5th Grade Team - 2020 Texts Part 2
Sun, Mar 22, 3:09 PM.
B: That's for you Bri. I figure you probably already know how to do it R.
Can I get your power school passwords again please? I need to get in to invite your kids. I already invited mine
R: Woah, I didn't realize that was you talking...
B: Yeah. Ava's community episode was super loud in the background. Sorry.
R: Guess I've never heard you on the phone or video...now I'm spooked
B: Maybe I should be a YouTuber
Brian: All I know is SOMEBODY keeps interrupting The Real Housewives of Atlanta marathon!
B: Sorry about that. Those Atlanta housewives are my kindred spirits.
Brian: I'll investigate this Classroom situation soon...
B: What do you think about sharing a slide show with all the kids and asking them to post pics of themselves on it? We could do a "camp days" thing where they have a focus each day and they can add pix from the theme of the day?
Wednesday: outside time pix Thursday: creating/ art/ fort Friday: ...?
R: What if they don't have a camera?
B: They can email them to me and I'll put them in there.
R: I need to read over the email of what the expectations for us is and what our are for the students
B: They said three things:
Refresh, review and practice. Put suggested items in the grade level classroom for kids to work on. That's the gist. You should read it anyway because I probably missed something.
Brian: Well, MY expectation is that I'm going to find out whether C and M are going to able to overcome their marital difficulties.
R: Hold up, Brian is actually watching Bravo...
Brian: Am I?!
It's right next to A&E's The Mummy Returns.
B: I wish I had Bravo right now. All I've been doing for days is cleaning stuff. I'm so over it. Today we cleaned and organized the garage, hence my awesome senior pic you two casually ignored.
Brian: What are you talking about? That lovely photo is my phone's new background.
B: Well played Bri, well played.
R: The last 4 days have sucked, it's pretty much just consisted of prepping K's house and yard to sell...which is not fun at all. Also I hate yard work. I want Bravo and Housewives, your life is beautiful Brian. B, your photo and pavers are also easy on the eyes.
B: Awww. My bid for attention has been received. Thank you friends.
I actually like yard work but I don't like working with others I realized.
It's not letting me login as you guys. It's weird. I know I'm entering everything in correctly. I'll find another way to get their names. Don't worry
Ok. All our kids are invited. I'll add the assignments we have in our Covid doc to Bloomz tomorrow morning. The stuff we're adding right now they should have or can print off the website.
Brian: Thus far, we've managed:
-Roughly 10 episodes of BuffyTVS.
-Made all the birds and squirrels very fat.
-Checked the news about 15 times a day.
-Nearly killed myself attempting to do our 25-year-old "The Firm" workout videotape out in the garage.
-Listened to Xander ask about 100 different ways if he can play on the xBox.
-Send one box of books; whatever we had on hand, to the Mother in Law in Winthrop. And a lot of yard work. Wendi’s considering buying a small green house off amazon.
I'm looking forward to an exciting week ahead.
B: Sounds riveting.
B: I love your feeder stand. Wendi does good work.
R: So I should essentially delete all due dates because we ca my grade anything so it's basically all just optional?
B: Exactly.
R: Cannot* not ca my
B: I figured. I got you girl
R: Do you think they expect like an assignment a day per subject or an expectation for the week?
B: We can do it however we want I imagine.
Mon, Mar 23, 7:56 AM.
Brian: "Cannot* not ca my"
is this code for something?
B: It was a correction from her previous text.
Brian: Oh, that’s much less naughty than I imagined.
B: It's 8 am Bri
Brian: And I am really caffeinated and really bored.
B: I am getting really good at sleeping in. I woke up at 7:30 this morning!!! That's late for me.
Of course my dreams were awful and I made a plan for the kids to make picture slide shows this week....
Brian: Looking at Q-Classroom (finally). Are we doing anything with the Grades page?
R: Nope we weren't not supposed to grade at this time (unless there's new news)
So we aren't supposed to roll out our classroom until AFTER spring break and post at least once weekly, plus T's supposed to approve it first.
I wonder how long this meetings going to be
B: I hope short. Maybe we can have T be a student in the classroom and he can look at it.
Brian: Huh?!? I spent 6 precious minutes linking to the 5th grade website for nothing?
I suspect the "After spring break" is the floor, not the ceiling. Believe it or not, some people procrastinate about things like this.
Not us, of course.
T wants this stuff up and running ASAP.
