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Recent ActivityClass Announcements START NewsExtra! Extra! Read All About It!
Our final family night will be held this Thursday from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. in the START/SIGNET Room. Please come and see what your child has been learning. Hope to see you there!
News from START
As the 2010-2011 school year begins to wind down, we can reflect on the productive year we have had in START. Students have made wonderful progress and have never ceased to amaze me with their unique points of view.
The START program will conclude on Monday, June 6.
Looking ahead to next year, I look very forward to working with current First and Second Grade START students again. I will meet with students after the school year has begun in September. Additional information will be sent home then with a specific schedule for START services.
For current Third Grade START students I look equally forward to working with you next year as well, whether it is in your classroom or in SIGNET. More information regarding your child’s services will be sent home in September.
Progress Reports
Your child’s Progress Report for the second semester will be sent with his/her report card. Please remember that the goal for START students is to make progress on the continuum of skills as they grow older. Please call me or email if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress in START.
Units of Instruction
Each grade level has been working on instructional units and learning activities that develop and enhance creative and critical thinking skills. In your child’s work folder (being sent home on June 6), you will find work from their units that demonstrate their growing development in these skill areas.
There may be material in your child’s folder that has yet to be completed. This may include components of our instructional units, or remaining choice activities. The students are welcomed to, and encouraged to, complete the work over the summer as time permits; however, this is not a requirement. I hope that everyone has a safe and fun summer. I am really looking forward to seeing you in September and having a great 2011-2012 school year!
School’s Out…Now What????
How do you keep a gifted child stimulated and entertained during the summer months? It's not as difficult as some parents think it is. All it takes is a little time and creative thinking. Here are five activities to get you started. Each activity encourages children to think, a favorite activity of gifted children!
1. Take a Botanical Nature Walk
Exploring nature is another inexpensive activity that can be fun for gifted children. Going on nature walks is an easy way to explore nature. As you walk with your child, talk about the different flowers you see. Ask questions as you go. For example, why do flowers come in so many different colors? What kinds of petals do flowers have? Why are the petals different? What do all the flowers have in common (you'll have to look up close)? How are they different?
Do the same thing with plants, including trees. Compare and contrast the leaves and the bark. If you don't have all the answers, plan a trip to the library! 2. Examine Backyard Bugs
If your child is not squeamish about bugs, you can go out to your backyard and look for the various insects that make their homes there. You'll have to look in the air, on the ground, under the ground (or under rocks) and on plants.
Ask your child to compare and contrast the bugs. For example, how are the flying insects alike? How are they different? Ask other questions as well. What are the insects like that live underground? How are they different from the insects that live above the ground? What about insects that live on trees or plants? Why are they different? How is each suited to its niche in nature? 3. Do an Ice Cube Experiment
All you need for this activity is at least two ice cubes. Place one ice cube in the sun and one in the shade. Ask your child to watch for which one melts faster and then ask why one melts faster than the other.
For older children, use more ice cubes, placing them on other surfaces. One ice cube can be in the sun on a sidewalk, while another can be in the sun, but on the grass. Two other ice cubes can be in the shade, one on a sidewalk and one on the grass. You can get more creative and come up with other possibilities, using other surfaces, such as a cookie sheet or a cardboard box, to put an ice cube on. 4. Make Garden Music
For those who love music, you can set up "instruments" that they can play with a garden hose with a nozzle to control the water flow. Gather a variety of objects that can be sprayed with water, such as (clean) garbage can lids, cookie sheets, plastic or metal bowls, and anything else that won't break or be damaged by water.
Line the items up against a fence, bushes or wall, preferable secured in some way, with string for example, so that they won't fly around when they are hit with water. Kids make different "notes" by hitting the different objects and by altering the types of spray from the nozzle. 5. Draw Pictures or Take Photographs
For those who love art and being creative, get some simple art supplies let them draw or paint what they see in nature. Plain paper and colored pencils or chalk are okay to start with. It depends on your child's interest level and ability.
