Dear parents and students,
So much is happening at school these days, I'm thrilled with the progress we are making as a school and in my classroom. The Direct Instruction is going well - most have gotten the hang of group response. The wonderful thing about it is, children are learning to focus for longer periods and to think more quickly. I recently had a parent tell me that her daughter has never progressed this quickly in math! Yeah!!
Your children are also starting another project. We are researching animals in the country they previously researched. They will be investigating the animal's physical features, adaptations, habitats, predators, and prey. In addition the fifth graders in my class will be describing through writing, and/or a poster their animal's physical structures for respiration and digestion. This is part of the fifth grade life science standards. We are also engaging in another art project . The students were asked to draw their animal from photographs and use colorful torn or cut paper to create their animal in its habitat. The drawing was a bit intimidating for them. We will keep at it.
This brings up our next field trip. We will be going by bus to the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday, October 28th. We will depart at 8:15 and return at 2:45. All children must sign a universal field trip form. They were sent home last week. Please get those into the school as soon as possible. The students will have the opportunity in most cases to see their animal up close and personal. I'm going to send drawing paper and pencils with each student if I get enough clip boards. In other words, I need clipboards! I only have three of my own, so if you have some hanging around home, could you get them to me before next Tuesday. That way the students will have the opportunity to practice drawing. You will also need to send $6.00 a child for transportation. This field trip is scheduled over lunchtime, so if you cannot provide your child with a bag lunch, please include an additional $3.25 for a Kroc bag lunch.
We are also attending classes at the Rueben H. Fleet Center's Animal Grossology Exibit on Tuesday, November 4th. Your children will learn about animal adaptation (perfect for their reports) and have the opportunity to dissect owl pellets! The same as above applies for lunch. However the transportation cost for this trip is $9. Please make sure these details are taken care of so your children are able to experience this educational opportunity!
Wednesday morning in class from 8:15-8:55 is free, so we have been reading folk and tall tales. The students would like to turn the tall tale we read today into a play. This means we are going to need some help from parents. For some of the props, cardboard will do (big pieces for a boat, large octopus, and waves). We also need poster board for signs and some parent help in making costumes (one for Pa, the Young Boy, three Villagers, Stormalong/mail character, and numerous sailors). I would like the play to be video-taped and we want background music and sound effects. Any help is appreciated! The children are so excited! Please e-mail me at kim@innovationsacademy.org with possible materials.
I think that's it for now. Thank you for you continued support. I appreciate your help in and out of the classroom.
Kim
Arriving at Smith Ranch
Arriving at Smith Ranch!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Another update from Kim!
Dear parents,
Your children finished their country reports last week and we will be sharing them with other classes next week. In the meantime, I will be reading and grading them. For our next project, your children have expressed an interest in researching the animal life in their countries (we will be covering science, language arts, and art standards). They will be learning about the animal's physical characteristics and adaptations, their habitat or loss of, and their animal as a predator. Of course, one of the topics we will be discussing is the endangerment and extinction of animal species. They will also have the opportunity to engage in another art project using torn and cut paper, as well as pastels. I will be bringing a sample in on Tuesday for them to look at to get some ideas for their own work. Again, this is an opportunity to sell art and donate the funds to animal reserves or other animal causes.
We will be taking a field trip to the zoo on October 28th which will give the kids additional opportunities to perhaps see one of the animals they are reporting on. We will need parent volunteers to chaperone this trip. For my class, four volunteers would be perfect. Please let me know ASAP by emailing me at kim@innovationsacademy.org.
We are also going to have a Halloween celebration on Halloween day. Our costume parade will take place in the morning at 8:15. After that we will be writing and presenting scary stories as well as playing some games and trick-or-treating in the classroom. If you would like to be a part of our celebration and/or donate scary decorations, candy, or any other Halloween type of item - again let me know!!
Please remember that although we have a no homework policy, if your child chooses not to complete his work in class, it will be sent home for completion there. And also, please encourage your child to read at home. I would like to set a reading goal for our class and will be sending a reading log home soon. Please ask your children to start writin down the titles and authors of the books they are currently reading so we can add them to our log.
