The Otters will hold their final awards assembly on the last day of school, Friday, June 10, at 10 am in the library. Please join us if you can.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
6th Grade Olympic Day
The link to our wikispace page is up and running. Please click on OLYMPIC DAY to sign up to volunteer or to make a donation.
Thanks in advance for your support. We couldn't possibly do it without you!
Thanks in advance for your support. We couldn't possibly do it without you!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Three More Weeks
Dear Otter Families,
Can you believe we only have three more weeks of school? It seems like this past month has just flown by. Thanks to all of you who were able to attend our third quarter awards assembly on Friday. As usual we had a great turn-out and it is not surprising to see that our Otters are so well supported.
With just three short weeks left, we will have to work extra hard to finish all that we have left to do. In social studies, we are now finishing our unit on Ancient Greece. The focus of this unit has been the contributions of the Greeks to Western civilization and modern democracy. Our last unit will be Ancient Rome. In support of our study of Greece and Rome, the kids have been learning about mythology in Mrs. Lescroart's class.
In celebration of our study of Ancient Greece, our culminating activity will be our annual 6th grade Greek Olympic Day on Thursday, June 9. The activity will run all morning. We will need LOTS of adult help as well as donations. If you are available to help, please mark your calendar. We appreciate your willingness to volunteer as we certainly could not do it without all of you. A flyer with more information will be sent home with your child this week.
In math, we are working on our last unit, statistics and data analysis. The students will take a chapter test later this week and then we will take the final district-wide benchmark exam. If time allows, I hope to close the year with a fun math activity. These next three weeks will zoom by!
My second period cooking class is the best group of chefs that I have ever had. They are cooperative with one another and are extremely focused on the task at hand. Last week the kids made blueberry crumb muffins. Those who measured carefully were rewarded with delicious results. Our class has also been meeting weekly with our buddy class. It is heart-warming to see my kids working together with their buddies from Mrs. Hughes' class. They have shown kindness, patience, and compassion. I think this has been a growing experience for all concerned. On Monday, we will partner to make another batch of snickerdoodles.
The last two days of school will be minimum days with early dismissal at about 12:30. Our final Otter Awards assembly will be held on the last day at 10:00. Please join us if you can.
I have enjoyed visiting with you via my blog this year. I often wonder who reads it. If you have been a regular follower of the blog, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.
As always, thanks for all you do to support your child and our team.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Can you believe we only have three more weeks of school? It seems like this past month has just flown by. Thanks to all of you who were able to attend our third quarter awards assembly on Friday. As usual we had a great turn-out and it is not surprising to see that our Otters are so well supported.
With just three short weeks left, we will have to work extra hard to finish all that we have left to do. In social studies, we are now finishing our unit on Ancient Greece. The focus of this unit has been the contributions of the Greeks to Western civilization and modern democracy. Our last unit will be Ancient Rome. In support of our study of Greece and Rome, the kids have been learning about mythology in Mrs. Lescroart's class.
In celebration of our study of Ancient Greece, our culminating activity will be our annual 6th grade Greek Olympic Day on Thursday, June 9. The activity will run all morning. We will need LOTS of adult help as well as donations. If you are available to help, please mark your calendar. We appreciate your willingness to volunteer as we certainly could not do it without all of you. A flyer with more information will be sent home with your child this week.
In math, we are working on our last unit, statistics and data analysis. The students will take a chapter test later this week and then we will take the final district-wide benchmark exam. If time allows, I hope to close the year with a fun math activity. These next three weeks will zoom by!
My second period cooking class is the best group of chefs that I have ever had. They are cooperative with one another and are extremely focused on the task at hand. Last week the kids made blueberry crumb muffins. Those who measured carefully were rewarded with delicious results. Our class has also been meeting weekly with our buddy class. It is heart-warming to see my kids working together with their buddies from Mrs. Hughes' class. They have shown kindness, patience, and compassion. I think this has been a growing experience for all concerned. On Monday, we will partner to make another batch of snickerdoodles.
The last two days of school will be minimum days with early dismissal at about 12:30. Our final Otter Awards assembly will be held on the last day at 10:00. Please join us if you can.
I have enjoyed visiting with you via my blog this year. I often wonder who reads it. If you have been a regular follower of the blog, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.
As always, thanks for all you do to support your child and our team.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Monday, May 9, 2011
Yippee...We're Finished With Testing
Hello Otter Families,
I hope all of the Otter Moms had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Thanks for all you do to raise such terrific children.
We are so proud of our Otters for the effort and concentration that they put into this year's STAR testing last week. Results of the test will be sent to your home sometime in August. Tomorrow, we will return to an almost normal schedule. First period will be extended by a few minutes to accommodate the two remaining days of eighth grade testing. Today we spent a fun-filled homeroom period playing games and just having fun as a team.
Unfortunately, last week we had to cancel our sixth grade social due to a lack of volunteers. Thank you so much to the many Otter parents who signed up to help. Our last social event of the year will be our annual Olympic Day. This is an exciting event for the entire sixth grade and we will need lots of adult help to make it happen. Mark your calendar for Thursday, June 9, if you would like to volunteer.
Our third quarter academic awards assembly has finally been scheduled for Friday, May 20, during 3rd period in the library. Please join us if you can. The awards assembly will be followed by our Otter Auction, which will be held during 4th period. We'll finish up the day with our Art Vistas lesson and project on Greek and Roman architecture. We could use a few adult hands to help us with the hands-on project. If you can assist us, please sign up on our wikispace page.
