Dear 6th Grade Parents,

Read on for this week's update:

CyberEthics
Last week we spent some quality time exploring the cyber world.  In a nutshell, we discussed:

Monday: The awesome power of words, both in spoken and through typed text, and how extremely, extremely difficult it is to express things very effectively through typed characters on a screen.  We also discussed challenges that arise through easy misunderstandings, and abuse, including cyber bullying, and other kinds of harassment that is becoming so common these days.

Tuesday:  Privacy (there is absolutely none) and staying safe online (not so easy for curious adolescents when they are given free reign on their gadgets).  We looked at how incredibly easy it is to lie or snoop (I wish I could take a picture for you all of the faces of the children as we discussed this) in the cyber world, and how difficult it is to know who is who online.  We also discussed the common things young teens do online that gets them in trouble (pictures of themselves doing stupid things, using abusive language online as they "comment" on postings, using abusive language when texting, posting pictures of their friends doing dumb things without their permission, making "friends" with people they have never met in person, etc).

Wednesday: Plagiarism, the general rules around it in the school setting, how easy it is to do, how challenging it is for schools to deal with, and what happens these days to students who are caught doing it.

Thursday: A beginning discussion about the "digital footprint" that we are all amassing as we explore online and post things with our names on it ("checking in" at restaurants, shirtless "selfies" standing in front of a mirror with an iPhone in our hand, for instance).  We discussed how companies are following our interests and trying to shape the things we see on the screen to sell us things, and we also discussed how colleges (and employers) very likely Google the names of potential applicants these days to see what their online presence says about them.  I also gave the students two possible scenarios to work through and discuss with their groups about how they might navigate through them.  

Friday: Manners and gadgets.  We discussed the many social difficulties that arise with people and their gadgets (technology on play dates, friend, parent constantly on phone, etc).  We began making a list of "Reminders" about how to avoid being cyber rude or inappropriate.  We will continue this important, practical, discussion over the course of two more subject periods in the coming weeks.  

As you can imagine, we could spend a month on all of this stuff.  Lots and lots of questions arose and obviously we could not get to them all.  I would definitely encourage you to discuss these issues with your children.  Whether you realize it or not they actually know a whole lot about this stuff, and from their questions, group discussions, and looks on faces in class, they might need a little checking up on-- maybe even without them knowing you are doing it.  Is your child going online without your oversight?  Where?  Do they have a texting app on their iPod or tablet?  Who are they texting? When? Do they sleep with their gadget in their bed with them?  How many accounts do they have online?  Can they look through your personal files and email?  Have you looked through theirs?  I would like to encourage you all to think critically about what your family policies are regarding technology and the internet. Do you really know what your child is doing on their devices?  Look closely because you might be surprised at what you find.

In case you are interested, here is a info sheet for parents from The CommonSenseMedia site, a place where I picked up some helpful ideas:


New Block This Week:  Physical Science #2
We will begin a new block this week, Physical Science, which will pick up right where we left off with the last one, exploring heat energy. Next we will move into Magnetism.  The last week of this three-week block, Michele will take over, and she will then carry the torch for the remainder of the school year while I go off into The West like Bilbo, Frodo and the elves.

Habits and Skills
Thank you for sitting down with your children and discussing with them their progress with the "Habits and Skills" that we have also been discussing in class.  I realize that this kind of thing is not so easy to talk through. Perhaps the way I have outlined it all is not so clear. The students are really so young too, and only just beginning to comprehend their own role in the development of these habits and skills. However, even if you were unclear about a category as it was defined, simply having the conversation with your child about these kinds of things is so, so helpful.  I encourage you to consider sharing with them your own struggles and successes with challenging "habits and skills" like the ones we are working on.  Personal stories really resonate deeply with children of this age.  

Weill Hall Dress
I have been asked my Michele to remind everyone that Weill Concert dress for the performance this week is the same as our usual concert attire: white shirts/blouses, black pants/skirts (pure black and neat jeans are acceptable), girls may wear white dresses with black design/trim. Shirts need to be tucked in.  

Okay, I think that is it.  Have a nice week.  And enjoy the wonderful rain!

