L.E.R.U. 12/14

Little Elk River Update, Dec. 14, 2018

We are hitting our stride in Little Elk. Now that most systems are up and running, it seems that we are using our time more efficiently. In addition to regular Math/Geometry and English Language work, everyone is also involved in one of three lesson series: Water, Maps or Humans. These lesson series will span 5-7 weeks, at which time we students we will switch and join a new group. I assigned the groups this time, but I will be introducing more choice as the months pass.

• Accessing the Public Library: The children's librarian at Hamline Midway library has offered to set up accounts for children who do not have them and to enter accounts from other systems to help speed our check out.  In order to do this, she has requested names and addresses of students. If you are uncomfortable with sharing that information, please let me know. Similarly, if your child is adept at bringing his or her own library card to school and using it independently, please let me know. That will expedite the process.

Ideally, a Montessori student checks out books from a library on her own, whenever she needs to. Since we do not have a school library, it is important the children can acquire additional sources on their own. This only makes their research experience deeper and more interesting. Your child may use the classroom computer to request books and have them sent to a library of your  choosing. However, they would need to know their library card number, and their PIN.  

• Secret Who?: This year Little Elk River students were given the option of playing Secret Santa—with one catch. They voted to call the gift-giving game "Secret Snowplow." Here's how it works: Starting Monday, your child may bring a note, card, clue, trinket or small baked treat to covertly plant in their "snowflake's" cubby or notebook. The goal is to get to Friday without your snowflake guessing who you are. Monday-Thursday are just for tiny items, feelgoodies, poems, notes, etc.. The only aspect that is truly required (for those who opted in), is the final gift. Please do not spend more than $15. Last year a couple people forgot to bring them in, so this year I am encouraging people to start bringing their gifts in on Thursday (12/20). All gifts will be opened on Friday morning (12/21) after each child is asked to guess their snowplow. We are thinking of baking muffins that day as well. Anyone have a great muffin recipe that's good for kids and yummy?

• Homework: I am attaching the homework pdf that I handed out on Tuesday. It can be turned in either before vacation, or after. 

• Thank You! Thank you for the great books that we've been getting from the Amazon wish list, and from Usborne Books (purchased at conferences)! They all make great addition to our classroom library. Also, thank you to Julie Lunn for accompanying us on our field trip to Bell Museum. It was a great day. 

Pre-Conference Questionnaire (for Little Elk Parents)

The purpose of this form is to provide a tool for families to share reflections and observations with the guide. As we will have a limited amount of time during conferences—and as 5th and 6th year students lead their conferences—I would like to provide parents an opportunity to share observations and feedback electronically. This can help us make good use of the short time we have together, and keep our conference focused on your student's work. 

Sharing reflections also helps adults get to know each other and better support the child.  Filling out this form is not required, but I would greatly appreciate hearing from you by Wednesday, November 28. Thank you in advance for your time and effort.

the link—  https://goo.gl/forms/pnMjYMoLht93RXRR2

Thank you!

Just here to report that the potluck feast was a big hit. Thank you for all your contributions!

Happy Thanksgiving,

John & Seth

Wednesday's Thanksgiving Lunch

Tomorrow in Little Elk River students have offered to bring in some food to share, in honor of Thanksgiving. Please know that this is entirely optional. Not only because we have given you almost zero-notice (!), but because it would be optional anyways. 

If your child has time to prepare a treat/dish, and.you can support them with ingredients, supplies, etc., then please use this opportunity to share some fun time in the kitchen (or grocery store). If not, no worries! 

Everyone in Little Elk will be invited to eat whatever we pull together, whether they were able to contribute or not. 

Just to give you a heads up, here are some of the ideas that people offered (and remember, this is not a commitment, just a list of ideas).  

Lilah: salad

MacKenzie: Cornbread

John: Bread and butter

Henry F: Honey & cranberry scones

Taya: Biscuits and gravy

Colton: Quiche

Hugh: Mashed potatoes

Henry W.: Mashed potatoes

Mikko: Stuffing

Walter: Chorizo Muffins

Audra: Cinnamon muffins

Yami: Flan

Scarlett: something chocolatey

If you do bring food, remember to keep it peanut-free. We have access to outlets, if you want to send something to plug in. However, keeping it warm in something insulated is even easier. 

