Navigators 10/6/2023

   Navigator's 5th and 6th grade!!!  

Important Dates:

October 11 th – All School Field Trip

October 13 th – Picture Retakes

October 14 th – Fall Break Begins

October 15 th – BLS at Kalahari

October 23 rd – School Resumes

Ms. Noura's Math and Science Class -  

This week:   We continued to concentrate on getting to know each other this week, and GoMath assessments have begun. Each student took their time and did their best to answer these questions and their results will not be counted towards them. In addition, our regular routine began this week with electives. Please keep in mind that the students are enjoying a special day every day, so don't forget your water bottles! 

Next Week:  NWEA testing begins next week!! Please remember to bring your planner, notebook,  folder, and pencil pouches to class every day. As a reminder, picture day is on Monday, August 28th; please bring your best smile!! Next week, the students and I will continue to practice specific rules.  Electives will resume next week, and science will begin! 

Ms. Sarah's ELA and Social Studies Class-

This week:  This week we began writing our individual chapters for Seedfolks. We also have been working on our presentations for our state projects.

Next Week: We should finish up both of these units by next Friday. At which point, we are looking to have a celebration of reading our final drafts.

Important memos:

• YOUR STUDENTS FIELD TRIP FORMS ARE DO ASAP
• Ms. Sarah's class communication system will be though Class Dojo. Pictures and pieces of our week will be put up. Please go through this link to access it: https://home.classdojo.com/#/classInvite/?c=CXEFSND&attribution=class_link
• Many of my classroom fidgets have come up missing. Please check if your student may have taken them home accidently. If you would like to help out, we could definitely use some fidgets in our classroom.

• The Spirit of Alexandra, who also helped us with the in house field trip, they often have scholarships to support these camps. Here is their website:
• https://www.spiritofalexandria.org/

Innovators 10/6/2023

Hello Innovator Families,

In ELA this week we finished our September Read-Aloud "Ban This Book" by Alan Gratz.  Unaware, er, totally planned, we finished during National Banned Books Week.  We've had many great discussions about what is appropriate for our age level and why.  The protagonist Amy Ann Olinger sums it up best, "Nobody has the right to tell you what books you can and can't read, except your parents." For more information about National Banned Books Week go to: https://pen.org/

In Social Studies 7th graders are finding facts about 2 ancient regions to compare. 8th graders are hearing about the Bill of Rights and how these amendments are applied in real life scenarios. 

In Math and Science your students and our building substitutes have done a great job of getting through chemistry and math workbooks while Miss Monica was out.

The rainy fall weather can't keep us from enjoying indoor recess

Many of our new students and new to the Innovator room are still adjusting to the higher level of behavior, maturity and work expectations. Please encourage your student by reminding them they are "professional students." Things like joking to tease, foul language, name calling, interpersonal drama, computer misuse etc. are things that by this stage we should have learned are below the expectations of 7th & 8th graders.  We are gently reminding them of our commitment to being Kind, Safe and Respectful but your support is always appreciated. 

A note on student cell phones--

Our Family Handbook states: Students may not use cell phones, personal tablets, or gaming devices at school. Cell phones must be turned into the classroom teacher for the day. During the school day, phones are available for student use, with permission of a staff member. Parents wishing to communicate with their child during the school day may do so through the front office. 

Many students like to work with headphones.  We only provide headphones for testing accommodations.  Students may bring their own headphones from home as long as they are wired (no airpod styles).

Sign up for THIS YEAR'S Remind code.

Ms Jenni: @e26k4f

Please contact us with any questions about your student or their day:

Jenni Renaud

jenni@branchlineschool.org

248-910-3051

Monica Gurnani

monicag@branchlineschool.org

 2489823642

Art 10/6/2023

Physical Education 10/6/2023

Investigators 10/6/2023

 Reminders:

• All school Field trip - 10/11

• Fall school break - 10/16-20

• Half day of school - 10/31 11.25 a.m. dismissal

This week in ELA we started a unit on finding the main idea in a text. We read a nonfiction text and practiced picking out the main idea from each section. We finished up our first spelling unit and will get new lists assigned next week. We will also meet next week for our first portfolio meetings with the teacher. During these meetings we will do a self evaluation and talk about and set our reading goals for the year. 

This week in science we learned more about fossils. We did a mystery science question that asked, "Where can you find whale bones in the desert? Ask me about how aquatic animal fossils can be found in an area where there is no water today. 

