As we wind down from Thanksgiving break and time with our families, teachers are busily getting back into our regular routines! We loved having this time to attend the National Association for Gifted Children's Conference in Denver where each of us came back having learned quite a bit about how best to meet the needs of our students! We also enjoyed time at home, relaxing with our own families, celebrating those things for which we are most thankful.
In LifeSkills this week, we are beginning to generate solutions to common social and emotional issues that arise in Division III, as well as learning to evaluate the consequences those solutions might bring.
World of Math in Ms. Brown's class will involve reviewing place value of whole numbers to begin learning about decimals, while continuing to master basic math facts for all four operations. Continue having your child use xtramath.org each night for practice!
Dr. Ricotta's class experienced a guest teacher from Division IV prior to Thanksgiving break. Ryan Kricker joined them and taught the first level of "Hands On Equations" for three days. The students loved learning pre-algebra through hands-on methods taught by Ryan!
Ms. Burns' World of Math class is currently extending their understanding of algebraic expressions, applying their knowledge of variables learned during their work with Hands On Equations prior to break. Taking the time to learn the Hands On Equations method has been helpful for all students!
During Art of Language this week, Ms. Brown's students will continue their novel studies, completing literature webs (due December 7) and vocabulary webs (due December 14), as well as participating in literature circles with others reading the same novels to discuss the patterns of change within their novels. Students will also begin analyzing persuasive writing and planning their own using the "Hamburger Model" structure. When your child begins requesting gifts and such for the holiday season, ask them to draw upon their newly found persuasive abilities and techniques in ethos, pathos, and logos!
Just before break, Dr. Ricotta's students completed their 5-paragraph essay for the classic "The Secret Garden." Each essay details the theme of change throughout their particular chapter. The essays are on display in the hallway outside of Room 6.
Ms. Burns' class has continued their work on the animal reports that were started prior to Thanksgiving break. Students have started doing fluency work with reading, doing one-minute partner reads to increase reading speed and fluency.
Historical Inquiry brings Division III to one of our most enjoyable topics: Government, Politics, and Nursery Rhymes of the Middle Ages. During this unit, students will study the government and politics of the time, the feudal system and the everyday life of those living during this time, as well as about castles and their purpose during the Middle Ages. Students will learn the history behind many common nursery rhymes. For instance, "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" has a very interesting story behind it! These topics are essential to understanding the history of this time period, so that students can make connections to our current governmental and political structure both in the United States, and specifically in Colorado.
Students will be able to choose from a number of projects to demonstrate their learning during the course of this unit, and will have the opportunity to research at home and create a model of a castle of their choosing as well. Information on the Castle Builder Project will go home in binders with students and via email to families today (Thursday, November 29). The project will be due on December 17.
Some important dates to keep in mind during the last several weeks of this quarter:
December 1 - Festival of Lights Parade: Academy ACL will have a float this year! See this week's Monday Message for more information.
December 3 - Scholastic orders due (to ensure delivery before we go to Winter Break)
December 14 - DIII Medieval Feast! More information to follow soon.
December 20 - Winter Festival: Encore teachers have been working with students to create celebrations of the holiday season from around the world. Performances and artistic expressions will be at the forefront of this event!
December 21 - No School for Students: Teachers will be busily preparing Quarterly Learning Reports and planning for the third quarter.
December 21-January 3 - Winter Break: Teachers will have a work day to prepare for conferences on January 3.
January 4 and 7 - Family Conferences
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