Full-Year Distance Learning (FYDL)
Wednesday Newsletter #11 October 21, 2020
English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC)
We are holding our first FYDL Greendell English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) of the year over Zoom. The English Learner Advisory Committee is a committee made up of families of English Learners, school staff, and other school community members to promote school activities and provide information on the PAUSD English Learner program and the needs of English Learners.
Interested families are invited to join us on Wednesday, October 28th at 4:30 pm by following this Zoom link. Please let me know if you have any questions about our ELAC meeting.
Unity Day on Wednesday, October 21
Today, the FYDL students and teachers celebrated Unity Day in partnership with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. Unity Day allows us all to come together in one giant ORANGE message of hope and support of inclusion. We "WEAR AND SHARE ORANGE" to color our nation, and even the world, to visibly show that our society believes no child should ever experience bullying. Read the history on Wikipedia.
FYDL Students At Work!
It gives me great pleasure to share with our FYDL families glimpses of our students' amazing work that is occurring in our distance learning classrooms.
We might remain physically far apart, but we have already built a strong community within each virtual classroom. I hope you also feel encouraged and embraced by this unique community that includes all twelve elementary schools.
Kindergarten
Students made their own spider based on the book "Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti" (by Gerald McDermott)
First Grade
Literacy/Art
The First Grade students created "Wild Things" of their own after reading the story "Where the Wild Things Are." (by Maurice Sendak)
Second Grade
Latinx Heritage Celebrations
Do you know how to make homemade tortillas? How about homemade Mexican hot chocolate? The FYDL second graders do, thanks to our student, Kayleen, and her mom, Griselda. She taught them how to make both during Latinx Heritage Month.
The students had many questions and made a lot of connections.
Thank you, Kayleen and Griselda!
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fourth graders have been learning about weathering, erosion, and volcanoes in science. A parent, who was a geologist in a previous life, led a science lesson to teach students about how physical weathering, chemical weathering, and erosion create different sands and sediments. He also included Plate Techtonics and Ring-of Fire in his presentation. Students asked thoughtful questions connected to their previous learning. He will be back for part 2 this week!
Fourth Grade
California Regions
Fourth graders studied the geographical diversity of California’s four regions, the coast, the desert, the Central Valley, and the mountains, by creating hand-made tissue maps. Students labeled surrounding states, important bodies of water, and cities and landmarks. They also added lines of latitude and longitude, a map legend, and a hand-drawn compass rose.
Fifth Grade
As part of our Life Science unit, the 5th graders learned that air is a significant part of a plant’s diet. We did an experiment called “Weighing Air” to determine if air has weight. Students blew up balloons to all the same size. They used a balance scale they constructed out of a yardstick and placed the three balloons at each end of the scale. Next, they slowly released the air out of the balloons at one end of the scale. If air has weight, the inflated balloon side should go down, if not, students expected the scale to remain level. You’ll have to ask a fifth grader to find out the results.
FYDL Program and Classroom Activities- We Need Parent Help!
As the FYDL program begins to settle into a routine, we would like to offer additional opportunities to build the program's sense of community. Over the last few weeks, I have been discussing this with our teachers and program parents. We have already designed a few community-building activities, such as:
- Monthly Spirit Days
- Lunch Time SEL Activities
- Project Cornerstone
However, as a brand new program, some of the systems that a school depends on to support these community-building activities are not in place in FYDL. These systems such as PTA, and established parent groups usually initiate and implement the school-wide SEL opportunities. Our FYDL program is solely dependent on our program parent groups to make any of these happen and so, we need your help!
Currently, there is a small parent group that has offered to lead a 4th and 5th-grade math enrichment class on Wednesdays. Another parent is organizing Project Cornerstone and is looking for more parent readers to build Lifeskills.
I am inquiring to see if we have parents that would like to volunteer thirty minutes during lunchtime once a week, to lead activities for our students to meet and make new friends, as well as explore other interests.
Activities that have been mentioned by other sites and the FYDL students include Lego Building, Knitting/Crocheting, Fun Run, Crafting, and Backyard Science Activities (and/or any other ideas that you think you would be interested in sharing).
This lunchtime SEL activity would involve five-week rounds from (11:50 am-12:20 pm). After the five weeks, there would be a break to allow the students to choose another activity. If you are interested and want to discuss ideas, please reach out to Nikole Manou (nmanou@pausd.org). I will be planning a brief Zoom for all volunteers in the coming weeks to go over the details.
Room Parents for our FYDL Classrooms
PAUSD’s Wellness & Support Services Department in partnership with Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI) invite you to a nine-week series in Mandarin focused on supporting families. 这个课程包含以下内容:
- Week 1- Tuesday, 10/13/2020:
我们的parenting中缺失了什么?What is missing in our daily parenting practices? - Week 2- Tuesday, 10/20/2020:
怎么让孩子听到你的话---怎样跟孩子建立连接
How to influence your child/teens: Making a Connection - Week 3- Tuesday, 10/27/2020:
文化和代际差异对parenting的影响
The impact of cultural and generational differences in parenting - Week 4- Tuesday, 11/3/2020:
客座家长的分享--移民爸爸帮助孩子从抑郁中走出来
Guest Speaker: How a parent supports their teen recovering from depression - Week 5- Tuesday, 11/10/2020:
怎样合理的使用电子产品
How to use screen time in appropriate ways - Week 6- Tuesday, 11/17/2020:
怎样运用正面来塑造行为
Use positive reinforcement to shape children’s behaviors - Week 7- Tuesday, 12/1/2020:
青少年发展的青春期对孩子的影响
How Puberty plays out in Teen’s development? - Week 8- Tuesday, 12/8/2020:
如何控制家长自己的情绪以及应对孩子的情绪
Manage your own emotions and respond to your children’s strong emotions. - Week 9- Tuesday, 12/15/2020:
Parenting技能综合运用
Integration of parenting skills
The Adjusted Weekly Schedule Roll-Out Dates
Below is a sample of the adjusted FYDL weekly schedule. The adjustments include a later lunch from 11:50 am-12:50 pm, moving content block 3 to before the lunch period. It also designates a "recess break" before block 2, and before block 3. We want students to walk away from the computer and take a break.
The start and end times for the day will not change.
The adjusted weekly schedule will roll out as the Hybrid opens for the grade-level bands.
- 2/3- October 26
- 4/5- November 9
Due to the shifts in blocks and the elementary hybrid schedule adjustments, the "enrichment specials" might result in a block change as well. Your classroom teacher will notify you if there is a schedule change.
Reminder! Greendell for Attendance
The attendance email is greendellattendance@pausd.org. This is the best way for a parent to report an absence.
The office phone is (650) 856-0833. Voicemails left on this phone number will be forwarded to the Greendell office staff.