Tomorrow's emphasis will be very GREEK!
Just a note about tomorrow's costumes. If scholars are wearing sheet type togas or Greek style dresses, please be sure he or she has a t-shirt and shorts underneath. Girls can wear dresses underneath as long as they are modest. Sandals and flip-flops are fine as long as they don't wear them TO school. They need to bring their costumes and leave them in their lockers until after recess. We will begin as close to 1:15 as possible. We are looking forward to each scholar's creativity. They only need to share five facts about their god/goddess so that their suite mates can guess who they are portraying.After everyone has filled out their guessing sheets we will let our second grade guests, and parents know who each of us is portraying. Hope to see you there! :)
Tomorrow morning the scholars have a Latin Test...please have them study this evening. We will also be in the computer lab tomorrow morning writing our myths. Students should come prepared with a natural occurrence that they want to describe and explain via their myth.
As for today, scholars took their test on light, read the first scene of Act five of Julius Caesar, and worked on real life problems in math. They will continue with more of the same throughout the week!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Already October
Time flies when we're having fun! We are into October and there are a few reminders for tomorrow and this week:
Please send back your student's progress report with your signature ASAP.
gods/goddesses party on Wednesday, if you need more info contact Elizabeth Tracy.
scholars are writing their essay this week on study strategies. We covered the board with ideas this morning. They need to pick three, preferably three that will help them succeed, and talk about how to use them productively in their educational careers. This exercise will be a reference tool for each of them for the rest of the year.
If you have a scholar that is staying for Speech and Debate Club on Thursdays, please be looking for information coming soon on a fundraiser for the club. Mrs. Pope is helping put together a pancake breakfast to help raise funds for the club. If you are interested in helping her, please feel free to contact her. We will be discussing ideas for scripts, duos, and prose pieces this week. We will also be practicing Impromptu, LD, Public Forum, and Congress. Please be certain that if your scholar is staying after school, that they are serious about competitive debate. We have had some scholars just "hanging" out at practice and not willing to do the work required of competitive debate. If this behavior continues, scholars will be asked to call home and get a ride. Club is not an alternative to daycare. Thank you. :)
Please send back your student's progress report with your signature ASAP.
gods/goddesses party on Wednesday, if you need more info contact Elizabeth Tracy.
scholars are writing their essay this week on study strategies. We covered the board with ideas this morning. They need to pick three, preferably three that will help them succeed, and talk about how to use them productively in their educational careers. This exercise will be a reference tool for each of them for the rest of the year.
If you have a scholar that is staying for Speech and Debate Club on Thursdays, please be looking for information coming soon on a fundraiser for the club. Mrs. Pope is helping put together a pancake breakfast to help raise funds for the club. If you are interested in helping her, please feel free to contact her. We will be discussing ideas for scripts, duos, and prose pieces this week. We will also be practicing Impromptu, LD, Public Forum, and Congress. Please be certain that if your scholar is staying after school, that they are serious about competitive debate. We have had some scholars just "hanging" out at practice and not willing to do the work required of competitive debate. If this behavior continues, scholars will be asked to call home and get a ride. Club is not an alternative to daycare. Thank you. :)
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Current October Schedule
The schedule always tends to slide a bit, especially when we're ahead or behind in a particular subject. To the best of our planning here is what we have slated and when, for the month of October. If there are changes to due dates, test dates, etc. I will post to the blog! :)
2 - Science Test - Light
3 - Latin Test, god and goddess party 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
4 - Math test unit three, fractions and decimals
5 - Spelling/vocabulary/essay/ assembly
8 - History Test Greece and Rome
12 - Spelling/Vocabulary/Speech writing
15 - Final Exam Julius Caesar
16 - Science Test - Sound
17 - Latin Test, Math Test unit four/Speeches minutes 1 - 4
18 - 19 UEN Days, no school! :)
23 - History Test - Deserts
25 - Written Book Report Due
26 - Spelling/Vocabulary/Speech writing
31 - Speech Presentation Day speeches minutes 1 - 8
2 - Science Test - Light
3 - Latin Test, god and goddess party 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
4 - Math test unit three, fractions and decimals
5 - Spelling/vocabulary/essay/ assembly
8 - History Test Greece and Rome
12 - Spelling/Vocabulary/Speech writing
15 - Final Exam Julius Caesar
16 - Science Test - Sound
17 - Latin Test, Math Test unit four/Speeches minutes 1 - 4
18 - 19 UEN Days, no school! :)
23 - History Test - Deserts
25 - Written Book Report Due
26 - Spelling/Vocabulary/Speech writing
31 - Speech Presentation Day speeches minutes 1 - 8
Friday, September 28, 2012
Progress Reports, The Constitution, and Birthdays!
