Ask Your Expert!

Ask Your Expert!
Posted on 03/16/2020

Preschool: For remote learning this week in preschool: We will be sending out ideas and links to keep in touch with you throughout next week as well as opportunities to conference remotely. In the meantime, spend time together, enjoy preparing meals, setting the table (math skills), snuggling and reading, and moving your bodies in the fresh air outside. Be extra gentle with each other in this time. – Julie Lavigne and Julie Womochil, Preschool Teachers

Art: What a great time to pull out those sketchbooks and art supplies and practice drawing, recording thoughts/feelings, and exploring new ideas. Enjoy creating art alone or as a family. I will miss seeing all of you and will try to extend more artistic ideas through the week. Please email me any fun art projects or links you think your peers may also enjoy and I will work on passing them along. – Carrie Dunlap, Art Teacher ([email protected])

Kindergarten: For our remote learning this week, kindergarten will be sending short and easy to follow instructions on how to guide your little ones in language arts skills, math, and writing practice. Each teacher will send an email in the morning with the lesson plan, as well as a message for our kiddos. We are going to attempt to use some type of technology, so we have a chance to see the littles face to face. We will check in with our families at the end of the day to see if they have any questions or concerns about that day’s lessons. We will also be available to our families remotely during school hours M-F. We always tell the little ones that each day presents new challenges and chances for us to learn...this is a chance for the students, the parents, and the teachers! Go Mustangs. – Missi Thomson, Jeana Farrell, and Lindsay Hammel, Kindergarten Teachers

Music: This week, let music soothe, engage, energize, and excite you as you navigate at-home learning! While some families have access to piano, guitar, and an assortment of instruments, others will find singing, dancing, and using "found sounds" a more practical, engaging and authentic way to enjoy music together. I will miss seeing all of you, but believe weaving music into your daily routine has the potential to help establish a rewarding rhythm and flow that will create a positive, balanced approach to your at-home learning. On Monday, I will be sending out the week's suggestions for musical exploration, practice, and expression, along with your classroom teachers' assignments. Take care, and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. – Elizabeth Lawson, Music Teacher ([email protected])

First Grade: Last week we sent home CKLA Skills workbooks and readers along with math workbooks, handwriting workbooks, and our hairy caterpillars! If your student was absent on Friday and you were unable to come by and pick up their materials, they are at the office available for pick up on Monday! Beginning on Tuesday the 17th, you will receive an email from your child's teacher every morning by 9:00 containing a personal message and instructions for the day! You will be directed to our first grade website (msesfirstgrade.com) where you will find a Skills video from Mrs. Carter, a math video from Mr. Pletsch, and a Listening and Learning video from Miss Carley! No matter whose class you are in, watch all three videos and do your best to complete the suggested assignments or activities! We will be standing by all day to answer any questions that arise for you! We also understand that parents and families are going through just as much of an adjustment as we are next week. Do your best, but don't stress! We are here for you and your students now and when we return! Reading and talking with your child each day bring valuable learning opportunities too! It won't feel the same, but we are excited at the chance to interact with your students and each of you in our week of distance learning. Keep it light and have fun! – Sarah Carter, Paige Carley, Jon Pletsch, First-Grade Teachers

Physical Education: Hey all....a little something for all the kids to work on this week: Since we did our annual Presidents Fitness Challenge last fall, this would be a good time to revisit to see if we all can improve on those scores. All you need to do is record your scores on paper and bring them in when we return to school. Here are the individual tests to record: 1.) SIT-UPS -- how many you can do in 1 minute. 2.) V-SIT REACH: Legs flat on the ground (can’t bend your legs), feet 18 inches apart...get a ruler and place it by your feet, reach out with your hands without bending your legs, record how many inches you reach out to. 3.) PUSH-UPS: How many you can do without pausing? 4.) This is a variation on part of the fitness test: Record on paper the amount of physical activity you do each day -- bike riding, hiking, walking, basketball, skiing, etc. If you have a question about the physical activity, write it down and we will go over in when you return. Also, I sent home a paper from the American Heart Association offering some good activities on the website. If you are participating for the donations and awards, we will be finishing up that part April 3rd. If you have any questions, please email me at [email protected]. Stay healthy! – Randy Niebuhr, PE Teacher

Second Grade: Our thoughts about the Remote Work this week:
• Enjoy spending time with your children as much as we do. There is such joy in teaching someone...especially someone you love!
• This should be a review, practice, and extension!
• Learn things of interest daily!
• Enjoy self-driven learning (choices)!
• Foster responsibility of completing 'Remote Learning'!
We will be emailing a daily message for you and your child to read. Then, try your best to complete the assignments given. If you have any problems, let us know! We will all be monitoring email several times a day Tuesday through Friday! We are going to miss your kids! Take care! – Lori Pearson/Madison Young, Chris Whipkey, Maria Woytko, Second-Grade Teachers