Kids with more artistic ability and interest might like watercolor paints and good paper to work with. Simple sets are available at most toy stores, while better quality colored pencils and watercolor paints can be found in hobby shops. Kids who prefer photography can take use disposable cameras. Children who love taking pictures might like a camera like the Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera. One final note…
I would also like to encourage students to take advantage of the opportunities at the county libraries over the summer time, in addition to the wonderful learning experiences at the many museums and historical sites in our area. SIGNET NewsExtra! Extra! Read All About It!
Our final Family Night for this school year will be on Thursday, May 26 from 7:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the Mary Williams Gifted Center in Room #104 (the SIGNET classroom).We will be sharing our current projects from Groovy Greeks and our independent learning centers. There will be a fun challenge or two for families to complete as well. We hope to see you there! J
A Note of Appreciation
Parents, as the end of the school year draws near I want to take a moment to thank you for all of your support this year. It is because of your support that the school-home connection has been successful. I have greatly enjoyed working with each and every one of our SIGNET students and getting the chance to speak with you during our Family Nights. To our fifth graders, I wish you all the very best as you continue your educational journey. To our fourth graders, I am excited about working with you again next year and watching you flourish in your role as mentors to our new SIGNET students. I hope everyone has a wonderful summer!
Groovy Greeks Update
Our learning adventures continue as we move through our latest unit, Mother Knows Best, which focuses on natural systems. By far the most anticipated activity was the dissection, but we discovered many unique characteristics of the brain as we made our preparations. We discussed the term, synesthesia, which is a merging of senses and is highly characteristic of great artistic and scientific geniuses. We were perplexed by the unique abilities of Daniel Tammet, a savant who is highly functional. Please talk with your child about this “Brain Man” and all of his accomplishments.
We then moved on to our dissection, which was a tremendous success! We were true scientists as we explored the various regions of the brain and their functions (and no one got sick, which was a very good thingJ). Many, many thanks to all of the parents who came out to help! I hope you found the experience as memorable and engaging as the students.
Our final topic of study for this unit has been ecosystems. We visited a Gator Hole in Big Cypress Swamp in Florida and discovered that the actions of one member of an ecosystem can influence the continuity of that ecosystem.
Ecosystems can also be fragile and when one disruptive element is introduced it can cause sheer devastation. To simulate this and gain a better understanding of what happened in the Gulf of Mexico, we created our own oil spill in a pan. We used critical and creative thinking skills to design booms to help clean up our ecosystem, which had birds and fish. Please talk with your child about his/her team’s cleanup plan and how well it worked.
Final Center Reflections
Students have done an amazing job on their independent learning centers this year. Their projects have grown tremendously in both detail and amount of effort put forth. Fifth graders have worked hard to finish their current center so that it can be added to their list of completed centers for middle school. Fourth graders have worked equally as hard and will be able to continue their center next year if they do not get it done before the end of the year. Please talk with your child about the centers he/she has completed this year and the activities he/she is most proud of.
Check These Out!
The following sites are just a few that you might enjoy.
GT World is an on-line support community for gifted and talented individuals and those who support and nurture them. Families can subscribe to a GT Families webpage. There are also lists of books and several links to explore.
This site contains many articles and links for both students and parents. There is a Summer/Saturday Programs link and a Kids and Teens section with numerous links to fun and thought-provoking games.
An online algebra course in 16 chapters. If you want a Math challenge, check this site out!
This fun site is for all of you science lovers! It is sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History. Explore archaeology, anthropology and various other science fields. There’s even a neat link to visit on the brain (now through August 15) and an interactive discovery room.