Hello 6th grade Parents,

The second quarter of school officially ended last week.  Can you believe it?  Half the year is over!  Quite unbelievable.    It seems like only yesterday that we were planning our visit to Mt. Lassen and rehearsing for our play.  Time sure flies when you are busy, doesn't it?  We've already done so many things this year, and it's only half over!  This week the students rotate to a new handwork/woodwork class that will run for the remainder of the school year.  Students who finished sewing stuffed animals will head to my woodworking room for some spoon or bowl carving, and my former woodworkers will head over to Rochelle in the handwork room to begin researching and designing their own stuffed animals.  

In class.  Where are we?
Our short but quite interesting Economics block ended the second quarter, and we begin this new third quarter with a slightly deeper exploration into the world of CyberEthics, a subject we have already begun exploring on occasional Monday afternoons during the first part of the year.  We will now devote five main lesson periods to it this week, as we discuss the following foundational beginning points:
- The Power (and Challenge) of Words, and Cyberbullying
- Online Safety
- "Privacy"
- Plagiarism
- Manners and Cell Phones

Most of the activities in class will revolve around group activities and dialogue, and I will also be showing a few short-but-related (and helpful) videos as well.  Students will also begin an essay on Monday and Tuesday in class that will be finished up at home and due in their Main Lesson Books by Friday.

Quarter #2 Progress Reports
In case you had not noticed, Power School was been switched off last week so that we teachers could upload our comments and final grading information for the second quarter.  I was supposed to send you a notice about that but got sidetracked with a zillion other things and forgot.  Sorry about that.  Anyway, as of tomorrow (Monday) the system will be reactivated and you will be able to go online to check on your student's Q2 progress.  In an effort to move into the 21st century, and also save time and trees, we will not be sending home paper copies of these reports. If you have lost your Power School access information simply let me know and I will happily get it to you.

Weill Hall Performance: February 5th
An electronic copy of Parent Information was sent out last week regarding our February 5th Weill Hall performance.  If you would prefer a paper copy of the information please ask your child to grab one for you this week, as I have a pile sitting here in the room for that very purpose.

A message From Mr. Henke re: Games Class
In games class over the next several weeks, we will be exploring a block on Circus Arts.  Some of the activities we will be starting with are:  Devil Sticks, Plate Spinning, Juggling, Unicycles and Stilts.  Hopefully I can add a couple more as I get materials together. If your child would like to learn the unicycle or stilts, they must bring their own helmets to school.  Before embarking on the process of learning the Unicycle or Stilts, I will be instructing them on how to use training supports, (taught rope) and on spotting techniques.  Those learning Unicycle will have two spotters, and those learning Stilts, will have three spotters.  

If you have some of the following equipment that you are willing to have used in this block, that would be most helpful: Unicycles, devil sticks, balance boards,  1/2 inch dowels x 18”, 1 inch dowels x 48”, Chinese yo-yo, etc.  Thanks, Henke.


Okay, I think that' all for now.

Have a nice week!
Justin

Dear Sixth Grade Families,

Happy new year!  2014?  Wow!  Read on for news of the upcoming week:

Brief Review
Just before our break in December we completed our first three-week Physical Science block. There was great interest and excitement amongst the students as we explored the science of sound (acoustics) and also heat energy.  After all, these phenomena surround us, and yet we rarely cue into it all.  Hot air balloons in the morning?  Clouds moving through the afternoon sky?  Car  engines ticking and clicking as it cools down? What are the scientific concepts that help explain how these things happen? It is really so interesting!  During our study we practiced the super important skill of observing, using the contexts of the many different (sometimes surprising) scientific demonstrations as our training ground.  Along the way we also worked on note-taking and writing simple, short, step-by step directions for how to perform the many demonstrations.  It was quite enlivening to see the spark of interest light up in the eyes of the students as we began applying the scientific concepts gleaned from the demonstrations to the world around us.  During this block I also worked with the students to maintain an organized binder and desk, and also how to study for an end-of-block test.  As the students move into adolescence, the habits and skills involved with staying organized and on task are severely tested and yet so, so important (and helpful)!  I will continue to press the children to further develop these habits and skills, and I will also encourage them to ask themselves this question along the way, often: Does this work represent my very best effort?  If the answer is yes, then learning will happen, whether they realize it or not!

