Just in case your child did not share the letter that was recently sent home, here it is. Please let me know if you have any questions.

-Mr. Warren

November 12, 2015

Dear Families,

It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you that beginning in January I will no longer be your child’s math and science teacher. Although stepping away from two classrooms filled with incredible kids is tremendously difficult, the district has afforded me an opportunity to serve as an administrative intern for Dr. Rudd and Ms. Czebatol from January through June.

With any transition comes many questions. Please know that I will be part of hiring process for the new teacher, and will work with Dr. Rudd to identify the best individual to take over the classroom. Furthermore, your child will continue to work with Mrs. Wallace and Miss Unterborn, which for them will support a smooth transition.

I understand how difficult transitions can be, and each of your children will handle it differently. As we inch closer to 2016, please feel free to communicate any concerns or questions you might have. Or, if you prefer, feel free to bring it up at your conference at the end of the month. My job from now until then is to push your child academically, emotionally, and socially, so please don’t hesitate to share any questions or concerns you or your child may have.

Thank you for your support and flexibility as we begin the transition, but above all thanks for sending me such great children each and every day—it’s been my privilege to serve them.

Win the day,

Mr. Warren

Math Facts

October 28, 2015

Math Families,

Solid fluency with math facts frees a child to explore grade 6 mathematics in deeper, more meaningful ways; a lack of fluency hinders a child’s ability to navigate new material and presents as a barrier when computing mentally. In that spirit, your child was recently assessed on their 2-12 multiplication math facts. Please see the attached graph for their individualized results with each multiplication fact family—your child should be able to interpret the graph for you if need be.

The first assessment—which we took last week—will serve as the baseline, or starting point, for which your child’s growth will be measured. They will retake this assessment in December and again at a later point in the year. When all is said and done, your child should have shown steady growth; hopefully their growth will be reflected by the graph. Mastery is important, but even mastery is reached through steady, incremental growth.

Looking for a way to support your child’s fact fluency? I’d encourage you to look at their gaps, review the areas of weakness, and set a routine at home where they can practice any identified fact family from time-to-time (it does not need to be done for more than 3-5 minutes a night—consistent practice matters most). We will be encouraging this from our end, so an additional push from home should make for a fruitful retest come December. Again, please remember that the goal is to show growth—help me to keep that as the focus.

Please note that there are a plethora of resources available for your child to tap into when practicing their facts. To name a few:

ü  Ace Multiplication Matrix HD (iPad)

ü  Math Cards (iPad)

ü  Math Flash Cards (iPad)

ü  Times Tables Quiz (iPad)

ü  Math Facts, Bundle (iPad)

ü  http://www.multiplication.com/games/play/quick-flash-ii

ü  http://www.mathplayground.com/multiplication01.html

A simple search in Google or the App Store will unearth a ton of options. Or, better yet, you can go ‘old school’ and simply make some flashcards with them and review the deck each night.

Thanks for taking the time to review their scores with them, and for providing them with the extra support that they need to build fact fluency. Please let me know if you have any specific questions or suggestions.

Be well,

Derek

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week

October 26 – 30

Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of Americans during the last week of October every year. By wearing red ribbons and participating in community anti-drug and healthy life-styles events, young people pledge to live a drug-free life.

Village Elementary will celebrate Red Ribbon week in the following way.

 Monday, October 26^th: “Sock it to Drugs” Crazy sock day: Wear crazy socks!

Tuesday, October 27^th: "Treat your body right” "Smarties treat their body right":  Wear comfy clothes!

Wednesday, October 28^th :  "Water Bottle Wednesday"  Drink water and keep your body healthy and hydrated!

Thursday, October 29^th : “Rock Red Gear”  Wear red to show your support!

Friday, October 30^th : "Say no to Torn Open Candy Wrappers” Follow classroom guidelines for Halloween attire!

Talking About a Test

Families,

As you will notice, your child has completed their first official math "test" of the year. Although we have had several quizzes, a test is more culminating in nature and it provides us with a comprehensive snapshot of how much they have grown and whether or not they have mastered the standards for this unit of study.

When your child gets home, it's easy to look at a high grade, or a lower one, and quickly share your thoughts and feelings about the grade. Although positive reinforcement is crucial and will mean a lot to your child, I would encourage you to make the ultimate goal be for your child to become a self-assured, driven learner and thinker. As the adults in their life, it's important that we all center our conversations on the process that they took to get their score versus the end product--the score they earned.

What is meant by that? What might this look like? Simply look at the assessment with your child and ask them about their effort. What was hardest for them? What was easiest? At what point in the unit did they have to work the hardest? What did they specifically do that gave them success? No matter what the score, the effort and work behaviors that your student exhibited throughout the entire unit should be the focal point. In doing so, we are setting the priorities for them and sending the message that effort trumps all.

Good work habits and consistent effort=sustainable success. In the classroom, we've been hitting home the message that a growth mindset matters, and the way we praise or discuss grades with our children leaves a lasting impression on them as learners. Basically, they buy into what we focus on and it directly impacts the mindset that they adopt.

Please join me in having thoughtful conversations about the work behaviors they demonstrated that contributed to their end grade. And, as always, don't hesitate if you have any questions.

Be well,

Derek
Math Teacher

Important Dates

Families,

It was a pleasure to see so many of you at Open House. Please take a look at the dates below and let us know if you have any questions.

