Kemp - Brazile 3/24

Parents -

The year is flying by and we have this last week before Spring Break. Here's how our week is shaping up:

Reading: Continuing Pictures of Hollis Woods. Kids are enjoying the book and I'm noticing that they're doing much better understanding symbolism as well as point of view. Great inferencing skills too.

Writing: Still working at our fact writing in the subject areas. I'm focusing on sentence structure and conventions. 

Social Studies: We're working on our Government unit.

Science: Going strong with the Classification and Genes Unit.

Math: I had the kids identify what they feel is their weakest area in math computation. I'll work with them on that area until it's no longer a weakness. They'll have work in that area this week.

And now a look into the usually private life of Shane Brazile....We all know that sometimes our kids are sick and we miss time to take care of them. I've had a little of that of late, but the last couple days (school days) I've been dealing with me. My back has been causing some problems for me and I'm trying to get it resolved. It's been a little more difficult than I expected so I've missed some time. My hope is to have it feeling better this afternoon. The great thing about our set-up and routine is the kids don't skip a beat and continue their independent work, but I should be here without missing more time after this afternoon.

Thanks,

Shane Brazile

---

Note: “This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and/or e-mail." “This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

---

FW: Please send home today-Approved by Mrs. Mason

 

 

From: Cynthia Scurry
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 2:23 PM
To: DL-KMP-2ND; DL-KMP-4th; DL-KMP-1ST; DL-KMP-3RD; DL-KMP-5TH; DL-KMP-1ST; DL-KMP-KINDERGARTEN; DL-KMP-SPECIAL ED
Subject: Please send home today-Approved by Mrs. Mason

---

Note: “This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and/or e-mail." “This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

---

Kemp - Brazile 2/18

Parents-

 

The end of March is rapidly approaching.

 

If the end of March is coming, it can only mean something is coming soon - Spring Break (and that test).

 

Before that though, we have our third quarter report cards going home Wednesday, March 19th. Please sign the Signature Card sent with the report cards and return only the Signature Card. It's my way of showing my boss I gave out all the report cards. This would also be a great time to send in a self-addressed, stamped envelope (two would be best since sometimes the CRCT results do not come in on time). Feel free to use the envelope the report card was in (if it was in one). I'll send home the fourth quarter report card, along with CRCT scores in that envelope. If I don't have an envelope, we'll file them in the office and you can pick them up there.

 

With my sports teams, I always dread the third quarter because that's when many teams slack off and give the opponent an opportunity to beat them. Same with school. Some kids slack and it can come back to haunt them soon. With sports, the coaches try and keep the team focused on the goal and not let them get too overconfident. I find myself doing the same thing with the kids. We have to stay focused on learning.

 

Spring Break begins as school lets out on March 28th. We'll resume classes on April 7th. I'm looking forward to some vacation time with my family (Key West!), but I'll have the looming test in the back of my mind.

 

I always reflect on what we've done, but even more so as the test gets closer. I focused on their math deficiencies early in hopes that they would solidify their foundation in math. I believe in this strategy and it works, but only if the kids continue to stay focused on learning all they can. Some slacked on the morning work, which is a daily math review piece. That's when confusion on topics can creep in. I feel like we're getting a lot of those "creepers" worked out now.

 

In Reading, I've taken the approach of read alouds to model thinking along with reading skills. The kids have been great with this all year and I'm impressed with their insights. We've assessed many times this year and they've always been on track with their skills. For Reading Comprehension, we've worked many practice pages so they're used to the actual work of showing what they comprehend.

 

Our Social Studies and Science units are either great or notorious, depending on your perspective. I've seen incredible growth in the kids. Their subject knowledge is good, but their research and technology skills are amazing. Responsibility is a work in progress, but I think we can see the responsibility has grown in each student. Hopefully, if your child has not mastered it yet, we've identified the areas to strengthen before middle school.

 

We'll finish up the last of the new information for the kids and I'll continue the ongoing review of skills they've learned. We'll take the CRCT tests in about 3 weeks and hopefully master that. After the test, we'll start on skill preparation for sixth grade while continuing to strengthen the skills learned this year. We'll have a little room for the kids to be more creative with their projects after the test. Should be fun.

 

Please let me know if there's anything you're concerned about.

 

Thanks,

Shane Brazile

---

Note: “This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and/or e-mail." “This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

---

FW: From Mrs. Kale

Class,

 

I am so sorry this is so late, but I wanted to send a thank you for all the sweet gifts from Teacher Appreciation Week.  It was so nice to be pampered over the week(s)-due to ice :)... I loved all the sweet notes and treats that made my days so special.  You are an awesome group of kids with a fabulous leader in Mr. Brazile...can't believe you are about to graduate in May!  Again, I was truly touched by all of your kindness. Thanks again,

 

Cissi Kale, Assistant Administrator

Kemp Elementary School
Phone: 770.594.8158
Email | mary.kale@cobbk12.org

Blog | Admins' Articles

 

Kemp's Mission
Inspiring Leaders for the Future
Kemp's Vision
Creating Pathways for Critical Thinkers who are College and Career Ready

---

Note: “This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and/or e-mail." “This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

---

FW: 5th grade slideshow deadline extended

 

 

From: Kim Even [mailto:kim@evenfamily.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2014 8:29 PM
To: Monique Bussell; Lynn Sieland-Peterson; Lindsay Soley; Michele Black; Ong Hur; Shane Brazile; Shannon Surrency
Cc: Charlene Graddy; Jared Rine; jserenci@gmail.com; daniella.defoor@comcast.net; 'TOBY MURPHY'; wxflash@bellsouth.net; jencastro@live.com
Subject: 5th grade slideshow deadline extended
Importance: High

 

Teachers and parents helping with the slideshow,

 

In an effort to make sure all students have photos in the slideshow we are extending the deadline to submit them.

