Monday, May 11, 2020

May 10

Hello Quest Families!


Students watching presentations during book groups

Here are some updates to our online learning.

Creating a schedule
If your student is struggling with online learning, one strategy is to create a schedule.  Set aside specific times when your student will work on different subjects.  If your student seems to be hitting a slump, have them join one of the optional activities.  There are writing groups, and math games, and soon, scientist groups.

Need help?
As a whole, Quest students are doing very well with online learning.  Although it is not ideal, it has given us some opportunities to work with students individually and in small groups on assignments.  If your student is struggling with work, please have them contact one of their teachers either via email or during office hours.  We can set up meetings to help them out.

What's due?
Student's can access the Quest schedule, or daily checklists to see what is due.  Students can also open their Google Classroom and they will see what is due in the box of their class.  The same applies to their SeeSaw class.

Coming to school to get belongings
Please see the Cougar Notes for times to pick up belongings from lockers.

New books
Your student is reading one of the following books.  These books are intended to look more closely at the lives of people during the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods of American history.  Your student is in a book group.  The times of these book groups can be found on the Quest page under "Book Groups."  Your student is also in a SeeSaw class for this book.  At the end of the week, I will be retiring the old SeeSaw classes so your student's SeeSaw is not so full.
Your student will have written work, and reading to do each week.
Here are the books:
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Winter People by Joseph Bruchac
Blood on the River by Eliza Carbone
The Winter People by Joseph Bruchac
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. 
I am reading aloud Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson.  We will see how a young girl survives the 1793 Yellow Fever epidemic of Philadelphia!  The videos for the lessons I am giving can be found on both the weekly / daily schedule and the Quest Page.

Writing
We will focusing on narrative writing and persuasive writing these last five weeks.  Your student received a survey which asks them which type of writing they would like - mild, medium, or spicy, based on their need for challenge each week.   Students also have the ability to sign up for a writer's group.  These groups are usually introduced at the end of fifth grade, but are optional due to our current situation.  They are a great way to push student writing forward.  Please encourage your student to fill out this survey.

Cursive writing (!?)
They have also received a survey for cursive writing!!  I typically do not have time in my schedule to teach this, nor does everyone want to know!  However, I used to teach cursive, way back in the day.  I can teach it again, if anyone is interested :) There is no pressure to do this, I just thought I would offer.

Scientist's Groups
One last survey has gone out for students to join scientist groups (if they are interested).  Students will create a science fair like project based on a question of their choice.  If your student is interested, have them sign up!





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