Wow! We had an amazing first week. Thank you so much for sending me such kind and caring students!
This week, we created our classroom reward continuum. Students brainstormed what rewards they wanted to earn when they continued to meet expectations. They came up with some really inventive ideas, including stealing my chair (which is quite comfortable). Students can earn housebucks (our whole school reward currency) which they can spend on Friday at the student store for snacks. They can also turn those in for Golden Tickets which can buy them house swag, including shirts! Additionally, students can earn some free time rewards that each class created individually. These include use of my chair, lunch with a friend or teacher, STEM time, and much more. The highest level on our reward continuum is a Golden Ticket and a positive phone call/Dojo home. If your student earns any of these rewards, know they did so because they had an exceptional day.
We worked hard on classroom expectations in all situations this week. We jumped into some board work around the room and practiced those expectations. We also created our classroom norms, and we were mindful to include all the behaviors that make a warm and cohesive classroom community.
This week, we will continue to work on practicing those expectations and applying those expectations to curricular practice. Students will learn how to access our digital planner, the one I share with you weekly, through our Learning Management System, Canvas. This will help prepare them for middle school. When you look at the digital planner this week, you will see links to assignments. Those links will take students directly to programs that we use in class including Canvas, Exact Path, Formative, Classcraft, and more.
Students will learn all about Classcraft which is much like Dojo with characters, gear, pets, and more. Many of the assignments we complete will have quests along with them. As students earn classroom continuum rewards or complete classroom tasks, they will earn XP, level up, and unlock gear and pets. It will be an adventure. If you’d like to follow along, there will be a join code in their Friday Folder this week. You can also reward students gold for tasks they do at home!
We also have MAP testing this week, and I have some great news. We do not have to test science MAP this year. I am personally excited about this, as it gives me more instructional time with your students. Your students will be testing on Tuesday and Thursday, and we will start that shortly after we arrive at school. Please do your best to have your students at school on time on those days, so we do not interrupt our students while they are giving their best effort. If you are with Ms. Boelter in the morning, you will test math first on Tuesday and reading on Thursday. If you are with Mrs. Caskie, you will test reading first and math on Thursday.
In math, we will continue to learn how to critically think and apply that thinking to any problem. In science, we will jump into the engineering process and get creative.
Our digital planners for the week are below. Please note some of the assignment links will be directly to Canvas and other learning programs which will require student login authentication. If you have any questions, please reach out!
Boelter/Caskie AM Digital Planner (if your student start their day with Ms. Boelter in the morning): https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSI7oclRBFdyLJHO8WJE7HTQ9QYJ8XfLwtySSX_gk0vHknzpcbBSw5GZlTghBH1xBi3oOMleZfEzmkA/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000
Caskie/Boelter AM Digital Planner (if your student start their day with Mrs. Caskie in the morning): https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vRKLVxvNiT-ZYEp2aedF-f8fEZzTP5VyogtKzFrBCwIA2ETKhgm-eZ-u4gmzt-3xHWLkyzbgZfe1r8I/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000
Ms. B. in Class 