I cannot believe I am already beginning our FORTH newsletter this year! I am so incredibly proud of all of our students and their tremendous hard work. Being a Connect student is no a piece of cake, and I truly admire each and every one of you and your persistence and commitment to your futures. It has been amazing watching our students develop their cognitive skills, embrace a growth mindset, set and meet goals, and begin to realize their unique potential in life. I encourage you to continue to welcome challenges, be persistent when working towards goals (even when a task seems difficult or boring), seek help when needed, shift strategies when something isn't working for you, be resilient in the face of setbacks, and most importantly.....BE PROUD OF HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME!!! Connect Word of the Week...COGNITIVE SKILLS!What are cog (cognitive) skills? Cognitive abilities are brain-based skills we need to carry out any task from the simplest to the most complex. They have more to do with the mechanisms of how we learn, remember, problem-solve, and pay attention, rather than with any actual knowledge. Cognitive Skills are practices necessary for college and career readiness. These are the critical thinking skills you need in order to learn and demonstrate learning effectively. Cognitive skills are learned and evaluated through project based learning in each subject area. Students work together in groups through multi-week projects that lead them through learning and implementing those skills. During project based time students are grouped heterogeneously, and work together on projects that are designed to strengthen and assess their cognitive skills. The teacher’s role is to facilitate these projects and to also evaluate students on the growth of their cognitive skills. Projects are cross curricular in nature. Take a look at a few cognitive skills students are currently being assessed on in their ELAR and Texas History classes below. How to Score a 3 LINK: Cog Skill Checklist for "Explorer or Conqueror?" How to Score a 4 LINK: Cog Skill Checklist for "Explorer or Conqueror?" Please note the following due dates for PROJECTS and POWER FOCUS AREAS ELAR: Reading Strategies PFA: This power focus area is OVERDUE Figurative Language PFA: Due December 8th "Explorer or Conqueror?" Project: Due January 12th Math: Operations PFA: This power focus area is OVERDUE Proportionality and Percentages PFA: This power focus area is OVERDUE Proportional Relationships Concept Unit: Due November 29th Pre-AP Math: Equations 1: Due November 24th Linear Equations Concept Unit: November 30th Texas History: Age of Contact: This power focus area is OVERDUE Spanish Colonial Era: November 28th "Explorer or Conqueror?" Project: Due January 12th Science: Cell Theory PFA: This power focus area is OVERDUE Plant vs. Animal Cells PFA: December 4th My Body Book Project: OVERDUE WHEN CAN I ATTEND TUTORIALS?Morning tutorials are held from 7:40- 8:03 am at BHI. Students may get their breakfast TO-GO in the morning, so they may maximize tutorial times. Mrs. Birch (ELAR) Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings Afternoons by appointment only. Ms. Williams (Math) Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings Friday afternoon by appointment only. Mr. Anders (Texas History) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday mornings Ms. Lasker (Science) Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings SHOUT OUTS!!Jordan and Jalen working hard to meet their goal of mastering Operations! Great job, kiddos!! I am so proud of you!Kaylenn, Ariana, and Brandon work together to study for their Age of Contact content assessment by playing a student created KAHOOT! I love the teamwork here!!Alysia, Gracie, Cassidy, and Jade are working together to master their content assessment. Great job ladies!! You impress me everyday!Jordan, Sandra, Sayra, and John collaborate in a group as they analyze point of view in primary sources for their "Explorer or Conqueror?" project. FANTASTIC WORK!ARTIST BOAT WAS A BLAST!! |
Catherine BirchAn intermediate school teacher on a mission to empower every young mind with the tools they need to change the world. Archives
May 2018
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