-Ms. Jamie

As we are getting into our regular routines, we have our assigned Classroom Jobs - we rotate assignments every week! Our kids seem to enjoy the responsibility that comes with the Leader of the week.

In Math our 3rd graders finished their first math chapter in Place Value, with the 4th graders  we started learning about multiplication and multiplication comparisons.

In Social Studies we are learning more about Economics in Michigan every day. We played a game “Buyer and Seller” (see attached pictures), where the students had to pick 2 items that they wanted to buy the most, but then they had to figure it out with their “MI buck” money if they actually could afford it. We had fun learning about what Scarcity, Choices and Opportunity Cost mean and how it could affect our daily lives.

~Ms. Noemi

Explorers 10/6/2023

 Reminders:

• All school Field trip - 10/11

• Fall school break - 10/16-20

• Half day of school - 10/31 11.25 a.m. dismissal  

 It was a wonderful week of learning! In science the first graders learned about light sources. Ask your child about our dark drawing experiment! The second graders worked on engineering structures with a partner. Ask you child what he/she built! In ELA we continued to work on long a short vowel sounds. We worked on blending words using play-dough. We also talked about beginning, middle, and end. The students are working hard! Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with me.

Ms. Jenny

 

Junior Explorers 10/6/2023

Community service alert!

At the start of the school year the Branch Line staff spent a day working with a wonderful organization.  Redford Interfaith Relief is client-choice food pantry, clothing boutique, and connection to resources for Redford Township.  They are always looking for donations, but one thing that stuck out to me was the lack of spices on the shelves.  Fresh fruit, vegetables, and pallets of dry goods are available, but nothing to season with.  Think about how often you season your food and how important, yet overlooked that donation item is.  So in order for the Junior Explorers to continue their work as scientists and use their 5 senses, we are hosting a spice drive!

We’re looking for fresh, unopened spices to help fill the pantry for those in need.  Garlic salt, paprika. curry, cinnamon, ginger, etc… Think about what you use and others may need.  The Junior Explorers will collect them, sort them, count them, graph our collection, and even smell some of Ms. Sarah’s spices from home!  Please have any new seasonings brought to Ms. Sarah (kindergarten teacher) by October 30th, that would be great.  Thank you! 

Now back to our Junior Explorer news:

This week in social studies we focused on what it means to work hard.  We talked about strategies to use when frustrated, and understand that working hard can mean a lot of things.  The journey to becoming good citizens is still going (and will be all year).  Now we have common phrases and reference points when interacting with our peers.  Constantly asking the question, "What would a good friend do?"

Our 5 senses have been fun this week.  We started off small when using our senses to describe water.  Friday was very fun when we got a chance to try it with a delicious treat!  

I apologize for no pictures from this week, so hopefully we will have double next week!

Physical Education 9/29/2023

Keeping the Heart Rate Up and Spirits High: This Week in PE Class

Hello, everyone! It's time to catch up on the exciting activities that filled our PE class this week. From thrilling games to improving our fitness, here's a look at how we've been keeping active and having a blast:

Monday: Rock, Paper, Scissors Showdown and Turtle Tag Fun

We started the week with a bang as we gathered for a friendly competition of "Rock, Paper, Scissors Showdown." This classic game took on a new twist as we incorporated physical challenges into it. 

After our high-energy showdown, we warmed up further with a game of "Turtle Tag." This game is always a hit with our younger friends, and it helps develop their motor skills while keeping them engaged and active. We older students also enjoyed a few rounds of "Turtle Tag" to keep our agility sharp.

Wednesday: 4 Corner Tag and Sportsmanship Lessons

As the week progressed, we introduced a new game: "4 Corner Tag." This game is all about strategy, agility, and teamwork. Running to tag players in different corners challenged us to think on our feet, make quick decisions, and keep our heart rates up throughout the game.

In addition to the physical aspects of PE class, we are also emphasizing the importance of good sportsmanship. Honesty is key, especially when it comes to being tagged. We're learning to accept defeat gracefully and acknowledge when we've been tagged, reinforcing the values of fair play and respect for our peers.

As we wrap up another exciting week in PE class, we're not only getting our heart rates up but also building a strong sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship. It's amazing to see how much fun and learning we can pack into a single class.

Next week we will be starting our Spooky Halloween Unit with lots of fun Halloween music! 5-8th grade will be learning the "Thriller Dance" for our Costume Parade!

And we danced!

