BACK TO SCHOOL

Welcome Back to School!

I can't believe the summer is over! I know I say this every year, but time sure goes by fast. One of the wonderful parts of being a teacher is the building excitement of a new school year. I love meeting new students and families, creating an inviting classroom, and planning the first week's activities.

This summer I have been reading and researching how teachers are using the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People  by Stephen Covey to teach 21st century leadership and life skills to students. I have read many success stories from schools around the country and want to incorporate the 7 Habits into our classroom. 

What you will see at home:

• Leadership Notebook - set goals, track progress, celebrate success
• Assignments and Projects to be completed with family members
• 7 Habits Language - I encourage families to talk with their child using the 7 Habits language
• Leadership Days - families will be invited to the classroom to participate in activities led by students
• Positive Rewards/Praise & Consequences based on the 7 Habits

I am so excited to begin this journey with students and am confident that students will improve their academic achievement, build self-confidence, and gain essential social and life skills.

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Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

• Be Proactive -You are in charge of you
• Begin with the End in Mind- Know what you want before you do it
• Put First Things First- Do the important things first
• Think Win-Win- Find ways everyone can win
• Seek First to Understand then be Understood- Listen first, then talk
• Synergize- Work together to do better
• Sharpen the Saw- Take care of yourself

7 Habits - Adapted for Children

7 Habits of Happy Kids Illustrated Book

         We are off to a great start to the school year! Thank you families for supporting your child. We are focusing on becoming organized and responsible. Hopefully you are checking in with your child daily to see how their day was at school, what they are learning, and what they have for homework. Tired of getting a one-word response when you ask your child how their day was at school? Try these conversation starters (from scholastic.com parent resources):

1. Tell me about the best part of your day.
2. What was the hardest thing you had to do today?
3. Did any of your classmates do anything funny?
4. Tell me about what you read in class.
5. Who did you play with today? What did you play?
6. Do you think math [or any subject] is too easy or too hard?
7. What's the biggest difference between this year and last year?
8. What rules are different at school than our rules at home? Do you think they're fair?
9. Who did you sit with at lunch?
10. Can you show me something you learned (or did) today?

Welcome to 5th Grade!

Can you believe school is beginning again? Summer always flies by because it is so much fun. I really enjoyed getting outdoors with my son, hiking, swimming, running my dog, and going to the beach. I've also been busy preparing for a great school year. We have a lot to look forward to this year and I am anxious to get to know each of you. We will be working hard and learning a TON while hopefully having fun along the way. Some things you can look forward to during your 5th grade year are:

• rock climbing
• creating iMovies with green screens and Chatter Pix
• Google classroom
• reading books of your choice
• starting a garden
• band or art class
• science experiments
• writing on our class blog
• Economy in the Classroom with Rotary
• Walk Through the Revolution
• Genius Hour (you will choose what you learn about)

I hope you will be attending Back to School Night on August 18. Students and families are encouraged to attend. I will be giving out a lot of important information and I would love to meet you before school starts. If you have any questions or just want to introduce yourself, please feel free to email me at rrosen@bishopschools.org. Please check our class blog on a regular basis for updates on what is happening in our class.