TWIS 12/12-12/16

Parents-

   We still have plenty happening in the last week and a half before winter break!  Here's This Week in Switzer:

Math: We've finished Topic 6 and are cruising through Topic 7.  Expect a test over the Topic next a week from Monday.  Then we'll have a quick week for Topic 8.

Reader's Workshop: We continue to look at complex non-fiction text features, main idea, and fluency.  Your student should still be reading 30+ minutes per night (this can be non-fiction and/or their free read books).  We log those books every morning at school, and track our goals daily in our Action Planner.  Feel free to ask your student on their progress of their goals.

   Students also completed a post test over citing evidence, comparing themes, and author's techniques/ goals this past week, and most students are ready to include this work in their portfolios!

Science: We're developing a process to test common household powders to figure out a "mystery powder."  We're doing this by looking at chemical and physical changes of substances.  Our mystery powder is one (or more) of these: Corn Starch, Baby Powder, Baking Soda, and/or Baby powder.  After we develop and perform our tests, students will develop an argument for what they believe the mystery powder is.  We will have a test over Physical and Chemical Changes/ properties on Friday- there is a note sheet/ study guide they can take home and study every night, and a Google Slideshow in their Google Classroom Science class (on the computer).

Social Studies: Students are working through westward expansion by manipulating a simulation on Native Americans.

Writing: Students finished up their research and argument papers this week and will add them to their Leader Notebooks.  Please do not hesitate to ask your student to digitally "share" their documents with you (give them your email address) as they are working on them- it gives you a chance to see them progressing through their learning and writing.  If you're unsure how this might work, feel free to email me.

Lastly, I want to thank you for your support with the book fair and candy grams- and thank you again for sending me your student everyday!  Have a fantastic week-

--

Matthew Switzer

6th Grade Teacher, 

Southdale Elementary

TWIS 12/5-12/9

Parents,

   Snow!  Today was a good reminder that your student should bring enough warm clothes to wear for outside recesses.  This would now include a snow coat, hat, pants, boots, and gloves.  

   We are slowly adding more to our responsibilities and roles in the classroom, including working on digital portfolios, daily tweets from the classroom, and an opportunity to participate in the National Hour of Code next week.  Make sure to ask your student about their roles as a leader in the school.  Here's This Week in Switzer:

TL;DR- CFA in Math coming soon; non-fiction is our focus in reading; simulation in Social Studies; new lab experiment in Science; Book fair this week!

Math: In Switzer Math, we are transitioning to Topic 6 and 7 this week.  There will be a Topic 6 test this week, and a Topic 7 test next week.  All of our Math tests are online at Southdale6.com.

Reader's Workshop: We are diving into difficult and complex non-fiction books- the kind your student will encounter in junior high and beyond.  Your student will be reading and analyzing non-fiction books most nights, and will continue to log their reading everyday.  Your student's reading log can be found at Southdale6.com.

Science: We started looking at the physical and chemical properties of matter, and how to know if a physical or chemical change has occurred in matter.  This will lead us to running experiments on various powders (baking powder, baking soda, baby powder) to figure out what a Mystery Powder is... ask your student where I got the Mystery Powder from...

Social Studies: Students are looking at westward expansion in the United States and working on a simulation dealing with Native Americans.

Have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer

6th Grade Teacher, 

Southdale Elementary

TWIS 11/7-11/11

Parents/ Guardians,

   What an exciting week ahead!  We're wrapping up the first trimester, we are getting ready for Student-led conferences, and we are planning a fantastic celebration for our veterans. For our Veteran's Day presentation on Friday, If your student is bringing a family member to the assembly, we'll start promptly at 11:30 in the gym, and invite our guests to have lunch with us immediately afterward.  The program will consist of a few patriotic songs and a reading of letters presented to local veterans.

  We are wrapping up some units this week as we close our trimester- remember, sign up for Student-led conferences next week!  I'll send home a reminder this week of your scheduled time.  Here's This Week in Switzer:

Math (Switzer): We took a Topic 5 pretest and are working our way through the unit.  Topic 5 includes fraction sense, greatest common factor, and least common multiple.  We'll also delve into prime numbers and perfect squares.

