promotion pictures

Hello 5th grade families,

Thank you so much for coming to our promotion parade today.  It was wonderful to see all of our 5th graders and celebrate their achievements.  A special thanks to all the awesome teachers who came out to cheer on our 5th graders.  You made the day extra special.

Here is the link from the photographer.  Enjoy the photos!
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/OJZNx7eTwqNjEXRZUS2xmsDiKxr12oUeIozDuEnhOuA/folder/PVdFTtLwTaaC2e3LGbYLLQ?_encoding=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0&mgh=1

Thanks to our 5th Grade Parent Committee for the photographer, goodie bags, beautiful signs and decorations and the balloons.  Everything looked GREAT!

Congratulations to our graduates. Your teachers look forward to seeing you tomorrow via Zoom.

Class of 2020 - You were awesome!
Ms. Tonoli

---

important quick survey

Good Afternoon Keppel Families,

 

Attached you will find a link to a Title I Needs Assessment Survey.  There are 14 questions for you to answer about our school and how you think we are doing.  Please choose Keppel and then answer each question.  The information you provide will help us plan for next year.  Please take a few minutes to respond.  The link will be open until the end of the week.

 

Thank you,

Mrs. Aroyan

 

https://forms.gle/RkyQ6Gg3fiERUpBK6

some activities to do in the summer

https://storage.googleapis.com/pt04-2/messages/attachments/e7121c46643137c948b6758129f7ae153757c81f/Summer_2020_GUDS_Enrichment_opportunities.pdf

info for June

Here are some bits and pieces that I have tried to collate:

Friday, June 5th is student materials pick up day.  We have strict guidelines that we are asking parents to follow when coming to school.  Do not come if you are not well.  One person per family.  No children.  Wear masks and maintain social distancing.  Times are staggered by last name as follows:
If your LAST name starts with…

A-D   -  9:00 AM
E-H  -  10:00 AM
I-L -   11:00 AM
M-O -  12:00 PM
P-S -   1:00 PM
T-Z  -  2:00 PM

Also, 5th grade families - mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 9th from 8 - 1:00 depending on class. 

8:00 am - Mrs. Pimenta's Class
9:00 am - Mrs. Cannon's Class
10:00 am - Mr. Hewitt's Class
11:00 am - Mr. Shelton's Class
12:00 pm - Miss Pak/Ms. Shin's Class

Report cards will be mailed home from the District on the last day of school.

Also:

Hello 5th Grade Teachers, 

In celebration of Keppel's upcoming promotion, Christine Hughes made a couple of signs that families can use for photos. I thought that these signs could be printed and then the kids can take pictures with them. Perhaps they could also be used to decorate cars for the promotion parade. Parents can download and choose whatever .pdf they'd like to print; students can use the .jpegs as a background in their zoom meetings.  This is all optional - just something fun to make these last few weeks a bit more special.

Here is a link to a folder containing the signs: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19qCK9HwsUTSKBnqvSL5PozjwbR3qNC3e?usp=sharing

Inside this folder you will find:

8.5 x 11" signs 

11 x 17" signs

There is a white version and a blue version to choose from.

Could you please post the google drive link on your blogs and let parents/students know that they are available? Thank you!

Let me know if you have any questions!

-Lindsay Cravens

**FYI, Minuteman Press on Central makes 11x17" prints for $1.50 + tax**

and lastly:

Dear Parent/Guardian of 5^th grade students,

Your child is growing at a rapid rate and it might often seem difficult to speak with them about adolescent development.  Attached is a link that will offer you useful tips and information to help guide your child through puberty https://www.pgschoolprograms.com/Parents  . This link includes a video and materials with accurate information on the physical changes during adolescence, personal hygiene, exercise, and nutrition. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at:  smirmojarabian@gusd.net

Thank you for all you do

Nina Sadat Mirmojarabian

School Nurse

The above program is pretty good if you want to approach your child about puberty.  It plays like an infomercial and it's a great intro to that awkward conversation.  Although you might like to wait for this insane world to calm down a little bit....

As always, PLEASE let me know if you have comments, questions, requests, or just want to talk

Instructions for Tile Project

Class of 2020!!

Glazing instructions

We are doing things differently in this different time.  We will have a special place to showcase your tiles for this reason.  

Because we can’t do this project in the Art Studio with lots of choices in glaze colors, we have decided to go with three colors.  We also decided to have you either paint your name or initials, the year 2020, and a border around the tile- leaving the background white.

