Week of August 21-25, 2017

We won't be going into details starting this week, please see weekly newsletter for more details on what the students will be working on. Thank you for showing up for Meet and Greet. Make sure to always have your student take out his/her homework each Thursday, complete it during the week, and return it on Wednesday (unless absent, then it'd be due the next day).  I will continue to add pictures here weekly.

Students comparing sizes between Sun and Earth 

Solar Eclipse Viewing Party

During Morning Meeting, we discussed about our summer. The students were able to share and write down a few sentences including who, where, why, and what. 

Week of August 14-18, 2017

Students continue to make gains in building confidence in speak Mandarin. They are more than encouraged to make mistakes. We have been assessing students in number recognition and math facts proficiency as well as MAP in reading, language arts, and math. The students have been such troopers during this very busy week.

In the coming weeks, we will begin to group students during Math by each skill trend. Students will first have to learn to transition and showing responsibility. We will get there slowly but surely. Building the foundation in the beginning of any school year is vital to a successful one.  There will continue to be team building activities and we are constantly discussing the importance of showing CREST. While academics is important, life skills such as showing empathy, being encouraging, staying positive, and coming up with solutions are all critical for any given stage in life.

Keep in mine that we are adding reading passages in the Mandarin Journal starting next week. Mandarin Journals will go home daily but students MUST bring it back each day. Reading their Mandarin Journal is part of their homework assignment. The passages will have already been taught and practiced in class. Words other than sight words will also contain pinyin. Ms. Huang and I will post video or audio clips to go with each passage as well.

First Week of 4th Grade!

Welcome back and to a complete new/different campus!

This first two weeks, we will focus heavily on routines and transitions as well as expectations. I read some of the "I am Malala" book and we discussed what makes us "brave". We noted that speaking Mandarin is an act of bravery because we are taking risks and stepping out of our comfort zones.

There are many ways of figuring out what the other person wants to say if he or she can try some of the strategies. Students can (1) draw (2) act it out (3) use other descriptive words in Mandarin (4) point at the object. Encourage your child to only use Mandarin on Mandarin days will boost confidence for him/her.

We are very fortunate to have flexible seatings this year. The students were able to try out all of the flexible seats in my classroom to get a feel of likes/dislikes. We have wobble chairs, stadium seats, stand-up desks, and cushions. Although we do also have regular chairs and an ottoman by the window. The goal is for students to find a comfortable spot and still be productive. The seats are not used for rewards or punishments, but if a student cannot complete a task or is being disruptive due to the position of the seat, he/she will be asked to choose something else.

Thanks for those who send in socks, we are still in need of hand sanitizer, baby wipes, and hand soap for both classes.

Students will take their MAP test next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at noon.

First Lunch at the Fellowship Hall

Trying out Stadium Seats

First day of school DONE

First day of Mandarin 4th Grade!

Trying out Stand-up Desks

Superhero Ceremony

Choosing our own flexible seating during writing

Strategies to apply when I don't know the word

Team Building

Welcome to 4th Grade!

你好 Fourth Grade Mandarin Parents!

My name is Vivian Eckmann and I am your child’s fourth grade Mandarin teacher. I received my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University in 2006. I hold an ESOL endorsement and will be obtaining my gifted endorsement starting this fall. This is my fifth year at The GLOBE Academy and eleventh year as a public school teacher. During my years teaching Kindergarten, I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the tremendous growth the students make in just ten months. Although I love my kindergarten babies, I was thrilled when I realized I could be ready for something new and exciting.

I started running two years ago and ran my first Marathon in Philly last fall. It was during one of my runs in April that I realized my pace has improved even though it wasn’t comfortable or easy. Trying to translate running to work has helped me gain perspectives. Every new chapter or new distance will be tough at first, there will be doubts and struggles, but trusting the plan always gets me through. The biggest gift I have been given at GLOBE has always been the support from teachers and the community. My hopes and dreams this year is to continue to hold high expectations both academically and social emotionally. By building a strong community, we are sending the message to our children that we care and we are in it together.

So, welcome to not just a new campus, but also a new grade level, and many new teachers. Trust the plan.


Warm regards,
Vivian Eckmann
veckmann@theglobeacademy.net
globemandarin.blogspot.com