You may want to send your child with a small lunch tomorrow anyways, just in case. 

Thank you! 

PS> I will be sending you a pre-conference form via email in the next couple days, so you can be looking for that. 

John

 

If not, your child 

we will all eat whatever 

Little Elk River Update (Wed. Nov. 14)

A Little Elk River Update (Wed. Oct. 14, 2018)

• We've been emphasizing the need to be productive during our Work Periods. How do you keep working for 3 hours (8:15-11:15 am) and remain productive? This is the question. The key, I think, is to choose interesting, challenging and appropriate work. When you do this—and as you develop your ability to focus on a task and persist through obstacles—working on things that give you a personal sense of satisfaction becomes more and more natural over time. This is what we are practicing.

• As the temperature drops, be sure to remind students to dress warmly (hat gloves, boots).

• Please make sure that your child has indoor shoes and wears their outdoor shoes home. For the preservation of our carpet and primarily because  Montessori students do a lot of work on the floor, students are expected to wear a clean indoor shoe in class. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

• Be sure to welcome our newest work partner, Hugh Kesselring, and his mom Chrissy Kesselring, when you have the chance!  Hugh joined us last week from Roseville Area Schools and some home-schooling. That rounds out our 22 this year!

• Observe Little Elk in Action: Observations on Wednesdays, 9:00 am. You may sign up right here….

• Homework: I have been impressed by all the skill-building and home-front activities students are choosing for homework! The pictures you send in are great, too. I don't have a great way of consistently printing off your photos as our color printer is on the other side of the school. However, I will try to collect them and could always make a slideshow at the end of the year. 

• If a child looses homework or is absent on the Wednesday that I hand it out, please encourage your child to take responsibility for getting it. They can simply say, "John, can I please get this week's homework?" I always keep extra handouts in the room for those situations. I will be handing out new homework tomorrow (Wed., Nov. 14) and it will be due (Nov. 28).

• Off-Campus Thursdays: Thursdays, 1:00 are a time when we can leave campus to visit a park or a library. This Thursday we will head to McMurray Fields for some large-motor activity!

• Silent Read: As I wrote last month, please ask your child what they are reading in Silent Reading. If they are not excited with their book, please help them find one they like. Without a library at GRS, I need your support! Thank you!

• Conferences are just a few weeks away, and students will be preparing to share their work and goals with you. Please keep an eye out for a pre-conference e-mail detailing the general flow of conferences, as well as some questions to consider discussing with your child at home. We look forward to seeing you there!

In partnership,

John

Photo Retakes tomorrow, 9 am

For those interested, photo retakes are at 9:00 tomorrow (Monday Nov 12).

Homework due Nov. 13

Good morning, here's the homework assignment that was passed out last week, which is due next Tuesday, Nov. 13. 

Let me know if you have any questions.

John

Permission Slips Due Monday!

Hello Friends of Little Elk River,

Permission slips for the Bell Museum are due Monday. We take our excursion on Tuesday. Slips are attached.

Thanks for your support.  Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks again!

John

Tues. Oct. 23 Bell Museum

Dear Little Elk River Families, 

We are heading to the new Bell Museum for a field trip on Tuesday, Oct. 23. We will leave around 9 am on the city bus outside the school and return prior to dismissal. We will travel with 3 adults. The new Bell Museum allows children to continue exploring the Story of the Universe, the tree of life, and the future of life on the planet. These are themes that we have touched on in class, and at Wolf Ridge, connecting people with the natural world. We will also spend time examining the Bell's world famous, revitalized dioramas as well as view "Minnesota in the Cosmos" in the Planetarium.  The total cost for the trip is $13.

Please print the permission slip and return it to me by Monday, Oct. 22. I will also hand this out in class.

Thank you!

John

Little Elk River News, Sept. 19

Dear Little Elk River families,

It's been a great week and a half getting to know your children! We are well on our way towards building a supportive community.  We've been discussing what principles and beliefs we value as a community of learners, as well as doing a lot of assessments of students' skills and knowledge. We've even had time to thrown in a few lessons! This is normal for the first couple weeks of school, especially when you start a brand new environment and almost half of us are new to the Montessori method. But slow and steady wins the race!