Reader's Workshop: We are in a new book club book and working on journaling through theme.  Our big idea this week is to see how different characters are tied to the theme (or opposed to it).  We're wrapping up our unit on theme and will most likely have a test near the end of next week.  As always, your student set a goal to read around 30 minutes each night- thanks for helping me to keep them accountable for their goals!

Science: We'll finish our Lab Reports on Thermal Energy and begin a new lab on Mystery Powders.  Here we act like scientists to analyze and determine a substance based on its physical and chemical properties.

Writing: Students are finishing their Doggy World articles.

Social Studies: Students are working through the Civil War and its impact on American culture.

We have a great week planned!  Feel free to email me with any questions or concerns.  Talk to you soon-

--

Matthew Switzer

6th Grade Teacher, 

Southdale Elementary

TWIS 10/31-11/4

Parents,

   Here's to another wacky week at school!  Just some highlights coming up-

Monday- Halloween parade and classroom parties begin at 2:30.  6th graders DO NOT dress up or participate in the parade; we will decorate our classroom so younger grades may walk through and enjoy our halloween themes, though!  Your student may ask to bring materials to decorate- as long as it's "G" rated, I'm cool with it (if you are).

Also, these parents have signed up to donate treats for the classroom (we have 29 students)-

Healthy Snacks- Val E and Mischa T

Sweet snacks- Makell M and Mindy P

Drinks- Jen T

Cups/napkins/plates- Andrea F

Thank you for your support and for your mindfulness on classroom food allergies!

Friday- This is an early dismissal day for teacher report card writing time.  Conferences are November 15th and 17th.  If you have yet to sign up for a conference, please do so by following these directions:

1. Visit the school’s homepage http://www.cfschools.org/schools/southdale and select the Online Scheduler icon/link. 
2. Choose your student’s school from the drop down list and click “GO”
3. Enter the school password = southdale
4. Enter your student’s “Student ID”.  If you do not know their Student ID, use the LOOKUP STUDENT ID button to access the system.
5. Verify the student’s birth date 
6. A list of your student’s teachers will be displayed.  Check the box next to the name of each teacher(s) you would like to meet with.
7. If you have more than one student in the school you can see all of your students’ teachers’ schedules at one time by answering YES to this question “Do you want to schedule conferences for another student?” then repeat the steps above for your other students.  If you only have one student, answer NO to that question.
8. You will then see the available time slots for each teacher you selected.
9. Select the times that work best for your schedule. 
10. Enter your email address (**highly recommended**) if you would like an email reminder sent to you. (Your email address is kept private.)
11. Once you have finished you can confirm your appointment details and print your conference schedule.
12. ***Write down the Confirmation Number*** (you will need this number to cancel or edit your appointment)

Here's This Week in Switzer:

Math: We are finishing our Benchmark test over the first 4 topics in the math book.  This test gives us a chance to see what material is "sticking" with our students and which concepts we may need a little more work on.  Some great news: All of our 6th graders have passed the first 4 Common Formative Assessments (CFA's) with at least an 80% or higher.  That means every 6th grader has a minimum B- in Math... our goal is to make sure every 6th grader leaves elementary school with no lower than a B- in Math, Reading, and Writing.

Reader's Workshop: Students are dutifully writing and reading everyday.  Our goal is still 30 minutes per night- we've been logging all of our minutes everyday.  We will begin another Book Club book this week- make sure to ask your student about what their reading each night.

Writing: Students are working on their Doggy World articles and finishing up this unit on Research writing.  

Social Studies: Students took a test last week and are making corrections before they begin their next unit.

Science: We do a final test of our Thermal Energy Mugs on Tuesday and write up our lab reports this week.  The lab reports are serious work and may require a little extra computer time at home this week.

Have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer

6th Grade Teacher, 

Southdale Elementary

TWIS 10/24-10/28

Parents,

   Ahh, Fall.  Perhaps my favorite time of year; football, leaves turning, weather cooling, and 6th graders trying to figure out how to wear shorts everyday throughout the coming winter. 

I had the opportunity last week to serve on a jury for two days, which gave our students a chance to shine for a guest teacher- Mr. D (our former Guidance Teacher at Southdale).  I was very proud of how well our students interact with guest teachers- and this was no exception.  Of course, I had to regale the class with my exploits in the jury box and tried to turn it into a "teachable moment" on civic duty.  Our big lesson from my experience: don't mess with the law.  Oh, and Be Kind. Always.  From the mouths of babes...

