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Mr. Manning's Advocacy

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Distance Learning Kick Off - Week of April 6

 

Welcome to the adventure!
We are all going to be learning a ton of new things (academically, technologically, and so much more!) as we try this new style of learning.  I am excited to dive in with you all and support your learning in new ways.
 
For now, I will be managing your academics for all subjects through Moby Max.  Login information was sent out April 2 via email.  If you have any problems signing in, please let me know! 
 
Your other teachers will have access to check on your progress, and we will also be sharing a variety of optional learning extensions on our class pages.
 
Basic Expectations: Moby Max Modules
     Math 30-45 minutes daily building towards 60 minutes daily
     Take the Quick placement test first, then the program will assign skills at your level
     Fact Fluency work on as needed or wanted
    Literacy-  Reading/Writing 30-45 minutes daily building towards 60 minutes daily
    Science/Social Studies 20 building to 30 minutes daily for each subject
 
Weekly Advocacy Meetings  
 
I will host advocacy meetups every Monday from 10 to 11 AM.
 
We will be meeting weekly as an Advocacy using the Zoom app.  You can access this on a computer, laptop, or cell phone.
 
It is not required that you attend, but I would love to connect personally with all of you as often as possible in this way!
 
**See email for meeting IDs and passwords and, for security purposes, do not share them with anyone outside our advocacy class (even other Westgate friends)! 
 
Specials- P.E. for this rotation:
Please check Mr. Wise's page for PE assignments!
 
My "Office" Hours:
I will have an open Zoom meeting twice weekly where students and parents can pop in and out with any questions.
Wednesday 10 a.m.-12 p.m. 
Friday 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
**See email for meeting IDs and passwords and, for security purposes, do not share them with anyone outside our advocacy class (even other Westgate friends)! 
 
Other Times/Ways to reach me:
As always, I am available daily (Mon.-Fri.) via email.  I will be checking my email regularly throughout normal school hours, and should be able to respond to emails within 24 hours.

The class will be celebrating the holiday season this Wednesday at 2:15. The 5/6 pod will have a book exchange after lunch as well, so if your star student would like to participate, let them know to bring in an old book to trade in for some fresh reading material over break. If you wish to donate or volunteer for Wednesday's party, click here to see your options. Thanks for all you do!
 
To celebrate Colorado Gives Day, our class discussed the theme of generosity and what it means to be a part of a community who cares. We talked about moments in our lives when giving felt a whole lot better than receiving and then donated a small but heartfelt sum to the Colorado non-profit that captured the most hearts, Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue. Have a conversation with your star student about our day and how giving works in your family.
Math homework is well under way in the 5-6 pod, so here's the lowdown:
 
1) In general, homework is optional and not part of their class grade. We discussed it being most beneficial to those students who need the additional practice during conferences, so if we haven't had the opportunity to talk in person feel free to reach out via email to see how your student is fairing in math.
2) Homework is self-paced and comes with no due dates. Students who finish a page (both front and back) are to turn it in for a punch on their yellow punch card pictured above.
3) Students work their way up to 10 punches in order to redeem their cards for a bevy of small prizes. 
Thank you to everyone who came out for Curriculum Night last Thursday. It's always wonderful to meet face-to-face, talk about your student's education and hear your feedback. If you couldn't make it, here is a link to my slides and also a quick reminder curriculum maps and the scope and sequence for each subject can be found here. Thanks again for all that you do!

Ninja Nation Permission Slip

Ninja Nation is coming to Westgate on Wednesday, September 11th. Please have your student's permission slip filled out and returned by September 9th in order for them to participate in this exciting event. Paper copies of the permission slip are coming home today, so be on the lookout. Thanks!
For the first two weeks of school, our advocacy class has been learning about the seven habits of happy kids, a great resource that was adapted from Stephen Covey's bestseller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Please take a moment to put the Happy Habits Handout (look for it in August 16th's Friday folder!) on your fridge or talk with your student throughout the year about how these habits help reinforce their learning. If you find them to be a useful tool at home, I would love to hear your feedback!