Summer Learning

Every year I love getting questions from parents about what I recommend for student learning over the summer! Below is the list of subjects and links to various resources and websites that I think would be beneficial for my students after 5th grade.


Bible
The Bible Project is a great resource for free, fascinating videos about themes or books of the Bible. I have shown several of these videos in class throughout the year. I am passionate about these videos not only because I love watching them and learning more for myself, but also because my friend, Jon Collins, is one of the co-creators of this Portland-based project!
  Click for more: About The Bible Project | Videos on YouTube | The Bible Project's Website

Math
We have been using Khan Academy all year, and almost all of the students have told me they prefer online learning rather than worksheets. Parents are encouraged to add themselves as their child's coach in the student profile settings to better keep track of their progress, much like I did throughout the school year. Additionally, if you want to mix it up a bit with multiplication practice online or drill worksheets, peruse the following links.
  Click for more: Khan Academy | Mr. Riedl's Arithmetic Practice | Mrs. Larson's Multiplication Practice Links | Math Drills: Worksheets

Science
There are hundreds of science videos that I have listed on Riedlteach.com which I was unable to show my classes this past year! Students can continue learning on their own by watching videos of particular interest to them! I have organized the videos by topic/category, and I am constantly updating it.
  Click for more: Mr. Riedl's List of Educational Video Clips

Social Studies
Hands-on activities and crafts are great ways to learn about cultural traditions and appreciate different peoples and places. There are many creative ideas at Education.com, and you are sure to find a few that pique your child's curiosity about the world around them.
  Click for more: Social Studies Activities - Education.com

Reading
Depending on the size of the book and the student's reading speed, I generally expect my students to finish reading an entire book every 2-3 weeks. If your child needs ideas of books to read, have them browse the list of bookshelfies the other students posted throughout the year. Also, if your child wants to participate in the Summer Reading Challenge, please select "West Hills Christian School" when you sign up on Scholastic's website.
  Click for more: Mr. Riedl's Archived BookShelfies | Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge

Read Aloud
Parents, read to your kids! They loved it when I read to them each day for only 15 minutes! Other ideas include getting audiobooks from your public library to use on your mobile device and/or use Audible.com to purchase some great audiobooks to listen to. I regularly listen to audiobooks from both, so let me know if you have questions about them!
  Click for more: Multnomah County Library Audiobooks | Audible.com

Writing
A great activity to practice each day is to make a Daily Summer Writing Journal. Use the following link to creative writing prompts for hundreds of great ideas for what your child can write about. Sharing the writing during a regular meal time or rest time each day is a great way to spark conversation and get their creative juices flowing!
  Click for more: 365 Creative Writing Prompts - ThinkWritten

Spelling
I recently discovered a fun game that Google created, which is called Spell Up. It is an interactive spelling game that has many options to help support spellers at many different levels. It gets quite challenging too, as I have become quite addicted to it when I play it in my spare time!
  Click for more: Spell Up by Google

Grammar
Khan Academy has added Grammar lessons and exercises! There are videos to watch too! Be sure not to commit any "Word Crimes" over the summer! ;-)
  Click for more: Grammar on Khan Academy | Word Crimes - "Weird Al" Yankovic

Typing
Mrs. Larson has been working with our students throughout the school year at Typing.com and they are encouraged to continue practicing at home. For other resources, check out Mrs. Larson's additional links to typing games and activities on her website.
  Click for more: Typing.com | Typing Club | Mrs. Larson's Other Typing Practice Links

Fun in the Sun
It is extremely important to be safe when playing around in the sun's electromagnetic radiation over the summer! We learned in class this year that the Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun is what can burn you if too much time is spent outside unprotected. I discovered a wonderful website by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which shows the UV Index forecast by Zip Code! All you need to do is type in your Zip Code, city, and state, and you'll have hourly forecast in your area. It explains what time of day is most harmful, how to best protect yourself, and other helpful tips to stay safe while having fun! I use this often for my own family at home.
  Click for more: UVAwareness.org | EPA UV Index Hourly for 97219

Other?
Have you found great resources that you would like to share with me so I can spread the love? Let me know what has worked well for you and your family!


Make it a great summer, everyone!
--Mr. Riedl

New Student Videos for Chapel!

We presented as a class for chapel this morning! It was a great time sharing with the K-5 students about our involvement with Neighborhood House.

