Mrs. Lauren's Crew : 5.7.15 Crew News

Announcements:

All Library Book DUE next Thursday 5/14

Please make sure all library books are returned next week. It is a great help to Ms. Diana if they are returned on time, so that she does not have to email and call you to track books down. Thanks for your help!

Portfolio Panel Sign-ups

Third grade is a showcase portfolio year, and we will need panelists! Unfortunately, third grade parents cannot be on the third grade panels. However, you can sign up to be on the sixth grade panels. Please consider signing up! This is an experience that is unique to REMS and is a wonderful growth opportunity for our students. Particularly for sixth graders, as it is their last year at Renaissance, it is a very meaningful ritual. Sign up to be on a 6th grade portfolio panel here.

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 May 14th so that we can be sure to get books before the end of the year. This is a great way to purchase summer reads!

Calendar Updates:

May 13: 3rd Grade Portfolio Presentations
May 25: Memorial Day/ No School
June 3: Last Day of Third Grade!

Getting Ready for Portfolio Presentations...

We have been doing a lot to prepare for portfolio presentations next week! Tyler and I modeled a presentation, so that students would feel more comfortable with knowing what is expected of them. We have reviewed the rubric they will be assessed on and brainstormed questions that might be asked.

Tomorrow, some 4th graders are coming to visit (that were in my crew last year) to share about their experiences. It is always good for kids to hear it from other kids what this experience is like.

Students have selected the work that they would like to share. Then, they practiced what they wanted to share by themselves, and tomorrow they will practice with a partner.

The kids have a lot of their portfolios set up. We are still working on our culture and integrated arts reflections. To help with preparation for portfolios, please ask the following questions and discuss responses. This will help them analyze their year and evaluate growth, and it will help them be successful during their presentation. Think of how adults practice for interviews. The kids need practice with portfolios. (They can access their ePortfolio by logging onto their Google Account--directions at the bottom my resources page). They will present something from expedition, IAs, adventure education, culture, and their "all about me" or their "dear future me."

How have you grown as a learner?

What was challenging about ________ and why?

What was the hardest thing during ___________? What did you do to accomplish it?

When you're struggling, how do you move forward?

It may be helpful to have some more background that you can refer to. Below are expeditions we have studied and they should be used to answer the questions above.

Matter - Background: We looked at different parts affect a system. Heat changes matter from one form to another: Liquid, solid, and gas. Solar ovens trapped heat, and adding parts to the solar oven changed the heat. The creative process helped us improve our solar ovens because we received feedback and made changes.

Human Body - Background: We all have systems, and each system works with other systems. Describe a system you learned about and how it works with other systems. The choices we make affect the systems. If I were to not wash my hands, my immune system would become overwhelmed. Students communicated this information to 2nd graders. How did you grow with communication?

Bent's Fort - Background: We are currently studying Bent's Fort so we can learn about perspectives. We have been noticing how mountain men, traders, craftsmen, Native Americans, and soldiers all worked with each other for a common good.

As a learner: Have a conversation about mindsets. When do your kids have a growth or fixed mindset? We all have fixed mindsets at times, and over time we can change our views. A fixed mindset thinks that people are naturally good at things, and if you don't meet those characteristics, then you'll never be great. A growth mindset knows that we can get better with practice. Michael Jordan is a great example of someone who has a growth mindset. (Over spring break, our staff read the book Mindset by Carol Dweck. I highly recommend this book! We have begun using the language of mindsets schoolwide. Click here if you would an overview of the mindsets.)

Highlights from Teacher Appreciation