Week of September 30

After a great week of learning and a nice week-end fill with fun and rest, we have another week of leaning to embark upon.

The 6th grade students will continue to gain skills by reading the novel, Loser, by Jerry Spinelli.
Students have enjoyed reading about the loveable loser that is Donald Zinkoff by understanding the author's purpose and point of view, the themes, and observation of their own behaviors and others.
Students will expand their vocabulary by learning another set of words, and improve reading and social skills by implementing a one act play based on a chapter of their reading.

The 7th grade students will use literature circles to renew discussions of their self- selected novels from the library. Students have been able to select a book of their choosing to enhance reading and comprehension skills and to demonstrate knowledge of an author's purpose, point of view, main idea, sequential order, and other higher- ordered thinking skills with their novels and their workbooks. Students will have an opportunity to check- out another book from the library and again focus on increasing their existing reading and comprehension skills.

The 8th grade students will continue to gain skills by reading the novel, Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson. Students have enjoyed reading the novel and understanding the author's purpose and point of view, the themes, and observation of their own behaviors and others.
Students will expand their vocabulary by learning another set of words, and improve reading and social skills by implementing a one act play based on a chapter of their reading. Moreover, students will diagnose sibling rivalry by observing the problems of our main character and her sister, and show a comparison or contrast between them and their siblings in an essay.

Let' have a fabulous week!! Achieving is Believing!!

Children have to be educated, but they have also to be left to educate themselves.
Ernest Dimnet

Week of September 23

The 6^th grade class will continue to read their novel and participate in formal and informal discussions about it and grow their comprehension and critical thinking skills. Also, students will have two vocabulary tests this week to increase their vocabulary and speaking skills, and take a test covering chapters (1- 10) of their novels to show a mastery of comprehension.

The 7^th grade class will increase their knowledge of determining author’s purpose and point of view by discussing worksheets from their reading comprehension workbooks. Also, these students will participate in literature circles by discussing the novels they checked-out from the library.

The 8^th grade students will continue to discuss their novel and read them as a class. Students will do so by discussing the author’s purpose, point of view, and themes. Students will particularly focus on the theme of sibling rivalry as they formulate facts, details, and opinions from the main character in the novel and their own lives in order to write an essay.

 

Let’s have a great week!! Achieving is Believing!!

 

“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”

 Jim Rohn

 

MAP FALL TESTING SESSION – Our Map testing session begins on Monday, September 23. Parent cooperation in making sure our students are in school on time is greatly appreciated. 

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEDNESDAY IN SEPTEMBER – There will be no school for students on Wednesday, September 25. Teachers will receive in-service sessions with Ms. Judi Fenton.

 

DONATIONS NEEDED: “Ya Tengo Donde Escribir” is an organization aiming to help children from public schools that cannot afford notebooks. In order to help, the organization makes notebooks out of cereal boxes and pages from used notebooks. They are now collecting cereal boxes until November 20th, and we encourage our students and teachers to bring cereal boxes from their homes. At the end of the contest, the grade that brought the most boxes will be awarded a pizza party or ice cream party! Please help us help those in need!

 

BAKE SALE - The Community Service Club will be hosting a bake sale on Thursday, September 26 to raise funds for the annual Christmas party for the orphans from Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos.  Many delicious treats will be available at break and lunch time!  Thanks, in advance, for your support!

 

FLU SEASON: The flu season has arrived, and we feel it is important that parents be aware and on the lookout for flu symptoms. We want to give you some suggestions and guidelines for keeping your child and your family healthy.

 

1.    One of the first ways of controlling exposure to the flu is to avoid crowds and close contact with others.

2.    If your child is sick with flu symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing), please keep your child home until s/he is symptom free for 24 hours.

3.    We have placed antiseptic handwash and Lysol disinfecting spray in each classroom and office. It is advisable for students to also have their own antiseptic handwash and to use it frequently.

4.    Teachers are reminding their students to wash their hands frequently, cover coughs or sneezes, not share drinking bottles, food, straws, etc., and to use the antiseptic hand wash.

 

Flu Symptoms:  Fever, body aches including headache, fatigue, runny nose, cough and congestion.

 

What to do if your child has these symptoms:  Contact your doctor; keep your child home until s/he has been symptom free (including having no fever) for at least 24 hours.

 

By following the above precautions, we are hopeful that we can contain and prevent widespread cases of the flu.

 

 

 

Week of September 17

Happy Honduran Independence week-end!!

I hope that everyone had a fabulous week-end and that everyone had the opportunity to recharge their human batteries. I did as my trip to La Ceiba and Cayos Cochinos provided me the opportunity to increase my spirit and the love and joy that I have for the natural beauty of Honduras!!

Every student took home a progress report on Thursday and I hope that every student and parent were satisfied with their grades. If a conference is needed to discuss the grades or anything else associated with your child/children, please contact me at vtaylor@discoveryschool.edu.hn.

The 6th graders completed their unit covering capitalization and will now move on to vocabulary, comprehension, and high- ordered thinking skills by reading the novel, Loser, by Jerry Spinelli.
Students will learn the elements of comprehension and how they are used to fully understand a novel, movie, or tv show, vocabulary to enhance their communication and social skills, and critical thinking to make choices and influence decisions.

Homework: Reading different chapters, worksheets on comprehension, and foldables

The 7th grade class continues to be an exceptional class as they are learning theme and author's purpose for writing. These students will use this knowledge as they organize and write their research projects/papers and read their self-selected novel from the library.

