TWIS 12/16-12/20

Parents,

  Welcome to the final week before our Holiday Break!  Here are a few quick announcements:

-The food drive ends this week- please send canned food or money to school with your student.  This will be donated to the Northeast Iowa Foodbank by the Student Council.

-We have a Holiday party planned for Friday afternoon- thank you to these parents for volunteering snacks: Tracy M. for bringing juice boxes and Wendy W. for bringing paper products.  We did not have any volunteers for bringing treats- so let me know if that interests you.  Thanks!

-My math students finished up the National Hour of Code week by creating some incredible web sites, apps, games, etc.  Make sure you check those out by going to Lincoln6.com and clicking on the Angry Bird.  Special thanks to these community members and parents for coming in to assist us this week with the Hour of Code:

UNI Computer Science Professor Eugene Wallingford

UNI Computer Science student Anthony Spoerl

Chris Rouw and Mike Cole from Far Reach Incorporated

School Board member Doug Shaw

Jonathan Taiber

Randy Klug

Travis Ficklin

Thanks for all your help and for making time for us this week!

Here's This Week in Switzer:

Literature: Students are wrapping up their novels this week and SHOULD BE READING THOSE EVERY NIGHT!  I even put it in BOLDFACE!  Seriously, this is important to completing our final project- creating an infographic about a news event and comparing it to our novels.  History repeats, right?

WIN: This week in WIN, Mrs. Bonwell has a special treat in store for us...

Social Studies: Students are researching a topic for a Time magazine article dealing with the Civil War.  Students also took a test over Chapter 3 last week- look for the results soon.

Science: Students are continuing their work in potential and kinetic energy.

Writing: We hit our blogging goal, and are now looking to connect our blogs with other classrooms in the district.  We are working very hard on creating a common core worthy narrative to share on our blogs.

Have a great week, and thanks for your support- 

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary

TWIS 12/9-12/13

Parents,

   Today brings another reminder to have your students bring warm snow clothes, gloves and hats everyday.  Also, check the lost and found in the lobby by the gym for lost or misplaced items.  We have an exciting week this week!  Here's This Week in Switzer:

Literature- We are reading our Narrative Non-fiction books in Literature circles the next two weeks- expect your student to have a reading assignment every night.  Please ask them about their books and what they are reading- we were fortunate enough to be able to purchase brand-new books for this unit.  Books include Lincoln's Last Days by Bill O'Reilly, The Notorious Benedict Arnold and Bomb: the race to build and steal the world's most powerful weapon by Steve Sheinkin, Anne Frank: A Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank, Titanic: Voices of a Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson, and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen.  Our ultimate goal is to take the lessons and themes from these novels and apply them to a current situation.  We will want to raise awareness and promote action by creating infographics using Canva.com.  We will finish novels before the holiday break.

DEAR- Students should continue to read their independent reading books.  I am encouraging them to think about their book projects and get something completed soon.

WIN- Mr. Switzer's WIN group is focused on practicing for the Math Bee in March.  

Math- This week, Mr. Switzer's math class is participating in the National Hour of Code sponsored by EdWeek and Code.org.  Here's a great video talking about why we are participating.  We have parent volunteers, UNI Computer Science professors and Student volunteers, and volunteers from Far Reach Incorporated coming in and working with your student to teach them code.  Ideally, I'd like every student to create something- a webpage, a javascript code, an iPad app- by the end of the week that they can demonstrate for the class.  Students will also be partnered with 4th grade students in Mr. Sprau's class.  We'll continue to look at coding throughout the year.

Social Studies- Students will begin a mini-research project over a topic from the Civil War to create a Time Magazine-like article.  Ask you student this week about their topic.

Science- Students will have a quiz this week- more information to come.

Writing- We are slowly working towards a completed Narrative using descriptive language, internal monologue, paragraphs, transitional phrases, and narrative elements.  This week we'll add a little more to our stories by looking at elaborating our stories through character development and pacing.  Look for those stories to develop on our blogs!

The good news- our chromebooks arrived last Friday!  What this means is:

-Mrs. Bonwell and myself have a classroom set of 27 chromebooks to share between us.

-Unlike at the high school, students WILL NOT be allowed to take the Chromebooks home

-We WILL BE allowed to learn and create using technology in new and previously incomprehensible ways!

Have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher

Math by Sabrina 12/3/13

Math,

In math we are learning how to "Multiply a Fraction and a Whole Number". Yesterday we had an assignment it was 12 Problems that we had to answer and today we are going to correct them! Today in Math class we are going to learn Estimating Products.

Social Studies. By Sabrina

Social Studies,

In social studies we are on lesson 3 and Learning about Abe Lincoln, and how he was assassinated. The chapter that we are working on is called "Reconstruction". We all have blue booklets that we fill out every time we go to social studies, at the end of the chapter we can use our Blue booklet to studie. And then we take a test over the chapter! 

