Parents-
Well, Spring Break has come and gone. I hope everyone was able to spend some time with family and relax. I remember my pre-teacher days when I was unable to have a Spring Break. I'm grateful for the extra time with my family.
I've had a vision for my classroom for many years and each new class, I try to bring my vision closer to reality. I saw a documentary once about schools in other countries and it highlighted the ones that were considered "the best." One stood out to me for how routine it was for the kids to be independent and achieve. I like that - excellence as routine. Of course, we can't always achieve excellence, but we can try. The key, I believe, is to make it routine for the kids to give their best effort.
In our classroom, I try to keep the kids in a rhythm and routine so they know their role each day. That part of my vision is just about realized. They know their role and even though there are still some that want to test the boundaries, they know what they're supposed to do.
We have started book clubs where the kids picked books to read. They'll discuss topics within their groups, as well as complete skill assessments.
In Math, we're working on problem solving skills. We'll focus on reviewing strategies we've learned in the past, so we can refine them. There will be days with homework assignments, but everyday, they should spend at least 10 minutes working on IXL. I've asked them to pick a new 5th grade skill to master. As always, we'll have our computation test and a problem solivng test each Friday.
Today, we completed our Classification Unit by taking our unit test. The class average is a 91, so they did very well. From this point forward, we'll start working on experiment process and previewing for 6th once CRCT is completed.
Social Studies has us working on the Government Unit. We'll have our unit test in about a week and 1/2. After the CRCT, we'll work on preview for 6th.
Today, lunch forms for Field Day went home. They're due in next week. If your child lost theirs, they can ask the P.E. teachers for a copy.
We welcomed Jordan into our class yesterday. Class continues to grow and change. As I said earlier, the routine helps. Kids seem to pick up on the routine and everyone knows what should be going on and they're eager to help.
I hope everyone is dealing well with the pollen and continually changing weather. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
**I'm forwarding the latest Love and Logic email that I've received (I don't think I've sent it out yet). It deals with teasing/bullying. I think everyone has dealt with this at some level in their life and kids can be nasty sometimes. If we give them strategies on how to deal with it, the teasing is more likely to not have such a negative impact. The most important lesson is to teach them that those that are the instigators are looking for power (consciously or not). Teach them skills to lessen that, whether it's ignoring it, joking, or walking away. Anyhow, read on below if you're interested.
Thanks,
Shane Brazile
From: Love and Logic Institute, Inc. [mailto:reply@loveandlogicnews.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2014 12:30 PM
To: Shane Brazile
Subject: [MARKETING] When Your Child Gets Teased
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