NewsletterA little about what is on the horizon and in our wake!
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NewsletterA little about what is on the horizon and in our wake!
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Take a Peek at our Week Welcome back to school! We are already back in the swing of learning and excited to be together. Our students have quickly learned their routines and are looking like old pros in the building and cafeteria. We’re so proud of them! Our first day, the returning students were looking for their “lunch buddies” and “playground friends.” It was heartwarming. I was also amazed at how fast everyone learned our new friends names; we have 10 in our class – and we are almost “half new!” So proud of this loving friendly crew. This Month: ·We are learning that schools, communities and countries have rules and rules keep us safe. ·We will ask questions before, during, and after reading. ·We will shore up number sense. ·We will begin our ABC Boot camp in lower grades Upcoming Dates:
August 1, 2017
Dear Families: Thank you so much for the privilege of teaching your children. I am so excited to get back to school and get started! I hope to see you during our welcome walk on Wednesday, August 16. I will drop by your home between 5:00 and 8:30 PM. On Friday, August 18, please bring your child to the classroom to drop off their supplies. This first look at the classroom just before school starts is so helpful for the students. It makes that first day a bit more comfortable. Speaking of the first day, you are very welcome to drop off your child at the classroom, help them put things away, get their breakfast, etc. Soon after the tardy bell rings at 7:40, we will share hugs and send you on your way. Then we will launch our year. It's all so exciting! In the first days of school, we will be learning our routines, getting familiar with our schedule and learning our way around the school. We've had a lot of renovations so these practice runs will help us all. (You can see our routines on my website: http://mrstischlersclassroom.weebly.com/) Our September theme is around communities and how all communities have rules. We will be setting up our class contract and agreeing how we will work together as a community within the larger context of our school, city and state. In the first couple of weeks, FAC students typically do not attend specials, resource or inclusion. This gives them time to settle into the classroom routine and get comfortable with their peers and our staff. We will, however, from the very first day take recess at our normal time and begin eating lunch in the cafeteria. Of course, as amazing as these students are, they are still children and their favorite activities seem to be recess and snack. Please do be sure to send a preferred snack with your student; healthy snacks are a good investment. In these hot fall weeks, the water bottles are crucial. Please do not forget that refillable water bottle for your child. Please feel free to text, email or phone with any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Dreena Tischler 512-983-1390 (cell), 512-428-7576 (classroom) [email protected] twitter: dreenamt Tomorrow is our Valentine-centered fun. We can't wait!
We've been studying peacemakers this month, so please talk to your students about peaceful versus not peaceful acts. Our first in-depth study has been of Martin Luther King, Jr., We have talked a lot about how he said, "Anyone can be great," and that we should "Fight with words, not fists." This seems to be really sinking in with our students. We have been using the book, Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. . It's a good one ! Next week we will begin talking about Lincoln and his role in ending slavery. We are reading, I am Abraham Lincoln, by Brad Meltzer. The illustrations in this book are so cute, I don't see how our students can resist loving it. Tomorrow will be a fun, lively day. We will be learning all day, but there will be a lot more LOVE than usual. I love your kids. Thanks for sharing! Life is busy at Troop Tischler headquarters. Our little elves have been busy working on our doors to welcome you to our room on Thursday. They have been busy in Santa's Workshop too; there will be a surprise for you under the tree! Mostly we have been busy, busy learning. We are almost at mid year and looking back, I am so amazed at quickly they are learning and how much every student is progressing. Thursday we are inviting parents in for our academic centers followed by our Holiday Party. Our centers are so much fun, you'll have trouble telling where the work ends and the party begins! Please join us! It means so much to your student. 1:00 in P6. Come a bit early to check in at the office. Good things: Each day two or three students get up in front of the class to "tell us something good." Our prompt is a few seconds of the Chaka Khan song, "Tell Me Something Good." At the start of the year, we could barely get them to stand up there. And most of the students would give us, at most, a single word. It is so amazing to see that they now have the context. They know what we're doing. They listen to each other. They feed off each other. Before they come up, you can see them thinking hard about what they are going to say. I wish I had also videotaped the audience. The whole class sits quietly and respectfully to hear what their peers have to say. It is truly an accomplishment. You may have noticed in the video that after each child speaks, Ms. Celia says, "What do you want?" That is our shorthand for "How do you want us to acknowledge you?" We taught them a number of acknowledgements, "cheese grater" for instance, but as time has gone on they've made up some too. Our first made up one came from Derek, who cracked us all up just before Halloween. He came up for good things and stood there for a long quiet , moment then got a huge smile on his face. He said, "Well, I want to tell you . . . BOO!" We all laughed. Since then, "Boo!" has been one of our favorite acknowledgements. Recently, Noah added, "Ho, ho, ho" to our repertoire. The whole process has been quite organic and all have contributed. This little 5 minute segment of our day serves so many purposes for our students. It teaches them how to stand in front of a group and speak. It makes them address an abstract concept. It helps them focus on the positive. Perhaps most importantly, it lets them feel a part of our community. They know they are loved. In case you're having trouble accessing it from your text message, here is the link to our super amazing students telling us their "good things." (click on the blue words!) I hope to see you Thursday but if you are unable to make it, please know that I love teaching your students and feel so honored to be a part of their lives. Each and every one is a treasure and a blessing. Thank you! Dreena Tischler
K-2nd FAC Voigt Elementary November 5, 2015 Dear Parents: Our November study of maps is off to a great start. We are studying the 5 elements of maps: Key (Legend), Scale, Title, Border and Compass Rose. Many of our students can name and point out several or all of these elements and give you a simple definition. For example, we say the Title “tells what the map is about” and the Compass Rose “tells which way,” while the scale tells “how big.” If you look at this letter on my website, (MrsTischlersClassroom.weebly.com) you can click a link to one of the map examples we have used. To help us gain the concept of maps, we have been reading the book, As the Crow Flies by Gail Hartman and Harvey Stevenson. The students are really enjoying this beautifully illustrated and simple book. Today we began creating our own maps. We have a lot of wonderful days coming up; today we had week 2 of the Viking Opportunity Cafe; we prepared coffee and pastries to sell to the staff here. Meanwhile we are learning that 4 quarters = $1, how to smile and thank our customers, and how to prepare orders in advance. Okay well mostly we are having tons of fun meeting our very kind and generous staff but all that learning will cement in time/ In the folders is a field trip form for Wednesday, November 18; please see the form for details. That will be followed on November 20 by our feast prepared by our students; hope you can join us. Our feast will be followed by some special pre-holiday academic centers and we would LOVE to have you join us for both. We’ve observed that most of our students need to practice eating with a fork; this would be an excellent thing to practice before the feast! Have a great weekend! Love, Dreena Tischler 512-428-7576; [email protected] |
AuthorDreena Tischler, Teacher, FAC Archives
September 2019
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