Helpful hints and reminders:

• practice first on paper (just trace around the tile on scratch paper)
• two coats of glaze for bold colors
• don’t overlap / mix colors
• if you make an “oops”, all paint can be washed off and dried
• Q-tips are great for small clean ups on the tile
• toothpicks are helpful to scrap off dried glaze to make edges “cleaner”
• tile and border can be one, two, or three colors - your choice

Have fun you Cuties!  Please come back to Keppel and say “Hi!”  Miss your faces!!

-Mrs. Zierhut

Week 6? Day? I'm lost

Hello - I hope everyone had a well deserved and feted Mother's Day yesterday with plenty of love, attention, and excellent food.

UPDATED grading policy here, PLEASE READ:

https://www.gusd.net/cms/lib/CA01000648/Centricity/Domain/4404/GradingDuringRemoteLearning-FAQs.En.pdf

I think I posted the old one by mistake last time, this is brand new...


Small virtual housekeeping items :

 I try not to overload students with long Zoom meetings, but I do have a couple of small requests:

1.   Sign in 2-3 minutes early and wait politely.  For example, if a meeting is at 10:30, sign it at 10:25. I tend to adhere to the "if you're early, you're on time" mantra and like to start instruction immediately, not to waste people's time or bandwidth.

2.   Have video on.  Too many kids turn it off and "disappear" playing video games and generally tuning out.  I wouldn't accept that in physical class, and I can't accept it now.

3.   No virtual backgrounds should be on.  You can imagine how distracting and annoying that is.

4.  I GREATLY appreciate how helpful students have been on Google Classroom helping others, although silly spam type things should continue to be avoided.

5.  The overall online behavior on comments and Zoom has been SO impressive.  You guys are fantastic.


Lastly, I deeply am touched by the overwhelming kindness and generosity shown to me during socially distant Teacher Appreciation Week.  I thank you again from the bottom of my heart.  I think when this has all ended I will look back in future years and remember just how kind you and your wonderful children have been.

Week 4 / Grading Policy

I am glad to say that I feel we are up and running as well as we possibly can under the circumstances, and that most families have a rhythm to their school day with a minimum of interruption or absence.  The majority of tech problems and logistical nuances appear to have been solved for the most part.  Please reach out if you are struggling with organization or have a schedule that doesn't work and I will do my best to help, even for the smallest of problems.

Here is the grading policy that the district has implemented for the rest of the year.  Please read it, and let me know if you have any questions:

https://www.gusd.net/cms/lib/CA01000648/Centricity/shared/ar_bp_folder/AR-5121-ReportCards.pdf

Thanks again - you have all been so loving and supportive

Mr. Hewitt

Week 2

Looking good so far! I think we have a good rhythm going. The students have an excellent attitude, are ready to work, and are submitting high quality assignments.

Minor notes:

I'm trying to minimize Zoom meetings, and will only have a home room morning meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays unless there is a pressing need.  That should give students a little more time to relax, eat, and comb their hair.  If you can't make a meeting let me know and I can always record it and send it to you.

Yearbooks for 5th graders are FREE this year.  THANK YOU 5th Grade Committee!  This has been an incredible year for parent support.

As always, please communicate anything to me.  I'm going 24 hours a day and it's never a bother.

Stay safe!

First week of new material

I am greatly encouraged this week by seeing improvement in all areas of our new reality.  Not only has California seemed to do well in this pandemic, but I see students adapting to distance learning and trying their best.  Very few students are "dialing it in" or waking up late or failing to turn in assignments.  There has been a great deal of engagement and communication, and most people are working very hard.  Thank you parents!!

From what I have heard in other districts, grading will be done in a favorable manner that takes our unique situation into account, so please have no anxiety when it comes to assignments.  Encourage your children to do their best and know that I support whatever flexibility you require.

Have a great Easter / Passover weekend

Day 3 of new material

Today's adjustment I am trying to implement is to help the number of kids who are working WAY too late on their work.  I can think of some possible reasons for this:

1.   tech issues
2.   typing: many 5th graders are very slow
3.   large number of paragraphs and essays expected
4.   many Zoom meetings
5.   long Zoom meetings
6.   difficult to navigate websites
7.   overall time management

Please, please have your child cut everything off at 5pm at the latest (or an earlier / later time of your choosing).  You can even tell them we insist if they can't let go.  I am working on my end to streamline this, and I appreciate any communication regarding this even if your timing is just right or too short.

Thanks again for everything - another day forward

Day 2 of new material

I believe everyone is getting much more used to this.  The growing pains are starting to subside, and a we are gaining some momentum that I feel I can work with. If your child is doing WAY too much work for whatever reason, please let me know so I can help.

