How Cool is MY School
A blog by staff, parents, students, etc.How to Support Your Child in Math (3rd-5th)
There are several ways for parents to support their children at home with math concepts being taught in school. Below are some of these ways that do not involve worksheets or the use of a device. Third Grade Use grid paper to create congruent shapes.Identify,...
Teaching Spanish through Art
With very young learners it’s a bit harder to dissect a painting or sculpture than with older students, especially in a foreign language. For many it could be the first time that they are being exposed to something and for extremely young learners they might have...
Benefits of Learning Spanish
One of the best languages to learn for travel. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world and is the official language of 21 countries. If you learn Spanish, you’ll be hard-pressed to go somewhere where at least a few people don’t speak it. This will make...
Gross Motor Skills
I know it has been so stressful for the past few months, at home with young children underfive. Now is such a great time to make a checklist to ensure your little one is on track with development, specifically gross motor skills. Every child is unique with development...
Back to Nature: Healthy Snacks!
Who says eating healthy has to be challenging and expensive? Growing your own healthy food can be a fun and rewarding experience for your family. You don't have to have a green thumb to grow healthy vegetables and fruits. You don't need a large...
Science with Mr. Jeff
This month students have been studying Force and Motion, Natural Hazards, Genetics, and Chemistry. 5th Grade has created marble roller coasters to demonstrate how forces and motion can impact our everyday life. 6th Grade students are creating earth resilient buildings...
Prioritize Meals, Especially Breakfast
If there is one nutritional no-no that takes the cake, skipping meals might be it. For starters, “people who skip meals aren’t getting all of the nutrients they need,” says Mickey Harpaz, Ph.D., exercise physiologist and nutritionist in New York City and Fairfield...
Creating a passion for Reading and Writing
Reading and writing are fundamental practices to communicating in our world, and the more time that children work at developing these skills, they naturally grow into good listeners and more confident communicators. Taking the time to create unique ways for our...
Jam & Learn
Music has the power to get into your brain without asking for your permission and once in, it can imprint good or bad memories. Once in awhile you might hear a song and it brings back a specific event; the feeling, the people, their names, the place, words, phrases,...
Google Chrome Extensions for Special Education Students
1. Readability - Readability is a Google Chrome extension that decreases distractibility by removing images and advertisements. Once these items are removed, the text is customizable (font, size, etc.) to make it easier for each student to read. The text can also be...
Ways to improve time management for students
Let’s be honest. We have all been there. As a parent we have to figure out ways to manage not only our schedule (work, home, personal time), but we have to work out an effective schedule that works out for our kids as well. We have to move past the sticker and chore...
Getting Gritty With It
I love TED Talks. I use them often in my Life Coaching or ELA classes. One of my favorites is by Angela Lee Duckworth. She shares about how she left a very demanding position in consulting to join another very demanding position- middle school math teacher in the New...
Take Control
Even in a regular, boring, and typical year we need to take care of ourselves first in order to care for others. I think it is safe to say you likely wear more than one hat. It could be one of parent, employee, teacher, spouse, friend, among many more. This calendar...
How to Support Your Child in Math (K-2)
There are several ways for parents to support their children at home with math concepts being taught in school. Below are some of these ways that do not involve worksheets or the use of a device. Kindergarten Count objects such as jellybeans in a bowl, pennies in a...
Tips to help relieve anxiety when it comes to choosing face to face learning
It's no secret that right now we are being faced with something many of us have not experienced in our lifetime. And to make matters worse it's not affecting our children and weather a not we choose to go face to face or virtual. Now I'm not going to use this time...
5 Ways to Help Your Child’s Educational Mind at Home
All too often, students are saying the phrase, “I’m not good at math!” Our response as a parent is always, “I wasn’t good either when I was your age, but you have to learn it”. This can seem like the perfect response at the time, but as children progress through the...
Designs Inspired by Nature
First grade is exploring Project Lead The Way's module, Designs Inspired by Nature. In this module, students learn about parents and offspring. They make observations that offspring are like, but not exactly like, their parents. They learn how parents and...
Fine Motor Skills
There are so many kids coming to school without their fine motor skills developed. How can we help these students from the beginning of the year? If you guessed, by introducing fine motor tools to your child than you are correct! Here are some fine motor tools that...