Technology Update

    In January I mentioned that we won a grant through the district and received 15 iPads for our classroom. (I'm sure you've heard about this from your child.)  I wanted to give you an update on what we have been doing with our technology and how you can check in on your child's progress as well. 

    For our grant I had specific goals that I wanted to address with the use of the iPads and technology in the classroom. One of the goals was to address the reading Common Core State Standards. To address these standards we have been using newela.com to read current events articles, write about controversial issues, post our writing, and have online discussion via Edmodo. We have also been doing the same thing with our Junior Great Books stories. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the kids have been interacting with each other, and enjoy hearing the ideas of quieter students as well. 

   Here are a few excellent examples showing how our class had an "online discussion" through Edmodo. 

       

       

       

        

    If you haven't looked at Edmodo with your child yet, please do. You can either use their login or use the parent code from their account to link up to it. I keep all my grades in the online grade book for their daily assignments, so no need to get "missing work reports" anymore, you can look it up anytime you want. 

    Another goal is to use our technology in math. We have only started to attempt this, but what we have done has been very successful. The students are highly engaged and have used the technology to explain their mathematical thinking through pictures, numbers, and words. We have used the CPM online textbook, so if your child wants to use these tools at home while doing their homework, they can! I highly encourage this in fact!

  

        

   In this example students showed how Tate and Erick were both correct when Tate called this decimal two tenths and three hundredths, and Erick called it twenty-three hundredths. Students could visually show this, as well as add text to further explain their math thinking.

      

    Recently we have been working on finding ways to change triangles, trapezoids, and parallelograms into rectangles and squares, in order to more easily use the methods we already know to find the area. With this fun activity the kids were able to manipulate the shapes in order to rearrange them. They loved this and got the hang of rearranging shapes to find area quickly! 

   We have been using the iPads a lot- but I won't overwhelm you now. A good dinner conversation starter would be to ask your child how they used the iPad. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments below or e-mail me if you have any personal questions about what we are doing. 

Olympic Learning

   These past few weeks we have been relieving some of the OAKS testing stress by learning about the Winter Olympics. So far our study has taught us about the Olympic torch relay, different countries involved in the Olympics, the Olympics values, and the athletes and sports that are a part of the games. The kids have jumped right in and have taken on the identity of different countries as we continue our study. Here are some pictures of the amazing country flags the kids drew, and our "medal count" for good behavior.

                             

                             

                             

                              

                               

                                   

 

                            

 

                                           

   In addition to our country study, we have also learned about the Olympic values. Today we did a silent "chalk talk" where the students moved from value to value and added their own ideas about what each value meant to them or the Olympics without talking. The kids came up with some great ideas and truly understand what it means live by these Olympic values. 

                       

                       

                         

                        

                        

 

                        

                      

                      

   We will continue to strive to uphold these values in our own lives and our classroom. Go for the Gold! 

                      

   Nothing like a good old fire drill on our first day back in the snow and rain... our classes had excellent behavior and were very patient as we waited for the fire department to show up after a water main burst in Cornelius this afternoon. Way to go Sixth Grade City. 

Writing Sparks

      Writing sparks are an important part of our weekly homework routine. Each week students bring home a writing prompt and are expected to write a rough draft, edit it, and then write or type a final draft. (These are due every Monday) Students in Mrs. Dessert's class have been turning these in in class, and also submitting them online through Edmodo. Both are totally acceptable- but please do the assignment and turn it in. There has been a decrease in the amount of homework being turned in, and what better way to start the new quarter than with an increased emphasis on homework?! So parents, please help your children with their writing to encourage these excellent writers!

    Not sure what a quality writing sparks looks like? Here are a few examples from past weeks you can check out. Requirements: Introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, 300+ words

     Things that make our school a good school is the teaching . The teachers know how to teach really good , I think their really good role models to the students. For example Mrs. Dessert is always so excited and a hard working teacher and gives us the motivation to do better . Also my peers are really safe , respectful , and responsible . Not just that the teachers have taught us a lot to do what's right and that had helped us a lot .

    Another thing that makes our school a good school is the programs they do with parents and students . For example when they do after school programs like blast and P.T.O meetings , for parents who want to volunteer to help our school with fun projects or ideas . It also helps us a lot because they give you homework time to do your homework , for after school programs .

    Last but not least , what makes my school a good school is the physical active time . In my school they give us 40 minutes every Thursday and any other Friday . Well I think it's good because it keeps your brain active and keeps you healthy . It is a little before we enter class , and it wakes me up and full of energy . Doing P.E helps you a lot by running , throwing , playing and doing exercises that keep you away from diseases .

    love my school , it might not be one of the biggest or richest schools , but it had a lot of fun and intertwining things other schools might not have , Free orchards Elementary school had a lot of discipline , and safe , respectful , and responsible .
               By: Citlali


     One thing that makes my school a good school are the teachers. All the teachers are caring and helpful. When someone is not understanding something, the teachers help them until they do understand. The teachers are really nice because when the class does something good or works hard, sometimes they give us celebrations. They even let us use technology to help us learn.