Parent’s Corner Summer is right around the corner and kids everywhere are getting ready for summer vacation. Before the chorus of “I’m bored!” begins, here are just a few ideas to help keep your child challenged:
· Lessons in a foreign language
· Summer camps tailored to your child’s specific interest (space, theatre)
· Music/Art lessons
For additional information please visit: www.mensafoundation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section
I would also like to encourage students to take advantage of the opportunities at the county libraries over the summer, in addition to the wonderful learning experiences at the many museums and historical sites in our area. Important News Alert!Our next Family Night will be on Thursday, March 31 from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. in the START/SIGNET classroom (Room #141).We are so excited to share with you everything that we have been working on and hope that you are able to come. J
First Grade Investigators!What do you think scientists do? What clues tell you someone is a scientist? We began our Waterworks Unit with these questions. Through our reflections we realized that we are scientists because we try to find answers to questions we have about our world. Those questions often lead us to asking more questions, which is what we did during our first experiment with popcorn. We used our five senses to investigate the various ways the popcorn changed. We were in full scientist mode as we continued using our five senses to compare and contrast clean and muddy water. Today we conducted an experiment in which we tried to create a water filter! Please talk about the results with your child. As you can see, we are having so much fun! The concept of Change is reinforced as we react to, reflect on and develop our understanding. The following generalizations about Change are incorporated into our experiments:
1. Change is everywhere. 2. Change relates to time. 3. Change can be natural or man-made. 4. Change may be random or predictable. Talk about these with your child and try to find as many examples as you can that connect these generalizations to the world around us.
Second Grade Poets!We have been quite busy as we continue to strengthen our writing skills with the help of our Beyond Words unit. Our goals include developing our persuasive writing skills, our reasoning skills and our understanding of the concept of change, especially changes related to language. We have read and analyzed several moon poems and even created our own, which we will be sharing during Family Night. We have also been exploring figurative language, which includes understanding similes and why they are used. We have had so much fun creating our own! We are as bright as light bulbs! J
Good curriculum and instructional practice should always involve parents. The following ideas may be useful as your child experiences this unit:
Third Grade Researchers! Third Grade Researchers!
Have you ever created an invention? We have- as our final project for Invitations to Invent. These will be on display during our Family Night so be sure to check them out!
Over the past couple of weeks we have been quite busy working on our student response packets and math packets for Spring Screening. I want to say a big thank you for returning permission forms and parent reports. Please remember that you will be notified in June of your child’s services for next school year.
We began our new unit, Digging for Data, today. We will be exploring the world of the research scientist and learning how gathering, representing and analyzing data are the essence of good research. We will also become active mathematicians as we explore the various concepts and skills that are part of this process. Communication, both oral and written, will be ongoing regarding why and how we can most effectively use data. This will be crucial in nudging our thinking forward.
Today we discovered how a research question connects to what and how data are collected as we examined a study on student backpacks from Consumer Reports for Kids. Please talk with your child about this activity and what he/ she learned from the research.
What Has SIGNET Been Up To?Groovy Greeks Update
Teams are hard at work on their final project for our Alpha Beta unit. They are writing scripts from traditional Greek myths. The exciting part is that they are performing their plays, which are called Greek Tragedies. They are really showing their creative talents as they create masks for their parts. Please talk with your child about the tragedy his/her team is doing and the part he/she will be playing. As part of this project teams will have a chance to demonstrate their technology skills as they use Windows Media Player to show off their masterpieces. J
Now the moment students have been waiting for all year long…time is rapidly approaching for our Great Zany Brain Event (sheep brain dissection). We will need volunteers to help monitor small groups of future scientists as we follow specific procedures and make observations. You do not need to have experience or even a particularly strong stomach to help with the dissection. All students participating will wear protective gloves and use appropriate dissection tools. The whole process isn’t as gross as it sounds! The goal is to create a positive learning experience for all students.
Prior to the dissection of the sheep brain, students will be exploring natural systems. They will be performing experiments demonstrating the importance of a wetland ecosystem. As part of a SIGNET Rapid Response Team, students will simulate a response to an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They will be designing a flexible plan for trapping, containing, and eliminating oil, so neighboring areas will suffer minimal destruction of precious ecosystems. Students will be expanding science content knowledge throughout this unit.
Our upcoming section on Natural Systems, Mother Knows Best, will feature a very special guest scientist (via video). Dr. Kyle S.VanHoutan is a graduate of the PWCS SIGNET program, and believe it or not began developing his interest in ecology while doing the Oceanography and Endangered Species Centers!
