Packing for Hogwarts this Week
- A fully charged iPad
- Chapter 2 - Go Math!
- 3 Composition Notebooks (Dear Harry, Math, Reading)
- Pencil box containing things like pencils, scissors, glue stick, colored pencils, pencil sharpener, crayons, etc.
- Whiteboard and marker
We bought a goat, a flock of chickens, and a hive of honeybees
Thank you for encouraging your child to work hard and to persevere. After reading "Beatrice's Goat" and "Three Cups" our class set our minds and hearts on being charitable during the holiday season. We asked the children to work hard toward a STMath Goal. If the class met the goal, I would buy a goat on their behalf for a family in need through Heifer International. Despite the welcome distraction of a snow day and the excitement of the holidays, the students remained focused on their work and their goal. I am happy to report, in the end, that I purchased the goat in their name. Additional donations from Prof. Griswold and individual students and their families allowed us to purchase a flock of chickens and a hive of honeybees as well. We are all so proud of the students and their commitment to this charitable endeavor.
A renewed emphasis on independent reading
As discussed after conferences, it was my full intention to launch literature circles after vacation to reignite students' passion for independent reading. While I am still determined to do so, even if we are remote next week too (fingers crossed that we won't be) it will be postponed for at least a week. Instead, we will begin reading "A Boy Called Bat" together this week. I chose this book for two reasons. The students have access to it digitally through an app on their iPads called Epic but more importantly because it is a beautiful story. Please ask your student about the book as we move through the next couple of weeks. My sincere hope is that it will inspire our students to become more empathetic and thoughtful.
I will launch some version of literature circles the following week. Ideally, we'll be back in school and I'll be able to place "real" good-fit books in the students' hands versus digital books read on an iPad. However, we'll be flexible. Is anyone else growing a tad bit tired of all this flexibility? I remain faithful that some of the lessons students are learning through this pandemic are precisely those lessons most critical for their development. At least that is my hope!
