Crumb Chronicles, Issue 3

Crumb Chronicles
 

***A Family Newsletter***

September 24, 2012 – Issue 3
 

Dear Families:

It was great to see some of you at Curriculum Night.  Thanks again for letting me "borrow" your wonderful children for the year -- it really is a great group of kids!  If you were not able to attend, there will soon be an audio-only recording of my presentation of the web site, as well as quite a bit of other information about our class ( http://ses.svsd410.org/crumb/index.htm ).  There's also many links to excellent educational websites throughout my home page.  When students want to practice their facts, look up a math term they've forgotten, or play a game to reinforce skills learned in class, these sites are the places to go.

Remember, homework includes practicing at least 5 minutes to improve the recall of basic number facts and reading for at least 20 minutes (Monday through Friday). Written homework is also assigned Monday through Thursday; these assignments should take around 15-20 minutes or so to complete (if your child is having trouble completing it well past 20 minutes, just write me a note explaining the situation). On Fridays (or anytime over the weekend), students should also work on their independent projects. Your child’s project is based upon something new that he/she wants to learn about OR how to do. They will present what they’ve learned to their classmates beginning on November 16.

Today, you will receive your child’s first progress report. If your child has missing assignments, he or she may see me at one of their recesses to find out about make-up work or extra credit (and they might also want to check the “no-name pile.”). I will be sending home two more progress reports home before the end of the trimester. If you want more frequent “check-ups,” please e-mail me (crumbm@svsd410.org) on Fridays, and I can let you know if any assignments are missing for that week.

Missing homework and small in-class assignments will impact the "effort" grades on the report card, and often times I will simply indicate in the grade book whether or not these assignments are completed or not.  Many of the specific academic grades will primarily be based upon "opportunities" (also known as "tests" or "assessments") and upon larger projects or assignments (reading log entries, monthly reading projects, major writing tasks, etc.).  Of course, when students fail to complete the smaller assignments, they are not getting all of the practice that will help them perform well on the things that do receive a specific score or grade.  Students usually correct their own homework the following day in class before turning it in.

About Portfolios . . .
A portfolio is a collection of a student’s work that enables the student, teacher, and parents to see the efforts, progress, and given achievements over time. When a student, teacher, and/or parent look at, talk about, and reflect on the contents of the portfolio, they have a way to identify strengths and to set realistic goals for the future.

I will put representative pieces of work into each child’s portfolio. Attached to most pieces is an “entry slip,” a written rationale for why an item is included. Students also select work for their portfolio which is an example of their best work, which demonstrates an area of improvement, or which showcases an area that they need to improve upon.

From time to time (such as today), a selection of work will be sent home to you. At these times, you will have an opportunity to make your own selection for your child’s portfolio using the “Parent Entry Slip”. If you wish to do this, please send back the piece you selected along with the completed entry slip.

Please remember that you may consult your child’s portfolio at any time. They will also serve as a starting point for discussion during student-parent-teacher conferences.

                                                                                                  Sincerely,
                                                                                                  Michael Crumb

P.S. If you haven’t sent one in yet, I need your child’s white t-shirt by the beginning of next week! Remember, we will be wearing these on special occasions throughout the year, so please send in shirts with room for your child to grow.