Next week is Red Ribbon week at Southdale- it's a pledge to stay drug and alcohol free.  With it comes "dress up/ theme days," which include:

Monday- Crazy for Healthy Choices (Crazy Hair Day)

Tuesday- Black Out Bad Choices (Wear Black and Shades)

Wednesday- "Chews" Healthy Choices (Chew gum day)

Thursday- Rock Out a Healthy Lifestyle (Dress like a rock star)

Friday- Rock the Red (Wear red/ CF Tiger clothes)

Coincidentally, Friday is Picture Make-up day

#tl;dr-  Math test, Social Studies Test, Building stuff in Science, Keep them reading every night!

Here's This Week in Switzer:

Math (Switzer): My math class is working through the end of Topic 3 (multiplying and dividing with Decimals) and will take a Topic 3 test on Monday (if we're ready) or Tuesday.  We begin Topic 4 on Tuesday. 

Reader's Workshop: Students finished their Book Club books and are continuing through their free read books.  We will begin a new book club book soon.  We are journaling every day and logging our minutes reading, so don't hesitate to ask your student about what they are reading or writing about!

Read-aloud: We finished the book, Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate and are starting the science fiction novel, The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forrester.  I've included links to Amazon if you'd like to see an overview of these books.

Science: Students have finished researching Thermal Energy and Heat Transfer and are ready to design their blueprints for a coffee mug that retains the most heat over a 30 minute time span.  Students may also begin bringing in building materials to create their coffee mug- I will allow:

- A "core" material (something to hold 1 cup of hot water)- this could be a ceramic mug, paper cup, plastic cup, or glass.  I will provide styrofoam and plastic cups if a student needs a core.

- Anything they want to use that they can find around the house (with parents' permission).  I am NOT asking students to purchase anything.  Whatever they bring will be for their use on their project only (unless they choose to share).  I will not redistribute materials they bring from home.

- I will have materials for students to use, including cardboard, plastic bags, tin foil, tape, and anything else we find laying around my classroom (within reason, of course).  Your student is NOT required to bring anything, and will not be at a disadvantage academically for not bringing materials.

Social Studies: Students have a test on Monday and should be reviewing their study guide on Slavery and pre-Civil War America.

Writing: Students are beginning to take their Doggy World research and synthesizing it into a research article.  

Leader Notebooks: We are going to put in plenty of work with our Leader Notebooks in the next two weeks, mainly to prepare us for Student-led conferences.  Conferences this year will be held on November 15th and 17th.

Speaking of which, the conference scheduler will open for scheduling on Wednesday, October 26th at 1 a.m. (in case you wanted to stay up late for the event ;-).  It will close on Wednesday, November 9th.  I will post the link to Southdale6.com when it becomes available.  

The 6th grade participates in Student-Led Conferences, which means that we expect your student to be at conferences to walk you through their Leader Notebooks, Grades, and Social expectations.  You will also have an opportunity to ask questions and get feedback from me.  As always, if you have a concern, please do not hesitate to email me ASAP- 

I'm having such a blast with your student this year; thanks again for sending me your very best every day.  I can't tell you what a privilege and honor it is to teach your child each and every day!

--

Matthew Switzer

6th Grade Teacher, 

Southdale Elementary

TWIS 10/17-10/21

Parents,

   What a great week last week!  I had such a good time at our last General Music concert on Thursday- you have an incredible student!  I'm also very proud of our efforts in helping pack meals with the Feed My Starving Children organization.  

A reminder that we are continuing to accept Hy-Vee receipts and Box Tops for Education- we are also still working on our fundraiser as well.  Here's This Week in Switzer:

Math: In Switzer math, we're working through Topic 3 on multiplying and dividing multi-digit numbers, along with decimals, fluently.  We will have two CFA's along those lines which will show up on the report card.  I plan to have a Topic test early next week.

