Light Principles 2

Field Trip Updates

2

Mythbusters: Student Misconceptions

2

Robotics Lego League

3

Inside this

issue:

This repeat of last year’s

information will be helpful

for new parents to the

high cap program.

DOWL stands for “Daily

Oral, Written Language”

and is sent home

everyday for grades 2-3

as homework for

handwriting improvement.

Dowl sentences include

facts about our current

unit for improved

SEDRO-WOOLLEY SD 101

ELEMENTARY HIGHLY CAPABLE PROGRAM

October 2, 2015

Volume 2, Issue 1

FROM THE DESK OF

MRS. KUUSELA…

Special points

of interest:

Weekly Class Work

DOWL gr. 2-3

Friday Homework

gr. 4-5

Mythbusters-

student

misconceptions

about their world

Lessons Preparing

for Impressionist

exhibit

Field Trip Dates

MC Escher’s Eye Self Portrait 1946

Another Year of High Cap Has Begun In a

New Basement Location

Moving rooms after

seven years can be

daunting with

accumulations from

previous years and other

teachers. This year we

have moved to the

basement, room 5, at

Central. The room is

cozy and dark, which you

wouldn’t think a teacher

would like; however, the

darkness is perfect to

work on light experiments

and show online images.

Last year we had to

huddle around my

teacher computer screen

to see, whereas this year

images are clearly

magnified on the front

board. The effort of

moving has been worth it.

As far as student

progress in the regular

program, I have checked

with all the teachers and

have not heard any

negative responses. Our

small grade level groups

seem to look forward to

our meeting everyday.

Grades 2-3 have a daily

fact writing assignment about

light, while 4-5 receive

weekly homework

observations. Students need

to remember to bring

completed homework back in

order to get credit.

Please feel free to contact

me at the email address

below if there are any

problems with buses,

breakfasts, or regular ed

classrooms.

Email:

mkuusela@swsd.k12.wa.us

the end of the trimester.

As for grades 4-5, they are

given weekend homework

assignments on Friday

which should be returned

completed the following

Monday. The first week’s

assignment was to observe

an object at noon and dusk

to see how color is effected

by different light.

Another incentive for

students to complete their

work on a daily basis and

return their homework is the

biweekly cookie party.

Cookies that my mother

makes have been favorites

for years and work wonders

for lighting fires under

procrastinating workers!

Haystacks by Claude Monet 1890-91

DOWL?? ….WEEKLY HOMEWORK?

What to Expect

comprehension. The first

two weeks have focused

on the principles of light.

The students earn one

point daily for satisfactory

handwriting, and finding

vocabulary definitions of

unknown words. The

points are recorded on

their daily Resource

Room Agenda which you

should sign and return

every two weeks. The

agenda will be located in

their binder. The DOWL

points will be part of the

progress report grades

that go out every 6 weeks

and with the regular

classroom report card at

Science Probes are problems

given to students before

beginning a unit of study to find

out where their

misunderstandings lie. The probe

“Apple in the Dark” is attached to

this newsletter to show you the

first probe given to our group.

Take the probe yourself and then

discuss the correct answer with

your child. It is amazing how

The section showing the apple in

the dark test starts about 55

minutes into the video. The whole

program is very informative about

teachers trying to over come

misconceptions.

many myths we hold as true and

continue to hold onto as we age.

A great video was shown about a

middle school student who was

asked the same question. The

video Workshop 5 “Can we

believe our own eyes?” probes

students on their beliefs and how

they hold onto

misunderstandings, even when

they are proven to be false.

http://www.learner.org/

workshops/privuniv/pup05.html

Page 2 FROM THE DESK OF MRS. KUUSELA…

Light Principles: Reflection, Refraction and Spectrum

students will learn which type of

lens magnify or minify an image.

They will also begin to understand

why our eye first sees images

upside down and then how the

brain translates it to an upright

position.

The third group of investigations

involves prism experiments by

bending light to create the visible

For the first two weeks of high

cap, the students will be

experimenting with white light

reflection, refracting lenses and

visible light spectrum.

