Stone Newsletter

2800 Stone School Road Ann Arbor, MI 48104

We’re on the Web!! www.a2stone.org/

Stone Chips By Wendy Reinhardt

734-997-1237 Office 734-997-1261 Fax

S T O N E H I G H S C H O O L H O M E O F T H E B U L L D O G S !

Scholarships at Stone or

What is Strive??

Strive is a scholarship competi-tion that was established by the Ann Arbor Rotary Club and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation ten years ago. These scholarships to Washte-naw Community College are exclusively for Stone High School Seniors.

To become involved in the com-petition, students must sign up in the counselors’ office, after which their senior year grade point average (GPA) will be compared to the GPA they originally brought with them to Stone. Students must maintain a 2.0 during their senior year and have good attendance. Ap-proximately 16 scholarships, ranging from $500 to $2500, will be awarded in May before graduation.

In addition to the many scholar-ships, students enrolled in the program will receive additional opportunities and incentives through out the year and may be offered summer employment

within the students’ interest area. See Ms. Slater for more information!

SOS (Still Opting for Success)

This is a chance for students to stay after school (7th hour) on Monday, Tuesday and/or Thurs-day to do homework, get help from a teacher, use computers and other school resources, and to erase tardies. Students who fail to do their Lunch Detention for tardies will be given an SOS. If they choose not to stay for SOS, they will have a Commu-nity Service obligation with Mr. Micou (this involves lots of cleaning up around school!).

SAID (Student Awareness, Involvement & Development)

By the time you read this, the SAID Conference 2008 will be history. SHS will have had twenty guest speakers from the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Commu-nity sharing their stories and their resources with our stu-dents. Ask your son if he learned anything about life in the NBA, careers in nursing, or how to keep haircut equipment

Counselor, Wendy Reinhardt (left) holds the basket for the weekly $10.00 Golden draw-ing for perfect student atten-dance.

in good shape. Maybe your daughter showed you her free pass to Bally’s Total Fitness or her GED practice test score. Did anyone offer to teach you Capoeira, a combination of Afro-Brazilian martial arts, games and dance? Perhaps your student will be a little quieter than usual as he/she ponders the consequences of domestic violence or HIV infection. These sessions and many more are an annual event at Stone, organized by RAHS (our school-based clinic) and supported by Stone Staff. Stay tuned: next year we may ask for YOUR story!

Calendar Highlights November 20, 21, 24 & Dec. 1 – Mobile Dentists for Stone students

November 24 – last day of Fall Trimester (Happy Thanksgiving!)

December 1 – beginning of Winter Trimester

December 4 – grades from Fall Trimester available

December 4 – fundraiser: “lia Sophia” jewelry sale at Stone 2:00 pm

December 9—PTSO, 6:00—7:00 pm Stone Media Center

March 10, 11, 12—MME (Michigan Merit Exam) All 11th graders must take the MME in order to graduate from AAPS. Test prepara-tion will be happening in many classes and also after school.

t is with pleasure that I take over the

reins as the new principal of Stone High School. This is my 27th year of working in the field of education and I continue to believe in the power of making positive connections with students to ensure success. We look forward to a festive winter as we launch our first high school newsletter, Stone Works, for our parents and community. Stone Works is written by the Stone school staff and students. There are many exciting things happen-ing at Stone school that we want to share with you.

Please take a few minutes and enjoy reading about events and classes that your sons and daughters are involved with. Parents and care givers, we are committed to starting a Stone school PTSO, I cannot imagine a school without our parents being an integral part of the school functions. Therefore parents, we would like to invite you to our PTSO meeting in the Stone Media Center the second Tuesday of every month start-ing in December. The meeting will start at 6:00 pm and shouldn’t last more than an hour. The purpose of the Stone PTSO is to get our parents involved in exciting activities

while adding their support for the success of their students at Stone. We welcome our par-ents to the high school and encourage you to get involved as we move in a new direc-tion. Studies show that stu-dent learning and connection to school increases when their parents are involved within the school. We really are a village when it comes to our kids! We truly hope you can join us on December 9th for our first PTSO meeting. So sit back, get to know what is happening at Stone High, and please enjoy our first newsletter!

—Sheila

From the Principal’s Desk By Sheila Brown

S T O N E H I G H S C H O O L H O M E O F T H E B U L L D O G S !

