We held our first council this morning. Council is a important practice of many native cultures. During this experience space and time is set aside for heartfelt community meetings about important topics. As we gathered in our circle, sixth graders help define the four intentions: Speak from the heart, listen from the hear, be spontaneous, and lean with words.
Our council began with a dedication and many students used the opportunity to let the class know individuals (and animals) who need their collective support. Then we went around and responded to the first question: "Right now, what is arising for you as you think about 100 Elk next week." So many students shared their excitement, hesitation, fears, etc. and were received with an open heart. Next, we shifted the focus and I asked the students to look within and think about how they might assist one another. As they talked, it was wonderful for all to know that their classmates created such a supportive "net" as we journey into areas that may be outside of our comfort zone. Back to School Night Presentation & Curriculum Map
In case you missed the 5/6 Back to School Night, we have posted the presentation on our website. Thank you to those who attended. Also, a working draft of our curriculum map is posted on the 5/6 website. We will be updating this document as the year unfolds. Google Classroom: Stepping out of the Comfort Zone I introduced or reintroduced the students to Google Classroom on Thursday and we started on the the first assignment--choosing and writing about three activities that will help us practice stepping out of our comfort zone and anticipating how we might step out of our comfort zone at 100 Elk. Please have your child share their responses and ways they plan to stretch and grow this week. Seesaw Again, I encourage you to register on Seesaw (instructions in a previous e-mail). As your child finishes projects and reflects on them, you will receive updates. Our hopes are that you are continually updated on what your child is doing in the classroom and be able to see not only product, but evidence of process and progress. I welcome any feedback as I (and the rest of the Horizons faculty) experiment with this on-line portfolio. Photos Added to Classroom Website We have been busy crafting topic sentences, developing paragraphs, interpreting the Horizons Communication Agreements, creating self-portrait collages, experimenting with SeeSaw and much more in homeroom. Infinite Campus I am continuing to use Infinite Campus to track assignment completion. Please follow the link to register or view your child's progress. |
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