“The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.”
―
Dear Students and Parents,
I have to say that I am completely shocked at how quickly our year has gone by. It feels like we just started school. Now, we are counting down the days to LEAP 2025. In ELA, we will be working on Section 5 in Hatchet; we will also be working on MASTERY CHECKS in iReady. In social studies, we will be finishing up Unit 4: The Road to Revolution. We tried a new learning strategy - connect the dots. I would love to hear what you think of the strategy. Do YOU feel that this strategy will help you to "connect" your life to what we are studying? I LOVED the connections that some of you shared in class. If you would like your "Connect the Dots" diagram displayed here to share not only your connections but your own hiSTORY, let your parent know to contact me. I also wanted to share the latest data presented at Tech notes about READING. I hear your moans and groans from home. :-) Here is what the latest research shows:
Reading Can Reduce Stress Levels
A study found that reading reduced stress levels by 68 percent, making it a more effective means of relaxation than taking a walk (42% reduction), drinking a cup of tea or coffee (54% reduction), or listening to music (61% reduction). Researchers believe that the concentration required to read a good book helps distract the brain from anxious and stressful thinking, which reduces heart rate and muscle tension caused by stress. How long does it take for the benefits to happen? As little as six minutes. Dr. David Lewis, a cognitive neuropsychologist who conducted the study said, “It really doesn’t matter what book you read. By losing yourself in a thoroughly engrossing book, you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination.” (Tech Notes December 30, 2022)
Your teacher says --- Put your reading glasses on and be prepared to be stress free! READ!
You are confident and challenge yourself, hard working and honorable, awesome and accomplish your goals, mindful and motivated, powerful and full of pride, invicible and inspiring, optimistic and outstanding, noble and never give up. You are CHAMPIONS! We are going to continue to train to be CHAMPIONS. Go to bed early every night to get enough rest for your brain. Eat brain foods for breakfast - eggs, wheat toast, and blueberries. BE prepared to learn. Fill your brain with knowledge. Continue helping your brain to make connections between past learning and new.
Remember our Class Mission Statement -- You and I will be learning to succeed together. You and I will be succeeding together.
Parents - I hope all of you are well. Our year is flying on swift wings. I have an open-call/door policy. If you ever need to contact me, please don't hesitate in coming for a visit, calling, emailing, sending a note, etc. Please encourage your student to READ as much as possible. I will send home reading material every day. I am going to keep the homework site as updated as possible; so, check the homework calendar each day. The homework for the afternoon is usually posted by 3:00 pm each day. If changes must be made, I will update that ASAP. If you have questions, please ask. If I don't know the answer, I will find out and contact you all as soon as I find out.
Sincerely,
Ms. Kristie