to bring entrees, salads, beverages, fruit, and desserts. It would also be nice to see some Frisbees, balls, and picnic blankets come on that day as there only a few picnic tables. I will post a sign-up sheet on my big table at the front of my room as of Monday, May 23rd!
In our classroom, students are working on writing a "Response to Literature". This is being closely guided by me and is based on a short story, "The Stranger", by Chris Van Allsburg. The genre is fantasy! We are also continuing to edit authentic writing by students as a whole group, and researching for our Passion Projects. So far students' passions are being presented by informational reports, power points, posters, tri-fold posters, and video. I have requested that all students interview an expert or ask an expert to present their expertise in front of the class. The kids can't wait to get started on their projects each and every day! Finally, in math your children are doing a fantastic job of converting fractions into decimals and percentages!
I believe that is it for now! Contact me anytime via email or in person.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Weekly Update!
Dear Families,
On my last BLOG, I mentioned POLS being held on May 23rd-26th. Oops! What I should have said was that those dates are the week of student-led conferences. They are all half days, so students in my room will be dismissed at 12:30pm. A schedule for conferences is taped to my big table and ready for your sign up! Like our previous conference, your child will be giving you a tour through their current learning and afterwards, you can meet with me with any questions. In addition, Friday May 27th is a staff development day - so kids are off!
Parents, please discuss with your children what materials they need for their Passion Project (tri-fold poster, materials for a diorama, help making a video, materials for a book, poster board, etc...). These projects are due June, 3rd with many steps between now and then.
Please contact me with any questions or comments through my email or personally in the classroom
Kim
On my last BLOG, I mentioned POLS being held on May 23rd-26th. Oops! What I should have said was that those dates are the week of student-led conferences. They are all half days, so students in my room will be dismissed at 12:30pm. A schedule for conferences is taped to my big table and ready for your sign up! Like our previous conference, your child will be giving you a tour through their current learning and afterwards, you can meet with me with any questions. In addition, Friday May 27th is a staff development day - so kids are off!
Parents, please discuss with your children what materials they need for their Passion Project (tri-fold poster, materials for a diorama, help making a video, materials for a book, poster board, etc...). These projects are due June, 3rd with many steps between now and then.
Please contact me with any questions or comments through my email or personally in the classroom
Kim
Monday, May 2, 2011
Update from 3rd/4th Grade!!!!!!!!!!1
Dear Families,
We did it! Testing is over and I am very happy to say that your children did a good job following my test prep instructions.
We are off and running on some new projects that students are working on in groups. The first is a project in math called the "Earth in Numbers". Students are researching information such as the highest mountains, longest rivers, biggest oceans, biggest deserts, fastest insects, etc.....students will be converting kilometers to miles, hours to days/years and more. After researching, they will be creating charts, graphs, and posters. I'm expecting beautiful, collaborative work.
The second project we are delving into is our "Passion Project" Students have been asked to come up with 3-5 passions and are doing some minor research in order to pick their primary passion which they will be married to through the end of the year. Included in the project will be a five-paragraph expository report and students will be asked to create a visual explanation of the ideas they are researching within their topic.
Presentations of Learning will again take place during the week of May 23-26. These will be half days for students. There will also be a teacher professional day on Friday, May 27th.
On Tuesday, May 24th and Thursday, May 26th, there will be a scholastic book fair, so you may want to check in with your children regarding books they may want to purchase.
Report cards will be handed out on the last day of school - Friday, June, 17th 2011.
I think that is it for now. Please contact me in the classroom or by email with any questions you may have.
We did it! Testing is over and I am very happy to say that your children did a good job following my test prep instructions.
We are off and running on some new projects that students are working on in groups. The first is a project in math called the "Earth in Numbers". Students are researching information such as the highest mountains, longest rivers, biggest oceans, biggest deserts, fastest insects, etc.....students will be converting kilometers to miles, hours to days/years and more. After researching, they will be creating charts, graphs, and posters. I'm expecting beautiful, collaborative work.
The second project we are delving into is our "Passion Project" Students have been asked to come up with 3-5 passions and are doing some minor research in order to pick their primary passion which they will be married to through the end of the year. Included in the project will be a five-paragraph expository report and students will be asked to create a visual explanation of the ideas they are researching within their topic.
