Weekly Update

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

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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

JA Biztown was fun for most!!!

Dear parents ,

Please enjoy some of the pictures from our most recent field trip - JA BIZtown! Your children were so well behaved, respectful, and fulfilling on their assignments (overall) - I am so proud of them and you ought to know just how wonderfully they completed their job assignments! Yay!

Thank you to those parents who were there at the fieldtrip in the trenches with children creating successfull businesses (Rick West, Patricia Koehler, Debora Mori, Laura West, and Aisha Carpenter). If for some reason I have forgotten you, please understand it is not because I don't value your contribution.

We have another fieldtrip coming up on April 19th and I will need from 6-7 drivers. We will be visiting Smith Ranch Julian where your children will get to pan for gold, visit a mine, and listen to a great historian and story teller. The cost for children is $7 and for adults is $10. Please let me know ASAP if you can drive. If I don't get enough drivers, the trip will have to be canceled. We will leave shortly after 9am and we will start the tour at 11am. Lunches will need to be packed and the trip will be over at approximately 1pm. It's a lot of driving, but totally worth it. I took my kids last year and it was a great success!!

Kim

Biztown Update

Dear Families,

Your children have all been assigned their jobs and are now working in business groups (see photo). That means they are working in cross-age groups, determining business costs, writing advertising, applying for loans, and signing promissory notes for their company. Biztown is next Thursday, March 17th. Parent volunteers need to arrive at the Junior Achievement location by 8am for a 90 minute training. The location is 4756 Mission Gorge Place, San Diego, CA 92120. The phone number is (619) 682 5155. Students from I.A. will arrive at 9:30am. I would like all students to arrive at I.A. at 8:30am that day as we will be walking from I.A. to Biztown. All parents who are volunteering can drop your children in child care early and for free. I still need payments of $20.00 from those children who have not paid for Biztown.

In math, your kids are determining travels routes from Chicago to Los Angeles and determining the distance rounded to the nearest 10 miles as well at the time it takes to travel that distance. They are creating posters showing their work.

In writing, they are completing their autobiographical narratives (some are finished) and moving onto writing a piece based on one of their own interests. We continue to develop vocabulary through identifying our own interest words and some guided. Your kids look at context to determine meaning as well as synonyms and antonyms to develop vocabulary.

In science, students are crazy about AMBooks, an on-line science program. Stop by to see. The graphics are beautiful and the content engaging.

This week we also had the pleasure of having two guests in our classroom. Nancy Cox, an employee of the school district came into our morning meeting, read a book, and worked with the group on appropriate participation (see photo). Also, Patricia, Sophia's mom came in with the Cash Flow game (a game designed to teach how to get out of the rat race) and got the kid's prepared to play, plus started the game. She will be back next Friday to continue playing. If there any other parents who would like to come into the classroom and share your expertise, you are welcome!

That's it for now!

Kim

Updates!!!!!!!!

Dear families,

Your children have been working hard learning lots of concepts for Biztown. This week they will be interviewed for a position at Biztown and have had the opportunity to practice interviewing skills! They have also completed job applications and thought about their personal skills and how they might fulfill their job positions. Next, they will be working with their business groups during Biztown training, so that means they might be with me, Bill, or Jennifer.

Thanks to all the families that came to the board meeting tonight. I know it was a committment that required you being away from your home and I appreciate it. You are all such great parents!

Weekly Update!

Dear Families,

There is a lot of news to share this week. First, I want to thank all of the parents who helped with our field trip to the Microsoft store in Fashion Valley! I so appreciated the help getting organized in the classroom and during the walk to the trolley station and back. The students did a great job listening to the Power Point presentation, but the parent assistance during their Power Point creations was invaluable. Thanks! I did make a mistake on the trolley cost. I thought it was $3.00, but it turned out to be $5.00, so if you could all send in the extra $2.00, I can repay I.A.

We also celebrated Valentine's Day on the afternoon of the field trip. Thanks again to all the parents that sent goodies and cards for the students to share. I think they had a bit too much sugar!

Our next field trip will be on March 17th to Junior Achievement's Biztown. The cost is $20.00 per student. Please start sending your money in to the classroom. This event was a big hit last year and one the kids talked about for a long time afterwards. There are a couple of things I need help with. On March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd we need parent volunteers to come to I.A. to interview students for jobs. This is at your convenience and for only the amount of time you have to spare. We will pull students out of class when parents arrive for the interviews. They will be given assistance about how to interview and will have the opportunity to sign up for three jobs of their choice. By the way, please have your children dress-up a bit for their interviews on those days. Last year almost everyone got the job they wanted. Please stop by the classroom to see a list of jobs and companies. We will, however, be dividing the companies up between classes attending. Next, the day of the field trip, I need at least five volunteers to go to Biztown for the day. You will be asked to arrive there at 8am for training. Our class will arrive at 9:30am and as a volunteer you will help in the companies they are working in. Please let me know as soon as possible as your help will make the program a success!