With testing out of the way, we can now return to our regular mathematics and social studies curriculum. In math we are reviewing for the end-of-the unit test on geometry. The test will be on Thursday of this week. Students need to really focus on careful work as this is a TEST, which will not be revisable. Our final unit is on data analysis and statistics. In social studies, the kids will take the Chapter 7 test on Ancient Greece tomorrow. We still have one more chapter on Greece and then it is on to Rome to finish up the year.
My second period cooking class has been cooking up a storm. In addition to learning about culinary creativity and nutrition, the students have been mentoring peers from Mrs. Hughes' special day class. I am so proud of my students for the kindness and patience that they have shown to their buddies. Last week we met with our buddies twice; once to get acquainted and another time to bake some delicious chocolate chip cookies. All students are learning the importance of reading and following directions in the kitchen. Thanks a million to those of you who have made a monetary donation to our class. Your generosity will ensure that the kids will get a maximum number of cooking experiences this quarter.
Thanks for sending in Kleenex tissues. Our sneezy, drippy noses have really appreciated it! And more importantly, thank you for all you do to support your children and our team.
Only five more weeks...let's make each day count!
Until next week.
Mrs. Shimamoto
I hope all of the Otter Moms had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Thanks for all you do to raise such terrific children.
We are so proud of our Otters for the effort and concentration that they put into this year's STAR testing last week. Results of the test will be sent to your home sometime in August. Tomorrow, we will return to an almost normal schedule. First period will be extended by a few minutes to accommodate the two remaining days of eighth grade testing. Today we spent a fun-filled homeroom period playing games and just having fun as a team.
Unfortunately, last week we had to cancel our sixth grade social due to a lack of volunteers. Thank you so much to the many Otter parents who signed up to help. Our last social event of the year will be our annual Olympic Day. This is an exciting event for the entire sixth grade and we will need lots of adult help to make it happen. Mark your calendar for Thursday, June 9, if you would like to volunteer.
Our third quarter academic awards assembly has finally been scheduled for Friday, May 20, during 3rd period in the library. Please join us if you can. The awards assembly will be followed by our Otter Auction, which will be held during 4th period. We'll finish up the day with our Art Vistas lesson and project on Greek and Roman architecture. We could use a few adult hands to help us with the hands-on project. If you can assist us, please sign up on our wikispace page.
With testing out of the way, we can now return to our regular mathematics and social studies curriculum. In math we are reviewing for the end-of-the unit test on geometry. The test will be on Thursday of this week. Students need to really focus on careful work as this is a TEST, which will not be revisable. Our final unit is on data analysis and statistics. In social studies, the kids will take the Chapter 7 test on Ancient Greece tomorrow. We still have one more chapter on Greece and then it is on to Rome to finish up the year.
My second period cooking class has been cooking up a storm. In addition to learning about culinary creativity and nutrition, the students have been mentoring peers from Mrs. Hughes' special day class. I am so proud of my students for the kindness and patience that they have shown to their buddies. Last week we met with our buddies twice; once to get acquainted and another time to bake some delicious chocolate chip cookies. All students are learning the importance of reading and following directions in the kitchen. Thanks a million to those of you who have made a monetary donation to our class. Your generosity will ensure that the kids will get a maximum number of cooking experiences this quarter.
Thanks for sending in Kleenex tissues. Our sneezy, drippy noses have really appreciated it! And more importantly, thank you for all you do to support your children and our team.
Only five more weeks...let's make each day count!
Until next week.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Monday, May 2, 2011
STAR Testing This Week
Hello Otter Families,
Today was our first day of STAR testing, and the kids did great. Each one of them remained focused and gave his/her best effort. I was really proud of them. Testing continues for the next few day, with another day of language arts tomorrow, and mathematics on Wednesday and Thursday. Please remind your child to bring a water bottle and something to read when he/she is finished.
Our Cinco de Mayo sixth grade social is scheduled for this Friday. WE STILL NEED LOTS OF PARENT HELP!!! Please sign up on our wikispace page if you are able to volunteer. We really can't do it without you. Thanks in advance for supporting this much anticipated activity.
Friday, May 20 will be our next Art Vistas day during 5th and 6th periods. We could use some parent help with the hands-on project. The presentation will be right after lunch at about 1:00, and we will work on the project immediately following the presentation. If you are available to help, please sign up by clicking on this link.
Thank you so much for all you do to support your child and our team.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Today was our first day of STAR testing, and the kids did great. Each one of them remained focused and gave his/her best effort. I was really proud of them. Testing continues for the next few day, with another day of language arts tomorrow, and mathematics on Wednesday and Thursday. Please remind your child to bring a water bottle and something to read when he/she is finished.
Our Cinco de Mayo sixth grade social is scheduled for this Friday. WE STILL NEED LOTS OF PARENT HELP!!! Please sign up on our wikispace page if you are able to volunteer. We really can't do it without you. Thanks in advance for supporting this much anticipated activity.
Friday, May 20 will be our next Art Vistas day during 5th and 6th periods. We could use some parent help with the hands-on project. The presentation will be right after lunch at about 1:00, and we will work on the project immediately following the presentation. If you are available to help, please sign up by clicking on this link.
