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The office has asked us to provide the testing schedule for the IAR (which will take place when students return from Spring Break). I've also included the MAP testing dates below (these dates and times are tentative and are subject to change!)...
Please take the following survey related to "Leader in Me" if you have some time: archive.theleaderinmeonline.org/assesment/index.php/827926/lang-en/token/518f302f052dae329a44a0a6d7a6c7a2/newtest/Y  Click on the video below to watch the Dance for Heart Video:   Friendly Reminder Regarding Westgate's Homework Policy -
Spring Conferences - Thursday March 21st, 2019 and Friday, March 22nd, 2019
If you're reading this in an email, please click on the title "March Parent Newsletter" above to go to the actual web page to see the embedded tweets, slideshows of pictures, and more! Thanks!
Thank you to everyone who has sent my mom well wishes on her surgery this Tuesday. I'm sorry to have to miss the next two weeks of school! Please know that your child is in the great hands of Ms. Samantha Frankenthal, the same substitute that went with our kiddos on the Art Institute field trip last month. She has agreed to take all nine days that I will be out! I am leaving her detailed lesson plans and my cell phone number to ensure that she has a fantastic experience and that the kids continue to learn at a rapid pace!
I have changed the schedule a bit to make it easier on everyone. We will be pausing science and social studies until I return and then doubling up on those two subjects for a short period of time to catch up. This will allow Ms. Frankenthal to focus on just a few subjects, rather than all of them! Students will likely be completing Math Units 9 and 10 while I'm gone (they're both extremely short). I'd expect the first test in a week or so! Please have a quick talk with your child about the importance of making mature decisions while I'm gone. (I will also talk with them tomorrow in school.) Just last week while I had the flu, several students made poor choices with technology. Some deleted other students' work. Some created a Google Doc to chat with their friends instead of doing schoolwork, etc. I need to know that each child will be making mature decisions while I'm out. Thanks! :) Report cards are nearly done and will be completed on time. Report cards are emailed home on 3/15 by the district. I will also be giving students an envelope with supporting documents on 3/18 or 3/19 when I return (just like last trimester). In it, you will find data from IXL, Spelling City, writing pieces, a 21st Century Skills report card, etc. I hope you find this information useful. Finally, thanks for all your support this year! Switching to a new grade has challenges I never anticipated (having taught the same grade for 19 years previously). You have all helped make the transition to 4th grade smooth and positive! Thank you so much! Paul
If you're reading this in an email, please click on the title "February Parent Newsletter" above to go to the actual web page to see the embedded tweets, slideshows of pictures, and more! Thanks!
If you are reading this in an email - please click on the title of this blog to see all of its content!
Here's a quick look at some of the things I have planned for December. Some things have already begun, while some are still to come!
Here are the photos from today's Halloween parade and party!
If you are reading this in an email - please click on the title of this blog to see all of its content!
Here's a quick look at some of the things I have planned for November. Some things have already begun, while some are still to come!
If you are reading this in an email - please click on the title of this blog to see all of its content!
Here's a quick look at some of the things I have planned for October. Some things have already begun, while some are still to come!
I wanted to give you a sneak peak into the types of things I'm planning for your child this month! Some are pretty standard, while others are fairly unique! My goal is to always make school an enjoyable place for kids to learn and to teach my students how empowering it is to be a lifelong learner!
Not everything in this blog post will show up on the email, so please click on the title to go to the web page! Thanks!
Math in Focus Ch. 1 - Adding & Subtracting Large Numbers
MindYeti - Mindfulness in the Classroom
Whole Class Novel - "Fish in a Tree"
Science - Our Geosphere
DQWorld - Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Training
SchoolToolsTV with Rusty May - A Daily Social-Emotional Tip!
International Dot Day - Friday, September 14th
So much more to come! Need to get some sleep for now! :)
We'll be using this free program in the classroom in the coming days. If you'd like to learn more about it, check out the videos or press release below. Feel free to use it at home as well if your child likes it!
