Newsletter #5 (9/27/13)

Hello Quest Families!  What a great week of learning and beautiful fall colors we had here at CBMS.  Here are some notes:

Field Trip
The field trip to the Long Trail this week was a huge success thanks to the great support we had from parents!  We could not have done it without our fantastic chaperones (Bob Garrett, Tracey Towne, Todd Jones, Melissa Semprebon, Kellee Mazer, Marybeth Longo, Michelle Abajian, Gwynne Berry, Lynn Mason, and Steve Odefey)!  It was wonderful for Team Quest to be able to share our learning with all of you on a beautiful morning. 

e-learning and 21st Century Goals

Students have been learning about their Google Docs.  One feature in Google Docs is “sites.”  Students are using this feature to create a portfolio of their year in fifth grade.  We selected categories based on the Harwood GEs and the Common Core.  Students then reworded these goals to become goals for themselves throughout the school year.  This site is called an eportfolio.  Your student began creating one this week.  We intend this to be another venue (along with grades / Powerschool) in which students can show their learning during these middle school years.  Students will share these during their student led conferences which will be held in November.  

Next week we will be starting letters to our epals!  At this time, Mrs. Williams has connected with one classroom from Germany, one from Poland, and a small group of students from China.  Your student will be writing to one of the other students via the epal program.  Eventually, we hope to Skype with the students in these far away countries!  These epal letters will be written during Writer’s Workshop, and sometimes during ESB.

Last week Mrs. Williams met with Geoff Gevalt from the Young Writer’s Project.  The Young Writer’s Project is “An online community of young writers in VT & NH where creativity and civility reign.” They have created a self contained blogosphere for our classroom.  It is a great resource that we will be able to use.  Your student will be able to share his / her work with classmates, and with others in the school.  Mrs. Williams will introduce this platform to our students next week.  Mr. Taylor and Mrs. Williams will both be using this blog in our classes.

NECAPS  are coming! There will be NO Homework during NECAPS.

 The schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, October 1st from 8 - 9:15
Wednesday, October 2nd from 8-9:15, then from 12:45 - 2:20
Thursday, October 3rd from 8 - 9:15
Tuesday, October 8th from 8 - 9:15
Wednesday, October 9th 8 - 9:15 and 12:45 - 2:20
Thursday, October 10th 8 - 9:15

Please avoid scheduling an appointment for your child during these times.  If your student will be leaving at some point during the day, please make sure we know as soon as possible so we can make other arrangements.   We will not be giving homework during those two weeks.  Good sleep and a good breakfast does wonders for those nights!

Back to School Night
Thursday, October 3 is Back to School Night at CBMS starting at 6:15.  Come join us to learn about CBMS and the Quest Team!

Picture Day
Picture day is right around the corner.  Friday, October 4th will be pictured day at CBMS.  Picture forms were sent out today, so be on the lookout!

Book Orders
Have been sent out!  They are due Friday, October 4th. 

Questions to ask your student:
What are some of the producers, consumers, and decomposers you found on your hike?
What goes on your eportfolio?
Which student on Team Quest is moving to Oregon?  What did you do to celebrate her last day? 
Do you plan on participating in the Quest Talent Show?
Who is in your Reader's Workshop Group?
What Math game did you play in class?  What is your strategy for this game?

Newsletter #4 (9/20/13)

September 20, 2013

Hello Questers!

We have had a beautiful week!  The enthusiasm of our students is fantastic!  Some notes: 

Field Trip  This Wednesday, we will be going to the Long Trail for a hike.  We will be studying the ecosystem of the Long Trail, as well as looking at maps, and scale.  We have a good amount of chaperones!  We have the following chaperones signed up:
Bob Garrett, Tracey Towne, Todd Jones, Melissa Semprebon, Kellee Mazer, Marybeth Longo, Michelle Abajian, and Steve Odefey.  Thank-you for volunteering!  Please have your student bring a water bottle, a snack, and good walking shoes.  If the forecast is for rain, we will reschedule.

ESB
It was a beautiful week for learning here at Team Quest!  We were busy learning about our local land and water ecosystems by exploring the Crossett Brook searching for and identifying consumers as well as researching the importance of local producers.  We will continue with our focus on ecosystems and mapping next week with our field trip to the Long Trail.

NECAPS  are coming!  The schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, October 1st from 8 - 9:15
Wednesday, October 2nd from 8-9:15, then from 12:45 - 2:20
Thursday, October 3rd from 8 - 9:15
Tuesday, October 8th from 8 - 9:15
Wednesday, October 9th 8 - 9:15 and 12:45 - 2:20
Thursday, October 10th 8 - 9:15

Please avoid scheduling an appointment for your child during these times.  If your student will be leaving at some point during the day, please make sure we know as soon as possible so we can make other arrangements.   We will not be giving homework during those two weeks.  Good sleep and a good breakfast does wonders for those nights!

Picture Day
Picture day is right around the corner.  Friday, October 4th will be pictured day at CBMS.  Picture forms were sent out today, so be on the lookout!

