October and November Updates

Hello all!

I know that we are all in the swing of things by now.  Here are a few things to remember for the next few weeks:


Wednesday, Oct 31st
October Book Celebration.  We have been reading Robin Hood in class together.  During reading the class will be putting Robin Hood on trial to determine if he is really the protagonist of the story or the antagonist.  Students are encouraged to dress like characters/objects from the book.  I have my green costume ready to go :)   Later in the day, we will gather with both 6th grade advisories to play games and watch the Disney version of Robin Hood. 

Friday, November 2nd
Parent Teacher Conferences.  Drop in conferences will be held from 5-7pm at the school.  Remember that the grades coming home are only a progress report.  Report cards are given at semester.  There is still time to get things fixed.  If you have a concern or question, this is the perfect opportunity to visit with all your student's teachers. 

Thanksgiving Break
The week of November 19th - 23rd


Invent Idaho
You may have heard about the contest we are entering as a part of science called Invent Idaho.  It takes place of the traditional science fair.  We are working on most of the project in class.  However, there are 2 parts that need to take place at home.  The first is making the prototypes.  The second is creating a display board that showcases your student's invention.   We are still several weeks away from starting to think about building.  If you want a heads up on what is coming down the line, please click the link below and read more about Invent Idaho. 
                                                            Invent Idaho Link


Classroom Happenings

Leaning quilting skills and making dog beds for the animal shelter

Mr. B rocking the pep rally

Mr. Berg winning the lip sync

Super Hero Day

Learning to use the microscopes

Group Microscope work

Learning the parts of the microscope

Find rocks with magnetic properties

From space?  Trying to determine . . .

Talk like a pirate day

September Reminders

Hello all!

We now have August under our belts and are starting to get the hang of  middle school.  Here are a few reminders for the month of September:

Friday, Sept 14th -  Picture Day.  Order forms were sent home last week.  You can also order online at mylifetouch.com  using the Vision Charter Code ID118783Y0

Friday, Sept 21st - No School


If you haven't logged into Edmodo or Infinite Campus yet, you will definitely want to, so you are up-to-date.  If you aren't a tech savvy person, have your student pull up these sites for you and have them give you a tour.

Edmodo - 1.  Go to Edmodo.com   Click the parent button and enter the class code  tkmwz9


Infinite Campus - send an email to crystalbrown@visioncsd.org requesting a login.  Afterwards you can use the link on the blog under the brass ring tab to sign in and see your students' grades.

Students:
Just as a reminder, today you should have gotten your Infinite Campus login from either Mrs. Clark or Mr. Boothby. If you were absent, make sure to drop by the office and get your login when you get back. You are welcome to check your current grades online. Mrs. Warr, Mrs. Paulus and myself will be posting grades all this week and will have you check them in advisory on Thursday. If you catch a discrepancy, please bring it to our attention immediately

Getting to know you games

Getting to know you games

Advisory fun

Group Brainstorming

Collaboration 

Dear 2018-2019 6th grade parents and students,

We are so excited to work with our new TEAM 6TH GRADE.  It has been a restful, exciting Summer and we are ready to have fun with our new class. 

Now let's get working!!!

We are posting some helpful videos for each student's household and each student to watch and learn how to set up, login and use your Edmodo and Infinite Campus tools.  There are about 20 minutes of  Youtube videos to listen, watch and learn about these helpful tools.

We expect all parents to use these videos as a tutorial for these tools.  We will post messages, grades and assignments with these tools.  We do not send individual emails to parents for whole class correspondence.  If you choose to message us individually on our emails, we will respond in a timely fashion.  Please send any messages about changes to your child's after school schedule through the front office as we are teaching class and sometimes are too busy to see an email that needs an immediate response.

Students will be required to listen, watch and learn from the Edmodo and Infinite Campus tools as they will be tested a short while after school begins this semester.  We 6th grade teachers love our pop quizzes.