November 2008

Stone High Character Cultivation Project Alive and Well By Joanna Johnson

Sheila A. Brown

Stone High School is launching the next phase of its Character Cultivation Project. A project started in the 06-07 school year, the staff sought to improve the social consciousness of the Stone student body while also building academic resilience credited to the goal of graduation. Each phase of the project has been progressive, strategic, and centered on fostering character growth. For the 08-09 school year, Stone staff, in conjunction with Student Council, will be launching the next phase, the Bulldog Merit System. Fo-cused on combining the traits and skills of character education and fundamental societal functions, the Bulldog Merit System will aim to create polished community members.

As a culminating activity and reward for successful participation, each Stone student will have the opportunity to win a trip to Cedar Point by improving their grades, attendance and/or demonstrating exemplary character. As we launch this project with the end goal of shaping future leaders and active community members, we invite you, our community, to support this initiative. At this time, we are seeking sponsors for our spring Cedar Point trip. If you, or your organization, are interested in helping celebrate the successes of our student body, please contact Student Council advisors, Brittiany McCree ([email protected]) or Joanna Johnson ([email protected]).

Classroom Connect

By, Rian Burke, Teacher

Every teacher knows that stu-dents can get restless in class. It is my belief that if any particular ac-tivity takes too long, the kids might tune out eventually. We also know that the more activities we do, the more differentiated learning is and the more of the multiple intelligen-ces we can cater to. Therefore it is imperative that each class period have more than one activity. To run a class like this smoothly, it helps to have transitions from one activity to the next. Signifying the end of one activity brings the class back to full attention, and readies them for the onset of another activity. For ex-ample, if we are finishing up a class discussion or writing activity, I like to get them up and moving to sort of re-energize them for the next thing. So I ask them all to stand up and give themselves a raucous round of applause for doing so well. Music is also a great tool. In my room, when students hear the music stop, they automatically know that its time to finish the sentence they are writing, close their journals, and get ready to listen for instructions. So when you are switching from one activity to the next, make sure you use a transition activity to aid in keeping everyone together.

STONE WORKS

“USP has the most qualified teachers and teacher’s assistants at Stone School. They take more time to personally work with students. This evaluation is coming from someone who has been in mainstream Stone as well as USP.” ~Jeremy B.

“The teachers and teacher’s assistants

actually take the time to get to know you

and they become your friends as well

as your teachers.” ~Dylan F.

Page 2

Stone High School Staff

Special thanks to Claudia Burns (4th from left on picnic table seat ) who wrote for a Lowe’s grant and headed up the Stone High School beautification project. Come see it in the spring for the full effect!!

Stone’s front entryway area has had an extreme makeover! Over the last six months the yard has developed from an abandoned children’s playground to a cheery and invit-ing space full of trees, shrubs, flowers, and lawn. Thanks to a $3000 grant from Lowe’s and the dedicated efforts of many volunteers the makeover is just about completed. Art teacher Mrs. Burns began the process in the summer of ’07 by writing a grant application to Lowe’s. She didn’t get it in the fall, but was very surprised when it came through in the spring of ’08. Our local Lowe’s contributed an installer to build the steps and level the ground and give advice on plant selection and landscape design. The corporate grant paid for all the materials. Volunteers included students, Stone school staff, as well as weekend efforts of community groups from Connexions

Church in Dexter and St. Thomas Church in Ann Arbor. Blue Fox Paving did the prep work for the beautiful brick patio and discounted the price of the bricks which we installed. The final big event was a Stone staff sod party where the sod was laid in less that two hours! Currently art students are making decorative mosaic stepping stones to be laid later. A special thank you to the young men from the Unified Studies program who were the best and most consistent of volunteers and to Sam Tiggs who went the extra mile to help lay brick and rototill prior to sodding. We can look forward to Spring, when tulips will bloom, trees will flower and the garden will come to life! We can sit on the patio and have lunch and enjoy the fruit of our labors. (A very special thank you to Claudia Burns,. Art Teacher - Stone, for her leadership on this pro-ject. )

STONE FRONT YARD GETS FACELIFT

By Claudia Burns

Unified Studies Program

at Stone High School By USP Students

The Unified Studies Program (USP) is a supportive environment for students with Emotional Impairments (EI) who have had trouble adjusting to regular public schools. The USP has smaller class sizes, ranging from two to eight stu-dents, to better individualize learning. The USP staff consists of two teachers, three teacher assistants (TA’s), and a school social worker to support stu-dents. Our program operates on a three-level system; levels are determined by completion of work, and by students’ personal actions. The USP helps stu-dents to develop positive habits and take responsibility for their successes. Students earn the right to advance through each level; the higher the level, the more privileges a student re-ceives. These privileges in-clude a weekly five-dollar drawing, field trips, opportuni-ties to see movies, and occa-sional lunches sponsored by the program. The teachers strive to create a fun and educational environment while making sure students meet their individual goals and earn all the credits necessary for graduation.