Upcoming Blocks
Beginning this week: Economics
January 20th: Cyber Ethics
February 3rd: Physical Science #2 (More heat energy, magnetism & optics).  

New Book Response (#3)
I asked the students to continue reading in a book of their choice over the course of the month of December and through the Winter Break.  I will be handing out a new "Book Response" assignment to the students this week and will be spending a good amount of time in class going over the directions in order to help everyone get started on it.  It will be due on Thursday morning.

Mark your calendars!
The Senior Choir (Grades 6-8) has been selected to perform this year in Weill Hall at the Green Music Center at Sonoma State University. On February 5 at 6:30, Waldorf schools from Sonoma, Napa, and Marin Counties will take the stage to each perform unique pieces of music before their classmates, parents, and members of the general public. More information (i.e. arrival time and tickets) will be coming soon, as Michele hears from the folks organizing this year's event.

That's all for now.  I look forward to seeing everybody again in the morning.

Justin

Dear 6th Grade Families,

Read on for pressing news regarding our class these next two weeks:

Winter Concert, Wednesday, December 11
This Wednesday evening is our Winter Concert. Our 6th Graders will be performing in the Strings Orchestra, Recorder Ensemble, and also in the Senior Choir. Please help your musician/singer to arrive at SBS by 6:00pm, dressed in concert attire: white tops tucked in (no t-shirts), black bottoms, and dress shoes.  The show will begin at 6:30pm.  See you there.

Teacher Surveys
Last week Michele C sent out links to our Annual Teacher Surveys.  We would appreciate it very much if you would please take the time in the coming week or two to send us your feedback.  We were hoping to receive comments from at least 50% of the parent group by December 9, but at this point we have a ways to go.  Constructive feedback is a very valuable tool for us and a key component of our annual teacher evaluation process.  Survey Monkey links for each teacher are listed below.

Main Lesson Teacher Parent Survey Links
Michele Conyers, Sixth Grade:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H65K2JV
Justin Medaris, Sixth Grade:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H63GPWB

Subject Teacher Parent Survey Links
Jeannette Long, Spanish Grs 1-8:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6YGJF99
Tim Henke, Math Grs 6 & 8;
                    Games Grs 4-8:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6289HJW
Wil Anderson, Movement Grs 5-8:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/627DBF6
Rochelle Mink, Handwork Grs 1-8:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/62DSQ6Q
Ron Liskey, Woodwork Grs 5 & 7:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/62CCZKS
Justin Medaris, Woodwork Grs 6 & 8;
                  First Recorder Ensemble Grs 6-8:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/62Q6SNG
Michele Conyers, Math Gr 7;
                             Senior Choir Grs 6-8;
                             Second Recorder Ensemble Grs 6-8:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/62TMC6B
Michele Ikemire, Second Recorder Ensemble Grs 6-8:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/62BV3Y6
Tammie Dyer, Strings Grs 4-8:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/626NV2T
Barbara Neumann, Eurythmy Grs 1-4 presently:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6C8BQDG
Eva Cranstoun, Junior Choir Grs 4& 5;
                          Music Grs 1-3:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6C75HBX

Student White Elephant Gift Exchange?
On the last day of school, in honor of the season of giving, I would like to attempt a (hopefully) fun "white elephant" gift exchange.  I will be asking the students to look through their stuff at home and find something they think another child in the class might enjoy receiving as a gift, then bring it "wrapped" and unlabeled to the class on Friday morning. The gifts the students bring should be something that they already own and would enjoy giving away, NOT something that they go out and purchase.  It is against the rules to purchase anything for this gift exchange.  With white elephant gift exchanges, you never know what you will end up with, but I will be asking the students to avoid the following kinds of things:
Weapons, even toy ones. ("Try to be more creative.")
Inappropriate items ("When in doubt, ask a parent.")
Rotten Foods ("When in doubt, ask a parent.")
Old cell phones, computers, or that kind of thing ("Try to be more creative.")
Remember, the goal is to choose something that they think others might like to receive as a gift! Of course, who knows who will end up with it, right?  Let the fun begin!

