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Archive for the “Parents' Corner” Category

1st Grade Literacy Workshop

As part of our literacy workshop time, our class is launching a “Take Froggy Home” project. As part of this project, the students will take turns taking our class stuffed animal home with them over the weekend. The selected student will have Froggy from Friday to Thursday the following week. He/she will have to return Froggy the following Friday with a poster illustrated with pictures and words documenting what he/she did with Froggy.

Please treat Froggy as a guest in your home. Please help your child document the places he/she took Froggy to and/or activities that involved Froggy. A poster will be provided on which your child can decorate and paste photographs. This assignment is not intended to get in the way of what you normally do during the week. You do not need to go anywhere special to take Froggy. If you plan to just stay home the week your child has Froggy, you may just want to take a picture of your child and Froggy at home doing what he/she normally does at home.

This fun activity is an exciting way to introduce students to journal writing while making connections with other students in the classroom. It is also another way to find purpose and enjoyment in literacy.

Have a wonderful time with Froggy!

Pacifica Gets A New Broadcast Phone Message System

Did you get your phone message Sunday afternoon about our All Community Meeting today? I recorded that message at 5:30 am on Sunday morning before leaving for an all-day class and set the message to broadcast to each student’s home at 2:00 pm. How nifty is that?

Pacifica has just started using call-em-all, an automated phone message broadcast system for sending out important messages to our community by phone. This system will only be used for important messages and the caller ID on the call is Pacifica’s phone number. Please take these calls and/or listen to the messages when you get them. The information will be important.

Would you like to use call-em-all for your organization? Please click the logo below to get more information.

Middle School News

Starting this week Middle School students and teachers will review student expectations as laid out in our Pacifica Handbook.  Every Thursday students will complete a self-assessment, a piece designated for reflection on personal choices made during the week.  Upon completion of the self-assessment, teacher and student will meet for a brief discussion.  The goal is to establish a tangible framework that ties into our current project on government, responsibility and citizenship, where students operate at the cooperation and ideally, democratic levels within the school community. This framework puts the responsibility on students for their actions and contributions to the community.

We will discuss this more in detail at our monthly class meeting, which has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 18th @ 3:30. See you then!

1/2 Classroom Updates

Now that we’re back in the swing of things, it’s time to address our “Nuts & Bolts” volunteer hours again.  “Nuts & Bolts” is one of the most crucial academic segments of the kids’ day, when they work on fundamental math and reading skills.  During this hour and a half, Kelly is alone with the second graders and could really use another couple sets of hands.  Our goal is to have two parent volunteers in that space during that time.

More is better, but two will work.  I have put up a new volunteer sign-up sheet on the bulletin board, outside the classroom door.  PLEASE, even if your child isn’t a second grader, please find a day that you can devote 90 minutes to our classroom and Kelly.  It’s 10:30 am to noon.  Please add your name to the sign-up sheet today.

Now for the exciting news . . . .  New to the classroom schedule is “Music With Sascha.”  Each Wednesday, Sascha will devote a segment of time to music for the entire class.  Kelly has provided him the CA state standards for music, and asked him to create a program to address each standard.  From now on, there will be music in our classroom in a real and structured way, EVERY WEEK!  Yay!

I know some of you have talents and/or specialized education in the music department.  Please feel free to get together with Sascha and share your resources and skills.  For those of you with no musical skill (like me!), please stop by one day and check it out!  Should be fun.

Feel free to call me or email me with your 1/2 classroom questions and comments.

Joan

Greetings From Your Community Affairs Tri-Chairs

With the New Year comes new events to plan!   Some community suggestions have included – dance parties, game nights, community service — which should we choose?

Children and snacks are welcome at our planning meetings – supervision and sharing required.

Calling is better than emailing us:  Agnete (310) 801-1400 or Deva (310) 622-3660.