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

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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!