Zoom Security and Grading Rubric

Hello 4C families!

I will post some of this information on google classroom but I wanted to send out this blog to go more in depth to parents.

Zoom Security

We will continue meeting twice a week for the remainder of the quarter. Our Monday meeting is focused community building, and our Thursday meeting is for math tutoring. 

I would like to let you know the security measures I have put in place to prevent unwanted visitors in our meetings. 

First, the Zoom links are not posted anywhere public, like this blog. The links will only be posted in our Google Classroom stream or sent out by email. 

Second, each meeting is password protected. Even if someone was able to hack into the meeting ID, they could not gain access without the password. It's worth noting that if you click on the direct link I send out, you will not need to enter the password. I have also enabled the waiting room so that I have to approve each meeting participant. Going forward, please be sure that your child's participant name is their first and last name. You can rename by opening the participant panel and right-clicking on your name. I will not admit any users with unfamiliar names, or names like i-Pad. Thank you for helping to keep our meetings safe!  I have also disabled screen-share, chat, and recording for our meetings. To protect everyone's privacy, please do not allow your child to record any of the meetings using another device.

Grading Rubric

By now, everyone should have seen the 4-point grading rubric sent out by Mr. Gillingham. We will be using these guidelines to assess student work. 

There seems to be a lot of questions and confusion about the pass/fail grading for this quarter. I'd like to try to clarify this if I can.

Your child will not earn a grade for this quarter, I will simply assign the a "pass" or a "fail" at the end of the quarter. It IS possible for your child to fail the 4th quarter, if they score lower than 50% overall. However, this does not mean that they will fail the grade. No student will be eligible for retention based on their quarter 4 grades. 

It is important that your child complete the work with their best efforts to make sure they are prepared for 5th grade. If your child has not completed much work since spring break, when we return to school in the fall, they will struggle in 5th grade. The work we are giving is to prepare your child, the best we can under these conditions, so that they will excel next year. 

You can see your child's grades in you go into to Classwork - View Your Work. You can filter by Assigned, Returned With Grade, Missing.

Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Thank you!

-Mrs. LaVell

rlavell@archwayarete.org

Quarter 4 Week 5 April 20 - 24

Hello 4C families!

Another week of remote learning is done and I'm hoping that you are all getting the hang of it and feeling more comfortable with google classroom.

There are a few things that I wanted to mention to you about google classroom.

Google Classroom may not work correctly if you are using a computer that is signed in to multiple google accounts. You may see a google form not load correctly because google is getting "confused" with multiple accounts. It is best to log out of all accounts and only be logged on to your student google classroom account.

Please make sure to look for the "mark as done" button when completing an assignment through google forms. This is an important step. You will find the "mark as done" button when you have clicked on "view assignment"  Above the "mark as done" box there is also a place for you  to click "attach" Please note that you must submit an attachment for all spalding assignments. This is a Great Hearts requirement. We have done our best to reduce the need to upload in other subjects. Other than spalding, all other assignments can be completed online through google forms and there is no need to upload.

As teachers in google classroom we have no ability to move student work or mark something as done if there is nothing attached or nothing submitted in google forms. The only option we have is to select "return to the student" and it will then come up as missing or not done by the student.

I know that uploading documents is time consuming and not an enjoyable task. I appreciate your efforts to submit assignments to the proper location so that they can be graded and given proper feedback and credit. Mrs. Chilson and I will do our best to try and remember if we have been told that an assignment is in an alternate location but we cannot always guarantee that that will be the case and you will run the risk of not getting credit for the assignment.

Thank you again for all of your support. Mrs. Chilson and I truly miss seeing our class everyday. We are trying to comment and give careful attention to all of the work that is being submitted and hope they are feeling that we are appreciating their efforts.

XtraMath:

These students advanced these operations in XtraMath. Great job!

Multiplication:
Zach

Subtration:
Will
Sully

Addition:
Alexa
Sophia

I have seen some discrepancy in the XtraMath reporting. Several students are showing up as not logging on when they are. Please use the XtraMath parent flyer that was sent with your student. If you need a parent flyer please let me know and I will email one to you. If you use a different login or a different account it will not be linked to the Arete account.

Lessons this week:

Math- Students will learn how to read and use a coordinate grid. In addition, they will learn about changes in quantities. Students should complete XtraMath each day at https://xtramath.org/.