Thank you so much for all you do to support your child and our team.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Saturday, April 23, 2011
STAR Testing Begins May 2
Spring Break was a welcome respite for everyone. I hope you all had a relaxing week off and enjoyed time as a family. We have been back a week now and with STAR testing just around the corner, we have had to get right back to work. As you may have heard, Mrs. Lescroart had an unfortunate accident and broke her foot. She is wearing a brace and will be on crutches for the next several weeks. The kids have shown true compassion and have stepped up to help her in any way that they can. Their team spirit is truly appreciated.
With the third quarter complete, we will have our Quarter 3 Otter Awards Assembly sometime in early May. I will send home a notice and post the date on the blog as soon as Mrs. Lescroart and I can confirm a date.
STAR testing begins next Monday, May 2. At Dartmouth, the entire school will be on a modified block schedule for two weeks. Every morning your child will go to his/her homeroom and will begin the day with testing. For sixth graders, the first two days will be language arts and the next two days will be math. Seventh and eighth graders will have additional testing days, but we will be finished on Thursday of the first week. After testing, the kids will be on a block schedule, which means that on Monday, they will go to testing, then break, 1st period, then lunch, 2nd period, then another short break, and finally 3rd period. On Tuesday, they will begin the day with testing and then go to 4th, 5th and 6th periods. We will be on the modified schedule for a week and a half. We will continue to alternate periods 1,2,3 one day and 4,5,6 the next. Studies show that kids who are well rested and well fed are more successful. Please make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep and eats a good breakfast every morning. We will supply light snacks for all students. Please send a water bottle with your child each day, preferably a reusable one (they are more environmentally sound, go green!). I will award Otter Bucks to any student who remembers to bring in a water bottle.
Our sixth grade spring social will be held on Friday, May 6. We will need many volunteers to make this event happen. Your child will bring home a flyer this week. Please sign up on our wikispace (should be online sometime this week) if you can help. Thank you in advance for your support.
In math, we are now studying area, perimeter, and circumference. Next week we will begin volume of three dimensional prisms and cylinders. In social studies we are studying Ancient Greece. This unit is an exciting one, which reads like a great adventure story. I think the kids are really enjoying it. Later on, in language arts we will connect our study of Greece and Rome with a unit on mythology.
This quarter, I started a cooking class during the elective period. My undergraduate background is in home economics so teaching this class is a treat for me. As the kids know, I love everything about food and I am happy to share that joy with my students. They are a wonderful group and I am enjoying this class immensely.
With allergy season now in full swing, we are running through our kleenex supply like there is no tomorrow. If you would like to make a donation to our classroom, kleenex tissues would be tops on our list.
Thank you for supporting your child and our class.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Fourth Quarter Begins
Hello Otter Families,
Last week was an exciting one for the Otters. We went on a fantastic field trip on Tuesday and had a chance to hear the Symphony Silicon Valley and explore at the Tech Museum. Thanks to those of you who volunteered to chaperone and share the day with us. We couldn't have done it without you. The kids were impressively well behaved and they said that they had a really good time. I hope all of the adults did too. Thanks again!
Tomorrow is the first day of the fourth quarter of school. A few students from each Otter group will be switched to the other group starting tomorrow. We do this every quarter for a variety of reasons; it helps us to keep our groups balanced and gives students an opportunity to meet a larger group of their peers. Grades for the quarter will be turned in on Tuesday and report cards should be mailed home by the end of the week. Congratulations to the many students who have worked hard all quarter.
Open House will be held on Wednesday evening from 6:30-7:45 p.m. Classrooms will be open for you to see examples of what your child has been doing. It is a great time to touch base with us, but in this short time period, we will not be able to hold individual conferences. If you have any issues or concerns that you would like to discuss with us, please schedule an appointment. We would be happy to meet with you. Open House is also an opportunity to meet some of your child's peers and their families. The Union School District is interested in your input regarding your child's experience at Dartmouth. Please let us know what you think by participating in the online parent survey. You can also complete the survey in the computer lab at the Open House. We look forward to seeing you Wednesday evening.
In Social Studies, we are now working on a timeline project. The first part of the project is a personal timeline based on each student's own history. I have set aside time in class for the kids to work on their projects. The personal timeline will be due on Tuesday. Part two is a comparative timeline based on two civilizations of the student's choosing. The purpose of the project is to increase student awareness of the simultaneous existence of various civilizations. Part two will be not be due until students return from the Spring Break. The due date will be Tuesday, April 19, but I will give extra credit if the project is turned in by Friday, April 8.
In Math, we took the third quarter district-wide benchmark exam last Wednesday. We have since resumed our study of geometric concepts. We should finish Chapter 9 and end the week with a chapter test on Friday. Our next unit will continue with geometry, focusing on area and volume.
Next week is our week-long Spring Break. I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing week off.
I am looking forward to seeing you at Open House on Wednesday evening.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Last week was an exciting one for the Otters. We went on a fantastic field trip on Tuesday and had a chance to hear the Symphony Silicon Valley and explore at the Tech Museum. Thanks to those of you who volunteered to chaperone and share the day with us. We couldn't have done it without you. The kids were impressively well behaved and they said that they had a really good time. I hope all of the adults did too. Thanks again!
Tomorrow is the first day of the fourth quarter of school. A few students from each Otter group will be switched to the other group starting tomorrow. We do this every quarter for a variety of reasons; it helps us to keep our groups balanced and gives students an opportunity to meet a larger group of their peers. Grades for the quarter will be turned in on Tuesday and report cards should be mailed home by the end of the week. Congratulations to the many students who have worked hard all quarter.
