TGIF to everyone on this first Friday of April... that is right my friends... no April Fool's Joke here... it is April, which is unreal because it means that we are in the home stretch. We have less than 3 months of school left and before we know it, we will be kicking off our awesome ABC Countdown! Although I want to make every moment count for the remainder year with fun and engaging experiences, I cannot wait for the ABC Countdown because I feel like that represents our community spirit at its highest point and it contributes and reinforces to the positive culture that already exists in our building!
Unfortunately, before then, we have to get through the state tests for ELA, Math and Science (for Grade 4). Next week is the ELA on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, which means that some services will be cancelled and many rooms will be used for testing. As mentioned in the email earlier this week, I am asking that we start testing promptly at 9am (if you are testing a child with accommodations, please pick them up by 8:50am) so that we can informally take a school-wide "break" 90 minutes later so we can assess how many children still need more time due to the untimed nature of the tests this year.
Also, all of the children OPTING OUT will be supervised in the Library where they will be encouraged to read, write or draw quietly - no massive hangout! The children will be supervised by Ed, Jeannette, Christina as their students have also OPTED OUT - thank you in advance to the three of you!
Please make sure you review all scheduling changes for the upcoming week so we are all where we are supposed to be at the right time!
I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your hard work over the last few weeks with getting report cards done and handling the onslaught of conferences during that time... you all AMAZE me! From all the specialists who attend every team meeting, to all the classroom teachers who facilitate every conversation, to all the aides who provide the specific data and information, the feedback from our families is always positive. They know that we put children at the center of our work here and our kids are happy, they feel safe and are supported by each of you until they meet with success. BRAVO! I am honored to be associated with this learning organization.
#EDUWINS for the week included...
- Loved watching and listening to Allison and Marissa's kids work through their essays where they were building an argument about whether or not kids should be using social media - the work was truly impressive! They were doing solid research, organizing their information well and they were developing arguments and counterarguments that were incredibly powerful and persuasive - BRAVO!
- Spending time in Christine and Matt's classroom during their #MakerSpace time and although the whole experience was awesome, the thing that impressed me the most was the work some of the children were doing with the Little Bits and the Snap Circuits - not only were they engineering but they were using science knowledge and mathematical thinking to make lights, sounds, etc. - WOW!!!
- Thank you all for making Positive Post It Day such an AMAZING success! The whole building was literally buzzing with positivity because it was an incredible opportunity to reinforce the culture of kindness and positivity that exists at Cantiague. One of the highlights was seeing many of the children excitedly running around the building to deliver positive post-its to people they cared about - AWESOMENESS!
Tech Tip of the Week...
Check out 20 Ways Google MyMaps Can Enhance Lessons in Any Class - this is a great virtual alternative to a paper map and can make the experience of exploring geography a lot more interactive and dynamic!
Blogs Worth Reading...
52 Inspirational Quotes for Teachers by Teach Thought Staff
Positive Strategies to Avoid Stress, Anxiety and Burnout by Dr. Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers
Should These 10 Educational Words Be Banished? by Peter DeWitt
Staff Reflection/Blog...
Our latest post comes from our amazing Team Music - Claire, Dale & Aimee - this is such a great read...
They say that “music soothes the savage beast and puts a crying baby to sleep”, but music does so much more for the developing mind of our Cantiague students. We’re sure that you are aware of the connections that music has with math, literature, history, science, and even physical education…but are you aware of music’s cognitive benefits? Have no fear; “team music” is here to explain it all! (In 140 characters or less… )
Have any of you ever seen the “Ted Talk” video discussing how playing a musical instrument affects your brain? If not, here are some highlights from the Ted talk that you might find surprising.
Because music is an art form, many people assume that it only engages the right hemisphere, or the creative side, of the brain. Research has found that playing an instrument (including voice), fully engages both hemispheres more so than reading, writing, sports, or any other art form. The energy that is used to play an instrument is the brain’s equivalent of a full body work-out and strengthens the bridge between the two hemispheres. For instance: an instrumentalist (from beginner to advanced) first looks at a piece of sheet music, decodes the notation that is different from any other language, and then physically interprets that notation by producing a sound. In addition, students must be counting beats and rhythms to create these melodies. On top of all of this, they must develop a familiarity with the Latin and Italian words that instruct the student how to perform these melodies with musical integrity. So while it may just sound like “Twinkle, Twinkle” to you, it is actually an enormous effort being exerted by each student musician.
If you are interested in watching this short video, please follow this hyperlink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0JKCYZ8hng
Students LOVE “selfies”, and being involved in music provides many of them:
• Self-confidence
• Self-motivation
• Self-discipline
• Self-regulatory behavior
• Self-assessment
• Self-reflection
• Self-worth for a job well done
While selfies are ever important, the benefits of teamwork far out-weigh an individual effort. By participating in an ensemble, each student’s individual effort contributes to the group’s success. Students realize how highly rewarding it is when they are able to perform with their friends in a concert.
Feel free to come talk to any of us if you would like any suggestions on how to include music-making in your own classrooms!
-Dale, Clare, Aimee
Monday, April 4
"B" Week
All planbooks, reflections, blogs, etc. due to Tony by Thursday!
PTA Executive Board @ 9am
Tuesday, April 5
FEO - teachers can complete end of year reflection
Day 1 ELA State Testing
Day 1 ELA State Testing
Wednesday, April 6
Day 2 ELA State Testing
Thursday, April 7
Day 3 ELA State Testing
CST @ 1:20pm
Friday, April 8
CST @ 1:20pm
Friday, April 8
Happy TGIF!
Reminders...
- Don't forget to implement lessons from our Digital Citizenship Curriculum... access it here!
- Our next whole staff FEO will be Tues. April 19th - featuring time to plan for Innovation Day & other logistics!
- Innovation Day is coming on May 19th! Click here to check out the plan from last year... feel free to use the same plan or change it up!
- State testing is next week so remember...
- Review all scheduling changes;
- Library will be closed on the mornings of testing to house the kids opting out;
- Review all the test modifications and the people assigned to administer them - they must be administered correctly!
- There should be a break 90 minutes into testing to assess how the kids are doing.
- Teachers in Gr. 3, 4 & 5 should give kids some down time each day after the testing!
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