     Another thing that makes my school a good school are the students. Every day, I see kids walking through the halls. They are always walking and not running and they are always silent. When the kids are presented at student-of-the month, I see and hear about so many wonderful kids. Most kids in the school get either a nearly meets or a meets on their tests.

     Also, one thing that makes my school a good school is the band program that is after school. Band can make kids get better grades and the students who are in band are most likely to go into college. Band students have fun playing their instruments, even if it means staying at school an extra hour. Kids all have fun finding new ways to make new sounds on their instruments. Every student in band would be devastated if the school canceled band.

    Now you have heard of my thoughts about what makes my school a good school. You have heard about how I think the teachers and band are the most effective of how my school is a good school. Students are also a big part of it, too. What do you think makes my school a good school? Is it the programs? The play ground? Or is it simply just the people around you? I think you have a pretty good idea though. That is what I think makes my school a good school.
               By: Jacqi

          What things make my school a good school? Well my school is awesome and many things make it that way, in this paper I will tell you 2 things that make it that way. The first one is the teachers are very nice, and the second one is that my school is very open.

          First, the teachers are nice. I have been in this school since 1^st grade and I have never had a bad teacher.  For 1^st grade I started out with a BANG! I had Ms. Hill and she was the nicest teacher ever and I still help in her class today.  In 2^nd grade I had Mrs. Scott and I learned so much in her class and always had fun.  In 3^rd grade I had Mrs. Dessert; she was awesome, always happy to see us and kept us learning new things each day.  For 4^th grade I had Harrington and Mrs. Kinsman, they where amazing, they wrote grants for our class to travel on many field trips. Then for 5^th grade I had Mrs. Anderson and I definitely miss her right now she is on maternity leave.  I really enjoyed how she always made our math program fun. This wonderful 6^th grade year I have Mrs. Dessert. Yes, I am lucky to have the same teacher as I did in 3^rd grade, it helps that she works super hard to bring her class the latest technology and she is helping us learn how to use it for educational things, not just games. All the teachers here make me feel at home.  I really love my school!

           I think that my school is very open. I think this because when we have a new student all of the teachers wave to them and help them through their first day. The students help them too, if they need to know where to go or how to do something. Also the teachers and the students are always open to help one another. I stay in for resses a lot to help my teacher or my prior teachers to do anything that they need. Like correcting papers or sorting papers. The teachers are always thankful that we give up our time to help them even if it does not help us. I do this because I am very close with my prior teachers.  

         This is just two things that I like about my school, I could go on and on with more things.   I will always have good memories of Free Orchards Elementary.

                        By: Madi

        

OAKS Prep

   It's that time of year again... OAKS testing has arrived! Mrs Dessert's class will start with our OAKS reading test on Monday, February 3 and go through February 6. We will have an hour each day, so everyone will have plenty of time to slow down and complete the test.

  This past week in class we have been preparing and building our stamina for the test. I have no doubt that all our students can meet or exceed on this test, it's just a matter of physical and mental preparation now. I know you all want what is best for your student, so I have included a few tips for parents and students and will reiterate what I have been telling the kids all week.
 

     TIPS FOR OAKS SUCCCESS:

 - Each day we take the test please ensure that your child gets to bed early the night before and has a good breakfast before the test. If your child eats at school, please remind them of how important this is, and remind them to grab their breakfast before coming to class. 

- We will also take a snack break before we head down to take the test, so if you would like to pack a healthy energy filled snack for them to eat before, please do! Bananas, oranges, granola bars, string cheese, etc are all great! 

 - Encourage your child to do their best and be a positive support for them. Too much pressure is never good, just encourage them to shine with the skills they already have. 

  - Remind your child that the OAKS test is NOT A RACE. We have plenty of time to get through the test, and they can have more if they don't finish in the time allotted. We would rather they take their time the first time, and not have to retake the test later. 

  - We have been working on our C.A.F.E. goals all year (making inferences, asking questions, using context clues to figure out new vocabulary, etc.) so please remind your child to use these skills while taking the test. Also, citing evidence is a big one too. If they can prove to themselves where they found the answer they can feel confident in their decision. 

  - Finally, all the students should have brought home the practice tests we went over in class. Help them to review these and see where they need to improve or celebrate their successes with them if they did well! I have added a link to some other practice tests if you would like to use those as a study tool. 

                                                        Link to Past OAKS Practice Tests

  This is a great group of kids with so many different skills and strengths. We are looking forward to a successful testing season with lots to celebrate. Good luck sixth graders! 

                                    Don't forget to check us out on the district website too!