School Year 2010-2011...Be sure to scroll down past the post for lots of pics!

Morning Meeting! The kids are doing a great job leading!
They are responsible for a proper greeting, sharing/reading, activity, and announcements. This routine and ritual they are all familiar. We meet daily 8:30-9:10. The importance of these gatherings is evident in the ways the kids treat each other and the content we study. Last year each led a Morning Meeting, yet this year, the expectations are much higher as they know completely the process and why it is important. They have been given a schedule so they can be prepared and successful for this leadership endeavor.

The kids are using the 10 Design Principles very well and continuing their good CREW behavior to our school which is courage, responsibility, empathy, and welcoming.
Each designed a t-shirt that gives an example of each trait and these lamenated shirts reside on the lockers to remind them each day of what they all can do.
We added a cartoon quail to the lockers after each filled it out with comments that they like, know, and learn from each other. These will be keepsakes for years to come as they look back and realize how much character already shows and hopefully remind them of their strengths. Each crew wrote sincerely to the others.

Newest Chant for Closing Crew: Kowabunga, I love being among ya, We soar all the more because we're one score!!


Make sure to have your child read 40 minutes per night. That is homework. On Feb. 7, we spend time talking about when the kids read and most read right after school, on the bus and before bed. Good they are all finding a particular time and making the reading happen!

Practice multiplication and division, 1-12 times table. Make sure that your kid knows the United States too!! They have a map... Memorization is our tool for bigger problem solving.


Educational Goals were created and each child has them now in their Student Led Conference binder. These goals are things that the kids think about being when they grow up. Remember when you were almost 11...?






Thursday, February 24, 2011

Donating Money to Paloma Institute

Today the 5/6 Crew gave the check for $346.83 that was earned when they sold scarves at the Winter Market in January.
Dr. Dandurand, the Institute's Director, graciously accepted the money and also received a scarf in Haiti's Flag colors. She gave us a picture drawn by one of her Haitian hosts.
She took the time to show  slides from her last visit there. The kids learned much more about the geography( the word Haiti means mountains beyond mountains) and living conditions. They realized that men hoeing a field earned $2 a day plus a meal... very hard living conditions. The root vegetable cassava is the staple crop and seeds for cabbage must be flown in. They know now that cholera is in all provinces of the country and 12 have died on La Gonave just because they can't afford bleach. In the dry season, most walk two miles to get 5 pounds of water.
The population has grown since the earthquake from 130,000 to 200,000 on this island that is 8 miles wide by 25 miles long It looks "like a big camp with all the footpaths", she said.
Dr. Dandurand, Dr. Boughton, and Ryan Law will go again to Haiti on March 11 for 2 weeks and she said she would  visit us after she returns.
The kids were asked to work the Haiti Breakfast on March 6 since they did such a great job last year! They will be able to sell scarves at the breakfast. They were excited to be able to continue to help.

Posted by at