TEAMS: Remote learning in TEAMS will consist of practicing our typing skills using the Typing Pal program. Students can also continue their individualized coding assignments through code.org. Please be on the lookout for another email that will consist of all the log-in information for your child. You can access all of these programs as well as other activities on msesteams.weebly.com – Amy Bradbury, TEAMS Teacher

Third Grade: We sent home "soft" math workbooks last week, as well as our CKLA readers about Viking Myths and some CKLA curriculum for our online learning next week. If your student was absent, there is a packet at the office for him/her that you can pick up on Monday. The office will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday. The third-grade team meets Monday morning to finalize our Remote Learning plans and we will be emailing our parents with details Monday afternoon. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions!! Mrs. Elms, Mrs. Leonardo, and Mr. Wood will be contacting each classroom with some activities and assignments for kids to complete. We've got lots of ideas so we will be in touch each day. Hope you are well! Please remember that we are only an email away! -- Becky Elms, Brandon Wood, Natascha Leonardo, Third-Grade Teachers

Spanish: Hola, En Español, all the students can have fun illustrating the 4 seasons/ Las Cuatro Estaciones: Primavera/ Spring, Verano/ Summer, Otoño/ Fall, Invierno/ Winter. 1st, 2nd, 3rd , 4th, and 5th, grade, please practice the words: me gusta/ I like, no me gusta/ I do not like ¿Te gusta la lasana?.... Si me gusta or No me gusta . ¿Te gusta el brócoli?.....Si me gusta or No me gusta please answer this question: ¿Te gusta la sopa de banana con chocolate? ¿Te gusta el milkshake(batido) de brócoli? -- Alejandra Lillemon, Spanish Teacher

Reading Intervention: Hello, families of primary students receiving reading support from Mrs. Hendrickson, Mrs. Johnston, and Ms. Sokol! Packets for reading practice were sent home in backpacks on Thursday and Friday. For our students who receive support in math, continue to identify numbers and practice addition and subtraction. Our goal is to be in touch with families by email and phone to communicate with other support ideas we have with websites and games. Hello, families of third- to fifth-graders receiving support from Ms. Koriath and Mr. Smith! In your student's backpacks there are some brand new workbooks from the Really Great Reading program that our school has adopted this year. These resources, along with some video instruction on canvas, will be the method for continuing progress towards reading skill growth during this "learn at home" season. Please check your email/voicemail on Monday for further information and connection with Ms. Koriath. – Amanda Hendrickson, Primary Interventionist, Heidi Koriath, Intermediate Interventionist

Speech/Language Specialist: Hello to students who receive speech/language services in Preschool-First grades with Ms. Johnson (Ms. Leah to the Preschoolers). I will be sending an email tomorrow to families of students who receive speech/language services through an IEP with some activities to do next week. For all the students who receive speech/language services, just keep practicing the sounds and language concepts we have been working on when you are reading, writing, or doing your math. Read or listen to stories, play board games or cards with your family, take a break from the screens and get outside for some fresh air and play, and enjoy having conversations with those around you. I will be in touch! -- Leah Johnson, Speech/Language Pathologist

Fourth Grade: We sent home CLKA readers and CKLA activity books, as well as Math workbooks, in your child's backpack last week. If your child was absent Friday or didn't bring anything home, we have emailed you with specifics for our room. You can pick up a work packet at the MSES office Monday to track reading and math practice as well as some multiplication and division practice sheets. Freckle is a great way to keep up with your math practice! SORA is a great way to keep reading if you are needing reading material. Every morning, we will send parents an email about the day. Ms. Goldman and Mrs. Larsen will also include videos and Mrs. Marquardt will hold Google Meets from 9-9:30 Tues-Friday. Look for more details in an email Monday afternoon! – Christi Marquardt, Madeline Goldman, Jessi Larsen, Fourth-Grade Teachers

Fifth Grade: Last week, we sent students home with math workbooks, CKLA Renaissance workbooks, novel/worksheets, and Social Studies packets (we also sent home CKLA Native American workbooks, but don't anticipate using them at this time). If students were absent on Friday, they should have their books/iPads from Thursday, but can stop in the office Monday to get their novel/worksheets and Social Studies packets. Students should also be continuing to work on their individual Science Fair projects (they have the ongoing due dates listed in their packet). Students should look for an email from their homeroom teacher by 9am each day with specific directions/assignments on each of their subjects, a time to join the google hangout. (We set this up and practiced with students on Friday iPads do need to be updated to 13.0 or 13.3 for this to work.) We are expecting to check in with all students every day to see how they are doing on their assignments. These assignments represent work we would have done in class, and everyone needs to keep up so we can all start at the same place together when we get back to school. Remote Learning is new for us all, and it will be smoother (and less stressful) if we communicate well together. Remember, look for the daily emails -- and know that you can ask any of us for help if needed. – Amy DeLarm, Rachel Embery, Lisa Mussi, Fifth-Grade Teachers