Mental Health Counseling! If you have emotional concerns about your teen, our social workers are available to talk with you. Call our Health Cen-ter and ask to speak with the social worker.

Community Resources! If you need assistance with food, clothing, housing, bills, or transportation, our social work-ers may be able to help. Call our Health Center for assis-tance.

Translation Services! Our staff includes a translator for Spanish/English who is

available to assist families dur-ing appointments. Call to make arrangements.

Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Student members of YAC are empowered as advocates, advi-sors, and leaders. They act as a voice regarding the physical and mental health of students, letting RAHS know what issues teens are facing both at Stone and in the community. At the same time, YAC members are learn-ing about health topics and de-veloping leadership skills. For more information about any of our services: Call: 734-973-9167 or go to: http://www.a2schools.org/rahs

Immunizations Available! Your teen may be due for a tetanus booster, Hepatitis B, or chickenpox vaccine. We now have the HPV vaccine that pre-vents cervical cancer! Call us to find out more or to schedule your teen an appointment.

Physical Exams! Your teen should have a physi-cal every 2 years and every year for sports. If your teen is overdue, call their health care provider or our Health Center for an appointment.

Parent Advisory Council! We are looking for parents to be a part of our advisory coun-cil. We meet 4 times a year and dinner is provided. Call today to join, our next meeting is scheduled for January!

Need Insurance? Every teen should have insur-ance. If your teen does not, call for an appointment with our enrollment specialist!

Page 3

What is provided at the RAHS School Based Health Center in Room 112?

We provide medical and mental health services to students, their children and their siblings right where they are, every day – at school. As part of the University of Michigan, our RAHS centers provide high quality health care

in a supportive environment. By Jennifer Salerno

Racism? (Reprinted from the November issue of the Lakewood Vision)

Do you think about racism and how it shows itself in our community? Are you aware of the realities of racism in organizations – including schools? Do you know that institutional racism is often perpetuated at an unconscious level? Here at Lakewood, we are engaged as a school staff in continuing conversations and deepening understandings about race and race issues, particularly as these topics affect our children and families. While often invisible to those of us in the dominant culture, we can see evidence of the problem in our school environment.

How does this show itself? It may be a comment from one child to another that is offensive, insensitive or judgmental based on skin color. It may become apparent in our analysis of achievement levels for specific groups of students attending Lakewood. As our staff becomes better able to identify and isolate racism and racist behavior, we also become more committed to responding in ways that can best help our students and community. We examine our school policies and individual actions to make sure that our school will meet the needs of every child. We specifically engage in staff training to help us be knowledgeable, constructive, and proactive in confronting racism when we see it at school. We have an equity team that facilitates conversations and promotes active reflection on our instructional prac-tices. We also encourage our students and families to make us aware of racist interactions or situations that need to be addressed. These events do happen. Please help us keep the appropriate and healing discussions and dialogue going so all of our children will receive the support they need to be successful here at Lakewood and beyond! (This essay reflects the beliefs at Stone High School as well!)

Stone High School is very happy to announce the acquisi-tion of 30 brand new Apple iMac computers. A computer lab is currently being set up in the Media Center to allow all Stone students the opportunity to take advantage of this top-of-the-line technology. The Apple iLife 08 suite of software is installed on each computer. This software will allow stu-dents to learn how to manipu-late photos, create movies, copy them to DVDs and even create professional looking web pages. Students will also be able to create their reports and essays using Microsoft Office Suite programs such as Word or Ex-cel. The yearbook class is look-ing forward to creating the 08-09 Stone High School Year-book on these computers with their built-in cameras for cap-turing exciting, spur of the mo-ment pictures to help document this year’s memorable events. The staff of Stone High School is very excited to be able to help their students learn the technology skills that will lead them to success in the 21st cen-tury! A special thank you to Mr. Robert Allen, and Mr. John Van Riper for their support in this Stone High School venture.

Technology Education By Bill Charlebois

Student Brit-tany Hayes, works on an iMac com-puter at Stone High’s new com-puter lab.

