Greetings Families,
I hope you are enjoying the last weekend of the first quarter. One more week of hard work and then break.
On Friday, my colleagues and I went to Talkingstick Arena (where the Suns play) to meet with Great Hearts employees from Arizona and to hear from the Great Hearts' leadership. One of the things that first inspired me about Great Hearts and that was rekindled in me yesterday was our pursuit for something greater than helping students become college and career. We do not believe that education's telios, or goal or chief end, is to make children utilitarian citizens. That is a part of education, but it is no the goal.
Instead, education is about something far grander. Something far more beautiful and wonderful. Something we as teachers only do in part alongside the greater community your children dwell in and that you are endeavoring in and have been endeavoring in since their infancy. That is to make happy souls. Souls not simply satisfied by the futile pleasures of meaningless entertainment and amusement, but souls that have experienced the wonder of the universe, that have wrestled with the deeds and thoughts of our western forefathers, that have started to see the mysteries of reality unfold through mathematical investigation, and that have learned to build sounds into words, words into sentences, sentences into essays so full and beautiful that they are worthy of being read. Proper and noble education presses children beyond homework completion and test preparation to long for and to strive for that which is true, good, and beautiful.
And yet, education, true education of the noblest kind, does not limit itself to teaching what is good and right in science, history, math, and grammar. Education of the mind must also impact the soul. In fact, education will always impact the soul, whether for good or for bad. Students, in every deed, no matter how mundane or great, are in the work of training their souls to be virtuous or ignoble. As an educator, my sacred duty is to join you in helping students learn what is right and just, to help them see that nobility is more desirable than easy, and to press them toward the lifelong pursuit of righteous soul formation. Formation of the soul is not something that happens in a moment, or a month, or a year. It happens through a lifetime of making the right and hard decisions no matter what the immediate consequences might be. Soul formation often comes through suffering. I hope to join you in inspiring your child to desire what is true, good, and beautiful so that a love of moral and intellectual virtue develops in them a happy and satisfied soul.
Having expounded my great ambition for my time of educating your child, let me know discuss the more specific things they will learn this week.
Lessons
Grammar/Writing: This week, students will further their study of pronouns with a review of personal pronouns and an introduction to indefinite and interrogative pronouns. Students will spend Wednesday reviewing what they learned this week and will be tested on Thursday.
History: Having looked at the Middle Ages topically, that is by learning about feudalism, the role of surfs, the importance of the church, the lives of women, and other topics, students will now be introduced to important figures of the Middle Ages. This week, students will learn about William the Conqueror, Henry II, and Thomas Becket. There will be a quiz on Thursday. The quiz will be as follows items: (1) list two advantages of living in cities during the Middle Ages, (2) who was famous for her visions and music, (3) who was the first women to earn a living by writing, (4) who crossed the English channel to defeat King Herald to become the King of England, (5) and who established a shield tax and the right to trial by jury?
Literature: Students will continue to read through The Princess and Curdie this week in literature.
Math: Students will be tested on multiplication and division this week. On Friday, they did a review that looked just like the test and they should have brought it home. I recommend a parent or older sibling making word problems similar to the ones given. You could leave the story the same, just change the numbers. Then, have students practice making the bar models for the problems and solve. They also have the regular practice test for homework this weekend. The rest of the week will be spent on teaching multiplication by a two-digit number. They will be tested on this skill on Friday.
Poetry: Students will be expected to recite "Dreams" this week. Time will likely not allow for them to do this as a whole class, so they will likely do it privately for me in the hallway. They should be prepared to do so on Monday, though I may not call them until Friday.
Greek and Latin Roots: Students will take a quiz on the Greek and Latin roots they have learned thus far. This one test is worth 10% of their grade and all of the work they've put in thus far is to prepare them for this one test. Please ensure that they are studying regularly for this test. Here is a Quizlet that can be used to help your child prepare.
Science: Last weeks, students learned the four major parts of a plan: roots, stem, leaves, and flower. They also learned the eleven parts of the flower. This week, students will take that knowledge and learn how plants reproduce. If you are interested in some of what we will be reading, you can see what they will be reading here. They will also learn how seeds are dispersed. On Wednesday or Thursday, they will conduct a flower dissection. They will be quizzed on Friday. Here are the questions that will be on the test. (1) What is the seed-bearing part of a plant, with reproductive organs (2) What is the part of a flower that is often conspicuously colored? (3) What is the part of a flower stalk where the parts of the flower are attached? (4) What is the sticky part of the pistil that collects pollen? (5) What is the tube-like part of a flower that connects the ovary and stigma? (6) What is the enlarged basal portion of the pistil where ovules are produced? (7) What is part of the stamen that supports the anther of a flower? (8) What is the structure in seed plants that ripens into the seed? (9) What is the part of the stamen where pollen is produced? (10) What are the three ways seeds are dispersed?
Spalding: This week's Spalding regiment will follow the normal pattern. There will be ten new words on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They will review the words on Thursday. The test is on Friday.
Test and Major Assignments
End of Quarter Celebration
We will be having our end of quarter celebration on Friday afternoon. Expect deals to come from the class moms. Everyone is welcome. If you are not fingerprint cleared, please let us know ahead of time so we can accommodate you.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Best,
Michael Naaktgeboren
I hope you are enjoying the last weekend of the first quarter. One more week of hard work and then break.
