Important Dates
- Saturday, October 1st. Harvest Fest. Arrive by 10:45 and have your children meet Miss Kiefer by the church on the corner of 19th and Peoria. The fest is at 920 W 19th street-City Garden Early Childhood Center. Grade 7 should try for white/yellow on top and grade 8 red. Please wear more formal bottoms than jeans as it is a performance.
- Thursday October 6 & Friday October 7. No school for students so that all teachers may participate in the very important anti bullying, community building, and social inclusion work with Kim John Payne.
- Thursday, October 6, 7:00 – 9:00. Kim John Payne: Social Inclusion and the New Rites of Passage. Unfortunately, bullying (in person and online) is a serious issue facing children today. As much as parents try to raise considerate and kind children, they are still faced with the reality that there is a statistically high likelihood that their children will either be bullied or will intentionally exclude other children. Kim will discuss a way of combating the problems of isolation and exclusion that he has developed over the past 24 years working with children from all over the world.The Social Inclusion approach emphasizes helping children change negative social patterns without needing to be blamed and shamed. Rather, matters are dealt with openly and firmly but not judgmentally. This approach fosters a “telling environment” where children and parents feel free to speak up knowing they will not place someone in further danger or get the “bully” in trouble. We will explore why certain children get picked on while others bully, how to make teasing guidelines that children understand and use, and how to facilitate discussions around social exclusion issues. Get your tickets here.
- Monday October 10. No school.
- Tuesday October 25. 5:30-7:00. Parent Night
Morning Lesson
Week Three and Four
September 25 to October 5
In morning lesson we have begun each day with a bean bag game that the students have taken to well. Though it has an elimination component that can bring out the inner competitor in some, the real goal is to throw well so that as many of us can stay in the circle as possible. I have been impressed with the excellent speech work the students have done this block, especially conveying with energy and rhythm Sea Fever by John Maysfield.
The past two weeks, we have continued hear the biographies of explorers of impacts, including Dias, da Gama, Columbus and Magellan. While we continue to work on our notetaking skills, I am finding students have excellent recall of the material, but are still very slow in bringing it onto paper. Hopefully, speed will be a hallmark of continued practice. Their independent reflections on daily notes have sparked insightful and mature discussions. I have been duly impressed with the kids of questions they ask, demonstrating that they reflect on the content by putting themselves into the shoes of those described. Students also have responded to material in a variety of writing assignments, including a newspaper article and writing a key scene using direct speech. They also worked hard to create a world map using a grid technique. This will reflect the voyages of each biography we studied. While working on the map many students struggled to refrain from outlining as I challenged them to bring the landforms out of the color. Nonethless, overall they were able to achieve good form, accurate proportion as well as beauty.
Next week we will finish our discussion on the Columbian Exchange and Magellan’s historic expedition. We will also prepare for the first block test of the year, which will be Wednesday, October 5. Students can begin to memorize the definitions for terms on their notecards and review notes. Main lesson books will not be due until after students return from the Columbus Day break. We will resume class with a new block on Tuesday, October 11. Main lesson books will be Wednesday, October 12.
Blacksmithing Clothing Reminder
For those of you who missed it, blacksmithing will begin next week and falls on Tuesdays/Wednesdays. Students must wear natural fibers such as cotton, wool, etc and have arms/legs totally covered. Hair that falls below the chin must be put up for fire safety.
Students are welcome to keep a change of blacksmithing clothes at school or just make sure to wear appropriate clothing on those days. Polyester and some other synthetic fibers pose very dangerous burn hazards and are not allowed. Rain gear is ok. Shoes must cover the whole foot. If you have questions about blacksmithing gear please email me at angela.kiefer@urbanprairie.org