I hope to see all of you again tomorrow night for Parent Information Night, at 6:30 pm. (Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018). I will be talking a lot about what we do here and will try to answer as many questions as possible.

I also want to introduce Seth Waite, my classroom Assistant this year. Seth will work with us for 1.5 hours each morning, as well as the program Physical Education instructor in the afternoons. He has a good number of years as a Montessorian under his belt, so it will be great having his support this year!

I also want to share the Little Elk River Anthology, Vol. 1 that was completed in the last week of school in June, but not published until now! Please enjoy last year's 4th years' hard work and creative writing!

Feel free to reach out with any questions. Know that you are welcome to visit the classroom during Wednesday office hours from 3:15-4:00.

In partnership,

John

Little Elk River Update (June 5, 2018)

• A Day at the Como Pool is still on for tomorrow.  We won't let a few raindrops get in the way of our fun.

• Cinnamon and Hazel's Summer Vacation: Azalea Eischen will be caring for the guinea pigs first. We intend to gently pass them around for 2-3 week rotations until the first week of September. The Cariveaus, and Thomases are already on the list. If you would like to be added, please let me know. Thank you!

• Do you sew? Will you volunteer your sewing skills? Some of our floor cushions have ripped and I would like to get them mended. Let me know if you can take them home over the summer. Thank you!

• Moving Parties June 8-11: The end of the school year is fast approaching and that means we need all hands on deck for our big move!  Once school ends, we have only a few days to move everything! We need your help to pack, label and move classroom materials on Friday June 8th, Saturday June 9th, or Monday June 11th. Everything must be moved by end of day Monday. Whether you are regular volunteer or have never participated in an event before, we need you now! Thank you so much for all your help!  

SIGN ME UP

Guinea Pigs

We will try to take turns with the guinea pigs thus summer. Please let me know if you are interested in taking a 2-week rotation. And if so, what portion of the summer is best. 

Thanks.

Como Park on Thursday, March 24

Hello Little Elk Familes,

We were not able to eat lunch at Como Park last week. So we are going to try again on Thursday as long as the rain holds off. It will be hot. Please send a long sunscreen and make sure that your child has a water bottle. 

We will leave around 10 am. We will be carrying our lunches to Como, and children may take backpacks, or may share a backpack with a friend. We will do some large-motor, team-building activities and then have lunch, a little recess and return to school by 1:00.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks for your support!

Creepy Crawlies

We had a lovely, sunny day at McMurray Fields and Como Woodlands. Please check your child for ticks this evening.

Thank you!

Little Elk News, May 11, 2018

In this Issue: Four Important Announcements and a Quote!

1) This coming Tuesday, May 15 we will be going to Como Park/McMurray Fields for Park Day. We will also be taking our lunches and eating there instead of dining at school. Please be sure to send sunscreen, water bottle and lunch box or, if you prefer, a disposable bag. 

2) You are invited to the Upper Elementary Work Share, Friday, June 1, from 2:00 - 3:00 pm. 

3) A reminder to send in your permission slip, if you haven't already, for the Como Pool on Wed., June 6.

4) And a note about off-campus protocol from GRS:

"Dear Elementary Parents,

The end of the year is quickly approaching!  Many classrooms are planning off campus adventures and we want to make sure that families are aware of a safety protocol that was developed in elementary this year to ensure the safety of all students. 

In order to participate in off campus activities, students must follow community norms. If a student demonstrates a significant challenge to follow adult instructions that could lead to safety concerns, the student will remain on campus doing an alternate activity.

If there are safety concerns regarding your child, you will be contacted by your child's classroom guide.  Additionally, if behavior challenges happen while off campus, parents will be notified that there is a concern and the possibility that they will need to pick up their child. We look forward to finishing off the year in ways that are joyful and safe for all students!"

And finally, a bonus for reading this far! 

"I like the Montessori method," said Thomas Edison according to historians at the Thomas Edison National Historic Park. "It teaches through play. It makes learning a pleasure. It follows the natural instincts of the human being. The present system casts the brain into a mold. It does not encourage original thought or reasoning."