Homework: Reading different chapters, worksheets on comprehension, and Q & A

The 8th grade class remains steady as they cruise to the midpoint of the first quarter. Students are reading their novel, Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson and learning in-depth critical thinking skills that will increase their learning and understanding of the novel. Skills such as drawing conclusions, inferencing, and making predictions will increase student knowledge and awareness of their own experiences and allow the combination to deepen thinking to a more profound level of knowing.

Homework: Reading different chapters, worksheets on critical thinking skills, and review

Let's have a fabulous week!! Achieving is Believing!!

"The best part of one's life is the working part. Believe me, I love to succeed...However, the spiritual and emotional excitement is the doing."    Garson Kanin

Week of September 9

Thursday, September 12th is a half day with a PM Schedule to help celebrate Honduran Independence Day.  A typical Honduran breakfast will be served in each individual homeroom at 8:50am with the help of students and their parents. A presentation will follow the breakfast.

Dismissal at 11:45 AM

 

In 6th grade, students will continue to learn about capitalization by using the Elements of Language textbook and the 6th Grade Grammar Workbook. Students will close this unit this week with a heavy dose of Q & A, exercises from the text, and worksheets.

 

The 7th grade students have work well as they continue to show a large degree of understanding of sentences, phrases, and clauses. Students will use the short week to finish their self- selected novels from the library by deepening their knowledge of the elements of comprehension and worksheets that will ask them Q's about it. Also, they will demonstrate critical thinking skills and formulate questions of their own to provide a deeper understanding and awareness of what they are reading.

 

The 8th grade students have shown a lot of enthusiasm and motivation as we have finished the unit covering capitalization and brief stints of punctuation.

This week, students will begin to read their class novel, Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson by pre-reading the novel and using the UbD model to understand what we will learn by reading this  novel.

 

Let's have a fabulous week of learning. Achieving is Believing!!!

 

"Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom."

George Washington Carver

 

 

DPTO - Parents, please take a minute and fill out the short survey for the Discovery School Parent-Teacher Organization.  As you are part of the DPTO, the executive team wants your feedback and ideas on events and focus for the year.  Both parents are encouraged to fill out the survey. The link to fill out the survey is http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q6QY2VF

 

FROM THE FINANCE OFFICE – Parents who are not using an automatic debit system with a credit card to pay tution are asked to stop by the Finance Office to obtain their payment cards as soon as posible.

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPEMENT IN SEPTEMBER – On September 23, Ms. Judi Fenton is returning to Discovery to follow up on her visit and Professional Development sessions with teachers last year. A schedule will be provided once it is finalized with her. There will be no school on Wednesday, September 25, so teachers can participate in an all-day training

Week of September 2

All classes had a solid week of learning. Most kids are listening attentively to all, discussions, participating in Q & A, and are completing their assignments in a timely manner. Value is being created!

In 6th grade, students will continue to learn about capitalization. Students will understand what nouns to capitalize; for example,  the names of ships, aircraft, buildings, monuments, religions, deities, stars, constellations, etc. from the textbook.

HOMEWORK: Students will complete different exercises using the Elements of Language textbook and the 6th Grade Grammar workbook.

In 7th grade, students will deepen their learning of subordinate clauses and check their assignment completed on Friday. Students will complete the unit on clauses this week and end by reviewing the elements of comprehension and how they will increase their abilities in literal comprehension as they read their novels that were checked- out from the library on Friday's visit.

HOMEWORK: Students will complete different exercises using the Elements of Language textbook,  the 7th Grade Grammar workbook, and a worksheet using comprehension.

In 8th grade, students will continue to learn about capitalization. Students will understand what nouns to capitalize; for example,  the names of ships, aircraft, buildings, monuments, religions, deities, stars, constellations, etc. from the textbook.

HOMEWORK: Students will complete different exercises using the Elements of Language textbook and the 8th Grade Grammar workbook.

Let's have a fabulous week!! Achieving is Believing!!

The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday.


SCHOOL HAPPENINGS:

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION – Next Thursday, September 12, the school will celebrate the Honduran Independence Day. Homeroom Teachers are asked to contact their room parents and organize a typical Honduran snack/breakfast with their classrooms with contributions from their students. A schedule for the day is included in the attached Monday Memo version, but it would not copy into the main body of this document. More information will be provided at the Area Meetings this week. This is an 11:45 a.m. dismissal day for our students (PM Schedule) and teachers can leave for their (much awaited and deserved) 4-day weekend at 12:30 once all their students have been dismissed. 

 

PHOTO SHOOT FOR THE NEW SCHOOL WEB PAGE – As we are getting ready to launch the school’s new website, the children whose parents signed the waiver and gave permission to the school for pictures to be taken will be asked to collaborate with this on Wednesday, September 4. We ask teacher collaboration in facilitating these students to leave the classroom or be photographed inside your class. A list will be provided to you by your Area Administrators. Please remind these students to come prepared for the photo shoot on that day.

 

MIDTERM AND MIDTERM REPORTS – It is hard to believe that the midterm for the first quarter is this Friday! The forms will be ready to be filled out on the server on Wednesday, September 4. Please fill them out carefully, and let your Area Administrator know if you will be calling parents in for a conference for your students. Midterm Reports are due on the server on Monday, September 9, and will be sent home on Thursday, September 12.