Sudie News
October 2 - 6, 2017
Principal's Prose
Greetings Team,
Welcome back! I hope you had a great weekend and found time to invest in the "business" of "Yourself, Inc.", as it is important to do so! It is especially essential given the fact that we are presently in the leg of our journey I commonly refer to as "Rock-tober." No journey would be complete without benchmarks, check points and challenges, and this month (my favorite, btw:) always has enough for us all!
For those of us who have seen a "few" seasons in education, we know that the month of October unpacks one of busiest and challenging of the school year. With the first six weeks already behind us, things begin to accelerate as the focus of exactly what needs to be done becomes clearer and more specific. It is that fertile piece of "real estate" within the year's landscape that provides a place for data analysis, intervention, reteaching, reevaluating and reassessment. It is the place where harvested data must produce intention, and in turn, intentional planning produces execution. If our students are to be successful by year's end, the designs crafted and moves made in October would have played a key role in that factoring, and that time is now!
In closing, this time of year can be hard as a "rock", and at times place us between a "rock" and a hard place. It only comes with the territory as the leaders of students we are and hope to be. However, this month's unique challenges present the opportunity for us to come together, where all is one, and one is all. Working together, we can turn "Rock-tober" into the stage for Sudie Rock-stars!
Make it a great week Team!
Rock On,
MJ
Quote of the Week
Fun, hands on ways to teach multiplication!
What’s the best way to teach multiplication? Try some of these fun methods!
1. Start by talking about things that come in groups.
Two legs on a chicken, for example, five fingers on a hand, etc. Go up to 12. Then make groups with counters on small paper plates—three plates, two counters on each. Write 3 groups of 2, then 3×2, etc. Have them get the concept before working on facts.
2. Gather big groups of similar objects.
I want the kids to know what 100, 1,000, 10,000 and so on looks like so I have them collect pull tabs from pop cans. I’ve also had them collect paper clips and popcorn.
3. Make arrays.
Items to use for arrays: paper clips, pretzels, M&Ms, crayons, tiles, blocks, buttons, popcorn kernels, rice, washers, chocolate chips, pom-poms, cheese balls, jewels, Smarties, pennies, raisins, pistachios, lentils, counters, Lego bricks …
4. Try multiplication war.
We LOVE multiplication war with a deck of cards. Just flip two cards and multiply. Whoever has the highest product keeps the cards. I also make them give me the inverse division problem.
5. Have a back to back challenge.
We played multiplication back to back! Two students stand back to back and each writes a factor on the white board (you can set limit, usually 1-9) and a “caller” announces the product. The two students have to try to solve the others factor, knowing their factor and the product. The person who wins stays and the next class member takes the other space. Whoever wins 3 rounds In a row gets to be the new caller. This is typically a whole class game.
6. Put a new twist on an old favorite
We play rock paper scissors but they put up fingers instead of rock, paper scissors. The first partner to multiply the two sets of fingers together gets a point.
7. Repurpose an everyday item.
Use an egg carton and write a number in the bottom of each depression. Put a marble inside. Students shake it up and whatever two numbers they land on they multiply together.
8. Make your own flash cards.
I attended a brain-based learning workshop about 6 years ago and one of the main things that stuck with me was having students put an artistic drawing to their flashcard answers so the brain makes a connection between the answer and the drawing. I teach fourth grade and the last two years the kids have been very eager to make the cards (at home). They keep them in their binders so that any time we have five minutes they can practice. They take a lot of pride in them so they aren’t just another set of flashcards.
9. Practice with Whisper Drills.
We also do>whisper drills any time we are going somewhere in the halls. We have designated stops (like traffic stops) the kids see how many facts they and their partner can get right between stops.
Faculty Meeting 3:15 - Library
Classroom Visits/Feedback
Data PLC - 5th Grade
10/3 Tuesday:
Classroom Visits/Feedback
Data PLC - K/1 Grade
10/4 Wednesday:
Classroom Visits/Feedback
W.O.W Day!
Data PLC - 3rd/4th Math Grade
10/5 Thursday:
Classroom Visits/Feedback
Data PLC - 2nd Grade
Committee Meetings
Principal for the Day!
10/6 Friday:
Classroom Visits/Feedback
Data PLC - 3rd/4th Reading