Martin's Memos
Volume 2, Issue 28: March 29, 2019
This Week
Parents,
Please read the information in our newsletter below and let me know if you have any questions.
Please make note that our field trip to Oakland University is the MONDAY we return. Students should bring a bag lunch! Unfortunately that was the only date we could go because of their availability.
We are also entering that time of year when we begin thinking about the mSTEP assessments. Here is a Parent's Guide to mSTEP testing you may find useful. The 5th graders will be taking the Science and Social Studies assessments in addition to ELA and Math. 4th graders will only take the ELA and Math mSTEP assessments. We will begin testing in April. More specific testing dates to come.
Additionally, please consider running for a position in our GATE PTO for next year! See the information in this newsletter. Currently we only have ONE person that has submitted their name in for a position. In order for our GATE PTO to be successful and support our new school, we truly need a great deal of parent support and input. This is your chance!
Have a great spring break!
-Ms. Kate Martin
Oakland University - Engineering Lab
April 8th from 9:00-1:30 ***This is the day we return from Spring Break!!!
Bring disposable sack lunch & a disposable snack
Cost = $17 for admission
OU Chaperone:
Ms. Weadock
Positivity Project - P2
This week's character strength is: Fairness
This week's trait was fairness. We had some fantastic conversations about fairness and also social justice and inequality.
For individuals, cultivating the character strength of fairness is correlated with highly desirable developmental outcomes. It helps people to become trustworthy friends, responsible citizens, and generally moral people.
Fairness is also essential for the good of the group. As individuals develop the capacity for moral reason they often find a strengthening of: the aptitude for self-reflection; self-awareness and self-confidence; and perspective taking (i.e. the ability to “put themselves in another’s shoes”). When taken together, these skills significantly enhance a person’s ability to solve interpersonal and group relationship problems.
Pictures of the Week - Intro to Spheros!
This Week...
Math: Students will continue their in their math groups.
Yellow- I can understand surface area and volume.
Green-I can understand intro to statistics.
Orange- I can understand equations.
Purple- I can understand fractions and decimals.
Social Studies (5th): Our class focused on mSTEP review for Social Studies. The Social Studies mSTEP is tentatively scheduled for April 12th. The Science mSTEP will be the following week.
Reading We finally FINISHED our novel study!!!!!! YAY!
Writing: We continued a unit on expository/informational writing. Here is what the students will be doing: Directions Sheet. The students are all writing their drafts, and we are revising and editing as we write.
Enrichment: We are currently using this time to either catch up on late work or to extend ourselves with learning about Spheros and coding or other extension activities.
Looking Forward to Next Week...
Math: Students will continue their in their math groups.
Yellow- I can understand surface area and volume.
Green-I can understand intro to statistics.
Orange- I can understand equations.
Purple- I can understand fractions and decimals.
Science/Social Studies (5th): mStep review & S.S. mSTEP.
Reading: We will re-start our "new and improved" book clubs (the students already have their new novels and job sheets!) and will re-start our reading workshop times. We will also begin reviewing/practicing for mSTEP.
Writing: We will continue a unit on expository/informational writing. Here is what the students will be doing: Directions Sheet Students will begin to finish this during this week and next week.
Enrichment: This time will be used for a variety of things: Some students will use this time to catch up on classwork that they haven't completed. Many will update their Online Educational Portfolios. Some will start to learn how to use our Spheros.
Avondale GATE PTO Information!
Current Avondale GATE families,
We wanted to inform you of a few upcoming dates for those parents who are interested in running for a position in our 2019-2020 Avondale GATE Magnet School PTO.
March 12th: Parents came to the Woodland PTO Meeting @7pm. During this meeting, the Avondale GATE PTO "Elected Officers and their Duties" was shared. The process for electing our PTO was also be shared. If you are interested in running for a position, we ask that you complete the online form that is provided by April 8th. Information provided from each candidate and their desired position will be shared with the Woodland community.
May 14th: Ballot elections will be held (if there are more than 1 person running for the position) during the Woodland PTO Meeting @7pm. All of the Woodland community will be able to vote for our positions. COME VOTE IN PERSON!
After this meeting and elections are completed: The Avondale GATE PTO will be officially formed and stay under Woodland's guidance until the summer.
Avondale Anime/Comicon Event!
Upcoming Important Dates
Normal School Hours: 8:32 - 3:39 (GT dismissal 3:34)
Half Day Hours: 8:32 - 11:45 (GT dismissal around 11:40)
Early Release: 8:32-1:39 (GT dismissal around 1:34)
Late Start: 10:32-3:39
- April 10: HALF DAY-PM Records-11:45am Dismissal
- April 13: Comicon @ AHS from 10am-6pm
- April 19: NO SCHOOL - Good Friday
- April 26: Woodland Talent Show @ 6:30pm
- May 8: Volunteer/Staff Luncheon @ 10:45am
- May 9: Woodland Art Show/Ice Cream Social @ 6-7:30pm
Contact Me
Email: kate.martin@avondale.k12.mi.us
Website: katemartingt.weebly.com
Location: 6465 Livernois Road, Troy, MI 48098, United States
Phone: (248) 537-6900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100017787916756
Twitter: @AvondaleGATE