⚡️ Hurricane Matthew⚡️

What an eventful weekend it's been!

On Thursday, I shared my concerns with the class regarding Hurricane Matthew, which was making a B line for my hometown of Jupiter/Tequesta, Florida.


Though it was a rather unpleasant topic, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to teach the class about extreme weather, storm preparation, hurricane categories, and meteorology in general. (By the way, when some children expressed anxiety, I reassured them that Dubai does not have the climate for hurricanes and they breathed a sigh of relief.) 

Thankfully, after a rough 24 hours of uncertainty and a heartfelt Skype call with my family late Thursday night, I'm happy to report that my family and our home (the house that my dad designed and built) are absolutely fine. We were amazed by how the storm "wobbled" a bit to the east, which caused it to alter it's course a few miles away from our coast. This slight change had a significant impact, as it didn't make a direct hit after all and kept moving up the coast. What a relief!!

I was just flabbergasted when family messaged after a few hours saying that they were all well, when I was sure I wouldn't be hearing from them for a while due to power failures, which take days or weeks to restore. This was a truly a wonderful surprise!

Having said that, we are still concerned about those who were/are being affected by Hurricane Matthew and are keeping them in our prayers. Some people have experienced such devastation, especially in Haiti where the death toll has already exceeded 800.

So, thank you for your care and concern. It was very touching to receive a few emails to see if my family was OK. My family has decided to leave their hurricane shutters up for the rest of the month, as this storm might actually loop back around (#buyonegetonefree) and there is another hurricane brewing out at sea. Let's hope for the best! ☀️

New Reading and Writing Unit, Devices

~ EXTREME WEATHER ~ 

We have just started a new reading and writing unit about informational writing based on our nonfiction reading about extreme weather. These are the following broad topics we will be exploring:

• Hurricanes/Typhoons (wind and rain) 
• Tornadoes (wind and hail)
• Snowstorms  (extreme cold)
• Sandstorms (wind)
• Monsoon (heavy rain)

Each student will be doing a great deal of reading about these topics and will narrow down his/her interests to study one of these or a subcategory of these, such as fog, lightning, or meteorologists, to name a few examples. 

Then, after gathering research through reading and note-taking, students will then synthesize their findings by writing their own informational chapter book. 

This work will lay the foundation for our upcoming science unit, which centers around this essential question: How do people protect themselves from extreme weather? 

As we dive into this study, we would invite students to bring their own devices for the next two weeks to use as research tools, since we have a limited supply of weather-related books to share across the PS and ES. 

To streamline and safeguard the research process, I have created several QR codes, which students can scan to have direct access to designated weather sites specifically for kids. 

Here is one example, which you can scan if you have the ScanLife app or any of the many others available.

Please know that devices are optional. Those who do not bring one can use the laptops available in our classroom, as well as my iPad, and the computers in the library or computer lab. Children may also share devices to do their research.

If your child does decide to bring his/her device, please review the need for personal responsibility and care. (I will provide a locked drawer should they wish to securely store it during the school day.) 

Thanks so much for your continued support and we look forward to an exciting unit ahead!! 

PS. QR Codes are very easy to make and can be done here. If you decide to research at home and find a great source of information, please make a QR code and email it to me at laura.nossal@gemsdaa.net, so I may share it with the class. Thanks!!