Week of August 26th

THIS WEEKEND IS LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd

Please send nutritious and neat snacks for the students to enjoy.

Last week’s class motto was: Silent, Facing Forward, Close Together

This week’s class motto is: Transition is Silent and Efficient, Exit Quietly, Enter Quietly, Silent, Facing Forward, Close Together

Last week we discussed hallway expectations. Students are to be silent when lined up in the hallway. They are to face forward, off the wall. They are to be close together. This ensures a quick trip to our destination. It also sets the example for the younger students.

This week we will continue our discussion on that and revisit how to exit the room quietly and enter the room quietly and how to transition.

We have also been practicing our “two-minute drill”. It should take two minutes to unpack at the start of the day and two minutes to pack up at the end of the day.

Volunteers - I am so pleased to have so many parents ready and willing to volunteer this year! I just wanted to remind everyone that all volunteers are required to have fingerprint clearance here at Archway Classical Academy. This policy is strictly monitored and even applies to those who think they might like to chaperone on one of our field trips in the spring. If you are interested and have not obtained the necessary clearance, please see the Archway website for more information, or ask at the front office.

SUPPLIES NEEDED-    tissues, whiteboard erasers

Below is a breakdown of what we will be doing in class this week:

Spelling – This week the students will study new roots and dive into their GYV books. There are 11 vocabulary words to study during the week. The words are associated with 4 new roots. During the week, students will practice spelling these words and using them as well. There will be a vocabulary test on Friday.

Language arts- We will continue reading Pollyanna.  This has proven to be a great book so far. We read a chapter of the book and then we discuss it. The next day the students read the same chapter in a reading group. We then have a discussion about the plot and thematic elements of the story. We also discuss the character traits that are shown by the characters in the story.

Grammar- We will continue our work in the Shurley Grammar book, covering adjectives, nouns, verbs, sentence structure, and articles. Students will also write in their daily journals.

History/Geography – We will begin our study of Europe in the Middle Ages! This is an exciting unit and is our first step into history. This week we will study the fall of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages. The week will conclude with a reading of Beowulf.

Science–This week we continue our study of geology. We will study earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. There will be activities each day. There will be nightly homework. 

Week of August 19th

CURRICULUM NIGHT- THIS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, at 6:30PM

Please send nutritious and neat snacks for the students to enjoy.

**Wednesday, August 21^st  is curriculum night. 

Please be in my classroom no later than 6:30!!**

Last week’s class motto was: Exit Quietly, Enter Quietly

This week’s class motto is: Silent, Facing Forward, Close Together

Last week we discussed how it is very important to exit the room quietly and enter the room quietly. This is important as we strive toward limiting the time it takes to transition. Students should enter the room and be seated in their learning position within one minute. This allows for a maximizing of classroom time.

This week we will focus on hallway expectations. Students are to be silent when lined up in the hallway. They are to face forward, off the wall. They are to be close together. This ensures a quick trip to our destination. It also sets the example for the younger students.

Volunteers - I am so pleased to have so many parents ready and willing to volunteer this year! I just wanted to remind everyone that all volunteers are required to have fingerprint clearance here at Archway Classical Academy. This policy is strictly monitored and even applies to those who think they might like to chaperone on one of our field trips in the spring. If you are interested and have not obtained the necessary clearance, please see the Archway website for more information, or ask at the front office.

SUPPLIES NEEDED-    tissues, whiteboard erasers, hand sanitizer

Below is a breakdown of what we will be doing in class this week:

Language arts- We will continue reading Pollyanna.  This week we will be introduced to the Glad Game. We will follow Pollyanna on her many adventures and meet more characters. This book is rich with vocabulary and character traits.

Grammar- We will continue our work in the Shurley Grammar book, covering analogies and sentence structure. These are important skills to master as the students begin writing essays and answering comprehension questions. Students will also write in their daily journals.

History/Geography – We will begin our study of mountains. Students will learn about mountain terrain, mountain life, and mountain survival. This is a one week unit as they will go deeper into mountains in the science unit. Students will be taught a lesson on taking proper notes.