Open House will be held on Wednesday evening from 6:30-7:45 p.m. Classrooms will be open for you to see examples of what your child has been doing. It is a great time to touch base with us, but in this short time period, we will not be able to hold individual conferences. If you have any issues or concerns that you would like to discuss with us, please schedule an appointment. We would be happy to meet with you. Open House is also an opportunity to meet some of your child's peers and their families. The Union School District is interested in your input regarding your child's experience at Dartmouth. Please let us know what you think by participating in the online parent survey. You can also complete the survey in the computer lab at the Open House. We look forward to seeing you Wednesday evening.
In Social Studies, we are now working on a timeline project. The first part of the project is a personal timeline based on each student's own history. I have set aside time in class for the kids to work on their projects. The personal timeline will be due on Tuesday. Part two is a comparative timeline based on two civilizations of the student's choosing. The purpose of the project is to increase student awareness of the simultaneous existence of various civilizations. Part two will be not be due until students return from the Spring Break. The due date will be Tuesday, April 19, but I will give extra credit if the project is turned in by Friday, April 8.
In Math, we took the third quarter district-wide benchmark exam last Wednesday. We have since resumed our study of geometric concepts. We should finish Chapter 9 and end the week with a chapter test on Friday. Our next unit will continue with geometry, focusing on area and volume.
Next week is our week-long Spring Break. I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing week off.
I am looking forward to seeing you at Open House on Wednesday evening.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Field Trip This Tuesday
Hello Otter Families,
After the stormy weather last week, it looks like we will actually have some nice weather on Tuesday for our much anticipated field trip to the symphony and the Tech Museum. We will leave school at about 10:30 and return about 2:30. Please make sure that your child dresses neatly and brings a sack lunch. We still need a couple more chaperones, so if you would like to join us, please sign up on our wikispace by Monday afternoon.
The third quarter ends on Friday, April 1. All work and/or tests missed due to absence must be made up by Wednesday! Report cards should be mailed by April 8. Wednesday evening, April 6, is Dartmouth's annual Open House. This is a time for you to visit our classrooms to see what your child has been doing and to meet other Otter families. It is also a great time to see what good things await your child in seventh grade.
Academically speaking, we are working hard to cover all standards for the sixth grade. In math, we started a new unit on geometry. Students took a quiz on geometry terminology and concepts on Thursday and most did very well. We are currently taking a bit of a detour from this unit to prepare for the third quarter district-wide benchmark exam. The test will be administered on Wednesday and will measure student mastery of standards covered in the third quarter.
In social studies, we finished our study of Ancient China last week. Next, we will work on a short project in class. Study of our last two civilizations, Greece and Rome, will begin when we return to school after our upcoming spring break.
Spring break is just around the corner. There will be no school from April 11-15. I am sure the kids are all looking forward to a brief respite from school (as is their teacher).
The Dartmouth school play begins Thursday, March 31, and will continue through Sunday, April 3. Good luck to all the Otter actors...break a leg!
I look forward to seeing you at Open House on April 6.
Thank you for your continuing support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Third Quarter Comes to a Close on April 1
Hello Otter Families,
In just two short weeks, we will be 3/4 of the way done with this sixth grade year. Last week was a challenging one with the daylight savings time change and spirit week on top of that! In spite of all the distractions, we tried our best to keep our noses to the grindstone and actually accomplished quite a bit.
By now you should have seen and signed a permission slip for our upcoming field trip on Tuesday, March 29. The Otters and the Bees will be treated to a student-friendly concert by the Silicon Valley Symphony at the beautiful California Theatre in downtown San Jose. From there, we will spend the rest of the day exploring at the Tech Museum. This trip is made possible by Arts Express of San Jose. We were lucky to be chosen to participate. We will need several chaperones to accompany us on the trip. If you are interested, please sign up on our wikispaces page.
In math class, we finished our unit on probability this week and took a chapter test on Friday. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to complete the test, but we will spend part of class on Monday doing that. Our next unit of study will be geometry.
In social studies, we will wind down our study of Ancient China this week. Next, we will work on an in-class project which will combine research, presentation, and group work skills. Our last two civilizations will be Greece and Rome.
The Dartmouth school play, The Music Man, will be performed in a couple of weeks. Several Otter team members will be in the play. I know that they have put in a lot of hard work, and I can hardly wait to see them on stage!
Thanks for all of your support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
In just two short weeks, we will be 3/4 of the way done with this sixth grade year. Last week was a challenging one with the daylight savings time change and spirit week on top of that! In spite of all the distractions, we tried our best to keep our noses to the grindstone and actually accomplished quite a bit.
By now you should have seen and signed a permission slip for our upcoming field trip on Tuesday, March 29. The Otters and the Bees will be treated to a student-friendly concert by the Silicon Valley Symphony at the beautiful California Theatre in downtown San Jose. From there, we will spend the rest of the day exploring at the Tech Museum. This trip is made possible by Arts Express of San Jose. We were lucky to be chosen to participate. We will need several chaperones to accompany us on the trip. If you are interested, please sign up on our wikispaces page.
In math class, we finished our unit on probability this week and took a chapter test on Friday. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to complete the test, but we will spend part of class on Monday doing that. Our next unit of study will be geometry.
