Hello,
I heard some great poems today. We have some writers with a clear voice in the classroom. It is great seeing the growth in their poems.
Civil war contingents are working on their flags and mottos. The class seating arrangement changed. We now have a Mason/Dixon line and the different contingents are sitting together. Generals Lee and Grant have arranged them well.
I'm going to give them another science sample test for homework, only because it brings up some good topics of conversation. Mostly review, but some unfamiliar words and concepts.
I heard more about our inclusive model that the school is adopting for next year. I still need to do more research to see what other schools that have implemented it have for suggestions to make it work as smoothly as possible.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
North vs. South
Hello,
We went over a practice science test based on old MEA released questions. I thought it was important for them to at least get a feel for the types of questions that they are going to be asked. Much of the science that they will be asked about will be something that they covered back in 2nd or 3rd grade.
Our generals were named today. Based on class voting, our Confederate and Union generals were announced. We will be getting on with the simulation as soon as our generals and I can agree on the ground rules. Lieutenants and sergeants will be appointed tomorrow. Your child found out today which side they were on, but may not know their position until tomorrow.
I've got to run. Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
We went over a practice science test based on old MEA released questions. I thought it was important for them to at least get a feel for the types of questions that they are going to be asked. Much of the science that they will be asked about will be something that they covered back in 2nd or 3rd grade.
Our generals were named today. Based on class voting, our Confederate and Union generals were announced. We will be getting on with the simulation as soon as our generals and I can agree on the ground rules. Lieutenants and sergeants will be appointed tomorrow. Your child found out today which side they were on, but may not know their position until tomorrow.
I've got to run. Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
Monday, April 28, 2014
Only 37 school days left
Hello,
I can't think about only 37 days left when we have so much left to accomplish. Students received their Civil War simulation packets today. We outlined how we are going to cover the war through the simulation. We need to pick sides first. A discussion took place on what makes a good leader. Part of the homework is to write about someone in the class whom you think would make a good general. We will be naming a General Lee and a General Grant, and then giving them multiple contingents. I talked about the difficult position that our class generals will have: Be too strict and your team will be mad at you. Be too lenient and your team will get mad at you. It should not be a position entered into lightly.
We have a lot of testing coming up. The NWEA MAP reading test will be this Friday. The MEA science tests will be on Monday and Tuesday, the 5th and 6th. The NWEA MAP math test will be on Tuesday the 13th. I'll put all of these dates on the homework calendar. Other upcoming dates include the 5th grade chorus concert at 6:30 on Tuesday the 6th, the Bobcat 5K road race on Saturday the 17, Jr. High info night for 5th grade parents on both the 20th and 22nd of May, and the Civil War Reenactment on Thursday the 29th.
Poem in your Pocket day is this Wednesday. Hopefully your child has two poems in mind for their pockets: one they wrote and one written by someone else.
My hearing in my left ear is up to about 25%. Not great, but improving. At least I can now locate where sounds are coming from. My appetite is back and my ring is no longer falling off my finger, so I must be putting some weight back on. Thanks for asking.
Our trip to Plimoth Plantation was a success. I showed some pics this morning and kids described what they heard and saw. We had some great learning going on that day. It reinforced my belief that so much more learning happens outside the classroom where kids get to experience it first hand. It was very motivating. I'm hoping for some type of Boston trip in the coming weeks. Thank you to all the parents involved. Thanks to the drivers and chaperones, as well as all of the parents who gave permission for their child to go along with us. It was fun and memorable.
I'm going to run. It is good to be back. Let's make it a good stretch run.
Mr. Shea
I can't think about only 37 days left when we have so much left to accomplish. Students received their Civil War simulation packets today. We outlined how we are going to cover the war through the simulation. We need to pick sides first. A discussion took place on what makes a good leader. Part of the homework is to write about someone in the class whom you think would make a good general. We will be naming a General Lee and a General Grant, and then giving them multiple contingents. I talked about the difficult position that our class generals will have: Be too strict and your team will be mad at you. Be too lenient and your team will get mad at you. It should not be a position entered into lightly.
We have a lot of testing coming up. The NWEA MAP reading test will be this Friday. The MEA science tests will be on Monday and Tuesday, the 5th and 6th. The NWEA MAP math test will be on Tuesday the 13th. I'll put all of these dates on the homework calendar. Other upcoming dates include the 5th grade chorus concert at 6:30 on Tuesday the 6th, the Bobcat 5K road race on Saturday the 17, Jr. High info night for 5th grade parents on both the 20th and 22nd of May, and the Civil War Reenactment on Thursday the 29th.
Poem in your Pocket day is this Wednesday. Hopefully your child has two poems in mind for their pockets: one they wrote and one written by someone else.
