Online Testing Samples...

Dear Families,

This week our students have been taking their MSP tests. ON Thursday our BLUE group will take their math MSP and on Friday our RED group will be taking theirs. Today we visited the computer lab so that students could try out all the tools and complete a scavenger hunt of where they were located on the screen. They also got to try out many question types. 

If you are curious about it and would like to see what your children are looking at for the online tests, you can visit OSPI's page that has sample tests available: [link] They're located on the right hand side of the page.

Warm regards,

Brian MacNevin

One-Step Equations!

Dear Families,

Today I introduced a new skill: solving one-step equations to find the value of a variable. We imagined a pan balance with some mass on each side and I explained how we need to keep the pan balanced in order for the equation to remain true. So long as we do that, we can do whatever we want to get the variable all on its own.

For example:

5 + x = 8

I can subtract 5 from each side:

5 + x = 8

-5       -5

and that leaves

      x = 3

We practiced using subtraction, addition, multiplication, and division today to isolate the variable on one side and its value on the other.

Here is a video that shows that same process that we practiced today and that we're practicing in homework: [link]

Warm regards,

Brian

WMS: Math/Science Update. MSP Testing this coming week!

Dear Families,

We not only survived the field trips to the Gordon Carter site, but we had a GREAT time! Thank you so much to all of our volunteers and chaperones. And thank you to everyone for making sure your children were dressed appropriately, had lunches, and had a great attitude! We had a GREAT time out there learning about ecosystems in a way that cannot be replicated in a classroom.

One of the questions I was asked was about the lesson about Phosphorous run-off into the water shed. The graduate teaching assistants and the university professor felt the lesson needed to be revised for clarity. After observing it twice this year (and three times last year), I thought I'd have some good suggestions about simplifying the lesson, or about focussing it. Instead, every suggestion I made took too much out of the lesson. These creeks and watersheds are complex systems that we can't recreate in a classroom. And trying to reduce it down to just one particular aspect of perspective doesn't help kids understand the complexity of the system. I think I found myself favouring the complexity because here -- in the outdoors -- the students get to see and grapple with that complexity. These outdoor education experiences are so very important for helping kids put the small pieces together into something that is the BIG picture staring them in the face. 

This Week in Math:

• We will be extending our study of equations and expressions into solving one-step equations. That means if we have an equation like 4 + x = 12, students understand that they can "solve for x" by doing the same thing to each side of the equation: i.e. they can subtract 4 from each side, leaving x=8 as the solution. I will be using an analogy of a single-arm-balance as we learn the strategy, then we will have a few practice sessions.

This Week in Science:

• We will finish looking at Forces and Motion and will start looking at the grand canyon as a model for understanding sedimentary rocks and layer deposition. The big picture understanding here is to get a sense of scale of geologic time and to see some of the evidence for it. We will be investigating this through the rest of the year.

MSP TESTING THIS WEEK:

It's that time of year. We don't really do any specific test prep here at 6th grade at WMS. But we do want students to have plenty of SLEEP at nights, and good NUTRITION. Also, any day a student is testing, they are treated to FREE BREAKFAST in the lunch room! 

Warm regards,

Brian MacNevin 

WE DID IT! YOU DID IT! We're covered!

Dear Families,

I KNEW WE WOULD DO IT! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! We now have enough seats to get our students to the site and back again. 

Here are our awesome volunteers:

THURSDAY AM:
Julie Smith (4)
Christine Lee (4)
Tom McNutt (6)
Christian Carson (4)
Isaac Blum (4)
Matthew Prendergast (4)
Molly Daniels (6)

THURSDAY PM:
Julie Smith (4)
Christine Lee (4)
Tom McNutt (6)
Christian Carson (4)
Isaac Blum (4)
Matthew Prendergast (4)

FRIDAY AM:

Christine Lee (4)
Tom McNutt (6)
Christian Carson (4)
Paula MacKenzie (4)
Michelle Willett (4)
Daniel VanderBrink (6)
Travis Krause (6)

FRIDAY PM:

Christine Lee (4)
Christian Carson (4)
Paula MacKenzie (4)
Michelle Willette (4)
Daniel VanderBrink (6)
Tom McNutt (6)
Travis Krause (6)

Thank you all for your support!

NOTE: PLEASE REMEMBER THAT STUDENTS AND CHAPERONES NEED TO HAVE LONG PANTS AND CLOSED-TOED SHOES ON.

SINCERELY,

BRIAN MACNEVIN

Field Trip is in danger... we still need more drivers.

Dear Families,

Unfortunately, I need to let you know that our field trip is in danger right now. We just don't have enough drivers to transport all of our students to the Gordon Carter site. 

If you can help transport any of these students, please email me ASAP (or use the Google Form [link] to let me know; you don't need to stay all day!

THURSDAY MORNING WE NEED:

2 or 3 drivers to transport 9 students.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON WE NEED:

2 or 3 drivers to transport 9 students.

