Kids' Corner
News from our classroom...

August/September 2011

Welcome to fourth grade!! It is with pleasure that I welcome your child to our eMINTS classroom. The eMINTS journey began for Marshall Public Schools in 2003 with an initial grant and four elementary teachers who were willing to embrace 180 hours of professional development over two years to enhance Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies. The grant enabled our district to train these elementary teachers and provide them with the technology and tools to establish four eMINTS classrooms at Northwest Elementary, the fourth grade building.

The following year, more grant funds became available to provide training to establish four more eMINTS classrooms at fifth grade. In 2006 our district technology committee, with board approval, elected to continue to support the use of technology by providing training to establish all fourth and fifth grade classrooms as eMINTS classrooms.

Today, as technology continues to impact our lives, many of the district teachers, K-12, are continuing the commitment of using technology to enhance their teaching on this journey of preparing our students, at Marshall Public Schools, for a technology-rich world.

OUR TECHNOLOGY PLEDGE

I will use the computer as a learning tool.
I will use the computer only when instructed to do so by my teacher.
I will always respect the computer as part of school property.
I will work cooperatively with my partner.
I will work only from the websites and files provided for me by my teacher.
I will always ask permission before printing.

GENERAL SCHOOL/CLASSROOM POLICIES

The practice of using Daily Agendas to track assignments continues for your fourth grader, as it has in previous grade levels. Please encourage your child to keep track of their projects and assignments through this Agenda. The Agenda is also a great place for written communication between home and school. Scholar dollars can be earned for parent signatures in Agendas, as well. Included in the front of each Agenda is the elementary handbook which contains many specific guidelines about the daily procedures and expectations at school. A few highlights are listed below for your convenience.

To help make each day as productive as possible please respect the following:

**If you are planning to send treats to school for birthdays or holidays, I strongly recommend box or pouch type drinks. We need to be mindful of the computer equipment. Birthday celebrations will be held one day each month. Please check the calendar link for those dates. If you would like to coordinate treats with the parents who have children with the same birthday month as your child, please feel free to do so. That would help you to plan quantities and not have leftovers to take home.

** If your child must leave during the school day, you must got to the Office and ask for them to be dismissed. Please do not come directly to the classroom. This procedure is necessary for the safety of all students.

**If your child is not going home in their usual manner, please send me a note. Without a note, I am required to send them home according to their normal routine.

**Please leave toys, electronics, candy and gum at home.

So just what are we going to do this year?
Read on for a sneak peek into the answer to this popular fourth grade question.

LANGUAGE/SPELLING

Classroom money can be earned for a variety of things including
but not limited to the following:
signed Agendas
respectful behavior
returned homework
signed and returned forms
organized workspace

Get ready to have fun spending for things such as:
extra recess
excused assignments
real estate swapping (save up for this one)
classroom movies
special Scholar Dollar parties

As the year begins and progresses, you will probably be hearing your child talk about the fish philosopy. This is a philosophy that the Marshall teachers had the opportunity to learn about during one of our PLC training days. Since then, I have been exploring and reading more about this concept and believe that it will reinforce the "community of respect" philosophy that is the motto of my classroom world.
So, just what is the Fish Philosophy?

The following excerpt is taken from Schools of Fish by Philip Strand, John Christensen, and Andy Halper.

"Few people show up quite like the fishmongers of Pike Place Fish in Seattle. Their work is cold and exhausting, yet they bring so much energy, creativity, and poetic surprise to the job that people come from around the world just to watch. Kind of like observing a classroom... team-taught by Billy Crystal, Muhammad Ali, Albert Einstein, and Maya Angelou.

After filming at Pike Place Fish several years ago, ChartHouse Learning analyzed hours and hours of footage to put its collective finger on what made that workplace so engaging. ChartHouse zeroed in on four essential ideas.

*Despite continual distractions, the fishmongers were consistently present for customers and for each other.
*They constantly looked for ways to be creative and have fun while working - and found that they accomplished even more.
*They connected with customers, and people just passing by, for no other reason than to brighten their day.
*No matter what the situation, each fishmonger took responsibility for consciously, actively choosing his attitude.

These behaviors were not written in the fish market's strategic plan, but Chartouse Learning recognized them as something every one of us can do to be more alive at work, at home, and in the world. Mindful that an idea, like a child, needs its own identity to grow and flourish, ChartHouse named the four practices: -Be There, -Play, -Make Their Day, and -Choose Your Attitude. The Fish Philosophy was born.

The Fish Philosophy has been introduced to millions of people around the world through a video called 'FISH!' and a book of the same name. It's a positive, common language that gives individuals and organizations a foundation for building vibrant relationships."

We can all look forward to an exciting and rewarding school year. We both play an important role in your child's education. It is important that we work together so that your child benefits most. Please contact me by email, phone or note anytime.