I wanted to let you know how we processed what happened yesterday in Washington D.C. today in Humanities. I took guidance from this Teaching Tolerance article that encourages adults to listen, protect, model, take care of yourself.
First we did a drawing exercise led by artist Wendy MacNaughton (@wendymac on IG). This mindfulness activity helped slow our heart rate, deepen our breathing, ground our feelings, and make us smile. Next we looked at the word insurrection for Word Study.
We then did a shared reading of articles written about yesterday for 10 & 11 year olds:
(Cedar read the Newsela article; Tolt read the Kidspost article.)
Followed by reading Most People, a picture book that reassures young people that even when unexpected unlawful things happen, the world is full of good people.
Lastly, students did a written response, either writing a letter to President Trump or the mob participants, or writing about feelings or questions about the insurrection. Please take a moment to read through their writing below–these young people are remarkably insightful.
Take care. Julie
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We are thrilled to announce that our Magnolia Elementary PTA is bringing you a virtual Positive Discipline Series starting this week with Julietta Skoog of Sproutable for FREE! We are so grateful to our PTA for making this invaluable experience available to all of our families! This Thursday, January 7 we will explore the Principles of Positive Discipline and Mindfulness.
For more information and to register, click on the following link: https://zoom.us/.../tJckd-urqz8iEtzWAx4Rkie1BjQgz_6BlMZV *Please note that you will need to register for each event separately. Make sure to mark your calendars for the entire series!
Jan 7th: Principles of Positive Discipline and Mindfulness Feb 9th: Emotional Regulation and Brain Development March 11th: Significance and Belonging + Contributions and Family/Class Meetings April 7th: Intrinsic Motivation and Encouragement May 11th: Solutions vs. Consequences - the Power of Repair MES 2020-21 Yearbook ArtIt is our young school's tradition to have 5th graders create art for the cover of our school yearbook. This year's submissions were spectacular! Yesterday, 5th graders voted for the art that will be featured on the cover of the yearbook. Keylee's beautiful work will grace the front cover and all the other wonderful works of art will be featured on the back cover. Thank you to Mr. Wakefield for leading this project, and to Mary Wong (Drew's mom) for once again designing and coordinating the MES yearbook! The EcholopaperAnnouncing... the Magnolia Elementary Student Newspaper: The Echolopaper This is an Expedition Time project for the staff members. This newspaper is fully digital. Please bookmark this site & check back often to see MES through the eyes, ears, & hearts of the students K-5. Have a happy, healthy, festive Winter Break!Here's to 2021! Stay safe & well, everyone! ![]() Cedar & Tolt will be having a remote Winter Holiday party tomorrow!
When: 9:40-11:45 What: We're going to watch the movie version of "The Watsons Go to Birmingham", then have a 5th grade Gratitude Circle Where: We'll meet in Julie's Classroom Optional: Pajamas, stuffies, blankets, hot cocoa Dr. Jana Mohr Lone asked us to ask our 5th graders what Philosophy class means to them during the pandemic. They blew us away with their articulation, sincerity, and thoughtfulness. We are indebted to Dr. Jana & her colleagues at the UW Center for the Philosophy for Children for communicating to our kids so clearly that their ideas, thoughts, and voices are valuable, insightful, and important.
During conferences Brian & I heard from many of you that you would like your kids to have their cameras on. We brought this to both groups this week, had a discussion, and took a vote. The consensus was that this should be a class agreement. It makes a world of difference to see everyone.
Our 2nd agreement, If we need to do something to take care of ourselves, we'll turn our cameras off & return within a minute, came out of this discussion–"What if I'm eating breakfast? What if I'm thirsty? What if someone in my house is in the background?" We agreed that as 5th graders they can take care of any need they might have (bio-break, water, pick-me-up snack, etc.) and return promptly. And they always have the option to choose a virtual background on Teams, or blur their background. The last agreement, We will approach our learning with optimism, flexibility, resilience, persistence, and empathy, is connected to the Mindsets for Learning that we've been exploring in Morning Meetings. Hopefully these important learning stances have begun to trickle into your child's vocabulary & psyche. We're currently on persistence. Ask your child what they've been persisting with lately. Persistently yours, Julie How do we impact the water in our communities? What are we doing to clean it up and what could we do differently? Next week, our afternoon schedule will look a little different. Magnolia fifth graders will be learning how the choices they make on a daily basis impact the water cycle. We'll enjoy two sessions led by guest teachers from IslandWood (in partnership with King County and Seattle Public Utilities). We’ll learn to use the engineering design process to explore the impacts that humans have on our water system. The following week, we will be taking a virtual tour of King County’s Brightwater wastewater treatment plant. In January, our guest teachers will return to help us learn how we can become stewards of our water system. These lessons include hands-on demonstrations and modeling, outdoor observations, and extension activities designed to connect to students’ interests, identities, and home and family experiences. Here’s the full schedule: Monday, December 7 (Cedar and Tolt together): What Is Wastewater and How Are You Connected to It? Tuesday, December 8 (Cedar and Tolt together): Wastewater Engineering Challenge Monday, December 14 (Tolt) and Thursday, December 17 (Cedar): Virtual Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour Monday, January 11 (Cedar and Tolt together): Wastewater Stewardship—What You Can Do! Please let us know if you have any comments, questions, or concerns. All the best, Julie & Brian Brian & I want to thank you all for taking the time to meet with us and allowing your 5th grader to lead the conversation about their glows, grows, and goals. Thank you also for your grace & patience for the time & link glitches! Holiday Card Exchange The MES staff is doing a Holiday Card Exchange & we thought it would be a fantastic thing for 5th graders to do as well! We just sent each 5th grader an email with all the details:
Lastly, please know how very grateful we are to each and every one of you for all that you do to support & care for these children that we are lucky to know. We acknowledge how hard this time is in so many ways. We wish you all a joyful, safe, & restorative Thanksgiving.
With immense gratitude, Julie & Brian p.s. We invite you to share what you're grateful for this Thanksgiving in the comments below. Conferences begin tomorrow! 5th graders have been working hard creating Powerpoint slides to lead them in showcasing their work and discussing their glows, grows, and action plans. A reminder: Each conference will begin with Brian (10 minutes), followed immediately by time with Julie (10 minutes). We will be adhering tightly to this schedule and trust everyone to help us by being on time. If at any point we find ourselves needing more time we can arrange a follow up meeting. Why Student-Led Conferences? Student led conferences are a vehicle to build students’ self-representation, reflection, and communication skills. As an ally and partner in these conferences, parents play an important role in helping students be successful. ![]() Tips to guide adults during & after the conference: S –Student led, Student focus · Try to see past the usual sticking points (handwriting, spelling, organization, etc). · Even if awkward, allow student to be the guide. H – Honor the work · Thoughtful, specific questions are more valuable than general praise. · The details and the rough drafts matter—ask about them: What steps came before this final product? What was the most difficult part? How’d you figure it out? A – Be an Ally · Your child is the hero of this journey, but YOU are their best ally. · You are helping them build an essential skill for their adult life. R – Reflection · Teachers have an important but ultimately short mentoring arc; parents/guardians have the long view. · Use your knowledge to help your child reflect/connect work back to previous experiences and forward to possible uses in high school and beyond. E – Engage with Enthusiasm · Body language matters: Lean forward toward the work. · Be an active listener. · Your enthusiasm will be infectious! Let them know you are looking forward to the conference. We look forward to meeting with all of you! Brian & Julie We want to honor the veterans in your family this week!
Please add information about veterans in your 5th grader's life (family or friends) to this document by Thursday, Nov. 12th. Many thanks to Mary for starting us off! |
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