Hi All, again:
Given the events involving Jamel Myles and the Shoemaker Elementary School community last week, I want to take the time to tell you, unequivocally, that I take these events and their implications very, very seriously. As I am sure you all do, I still need some time to process what happened. That said, though, we don't always have the time we need, and I am first and foremost committed to a number of measures intentionally designed to tend to the social-emotional needs of our diverse and yet distinct group of students at Southmoor. As such, it is clear to me that this discussion needs its own space here, apart from the day-to-day-type updates of my last post. First, I am committed -- above all -- to the social-emotional and mental health of each and every one of my students, many of whom I've known for the better half of a decade. I care more about their mental health, in fact, than about anything they'll ever accomplish academically. Second, I am committed to my students' abilities to know and love themselves, and each other, for the rest of their lives. That they must have these abilities is more important to me, as their teacher, than anything else. I started the first day of the school year with a short lesson about trees. I shared with the class one of my favorite songs by Ben Howard, Depth Over Distance. The opening verse begins: Depth over distance every time, my dear And this tree of ours may grow tall in the woods But it's the roots that will bind us here To the ground Of course, I threw in a few questions about metaphors and language, but the crux of the lesson was focused on deciphering the roots of life as a means of understanding how we, as people, can grow stronger trunks and branches, and healthier leaves, full of life. If a tree's roots are not strong and deep, it cannot grow above ground to be strong and tall. And if a tree's roots are not strong and deep, it is much more susceptible to dangers that exist outside of its control. As people, like trees, our roots are our foundations for building. And also like trees, our roots themselves can be susceptible to external conditions. If there are rocks, or drought, or digging, a tree's roots may struggle to spread and grow, much like ours. Roots need space, and they need time, and they need nourishment. I asked the class to brainstorm a list of words that could label the compositions of human root systems. The list they came up with included:
If these roots can be made strong, it goes, then so can the trunks, branches, stems, and leaves that flow from them. The "above-ground" stuff -- goal achievement, academic performance, athletic performance, work quality, competency, test scores, etc. -- can only be made strong by the health of a person's roots. On the second day of school, to build on that foundation, I started with a different question, which I posed to my students: What do you need to be happy? At first, when each person composed his or her own list, students came up with a list of 166 things they need to be happy. None of the original 166 entries were wrong, per se, but some of them weren't quite right, perhaps ignoring the element of necessity that my question included. One of my favorite entries, which was entered by only one student, was "a doctor who can help me with a bunch of stuff." Another entry, which also was entered by only one student, was, "Answers to my questions: What is death like? Why do humans exist?" I had all students pick their ten top entries from the list of 166, and I assigned point values to their ordered lists. The first entry on each list earned ten points, the second earned nine, and so on. That got us down to 64 things. Then, I did that again, with the top 15 entries from the list of 64. After another round of ordering and assigning points, the class' top-ten list included the following, in order from first to tenth:
We are fortunate in the Southmoor community, most of the time, to not have to worry about our continued access to food, water, and shelter, and pets we often personify as representations of both our roots and our needs. As for all the others, the roots and the needs, those are what we are going to work on this year in my classroom, above all. The rest of the stuff will come; we can be all but assured of that. It is the roots we need to tend to and protect. Thousands of people from the LGBTQIA community, for which I am a staunch advocate, have come forward in the last week to offer for Jamel, and others like him, what he did not have in life: a network of deep roots proven to stand up against the threats that seek to take LGBTQIA lives. Jamel's roots, as with most children his age, were not fully developed yet, and they needed love and protection to grow and survive and thrive, and for that, clearly, he cannot be blamed. Adults' roots need protection and nourishment, too, but kids' need it most of all. At Southmoor, our kids are lucky to be surrounded by a large community of adult trees with thick, deep roots and flowing leaves. Kids can find good protection in them. But more importantly, in my opinion, kids must be helped to develop their roots themselves, too, so they can become the strong, thick trees that they seek to become. For kids' roots to grow, they must learn to nourish themselves; they must learn to find nourishment in others; and they must learn to provide nourishment to others. They must share water when it is needed, and sunlight, and air. My hope is not only that my kids' roots will be strong, but that they'll be so strong that one day, when they're adults, their roots will span so far and wide that young trees like Jamel's will be supported before they fall. I am going to be working closely with Jackie Person this year to design and implement curricula to nourish our kids' roots, and outside of those curricula it will be a focus of mine each and every day. In the next few weeks, in particular, Jackie and I are going to be focusing on the power of words, and how to use them kindly, and also on options for seeking individual social-emotional help if and when it is needed. Though we will not be discussing Jamel's story in class without further thought and, at the very least, parental permission, it is important for all of you to note that we are only three miles away from Shoemaker and that there is some crossover between our two schools. If you or your child need any help processing Jamel's story or dealing with any problem at home or at school, big or small, please reach out to me immediately. If I cannot offer the help you need, I have resources that can. Thank you for all you do, and for the loving support with which you provide me and your kids. It does not go unnoticed. All the very best, Parker
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Hi All:
We have had a great second week of school so far, and we are working ourselves back into our routines. The first few weeks of a new school year are always exhausting, for everyone, and I know all of us are feeling the exhaustion now. That said, I appreciate the work you all are doing after hours to help with the transition. I am going to try to keep this post short, but I have a few updates for you that I will list here in order of importance. Important Dates to Remember (or Pencil In)
Our New Room Parent: Stacy Kitchens! Stacy Kitchens has volunteered to be our room parent for the 2018-19 school year, and she is already off to a great start. Please look out for her emails, as they will always contain important calendar information and updates from the Southmoor PTO. Thank you for your volunteerism, Stacy! Thursday Folders Thursday folders went home for the first time today, and I realized today that there are a number of kids who kept their folders from last year and did not return them to school. If you or your kid(s) have or find a purple Thursday folder at home, can you please send it back so we can use it this year? Some of them are assuredly lost, I know, but will use all we can find. Planners We are going to start using our new planners next week. If you have not yet sent in $5 for a planner, please do so. The money for planners is fronted by the fifth grade budget which we will use to purchase necessary supplies throughout the year. The $5 you send in for planners is greatly appreciated, as that money frees up budget space so that the fifth grade team can buy other things as needed. English Language Arts & Social Studies We have begun working on narratives this year, and that work, like last year, will continue throughout the year. I love starting the year with narratives and a bit of foundational work to allow for students to build up some stamina after the summer months, and throughout the year students can and do continue the work as time allows. I encourage students to share their narratives with family members, and if you need any help with the sharing process, please let me know. In addition, this year we are going to be moving early into evidence-based writing and research, and we started the foundational work for that at the end of last week. For our first unit, students are going to be working on individual research projects on topics of their choice that relate to U.S.-American history of the last 400 years. As I mentioned last week, much of our English language arts instruction this year will tie in with social studies content, nonfiction texts, and, specifically, U.S.-American history. Last week we worked together to construct a timeline of major events between 1492 and 2018, and this week students selected their research topics and began preliminary research. To aid the process along and support the work we will soon be doing as a class, I began teaching citation methods this week. Though there are simpler methods of citation that are often used in the elementary grades, I decided to go all-in and began teaching the basics of the 17th Edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, which is one of the most widely useful methodologies of citation. Students began practicing basic CMS methods this week, and they will soon be using those methods to cite evidence in their written work. The process is going to take some practice, but I am confident that they'll pick it up. Students are going to be working on their history projects for the next 4-6 weeks, and I'll post more information about the specifics of those projects in the next week or two. For now, all students are right where they should be. Math For the first two weeks of math, we have begun with what has largely been a review of last year's content and methodologies. From here, we will begin building upon students' mathematical understanding with new themes and methods for solving complex problems (not, so much, computations). For the first few weeks, we have heavily focused on expectations for problem solving, paying attention to details, and relying on competencies when solving unforeseen problem presentations. We've reviewed multi-digit multiplication and methods for solving such problems; the order of operations; and mathematical language. Starting next week, we'll begin delving into pre-algebra, fractions and ratios, and the explanation of reasoning. Mrs. Larson (the sixth grade math teacher) and I are going to be using similar teaching methods this year, and we will hold similar expectations. Mrs. Larson will be present at my Curriculum Night presentation(s), for those of you who are interested in hearing from and meeting her, and she will also be providing me with unit-driven updates that I will post here. Homework With the introduction of planners next week, I will begin holding students accountable for tracking their after school activities. I will review options for homework with the class, and I am happy to speak with any of you about homework options so that we can align ourselves in our approaches and expectations. Please, please reach out to me if you would like to talk homework. I am not tied to any one approach in particular, and I would like to work with students and families to find options that can work for all. Snacks Thank you to those of you who have signed up for a snack week! The kids appreciate the extra calories (and break) during the afternoon hours, and I appreciate your generosity in helping us to ensure that all of our brains are fully functioning, especially in the August heat. As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions or if you would like to talk. My door is always open to you! (Sometimes it's locked, I guess, but if you knock, I'll open it.) All my very best, Parker Hello Fifth Grade HGT Families:
Welcome back to a brand new school year at Southmoor Elementary. I am honored and excited to be sharing this new year with you which will also, for a good number of you, be your last year at Southmoor. The fact that most of us moved with each other from fourth grade to fifth grade has made the start of the year my most enjoyable and exciting one yet, and I appreciate all the kindness, support, and grace you have shown me and your kids in our first couple days of school. With that said, this year is going to be incredibly busy and packed with action. We have a few big events coming up quickly, and aside from those I am going to use this initial post to acquaint you with as much general information as I can as a backdrop to our Curriculum Night discussions which will occur on Thursday, September 6 at 6:00 p.m. Important Dates to Remember (or Pencil In)