Science Spelling By kyandra

Spelling

   In spelling are 8points are due tomorrow 12/4/13

Science

      This Week in Science we have new groups! We are learning about Energy, Power, and work. 

Social Studies and Spelling 12/2/13 By Kyandra

 Social Studies
  In Social Studies last week, We finished Watching Brother Future It was a  really good movie! The whole class enjoyed It! We finished Some of the pages in are Blue book. She says we are flying right by in it! Yes, we got new Social Studies Pamphlets for are new chapters. Social Studies Pamphlets are where we right down all the Important things about these next chapters, then we do a Test.

 Spelling
  In Spelling This week We have new Spelling books. We have to do 8pts every week, due Wednesday, Then we have a Test. We have different 8points options in are spelling book now. So make sure you read them!  If you do not finish them you have to stay in for recess. That's why we have to take them home every Monday.

Science,

In science we are getting new groups, we are starting unit 2. We took five quizzes, and a big test last week over everything that we learned so far in the year!

TWIS 11/25-11/27

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

  Here's what I am thankful for:

-Thanks for sending your student to me everyday.  I have so much fun with them both academically and as 11 and 12 year old kids.

-Thanks for being the kind of parents that challenge your student to be their best and to be a leader wherever they are.

-Thanks for your encouragement as we try new things in 6th grade and stretch our thinking beyond our walls.

-Thanks for your patience and support as Lincoln has numerous learning opportunities for students of all ages, from 5 to 25 (UNI pre-service teachers).

-Thanks for taking some time this week to be thankful.

Here's This Week in Switzer-

Literature- We're wrapping up our Narrative Elements mini-story and iMovie trailers.  I'll give you an opportunity to download these videos in the next week or so- they are GREAT for those slow days over winter break AND those Graduation Open Houses (years down the road).  Your student will have a test over Narrative Elements on Wednesday (make sure they know the elements and can explain them!).

DEAR- Most students have completed their 15 second book review of a free-read book of their choice.  They will need to document their understanding of three more books they have read over the course of this trimester.  If you are wondering if your student has posted their 15 second book review, please CLICK HERE and look for their video.

WIN- Mr. Switzer's WIN class is presenting on Math concepts they researched through the MATH section of Lincoln6.com.  I registered for the Math Bee this year- so be ready for some math competition coming in March!

Math- We are working through Topic 7 on adding and subtracting fractions with like and unlike denominators- your student should have homework EVERY NIGHT.

Social Studies- Students began work on Chapter 3 of the Social Studies book dealing with the start of the Civil War.  In Literature, many students will also be reading about President Lincoln and Civil Rights issues in American History.

Science- Students have a quiz over fluids and pressure on Tuesday; please reference the email from Mrs. Heine I sent earlier last week.  It has a study guide attached to it for you to use with your student at home.

Writing- Students are learning how to become much more descriptive writers by using the senses and similes to become much more expressive.  We'll continue to post to KidBlog- feel free to login and comment (sign your comments, please)!

Have a fantastic week, and PLEASE send your child to school with WARM CLOTHES- or let me know if there's a way I can help you in this.  Thanks!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary

Brother Future

In Social Studies we are watching a movie called "brother future. Its about This Boy and he becomes a slave. He needs to find a way out. He helps one person that he became friends with and he teaches him how to read and write, because he wanted to write this girl that he likes a rap/poem,the person he was teaching to read and write stole their masters book. their master whacked him. Luckily he was still alive. a couple of his friends gave him this medicine that healed him.

TWIS 11/18-11/22

Parents,

  I just want to thank you again for allowing your student to come and participate in student-led conferences.  I can give you plenty of information about your student, but nothing as rich and honest as the information your student can give you about their learning.  Please continue the conversations at home that your student began with you during conferences.

   Speaking of conferences, I plan to send you a quick 4-5 question feedback form to gauge your thoughts on student-led conferences.  The 6th grade team at Lincoln will use this information to help the entire school decide the validity of having student-led conferences.

  Here's This Week in Switzer:

 

Literature- We have been working diligently on Narrative Elements and Theme, and began collaboratively writing the "bones" of a story.  Our ultimate goal is to demonstrate our understanding of Narrative elements by creating an iMovie trailer of our collaborative stories.  Look for these to be posted to my youtube channel in the next few weeks.  This will be a great video to show the relatives over the winter break ;-)

DEAR- Students finished a 15 second book review using Educreations over a book they read recently.  This Trimester, your student will be required to demonstrate understanding of 3 of their DEAR books in similar ways.  I'll post those projects to our classroom blog soon.

WIN- We worked on Tessellations last week just to take a break from the regular stuff and have fun with geometry.  We'll get back on track this week.

Math- Lots and lots of fraction work is coming in these next two topics- get ready!

