WOH For Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019
Math Rockstars: Confidence and Skill in Math by Sara Kunkel, Middle School math teacher
I love teaching Math. I love watching a student who hasn’t liked Math before become a “Math ROCKSTAR!” It happens every year. Everyone likes something more when they feel successful doing it. Math is no different than many skills in life. The difference is that math has sometimes had a “bad rap” in the past.
Some of the parents I talk with tell me stories of their own parents or teachers telling them that they would never be good at math. Some of these same parents have learned that the best thing they can do for their child’s math journey is to make sure to NOT share these stories. Kids need to hear from their parents that they believe they are capable of doing hard things, that there is help for them if they don’t understand and to feel celebrated when they follow through with their learning. The more confidence I see in students, the better they get at learning the math in class.
Our math curriculum at Hope, Math in Focus, is rigorous and challenging. Students not only learn basic math skills, they are challenged to apply the skills to complicated and in-depth problems. When they respond to the challenge with a willingness to keep fighting forward, these same students find that they can do the math. And once they realize this a few times, they are off and running. They become “Math ROCKSTARS.”
This year, I have had the honor of teaching ALL middle school math. This means that I have two levels of math in my classroom at a time (regular and advanced math) for each grade. By teaching all of the levels of math, I am able to monitor every student’s progress and continue to have my hands in their learning. To accommodate for this change, I have created what is called an “In-Class Flipped Classroom.” I record the lesson for one of the levels, post the video lesson so that students can access them using their iPads, and then have them watch the lesson in class. At the same time, I deliver live instruction to the other level of math. Interestingly enough, I am still able to give them all of the tips, content and encouragement that I can give them “live.” Many of the students prefer the videos because they can watch them again later or pause the video to make sure they have all of the notes written in their journals. And parents, you can watch the videos to reinforce what we are learning in class when you work on homework with your child. The “In-Class Flipped Classroom” is math magic.
I want you all to know that it is an honor to bring confidence and skill to our students at Hope. Not only are they successful while they are here within Hope’s walls, they launch into High School fully prepared for math that they will see in the future. Many of our students are in Honors courses or completely skip a level of math in High School.
Keep encouraging your children to fight for understanding in math. The more successful they feel, the better they will do. And this will give them all of the skills they need to be successful in math for years to come!
Wed. 1/23: 8:40 AM Chapel led by 6th Grade
Jan. 27 to Feb. 1: Lutheran Schools Week
Sunday 1/27: 8:00 AM Preschool Sings at Hope Church / 10:30 AM K-8 Students Sing at Hope Church
Wed. 1/30: 8:40 AM Chapel led by Mrs. Okabayashi
Upcoming Events
Our 2nd General PTH Meeting on Wednesday. February 6th at 6:30 PM
Lutheran Schools Week – Sunday Jan. 27 – Friday, Feb. 1
Each year, we celebrate being part of the Lutheran Schools community during Lutheran Schools Week. This year, the theme of Lutheran Schools week is “All That Is Good”, and we will celebrate this theme all next week.
On Sunday, January 27, please join us at Hope Church as preschool students will be singing at the 8:00 am service and K-8 will be singing at the 10:30 am service. Students will take an online missions trip each day to Peru, as we discover more about student life there. Students will also participate in a hygiene kit service project mid-week, with each student creating a kit to then hand out to someone who needs it. Students in younger grades will create crafts, and then later in the week all grades preschool through 8th will put together good neighbor baskets to deliver to the community around us, which is always a highlight.
New Video about Hope School!
This fall Hope School worked with Compass Creative Co, a videography company, to create a video showcasing our amazing students and the programs, sports and clubs that encompass a Hope School education. We are so proud to show this video to you, and encourage you to share it with others who are looking for a student centered education for their student. New families join the Hope family because a friend or family member has recommended Hope to them. And, don’t forget that current families can receive a $250 tuition credit for recommending a family to Hope school that enrolls with us.
East Coast Trip Monday/Friday Hot Lunch
Order forms will be sent home Tuesday, January 29th and will be due by February 8th. Chicken strips, carrots and chips will replace Hot Dog Mondays. The second half of the year will begin Monday, February 11th and pizza will begin February 22nd. Contact Sally Heit at 206-935-8500 or sheit@hopseattle.org with questions.
PTH General Meeting – February 6 @ 7:00 PM
Come join your PTH Board and learn of the exciting things planned for 2019 and beyond, upcoming PIP opportunities, and more! The meeting will begin promptly at 7:00 pm in the Church Commons. Street side parking may be available as well as in the lot just southwest of the school on 42nd Ave. SW and Oregon.
School Clubs at Hope – Click Here
Chess Scholars winter registration is open https://www.chessscholars.com/signup. Enter class code LWA2.11.19 to register. Register by 10PM on 1/28 for early bird price of $98. Starts Monday, February 11, 2019.
Art Workshop session 1.3 is now open online. You can register here: https://www.rainbowparrotart.com/workshops/
PTH & PIP Opportunities – Click Here
Church News & Activities – Click Here
New Member Class – January 25 & 26, 2019
Are you interested in finding out more about Hope Church? Then join us on Friday, January 25, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 26, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Note: If you are transferring from another LCMS congregation, you only need to attend on Friday night. Pastor Peter will lead us through Hope’s vision on Friday night and on Saturday will provide a greater understanding of the Lutheran faith, its history, and statements of belief. Contact patramueller@hopeseattle.org to sign up or if you have questions.
Open House for Seattle Lutheran High School – Thurs., January 31, 2019, 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Join us for our Open House featuring a look at the exciting courses offered during
J-Term, including our environmental science trip to Costa Rica. It will feature a tour of the facility, as well as interaction with Seattle Lutheran’s faculty and administration. We are located at 4100 SW Genesee Street, Seattle, WA 98116. For more information contact Rachel Bigliardi at 206-937-7722 or visit our website at www.seattlelutheran.org to RSVP for the open house.