January & February News
Dimensions Collaborative School
A Message From the Director
EDUCATING THE MIND, BODY, AND HEART
In honor of February as Heart Month we are privileged to announce our partnership with the American Heart Association (AHA).
As we look to the New Year, one of the key areas which is always at the forefront of our thinking is our health, fitness, and wellness. As it’s been said, you can have it all, but without your health, you won’t be able to enjoy it. And, as we know, there’s no better time to start developing life-long healthy habits than when you’re young!
So, Dimensions is excited to announce a partnership with the American Heart Association. We’re launching this partnership during the Heart Month of February and will be hosting a few events in the near future to spotlight our partnership and its benefits to our students and community. Our first event is the Heart Event on February 26, 2020 at our Mission Valley Learning Center.
Together, the American Heart Association and DCS, will focus on promoting health and wellness in primarily (3) areas:
1. Moving more to engage in physical education related lessons and activities
2. Being kind to others
3. Being ready to learn, and learning to be self-determined and directed learners.
Some of the benefits of our partnership are:
- A fundraising opportunity for the American Heart Association – Our DCS community can support the effort to positively impact health in the San Diego Community at-large.
- Access to an online portal for Physical Education and Health lessons, activities and resources which can be incorporated into your child’s personalized P.E. plan throughout each learning period – see link: https://openphysed.org/physical-education
- American Heart Association News and Updates
Below you will find information about the Heart Event on February 26th.
PLEASE JOIN US AT THE HEART EVENT!
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
Meet the Author
Meet Children’s Author and Illustrator Scott Sussman!
Wednesday, January 29th at 1:00 p.m.
Broadway Learning Center
1800 N. Broadway Escondido
and
Wednesday, February 12th at 1:00 p.m.
Mission Valley Learning Center
4646 Mission Gorge Place San Diego
Please join us to hear about Silly the Seed and Weird the Beard. Mr. Sussman will share his love of words and writing with our students and how reading can be fun!
Books will be available for Mr. Sussman to sign.
For questions, please contact Traci Lockman at tlockman@dimensions.org
One Book, One Dimensions
PURPOSE:
One Book, One Dimensions is a DCS community reading program. The purpose of the program is to bring together our learning community and encourage parents, students, and staff to join together in the shared experience of reading the same book.
This year, we are reading March: Book One, by John Lewis which highlights civil rights.
Get started on your reading today! Students are encouraged to participate in the Art Contest. See art contest guidelines below.
WHERE TO PICK UP BOOKS:
Need a book? Books will be available for pick up at your learning center anytime after January 27th.
ART CONTEST:
After reading the book, we encourage students to participate in a related Art Contest.
ART CONTEST GUIDELINES:
See attached guidelines.
ART PROJECTS DUE:
Please drop off completed art projects labeled with your name and category to one of the following learning centers, please note due dates and times.
North County
Montiel Learning Center
1441 Montiel Road #145
Escondido, CA
March 12th
Noon
South County
Mission Valley Learning Center
4646 Mission Gorge Place
San Diego, CA
March 13th
10:30 a.m.
For questions, please contact Traci Lockman at tlockman@dimensions.org
The Biggest Little Farm
ABOUT THE MOVIE:
A couple are followed through their successes and failures as they work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles. Over the years, the desolate land they purchase begins to thrive and its transformed.
The Biggest Little Farm secured seven nominations, including best documentary feature, John Chester for best director, best cinematography, best editing, best score, best narration and best science/nature documentary. The film most recently won Best of Festival at the Jackson Wild Media Awards. Movie is rated PG.
Link to Trailer: https://bit.ly/2NC1tvX
DATES:
North County San Diego
March 12th
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Montiel Learning Center
1441 Montiel Road #145
Escondido, CA
South County San Diego
March 13th
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m
Mission Valley Learning Center
4646 Mission Gorge Place
San Diego, CA
Snack Bar Will be Available
For Questions
Traci Lockman
Catalina Science Camp 2020
Each year DCS offers an extraordinary experience for our students on Catalina Island sponsored by the Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI), an outdoor science school. Catalina Island is a beautiful natural laboratory where students learn about marine life. In addition, students have the opportunity to hike, kayak, and snorkel. During the three and five day programs, students (grade 5 and above) and Educational Facilitators enjoy a variety of hands-on labs and field activities.
Educational Facilitators are collaborating with students interested in registering.
Family Satisfaction Survey!
Please click on the link below to begin.
The survey should only take 5-10 minutes to complete.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Sharing the Good News and Good Work of Our Students!
The One and Only Ivan!
Elementary students (grades 3-8) in north county finished up their The One and Only Ivan book projects. The book, inspired by the true story of a gorilla who spent 30 years alone in a cage at an indoor zoo, has been made into a movie scheduled for release in August of this year.
Interested in finding out more about The One and Only Ivan?
Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtPdqV2crQ0
Standard alignment and activity ideas: https://erwin3.weebly.com/standardslesson-plans.html
Building Mason Bee Hives
Middle School students have been busy bees making Mason Bee hives, helping to create habitats for pollinators.
Find out more about Mason bees and ideas for building hives: https://lifehacker.com/how-to-correctly-set-up-a-mason-bee-house-1834551902
The House that DCS Students Built!
While The House That Jack Built (www.wordsforlife.org.uk) might have been a bit chaotic, south county students armed with graham crackers, frosting, and wild imaginations created houses with much less drama. The students brainstormed and sketched designs and constructed their houses with necessary adjustments along the way. For a list of standards and activities for building gingerbread (aka graham cracker) houses go to https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/95641/00_Redesign_2019/School_2019/03_Sch_Downloads/Sch_Download_PDFs/MATH_DL_GingerBreadHouse.pdf.
To tie in some extra social studies, go to
https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-gingerbread/ for the history of gingerbread houses.