We put together two videos:
1) The first video shows student groups performing skits that explained situations with people who might need help from Neighborhood House. Watch: STUDENT SKITS! - Neighborhood House is AWESOME!!! - Mr. Riedl on YouTube



2) The second video is a mix of footage from both trips to Neighborhood House over the past two weeks. It includes walking to Multnomah Village, short student interviews, repackaging food, restocking shelves, and other ways that we helped. Watch: Neighborhood House is AWESOME!!! - Mr. Riedl on YouTube



Enjoy! Click here to learn more about what you can do to help and be involved with Neighborhood House.
--Mr. Riedl




2014-10-29

Partnership with Neighborhood House

Our classroom is excited to be in partnership with Neighborhood House, a non-profit organization in nearby Multnomah Village! Neighborhood House currently operates the largest food pantry on Portland's west side, providing food boxes to approximately 500 families each month. It is walking-distance from our school, so we are able to go help out regularly throughout the year! Below is information necessary for student and parent volunteers to participate when we serve on location.

Due to the size of the building that Neighborhood House uses, the entire class is not able to serve at the same time. We break up into two groups: Group 1 serves on the first week, and Group 2 serves the next week available. The group that is not serving on that particular week will stay at school at work in their enrichment classes. When each group returns to school, we debrief as a whole class on the experience.

Info about Serving

Click to print waiver

What we will be doing:
 - Sorting donations
 - Placing donations on the shelves
 - Accepting donations from donors
 - Assisting in unloading the truck from Oregon Food Bank
 - Watering, weeding, and harvesting in the garden (seasonally)
 - Sorting bread
 - Bringing donations upstairs

What to wear/bring:
 - Closed toe shoes
 - Clothes that can get dirty
 - Water bottle (if necessary)

  >> Print waiver to serve at Neighborhood House

Info about Donating

There is always a need for donations, but specific items are more beneficial than others. The following items cannot be purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (aka food stamps), so they are always in need of these items.
 - Hygiene (basic cleaning supplies)
 - Toiletries
 - Diapers (preferably size 5-6)
 - Pet food

Most-Needed Food Items:
 - Dairy (condensed milk, powdered milk)
 - Tuna
 - Low-Sodium Soups
 - Canned Vegetables & Fruit
 - Tomato Products (spaghetti/tomato sauce, paste)
 - 100% Juice
 - Cooking Oil
 - Cereals (cold cereals)
 - Flour

Testimonials of those benefiting from Neighborhood House

"Before I came to Neighborhood House there were times when I had to skip meals during the last week of each month to get by. My health suffered and even with missed meals I gained weight because I did not have access to nutritious food. Neighborhood House's Emergency Food Box program has made it possible for me to have enough wholesome food. I now have a better diet, I have lost weight and my health has improved dramatically." --Lana, age 64, family of 2

"My husband is self-employed, but was sick for a full year. Without his income the bills piled up and we couldn't keep up with the payments. The food we received from Neighborhood House has helped us bridge the gap, and is helping us stabilize our finances until he can get back on his feet." --Janis, age 58, family of 2

"I am a starving college student and I am thankful for the help I have received from the Neighborhood House Emergency Food Box Program. I am trying to stay in school to build job skills while I look for work, so having this resource has been a big help." --John, age 42

"I work part time and my husband is a disabled veteran. Food stamps combined with my husband's VA benefits and my income were not enough to provide food for the entire month. We are grateful that we have a place to go to in SW Portland for much needed emergency food assistance." --Ann, age 30, family of 4

Diaper Drive

Get Behind Our Diaper Drive during the month of November!

The Neighborhood House Emergency Food Pantry is having a diaper drive for the entire month of November! Why is a food pantry distributing diapers? Federal programs like food stamps and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) do not provide diapers. Diapers cost $18 per week, or $936 per year on average per child. What are the consequences of a lack of diapers? Most child care centers turn away children who arrive without a day’s supply of diapers. Lack of childcare means parents cannot go to work, resulting in loss of pay and possibly loss of their job if they have frequent unexcused absences. Loss of job means loss of income, which can result in loss of home. This is why diaper need is even more distressing to moms than having enough food for their family; lack of diapers can lead to homelessness! An inadequate supply of diapers forces parents to leave their child in a soiled diaper longer than is appropriate which frequently leads to diaper rash, and may cause staph and urinary tract infections.

