Hi! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break! During our school days on Thursday and Friday I am going to make sure to let scholars tell me about their break.
GENERAL ACADEMICS: Spalding Monday - Wednesday: Practice of more difficult spelling words taught so far. Spalding Thursday - Friday: Review of the words from the distance learning packet on Thursday and spelling test on Friday Math Monday - Wednesday: Measurement (Length) Math Thursday - Friday: Measurement and Comparing Numbers History - Early Civilizations (Ice Age, Land Bridge, the Maya) Literature - Frog and Toad All Year *Note - If you scholar does not have Frog and Toad All Year here at school please make sure that he/she brings it to school on Thursday as we will begin reading it that day! Grammar - Proper Nouns (Days of the Week), Pronouns Poetry - "Merry Sunshine *Note This is a reminder, as stated in all Archway Trivium E-mails, there is not live Zoom sessions on Monday - Wednesday. Live contact times will start again on Thursday. We will post the link for our class on the Google Classroom stream page. DISTANCE LEARNING SURVEY: This is just a reminder that all families (those who are currently distance learning AND those who are in-person) must complete the distance learning survey. MASKS REMINDERS: -Please make sure that your scholar's mask fits his/her face so that mouth and nose are covered. - Please make sure that your scholar has extra masks in his/her backpack as they do get stretched, lost, and dirty. UPCOMING DATES: Monday, November 30-Wednesday - 100% At-home Distance Learning for ALL students Friday, December 4 - Picture Day for Distance Learners / Retake Day ON A PERSONAL NOTE: We have a new baby in our family! My son, David and I were getting into the car to go hiking the day before Thanksgiving when we hear tiny mewing sounds. It took us awhile to track where the sound was coming from... under the hood of my car! She had somehow gotten herself very stuck in and it took several minutes to get her out. I named her Grease. We took her to the vet, got medicine to help make her well, and found out she is just about 10 weeks old. She is a spunky, mischievous little one. Our 10-year old cat Splat was very mad for a couple of days, but we are making progress with the introduction process. He is starting to show curiosity rather than animosity. NAMING THE GOOD: - We have a new kitten. - December = Christmas! - I love my breaks, but I also love it when my students return to the classroom. I am looking forward to Thursday! See you soon!
0 Comments
The last several days of math have been so fun to teach. Geometry is fun for the students too because they are always fascinated by shapes and patterns. What I like about 1st grade geometry is that students who often have trouble math concepts that include calculation often have little to no trouble with concepts that involve patterns and shapes. This give them a boost of confidence. Though I am always telling them that they are capable of figuring out math concepts they don't always believe it within themselves. The confidence boost that comes for many during the geometry unit aids in their self-confidence with other math concepts.
LOTS OF INFORMATION ABOUT ACADEMICS: Well, if you haven't read any of the information that has been e-mailed from the head office and the school I really suggest you do so. In my blog I am going to focus on the first grade stuff. GENERAL ACADEMICS FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW: Spalding - Students will learn 8 new words on Monday. On Tuesday we will do a discussion and a written review of the 8 words than take a spelling test on those 8 words. Math - Comparing numbers *Note - A "Friendly Notes" on the comparing numbers unit is being sent home in the red homework folders. Distance learners can find the friendly notes and copy of the textbook unit under the parent resources topic in Google Classroom. History - We will be reviewing concepts taught about Ancient Egypt on Monday and the unit test is on Tuesday. Poetry - "Merry Sunshine" AFTER THANKSGIVING (NOVEMBER 30TH - DECEMBER 2ND): As you have read in the district and the school e-mails, Greats Hearts is doing distance learning for the first three days of next week. The first grade team has been meeting and working together to create at-home packets for those three days. The lessons have been carefully selected and written. We are sending the packets home today in students' red homework folders so that they have the packets available to them for 11/30 - 12/2. These packets will also be uploaded to Google Classroom next week for the distance learners. You will also being receiving a separate e-mail from me with more information about next week. UNIFORM ALERTS: Please note the following items about school uniforms- 1. Students must wear belts with their uniform pants or shorts. 