Newsletter 4, 13-14

Newsletter 4                       2013-2014                                 9/3/13

 

Dear Families,

 

Time for another update.

Homework

I've added an option for math homework: Khan Academy. This is a free online site that allows each student to work on skills that are relevant and interesting. I have set up accounts for each student, including recommendations for skills they should practice. They can also try other skills.

The students have all worked on Khan Academy at school, and they all have accounts that I can monitor, even if they work at home. They should know their log-in emails (sign in with Google) and passwords. If not they can write them down here, or I can email them to you.

An advantage to Khan Academy is that each student can practice what he or she needs. Students who have mastered the current classroom skills can practice other skills. Students who are missing skills can work to master them. A disadvantage to Khan Academy is that it requires computer access, which I know not everyone has.

I'll continue to send the regular homework. Please have your child spend a few minutes showing you they understand the concepts before doing Khan instead. I'd especially like to know of anything they do not understand so I can address that at school. Continue to send the regular homework back Tuesday through Friday, and just write "Khan" and initial if they do that instead.

Class Parties

We don't have many, but they do happen now and then. The first would be Halloween. Is there a parent out there willing and able to help me coordinate the snacks, etc.?

Writing

We write several times during a normal day, including tweets—which tell about our day, and quick write—which is a brief "anything they want to write about" piece. We're writing about items from our jackdaws. Those will be sent home when we're done.

Conferences

These happen the week before and the week of Thanksgiving. Please plan to bring your child to the conference so they can help share all of their learning.

Classroom Visits and Volunteering

I do not have any volunteers yet, but please let me know if you want to help.

Web Sites

I'm hoping that, in the absence of more frequent newsletters, you're able to use our web sites to keep somewhat informed. Let me know if you ever need anything.

FW: Upcoming Events at the Black Diamond Library - November 2013

Subject: Upcoming Events at the Black Diamond Library - November 2013

Hi Everyone,

Here is what’s coming up at the Black Diamond Library in November.  Please help spread the word.

Thanks so much,

Monica

 

Black Diamond November 2013

 

Children & Families

 

Family Story Times
Discover Stories!
Monday, November 4, 10:30am

All ages welcome with adult, including child cares.
Discover new stories, rhymes, flannel boards and songs in this active fun-filled, half-hour program designed to help build Early Literacy skills as your child gets ready to read.
No Story Time on Monday, November 11 due to Veterans Day.

A Holiday Tale of Poetry and Magic Show
Monday, November 18, 10:30am

Presented by Thomas H. Pruiksma.
Ages 3 and older.
Enjoy a holiday tale that combines original poetry with magic to tell a story about harvest-time, family and the sharing of food. This show celebrates the hidden wonders of daily life and the astonishing power of gratitude.
Sponsored by the Friends of Black Diamond Library.

Coming in December …
A Christmas Carol Play
Monday, December 9, 10:30am

Presented by The Hampstead Stage Company.
Ages 5 and older.
In this timeless tale by Charles Dickens the miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, learns the true meaning of the holiday through one night of visits from the spirits of the season.

Adults

 

Friends of the Black Diamond Library Meeting

Wednesday, November 20, 5pm

This nonprofit group supports the Black Diamond Library through fundraising, sponsorship of programs and services and increasing awareness of the library's vital community role. Join us!

 

A Place at the Table

KCLS invites everyone to find A Place at the Table! We’ll toss around fresh ideas about food, cooking, nutrition and growing and using locally produced food. In addition to offering new food ideas, preparation and planning skills, and handy online classes, videos and resources, the series will help everyone create a nourishing table by accepting non-perishable food donations, to be distributed to local King County food banks.

 

 

KidReads - Read my book reviews:
http://blogs.kcls.org/booktalk/monica-covington/

Tell Me A Story - Learn about KCLS Story Times, follow the link and choose your library on the map for details specific to your location:
http://wiki.kcls.org/tellmeastory/index.php/

 

***********************************************************************************
Monica Sands, Children's Librarian
Black Diamond, Covington, & Enumclaw Branches
King County Library System
253.630.8761

 

FW: Newsletter 2

Newsletter 2                       2013-2014                             8/25/2013

 

Dear Families,

 

Hello, and welcome to Room 302.

If you've received this, that means I was able to successfully put you on my class email list for this year. If there is another address you'd like to use or add, please let me know.

 

I think this is going to be a great year, and I'm really looking forward to it. I want to remind you about some ways to stay in touch with what we're doing. Email is always good if you need to contact me, or just give me a call.

 

Our Twitter account is https://twitter.com/room302. We have a blog at http://room302.blogspot.com/ and our classroom web site is http://swift.enumclaw.wednet.edu/bde/jkurtz/index.php. Once school is started, my goal will be to use the Twitter site to tell about what we do during the day. You can also go back and read what we've done in the past, and you can use the blog if you're curious about that as well. I those sites to post other links that may be of interest, as well.

 

Our school will be open on Thursday, August 29th from 3-4 for anyone who would like to stop by, drop off supplies, or just say hi. Dealing with supplies before the first day can make life a bit easier. Speaking of supplies, if still need that list, it's at the end of this note.

 

If you have questions now, or at any time, please ask. I'm happy to help.

 

See you soon.

