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  • Meet Prof. Griswold
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    • The Schedule for the First 3 Days
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    • English Language Arts
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"Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you."  Albus Dumbledore

Weekly Update - Owl #12

11/29/2020

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Weekly Update - Owl #11

11/22/2020

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Weekly Update - Owl #10

11/15/2020

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Weekly Update - Owl #9

11/9/2020

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Weekly Update - Owl #8

11/1/2020

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October 25th, 2020

10/25/2020

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Weekly Update - Owl #6

10/18/2020

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Update Owl #5

10/11/2020

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Update Owl #4

10/4/2020

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Our last full week of remote only...hopefully!

If all goes well and as expected, this will be our last week of fully remote learning for a while (hopefully). Please tune in to tonight's school committee meeting to hear Dr. Maruszczak's decision about a definitive start for hybrid learning and the district's plan to keep students and staff safe. Here is a LINK to the 7:00 PM meeting.

The HYBRID Schedule

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You can view our HYBRID schedule HERE. IF school starts next week as projected, Cohort One students will come to school on Tuesday and Wednesday and Cohort Two students will come to school on Thursday and Friday. The schedule for the first week back has been adjusted due to the long, holiday weekend. When there is not a holiday, Cohort One will meet on Mondays and Tuesdays and Cohort Two will meet on Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, we will provide REMOTE instruction for all children in the morning and the students will work independently in the afternoon.

The MURSD Reentry Survey -
​The final decision for the first trimester

On September 28th, the superintendent sent out a LINK to a survey where families would make their FINAL decisions regarding remote or hybrid learning and busing. If you have not yet filled out this critical survey (it was due Oct. 1) please click HERE to do so. Your decision will be binding for the first trimester at the elementary level.

You spoke and the district listened!

Parents communicated that they would like a single go-to website to access important information and communications. The district has established a MURSD Reentry website. Honestly, as an educator and parent in the district (Marie), I think it is pretty fantastic. There is a Communication Hub there where you can access ANY email sent out of importance. This is great for parents like me who receive many communications and often can't find the ones I'm looking for. This site also posts all of our district's Covid-19 safety protocols as well as answers to frequently asked questions. Of great importance is the tech support section of this new website. There are videos to help you troubleshoot common problems and a way to access individualized support when the tips and tutorials are not enough. We really think this website will be a go-to for many families including mine. I've already added it to my favorites. You can access the site by clicking on this LINK.

STMath

The district was awarded a grant so that we can offer STMath to our students. I really despise most online math programs that market themselves as helping kids to acquire and practice new skills. Most, in my opinion, are little more than digital worksheets that induce an amazing amount of frustration and distaste for mathematics in our students. In my opinion, STMath is different. It truly helps students to develop a conceptual understanding of the math concepts taught at any given grade level. There are no directions. Children have to learn by noticing what is on the screen and taking risks. Sometimes (even for us) the only way to understand a new puzzle is to fail a few times. Making mistakes is definitely part of the learning process here.
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​STMath has data to prove that it delivers on its promise to grow mathematical understanding in children BUT you have to use it for it to work. STMath is SMART. It will level your child up or down to ensure that he or she is challenged without becoming too frustrated. We have realtime access to student data as well and I can intervene when a child reaches his or her frustration point.

STMath Goals
We (the district) expect students to work on STMath for 90 minutes a week.
We (the professors) assign 20 minutes of STMath daily.
We expect students to complete a minimum of 35 puzzles a week.
You have easy access to your child's data by simply looking over his or her shoulder as he or she plays. Please don't hesitate to ask questions about your child's work in STMath. To learn more about STMath, click this LINK.

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Update Owl #3

9/27/2020

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Our First "REAL" Week

This week we will be following our REMOTE schedule linked below. While we have been teaching fourth-grade content, we'll turn our focus to the district's official curriculums now that routines have been established and essential tech skills have been introduced and practiced.

The students will begin "switching" classes. All the links that they need are available in CLEVER. They will visit my Zoom room for morning meeting, math, writing, their small groups (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff), and afternoon meeting. They will visit Mrs. Cote's Zoom room at 11:15 for reading most mornings (11:00 on Wednesday). They will visit Miss Chiarelli's Zoom room every day (except Wednesday) at 2:00 for either science or social studies. They will visit the appropriate specialist teacher's room for each special.

All links to Zoom rooms are also available in their homeroom Google Classroom.

Our REMOTE Schedule

Clock Alarms

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​We worked hard last week to set MANY clock alarms to prompt students to log into their classes. Simply remind your student to turn on his or her alarms in the morning and you shouldn't have to remind him or her to log into any classes for the rest of the day!

What is I.W.T.?

I.W.T. is Independent Work Time. The colored blocks are either HOUSE meeting times or I.W.T. They are no longer breaks. Nonetheless, if your child needs to take a break, a short break (5-10 minutes) could be taken during an I.W.T. block. What should your child be doing during an I.W.T block? There are SHORT assignments assigned after each core class in the corresponding Google Classroom. They shouldn't take the entire 30 minutes. Any spare time should be spent, silent reading, playing games in STMath, using Lexia, making art, or exercising.

Small Group or House Meetings

Every day, your child will have a small group meeting with Professors Brigham, Griswold, and Quimby. During this time we will reinforce skills learned in math and reading classes, as well as help students, manage the demands placed on them including assignment completion and working toward tech skill proficiency. Your witch or wizard only needs to attend his or her HOUSE meeting. When not in a House meeting, the colored blocks can be used for I.W.T. (Independent Work Time).
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Please send an OWL or even a HOWLER if...

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From our perspective, all the witches and wizards appear to be adapting well to life at HOGWARTS. However, we are well aware that some students work REALLY had to keep it together at "school" and then fall apart when they are home (off-screen). Please don't hesitate to contact us if your student is struggling or if there is information we should know to better help your child to thrive.
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    Marie Brigham

    Facilitating magical learning experiences for 26 years and counting

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WEEBLY
  • Welcome to Hogwarts
  • Blog
  • Meet Prof. Brigham
  • Meet Prof. Griswold
  • Remote Learning Schedule 2020
    • The Schedule for the First 3 Days
  • Contact Professor Brigham
  • Our Curriculum
    • English Language Arts
    • Mathematics
    • Science
    • Social Studies
  • Supplies
  • S.O.A.R.
  • Portrait of a Clough Learner