Art 9/29/2023

Investigators 9/29/2023

Reminders:

• Half day of school - 10/06 11.25 a.m.

• All school Field trip - 10/11

• Fall school break - 10/16-20

• Half day of school - 10/31 11.25 a.m.

As we are getting into our regular routines, we have our assigned Classroom Jobs - we rotate assignments every week! Our kids seem to enjoy the responsibility that comes with the Leader of the week.

In Math our 4th graders finished their first unit, with the 3rd graders we are getting ready to wrap up our first unit of place value, addition and subtraction within 1.000. The 3rd graders took home some math pages that they were unable to finish or needed to be corrected. A little bit more info about our daily math routine, we work on two pages every day, they have 30 minutes to work on these. We have SplashMath or soon to be iXL math app access and everyone works at my table in groups. I started to run into the problem that some kids decide not to do their work in the classroom, or rush through their work. Please have a conversation with your child about the importance of school work.

In Social studies we started our next unit, Economics in Michigan. This week we learned about various examples of how our economy works and changes daily. We learned about how natural, human and capital resources collaborate in our everyday life.

~Ms. Noemi

Innovators 9/29/2023

Hello Innovator Families!

One  of my favorite things about BLS is our flexible seating.  When appropriate, kids are encouraged to work where it is best for them.  We have round tables, square tables, high tables, floor cushions, wobble stools etc.  Kids can work independently or with peers.  It is great to see the collaboration and self-advocacy. 

This week in Social Studies, we took time to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival.  This Asian holiday, a favorite of mine from childhood, is based on a legend about immortality, a princess, rabbits and the harvest moon.  We learned how other cultures come together to celebrate the season and how we have similar observances that tie us together. 

In ELA we began our ELA Workshops.  Students meet with me in groups to focus on reading skills and work independently to complete a variety of ELA skills.

Math  : We are still talking about fractions and decimals.

8th grade is doing some algebra and plugging in x and y in equations.

 Science:

We have done many fun things with Periodic tables in our Science class 

Innovators know most of symbols and atomic number of elements around us
We have some of the periodic table that is now over on the window and up on the wall in the corner of the
room. Please come and check it out!

Check out the pictures of ELEMENTS Powerpoint Presentation of the each Innovator

Happy Friday!

Many of our new students and new to the Innovator room are still adjusting to the higher level of behavior, maturity and work expectations. Please encourage your student by reminding them they are "professional students." Things like joking to tease, foul language, name calling, interpersonal drama, computer misuse etc. are things that by this stage we should have learned are below the expectations of 7th & 8th graders.  We are gently reminding them of our commitment to being Kind, Safe and Respectful but your support is always appreciated. 

Many students like to work with headphones.  We only provide headphones for testing accommodations.  Students may bring their own headphones from home as long as they are wired (no airpod styles).

Please accept Google Classroom invitations from both Miss Monica AND Miss Jenni if you wish to have access to your child's assignment page.

Sign up for THIS YEAR'S Remind code.

Ms Jenni: @e26k4f

Please contact us with any questions about your student or their day:

Jenni Renaud

jenni@branchlineschool.org

248-910-3051

Monica Gurnani

monicag@branchlineschool.org

 2489823642

Navigators 9/29/2023

Junior Explorers 9/29/2023

 Our nursery rhyme journey has ended, but our fables have begun!  A fable is a story with animal characters and it teaches a lesson.  We read, discussed, and acted out the story of the Lion and the Mouse.  We learned that even if you're small you can do great things!  We started talking about the Dog and his Reflection, but will continue that next week.

Our citizenship conversations continued with talking about how to be a good friend.  Being a good friend means you help them.  It means you encourage them and share in their joy.  In class it means you can learn with them!  

We've been finishing up our focus on science tools and shifting towards using our 5 senses.  Our sense of sight was first.  It's easy to use that one to learn about the world around us as we peek through microscopes.  We had a really cool hand microscope this week called an eyeclops!  We looked at so many things with a super strong magnifier.  We saw the lines in our skin, the woven fabric of our shirts and the veins of leaves.

If your child has come home talking about the bees, I'll clarify it a bit.  I noticed some yellow jackets in the room on Monday morning.  We discovered the bees were entering through a hole outside.  The hole was plugged that day and ever since then we haven't had a problem.  I check the windows multiple times a day because that's where they end up and I think the problem has been solved!

Come back next week to hear about a spice drive we'll be organizing for the school!

Acting out the Lion and the Mouse