Thursday, February 18, 2021

Congratulations to Rachel and Gemma on the birth of their son Jasper Adderley McCallum on Monday, February 15th. Jasper and parents are doing well.  

Date	Time	Event	Details
February 22		Spirit Week - all week	See below
February 23
February 24	1:30 - 4:00 3:45	Field Day Vertical Team Meetings	See below
February 25
February 26

 

Health and Safety Protocols Reminder

This is a reminder that if you are working on campus, please wear your mask at all times except when you are eating or drinking. Thank you. 

 

Field Day - Wednesday

Another question came up about canceling afternoon 1:1s and small groups for field day. Students can participate in the field day activities anytime between 1:30-4:00. They will not need 2.5 hours to complete the games. Please try to accommodate your small groups and 1:1s. You may adjust the independent workload so students have time to fully participate, have reduced screen time, and of course, have fun. 

 

 

Spirit Week

MS planned the February Spirit Week. See last week's Faculty Notes for daily ideas. 

Coaches Corner

Act 1: Intro It’s almost the end of February! Are you looking for a different Morning Meeting activity? Have you tried a 3 Act Task? If not, here is how you can include a really beneficial math task that supports the development of estimation, number sense, flexible thinking, and fun. Everything you need is right on the task itself.

Act 2: How To Act 1 - watch the video - ask what students notice or wonder Pose the focus question - get estimates from the class Ask students what info they might need to solve the question Act 2 - give information from the task Students solve and share answers Act 3 - watch the video with the answer

Act 3: Resources Want to see a 3 Act Task in action? Watch this video. (This example is long, but a 3 act task can be completed in 10-15 mins.) Want to find a grade-level specific 3 Act Task? Check out this resource!  (Note: If you find one you like, and you are a visiting MM teacher, check with the HR teacher if they have used that task before in class.) Enjoy!

 

From the Counselors

Brain Breaks! Here are some fun energizers you can do in your morning or afternoon meetings to get kids up and moving! Give them a try: all of them are 5 minutes or less. Have fun and get moving! 

1). 5-4-3-2-1 In this simple game, students stand up and the teacher (or leader) has them do five different movements in descending order. For example, the teacher would say: “Do five jumping jacks, spin around four times, hop on one foot three times, walk all the way around your room two times, give a family member a high-five. (The teacher should pause in between each task for students to complete the task.)

 

2).Dance Party! Put on some rockin’ music and dance! If you can make the room semi-dark and have a black light or other special effect, your kids will love it!

 

3). Freeze Dance! Similar to Dance Party, except that every so often the music stops, and students must freeze and hold the position they are in until the music begins again.

 

4). Name Moves: Students stand behind their chairs. In turn, each student says his or her name accompanied by a special movement. For example a student might say, “Kayla!” while dramatically dropping to one knee and doing Jazz Hands. After the student does his or her move, the rest of the class says the student’s name in unison and imitates the move. Then it is the next student’s turn.

 

5). Find It Fast: Call out a color or other trait (e.g. something round, something made of wood), and students must find an object in the room that fits the trait and get to it quickly.

 

6). Jump Skip Counting: Have students count by twos, fives, tens, etc. while jumping with each count. You could also practice spelling words this way.

 

 

As you make plans for spring break, here are some ideas from Lonely Planet (the travel gurus)...

 

 

Have a great weekend!

Lynn, Dave, and Elliot