Front Row Math

Dear Parents,

We are using a computer program in the classroom called Front Row. With Front Row, your child will be able to practice math concepts at his or her own ability level. The program is designed to continually assess your child’s mathematical skills and present questions to reinforce secure skills and provide practice with developing skills.

You and your child can access the program in a couple ways:

1. Access the program online at https://www.frontrowed.com/ using Google
   Chrome as your browser, selecting “Student sign in” at the top of the page. 
2. If you have access to an iPad or other types of tablets, you may download the free app, which looks like this: 
   
   

Your child will login using their first and last name as well as our class code nossag. (This is an odd code (very similar to my last name), but it's what Front Row generated.

Once they have logged in, they may practice any of the domains. It is very important that this practice be done independently, without any help at home. If they are having difficulty with a concept, and the video tutorials on the site do not help, your child may either stop or go on to another domain. I want the information that I gather from Front Row to be a true picture of your child’s math skills.

I'm looking forward to having our class use Front Row for extra reinforcement, practice, and enrichment at home and anticipate the fantastic growth that they will make while practicing on the program. (There is also an ELA--English Language Arts--option in Front Row, which your child is also welcome to use!) Using Front Row is not a requirement, but simply a wonderful resource that I wanted to share with you.  

I want to sincerely thank you for supporting your child’s education at home. It make such a difference! 

Sincerely, 
Ms. Laura 

Thailand Recap and More

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your flexibility while I was in Thailand over the weekend, as well as Thursday and Sunday. Ms. Csilla said the class did very well in my absence, which makes me so happy because it means that the routines, procedures, and expectations we worked so hard to reinforce have taken root, for the most part. The first few weeks back to school are always so important, so I think we are past the learning curve hump. Yay!!

My conference in Thailand was excellent! I learned so much and feel excited to use my new knowledge in the classroom, as well as in my own personal life. If you're interested in knowing a bit more about the conference, please click here. And, if you want to learn more about growth mindsets, I'd encourage you to start researching for yourself. Soon, I will be creating a page on the blog, which will include some great resources and I'll add to it throughout the year. (This is my personal Pinterest board on the subject.) The research by Dr. Carol Dweck absolutely fascinating.

As we begin a new week, please avail yourself of our weekly assignment sheet and news, as well as the most recent issue of SPOTS, our school newsletter.  In the assignment sheet and news, I included some practical ways that you can help your child review for the Unit 1 math test, which is Wednesday, Sept. 28th. If your child paid attention in class, did the nightly homework, and learned from mistakes made along the way, the assessment is simply a good way to show the great learning that took place in this unit.

If, however, there were some areas that still needed some practice, please use the tips I mentioned in the assignment and news. As always, if there are ever any concepts that your child is struggling to grasp, please just write me a quick email or jot a note in the agenda and I'll be sure to connect with him/her on a one-on-one basis.

Thanks so much for your wonderful support.

Lastly,  here are a few pictures. It was my first trip to Thailand, so even though it was very brief, I truly loved just about every minute.

James Anderson is engaging, extremely knowledgeable, and the only certified growth mindset trainer in the world. He also happened to be pretty cute, single, and had a great Australian accent. :) 

The hours flew by, which is always the sign of a meaty and interesting conference. 

Coming back to my hotel room to find this just made me smile. :) 

And now, for a few sightseeing pictures...

I hired a tour guide named Mandy for my few free hours in Bangkok. It was well worth the money and I'd recommend her in a heartbeat. (Just let me know if you want her info.)

The Palace was incredibly detailed and beautiful. 

And, the flavorful, affordable Thai food was just to die for. Wow, oh, wow. 

Did you know that every Thai man will become a monk in his life? Yep. It could be for just one day, one week, one month, or as long as he likes. 

Temple of the Reclining Buddha

It was fun to see guards walk past at the palace. 

Chinese women selling Thai food made me laugh.  

A lovely water lily...or is it a lotus? I honestly can't tell the different, even after googling it. 

Staying here was a treat!! I loved the plush bathrobe, slippers, and all the fun toiletries. It was also centrally located, which made sightseeing in the evenings very easy. 

I hope you enjoyed these few pictures! The children loved hearing about my trip and made some really great connections to their own travel. We are so blessed to be able to get around the world so much and I always want to drive that point home, so none of us (including myself) don't take this privilege for granted. 🙏

Front Row and other Apps

Today, I sent home some personalized log-in information for a fantastic program called Front Row Math. I'm excited to try this as it's designed to help students practice Common Core aligned mathematical skills at their own level, which ensures that every student improves his/her math skills or is challenged in a greater way. The program quickly learns what your child needs and tailors the activities accordingly.

You can use the instructions and codes I sent home today to sign up for a parent account. There is also information at the bottom of the sheet to sign up your child.

It would help if you download this free app onto the device your child uses most often. Also, please send in this device to school on Wednesday as we'll get some practice using it. (If your child will not be bringing a device, we will provide one for him/her at school. No worries!) We will also be using devices next Sunday and Monday.

I want to recommend some other great apps, as well, but please remember that they are only suggestions. (There's no need to feel any pressure to purchase them.)

• Cursive Wizard You can use this with a finger or a stylus (Daiso sells them for only AED 7.)
• Xtramath
• Math Slide (FREE)

Also, as we are now taking weekly times table tests, please feel free to print any extra copies of the fact tests your child needs by visiting this great website, which is where I got them.

Thanks so much for your support. It's my hope that the class will enjoy and benefit from these terrific resources. 

Array Fun

Unit 4 in math is all about multiplication and division. Arrays are an important visual/method for children to understand how multiplication actually works.

This 8-minute clip of a marching band performing during the half-time show at an American football game between Ohio State University and Michigan State is a creative and fun real-life connection using arrays that the class thoroughly enjoyed. I hope you will, too. 

*Measuring Fun*

~ Math Lesson 3.3 in Action ~

Students measured various classroom items in inches and centimeters after making reasonable estimates.  We discovered that many of us have large heads, myself included! :)