A Photo Update (of some not so recent pictures)

http://littleelkriverclass.blogspot.com

Some Old Pics from Back in the Day When Spring Was Winter

A miscellaneous collection of photos from the last couple months. I didn't get everyone in, but next time I will focus on GM, YB, MH, WW and MN.

work on the Decanomial

the Pin Map of Asia

It's getting closer... (view from the hallway window)

Spring is a coming.

presents bookmaking in St. Croix River. 

Okay, so it's winter again. We can deal with that.

Ryan, our EA, is the one that doesn't look like an elementary student.

clean the cage.

Our Words

Dear Parents of Little Elk,

On Wednesday morning I held a collective to talk about the language we use, about the words we give each other. Words are powerful. They carry meaning. That's why something that someone says to you can hurt your feelings. That's why something that someone says to you can make you feel really good. Words have power.

Because we have the freedom to move about the classroom during work times, we also have many opportunities to talk to each other. When we do decide to talk to each other, let's remember to use our words wisely, mindfully. If we use them, we own them. Let's only say what we mean.  

One of the words that I am speaking about is "sucks." This is a word that floats around freely when people feel down or dejected. They use it to describe something that they do not like. They use it to blame their feelings on something else. The reason I feel this way is because that "sucks." We need to hold the line and keep that language out of the classroom. That language leads to a kind of thinking which short circuits the process of wondering, "How can I make this better?" 

The other words I discussed at the meeting are death/dying/dead. In the last month, these words have been used in negative ways in Little Elk. I explained that death is a serious topic, and that if anyone feels like dying, they need to tell that to an adult. There are people around them who care about them, love them and can help support them. I also told them that death is something that we can talk about. It's real, and it's devastation is closer to some in our community than to others. It's not a word to play with, joke with, and certainly not okay to use against someone. But there are times in class when we will talk about death as something that happens to human beings. We will not, however, direct that talk at our peers.  When we talk to our peers, we need to use words that build each other up, not tear each other down. It's one of our responsibilities.

I hope you are able to ask your child what they got out of this discussion. Please keep the conversation going. And, as always, let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you, and Happy Spring. 

World Penguin Day, April 25

It's tomorrow. It really is. Look it up!

Invite your children to wear black and white and a little yellow. 

:)

Re: Field Trip this Friday, April 20

Here's that flyer I was telling you about :)

On Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 10:29 PM, Little Elk River <littleelk@greatriverschool.org> wrote:

This Friday, April 20, Little Elk will be walking to Lyngblomsten, a home for older adults, to experience intergenerational improvisational theater with the Lakeshore Players! It's a mouthful, I know. I have attached a flyer if you would like to know more.

We will leave GRS at 9:30 and walk to Lyngblomsten, which is just west of Como Park. The walk will take about 30 minutes, so please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately. We will take our lunches and eat there at 11:30.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks.

John

Field Trip this Friday, April 20

This Friday, April 20, Little Elk will be walking to Lyngblomsten, a home for older adults, to experience intergenerational improvisational theater with the Lakeshore Players! It's a mouthful, I know. I have attached a flyer if you would like to know more.

We will leave GRS at 9:30 and walk to Lyngblomsten, which is just west of Como Park. The walk will take about 30 minutes, so please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately. We will take our lunches and eat there at 11:30.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks.

John

Time, Einstein and the Coolest Stuff in the Universe

This Wednesday, April 20, at 7:00, Nobel laureate Bill Phillips will be presenting Time, Einstein and the Coolest Stuff in the Universe, a presentation for students and laity, at Bethel University. See link below.

https://www.bethel.edu/events/2018/physics-lecture-phillips

If you cannot make it, you can also find his shows on youtube, like this one. 

MCA Test Thursday/Friday

Please note that the MCA Math Test is tomorrow for our class. Please arrive on time as we start right away in the morning. 

A good night's sleep and good breakfast, too!

Thank you!

Budding Authors

For all of our budding readers and authors, here's an event at Northrup over Spring Break. See attached.

Just a reminder that our Communal Birthday Celebration is Friday morning. If someone will not be present for school on Friday, they may substitute Thursday!

