Inside today's K-5 division meeting

Sharing the agenda from today's K-5 division meeting.

1. Review ground rules (1 min)

Start & end on time

Be present and engaged

Maintain a sense of humor

Assume good will

2. Mindfulness practice (10 min)

Audio file of body scan from Kate Jenke’s website

3. Kyla and Kate: recess agreements and concerns (15 min)

4. Lisa and Julia: Sharing portfolios from 3^rd grade (10 min)

5. Parent/Teacher conference prep (10 min)

Review goals

Share "collective wisdom"

Steps to take for prep

Exit slip

7. Site expectations cont.: gallery walk (20 min)

Gallery walk thru the rooms, examining the three criteria from last month.

Gather by room to share appreciations and ideas

8. Kate: types of listening (10 min)

Thinking and Linking Pt.6

The second half of a set of links I think are pretty interesting....these I've categorized based on the grade level and topic of relevancy.

K-1 Recess
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2012/04/study_asks_is_there_an_ideal_a.html


K-1 Learning Habits and executive functioning
http://www.app.com/article/20120905/NJNEWS15/308310137/Kindergarten-tools-help-shape-young-minds?nclick_check=1


K-5 Math resource for Investigations
http://www.narragansett.k12.ri.us/nes/summermath/NES%20Summer%20Math%20Fun.htm


K-5 Classroom management
http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol7/713-newvoices.aspxhttp://www.nbpts.org/about_us/news_media/web_feature_releases?ID=695
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-management-tips-novice-teachers-rebecca-alber


K-5 Building strong co-teaching collaboration
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/collaborative-team-teaching-challenges-rewards-marisa-kaplan


3-5 Teaching algebraic thinking
http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/533#home


3-5 Publishing a class newspaper
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jan/10/elementary-students-conduct-interviews-write-stori/


4-8 Teaching geography using zombies
http://boingboing.net/2012/05/09/using-zombies-to-teach-kids-ge.html


4-8 Goal setting with students
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/education/2012-09-10/middle-school-students-set-goals-urbana.html


4-8 Improving online research skills
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/05/find-it-faster-by-predicting-your-search-results/


6-8 Culturally relevant curriculum
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local-education/riviera-beach-middle-schools-new-history-class-tau/nR63k/


6-8 Interdisciplinary instruction
http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/news/shoal-18312-crestview-learning.html


6-8 Instruction with EdModo
http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/shoulders_of_giants/2012/09/catching-up-with-edmodo.html


6-8 Exhibition as a performance of understanding http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/jan/21/competition-students-model-future-cities-around-cl/
http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/05/11/at-a-bronx-middle-school-a-day-of-selling-and-learning/
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/mar/19/history-day-helps-students-expand-lessons/


6-8 Differentiation through enrichment
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/insight/2012/03/18/1-c-r-e-w--freedom-to-explore-brings-responsibility.html


6-8 Literature and Humanities
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/03/22/novel-helping-teachers-hook-young-readers.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017800832_hungergames21m.html
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar12/vol69/num06/Taming-the-Wild-Text.aspx
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/education/studying-steinbeck-new-jersey-students-find-common-ground.html?_r=2

Recess Before Lunch

Here's the letter that went home this week about our implementation of Recess Before Lunch.

***

Dear K-5 families,

As you may have heard from your child(ren), we are holding recess before lunch (“RBL”) this year. After successfully testing the program with the K/1 classrooms in the spring of 2011, we’ve decided to fully implement the program for grades K-5 for the 2011-2012 academic year.

RBL fits closely with our school’s emphasis on considering children’s social and emotional needs, along with their nutritional ones, as we design a program that is developmentally responsive. Our own experience, and the substantial research done in the field, shows that RBL leads to kids eating more lunch, since they aren’t in a hurry to get out to recess, and it also leads to a more courteous environment during the lunch period, as the kids have already had the chance to run, play, and get the gross motor exercise they need. Additional benefits that we have observed include decreased conflicts during recess, a smoother transition back into academic experiences in the afternoon, and improved afternoon attentiveness from the students.

If you are interested in learning more about RBL, I encourage you to read a widely distributed article that appeared in the NY Times last January. Additional info is available at the websites of Peaceful Playgrounds, the Montana Office of Public Instruction, and the School Nutrition Association, among many others.

Many of the other best practices of our lunch and recess program will continue. Like last year, the 2/3 students will have recess in either Strawberry Creek Park or Berkeley Way Mini-park once a week, while the 4/5 students will have recess in the park three times a week. Fortunately, this year we are also able to coordinate the 6^th grade to be with the 4/5 once a week as well. Teachers’ close supervision on the playground during recess is being augmented by the work done by Kate Klaire, our Recess and Social facilitator (and EGG Director), who is currently working with the students to establish recess agreements. And of course, we are continuing to supervise student hand-washing before they eat.

If you have any questions, please ask, and thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Zachary Roberts,

Associate Head of School