“USP has the most qualified teachers and teacher’s assistants at Stone School. They take more time to personally work with students. This evaluation is coming from someone who has been in mainstream Stone as well as USP.” ~Jeremy B.

“The teachers and teacher’s assistants

actually take the time to get to know you

and they become your friends as well

as your teachers.” ~Dylan F.

Page 2

Stone High School Staff

Special thanks to Claudia Burns (4th from left on picnic table seat ) who wrote for a Lowe’s grant and headed up the Stone High School beautification project. Come see it in the spring for the full effect!!

Stone’s front entryway area has had an extreme makeover! Over the last six months the yard has developed from an abandoned children’s playground to a cheery and invit-ing space full of trees, shrubs, flowers, and lawn. Thanks to a $3000 grant from Lowe’s and the dedicated efforts of many volunteers the makeover is just about completed. Art teacher Mrs. Burns began the process in the summer of ’07 by writing a grant application to Lowe’s. She didn’t get it in the fall, but was very surprised when it came through in the spring of ’08. Our local Lowe’s contributed an installer to build the steps and level the ground and give advice on plant selection and landscape design. The corporate grant paid for all the materials. Volunteers included students, Stone school staff, as well as weekend efforts of community groups from Connexions

Church in Dexter and St. Thomas Church in Ann Arbor. Blue Fox Paving did the prep work for the beautiful brick patio and discounted the price of the bricks which we installed. The final big event was a Stone staff sod party where the sod was laid in less that two hours! Currently art students are making decorative mosaic stepping stones to be laid later. A special thank you to the young men from the Unified Studies program who were the best and most consistent of volunteers and to Sam Tiggs who went the extra mile to help lay brick and rototill prior to sodding. We can look forward to Spring, when tulips will bloom, trees will flower and the garden will come to life! We can sit on the patio and have lunch and enjoy the fruit of our labors. (A very special thank you to Claudia Burns,. Art Teacher - Stone, for her leadership on this pro-ject. )

STONE FRONT YARD GETS FACELIFT

By Claudia Burns

Unified Studies Program

at Stone High School By USP Students

The Unified Studies Program (USP) is a supportive environment for students with Emotional Impairments (EI) who have had trouble adjusting to regular public schools. The USP has smaller class sizes, ranging from two to eight stu-dents, to better individualize learning. The USP staff consists of two teachers, three teacher assistants (TA’s), and a school social worker to support stu-dents. Our program operates on a three-level system; levels are determined by completion of work, and by students’ personal actions. The USP helps stu-dents to develop positive habits and take responsibility for their successes. Students earn the right to advance through each level; the higher the level, the more privileges a student re-ceives. These privileges in-clude a weekly five-dollar drawing, field trips, opportuni-ties to see movies, and occa-sional lunches sponsored by the program. The teachers strive to create a fun and educational environment while making sure students meet their individual goals and earn all the credits necessary for graduation.

Mental Health Counseling! If you have emotional concerns about your teen, our social workers are available to talk with you. Call our Health Cen-ter and ask to speak with the social worker.

Community Resources! If you need assistance with food, clothing, housing, bills, or transportation, our social work-ers may be able to help. Call our Health Center for assis-tance.

Translation Services! Our staff includes a translator for Spanish/English who is

available to assist families dur-ing appointments. Call to make arrangements.

Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Student members of YAC are empowered as advocates, advi-sors, and leaders. They act as a voice regarding the physical and mental health of students, letting RAHS know what issues teens are facing both at Stone and in the community. At the same time, YAC members are learn-ing about health topics and de-veloping leadership skills. For more information about any of our services: Call: 734-973-9167 or go to: http://www.a2schools.org/rahs

Immunizations Available! Your teen may be due for a tetanus booster, Hepatitis B, or chickenpox vaccine. We now have the HPV vaccine that pre-vents cervical cancer! Call us to find out more or to schedule your teen an appointment.

Physical Exams! Your teen should have a physi-cal every 2 years and every year for sports. If your teen is overdue, call their health care provider or our Health Center for an appointment.

Parent Advisory Council! We are looking for parents to be a part of our advisory coun-cil. We meet 4 times a year and dinner is provided. Call today to join, our next meeting is scheduled for January!

Need Insurance? Every teen should have insur-ance. If your teen does not, call for an appointment with our enrollment specialist!

Page 3

What is provided at the RAHS School Based Health Center in Room 112?