Again, sticking with a schedule is very important and I will do what I can to help.  Please let me know if there are any issues.  We are another day closer to the light when this all ends.  Take a walk and enjoy the day!

Day 1 of new material

 Today was the first day where we communicated new material, and the first day where grades count.

The most important issue I have noticed today is attendance and timing, in particular sticking with the day's schedule.  Please, if at all possible, do not treat this like you are doing an assignment on vacation.  Don't sleep in - submit work on a timely schedule in order.  I have noticed many people that aren't turning in any assignments or turning them in at an hour where it seems like they woke up at 10am.  If you woke up late or can't do the day's work at the times scheduled, please let me know.

Second issue is a silly one, but one that must be addressed.  Please have your child put their actual name as a sign in for the Zoom meetings as opposed to a crazy screen name.  I can't tell who is who and will have to exit you from the session.

Thank you for everything.  It was a hard day of navigating Google Classrooms, Zoom meetings, internet lag, technical glitches, and the various expectations of type A teachers (well not me, but you know what I mean)...

Hang in there.  This was another first day and I guarantee you the rest of the week will be much better.

Next week

Next week we will start NEW lessons and I suspect more patience will be required as we progress.  Expect your teachers to conduct Zoom meetings earlier in the morning for subjects than I have been doing, so wake up and be ready.  Each subject may or may not have a Zoom meeting on any given day, so expect more of those. We will try to keep things to a schedule as much as we can.

We are still waiting from the district regarding how we are to grade students, but please know from here on out, all work is subject to grading.  We will also be taking attendance.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to ease any frustrations you might have.  I know many of you are working at home or on site and that there are a variety of distractions at all times.
Sometimes assignments aren't always communicated well and/or websites are hard to navigate.  I will always try my best to help.  This is a unique time, so don't feel like you are bothering me with small requests.

Thank you SO much for your support this week.  I truly feel encouraged that we can get through these next couple of months.

Day 4 of review

Day four of review has been successful in terms of students becoming accustomed to working from home online.  I have seen a good amount of subpar work being turned in this week, and I expect that to change. This first trial week has been about simply getting used to the new reality and we have been fairly forgiving regarding work habits.  Next week is new material and all work will receive a grade.

Please find a way to check that your child has been doing their assignments.  If you're not at home or are working from home, I'm sure that is pretty difficult.  Keep on them as much as you possibly can.  Next week I will let you know personally if they are not doing what they are supposed to do.  Sticking to a schedule (unless they are sick) is of the utmost importance to make this homeschooling work, so avoid things like luxurious breakfasts or sleeping in.

My father turns 96 today and has lived through the Blitz of London, World War II, polio, heart attacks, and all kinds of trouble and strife.  He enjoys every day, even right now. I thought I'd pass that on as an encouragement.  Stay strong!

Not an April Fool's joke

Looks like we are in this for the long haul.  The governor announced today that schools will remain closed for the duration of the school year.  I think we all knew this would happen.  What does this mean for "home schooling"?  I still think of this as a tremendous opportunity to bond with your child and boost your skills as an integral part of your child's education.  Stay strong and stay positive.  I will be posting helpful hints as we go along.  To me, the absolutely most important part of a child's education is reading and a love of learning.  If we can manage to maintain that alone, your child will be successful this year.

In the upcoming weeks I will be attempting to teach your child new material, which is entirely different to review.  Thankfully, the majority of our new material, including the conceptually difficult items like long division, fractions, text citation, and writing skills have already been taught in the main.  Be patient as I explore new ways to deliver new material to your child's various screens and remember to remain as active a parent as you can right now.  Times like this remind us of what's important.

Zoom meeting tomorrow as usual and remember to communicate with me any concerns.

Thanks again!

Day 2

March 31, 2020

Today was LOADS better, and I have high hopes that we can all have a strong learning experience moving forward.  I hope you are all settling into a little bit of a routine, so that when we start actual lessons next week they will be that much more effective.  If we see working with our children as an opportunity instead of an obstacle,  I guarantee that a life-long love of learning will be instilled in them that is much more powerful than a by-the-numbers rote education.  Statistics show that children who  learn and read during off times (such as the summer) score much higher and do better in school than their peers who don't.  This is a fantastic time to bond with our kids, quell their anxieties, and move forward ourselves.

Alright, sermon over...

I'm doing another 9am Zoom meeting tomorrow just to check in, and then off we go.

