02 September 2014
Greetings
to families and students,
For
those who are interested, I will begin with a little bit about myself (for
those who aren't, feel free to skip). I grew up in Ottawa, with my parents
working in the federal civil service. I earned my B.A. in English Literature
from Western University in London, and my B.Ed from York University. I have an
eye to beginning a masters of education this year, with a focus on education
around the world, what works and what doesn't, but time commitments, my desire
to put my full effort into this school year, and my three wonderful (maniac?)
children at home will likely put it off for a year or two. I spent two years
working in the newsroom at CBC television before moving into teaching with the
Toronto Catholic board. We moved to Grey County a few years ago to be close to
my wife's family. In Grey County we've found community and friendships, and I
couldn't imagine a better place to raise my kids. This is my 9th year in the
classroom, with 5 years in French, 2 in grade six, and 1 year teaching grade
three.
I
am a lover of books, and usually have a good novel on the go. I enjoy art of
all kinds, and spent time this summer touring galleries in Ottawa, Toronto,
Boston, and New York. I'm an avid amateur historian, and try to spend a portion
of each evening studying an reading histories for enjoyment. As a writer, I
have begun work on my first novel, and am very nearly finished. It is a historical
fiction for young readers spanning the years 1939 to 1946, and I am looking at
a publication date sometime in 2015. Science is the other great interest of
mine and I find conveying the wonders and magic of science to students of this
age one of the most enjoyable parts of the job.
Communication
I
want you involved in your child's education this year. I want to be partners,
and I want communication to be regular and ongoing.
·
email:
Please email at any time, it's much more efficient than phone, and I can
respond within a few hours.
·
Class
Website: I will be posting regular updates to the class site. Any class news
(field trips, upcoming tests, etc...) along with updates as to what we're
currently working on, will be posted online daily. Please check the site
regularly.
·
Twitter:
The class Twitter feed will be updated regularly, feel free to follow. Everything
will be posted to the class website, but just the important items will be sent
to Twitter. So, if you follow on Twitter, you'll get just the highlights, if
you read the website, you'll get everything.
·
Agendas:
If you prefer to communicate using the agenda, that is fine, just remind your
child to tell me to read it, as I will not be checking each agendas every day.
·
Phone:
It is difficult to reach me by phone, but I do check my messages regularly.
·
Personal
meetings: Come anytime, I love to talk about what I'm up to and I'm always
interested in hearing parent's perspective on things. I would like to meet with you in
the first two weeks of school. I will be in the classroom before school
for an hour, and after school for an hour.
Please come and talk, no appointment necessary. I just want to meet and
chat about your goals for your child's learning this year.
Standards
Expectations
will be high this year. I know the potential of every student in the class, and
I expect them to reach it. I am not interested in students competing to be the
best in the class, I am not greatly concerned with every student getting an A.
I am seriously concerned with students competing with themselves, with students
improving month over month, and with students making their time spent in class
worthwhile. I am available for discussions on this philosophy if you'd like to
talk about your child's potential, and what goals they can set for the year.
Grade
6 and 7 are crucial years of preparation for high school. My goal this year is
to give every child the tools they need in order to succeed at whatever they
choose down the road. I use a work hard, play hard model. We will have a great
year, gym will be a lot of fun, lots of great drama and art, and I'm planning
some pretty good field trips. The students will have no shortage of good
memories this year, but there will be a time for fun, and a time for work.
During work time I will be expecting that students put in their full effort the
entire time.
Homework
There
will be homework every night. Even if a student has completed all their work
for the day, they will be expected to review in the evening. Each student separately
will decide, with me, how much they are going to commit to each night. Students
can choose anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour of study each night, but
whatever they choose, they are expected see through. Parents are encouraged to
set a standard time for study that is consistent each night (as soon as they
get home, right before dinner, before they go to bed, etc...). Discussions will
be had in class as to how best to spend time studying.
Bullying and Safety
There
will be no tolerance for behaviour that undermines the learning environment of
the class. Rest assured that you will be fully informed of any bullying or
safety issues and I will not allow a student into my room if I feel they pose a
threat, physical or emotional, towards another student. I take this very
seriously. I will work every day to make sure that this class is one that is compassionate
towards one another, one that supports each other other in their learning, and
one that celebrates students who are succeeding at what they've sought to
achieve. Each student will be encouraged to become intellectually curious and
to show off their curiosity and I will not tolerate a student who obstructs
another student from demonstrating what they know or what they want to know.
With
that said, I do not foresee any problems of this nature at all. I have great
respect for each student in the class, and I aim to earn and keep their respect
everyday. I am confident that any issues that arise can be dealt with in a
reasonable manner before they are allowed to escalate. The students are going
to be encouraged to demonstrate maturity and levelheadedness whenever they are
dealing with a conflict (and given that I've seen each and every student in
this class be able to demonstrate maturity and levelheadedness in the past, I
have no reason to expect anything different this year). Sorry kids, I know how
great you can be, I've seen it, and I'm not going to put up with anything less!
Attentiveness
At
times class will be very unstructured. Students will have great amounts of time
to talk, explore, use the ipads, move about the room, and work at their own
pace. At other times, class will be focussed. At these times, when I or another
student is speaking, or when it is time for quite work, I expect full attention
and absolutely zero distractions from the class. I will keep you informed if
your child struggles with this expectation.
Gym
Gym
will be active, rigorous and fun. Participation is requisite for every student,
they will not be excused unless circumstances warrant it (ie. injury). Seperate clothes for gym are mandatory (running shoes,
t-shirts, shorts, yoga pants, etc...). Students will be expected to change
before and after each gym period, and will be given shorts and a t-shirt if
they have forgotten theirs. Students are very strongly encouraged not to forget
their gym clothes. Deodorant and proper hygiene are expected for students of
this age.
Lego
Can
you spare a handful of Lego? Please donate. It will be part of out study of
structures and design.
Character
Education
I
aim to educate the students to be good, caring, and thoughtful young men and
women. If there is an overall theme to the year, or a big idea, it is that
beauty is all around. The world is a beautiful place, and life is a beautiful
gift. It is to these students to grow up being proud of who they are, confident
in their own abilities, and in awe of the world around them. I will assist them
on this journey, and give them the tools they need to take advantage of all the
wonderful opportunities that lay before them.
Thank
You,
Marty
Elkins
marty_elkins@bwdsb.on.ca
Class
Website: www.67beavercrest.blogspot.ca
Twitter:
@martyelkins