Reader's Workshop: Many students have finished their book club books- and I am so impressed by their thinking and effort in journaling about characters, themes, and life lessons.  We are transitioning to journaling on our free read books (fiction/ literature), and in a couple of weeks I'll assign another book club book.  Your student should be reading 30+ minutes per night- this is the most important homework they can do each night (along with Chores and playing outside ;-)

Writing: Students are working on three things: Writing a couple of paragraphs on their Service Projects (Crop Walk Trail Mix and Feed My Starving Children), Researching a dog breed for their Doggy World article, and finishing up their final drafts of "I am" writing piece.

Social Studies: Students are working through a simulation in class on the economic and social conditions in the United States prior to the Civil War.  

Science: We are continuing to research Thermal Energy and Heat Transfer to build a knowledge base for creating a Thermos.  Our goal is to design and build a thermos (or coffee mug) that can retain the most heat over 20 minutes.  After our research phase, we will move into a blue print phase, then our build/ experiment phase.  All our research can be found on Southdale6.com.

Math WIN: In Switzer's WIN group, we are working on two different things: some students are practicing for the Math Bee (a statewide Math Competition held in March), and others have been working on computer coding with a number of different coding tutorials (like Hour of Code, Khan Academy, etc.).  All coding programs are on Southdale6.com- feel free to explore those with your student (and learn some coding!).

Thank you for sending me your student everyday- I am having a wonderful time with these exceptional young people!  Please do not hesitate to email with any questions or concerns.

--

Matthew Switzer

6th Grade Teacher, 

Southdale Elementary

@matthew2switzer

TWIS 10/3-10/7

Parents-

    Welcome to This Week in Switzer!  A few reminders- Crop Walk donations need to be at school by MONDAY!  We can still take donations the rest of the week, but the 6th graders will begin creating Trail Mix snack bags for sale Monday afternoon. Thank you for donating to this worthy cause! 

   Students will need headphones for Science and Social Studies beginning on Monday- I have a few loaners, but it will be best if your student can bring their own.

   In Science, we'll be looking at Thermal Dynamics (NGSS Standards- CLICK HERE) and heat transfer in a lab where students design a coffee mug.  I'll ask students to bring a ceramic or plastic mug from home, if they can (I'll have a few extras).  I'll also invite students to bring foil, tape, cardboard, foam, or any other similar construction material to design a thermos.  I just wanted you to be aware in case you catch your 6th grader rooting through your kitchen.  All mugs for this experiment will only be containing water.  If you'd like to donate mugs or materials, feel free to email me and let me know.

   Finally- here's This Week in Switzer:

#TL;DR- Math tests and WIN groups, Science experiments, Crop Walk, and as always- reading book clubs!  

SWITZER Math: We're slowly wrapping up Topic 2 in Math.  There are plenty of new skills involved in this topic.  Look for a Topic 2 math test possibly by the end of the week.

Math WIN: We begin our Math WIN groups this week- some students will be working on exponents (a past skill), others will be getting extra practice with exponents or Order of Operations, and students that really understand the skill will be challenged with Math Bee.

Science: We are finishing up looking at how scientists make claims based on evidence, and will begin a thermal dynamics unit where students explore heat transfer.  I'm really trying hard this year to make all materials available online for Science- if your student is having trouble, please check Southdale6.com (Click on SCIENCE button) to find resources.  You may also have your student sign into Google Classroom for assignments (especially if your student is ABSENT or will be gone).

Social Studies- Students finished a test on Landforms and are beginning a unit on the Civil War.

Writing- Students continue to work on personal narratives and using digital writing tools.

Reader's Workshop- Your student has been assigned a book to read for book club.  Our goal is to finish the book in about 8-10 days and discuss what we are reading.  This means your student will need 30+ minutes per night to read and journal- I've purposely avoided assigning any other superfluous homework with the exception of reading this year, to make sure your student can focus their homework time on this research-based, powerful learning skill.  You can really help out at home by providing a specific time and place for your student to read uninterrupted.

Finally, make sure to check out Southdale6.com for links and buttons to important school-related websites and materials.  Have a great week!

   

www.southdale6.com

TWIS 9/26-9/30

Parents,

   First and foremost, I hope you and your families are safe and secure during this flood.  Our class had a great discussion on Thursday afternoon about how we can be leaders in the community in many different ways during our canceled school day Friday- one of our values in the 6th grade is volunteering and looking for opportunities to assist in our communities.  Look for more information along those lines as we progress through the school year.