 

The deadline has been extended until the end of the school day on:

 

Monday, March 17^th  

 

After this, NO photos will be accepted.

 

Please appeal one last time to those parents who have not yet sent photos in.    Please emphasize that the 5^th grade slideshow is shown to both parents and students at the end of the year as part of the 5^th grade celebration and we do not want any students to be left out.  

 

Also, thanks so much for everything you have already done to facilitate this process.   I really do appreciate your efforts to make this happen. 

 

Kim Even

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

Note: “This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and/or e-mail." “This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

---

FW: Slideshow photo deadline is tomorrow!

Parents-

I'll be out tomorrow with a sick child. Please make sure to tell your student to give the disc to Bailey if they bring it Friday.

 

Thanks,

Shane Brazile

 

From: Kim Even [mailto:kim@evenfamily.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2014 12:33 PM
To: Michele Black; Shane Brazile; Monique Bussell; Ong Hur; 'Lynn.Sieland-Peterson@cobbk12.org; Lindsay Soley; Shannon Surrency
Cc: Isabel Meireles
Subject: Slideshow photo deadline is tomorrow!
Importance: High

 

Teachers,

It's here!   The deadline for submitting photos for the 5^th grade slideshow is tomorrow.

Please, please send out one last email to your parents stressing that if they do not get their photos in by tomorrow, their child will not have any photos in the slideshow at the end of the year and that will be soooo sad.   We do not want that to happen!!!!   Please appeal them to get those photos in!!!!  We want to have a great slideshow!!!

Thanks,

Kim Even

---

Note: "This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and/or e-mail." "This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer."

---

Kemp - Brazile - Books

Parents –

 

This is more from my parental side than teacher, but I need to send this out.

 

A parent brought to my attention about some books that their friends at school were raving about. They cover some more adult issues than some of us may be ready for our kids to be exposed to. The kids may have the knowledge to locate and download the books without a password. The books are Throwaway and Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. I encourage you to check out the summaries and then talk to your child about it. They look like they’re free on Kindle. I know we all have different standards and expectations, but I would want to know if my son was reading about these topics (prostitution and murder). These are titles directed towards female readers, but I would encourage all parents to check the devices. Our kids are pretty tech-savvy so they know how to find and get books to their Kindle readers, iBooks, and even Adobe PDF Reader.

 

I’m listing the titles we have read in class so you know what we have used: The Giver, Messenger, Gathering Blue, Number the Stars, and Pictures of Hollis Woods (and Son). Any others would be outside of school.

 

Thanks,

Shane Brazile

---

Note: “This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and/or e-mail." “This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.”

---

Kemp - Brazile 3/12

Parents-

 

Today marks the end of the third quarter. I'll be updating the grades as fast as I can. Report cards will be distributed on March 19^th.

 

This week, we've welcomed in Bryson, a new student and welcomed back Zane. Our class has continued to grow and it's good to get good kids.

 

We'll continue working on our Social Studies unit through next week. After which, we'll have a government unit. In Science, we start up our Classification of Organisms unit. In math, we're working on ordered pairs this week. After our test, I'll assign individual skills for the kids to explore. Only a few weeks left before our test, so I'd like to iron out any misconceptions. It's imperative that the kids complete the IXL work each week and bring their questions to me.

 

With Reading, we've begun Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff. This book is great for teaching inferencing and narrator's point of view. With Language Arts, we're reviewing parts of speech.

 

Permission slips for middle school visits should be returned by Friday. The actual visit will be March 27.

 

We have a great class this year and I'm impressed with their growth and abilities. Their jaws are equally impressive as they're flexing them quite a bit lately. Not sure if I'm prematurely grouching, but it's driving me crazy – the talking while I'm instructing and/or speaking to them. If it were just a couple of them, I could fix this quickly but it seems to be an epidemic of talking. This "crunch time" is crucial for us to be on task.

 

Speaking of being "on task." I've spoken with them about this, but I need to share with you. Many bring their own devices which I think is amazing. However, I'm hearing more and more about students playing games during the instructional and research time. I've busted a couple, but I'm getting the tattle-tellers (is that a word?) too. And the ones that I haven't busted but heard about are the ones struggling to finish their work. So…I'm asking that you talk to your child about the instructional time in school and being on task. I try to police it, but our class has a large amount of instructional research time where we're relying on them to be self-sufficient and responsible. I am not allowing games of any sort any longer at school. If a student violates this, I'll remove the privilege of using the devices for the remainder of the year. Thanks for your help with this.