Social Studies- Students will begin Chapter 3 over the logistics of the Civil War after they are done with the movie, "Brother Future."  Make sure to ask your student about this film!

Science- I am duly impressed by our students and their work with physics- motion, inertia, acceleration, and gravity are all difficult concepts.

Writing- Writing will get back on track this week by looking at how to make our writing much more descriptive with sensory words.  Every student is required to add a blog post at least once a week along with five or more 5 point comments.  I ALWAYS give students time to complete this on Fridays (we call them "Fix-it Fridays")

Have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary

TWIS 11/4-11/8

Parents,

  We have another full week until Student-led conferences!  Just a reminder to use this website (CLICK HERE) to register for a conference time.  Please use the password: lincoln2013.  

  Here's why the 6th grade is doing Student-led conferences:

1- As leaders, we feel it is important for your student to take ownership of their learning, and

2- the conference format allows an open dialogue between everyone involved in your student's experience.  Thanks for your support in this process. 

Another reminder- There will be a Social Studies Chapter 2 test this Friday.  Make sure your student reviews their book every night.  Here's This Week in Switzer-

Literature- We will begin looking at how stories are built using conflicts, resolutions, climaxes, and falling action.  We are also working with themes in literature.

DEAR- Students were challenged to create a book project where they did a book review over their free read books.  The review was recorded using the Educreation app, given a QR Code, and hung in the group room.  Now, any students can use iPads to watch video reviews of books your student had read.  A great way to generate excitement for reading!

WIN- Switzer's WIN class will be presenting on a web/ math technology that they have been working with.

Math- We are working our way into Topic 6 over fractions and ratios.

Social Studies- review this week for the Chapter 2 test on Friday.

Science- Students took a quiz last week over forces in motion, and will continue working with forces this week.

Writing- We are working on our data notebooks/ portfolios and getting ready for student-led conferences.  As always, students are expected to add one new blog post every week and make 5 comments on other blogs.  I am very proud of our efforts and thinking here!

Have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary

TWIS 10/21-10/25

Parents,

  We had a very exciting week last week with two major learning highlights: 

-This week, I had a Level 3 student teacher from Port Elizabeth in South Africa visit and teach some lessons in Math and Reading.  Mr. Hammond told us all about life in South Africa (including some great stories about monkeys on his university campus) and helped set the record straight on some stereotypes Americans have of South Africans (no, South Africans DO NOT have pet lions or ride on elephants, etc.).  We plan to stay connected with Mr. Hammond via skype after he returns home and begins his teaching career.

-I challenged my students with "Genius Hour," an hour of class time where they could research something they wanted to learn about and present on it.  This will lead to a "20% time" in our class where students can earn time to continue working on Genius Hour projects.  I offer this to students to drive motivation and unlock their passion for learning.  Here is a link to an article that talks about the benefits of Genius Hour and 20% time in learning and business (FYI- the idea originated at Google!).  I'll include some other links below of photos and presentations that students created.

Here's This Week in Switzer:

Literature- We're wrapping up our focus on Genre and will take a CFA this week over types of Genre.  We are also continuing with our novel learning by reading different genres in small groups.  Your student will have a reading assignment EVERY NIGHT.

DEAR- I am unleashing the Masters of the Vocabuverse game this week- students will be challenged to learn vocabulary at their own pace and earn badges and experience points towards becoming the Vocab Master of the 6th grade.  Vocabulary will focus on Greek and Latin root words.  We will also see how students can find the difficulty level of the books they are reading and how to pick books that will challenge their reading and thinking.

WIN- Mr. Switzer's extension group in WIN will continue working through Crunchzilla, an elementary based computer programming curriculum online (JAVA programming language).

Math- We took the benchmark test last week, and I am happy to report that a vast majority of Mr. Switzer's math students Met Standards!  We will continue to challenge students by moving into the next set of topics dealing with factors and divisibility.

Social Studies- Students are looking at the events that led to the Civil War in Chapter 2 of the Social Studies book.  Please ask your student about their score on the Chapter 1 test.

Science- Forces and Motion are the focus for Science this week- students also took a quiz last week.

Writing- All students passed my CFA for writing blog posts, commenting, and creating a paper blog, so... we all signed up for our KidBlog accounts!  Blogging gives students a great opportunity to publish their writing, evaluate thoughts, participate in the writing process, and challenge each other to become better writers and thinkers.  Every week (due FRIDAYS by MIDNIGHT) students will be required to add 1 or more new blog post AND 5 or more 5 point comments (on 5 different blogs).  I will give every student an opportunity to do this EVERY FRIDAY IN CLASS, but they may also work on this at home.