FRIDAY MORNING WE NEED:

1 driver to transport 3 students.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON WE NEED:

1 driver to transport 3 students.

Thank you to all of the volunteers who have carved out time and resources to be able to make our field trip happen! So far, these folks I know I have heard from definitely to help out:

THURSDAY DRIVERS AND CHAPERONES:

Julie Smith (4)

Christine Lee (4)

Tom McNutt (6)

Christian Carson (4)

Isaac Blum (4)

FRIDAY DRIVERS AND CHAPERONES:

Christine Lee (4)

Tom McNutt (6)

Christian Carson (4)

Paula MacKenzie (4)

Michelle Willett (4)

Daniel VanderBrink (6)

I really think we can do this. We are SO VERY CLOSE. If you can join us, all the necessary paperwork will be waiting for you in the office in the morning. There is a volunteer driver form and a volunteer packet to complete. And that's it! Then come on down to Room 116.

Sincerely,

Brian MacNevin

Field Trip: Excited for Thursday, but drivers are still needed!

Dear Families,

Your child's class will be going on the Gordon Carter field trip on Thursday and Friday of this week! It's almost time! The other class had a wonderful time there today and tomorrow looks like it will be just as good!

But before we can go... we still need some more drivers to get all of our students there! I know we can do it!

Here are some opportunities for you to help out and volunteer!

Chaperones:

We have lots of chaperones. But if you can drive some students to the site, stay the day, and drive them back to school again at the end, we could use one more chaperone on Thursday. 

Drivers:

• Thursday AM: We still need to transport 9 students to the site (probably 2-3 more drivers).
• Thursday PM: we still need to transport 13 students back to WMS (probably 3-5 more drivers).
• Friday AM: We still need to transport 3 more students to the site (probably 1 more driver).
• Friday PM: We still need to transport 3 more students back to WMS (probably 1 more driver).

How to volunteer:

If you can help, please email me (brian.macnevin@bellinghamschools.org) or use the online volunteer form located here: [SIGN-UP].

Thank you so much!

Brian MacNevin

Today's Field Trip: What an AWESOME day! Tomorrow: Drivers/Chaperone information included

Dear Families,

What a great day it was! Even though it wasn't a sunny day, it also wasn't a cold one. We had a blast exploring nature from both a sensory as well from a scientific perspective. Tomorrow will run much as it did today.

Chaperones:
Sonny Kunchick
Alison Rositzke
Jennie Eshuis
Tom Russell

AM Drivers:
Sonny Kunchick (6)
John Bower (6)
Teresa Bosteter (6)
Alison Rositzke (3)
Jennie Eshuis (4)
Bill Dierdorff (6)
Tom Russell (6)

(37/33)

PM Drivers:
Todd Saari Sr. (6)
Sonny Kunchick (6)
Susie Bower (5)
Alison Rositzke (3)
Jennie Eshuis (4)
Bill Dierdorff (6)
Tom Russell (6)

(34/33)

Chaperone Information:

The instructors have put together a letter for you about the job of a chaperone on-site [link]. I will have a copy for you in the morning, but I thought some may want to have a look at it ahead of time.

Driver Paperwork:

• If you drove today, you have no more paperwork to turn in. Yay! And if you are joining us tomorrow for the first time, please bring your paperwork (volunteer packet [link] and driving approval form [link]) to Aileen Walton in the office in the morning. Then come on down to room 116.
• If you are only driving for us in the afternoon, please send your signed paperwork with your child in the morning and I'll get it checked in for you.
  
• There are directions available for you to download here [link].

Thank you so much!

Brian

Calling all drivers... we still need more cars to transport kids to the GC site on Thursday and Friday

Dear Families of my "blue group",

Our class is so excited about the Gordon Carter field trip Thursday 5/16 and Friday 5/17!

But we still need more drivers. We are close to the number of drivers we need (in fact, we have plenty of chaperones who are there the whole day). But drivers are still really needed. 

I know that it is difficult to find the time in the day to help out, but please check your schedules and see if you might be able to help drive some students for just part of the day. Right now we need drivers for the following times:

• Thursday 9:30-10:15AM: We still need 3-4 drivers (to transport 13 students).
  
• Thursday 3:00- 3:45 PM: We still need 3-4 drivers (to transport 13 students).
  
• Friday  9:30-10:15 AM: We still need 1-2 drivers (to transport 3 students).
  
• Friday 3:00- 3:45 PM: We still need 1-2 drivers (to transport 3 students). 
  

If you can volunteer to drive, please reply to this email or sign up using the Google Form here: [SIGN-UP]

Thank you so much for your help! This will be a GREAT trip!

Brian

Field Trip: Still need 1 AM driver and probably 3-4 PM drivers for Monday...

Dear Families,

I sent home a paper notice today with your child's class. We are still in real need of drivers for Monday. 

One more driver in the morning would get us all there. But in the afternoon we still need to transport 13 students back home. I think that means we still need between 3 and 4 drivers.