How can YOU help? Donate diapers to Neighborhood House or make a monetary contribution towards the purchase of diapers. Diaper sizes 4-6 are most needed, but all sizes are welcome. Please drop off donations of diapers at the back door of Neighborhood House, 7780 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland OR 97219 and receive a tax-deductible receipt. Neighborhood House is able to purchase diapers in bulk, often at a lower cost than typical grocery stores prices. Monetary donations can be dropped off or mailed to the above address (please make sure to write “Diaper Drive” in the memo line) or make a donation on-line through Neighborhood House’s secure website, www.nhweb.org (be sure to indicate “Diaper Drive.” Let’s keep SW Portland’s kids covered!

EdCampPDX

This past summer, I knew I wanted to attend a conference for educators, but I wanted it to be different. More meaningful.

Enter EdCamp. Other educators in my professional learning network on Twitter regularly posted promos to get other teachers and administrators excited about it. The Portland-area event, EdCampPDX, is an unconventional conference because it does not have a keynote speaker. Volunteers organize the camp, and it is mostly focused on discussion, sharing with each other, and it is driven by those in attendance.

What I loved most when first arriving was that it felt great to meet with other educators early on a sunny Saturday morning. They could have done many other things with their free time during the summer, but they chose to talk about how to improve their ability to educate kids.

Anyone in the room can suggest a topic to discuss during the breakout sessions. At the beginning of the day, everyone signs their name under the topics they are interested in discussing. The organizers decide which topics are most popular, then create breakout sessions on the spot. It's awesome.

After an enjoyable get-to-know-you activity, we jump right in. Breakout session locations are announced and everyone is free to go wherever they want. Examples of sessions included Flipping the Classroom, Race and Identity, Chromebook 101, The Paperless Classroom, Genius Hour, Learning Management Systems, and many more.

The sessions I attended were pretty much just in-depth, intentional conversations with other educators about the topics. We shared resources, ideas, strategies, and experiences that can benefit those in the room. There was no agenda. The conversation flowed based on the questions and thoughts brought into the room.

Attending EdCampPDX has given me a broader excitement for the future of professional development, the educational community, and the unified goal we all have to do our best to educate our students by sharing experiences. Thankfully EdCampPDX is not just once a year! The next event will take place in November, and I'm definitely going to bring a WHCS buddy with me next time!





2014-08-31

My trek to school through the snow and ice

Quite a lot of snow and freezing rain fell in Portland this weekend. Needing to go back to school to pick up a few things and to do some grading, I decided to document my trek through the snow and ice. Enjoy!

My trek to school through the snow and ice - Mr. Riedl

Lots of photos!

Here are a bunch of photos from the last few weeks that I finally found time to post on the website.
Enjoy!
--Mr. Riedl
instagram.com/mrriedl

Oregon Symphony

Did we actually listen to a symphony on Thursday at the Schnitz? Yes or No?

Portland Nursery Apple Tasting 2012

Jen, Nolan, and I visited the Portland Nursery's Apple Tasting Festival last weekend! We had visited this wonderful event two years ago, and just loved it.

We appreciated all of the FREE activities and food. Nolan had fun painting his free mini pumpkin, I enjoyed some tasty free popcorn, and, of course, we loved tasting the dozens and dozens of varieties of apples. All for free! All of the apples (and pears too) available for sale are only $0.99 per pound... a great deal! There are lots of other items for sale, like cider, caramel apples, apple crisp, ice cream, and more!

If you are looking for something to do with your family in the Portland area this weekend, check this out! It's the last weekend it is going on. Great food and fun in the fall!

5050 Southeast Stark Street, Portland, OR

New Portland Bridge and Tower Cranes

I have always loved public transportation, which is one of the main reasons I love the city of Portland so much. Tri-Met has been one of my best friends ever since I commuted from Beaverton to OHSU as a lab geek in college. We recently lived about 50 feet from the MAX tracks when we rented an apartment on East Burnside Street near our old community garden.

When I heard the news that the city would be building a new bridge across the Willamette River, and it was specifically designed for public transportation only... well, I just about danced on the ceiling right then and there! Every time I drive through downtown I have to take a glance over to the South Waterfront area to see how the construction is going on the new bridge and on OHSU's new buildings as well. If I'm not driving by, then I check out the webcams here and here at least once a week.

However, one thing has always boggled my mind... how to those super tall cranes do what they do without falling over? They support SO much weight and yet never fall or tip over. The beauty and magic of this engineering feat has always escaped me... until NOW!