In social studies, we will wind down our study of Ancient China this week. Next, we will work on an in-class project which will combine research, presentation, and group work skills. Our last two civilizations will be Greece and Rome.
The Dartmouth school play, The Music Man, will be performed in a couple of weeks. Several Otter team members will be in the play. I know that they have put in a lot of hard work, and I can hardly wait to see them on stage!
Thanks for all of your support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Sunday, March 6, 2011
After a Long Absence, The Blog is Back
Hello Otter Families,
So sorry for the lapse in blog posts. I'll try to be more diligent with regular posts for the duration of the school year.
Since last time, we have had our Otter Awards assembly and quarterly auction. Congratulations to the many students who achieved academic honors. Two-thirds of the class was recognized for the second quarter, and remarkably, twenty students earned a 4.0 grade point average. This is a testament to the hard work that is happening on the Otter team. Thanks to you parents for all the support that you give your child. It really does take a village to raise a child!
I hope you all had a relaxing President's Week off from school. I got to go and see my youngest child participate in her last college swim meet. It seems like her first swim meet at five years old was just yesterday. Time flies by and before you know it, your children will be all grown up! Enjoy sharing these precious years them. I also was fortunate to be able to attend the California League of Middle Schools annual conference, where I learned a great deal about current happenings in middle school education. It was a good educational experience for me.
We are already halfway into the third quarter of school. Time is passing quickly and we still have much to do. This week I shared with the class a great secret to school success; participation. The most successful students are the ones who are enthusiastic and active participants in class. I told the kids that if they would do this, they would see many results. The day would go faster, school would be more interesting, school would become easier, and they would do better. If your child is struggling, please encourage him or her to try becoming an active participant.
Academically speaking, in math we recently finished our unit on percents and have moved on to probability. Probability is closely tied to our study of fractions, decimals, and percents. In social studies we just finished our study of ancient India and are just beginning our unit on ancient China.
In case you haven't heard, Dartmouth is being considered for California Distinguished School award. We are one of only 100 secondary schools out of 2600 in California. There are only three schools in Santa Clara county up for this award. This is really quite an honor. Our last stage of the process is an official visit and observation, which will occur this coming Thursday. The visitors will observe teaching practices in the classroom, as well as overall school environment. They will also get input from students, staff, and the local community. If your child has any Dartmouth wear please have him or her show school spirit by wearing it on Thursday.
This Friday, March 11 is a teacher in-service day. There will be no school for students.
I think that brings us up to date.
Until next week.
Mrs. Shimamoto
So sorry for the lapse in blog posts. I'll try to be more diligent with regular posts for the duration of the school year.
Since last time, we have had our Otter Awards assembly and quarterly auction. Congratulations to the many students who achieved academic honors. Two-thirds of the class was recognized for the second quarter, and remarkably, twenty students earned a 4.0 grade point average. This is a testament to the hard work that is happening on the Otter team. Thanks to you parents for all the support that you give your child. It really does take a village to raise a child!
I hope you all had a relaxing President's Week off from school. I got to go and see my youngest child participate in her last college swim meet. It seems like her first swim meet at five years old was just yesterday. Time flies by and before you know it, your children will be all grown up! Enjoy sharing these precious years them. I also was fortunate to be able to attend the California League of Middle Schools annual conference, where I learned a great deal about current happenings in middle school education. It was a good educational experience for me.
We are already halfway into the third quarter of school. Time is passing quickly and we still have much to do. This week I shared with the class a great secret to school success; participation. The most successful students are the ones who are enthusiastic and active participants in class. I told the kids that if they would do this, they would see many results. The day would go faster, school would be more interesting, school would become easier, and they would do better. If your child is struggling, please encourage him or her to try becoming an active participant.
Academically speaking, in math we recently finished our unit on percents and have moved on to probability. Probability is closely tied to our study of fractions, decimals, and percents. In social studies we just finished our study of ancient India and are just beginning our unit on ancient China.
In case you haven't heard, Dartmouth is being considered for California Distinguished School award. We are one of only 100 secondary schools out of 2600 in California. There are only three schools in Santa Clara county up for this award. This is really quite an honor. Our last stage of the process is an official visit and observation, which will occur this coming Thursday. The visitors will observe teaching practices in the classroom, as well as overall school environment. They will also get input from students, staff, and the local community. If your child has any Dartmouth wear please have him or her show school spirit by wearing it on Thursday.
This Friday, March 11 is a teacher in-service day. There will be no school for students.
I think that brings us up to date.
Until next week.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Another Break is Just Around the Corner
Hello Otter Families,
Time is flying by, and this is our last week before our week-long break. It is going to be a busy week, which will end with our second quarter awards assembly and auction on Friday. All students who have earned a grade point average of 3.0 or above will be honored. The assembly will be held in the library during 5th period, beginning at 1:10 p.m. and ending approximately 30 minutes later. Family and friends are invited to attend, so please join us if you can. We will end the day with our exciting auction, where once again, students will be able to bid on "fabulous" prizes with their hard-earned Otter Bucks. If you have any items that you would like to donate, we'd be happy to add them to our auction. Thank you in advance.
We are continuing to work hard in all subject areas. In math, the students are learning about the many ways that ratios and proportions can be used in everyday life. We have used them to convert units and calculate scale, tips and discounts. Hopefully these new skills will help the kids become better consumers. They took a quiz on these topics on Friday. Results are already posted on Power School, and the quizzes will be returned for revisions on Monday.