Science–This week we continue our study of geology. We will study plate tectonics, seismic waves, earthquakes, land formations, and convection currents. There will be activities each day. There will be nightly homework. 

Week of August 12th

Please send nutritious and neat snacks for the students to enjoy.

Last week’s class motto was: Transition is Silent and Efficient

This week’s class motto is: Exit Quietly, Enter Quietly

Last week we discussed how it is very important to move quickly and silently when we change from one subject to another. This not only makes for a cohesive classroom, but saves time as well. Every minute is important. Transition is also important in moving from specials to class, class to lunch, and all around the building.

This week we will discuss and train on exiting the room quietly and entering the room quietly. This is important as we strive toward limiting the time it takes to transition. Students should enter the room and be seated in their learning position within thirty seconds. This allows for a maximizing of classroom time.

On Friday we implemented the classroom organization plan. I demonstrated for the students the order of their desks, and I will expect the desks stay this way. This organization plan truly helps students to not lose work and stay on top of assignments. I also hope to see this organization spread to other areas like home and bedrooms!

Volunteers - I am so pleased to have so many parents ready and willing to volunteer this year! I just wanted to remind everyone that all volunteers are required to have fingerprint clearance here at Archway Classical Academy. This policy is strictly monitored and even applies to those who think they might like to chaperone on one of our field trips in the spring or simply attending parties or presentations. If you are interested and have not obtained the necessary clearance, please see the Archway website for more information, or ask at the front office.

SUPPLIES NEEDED-    tissues, hand sanitizer

Below is a breakdown of what we will be doing in class this week:

Spelling – We will begin our study in the Growing Your Vocabulary Book (GYV Book). Students will learn and write their first vocabulary words of the school year. The book discusses the roots and origins of the words. Students will use the words in sentences and show proper understanding of each word. There will be a vocabulary test on Friday.

Language arts- We will begin reading Pollyanna.  This is one of my favorites. In years past, this book has elicited strong emotion from both boys and girls. Students will complete a bound journal/workbook that reflects what we are reading about.  Fridays are the most exciting day as we have a seminar discussion on the chapters we read on previous days.

Grammar- We will continue our work in the Shurley Grammar book, covering capitalization and punctuation. These are important skills to master as the students begin writing essays and answering comprehension questions. Students will also write in their daily journals.

History/Geography – We will continue our study of maps. Students will learn about maps, time zones, and coordinate measurements. The first assessment will be on Friday. There will be nightly homework to complete.

Science–This week we continue our study of geology. We will study plate tectonics, seismic waves, earthquakes, land formations, and convection currents. There will be activities each day. There will be nightly homework.

Week of August 6, 2013

WELCOME TO MR. POSNER’S CLASS.

This is the first official blog of the 2013-2014 school year.

Please send nutritious and neat snacks for the students to enjoy.

This week’s class motto is: Transition is Silent and Efficient

Each week we will discuss a class motto. This is the first weekly motto. We will talk about how it is very important to move quickly and silently when we change from one subject to another. This not only makes for a cohesive classroom, but saves time as well. Every minute is important. Transition is also important in moving from specials to class, class to lunch, and all around the building. This can be practiced at home.  

I have a very strict classroom organization plan that will be put into place this week. I do not allow pencil cases, markers, crayons, rulers, or sharpeners in the desks. We have many books and notebooks and space is limited. I will teach the students the order of their desks and I will expect the desks stay this way. This organization plan truly helps students to not lose work and stay on top of assignments.

The following is important information- Please read all the way through.

Snack- I ask that you bring in healthy snacks for your child. In addition, I ask that these snacks be "dry" snacks. By this, I mean snacks that, if spilled, would not create a mess on the carpet, i.e. yogurt, fruit cups, pudding, jello, juice, etc.

Volunteers - I am so pleased to have so many parents ready and willing to volunteer this year! I want to remind everyone that all volunteers are required to have fingerprint clearance here at Archway Classical Academy. This policy is strictly monitored and even applies to those who think they might like to chaperone on one of our field trips in the spring. If you are interested and have not obtained the necessary clearance, please see the Archway website for more information, or ask at the front office.