November 16, 2013

New York City Parent Meeting

For all parents whose children are attending our June trip to New York City...

Please join us for a NYC meeting on Tuesday, November 19th at 6:30 in the Swift House kiva. If you have not turned in your deposit, please let this email serve as a reminder to bring that deposit in with you or talk to Kevin or I regarding other payment arrangements. We will be discussing decisions that affect the planning and cost of the meeting, so your participation is important.

8th Grade Challenge Update

Students are moving steadily forward on their Eighth Grade Challenge Projects.  This week their focus questions were due, which asks them to think about the big ideas they really want to understand after studying their topic.  To see a complete list of due dates please visit our 8th Grade Challenge website and click on the 8th Grade Challenge handbook.  The due dates are at the end of the handbook.

Highlights so far include Jordan M contacting Madison Square Garden to arrange an interview while their in June!  These outreach skills are as important as the content that the students learn during this process!

Student Sharing

Sharing one's reasoning and thought process is an important element in the math classes in Williston.  Below is an example of a 5th grader sharing his thinking about multiplication.

Kam shares his multiplication model

Westward Expansion and Hunt Dollars!

The 5th and 6th grade students are studying  Westward Expansion. We are covering topics such as the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark expedition, and the War of 1812. During this unit, the students will also be partaking in our "Westward Expansion Game." Students work in small groups to buy and sell states that their groups own using our very own "Hunt Dollars," which can be earned or lost based on teamwork, behavior and work completion. Many groups have been taking advantage of their Hunt Dollars and have already begun expanding their territory!
 

New Literature Groups

Students should sign up for the new literature groups this weekend.  The link can be found here. This month's literature class will include historical fiction connected to learning happening in the students' social studies classes. The 5/6 time period under study is Westward Expansion. The 7/8 time periods under study are the Cold War, Korean War, Civil Rights Movement, and Vietnam War. The new unit will begin on Monday, November 18th and will take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until December 20th.

More Student Work...

Another example of work created on the iPads.  The 5th and 6th graders needed to define gas, liquid, solid, density and matter in a short presentation.  Adam Z. created the video below using an app called Telegami.