In social studies, we have left Egypt and have moved on to ancient India. In this unit students will learn about the impact that geography had on the development of the civilization. We will also touch on Hinduism and Buddhism, two of the major religions that sprung from this area of the world. As we study the many civilizations of ancient times, students will learn that religion has had an important impact on culture and the way of life. Our next unit will be ancient China. If you have any first hand knowledge of any of the areas of the world that we have studied or will study this year, and would like to share with the class, we'd love to have you join us.
In math intervention, we are working on test-taking skills, in order to prepare for the STAR test this spring. We have also used class time to go over the previous night's homework from the regular math class, get a preview of the day's lesson, and get a head start on homework. On Fridays, we use class time to go over a sneak preview of the quiz, which will be given later in the day. Hopefully, these steps will help boost learning and enable each student to become more confident and successful in their regular mathematics class.
On another note, recently, we have had much absence due to illness on the Otter team. This is problematic because missed class time can make things difficult and confusing for the student upon his/her return. All work must be made up as soon as possible. Tests and quizzes missed due to absence must be made up either during lunch or after school. Please make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep and eats properly during this germ-filled season. Hopefully, the week-long break will help to break the cycle of illness.
Good news...the Otters are going on another field trip. I received word that we have been accepted to attend the Arts Express sponsored trip to the symphony and the Tech Museum. Our trip will be on March 29. We will need several chaperones, so if you are interested in spending an exciting day with us, please mark your calendar. More information will be sent home with your child at a later date.
I look forward to seeing many of you at our awards assembly on Friday. Thank you for all of your support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Time is flying by, and this is our last week before our week-long break. It is going to be a busy week, which will end with our second quarter awards assembly and auction on Friday. All students who have earned a grade point average of 3.0 or above will be honored. The assembly will be held in the library during 5th period, beginning at 1:10 p.m. and ending approximately 30 minutes later. Family and friends are invited to attend, so please join us if you can. We will end the day with our exciting auction, where once again, students will be able to bid on "fabulous" prizes with their hard-earned Otter Bucks. If you have any items that you would like to donate, we'd be happy to add them to our auction. Thank you in advance.
We are continuing to work hard in all subject areas. In math, the students are learning about the many ways that ratios and proportions can be used in everyday life. We have used them to convert units and calculate scale, tips and discounts. Hopefully these new skills will help the kids become better consumers. They took a quiz on these topics on Friday. Results are already posted on Power School, and the quizzes will be returned for revisions on Monday.
In social studies, we have left Egypt and have moved on to ancient India. In this unit students will learn about the impact that geography had on the development of the civilization. We will also touch on Hinduism and Buddhism, two of the major religions that sprung from this area of the world. As we study the many civilizations of ancient times, students will learn that religion has had an important impact on culture and the way of life. Our next unit will be ancient China. If you have any first hand knowledge of any of the areas of the world that we have studied or will study this year, and would like to share with the class, we'd love to have you join us.
In math intervention, we are working on test-taking skills, in order to prepare for the STAR test this spring. We have also used class time to go over the previous night's homework from the regular math class, get a preview of the day's lesson, and get a head start on homework. On Fridays, we use class time to go over a sneak preview of the quiz, which will be given later in the day. Hopefully, these steps will help boost learning and enable each student to become more confident and successful in their regular mathematics class.
On another note, recently, we have had much absence due to illness on the Otter team. This is problematic because missed class time can make things difficult and confusing for the student upon his/her return. All work must be made up as soon as possible. Tests and quizzes missed due to absence must be made up either during lunch or after school. Please make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep and eats properly during this germ-filled season. Hopefully, the week-long break will help to break the cycle of illness.
Good news...the Otters are going on another field trip. I received word that we have been accepted to attend the Arts Express sponsored trip to the symphony and the Tech Museum. Our trip will be on March 29. We will need several chaperones, so if you are interested in spending an exciting day with us, please mark your calendar. More information will be sent home with your child at a later date.
I look forward to seeing many of you at our awards assembly on Friday. Thank you for all of your support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Egypt Night This Tuesday
Hello Otter Families,
We are now officially into our second half of the school year. Last Monday marked the beginning of the third quarter. Grades for the second quarter have been finalized and you should receive report cards in the mail shortly. Our second quarter awards assembly is tentatively scheduled for Friday, February 18, at 1:15 p.m. All students who earned a grade point average of 3.0 or above will be recognized. Please join us to honor our academic achievements if you can.
Believe it or not, it is already time to think about seventh grade. Our students will meet with our counselor, Mrs. Bretz, this Friday to hear what seventh grade has to offer. They will bring home registration forms which must be returned as soon as possible.
This Tuesday, February 1, will be 6th grade Egypt Night. This is an open house event held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Dartmouth cafeteria. Please feel free to arrive at any time and to stay as long as you like. Egypt Night is a great opportunity for the kids to show off their work and for our families to socialize. Thank you to the many Otter parents who helped us transform the cafeteria into an Egyptian Museum on Saturday. It is always fun to work side by side with our many willing parents to make this event happen. All 6th grade families are invited to attend this exciting culmination of our study of ancient Egypt. Students will have an opportunity to earn extra credit in Language Arts by introducing their family members to Mrs. Lescroart and Mrs. Shimamoto, and in Social Studies by dressing in an ancient Egyptian costume. Extra credit grades will be added to Powerschool at the end of the quarter. I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday night.