Questions to ask your student:

What producer did you choose to research?
What consumers did you find in the stream?
Who is in your writing group?
Did you take your DRA?  (not a huge conversation starter though, I'm afraid..)
Can you show me your subtraction strategy?

Newsletter #3 (9/13/13)

Hello Quest Families,

It has been a great week here at CBMS with lots of learning despite the heat and rain!  Here are a few notes on the upcoming weeks on team Quest.

Field Trip
Another reminder about our upcoming field trip.  We are still looking for some help from parent chaperones, so if you are able to join us on our nature hike please email or send in a note.  The permission slip will be attached to this newsletter for your students to return to us.  Field trip details:  On September 25th, we are planning to take a field trip to the Long Trail (the Duxbury Window hike off of Camel's Hump Road).  This field trip will be culmination of our unit on Interdependence.  We will be hiking (about 1 mile in) to a stream to do some place-based studying.  Field trip form

Homework in planners
Now that we are well on our way to becoming full time middle school students we must consider the responsibility that comes with this.  Homework will be assigned weekly in 5th grade and each student is responsible for bringing their completed work to and from school.  Each week we will make sure students write their assignments in their planners.  The planners are a great place for you to check to see what assignments your student is responsible for each night.  There is also a homework link on the Team Quest webpage that will help you and your student stay on top of homework.  A suggestion to keep the planners in good shape is to have your student keep it clipped into a binder.  A homework folder can also be used in conjunction with the planner.

Math Log
 Starting this week students were assigned a Math Log to track their practice with math facts at home.  These logs will be handed out and collected on Tuesdays.  There is also a link to the log on the Quest Math webpage.  Students will complete math fact practice 4 days a week, 10-20 minutes a day.  This practice can include flash cards, website games, card/dice games, or any other unique way of practicing.  As students demonstrate mastery of multiplication facts, they will be given different week long assignments to meet their need. 

Everything with a side of bacon
Our interdisciplinary studies class's new name is..."Everything with a side of bacon."  The students felt that this title represented the many subjects that this class entails.  On PowerSchool, students will receive two grades for this class (Science grade and Social Studies grade).  Which grade an assignment will fall under will be determined by the standards that best fit that assignment.  These assignments will be graded by both teachers.

Questions to ask your students
What is your POW for next week?
What are some plants that grow near the Crossett Brook?
What have you done in your GoogleDocs?
What games can you play for your Math Facts Log?
Did dissect a flower or play a game for your ESB choice day?

Newsletter #2 (9/6/13)

 Hello Quest Families,
It has been another excellent week of learning here on Quest!  A few notes for the upcoming weeks:

Field Trip
On September 25th, we are planning to take a field trip to the Long Trail (the Duxbury Window hike off of Camel's Hump Road).  This field trip will be culmination of our unit on Interdependence.  We are putting the plug in now because we are hoping to have some adult chaperones (drivers) join us.  This will not only save us money by not having to rent a school bus, but will also give you a chance to see your student in action!  We will be hiking (about 1 mile in) to a stream to do some place-based studying.  Please email or send a note if you have any interest in joining our excursion.

Math
This week in Math, we discussed factors and multiples.  We learned how to play 2 new games (The Product Game & The Factor Game), which you can access from the Quest website under the Math section.  These games are great way to practice working with multiplication in a fun way.  This Tuesday, we will have a short quiz on factors and multiples, so practice away over the weekend!

Next week, students will be taking a Multiplicative Reasoning Assessment.  This is a district assessment that will have no impact on your student's grade.  The purpose is to guide instruction around student need.  The assessment in 7 questions and will be taken on Monday and Wednesday.  The second half of the week will be the start to our work in the Investigations Math Program (same as Thatcher Brook).  The focus of our first unit is Addition, Subtraction, and the Number System.  Parent information can be found at this web address:  http://investigations.terc.edu/families/.

Humanities gets a new name
Upon further reflection, we found that the title "Humanities" didn't cut it when it came to all of the different subjects we will be learning first thing in the morning.  In teacher school it is called "interdisciplinary studies," which might not mean a whole lot more to your student.  We asked the students their opinions on what we should call this class!  We had ideas ranging from "Everything and a side of bacon" to "Ready to Roll"   We picked three out of a hat for them to vote on this afternoon.  During this time block we learn about a topic from the lens of all subjects.  More on how that will look on the report card in next week's newsletter!

Getting to Know Your Student 
Please take a few minutes to fill out the attached survey.  It will help us to get to know your student better.  If you are receiving this via email, please click here to access the survey.  You can email the results back to one of us.  If you are receiving this by paper, please see attached.

Gmail
This week, your student received his / her gmail account for middle school.  This account is to be used for school work.  We will primarily be using Google accounts for the features offered in Google Drive.  They will not often use their email, although they can use it to contact me if they have a question.  We discussed appropriate use of technology, and if you have any questions, feel free to contact us, or Tom Drake.

ePals
We are working on setting up some electronic penpals for your student from around the world!