The first investigation’s focus is

on the direction of white light

when reflected by mirrors. The

basic principle that light waves

travel in straight lines guides their

prediction for mirror placement to

move light in a variety of

challenges.

The second group of

investigations involves refraction

of light through convex and

concave lenses. Utilizing hands

on discovery challenges, the

color spectrum. This section

introduces students to

wavelengths of specific colors,

the process of refraction to

separate color bands from white

light and the order of light

spectrums Roy G Biv.

After Light Principle investigations

are completed, we will study the

human eye structure and what

happens when we see colored

images. All this leads us to

discover: Why was light and color

so important to the Impressionist

painters? How did changing light

effect their painting? Most

importantly as a painter, How can

you paint colors accurately and

not be fooled by your brain’s

misconception of what you see?

Our first field trip to the Seattle

Art Museum exhibit “Intimate

Impressionism” will take place on

Wednesday, December 9. We

will leave Central at 8:30 am and

return around 4:00pm. Further

information will follow closer to

the date; however, I would like to

know how many parents want to

attend as chaperones. The cost

is $25 for each adult, students’

admissions will be $5. We will ride

a school bus to the Museum and

parents are free to join us or drive

down separately with their own

child. The tour begins at 10:40

a.m. Please email Mrs. Kuusela

by Friday, November 6 to reserve

a spot on the trip. We were asked

to limit chaperones to no more

than 10 adults by the museum.

Since we have a set number of

spaces, no brothers or sisters can

come with the parent chaperone.

We plan to be at the museum

from 10:30-2pm. The students

will be able to eat sack lunches in

a museum room right after our

tour and then groups are free to

examine the rest of the museum

until 2pm when we depart.

Madame Monet and Her Son

Auguste Renoir 1874

Field Trip Updates

Mythbusters:

Student

Misconceptions

Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 3

October

Disability History Month

Fire Prevention Week, 4th

– 10th

National School Lunch Week, 12th

– 16th

National School Bus Safety Week, 19th

– 23rd

Thursday, 10/1/15 Fall Picture Day – Staff can begin at 8:30 a.m. –

i.d. tags should be ready immediately

CPG Meeting, Library, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, 10/6/15 Central Math Night, 6 – 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, 10/7/15 Parent Group fudge bar sales at lunches – 75 cents

First ASB Meeting today, Room 3, 12:25 – 12:55

Thursday, 10/8/15 Fire Prevention Assemblies:

2nd

& 3rd

grades: 10:40

K & 1st

grades: 1:15

Fall Fundraiser kick-off, Gym, 2:45 – 3:15

October School Calendar

CLASS IN ACTION

Reflection and Refraction Investigations grades 4-5

*Robotics Lego League* Sign up at Math Night Tuesday, October 6th at

Central 6-7pm

Math Night Flier is attached to this newsletter

Friday, 10/16/15 First ME Luncheon

10/19/15 thru 10/21/15 Cub Strong Days (formerly Challenge Day)

Monday, 10/19/15 FLEX Enrollment, Section 125 appts with Huong Thai, Speech Room, 7 a.m. - 2

Wednesday, 10/21/15 Parent Group fudge bar sales at lunches – 75 cents

ASB Meeting today, Room 3, 12:25 – 12:55

Tuesday, 9/22/15 Flu Clinic, SWHS Cafeteria, 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, 10/28/15 Early Release, 12:30, for Elementary Conferences

Thursday, 10/29/15 Early Release, 12:30, for Elementary Conferences Friday, 10/30/15

Non-student day, for Elementary Conferences

Tuesday, October 6th

6:00-7:30PM

Central School Gym

Fun math games for all grade levels

INCLUDING: Online math resources

There will also be a Lego display with sign-ups for an after

school activity called

Lego League.

Refreshments and Door Prizes!

Return to Regular Classroom Teacher

Please indicate below how many will attend. (Children must be accompanied by

an adult.)

Adults____________________Children__________________