Here are the links for Edmodo.

Parent Tutorial:

https://youtu.be/iWaqgTk4Mbs

Student Tutorial:

https://youtu.be/v8l5SAtXBBs

Please note that you will find the Infinite Campus link on this blog or on the Vision Charter School website.  You will need to contact Crystal Brown for a username and password to gain access to Infinite Campus.

https://youtu.be/Uf4MwozHqBA

For the weeks of May 1st - 25th

Hello all!   Can you believe how fast this year has blown by?  The kids and I were reminiscing the other day during advisory how much they have learned, achieved and grown in the past few months.  We also were having a great discussion on advice they could have given their younger 5th grade selves to prepare for middle school.  I was truly blown away on how insightful they were. 

It is also important to help remind your kiddos that school isn't done yet.  They have the opportunity to boost their grades, if needed or maintain what they have worked hard for.  Keep checking Edmodo and Infinite Campus for assignments.  We can do this :)

 Here is what you can expect:

Monday, May 7th 
ELA Comprehensive ISAT

Wednesday, May 9th
Math Performance Task ISAT


Friday,  May 11th
No School

Monday, May 14th
Math Comprehensive ISAT

Friday, May 18th

CARNIVAL AND SCIENCE FAIR:

COME JOIN THE FUN!!! All MATH CARNIVAL games are FREE and will be available to play from 4-6:30PM.  Kindergarten through fifth grade Science Fair & Art Gallery will be open from 3:30-6:30 PM.Dinner will be sold in the gym from 3:30-6:30PM while supplies last. Dinner will be $5 and includes hot dog, chips, and a soda. Cotton Candy will be $3 and sold on the field by the bounce house for $3. All raffle tickets will be sold for $1 in the gym. Must be present in the gym from 6:30-7PM to win the raffle. The Silent Auction will close at 6:45PM and parents can stop in the gym and pay for/pick up their items at 6:45PM. Three amazing Rock Bands from the Vision Charter School Rock Band class will perform in the gym from 5:15-6:30PM. Seating for eating dinner and watching the Rock Bands perform will be available in the gym. Alternate seating will be available outside.

CARNIVAL SILENT AUCTION & RAFFLE:

We will be holding a silent auction and raffle during the Carnival. Stop by the gym to purchase $1 raffle tickets or bid on a silent auction items! All funds raised from the silent auction and raffle items will go towards purchasing bleachers for the gymnasium! If you have services or goods that you would like to donate for the silent auction or raffle, please email shereeboothby@visioncsd.org and let her know what you will be donating. If you have a car, four wheeler, etc. that you would like to donate for the auction, feel free to contact Sheree Boothby so we can start advertising! WE WOULD LOVE TO AUCTION SOMETHING BIG for & have the funds go towards the phase 3 building project which will include the new gymnasium and increased parking.

DONATE DESSERTS TO RAISE MONEY FOR BLEACHERS-

Would you like to be able to better see your kids during music and drama programs? Are you looking forward to attending basketball and volleyball games this upcoming year and having a place to sit and cheer them on where you can see your children! Help us purchase new bleachers by donating cakes, cupcakes, or a pie for the Carnival silent auction and raffle! Email shereeboothby@visioncsd.org and let her know what you will be dropping off for the carnival or just drop it off! All donations need to be dropped off to the office by 10a.m. on May 18^th and preferably by 4p.m. on May 17^th. 

K-11TH STUDENT AWARDS CEREMONY FRIDAY MAY, 25^th

Kindergarten through Fifth grade teachers will notify you if your child is receiving an award at the last day of school assembly. Sixth through eleventh grade parents will be notified via email if their child will be receiving an award. If you haven’t updated your email in Parent Portal, please do so immediately.  Awards times are as follows:

8:20-9: 6^th-8^th,   9:00 - 9:45 9^th -11^th,   9:45- 10:30  k, 1st, 2nd,  and 11:30-12:15 3rd, 4th, 5^th.   Sack lunch picnics will be at the regular lunch time. 

