Ben's Weekly Letters

(3)

10/16/10
Hello Everyone,

We are having a good second week. The school now has high-speed internet, something that I am excited about. Students will have access to the web as soon as we sort out the old Macs, and I can check my email every day. I will be emailing this letter as well as attempting to send a copy home with students. I am also now more accessible for you through email; it will be checked every morning.

This week we began our geography block. We started with physical geography, and looked at how the tilt and rotation of the earth in relation to the sun affects our seasons. Later in the year, during the meteorology unit we will look at how these same tilt and rotation factors affect planetary weather and climate. Next week we will be moving to cultural geography, and how the geography of place influences human land use practices.

With math I am moving towards starting the Saxon program with all students. Third and fifth are already on their way, while I am doing a week of review for seventh. Tom has been helpful in coming up with complementary strategies for all students.

After a week of missing homework and lost items I am starting a slightly more draconian program next week. In the front of each binder there will be a sheet of slightly stiffer paper. Before leaving class students need to show me that they have noted the evenings homework on this card, exactly as I have written it on the board. Everything passed out in class must be sequestered in its appropriate section of the binder. Every student has to bring everything related to school to school every day. This includes drafts that are in progress, as well as journals. They are due on whatever day, but they need to come to school every day in their current form. If you are typing something I do not expect you to print the half finished version, but I do expect that you bring the handwritten rough draft. This allows me to help students with in-progress assignments. I can't help if it is at home.

All students have a report due on September 30th. Topics vary, but here is are all the due dates of outlines and drafts, so you know what your student is up to at school.
September 14th. Outline due
September 21st. Rough Draft Due
September 28th. Pre-Final Due
September 30th. Final Due, accompanied by all other related work.
There will be other reminders throughout the weeks, as this will become the number one thing we will be working on.
Next Tuesday Kym and I will be taking the class out to Hardy's house to look at buildings. Please find a permission slip attached, and return it, preferably on Monday, but not after Tuesday.
Another note; I am changing WOTD from being a weekly exercise to a daily one. It will become part of our morning routine, and will provide instant feedback to students. Starting the week of the 15th (next week) words assigned will be due the next day. There will usually not be more than one word per grade per day, and there will be some days when there will not be a word.
Alright, I think that's all for now, please contact me with any questions.
Have a great weekend,
BEN

Please pay tuition to Sherry, Shanna, or Ann.