We hope that you had a great weekend! This week we are moving right along with our next deep dive in our relationship/community building focus in the Early Childhood building. Our focus this week is all about Project Based Learning (PBL) and how we use this learning system in building community.

Project Based Learning gives students an opportunity to learn content standards by posing a meaningful question to explore and engage in a real world problem to solve, or a challenge to design or create something. Students do this by inquiring about the topic by asking questions and developing their own answers. Students then create high-quality products and present their work to other people. Students often learn success skills through PBL such as critical thinking, problem solving, and working collaboratively with their peers. Below are current units that some of our grade levels are focusing on to build community and connection within their classrooms and our larger community.

Our Kindergarteners are currently learning about communities by working to answer this question...How can we, as authors, teach others about our classroom community? The students are exploring various types of ways to build a classroom community. They are using team building activities to get to know one other, establish classroom norms and start to build relationships with one another. Students will use number sense and pre-writing skills to create and publish a classroom book that can be shared with families/our school to educate them on their classroom and community members.

First graders are learning about communities by working to answer this question; How can we, as PCS cartographers, help new families experience our special school space? 1st grade students will be asked by school leaders to help create a fun and memorable tour of the school so that new families can find and learn about each special space. Students will build on prior learned community skills to help them learn more about the school community and they will dig into teamwork skills and learn about the importance of roles to support the outcome of the final product.

In this project, students will learn mapping and other geography skills to help them create maps to be used during new family orientation/open houses that guide others throughout the building. Students will additionally learn narrative writing skills so that they can write and tell stories about the special places that their maps lead to. Teams will present their maps to cartographers to gain feedback and they will present their final maps and stories to school leaders during a practice open house. Student maps and stories will be used throughout the year with 1st grade volunteers to help run the tours.

Library News:

There is a new government benefit to help families afford internet service. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), provides eligible households with a discount on internet services and devices. You qualify if you (or someone in your household) participates in at least one of these programs:

Free and reduced-price school lunch
Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, EBT
SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance
Lifeline
And more

OR

Your household income is at or below a certain amount (e.g. $55,500/year for a family of four, $27,180/year for an individual).

Click on the link www.GetMyInternet.org to find out more or to apply!

Department to Highlight:

We have so many amazing coaches and support staff that help to create a positive environment for our teachers and students. Check out our coaches and EC specialists.