2. Shoes must be solid black or solid white. Black shoes that white stripes or white soles must be covered with black shoe polish UPCOMING DATES: Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27 - No School: Thanksgiving Break Monday, November 30-Wednesday, December 2 - 100% At-home Distance Learning for ALL students Reading of The Phantom Tollbooth daily at 10am, Facebook Live *Note - Please refer to the e-mails sent to families from the district office and the school for information and rational about the 11/30 - 12/2. Friday, December 4 - Picture Day for Distance Learners / Retake Day ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Recording the lessons - Okay! Now that the second quarter is almost done I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it. History is the hardest to record because the kiddos are so tired. Math is the most fun to record. I know sometimes my head gets cut off during Spalding, but my hands can been seen. I don't think I am going to go into a TV or a movie production career anytime soon. Mrs. Spencer Traffic Cop - During dismissal I am one of the teachers that gets put into whichever position needs to be filled due to an absence. This past week I got to be a director of traffic. I have never directed traffic in my life. The first day of I was absolutely terrified! The second day a bit less so. The third day day I had moved from terrified to nervous. By Friday I was finding my confidence, started to relax, and have fun. I told Dr. Scott, the director of operations, that as long as I was with someone who knew what he/she was doing and could tell me what I needed to do I would be willing to help with traffic again. By the way, if you have never had to direct traffic before and are given the opportunity to do so, take it. You see things from a whole different perspective! NAMING THE GOOD: Some people find reading difficult. When I have students who feel that way I do my best to help them find the confidence within themselves to believe that they can read. I was working with just such a group in the last few days. On Thursday, one of my students who had previously told me words didn't make sense, grinned at me and said, "What are going to read today. I really like reading. Reading is fun and I like reading books!" The rest of the scholars in this group enthusiastically agreed. They then each proudly read a page from a book. None of them could stop grinning, even as they returned to their seats. THAT is one of my many reasons why I continue to to choose to be a teacher! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Literary and Historical Figure Day on Friday was fun! We had several Alice-es from Wonderland, a pilgrim, a cowardly lion, two Einsteins, a "Revolutionary Man" (at first he kept saying he was an evolutionary man, but eventually got the word correct), a knight, several fairy tale princesses, a Roman goddess, and many other characters visit our class.
ATHENIAN OWL: Our class earned the Athenian Owl on Friday. The owl will be watching over the class for this week until it is awarded to another worthy class next Friday. GENERAL ACADEMICS: Spalding - Students will learn 8 new words on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The 24-word review is on Thursday and the spelling test is on Friday. Math - Geometry History - Ancient Egypt Literature - We will finish reading Frog and Toad Together by Thursday. Our next book is Frog and Toad all Year. If you have not already done so, please send Frog and Toad all Year to school with your scholar by Wednesday. Grammar - Pronouns (A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun.) Poetry - "Merry Sunshine" UPCOMING DATES: Friday, November 13 - Friday, November 20 - Food Drive for St. Mary's Food Bank Friday, November 20 - Virtual Family Game Night, 5-6:30 PM Friday, November 20 - Action Required: Deadline to Complete Semester 2 Learning Survey Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27 - No School: Thanksgiving Break Friday, December 4- Picture Day for Distance Learners / Retake Day Please see the Athenian Echo for detailed school information. ON A PERSONAL NOTE: The Amount of School Information - Do you sometimes feel like the amount of school information that gets e-mailed to you could make you go a bit wonky in the head? I am a parent of a Great Hearts student too and I know the amount of stuff coming out makes me a bit wonky. Despite the amount, please take time to read it. There has a been a lot of communication coming out from the Great Hearts head office that is important too. Working Through Some Frustration - E-mails come out about distance learning surveys and information about COVID policies and updates. I look at my students sitting in their desks, but I don't get to see all of them. Things have come up where I have not been able to meet with my distance learners as often as I would like to and even though I have yet to meet them in person I miss them. I have to communicate and speak in such a way that my students can hear me through layers of face shields and desk shields. There is so much going on and so much extra that has to be done. Often times, by the end of the day, after my students have left, all I can do it sit down at my chair, put my head in my hands or on my desk and just stay there for awhile. Don't get me wrong. Every day there is so many amazing, wonderful, beautiful moments. It is just that sometimes... sometimes I get tired. Sometimes... lots of times... I just