Target with Mr. Bayer

Target Orientation Meeting

Jon Bayer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:46:14 PST

F.Y.I. - There will be an orientation meeting for parents of students new to Target. This meeting will take place in the Garrison Mill media center on Thursday, February 2, at 6:00 p.m. While intended for "new" parents, any parent of a current Target student is also welcome.

Target Classes Start Up Again!

Jon Bayer — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:39:08 PST

I am very pleased to announce that Target classes will be starting back up beginning next week, Monday, January 30th. Our recent testing enabled us to qualify a number of new students in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades. As our numbers have risen we were forced to adjust our teaching schedule. Below are the schedule changes for Mr. Bayer's classes.

Monday - 3rd - Bozard & Swanson/Himmelberg

Wednesday - 3rd - Dunn, Brown, James, & Moore

Lunch and specials times remain unchanged. Hopefully all third grade parents having a child effected by this change have already received a letter giving you this same information. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

I am REALLY looking forward to getting back to teaching and working with your children! Stay tuned for more information on our new units.

Greyhound Gala

Garrisonmill — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:21:50 PST

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to let you know that, as a gala auction item, Ms. Tashiro and I are offering a "Movie and Munchies."

This will be for the auction winner plus 3 guests. Approximately 2 hours of fun in the classroom after school. Date and time to be worked out between teachers and parents.

The Gala Auction will be held February 4, 2012 at Olde Towne Athletic Club from 7 to 11 PM. Tickets are on sale at http://gmefoundation.org - $35 and $45 at the door or you can Download 2012GALATicketformto purchase tickets in advance. Visit the website for a sample of items to bid on. All proceeds go back to GMEF.

The proceeds will be used to improve our school by providing funding for programs such as technology, educational curriculum and facility improvements. The GMEF will accumulate and distribute resources beyond those provided by Cobb County or the PTA, in order to further enhance, foster and enrich the educational experiences of all students at Garrison Mill.

Thank you for your support!

Target Classes Canceled in January

Jon Bayer — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:31:59 PST

Due to the testing of some 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade students for potential qualification for gifted services, Target classes will not be held during the first few weeks in January. Although it is not a firm date, look for Target classes to resume the week of January 30th. Home room teachers and current Target students will be informed of any future plans and/or changes during this somewhat fluid time. Thank you for your patience.

... and They All Fall Down!

Jon Bayer — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:50:59 PST

4th and 5th grade bridge building companies completed their bridges recently. This was the culmination of a great deal of work that involved a multitude of skills and challenges. Last week the proud bridge builders tested their bridges to see just how much weight theirs would hold before breaking. Some bridges broke in a quick, dramatic fashion, while others showed increasing signs of weakness until finally giving way. It was all very exciting. Here are some pictures of completed bridges.

The Case of the Missing Millionaire

Jon Bayer — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:21:05 PST

3rd Grade - Felix Navidad, who recently inherited millions of dollars, appears to have been murdered. His body was found at his beach home, where he had been entertaining some friends. However, his body mysteriously vanished on the way to the morgue. After being taken away and the police taped off the crime scene, the crime scene was fully sketched out, and all of the evidence was bagged up and noted by our 3rd grade detectives/CSI agents. Through a series of experiments and by using all available clues, our detectives had to try to solve the crime. Was it Vera Cruse, the chemist, who was supposedly out for a walk on the beach, or was it Alfredo Fettuccine, the friend having a cola with Felix before going upstairs to use the bathroom just prior to the time of death? Maybe it was Kendra Goode, the artist who was supposedly upstairs taking a shower. Though few suspected him, could it have been Gene Poule, the office manager, who had been napping on the beach with his faithful blind dog, Sasha, next to him? You will have to ask your child who they think the culprit was, how they did the crime, and why they did the crime.

General School Information

Jon Bayer — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:44:28 PST

Parents,

There will be club photos taken for the school's yearbook on the morning of Thursday, November 10th for any student who has participated in any after school club.

This may include: Chorus, Art club, Young Rembrandts, Odyssey of the Mind, Drama Club, Chess Club, Golf Club, Spanish Club, Cheer Dance, Club Scientific, Cub Scouts, Student Council, Wee Deliver, News Crew, Safety Patrol, etc. Please be sure to make your child aware of this activity which is strictly voluntary.

Vicki Stasiak, Ed.D.
Assistant Principal

No 5th Grade Class Next Week

Jon Bayer — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 05:07:44 PDT

There will be no 5th grade Target class next Thursday, November 10, 2011. I will be away at an all-day meeting. This cancellation is for one day only. Classes will resume as usual on November 17th.

Updates for 4th and 5th Grade

Jon Bayer — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:20:14 PDT

We really enjoyed our field trip to the GA Dept. of Transportation. The students were able to see and hear a great deal about bridges and bridge design. They even learned about a type of bridge not previously even mentioned in our studies. In small groups students were treated to spending some time with different design engineers at their work stations. Many of the students were impressed and/or intrigued by the cool software that the engineers use. Getting to see the "real" thing was invaluable.

The students are making slow progress on building their own bridges. Most of the bridge building companies have formed, purchased their land, developed a rough design, and at least begun laying out their land. A few are almost done with their actual side view drawing from which they will begin building. Things will become even more lively as construction really gets going.

Just a reminder: the vocabulary assignment is due Nov. 29th (4th grade) and Dec. 1st (5th grade).

Updates for 3rd Grade

Jon Bayer — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:31:56 PDT

In third grade we have continued our unit on mysteries by learning about fingerprinting, DNA, codes, and cyphers. In addition, students finished their Harris Burdick stories, which are currently on display in the hallway outside of our class. We invite you to come read them. The students are just beginning to organize and plan for writing a true mystery story of their own. They have decided on a "problem" (which may or may not be a crime) to be solved and a setting for their story. They have been thinking about their detective and possible suspects. This ongoing writing activity will take quite a bit of time and work, but the results should be both entertaining and exciting.

Next week students will begin another activity. During this multi-week activity they will be playing the role of detective and forensic expert as they try to solve a crime soon to be committed right here in our classroom! They will be donning rubber gloves and badges next week as they begin their investigation of the crime scene.