Ten years ago, on September 11th, I was a brand new teacher, getting ready for my first curriculum night with the parents of my students. I was at school that day, busy teaching my students, when I heard the news about the planes hitting the Twin Towers. I was forced to continue my day, not truly knowing the severity of the situation until my kids went to gym. I sat down at my computer, and saw the horrific scenes for the first time. I knew this was a life changing moment in the history of the United States. Needless to say, our curriculum night was cancelled, and I then had to take time to explain to my class why. Definitely not an easy job for a rookie teacher like me. I went home that afternoon, and remember how calm the world seemed. And while it was certainly an eerie sensation, I remember thinking that it would be nice if the world would always be this serene. I spent the night with my family and my boyfriend (now my husband), watching the reports and reactions, and just being amazed at the bravery so many people showed that day. But then I started to wonder what would happen from there? Of course, we picked up the pieces and moved forward, but no doubt, this is a moment branded in our memories forever.
Today I realized that the kids I am currently teaching don't have that moment branded in their memories. However, there is no doubt that those attacks have shaped their lives as they have grown up. We have encouraged the students to think about what they can do to make our country a better place. Remember, every action, whether big or small, can make a difference in our world. I do so hope they choose to make a difference, and to help this world become a better place to live.
Curriculum Updates:
Reading: This is our final week with Tall Tales. The skills specifically targeted will be identifying story structure and distinguishing between exaggerated and realistic story elements. As a review, we will use our visualization skills and begin working with roots, affixes, prefixes, and suffixes. We will also discuss and practice using similes and metaphors, which can be used to write a tall tale of their own!
Math: We will finish Chapter 1 this coming week. Our target skill for the chapter is estimating sums and differences. This is such an important life skill! Think about how often we use estimation in every day life! We'll finish the chapter by adding and subtracting whole numbers, and after our test, we will work on the problem solving strategy of "Work Backward."
What's Happening?
- Monday, September 12th: Spirit Day- Wear Red, White, & Blue in honor of our country!
- Monday, September 12th: Magazine Drive Kick-off, 1:15PM
- Thursday, September 15th: Band Recruiting Concert, 12:45-1:30
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