And preferably up and running better than those non-goodnicks at Ridgetop and Silverdale.
B: I'm not putting anything formal in the classroom now. I thought we could have options in there now that already connect to what we're offering as daily enrichment on Bloomz (see COVID doc.)
They can't possibly micromanage all of our classrooms. That's too much stupid work.
The second grade one has been up at running since yesterday morning.
R: I think it's going to be an hour+ meeting because he's going over the email and more. I'm hoping he'll let us tech savvy folk sign off early and not sit through a course on google classroom and resources. We can tune out while he talks.
Wish we were having an 8:15 meeting like normal, but I guess he's ensuring everyone sleeps in AND checks their email in time
B: Probably. I didn't check my email until Bex told me about the meeting.
I just want you guys to know that I miss you and our banter. My kids just don't get me the way you two do.
Brian: Well, I would hope not!
I mean, R and her filthy, filthy mind and sense of humor...
B: Exactly why I appreciate her.
A has been watching community though so she's starting to look at me funny when J and I say stuff.
R: I'm not going to lie, during holidays when we play loaded Questions I always win. Probably the combo of midgets and chaps really gets to my family.
B: Sounds like successful combo
Brian: We need to figure out a way to play on-line games together. Better than what I've managed so far. Wonder if Zoom’s the answer.
R: At home games I can do, ii it's not too late
B: Me too. I hit a wall around 9
Brian: Question. Are you wearing headphones for the Zoom meeting?
B: No. I can though.
R: I'm making pancakes during zoom and blasting that Zoom
B: I have hearing aids so they have to be those big over the ear ones
Brian: I seem to be the only one in the meeting.
R: No video for me. I'm bumming it
Brian: Are you in?
R: Yes I like looking at everyone
Brian: How did you get there? I am in a meeting of 1.
R: There's a link In his email{s)
B: Click the link in the email he sent.
Brian: The Join Zoom Meeting link?
B: Yes
R: Is the ID 982-094
Brian: That's what the email said. Where do we enter that ID?
R: It entered it for me
B: The initial screen should give you the place to put it. Mine was already entered.
R: I sent you a new invite
Brian: Just lonely Brian...
R: Did it work?
Brian: Nope. Just. still. #%£ing me...
B: Want me to film it for you?
Brian: It's the right ID number for the meeting. Just me...
B: That's weird, I messaged T privately and told him your link was glitching but you've been trying to get in. He knows you're trying. I hope that's ok.
Do we want a grant for camp stuff? We could use the $ for snacks.
Brian: Thank you.
I ##€&'ing got out of bed and washed my hair for this shit!!
Sorry.
B: We appreciate your clean locks Bri.
Brian: I am now going to play Balloon Tower Defense 6. Because it works.
R: Yes grant for camp will be cool
B: So for we have nothing mind blowing in this meeting. It's all we know so far.
I'll write it. I have so much time.
Brian: Just restarted the ChrBk. It's now working.
B: I really wish people would stop asking questions.
R: I'm watching you clean your nails BECKY
B: Creeper. Not fair that you turned video off.
R: And Brian's looking awful smug
Brian: I always do.
R: It's the bun I wasn't ready to share it, even though every other female is rocking it.
B: Truer
Or wet hair.
There you are Bri! Nice painting.
Brian: That’s a whole lot of T forehead we're seeing.
B: now that you mention it...
R: These angles aren't great... M’s playing with background. Respect.
Brian: He could sell advertising space and make a killing. Do we have any questions?
R: I don't.
Brian: Did he answer our Google Classroom questions? About whether we can start it now?
B: He said a lot of teachers have started it, but it doesn't HAVE to be live until the 6th. I won't tell students about it until Friday.
I'm gonna stop in and get some things too. I didn't realize the building would be open until 2:30.
R: Maybe I should go pickup my worms...
Brian: Probably should. I don't know if we'll actually go back to school this school year.
R: Ugh, such a far drive far vermin
Brian: Worms are vital to our way of life. You treat them with the respect they deserve!
R: Fine, after I steam the floors and eat these pancakes.
Brian: I overestimated your love for your worms.
R: They need such a small amount for like a month...whatevs they'll beef up once they get home.
Brian: I can break into your classroom and whisk the worms away if you want. Or I can feed them.
Brian: So last call for Clear Creek Muff...
R: I was going to drive out there to get them
Unless you wanted to take them on for an undetermined amount of time
Brian: Ahhh!!
