Dear Glen Meadow Families,
As we close out October and move into November, thank you for taking the time to read the Glen Meadow blog. Thank you for partnering with us as we continue our in-person and online instruction. As you are aware, we are moving toward more and more synchronous learning, i.e., live learning online. Below, I will explain a bit more about the expectations that come with synchronous learning from our students and the support we need from our parents and guardians to make synchronous learning successful. Our schedule will begin to change in November, below are a few highlights.
Schedule for the week of November 2nd:
Monday, November 2- BLUE TEAM
Tuesday, November 3- VIRTUAL for ALL STUDENTS
Wednesday, November 4-GOLD TEAM
Thursday and Friday, November 5-6, 2020, All Vernon schools closed for the NJEA Teachers’ Convention
Schedule for the week of November 9th:
Monday, November 9- BLUE Team and a synchronous day of teaching for all students
Tuesday, November 10- BLUE Team
Wednesday, November 11- VIRTUAL for ALL STUDENTS
Thursday, November 12- GOLD Team
Friday, November 13- GOLD Team and a synchronous day of teaching for all students
As a reminder: Marking Period 1 will be closing on November 12, 2020. You can view your child’s grades in Genesis on November 18, at 4:00 pm.
What to Expect During Live Zoom Meetings on Synchronous Days:
When your child is in synchronous (live) lessons, you can expect the teacher to be (but not limited to):
- Teaching a 10 to 15-minute mini-lesson,
- Reviewing a concept,
- Conducting a class conversation on a topic,
- Having a student explain an answer, etc.,
- Providing a demonstration (science experiment, for example),
- Allowing time for the student to work on a skill and then calling the students back into the class to assist one-on-one or by whole group,
For our students, here are some requests and reminders from your teachers:
- Attendance is required,
- Check Schoology for correspondence and daily expectations,
- Come to class on time while participating in a live Zoom or Schoology Conference and remain in one location; clocks times vary, please log in a few minutes prior to the class starting time.
- Please dress as you would for school,
- Participate from a quiet place in your home,
- Please keep your camera on unless instructed otherwise by your teacher,
- Be respectful,
- Anything visible in the background of your video must be school appropriate.
For our parents and guardians, here are some requests from Glen Meadow, please:
- Set clear expectations and routines for your child’s remote learning days.
- Partner with your child’s teacher and reach out should any challenges arise.
- Refrain from joining your child’s live classes or be visible on your child’s screens during classes.
- Encourage your child to communicate with teachers when your child has questions or concerns
Picture Re-Takes: Will take place on Tuesday, November 10 and Thursday, November 12 during the school day. All Exclusively Virtual students are invited to come to have pictures taken from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.
Virtual Days: As a reminder, Tuesday, November 3, Wednesday, November 11, and Wednesday, November 18, 2020, are VIRTUAL days for all students. Our virtual schedule is below. It is imperative that your child to follow his or her schedule. Students will be expected to be learning online live in synchronous classes.
| Virtual Schedule | |
| Period 1: | 9:00 – 9:20 |
| Period 2: | 9:25 – 9:45 |
| Period 3: | 9:50 – 10:10 |
| Period 4: | 10:15 – 10:35 |
| Period 5: | 10:40 – 11:00 |
| Period 6: | 11:05 – 11:25 |
| Period 7: | 11:30 – 11:50 |
| Period 8: | 11:55 – 12:15 |
| Period 9: | 12:20 – 12:40 |
| Office Time: | 12:40 – 1:00 |
Here are some highlights from our classrooms…
Novartis sponsored Art Show/Contest: Congratulations to Melody Buccieri (grade 8), Susan Mentone (grade 8), and Olivia Schmick (grade7) whose artwork was displayed at the Virtual Hispanic Heritage Month-Novartis sponsored Art Show/Contest on October 28, 2020, under the direction of art teacher, Ms. Lisa Hirkaler. Students submitted artwork around the theme of “What would the world look like without racism?”.
Melody wrote this passage to accompany her watercolor:
What would your world look like without racism?
I recently was able to visit Chattanooga Tennessee, there were plenty of amazing sites but my favorite however was “Look-Out-Mountain”. From the top, you could see the whole city, river and surrounding mountains. All around us were other people of all genders, ages, and races, looking at the same view.
The Earth is all of ours to share and enjoy. This is what the world looks like without racism.
Susan wrote this passage to accompany her painting:
What would your world look like without racism?
Whales are creatures on this Earth, just like us humans. There are many different types of whales, just like how there are different types of people. These different types of whales share the ocean. They don’t see their differences. They don’t treat other whales cruelly because they are different.
Olivia wrote this passage to accompany her colored pencil drawing:
What would your world look like without racism?
Beautiful…
So Far From the Bamboo Grove: Students in Mrs. Schmidt’s Language Arts classes are reading So Far from the Bamboo Grove. As an extension to this novel, students learned about calligraphy. Students were assigned to find a word that they could relate to and create that character in calligraphy. Below are some photographs of their work.
Paper model of the Solar System: Did you ever wonder what our solar system might look like in a straight piece of paper depicting the placement of all the planets? Students in Mr. DeJulia’s class were assigned an activity to draw the solar system in line to show the relationship of all the planets. Below is Michael holding his creation of our solar system.