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL RELEASE:
Kindergarten and first grade will be released at 1:35. Please do not show up early unless you have a kindergartener or first grader. Second through fifth grade will be released at 1:40. Sixth through eleventh will be released at 1:45. It takes every class five minutes to get from their classroom out to the buses and the pick-up area. Buses will depart at 1:50. Supervision will be provided through 2:30PM. Secondary students like to chat the last day. Give them time and come pick them up closer to 2:10 PM.  It is SUPER helpful for the smooth operations of the school on the last day of school to have your child go home their regular way. If you must change their go home route the last day of school, send an email to crystalbrown@visioncsd.org and the student’s teacher before 1:15 on the last day and ensure you get a confirmation email back and/or call 208-455-9220 before 1:15.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT LAST DAY LUAU:

Who: Grades 6-11

What: Student government is hosting the Last Day Luau. There will be inflatables (some with water elements), food, Tie-Dye Station, Capture the Flag, Kickball, Whiffle Ball, Games, Music & more!

When: Friday, May 25^th from 10:30 am-1:30 pm (ALL STUDENT CLEAN-UP from 1:30-1:45) Students will be dismissed at 1:45 pm.

Where: Vision Charter Soccer Field

If participating in water elements, students need to bring towels and a change of clothing. For swimsuits, boys must wear shirts, girls may wear 1-piece bathing suits, shirts must be worn if wearing two-piece suits.

Students may bring lawn chairs (IF NOT RIDING A BUS). Flip-flops are OK for the Luau. Bring your own sunscreen, water bottle and lunch. Students must bring their own white t-shirts for the tie-dye station.

REFRESHMENTS! - Snow Cones will be available for $3.00. The Junior Class will be selling pizza for $2.00. The Sophomore class will be selling soda for $1.00.

Here are some pics from recent class happenings:

Learning about finances in Junior Achievement

Middle School Swim Boot Camp

Reporting on Earthquakes in Science

Creating Data Sets with Oreos in Math

Building Earthquake Proof Structures in Science

Cupcakes, Frosting and Fondant in Home Ec

Thumbs up for Reading Centers

Ms. Dowski and her Therapy Dog come for a visit

Banner for the Dodge Ball Socal

We are cool like that

Math Actors Theater

Calculating Density

For the week of April 23rd - 26th

Hello all!  It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of the year.  It also means testing time.  Here are a few tips to help your student achieve their personal best:

Test Taking Tips for Parents & Students Preparing a student for a Testing Session – For Parents 
1. Make sure your child gets an ample, normal amount of sleep the night before the test
2. Mark testing days on your calendar to help remind you and your child when the testing will take place and plan your preparations.
3. The student should eat a nutritious and filling breakfast. Avoid high sugar cereals which can make the student hyper and/or unfocused.
4. Make sure the student is on time (if not early) on the day of testing
5. Set a backup alarm to avoid the possibility of oversleeping
6. If you child is sick please contact the school immediately to inform them

Test Taking Tips for Students 
General 
1. Be aware of the test time limits. Keep track of how much time you have remaining and try not to spend too much time on items that you are unsure of, as you can always come back to them once you have completed the items you do know.
2. Answer the easy questions first and then move on to more difficult items.
3. Answer all questions, even if do not know the answer
4. Use all of the time allotted to you. If you have extra time cover you answers and try reworking the questions.

Math 
1.On math problems try estimating the problem before calculating (ex. make 32 X 21 into 30 X 20), as this will help you notice if your calculations are far off your estimate.
2. Perform opposite operations. For example if your problem involves multiplication check your work by dividing in reverse.