One last reminder- 6th graders will not participate or "dress up" for Halloween here at school.  These parents have volunteered for snacks and supplies for our Harvest Party on October 31st- 

Treats (24 students)- Mrs. Mudd

Juice Boxes- Mrs. White

Paper products- Mrs. Werner

Our Genius Hour Projects-

Cade, Michael, and Joey's Baseball Blog- CLICK HERE

Jackson's Stop Motion Films- CLICK HERE

Grace, Callie, and Alex's Cake Blobs- ​​CLICK HERE

Lucas and Collin's basketball game-

Haley's Marble game- CLICK HERE

Gil's Finger Football League- CLICK HERE

Kate's Cooking Show- CLICK HERE

Jeidan's Tank-

Lauren, Alex, and Erin's 3 tiered cake-

Abby and Grace's Cupcake Pencil-

Ashley's cookie bake- CLICK HERE

Elizabeth's original violin recording- CLICK HERE

Sabrina's Robot- CLICK HERE

Kyandra's Lip Sync video-

Jack's Minecraft Creation-

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher

TWIS 10/7-10/11

Parents,

   The leaves are beginning to turn, the weather has cooled, and it is getting darker, sooner- that could only mean one thing!  We are ready for another fantastic week of school!  Here are some highlights for this week:

-Your student has been doing excellent for guest teachers in our building and we were able to earn ALL OF OUR LEADERSHIP LETTERS!  That means PARTY TIME soon!
-I sent home school pictures on Friday.  Retakes will be in a few weeks- look for an email from the office.

-Students took a quiz in Science last week and can tell you their scores.

-Tuesday is the final test for Shades of Gray- your student was assigned the end of the book over the weekend.

-Thursday is the Chapter 1 Social Studies test over the geography of the United States.  Students will also bring home their clay maps this week.

- A few reminders: Check our classroom blog (CLICK HERE) to see projects we have been working on (including our Words of Stone Padlets) and our daily schedule.  We will begin our student blogs this week- if you'd like to be a part of this process, I'll send you a username and password to use with KidBlog.org (this is the blog system we use).  We'd LOVE to have you read and comment on our work!

Here's This Week in Switzer:

Literature- Our final Literature Circle discussion is on Monday, and we'll review for the final test.  I am really impressed with our group talks and the leadership roles students have taken during the literature circle process.  PLEASE ask your student about Will (or Will-yum) Page and why the book is titled Shades of Gray (hint: it's NOT just because the Confederate Army wore gray uniforms).

DEAR- We are working on Summarizing for a few students, and then moving into defining Genre.  I still want you to encourage your student to read 20+ minutes per night!  Reading IS thinking- if you don't read, you're asking someone else to do your thinking for you...

WIN- We have a skill test (CFA in teacher/ student lingo) every Tuesday.  We'll also take the benchmark test next week to see what skills have been retained since the beginning of school.

Math- We began Topic 4 last week over equations and solving for variables.  There are some great resources on the web to provide support for your student in these areas, including IXL.com (CLICK HERE)and Khan Academy (CLICK HERE)  The Khan Academy is a sign up service, so read the EULA carefully before deciding to enroll.  Signing up is NOT required for any student in Cedar Falls; I am merely relaying a quality resource if your student is struggling.

Social Studies-  Study, study, study for the Chapter 1 test on Thursday!

Science- Students are working with force, velocity, position, and other pre-physics comcepts.

Writing- We wrote a pre-assessment for narratives last week, and began looking at the blogging process.  We'll continue the conversation this week by working on commenting and evaluating blogs from around the world.  Finally, we'll get signed up for our Kidblog accounts!  VERY exciting and powerful learning here.

I just want to take a second to let you know that I am having a fantastic time hanging out with your student in class.  Thanks for sending your best to me EVERY DAY!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary

TWIS 9/30-10/4

Parents,

   We have another busy, bright week ahead!  Some notables you can (should) ask your student about: 

   1) Finishing up Shades of Gray- our UNI pre-service teachers are planning to finish the book by Friday, including all our literature circle work.  I am continuing to be impressed by our students' hard work and development through the book.  We are having great conversations in our groups- I sat in on one group that wanted to find a historical map of the Shenandoah Valley during Civil War times using Google Advanced Search- and they did it!  Another group had a conversation about how to deal with bullies, and evaluated Will's (main character in the book) approach to the bullies he faces.  Finally, I had a group look up "conscription teams" and talk about how those teams operated in Civil War times in the South.  What powerful learning!

   2) We begin thinking about blogging and commenting in the next two weeks.  I want our students to be as safe as possible while online, so I will send home a letter about how we approach blogging and internet safety soon.  Blogging is a great way to enhance our learning by creating, evaluating, and analyzing other's thoughts and claims.

Here's This Week in Switzer:

Literature: Wrapping up Shades of Gray this week will be our major focus- students have homework every night this week on Google Docs over the book.  Thanks for allowing your student time on the computer at home to complete this.

