Naaktgeboren's Class Blog

Greetings Families, I hope you have enjoyed the extra day with your child(rend). Today, the fourth-grade team, along with the other teams, spent time looking at our curriculum to determine ways we can improve it to make sure your child(ren) can demonstrate their abilities on state testing. One thing we remain focused on is ensuring that we are faithful to our classical liberal arts curriculum. We only accommodate the test when we can. Hopefully, our efforts today will reap benefits. Here are the lessons for week nine of the first quarter. Language Arts: In language arts, students will take a monthly Spalding assessment that helps us track their growth and then they will learn new words and review the phonograms. In literature, students will continue reading Ronia. In writing, students will begin the second opinion paper. Math: In math, students will finish the chapters on the four operations and will finish with a test covering the first two units. History: This week is C...

Parenting with Love and Logic All parents and guardians, grades K-12, are invited to a free class, Introduction to Parenting the Love and Logic Way, presented by Larry Kerby on Wednesday, September 27th from 6-7:30 pm. The event will be held in the gym, so there will be plenty of seating for all. Archway Arete has been using many of the Love and Logic ideas here at school for many years with great success and Mr. Kerby, an independent facilitator of the Love and Logic program, comes highly recommended. I can promise a fun evening and a few extra tools to add to your tool box as parents.  Take a look at our flyer for the event, and we hope to see you there! Headmaster   Neil Gillingham  

Greetings Families, On Friday, the students began their first major writing assignment. They are writing an opinion essay on why they think school days should be longer or the same. I look forward to reading their thoughts on the matter. Also on Friday, I spoke with the students on what to expect in terms of their grade. Having seen some of the writing being produced on weekly reading reports, literature and science summaries, and on science and history quizzes, I expect a number of students to do very poorly on their first papers, and likely some of the papers to follow. I shared with them a personal story that I would like to take some time to share with you because I think it was encouraging to them and hopefully will be to you. When I was in elementary school, I was diagnosed with ADD and received special education for reading. Though I was reasonably good at math, I could not read. Part of this was due to poor reading instruction and no phonics training. I quickly devel...

Greetings Families, It has been a successful week in 4B. Though we are still going through some growing pains together, there is a clearly a gradual trend in the right direction. Thank you for the support you are providing at home.  Here are the lessons coming up next week. History : This week, students will enjoy a serf/lord activity wherein they take on the roles of lords and serfs. This is in line with the theme of servitude and cooperation. Students will have a peer discussion about the Code of Chivalry and the values it was based on. Science : Having completed their study of electricity, students will now begin their study of life sciences. Students will start a unit on plants, photosynthesis, and vascular versus non-vascular plants. Language Arts : This week in language arts, students will write the first major essay of the year. This is a step-by-step process and each step is monitored by the teacher. In literature, students will read Emil and the Detectives ...

Greetings Families, I wanted to inform you about some of the conversations we have had in class this week. The students are currently studying Europe in the Middle Ages. During our lessons, we have talked about the power of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe during that time. We discussed how Charlemagne acknowledged that the pope was the most powerful man in Western Europe because the pope was the one who had the power to crown emperors. The reason Charlemagne and Catholics of that time believed this was because they believed that the pope was God's representative on earth and, therefore, the pope spoke with the authority of Jesus, who they believed was the king of the whole world. We also discussed the role of the priest in the serfdom, because, once again, the priest was seen as God's representative in the serfdom and because the people had to go through the priest to get to God. Because our focus has been on Roman Catholics in the Middle Ages, students have ask...

Greetings Families, Here is a message from the staff regarding our Math and Phonics Training. Parents are cordially invited to attend our Math and Phonics Training for third, fourth, and fifth grades on Wednesday, September 20th. This is a parent only event. Our interactive and informative evening will include: Hands-on exploration using math manipulatives Participation in a Spalding lesson (rules and markings included) Tips and techniques to best support classroom learning at home, including homework help and ways to further challenge your child Workshops will take place in classrooms and will be led by our expert teachers. (6:00-6:30 Math Training; 6:30-7:00 Phonics Training) We hope to see you there! If you plan to attend, please signup here . This isn't required, I would just like an idea of how many of my parents are attending. If you forget to signup, don't let that keep you from coming. I hope to see you there. Best, Michael Naaktgeboren 

Greetings Families, I hope you are enjoying the start of your weekend. We had a good week in 4B. It is hard to believe we only have a few more weeks to the quarter. This week, I took some time to discuss some important classroom expectations that I have for my students. I wanted to refresh the student's memories of what I believe they are capable of and why I believe it is important for them to behave in a certain fashion. The purpose of these expectations are to create a classroom that promotes learning, harmony, and joy. Sometime, when a student or students have to learn discipline, it isn't immediately pleasurable. However, in the long run, one who learns self-control finds himself much more capable of doing great things, finds more purpose and fulfillment in what he does, and leads a life of greater joy. Here are my class expectations. I have four rules: (1) follow directions right away, all the way; (2) raise your hand for permission to speak; (3) raise your hand ...