My hearing in my left ear is up to about 25%. Not great, but improving. At least I can now locate where sounds are coming from. My appetite is back and my ring is no longer falling off my finger, so I must be putting some weight back on. Thanks for asking.
Our trip to Plimoth Plantation was a success. I showed some pics this morning and kids described what they heard and saw. We had some great learning going on that day. It reinforced my belief that so much more learning happens outside the classroom where kids get to experience it first hand. It was very motivating. I'm hoping for some type of Boston trip in the coming weeks. Thank you to all the parents involved. Thanks to the drivers and chaperones, as well as all of the parents who gave permission for their child to go along with us. It was fun and memorable.
I'm going to run. It is good to be back. Let's make it a good stretch run.
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Early release tomorrow. No school Friday or next week
Hello,
Our numbers are looking good for Plymouth. We currently have 12 kids from the class, two siblings, and six adults. The forecast just changed from 40% chance of rain to 20%, so I'm feeling good. I got the final confirmation today based on our numbers, and it looks like the costs will be $15.75 for students and $26.25 for adults. Two adults get to go free (as chaperones) so we'll just split that savings up or use it to help pay for anyone who may have trouble raising the funds. I'm excited to break out of our Brunswick bubble and see the sites!
I'll print out some driving maps and get our phone numbers on there so we can have a nice caravan down south. This will be good practice for our Freedom Trail and Gettysburg trips.
We worked on parts of speech today: Nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, interjections, conjunctions, articles, pronouns and prepositions. I gave them a little check in quiz at the end so I can work with different groups after break on where they need the most help.
We covered the Treaty of Paris this afternoon. Thus ends the formal study of the Revolution. I wish I wasn't absent for a week, but what can I do? The fifth grade history schedule is pretty much written in stone after April break. I look forward to experiencing the Civil War studies that I've seen from afar for so many years.
It is unbelievable how fast this year is going. Every year is a blur after April break and I expect this one to be no different. Let's see how much learning and memories we can pack into the short time.
Please remember that it is an early release tomorrow: 1:00pm. (That is effectively the start of your child's April vacation.) No school on Friday.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
Our numbers are looking good for Plymouth. We currently have 12 kids from the class, two siblings, and six adults. The forecast just changed from 40% chance of rain to 20%, so I'm feeling good. I got the final confirmation today based on our numbers, and it looks like the costs will be $15.75 for students and $26.25 for adults. Two adults get to go free (as chaperones) so we'll just split that savings up or use it to help pay for anyone who may have trouble raising the funds. I'm excited to break out of our Brunswick bubble and see the sites!
I'll print out some driving maps and get our phone numbers on there so we can have a nice caravan down south. This will be good practice for our Freedom Trail and Gettysburg trips.
We worked on parts of speech today: Nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, interjections, conjunctions, articles, pronouns and prepositions. I gave them a little check in quiz at the end so I can work with different groups after break on where they need the most help.
We covered the Treaty of Paris this afternoon. Thus ends the formal study of the Revolution. I wish I wasn't absent for a week, but what can I do? The fifth grade history schedule is pretty much written in stone after April break. I look forward to experiencing the Civil War studies that I've seen from afar for so many years.
It is unbelievable how fast this year is going. Every year is a blur after April break and I expect this one to be no different. Let's see how much learning and memories we can pack into the short time.
Please remember that it is an early release tomorrow: 1:00pm. (That is effectively the start of your child's April vacation.) No school on Friday.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Plimoth trip
Hello,
The response is good for Plimoth. We have plenty of drivers for those concerned about space for their child. We might even have space for another parent or two to tag along without having to drive. I'm hoping to get the rest of the slips tomorrow. The plan is still to leave around 6:15 and come back around 9:00. This would include visits to Plimoth Plantation, the Grist Mill, and the Mayflower II.
Reminder: Thursday is early release and Friday is a no school day (for students).
We restarted the read-aloud by Rodman Philbrick today. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg is about a Maine orphan who has a way of not telling the truth. It is a funny story, but very well written. It takes place during the Civil War. I'm going to give it a few days and then give the class a choice of read alouds. My week long absence has thrown a wrench in my original plans. I'll let the kids decide.
I am trying to quickly wrap up our Revolutionary War studies. Your student should know a little about the turning point in the Revolutionary War. (Saratoga) We also discussed the last battle of the war. (Yorktown) Our victory at Saratoga was instrumental in getting the French to join our side. The British surrender at Yorktown effectively ended the war, although the treaty wasn't signed for a couple of years.
