Love Notes are a beloved tradition at Cooper School. At a recent prospective Kindergarten event, a current parent brought along a few of the notes his daughter had received and completely won over the room (we didn’t even ask him to!). He compared the weekly messages they receive — notes like, “You were on it today with your listening ears. We are so proud of you.” — to the updates friends of theirs receive from their kindergartener’s schools, which often sound more like, “Your child struggled with counting to 20 this week.”
Both types of communication share important information. But the difference between a teacher-to-student relationship rooted in love and encouragement and one focused solely on reporting concerns makes a tremendous difference in the school experience for everyone.
Love notes become a bit more verbal in middle school – this week I’ve heard, “I’m proud of you for having realistic expectations”, “I know that it’s hard, and I also know that you can do it”, “That was a really mature way of handling that.” All of those statements were said eye to eye, teacher to student, human to human.
If I were to share some love notes to students and families, I might say:
Families:
- “You are raising really cool people, and we’re lucky to know them.”
- “Your trust in us is energizing and inspiring.”
- “Seeing you in the car line makes my day a little brighter.”
Students:
- “You are developing a strong sense of self-confidence during a really tricky time.”
- “You are so resilient. I love watching you find your way through hard things.”
- “I can see your empathy and leadership grow during clusters.”
I hope our students and families feel the immense love that fills this community. It’s a love of teaching and learning, a love of helping shape good humans, and a love of guiding children through the sometimes confusing world of middle school. That love is what brings us to school each day with smiles on our faces and a daily commitment to care. We love Cooper, we love your children, we love you, and we love what we do. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Upcoming Dates:
- February 16-17 – February Break (No School)
- Please fill out this form for James Island County Parks. We will be doing PE there starting soon!
- February 27 – Middle School Dance!!
ELA: This week in 5th grade, writers poured over their research to draft clear and concise theses about their respective “greats”! Reviewing essay structure and parts, arguers bravely dove into first drafts in hopes of presenting abundant evidence and explanations for their GOAT. 5th grade also reviewed verbs and tested on Wednesday. Be sure to check on those scores and potential correction opportunities.
After break, writers will edit and revise carefully before completing a final, cursive draft of their argument! We will also jump into a new vocabulary unit.
Science: This week in science, 5th graders began their investigation of the sensory system by exploring response time. Students experimented with how the distance between the brain and different body parts affects reaction speed, using observation and discussion to connect their findings to how the nervous system functions.
Next week, students will continue their exploration of sensory systems by examining attention and attraction in nature. Through a creative design challenge, they will create organisms that draw the attention of other species, encouraging both scientific thinking and imagination as they explore interactions within ecosystems.
Social Studies: Fifth grade has moved onto our study of the continent of Asia. In this unit we will learn and discover the cultures and peoples of these countries as well as the geography that shapes the continent. Our next project will be a similar one in which we will be choosing one of the countries to do a research project on. Next week we will be focusing on geography and how the beautiful landscapes of Asia define the continent.
Math:
This week in math, 5th graders applied their knowledge of fraction addition and subtraction to line plots, where we compared fraction numbers on a number line and used equivalent fractions to create them. We also used our understanding of fractions as less than a whole to help us scale larger numbers using factors and multiples of 10. We’ll use our short week next week to review and take our unit 6 assessment!