Next week is new material.  Glendale Unified is waiting to hear from the Los Angeles County Office of Education on how we are to grade going forward.  I will keep you up to date on any new developments as they occur.  We are all in this together, so don't worry.

Don't forget to follow Mark Keppel VAPA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  And as always, I am here to talk or help over even the smallest things.  We're doing great as a team.

Today

March 30, 2020

Wow! What a day -

I would just like to encourage you by the fact that this will all become much easier in the coming days.  This week is all about review and getting used to the idea of schooling from home in a remote setting.

  Some items off the top of my head:

1.  I am committed to avoiding websites that some people have difficulty logging in to.  I am only going to use Scholastic, Khan Academy, NewsELA, Prodigy, iReady from now on.

2.  PLEASE READ all instructions, go by the schedule, look in the Classwork tab of my Google Classroom.  It's all there including PE.  Also read other people's comments - that might help you understand what you are missing sometimes.

3.  Avoid unnecessary comments if possible, especially of the silly variety.

4.  You can ALWAYS share something on a doc.  Don't worry about points or grades or where to submit something.

5.  Try not to become frustrated if you don't understand something immediately.  Life doesn't work like that.  Give yourself some time to solve the problem.

I will do another brief Zoom meeting at 9am tomorrow to check in.  I will mute everyone at first so there's not too much feedback.

Onward!  I am always here for you.  Parents please ask me if you need anything - I try to respond quickly.

Thank you for your patience

looking forward to Monday

March 27, 2020

Our extra week of break is now officially ending and I am looking forward to working with you all next week.  As you may remember, next week is for enrichment and review, meaning we are starting to slowly ramp up to the restart of our lessons the week of April 6.

At 51 years old, I'm not the most tech person out there so please be gentle and patient if we run into errors or problems.  Next week is a soft start so that we can work through those things together. Please feel free to communicate with me at any time.  I'm committed to providing the highest level of education possible under these difficult circumstances.

Here's what I need you to do prior to Monday:

1. Please read and review the blog post I did yesterday on digital citizenship if you have not.

2. Log in to your school account and make sure it works properly on your device.

3. Make sure you can get into clever.gusd.net once you've signed in to your Google account.

4. Sign into the Google Classrooms of the teachers you visit each day.  Here are the codes:

    Hewitt:   afatf6u

    Pimenta:   zqx6yqc

    Cannon:   pwt7m3i

5.  Sign up for a free Brainpop account at www.brainpop.com

6.  Start reading! (although I'm positive you all are...) 30 minutes per day minimum including weekends, holidays, your grandmother's birthday, etc.

This next week is going to be pretty fun and I will ease you back into a routine slowly with minimum wear and tear on your parents.  Be good and I will see you soon.

digital citizenship

March 26, 2020

Nothing much new to report today.  However, before we begin our soft opening next week it is imperative that we go over the rules of digital citizenship.  Simply put, digital citizenship consists of awareness regarding the norms and rules that govern online behavior, and a cautious approach to the inherent dangers of the internet and technology use overall.

We have had extensive lessons in our computer time about digital citizenship.  I would encourage students and parents tonight to read the following article and have another discussion about being safe on the internet and acting appropriately.  I believe such a discussion is vitally important seeing the amount of technology use required in our "distance learning" period this year.

Here is the article:

https://www.goguardian.com/blog/technology/tips-to-be-a-good-digital-citizen/

Thank you, and again, please let me know if there's anything I can assist with.  I'm even available to help search for now rare paper products and groceries.  "See" you soon!

next step

March 25, 2020

Important information:

1.  If you do not have a device to access the internet, you may borrow a chromebook from the school.  The first thing you have to do is fill out this brief technology survey:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJmgTW1qkUJcJxjXRxjm-NRhObO1ThNc34nHrUGw-Od1D7Bw/viewform?fbclid=IwAR1j4IzSECx49z7AjRXvwSjEILWffWw7cz58XiFCzfIedh

Chromebook pick-ups are happening tomorrow by last name starting at 8am as follows:

last name A - G 8 am
last name H - M 9 am
last name N - U 10 am
last name V - Z  11am

Only one adult is allowed to come by and sign one out.
If you already have a device, please don't borrow one.  Yours is probably better anyway...

2.  Next week you will need to check into a Google Classroom that we are all going to create.  We will each send you a code.  You are going to be virtually moving from class to class based on your schedule, just like a regular school day.  For example, if you have myself for language arts and Mrs. Cannon for math, you will visit each of our Google Classrooms at the allotted times and do the work assigned.  We will be available to help via chat.  There's even going to be P.E.!