---

One last thing from Betsy, our next door neighbor and fellow class parent:
FIFTH GRADE HOLIDAY BAKE SALE, Monday, December 9th, 3:00-3:30
 This event is a fundraiser for HEIFER INTERNATIONAL, a charity helping to end hunger and poverty worldwide. Thanks for your help!  The 5th Graders are really excited about buying some goats or bees for an impoverished farming family.

Have a nice week, Everyone.  See you on Wednesday evening!

Justin

Hello 6th Grade Parents:

Happy beautiful autumn weekend.  Read on for news of the upcoming week(s):

End of 1st Quarter = End-of-Quarter Report
Last Friday marked the end of the first quarter of our school year. This week the Grade 6-8 Teachers will be completing End-of-Quarter reports that will make their way home to you (with luck) by Friday.  This is the first time we have actually attempted this kind of thing around here so I hope you will be patient with us as we work through the kinks in the process.   Of course, all the reports should ultimately be available online through the PowerSchool Parent Portal website too, if all goes well!  

We hope that through these ongoing efforts you will feel better informed about how your child is doing week to week.  However we recognize that some parents may wish to meet face to face with us at some point instead.  If this is a concern for you then please sign up for a parent conference on our class help sign-up page (https://docs.google.com/document/d/17mlIDc0iyksHQNxqtJvB3rcf9O7hvJz4P_kvdlC0IvQ/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1).  Conferences will be held on both November 25 and 26 (Monday and Tuesday) for those parents who would like to meet with us in person.

Habits and Skills Class?
As I mentioned at our parent meeting, included will be a report on a class we are officially calling "Habits and Skills."  “Habits and Skills” class represents our continuing effort to help students learn to identify and develop behaviors, skills, attitudes, and strategies that will be helpful for successful academic performance in their classes and also in later life.  During recent parent gatherings we named these behaviors “Super Skills.”  By examining in class a small range of these positive academic behaviors, including organizational skills, meeting deadlines (time management), short and longer-term focus (self regulation/control), consistent best effort and perseverance (academic problem solving/metacognition), and functional interpersonal skills (social problem solving) our hope is to help the students to learn to identify their own strengths and also work on their challenges so they can move on in their schooling after Stone Bridge School and successfully manage the new environments and meet new academic and social demands that arise for them along the way.  The scores and comments in this section of the End-of-Quarter Report represent both the consideration of the teacher and students themselves regarding the above mentioned 6 focus areas.  This week each student will be completing a self-assessment and also will be setting a goal to work towards over the course of Quarter #2.

Current Main Lesson Block
Our current main lesson block is a Language Arts Block. During this block students will be spending some of the period writing and some rehearsing for our class play to be performed on Thursday, November 21st, at 6:30pm in our Stone Bridge School theater.  In particular this week, students will be working on procedural writing, and will be asked to write a simple (!) paper that describes the procedure (step-by-step) for doing something that they are very familiar with.  In class we will be discussing how to write engaging papers that are enjoyable to read (I pray!!), while at the same time making sure to include the appropriate amount of detail-- in the correct order-- and use transition words between steps in process that are non-repetitive.  Drafts will be started on Monday and worked on during the course of the week, to be turned in on Friday.  Be forewarned that I will be asking the students to use a parent as an adult editor during the final step of the process...

Class Play Needs?
I am on the hunt for the following items to borrow for our play in November:
- Wooden Coat Rack
- Metal chalice or grail-style cup of some kind that can be dropped on the hard ground, preferably gold colored
- King's royal crown-- the kind with the red middle...

Next Parent Meeting: Saturday, November 16, 10:00-12:00pm
I hope you will mark your calendars for our next parent meeting.  I am struggling to maintain my energy into the evenings these days so am planning a Saturday morning meeting this time instead.  Topics for our gathering will include Class Fundraising and Developing "Super Skills" with 12 and 13 year-olds.  We get together so rarely as a class parent group these days and so I will cross my fingers that you are able to join us this time.  I will try to make the meeting inspirational in some way, and worth your while.  I promise!