Star testing for all fourth grade students will begin on March 1st. On that day, fourth graders will be engaging in the writing portion of the test. It is very important that your child be in school that day. This is an untimed test, but we are figuring it will take about 75 minutes. I have been working with your children on writing, but they may want to put in a little extra time at home practicing how to write an introduction, paragraphs with topic sentences and details to support it, and a conclusion.

I am looking for speakers for the classroom and want to turn to parents first. Many of you have skills or talents that you could share with the class. For instance, if you are passionate about a craft, type of art, computer skill, mechanical skill, specific topic in science, etc...I would love to make plans with you to come in and speak/teach the class about it. Please contact me at kim@innovationsacademy.org and let me know what you might enjoy sharing. You might even bring in a favorite age-appropriate book to read!

Next Thursday, February, 24th your children will be included in an all school photo for our yearbook. I'm just letting you know in case your child has something special he/she wants to wear or if they want to do something special with their hair. I forgot my own daughter's picture on picture day at her school this year and she ended up getting upset because of what she was wearing. Geez!

Also, just so you know, I will be out of class next Friday as I will be attending some professional development. We always have great subs, so not to worry - again just wanted to let you know.

We are starting to use gmail as a way for your children to type their documents. This means we would set up a gmail email account for your child. Please let me know if you are opposed to this. I will be sending a reminder needing a parent signature next week, so please check with your child regarding it.

Finally, in April, I will be planning a field trip to Smith Ranch in Julian. This is a very exciting trip and I will write more about it on my next BLOG, but you can ask your children about it now!
Take Care
Kim

BLOG Update!

Dear Families,

We have a lot of activities coming up and I will need your help on some of them:

1. On February 15th, we are taking a field trip to the Microsoft store in Fashion Valley. I need $3.00 per child and adult companion in order to make sure we have our trolly tickets to Fashion Valley and back. Your children will be exposed to Power Point and will learn more about how to navigate through Microsoft Word. We will leave promptly at 9 o'clock and walk the mile to the trolly station. The tour is from 10:00-12:00 and then I thought we would have lunch in the food court. Please make sure to pack a lunch as I do not want to be chasing students among the many restaurant food choices. When we return to the classroom, I would like to celebrate Valentine's day with some treats and cards from those children who would like to participate. I am hoping for parent participation regarding treats like cupcakes, etc...


We have also finished out first unit on Biztown and are on to the next unit. Your children have learned about the circular flow of the economy, philanthopy, free-markets, and scarcity. They have even had the opportunity to design their own product. For Biztown, we will need parents to volunteer to interview for jobs and also go to Biztown the day of the fieldtrip. This is an early committment (you start at 7:30am and must be ready to meet your children at 9am when they arrive). I can tell you from last year's participants, they felt like it was a wonderful and meaningful experience. I will be explaining more during our parent meeting this Thursday, February 10th, from 5-6pm. Please come and join in!
Kim

BLOG Update!

Dear Families,

Wow, can you believe January just raced by! Report cards went home on Friday, so please check your child's backpack. If for some reason you did not receive it and your child does not know where is went, I have all report cards saved on my computer. Please let me know if you need another copy. One of the parents that received the report card was surprised not to find more of the "S" rating on his child's card. Please know this is the first report card for the year and reflects where your child is now regarding the standards listed. We have five more months for your child to develop their skills. We are at a point in the year where I am starting to see growth in behavior with many students. For instance, I had one student who had a hard time learning how to raise his hand to contribute. Just recently, he has started to self-monitor and almost never "calls out" anymore. Also all students are tracking their participation in class. They keep a 3X5 card at their desk and tally how many times they make meaningful contributions. I set expectations daily, but almost all students are exceeding those expectations. Students who never raised their hand to contribute are now speaking up. GO THIRD AND FOURTH GRADERS!!!!!

All student have given their animal speeches at this time. Animal art is displayed right outside my room, so stop by and see their work.

We are also working on autobiographical narratives. I need red pens for editing - our next BIG challenge. If you could send your child with a red pen or if someone is willing to buy 20 red pens I would appreciate it. We have been editing the morning message since the beginning of the year. Most students can easily point out my errors. Now, it is time for them to start editing their own and other's work. For those children that are behind on this writing assignment, you may see some work coming home. I am also setting clear expectations on the amount of work to be completed as there are times when students are choosing to talk to friends rather than work on writing. I hope that is "OK" with parents. Please notify me if it is not.

