It's been about a month since we started distance learning. Even though we use Google Classroom for most of our GATE assignments, this is a new adventure for a lot of people.

I sent an email to all GATE families on March 25. If you didn't see it, here's what it said...

I hope you are doing well and taking care while our community deals with the Covid-19 outbreak. I’ve talked (messaged) with some of you through Class Dojo. It was great to hear from you! If you haven’t been on Dojo yet, please sign in to your account and look at the class announcements for GATE. If your family has not set up a Dojo account, please do so.

Until school opens again, we are doing virtual learning. In addition to the activities provided by your classroom teacher, I am posting activities to our GATE Google Classroom. The activities will not be graded but can be a fun way to keep yourself busy and thinking while you are at home.

Online activities can be accessed through these websites:
Clever - https://www.thiriotes.com/students 
iReady printable activities - https://www.thiriotes.com/iready   
Google Classroom - classroom.google.com
Disneyland Project - www.GATErocks.com
Class Website - www.myFunTeacher.com
School Website - www.thiriotES.com 

Have a question? Want to talk? I am available Monday thru Friday from 9:30AM to 3:20PM through email (powelke@nv.ccsd.net), our class website (www.myfunteacher.com), Class Dojo, and Google Classroom. You can send me a message or a video. I’d love to hear from you!

If you don’t have access to email, that’s not a problem. You can use the contact form I have posted on our website. The message will be sent directly to me. You can find it here: myfunteacher.com/miss-powell.html Just scroll down on that page and you’ll see the form.

In the next day or two, please do the following:
1. Let me know that you have received this message and respond with the best contact method for your family. 
2. Sign on to Google Classroom and start working on the posted activities. If you don’t remember the email address you use for signing in, let me know and I will send it to you. Your password is your 8-digit birthday info: YYYYMMDD
3. Check out Class Dojo and say hi.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you! 

Stay safe… stay healthy… and stay in touch,
Ms. Powell
powelke@nv.ccsd.net

     The countdown is on... In four weeks we will be on our way to Disneyland! Some parents have expressed concern about the Coronavirus. We are going on our trip, as we have planned. I spoke to our travel advisor at Disneyland and she assured me there are precautions in place to prevent spreading illness.
     Here's a link to an article that explains how Disneyland is protecting Guests and Cast Members. I will continue to check in with our Disneyland representative as we get closer to our trip on April 4. If anything changes, I will let you know.

https://insidethemagic.net/2020/03/disneyland-coronavirus-update-tm1/

GATE starts after Labor Day on Tuesday, September, 3.

• Byerley, Castro & Parker

          Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday (11:10 - 12:00)

• Codera & Hill

          Tuesday & Friday  (11:10 - 12:00)
          Wednesday  (9:20 - 10:10)

• Hicks & Lee

          Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday  (1:20 - 2:10)

• Davis

          Tuesday & Friday  (1:20 - 2:10)
          Thursday  (9:20 - 10:10)

• Bako

          Monday  (9:20 - 10:10)
          Tuesday & Friday (10:15 - 11:05)

• Clark & Garcia

          Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday  (10:15 - 11:05)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 2nd grade enrichment classes start Monday, September 9. See you in Room 207!

• Monday - Moran (12:15 - 12:45)
  • Tuesday - Zakrzewski (9:20 - 9:50)
    • Wednesday - Maggio​ (12:15 - 12:45)
      • Thursday - McGowan (12:15 - 12:45)
        • Friday - Kopalyan (9:20 - 9:50)

Back in January, I submitted an application for the Teachers and Technology Grant sponsored by CenturyLink. The grant is awarded to teachers who design innovative STEM classroom projects. If you aren't familiar with STEM, it stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Well, right before the end of the school year, the generous people at CenturyLink came to Thiriot and presented me with a $5,000 check!!!  It was one of those huge checks - so exciting!

The $5,000 grant received by the school is part of $750,000 awarded by the CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation across 34 states this year, funding 180 classroom projects. Thiriot's application was selected from over 1,300 submissions. We were the only elementary school in Nevada to be awarded this grant. Yay for us!

So, what's the grant proposal? It's called, "Imagineering a New Land for Disneyland." The project is designed for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Gifted and Talented students to research rides and attractions at Disneyland. Then, teams of students will design new lands for Disneyland, including a new ride that incorporates something from a retired ride that is no longer operating, an attraction as a tribute to Walt Disney, a restaurant, a retail store with merchandise, food carts, and costumes for the employees to wear. 

Thanks to the CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation, the Thiriot GATE students will be getting 20 Chromebooks, wireless mice, a color printer, and extra ink cartridges. That's not all. I'm also purchasing a digital camera with wi-fi so students can photograph and document their work. A wi-fi camera will make it easier to upload photos to our class website as the Disneyland projects progress and new lands for Disneyland come to life.

THANK YOU, CENTURYLINK!