IN THIS POST: Happy Holidays – Thank You!, 206 Winter Zoom Party, Spirit Week, Holiday Homework, Paper Link Unity Chain, Zoom Check, Holiday Cards Post on Facebook, Asynchronous Work This Week, Anonymous Feedback Form, Save the Date, This Week
Happy Holidays – Thank You!
Thank you all for co-teaching with me this past fall! I know you each supported in so many different ways, so many different times! It didn’t go unnoticed or unseen for the multitude of ways you have been helping your child in these times!
Thank you for the warm fuzzy scarf and soothing coffee this morning! I’m so grateful for these little cuties! They bring smiles to each and impress the socks off me for their stamina and willingness to do school in a way that is not preferable but just the situation we are in right now! Wishing all of you a restful holiday!
206 Winter Zoom Party
We had our Winter Zoom Party! So much fun! Anna and Molly did it again by creating fun and relevant crafts and ideas. The students made an adorable snowman using pipe cleaners, button stickers and cotton balls along with their very own New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and countdown! They also had the cutest bear masks as they listened to Bear Snores On. Many smiles were had as we crafted and tried!
Spirit Week
This past week we had spirit week as a school! The kids had fun and they looked as cute as ever! Thank you all for helping remind them about pajamas, crazy hair, winter clothes, one color and of course…an EBS favorite…Penguin Day! We learned a lot about Penguins that morning and even had one penguin show up in our zoom!
Holiday Homework
This isn’t really homework, but more of a rhythm and routine to keep over the break….If possible keep on reading over the break! Its a great way to connect discuss opinions and characters and to have your own child practice their new reading skills along with many other benefits (see below)! This can also be helpful to keep a little routine in place so that the return back isn’t too challenging of a situation.
Here’s a couple of ways it’s been said that literacy helps the brain.
- Improves self-esteem
- Improves concentration
- Develops critical and analytical thinking skills
- Builds stronger memory skills
- Expands vocabulary
Paper Link Unity Chain
As a way to unite our school and community and focus on the positive, our 5th Grade Leadership team has created an interactive family goal which we all hope to take part in. They are asking that each family make one paper link chain following the directions they have set out. I will send these to our class email so we can all participate. Directions have been emailed. Here are some samples: 
5th Grade We Are One video
Zoom Check?
How is your child doing? Just doing a check in as each home has different circumstances and struggles. Please send me a email if you child is having great concerns on zoom, struggles that are not of their typical behavior. Now that we are almost a year into Distance Learning I know there are struggles and concerns that can’t be seen on the screen. I want to make sure I am here to support your household and family in this struggle if there are concerns. It is definitely hard for students, especially 5 year olds, but if there are other great concerns you are seeing, please let me know. The well-being and safety of your child is my top concern.
Holiday Cards – Post on FB Page
If your family has a holiday card, please post on our private facebook page. We’d love to see and share the holiday fun! 
Asynchronous Work for January 4th
As we have worked a schedule to limit student online time, try to get practice on these platforms for student practice.
- Math – ST Math (15 minutes) Tuesday/Thursday – 2 – 3 Days a week
- Independent Reading – RAZ Kids (15 minutes) Mon./Wed./Fri. – 3 – 5 Days a week OR Book Bag
- Please log each book your child reads on their reading log to turn in for the next Distribution Day.
- Seesaw – Any assigned activities for whole class and/or Penguin Groups (Royals, Emperors, & Kings). Check back to see if there are any pending assignments from the past that your child has not submitted.
- WRITING (NEW) – Submit one piece of INDEPENDENT writing each week on Seesaw (done with paper and pencil/crayons). Please have your child use the camera feature to submit a picture of their writing. Then have them use the microphone feature to record their writing and submit with the green check.
- If your child is NOT writing sentences, have them label a picture (with their own spelling or letter label for each item) and submit a photo and recording of it.
- If your child is writing sentences, they can write a Beginning/Middle/End story about myself OR write a letter to Mrs. Miller asking me and telling me anything they would like. They may include a picture and must submit a photo of the writing and recording of them reading it.
Anonymous Feedback Form
If you have feedback (positive or constructive) please take a moment to share your thoughts and feedback! I am loving getting to know the kids better and that they are getting to know each other better despite the challenges we don’t typically deal with! Anonymous Feedback Form
Save these Dates
- Winter Break – December 19 – January 3rd
- Next Distribution Day (TK/K) – Monday, January 11th
- Martin Luther King Holiday – NO SCHOOL – Monday, January 18th
The Week Ahead…
Monday – 1/4/21
- Morning Meeting
- Social Emotional Lesson – (10:30 am)
Tuesday – 1/5/21
- Morning Meeting
- Art Lesson @ 10:30 (Materials Needed: white circle, black trapezoid, clipped together.) Post finished product on Facebook!
Wednesday – 1/6/21
- Morning Meeting
- Music with Mr. Waczek, 10:30 – 11:00
Thursday – 1/7/21
- Morning Meeting
- Technology Class – Ms. Martin at 10:30 If you are able to be present or have another helper present at the beginning of this time to practice minimizing zoom that would be very helpful for your child (or practice ahead of time). 10:30 – 11:00
Friday – 1/8/21
- Morning Meeting
- Music with Mr. Waczek, 10:30 – 11:00
- Friday Announcements from Ms. Sloan
- All School Dance Party @ 2:00 pm