Dates to Remember:
Photo Retakes: Wednesday, October 30th
No School: November 1
No School: November 11
Class Parent Meeting: Saturday, November 16, 10:00am-12:00pm
Class Play: Thursday, November 21st, at 6:30pm.
Thanksgiving Break: Week of November 25th

That's it, I think.  I hope you have a nice week.

Justin

Dear 6th Grade Parents,

I hope your little camper was able to rest up over the weekend and catch up on any needed sleep.  Our trip to Lassen went wonderfully, but it was a long, fast haul so I am sure some of the students were worn out.  I know I was!  I am so appreciative of the adults who helped to make this trip happen-- there were lots of them! Greg Mayo, Leigh Sharp and Annie Wheat planned meals and shopped for all the food, Brent Hebb, Brad Dropping and Jodi Ogden loaned trucks and trailers for hauling luggage and supplies, and Cari DiMarcellis, Greg Mayo, Glenn Dusky, Cari Conley Hebb, Sarah Neidhoefer, Jeff Mosher, and Jodi Ogden stuffed their cars to the gills and drove the 650 miles required to make this trip happen, and guide the children through the ups and downs of the trails and lake.  Add to that all the cooks and bakers who sent food along with us and you have a whole lot of total support!  I've begun posting picture galleries containing images from our trip on our newly updated class website and have also uploaded pictures on the school ShutterFly site.  As more images taken by other parents make their way to me I will find the time to add them to these two collections.

Back to School Night
This Wednesday, September 18, is Back to School Night and parents and students are encouraged to come hear about the upcoming school year and visit open classrooms.  The evening begins at 6:30pm with parents gathering in the Multi-Purpose Room for a short meeting and then, it’s off to the classrooms to see the amazing work done by the students.

Childcare will be provided by the 7th grade class for this Wednesday, September 18 Open House.  For $5, your child can attend childcare and a pizza party from 6pm – 7pm.  (If your child is already in Aftercare and will be remaining for the evening childcare, they are welcome to stay between 5:30pm – 6pm.) An RSVP and $5 will save your child's  slot at this year's spectacular Open House pizza party.  If room available, drop-in may be accommodated for $10 each child.  Pizza will be given to those who RSVP. Visit http://stonebridgeschool.org/events to access the Open House Sign-up form.  Money and completed forms need to be submitted to me or the school office. Blank forms can also be picked up in the office.

Web Site Up and Growing Again
FYI, I have begun building up the new 6th Grade website.  As mentioned, I have posted Lassen Pictures there and am beginning to post pictures and information regarding other activities and information.  This year I hope to reserve an area in the margin of the Weekly Update page for links to web articles or sites that I think you might find interesting, so look out for them on the right side of the page.  I would appreciate hearing your thoughts as you make your way through them.

First Ever End of Block Test
This Friday Students will take their first End of Main Lesson Block Test.  This will be no surprise to them as I have spoken about it on a number of occasions.  Because this will be a first for them, in class I will be discussing how to study for a test, as well as provide a study guide to help them better focus their efforts.  Of course, 90% of the questions on the test come out of the work written/drawn in the main lesson book so if a student takes the time to review their own work, they should do very well on the test-- which is my hope!  The study guide will be handed out on Wednesday and we will discuss in class at that point different ways of studying and practicing for tests. Additionally, we will have a review session on Thursday to answer any last minute questions.

PowerSchool Grading Check-In
This is our last week of the first main lesson block of the school year.  If you are having trouble accessing your child's PowerSchool account, please let me know and I will help.  I hope to have all grades and comments from the block ready for everybody by Sunday evening (the 22nd).  I've heard comments from a number of different parents about our new grade system of working with the children (amazingly all positive so far), and would appreciate hearing from you as well, if you have any questions or thoughts (+ or -) to pass along.  

Help Needed: Play Costumes and Props
If you are interested in helping with play costumes and/or building some props for our November class play, please drop me a note.  I would love some adult help as we begin preparation for what I hope will be a really fun production, and would happily bend your ear about it.

