Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Super Bowl Sunday
Per our school principal, students and staff at Heroes ES will be allowed to wear a jersey or team shirt of your choice on Wednesday, February 1st, and dress code will be relaxed for this day.
Pants, shorts, skirts, etc. will need to be within dress code and
jerseys or shirts must be appropriate for school 😁😁!!!
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Learning Spaces
Last week, I decided to remove 4 tables from our room to make more space for my kiddos to have more learning spaces. I've used flexible seating (crates, Ikea stools, Ikea toad stools, and pillows) in my room for years, but we have always been crammed into tight spaces with so many tables.
Each year, I have always given my students the option to sit on the carpet, stand at their seats, or move to a learning area to make their learning more engaging and collaborative. This year, I decided to take it one step further and take away assigned seats, unless requested by student or parent, or required on an IEP, 504, etc. Students have the option to sit anywhere they want. They chose a starting spot and then they can move around if they feel restless, bored, or need to adjust for their learning style. This has made a huge difference in my room!
I've included some pictures below. The room is not done. I'm still looking for a loveseat or 2 armchairs and our coffee table is still a work in progress, but so far, so good. It's exciting to watch third graders take responsibility for their learning and have the option to decide what helps them focus and learn best. Enjoy!
Each year, I have always given my students the option to sit on the carpet, stand at their seats, or move to a learning area to make their learning more engaging and collaborative. This year, I decided to take it one step further and take away assigned seats, unless requested by student or parent, or required on an IEP, 504, etc. Students have the option to sit anywhere they want. They chose a starting spot and then they can move around if they feel restless, bored, or need to adjust for their learning style. This has made a huge difference in my room!
I've included some pictures below. The room is not done. I'm still looking for a loveseat or 2 armchairs and our coffee table is still a work in progress, but so far, so good. It's exciting to watch third graders take responsibility for their learning and have the option to decide what helps them focus and learn best. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Sidebar Links
I've updated and added additional links,in the right hand sidebar area of this page, for the websites that we use the most in the classroom. Think Central is for our math program and Pearson is for our reading program. You can access your child's account and follow their progress on assessments. I sent home a paper, a few months ago, with your child's username and password. If you do not have that page, your child should be able to log you in. They all know their information and how to log in.
In Think Central, please be aware that any assignments that have the word "pretest" in them, are not counted as a grade. Pretest are used to guide my instruction and identify the areas we need to focus the most on. Grades are given on Posttest and Mid Chapter Checkpoint Quizzes.
In Pearson, all assessments are counted as a grade. The unit and weekly assessments are to measure your child's comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar on our reading stories. We listen to the story together and discuss, twice each week. Students are also assigned listening to the story during station rotations. Students are also allowed to use their reading textbook to answer each test question. It is my expectation that students score within 80-100% on these assessments, based on the amount of time spent reading and discussing the stories and students using the text to support them.
In Think Central, please be aware that any assignments that have the word "pretest" in them, are not counted as a grade. Pretest are used to guide my instruction and identify the areas we need to focus the most on. Grades are given on Posttest and Mid Chapter Checkpoint Quizzes.
In Pearson, all assessments are counted as a grade. The unit and weekly assessments are to measure your child's comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar on our reading stories. We listen to the story together and discuss, twice each week. Students are also assigned listening to the story during station rotations. Students are also allowed to use their reading textbook to answer each test question. It is my expectation that students score within 80-100% on these assessments, based on the amount of time spent reading and discussing the stories and students using the text to support them.
Classroom Facebook Page
The classroom Facebook page is up and running! I am pleased to say that 7 out of 16 parents have friended the page. I am still waiting on a few parents to accept their Friend Request, if they chose. I have the setting set to very private, so you may not see a Friend Request button at the top. If that happens, please email me at school or text me through Remind and I will adjust the settings to accept your request and then turn the privacy settings back on. I hope you enjoy the page!
Monday, January 16, 2017
Change to District Calendar
Camp Lejeune students will have off February 2nd and 3rd, rather than off only on February 3rd. Teachers have math training for those two days. The original school calendar, which is posted under the Calendars tab, shows that students are off on February 3rd and 6th. The District changed it so that now students are off Feb 2 and 3 and they WILL attend school on February 6th. I'm not sure if the district sent out updated calendars. If you have any questions you can contact the Superintendents office or Heroes school office.