April Update

Sumac L-STEM Elementary proudly facilitates the LVUSD six dispositions of our Student 360 initiative every day. We design the learning environment to promote autonomy and independence, collaborative communities, empathy and understanding, mindfulness and thoughtfulness, persistence and grit, and positive mindset. We know that the cultivation of these dispositions support learning and success in school and in life.

Our focus for April is persistence and grit. In our classes we will highlight the core practice of students engaging and persevering at points of difficulty, challenge, or error. We know that mistakes are a valued part of the learning process.

As written in the education blog, The Edvocate , grit, “ is defined by University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth as ‘perseverance and passion for long-term goals.’ According to Duckworth, grit is a better indicator of future success than IQ or talent. It’s a combination of determination, focus, passion, and resilience. It’s the ability to persevere in the face of challenges and failure.” At home you can continue this effort with many ways to develop grit in your child.

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Here at school we will be building grit as we deliver the curriculum. For the next month, our grades will be focusing on the following:
 
The dual team has been working on oral language themes across the grade levels. J, First, Second, and Third Grade are enjoying the use of seesaw digital portfolios to showcase students' work.

First Grade will be focusing on Earth Day curriculum, opinion writing, measurement, time, our nutrition units learning about healthy choices, biographies, and practicing kindness in a variety of ways.

Second Grade will be focusing on good citizenship and becoming stewards of our Earth, celebrating Earth Day, and learning to take care of our planet and natural resources. The literacy skills developed will be point of view, summarizing, and continuing reading comprehension with a focus on theme. Math will center around money and time in English and Spanish. Opinion writing and writing an autobiography about their lives will round out the month.

Third grade will be focusing on raising mealworms and creating/editing videos of them. They will be working on engineering challenges (Tally: rockets; Seideman: billboards from The One and Only Ivan ) for the engineering fair in May. Miss Seideman's class will also be making creative booklets and videos to go with it on Seesaw. In addition, third grade Dual will be working on opinion writing, "All About" books, digital stories, and green screen movie projects to be showcased at open house!

Fourth and Fifth grade dual classes are in the process of publishing their own books. They have spent the last three months writing their own story and using peer editors to help with this. After spring break they will be designing a dedication page, about the author page, and drawing illustrations for their books. There will be an Author's Breakfast later in May where parents and students can view their books.

Fifth grade traditional has been working on opinion writing using their Outdoor Ed experience, designing their own fractional school playgrounds, and learning about Colonial America.