411 of 216

Signals got crossed today, and I failed yet again to include the 411 of 216 in Thursday folders! Sorry--here is the information included: UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES: MARCH 18TH CONCERT @ SKINNER MS 6:30 START TIME, STUDENTS SHOULD BE THERE BY 6:00 PM MARCH 26, HALF DAY MARCH 29-APRIL 2, SPRING BREAK ALPS Advanced Learning Plans were supposed to be enclosed in this week’s folder. I apologize for the delay, but I have been experiencing significant technical difficulties with Infinite Campus. I hope to have all issues resolved by next week, so they can be sent home. These documents are district mandated for all gifted learners and will remain in student files for next year and throughout a student’s academic careers at DPS. This was the first year of implementation, and there was a bit of a learning curve. Please anticipate earlier notification and more parent involvement regarding these documents for the next school year. Student Work: For the last few weeks, we have completed an author study on Chris Van Allsburg. In addition to reading a number of his wonderful books, students also worked in groups to create board games related to a book of their choosing. The games were required to include evidence of vocabulary, cause and effect relationships, and sequencing related to the story. The games turned out incredibly! The students were so creative, and worked very hard. We had a sharing time, where games were showcased and played. Fun was had by ALL! A common element among all Chris Van Allsburg’s books was a sense of open endedness that allowed the reader to form concepts and conclusions on his own. An additional element of our author study required students to fill in the blanks of a story by writing a prequel or sequel. Here are some of the student’s stories: A BAD DAY AT RIVERBEND (CONTINUED) By Sadie Buchanan After everything went dark, the sheriff could move again! The slime felt wet on his face and he was determined to escape the evil light. He rode on and on until finally light appeared. But, everything yet again froze. The sheriff was very afraid. Huge hands grasped the world and carried it away. The world dropped into a dark place. Then everything moved again. All of the sudden, the world was dumped into a huge mouth. The sheriff felt himself being grinded into sticky goo, and flattened. Suddenly, he had new memories. His name was Jasmine, and he was in love with a street boy. He yelled, “What am I doing here! I am the sheriff!” “Really?” said the boy, “I’m from Riverbend too!” Zathura Epilogue By Connor Ellertson As soon Danny and Walter got home, they started to play catch. After awhile, they got tired of playing catch. They went inside, but still couldn’t find anything to do. Meanwhile, Danny and Walter’s parents were just arriving home. They were worried about their sons. They got so worried; they were about to call 911, when the two boys returned home. The boys were sent to bed. The parents decided to take a walk in the park. They found a big box in the trash. They decided to take the box home. When they got home, they opened the box. The box contained board games. When they looked through the box, they found the following games: Jumanji, Zathura, and the Wild West. They both agreed to play the Wild West. Danny and Walter rushed downstairs. Walter shouted, “Mom! Dad! No!”, but it was too late, their parents had already started the game. Also included in the Thursday folders were guideline sheets for two of our upcoming projects. Please look over with your child. Almost all work will be finished in class on both of these projects.