First through fifth grade families, please go to the attached link and take our family survey on MAGIC.  We ask that you repeat it for each additional child. If your child is in kindergarten, you may skip taking the survey.  Please go to:
 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GreenLake2011
 
I had a wonderful discussion with a parent today about the half hour we as teachers keep saying  that the kids now have that they didn’t before.  In the discussion with the parent, it was clear that we have not been explaining this in a way that makes sense from the students’ point of view.  I will now attempt to explain how this half hour that kids are not eating in their classroom  pans out into instructional time for the intermediate classrooms.
 
Last year students ate in their classrooms and teachers supervised them.  This year, the teachers are not eating in the classroom with the students, giving them their contractual break.  This had happened during art or gym.  Now when the fifth  graders go to gym and/or art/literacy, the teacher who used to take a break is teaching a math or science course to a set of third or fourth grade students.  This rotates throughout the day.   Although your child still has the same time for recess and lunch, the time we were able to capture from all teachers eating and planning together at the same time equals out to more content area learning.  Where science had been once or twice a week, it is now every day.  Students in all classrooms have smaller math groups because of the lunchroom change.
 
We have heard from Gretchen DeDecker that a organization who sponsors big projects in the school district is interested in helping Green Lake enclose our lunchroom, help us heat it, and get sprinklers in there to make it safe and warm.  I meet with the organization and Gretchen on December 12th.  I am looking forward to working with them to solve this dilemma as soon as possible.  I do know our committee has definitely made it as warm as 53 degrees in there last Friday so even without heat, the work to enclose the space has created warmth.   Thanks again lunchroom team.