by Sarah Segall | Jul 16, 2020 | 2nd/3rd Grade News, 4th/5th Grade News, First Grade News, In The Loop, Kindergarten News, Preschool
What will the 2020-2021 school year look like for Spanish With Sarah?
We will update this page as more information becomes available. We are also working on a handbook and will email and post that to all families the first week of August.
We will need to follow health and safety guidelines set forth by the state of WA for all public and private schools.
We are working on a plan for staggered arrival and dismissal times to help with the flow of traffic. The current plan of thought is (subject to change):
Drop Off Times by grade levels:
8:30-8:40 – 2nd-4th Grade Families
8:40-8:50 – Kindergarten – 1st Grade Families
8:45 ( or 12:30) – Preschool families will enter through the back door of the school, maintaining 6’ social distance from other families.
Parents will drive up to the yellow area, cars will be met by either Ms. Marilu or Maestra Sarah, with parents remaining in their cars. We will ask to see your written temperature check from home or we will do a temperature check on your child, help them to exit the car, and escort them inside.
We will be able to help two cars at a time, please be sure to pull into the nearest spot. Children, at this time, are required to wear masks and have it on before the car doors are opened for temperature checks.
Students will wash their hands upon entering the school each day.
Preschool families will escort your children to and from their class via the back entrance, closest to the preschool room. We will ask anyone on school property to wear a mask to properly cover their nose and mouth.
Pick-up Procedures and Times
We will have students lined up, hands washed, and ready to escort them to your car.
Alternating pick-up times:
3:00-3:15 – 2nd-4th Grade families
3:15- Preschool Families will enter the back door of the school for pick up (please maintain 6’ distance from other families)
3:15-3:25 – Kindergarten – 1st Grade Families
The current plan is to have in-person classes (we already have smaller class sizes)! We have also acquired a larger room upstairs for our oldest class (with it’s own bathroom). This will help reduce the number of students in the downstairs hallway and bathrooms.
We are currently planning to:
- Have in-person classes.
- Ask parents to drop their children off outside so we may escort them to their classes. (This will reduce the number of people in our hallway as well as reduce the points of contact in the school.)
- Ask preschool families to enter and exit through the back door (the door closest to the preschool room).
- Ask students to stay home when they are sick.
- Wear a mask while at school. (Following recommended guidelines.)
- Arrange classrooms for maximum student distance of 6′, including alternative seating options.
- Conduct classes outside, when possible.
- Record and/or broadcast lessons so sick children can join from home.
- Take temperatures regularly (following the guidelines that have yet to be sent out).
- Have extra and frequent cleaning methods in place.
- Have all individual, non-shared, supplies.
- Have specialist teachers come to classes so that students will not be moving to different rooms on Wednesdays.
- Split the students during lunch and recess so we have half as many kiddos eating or playing at one time.
- Have teachers bring their class outside for dismissal.
- Have students bring their own snacks so we are not handling their food.
- Limit field trips until we have been advised to lift this restriction.
- Divide preschool classes in half to separate students during table activities and rug/calendar activities.
- State guidelines state that music and some PE activities may not be safe and will need to be offered in a different way. We are awaiting further guidance while making plans to use larger spaces or have these student activities outside.
We will have Google Classroom and other virtual sites set up so that students will be familiar with them in the event students are ill and can join class remotely or watch a recording of lessons when they are feeling better.
Last year we really didn’t miss a beat and our teachers immediately began recording lessons and hosting live lessons every single day for the classes. Like every classroom in the country, we will need to be prepared to move to a short-term distance-learning model should someone in the class test positive. Unlike last year, distance learning should be for limited periods of time only.
by Jill & Sarah | Jun 14, 2020 | 2nd/3rd Grade News
Meetings will be combined for special activities we have planned.
All meetings will begin at 10:00 (except for Thursday we will start a little later at 10:15) and may go longer than an hour.
We will not have PM meetings this week.
Monday – 10:00 – Virtual signing of yearbooks on Jamboard and Disney Day (Dress up anything Disney as we go on a virtual Disney field trip together!)
Tuesday – 10:00 – Movie Day (Bring some popcorn!)
Wednesday – Posted field day activities!! 10:00-11:30 REVERSE PARADE!!
Thursday – 10:00 – Awards Show (includes slideshow of the year and individual student certificates)
Students have several extra reading books to continue reading throughout the summer. They will also have their Kidsa-z accounts. I will continue to hold office hours for students to come read to me throughout the summer. I have created a shared sign-up sheet in google classroom so I will know in advance if students want to read with me and they can schedule a time. (I will add time slots if more are needed.)