DEAR- We are taking a mini-test over summarizing after practicing for the past two weeks.  We'll log this test in our Data Notebooks and continue to practice.

WIN- A vast majority of our students have passed all of their CFA's (Common Formative Assessments- teacher term for the mini-tests that we use to determine when students have Met Standard, Progressing toward Standard, or have Limited Progress.  You'll remember these terms from our report cards CLICK HERE).

Math- We are continuing through decimal division and multiplication in Topic 3.  We'll have a CFA (see above) every Tuesday to see who is getting it and who needs a little more support.

Social Studies- Students are finishing up Chapter 1 on US geography and beginning to talk about causes of the Civil War.  Look for a painted clay map of the US to come home soon!

Science- Students have a test on Thursday over terms and concepts in location, force, movement.  Encourage your student to study for this test Thursday.

Writing- Our focus will be narratives and how to write a great story.  We'll also set up our blogs and begin the blogging routine.  I have a few classrooms around the US lined up to start blogging with.

Data Notebooks- As part of our Leader in Me program, students will be keeping their work in a data notebook, setting goals, and reflecting on their progress.  This tool will be extremely helpful during Student-Led Conferences in November.

Have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher

The book Signal

This book "Signal" was mostly rated  * * ** * (5)- * * * * (4) stars because of how Kam and Owen really related to each other. How the author made us think that Kam was a alien. There were a bunch of characters in this story, but the most main characters were, Owen; Owen is new to this area, he is shy, and doesn't have any friends except for Josie and Kam. Kampion; Kam is a "alien", who is alone and needs as much help as she can get. Mr. Powers; He is a suspicious cashier that suspects Owen on his journey. The probably most biggest big idea is to never run away, be brave. Or it could be Life has it's hard times you can't skip them or go around them, you have to work your way though them. The most important conflicts in this book were with Owen's dad and Owen, Would Owen go with Kam on the spaceship, And when Kam wasn't a alien. The symbols of the book Signal were the crop circle, Tootsie Rolls, and the old barn house. 

TWIS 9/9-9/12

Parents,

   The forecast is calling for another hot week this week- thankfully we are air conditioned at Lincoln.  Just a reminder that your student may bring a water bottle to school to keep hydrated.  Some quick notes- school is not in session on Friday for students, we have a spelling test (and 8 pt assignment due) on Wednesday, and I will continue to take classroom Twitter forms if you have yet to turn one in.  Also, this week your student applied for a "job" in our classroom- these jobs were developed by the students to help our classroom (and the whole building) running smoothly.  Classroom jobs include a Tweeter, class blogger, Lincoln Facebook Page Updater, Tech Help, Librarian, Lunch count, etc.  As we go throughout the trimester, we'll evaluate the jobs and our performance in them, then re-apply for new jobs.  Students are very excited, and I am glad to offer them one more learning lesson that has incredible applications in the real world.  And now, This Week in Switzer:

Reading/DEAR- I tested students last week to get an idea of where they are at as readers; this week, we'll be forming small groups to work on specific skills in the Iowa Core.  The first skill we'll tackle is Summarizing for fiction and non-fiction texts.  We are also continuing to read through Words of Stone and our comprehension packets.  In the about 3 weeks, my pre-service UNI teachers will begin teaching a novel to our students.  Please continue to encourage your student to read every evening!

Math- We are working through Topic 2 in our textbook dealing mostly with Number Sense, Order of Operations, and Working with Variables.

Social Studies- Students are studying the present day geography of the United States, and how our history has helped to shape the borders.  Your student will also make a clay model of the U.S.! 

Science- Students are beginning to work with a brand new curriculum dealing with physical science.

Writing- We talked about ancient Greek farmers, how to write concisely using a prompt and 50 to 100 words, and now we're going to tackle Paper Blogging and iPad tips and shortcuts.  I will also work with Mrs. Nelson (Media Center Teacher/ Librarian) on teaching your student to be a safe digital citizen.

Keep your eye on the weather and have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary

TWIS 9/3-9/6

Parents,

   What a great afternoon on this beautiful Labor Day!  I pulled myself away from the outside to send you This Week in Switzer- so here goes!

Literature- Students are reading through the novel Words of Stone and have a chapter to read every night, along with some comprehension questions.  We discuss the questions the next day, then continue through the book.  Make sure to ask them about their work!

DEAR- I do expect students to read a free-read book of their choice for at least 20 minutes a night.  If you haven't added this practice to your student's nightly routine, please consider it for their benefit.  I do not make this a graded practice, but a celebrated one.  I will begin meeting with student groups in the next two weeks to talk about their books and how they can get the most from them.

Math- We finished up Topic 1 (which covers 2 skills from the Math Iowa Core) and will test over those skills on Tuesday.  We will also begin Topic 2 this week, along with W.I.N. (What I Need) time to brush up on specific skills for each student (this was formerly named "Math Intervention," but apparently there is a negative connotation with the word intervention that we want to avoid).

