FROM UNDER OUR BIG TREE: Week 11

 

All Together
“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose

 
We are grateful for you: our community.  You give us your support in ways that you may not even know – and we appreciate you for it!  Here are some highlights from our week before the Thanksgivukkha holiday:

Meeting Discussions

UPSTAIRS(5 to 7)//Tone of voice is a tool to help us feel safe and loved, rights students said we have at TKG. Some students shared they like the following tone of voice; nice, “one inch voice”, quiet voice, you can listen with your eyes, not scary voice, saying please. Knowing that many students have been interested in the brain, I will introduce the word schema to support us in our conversations about the learning process and experience. (See what is a Schema, below)

DOWNSTAIRS(7 to 9)//On Friday, we got to experience Teddy’s dream schedule and look forward to eventually experiencing everyone’s schedule creation.  We got to visit our upstairs neighbors for a community lunch and soothing hot chocolate to honor our gratitude for each other and TKG.

Math
UPSTAIRS//Shapes and tessellation with shapes, we even found shapes in our lunches and shared our ideas about 3D shapes. Some students bundled our remaining ones sticks into another group of one thousand. We now have 3 bundles of one thousand! I will introduce a regrouping activity to the group so that all students may have the experience of this place value tool.

DOWNSTAIRS//During Math we received a present from our upstairs friends that helped us solve big addition problems- the “in-line 100” bead chains. They look just like the math racks, but instead of having alternating color groups of 5, the alternating red and white beads are in groups of 10, equaling 100. They are so helpful, especially as we continue to find ways to capture our mathematical thinking visually. Next week, we will work on creating math problems involving addition that are relevant to our lives and see if we can support each other in solving them.

Language Topics
UPSTAIRS//We will be starting Charlotte’s Web as a read aloud and book study. In the coming weeks I have plans to use this text to investigate character development, plot line, perspectives, friendships, personification, adjectives, alternatives to the word “said’, rich vocabulary, introducing a reading journal, and so much more! I am excited to see where our community (student s, families, and teachers) goes with this wonderful book.

DOWNSTAIRS//During our Writing time, a class series emerged. The theme of Pet City was decided upon as each student wrote their own book that included characters from other students’ books. There is a common symbol that will go on the back of each book to link the books and students were eager to share ideas as authors and open to feedback on plot lines and characters.

Social Emotional
UPSTAIRS//Delaney was our person of the week! Erin and Steve (mom & dad) visited and each read one of Del’s favorite books; Where The Wild Things Are, and Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods that Make my Day.  She brought in some artwork and a guessing game that was an interactive way to discover that she loves noodles for dinner, likes to go in her room when she is sad, likes to splash in the water at the beach, and when on an airplane she likes to watch movies.

DOWNSTAIRS//This coming week, there are changes to the room! On our return, we will explore a new meeting area, a laboratory for dissecting ideas of all types and a few secluded spots for our community to retreat to. We will see how it works for all of us, fine-tuning as we go, making sure all of our needs will be met. In our “new” space we will spend the week wondering: What is school? Who will each of us be? What will be our process to problem solve our conflicts? Our intention will be to reconnect to each other, our environment, and our community.

Science
UPSTAIRS//At Hesse park Maiya collected leaves for a craft project she introduced at Deep Learning. Alex, Lucas, and Kai were into map making and following where their map took them. Tillie and others from the older class did a play at the bridge. Almost all sprouts from both classes created nests from pine needles and tried on roles of birds (all ages, from egg to adult), and a turtle. Birds and the turtle could be spotted trying to fly, teaching their babies how to fly, collecting food and medicine before the storm, making protective coverings to stay safe from predators, and so much more.

DOWNSTAIRS//Continuing our wonderings about landforms and bodies of water, which inform our imagining of how cities are developed, we explored weather and how it affects our natural and man-made world.  We created an anemometer to study the velocity of the wind.  This weather tool helped us understand how meteorologists calculate the wind speeds that define the different levels leading to a hurricane or typhoon.  We made compasses and tested our directionality. As a grand finale…we recreated a hurricane surge – that landed on our little town and island (with the help of a wind shooting hair dryer).

Reminder that we are hosting enrollment information nights, beginning this Thursday.  Please share our website www.knowinggarden.org with your friends who may want to register!