History- Students will complete the unit on the U.S. Constitution. Students will then begin their study of America’s early presidents. Students will learn about George Washington this week.  Note: Tuesday’s history lesson is fairly long. Students should count any history reading toward their independent reading time. There is an optional activity on Friday. Students may fill in the missing words to the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution.

Grammar- Students will review prior content this week on sentence diagramming and classification.

Literature- Students will read independently or read along with audio of the assigned chapter of that day (https://librivox.org/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-solo-version-2-by-l-frank-baum/). On Wednesday & Friday students will write a detailed summary of the chapter from the previous day (or days) noting important characters and events. Students should write a 5-7 sentence summary.

Science - there is no science this week.

If you have any questions please reach out.

-Mrs. LaVell
rlavell@archwayarete.org

-Mrs. Chilson
vchilson@archwayarete.org

4C Zoom Meetings

Your student is invited to attend a weekly zoom math tutoring meeting.  This is completely optional and not required.  You student is always welcome to call or email with questions and they do not have to wait for the zoom meeting if they have questions.

Below the math tutoring zoom information is the information on the Monday weekly class zoom meeting. That meeting is also optional.


MATH TUTORING ZOOM - THURSDAYS

Time: Apr 2, 2020 01:30 PM Arizona
        Every week on Thu, until May 14, 2020, 7 occurrence(s)
        Apr 2, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 9, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 16, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 23, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 30, 2020 01:30 PM
        May 7, 2020 01:30 PM
        May 14, 2020 01:30 PM
 An email with this invite was sent to you

CLASS MEETING ZOOM - MONDAYS

Rachel LaVell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: 4C Class Meeting
Time: Apr 6, 2020 01:30 PM Arizona
        Every week on Mon, until May 11, 2020, 5 occurrence(s)
        Apr 6, 2020 01:30 PM 
        Apr 20, 2020 01:30 PM
        Apr 27, 2020 01:30 PM
        May 4, 2020 01:30 PM
        May 11, 2020 01:30 PM
 An email with this invite was sent to you.

-Mrs. LaVell

rlavell@archwayarete.org

Quarter 4 March 30 - April 3

Hello 4C families!

I hope you are all well. The distance learning from last week will continue this week and the packets will be very similar to the previous packet. You should have received an email with the electronic packet link. Paper packet pick up will be the same as last week and will begin tomorrow morning at 8:00am. I will be there from 8:00 to 9:00 if anyone plans to stop by I'd love to waive hello!

I will be posting the packet key later this week. If you have any questions please feel free to email or call. In Math this week we are adding a new concept, dividing decimals, and in science we are introducing the circulatory system. All other packet content is a continuation and should be familiar to your student.

Great Hearts has decided that zoom meeting are acceptable!  These meetings will not contain curriculum content and are not mandatory. Our first zoom meeting for 4C will be tomorrow at 1:30pm.  I am emailing a zoom invite and I will also include the info below. This meeting is optional and is for community connection. For this first meeting we will figure out how to zoom, say hello and share something that we have done to stay busy/active since we have been away from school.  I am looking forward to seeing you all! Parents, feel free to attend the zoom meeting with your child. I apologize to those families that have students in multiple 4th grade classrooms, please feel free to join either meeting.

Zoom Meeting info is posted on Google Classroom under the days of the zoom meeting.

By logging into Zoom through this invitation, you consent to your child participating in an electronic group forum with the teacher as host and with other students. Other individuals may be in student homes, so please be careful to set up your child in a quiet area and possibly to use headphones and sit with their back to a wall. Hosting teachers may mute participants as needed. No recordings of the session will be available to the public. Please do not record (video, audio, or picture) any part of the session

Parent Guide to Zoom – Guidance for Families

Participating in online video conferences can be an integral part of staying connected through this time of remote education. However, using this new platform requires developing new habits. Setting guidelines will ensure that everyone acts with integrity before, during, and after these sessions.