Last Thursday we had an enjoyable and educational day at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. The students were able to see authentic artifacts and mummies from ancient Egypt. We had a wonderful docent led tour and I was so proud of the kids when they were able to answer almost all of the questions that were posed to them. They have really learned a great deal about this fascinating civilization. Thank you to our many Otter moms and dads who volunteered to chaperone and so willingly shared their day with us.
In math we are now studying ratios and proportions. This topic is closely related to our study of fractions and we are learning about its applications in real-life situations. This week we will finish the unit and a test will be coming shortly.
In regards to this blog, I like to know that someone is reading it and that writing it is a worthwhile endeavor. If you are a regular reader, please leave a comment. I would really appreciate your input.
Thank you so much for all you do to help our team and for all the support that you give your children. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
See you on Tuesday night.
Mrs. Shimamoto
We are now officially into our second half of the school year. Last Monday marked the beginning of the third quarter. Grades for the second quarter have been finalized and you should receive report cards in the mail shortly. Our second quarter awards assembly is tentatively scheduled for Friday, February 18, at 1:15 p.m. All students who earned a grade point average of 3.0 or above will be recognized. Please join us to honor our academic achievements if you can.
Believe it or not, it is already time to think about seventh grade. Our students will meet with our counselor, Mrs. Bretz, this Friday to hear what seventh grade has to offer. They will bring home registration forms which must be returned as soon as possible.
This Tuesday, February 1, will be 6th grade Egypt Night. This is an open house event held from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Dartmouth cafeteria. Please feel free to arrive at any time and to stay as long as you like. Egypt Night is a great opportunity for the kids to show off their work and for our families to socialize. Thank you to the many Otter parents who helped us transform the cafeteria into an Egyptian Museum on Saturday. It is always fun to work side by side with our many willing parents to make this event happen. All 6th grade families are invited to attend this exciting culmination of our study of ancient Egypt. Students will have an opportunity to earn extra credit in Language Arts by introducing their family members to Mrs. Lescroart and Mrs. Shimamoto, and in Social Studies by dressing in an ancient Egyptian costume. Extra credit grades will be added to Powerschool at the end of the quarter. I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday night.
Last Thursday we had an enjoyable and educational day at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. The students were able to see authentic artifacts and mummies from ancient Egypt. We had a wonderful docent led tour and I was so proud of the kids when they were able to answer almost all of the questions that were posed to them. They have really learned a great deal about this fascinating civilization. Thank you to our many Otter moms and dads who volunteered to chaperone and so willingly shared their day with us.
In math we are now studying ratios and proportions. This topic is closely related to our study of fractions and we are learning about its applications in real-life situations. This week we will finish the unit and a test will be coming shortly.
In regards to this blog, I like to know that someone is reading it and that writing it is a worthwhile endeavor. If you are a regular reader, please leave a comment. I would really appreciate your input.
Thank you so much for all you do to help our team and for all the support that you give your children. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
See you on Tuesday night.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Thursday, January 20, 2011
HELP!!! Sixth Grade Needs YOU
Egypt Night is just around the corner and we still needs lots of volunteers. If you can help on Friday, January 28, Saturday, January 29, Monday, January 31 or Tuesday, February 1, we'd certainly appreciate it. You can sign up on our wikispaces page. Click on the Egypt Night link (in blue) and sign up wherever you can.
Thanks for all of your support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Thanks for all of your support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Monday, January 17, 2011
Egypt Here We Come
Hello Otter Families,
The second quarter of school is rapidly coming to a close. As of this Friday, January 21, we will be halfway done with the school year! We have been very busy with lots of activities related to our study of ancient Egypt. This past Friday, we were treated to an Art Vistas lesson on Egyptian art and studied artifacts from King Tutankhamen's tomb. Thank you to Mrs. Bayerle for presenting the lesson and to the many parents who stepped in to help with the hands-on project.
On Wednesday, January 19, the Egypt projects are due. This is a major assignment, which must be turned in on time. Students will share their projects with the class in a small group setting. All projects will be graded this week and will be posted in this quarter's social studies grade. Failure to turn in a project will drastically affect the grade. On the other hand, a well-done project can significantly boost the grade.
Our field trip to the Rosicrucian Museum will be on Thursday, January 27. Permission slips were due last Friday. If your child has not returned his/her form, please have him/her do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. The cost of the trip is $20 for admission and transportation. Please send in your money as soon as you can. If this creates a hardship for your family, please let me know and pay what you can. If you would like more information regarding this trip click on the link in the right hand margin of the blog. Thank you to those of you who have signed up to chaperone the trip. Mrs. Lescroart and I will assign students to small groups, which will include the chaperone's child (unless you would prefer not to have your child in your group) and at least one friend of his/her choosing .
Egypt Night will take place on Tuesday, February 1 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. We will spend Saturday morning setting up the kiosks (display boards) in the cafeteria. On Monday morning and afternoon and Tuesday morning, parent volunteers will continue to work on the displays. We will need many adult hands to get the job done. If you would like to volunteer, please click on our sixth grade wikispace and then click on Egypt Night in the left hand margin.