On Friday, my colleagues and I went to Talkingstick Arena (where the Suns play) to meet with Great Hearts employees from Arizona and to hear from the Great Hearts' leadership. One of the things that first inspired me about Great Hearts and that was rekindled in me yesterday was our pursuit for something greater than helping students become college and career. We do not believe that education's telios, or goal or chief end, is to make children utilitarian citizens. That is a part of education, but it is no the goal.
Instead, education is about something far grander. Something far more beautiful and wonderful. Something we as teachers only do in part alongside the greater community your children dwell in and that you are endeavoring in and have been endeavoring in since their infancy. That is to make happy souls. Souls not simply satisfied by the futile pleasures of meaningless entertainment and amusement, but souls that have experienced the wonder of the universe, that have wrestled with the deeds and thoughts of our western forefathers, that have started to see the mysteries of reality unfold through mathematical investigation, and that have learned to build sounds into words, words into sentences, sentences into essays so full and beautiful that they are worthy of being read. Proper and noble education presses children beyond homework completion and test preparation to long for and to strive for that which is true, good, and beautiful.
And yet, education, true education of the noblest kind, does not limit itself to teaching what is good and right in science, history, math, and grammar. Education of the mind must also impact the soul. In fact, education will always impact the soul, whether for good or for bad. Students, in every deed, no matter how mundane or great, are in the work of training their souls to be virtuous or ignoble. As an educator, my sacred duty is to join you in helping students learn what is right and just, to help them see that nobility is more desirable than easy, and to press them toward the lifelong pursuit of righteous soul formation. Formation of the soul is not something that happens in a moment, or a month, or a year. It happens through a lifetime of making the right and hard decisions no matter what the immediate consequences might be. Soul formation often comes through suffering. I hope to join you in inspiring your child to desire what is true, good, and beautiful so that a love of moral and intellectual virtue develops in them a happy and satisfied soul.
Having expounded my great ambition for my time of educating your child, let me know discuss the more specific things they will learn this week.
Lessons
Grammar/Writing: This week, students will further their study of pronouns with a review of personal pronouns and an introduction to indefinite and interrogative pronouns. Students will spend Wednesday reviewing what they learned this week and will be tested on Thursday.
History: Having looked at the Middle Ages topically, that is by learning about feudalism, the role of surfs, the importance of the church, the lives of women, and other topics, students will now be introduced to important figures of the Middle Ages. This week, students will learn about William the Conqueror, Henry II, and Thomas Becket. There will be a quiz on Thursday. The quiz will be as follows items: (1) list two advantages of living in cities during the Middle Ages, (2) who was famous for her visions and music, (3) who was the first women to earn a living by writing, (4) who crossed the English channel to defeat King Herald to become the King of England, (5) and who established a shield tax and the right to trial by jury?
Literature: Students will continue to read through The Princess and Curdie this week in literature.
Math: Students will be tested on multiplication and division this week. On Friday, they did a review that looked just like the test and they should have brought it home. I recommend a parent or older sibling making word problems similar to the ones given. You could leave the story the same, just change the numbers. Then, have students practice making the bar models for the problems and solve. They also have the regular practice test for homework this weekend. The rest of the week will be spent on teaching multiplication by a two-digit number. They will be tested on this skill on Friday.
Poetry: Students will be expected to recite "Dreams" this week. Time will likely not allow for them to do this as a whole class, so they will likely do it privately for me in the hallway. They should be prepared to do so on Monday, though I may not call them until Friday.
Greek and Latin Roots: Students will take a quiz on the Greek and Latin roots they have learned thus far. This one test is worth 10% of their grade and all of the work they've put in thus far is to prepare them for this one test. Please ensure that they are studying regularly for this test. Here is a Quizlet that can be used to help your child prepare.
Science: Last weeks, students learned the four major parts of a plan: roots, stem, leaves, and flower. They also learned the eleven parts of the flower. This week, students will take that knowledge and learn how plants reproduce. If you are interested in some of what we will be reading, you can see what they will be reading here. They will also learn how seeds are dispersed. On Wednesday or Thursday, they will conduct a flower dissection. They will be quizzed on Friday. Here are the questions that will be on the test. (1) What is the seed-bearing part of a plant, with reproductive organs (2) What is the part of a flower that is often conspicuously colored? (3) What is the part of a flower stalk where the parts of the flower are attached? (4) What is the sticky part of the pistil that collects pollen? (5) What is the tube-like part of a flower that connects the ovary and stigma? (6) What is the enlarged basal portion of the pistil where ovules are produced? (7) What is part of the stamen that supports the anther of a flower? (8) What is the structure in seed plants that ripens into the seed? (9) What is the part of the stamen where pollen is produced? (10) What are the three ways seeds are dispersed?
Spalding: This week's Spalding regiment will follow the normal pattern. There will be ten new words on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They will review the words on Thursday. The test is on Friday.
Test and Major Assignments
- Monday: Friday: Poem "Dreams" Recitation
- Monday: Math Test - Multiplication and Division
- Wednesday: Greek and Latin Roots Test
- Thursday: Cumulative Grammar Test
- Thursday: History Quiz
- Thursday: Math Quiz - Addition
- Friday: Math Test - Multiplication by a 2-Digit Number
- Friday: Science Quiz
- Friday: Spelling Test
End of Quarter Celebration
We will be having our end of quarter celebration on Friday afternoon. Expect deals to come from the class moms. Everyone is welcome. If you are not fingerprint cleared, please let us know ahead of time so we can accommodate you.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Best,
Michael Naaktgeboren