My glove got caught in my zipper!! I am exposed!! And my fly has little blue chunks stuck in it.
R: Thanks for the visual
Brian: ...In retrospect, this may have been a bit of over sharing.
R: So did you want to babysit the worms for awhile Brian? They can live in your garage for a month, eat like once every other week
Fine I'll go get my own worms
Brian: Whoops! I've already left. Sorry. Am at Home Depot now. Where business is booming!
B: Hey, here is an idea. If you are still at CC, maybe think about taking some photos so we can jazz up our G-Classroom, Also, maybe one of us (still at school) could bring home some of the poster pads. (Like the AR progress poster is on in B's room.)
We could use them to post student achievements on classroom. I'm thinking Redbird minutes per week; stuff like that. A little bit of home for the kids.
Brian: I already left school. We can put together a doc to share with them too.
Mon, Mar 23, 4:11 PM.
Brian: Well, this kinda sucks.
The following students have disappeared from Redbird:
H: E and J
R: A, S, S, C, I, S, L, M, and S
B: A, A, B, D, and J
I've contacted T and J. Not a great way to start out.
B: M's login won't work either.
Brian: Could you send out a Bloomz saying we're aware that many kids are able to log onto Redbird and that we'll contact everyone as soon as the issue is fixed?
R: I even had his mom just try to login to his google drive, that didn't even work. Did we just contact C?
Brian: Just texted T.
Then emailed him and C.
R: I like your style
Brian: If you have another person to pester, I'm all ears,
R: I would like to once again like to voice my gratitude with this team. You're both awesome.
Brian: Yes, it is.
B is also okay.
B: We're awesome.
I'll Bloomz it out right now.
Tue, Mar 24, 9:18 AM.
Brian: J wrote back this morning to say the Classlink had sync issues yesterday but today everything should be back to normal.
Now we only have 13 missing fifth graders!!
Congratulations, A, J, and M! You can now do math!
B: Ugh. Yay?
Sigh. I got an extension on iXL until June 30 so at least they have that.
Brian: Yes, I just removed what little I posted already.
Don't do any work till the second week of April. Got it! (That’s how I interpreted B's words!)
B: Bloomz is being a jerk this morning. I've been trying to post for 40 minutes.
R: Bloomz has been super delayed, I'm going to say that it's the amount of people using the platform.
Brian: If they don't get their act together, we may need to ask for a refund.
B: It's free.
D has been posting all morning. Seriously, like five times. He's singlehandedly slowing it down.
R: I was planning on just posting the doc on my own classroom (since I asked them to type their final) and submit it...then Paste to our new classroom the last Sunday of spring break
B: Sounds perfect.
Brian: Presumably, it's fed up going both ways so parents are figuring it as well.
R: B you're funny. I've been cooped up too long.
B: Are you saying my humor is only funny while cooped up? I would venture to say I'm funny all of the times.
Brian: Nope. No humor here.
I did unleash a very amusing pun at Mrs. C and CP. this morning.
B: Well played. A pun is always fun.
Tue, Mar 31,5:00 PM.
R: Literally did not see the T happy birthday one...only the miss our students one
Am I a bad employee?
B: Nah.
Brian: Yes, yes you are!
Sat, Apr 4, 5:33 PM
B: Does anyone know what's up with the report cards? When did they go in the mail?
Brian: Don't know.
Losing touch with work reality.
B: Yeah. Me too. I dreamt I caught the Rona last night and woke up super motivated.
Brian: I dream of squirrels....
B: I assumed.
Brian: So, I do not have the report card information. Have you gotten parent inquiries?
B: Yes. I haven't gotten S and C's yet either so I just don't know when they went out.
R: I'm not sure either. I do know I gave the actual envelopes to E the initial Monday we did onsite planning.
Brian: My Brilliant Son decided to hide the last bag of Doritos; the bag that Wendi decided to purchase as a special treat for good behavior: the bag that was STILL in hiding because Xander has yet to show ANY good behavior.
But he discovered it AND decided to take it out of hiding and then put it in his room. Perhaps hoping his dottering old parents would forget about the Last Bag of Doritos
My point being, we haven't seen any report cards but we wouldn't put anything past Senior Numb-Nuts.
Sun, Apr 5, 6:26 PM
Brian: Okay, it's time.
Been putting it off in hopes that, I don't know, that I'd retire before it came to it. Or get hit by a bus But neither of those things will happen before the end of spring break. More's the bad luck.
