Category: 19-20 School Year

Old posts from 19-20 school year.

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19-20 School Year Updates

May 26-28, 2020 – Online Learning Week 8

Good morning! This is our last week of the 2019-20 school year. It’s a short week and there is quite a bit going on, but I will keep this a brief as possible.

This week’s playlist

This week’s list is short, since we only have 3 days this week. There are only two assignments – one reading and one math. Both assignments for this week are due by Thursday at 2:30pm in order for me to send feedback that day (the last day of school).

And here is the printable version with working links:

Playlist-for-May-25-29-2020

Last call for past assignments

As per my previous newsletter, today is the last day to submit past assignments. Students will receive a P or I in Math, Reading, Science, and Social Studies. If you have questions about submitting work or the grading policy I linked last week, please send me a message or give me a call. Progress reports will be sent out Thursday for last week and this week.

Class End-of-Year Zoom Celebration

Our end-of-year Zoom celebration is this Wednesday, May 27, 2020 from 11:00-11:30 am (tomorrow!). If you would like to participate, please make sure you have filled out the form I sent last week! I will send the link in a message tomorrow morning before the scheduled meeting time. Students must have a parent with them when they attend the meeting. I have a book I’d like to read and possibly an activity or two depending on time, so make sure you have a pencil and paper handy for the meeting! If you have questions about Zoom or need assistance, please let me know as soon as possible so I can help you. When you join the meeting, please make sure you join under your name so I know to admit you from the waiting room.

End-of-Year Flipgrid

If you are unable to attend the Zoom celebration, I also made a Flipgrid where we can say farewell – I posted a video message, and students are also welcome to reply and reply to other videos that are posted on our grid. I linked the grid on the playlist for this week. I will leave the Flipgrid up until Friday evening so that everyone who would like to respond has the time to do so.

Final (virtual) Morning Assembly of the school year

Our school will hold one more Morning Assembly this school year on Zoom. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday morning at 9:15am. I will send the link for the assembly Thursday morning.

Online Resources Available over the summer

iStation and Dreambox should be available through the summer, so please continue to have your students log on! These are great resources for practicing math and reading. For now, IXL is also available – you can access this resource and more through the portal or you can send me a message before Thursday evening and I can help you with log in information.

Counselor Newsletter

Here is the last counselor newsletter for the school year.

School News on the Perez Facebook Page

Please be sure you visit/follow the Perez Elementary Facebook Page to stay up-to-date on news and events at our school!

Thank you for all your support this year. Please stay safe and have a wonderful summer!

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19-20 School Year Updates

May 18-22, 2020 Online Learning Week 7

Good afternoon! I wanted to start off our second-to-last week of school with a few announcements –

This week’s playlist

Here is this week’s playlist. Please note that there are two math lessons again this week.

Here is the printable version of the list, with working links to the assignments:

Playlist-for-May-18-22-2020

Weekly Progress Reports

I will be sending progress reports on Tuesday afternoon this week. I’d also like to check in with you – please let me know how you and your family are doing!

Report Cards

As per district policy, students will receive either a P or an I for this online learning period in Reading, Writing, Science, and Social Studies. These are not traditional “grades”; they will be used to indicate progress/participation in online learning, or to indicate that a student will need additional support in the next semester (I). You can find additional information in this week’s Perez Parent Post newsletter. If you have work from previous weeks to turn in (from the packet or from the lessons in Blend), please do so before Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 2:30 pm. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me through our messaging app or with a text/phone call as soon as possible.

End-of-year Zoom Celebration

I will be holding a Zoom meeting next week so that we as a class can check in one more time before summertime! To participate, you will need:

  • to read and fill out the Zoom permission form (I will send out the link later this week)
  • to be present with your child for this meeting
  • Please make sure your display name is either your name or your child’s name – this is how I will know to admit you to the meeting
  • a pencil and paper – we may have a directed drawing activity for our last meeting together!

I will send a message later this week with meeting information. This is OPTIONAL. I understand that the time for the meeting may not be possible for everyone, and for that reason I will also offer an end-of-year Flipgrid.

End-of-year Flipgrid Message!

If you are not able to attend the Zoom celebration, that is okay – I will also post a farewell message on Flipgrid next week that students can view, respond to, and view any responses from their classmates. I sent log in information for Flipgrid a couple of weeks ago – let me know if you are interested in and need help with this platform.

Perez Parent Post on Facebook

Please check / follow the Perez Elementary Facebook page for updates and newsletters from the school. The most recent Post has more information about the grading policy, registering for next year, and updating your contact information with the district.

Counselor Newsletter

Here is the counselor’s newsletter for this week. There is information about dealing with worry and problem solving at home.

Have a great week!

Categories
19-20 School Year Updates

May 11-15, 2020 Online Learning Week 6

Good afternoon! I hope you had a great weekend! Here are some announcements for the week:

This week’s playlist

This week’s playlist also has links to the assignments in Blend. Please note that there are two math lessons this week – they are both relatively short and build on what we have already learned about this year.