We provide medical and mental health services to students, their children and their siblings right where they are, every day – at school. As part of the University of Michigan, our RAHS centers provide high quality health care

in a supportive environment. By Jennifer Salerno

Racism? (Reprinted from the November issue of the Lakewood Vision)

Do you think about racism and how it shows itself in our community? Are you aware of the realities of racism in organizations – including schools? Do you know that institutional racism is often perpetuated at an unconscious level? Here at Lakewood, we are engaged as a school staff in continuing conversations and deepening understandings about race and race issues, particularly as these topics affect our children and families. While often invisible to those of us in the dominant culture, we can see evidence of the problem in our school environment.

How does this show itself? It may be a comment from one child to another that is offensive, insensitive or judgmental based on skin color. It may become apparent in our analysis of achievement levels for specific groups of students attending Lakewood. As our staff becomes better able to identify and isolate racism and racist behavior, we also become more committed to responding in ways that can best help our students and community. We examine our school policies and individual actions to make sure that our school will meet the needs of every child. We specifically engage in staff training to help us be knowledgeable, constructive, and proactive in confronting racism when we see it at school. We have an equity team that facilitates conversations and promotes active reflection on our instructional prac-tices. We also encourage our students and families to make us aware of racist interactions or situations that need to be addressed. These events do happen. Please help us keep the appropriate and healing discussions and dialogue going so all of our children will receive the support they need to be successful here at Lakewood and beyond! (This essay reflects the beliefs at Stone High School as well!)

Stone High School is very happy to announce the acquisi-tion of 30 brand new Apple iMac computers. A computer lab is currently being set up in the Media Center to allow all Stone students the opportunity to take advantage of this top-of-the-line technology. The Apple iLife 08 suite of software is installed on each computer. This software will allow stu-dents to learn how to manipu-late photos, create movies, copy them to DVDs and even create professional looking web pages. Students will also be able to create their reports and essays using Microsoft Office Suite programs such as Word or Ex-cel. The yearbook class is look-ing forward to creating the 08-09 Stone High School Year-book on these computers with their built-in cameras for cap-turing exciting, spur of the mo-ment pictures to help document this year’s memorable events. The staff of Stone High School is very excited to be able to help their students learn the technology skills that will lead them to success in the 21st cen-tury! A special thank you to Mr. Robert Allen, and Mr. John Van Riper for their support in this Stone High School venture.

Technology Education By Bill Charlebois

Student Brit-tany Hayes, works on an iMac com-puter at Stone High’s new com-puter lab.

2800 Stone School Road Ann Arbor, MI 48104

We’re on the Web!! www.a2stone.org/

Stone Chips By Wendy Reinhardt

734-997-1237 Office 734-997-1261 Fax

S T O N E H I G H S C H O O L H O M E O F T H E B U L L D O G S !

Scholarships at Stone or

What is Strive??

Strive is a scholarship competi-tion that was established by the Ann Arbor Rotary Club and the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation ten years ago. These scholarships to Washte-naw Community College are exclusively for Stone High School Seniors.

To become involved in the com-petition, students must sign up in the counselors’ office, after which their senior year grade point average (GPA) will be compared to the GPA they originally brought with them to Stone. Students must maintain a 2.0 during their senior year and have good attendance. Ap-proximately 16 scholarships, ranging from $500 to $2500, will be awarded in May before graduation.

In addition to the many scholar-ships, students enrolled in the program will receive additional opportunities and incentives through out the year and may be offered summer employment

within the students’ interest area. See Ms. Slater for more information!

SOS (Still Opting for Success)

This is a chance for students to stay after school (7th hour) on Monday, Tuesday and/or Thurs-day to do homework, get help from a teacher, use computers and other school resources, and to erase tardies. Students who fail to do their Lunch Detention for tardies will be given an SOS. If they choose not to stay for SOS, they will have a Commu-nity Service obligation with Mr. Micou (this involves lots of cleaning up around school!).

SAID (Student Awareness, Involvement & Development)

By the time you read this, the SAID Conference 2008 will be history. SHS will have had twenty guest speakers from the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti Commu-nity sharing their stories and their resources with our stu-dents. Ask your son if he learned anything about life in the NBA, careers in nursing, or how to keep haircut equipment

Counselor, Wendy Reinhardt (left) holds the basket for the weekly $10.00 Golden draw-ing for perfect student atten-dance.

in good shape. Maybe your daughter showed you her free pass to Bally’s Total Fitness or her GED practice test score. Did anyone offer to teach you Capoeira, a combination of Afro-Brazilian martial arts, games and dance? Perhaps your student will be a little quieter than usual as he/she ponders the consequences of domestic violence or HIV infection. These sessions and many more are an annual event at Stone, organized by RAHS (our school-based clinic) and supported by Stone Staff. Stay tuned: next year we may ask for YOUR story!