I finally relieved my urge to do some research and find out how these enormous structures are built. They are called "Tower Cranes" and have an amazingly creative design. This is definitely one of the coolest videos I have seen in a long time. Check out the beauty and creativity in assembling a tower crane:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB91Sm-kGJ8

Tryon Creek field trip slideshow

click here to view and download photos

Tryon Creek Field Trip Tomorrow!

Important reminder to the parents and students about the field trip tomorrow! Please remember to wear clothes and shoes that are ideal for hiking in the wilderness. Tryon Creek State Park is a very large park with long trails, so it is very likely that we will travel a relatively long distance on foot. Wear tennis shoes and leave the flip-flops or flats at home! Additionally, we will be returning to school by lunch time, so we will not be bringing our lunches with us.
--Mr. Riedl

Back in Portland!

We are back in Portland! My family and I decided to move back, closer to family and friends in the land with rain and clouds. We were definitely sad to leave the friends we grew to know in Ontario, but are glad to return to the Rose City.

I accepted a 5th grade position at West Hills Christian School. It will be a good opportunity to integrate my faith with my education, as well as teach a self-contained classroom, which is something I've been wanting to do ever since I started teaching. While I will miss the 200+ 8th graders over the past two years, I look forward to having more fun with my own group of kids.

I feel very drained after a year in Ontario. It was definitely a learning experience. I went to Ontario expecting to be a teacher that made a big difference in the school and community, but I ended up being the one who was changed. It has certainly helped me become a better teacher, as West Hills Christian School will be the 4th school I've taught at in as many years. It will also be another big change, as private school is much different from public.

My hope is to continue to learn and grow as a teacher. While I will continue to have high expectations of my students, I will try to not have too high of expectations for myself. After my vastly different learning experiences the past couple of years, I want to take what I've learned, just focus on this year, and see what fruit grows. I'm excited!

Argus Observer Article

Last week I was interviewed by Jessica Keller from the Argus Observer, Ontario's newspaper. She came into my classroom and talked about how I was transitioning into my new position after moving from Portland. Her article was wonderful and I really appreciated her writing about education. Thanks Jessica!

If you haven't read the article, click the link below. This image is from the Argus Observer website's article.

Argus Observer: "Breaking new ground" by Jessica Keller

Moving to Ontario, Oregon

A week ago, I drove approximately 360 miles and 6.5 hours through the Columbia River Gorge, over the Blue Mountains, and across the dry high desert to the small town of Ontario, Oregon. It is right on the border of Idaho and the last stop on I-84 before crossing over the Snake River. There are only about 12,000 people living in the city, and I accepted an 8th grade math teaching position at their only middle school. I'm pumped!

Ontario Middle School is filled with staff who are so welcoming and willing to help me out. I have had so many people offer me a place to stay, to drive me around, and advice about the town. I have felt nothing but comfort in my new position, and I can't wait to meet my students! There are many positive things that seem to be happening in the district. There is construction on new buildings at the middle school and the high school, so it is clear to me that the kids have people who really care about them.

My home for the past week has been the friendly neighborhood Motel 6. It has been a nice place to relax while searching for a rental in the area. I ended up finding a great place in the north end of Ontario and plan on moving my small pile of belongings in tomorrow. The funny thing is that some of the people from my school have told me that it is the "bad" part of town. With drugs, drive-bys, and stabbings. Stuff like that. My immediate thought was, "Hey! It's just like home in East Portland!" After riding my bike all over the city, it really doesn't seem that bad to me. And besides, I believe that if there is something wrong with a neighborhood, you need to be the change you want to see there (I think that's a quote from somebody famous). I talked to Jen about it and we both like the idea of living in an area where we can be a positive influence, rather than just fleeing to live where nobody is struggling to get by. After just a week of being here, it seems to me that there is a great need in this city. There is a need for unity and integration between neighborhoods and communities. I really hope to help Ontario as a teacher and now as a resident.

My loving wife showed her complete dedication to me by being willing to move across the entire state, away from friends and family to a small town where we know absolutely no one. It has been very difficult being away from her and Nolan, but thankfully due to the internet and the new Google+ Hangouts (see pic), Jen's beautiful smile and Nolan's adorable noises are just a few clicks away on video chat. They will be joining me in just a couple short weeks, and Portland will be in our rear view mirror.

I believe we have a great opportunity to make a difference in the city of Ontario. There are many families here that are hurting, and I hope that the Riedl family will be one that others can look to for help.