Let me know if you have any questions.

Little Elk Update (March 26, 2018)

Little Elk River News 

A quick update about this week. It's a full 5 days before Spring Break starts:

• Monday, March 26: Timeline of Life Open House in Little Elk, 10:15 - 11:00 a.m., for other students in Elementary. We will be displaying our dioramas and reports, and answering questions.
• Wednesday, March 28: iRace, a school-wide discussion about ethnicity, race and racism led by adolescents.
• Thursday, March 29, Poetry Read Aloud: We will be putting on a Poetry Read with Shingobee River in the afternoon. It's our second effort performing and reading poetry. This time, children are encouraged to read/perform one of their own poems, but they may also read another author's published poem if they choose. We've been throwing a variety of poetic forms against the wall in order to see which ones stick.
• Friday, March 30: On Friday morning we will be celebrating our birthdays collectively. Earlier this year the Little Elk Council decided on dedicating an entire week to each person's birthday. You may remember this from the Nov 16 newsletter:

Mini-Me Monday: Bring in 2-3 photos (or a small album) of your childhood to share with the class 

Treat Tuesday: Bring a healthy treat to share with the class

Wild Wednesday: Choose a song to sing with the class

Throwback Thursday: Bring an object to share with the class (Show & Tell)

Freedom Friday: Sit where you want at Lunch.

However, the first five people on the schedule did not participate. So instead of not celebrating anyone's birthday all year—which is where we were headed— we've decided to honor all of us on one day. That will happen this Friday. So your child may do any or all of the following: Bring in 2-3 photos (or a small album) of your childhood; bring a healthy treat to share; bring an object for Show & Tell. 

• Friday, March 30: Game Day begins at 12:45 pm. And at 3:00, welcome to your Spring Break! 
• And lastly, thanks to the Thomases for donating Forbidden Island, a cooperative board game!

Photo Update: Game Day (March 9, 2018)

Little Elk News (March 12, 2018)

Dear Little Elk families,

Just a quick note before I see you on at conferences. We've been working hard to complete the Timeline of Life Projects. Students are gaining independence and confidence in research. The note-taking process and writing of rough drafts took considerably less time as they did in the December for the Geography fair. These would have been complete with finished dioramas and polished final drafts were it not for the MCA Testing this week. The MCAs threw a monkey wrench into my otherwise reasonable planning. Nevertheless, we will lay out what we have done work so that you can take a glimpse of it on Thursday and Friday.

On another note, last Friday we piloted a new feature of Upper Elementary in Little Elk. We call it Game Day. On alternating Friday afternoons, we will roll out a variety of strategic and cooperative games. Game Day will be a time to celebrate a week of hard work. Emphasis will be placed on working together, negotiating peacefully, and enjoying each other's company. Please keep in mind that students whose work is "late" or "incomplete" on Friday afternoon will not participate (teacher's discretion). 

Our first Game Day went smoothly. Children worked together to determine who would play which game. I heard one child say, "Henry and Mikko can play first. I'll play the winner." A few of us played a logic game called Jumpin. Some played Uno, Battleship, and Checkers while Ryan introduced some of us to Backgammon and Cribbage. 

If you are interested in donating, or going in for a group donation, three excellent games on my wishlist are…

Forbidden Island 

Ticket to Ride

Settlers of Catan 

These St. Paul stores sell great games. I recommend a visit with your family. Also, the restaurant between the Goat and Sixth Chamber hosts a monthly Family Game Night.

The Gaming Goat, 1326 Grand Ave (651) 690-4628

Sixth Chamber, 1332 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105

Mischief Toy Store, 818 Grand Ave (651) 493-3307

See you later this week!