want the school year to be normal. NAMING THE GOOD: - The costumes stayed on for a while. In fact, I think we made it at least half way through the day before layers of costumes started getting peeled off, Einstien's mustache ended up on the cheek, and props started appearing in random places. The students were adorable! - Ohhh! Hiking! I went to Skyline Regional Park and took a 2 1/2 hour hike. Exhilarating! - Geometry is such a fun subject to teach. This whole week is geometry! - I had the opportunity to go Christmas shopping with my dad. Have a positive, energizing week! Did you know that we have a student whose name is Not Mine? At least once a week an Archway Trivium Fleece jacket appears at a random place on the floor. After looking for a name I hold it up and ask, "Whose fleece is this?" Several students call out, 'Not mine!" I then say, "Are you sure? There isn't a name on it anywhere so please check and see if your jacket is missing." Then, "Did everyone check? Whose fleece is this?" The answer remains the same, "Not mine!" :-)
ARCHWAY TRIVIUM EAST JACKET AND CARDIGAN CHECKPOINT: Checkpoint 1 - Please make sure your scholar's name is clearly printed on the fleece and/or cardigan. Checkpoint 2 - Jackets and cardigans do get mixed up from time to time. Occasionally you may need to double check to make sure that your child has his/her fleece and not someone else's by mistake. VETERAN'S DAY: There is no school this Wednesday, November 11th. LITERARY AND HISTORICAL FIGURE DAY: This is just a reminder that Literary and Historical Figure Day is this coming Friday, November 13th. Please see the dress up day guideline letter that was attached to the e-mail with this blog link. Last week I listed several characters that first graders have dressed up in the past. A printed copy was also sent home last week in homework folders where several costume and character ideas were listed on the back. As a reminder, no pop culture characters are allowed. If you are not sure if a specific character is appropriate, please e-mail me. COSTUME PROPS: Students are allowed to have props with their costume. (I have had several Red Riding Hoods come to school with baskets of play food.) First grade students do tend to peel off their costumes as the day goes on. I usually end up with a pile in the back of the classroom. Due to current conditions I am not going to allow students to put their costumes in the back of the class. Props and costume pieces they no longer want to wear will have to be placed in their back packs. Please talk to our scholars about keeping track of their own costumes and props otherwise Sherlock Holmes's hat may go home with Cinderella's tiara. WATER BOTTLES! The weather is getting cooler but these young scholars still get thirsty. Please make sure your scholar has a water bottle every day! DL INFORMATION: As requested, either Mrs. Garza or I will post the zoom link on the Google Classroom stream page for the live contacts at the beginning of the week. It was also included in the e-mail that contained this blog link. Please be sure to note dates and times. If something changes we will do our best to contact you as much in advance as possible. GENERAL ACADEMICS: Spalding - Students will learn 8 new words on Monday and 8 new words on Tuesday. The 16 word review is on Thursday and the spelling test on Friday. Math - Using addition and subtraction methods to solve story problems, geometry *Note - A "friendly notes" geometry information packet will be sent home in the homework folders on Tuesday. Parents of distance learning students can find the "friendly notes" packet and a copy of the Unit 7 textbook pages under the Parent Resources topic. History - Ancient Egypt Literature - Frog and Toad Together Grammar- Common nouns, correct usage of the was / were, introduction to pronouns Poetry - "Merry Sunshine" *Note for DL families - As there is no school on Wednesday, Tuesday's recordings and lessons will be posted on Thursday. UPCOMING DATES: Wednesday, November 11 - No School: Veterans Day Friday, November 13 - Literary and Historical Figure Day Friday, November 20 - Virtual Family Game Night, 5-6:30 PM Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27 - No School: Thanksgiving Break ON A PERSONAL NOTE: Well, some people may have trouble reading, some may have trouble calculating numbers, some may having trouble drawing and some have trouble figuring out technology. For me, my dog drawings often look like sick hippos and technology concepts just will NOT stick in my brain. For all of you who work in tech job and who are able to make easy sense of any type of computer program please know I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU!!! NAME THE GOOD: - I get to start teaching geometry this week. That is one of my favorite units to teach. - One of the rooms in my house is in its first phases of transforming into Santa's workshop. There are gifts for my family, friends, and co-workers spread out everywhere so I can take inventory of what I still want to purchase. - It was a beautiful weekend and the weather is becoming perfect!!! Enjoy this beautiful week! |
AuthorMs. Spencer Archives
May 2022
Categories |