Dear parents,
It is with great joy that I welcome you to the 2016-2017 school year. I am eager to meet your scholars and partner with you in the noble task of feeding their souls things that are true, good, and beautiful. We soon embark on a wonderful journey together. This year begins my fifth year of teaching in the Great Hearts network. Having served four years with the outstanding teachers at Archway Trivium West, this will be my first year with the passionate team of individuals at Archway Trivium East. I graduated from Grand Canyon University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Liberal Studies. Through the years I have gained experience as a guest teacher in the Pendergast School District for grades K-8, but grew to love the principles of classical education while teaching my own daughters at home during grades K-2 and 6-8. I am thankful to serve a wonderful community of students with the excellent curriculum offered throughout the network. It is a privilege to be a part of the founding years of this academy. This year we will be taking time to introduce our students to the Spalding method of spelling. Archway students begin Spalding training in kindergarten and continue to learn through this sequential, multi-sensory instruction in each grade level. We are confident that this approach will awaken a deeper love for patterns of the English language within our fifth grade scholars, as well as strengthen their ability to learn as they see, hear, say, and write their spelling words. In order to offer our fifth grade class the foundational components of the Spalding method, we will begin our year with the fundamental instruction of handwriting and phonograms, but will quickly move into the application of Spalding rules to spelling word lists. Scholars will discourse their way to deeper understanding of beautifully written classic books, such as, Little Women, Where the Red Fern Grows, and The Secret Garden. We will begin the fifth grade discussion with Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Students will learn prerequisites for effective communication as they memorize selected poetry for recitation, which will build mental discipline sure to support them in other areas of study as well. Building upon this knowledge, we will add a consistent diet of grammatical elements and diagramming practice. Through the practice of outlining and summarizing, it is our goal that students master the basic skills of writing in order to be prepared for more advanced writing in years to follow. This is the beginning of a wonderful new school year. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns throughout the year. I look forward to working together with you to cultivate in your child the core virtues of Archway Trivium East. Mrs. Baird Comments are closed.
|
Author
Mrs. Baird Archives
February 2017
|