Exhibition Night

This week is going to be an exciting week.  This Thursday we are going to have our all-school exhibition night.  It will be on May 2nd from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.  The students have been hard at work preparing for our "Heroes Never Quit" project.  Students will be answering our essential questions; What are the attributes of a hero and how can I become one?  One of our students has already raised 200 dollars for schools in Cambodia! We are making a powerful impact through our learning at Innovations Academy!

Each student will be receive an evaluation for their participation during this event.  Since it is also a community outreach night, we need to make sure that the room has students present throughout the evening. We also would appreciate it if we had snacks brought in so Alexis and I have created a sign up sheet for parents who would like to volunteer to help out.  Please click on the following link to sign up Exhibition Night.

This week we are also going to be having our school book fair, so be sure to stop by and look at some of the available books on display.  A portion of the proceeds goes to our school.

We set sail

I would first of all like to thank all of the parents who came on our overnight field trip to the Star of India. There was no way that we could have done it with out your dedication. We had so much fun learning about the Revolutionary War while at the same carrying out the duties of a typical sailor from that time period.

I also want to thank all of the families who made it out to the Disco dance party on Saturday night.  It was so cool to see everyone out on the dance floor.  It was a fantastic way to show your school spirit.

We are still taking the STAR test this week.  In the fifth grade, students are tested for science in addition to language arts and mathematics.  Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest and eats a balanced breakfast in the morning.  Proper sleep and nutrition play a vital role in how well students perform in school.

Don't forget that next week we are having our school's exhibition night on May 2nd from 5:00 to 8:00.  All students will receive credit for their participation during this event.  Students have written their letters to their heroes, and are now working on creating poems about their heroes.  Please remember that each student will also be joining a cause that they are passionate about.  All of their actions will need to be documented in a photo essay that will be submitted for credit.

Our first overnight!

I am so excited that next week we are having our first overnight trip to the Star of India!  Please make sure that you pack what's on the packing list.  The weather on the bay can be extreme, hot one moment then bitter cold the next.  Please be sure to read all directions carefully.  All items need to be placed into plastic trash bags and labeled with your child's name. If you have misplaced your packing list, you may click on the following link packing instructions.  For all of the parents who are driving, please remember that we are going to be leaving right after lunch at 1:15. Don't forget to write your child a "time period" letter as stated in the instructions given.  An excuse will be made for the students who do not receive a letter but it will be disappointing if the students are not able to participate in the activity.  It is supposed to be a surprise so please secretly deliver the letter to me. So far I have only received two letters for the entire class!

This week we finished studying the American Revolutionary War.  Students got into groups and wrote outlines of the major events during that time.  Next week we are going to be choosing scenes to act out a particular event from that time period.  Also this week we finished our rough drafts of our formal letters to our heroes. Both final letters are due next Friday, April 19th.  Here is an example of one of the letters written by Alden Peterson.


Innovations Academy

Spring Canyon Road

San Diego, CA. 92127

April 8, 2013

Dear Frederick Douglass,

I was amazed by your work about civil rights and fighting against slavery. I can’t believe you actually jumped on a train while it was moving! The way you learned to read was amazing! You learned to read just like Mohatma Ghandi and Cesar Chavez, who also taught themselves how to read.

I have some questions I would like to ask you, how did you deal with the pain and suffering that you went through? It must have been very painful to see your Grandmother get whipped as a slave, how did you deal with your feeling after that?

What do you feel was your biggest accomplishment when you escaped slavery? What you like to be remembered for?

I think you were an amazing person to accomplish all of your goals in your lifetime and to escape slavery. You are truly a hero!

Sincerely,

Your admirer and student,

Alden Peterson

Grade 5, Innovations Academy

Spring is here!

I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break.  It is good to have everyone back.  I would like to thank all of the parents and students who made our student led conferences such a success.  I was really impressed at how much the students were able to articulate what they have been learning about.  There has been so much growth since the beginning of the year.  They class has really matured so much, especially during the past few weeks.

Speaking of maturing...

The 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th grade classes of Innovations Academy will be participating in a series of sexual education classes beginning Thursday, April 11^th.  There will be three additional classes taking place on April 18, April 25, and May 9.  These classes will be taught by an experienced professional from San Diego Youth Empowerment who has worked with Innovations Academy in the past and received excellent reviews.  

The topics he plans to cover include body changes, text messaging and sexting, appropriate touching and personal boundaries, and healthy relationships.  He will also hold a question and answer session where all questions will be screened before being read and answered.

We plan on all students participating in the classes.  If however, you would not like your child to partake in this program, please provide your child’s teacher with a note stating this desire and an additional option will be provided in place of the sexual education class. 

If you have any additional questions please talk to Bill or Alexis.  

We are going to try and complete out letters to our heroes by this Friday, April 12.  So far the students have written some great formal letters to our heroes.  I am super excited about the possibility of hearing from some of our living heroes.  As soon as we are finished with these we will be uploading them to our blogs.  In addition to the letters, our persuasive essays are also going to be posted to our blogs once final editing changes have been made.  We are becoming very great writers! Way to go fifth grade!

Also we have been continuing our study of American History.  Today we role played different characters in history to illustrate how the story of history changes depending on the perspective of who is telling the story.  We will be continuing our exploration of acting out history.  The students are very natural when it comes to acting it out! Yesterday we read a Reader's Theater play about the Declaration of Independence.  Ask your child to recite the part about, "we hold these truths to be self-evident." We have been practicing memorizing this part in class.