Calendar Highlights November 20, 21, 24 & Dec. 1 – Mobile Dentists for Stone students

November 24 – last day of Fall Trimester (Happy Thanksgiving!)

December 1 – beginning of Winter Trimester

December 4 – grades from Fall Trimester available

December 4 – fundraiser: “lia Sophia” jewelry sale at Stone 2:00 pm

December 9—PTSO, 6:00—7:00 pm Stone Media Center

March 10, 11, 12—MME (Michigan Merit Exam) All 11th graders must take the MME in order to graduate from AAPS. Test prepara-tion will be happening in many classes and also after school.

t is with pleasure that I take over the

reins as the new principal of Stone High School. This is my 27th year of working in the field of education and I continue to believe in the power of making positive connections with students to ensure success. We look forward to a festive winter as we launch our first high school newsletter, Stone Works, for our parents and community. Stone Works is written by the Stone school staff and students. There are many exciting things happen-ing at Stone school that we want to share with you.

Please take a few minutes and enjoy reading about events and classes that your sons and daughters are involved with. Parents and care givers, we are committed to starting a Stone school PTSO, I cannot imagine a school without our parents being an integral part of the school functions. Therefore parents, we would like to invite you to our PTSO meeting in the Stone Media Center the second Tuesday of every month start-ing in December. The meeting will start at 6:00 pm and shouldn’t last more than an hour. The purpose of the Stone PTSO is to get our parents involved in exciting activities

while adding their support for the success of their students at Stone. We welcome our par-ents to the high school and encourage you to get involved as we move in a new direc-tion. Studies show that stu-dent learning and connection to school increases when their parents are involved within the school. We really are a village when it comes to our kids! We truly hope you can join us on December 9th for our first PTSO meeting. So sit back, get to know what is happening at Stone High, and please enjoy our first newsletter!

—Sheila

From the Principal’s Desk By Sheila Brown

S T O N E H I G H S C H O O L H O M E O F T H E B U L L D O G S !

November 2008

Stone High Character Cultivation Project Alive and Well By Joanna Johnson

Sheila A. Brown

Stone High School is launching the next phase of its Character Cultivation Project. A project started in the 06-07 school year, the staff sought to improve the social consciousness of the Stone student body while also building academic resilience credited to the goal of graduation. Each phase of the project has been progressive, strategic, and centered on fostering character growth. For the 08-09 school year, Stone staff, in conjunction with Student Council, will be launching the next phase, the Bulldog Merit System. Fo-cused on combining the traits and skills of character education and fundamental societal functions, the Bulldog Merit System will aim to create polished community members.

As a culminating activity and reward for successful participation, each Stone student will have the opportunity to win a trip to Cedar Point by improving their grades, attendance and/or demonstrating exemplary character. As we launch this project with the end goal of shaping future leaders and active community members, we invite you, our community, to support this initiative. At this time, we are seeking sponsors for our spring Cedar Point trip. If you, or your organization, are interested in helping celebrate the successes of our student body, please contact Student Council advisors, Brittiany McCree ([email protected]) or Joanna Johnson ([email protected]).

Classroom Connect

By, Rian Burke, Teacher

Every teacher knows that stu-dents can get restless in class. It is my belief that if any particular ac-tivity takes too long, the kids might tune out eventually. We also know that the more activities we do, the more differentiated learning is and the more of the multiple intelligen-ces we can cater to. Therefore it is imperative that each class period have more than one activity. To run a class like this smoothly, it helps to have transitions from one activity to the next. Signifying the end of one activity brings the class back to full attention, and readies them for the onset of another activity. For ex-ample, if we are finishing up a class discussion or writing activity, I like to get them up and moving to sort of re-energize them for the next thing. So I ask them all to stand up and give themselves a raucous round of applause for doing so well. Music is also a great tool. In my room, when students hear the music stop, they automatically know that its time to finish the sentence they are writing, close their journals, and get ready to listen for instructions. So when you are switching from one activity to the next, make sure you use a transition activity to aid in keeping everyone together.

STONE WORKS