Greetings Families, I wanted to inform you of a few things I have returned over the past couple of days. Hopefully, your child has given these to you. If they have not and for some reason no longer have them, let me know and I can give you their grades. Subject: Assessment Name (Class Average) [Most Common Grade] ELA: Greek and Latin Root Quasi-Quiz (37.11%) [3/15] - Quasi-quizzes impact the homework/classwork categories and not test/quiz categories, so they don't impact their final grades as much. I usually give them advanced notice that I will give them, but they are mainly meant to promote good study skills. ELA: Type of Sentence Quasi-Quiz (63.85%) [3.5/4] ELA: Classroom Practice 8 (93.34%) [10/10] - The students did this in class and then we reviewed it afterward. I told them I would be collecting it to give them a classwork grade. I graded it on completion and neatness. History: Theodora Essay (80.34%) [7/10] -  Students were asked to write a paper on Empress ...

Greetings Families, This is a little late coming, and for that, I apologize. I would like to introduce to you the class moms/class coordinators. This is a very important job because these three ladies are responsible for organizing class celebrations, being the liaisons between the PSO and the families, and facilitating other class activities. Please feel free to reach out to them if you need something on the parent end. I will be providing them with your emails so they can send out class-wide information. The three class moms are Trine Bradshaw (charliesmor@yahoo.com), Anna Galanos (galanosfamily2008@yahoo.com) and Lesley Hikichi (lesannley@gmail.com). Ms. Bradshaw, Ms. Galanos, and Ms. Hikichi, thank you for your willingness to serve 4B. I look forward to working with you this year to ensure the best possible year for the children of 4B. Best, Michael Naaktgeboren

Greetings Families, The Electricity Unit Exam is Thursday. Here quizlet for it.

Greetings Families, I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I'm looking forward to next week as it will hopefully be a little more normal than this week with Monday off and Grandparents Day Friday. However, I want to say how thankful I am for all the grandparents who came in on Friday. It was great getting to hear from them about how life was different when they were children and about what responsibility and citizenship mean to them. Here are the lessons for this week. Lessons History : This week in history, students will continue their study of the Byzantine Empire studying mosaics, Empress Theodora, and the Hagia Sophia. They will write an essay on the Empress and the church. There is a quiz on the Byzantine Empire unit. Additionally, students will be tested on their knowledge of the countries of Europe on Tuesday . Please ensure that they are studying for this during the weekend. Science : This week in science, students will use their lab observations to solidify their ...

Greetings Families, I wanted to inform you of a few things I would be returning tomorrow. Here is a list of those items. Subject: Assessment (Class Average) [Most Common Grade] Science: Quarter 1 Week 4 Day 2 - Electricity (82.86%) [6/7] Science: Quarter 1 Week 5 Day 1 Quiz - Electricity (78.73%) [6/6] Science: Quarter 1 Week 5 Day 3 Quiz - Electricity (95.98%) [6/6] Science: Chemistry Unit Exam (70.74%) [26/27, 20/27] History: Europe in the MIddle Ages - Ch 1-4 Quiz (87.74%) [9/9] History: Europe in the Middle Ages - Ch. 1-4 Test (76.31%) [27/27] ELA: Week 4 Spelling Test (93.33%) [30/30] Math: Unit 1, Chapter 2 Quiz - Fractors (78.55) [14/14] Math: Unit 1, Chapter 4 Quiz - Multiples (88.77%) [15/15] Though it is not completely consistent yet, there is a strong trend of students who are learning how to function academically as fourth graders in terms of studying and engaging the lessons. If your child's grades are around the class average and below, it is ...