Okay, go how does Bloomz work? I'm thinking I should be at least slightly available for all this enrichment I'm providing. At least from 8:00-5:00 each weekday.
...Wendi's spending this evening looking up haircut videos on YouTube…
I am doomed.
B: At least you can stay inside until it grows in a bit.
R: B, lol
Brian, have you created a login for Bloomz hefore?
B: Download the app on your phone and login with your email.
I'll post Bloomz daily updates for families by 8:30 every morning. I'm gonna post what we've placed on the Covid doc. Update it at any time because I'll look at it each day before I post. I can lead anyone who has questions to your email. I posted a long post on Bloomz yesterday. Take a look at it. I'm going to place another link to the video on how to login to Google from home for the kids who haven't yet done that.
R: I also just sent you an invite
B: There you go. That'll be easiest.
I just have to say that the fact we are doing daily updates is super helpful as a parent. The second grade classroom has so much stuff in it I don't know where to begin.
R: I got a long email with a word document from W's preschool teacher of a minute to minute breakdown of 3 hours of "enrichment" for the next couple of weeks…not daily or weekly down.
B: Three hours for two weeks? You'll have it made.
R: No, 3 hours a day. Then a layout.
Example: 6 min of music and dance (You Tube link) l0 min of reading aloud to child
5 min of your child reading their own book
B: and work from home.
Fortunately, we are sharing the classroom. We only have to give feedback on our area
R: It'll be great.
Brian: My work email? Because I'm checking that 2, maybe 3x a day by logging into my school account.
I have less than no interest in forwarding my school email to home or, Heaven Forbid, my phone so, how do you get any parental replies?
15 reply texts in 30ish minutes? Yeesh.
B: I will refer parents to your work email. I would never try to link work to personal. Ever.
R: I'm losing it. It took me a solid 3 minutes to remember who K is.
Brian: We have a K?
Do you gals Just check your school emails throughout the weekend?
B: Nah. I get the Bloomz message notifications on my phone. I haven't really gotten any except one about report cards.
Brian: Do the parents see our email addresses? I ask because I have this amazing yahoo address: lowpriorityaccount, that I send all the… uh... non-vital email to and it's on my phone.
Obviously, I wouldn't want our parents sending their vital questions/ concerns to such a non-professional account but if
they were just sending things to the Bloomz app.
B: No. They should only be seeing your Bloomz message page.
Mon, Apr 6, 10:21 AM.
R: Isn't A M's mom? Like the M who is no longer a student at CC? I get her wanting him to do work, but she didn't even make sure he completed his hw
Brian: I'm thinking maybe his Classlink is deactivated because he's not enrolled anymore.
B: That's probably it.
R: Bloomz just notified me about the message, I've been replying lo the comment
B: I messaged her back.
Why do teachers post a doc and ask kids to make a copy and then share it with them? Why don't they just make it "make a copy for each student". Seriously! They are making it so freaking hard for all these kids. (Namely my two)
R: Maybe they don't know about that option, it took me like a year until I saw that option and it changed my life. Now I'm a template Queen. I just did 100, she wants us to fix it
B: No. I want to email the second grade team and show them. I don't imagine B and D are super receptive to feedback right now. I know I wouldn't be.
Brian: A meeting in 15. You all attending?
B: Yep
R: I wasn't planning to because she's not my home room and she doesn't have an IEP in any area I teach. I gave W feedback last week
Brian: COVID-19 doc updated on math through April 24th. Guess we'll have to go back to work after that.
B: I don't imagine we will be going back to work at all this school year.
R: My mental sanity is on the line...
Ps I replied lo a student comment on on assignment Not assigned by me, if I'm wrong or stepping on toes please tell me!!!
Mon, Apr 6, 2:40 PM..
Brian: No toes being stepped on here!
B: Here either
I slew just closed schools through the end of the year.
R: I know about auburn but haven't researched anywhere else
B: I slew just announced it.
I slew
Inslee*
R: We're probably going to follow...
B: We have to. He just extended the closure through the end of the year.
R: Ps. I've been damage controlling all day. I feel like IT or customer service for parents and students, not teaching Oh. lnslee, not a slew (like a lot) of schools.
B: Me too! Some of them we BOTH were talking things through. Apparently, when they sign into classlink, many students don't have classroom loaded in. I have just been having them login the traditional way with email.
