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
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
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
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
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
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
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