Summer Learning
Reading Club
Read aloud to Maestra Sarah Tuesdays 9:00-11:00 (Sign-up required.)
Math Club
Complete fun units of study each week of the summer. Check your work in Google Classroom and come ask questions during Maestra Sarah’s weekly Math Club, Thursdays 9:00-11:00 (Sign-up required.)
I’m asking kiddos to sign up in advance so they are not waiting around while I work with others. Also, please have them sign up from the beginning of the time slots. I don’t want to spend two hours if there are three kids signed up in all random time slots!
Here is what the weekly sign-ups look like (already posted 8 weeks in Google Classroom):
Summer Reading Club – Tuesdays 9:00-11:00
Keep up your reading fluency by reading to Maestra Sarah!
You must sign up in advance each week so I will show up to read with you! The link is in the Google Classroom header.
Type your name next to the time you would like to read:
9:00-9:20
9:20-9:40
9:40-10:00
10:00-10:20
10:20-10:40
10:40-11:00
Summer Math Club – Thursdays 9:00-11:00 – Units will be posted for each week of the summer.
9:00-9:20
9:20-9:40
9:40-10:00
10:00-10:20
10:20-10:40
10:40-11:00
by Sarah Segall | Jun 13, 2020 | 2nd/3rd Grade News, 4th/5th Grade News, First Grade News, In The Loop, Kindergarten News, Preschool
Dear Parents,
We are excited to celebrate the end of the school year with our students. We know the normal end of the Performance and Field Day can’t occur under the current circumstances. In light of that, we would like to share how we will celebrate our students’ accomplishments from this year and wish them a wonderful, safe summer.
On June 17, we are inviting all students and parents to a drive-thru celebration at Spanish With Sarah where students will be cheered and celebrated by staff. All preschool-5th grade students and parents are invited from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. In order for us to facilitate this, we need to follow specific guidelines and expectations laid out by the State of Washington:
- Parents are encouraged to decorate their cars to celebrate their students!
- Students and family members will NOT be able to get out of their vehicles.
- Vehicles with students and immediate family members will enter the parking lot from 23rd street (closest to the big trees) and follow the loop, pause to greet teachers, and exit out 23rd street (closest to the house).
- Staff will be stationed in front of the playground fence to wave and celebrate students.
- Staff will have signs acknowledging students and will decorate the fence and their cars.
- Each vehicle will stop at the designated TEACHER area: award appropriate certificates, give end-of-the year items, and take an optional photograph. Students will NOT be able to get out of their cars.
- Please do not pull ahead of the vehicle in front of you but rather follow through the procession.
- Anyone who did not have their yearbook mailed to their home will be able to pick this up during the parade.
We know this is not the way we had all planned to celebrate the successful completion of the school year, and we appreciate your understanding as we do our best to celebrate.
PLEASE take a look at the MAP to help make things run smoothly!
by Jill & Sarah | Jun 7, 2020 | 2nd/3rd Grade News
La Lectura
This will be our last normal week of the school year. (Week 39 schedule is at the bottom of this newsletter.) The students have all done a great job adjusting and have continued to make progress through the distance learning.
I had the students all gather their LA supplies for this week at the end of our Zoom meeting on Friday. Our learning objectives this week will be to:
- Identify the theme and message from a story.
- Identify the setting from a story.
- Compare the theme, message and setting from two stories.
- Read book #23: Chica de ciudad multiple times to achieve fluency.
- Complete the worksheet: Mezcla de oraciones to work on correct sentence formation.
- Complete the weekly writing prompt. REVISE their own writing.
- Read and complete reading comprehension questions on La tormenta de nieve
Las matemáticas
This next week, as we continue our study of factions, our learning objectives will be to:
- Add two or three fraction with sums to 1.
- Subtract a like fraction from another like fraction or one-whole.
- Read, write, and identify fractions of a set.
- Find the number of items in a fraction of a set.
This will be our final unit of study in math for this school year. I will post videos for other units of study for students to continue their learning throughout the summer. They also all have Khan accounts to continue their practice. Units of study they can work on throughout the summer include:
- Bar Graphs and Line Plots
- Customary Lengths, Weight, and Capacity
- Time and Temperature
- Angles and Lines
- Two-Dimensional Shapes
- Area and Perimeter
These are areas that we have touched on throughout the school year but we have not completed explicit units of study. Each of these topics will also be covered next year with Maestra Ivary – in English.
I will make myself available for math office hours each week throughout the summer. The kiddos can come ask me for help on anything math related Tuesdays 9:00-11:00!