Here is the printable version of the list (the links still work!):

Playlist-for-May-11-15-2020

Weekly Progress Reports and Check Ins

I will be sending progress reports on Tuesday afternoon this week. I’d also like to check in with you – please let me know how you and your family are doing!

Perez Parent Newsletter on Facebook

Please check / follow the Perez Elementary Facebook page for updates and newsletters from the school.

Counselor’s Newsletter

Here is the counselor’s newsletter for this week. This week’s newsletter has a read aloud and information about worry and calming down.

Have a great week!

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19-20 School Year Updates

May 4-8, 2020 Online Learning Week 5

Hello! I hope everyone had a great weekend! Here are some announcements for the week:

This week’s playlist

This week’s playlist has links to the assignments and lessons in Blend, and is a great way to double check that you have completed everything for the week. You will need to be logged in to the portal on whatever device you are using for the links to work correctly. I hope this helps!

Here is the printable version (the links still work if you click on them!):

Playlist-for-May-4-8-2020

Flipgrid Morning Meetings

This week I’ll start using Flipgrid, which is an app (for smartphones and computers) that allows me to post video questions for students to respond to and even to respond to each other! I will send log in information and instructions this week – students will need your help and supervision to use this tool. I will post new questions and check-in opportunities two times a week. I have made a video intro that I will also post in the Homeroom class under Video Tutorials. This is OPTIONAL and will be included in the May Do section of the playlist. I hope you can join us!

Weekly Progress Reports

Progress reports will be sent Mondays/Tuesdays for the previous week. This is how I will send feedback on what was turned in – whether it was uploaded via Blend or pictures from the packet. I’d like to check in once a week with you too – please let me know how you and your family are doing! As always, if you need anything just give me a call or send me a message!

Counselor Newsletter

This is Ms. Marquez’s newsletter for the week. If you need assistance, both her contact information and our parent support specialist’s contact information are there. Please do not hesitate to contact either of them if you need assistance!

Register online for 2020-21 school year!

Please register for next year online! If you are having difficulty, please let me know so I can ask the office for help.

Have a great week!

Categories
19-20 School Year Updates

April 27 – May 1, 2020 Online Learning Week 4

Good morning! Here are some announcements for the week.

This week’s playlist

Here is the playlist for this week. There are some small changes, but nothing major.

Here is the printable version:

Playlist-for-April-27-May-1-2020

Learning at home packets to be mailed

The district will start mailing home packets this week to the address you have on file. Please let me know if you need to update your address so you can receive one. If you do not receive a packet and you would like one, send me a message and I’ll send you the link to request one.

Tech Tutorial Videos

I created a few new tutorial videos that you can view in the Homeroom class. They are:

  • An explanation of the playlist and its parts
  • A tutorial on how to find and complete the lessons and assignments in Blend
  • A tutorial on how to find what assignments you have completed or still need to do

I will continue to make tutorial videos as needed and post them to the Homeroom class.

Other Reminders:

  • Check out Perez Elementary’s new website!
  • I will send progress reports weekly on Mondays/Tuesdays. You can also find the feedback I’m giving in Blend as soon as it’s posted. If you have questions or need to submit pictures of packet work, send me a message or give me a call.
  • Be sure to fill out the Bookspring form I sent out on the 17th if you would like some books delivered to your home.
  • My office hours are officially 8am-9am and 1:30-2:30pm Monday through Friday, but you can always send me a message. If it’s after school hours, I will return your call or reply to your message the next school day.

Have a great week!

Categories
19-20 School Year Updates

April 20-24, 2020 Online Learning Week 3

Good morning! I have some quick announcements for this week – thank you for bearing with me!

This week’s playlist

Here is this week’s playlist. The number of lessons per subject is included this week.

Here is the printable version:

Playlist-for-April-20-24-2020

Update your address with AISD

Please make sure your current address and contact information is updated with AISD. You can do this through the parent portal or let me know and I’ll ask the office for assistance.

Other Reminders

  • Please remember to fill out the Bookspring form I sent on Friday so your child can get free books delivered to your home. If you need me to send you the link again please let me know.
  • When doing lessons in Blend, be sure that after you submit an assignment that you click the Next button at the bottom – sometimes there is more practice or another lesson. When you get to the Choice Board, you have finished that week’s lesson for that subject area. I’ll be making a tutorial video this week and posting it to the Homeroom class. I’ll also post this newsletter as an announcement in the Homeroom class.
  • iStation has both math and reading now – this is a great way to practice math skills if you haven’t been able to log in to Dreambox. 15-20 minutes per day is recommended for reading and math. If you need help logging in, please send me a message.

Have a great week!

Categories
19-20 School Year Updates

April 13-17, 2020 Online Learning Week 2

Hello! I hope everyone had a good weekend. As we begin week 2, I wanted to give you this week’s playlist and some other information.

This week’s playlist

Offline activities are marked with an asterisk. Here is a printable version:

Playlist-for-April-13-17-2020

Two reading lessons, two math lessons

Just an FYI that there are two lessons/assignments in math and reading this week. They are not very long and they don’t have to be done in the same day. Science is included in reading this week.