R: So. This feels super shitty. I'm super upset and not just because I'm stuck at home remote teaching. I feel like a total cry baby right now.
B: I get it. We have no control and we have no idea how to teach our kids. My impression is that we'll go pass/ fail for this year so it'll be easier than traditional grades.
R: We're not even supposed to be assessing anything technically or introducing new material. Pass or fail makes sense, like if kids didn't get it before they might have it now alter all this enrichment.
B: Well, new teaching is supposed to start next week. I just don't know how we can do that.
Mon, Apr 6 5:43 PM
Brian: "I slew the rest of the school year..."
Wow, that J sure likes sending us private comments!
Will B be adding lots and lots of technically challenging activities?
Tragically, I can't check this "YellowStone" activity without finding the ChromeBook. Xander's signed in to this desktop. Speaking of this iMac.....
On the plus side, through my very limited technology skills AND well-worn credit cards AS WELL AS a large helping of
Vulgarities, I have ALMOST managed to get Jackbox kind of running on the desktop using Zoom.
And Wendi’s new cheese making kit came in.
See you tomorrow in Zoomland
R: I don’t know if she’s gonna keep posting. I asked her about the things the posted and asked her to use the COVID doc because I like to make it all about us.
She posted resources mostly. She also posted the YellowStone thing that request for some kids to make a copy.
Why?!?!?! Why can’t teachers just select “make a copy for each student?!?!” It drives me nuts
Hold up. Wendi’s making cheese?
Brian: Well she’ll give it a try!
Last night she watched a lot of raising chickens 101 Youtube videos.
B: Chickens are filthy creatures
R: I wish she would respond to kids asking questions about the assignment she posted, because I wasn’t well versed in the virtual tour but I am now. I’ll update the doc this week about my project for next…
I also want chickens, W and I can start a chicken gang.
Brian: Who all is (are?) getting the student comments? I mean, we all are, is she?
And Mrs B, you’ll rue your rash words when the R Family and mine are luxuriating in chicken eggs.
B: I got zero comments and none of my students turned anything in or asked questions about it.
Well A did, but that’s it.
You can bring me eggs any day and I will be so grateful. I just don’t want you to bring me a chicken.
Brian: Our (theoretical) chickens will be a whole lot more use in the coming apocalypse than your big, slobbery dog.
R: I get emails every time someone comments on an assignment, then my phone vibrates and a banner comes up with the email.
Brian: I got them in my email.
R: I talked to R about primary sources. I also talked to M about if she’s required to do S’s assignments. I also talked to J twice. Maybe someone else. I also talked with a few parents but that wasn’t Google Classroom.
Brian: What the hell?
B: Idk, Norman has a lot of meat on him
I don’t even see comments on any assignments. Are they in the stream or the class work tab?
R: Private comments
B: I don't see a Private comments section.
R: like under the assignment there is the instructions then the other tab with student work. kids leave comments there by their work
B: I see it now. I had to google it.
Brian: Are the comments required?
B: No.
Brian: Well, let's turn them off.
B: I just wanted to make sure I could see and answer the questions about the things I post.
R: Which is why I sent the message this morning because I talked to R about her deleted slideshow and didn't want to step on toes I think kids need to clarify any confusion on assignments and that's the only way they have
So the voicemail From T said 90 min a day of learning and no trimester 3 report cards
B: Nice. What about that learning? How do we go about that?
R: Guess we'll find out tomorrow on Zoom : / / /
B: Yeah. That's kinda reassuring. Between what the four of us are putting in, we should easily accomplish 90
minutes.
R: Agreed.
Brian: Just as long as I have time enough to manage my chicken investigations. And fruit tree pollination.
B: And no grades!!
B can manage math. You get to your farm. I need fruit and eggs.
Brian: Wendi's grand daddy wasn't one to pass up a bowl of squirrel stew.
B: Hmmmmm. You should try that out and master it before we aren't allowed to leave our homes ever.
R: Start. A. Squirrel. Farm.
Brian: Drove through town today. Pretty sure Farmland is currently open.
And somehow, Staples is STILL open! Again, I am forced to say: What the Hell?
The ankle biters getting any use out of that Wii U?
You know, when they're not pestering during a Zoom session? Wendi and I are playing co-op Xbox a couple/ three times a night.
B: They play sometimes but believe it or not, they've been playing outside and doing crafts. It's kinda great, except for all the craft crap my mom sent that they keep using and leaving all over the floor.
They were on Wii U a ton at first.