Word Art Choice Boards: You may have noticed this fall that teachers are giving their students more and more choice when completing assignments. Mrs. Grimaldi gave her students choices for ways to learn complex vocabulary words. Below are pictures students created to help them remember vocabulary words. You will see Mrs. Grimaldi’s choice board; this board is an example of the ways that teachers are providing students with lots of ways to demonstrate their knowledge.
| Create a TV Game Show for each of FIVE Vocab Words. What would each show be called and what would contestants have to do? Number them 1 to 5. Include the vocab word, title of the TV Show and description. Write on a Google Doc and share it! | Create Flashcards using index cards for all ten words. On the front have the word and part of speech. On the back write the definition. Show them in class or stay in a zoom after it ends and show them on screen! | Write a diary entry from the point of view of Max or Kevin. Use FIVE Vocab Words and underline them. Remember that the character’s thoughts and feelings are very important in a diary! |
| Create a Word Scramble list for all ten words. Remember to include an Answer Key! | VOCAB ART!
Choose ONE vocab word to write on construction paper. The letters should be BIG and colorful and show the meaning of the word! |
Write a POEM and incorporate (include) at least FIVE vocab words. Your poem can be about anything and does not have to rhyme but must have:
A title Lines (look like a poem!) Vocab words underlined |
| Create a Six-panel Comic Strip with one Vocab Word in each panel. The comic strip should show a short story and have characters speaking using speech bubbles. Hand in or show in our zoom on Friday. | Write five sentences that are about Freak the Mighty. In each sentence, use a different vocab word and underline it. | Write a mini-story using FIVE words. It can be any genre. Try to have a beginning, middle, and end. |
What Shall I Pack in a Box Called Summer Poetry? Mrs. Grimaldi’s students jotted thoughts from the summer and then put their thoughts into poetry. Here are some examples from this lesson:
What Shall I Pack in a Box Marked “Summer”? By Charlie Paladino
The beautiful sunrises while I fished with my dad
The morning dew and smell of the river
Riding bikes with my brother
The smell of hamburger on the grill
The feel of the rocking boat as we fish for the big one
The camping trip getting shorter
The smell of the river as I close my eyes
Till next summer I will wait, but will close my eyes and remember
What Shall I Pack in a Box Marked “Summer”? By John Causby
A warm morning has me on the go,
chirping birds no more snow,
a kite blistering through the wind,
lots of places to go,
a lake filled with fishes, and quacking ducks,
a boat, a yacht afloat,
having fun playing twister,
making ice-cold ice tea,
and having summer coming to an end,
but that doesn’t disrupt the time we’ve had,
as the sun sets one last time,
you realize,
this was the best summer you’ve had in a very long time.
Glen Meadow’s 5 Ps: We are focusing on the 5Ps to reinforce The Glen Meadow Way… Mrs. Lopez is an 8th grade math teacher who not only cares about her students’ math abilities, but also their social emotional learning. Mrs. Lopez has embraced Glen Meadow’s 5P initiative of “Reach your 100%: Be Prompt, Be Prepared, Be Polite, Be Positive and Be Productive–It’s The Glen Meadow Way!” by including daily quotes or discussion topics on her Math Schoology page. Here are a few examples:
5 Ps Quote of the Day (Be Prompt)
“Arriving late was a way of saying that your own time was more valuable than the time of the person who waited for you.” Karen Joy Fowler
5Ps Quote of the Day (Be Positive)
“There is hope, even when your brain tells you ther isn’t” John Greene
Discussion Questions such as:
How does being prepared for this class create success for you?
What can you do to be polite through kindness?
Mrs. Lopez also reminds students of appropriate Zoom meeting etiquette:
As always, it is important to be mindful of the 5 Ps (Be Prompt Be Prepared, Be Polite, Be Positive, and Be Productive) to follow the Glen Meadow Way (Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Reach your 100%).
Upcoming Events…
Math Counts: The Math Counts Club is open to any 6th, 7th, or 8th grade student who has an interest in mathematics and problem-solving. Mr. Ferrara, LH math teacher, is the club advisor. This year the competition will be run a bit differently than in the past. The Math Counts Organization has partnered with the company called the Art of Problem Solving or AoPS. AoPS has created 3 practice competitions; one in October, one in November, and one in December. If your child is interested in solving challenging math problems this club is for them! The link below is a Google Slide that contains an explanation video and club sign up information for both students and the parent permission slip.
Blood Drive: This year Glen Meadow will be hosting our blood drives off campus. Thank you to St. Frances DeSales Church for opening its doors for our blood drive that will take place on Thursday, November 5, 2020, from 3:00 to 7:30 pm. Please click here for the flyer.
Screenagers: “Screenagers” The Movie: “Screenagers” is an award-winning film that probes into the vulnerable corners of family life and depicts messy struggles over social media, video games, and academics. The film offers solutions on how we can help our kids navigate the digital world. There will be a FREE online airing of “Screenagers” sponsored by the Sussex County Youth Services Commission on Monday, November 9, 2020, and running for two weeks. You can watch the 67-minute movie on demand until Monday, November 23, 2020. You must register for the movie at this link.
Here are some upcoming Glen Meadow SCA Fundraisers:
Thursday, November 5th: Mamma Mia’s Pizzeria, in Hamburg, NJ, purchase your dinner at Mamm’a Mia’s and some of the proceeds from your purchase will go to the Glen Meadow SCA that funds programming for our school. Thank you for supporting our program and having a great meal!
Papas Garden Supply in McAfee: purchase holiday wreaths, swags, and grave pillows. Thank you for supporting this fundraiser and shopping locally! This fundraiser will run until November 20th. Orders will be available for pick up 11/27/20 – 12/12/20 Any day from 10am-6pm at local garden center, Pappa’s Garden Supply: 56 Route 94, in the McAfee section of Vernon.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Gebhardt and Eric Kosek, Ed. D
Principal and Assistant Principal