   I am in the process of figuring out what kind of reader your student is- their likes, interests, reading levels, and habits.  We'll be diving into Book Clubs this week- continue to plan for your student to have 30 minutes of reading homework (and journaling) every night.  It's an ambitious goal; but I fully believe a powerful reading base will give our students the best opportunities to succeed in Junior High/ High school.  With that, here's This Week in Switzer:

#TLDR: New Book clubs, plenty of writing, Landform Test, and Science experiments.  I'm looking to add STEM and WIN groups this week.

Math: Switzer Math is half-way through Topic 2- we take a daily quiz over the previous night's lesson.  Students in Switzer's class are in charge of deciding their own homework for the night- homework is self checked and is not worth any points towards the grade.  Quizzes (and CFA's), however, are worth points and are directly related to Mastery on the report cards.  We took a CFA over Exponents last week, and will most likely take another CFA over Mental Math Properties and Order of Operations soon (possibly Tuesday or Wednesday).  I've included links for both of these concepts in Khan Academy (Click here for Mental Math Properties, Here for Order of Operations) and IXL (Mental Math, Order of Operations) if you feel your student needs some extra practice.

Math WIN: Win is a time for students to have more opportunities to prove they know the content on a Math CFA.  This week is Exponents- we'll continue to teach the kids that don't know it yet, and give some opportunities for other students to explore math-related concepts.  WIN groups change weekly.

Social Studies: Students have a test over Landforms in the United States on Monday.

Writing: Students are working on their Personal Narrative Drafts in class.

Science: We are talking about Claims and Evidence, and how good scientists make Claims on how the world works after collecting and observing Evidence (We did a mystery activity on Google Classroom with Mario and his Missing Super Star).  Later in the week, I'll ask students to make an observation about something very important to me: why my coffee gets cold so quickly, and what we can do about it.  Make sure to ask your students about claims and evidence.

Reader's Workshop: We've spent the first month of school practicing reading, picking "just right books," reading with our minds awake, and journaling our ideas (great reading involves great writing).  We'll begin Book Clubs on Monday, where your student will read a book with another couple of group members, talk and write their ideas, and encourage each other in the process.  Like I said above, plan for your student to have 30 minutes of reading and writing every night.  I've intentionally cut down on assigned homework in other subjects with the intent that we focus on the most important stuff at home- reading and thinking.  If you're curious about the number of pages your student has read (and logged), please click here and look for your student's name across the top of the page.  Your student should be around 250 total pages by the end of the weekend.

Iowa Youth Survey-  Our 6th graders will participate in the Iowa Youth Survey this week- CLICK HERE for more information.

School Pictures for 1st through 6th graders is on Thursday this week.  Pre-K and Kinders will have pictures on Friday.

From the Office: 

The District continues to work to get the online lunch payment system up and running as soon as possible. Although the online payment system for meal accounts is currently unavailable; cash, check, and credit card payments are accepted at all buildings. You or your child can bring cash or a check to the office or you are able to call your building secretary to make credit card payments over the phone.

Have a great week and stay safe!

--

Matthew Switzer

6th Grade Teacher, 

Southdale Elementary

TWIS (This Week in Switzer) 9/19-9/23

Parents,

   We have a fantastic week of school planned!  Here's what you can expect your student to work on This Week in Switzer:

Math: Most students have finished up Topic 1 and we are beginning to work through Topic 2.  We'll be giving a CFA (Common Formative Assessment- that's teacher talk for a mini-quiz that everyone takes) over Exponents.  We use the quiz information to see who gets the concept of exponents, and who needs a little more work on it.  Our goal is that every 6th grader will pass the CFA for Exponents by mastering the concept.  We'll keep working with students that don't master this skill until they do-

Science: We're wrapping up talk on Hypothesis, Independent and Dependent variables, and control variables.  We'll take a CFA over those concepts on Monday.  Then we begin to look at Claims and Evidence- how we, as scientists, can only make valid claims with the support of empirical evidence (and not literary, or fictionalized, evidence).  We'll look at some "mystery" stories to figure out "who dunnit?" using evidence from the text.

