December 2014

Dear Parents,
    We're continuing our Target testing! The testing window involves a variety of evaluations to determine eligibility for the Target program. We cannot share test results until all students have tested. Letters will be mailed the week of December 15th. Target classes will resume when the testing process is over. We look forward to working with our new students in January. Happy Holidays!
    Mrs. Parsons and Mrs. Sanders

November/December 2014

Dear Parents,

   We had a great Fall with our Target students! We are now in full-on testing mode, so we won’t see the students for at least a couple weeks.

    We wrapped up our Shakespeare unit with ‘Shakespeare is my Idol’ and our Shakespeare festival. The students presented modernized versions of a scene from Romeo and Juliet for the judges during ‘Shakespeare is my Idol’.  Students performed individual poetry readings (in costume, of course) for their classmates during our Shakespeare Festival. We really enjoyed our field trip to the Alliance, where we saw a modernized version of Red Badge of Courage and honed our acting skills with professional acting coaches. Special thanks to our guest acting coaches, Ms. Rachel, as well as one of our Target parents, Mrs. Perry. 

    We concluded our River unit with The Streammie Awards (like the Emmy’s but much more prestigious and based on our River Unit). The students wrote acceptance speeches to reflect on all they have learned. They gave their speeches as they received an award and edible trophy. We were disappointed that the 4^th graders weren’t able to make it to the stream one last time, but we brought the stream to us for some final chemical testing. All is well at Rubes creek!

     Second grade culminated their PACE unit of study with Multiple Intelligences projects. They have been working so hard on their primary algebra and critical thinking skills. We are looking forward to diving into their first content-based unit of study in the Spring.

    We are working hard on our Spring units – but we aren’t announcing them quite yet! Stay tuned!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

Mrs. Parsons and Mrs. Sanders

October 2014

Dear Parents,

    We’ve had a great start to our Fall units!

     Second and Third Grade Target Students began the year with a mini-STEAM unit called Geronimo!  They learned how air dynamics powered parachutes so that they could create their own.  After designing and creating their group parachute; they had fun seeing how they working outside.  They learned a lot about how structure, elements, and materials can effect a smooth ride from air to ground.

      In our Life is River unit for 3^rd and 4^th grades, we’ve been learning about the natural and man-made water cycles. We visited a water treatment facility that uses innovative designs to clean wastewater to be returned to the river. Ask your child about the “spaghetti filter”. This week, we will be training for our creek water analysis. We are looking forward to our first creek visits on October 28^th and 31^st. Be on the lookout for a field trip permission form in your child’s Target folder.

    Our 4^th and 5^th Graders enjoyed visiting Yellowstone National Park in our mini STEAM Unit: Energy, Ecosystems and Eruptions!  Ranger Sanders and Ranger Parsons guided the students on a park adventure that kept everyone engaged.  They especially found the making and demo of our geysers exciting.  We finished our park adventure with  a “campfire” and smores while sharing cowboy stories and reflections.

    Our 5^th graders have traveled back in time for the Reinventing Shakespere unit. The Bard have been working on their acting skills through tableaux exercises and improv. The students did a phenomenal job on their Shakespeare Tic Tac Toe menus. We had some very creative presentations! We are looking forward to our upcoming field trip to the Alliance theatre on October 30^th and our Alliance In-school Imrov Workshop on November 6^th.  Watch for more information on both of these activities. 

    Second Grade Target Students have been enjoying our PACE Unit and STEAM activities. They have been working hard to master primary algebraic standards, understand thinking skills and thinking styles, and enjoying affective lessons that encompass making smart choices.  Second Grade knows how to use their divergent thinking skills to create and invent new and unique products.  They are strengthening their collaboration and communication skills during partner and team activities.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Thanks for your support,

         Mrs. Parsons and Mrs. Sanders

Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year

 We look forward to a year of learning, laughter and making memories. Please come to our Target Parent Orientation on August 20th at 8:10 am in the Media Center for important information about Target in the upcoming year. We hope to see you there.

Dissection

Dear Parents,
    STEMsations was a huge success! High Touch High Tech scientists commented on the depth of knowledge that our students showed about shark anatomy. Studying for the tests was well worth the effort.       Thank you so much to all the parent volunteers for braving the cold weather to dissect. Special thank you to Kris McBride and the AppAttack club for documenting our day. We've had great reflections and discussions about what we learned from our hands on experience.
    2nd and 3rd graders also had the opportunity to experience dissection. As we've studied the heart and it's functions, it was beneficial to see an actual pigs heart and be able to label it's parts. It's so much different than labeling a diagram! We were proud to provide this valuable experience to our younger students. Hopefully, it prepares them for future dissections.
    Genius Hour projects have been fantastic! We are so pleased with the students and their hard work. The research based questions have been meaningful and led to interesting oral presentations. We are looking forward to more presentations in the coming weeks.
                     Thanks for your support,
                               Mrs. Parsons and Mrs. Sanders

Target News and Upcoming Events

                                            

      On April 8th, 4th and 5th grade Target students will participate in STEMsations! Permission slips are money are due ASAP! We are still in need of volunteers for this event. We sent home some half-sheets with a request. Please return if you would like to participate. 

      Shark test re-takes are going on now. Students may re-take on Tuesday, March 25 and Thursday, March 27th in the morning. Students are required to pass the tests to ensure that they understand shark anatomy prior to dissection. 

       Genius hour presentations for all grade levels begin in April. Make sure your child is aware of his or her date and is prepared for his or her presentation. Please see the parent information sheet and reminder that will be sent home by next week. 

                    Thanks for your support, 

                                    Nancy Parsons and Nora Sanders

Updates

February 2, 2014

Dear Parents,
    I hope you enjoyed the snow! It was fun to see the kids get so excited when the flakes started falling. We've done some cold-weather STEM activities recently (building a snowman hut and designing a winter coat) so hopefully the children were able to make some connections through their real-world experiences.
    We've been having lots of fun in Target! We're now well into our units (Heart for 2nd and 3rd and Predators of the Underwater Biome for 4th and 5th). The first graders are learning to be successful Target students through the PACE unit.
    We'll be sending some information about Genius Hour soon so please be on the lookout! Also, please remember to sign and return your child's Target Tally each week. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at Nancy.Parsons@cobbk12.org or Nora.Sanders@cobbk12.org.
                         Thanks for your support,
                               Mrs. Parsons & Mrs. Sanders

From Mrs. Sanders

Dear Families,

    Happy New Year! I hope you had a relaxing holiday break. My name is Nora Sanders and I will be your child’s new Target teacher.  This is my 7^th year as an elementary school teacher. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2007 and my Gifted Endorsement in 2011. I have a passion for teaching gifted students so I am excited about the opportunity to teach Target here at Davis.

     I am looking forward to working with you and your child in reaching his or her full potential. We will have many exciting experiences to learn and grow in the days, weeks and months ahead.  I believe that communication is key to a great parent-teacher relationship. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can e-mail me at Nora.Sanders@cobbk12.org or call me at 678-494-7636. I will do my part by periodically updating you on what we are learning in class as well as upcoming events. For individual concerns, I will contact you by phone, send a note or e-mail you. Again, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

     I would like the opportunity to meet all of you, so I am hosting a Meet and Greet on January 21^st from 7:15am-7:45am. I will be serving breakfast treats, of course! My classroom is Mrs. Ennever’s old room in the fifth grade hallway. Please stop by if you can.

    I look forward to a happy and productive year with your child.

               Thanks for your support,

                                      Nora Sanders