In partnership,

John

MCA Testing Next Week

Dear Friends of Little Elk,

We are scheduled to take the MCAs next Monday and Tuesday, March 12 and 13. My best advice for children testing is to get a good, extra-solid night's sleep, and to eat a breakfast with protein. Other than that, there's nothing to study for, or get worked up about. Sam O'Brien has said it better than I could, so I am going to leave you with his words about standardized testing:

Head of School Thoughts on Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments 

by Sam O'Brien (originally published March 2017)

Dear Families of Great River School,

This month, we begin our mandated duty of administering the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. In Minnesota, all 3rd-11th year students are offered the exams.  Great River School uses these results as one measure at one point in time for one individual. It's a snapshot, and fails to measure how a student will persist, grow, challenge themselves. The test does not predict how a student will succeed in the world. The test sometimes reflects what we know about a student's academic ability, and sometimes is wildly inaccurate. One thing I know from best practices in education: one-time high stakes assessment is not an indicator of the way a student will perform in a profession, on a team, or in an authentic situation of challenge where clear answers must be found through deep engagement in work and problem solving. However, the opportunity is seen as a challenge work or novelty by some students, and we make every effort to create accurate and informative measures to complement and better inform MCA results for families.... (To read the rest of his blog, click here.)

Wed. Feb. 28 office hours cancelled

Little Elk Families,

I will not be available at this Wednesdays' office hours. Please let me know if you would like to meet some other time. 

Thank you! 

Re: Timeline of Life Project

Here's a handout with the details to our Timeline of Life Project. We are wrapping the research today and tomorrow. Next week we will be focusing on a written report, map and diorama. 

We could use two more shoeboxes!

:)

On Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 8:10 AM, Little Elk River <littleelk@greatriverschool.org> wrote:

Here's a handout with the details to our Timeline of Life Project. We are wrapping the research today and tomorrow. Next week we will be focusing on a written report, map and diorama. 

:)

Sheridan Story

Greetings elementary families!

I'm writing to let you know about a food assistance program called Sheridan Story that we will  begin partnering with in March.  Sheridan Story sends food home with families on Friday afternoons so that families have enough food over the weekend.  I have worked with this program in the past and appreciate how they respect confidentiality and provide quality food.  If you are interested in participating, read on!  

In your children's backpacks this week you will find a lime green half sheet that describes the meals that Sheridan Story can provide.  On the other side is a registration form that you can sign and return to school in order to sign up.  No other documentation is needed.  Please return this form to me or your child's guide.  

We hope to be able to sign up all families that are interested.

Sheridan Story will begin providing food in mid-March.  On the day of the delivery food will be placed in your child's backpack to come home at the end of the day.

You are welcome to contact me with any questions either by email (serdmann@greatriverschool.org) or by phone (651-305-2780 x36).  Thank you!

Best,

Saleha Erdmann

Elementary School Social Worker

__________________________________

Saleha Erdmann, MSW, LICSW

Great River School

Social Worker

(651) 305-2780 x36

Little Elk River blog

I'm sorry the previous links don't work.  Our blog location has not changed, so I think you should just be able to go to the blog to find the photos. Let me know if you can or cannot get there using this link. Thanks!

https://littleelkriverclass.blogspot.com

Little Elk News: Jan. 29 2018

Jan. 29, 2018

Greetings Little Elk families,

• A quick reminder that homework is turned in every Tuesday. Students are responsible for taking it out of their backpacks and turning it in. Math homework will be self-corrected every Tuesday morning with the answer key that I provide. If your child no longer has the homework folder that was supplied in September, please purchase a pocket folder for them so that they can safely transport their homework between home and school. Thank you!

• We are in need of paper towels and tissues, if you would like to make a donation. Thank you!  (And a bouquet of flowers is always a nice addition to the winter classroom)

Here's a small taste of what's happening over the next couple weeks:

In English we are beginning to do more in-depth work on sentences. What do words require to be a sentence? What is it that makes up a good sentence? We do this through two the use of two Montessori language materials: the grammar box symbols and the Sentence Analysis material. We use the former to symbolize parts of speech in a sentence. We use the latter to break apart a sentence into its grammatical components. We can use our own sentences, or sentences that we find in books. The ultimate goal is that children begin to appreciate how sentences are built so that they can write better ones—and better understand the ones they read.

Speaking of reading, please ask your child what he or she is reading in Silent Reading, which we do four days a week. If they are not sure, please take them to the public library this week. I would like to see more students dialed in on a book that they really enjoy. Reading for pleasure is not only a privilege, it's supposed to be fun! 