Presently, Dr. VanHoutan is the leader of the Marine Turtle Assessment Program with NOAA Fisheries in Honolulu, Hawaii. His current area of research focuses on turtle diseases and the impact of climate on marine populations. This is a rare opportunity for our students to see how a real scientist conducts research in the field. This is particularly appropriate considering the immense impact on the environment (and several turtle species) due to the BP Gulf Oil Spill.
A Reminder For Third Grade ParentsOur parent information night about the Third Grade Screening will be held on Monday, March 7 from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. in the library at Mary Williams. Hope to see you there!
No Family Night on Thursday, February 3The Family Night that was rescheduled for Thursday, February 3 has now been canceled. The missed days of school over the past couple of weeks have really detoured instruction for everyone. I have decided to wait until the threat of snowy weather is over before I schedule another Family Night. As a result, the one that was originally scheduled for March 31 will be moved up a couple of weeks. I will let you know the new date just as soon as I can. I greatly appreciate your support and understanding and look forward to seeing you at our March Family Night. January/February START NewsWe are currently finishing our Geofinity Unit. Students have worked hard to identify and measure various types of angles and even had the opportunity to go to Angle School! They have also learned how to identify and plot coordinates to design some unique shapes.
Next time we meet we will begin our new unit, Water Works. Students will become scientists as they engage in scientific and creative thinking processes. They will learn to hypothesize, observe and problem solve with the properties and characteristics of water.
Below are some websites that are excellent resources for our new unit that you and your child may want to explore:
1. Environment Kids Club: Water
**This site has links to various activities, including interactive games and adventures. Be sure to check out Morphie’s Great Water Ride Adventure!
2. Fairfax Water
**Take an online tour of a water treatment plant, learn about the history of water and try some games.
3. Popcorn Popping Video
**Watch popcorn pop in slow motion. We will observe popcorn in class too. Very cool!
2nd Grade Crime Stoppers!
We finally cracked the case of the broken fishbowl. It was Mr. Mann! Students had the opportunity to collaborate using forensic science with evidence taking techniques. They also developed their deductive thinking skills to examine a mysterious crime scene.
We began our new unit, Beyond Words, today. Students will have many opportunities to develop their analytical and interpretive skills in literature and in using figurative language. They will strengthen their reasoning skills as they generate multiple solutions and ideas.
Below are some websites that you and your child can visit that reinforce both our detective unit and our new unit:
1. Geomysteries With Rex the Dino Detective
**Help Rex solve mysteries about rocks, fossils and minerals!
2. Mystery Net’s Kids Mysteries
**Includes solve-its, quick-solves and even some magic tricks!
3. Kids On The Net
**Explore writing created by children all over the world! You can even submit your own stories and poems. Be sure to visit Monster Motel, Kids’ Castle, Adventure Island and Dragonsville!
3rd Grade Inventors!
We are continuing to work on our unit, Invitation to Invent. Students have conducted experiments on force, motion and friction. We discussed how “Necessity is the Mother of Invention” and compared/contrasted the terms, invention and discovery. We created an initial invention plan that addresses a problem. We will be tweaking our inventions as we learn more about simple machines. Today we researched about Rube Goldberg and simple/complex machines.
Please investigate these websites to deepen your child’s understanding of simple machines:
1. EdHeads: Simple Machines
**Learn about simple and complex machines while you explore the House and Tool Shed! Fun stuff!
2. Museum of Science + Industry
**Help Twitch do his late-night work in the Museum workshop by creating simple machines. January/February SIGNET NewsWe’re Still Grooving Right Along! The gears are turning…and it isn’t just on the bulletin board outside our door. The children have rapidly picked up on the complex concept of Systems and the role they play in the world around us. By examining this concept in an ancient culture, the children are able to step back, analyze, and make connections to how many systems work around us every day. Independent Learning Centers
Everyone is immersed in individual research and learning in their selected independent learning center. It’s truly amazing to see all of the students working independently and productively at the same time! Please talk with your child about his/her center progress.