Writing- We'll take the iPad quiz this week, begin building our blogs, look at how to be safe on the internet, and write everyday!  Exciting week!

Social Studies- Students will begin looking at the time leading up to the Civil War.  Social Studies involves plenty of homework and chapter tests, so encourage your student to study and bring their book home often.

Science- Mrs. Heine is excited to begin a new curriculum in science- I'll be honest, I don't know much about it, but Mrs. Heine has been working tirelessly with other 6th grade teachers in the district to provide a rich experience for our students.

Updates- The 6th grade has a Twitter account where we post information, photos, and news from around the school.  We had a challenge to see which 6th grade class could bring back the most Twitter challenge slips- congrats to Mr. Switzer's class for doing so!  I've got ice pops for recess for my class tomorrow.  If you are interested in following us, find @lincoln6dotcom and request to follow.

-In about a week, I'll have two pre-service teachers from UNI coming in to regularly work with our students in the morning.  This will be a great learning experience for the UNI teachers and your student!

-I hope you have a great week!  I better get back to the grill...

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher

TWIS 8/26-8/30

Parents,

   Wow!  It might be a hot one out there these next two days- so make sure your student knows what to do in case of an early-out.  While Lincoln is air conditioned, schools like North Cedar and CF high school are not... best to be prepared by talking about those after school plans.

  I sent home a Twitter Challenge sheet- make sure that gets back by Wednesday!  The classroom that returns the most Twitter slips wins an ice-cream recess!  You DO NOT need to sign up for Twitter- just return the slip!  Of course, if you do sign up for Twitter, and follow our class, then you will get to see those great pictures and updates we send out multiple times a day.  This is a great chance to see our students in action and start conversations about their school day.  Thanks to those who already sent in slips!

  Friday morning we are having our band recruitment concert in the Lincoln gym.  If your student is in band, make sure they bring their instrument and are ready to play!

  Special Thanks to all the parents that helped us with the Salsa mix-a-thon last Friday!  It was a total success and so much fun to reap the rewards of our garden!  

Here's This Week in Switzer:

Reading: Students will begin working on three things in reading- we are beginning the class novel Words of Stone by Kevin Henkes.  We are also logging and journaling our DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) books.  Finally, we'll be looking at summarizing and how this skill can aid in comprehension.  Please encourage your student to read at least 20 minutes every night.

Leader in Me- We looked at all 7 habits last week, and now will explore those a little more each week.  We also want to take leadership roles in our classroom and school.

Math: Students began going to their math classes last week and are working on their first skill dealing with Number Theory, decimals, exponents, and variables (6.1EE and 6.3NS in the Iowa Core).  Expect your student to have homework most nights in math.

Spelling: We'll begin spelling this week- typically this is done on Wednesdays with tests and new lists.  Students will also have homework for spelling each week.

Social Studies- Students are working with their daily Geography packets.

Science- Students will begin their first unit soon.

Writing- We're talking Aristotle's Ring of Gyges this week and how it applies to our attitudes and classroom.  We'll also begin working with iPads, Google Drive, and KidBlog very soon.  I want them to write everyday!

Have a great week!

TWIS 8/19-8/23

Parents,

     Welcome the the Inaugural edition of This Week in Switzer (TWIS)!  After a spectacular first three days of school, I can honestly say that I am impressed, excited, encouraged, and enlightened by your student- I know I'll have a fantastic time getting to know your student this year and helping them grow.

     For those of you new to TWIS, it is my weekly Sunday newsletter to let you know what is coming up this week in class and in the building.  Feel free to reply to this email if you have any questions or concerns.  All TWIS newsletters will be posted to our classroom blog (CLICK HERE) for easy reference.  Our classroom blog is run entirely by your students throughout the year.  So, without further ado, here is This Week in Switzer:

Reading: One of the things I try to impress on our students is that when you read, you think.  Conversely, if you choose not to read, then you are asking someone else to do your thinking for you... that's never a good thing.  This week, we'll look at how great readers think about books, choose books, and reflect on what they read.  We'll also begin to read a class novel together.

D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read): DEAR time is a time for students to just get into a book of their choice and read.  I'll also meet with small groups of students during this time to work on reading skills.

Math: Last week we took a Benchmark Placement Test for the first 4 topics in math.  This week we will find out which math group we are attending to begin working through these skills.  Every week students will take a short quiz (called a CFA- Common Formative Assessment) to make sure your student has retained the skill.  Based on those results, we'll find a just right small group for your student to work in (called W.I.N.- What I Need).  Some groups will work on review, others on a similar skill, and others on a math related extension skill project.  

