Today the 5th graders met live with Commander Julia to create paper rockets to test at different launch angles 🚀
Fake News & Media Messages Tip #1: Encourage Healthy Skepticism
Help your children analyze the messages around them -- from toy packaging to Instagram posts to news headlines -- and question the purpose of the words and images they see. Teach kids how to use fact-checking tools like Snopes and FactCheck.org.
Video: bit.ly/OlyNMV2
All media comes with an author and an agenda. Help kids think critically about any media they view with critical questions that dig below the surface. And to really empower kids, have them create their own media with these same questions in mind.
Fifth graders began their Vacation to Space field trip with The Challenger Learning Center. The first challenge was to design a rocket to take us to space! 🚀
With so much media and information coming at us through the television, phones, social media, and more, it's more important than ever for kids to understand the basics of media literacy. When kids can identify different types of news and media and the methods and meanings behind them, they're on their way to being critical thinkers and smart consumers.
Throughout the month, we will be sharing a set of five tips to help your children become critical thinkers of news and media. Here is a short video to get those conversations started!
bit.ly/OlyNMV5
Make sure to check out your Skyward Family Access Wall for the updated return to learn metrics and a letter from Dr. O'Donnell.
Check out this short video for your elementary kiddos around what a digital footprint really means. We already have K-5 students posting and interacting online, so let's start some good habits early!
bit.ly/OlyDFV2
Quick reminder; anything you post online can be searched, copied, and shared. Think about that~
https://d1pmarobgdhgjx.cloudfront.net/education/Digital_Footprint_Animation_2017.mp4
What mark will you leave on the world? What is your “purpose”? How can you foster an online identity for yourself that supports and drives forward this purpose?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRkhkO4fKAg&feature=youtu.be
😲 WOW! Our Virtual Angel Tree is off to an amazing start! In FIVE days, all of our students were sponsored, and we have raised nearly $1,000 dollars towards helping those in our community!
Every dollar donated to the Angel Tree will go towards Spartan Council, which helps OUR families and OUR children who need it most. Families who have lost their housing due to a fire, electricity/water bills that have been shut off due to hard times, and food/clothing needed for students who would otherwise go without are all examples of how Spartan Council helps our community.
Our students may be sponsored, but your donation still means the world to other Spartans in need. Watch the progress & donate today @ https://www.olympia.org/o/district/page/nhs-angel-trees
Thank you! 🎄💙🎄
Video: bit.ly/Oly2DFV3
Lots of students are exploring and developing their own identities, and they often do this online and on social media. Some kids use multiple accounts, each for a different audience, but with this, what’s real and what’s unrealistic can often get blurred. In this video, your kids can hear other teens talk about the ins and outs of presenting themselves to others online, and consider what it means to “be yourself” in digital spaces.
OWE 2nd grade students meet with an Air Force Veteran on Wednesday as they learn about the sacrifices that our veterans make.
Help! My Kid Wants to Use Social Media!
Get your child, and yourself, ready for the next step with these conversation starters.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/help-my-kid-wants-to-use-social-media
OWE 3rd grade students learn more about Veteran's Day today and think of ways they can show their appreciation to the Veterans they know.
Fourth graders dressed in red, white and blue today in honor of Veterans Day. We learned about the poppy, made and wore a poppy and completed reading activities about why we celebrate Veterans Day. We would like to send this special message to all of the Veterans in our community.
Our Virtual Angel Tree event is off to a great start; we already have a few students who will have a brighter holiday this season! Learn more and #SponsorASpartan today! bit.ly/olyAngelTree20
Instagram, Middle School, and Digital Citizenship!
"Forming an identity is a big part of being a middle schooler. Most students are working it out through experimentation, with plenty of awkward missteps and mistakes along the way. It's a normal, natural part of growing up. But in the age of social media, this part of adolescence can be tough -- both for kids to navigate and for adults to understand. New social media platforms come and go, often with features designed to captivate young users right in the midst of figuring out just who they are."
Read more about how teachers use classroom lessons to teach about online identity: https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/instagram-middle-school-and-digital-citizenship
As soon as you share the first photo of your child, you're establishing their digital footprint. As kids get older and start creating their own content or engaging with others online, it's important for them to understand the tracks they're leaving behind and what those tracks might reveal. Parents can help guide kids toward creating the kind of footprint they can be proud of. https://www.commonsense.org/education/family-tips/k-5-digital-footprint-and-identity
The Art to Remember keepsakes arrived and were sent home on Monday. If you missed the ordering deadline or need more items, don't worry. You can place a late order. Just visit the website https://arttoremember.com . Orders will be shipped in January or early February, so they will not arrive before the holidays. You have the option of having the items shipped to your home address or the school when you place the order. Art to Remember is a great way to get a keepsake item of your child's artwork while supporting the school.
Video: bit.ly/OlyDFV1
Many kids are already posting and sharing information about themselves. But in a world where oversharing might seem like the norm, it’s important for kids to think about their digital footprints. Listen to what these teens have to say about sharing on social media. Are you making the right sharing decisions?