The EdTech Connection
Everyone can code!
Students explored coding with Bee Bots and a Minecraft coding game in recognition of the National Hour of Code week.
While the official “week” was Dec 9th – 15th, you can access easy Hour of Code activities for all ages year-round at https://hourofcode.com/us/learn.
The Counseling Corner with Audrey Kirk
Terri's Tidbits: A New Year, A New You!
EVALUATING YOUR PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK
I DON’T HAVE A PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK
Yes, you do. In fact, as you reflect, you will come to realize you may have more than one. Even if this is your first time hearing the term, or you’ve never formally created a PLN, you likely have several which serve different purposes.
WHAT IS A PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK?
A Personal Learning Network (PLN), quite simply, is an ever-growing network of resources used for learning. As humans, we are learning all the time – growing in knowledge, skill, and perspective. Some of us more than others, and some of us in a more deliberate and focused manner; but humans are, by nature, natural and constant learners. A PLN is the group of peers, coaches, and specialists in which a learner interacts. Interaction may be in person, online, through social media, blogs, video, etc. By tapping into a multitude of resources the learner has access to a broad range of knowledge and expertise around a topic of desired focus. Whether a K-12 student seeking information to demonstrate understanding of the human cell, a parent craving more knowledge on guiding a child’s social choices, or an adult or professional in need of more skill in a key aspect of desired work, we are wired to keep improving at something.
Student Spotlight:Tatiana Santana
Tatiana Santana is in 3rd grade and enjoys sports and art. She especially likes spending time with her family and traveling. Her father is a professional soccer player and her mother Heather was on the US national women's soccer team. Their family is passionate about soccer and her father Ze Roberto enjoyed coaching her team in the past.
She loves art and homeschool because she is able to tailor her schedule at home to include art, sports, and academics. Tatiana recently earned a spot in the student showcase at The Museum Of Photographic Arts at Balboa Park. Tatiana and 70 other students from around San Diego recently displayed their work in the main exhibit hall for visitors to enjoy. The exhibit included K-12 students and the theme was "Dreams".
Tatiana enjoys taking pictures, staging photos with her friends, and learning about photography and Photoshop. In 2018, her older brother Tiago had his work featured at the Museum for the theme "sound".
Both Santanas have been in Mat Werner's Art class and they are the 8th and 9th DCS students from Mat's class to be honored in the student showcase over the past 10 years.
HETERONOMY and HEUTAGOGY (Say, what??)
Are these words in your vocabulary? They weren’t in mine until just recently, however I have come to find them useful in deepening my understanding about approaches to education and learning. Let’s define them:
- Heteronomy (pronounced het-uh-ron-uh-mee): the condition of being under the domination of an outside authority
- Heutagogy (pronounced hyoo-tuh-goh-jee): self-determined learning which develops autonomy, capacity and capability.
Why are these significant? Consider who is doing the leading in each. Historically, educating children was determined and designed by adults alone. This fit within the societal structures of the past. Today, advances in science and the world being globally connected have influenced social, cultural and institutional shifts. Education needs to fit within a dynamic, complex and changing world.
Heutagogy helps develop the skills needed to successfully function in the world today: observation, curiosity, reflection, collaboration, mutual respect, being solution-focused, leadership, accountability, resiliency and connection. These skills are invited through intrinsic vs. external motivation, when we feel connected, empowered, encouraged and safe, and when we “do together with” vs. “doing to” or “doing for.”
Brain science supports heutagogy. Watch this 5 min. video on the adolescent brain by Dan Siegel, M.D., renowned neuroscientist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=219&v=iZpGvAccNBg&feature=emb_logo
Many of us grew up in heteronomy. Making the shift to heutagogy, “doing together with,” is not easy for both adults and students. Reach out to your EF for ideas. The “Positive Discipline” model (www.positivediscipline.com) used in Element Education offers tools for adults to facilitate self-determined learning, and self-discipline. You can find Positive Discipline resources in your Learning Center, and in the Resource Center at Montiel Road.
Lois Ingber, LCSW, CPDLT
Behavioral Counselor
Element Education
Learning Success for Every Child
Have you considered the use of questions to connect with your child and inspire a learning environment that promotes student agency? Fostering a learner to have a voice is supported by celebrating them where they are and growing their confidence to believe they can be self-directed. These questions can also be used when expectations are not met.
Can you tell me more about that?
What brought you to that conclusion?
Was ____ difficult? What can you do…?
Come to our next workshop as we dive deeper in using the Power Traits Portrait. Learn more strategies to apply in the home to support you as you child’s biggest fan and coach to see them succeed at their dreams.
Join us for this interactive opportunity to work with your family’s Self-Portrait Power Traits results and bring out the personal best in everyone!
North San Diego:
February 4th
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Use this link to register:
Mary Lane Learning Center
3751 Mary Lane
Escondido, CA
Central San Diego:
February 11th
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Use this Link to Register:
Mission Valley Learning Center
4646 Mission Gorge Pl
San Diego, CA 92120
Trish Ruppel
(951) 217-2846
ParentSquare Update!
Take a moment to activate your account on ParentSquare. You can also download the ParentSquare App. It is easy to use. Just visit the App store or Google play to download.
If you should need assistance activating your account, please do not hesitate to contact Susan Michaels at smichaels@dimensions.org or at (760) 703-9997.
Join the Facebook Group for Your Local Learning Community
Join the group for your local Learning Community:
North County:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1885987994780183/?ref=share
Central:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/565844196960154/?ref=share
South Bay:
About Us
Email: smichaels@dimensions.org
Website: www.dimensions.org
Location: 1441 Montiel Road, Escondido, CA, USA
Phone: (877) 300-8299
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dimensionscollaborative/
Twitter: @Dimensions_SD