Reader's Workshop: Your student should be reading towards their weekly goal every night.  Most of my students said they would like to read 25+ minutes a night (about 23 pages worth).  It's an ambitious goal, and we're thankful for parents that set aside a time for their student to read each night.

  We're journaling our thoughts from our reading and learning how to analyze literature more deeply.  I'm also FAST testing students this month, and doing some work with students to help them find their "just right reading level."

Social Studies:  Students are wrapping studies on landforms and will move into early U.S. History soon.

Writing: Students are working on drafting stories and using peer editors to improve and collaborate on a final draft.

Look for a School picture form to come home Monday afternoon- school pictures are Sept. 29th.  Forms need to come back to school that day with payment (if you choose to purchase pictures).  The Iowa Youth Study survey will take place soon as well (in class)- it's a State Dept. of Health survey that looks at the social and emotional habits of students in middle school and high school.

Finally, here's our 6 day cycle schedule in Mr. Switzer's Class:

Day 1,4- music (around 11:55-12:30 most days)

Day 2,5- PE 

Day 3- Art (around 9:55-10:45)

Day 6- Media

Monday is a Day 4.  Have a fantastic weekend!

TWIS 9/12-9/15

Parents,

   Action packed week this week!  A reminder that there is no school Friday for teacher inservice.  Also, I am currently taking Box Tops for Education and Hy-Vee receipts for school- your student can bring those in anytime.  Also, your student is beginning to access our 6th grade website, Southdale6.com.  Many websites students and parents will use for 6th grade, and CF Schools, are linked on this site- this includes my classroom blog.  Here's This Week in Switzer:

Switzer Math: Students in Mr. Switzer's math class are taking a Topic 1 test and a Topic 2 pre-test on Tuesday.  We begin diving full force into Topic 2 Wednesday.

Science:  We're wrapping up a mini-experiment using pennies to gain an understanding of the Scientific Method, specifically looking at Testable Questions, Independent and Dependent Variables, Fair tests, and Controls.  We will have a mini-quiz over these concepts Tuesday.

Social Studies: Students finished their North American Landform Google presentations and should be studying for a quiz this week.

Writing: Students are completing a rough draft/ final draft of their summer vacation activities.

Reader's Workshop: Students need to read everynight- this is the most important homework they can do. Please set aside a time for your student to devote to reading each night.  Many nights, students will also be required to journal about their reading- we're still learning how to effectively journal in class, so expect those journal entries to continue getting better.

Have a fantastic week!  

--

Matthew Switzer

6th Grade Teacher, 

Southdale Elementary

TWIS 9/6-9/9

Parents,

   What a week we had!  I do want to say, after getting to know you a little better, and after talking with your students- what a great bunch we have!  Thank you for sending your student to me everyday.  I know that as a parent, our children represent the best of our hopes and dreams- I'll do my best to honor those hopes and build worth into your child every time I interact with them.  This is part of my mission statement.

   Speaking of mission statements, here's This Week in Switzer:

We worked on 3 big things last week, and those are coming due this coming week:

1- Classroom Contracts- We brainstormed and played games to figure out what kind of classroom culture we wanted this year, what we expect from Mr. Switzer, and what we expect from ourselves.  Our ideas have been drawn into a contract, which should've come home this weekend.  Please review the contract with your student, sign, and return it by Friday, September 9th.  The contract is designed for us to have a common language of expectations and procedures that we agree to uphold.

2- Acrostic Name Mission Statements- Students began working on their Mission Statements- and turned them into an acrostic with their name.  These Mission Statements will be due by Friday as well.

3- Symbol Slides- Students are creating a Google Slide full of symbols and colors that represent who they are and who they aspire to be.  We'll use the slides to learn more about each other and begin conversations about symbolism in writing and literature.

Math: We've jumped into Topic 1 in math; there are two new 6th grade skills covered in this chapter that we'll assess for the report card: Exponents and Multiplying with 10's, 100's, and 1000's.  