English Language Arts & Social Studies This year, again, we will be using writing and writing instruction in class to drive content-based learning in English Language Arts (ELA) and, perhaps more importantly, social studies. Among other markers of success, our class' CMAS ELA scores from last year demonstrate remarkable performance and growth that place our class' students among the very highest achievers in the Denver Public Schools. Above all, we hope to build upon the momentum that we created last year. Within the writing domains, we will again begin with a month-long unit on narratives; then we will move to a five-months long practicum on informative (essay) writing, with a focus on citation; and we will end the year with units on opinion writing and poetry. Social studies units will drive most of our ELA work, and the primary driver will be a year-long study of American history from 1491-present. Considering a timespan of 527 years, we will focus on big topics and big events, and students will have opportunities to work on individual and small group projects related to topics that are of particular interest to them. In addition, we will complete smaller, shorter units on geography (the 50 states) and civics/economics (for AmeriTowne), and fold economic, geographic, and civic learning into the study of United States and American history. The vast majority of whole group and small group reading this year will focus on nonfiction shorts related to social studies content, but I also expect students to read novels independently. I have challenged students to read 25 novels this school year, and I will hold them accountable to that as best I can through individualized assignments and projects related to readings of their choice. Students will have access to many books via both the classroom and Southmoor libraries this year, though I also encourage families to visit branches of the Denver Public Library and also The Bookies in order to satiate some of our students' seemingly insatiable needs for books. If you or your child would like help selecting such books at any point this year, please reach out to me. Otherwise, I will work hard to stay on top of selections through work in the classroom. Math This year, in my math section, we will be working through the fifth grade Investigations curriculum for the first three quarters of the year, and then the sixth grade i-Ready curriculum for the last quarter. Fortunately, my math section this year will have close to half as many students as it did last year, as approximately half of my homeroom class will move to Mrs. Larson's sixth grade section. The spread this year will provide all students with more and better individualized and small group instruction. Math instruction this year will build upon themes and concepts similar to those that students worked with last year, and we will again focus on a target of competence with respect to problem solving. Additionally, as we move into the fifth grade curriculum, students will interact with familiar operations but increasingly complex numbers and number schemes. Furthermore, they will use writing and oration to explain their learning and reasoning, and they will be held responsible for their pursuit of mathematical reasoning. Stay tuned for regular family letters detailing specific upcoming units of study. Science Science instruction this year will traverse three primary units of weather, heat exchange, and the human body, with the latter being the longest and most involved. In addition, we will make as many connections as possible between our primary units and our trip to Balarat, the instruction related to which will cover numerous units from students' past three years of science instruction in school. Toward the middle of the school year, also, all students will participate in the school's science fair, mentor younger students with their projects, and learn and teach about the scientific method and its attributes. Stay tuned for more information on that. Homework As I've done -- or not done -- in the past, I am not going to use a formal graded homework system this year. However, I will have, and work with kids on, a homework plan that families can mold to their desires. Generally, each week I will provide students with a list of options from which they can choose a variety of homework tasks. I will update that list on this website as it changes. To start, the list will include (1) reading; (2) i-Ready lessons in reading or math; (3) writing projects (narratives); and (4) any math completion work. I am not going to set a certain target for time spent on homework each week, as that will vary among students. Ideally, I would like for students and their families to set targets that are appropriate and meaningful according to circumstance, and I will make myself available to support those goals by offering help with accountability and options. Most importantly, if students are doing work at home, I want them working because they enjoy the work and not simply because they feel an external sense of duty. Planners We will be receiving planners again this year, and I am going to focus more on those this year as a way of keeping track of tasks and accomplishments, including those related to homework options. Planners will be $5.00 each this year, at the request of the office. As such, at your earliest convenience, please send $5.00 with your student(s) to cover his or her planner. (Thank you for that.) Field Trips We have three big field trips planned for this year, including AmeriTowne, SPREE, and Balarat. AmeriTowne and SPREE are already booked and taken care of, and we are awaiting confirmation for our Balarat dates. Stay tuned for more information about these trips, and for opportunities to volunteer! Snacks We have long afternoons this year, and I would like to coordinate a snack system similar to the one we had last year, if everyone is up for it again. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns as to that, or else look for a sign-up. Volunteers Coming up soon, we will need a few volunteers to help with interviewing students for AmeriTowne positions, so if you are interested in that, please let me know. There will be many opportunities for parents to volunteer this year, so please stay tuned for more options. If you have ideas as to particular things you would like or be willing to do, please email me so we can work on plans. Room Parent Opening Our marvelous room parent from last year, becca, is looking to hand over the reins to a new and worthy candidate this year. If you are interested in taking on the room parent role this year, please let me know. Primary duties this year will include forwarding PTO communications to parents and helping to manage or delegate sign-ups, classroom events, and parties. It is going to be a great year! Thanks for all you all do to support our classroom and school. I greatly appreciate you. All the very best, Parker |
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