CONNECTION LINKS
Lena Garcia, School Builder/7 to 9 Classroom
Michelle Goldbach-Johnson, Founding Teacher/5 to 7 Classroom
Yvette Fenton/Co-Teacher, 5 to 7 Classroom
Jaclyn Epstein-Calvert/Co-Teacher, 7 to 9 Classroom
Saundi Williams, 5 to 7 Room Parent
Erin Levin, 7 to 9 Room Parent
Shutterfly Info Site: photos, contact information, announcements

TKG Info

Tending the Garden

***FIELD/PARK DAY NOTES
We will be at our Garden Park this week! Please pack layers so your sprout stays warm. Please remind them to stay hydrated and stay checked-in with teachers and parents. Forecast calls for Sunny High of 73°F (53°F Low).  Feel free to bring your scooter helmet for scooter board fun!

***CLASSROOM SUPPORT NEEDED
Bulletin Board Design – students are interested in designing the board outside 321 and we would like a parent to help lead the project.  Please contact Michelle to confirm your interest.

***CLASSROOM SUPPLIES NEEDED
Slackline
scrapbooking paper scraps for collage
glass jars (washed & labels removed)
Canvas Tipis
old sheets (bedding)
Ogo Sports Disks

TKG Principals
  • CONSTRUCTIVISM, as teachers and parents, we provide the trellis on which students will build on their existing knowledge
  • WHOLE CHILD, cognitive, physical and social/emotional are inseparable
  • BRAIN SCIENCE, students are sensory learners, we honor each student’s unique developmental map
  • CAPACITY BUILDING, nurturing creative thinkers who are encouraged to solve problems that serve our community
  • COOPERATIVE LEARNING, small groups, low ratios, mixed ages and generations

The Seeds

We are offering the opportunity to engage:

UPSTAIRS
Mathematics – Standards for Practice
CCSS.Math.Practice.MP1 
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Mathematically proficient students start by explaining to themselves the meaning of a problem and looking for entry points to its solution.

CCSS.Math.Practice.MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Mathematically proficient students make sense of quantities and their relationships in problem situations.

CCSS.Math.Practice.MP3 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments.

English Language Arts – Anchor Standards for Language
Conventions of Standard English
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1 
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Knowledge of Language
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.3 
Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

DOWNSTAIRS
Mathematics
Grade 4 » Number & Operations—Fractions

CCSS.Math.Content.4.NF.A.1 Explain why a fraction a/b is equivalent to a fraction (n × a)/(n × b) by using visual fraction models, with attention to how the number and size of the parts differ even though the two fractions themselves are the same size. Use this principle to recognize and generate equivalent fractions.

Grade 3 Overview
Measurement and Data

Solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects.

English Language Arts
Grade 2 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).

Grade 3 Reading: Literature
Key Ideas and Details

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events

FEATURED WORKSHOP HOW TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
Wed, Dec 4  7-8:30 pm
$5 plus a donation of canned goods to support the Realm Food Drive

‘Tis the season of peace and joy…except when packed schedules and too much sugar is a recipe for holiday meltdowns.  Join Kathy Gordon, Certified Parenting by Connection Instructor, for an evening full of helpful insights on how you can reduce stress for children and your entire family around the holidays or any other time when feelings are running high.  You will leave with at least 2 new tools for making this the Happiest Holiday season ever.   To register:  310-338-0875 or UnconditionalConnect@yahoo.com

From the TKG Office

  • DEC Tuition is DUE!
  • Parent Enrollment Information Nights kick off on December 5th.  Share this REGISTRATION link with friends and family.
  • Spanish Class is on for this Thursday, Dec tuition is due
  • Drum Circle, is on for this Friday.  Please give $15 to Trish by Thursday morning to confirm you attendance.
  • TKG Office Hours are this Tuesday from 9 to 12. Monica and Trish are available (weekly) for business and conversation.
Thank you Families!  Contact Trish or Monica with any questions.
The Four Agreements
1. Be Impeccable with your Word
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
4. Always Do Your Best
 

In Education News

Thanksgivukkah Is Rare Mash-Up of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah

It turns out Thanksgiving and Hanukkah have a lot in common, even when they don’t fall on the same day.

For the first time since 1888—and the last time until the year 79,811—the first day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah will coincide with the American observance of Thanksgiving. By contrast, Hanukkah—which commemorates the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean military victory over the Syrians in 168 B.C.—far more typically occurs closer to Christmas, in December.

Thanksgivukkah, as this year’s double-holiday convergence has been dubbed, is happening because of the difference between two calendars.

The date of Thanksgiving is determined by the Gregorian calendar, which is solar, while Hanukkah is set by the Hebrew calendar, which is lunisolar. In the lunisolar calendar, months are calculated according to the moon and the years according to the sun, with leap months added every few years to keep the seasons in sync. The different calendars explain why Jewish holidays—which occur every year on the same day in the Hebrew calendar—fall on different days of the Gregorian, or Western, calendar followed in America.

But there’s another wrinkle…LEARN MORE

Are the Humanities dead?

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