   Students have been moved into math classrooms based on what they know about the Topic- we are supporting students who are seeing Topic 1 for the first time in Mrs. Braley's and Mrs. Brunsen's classrooms, and for students who understand much of the Topic already, we are diving deeper into the concepts in Mr. Switzer's math class.  We'll adjust classrooms again before the each new topic/ chapter.  To us, we want to support the students where they are at- we don't want to make students do work they already know how to do, and we don't want to move too quickly for students who aren't ready to move yet.  Our goal is to make sure every student can score at least 80% or higher on math tests this year- and we'll continue to work with your student to make sure that happens.

Social Studies: Students are working with Mrs. Brunsen on Landforms in North America.  Look for study guides to come home this week.

Writing: Mrs. Braley is working with our class on a summer vacation writing project.

Reader's Workshop: We took some time this week to set ambitious goals as readers for the year.  I've had time to confer with your student and guide them in their goal writing, and I will email your student's goals to you ASAP.  I'll also share a Google Doc with you showing your student's progress towards their goals.  This doc will be updated in real-time, so keep it bookmarked or saved.

TWIS 8.25-9.2

Parents,

   Welcome to the first parent email- This Week in Switzer (TWIS)!  Here, I'll document what you can expect in Switzer's class in the coming week.  I will also post this email on my classroom blog-

Mr. Switzer's 6th Grade (CLICK HERE)- make sure to bookmark this blog... we'll add weekly notices, student projects, photos, etc. to the blog throughout the year.

Feel free to reply to this email with any concerns or questions-

#TL;DR- we played games and built our culture last week.  We begin more content in reading, writing, math and science this week.

Last week: We looked at a number of different games and stories to build the culture of our classroom and decide how we want to interact with each other this year in school.  Here are the games:

Animal Toss- We toss around stuffed animals, building rules and etiquette for the process.  I use this game to teach how teamwork should look in the classroom, how we can respect each other in difficult tasks, and get to know each other.  I also want to teach them that as a class, we can achieve goals that seem impossible at first- but become achievable as we work through failure and begin to synergize.

The Chair Problem: Students learn that many problems have numerous solutions- some work better than others.  We also are learning that solving problems sometimes takes "outside the box" thinking.  We got 2, 3, 4, and 6 students to sit in a chair safely all at the same time!  We even got ALL 29 OF US TO SIT IN A SINGLE CHAIR SAFELY!!! Ask your student how...

The Ring of Gyges: I'm story telling The Ring of Gyges (CLICK HERE) from Aristotle's Republic to our students.  The point of the story is that we (humans) are tempted to do "dirt-baggy" things if we think we won't get caught.  We contrast that with the thought that we may be free to choose an action, but we're not free from the consequences of those actions.  We want to be the kind of student that builds others (and ourselves) to be better, not worse.

We'll compile all these games and stories into a Classroom Contract- look for that to come home this week sometime.

This Week:

Math: We are taking a Benchmark pre-test to find out what our students have retained from last year, and what they may be ready for out of the first four chapters in the Math book.  This year in Math, students may have the opportunity to learn from Mrs. Braley, Mrs. Brunsen, Mrs. Just, and/ or myself- chances are, they'll regularly change math classrooms throughout the year.  We've designed the process to best serve each student where they are at in Math.

Science: We'll begin science this week by looking at the scientific process, and how we can use STEM to learn.

Social Studies: Students will take Social Studies from Mrs. Brunsen this year- elizabeth.brunsen@cfschools.org

Writing: Students will be asked to write across all subjects, and my class will be reflecting and writing via online blogs (more information will follow in the coming months).  Mrs. Braley will be helping students to develop as writers in a writing-specific class- rhonda.braley@cfschools.org

Reading: We begin looking at how readers are thinkers, how to choose just-right books, and how to set goals as a reader.  I will begin reading the book, Home of the Brave, by Katherine Applegate.

Finally, a reminder that Input Conferences are Monday and Tuesday afternoon- if you haven't scheduled a time, please call the office first thing Monday morning.  I will contact anyone that has not signed up for a conference.

Well, that's a ton of information!  Typically, my emails won't be this long... but welcome to the beginning of the year!  Again, check our classroom blog, Mr. Switzer's 6th grade (CLICK HERE), in case you've missed anything.  Have a great week!

--

Matthew Switzer

6th Grade Teacher, 

Southdale Elementary

627 Orchard Dr.

Cedar Falls, IA 50613