If you are available for transporting students, please let me know as soon as possible.

There is a little paperwork to complete (a volunteer form with Mrs. Walton in the office and a driver permission form available here [link], though you could also get that from Mrs. Walton on Monday Morning). 

Thank you so much!

Brian MacNevin

Field Trip Volunteers: Thank you! and information!

Dear Volunteers,

Thank you for volunteering to help out on our field trips next week! I have compiled all of the responses so you can see where I have you scheduled to help out. Please let me know if there need to be any changes. [link]

Paperwork

Today I sent home some paperwork for you with your child. You should find these two things:

• Volunteer Information Packet:
  The volunteer information packet is mostly information for you to read, but there are two pages in there that Mrs. Walton will need to keep on-file. The good news is, those files are good for a year! If you already have one on-file, you won't need to fill it out again.
• Driver Permission Form:
  This pink page is the building principal's approval of the plans for transportation and also verifies your insurance information for the district.

If your paperwork has gone missing, or if you are a new volunteer, please see Mrs. Walton in the main office on Monday morning and she can give you the paperwork that you will need to complete.

Afternoon-Only Drivers:

If you are driving only in the afternoon on Monday, please send this form with your child in the morning. This is very important. The forms must be here on-site for the students to be in your car during school hours on the field trip. 

Monday Morning:

On Monday morning, please stop in to see Mrs. Walton in the main office. You can drop off those forms with her at that time. Then you can come down to room 116 and I will have kids assigned to you ready for our adventure!

Directions:

The Gordon Carter site's address is: 3801 South Bay Drive. Sedro-Woolley, WA [Google Maps Link]. But since Google Maps seems to make it a little hard to know exactly what the turn looks like or where it is, I also have a jpg drawing of a map for you here: [picture of map].

Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

Brian MacNevin

Field Trip Update: Still need some drivers for Monday.

Dear Families,

Thank you so much for volunteers! We are almost there! As of today, we have Tuesday totally covered for drivers. Yay!

On Monday, however, we need a few more.

Monday morning: we still need one more drivers in the morning to get all the students there (right now we have 1 student without transportation, so another volunteer would do it).

Monday afternoon: we still need enough drivers to bring 13 students back to WMS. 

If anyone can donate a portion of their day to drive, that would be really helpful! It only takes about 45 minutes to get out the the Gordon Carter site.

You can email me (brian.macnevin@bellinghamschools.org) or use the Google sign up sheet I have online [link].

Thanks so much!

Brian

Elective Survey Tomorrow

Dear Families,

Just a reminder that tomorrow our students are registering their preferences for next year's electives. Earlier this week they brought home an information update check and an elective registration sheet for you.

Tomorrow each student should have those forms with them.

Warm regards,

Brian MacNevin

Calling all drivers: we need some more for next week.

Dear Families,

Your child's class will be going on our field trip next Monday (5/13) and Tuesday (5/14) of next week. But we still don't have enough drivers. Here is where we're at so far.

Monday:

M.R. (4) AM and PM

A.R. (4) AM and PM

T.S. (6) AM and PM

J.H. (6) AM and PM

We still need transportation for 13 students.

Tuesday:

M.R. (4)

S.K. (6)

We still need transportation for 23 students.

I know that it is difficult to take days off, or even parts of days. But if you are available for a day -- or even for just part of a day -- to drive students, we could definitely use your help.

We will leave WMS at 9:30 (arriving at the site at about 10:15) and will leave the GC site at 3:00 (arriving at WMS at about 3:45). 

If you can volunteer to help, please let me know either through email or through the form I had set up [link].

Thank you so much! If we can do it, this will be a great field trip! :) 

Warm regards,

Brian 

Math Quiz Tomorrow! Still room for more field trip volunteers!

Dear Families,

Just an update about where we are right now. I hope you are well and that you got to enjoy the wonderful weather of these past few days!

Math

Tomorrow we will have a quiz on evaluating and writing exponents (Common Core State Standard 6.EE.1). At the beginning of the week I have students a small pre-assessment on writing and evaluating exponents and this week we have been practicing them.

Tonight for homework students have 10 practice problems and should review their work from this week to prepare for the quiz tomorrow.

Science

In science we have been trying to understand and graph the differences between force and speed to compare our fan cars and our mousetrap cars. This week I am also  introducing students to a kid-friendly version of Newton's three laws of motion.

1. An object will keep moving the way it's moving (or not moving) unless an unbalanced force changes its movement.
2. Everyone knows that heavier objects require more force to move the same distance as lighter objects.
   
3. Whenever one object pushes on another object, it's gets pushed back in the opposite direction but equally hard.
   

Field Trip Update

Our field trips are approaching fast! We still have room and need of chaperones and volunteer drivers. If you would like to volunteer, please email me or use these surveys:

Red Group Parents can volunteer here: [link]

Blue Group Parents can volunteer here: [link]

Warm regards,

Brian MacNevin