What's Happening?

This has been one busy week!

On Monday we looked at chemical formulas and how to model them. Students learned to embroider and we spent extra time with Riggs. We've been focusing not only on our spelling words, but also on recognizing and using complete sentences, and pronoun antecedents.

Tuesday we practiced our expository writing skills. Students were asked to explain, in detail, how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They discovered it wasn't quite as easy as it sounded! Students created a key word outline and a rough draft. When they had a complete rough draft, they brought it to my desk where we tried it out. As they read their essay to me, I completed the steps with actual materials. Olivia P was the only one to recieve a completed sandwich on her first try. Everyone else had the opportunity to go back and add pertinent details. Ask your student how they did! Tuesday afternoon we had the pleasure of talking with Mr. Hammersly about the stock market. He was able to help students understand how brokers make decisions about when to buy or sell and how the global market affects us locally.

Wednesday was full of group activities. After math we challenged 8th grade to a game of Rounders. Rounders is the medieval precursor to baseball. Although we fought valientaly, eighth grade won this round. We'll challenge them again in the spring, and I'm sure we'll win. While warming up from our rousing game of Rounders, silent film groups were given an hour to work on their scripts.

Tomorrow is buddy time, all school assembly, and science. During buddy time we will be creating gingerbread houses while practicing our math skills. If you're available to help from 12:45 - 1:30, extra hands make things go much smoother. Also, if you happen to have white frosting or small candies that could be used on tiny gingerbread houses, please send them in.

Over the break there will homework. My math class will be expected to complete lessons 55, 56, and 57. Students will also be asked to write one paragraph a day. These paragraphs should include a strong topic sentence, 4 - 6 details sentences, and a clincher. Each paragraph should contain 3 dress ups and 3 sentence openers. The idea behind the daily paragraph is to keep them in the habit of writing without having it impact family time. Students that do not continue to read and write over the long break often have a skill setback. Just 30 minutes of reading, one paragraph of writing, and half a lesson of math can keep skills fresh and help continue the upward path everyone is on!

Why Read?

 

Books make great holiday gifts and the holiday break is the perfect time to read classics together. Instead of watching a holiday movie, get out your holiday favorites and share them with your children. One of my favorite holiday activities is sitting by the Christmas tree with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. Need suggestions for good books? I'm happy to help.

Homework Return

Sadly, I must address homework return. Today we had only 7 students with all of their homework in.

At Cascade we do homework for a variety of reasons. These include practicing skills learned in class, communicating subject content with parents, extending opportunties for research, and preparing for class activities. Homework is never busy work. Each assignment is thought out ahead of time and pertinent to what we are doing.

Making time for  homework can be difficult, especially in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Here are some ideas, gathered from other busy families, for working in this critical time.

1. Keep a clipboard with paper and pencil in the car. This allows student to fill travel time.
2. Have your student read out loud to you while you cook, or read out loud to them while they cook.
3. Write out your afternoon/evening schedule on a white board. Write in when each assignment should be completed.
4. While one child is at sports/dance/art, sit at a coffee shop and do homework.
5. Have family hour at the table. Everyone works on something. Parents can balance their checkbook, read the newspaper, or study something new. If everyone is sitting at the table, students can ask questions, stay focused, and get done quicker.

Do you have other ideas? Please share them in the comment section below.

Barnes and Noble Showcase

A very heartfelt thank you to everyone that braved the mall on a Saturday during December. I was very proud of everyone. Speaking and performing in public are skills that will last a lifetime. As well as building public performance skills, this provided an excellent opportunity for Cascade to share who we are with the public. Building connections with the community is how we find guest speakers, field trip opportunities, and experts to advise us.

Penny Drive

Falcon Families: Second grade is reading A Christmas Carol as one of their Core Knowledge literature selections. They will be doing a character study of Ebenezer Scrooge and exemplifying the OPPOSITE of his character traits by running a penny drive to adopt a sea turtle nest in Florida. Between Monday, December 10th and Thursday, December 13, please encourage your children to clean out under car seats, in between couch cushions, and pick pennies up off the sidewalk to help out. This is low-key and student-created, so please support with just a little spare change. Thanks, Mr. Currey.