Social Studies/ Science/ Writing: To give your student a better feel for Junior High, we rotate through these three classes daily.  Students will have Mrs. Bonwell for Social Studies, Mrs. Heine for Science, and Mr. Switzer for Writing.  I will say that writing is a global, connected activity practice in my classroom; I fully intend to give your student a "real-world" audience for which to develop their writing through the use of Kidblog.org and other resources.  Rest assured, I take your student's cyber safety VERY seriously and vow to educate and inform your student when it comes to the internet.

Leader in Me: This year, students will be exploring the Leader in Me curriculum that has slowly made its way around Cedar Falls schools.  As part of this, your student will create a Data Notebook (for housing CFA's) and a portfolio (for reflection).  We are also working on possible mentors from the community, and the possibility of an "exit interview" with their mentor at the end of the year.  We have a long year ahead to work on this, so I'll be putting it on the back burner for a while.

Two last things before we're done- All students in Mr. Switzer's class are required to lead their own conference at conference time- I just wanted to put that in front of you.  Also, I am sending home a Twitter challenge form with your student next week- don't worry, I'm not asking you or your student to sign up for Twitter- I am merely using Twitter as a way to send instant updates/ photos/ news/ learnings during the course of the day.  You'll find out more soon. 

Thanks and have a fantastic week!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher

Back Pack Night!

Welcome to Mr. Switzer's Classroom Blog... the place where you'll find information, class news, important dates, homework, and more!  Please visit often by going to www.lincoln6.com.  Enjoy!

TWIS 5/20-5/24

Parents,

  As we wrap up the school year, I just want to say, "Thanks!" for all your wonderful support.  I've had a blast with your student this year and I hope they've grown as much as I have- both as a student and as a person.  Thanks for all your support at home.  Some reminders-

Interviews wrap up this week- what a fantastic experience!  Every interviewer I brought in this week noted what well-adjusted, well-rounded students you have.  They were especially impressed with your student's demeanor, manners, and the fact that your student could shake hands, look them in the eye, and hold an intelligent, meaningful conversation.  What success! and what a valuable experience for the future.  Just a reminder that you can view photos and read comments from our interviews via Twitter by following our account: @lincoln6dotcom.  Here are some of the interviewers I had this year:

Ben Jacobson, head Men's Basketball Coach, UNI

Bobbi Petersen, Head Women's Volleyball Coach, UNI

Mayor Jon Crews

Blackhawk Sheriff Tony Thompson

Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement Special Agent Jake Austin

Dr. Stacy Von Gorp, McElroy Trust

Brad Leeper, Architect, Invision

Melissa Reade, Cedar Valley Alliance

Frank Darrah, Cedar Falls City Councilman

Bill Boevers and Dave Welter, Holmes Junior High School Administrators

Deon Senchina and Jenny Leeper, CF School Board

Dr. Richard Nemmers, Dentist

Pam Zeigler and Christine Mangrich, CF Elementary Directors

Engineers Doug Schindel (AECOM) and Nick Heine (John Deere)

Sara Fitzgerald, Graphic Artist and Design, Prairie Lakes Church

John Fuller, Gabe Berger, Shelly Wood, Chris Rygh, Joan Trebon and Ben Patterson from local churches

Dr. Kendra Williams-Perez, Allen College of Nursing

Zach Danielsen, Shirley Greer, Rae Dixon, and Katie Mracek from Kaplan University

Taylor Morris from Washington, D.C. via Skype

Dr. Kelly Sampson, Veterinarian

and others!  Wow, that's quite a list- special thanks to those volunteers and parents that helped to make this happen.

Here's this week in Switzer:

Literature: We are doing Literature circles everyday- your student WILL HAVE HOMEWORK every night concerning their duties in the literature circle.  Please ask them  about this homework and their book they are reading.

Writing: Finishing interviews; portfolios are to go home (parent note: Keep these for those Open Houses in about 6 years!!!), The Great Blogging Challenge is underway!

Math: We're working through geometry to wrap up the year!

Social Studies: World War II is the topic of chapter 10

Science: Landforms and experiments

Family Living: We're talking genetics and inherited traits (dominant/ recessive)- expect some questions at home about hair color, eye color, etc.

FRIDAY is our trip to Hartman Reserve. We leave at 9:15 am and will be there all day (weather permitting).  If you are interested in going with us, let me know ASAP!!!! Also, I am looking for a few parents to bring some treats.  Look for a letter detailing the trip soon.

Incredible Kid Letters need to be turned into me by Wednesday- your kid is worth it!

Pizza Party on Tuesday! Because our class was able to meet the DEAR Challenge.

Yearbook Money is due Tuesday!

Wednesday is a noon dismissal day for Report Writing.