History and Geography
Student this coming week will:
Describe the British debtor’s prison system.
Summaraize James Oglethorpe’s plan for Georgia.
Explain why Oglethorpe’s dream for Georgia did not come through.
Explain why the Pilgrim’s came to New England.
Describe the Pilgrim’s journey on the Mayflower.
Explain the purpose of the Mayflower Compact.
Science
This week we will review or unit on Life Cycles, Traits, and Variations. We will also do some fun, silly science experiments together.
Week 39 Meetings will be combined for special activities we have planned. All meetings will begin at 10:00 (except for Thursday we will start a little later at 10:15) and may go longer than an hour. We will not have PM meetings this week.
Monday – 10:00 – Virtual signing of yearbooks on Jamboard and Disney Day (Dress up anything Disney as we go on a virtual Disney field trip together!)
Tuesday – 10:00 – Movie Day (Bring some popcorn!)
Wednesday – Posted field day activities!!
Thursday – 10:00 – Awards Show (includes slideshow of the year and individual student certificates)
Students have several extra reading books to continue reading throughout the summer. They will also have their Kidsa-z accounts. I will continue to hold office hours for students to come read to me throughout the summer. I will create a shared sign-up sheet in google classroom so I will now in advance if students want to read with me and they can schedule a time. (I will add time slots if more are needed.)
by Jill & Sarah | May 31, 2020 | 2nd/3rd Grade News
La Lectura
This week we will break our LA class into two groups. I will split the class into two breakout rooms in our ZOOM meetings. Students will be using their reading strategies to develop understanding and fluency in their three required readings for the week.
- Read book 22: Pompeyo, el soñador
La zarigüeya
- Complete a character analysis in their red notebook
- Read and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences: La zarigüeya
- Read, record, retell, and answer comprehension questions to an assigned story in Kidsa-z.com
Students should have their two paper copies (Pompeyo, el soñador AND La zarigüeya) with them on Monday and Friday.
- Unscramble sentences to show an understanding of sentence structure. (Worksheet is found in packet.)
- Complete weekly writing prompt – edit and revise AFTER writing.
fracciones
Las matemáticas
This next week we will continue our study of Fractions. Our learning objects are:
- To use multiplication and division to find equivalent fractions.
- To write fractions in simplest form.
- To compare and order fractions.
- To show fractions as points or distances on a number line.
- To compare and order fractions using benchmark fractions.
Science
✓ Describe how changes in the environment may allow individuals with certain traits to survive and reproduce in greater numbers
than individuals without those traits.
History & Geography
Describe trade between Charleston, England and Africa
Describe life on a South Carolina Plantation
Identify important cash crops grown in South Carolina
Explain why South Carolina’s rice plantations were so successful
Describe the Middle Passage
by Jill & Sarah | May 24, 2020 | 2nd/3rd Grade News
La Lectura
This week we will continue with our two literature pieces from last week, due to no classes on Friday or Monday.
Measuring weight and capacity through baking.
Las matemáticas
We have completed our metric measurement unit. This week we will begin working on Fractions, chapter 14. Our learning objectives are:
- Read, write, and identify fractions from wholes with more than 4 parts.
- Identify numerator and denominator.
- Use models to identify equivalent fractions.
- Use a number line to identify equivalent fractions.
Science-
Our learning objectives for the upcoming week will be to:
✓ Distinguish between traits that are helpful to
an organism and traits that are not helpful.
✓ Compare advantageous and
disadvantageous traits.
The students did a fabulous job on their life cycles models! I was so impressed with the creativity and details! Way to go!
History & Geography
Our history objectives will be to:
✓ Identify Lord Baltimore. (RI.3.2)
✓ Describe how the Calverts created Maryland as a colony that would be a refuge for Catholics. (RI.3.2)
✓ Explain why the tobacco planters of Virginia and Maryland began to use enslaved workers. (RI.3.2)
✓ Describe the differences between indentured servitude and slavery. (RI.3.2)
✓ Understand the meaning of the following domain-specific vocabulary: official, Roman Catholic,
Protestant, pope, and toleration. (RI.3.4)
by Sarah Segall | May 19, 2020 | 2nd/3rd Grade News, 4th/5th Grade News, First Grade News, In The Loop, Kindergarten News, Preschool
If you are a parent or guardian of minor children also struggling with child rearing, I want to personally invite you to our virtual town hall, featuring notable child psychologist Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith of the Wright Institute. The lively town hall discussion will be moderated by Sara Ellis Conant, co-founder and CEO of A-Plan Coaching. Dr. Briscoe-Smith will address your tough parenting questions and provide you with practical coping strategies to help you and your family promote resiliency during these uncertain times.
https://helpamotherout.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5e8087dc5992e8fc2893d0b49&id=91b0e98efa&e=3f23087ab6
by Jill & Sarah | May 17, 2020 | 2nd/3rd Grade News
Students shared that they prefer to have their assignments separated by the week (and again by English and Spanish.) We listened and have only posted assignments in the Week 35 English topic and the Week 35 Spanish topic. (The choice board still works and we have updated the links.) We chose not to include specialists or ‘extra’ assignments in these postings. Those items can still be found by going directly to those topics.