 

Finally, I'm attaching a Love and Logic email below for you to check out if you're interested. Always good advice. I had a parent today thank me for preparing their child for middle school. She said they realized recently that they haven't had to give any reminders or argue with them about assignments – he just "gets it done." I also liked to hear how he stepped up and created a presentation for his group after some group members couldn't get it going. If we're all buying into the responsibility aspect of what we do, the kids will greatly benefit. Remember that great grades and test scores are always welcomed, but there's a lot more to the kids than that. If we can develop good kids who are independent problem-solvers, our classrooms/families/world will be much better.

 

Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you or your child,

Shane Brazile

 

 

From: Love and Logic Institute, Inc. [mailto:reply@loveandlogicnews.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 12:33 PM
To: Shane Brazile
Subject: [MARKETING] Praise Junkies?

 

Are we raising a society hooked on praise? Perhaps you know someone who doesn't feel whole…doesn't experience happiness…unless they are receiving acknowledgment from the outside.   Do we want our kids dependent upon the praise of others, or do we want them guided by a voice of personal responsibility residing in their hearts and their heads?   Far too many parenting and school discipline approaches rely on changing behavior by consistently providing praise and tangible goodies.   While occasional praise is fine, do we set our kids up for difficulties when we overdo it?   Life guided by an internal set of ethical principles…and a strong understanding of cause and effect…is far more likely to produce confidence and joy than a life dependent upon the fickle opinions of others.   Take the following quiz to see whether you are creating responsibly independent kids…or praiseaholics:   When my kids succeed on a task, I recognize their effort and their good feelings…rather than telling them how happy it makes me. I demonstrate that I love them, even when I don't necessarily love their behavior. I allow my kids to see me resisting peer pressure…rather than always trying to project a perfect image. I provide praise rarely…and only when they have done something truly praiseworthy. My kids often overhear me talking about how I make my decisions based on my own beliefs...rather than seeing me make decisions based on what "everybody else is doing." I allow my kids to make affordable mistakes and learn from them…rather than constantly telling them what to do. The more "yes" answers you gave, the more likely your kids will learn to resist peer pressure and lead lives where their happiness is based on doing the right thing rather than trying to please everyone.   In our CD Shaping Self-Concept, Jim Fay gives parents and teachers the tools they need to help kids learn to look for their strengths and become motivated, confident, and proud.  Kids who will be able to keep going when the tough gets going and see themselves as winners.   Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend.   Dr. Charles Fay     2013 - 2014 Events Don't miss  Jim Fay in Casper, WY on Thursday, 4/10 or Jim Fay and Dr. Charles Fay in Boise, ID on Thursday, 4/17 Graduate-level credit and CEUs are available. Register online or call 800-338-4065. Exclusive Member Discount   This week save 25%    Shaping Self-Concept (CD)   Discount price to Insider Club members only: $14.96 Regular Price $19.95   To shop our online store click on the link above, then click "Add to Cart" and enter the coupon code "031214" Build this summer's family vacation around the: Love and Logic Educator & Parent Retreat  This June join us at Copper Mountain Resort, one of America's favorite get-a-ways, offering fun-filled activities for the whole family. Visit this page or call 800-338-4065 for more information.   For helpful tips, special promotions, and event announcements, join Love and Logic® on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. Funny Parenting Stories and Funny Stories from the Classroom: amusing audios available for your listening pleasure, compliments of Love and Logic. Visit this page to download and enjoy.   © 2013 Love and Logic Institute, Inc. All copyright infringement laws apply. Permission granted for forwarding and/or for a single photocopy or electronic reproduction of one email tip only. Please do not alter or modify. For more information, call the Love and Logic Institute, Inc. at 800-338-4065.   View as Web Page

 

Love and Logic Institute, Inc.  •  2207 Jackson St  •  Golden, CO 80401 http://www.loveandlogic.com

Subscribe  •  Unsubscribe  •  Preferences  •  Send to a Friend  •  Report Spam

Powered by MyNewsletterBuilder

 

---

Note: "This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and/or e-mail." "This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer."

---

FW: Reminder - 5th Grade Slide Show Photos due this week

Teachers,

The deadline for submitting photos for the 5^th grade slideshow is this Friday, March 14th.    Can you please send out an email today to your parents reminding them to make sure to send in their photos by Friday so their child can be included in the slide show. 

Thanks so  much!

Kim Even

 

Dear 5^th Grade Parents,

The slide show committee needs photos of your child!  Please send in the following:

 

·         Photos of your child throughout his/her years at Kemp. 

·         5-7 pictures per child.

 

Please load your photos onto a cd,dvd or flash drive.

Write your child's name and the teacher's name on the disc. 

Send it in to your child's teacher to the attention of Kim Even/5^th Grade DVD.

 

Please send in your child's pictures by March 14^th.  Due to production time constraints NO LATE CD's or DVD's will be accepted after that date.

Thank you,

Kim Even

Isabel Lay-Meireles

 

---

Note: "This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and/or e-mail." "This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer."

---