Presentations of Learning will again take place during the week of May 23-26. These will be half days for students. There will also be a teacher professional day on Friday, May 27th.
On Tuesday, May 24th and Thursday, May 26th, there will be a scholastic book fair, so you may want to check in with your children regarding books they may want to purchase.
Report cards will be handed out on the last day of school - Friday, June, 17th 2011.
I think that is it for now. Please contact me in the classroom or by email with any questions you may have.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Smith Ranch was fun!
Dear Families,
Thank you to all the supportive parents that drove to Smith Ranch on a field trip yesterday. The scenery driving there and in Julian was beautiful! The students and parents had a great time at the ranch and learned things like how heavy gold is, how to pan for gold, what the Pony Express drivers from that time were paid, and the type of rock to look for if you are mining for gold. They went into a mine in a mining car, listened to a letter written by a civil war soldier, and crossed a little pond on a rope bridge! A few of us stopped to pick up a Julian apple pie!
Please remember that California STAR testing starts tomorrow. Making sure your child gets a good night sleep, eats breakfast, and is here at 9am will contribute to a relaxed ready student. Thank you fo your help!
Kim
Thank you to all the supportive parents that drove to Smith Ranch on a field trip yesterday. The scenery driving there and in Julian was beautiful! The students and parents had a great time at the ranch and learned things like how heavy gold is, how to pan for gold, what the Pony Express drivers from that time were paid, and the type of rock to look for if you are mining for gold. They went into a mine in a mining car, listened to a letter written by a civil war soldier, and crossed a little pond on a rope bridge! A few of us stopped to pick up a Julian apple pie!
Please remember that California STAR testing starts tomorrow. Making sure your child gets a good night sleep, eats breakfast, and is here at 9am will contribute to a relaxed ready student. Thank you fo your help!
Kim
Monday, April 11, 2011
Welcome Back!
Dear Families, I have just a few announcements for the week! Our field trip to Smith Ranch in Julian is scheduled for next Tuesday, April 19th. At this point based on a few emails and what students have told me we have enough drivers. I would like if all drivers could send me a final confirmation email at kim@innovationsacademy.org. I have a tendency to be a bit of a worrier, so I guess I'm requesting peace of mind. We will leave at 9am and our tour starts at 11am-1pm with a break for lunch, so make sure to send a lunch without a need for a microwave. As I recall from my last trip, we sat on picnic tables outside. Also, only two students have paid for the field trip. The cost is $8 for students and $10 for adults. I would like all of the funds in by Friday - Please! California STAR testing starts on Thursday, April 21st. Students will test from 9:30am-approximately 12pm. The other testing days will be the following week at the same time on Tuesday,the 26th; Wednesday, the 27th; and Thursday, the 28th. On all testing days it is important to have your child at school on time - so at 9am. Also, please make sure they have had a good nights sleep and breakfast. Thank you As always, please contact me at anytime by email or stop by the classroom!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
This Week!
Dear Families,
This information was in my last BLOG and I prefer not to repeat, but it is very important that you are aware of our next field trip. We are scheduled to go to Smith Ranch in Julian on Tuesday, April 19th. It is a great trip because the kids get to go into a mine, pan for gold, and hear stories about the pony express (and more). I need 6-7 drivers for the trip. If I am unable to get drivers, we can't go. Please look at your schedules and email me about your ability to help. kim@innovationsacademy.org
On Thursday, the 31st of March there will be a family night from 5:30-7:00. Please join us as Christine will be discussing some changes within classroom teachers. There will not be a dinner that night.
Last week, after Biztown we (my class) had the distinct pleasure to learn about how to get out of the "Rat Race", instead of being in it. Patricia Koehler came into our classroom and helped me as well as all the students learn about certain kinds of investments. Please see the photographs of your children playing the game. We played the adult version of the game, but Patricia has ordered the children's version, which we will be playing next!
Your kids really have loved a method of multiplying called the Lattice Method of Multiplication. Through using this method they have been able to complete 3-digit by 3-digit multiplication problems. Here is the PROBLEM - if your child does not know his/her basic facts this easy method of multiplication is pointless. Please plan to spend at least 20 minutes a night on their basic facts. By fourth grade it is important to have these mastered. Thank you for helping.
Sincerely,
Kim
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