Posted on 8 Comments on Making Connections

Making Connections

Dear Students,

I’m know all of you have friends and family who have been affected by the fires that have blown up around us these past few days, and I hope that you, your friends and families are safe.

I’ve used the down time during these unexpected days off to catch up on grading–yes, I’ve finally given you feedback on your Createologies–and do a bit of blogging.  Earlier this week, a 6th grade teacher in Australia mentioned us on her class blog (http://stlukesstudentblogs.global2.vic.edu.au/2014/05/12/our-blogging-friends/ and invited her students to check out your blogs.  Today, I commented on her blog and shared a little bit about the fires that have flared up in the north county this week.

Given that the fires burning in our area are national news, I’m sure that our blogging friends in Mrs. Rombach’s class in Virginia have heard about them, and it may even be the case that they’ve made the news in Australia.  I thought this might be a great opportunity for you to give the reporting on the fires a more personal touch.  Do you know people who have been evacuated, or people who are on the front lines, fighting to stop the fires’ advance and protect people’s homes?  How have the fires affected you, your friends, your family?  Rather than write our “headlines” in our writer’s notebooks on Monday, we’ll post our thoughts on our blogs.

I’ve also created a new category on our blog that you can contribute to called “Recommended Reads.”  If you’d like to share a book review or book trailer, follow the steps below:

  1. Click + New in the toolbar at the top of the page while viewing our class blog, and then choose Post.
  2. Title your post, and then paste your review or use the Add Media button to upload your trailer.
  3. Reread and edit your post, making sure it reflects your best work (and be sure not to include your last name)!
  4. Select the “Recommended Reads” category, and then click Publish.

Your new post will appear on our class blog after I approve it.  I look forward to seeing reading (and watching) your new posts, and be sure to check out some of the student blogs listed on Mrs. Rombach’s and Mrs. Coffa’s class blogs!

8 thoughts on “Making Connections”

  1. Dear Mr Jewell and class,
    We are very sorry to hear about the fires near your homes. In Melbourne Australia, we know only too well how difficult this time will be for you as ‘bushfires’ occur in our surrounding areas every Summer. We have had some major events over the past with the loss of many homes and lives. These occur not too far from our suburban homes – close enough to see smoke but not be at risk.
    Times like these are times when we see the best in people – volunteers fighting fires, offering support in so many ways.
    Our Red Cross have some wonderful resources http://aftertheemergency.redcross.org.au/
    It is the weekend now, so I hope the students will be connecting soon

    Celia

  2. Hi Mr Jewell,
    my grade students work with Mrs Coffa, our ICT teacher at school and we are all in the student blogging challenge. Mrs Coffa added you to our blog roll. We will be keeping you in our thoughts over the weekend and look forward to hearing your stories next week. We have been blogging for many years now and it is always exciting to make new connections to enhance our learning.
    We live with the danger of bush fires over the summer also. We are fortunate to have never been directly affected though.
    Take care!
    Mrs Verona Gridley
    http://www.juniorsblackburn.edublogs.org

  3. Hello Mr. Jewell-

    Our class is following your story, too, and we have you all in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Here on the east coast, we don’t experience the constant dangers of brush/wild fires as you do. I can’t imagine how frightening it must be. A few years ago, there was a fire in one of our nearby national forests and I remember that the smoke went on for mile and miles. As we drove home from vacation, you couldn’t see the fire, but the smoke was everywhere. I imagine you’re experiencing the same there.

    We wish only the best for your firefighters, citizens, students, and your family. We will be online next week to read the stories shared by your students. Thank your for giving them a chance to share this experience with students from around the globe.

    Stay safe!
    Mrs. Rombach
    http://mrsrombachreads.edublogs.org

  4. Dear Mr.Jewell’s class,
    My name is LeAnna Johnson and I am in Mrs.Rombach’s sixth grade English class. I’m so sorry for all of you affected by the Wildfires. I hope that you know that you are in me and my family’s prayers. I hope that all of you are in a safe place. 🙂

    sincerely,

    LeAnna Johnson.

  5. Hi Mr, Jewell’s Class!
    My name is Quynh-Thi and I am in Mrs.Rombch’s sixth grade English class. I am so sorry for everyone who has been effected by all the horrible wildfires. I hope that Everyone was not harmed and wish for the best! I also hope that you will be back in school as soon as possible, even though kids usually don’t like to go to school, your school will probably be the only spot that makes them feel comfortable after this fire.

    Stay Happy And Safe! 🙂
    Quynh-Thi (U.S.) http://eatsweet.edublogs.org/

  6. Dear Mr. Jewell’s Class,

    I am Simone. I am twelve and am a girl, I am from Spigelman Scholars. (I will leave a link)

    I am so sorry to hear about your brush fires, the entire county has also expiriencing them. I hope no one has been harmed by the fires. I heard that in San Diego there has been a brush fire that spread and grew.

    Your blog is wonderful! It has alot of great things that I may use. May I ask you to visit mine? I will leave links to my class blog and to mine.

    Thank you for your time! Bai! 🙂

    My blog: http://simonec6.edublogs.org
    My class blog: http://spiegelmanscholars.edublogs.org

  7. Dear Blogging Friends,

    Thank you so much for your kind thoughts! Fortunately, the low clouds and sea breeze that are typical for this time of year have cooled things down and given the firefighters a chance to contain the fires. For once, no one is complaining about the May gray.

    This weekend, I went to the wedding of a friend who grew up in the area. Many of the guests in attendance had been evacuated from their homes, and I spent much of the evening listening to their stories.

    While most of the evacuees knew their homes had been spared, my friend Aaron was far less certain. He recounted watching from the safety of a nearby ridge as a DC-10 doused his property—including his home—with fire retardant. As of Saturday morning, his home had not burned, but his next-door neighbor has not been so lucky.

    My friend Vaughn told me that he arrived home from a flight on Wednesday and turned on his phone, only to find that he had fifteen frantic messages from his wife, telling him that a fire had broken out near their home and she had evacuated with the kids, the dog and little else. When he’d turned off his phone and boarded the plane for the five-hour flight, there had been no whisper of a fire.

    Another friend who had been forced to evacuate along with his wife and two young daughters, told me that he thought of the whole experience an adventure—and, listening to his daughters tell the story of the column of black smoke looming above their yard, the hurried pack-up, and the unexpected stay at a friend’s home, it sure sounded like one. They’ll remember this for a long time.

    I think my friend Anya, Aaron’s partner, best captured their spirit, telling me, “We’re safe and fortunate that we have the means to replace what we’ve lost; not everyone can say the same.”

    As I listened to my friends tell these stories, standing there in clothes that were either borrowed or purchased that very morning, unsure when they might be able to get back into their homes, I couldn’t help but marvel at their strength. It’s this that I’ll remember long after the names of the fires and acreage burned fades from my memory.

    Many of my students chose to write about how their lives were touched by the fires this week, too. I’ve shared links to a few posts that really resonated with me today as a new post on our class blog, and I invite you to check it out.

    Thanks again for your kind thoughts,

    Mr. Jewell
    http://writingwithmrj.edublogs.org/

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