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On Fridays, the Kids Read to the "Littles"

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On Fridays, the Kids Read to the "Littles"

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Week three of our Friday  activity, visiting the "Littles" to read to them.

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A girl with a dream becomes a woman with a mission...

In July 1960, at the age of 26, Jane Goodall traveled from England to what is now Tanzania, Africa and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees.

Equipped with little more than a notebook, binoculars, and her fascination with wildlife, Jane braved a realm of unknowns to give the world a remarkable window into humankind's closest living relatives. Dr. Jane has not only shown us the urgent need to protect chimpanzees and other animals from extinction; she has also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environment through the Jane Goodall Institute. Today she travels the world, speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees and other species along with environmental issues, urging each of us to take action on behalf of all living things and the planet we share.

Dr. Jane believes that every individual can make a difference and that today's young people are some of the most compassionate, creative, change-makers our world has ever seen. Young people driven to take action are one of her reasons for hope, which is why she created the Jane Goodall Institute's Roots & Shoots program in order to empower and encourage youth of all ages to pursue their passion, mobilize their peers, and become the compassionate citizens and leaders our world needs in order to ensure a better future for people, other animals, and the environment.

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In July 1960, at the age of 26, Jane Goodall traveled from England to what is now Tanzania, Africa and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees. Equipped with little more than a notebook, binoculars, and her fascination with wildlife, Jane braved a realm of unknowns to give the world a remarkable window into humankind's closest living relatives.

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GR3M5 Eureka Math Final Assessment

Final Assessment, Human Body Systems

Final Draft, Planet Poems

Making Music: Recycled Instruments and the Junkyard Band

Performing Arts, Movement performance practice (during PE)

Planting our milkweed garden

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Get Inspired, Observe, Take Action and Celebrate: Easy as 1,2,3,4!

Roots & Shoots is about making positive change happen for people, other animals, and the environment. Get to know the 4-Step Roots & Shoots Formula for identifying and completing a service project in your community.

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Get Inspired, Observe, Take Action and Celebrate: Easy as 1,2,3,4! Roots & Shoots is about making positive change happen for…

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Learn about Monarch Butterflies and Where They Live! See How you can Help Save the Low Recovering Population of Monarch Butterflies.

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Click on the image to play the video from our squishy circuits activity!

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Making electricity work for us! These kiddos used play dough to create a closed circuit and successfully powered up light bulbs, buzzers and even a motor!

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Good Afternoon Parents,

I cannot tell you how excited I am to be back in the classroom, and I view this newfound assignment to take over this particular classroom to be nothing short of a privilege, thanks to your amazing 2nd/3rd grade students!

Although taking over a class with only a month left in the school year is unquestionably unorthodox, I am happy to have been selected as the best option for an instructor to usher our students into summer vacations and end the school year on the right academic foot.  I have spent the year actively getting to know all of your children through their elective classes, in the lunchroom and on the playground, making for a very smooth and painless transition to this new classroom under new direction.

And so, I want to take this opportunity to formally introduce myself and open up the pathways for ongoing communication and collaboration as it pertains to the academic journeys of your children.

To that end, I have attached both my professional and educator resumes to this email for your review, and below are links to my previous classrooms, altogether offering a digital portfolio of my work and professional accomplishments.

linkedin.com/in/jessicadennybenson

teachthinklearn.wixsite.com/mysite (Portfolio)

teachthinklearn.wixsite.com/think  (Portfolio)

teachthinklearn.wixsite.com/msjessica (Portfolio)

https://teachthinklearn.wixsite.com/rathinkla

In a nutshell, I am dedicated to ensuring my learners can not only navigate our digital world but THRIVE in it. I set the stage for student success by teaching digital literacy skills coupled with social emotional learning, and I build upon this foundation using a personalized approach so as to guide every student toward self-discovery and ownership of the academic journey. Through discussion, reflection and collaboration within PBL & service-learning contexts, my mission is to foster lifelong learners and global citizens who seek to innovate, improve and create, rather than merely consume.

Last week we wrapped up with our 3rd grade domain study of “Astronomy and the Solar System.” The kids took the final assessment on Friday afternoon, and have been revising their planet poems using Google Docs in preparation for Friday’s due date.

This week will mark the conclusion to the domain on human body systems with the final assessment scheduled for Wednesday.

The students commenced their collective quest to master the art of typing last week. We are using a program called "Typing Club," and designating at least 15 minutes of practice time toward this objective daily.

In Math we will wrap up with the unit on FRACTIONS, (as points on a numberline,) and the students will be taking the final assessment for Gr3M5 on Wednesday. The students are also currently and intensely reviewing 2nd grade math concepts related to money, time and geometry, as a part of the overall effort to ensure these kiddos have been properly scaffolded and can move forward confidently knowing there is nothing missing from their learning outcomes.

In Language Arts we begin our Native American Domain tomorrow, while at the same time starting on the subject of Immigration. We will finish the year out with the unit entitled, "Fighting for a Cause.” To that end, we have already started to explore ways in which these kiddos can become involved in a deserving cause. Following a lesson about Jane Goodall last week, our learning journey resulted in our joining the youth organization "Roots and Shoots,” which gave us the tools and knowledge required for us to select our first project. Because our class is composed of kids that care deeply for animals, a project with an objective designed to help monarch butterflies reproduce and even thrive in our local community seemed a perfect choice.  Following school on Tuesday I will be picking up milkweed from the Milcreek Gardens/Nursury so the kids can  begin planting in the planter boxes near the outdoor playground.

We continue to hone our poetry-writing skills and open our minds to new ways of putting words on paper. As we near the last week of school, we will be writing more and more reflection prompts, to give the students ample opportunity to reflect on the work they have done this year at VPA. CKLA will round out as we finish up with book reports, cultivate writing with figurative language (metaphors, similes, personification, etc.), Linking Verbs and ongoing editing and proofreading.

Extracurricular Activities we are working on:

Magnetism, engineering and STEAM-related activities that combine art with science.

Again, thank you so much for the opportunity to teach your children for the remainder of this year! Though it is but a mere three weeks, you can expect to see similar newsletters outgoing at the start of each new week. :)

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please immediately contact me using the contact info below, by cell, via email, or by calling the school and punching in extension "7" 801.750.3989.

Once you have had a chance to look over some of the aforementioned content, please consider possibly scheduling a quick in-person meeting, so that we might have an opportunity to discuss the change, and other matters impacted by this change.

I understand that you may be feeling some frustrations surrounding this change, and I want to address these concerns right off the bat, and work with you to create a learning dynamic that benefits your student and fosters  consistent love of learning.

(Mrs.) Jessica Benson

Elementary Teacher, STEAM Director

C: 801.750.3989

4998 Galleria Dr, Murray, UT 84123

www.vpaschools.org

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Move4Monarchs - Kratt Brothers Creature Hero Foundation

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As essential pollinators, monarch butterflies are the life force behind many of our North American habitats. Join us as we #Move4Monarchs and do our part to help protect this beautiful species!

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Kratt Brothers Creature Hero Foundation - Backyard Protector Badge

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Have you completed one of our Creature Hero Projects? Fill out this form to submit a request for a Backyard Protector badge!