Theater Lights Grant
Speaking of plays...Thank you so much to those of you who donated to our Donors's Choose theater lights grant request.  I was hoping that the donors for this grant would come primarily from outside the class family group, but was not totally surprised to see that so many class parents donated as well.  Thank you!  Amazingly we have only 234 dollars to go before the grant request is fulfilled!  Please consider emailing this link to folks who you think might like to jump in with us and donate, or possibly even posting the link on your FaceBook pages.  We have 39 days before the window for this grant request is closed.  Here's the link: http://www.donorschoose.org/project/i-see-the-light/1011014

Upcoming Dates:
Wednesday, Sept 18, 6:30pm – 8pm: Back to School Night
Saturday, Sept 28, 11am-4pm: Enchanted Village Faire
Monday, September 23: Michele Conyers Begins
Thursday, September 26, Education Evening: Math in a Waldorf School - Formula for Success, Jamie York
Tuesday, Oct 1: Picture Day!
October 3-7: No School
November 21: 6th Grade Class Play (The Bisclavret)


I think that's it.  Have a wonderful week!
Justin

Hello 6th Grade Parents,

Happy Labor Day Weekend.  Wonderful rainbows and evening sky last night!  Did you see them?  Really incredible.  Read on for important news of the week:

Lassen Trip
Attached to this message is the supply list for our trip to Mt. Lassen Volcanic Park.  The plan is to leave on Tuesday, September 10 after the usual arrival time at school, and return some time around 5:00pm on Thursday the 10th.  We will be staying at the Juniper Lake Group Camp Site, which is a primitive campsite set on beautiful Juniper Lake.  I chose Juniper lake for its remoteness and beauty.  We will be the only group camping there and should have the place to ourselves for the most part, which is nice considering the noise our large group will undoubtedly make. We will be eating and sleeping under the stars, and spending all our time outdoors, so please make sure your child follows the packing list closely and brings along a hat, layered clothing, and sunscreen.  While in the Park we will be hiking trails near Juniper Lake, visiting the boiling mud pits of Bumpass Hell, and hiking other places in the park to take in the magnificent volcanic landscape.  I hope to sleep out under the stars for both nights too, and maybe even see some shooting stars!  It's going to be very fun and hopefully kind of relaxing.  A man can dream, right?

If you have not already done so, I would appreciate all field trip permission slips and $40 turned in by Wednesday.  I have attached one to the email version of this update in case you need it.

PowerSchool and Grading
As I spoke briefly about in our Parent Meeting last week, we have begun to use points and grades as feedback to students about their school work this year.  The students embraced this new development with great gusto (understatement), and it was really wonderful to see so many of them buckle down like old pros and stay on top of their work so diligently.  Our goal is to help the students learn to take responsibility for their own work and behavior, but they will almost certainly need adult oversight from time to time.  To that end, I passed out to you last Wednesday the access information for our PowerSchool Parent Portal, which is the place you can go online to check your child's progress (points, grades, comments) in class.  Michele and I would suggest that you visit this site on Friday evenings so that you know whether or not your child has unfinished work to complete over the weekend.

One parent who visited this site last week noticed that it is not the most easy thing to navigate through.  Yes, I would agree, so to help you out, I have included below some directions in graphic form.  I have also attached a word document to the emailed version of this update  which contains these images should you be unable to view them through your mail.  I hope they help in some way.  Please ask if you have any questions.

PS.  If you did not receive your PowerSchool access information at Last week's parent evening then please come by and I'll get it to you.  It is unfortunately not easy for me to email it.

Farm Stand= Up and Running
Thank you for those who have helped stock, or perhaps purchase from, the Farm Stand. It is so nice to see it up and running!  Incredibly well built, I must say.  Two years old and it opens and closes beautifully. Last week we brought in over $100.00, which is pretty great.  Please let me know if you add super perishable things to the farm stand that need to be removed at night so we can remember to bring it into the class.  

Strings and Recorder Start Tomorrow
This week Recorder and Strings classes all kick into action.  Please feel free to remind your musicians that there was no Monday this week, so they will need their instrument in the morning.

That's it for now.  I hope to send out a bit about Michele and my thoughts about Fundraising in next weeks's update.  Until then, I hope you have a wonderful first week of September.

Warmly,
Justin