La Lectura
Th
is week’s learning objectives are:
- This week we will read “La reina no puede reír:”
- We will identify 4 important supporting details to help us better understand what we have read.
- We will also work to show our reading comprehension by answering questions in complete sentences on “La bandera nueva nación.”
- We will write for a purpose and edit our writing before submitting it.
Las matemáticas
Our learning objectives this week are:
- To read scales in kilograms and grams.
- Estimate and find actual masses of objects by using different scales.
- Convert units of measurement.
- Estimate and find the volume of liquid in liters and milliliters.
- Find the volume and capacity of a container.
- Convert units of measurement.
I am hoping to take this week’s lessons into the kitchen! I will show the kiddos how to use these measurement skills to bake something….but then I’m concerned that I’ll have to eat it all….
Science
This week our learning objectives for science are to:
Describe examples that indicate the environment can affect an organism’s physical and behavioral traits.
Use evidence to explain cause-and-effect relationship between the amount of food an animal gets and its growth.
History
Weekly objectives:
Identify John Rolfe, chief Powhatan, and Pocahontas.
Explain how the development of tobacco as a cash crop helped the Virginia colony succeed.
Describe the first laborers brought to Virginia.
Know the definition of: tobacco, cash crop, self-government, disease, and indentured servant.
by Jill & Sarah | May 10, 2020 | 2nd/3rd Grade News
Frederick playing Sonata in G major for teacher appreciation. It was so beautiful!
We heard you! So we are trying out a new organization for Week 34 in the Google Classroom.
We have created a new topic in the Google Classroom. Week 34 May 11-May 16 (Links to GC assignments) To help quickly identify the assignments for the week we have linked them all in this topic.
You have three ways to identify the work to focus on for the week:
- Looking through all the topics in Classwork (same as before).
- Linking through the choice board for Semana 34. (also, same as before)
- Linking through the topic Week 34 May 11-May 16 (Links to GC assignments) (This will help you to quickly find all the topics to focus on without needing to scroll through the other “extra” items.)
We’ve posted this on the GC stream and asked for you and the kiddos to provide us feedback. Which way do you prefer?
Sample of a weekly Google Classroom topic.
Dancing Go-Noodle!
Typing Jedi!
La Lectura
Students are really focusing on reading for fluency! They have their reading assignments in one place in GC (Google Classroom) and can move a statue on their reading chart every time they read aloud. Here are our language arts objectives for the week:
- Read book 20, Definitivamente divertido (several times).
- Complete the graphic organizer (they will paste it into their cuaderno rojo).
- Identify the main idea of the two different sections.
- Identify details from the story that support the main idea.
- Write a detailed paragraph in the Escritura 8, being sure to use detailed sentences, capitals, punctuation, noun-verb agreement, etc.
Las matemáticas
This week we will dive into our Metric Measurement unit. Each student received a ruler in their first materials delivery! Our learning objectives for the week are:
- Use meters and centimeters as units of measurement of length.
- Estimate and measure length.
- Convert units of measurement.
- Use kilometers and meters as units of measurement of length.
- Daily spiral review pages.
I have provided one post on Google Classroom that contains:
- A measurement game.
- Two metric unit songs.
- A cute video explaining the metric system.
- Videos for how to complete all workbook pages from 11.1 and 11.2.
- Answers to the daily review (Repaso Semana 34) practice.
Science
This week we will be learning about:
*examples of organism’s traits
*compare and contrast the physical traits of multiple organisms
*give examples of variation of traits within a population
*describe the relationship between populations and ecosystems
*tell that variation of traits can help certain individuals survive and reproduce
*define species
History & Geography
This week our learning objectives will be to:
*Explain why the strong colony John Smith built fell on hard times.
*List the reasons for conflict between Native Americans and settlers in Jamestown.
*Summarize the starving time
*Explain that disease kills both colonists and Native Americans in Jamestown.
*Explain how surviving colonists were rescued.
is week’s learning objectives are:
