A Calder Video

Here is a link that shows highlights of the Calder exhibit we saw today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50N6b_32yO8

Report Cards

The children will be bringing home their first report card on Friday, December 5th.  I am so proud of their progress and effort. It is amazing how much they have all grown since those beginning days in September.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  I am always available to meet with you! I continue to be a happy and content teacher surrounded by seventeen unique learners who have become a supportive learning community.

We are taking on the Marshmallow Challenge on Wednesday December 10th- Photos next week:)

There is a new challenge on the STEAM Cart!  Students will be able to ENGINEER a structure with marshmallows and toothpicks and check there stability with the shaker table.  what will  they build? How will the structures hold up?

Report Card Information :)

Report Cards
Students in grades 1-5 will bring home their first trimester report card on Friday, December 5. We value report cards as one of our important ways to communicate progress with families. Parents may recall that we made significant changes to the card last year, with the addition of effort indicators and alignment of the math learning standards to the expectations of the Common Core Standards. The students' performance connected to a specific learning standard is evaluated on an academic performance indicator scale, ranging from N (student is not yet demonstrating progress toward the standard), B (student is beginning to progress toward standard), P (student is progressing toward consistent and independent proficiency of the standard) and M (student consistently and independently demonstrates mastery of the standard). We had hoped to be able to disseminate the cards electronically and have taken steps towards that goal, but hard copies will be sent home for this term. 

Each child will receive evaluative marks from their classroom teacher in social skills, language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. You will notice that the classroom teacher comments have been moved to a singular text box at the end of the report card. This is a result of our migration to a new card format connected to our new Aspen student information system. Teachers will continue to comment on students' progress in social areas as well as the academic areas in this text box each term.  In addition, specialist teachers will provide marks and comments in each of their respective disciplines. As has been our practice in years past, Kindergarten students will receive their first report cards in at the mid-year mark.

Symboloo---a favorite spot :)

We have been visiting the tech lab twice a week on Mondays from 12:30 to 1:00 and on Thursdays from 1:05 to 1:45. On Mondays, the children have been using the IXL program and on Thursdays, we focus on using the RAZ kids program.  Please let me know if you are having difficulty accessing either program at home.  The same password is used for both programs.  Also, the children have 10 minutes of choice time at the end of each practice session.  Many of them choose activities from Symboloo.  You can access that site from the Cutler Library Media Site under student links.

Cultural Enrichment-December 9th

We are excited to incorporate the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) framework into our educational programs and Cultural Enrichment focus for this school year. Within this framework, we are specifically focusing on educating students about the enviornmental issues facing our world and the need for change. We are fortunate to have a local non-profit organization, Change is Simple, dedicated to this exact work with whom we can partner. As described on their website: “Change is Simple brings Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)- based lessons to classrooms to evoke passion and provide students with a comprehension of the direct connections between environmental and human health.” 

In partnership with Change is Simple, we have developed a program for Cutler students that will focus on specific changes each student can do to address environmental issues. In order to make these concepts more tangible for students, Change is Simple has organized the activities to be grade-specific with each grade having its own access point to our Big Read story, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Below is a brief description of the program for first grade:

Grade 1: Understanding how William made supplies out of others’ waste, students will learn the fundamentals of reducing, reusing, recycling and composting. They will engage, for example, in a competitive relay race that challenges them to eliminate all the trash in their waste stream.

TOYS FOR TOTS

Toys for Tots As you shop for the holidays, please remember our collection for Toys for Tots. There is a box outside the office door to drop off unwrapped toys. The area Toys for Tots collection relies on our donations to serve families in our community. The last day to donate is Thursday, December 12th. Thank you!