Committee for Children Launches Mind Yeti –Mindfulness for Kids and Their Adults
SEATTLE – Can mindfulness settle the hubbub for kids? Committee for Children (CFC) believes it can. The global leader of research-based social-emotional learning education recently announced the worldwide beta release of Mind Yeti, a free, easy-to-use guided mindfulness resource designed to help kids calm down, focus themselves in preparation for learning and better connect to themselves and others. Mind Yeti is a mobile responsive web app that brings mindfulness to kids–and the adults who care about them–using fun, bite-sized audio sessions and animated videos. Mind Yeti’s research-based content thoughtfully targets the stress and anxiety that children and adults deal with both in the classroom and at home. Mind Yeti helps children develop skills to regulate their own feelings and behaviors at home and at school. As a trailblazer in social-emotional learning education, Committee for Children developed Mind Yeti in consultation with leaders in the field of mindfulness in education and research, including Dr. Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, a renowned expert in the area of social-emotional learning research with children and adolescents. The Mind Yeti team also worked with Molly Lawlor, an expert in social-emotional development throughout childhood and the application of mindfulness within the school context. “We’ve worked with top researchers and experts in children’s entertainment to tailor a mindfulness tool just for kids,” said Mia Doces, Committee for Children Director of New Mission Ventures. “Mind Yeti uses animated videos, metaphors that help kids understand complicated concepts, and interesting soundscapes to make mindfulness accessible and fun. Students are telling us they feel calmer immediately after using Mind Yeti. That’s really good news because a calm, focused mind can make a big difference in school performance, both socially and academically.” Research examining mindfulness-based approaches in education has found improvements in student attention and social-emotional skills, increases in prosocial behavior, and decreases in aggression and symptoms of depression. CFC is uniquely positioned to bring the benefits of mindfulness to elementary school children as the organization’s curricula reach schools in over 70 countries, including 30% of all U.S. elementary schools. Each year, more than 10.6 million children benefit from CFC’s programs. Plans for a full product with additional content are currently in the works. “We believe the timing is right for this product and the data seems to bear this out,” said Joan Cole Duffell, Executive Director of Committee for Children. “Educators across the country have been asking us for it and in the first week after launch, we’ve already had more than 10,000 visitors to the site.” Mind Yeti’s groundbreaking approach to mindfulness in education helps both teachers and students come together to create a happy, calm and positive classroom. This kid-friendly media – available via web and mobile devices – has zeroed in on the importance of creating a unique language that encourages open and honest dialogue around the significance of having a calm and focused mind, as well as the benefits of expressing gratitude and kindness. No training is needed to use Mind Yeti, which allows individuals who are new to mindfulness, as well as those who have previous mindfulness experience to actively participate in the sessions with the youngsters in their life. Mind Yeti was not only developed for elementary-school-age children and teachers to integrate mindfulness throughout the day, but also as a way for families to discover the power of mindfulness together. Mind Yeti is simple to use and can be accessed by teachers and parents alike, anytime, anywhere on any connected computer or mobile device. For more information, or to sign up for Mind Yeti, visit MindYeti.com. About Mind Yeti Mind Yeti is a research-based mobile-friendly web app designed for families, educators and students to enjoy mindfulness together. Mind Yeti currently offers twelve guided audio sessions that help students practice how to calm themselves, focus their attention, and connect better to themselves and others. Individuals can sign up for free at MindYeti.com. Connect with Mind Yeti on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I'm really looking forward to working with you and your child this year! This website is the location for all newsletter components and photos. I'll go through all the specifics on Curriculum Night and answer any questions you have. See you all soon!
Thanks for a wonderful school year last year! Hope your child has a great time in middle school!!!
I just finished my last Parent-Teacher Conference of the year and just wanted to say how thankful I am for all the kind words and support! I definitely have THE BEST parents and students any teacher could ask for!!! I hope you all enjoy the time with your child(ren) over the break! Please give them my best!
Here are a few notes: Illinois Science Assessment - Each year students in grades 5, 8, and 11 are required to participate in the Illinois Science Assessment. This assessment is designed to challenge student’s science acumen and provide teachers information regarding student’s science knowledge. The test is approximately 18 questions testing student’s in Earth Science, Engineering and Technology, Life Science, and Physical Science. From start to finish the test takes approximately 50 minutes. Westgate 5th Graders will be taking this test on Wednesday April, 4th. We will most likely try to take this test in the morning some time. Yearbook Orders: ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK TODAY! Yearbooks are available for $15 each through pre-order only through March 30th. Add your child's picture and name on the front cover for $3. New this year, you can design a custom 4-page insert for your student for $10, shipped to your home. Perfect for our 5th graders! Go to westgatepta.com for details. 4/3 - Classes Resume! Important Links for you to Bookmark:
 The morning Poster Session was a huge success... More info to come! Then, we hosted some guests in our classroom and explained how we do Goal-Setting in our classroom! "Oh my goodness!" "No way! "Woah!" Kids are discovering some amazing properties of matter through experimenting and observing chemical and physical changes. Today was just a "Water Test," but soon we'll be experiencing more complex reactions with simple household products. Our final "test" will be to investigate a crime scene and use our knowledge of these chemical tests to determine which products were used to commit the crime! Hello Parents! I hope you are all enjoying the snowy weather we're having! It's meant a lot of shoveling for me, but at least I'm getting a little exercise! It sounds like the kids have been enjoying sledding & building snow forts! I wanted to let you know that I sent home with each child the "Tentative Blog Assignments" checklist for this trimester in their classroom mail today. I've also posted a PDF of it below. I am asking that students get caught up on blogs before NEXT weekend (2/15) so I can grade them over the weekend and then give them feedback on 2/18. This will be called their "Blogs BEFORE Feedback" grade on the report card. They will have another week to improve their blog posts (just like last trimester) and I will grade them again on the weekend of 2/22. This will be called their "Blogs AFTER Feedback" grade on the report card. This will be twice the points of the "Blogs BEFORE Feedback" grade. If you can help your child meet these deadlines for me, it will help a lot. There is a small chance that I will fall one week behind. This extra time is built into the schedule and I will let you know if that happens! Thanks so much in advance! - Paul  Students will be taking the Cogat tests next week. I put some information about the Cogat tests below (but it's just what I found online - nothing official). There's nothing students have to do to prepare, other than get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. Here is our tentative schedule (this blog post will change if needed)...
Our mini-lesson today was to ask the author of our Literature Circle book a "deep question." One that really makes the author and/or others think. I also asked the students to answer their own question in the way they think the author will answer it on their video discussion. The final step was tweeting out our question and our video discussion to the author! We received some responses back. Here are a few. (I'll add more as I get them)...
Still awaiting a reply...
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