February flew by in Art Class! We have been finishing up our projects that were inspired by books and moving into a new project for March. Did you know March is Youth Art Month?! We will be celebrating different artists and careers this month! Projects will be ranging from self portraits to symmetry butterflies, all the way to making a lake ecosystem! Be sure to celebrate different ways to make art this month with your student! 

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”    - Pablo Picasso

 

REMINDERS IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Winter is here and students are wearing boots to school. Please remember that boots are not appropriate shoes to wear in the gym and all students need to have a SEPARATE pair of gym shoes to wear for Physical Education class. If this is an issue, please contact me so that we can work something out. Also, please ask your student(s) if their shoes still fit! Elementary students grow quickly and their gym shoes may not fit them the entire year. You may see reminder notes coming home with students that pertain to these items.

 

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION?

All students at Jefferson participated in a Winter Olympics unit in January! This included games like speed skating, luge, biathlon, curling, and even a torch relay. This was the first time we have done a winter Olympics unit and the students absolutely loved it! Enjoy the photos below of students participating in our events. We also started the Kids Heart Challenge in February and we are well on our way to our goal!

 

                                     

 

WHAT’S NEXT IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION?

In March, all students will continue start jump roping skills to go along with our kids heart challenge. We will also start working on our cardiovascular endurance since we will be able to take masks off. Many students are extremely excited to run the pacer test again. 

 

KIDS HEART CHALLENGE

All money for the Kids Heart Challenge is due back to Mrs. Lange by Wednesday March 16th! The event ends Friday March 11th. As of February 25th we are at $2658 out of our goal of $3000! If we reach $3000, Mrs Lange will get a pie in the face. If we go over our goal, Mrs Patza will get a pie in the face as well. However, Mrs Patza has said that whoever pies her in the face, she wants to pie them back!!

 

TIPS TO BE FIT AT HOME

The snow is starting to melt, it’s time to start thinking of things we can do outside again but also remembering there are so many opportunities for moving our bodies indoors!

1. Do you own a jump rope? Many students have said how they are practicing at home! Jump Roping is a very underrated exercise and can burn calories very fast. 

2. Are there stairs where you live? Whether you have stairs on your front porch or stairs to a second level, get creative with exercises that you can do using the space you already have. 

3. Make fitness fun! Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. Get the whole family involved and take a walk together. Turn that walk into a scavenger hunt!

 

 

 

Help Kids Spot Fake News and Decode Media Messages

With so much media & information coming at us through television, phones,and  social media, it's important for kids to understand the basics of media literacy. When kids can identify different types of news and media and the methods and meanings behind them, they're on their way to being critical thinkers and smart consumers.

1.  Encourage healthy skepticism.

Help them analyze the messages around them -- from toy packaging to news headlines -- and question the purpose of the words and images they see.

2.  Play "spot the ad."

When you see advertising on TV or on a billboard, ask kids to figure out what the ad is selling. Sometimes it's obvious, and sometimes it's not. Help them explore why certain pictures, sounds, or words are used to sell certain products.

3.  Explore different sides of a story.

Use real-life examples to help kids understand how people can view the same situation with totally different perspectives. One child might experience a game on the playground as fun, while another might feel like the rules are unfair. 

4.  Discuss fact vs. opinion.

Play around with ideas and decide which are facts and which are opinions. Ask: How tall are you? What's the best food in the world? Do rocks sink or float? Do you like dogs? Point out that both facts and opinions show up in the news, but opinion is usually labeled.

5.  Choose a variety of sources.

Show kids how you get news and information from different places, and explain how you make your choices. Use words like "credible," "trustworthy," "respected," and "fair." As kids get older, introduce the ideas of bias, satire, and clickbait.               K–5 family tips: News & Media Literacy. Common Sense Education. (2021, January 5). Retrieved February 24, 2022, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/family-tips/k-5-news-and-media-literacy 

 

 

Having stamina for something means being able to stick with something for periods of time. This stamina, or endurance, builds strength. Stamina can apply to lots of different areas, such as exercise or painting. It can also apply to reading.

Teachers often think about a student's reading stamina. Reading stamina is a child's ability to focus and read independently for long-ish periods of time without being distracted or without distracting others. Reading stamina is something that parents can help students develop. Here's how:

1. Vary the way the reading is done. Parents can think about this in terms of having their child "read to himself, read to someone, and listen to reading." Some combination of the three should make up the reading time, especially for new or struggling readers.

2. Choose "just right" books. If your child is at a stage of being able to read alone, help him choose books that he is able to read independently. This means he should be able to decode almost every word in the book correctly. In this situation, avoid using books that are too difficult to read alone. If your child will be reading with you, choose books that are lively and engaging.

3. Set reasonable goals. Most toddlers and preschoolers find it difficult to sit for long periods of time, even with the most engaging book! When starting out, limit book time to just a few minutes and work up from there. For elementary aged readers, consider starting with 10-15 minutes of reading time, and work up from there. Add a few minutes to your reading time every week or so.

4. Celebrate progress. Without getting too caught up on the number of minutes spent reading, celebrate the time that is spent reading. Share your favorite parts of books read, plan the next visit to the library, and share progress with other family members.

Spending longer periods of time reading means fewer interruptions and more time reading what you love. As your child moves into higher grades, having reading stamina will help your child navigate the longer texts and assignments. Using these tips can help develop more stamina in your reader.

 

Information from: "Building Reading Stamina" Reading Rockets, 2012. 

 

More on Encouraging a Growth Mindset

We used to think that our intelligence was fixed. We either had the math gene or we didn’t. Scientists have proven again and again that simply is not true. There is not a math gene! Our brain is like a muscle — the more we use it, the stronger (and smarter) our math brain becomes.

Here are a few things families can do to support a growth mindset:

Talk to your child.

Ask what they learned today and perhaps what was difficult.

Ask questions to engage them in a Home Connections problem.

• What is the problem about? Tell me in your own words.

• What did you do in class to get started?

• Can you make a diagram or draw a sketch?

• Can you solve a simpler version of the problem?

Encourage the productive struggle!

Building with Legos, riding a bike, or throwing a ball are all difficult at first. Praise children’s effort, persistence, and creativity. Notice when they try new strategies and seek input from others when they get stuck.

Discourage the connection between being fast at math and memorizing rules and being a good problem solver.

We are all “math people” and think about problems differently. Celebrate that diversity!

Change that inner voice.

When a child says, “I can’t do this,” re-voice the language to say, “You are ready to learn something new! Or “You can’t do this YET, and I am here when you are willing to try again!” Continue to talk positively about math, reading, writing and school at home. Soon your child will have taken on positive self talk on their own. 

 

Excerpt from Jennifer Christensen @ Bridges Blog