Last Friday, we took our second quarter math benchmark exam. The results of this test are now posted on Powerschool. I am happy to report that 85% of our team scored proficient or advanced! On Monday, we will begin our study of ratios and proportions, which is an extension of our study of fraction concepts. For this chapter, in order to meet the needs of all students, we will do a pretest to determine prior knowledge. If a student scores 80% or above on the pretest, he or she may choose to do a challenge assignment in lieu of the regular homework assignment. All students will still be required to take the weekly assessments as well as the end of chapter test.
This week marks the end of our optional team fundraiser. All proceeds will be used to enhance programs this year. Many thanks to those of you who chose to participate. If you have decided not to participate in the fundraiser but would still like to support the team, you may make a donation in any amount by writing a check to Dartmouth Middle School with Otters written in the memo line. Thanks in advance for your continuing support.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at Egypt Night.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Sunday, January 9, 2011
January 9
Hello Otter Families,
We are now one week into 2011. The kids have done a surprisingly good job of picking up where we left off in December. There were a lot of sleepy kids and it was a little rough on Monday, but the rest of the week went pretty smoothly. Hopefully you all had a relaxing time with family and friends during the holiday.
In previous posts I mentioned that our field trip to the Rosicrucian Museum was scheduled for January 20. As it turns out, I was a week off and our trip will be on January 27th. We will need several chaperones that day. If you are interested in chaperoning, please sign up on our wikispaces page.
In Social Studies we are continuing our study of Egypt. All students should be working on their projects at home at this time. The due date is Wednesday, January 19th, but students who bring in their project on Tuesday, January 18th will earn extra credit. Egypt projects will be a major grade and will be included in the second quarter report card. This week, I will also collect and grade the Social Studies notebooks. This will also be an important grade as there are many homework assignments that have been included in the notebook.
In math, we have just finished the chapter on number concepts (fractions and decimals). Last Friday's quiz covered decimal operations, metric conversion, and algebraic equations with decimals. Current quiz grades are now posted on Powerschool. This week, we will prepare for the second quarter district-wide benchmark exam, which the kids will take at the end of the week.
On Friday, we will be treated to our second Art Vistas lesson. We will study Egyptian art in connection with our Social Studies unit. We could use several adult hands to help us with the hands-on project. If you are available after 1:00, please join us. You can sign up on our wikispaces page.
Don't forget that next Monday is Martin Luther King's birthday. It is a day-off from school.
Egypt Night is scheduled for Tuesday, February 1. This is an open house event, where students will showcase their fabulous Egypt Projects. It is a fun night where you can see what the kids have done as well as an opportunity to socialize with other sixth grade families. We will definitely need volunteers to help with set-up and clean-up. Your child will bring home a flyer soon with more information.
As always, thanks for all of your support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Happy New Year
After a long absence, the Otter Blog returns! Sorry for the lapse.
We ended 2010 with our exciting Gingerbread house project. A good time was had by all. Thanks to the many parents who made this event possible. We could not have done it without you!
I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing two week holiday. It was a little difficult to get back into the swing of things but after one day, we are back to business as usual.
January will be a busy month for the sixth grade. The kids should have finished their Egypt reports in Mrs. Lescroart's class. Now, they should be working on their accompanying project at home. This project is an important part of the social studies grade so please make sure that your child does not wait until the last minute. Projects are due on Wednesday, January 17.
We have scheduled our annual field trip to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum for Thursday, January 20. I will send a permission slip home soon. We will need about a dozen chaperones for this trip. The children will ride the bus to the museum and chaperones will meet us there. In the past, chaperones have gathered at school and have formed carpools to drive over to the museum. If you are interested in chaperoning, I will have a sign-up on our wikispace page later this week.
Egypt Night is also just around the corner. This evening event will be held on Tuesday, February 1. We will need lots of adult help with set up and clean up. Your child will bring home a flyer with more information in the coming weeks. Sign-ups will be on our wikispaces page.
In math, we are finally finishing our chapter on fractions and decimals. We will have our weekly quiz on Friday, and will finish up with the district benchmark assessment next Friday. The purpose of the benchmark is to assess mastery of sixth grade level concepts to date.
As always, thank you for your continuing support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
We ended 2010 with our exciting Gingerbread house project. A good time was had by all. Thanks to the many parents who made this event possible. We could not have done it without you!
I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing two week holiday. It was a little difficult to get back into the swing of things but after one day, we are back to business as usual.
January will be a busy month for the sixth grade. The kids should have finished their Egypt reports in Mrs. Lescroart's class. Now, they should be working on their accompanying project at home. This project is an important part of the social studies grade so please make sure that your child does not wait until the last minute. Projects are due on Wednesday, January 17.
We have scheduled our annual field trip to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum for Thursday, January 20. I will send a permission slip home soon. We will need about a dozen chaperones for this trip. The children will ride the bus to the museum and chaperones will meet us there. In the past, chaperones have gathered at school and have formed carpools to drive over to the museum. If you are interested in chaperoning, I will have a sign-up on our wikispace page later this week.
Egypt Night is also just around the corner. This evening event will be held on Tuesday, February 1. We will need lots of adult help with set up and clean up. Your child will bring home a flyer with more information in the coming weeks. Sign-ups will be on our wikispaces page.
In math, we are finally finishing our chapter on fractions and decimals. We will have our weekly quiz on Friday, and will finish up with the district benchmark assessment next Friday. The purpose of the benchmark is to assess mastery of sixth grade level concepts to date.
As always, thank you for your continuing support.
Mrs. Shimamoto
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