First Fall Friday

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." —F. Scott Fitzgerald

Growth Mindset 

We discussed what it means to have a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. Many of the kids were already familiar with this concept, but for the ones that didn't know they caught on quickly! Every student was able to understand and explain that a growth mindset allows you to look at difficult situations and think of positive ways to approach them instead of focusing on how hard it might be (fixed mindset). We will use this Growth Mindset throughout the year and hopefully the kids will learn to use it in their lives outside of school as well.

First Grade ELA

Connection Generalizations

• Connections show relationships among objects, feelings, people and places.

• Connections can be intellectual, physical, social or emotional.

• Connections may change or stay the same over time.

We learned about connections this week in ELA. The students matched cards together of words that were connected to each other such as toothbrush-toothpaste, cafeteria-lunch, etc. They also had to look for connections in their homes. We will be working with connections throughout the year so please take the time and point out any connections that you may come across in your daily lives.

Second Grade ELA

Structure Generalizations

• A structure usually supports.

• A structure can change over time.

• A structure can be stable or unstable.

We talked about structures this week. Students were given a variety of supplies and told to make a structure. Each student then presented their structure and explained what made it a structure. We also discussed how some structures are weak and/or unstable while others are strong and stable.

In the beginning of the lesson, all of the kids would list physical structures when asked for an example of a structure. I then asked them if a family would be considered a structure.It was like a light bulb went on and they were amazed that things other than buildings could be a structure. 

Third Grade ELA

Interaction Generalizations

• Interactions can be accidental or purposeful.

• Interactions can be negative or positive.

• Interactions can have a fleeting influence or can leave a deep and lasting impression.

This week talked about interactions. The students were paired up and given an interaction scenario to act out in front of the class using charades. Next the class was divided into two groups where they brainstormed different types of interactions. After they came up with several examples of interactions they divided them into different categories. We also discussed what it meant to have a fleeting influence versus a long lasting impression. Interactions will be a part of our curriculum all year so please bring attention to them whenever you see an opportunity in daily life.

Fourth Grade ELA

Change Generalizations

• Change is all different.

• Change happens over time at different rates.

• Change is caused by nature or humans.

• Change can be positive or negative.

We have started discussing change this week. Students worked in groups to come up with ideas of  things that change. They then categorized the changes they came up with into groups of positive/negative and human/nature changes. Students were given a homework assignment to interview someone on a change that has occurred in their life. This is due on Monday. We will be working on these for a few weeks. Students will turn the interview answers into a paragraph and eventually record them on their I-Pad.

Math-All Grades

All grade levels took pre-tests in math this week. I stressed to all of the kids that they may not be familiar with some things on the test and that is alright. We talked about the power of YET. Just because they don't know something yet doesn't mean they can't learn it.

I hope everyone has a great first weekend of Autumn!

Mrs. Marquardt

Happy Friday!!

Good afternoon to all my High Ability families!!

I just wanted to touch base with everyone. This week the kids and I just spent time getting to know each other and going over classroom procedures. We also discussed characteristics that are important to being a successful student. I am looking forward to starting our normal routine next week. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Mrs. Marquardt

Welcome To Our High Ability Blog!

Hello!  I hope you all had a wonderful summer and are now ready to start fresh.  It's going to be another great school year!  Many families are returning, so you're familiar with how we do things in High Ability.  I'm excited to welcome our new families to our program and to fill you in on how everything works.  

A Little About High Ability:

Welcome to our weekly blog!  This is an area where I post a weekly update to allow you to take a peek inside our classroom.  I try to post lots of pictures, so you can see what they are working on each week.  This is also a great location to monitor any assignments they may have to complete.  You will also find a calendar highlighting some important dates coming up around the school.  My goal is to have the blog posted on Friday.  I will send a weekly email when the blog is posted.  You can access the blog at the bottom of my email or through Bailly's homepage under classrooms.

Language Arts and Math groups will meet twice a week for 30-minute sessions during flex time. My Language Arts students meet on Monday and Tuesday. My Math students meet on Wednesday and Thursday. Our start date this year is September 18th. For this week, I will see my Language Arts students on Wednesday and my Math students on Thursday for an introduction day.

It is important to use the most of our time together, so we will go over procedures and expectations the first couple of days to help our classroom run efficiently.  I will also do several Leader in Me (LIM) lessons with all of my classes.  Bailly is entering our fourth year of being a Leader in Me school which is very near and dear to my heart!  I will weave the lessons into our weekly High Ability lessons.  If you're curious or interested in seeing how LIM can impact your family, I strongly recommend reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey.  It's one that I find myself re-reading for a little boost now and then.

LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM:



We are using the High Ability Language Arts Curriculum Project which was developed by the Indiana Department of Education. Each grade centers around an umbrella concept that fits every lesson.  They are filled with many fantastic lessons that build upon each other as the year goes.  Teaching under the umbrella allows students to make connections which calls on higher order thinking.  We will use several of the trade and picture books suggested by the state as part of our curriculum.  The gifted lessons use the same models from year to year like Paul's Reasoning Model and the Hamburger Model for persuasive writing.  The added bonus is that students who continue through the grades in High Ability, will become quite efficient and familiar with the similar high ability structures while analyzing literature.


MATH CURRICULUM:




We are using the same math series called Mentoring Young Mathematicians (M2) for 2nd grade.  The upper grades will use Mentoring Mathematical Minds (M3). I just love teaching math this way!  It's not math in isolation; it's real life applicable situations. The students are asked to problem solve problems using math as a means to get there.   It was a bit of a change for the students last year, in that they were required to write and explain their thoughts, ideas, and decisions about math. By the end of the year they had grown tremendously! I was proud of them. Being gifted in math is so much more than just being good with numbers! When writing and explaining their answers, it will further cement their understanding of the concept.  I will support their writing efforts while in class, but writing and explaining their mathematical answers are something to work on with your child at home.

HOMEWORK:

Occasionally there will be homework assigned.  It honestly tends to be more with the language arts/reading groups than with the math groups.  Second, third and fourth grade will complete book studies in their curriculum and can expect weekly reading assignments. It is critical to their success in the classroom to stay current on the reading assignments.

A Little About me:

I live in Chesterton with my husband and 7 year old son. He is a first grader at Bailly. I also have two adult daughters. This is my first year working with the High Ability program. I am so excited to get started and get to know all of the students!! This will be a bit of a learning experience for me so please bear with me as I settle in to this amazing new opportunity. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I will be happy to assist in way I can. I am looking forward to a great year!!

Mrs. Marquardt