I hope this helps to keep you informed. You can email me anytime with questions, concerns, and feedback!
Happy reading,
Kim
Your children finished their country reports last week and we will be sharing them with other classes next week. In the meantime, I will be reading and grading them. For our next project, your children have expressed an interest in researching the animal life in their countries (we will be covering science, language arts, and art standards). They will be learning about the animal's physical characteristics and adaptations, their habitat or loss of, and their animal as a predator. Of course, one of the topics we will be discussing is the endangerment and extinction of animal species. They will also have the opportunity to engage in another art project using torn and cut paper, as well as pastels. I will be bringing a sample in on Tuesday for them to look at to get some ideas for their own work. Again, this is an opportunity to sell art and donate the funds to animal reserves or other animal causes.
We will be taking a field trip to the zoo on October 28th which will give the kids additional opportunities to perhaps see one of the animals they are reporting on. We will need parent volunteers to chaperone this trip. For my class, four volunteers would be perfect. Please let me know ASAP by emailing me at kim@innovationsacademy.org.
We are also going to have a Halloween celebration on Halloween day. Our costume parade will take place in the morning at 8:15. After that we will be writing and presenting scary stories as well as playing some games and trick-or-treating in the classroom. If you would like to be a part of our celebration and/or donate scary decorations, candy, or any other Halloween type of item - again let me know!!
Please remember that although we have a no homework policy, if your child chooses not to complete his work in class, it will be sent home for completion there. And also, please encourage your child to read at home. I would like to set a reading goal for our class and will be sending a reading log home soon. Please ask your children to start writin down the titles and authors of the books they are currently reading so we can add them to our log.
I hope this helps to keep you informed. You can email me anytime with questions, concerns, and feedback!
Happy reading,
Kim
Sunday, September 28, 2008
More Updates For Kim's Room!!
Greetings again!
I just want to say how much I enjoy your children. I love watching their personalities come out!
We are going to be engaging in some activities to break down barriers of discrimination (primarily gender, but also the 'cool' vs. what some kids consider the 'uncool').
Here is the weekly schedule I would like to keep:
Monday
8:15-8:55 Social/Emotional - Journal
9:00-10:00 Direct Instruction - Language Arts
10:00-10:10 Break
10:10-11:00 Direct Instruction - Math
11:00-12:00 Lunch - first 30 minutes on the field for free play
12:00-1:00 Library (tentative)
1:00-2:00 Science
2:00-3:00 P.E.
3:00-3:15 Announcements and Dismissal
Tuesday:
Everything is the same until after lunch at which time (12:15-1:45) we are currently working on art pieces to sell (we are oil painting and an artist-friend is teaching with the help of Jim and myself - Jim is Yvana's grandfather and also a painter) in order to microfinance entrepreneurs in developing countries - thus the country reports brought home. Although we have a "no-homework" policy, many of the children did not focus during our one hour of computer time this week, so I decided to send their reports home. I was hoping the children could focus better in a quiet home environment. By the way, the art pieces are beautiful!
Wednesday:
Everything is the same, except the 12:00-1:00 period. I'm planning a history unit in this period - starting this week. I am planning to focus on U.S. history first - then California. Part of my motivation to start at this point is because I listened to children talk about the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and they had no idea which came first or the time frame. I hope to engage them in re-enactments, posters, portfolios, and more.
Thursday:
Again, all is the same, except the 1200-2:00 period. This is project time and at this point, students are exploring developing countries (i.e., poverty, government, geography, history...). This is also when we have access to the computer lab.
Friday:
The same except for the 12:00-3:00 time period when students are engaged in learning from Community Partners. Right now, students are engaged in Creative Movement, Engineering through Legos, Drama, and Art. They will have classes in Archeology and Drumming in the coming months.
I hope this informs you about what your children are doing. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any of your concerns.
Sincerely,
Kim
I just want to say how much I enjoy your children. I love watching their personalities come out!
We are going to be engaging in some activities to break down barriers of discrimination (primarily gender, but also the 'cool' vs. what some kids consider the 'uncool').