Multiple Choice 
1. Anticipate the answer before looking at your answer options. Physically cover the answer with your hand to see if you can answer it first.
2. Eliminate highly implausible answers (most multiple choice tests will have at least two “distracter” items that are unrelated to the questions).
3. Be aware of words like “always,” “never,” “only,” “must,” and “completely.” Response options containing these words may be correct, but are usually distracters as their will usually be exceptions to extreme words such as these.
4. Be cautious about changing your answer to a multiple choice question without a good reason. Usually, your first “guess” or intuition is more likely to be correct than later ones.
5. Although not always true, as a general rule of thumb the items that contain the most information tend to be correct.
6. If one of the items is an “All of the Above” option and you know that at least one of the other options is incorrect/false then you can eliminate the “All of the Above” option as well.

Our test dates are as follows:

Thursday, April 26th 8:30-11

Monday. May 7th 8:30 - 11

Wednesday, May 9th 8:30 - 11

Monday, May 14th 8:30 - 11

6th Grade Survey - Please wait for an instructor to take!!!

6th Grade Survey

For the week of April 2nd - 6th

Sorry I am getting this post out rather late . . .

Welcome back from Spring Break!  I hope everyone was able to rest and recharge for the last 8 weeks of school.  Here is what you can expect this week:

Registration for Next Year
Your student was sent home with their schedule choices for next year. The sooner you sign and turn the paper back in, the more likelihood of your student getting preference of their top choices vs. students who turn their choices in late. If you do not plan on returning to Vision next year, there is a small section for you to fill out and return.   Your student is also eligible for online IDLA classes.  These classes are for students who have fallen behind trying to recoup credits and for students wanting to work ahead.  For more information please click the link below or call 208-342-0207 for a list of middle school classes.

Idaho Digital Learning Academy


Reading
We are working a lot on "Close Reading Skills" as we head towards our ISAT.  This involves reading slowly over materials, multiple times and annotating notes, questions and words that students don't understand. 

Independent book reports are due this Friday.  Click the link below to see the requirements. 

Math
The class just started our unit on Geometry.  Our first several chapters are a review of area and perimeter for rectangles.  Students are expected to memorize all formulas. 


Science
In science, we just started our unit on earthquakes.  The students have been working on labs this week that help with plate movement, how earthquakes are measured and terms scientists use to talk about earthquakes.

For the week of March 19th - 23rd

5 days until Spring Break . . . .but who's counting?  lol     Here is what you can expect this week:

ORDER MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOKS NOW 

2017-18 VCS Middle School and High School Yearbook ordering is now open. 
To order, you can go to: ybpay.lifetouch.com 

The high school yearbook is a 40-page book with a student-designed hard cover and a basic price of $34.00. Students can choose to customize their yearbook with additional autograph pages or even get their name on the cover, in a foil imprint.  
To order a VCS HIGH SCHOOL (Grades 9-12) Yearbook, the High School's ID Code is: 11547718 

The middle school yearbook is a 48-page, soft cover book with a basic price of $20.00. You can upgrade the middle school book to a hard cover for $5.00 more. Students can choose to customize their yearbook with additional autograph pages or even get their name on the cover, in a foil imprint.  
To order a VCS MIDDLE SCHOOL (Grades 6-8) Yearbook, the Middle School's ID Code is: 11145618 

ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED BY FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2018.  
Placing your order immediately reserves your student's copy of the 2017-18 book and takes care of your payment. You will receive an order confirmation email after submitting your order. If you have a question about ordering, please email Mr. Mark Boothby at markboothby@visioncsd.org.  


Math
We are finishing up Topic 10 - Ratios.  Our test will be on Tuesday.   Our next unit is all about Geometry.

Math Actors Theater 

Strategizing ratios

Reading
The class just finished reading Aladdin.  There was a set of questions that needed to be answered and submitted on Google Docs.  This is due Monday morning.  The cartoon strip highlighting major events in the story is due on Wednesday.  There will be time on Monday's class to finish the cartoon strip.  Remember, book reports will be due the Friday after spring break.