In Life Science we are exploring the Timeline of Life in greater detail than was presented in the Story of the Coming of Life, beginning with the Cambrian period 540 million years ago. We are learning about the arrival of bacteria, fungus, lichen, land plants, ice ages, mass extinctions and much more. We are reading out of a great book that I found by chance in the library called 10 Million Aliens: A Journey Through the Entire Animal Kingdom by Simon Barnes. I hope the children are enjoying it as much as I am.

As for the Timeline of Life, students will be choosing one of those periods and exploring it in-depth with some of their own research skills. Then they will be asked to design and make a diorama. If you have a good, solid shoe box that does not need to live in your closet anymore, just let go. You've given it wings, now let it fly and it will provide a wonderful medium for a Little Elk diorama! Send no more than one, please. We only need about 8 more, and we do not have anywhere to store extras.  I hope to get diorama work started in a couple weeks, around Feb. 12. Thank you!

If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Sincerely,

John

Geography Fair Photos (Dec. 14)

Geography Fair, Dec. 14, 2017










'

Jan. 18, 2018: Photo Update

We decided to take a class photo—twelve seconds after twelve after twelve on the twelfth. For those of us who struggle with Old English, that's December 12 at 12:12:12. Granted, if we had thought of this five years ago it would have been 2012.



Just a couple more Geography Fair shots...A first grader looking at coins. And a sixth grader looking at gemstones.





arranges yogurt tubes for snack.



arranges the long chains in geometric form.



A sixth-year comes in to teach some geometrical origami.






Lunchtime, one day in January.



sentence analysis work.



CF comes in to talk Chinese Medicine during our Asian Country Studies unit.

Little Elk Update (Jan. 7, 2018)

Jan. 7, 2018

Greetings Little Elk families,

Happy New Year! It's good to back in the swing of things. And good to remember that by the time this year is over, we will have moved into our permanent home, a full and complete classroom with fourth and fifth years!

Here's a small taste of what's happening over the next two weeks:

Math: We continue to introduce new skills (Pythagorean theorem, squaring trinomials) and practice old ones (column addition, long division, area) in math. Our two math groups—Hypatia and Pythagoras—are meeting once a week to review and correct our work. We also meet for small group or individual lessons throughout the week. This is how I introduce new concepts.

If a child has not made good progress on their assignment by the day of review, they may be asked to leave the group and complete the work to the best of their ability. If a child simply does not remember how to do a problem, they have two options. They can ask for support, either from me or a peer ; they can also work out the problem to the best of their ability, even knowing that it may be wrong. I can assure you that the attempt is more valuable than not trying at all and leaving it blank. I am also looking for children to always show their work right in their math notebook. 

Geography: We are completing our half-year study of the Asian Continent with a small group Country Study. I have assigned small groups, and the group chose the country (China, Japan, India and Russia). We will also be taking a Map Quiz on Asian countries and capitals on Tuesday, Jan. 16. 

Earth Science: We've been studying the structure of the earth, the parts of an atom, and the cause of the seasons.

Life Science:  I just gave the Story of the Coming of Life. Over the coming weeks, students will engage in detailed studies of the Timeline of Life. They will be asked to home in on one or two moments that most interest them.  

In other life science news, Will came back from Australia bearing gifts. The chocolate Tim Tams were enjoyed by all. The Vegemite on crackers was… well… how do I put this? Emmett may have put it best when he said, "That tastes like a fish tank!"

And here's a note from the Upper School about the Urban Farm:

Greetings Parents,

The Urban Farming Occupation created a farm goods mini shop located in the front entryway of the main campus. Families are free to stop by and buy student made and farm goods. All products are made with care.

We are selling:

A Dozen Eggs……………………………….$5.00

Half a Dozen Eggs………………………….$2.50

Kimchee……………………………………...$2.00

Jelly…………………………………………...$4.00

Vermicompost per pound …………………..$2.50

Vermicompost 5 pounds…………………...$10.00

There is a mini fridge located in the front entryway with some products inside it and other products nearby. Pricing will be on the board above, and you can pay in the black money box. Please note that our supply fluctuates based on what our farm produces, so availability fluctuates . Please support our Urban Farm and stop by when you can!  Suggestions are welcome!

Thanks, A1 Urban Farming 

-- 

John Albright

651-354-1787