3.  Science camp looks like it's going to be cancelled and refunds forthcoming.

4.  Next week will be an enrichment and review week as sort of a "soft start" to our distance learning.  The following week will be a real school week.  It counts, and you need to try your best, despite the fact that you're probably wearing pajamas.

Again, PLEASE contact me if you need anything.  I'm always around to help

Best regards,
Mr. Hewitt

so what next?

March 24, 2020

Well it looks like our daily plans have hit a snag and that the world temporarily looks like a 1980s sci-fi movie.  We are having to “home school” our kids (myself included) and ride this moment in history out. I am here to help!

First thing I need to accomplish is to make sure I am in contact with each and every one of you.

Please respond to this by saying “hello” via the email address you use the most.  My email is mhewitt@gusd.net  .  I’ll make a giant email group so that I can make sure to be in touch with everybody.

In case you were wondering, here is the schedule the district has given us:

March 23 – 27 extended spring break (how cool is that?)

March 30 – April 3   practice week: enrichment activities, review

April 6 – May 5   remote learning begins in earnest

We have some fun things planned in the future, so stay tuned!

Mar 9, 2020

Language Arts

reading test Friday

Math

p. 567

test Friday: dividing fractions

Science

worksheet: severe weather (Pimenta)

Note: iReady lessons (one math and one reading) are to be completed weekly.
I will be checking for this every Monday morning.

Mar 5, 2020

Language Arts

annotate p. 26 - 28

spelling / vocabulary next week

reading test Friday next week

worksheet: main ideas / key details

Math

p. 561

Science

none

Note: iReady lessons (one math and one reading) are to be completed weekly.
I will be checking for this every Monday morning.

Mar 2, 2020

Language Arts

annotate p. 22 - 24

spelling / vocabulary quiz Friday

reading test Friday (depending on schedule)

reading quiz signed

worksheet: main ideas / key details

Math

p. 555

Science

none

Note: iReady lessons (one math and one reading) are to be completed weekly.
I will be checking for this every Monday morning.

APEX info for tomorrow

Dear Parents, Thank you so much for all your support during the Apex Fun Run. Pledges will stay open for one last day and this will be the last chance to donate. I wanted to especially thank everyone who has already donated to help our class and school! Great work team! Right now our class is at 38% participation and we have a class goal of 80% participation. We can reach our goal if just a few more students can click below and make their first or final pledges. If you haven’t had the chance yet, please help us to reach our class participation goal! Just find your student's name below and click to pledge and share with friends and family (these links have no private info and no access code is needed). The school will keep pledges open for prizes an extra night. Thanks so much for helping our school! Student Name Page Link Martin Alaverdyan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=avybw9 Anahit Amirkhanyan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=r3fb45 Nikolas Antonopoulos https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=u15gyy Angelo Bailey https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=593fc6 Alina Bezjian https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=2mqbna Elaine Carluen https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=dnkwz3 Alvin Cruz https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=j5ahdw Leah Davidian https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=ae2qma Andrew Der-Hacopian https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=rw13aw Isis Gallegos https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=6ae5wp Nairi Gaprelian https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=gu5a82 Narineh Gaprelian https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=nr3133 Robert Ghazaryan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=97n79h Suzy Grigoryan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=gh2w8h Samuel Harrison https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=b63ebk Wesley Harrison https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=rrw7ms Coach Hewitt https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=5k7h8q Juliet Hubbard https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=desd4n Isaac Johnson https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=k5ttvd Anais JosephLynch https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=uq4vj5 Scarlette Kamalian https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=3wgz68 Edmond Khudaverdyan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=2x4y2w Raymond Khudaverdyan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=k5tunz Eva Lyudmirsky https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=f2cm1t Sophie Mathews https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=4ujqjy Seth Morgan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=84a6rg Hakob Muradyan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=yqspf8 Saia Naghibi https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=kh3xg4 Arame Narinyants https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=n9qc9z Arin Navasartian https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=c1524c Peyton Palijo https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=p7uu53 Evelina Poghosyan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=v2t1es Kenley Schlichter https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=aw8h77 Garik Shaljyan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=nvn9rq Alec Tarakhchyan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=mn9q6j Armen Tarakhchyan https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=b7yqtb Alex Weimar https://myapexevent.com/event/16877/sponsor?participant=ge9ndx Ashley Yorks, Team Lead- LA Apex Leadership Co | Apex Fun Run ashleyy@apexleadershipco.com   P: 386.627.6712 FacebookWhat Our Customers Say! | Apex In The News!               ᐧ ReplyForward