The last Friday of the school year is here. It is so hard to believe and so welcome. We are all ready for a break, but I don’t think we are feeling as if the year should be over. There is still so much we could do. We have changed and grown as a class both academically and socially. It is a good place to be everyday. We truly like being together. All year our class has been working for success. We have been working to understand how we can be both, caring and self-aware, collaborative and independent, and cooperative and self-advocating. As the children put together their portfolios it was amazing to note how many of the children know that teamwork is the way to get things done.
Digital Portfolios and Student-Led Conferences
After weeks of work all the children had the opportunity to share their year with you. Putting the portfolios together is a complex process. We have been collecting work all year long and noting accomplishments along the way. The children have been taking pictures of their work and their endeavors for 177 days. That means they have had hundreds of images to sort through and a collection of “best” work to review in order to choose the work and images they felt was important in their growth and learning.
As you reflect on the work your child shared through his or her portfolio this choosing and sorting process may be less evident. It is time consuming work. For the most part the portfolios are polished collections. The children shared them clearly and well. Behind the scenes there was a lot of thinking, choosing and synthesizing. That part isn’t readily apparent as they share. So you know, they were each asked to think of three audiences as they prepared them: their parents, their 4th grade teacher and themselves as 8th graders. The children created and completed each section making sure their best work showed while some of their thinking about the work and their learning was explained. With the basic framework completed, the children often added little details to remember what had been fun and challenging. It is those details and attentions that can give insight into what has been important to them this year. Sometimes they don’t quite have the words to explain their ideas, but the signs are there. They thrive on projects. They appreciate choice. They like the feeling of challenge and even the pressure of deadlines. They seem excited to see how they have changed and grown through the year. They realize they have accomplished a lot and notice that there are many different facets to learning.
Thank you for meeting with them and sharing in this process it has been wonderful work.
Parade of the States
Thank you so much for supporting this work. There were so many steps to this entire project and we certainly couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you for the time you took to support the float creation and adjusting your schedules to be able to attend the parade Wednesday night.
The children learned a great deal through each part of the project. Learning about different places – as we have all year – when you are 8 and 9 is a challenge. As adults we know places are affected by their history and the landscape. We know how to identify unique features and interests because we have enough background knowledge to recognize difference.
I was proud of the children for the work they did in the classroom to learn about their state and to think about what features would each place unique. They began to understand about manufacturing, the importance of rivers and that states do need to make money. They learned about topography and landmarks. They explored history and heritage. Even at the beginning of the week they were discovering new facts from their classmates because their states were connected. There was rich conversation in the classroom as they compared, questioned and work to understand symbols and mottos and nicknames. It feels as though they are more aware of and connected to our country and it seems that their learning will continue. With their interest piqued, their understanding will continue to grow and expand.
Thank you for Sharing Your Children
One thing I am very much looking forward to this summer is seeing Wicked with my girls. It is something we have thought about for years and not made happen until now. We love the music and For Good is a favorite. Thinking about that, makes me think of our year and of your children and you. Thank you. You may want to stop reading, and go to Youtube and search for Kristin Chenoweth “For Good”. In case you can’t use Google or Youtube right now, these are some of the lyrics that led me to think about our year –
I’ve heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true
But I know I’m who I am today
Because I knew you…
And later the song finishes with
Who can say if I’ve been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better
And because I knew you…
Because I knew you…
Because I knew you…
I have been changed for good…
Your children are amazing. Thank you for a wonderful year.