Our Virtual Wax Museum can be found on the Classroom Blog (CLICK HERE)

Reminder that my weekly emails are also posted to the Classroom Blog (CLICK HERE).  Have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary

TWIS 5/13-5/17

Parents-

  Happy Exit Interview Week!  Your student will be interviewed this week by a member of the community over the contents of their portfolios- which means all portfolios need to be completed by the time of your student's interview- check Lincoln6.com under the yellow "Portfolios" tab to find out what needs to be done.  Interviewers include:

-Dr. Nielsen, professor of Education at UNI

-Bobbi Petersen- Head Volleyball Coach at UNI

-Ben Jacobson- Head Men's Basketball Coach at UNI

-Blackhawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson

-Pam Zeigler, Director of Elementary Education at CF schools

-Deon Senchina, President of the CF School Board

-Tara Thomas, KWWL News Anchor

-and others!

Your student will be interviewed by a single member of the community in the 5/6 group room, then given a rubric score which lets the student know how they would do in a job interview type setting.  Yes, there is a "Professional Appearance" score, BUT do not feel obligated to go out and buy your student new clothes!  Your student will do fine in anything that is a little more dressy than t-shirt and shorts.  And yes, your student may bring the clothes to school and change into them later.  I know they want to do their best!  Follow our Twitter page @lincoln6dotcom to get photos and updates over the course of the week.

ALSO- still interested in helping out for the Hartman Reserve Field Trip May 24th?  Let me know!

Here's This Week in Switzer:

Literature:  We're trying to squeeze in another novel before the end of the year- lots of reading and your student WILL have reading homework every night.

Math: We're finishing up the essential skills for trimester 3 and will be taking the end of the Trimester test soon.

DEAR: Well, the students met my challenge over the past 50 days and were able to log nearly 26,000 pages read as a class- I am especially proud of students like Nate V., Tyler F., Dalilah G-R., Lexie Z., Justin C., Ellie S., Jared M., Naudi H., and Westin H. for putting in the time and effort to read way over 1,000 pages each.  Special congrats to Nate who read, get ready now, over 3,800 pages!  Wow!  So now I owe them a pizza party.  We'll get it figured out on a day that makes sense and let you know the details.  Great job everyone!
Social Studies- Students have begun a new chapter- Chapter 10!

Science- Students are looking at Landforms and how nature forms the landscape.

Writing- Portfolios!  Need I say more?

Have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer
6th grade teacher
Lincoln Elementary
321 W. 8th St.

TWIS 5/6-5/10

Parents,

  Well, only a few more weekly classroom updates to go!  Here are the big things we're working on this week:

Twitter Challenge- @lincoln6dotcom is the twitter handle for live, real-time updates and photos for what is happening in our class.  I sent home a blue, Twitter challenge sheet on Friday with your student- make sure to ask them about it!

6th Grade Exit Interviews- Thanks to you, I've been able to wrangle about 30 guest interviewers from the community- everyone from law enforcement, legal professionals, medical professionals, authors, musicians, educators, government leaders, etc. are ready to interview your student beginning May 13th.  Remind your student to dress up for their interview!

Hartman Reserve May 24th- We are taking the 6th grade to an outdoor learning experience at the reserve on May 24th.  We need parents and family to volunteer to help Park Rangers show students how to Orienteer, fish, kayak, hike, and other outdoor activities.  We also are looking for people to donate snacks, juice boxes, cookies, hotdogs, time, etc. so we can have a grill-out lunch at the reserve for everyone!  Let me know ASAP if you can help!

Here's This Week in Switzer:

Literature- Students are wrapping up their literature circle books and are creating a Google Presentation called, "Fakebook."  It is pretty much exactly how it sounds- a simulate "Facebook" page altered to look like it was created by a character in their books.  Really cool stuff!  Let me be clear- this has nothing to do with Facebook whatsoever.  I am NOT having students go on Facebook for this assignment.

Math- Switzer math is working through Geometry with lines, parallels, transversals, angle measures, and will be moving to polygons soon.

Social Studies- Test on Monday!

Science- Students began looking at Landforms.

Writing- Portfolios, portfolios, portfolios!  Your student should have 6 artifacts with reflection tags completed this week.  They will practice interviewing each other for the big day.  Feel free to have Grandma, Grandpa, Uncles, Aunts, neighbors, whoever, interview your student this week to get them prepared for next week!  I am truly excited to show off your wonderful student to our community!

Again, don't forget to "follow" us on Twitter to get photos and updates on what is happening at school.  Thanks!

Spelling

Spelling!!! In spelling we take a test every Wednesday, and get new words that very day. We also do 10 points, buddy tests, put are words in ABC order (not apart of 10 points), and we either guess what are transfer words or find some of are spelling words in are dear book. The teachers put us in groups of spelling. You get assigned to a teacher and, the teachers are Mrs.Heine, Mrs. Bonwell, Mr.Switzer, and Mrs.North. So study your words so you can get 100%!!