Here is the weekly schedule I would like to keep:
Monday
8:15-8:55 Social/Emotional - Journal
9:00-10:00 Direct Instruction - Language Arts
10:00-10:10 Break
10:10-11:00 Direct Instruction - Math
11:00-12:00 Lunch - first 30 minutes on the field for free play
12:00-1:00 Library (tentative)
1:00-2:00 Science
2:00-3:00 P.E.
3:00-3:15 Announcements and Dismissal
Tuesday:
Everything is the same until after lunch at which time (12:15-1:45) we are currently working on art pieces to sell (we are oil painting and an artist-friend is teaching with the help of Jim and myself - Jim is Yvana's grandfather and also a painter) in order to microfinance entrepreneurs in developing countries - thus the country reports brought home. Although we have a "no-homework" policy, many of the children did not focus during our one hour of computer time this week, so I decided to send their reports home. I was hoping the children could focus better in a quiet home environment. By the way, the art pieces are beautiful!
Wednesday:
Everything is the same, except the 12:00-1:00 period. I'm planning a history unit in this period - starting this week. I am planning to focus on U.S. history first - then California. Part of my motivation to start at this point is because I listened to children talk about the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and they had no idea which came first or the time frame. I hope to engage them in re-enactments, posters, portfolios, and more.
Thursday:
Again, all is the same, except the 1200-2:00 period. This is project time and at this point, students are exploring developing countries (i.e., poverty, government, geography, history...). This is also when we have access to the computer lab.
Friday:
The same except for the 12:00-3:00 time period when students are engaged in learning from Community Partners. Right now, students are engaged in Creative Movement, Engineering through Legos, Drama, and Art. They will have classes in Archeology and Drumming in the coming months.
I hope this informs you about what your children are doing. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any of your concerns.
Sincerely,
Kim
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Kim's Blog
Greetings parents,
Good news! Our DI (Direct Instruction) materials have arrived and we are beginning to introduce your children to the math and Language Arts programs. So far, so good! If you would like more information regarding this type of instruction, please don't hesitate to email me with questions. (kim@innovationsacademy.org)
Your children are also in the midst of oil painting some beautiful art pieces. My idea is to sell their finished pieces so that we are able to donate monies to people in need through an organization called Kiva (http://kiva.org). The students will be starting reports on the countries we will be donating to this week. Some of the students have expressed a desire to take their finished work home. Any ideas from you parents regarding this dilemma would be great!! We will be painting again next Tuesday. I would ask that you provide your child with a large t-shirt to put on over their clothes as oil paints stain.
Thanks,
Kim
My blog URL has changed - please take note of this!
Good news! Our DI (Direct Instruction) materials have arrived and we are beginning to introduce your children to the math and Language Arts programs. So far, so good! If you would like more information regarding this type of instruction, please don't hesitate to email me with questions. (kim@innovationsacademy.org)
Your children are also in the midst of oil painting some beautiful art pieces. My idea is to sell their finished pieces so that we are able to donate monies to people in need through an organization called Kiva (http://kiva.org). The students will be starting reports on the countries we will be donating to this week. Some of the students have expressed a desire to take their finished work home. Any ideas from you parents regarding this dilemma would be great!! We will be painting again next Tuesday. I would ask that you provide your child with a large t-shirt to put on over their clothes as oil paints stain.
Thanks,
Kim
My blog URL has changed - please take note of this!
Kim's Informational Class Blog
Greetings Parents,
It has been an immense pleasure getting to know your children! It's hard to believe we've only been together for nine days of school. Our first week was really about getting to know each other and team building! The wonderful result of our efforts was that many friendships formed. One child, at the end of the first week, said, "It feels like we've known each other forever, not just four days."
Besides getting to know each other and team building, we also took an incredibly educational field trip on Tuesday, September 9th! Students had the opportunity to ride the trolley from La Mesa all the way to the San Diego Convention Center to learn about space exploration. I want to thank the generous parent volunteers that spent their day helping groups of my students stay safe on the trolley and enjoy the many exhibits at the convention center (James's Mom, Yvana's grandparents, Isaiah's Mom, & Katie's Mom).
