Almost done!

What a crazy week! Feels like spring break was a month ago. Hats off to our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers for surviving the week! And to everyone else for getting your students to show them some love. 

Composting 
Special shoutout to Leanna and Susan for starting off our lunch compost and food waste experience. Students in both classes did a great job learning about composting, separating their food waste, and then making better food choices going forward. Our big purpose for this exercise is to show students how they can make better choices in what they eat and how much less food waste they can produce. It's a logistical challenge with them eating in classrooms and we're learning a lot and making changes on the fly. Next week, we'll be adding in fourth and fifth grades. 

Coop
Great job Nikki for getting through your week of chicken care! Or should I say great job to Nikki's students? Jake, you're up next. I didn't get to the "chicken care guide" like I promised, but for some reason I feel that next week will be more productive. Nikki's students will continue to collect compost from the kitchen because I'm getting bogged down with kid trainings. 

Classroom Stuff
Next week we'll be completing (hopefully) breakouts in all three kindergarten classrooms. I created a spring-themed breakout for students to work through. We also made spring buttons this week in kindergarten. Let me know if you'd like assistance with upcoming activities or units. 

Building Updates
Josh, Maggie, and I got the posts in the ground for the outdoor classroom. Next we'll be able to involve the students more with the actual deck build. With a little bit of luck, we'll have it done next week. The kindergarten picnic benches are up next. I hope to get those taken care of next weekend. 

Have a great weekend!

It's Testing Season!!

Only six more weeks of school...

MAP
3-5 teachers: I have placed the requested loaner keyboards and headphones in your testing rooms. I also moved the laptop cart to the hallway for easy access. On Monday, I'll be in that area while you get set up and to help things get underway as smoothly as possible. If a student forgets an iPad, they are to use a laptop. If you need additional loaner keyboards, I'll be pulling the grossest ones I can find from kindergarten and first grade students. Please leave the loaner keyboards in your testing classroom. I would also have the students who need to borrow headphones leave them in the room as well. I'll have my phone on me as well as a walkie so I can't hide from you for long. 

iPads and Keyboards
I wanted you to know there isn't an expectation that devices get sent home. If students are having issues bringing their iPad to school, you are welcome to keep it here. However, if you are doing anything on a large scale, talk to me first about the logistics and communication to parents. 

I would suggest at this point to request that keyboards come to school and stay here. Currently, there is a $50 fine for a lost keyboard. I know that many have switched hands during the year. I'd be happy to visit your room to scan and label them. I still have heard nothing about the collection of devices. I expect an answer on or around May 27th. Seriously though, the more stuff we have here, the easier it will be to collect (assuming we are allowed to collect them). 

Composting Initiative

Next week we start our Cedar Ridge composting campaign to teach students how to reduce and reuse food waste. Look for updates from Mrs. Guillory's classroom as we dial in the most efficient process for separating and collection food waste. I'm sure it will be a lot of trial and error and probably a big mess. I'll look for a cute apron to wear while I'm helping, and I haven't bought new shoes recently and I always look forward to that...

Chicken Care
Thank you Mrs. Kunkel for volunteering to care for the flock next week! The birds appreciate it. Next week, we'll start adding food waste from lunch prep to the chickens' diet. Our wonderful chefs (my son called them chefs for many years in elementary school) are filling a bucket each day with scrap veggies from their prep. We'll have a student from the helper class collect the bucket to feed the chickens. On Monday, in between MAP dumpster fires, I'll be creating highly detailed and entertaining directions for you to use when it's your week to care for the chickens. It'll be great!

Have a great weekend!

It's the weekend!!!

We did it! Who knew that five days could feel like twenty?? I hope everyone finds a way to decompress this weekend. My plan involves 19 hours of Masters coverage. 

iPad maintenance
Here are a couple of items I'd love for each teacher to address at some point next week. I would be happy to come help out if needed.

1. Update devices: iPads should be running iOS 14.4.2. To update devices, go to Settings, General, Software Update. MAP testing will not work if your iPads are out of date.
2. Storage: I've seen lots of devices with near maxed out storage. Usually it's because the student has hours of videos recorded of things that nobody wants to see. Stormi had them clean out their Photos when we returned, but it'd be good to take another look now.

We have not received word from the district about what we are supposed to do with the iPads over the summer. As soon as we get a directive, I will let you know how it will work.

Collaboration
As I am now fully vaccinated and because the district's COVID protocols have loosened, I would love to get back in classrooms like I did in the olden days. If you have projects coming up that could use a twist, let's talk! If you are new to Cedar and haven't had the awesome experience of working with me, all you have to do is email me with the line that Nikki often uses, "I have this crazy idea...". If you are out of crazy ideas, just shoot me the big picture of what you are doing and I'm sure I can come up with something. 

STEAM kits
I am still checking out STEAM kits. I'll remind them about the kits during checkout next week. I'm in the process of passing out buttons to kids who have checked out kits and completed the Seesaw activity. In May, I'll hold the drawing to give three Sphero robots to students. 

Chickens
The flock is happily housed in their coop in the kindergarten courtyard. It's been fun seeing classes out there observing before all the rain came. Abbey's class took care of them this week and Josh's will handle next week. Email me if you would like your class to care for the flock at some point the rest of the year. I also need to assign names to the rest of them. We have Fluffy, Teriyaki, Nugget, and Tweety named.  

Outdoor projects

Construction is about to ramp up. I have purchased a miter saw to have at school so we can start cutting wood (adults only, don't start calling KOMU). Next week I'll add some drills to our toolbox for students to use for assembly. I hope that in the next two weeks we'll have the kindergarten benches and Lady Gaga pit ready for the playground. We'll start construction on the outdoor classroom next week as well. A little cooperation from Mother Nature would be appreciated! 

Bookroom updates
I wanted to remind everyone about bookroom procedures. When you pull from the bookroom, please bring me the materials to checkout to you. If I'm not here, just leave them on the counter with your name on it and I'll get them to you ASAP. Checking them out gives me a record of what's being used and helps me keep track of our resources. When finished, please return to the blue crate by the window. I would appreciate it if you could arrange the books and materials so the next person can easily see the title and level of the book. 

Have a great weekend!