Something to Think About…
Our quotes over the past few weeks have come from various Greek philosophers. Through our reflections we have realized that understanding leads to wisdom and that good quotes withstand the passage of time. Please talk about these quotes with your child and how they connect with your family.
“Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly.” ~Plato
“Courage consists not in hazarding without fear, but being resolutely minded in a just cause.”
~Plutarch
“We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.”
~Epictetus
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.” ~Plutarch
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” ~Aristotle
We See IB!
Our Primary Years Programme (PYP) attitudes that we are now focusing on are: Curiosity, Independence, Empathy, Integrity and Creativity. Students performed skits to demonstrate an understanding of these attitudes and have been quite busy recognizing them in their peers. Please talk with your child about what these mean and always be on the lookout for family members displaying these attitudes.
P.S. Don’t forget to still be on the lookout for the attitudes of Respect, Enthusiasm, Cooperation, Commitment and Confidence. What Are START Students Up To?We have been very busy in START creating our Essential Agreements. Please have a discussion with your child about what our agreements are and why they are important to have in our classroom.
*First and Second Graders are working on a project using circle maps. They are sharing facts about themselves on their maps. We are learning many interesting things about each other through this activity. Circle maps are just one of the Thinking Maps that your child will be learning about and using this year in START. *Third Graders have been equally as busy. They began the year by doing a multiple intelligences survey. They are continuing the activity with an analysis of their individual traits to determine what kind of "smart" they are. They will then construct a line graph that represents the results of their analysis. To reinforce this at home have a discussion with your child about what he/she is learning about his/herself through these activities and how that affects him/her as a learner both in START and in the regular classroom. What Units Are START Students Working On?*First Grade- Geofinity: This is a unit on shapes. Students will be learning about what a contract is and will be following contract activities. They will learn about the types of angles, use tangrams to design a spaceship, take an imaginary trip to Planet Geo and create aliens. They will also learn how to use a protractor and will even plot coordinates. It will be an out of this world learning experience!
*Second Grade- The Case of the Broken Fishbowl: This is a scientific investigation using critical thinking skills. Students will review what a contract is and will be following contract activities. They will be analyzing evidence and comparing it to inferences. They will also be identifying and categorizing their own fingerprints. They will also write a persuasive letter that emphasizes the proof they have that supports one suspect as the guilty one. As a final activity they will determine a fair punishment for the robber and defend their idea in a debate. You can be sure that there will be justice for those fish! *Third Grade- Mr. Fickle's Mystery Vacation: This unit emphasizes cooperative learning and critical thinking skills. Students are working with a partner to solve the mystery. They will analyze costs and determine the budget for his vacation. They will also figure out clues by using a map. They will then have to organize all of their findings to come up with a solution to this mystery. Part of their solution will be to elaborate on how they organized their findings and why they think their solution is the correct one. Mr. Fickle can run, but he won't be able to hide for long! Something To Think About...Each week in SIGNET we analyze a particular quote and make connections to our own lives. Please take some time and reflect on the following quotes with your child:
*”Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Ghandi
*”Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off of your goals." ~Anonymous What Is SIGNET Up To?SIGNET classes hit the ground running this year. We jumped right into centers with the practice contract, "Gearing Up." We created maps and really showed flexibility with our thinking when we created symbols for our map key. The whole purpose of this activity was to become familiar with our new classroom and be able to locate supplies.
Through the contract we are also learning about how centers work and are becoming familiar with our Computer Covenants. For the Grand Finale we are creating ID Badges and then it's off to our self-selected centers. Please ask your child what center he/she will be doing and why he/she chose that particular center. Discussion Topics Class Files No "Class Files" exist(s) |
Class Links  KerpoofKerpoof is all about having fun, discovering things and being creative. You can make an animated movie, create stories, draw and lots of other fun things. If you like being creative then Kerpoof is for you! |
