First week

Thanks to each of you who have chosen to utilize this forum. It can be an extremely powerful tool for both you and your child, so take advantage of it. A few of you have posted comments suggesting that we use the blog to create a class list. For privacy reasons, I cannot facilitate that request here. For while the internet can be a very useful tool, it can be used negatively as well. I will create a class list, for those who chose to be on it, at our Back-to-School Night on the 29th.

The first few days of school have shown great promise. I am genuinely excited about the school year and look forward to meeting each of you in the coming weeks.

If you have yet to purchase classroom supplies for your child, please do so this weekend.

Respectfully, Mr. B

Thursday and stuff

Howdy all. Wow! We have a sharp class this year, and I am looking forward to working with everyone to make sure that goals are reached and surpassed!
We began our first literature study today with Scott O'Dell's "Island of the Blue Dolphins". (I don't have an underlining option with this blog, so please excuse my use of quotations with a book title.) The book is a Newberry Award Winner and an excellent look at pre-statehood Native Americans. We will be working with this book for about three weeks and then will branch into ocean animal and Native Californian studies.
The kids are quickly grasping the math review work that we have covered in the Saxon program. It is very different from Excel, but I am excited with how everyone is adapting to the change of format.
We also begin studying the physical geography of California.

Homework today includes the following:
-Reading Log
-Math lesson 2 (1-15) (Most of the students finished this in class.)

Respectfully, Mr. B

First Day

Howdy all. Please be on the look out for a small packet of papers from your child that was sent home today. It includes information on the after school program, a PE permission slip, a lunch calendar, a letter from me and a Reading Log. The PE permission slip needs to be returned ASAP. The Reading Log is due a week from Friday.

The class had a very peaceful day. We discussed classroom expectations, rules and assignment protocol. We worked on a short language assignment and began our first math lesson. We ended our day with a brief discovery walk and art project.

The students are responsible for the following work tonight:
-Math lesson 1, problems 6-20,
-Reading Log &
-PE permission slip

Respectfully, Mr. B

Welcome Back News and such

Howdy all and welcome to yet another groovy school year here at Rio del Mar. School is back in session on Wednesday, August 15th. It is NOT a restructured day, so students will be in class from 7:49 - 2:05. I took advantage of an amazing sale at Staples during the early weeks of July and was able to get the following supplies for each student:
a pencil box, 12 pencils, a manual pencil sharpener, a glue stick, crayons, a composition book and a gummy eraser.
Each student will still need to provide the following for themeselves:
lined paper, a three ring binder (1" size will do just fine), dry erase markers (low odor please), a sock (for erasing dry-erase boards), a box of Kleenex (beacuse the class goes through them like water in the desert) and an emergency lunch. It would be extremely helpful if students each had a Nalgene bottle to keep at their desk for water. Not only does it help keep traffic back and forth to the sink to a minimum, but also helps considerably with the amount of waste and recycling produced in the classroom from the use of standard Crystal Geyer-styled water bottles.
Back-to-School Night is scheduled for Thursday, August 30th. Due to a previous commitment, I will be unable to attend. Instead, I will be facilitating a very exclusive Back-to-School Night on Wednesday the 29th @ 6:30. This will hopefully make it easier for parents with more than one student at RDM, not to mention making parking a breeze.
I look forward to a fun and exciting school year.
Respectfully, Mr. B

parting comments

I know that there are but a handful of you out there that actually take the time to read this, and I wanted to thank you. Using this format to communicate with families and students has been a trial and error process for me this year. However, I think for the most part that it served its purpose well.

It's early Thursday morning, June 8th, the last day of the school year, and I have the classroom to myself for a little bit longer. Yesterday the kids cleaned out their desks and took all of their work off the walls. The room is bare, and honestly its really boring. It occurred to me that the kids really provide character and warmth to the classroom. Of course, it seems like an obvious statement to make. Still, despite the problem kids, of which there were many (don't kid yourselves Moms and Dads), and those who sat there contemplating the world deeply, of which there were many, (really, don't kid yourselves), we had a pretty good year. I am proud of the accomplishments, of which there were many, and the failures, which provide great learning experiences. Everyone grew up somewhat, some for the better and some for the not so better. I was thinking back to the beginning of the school year, really Back-to-School night, and reminiscing on that spiderweb analogy. I think it holds true. We built up quite a bit only to see it torn down over and over again. But everyone, again for the most part, persevered and came threw with a strong, amazing web.
These last days aren't sad for me anymore like they were for me my first few years of teaching. I know the kids are going on to bigger and better things. Some will remember me, and some will be grateful to never have to set foot in my room again. But today is special for another reason. My second youngest brother is graduating from high school. He's starting college at San Jose State in the fall, majoring in engineering! I am so excited for him and the adventures that await him out in this very big world. This kid, because that is how I will always see him, has been an inspiration for me. He was visting me in Seattle some 12 years ago, and we were watching Orcas in the San Juan Islands. I was explaining to him the lives of the whales and why they were / are incredibly unique. At seven years old, he looked at me and told me that I should be a teacher. In fact, he said that I should be his teacher! It floored me. He told me that I got excited about the world and that excitement made others excited too. I stewed on his words for a while and somewhere down the line the words just made sense. Long story short, here I am today trying to make the world an exciting place. I know my approach doesn't work for everyone, but I am still excited about learning. I hope that your kids walk away excited too.
There, strangely enough, is a moral to this story. Listen to the kids. They know what they are talking about. You'll get it too, but you need to take the time to listen.

As always, Mr. B

much gratitude

Thanks to all the parents and students who made today's KOA trip a great one. Did anyone else notice how yellow the pool was at the end of the day? (Just kidding, I think.)

Wednesday will bring us our last full day of class. We'll be finishing up our studies of electricity and working on our classroom mural. Students will be given time to get yearbooks signed, etc. We will be eating lunch up on Cow Hill with the other fourth grade classrooms, so please pack a bag lunch if at all possible.

Red Folders will be sent home on Thursday with report cards. I know everyone is anxious to see them.

Respectfully, Mr. B

and now, the end is near

and so we face the final curtain......

Please harass your children for a blue piece of paper that went home with them this afternoon explainer the finer points for the week. The note does include an error, which I am going to correct right here and now. Students are dismissed on Thursday at 10:50, not 10:05. Just me and my wishful thinking.

Take care, Mr. B