 

Supplies:

Please put names on this stuff:
·         1 box 24 ct Crayola crayons ·         5 large glue sticks ·         Pencil top erasers ·         2 Dry Erase Markers (black or blue) ·         5 wide-ruled spiral notebooks ·         1 water bottle ·         markers	·         2 folders w/sturdy bottom pockets ·         1 pair Fiskar scissors ·         1 Supply Box ·         1 pencil sharpener with shavings box ·         1 blue ball point pen ·         colored pencils
We'll share this stuff:
·         3 dozen #2 pencils (Ticonderoga) Please sharpen ·         2 black Sharpies ·         Kleenex

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Jeff Kurtz

 

 

 

Welcome Letter 2013-2014

Newsletter 1                       2013-2014                             6/15/2013

 

Dear Families,

 

Welcome to second and third grade in Room 302! I'll be your teacher for 2013-2014.

 

I had the chance to meet with the students during our school move-up day. We read a story, talked, and did some art. We had fun, and I'm excited about working with them in the coming year. I'm also excited about teaching a split class again: it provides the opportunity for such a diverse and rich range of teaching and learning. I think all students will benefit.

 

Anyone learns more when surrounded by people who have a range of interests, abilities, skills, passions, experiences, and attitudes. We all know that a person's age, or grade, is not what determines those things. Our learning community will be stronger because of the variety of ingredients each student (and family) will add to the mix.

 

I've been teaching since 1989. My focus has always been on finding ways to try and meet the needs of individuals. That is where my teaching (ANY teaching) is most effective. I try to find ways to connect learning to students' lives. I think Why do we have to do this? is a great question. It needs a great answer, and my goal is to always have a great answer ready.

 

I anticipate the question: So how will it work next year having two grades in one classroom? So I tried to write a brief answer, but brevity on the topic is not easy for me. That said, I'm more than happy to answer any questions over email, or on the phone, or in person. In general though, we will do everything we can to provide the best learning experience for each and every student. I can assure you that if it wasn't good for the kids, we wouldn't do it.

 

As a father with 3 kids of my own (Jordan-14, Jeremy-13, Janelle-10) I'm well aware that families know their children best. I count on families to help me monitor progress and needs, so together we can find ways to meet the needs of each child. Please let me know any questions you have as we take this journey together.

 

The best way to keep in touch will probably be email, as it seems to offer the most flexibility. I ask that you email me when you get this note, or as soon as possible. That will let me know you got the note, and it will give me an email address where I can contact you as needed with newsletters, questions, updates, etc.

 

September 3, 2013 is our first day back to school in the fall. I'll be at school on August 29, from 3-4, in case people want to stop by, say hi, and drop off supplies. If there is other news, I try to post it to our class twitter account (https://twitter.com/#!/room302), our blog (http://room302.blogspot.com/), and our district website (http://swift.enumclaw.wednet.edu/bde/jkurtz/index.php). Those are also good places to find out what we've done in past years, if you're curious.

 

If you have questions at any time, now or in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. I look forward to working with you.

 

2012-2013 Final Newsletter

Final Newsletter                       2012-2013                                 6/14/2013

 

Dear Families,

 

So that's it. It has been a fantastic year.

This is a great bunch of kids, and it's been my pleasure to work with them every day. I kept them engaged and working right up until the very end, and I think they accomplished a lot—not just this final week, but the entire year. I hope you all are able to take a few minutes and reflect on all that we did.

I know you can't save everything they did all year, but I encourage you to save what they wrote. It's one thing they have that was created almost entirely by them; and it reflects who they are, what they know, and what they can do like nothing else. It's always fun to pull out their writing after a few years and see just how much they've grown.

For those who want to keep writing on the computer over the summer, either by themselves or with classmates, remember that our account on Google Drive is still available. The accounts at typingweb.com are still there too, for those who want to be ready for all the typing they'll do in fourth grade. Email me if you need those. I'm glad to help.

The students and I took lots of pictures during the year. I will put those online at a site called Dropbox. I load the pictures into a folder on that site. I'll then give families permission to access. You can then log in and download any or all of them. I give you access through email, so if I have yours, look for a message. (If I don't have yours, you can always send me one.) My account space is limited so I won't leave them there forever, but they'll be on there for a while—over the summer and into next year for sure. If anyone finds more they want to send me, I'd be happy to share out those, too.

Thanks

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Renee Hopkins for all that she has done for us this year: helping in math and writing, filing, copying, reminding me of (LOTS of) stuff, field tripping, doing all the parties, and so much more. Your child is better off because of the HOURS AND HOURS she spent, not only in the classroom, but also doing the book orders. Even those who didn't order books benefited because of the books Renee got for the classroom. Plus, she's just good with the kids. Which is the most important thing.

 

And I thank you for letting me be a part of this journey with you and your child. I hope it was fun, interesting, and engaging for them. If it was, then they couldn't help but learn. As your journey continues into fourth grade and beyond, please let me know if I can do anything for you.

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Jeff

Standardized Testing and Its Victims

Standardized Testing and Its Victims
It's that time of year again. Here are some things you should know about standardized tests.

Sweet Search

This from an educator email I get now and then:

If you're nervous about young students searching freely on the wild wild web, you might want to try Sweet Search, a search tool that includes only websites evaluated and approved by educators in the results:

Sweet Search

CampFair - ParentMap Events - ParentMap

CampFair - ParentMap Events - ParentMap

Top Places to Go Sledding for Seattle-Area Kids and Families - ParentMap

Top Places to Go Sledding for Seattle-Area Kids and Families - ParentMap

The ABCs of Tutoring Success for Kids and Families in Greater Seattle - ParentMap

The ABCs of Tutoring Success for Kids and Families in Greater Seattle - ParentMap