New activity in writing: Dictado

In writing this week, we are beginning dictado. Students have done this in class so it familiar to them, although it will be a little different online than in person. The steps are:

  1. Teacher reads the sentence to students once at a normal speed.
  2. Teacher reads the sentence slowly, word by word.
  3. The student copies the sentence as they hear it, asking the teacher to repeat again if necessary.
  4. The teacher shows the student how the sentence is written.
  5. The student corrects their own work.

While we learn online, I’m not “testing” them on it, but I would like to see their work. I have created an “assignment” in the writing class for them to show me their practice after a few days. If words are misspelled that is okay, but students should be sounding out the words.

New resource: IXL

The district has provided IXL subscriptions for students to use. IXL has math and other content area practice. There are apps for both apple devices and android devices, so if you are on an android tablet and are not able to get onto dreambox, IXL is a good alternative. Your child can access IXL through the portal or with a username and password at ixl.com. If you are interested in using this through the app please let me know and I can get your child’s username and password.

Technical problems? Please let me know!

If something is not working quite right on lessons, or you need help with something, please ask! Even if it’s outside school hours, please send me a message and I’ll respond the next day. I have some ability to preview what students see on their screens, but I don’t always know that something is not working until someone lets me know. If you are having a really hard time uploading an assignment, please know that you can email me the assignment or text it to me through our messaging apps or google voice.

Have a great week!

Categories
19-20 School Year Updates

April 6-10, 2020 – Starting Online Learning!

Good afternoon! As we start our online learning, I wanted to give you some guidance. I know this is all new (for me too!) but we will get through it together!

This Week’s Playlist

Each week we are doing online learning, I will have a “playlist” for you. You can think of it kind of like a checklist for everything that needs to be done for the week. There are “Must do’s” and “May do’s” – the Must do’s are what you want to make sure are completed by the end of the week. Feel free to print it if you have access to a printer, but if you don’t it’s okay! This resource is for you to use as you need. I am also linking a new copy on the Homeroom class each week. Here is this week’s playlist:

Playlist-for-April-6-10-2020

Where do I start?

There are pieces to do each day, much like homework was assigned each day when we were in the classroom. There are also lessons for the week that you can find in the Blend Dashboard. My recommendation is to start with the Core subject areas – they will always be the first ones listed on the playlist under “weekly must do’s”. This week there are three core lessons. They’ll also tell you what class tile you’ll find them under – for example, this week’s STEM lesson uses both Math and Science, but you’ll only find the lesson if you click on the “Math” class in Blend.

How long should we take to do the lessons?

The lessons themselves will take 10-15 minutes for the lesson, 10-20 minutes for the assignment, and 10-20 minutes for the choice board. There may be additional pieces that will take a few more minutes. Why such a large range of times? The actual time lessons will take may vary, depending on a few things:

  • How many breaks you take. Breaks are a good thing! If your child is starting to get bored or frustrated (or you are starting to feel frustrated – you are an important part of this process too!), take a break! Grab a snack, drink some water, put on a favorite song and dance, do 30 jumping jacks (we do jumping jacks in class a lot), maybe even switch to a different activity for awhile. This is self paced, which is hard to get used to in some ways, but also a really interesting opportunity to learn a different way.
  • How many times you repeat the lesson videos. If you repeat the videos, it will take longer. However, I encourage you to do this. In class you don’t normally get the chance to hear the teacher’s lesson and directions as many times as you want, when you want to hear it – take advantage of it!
  • How long it takes to do the assignment. While it should not only take 5 minutes to do the assignment, if it takes more than 20 minutes you may want to pause and come back to finish it another day.

Don’t try to finish everything in one day!

This is not meant to be finished in a day! The playlist is for a week’s worth of work. Please don’t feel like you need to complete everything on the same day! If you have questions about this, please email, text, or call me.

Having technology trouble?

If you are having technology issues, please let me know. I want to work through them with you – this is a learning process for me too, and if we can solve the problem together, I may be able to help other people with a similar problem. If you can take a screenshot or a picture of the problem when it is happening, that will be really helpful to me to help figure out what is wrong.

If you have questions, please ask!

Even if it doesn’t seem important, ask anyway! During school hours I can respond pretty quickly (especially during my office hours Monday – Friday, 8-9am and 1-2pm) but even after school hours it’s okay to send me a message – I might not answer right away but I can answer first thing in the morning.

Thanks for reading! Please stay safe and take care of yourselves!

Categories
19-20 School Year Updates

Checking In

Hello!  I hope you are all doing well – we’ve had a wild (and a little scary) couple of weeks.  

I wanted to provide a place to find videos and resources over what we’ve done in class this year, and to share minor updates as well.  I’m hoping to post videos or resources every other day or so, just to give you some additional support for your children at home.  The website from the district is a great place to find resources, too.

I will continue to send important updates and reminders through our messaging apps.  As always, if you have questions or need assistance please send me a message!

If students would like to send me a message, you are also more than welcome to!  I miss you all!  I hope you’re practicing your reading, skip counting, and sight words!

Speaking of skip counting, here are a couple of skip counting videos we’ve used in class that you can use at home:

Have a great day. Please stay safe!