One of the things we do on the last day of school - usually - is to watch a massive slide show and remember our year in pictures and video clips. This year, that's happening right here - remotely. Here is the third installment in our Once a Hoggatteer... slide show.
We're in the mood for a little reminiscing. This is the second video of random pictures to help us remember some of the people and activities we did during our 2019/20 school year. After working on next Friday's special presentation about the Oklahoma City Bombing on April 19, 1995, I am back to getting the regular HOGGATTEERS@HOME lessons posted. Lesson 17 is an emotional one, in that it has George Washington putting a stop to a military coup that would have altered our current lifestyle and the freedoms we hold dear in the United States. Some time afterward, the commander-in-chief did the unthinkable and resigned his commission in hopes of returning to Mount Vernon to live his final years on the farm with Martha. These are two events in which we hear that the people in the room cried tears. Their leader, the now-humble man, was going home.
On Thursday, Governor Parsons called off the rest of our school year. It wasn't much of a surprise to most of us: we had hoped to return for a week or two at the end of the year, but that hope has now been removed. It means we no longer have the chance to do all the things we do during the final quarter of the year. That said, let us begin the year end celebrations today! Here is the first of a number of videos to help us remember the glories that have been your fourth grade school year as a Hoggatteer. Note: these pictures are not sorted, so they do not appear in order. Enjoy! As students continue to send me pictures of their work and activities (the latest batch below), I am preparing a special collection to be made available as we approach a specific date.
This special presentation will unlock one week from today! This presentation does not really fit with the other lesson sets in our HOGGATTEERS@HOME collection, except in one way: the terrorist who detonated the bomb was wearing a t-shirt with a historical message. On the front of his shirt was the quote from John Wilkes Booth (President Lincoln's assassin): Sic semper tyrannis! The back of the shirt displayed a quote from Founding Father Thomas Jefferson: "The tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of patriots."
Since the presentation is a unique one, it is not really interactive. Instead, I am creating longer videos myself in an attempt to make the story more personal. There will only be a couple of videos that I have curated from elsewhere. In person, my account keeps a class' attention for a full day. Hopefully, it will not lose too much in the delivery, this time. Spring Break gave me some time to put together our second 4D, History Over Time Puzzle. This one starts as a traditional puzzle of 1864 Washington, DC. A second puzzle layer is then constructed on top of the original puzzle. This puzzle is comprised of foam pieces, laminated with the image on one side. This puzzle shows the modern city. Finally, the white buildings are punched out, and plastic, three-dimensional buildings to represent the iconic structures of Washington, DC. A poster included in the box tells of the order the structures were completed, so the puzzler places them into the puzzle in that same order. In this way, we can see the city grow as it actually did. I made a couple of "drone" fly-over videos of the completed product.
Today, we're exploring some of the frequently asked questions that come from parents about Distance Learning for Hoggatteers.
Q: What if I am struggling to understand something in the assigned work? A: Again, please ask. You may send your concerns to me via ClassDojo or email.
Q: Do you have any other advice? A: Take plenty of recesses, drink lots of water, practice safe hygiene, listen to the authorities, and, once in a while, be spontaneous and conduct a fire drill. Finally, Lesson Set 16 is now available on the HOGGATTEERS@HOME website. This one covers 401 years of history, including the following:
With a planned trip to Virginia to live at Colonial Williamsburg for the summer teacher institute, I thought it important to learn more about the place. The video here tells about how the restoration of Williamsburg began with a visit to the area by the wealthy John D. Rockefeller and his wife. What is everyone doing out there? Yesterday I completed the 15th lesson set for our HOGGATTEERS@HOME learning website. While I did that, I also listened to some bluegrass music. Somewhere in there, I rearranged the family photos that line both sides of the stairway, making room for more to come in the next few years. I also worked on some ideas for the upcoming Veterans Day presentation. Television for me has included watching two movies on Disney+: the first being the newest Pixar release, Onward. This one had just enough heart to overcome my least favorite genre, fantasy involving magic.
 Now, as for the 15th lesson set, here is the general content to expect:
Mrs. Geary, our MSSU teacher-candidate for the semester, has checked in with the following message: For the rest of the semester, our professors have changed the setting in which we have observations now from in the classroom to video observation that they find for us to watch. This makes me sad as it comes to a close with being in your classroom. I have truly learned how to authentically teach and strategies to bring with me when I get in the classroom. I want to thank you and your students for being inviting and have truly enjoyed spending time with each one of the students and you. You and all the teachers and staff at Cecil Floyd have been in my thoughts as you adjust to this new transition and the steps you will all make for the success of the students. Very thankful that I got to be a part of your classroom and you are a fantastic teacher. Unfortunately, with the uncharacteristic number of absences I had during the third quarter, Mrs. Geary's observation experience was hardly optimal. She did get to see substitute teachers, and she did observe and help in the class next door, but there was so much more that she could have gleaned from Room 404. I had hoped to bestow more wisdom than I did, and I was looking forward to seeing her teach her Reading lesson.
But the times dictate our current actions. As I stated in my response to Mrs. Geary's message, "Keep in touch and take note of this unique moment when the entire planet shares a single history. I pray that it all ends soon, that our levels of health and safety return to normal, and that our economy recovers quickly. We still have a long way to go."
As always, students can use ClassDojo or email to contact me, send me pictures, and send me questions.
And here is Lesson Set 14:
How many tried to make music with glasses back in Lesson Set Seven? Here are some attempts made by one student:
 Our own YASHVI competed in the regional Math League competition, last week, and came out on top, ultimately qualifying to compete at the state level. She is the top competitor in our region, scoring First Place overall. In individual fourth grade rounds, YASHVI's results are as follows:
Because of her performance, Cecil Floyd Elementary scored Second Place for Sweepstakes. We anticipate the day when we can congratulate this amazing girl in person.
So yes, life goes on for the creatures of the natural world. How encouraging that should be for you and me! My thanks to ELLA's family for sharing this experience.
Well, for a few weeks now, we've all been living in the hope that our news cycle has been a bad April Fool's joke. This is the day that somebody stands behind a lectern and announces, "April Fools!" Right? That's going to happen today, right? Nope? That's disappointing. Anyway, how about the following unbelievable April Fool's videos? These may sound believable, but think again.
Here's something else - a whole website with all the accoutrements about a species that really does not exist. What do you think about The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus.
All of this demonstrates how important it is that we check our sources before passing something off as real. Sometimes that can be a difficult task - especially when the videos, magazines, and videos are so well-produced. Of course, you should always remember what Abraham Lincoln once warned: "Don't believe everything you read on the internet." |
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