Your children and grandchildren have been sharing their dreams and goals with me, verbally and in writing. They've created "Vision Boards" about those dreams which are currently on display in our classroom. Please stop by and see them! We have also been talking and writing about how are thoughts move us into positive or sometimes negative actions. Some of your children/grandchildren have displayed incredible courage and vision by deciding to get up in front of their classmates and engage in public speaking. These are students who told me they would do anything to avoid speaking in front of a group. WOW! Are you impressed? I am!
I have been working with your children on multiplication facts. Only a few of them have the facts all the way to 12! This is not a problem as I have worked with multi-grade groups of students and understand how to help them grasp not only the concept of mutiplication/division, but also learn math stategies designed to help them solve various kinds of problems.
In addition to regular academic instruction, students have come up with some project ideas they believe are relevent in today's world. They will be delving into those projects in a more organized fashion in the coming week as they are introduced to Project Foundry. Some of the students automatically understood that these projects were meant to have a service component and wanted to create art. Their idea is to sell the art and donate the funds to a charity of their choice or maybe even to beautify the school. I have arranged for an oil painter to come into our classroom on Tuesday to begin a series of instruction on oil painting. Those students who are not interested in this form of communication/expression will have other options.
As parents and or guardians, you are your child's champion! We have a no homework policy at our school. That doesn't mean you can't read to your child or encourage your child to read. Take your children to museums when you can, turn the channel to something educational, and ask them about their interests whenever possible.
I am always available to contact at the following e-mail address: kim@innovationsacademy.org. My blog address (I will update frequently) is kimsiinnovationsclassblog.blogspot.com . Please log on frequently for information regarding what your children are doing in our classrooms!!!
Kim
It has been an immense pleasure getting to know your children! It's hard to believe we've only been together for nine days of school. Our first week was really about getting to know each other and team building! The wonderful result of our efforts was that many friendships formed. One child, at the end of the first week, said, "It feels like we've known each other forever, not just four days."
Besides getting to know each other and team building, we also took an incredibly educational field trip on Tuesday, September 9th! Students had the opportunity to ride the trolley from La Mesa all the way to the San Diego Convention Center to learn about space exploration. I want to thank the generous parent volunteers that spent their day helping groups of my students stay safe on the trolley and enjoy the many exhibits at the convention center (James's Mom, Yvana's grandparents, Isaiah's Mom, & Katie's Mom).
Your children and grandchildren have been sharing their dreams and goals with me, verbally and in writing. They've created "Vision Boards" about those dreams which are currently on display in our classroom. Please stop by and see them! We have also been talking and writing about how are thoughts move us into positive or sometimes negative actions. Some of your children/grandchildren have displayed incredible courage and vision by deciding to get up in front of their classmates and engage in public speaking. These are students who told me they would do anything to avoid speaking in front of a group. WOW! Are you impressed? I am!
I have been working with your children on multiplication facts. Only a few of them have the facts all the way to 12! This is not a problem as I have worked with multi-grade groups of students and understand how to help them grasp not only the concept of mutiplication/division, but also learn math stategies designed to help them solve various kinds of problems.
In addition to regular academic instruction, students have come up with some project ideas they believe are relevent in today's world. They will be delving into those projects in a more organized fashion in the coming week as they are introduced to Project Foundry. Some of the students automatically understood that these projects were meant to have a service component and wanted to create art. Their idea is to sell the art and donate the funds to a charity of their choice or maybe even to beautify the school. I have arranged for an oil painter to come into our classroom on Tuesday to begin a series of instruction on oil painting. Those students who are not interested in this form of communication/expression will have other options.
As parents and or guardians, you are your child's champion! We have a no homework policy at our school. That doesn't mean you can't read to your child or encourage your child to read. Take your children to museums when you can, turn the channel to something educational, and ask them about their interests whenever possible.
I am always available to contact at the following e-mail address: kim@innovationsacademy.org. My blog address (I will update frequently) is kimsiinnovationsclassblog.blogspot.com . Please log on frequently for information regarding what your children are doing in our classrooms!!!
Kim
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