Science
We just finished up density and are starting our unit on earthquakes.

Dodgeball Social

Getting ready to play

Fueling up between rounds

Ready . . ..Set . . .. .

Go!

For the week of March 12th - 16th

The two week countdown to Spring Break has begun! It is crazy to think that 3rd quarter has ended and 4th quarter has started.  Speaking of grades . . .. 3rd quarter grades will be posted by Thursday, March 15th.  Make sure to have your student login to Infinite Campus and show you their grades.  Remember these are just the 1/2 way point grades.  In 6th grade we are on semesters.  Their final grades will be posted at the end of the year.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact our 6th grade team. 

Here is what you can expect this week.

It is a full 5 day week :)

Book Orders
Book orders are due on Thursday of this week.  Please remember, I cannot take cash.  Payment must be in the form of checks or cards.  Card purchases can be made online.  This probably will be our last book order of the year. 

Dodgeball Social
Will take place at the school gym on Friday, March 16th from 4-6pm.  The cost is $4.00. 

Reading
We are working on individual book reports that will be due right after spring break.  We are also focusing on test prep skills to get your students ready for I-SATs. 

Science
The students have been working hard on everything density!  We just finished up learning how to calculate density for regular shaped objects and started calculating irregularly shaped objects.  Our density test will be on Tuesday.  From there, the class will move on to earthquakes. 

Finding Mass

Calculating Density

Using the Triple Beam Balance

Math 1
The class is just about to wrap up Topic 10 - Ratios.  The end of section test is scheduled for Tuesday, March 20th. 

Home Econ
We just started our unit on Main Dishes.  The class has also been working on creating our own published cookbooks.  The deadline for submission is Friday, March 23rd.  In addition to our unit on jobs and budgets, I have booked a Junior Achievement volunteer to come in and give classes finances for the month of April. 

Making Homemade Noodles

Quick Biscuits 

Making sides for our soup

Wrinkle in Time

For the week of March 5th - 8th

For starters, remember this is a four day week.  There is no school on Friday.  However, Mrs. Warr and I will be at the Edwards 14 theater on Cassia St. to see a Wrinkle in Time for anyone who wants to join us.  This means siblings, parents and grandparents are also welcome to join.  Please remember this is NOT a school sponsored event.  You are responsible for your child's ticket, snacks and ride to and from the theater.  Mrs. Warr and I also have meetings scheduled before and after the movie at work so we will not be able to stay and wait for late parent pickups.  It is highly recommended to purchase tickets online prior to the show.  It is opening day and tickets will go fast.  I checked tonight and the Edwards 14 theater has not posted showtimes yet.  As soon as they do, I will send an email and post to Edmodo.  We are shooting for around noon. 

What you can expect this week:
Monday, March 5th - Skate Night at the Roller Drome from 6-8pm 

Thursday, March 8th - Quarter 3 Ends.  Grades will be updated fully by Thursday, March 15th. Book orders due! 

Friday, March 9th - No school/ Wrinkle in Time


Reading
We just finished Literature Circles and are moving into individualized book reports, along with I-SAT test prep. Book reports will be due the Friday after spring break.  Click the link below to see the book report format.  Book orders will be sent home on Monday and due on Thursday. 

How to Write a Great 6th Grade Book Summary

Lit Circle Presentation - Wrinkle in Time

Lit Circle Presentation - Westing Game

Lit Circle Presentation - 6th Grade Nickname Game

Lit Circle Presentation - Frankenstein

Lit Circle Presentation - Bridge to Terabithia

Science
We are currently working on calculating density for regular prisms.  Students were tasked with a density project last week that is due Tuesday.  From there we will work on calculating density for irregular shaped objects. 

Double checking measurements

Using the triple beam balance

Solving unknown densities

Math
We are knee deep in Topic 10 - Ratios.  Later this week, the class will explore ratios as fractions and ratios as decimals.  Our unit test is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 15th.