Be well,

Christina and Derek

A Little Struggle is Healthy

By this point, there is no doubt that you have had to witness your child struggle with one or two learning opportunities or homework assignments in sixth grade. Is this normal? Yes. Is this intentional? Absolutely. Allow us to explain.

Learning happens when a child, or any person, is stretched. The illustration above shows the three zones as they pertain to learning, and our goal is to constantly be in the yellow.

Red Zone (Panic Zone):  In this zone, work is too hard. A student in this zone would not be able to complete any of the homework or classwork, and learning will not happen. Even when using their resources, a student in this zone would not be able to complete any of their work. 


Yellow Zone (Stretch Zone): The yellow zone feels a bit uncomfortable, but it is crucial if a person is going to be stretched. On classwork and homework, this would equate to a few problems that are a struggle for the child, but not all. Although this is an uncomfortable zone, the student should be able to persist and eventually attempt the problem--emphasis on the word attempt.

Blue Zone (Comfort Zone): This zone feels the best, but learning is muted. There are times where we intentionally give assignments that align with this zone, such as multiplication facts or some reading task that demands little persistence. It's okay to be in this zone from time-to-time, but a student who finds all their work in the blue zone is not reaching their capacity as a learner.

Question to consider: Are we, both teacher and parents, comfortable allowing a student to be a bit uncomfortable so that they learn? 

Thank you for pushing your child and for allowing them to struggle from time-to-time. Learning can be uncomfortable, but it's how we teach our children to work through that feeling that makes a difference. Thanks for being our partners in your child's education.

Homework...Yikes!

Homework. For some, the word alone equates to battles and stress, while for others it brings routine and structure. No matter what your thoughts are about homework, giving homework has been a staple that has been woven into the educational fabric for as long as any of us can remember. This year, we hope to make homework as stress-free as possible, while also doing our job to prepare your child for the  demands of middle school. Please use this post as our official communication about our expectations, and beliefs, about homework.

Homework should be:

• no more than 50-60 minutes each night. If your child is taking longer on a consistent basis, please communicate that to us. 
• done independently. I know you feel like you should be helping your child with homework, but we should be giving them homework that is on their independent level. If you are being asked to help them, please let us know so that we can adjust or get to the bottom of the issue. 
• done to the best of your child's ability. That means the page should be clean, accurate, and represent their best work. We look at it this way: if your child were an adult and turned in something that is less than their best at work, their job performance would be sub-par. Whenever something is turned it, we believe it should be their best!
• about learning good habits. Help your child to develop good habits when completing their homework. Often times, students who have success with homework are also students who have a good homework routine at home. 

In the classroom: 

• we check in homework each day. Although it is not graded on a daily basis, we do look at it for quality and effort. 
• we sometimes collect homework, at random times, for a grade.
• we have students owe time at Friday Fun if it is not finished. 
• we try to differentiate it so that students are able to complete homework that is at their independent level. 

You are our partners in your child's education, so please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. 

Visit Us!

Families,

Hopefully the back-to-school cobwebs have warn off and your family has found their school week rhythm once again. If you haven't done so yet, mark your calendar for Open House. Grade 6 Open House will be on September 30th from 6:30-7:30. Unfortunately, because we are pressed for time and we both have ~50 students, we will not be able to go into detail about your child's progress when you stop by. We would, however, like to encourage you to use the time to get a feel for what their day looks like, meet the teachers, and enjoy watching your child share what they have been learning about. We look forward to seeing you.

Be well,

Derek and Christina

Have you ever gotten really annoyed with the math that your students have brought home in the past? We get it, it's brand new, it's very different than what we all learned, and it's complex work--often appearing to be too many steps to be efficient and practical. As the standards have shifted, we invite you to take the time to develop an understanding about what this means for your child mathematically. It's good to ask why we teach the way we do, and we hope the link below helps to clarify some of that for you. Enjoy!

WHY we teach like this?

Families,

It was a pleasure to meet so many of you yesterday; we continue to look forward to the start!

If you missed the memo, iPads will be handed out the first week of school. Being in the digital age, it's hard to imagine how different the school experience is now that information is at their fingertips with the simple touch on a screen. The iPads, in our eyes, are a learning tool that can really enhance instruction, but with that comes the need for responsible management. Understanding how to navigate the web and how to use a device to support learning is an essential skill for all students in the 21st century, and we deeply believe that it is all of our jobs to teach responsible usage.

Many of us did not have the luxury of being raised with personal devices, so it is sometimes hard to imagine the difficulties and pressures that are unearthed from this world. This year, we encourage you to have lots of open dialogue with your child in regard to how they use their iPad--or any electronic device for that matter. Consider setting clear rules/expectations, and possible punishments if these are not followed. If you haven't considered doing so already, familiarize yourself with the sites that students frequent, with the social media that they engage with, and the email addresses that they have. Although we may not fully understand what it is like to be raised in this generation, that doesn't lessen the need for all of us to keep up with the trends so that we can teach proper use.

Enjoy the TED talk below and let us know if you have any questions.

Best,

Derek & Christina

TED TALK

Welcome Back!

Families,

We are thrilled to be working alongside you this year as we prepare your child for the next step of their educational journey: middle school. Please join us in working together to make this a memorable year for your child. As you begin to prepare  your child for the first day of school, please check out the link below and consider what we all can do to put your child's learning and achievement first.

We can't wait to get started!

Best,

Christina & Derek

 Starting The Year Off Right