Greetings Families, I wanted to inform you of a few things I would be returning tomorrow. Here is a list of those items. Subject: Assessment (Class Average) [Most Common Grade] Science: Quarter 1 Week 5 Day 1 Quiz - Electricity (78.73%) [6/6] Science: Chemistry Unit Exam (70.74%) [26/27, 20/27] History: Europe in the Middle Ages - Ch. 1-4 Test (76.31%) [27/27] Though it is not completely consistent yet, there is a strong trend of students who are learning how to function academically as fourth graders in terms of studying and engaging the lessons. If your child's grades are around the class average and below, it is important that you help him or her implement good study habits, such as reviewing his or her notes, self-quizzing, and making notecards. These are valuable skills that will improve his or her performance in fourth grade and will equip him or her for future studies at Arete Prep and beyond. Best, Michael Naaktgeboren

Archway Arete and Arete Prep are joining a Great Hearts relief effort to help families in the Beaumont and Houston tomorrow, Wednesday, September 6th. This flash drive was announced by Great Hearts leadership over the weekend after partnering with a parent in the network who is arranging for pilots and planes to get much-needed supplies to those affected by the storm. Just-In Time Moving, an Arete family owned business, is generously coordinating the supply pickup for all Great Heart schools to take the donated items to the airport. Here are the supplies that are needed most: new underwear and socks (all sizes), non-perishable food, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, baby diapers, wipes, and formula . You may visit the Great Hearts website for more information. Families may drop off any of these items in the morning when your kids arrive to school. Our Archway staff can help younger ones carry their items in the drop-off line. If you have a lot of items to donate,...

Greetings Families, There is a history test tomorrow on chapters 1-4 of our Middle Ages unit. Here is a quizlet the students might find helpful. Best, Michael Naaktgeboren

Greetings Families, This Friday, September 8th, Archway Arete will be celebrating Grandparents Day . Grandparents with grandchildren in third-fifth grade are invited to come to school for an assembly at 9:15 a.m. and then back to the classroom for a time to share with the children. If a grandparent lives in the area, please encourage them to come because I'm sure it will be a special time for the children. Grandparents of grandchildren in 3rd-5th grade can arrive at 8:45 a.m. for breakfast refreshments while they wait for their grandchildren to arrive. Grandparents need to RSVP so seats can be setup for them to sit with their grandchild(ren) during the assembly. Please RSVP by Monday, September 4th at this link or to Joy Whitehead at (480) 222-4233 x 2110. Be sure to include your grandchild’s name and grade when you RSVP to help us reserve your seat next to your grandchild. Parking is available on campus and overflow parking is available at The Falls Event Center just east...

Greetings Families, During Curriculum Night, someone asked when the library would be open for use. I reached out to Mr. Gillingham and he told me that Kim Bellomy and Jonna Coppalman have taken over the library project. I do not have their contact information, but you can probably ask the PSO for it. He also told me that they are seeking volunteers to help inventory and label the books. Below is the timeline. I would recommend talking to someone via email or phone before coming though, just in case there is a change of plans. Timeline - Starting September 22 Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Saturday afternoon from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00p.m. According to Mr. Gillingham, the projected date for the library to be open is January of 2018. Best, Michael Naaktgeboren 

Greetings Families, First, let me say thank you to the families who attended Curriculum Night. I believe it was a beneficial time for me to express to you what my goals are for this year and how I hope to help students learn. Second, I want to encourage you to attend Math and Phonics Night on September 20th. That will be a night where we really focus on math and Spalding. The goal is to give you some tools for helping your child this year as they adapt to fourth grade. Lastly, I want to take some time to address a couple of questions that were left on Wednesday night. When will the library be available to students?  I've emailed the headmasters and the Dean of Academics to ask about this. From the look of it, it looks ready. I think the issue is managing how students will check books out of the library. As soon as I get the information, I'll pass that information along. How do we report grades?  It seems like every year we change the software we use to manage our gra...

Greetings Families, This is an R&R weekend and there is no homework this weekend. A couple of students asked if I could give them some homework because they get bored over the weekend. If this is your child, you can allow them to do Khan Academy over the weekend and call it homework. Here are the lessons for next week. Lessons History : This week in history, students will complete the maps of Europe. They begin a journey into a brief two-week unit on the Eastern Romance Empire. Students will study the Byzantine Empire, Justinian and Theodora, and the Hagia Sophia. The Europe Map test will happen on Tuesday of week six. Students should be spending about five minutes a night studying for this test. There is a test on chapters 1-4 on Wednesday. Science : Students will take the information they gathered from the lab and apply it to a new lab. The goal is that they come to understand the differences between insulators and conductors. By the end of the week, students should gr...