9.4.14 Crew News

Announcements:

Scholastic Book Orders: Please make all book orders ONLINE (no cash/checks please). Don’t’ worry; it’s super easy! Go to:  clubs.scholastic.com/ and register. Our Class Activation Code is GP449.  You can select books and the orders will come directly to our classroom. The best part is that for every book ordered online, we get a FREE book for our class library! Please make your orders before September 8^th.

Voyage Reflections Update: You can check out your child's voyage reflection on their ePortfolio. Students can log into their email and find their portfolio under "sites." 

CogAt on Monday: Please be sure that your child arrives to school on time on Monday. We will be doing the CogAt in the morning. Click here if you have more information about the CogAt.

Calendar Updates: 

Sept 26: No School; Professional Development Day
Oct 3: Students are IN school (different than other schools in the district)
Oct 6-17: Fall Break
Oct 20: No School; Teacher Work Day (different than other schools in the district)

Connecting with Australia  A conversation from this last week: Would you like to connect with a class outside our school? Outside our town? Outside our state? Outside our country? Outside our continent? We are going be connecting with class in Australia!  We visited their class blog, and students were ecstatic!  Here were their responses: I am very excited to connect with Australia. I really want to connect. I feel scared because I've never done something like this before. I feel good because I get to learn what we have in common! I feel good about connecting with Ms. Rowe's crew because I don't get to talk to other people on the other side of the world! I feel good ubaut having a nuser class. I am looking forwrs to see what we have in comen. Good, because I think that its cool that they get to see kangaroos!!! I also want to find out if they also speak English? I'm feeling awesome about with connecting with a crew in Australia. Why because it's a once in a life time thing for me. I feel like we learn how they do things and found out what we have common. i am excited because i want to learn what things they do difrent. I fell exceeded because contenting with a crew around the world would be so awesome. Also because having friends is awesome but having friends around the world would be even more cool. I feel happy because there in a different state then us and this is my first time connecting with a crew thats not in colorado I look forward to learning about you guys. I feel good because it will be cool. I feel super exited cause we get to connect with a crew out of the Continent Good. I think it will will be cool to learn about them. We can see what we have in common. I feel really good about connecting with Australia because I really want to learn about them and see whats similar and whats not. I am exited because we can make conections. I feel so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so EXCITED to tack to kids in Australia about suff I feel grate to meet a other con trey okras the world. I am feeling happy and exited that we are connecting with a crew in Australia.  I asked what questions they have right now for Ms. Rowe's class: are they nice what language do they speak What is it like there? Why does that bug always have to be wet? (in reference to a science blogs post we saw) If its 1:00 here what time is it in Australia??? what lagwug do you speek. what dos your classroom look like. Haw meny studuns are in your school. None. What is some of your names? Do you speak a different language? Do you have morning meet every day? How many times do you go voyage a year? Why do you go on voyage? do you have a different lagenge If their school is an outward bound school. What language do they speck. What habees do they have as a class. do you guys speak a different langue then english. none. What do you guys do or what is your schedule. What do they do for for fun. I don't have any questions! I want to know what languge you speek. I also want to know what you like learn. What do you do do you have computers What language do you speck . Why do you only have 16 kids in your class. Do you have pm snack. Do you have your own computers at school. I just LOVE the excitement and enthusiasm!!! This all comes at a time that we are building momentum to launch student blogs. They can't wait to get their blog set-up, personalized, and begin actively blogging. Official launch coming soon! Yesterday, we talked about some tips for commenting on blogs.  This was easier said than done. We practiced about how to give polite, specific feedback in blog comments. Also, today we got started on Rosetta Stone. Here is the login information, if you would like to check it out at home. You need a microphone to complete lessons.  Go to: https://douglascsd.rosettastoneclassroom.com Student Log in: Username: lunch #(20000....) Password: rems We will be using this language program as one of our rotations during our literacy block. Crew Learning:  Expedition: In expedition, students have been working with toys to discuss systems, parts of a system, and examples of cause & effect. Now, we can take this learning to a new level... Stay tuned for a lot of fun stories about expedition on Friday!            HINTS AT HOME: Use the language of "systems" at home to develop "systems-thinking." This is one of our 21st century skills that our school district defines as: Systems thinking provide students a more effective way of interpreting the complexities of the world, which is increasingly dynamic, global and complex.  Systems Thinkers analyze how parts of a whole system interact with each other in order to produce overall outcomes and an understanding of the relatedness of forces.  Click here to find out more.  Math: Our math has taken us on a journey of name collection boxes, the vocabulary of chance, calculator problem-solving, and using the number grid to solve differences. Our mathematicians have been working hard!           HINTS AT HOME: Shake out the cobwebs of addition and subtraction facts. There are tons of fun apps that your child can play to freshen up on these skills. Some parents have told me that having flashcards in the car is a great tool. Also, students are welcome to log-on to Khan Academy at home to work on math skills. Writing: We are getting into the routines of our literacy time. We are starting with writing personal descriptions.           HINTS AT HOME: Brainstorm some ideas that your child would like to write a description about and/or blog ideas. Reading: Our class is getting excited about words! Students are noticing words that they do not know (and looking them up) and collecting interesting words/phrases. We are using this list of words to inspire our writing and develop vocabulary.              HINTS AT HOME: Have you set up a routine of reading every night?  Here is some food for thought: