Swimming starts Wednesday!

This Wednesday, Feb. 1, students in 3LN will be starting their next swimming unit.  

They should bring the following every single day starting Wednesday: 

• swim cap
• swimsuit (one piece)
• goggles
•  towel
• flip flops

Students may wear their bathing suits under their uniform only on Days 1 and 6. They should change into their bathing suits at school on Days 3 and 8. (This is due to hygienic and comfort reasons, since we have swimming towards the end of the day on Days 3 and 8.) 

If a student cannot participate for medical reasons, then he/she will need to bring in a doctor's note.

Students will be given one mulligan (free pass) if they forget their swim gear.  If they forget their swim gear twice in the ten day cycle, then they will go down one grade level. 

Thanks for your support! We look forward to a great time back in the water! 

Track and Field Day

Our ES Track and Field Day right around the corner and scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 31. This is a very enjoyable day for students and lasting memories are always made. Also, just by way of reminder, our class color is GREEN. Kindly ensure that you have a plain green T-shirt for your child to wear on Jan. 31. (If you recently ordered a DAA Track and Field Day short, they should be arriving in the next week...inshAllah.) 

I am looking for some volunteers to help with our girl team and boy team. Who's in?! 

What's involved? 

The volunteers will: 

• travel with each group, making sure students make it to each activity station 
• encourage all students to participate 
• facilitate bathroom breaks
• take part in the fun

If you would like to volunteer your time on Tuesday, Jan. 31 (from 8:00-12:30), please let me know. It's preferable to have two parents traveling with each group, so that you will have some adult company and another person with you, in case of an emergency. (If I have enough volunteers, I am able to go back and forth between the boy and girl team to take pictures and cheer with each team.)

Please email me if you are interested in helping, even if it's just for a couple of hours. 

Thanks so much in advance! It's always a really great day of sports! (If you're curious what the day entails, these pictures from our fun last year will help.) 

Introducing Seesaw

Dear Parents, 

We will start using a new digital tool called Seesaw to share what we're learning in class. I actually first introduced this app to my class last year (2015-16) and we all loved it so much that I decided to start using it again this year. Timing is everything, though, and I felt that waiting until after the fall (and busy holiday season!) was the best time to integrate this great digital tool.  

So, how does it work?? 

Your child will have his or her own "learning journal," and you can receive notifications when your child adds new items. It's completely private -- only you can see your child's journal outside of class. 

Click here to sign up -- it takes just 30 seconds. Once you sign up, you can download the FREE Seesaw Parent app for iPhone or Android, or access your child's journal on the web. (This is just an invitation and certainly not required. Even without your involvement, your child will still be able to create digital journal entries in school that we'll use to enhance learning.)  

Also, if your child has a device, could you please download the seesaw app sometime during the next few days? We will be using it in class on Sunday, January 21st. (There's no need to download a QR code reader, because this is already built into the Seesaw app.) As an FYI, there are actually two Seesaw apps. One is intended for the student and one is for parents. (It's set up for you to view your child's work, whereas the student app is for the creation of projects.)  

If you'd prefer your child not bring a device to school on Sunday, that's no problem. Once MAP Testing is finished, our class set of iPads will be available and I will be able to provide home for him/her. 

We're looking forward to further integrating technology into our lessons. Please be on the lookout for the individualized printed instructions that I send home on today (Monday).

And, thanks so much for your fantastic support. Together is better! :) 

P.S. If you have more than one child using Seesaw, or have used Seesaw before, sign in and click on your profile icon > + Add Child to add this year's journal.

From the library...

This cycle during library classes students have begun using a new website called Biblionasium to log books they have read and want to read, and to give and get recommendations about books. ES teachers (and the librarian!) can set fun reading challenges for students to meet.

To access Biblionasium from home, you can go to www.bibilonasium.com and choose “Log in with Destiny.” Students enter their library catalog usernames and passwords. For most students, it is first letter of first name and lastname (mine is smollenkramer). The password is daa12345.  Some students have different usernames, which they will know themselves.

Hopefully this safe, social community will inspire our students to get even more excited about their reading!

Pictures

As promised, I uploaded some recent pictures of our fun. You'll find them on the photo page or by simply by clicking here. Also, here are just a few photos of my time at home in the US and of our cruise. Enjoy! 

Our view at the lovely Miami Beach Hilton. Meanwhile in Pittsburgh, my brother Peter was supposed to graduate with his MBA (second masters!), but he and Melissa were snowed in due to all the ice on the road, so he will "walk" for graduation in the spring with a few of his other classmates.

Scuba diving in Grand Cayman 

Oakley, our yellow Lab (age 6), Keebler, our Golden Retriever (age 4), and Max, our Cocker Spaniel/Lab mix (age 17)

Our home at Christmas is just so cozy. We had a fire in the fireplace, too, but it was on my last day at home when the weather finally cooled down to 57*F. 

Finding a starfish on Starfish Island (Belize) seemed fitting. 

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is making Grandma's recipe for peanut butter bon bons. Yum! 

Ready to have some fun in Cozumel, Mexico! 

MAP Testing

The winter session of MAP testing for students in grades 3-5 will begin next week.

 

Students take the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) tests in the areas of Math, Reading and Language Usage. These tests are used to determine individual instructional levels and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year. The tests are completely computerized.

MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for each child¹s level of learning.  As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing.  

Here is the schedule for our class: 

• Wednesday, Jan. 11 from 10:55-12:05 ~ Language Usage
• Sunday, Jan. 15 from 10:55-12:05 ~ Reading 
• Thursday, Jan. 19 from 10:55-12:05 ~ Math 

For more information, please click HERE for a MAP parent guide.

Welcome 2017!

A very warm "Happy New Year" to you each! I hope you enjoyed a restful and refreshing time with your family and friends over the holidays. Based on what the children shared with me, it sounds like most everyone had a really great time and I'm so glad. 

My holiday was just wonderful, as I went home to Florida to visit my parents and sister, Julie. (Unfortunately, I didn't get to see my brother, Peter, and sister-in-law, Melissa, but we were able to Skype as a family on Christmas morning, at least.) 

After landing in Miami on Friday, Dec. 16, my family picked me up from the Miami Airport and then we checked into the lovely and retro Miami Beach Hilton. The next morning, we set off for a week-long cruise to the Western Caribbean and Central America, visiting Mexico, Honduras, Belize, and Grand Cayman. We had a fantastic time and our days were spent swimming, scuba diving, resting, reading, eating, sight-seeing, and so much more. I even got a haircut while at sea, which was a first. 

We returned home on Dec. 24 a little bit rounder, a little bit tanner (even with sunscreen), and a little bit concerned about who was going to be cooking our dinners now that we were on land again.  (It's all too easy to get spoiled on a cruise and come home completely lazy.)

It was nice to still have another week at home and I spent it seeing friends, walking the dogs (and burning up all of those extra cruise calories), going to the beach, more diving, and enjoying many long chats around the Christmas tree with our dogs surrounding us. It was all so lovely and I feel thankful that I was able to go home. As a bonus, on my return flight, I was upgraded to first class on Qatar Airways, so even though it was a quick 50-min. jaunt to Dubai from Doha, I was one happy camper. In fact, I think it was the first time I actually wanted to stay in the air longer! 

The children seemed to be very happy to return to school, though they seemed just about as tired as I was on Monday, our first day back. (Was it just me or did that alarm sound louder than usual?) It was a very calm, quiet, and easy-going day as we spent time sharing our happy news, holiday highlights, and getting back into the general swing of things. 

As the week is progressing, their energy seems to be return and things are getting back to normal in our classroom. I just posted the latest Assignment Sheet and News, so please avail yourself of that, so you are in loop of what your darling will be learning for the next two weeks. 

I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for the generous Christmas gift you gave me as a class. The Arabic tea set is just beautiful and will be a treasured and practical cultural memory for many years to come.  I will also greatly enjoy the large box of Patchi chocolates, although I may share some with my colleagues, so I don't end up carrying around the chocolate permanently. (I'm still working on individual thank you notes for those of you who shared personal gifts with me.) I feel so grateful for your kindness and generosity and I sincerely thank you each. You really blessed me and it feels good to be appreciated. 

Lastly, I wanted to add that I have some pictures to share from our December fun; however, I'll post those this weekend, as jet-lag has made my eyes so heavy. (I know many of you can relate.) 

I think that's it for now. Thanks for all of your wonderful support and I hope to see you soon. :) 

Looking forward to a fantastic 2017!