For Students: Using the Platform Responsibly

1. Limit distractions and protect your privacy and the privacy of your classmates.

If possible:

a. Use earbuds or headphones

b. Work in a quiet space free from distractions

c. Sit in front of a school-appropriate background where personal information (family pictures, for example) will not be visible

d. Sit with your back to a wall to limit the chance of other household members being in view of your screen

e. DO NOT record any part of the Zoom meeting with any device (video, audio, or picture)

f. DO NOT take screenshots of any part of the Zoom meeting

2. Follow all usage and etiquette directions given by your teacher

a. Keep your microphone muted until directed

b. Follow teacher directives on enabling video

c. Use the chat feature appropriately

d. Close all other browser tabs and windows

3. Conduct yourself as if you were in the classroom

a. Sign in on time

b. Be a courteous listener

c. Use appropriate language

d. Stay on-topic

For Parents: Providing Guidance to Students

We take seriously the safety of our students and the protection of their privacy. Students should not have to worry about people other than their classmates watching them during class discussions, nor should they have to worry that their class interactions can be used against them. With this end in mind, we have taken precautions to limit opportunities for students to be unsupervised while using the Zoom platform or use it as a tool to harm others. For privacy reasons, students should not record any part of Zoom meetings on any device. If your student misses the meeting, please reach out to the teacher. We ask for your partnership in this endeavor. Wherever possible, please support your student in taking the measures outlined above.

Even with the protocols we have in place, it is still possible for students to create their own personal Zoom accounts with a personal email address. It is a violation of Zoom’s Terms of

Service for minors to have their own Zoom accounts; please help us maintain a safe online learning environment during this time by monitoring your students’ online activity and following the tips below:

· Avoid logging yourself in as a participant; space is reserved for students.

· If your child participates with a small group working on closely aligned goals, please keep the sessions private by limiting family members in the room.

· Do not disclose any personal information during the session. Should you need to discuss progress, or any area of concern, please reach out via email and we will call you back at a time when synchronous lessons are not in session.

· You may hear us refer to your child by their first initial of their first name in order to provide a further level of privacy during the session.

· DO NOT record any part of the Zoom session with any device (video, audio, or picture).

· DO NOT take screenshots of any part of the Zoom session.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

-Mrs. LaVell
rlavell@archwayarete.org

Answer Key for Learning Packet #1

Hello 4C Families!

I hope you are all working through your packets and enjoying your time together.

The fourth grade team thought it would be helpful to post an answer key for the first packet.  We aren’t sure that we will provide keys going forward, but given the newness of learning at home, we thought it would be helpful for families as a resource. We ask that you do not give this answer key to your child, but that you use it as a support in helping your child complete their work. If you wish to use it to check your child’s work, you may, but that is not expected. You can find the document here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NiyPhmBmEiRD9mix_vVZwl3o3CuAFOey/view?usp=sharing.

If you have any questions please reach out.

Thank you,

-Mrs. LaVell
rlavell@archwayarete.org

Quarter 4 March 23-27

Hello 4C Families!

I hope you are all well and enjoying your time together.  Our daughter is home from college in Minnesota and will be completing the rest of the term from home on-line  and our son will be starting his 7th grade packet that the Prep has prepared their students. We are happy to all be home together. We have been taking walks, watching movies, playing cards and board games and doing a lot of baking (and eating!). Our bunnies, Eddie and Ollie are happily flopped in the back yard as I write this and I am including their picture below.

You will have received the e-mail from Mr. Gillingham with the distance learning packet info.  If you need a paper copy of the packet that can be picked up at Archway Arete tomorrow.  Information about pickup was also sent out in a previous email that contains instructions and times.  If you do not have that information please reach out to me and I will make sure you get the information.  Mrs. Chilson and I will be there at 8:00 am to help with packet distribution and look forward to saying hello.

The rest of this blog will be about the lessons in the packet.  The days listed and the pace is a suggestion.  You may have your child work through the packet as you wish.  If you have any questions please let me know.

Typically literature is a lesson that is read to the students. They do not read the book independently.  I would love to continue reading this book to the class. If you would be interested in having your child log log on to a zoom meeting where I would read the chapter I would love to do so.  Please let me know if this would be of interest.  Zoom can be downloaded on a phone, tablet or a computer.

The electronic packet and the paper packet are identical.  If you are using the electronic packet you do not need to print the reading materials unless you would like to.