"Victory has 1000 fathers. Defeat is an orphan." -John F. Kennedy
We discussed this quote as well. I think it helps describe the swelling of the patriot armies as victory neared.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
The response is good for Plimoth. We have plenty of drivers for those concerned about space for their child. We might even have space for another parent or two to tag along without having to drive. I'm hoping to get the rest of the slips tomorrow. The plan is still to leave around 6:15 and come back around 9:00. This would include visits to Plimoth Plantation, the Grist Mill, and the Mayflower II.
Reminder: Thursday is early release and Friday is a no school day (for students).
We restarted the read-aloud by Rodman Philbrick today. The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg is about a Maine orphan who has a way of not telling the truth. It is a funny story, but very well written. It takes place during the Civil War. I'm going to give it a few days and then give the class a choice of read alouds. My week long absence has thrown a wrench in my original plans. I'll let the kids decide.
I am trying to quickly wrap up our Revolutionary War studies. Your student should know a little about the turning point in the Revolutionary War. (Saratoga) We also discussed the last battle of the war. (Yorktown) Our victory at Saratoga was instrumental in getting the French to join our side. The British surrender at Yorktown effectively ended the war, although the treaty wasn't signed for a couple of years.
"Victory has 1000 fathers. Defeat is an orphan." -John F. Kennedy
We discussed this quote as well. I think it helps describe the swelling of the patriot armies as victory neared.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
Monday, April 14, 2014
I'm back
Hello,
It is good to be back. I had quite a week. Sinus infection. Ruptured eardrum. Allergic to antibiotics. Face bloating. Lots of bad stuff. I'm healing. My voice sounds really loud in my head so I am talking at a pretty low level, but I think the kids did alright with it. I've dragged my "Quiet Down Bell" out of semi-retirement. It was good to be back, even at 80%.
I missed the kids. They are my family, after all. I wanted to jump back in with enthusiasm, but I waded in carefully.
We did a mini reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware to take the Hessians by surprise. Then we snuck around the British forces coming down from Princeton to take prisoners there as well. Tomorrow we'll tackle the Saratogas.
The big news of the day was our trip to Plimoth Plantation. It is on. 6:15. HBS parking lot. Please take a look at my info sheet and check off what your family plan is. I'll cut and paste here:
Child name____________________________ Parent Signature___________________________
It is good to be back. I had quite a week. Sinus infection. Ruptured eardrum. Allergic to antibiotics. Face bloating. Lots of bad stuff. I'm healing. My voice sounds really loud in my head so I am talking at a pretty low level, but I think the kids did alright with it. I've dragged my "Quiet Down Bell" out of semi-retirement. It was good to be back, even at 80%.
I missed the kids. They are my family, after all. I wanted to jump back in with enthusiasm, but I waded in carefully.
We did a mini reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware to take the Hessians by surprise. Then we snuck around the British forces coming down from Princeton to take prisoners there as well. Tomorrow we'll tackle the Saratogas.
The big news of the day was our trip to Plimoth Plantation. It is on. 6:15. HBS parking lot. Please take a look at my info sheet and check off what your family plan is. I'll cut and paste here:
Plimoth Plantation, Plimoth Grist
Mill & Mayflower II
Plimoth Plantation is a living history Museum presenting the story of
the Native Wampanoag and 17th-century Pilgrim Communities and their unique
perspectives. From re-created immersion environments with role-playing staff to
craft demonstrations and traditional indoor exhibits, the Museum uses a wide
variety of techniques to connect the modern visitor with communities and events
of the past.
We plan on going Saturday, April 19th. We will leave the HBS parking lot at
6:15am. The cost will be $17.00 per
child and $28.00 per adult and include all three sites. These are group rates. Bought separately, the regular ticket costs
would be $25 and $42. I’m planning on
bringing a cooler full of lunch bread and fixings, snacks and drinks. I’m hoping we can save on food as much as
possible. I know this trip was taken at
Jordan Acres for years and the costs were often over $50 per child. Thanks to volunteer drivers, we are able to
do make a go of this at a fraction of the cost.
If cost is an issue, please let me know.
Visit plimoth.org if you would like more information on what we will
see.
It is about an hour south of Boston.
The site estimates that it takes about 3.5 hours from Portland
Please check below if you or your child will be going.
_____ My child will be going.
_____ My child is going and I would like to drive. We would have space for ______ more kids.
_____ My child is going and I will drive if necessary. We would have space for ______ more.
_____ My child is not going.
Child name____________________________ Parent Signature___________________________
Total count if more than one family member is going: Kids ___________ Adults ___________
I think we have a lot of interest. I'd like to give Plimoth our actual numbers so please get this slip in ASAP. I got our trip confirmation from them last week. The confirmation quotes me an even lower price (two free chaperones) so I will pass on the savings when we get the numbers.
Wow, it is great to be healthy enough to concentrate. I am so bad to be back.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Apology
Hello,
I try to use my blog to inform you of the activities and decisions at school that affect your child. I'm sorry to say that a paragraph that I wrote last night included some mistakes that may have misled some of you.
Our district is currently discussing having inclusive classrooms in our K-12 schools. Most classroom teachers would agree that we have too little time with our entire class because of all of the children getting pulled out at various times of the day. Making our classrooms more inclusive, with less pullouts, would help solve this problem.
Inclusive classrooms does not mean that every child in special education will be with the general education population all day. It does not mean that all gifted/talented students will be with the general education population all day. It does not mean that each student needing RTI support would not have a chance to get extra support out of the classroom. Our district will be looking at each child, on a case by case basis, to determine the least restrictive placement for that child.
Please don't jump to any conclusions for your child, or any other. The staff is currently working to do what we always try to do: come up with a plan for the best possible outcomes for all students. I'm sorry that my words yesterday caused some parents to be misled. My intentions are never to misinform.
Thanks,
Mr. Shea
I try to use my blog to inform you of the activities and decisions at school that affect your child. I'm sorry to say that a paragraph that I wrote last night included some mistakes that may have misled some of you.
Our district is currently discussing having inclusive classrooms in our K-12 schools. Most classroom teachers would agree that we have too little time with our entire class because of all of the children getting pulled out at various times of the day. Making our classrooms more inclusive, with less pullouts, would help solve this problem.
Inclusive classrooms does not mean that every child in special education will be with the general education population all day. It does not mean that all gifted/talented students will be with the general education population all day. It does not mean that each student needing RTI support would not have a chance to get extra support out of the classroom. Our district will be looking at each child, on a case by case basis, to determine the least restrictive placement for that child.
Please don't jump to any conclusions for your child, or any other. The staff is currently working to do what we always try to do: come up with a plan for the best possible outcomes for all students. I'm sorry that my words yesterday caused some parents to be misled. My intentions are never to misinform.
Thanks,
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Testing is finished
Hello,
We finished our Smarter Balanced practice testing yesterday. Thank you to the tech department for all of their hard work in making that happen. They were able to convert our library and music rooms into computer labs. They deserve a little rest after all of that set up and take down.
Our class spent time in a couple of different classrooms while I was with our two testers. Upon picking up the students after one of our testing sessions, I allowed the teacher's aide on duty an extra five minutes to give them a little instruction on the "Thriller" dance. The adults in the building who did the dance during the talent show have become minor celebrities.
We heard some big news today. Next year, HBS will become a school with inclusive classrooms. That means that special education students and gifted/talented students will no longer be pulled for educational classes. Students receiving RTI support will no longer leave the classroom either. I'm not sure how it will all work, but I've started to do my homework. Many teachers met for hours after school today discussing the possibilities.
Our manners banquet is on Friday at 12:30. We walked and talked a lot of manners today. Maybe you'll notice a difference at the dinner table tonight. We're hoping that kids can dress up a bit on Friday. Nothing too special, but hopefully we'll go easy on the T-shirts and jeans. I'll be wearing a tie. Thank you to all of the volunteers helping to put this together.
I've had the sniffles all day, so I'm going home to eat some soup and go to bed. (After I read a couple of chapters from 4 different books.)
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
We finished our Smarter Balanced practice testing yesterday. Thank you to the tech department for all of their hard work in making that happen. They were able to convert our library and music rooms into computer labs. They deserve a little rest after all of that set up and take down.
Our class spent time in a couple of different classrooms while I was with our two testers. Upon picking up the students after one of our testing sessions, I allowed the teacher's aide on duty an extra five minutes to give them a little instruction on the "Thriller" dance. The adults in the building who did the dance during the talent show have become minor celebrities.
We heard some big news today. Next year, HBS will become a school with inclusive classrooms. That means that special education students and gifted/talented students will no longer be pulled for educational classes. Students receiving RTI support will no longer leave the classroom either. I'm not sure how it will all work, but I've started to do my homework. Many teachers met for hours after school today discussing the possibilities.
Our manners banquet is on Friday at 12:30. We walked and talked a lot of manners today. Maybe you'll notice a difference at the dinner table tonight. We're hoping that kids can dress up a bit on Friday. Nothing too special, but hopefully we'll go easy on the T-shirts and jeans. I'll be wearing a tie. Thank you to all of the volunteers helping to put this together.
I've had the sniffles all day, so I'm going home to eat some soup and go to bed. (After I read a couple of chapters from 4 different books.)
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
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