You will be seeing some changes in my classroom this week. The goal at IA is for education to be student-centered. Children will start to be much more in charge of their learning and investigating their interests more than a curriculum that I set up. The room will also be changing in its configuration. Should you have any questions regarding these changes, please feel free to email me or stop by!

This week a lot of time will be alloted for the POL's I mentioned in my last BLOG. Students will be thinking and reviewing what they have learned so far this year. Each student will be required to stand in front of the group and talk about a content area and project that they have learned from. They have been asked to talk about challenges as well. Reflection is a BIG part of being an excellent teacher and I think the same goes for learners.

We are engaging in BIZtown lessons and will continue doing so until our trip in March. I need parent volunteers to interview students and go to BIZtown the day of our fieldtrip. I will be posting exact dates soon, but please think about whether you can contribute to this valuable Real-Life experience with your child.

Please send in $3.00 for a trolley ride to Fashion Valley and a fieldtrip to the new Microsoft Store. We will be going the third Tuesday in February and I will be setting the topics to be covered with a Microsoft associate this week. Finally - our first fieldtrip!!! Parents are welcome to chaperone.

That's it for now and I hop my BLOG has given you a "PEEK" into your child's day.

Kim

Presentations of Learning

Dear Parents,


We are continuing to study economics through the Biztown program. I will be sure to provide you with volunteer opportunities as soon as Michelle advises me!

One of the primary issues I want to make you aware of today is something your child is going to be required to do and that is a "Presentation of Learning". Your child will be expected to speak about something they learned in a project as well as a content area. I will be working with your children on this important area of their learning, but would love it, if you could also discuss this with them.

I have tried on numerous occcasions to provide you with pictures of the classroom, but have had difficulty with this task. It is either my computer or operator error. I will continue to try!!!!!!!!

Kim

NEW INFORMATION!

Hi Families,

Since we have been back from the holiday break, your children have been engaged in the following:

1. Speeches about animals that includes an art piece. The topics within this assignment satisfy some of the Life Science standards. Students were asked to research animals based on an identified criteria. They were asked to take notes on 3X5 cards. Your child is expected to memorize the information on their cards, so that when they give the speech they are not reading off the note cards. Additionally, each student has been asked to produce a piece of art of the animal they selected. My suggestion was that they complete torn paper art as it is beautiful, but some want to draw. That's fine with me!

2. We have begun to look at the meaning of division and your children will be building concrete models to represent word problems this week.

3. We started to study for Biztown! Your children have a great opportunity to learn about so many topics that pertain to a community and needs within it. Today, we talked about "rights" and "responsibilities" of citizens. Your children did a great job in understanding this concept. When the time comes, I will need parent volunteers for interviewing children for jobs and also for being at Biztown the day of our fieltrip. Please be thinking about how you would like to participate.

I'm not sure you know, but every other Wednesday your child participates in Book Buddies The 4th graders read to the 1st graders in DeeDee's class.

Kim

Happy New Year!

Dear Families,



I want to thank you all for the lovely cards, candies, bubble bath, candles, and coffee, etc. that I received before the Holiday break. I am so blessed to be at a school with such supportive and caring families. Thank you! I hope you all had an opportunity to enjoy your beautiful children during the break. I had an opportunity to hear about their vacations in our morning meeting today. Every child shared!



During our teacher professional day on Monday, we talked about what it is you need as a parent and since I am a parent it was easy to contribute. I know you probably need the following:

What contribution is my child making in class?

What are they studying and exploring?

How do they interact with others?

Are they enjoying school?

What is happening at school?

Please let me know through email, by stopping by, or by appontment any concerns you may be having. I am available to answer your questions. Don't be shy because we are raising these kids up together!



Please take a look at our many backpacks, lunch boxes, and jackets, etc. that have been placed just outside Donna's office. All of these items will be donated on Friday if not claimed.



In class, we are now shifting gears to Life Science. Your children have been asked to choose an animal and use notecards to identify specific information. They will be giving speeches (without notecards starting on Friday). They are also creating beautiful torn art pieces to accompany their speech. Ask your child about their work - they are very excited about animals. I have questions like, "Can I do more than one animal?" "Can we report on another animal in the future?" The answer, of course is "YES"!


Next week we will begin the JA Biztown program. Your children will learn about the flow of money, government, they will be creating their own business, and will be interviewing for jobs. Once they have been chosen for a position, they will spend a day carrying out the responsibilities of that job. This is a very fun process and I will need volunteers when we attend the fieldtrip. I will advise you of the date.



I hope this gives you a peek into our classroom.