Questions to ask your student:
What is the new humanities name?
What is the logo contest?
 What map are you drawing in class?
Do you have a Google account?

First Newsletter

 August 30, 2013

Welcome Quest Families!

We have had a nice three days of warm weather to get to know each other!  Students have participated in group activities, forming rules, and learning the ins and outs of CBMS.  Next week we will begin our Core classes.

This is our blog / newsletter.  This newsletter is probably the longest one, as there are so many ideas to cover!  We want to make sure you received this first newsletter, and you know where to find it.  Please either sign the bottom of the newsletter and return the very bottom of it (where the dotted line shows where to cut it) or email us back to let us know you received this note.  If you would like a paper copy each week, please indicate that on the bottom, or in your email.  If an email reminder works better, let us know that too.


Planners
Each one of your students received a Quest Planner this week.  Planners will be used everyday to record homework, schedules, and to stay organized!  Each week Team Quest will go over the weekly schedule so that students can plan both their school and home responsibilities.  We encourage you to use these planners with your student to discuss weekly happenings and organization.  There is a Quest glossary in the back of these planners that includes words used at CBMS and on Quest.  You can check this out for lexicon you might not be familiar with such as "Powerschool" (more about that next week) and "The Happening."

First week / general schedule
As you have probably heard from your student and maybe have seen in their planners, this week's schedule is a bit out of the ordinary.  We have been busy getting to know each other, the school, and what it means to be on Team Quest!   The daily schedule, which you and your student can expect most of the time, is linked above where it says 'general schedule'.

Humanities
You might be wondering what "Humanities" is on your student's schedule.  Humanities is a combination of science, social studies, literacy and math.  We are teaching these together during this block to help students understand that learning does not always fall on subject area lines.  Students will study specific standards in the traditional science / social studies curriculum (scientific method, interdependence, geography, Greece and Rome), and they will see how these connect with each other.  If you would like to help out, or if you are aware of service learning opportunities, please let us know!  This is a good class to incorporate working with community partners.

Quest Plan of Action
Our Quest Plan of Action (attached above) is our discipline policy.  You will find the steps that the teachers on Team Quest will take to address any discipline issues that may arise in the classroom. 

Homework
 
Homework may be a new afternoon activity for your student.  Our intention with homework is for students to continue their learning outside of the classroom day. 

Studies have shown that the best way to ensure your student succeeds, is to have your student read.  Therefore, we require 20 minutes of reading a night.  Each week, we will require students to write the name of the book they are reading, and the page numbers they have read.  These pages will be a part of their LA grade.

 Your student will have 20 - 30 additional minutes of homework each night.  If your student is working for over an hour on homework each night, and it is becoming stressful, please let us know via an email, or written note.   We will follow up and have different strategies to make the homework time less stressful.

To make it easier to remember, we have set aside specific due dates for each week.
 
Due dates:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
	Math	Humanities	Math	POW

If your student does not have his / her homework on the due date, your student will fill out a homework notice.  This notice will go home with your student.  Please sign this notice the day you receive it and have it returned to the school, preferably, stapled to the completed assignment.  If we do not receive the notice back the next day, we will either call home, or email you to let you know there is work that is owed.

We will suggest times to the student to finish this assignment.  Guided study on a Tuesday or Friday might be the perfect time to make it up.  We will accept a late assignment up to a week after it is due.  At that point, it will become a 0, and that will be recorded in Powerschool (electronic gradebook).  These can affect an average pretty quickly.

If a student receives three homework notices, we will ask that the student stays after school to work on an organization system that will help facilitate getting homework done and in to the teachers.  If there is still a problem, we will ask for a conference to create a plan that will remedy the problem.

We intend for the homework to be based on learning.  Therefore, we will be grading the homework based more on progress than on how much is correct.  We expect our students to work hard, and we want them to progress.  If you find you are needing to provide too much assistance to your child, please let us know and we can help figure it out so homework works for everyone.

On Fridays, you may have noticed, there is a "POW" due. POW stands for "Paragraph of the Week."    Students will be assigned a topic on a Friday, and will have the week to complete it.  I will assign the first POW next Friday, and it will be due on the 13th.  The first POW will be answering questions in complete sentences.  We'll move up to paragraphs later in the month. I will include more information about this assignment next Friday.

If you would like to know the week's assignments, they will be written in your student's Quest planner.  We will also have a link to all the homework on Quest from the Quest home page.  The link is in the "nuts and bolts" toolbar on the left of the home page.

Quest Webpage
If you click the link above you will be sent to the Quest Webpage.  You can also access the Webpage from the CMBS website.  We will update our webpage throughout the year.  You can find helpful tools, homework information, assignment information, practice websites, references, and much more!   

We will wrap up our first newsletter here, so as not to overwhelm you with information!  Please let us know if you have any questions.  Our email has changed.  It is now under the wwsu domain, so feel free to email either Curtis or Melissa using these addresses:

mwilliams@wwsu.org
ctaylor@wwsu.org

Enjoy your long weekend!

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