Lessons for March 23 - 27

Math: This week, students will spend time reviewing concepts they have already learned this year. The first worksheet for each day is a math facts review worksheet. The next page is four word problems. We recommend that students use bar models to help them solve these. The third page is the more difficult of the three pages. This is a collection of different kinds of problems the students have worked on this year. Students will have math work every day of the week

History: In history, students will be covering the first two chapters of the unit on the United States Constitution. The first chapter, “The Idea of Self Rule,” is followed by a page of fill in the blank and short answer questions. The second chapter, “New Constitutions for the States,” follows the same pattern. This week, students will only have history on Monday and Thursday. 

Writing: For writing, students will take the information that they learned in history by reading the pages and answering the questions to formulate a response to two writing prompts. Monday’s writing prompt is “Jefferson’s third important idea about government was ‘If the people do not give their consent that the government can have this or that power, then the government does not have it.’ What does this mean? Do you agree or disagree? What powers should the government have, and how does this relate to the idea of ‘Limited Government’? Please answer in at least 5-7 sentences.” Thursday’s writing prompt is “What does the word ‘democracy’ mean? Did the individual states create a true democracy as a model for their state constitutions? Why or why not? Please answer in at least 5-7 sentences with examples from the text.” Students should take the information from the readings and develop their own answers to these questions. This week, students will only have writing on Monday and Thursday.

Spalding: In Spalding this week, students will learn two new words a day Monday through Thursday. They will write the word three times with syllable breaks. For example, for the word chorus, they will write “cho rus” three times. They will then write a sentence using that word. The sentence should demonstrate an understanding of the word’s meaning. A poor sentence would be, “The word chorus starts with a c.” A good sentence would be, “The school chorus sang during our spring concert.” After learning the two new words, there are phonograms for that day. It is recommended that a parent help with these. On Friday, the assignment is to write a new sentence that demonstrates an understanding of the words’ meanings for all of the words.

Literature: Students will read the first two chapters of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz this week. Both chapters are in the packet, but students may use their own copies of the book if you have it. On Monday, students will read and annotate the first chapter, “The Cyclone.” We recommend that the child annotate the chapters as they read because they will be expected to write a summary on the following day. Thus, on Tuesday, the students will write a summary of chapter one. On Wednesday, students will read and annotate chapter two, “The Council with the Munchkins.” On Thursday, students will write a summary of chapter two. On Friday, the students will read a story called, “The Blind Men and the Elephant.” Following their reading of the story, they will answer three review questions in complete sentences.

Reading Comprehension: Each day, the lessons end with a reading comprehension worksheet. These are worksheets that your child has been doing throughout the year. We had been doing this reading sprint in 4 minutes when in class but there is no need to time these sprints at home.

Science: The science lesson for the week will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. The students will be reading articles on content that we have already covered, so these lessons will be both review and extensions of the content they have already been assessed on. Following each article are some multiple-choice questions. The Tuesday lesson also includes some short answer questions, which should be answered in complete sentences and vocabulary review. At the end of each science lesson is a matching exercise on past content to help students retain the lessons they studied earlier this year.

Grammar: The grammar lessons will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. The grammar lessons for this week are paragraph edits that require students to read an error-filled paragraph to find and correct the mistakes.

Additional Resources:

1. Great Hearts Coronavirus Page: https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/coronavirus/
2. Khan Academy: khanacademy.org 
3. Xtra Math: https://xtramath.org/#/home/index
4. Typing Quest: https://online3.typingmaster.com/login?id=pp8gsu2q7 
5. LibriVox: https://librivox.org
6. Madame Gebarra's blog:   http://gebaraaretefrench.blogspot.com/

If any student passes all four operations in Xtra Math please let me know! I can create a "2.0" account that has more multiples in a shorter time frame for them.

I am missing all of you and am thinking about you all.

Mrs. Chilson look forward to speaking with you this week! I will be calling half of the class and Mrs. Chilson will be calling the other half of the class.  Then, if closings run longer, we will alternate back and forth our half of the class so both of us will connect with all families.  Our goal is just to touch base, let you know we are here to help, and possibly to have a conversation with your child if they are interested. We are also always here to help and you may call any time during regular school hours 8-3.  If we are not available, please leave a message and we will call back as soon as possible.  In addition, you can text both of our phone numbers.

--Mrs. LaVell RLavell@ArchwayArete.org --Mrs. Chilson VChilson@archwayarete.org