Fridays just seem to fly by in the suite. Much of that is due to the fact that we have PE on Friday morning, and then with vocabulary and spelling tests, along with Julius Caesar, Math, and Debate....it literally flies by!
Scholars have progress reports in their hands as of yesterday's grades. Please sign ONE copy and return on Monday.
We are almost done with our study of the constitution and will begin writing bills next week. Please have your scholar explain to you over the weekend what the first four articles deal with, and as many of the sections that they can remember. They will be quizzed on articles and sections over the next few weeks. They need to be able to find their way around their pocket constitution quickly so they can use it for debate!
Happy Birthday to Chance and Lexie and thank you for the terrific treats we shared in class today!
Calendar for October will go up on Monday. Scholars know what to expect next week as we went over it in class before leaving today. Have a wonderful fall weekend! :)
Scholars have progress reports in their hands as of yesterday's grades. Please sign ONE copy and return on Monday.
We are almost done with our study of the constitution and will begin writing bills next week. Please have your scholar explain to you over the weekend what the first four articles deal with, and as many of the sections that they can remember. They will be quizzed on articles and sections over the next few weeks. They need to be able to find their way around their pocket constitution quickly so they can use it for debate!
Happy Birthday to Chance and Lexie and thank you for the terrific treats we shared in class today!
Calendar for October will go up on Monday. Scholars know what to expect next week as we went over it in class before leaving today. Have a wonderful fall weekend! :)
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
L.A.S.E.R......and the Student from Russia!
Today was almost as intense as yesterday in the suite! We had a surprise LASER light show (ask your scholar what those letters stand for) and we had a great time watching the lasers at work. We then had a couple minutes to ask Terenti questions about being Russian, and being a student of mine for many years. There were some interesting stories and then we got on with the work for the day. Being a professional photographer he shot a couple photos of the class before he left for the day. Enjoy them.
Scholars finished the first part of chapter three in math. This evening they were working on dividing fractions and tomorrow we will begin multiplying decimals! :)
We spent some time using an interactive of the Electromagnetic Spectrum today and scholars made their own spectrums to place in their science notebooks. We will be working more with this before we move into sound.
We are also brainstorming on ideas for our citizenship assembly in November. We would love to poll the entire school for some kind of election, but we have to come up with some type of subject that would span students from first to sixth grade......brainstorming!
Tomorrow we will dive back into Julius Caesar, and getting ready for our history test. We may move the test to Friday just so we have another day to prepare for it. We will see how that goes tomorrow.....
Scholars finished the first part of chapter three in math. This evening they were working on dividing fractions and tomorrow we will begin multiplying decimals! :)
We spent some time using an interactive of the Electromagnetic Spectrum today and scholars made their own spectrums to place in their science notebooks. We will be working more with this before we move into sound.
We are also brainstorming on ideas for our citizenship assembly in November. We would love to poll the entire school for some kind of election, but we have to come up with some type of subject that would span students from first to sixth grade......brainstorming!
Tomorrow we will dive back into Julius Caesar, and getting ready for our history test. We may move the test to Friday just so we have another day to prepare for it. We will see how that goes tomorrow.....
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| lasers on the walls |
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| very cool drawings |
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| Class of 2013 |
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| A bunch of goofs! |
Monday, September 24, 2012
Presentations, NWEA, and Fractions!
Today was an extremely busy day in the suite....we hardly had time to breathe between the class hero presentations, a new math unit, history, and the science NWEA. We are finally done with our tests which means Mrs. Goers can finalize the invitations for specific teams and get them out this week. I was hoping to have them out this weekend, but I have five different pans in the fire between school and home, and just didn't get to it! Thank you for your patience!
The presentations went fairly well. Most scholars met their three minute goal. Some fell quite short, but grades will filter in over the week as I take the time to look at every poster/timeline/written piece and then get the rubrics done. Overall I believe it went quite well for the first time! :)
We began a new math unit today and your scholar was supposed to teach you strategy three this evening, adding a string of numbers together. Scholars are getting faster and faster as the days move on and they will be pros at this by the end of the year! We are working with dividing fractions, and will be multiplying and dividing them tomorrow.
In history we are working on our Greece and Rome unit. We will have the test this week, but that does not mean we are done with this unit. It gets carried on to October as we finish The Odyssey and Julius Caesar. Today we read about Caesar in history. I love the way Core Knowledge ties subjects together. The scholars get to hear about these famous people in more than one subject.
Speaking of famous people, we filled the board this morning with people we have studied so far this year. The scholars needed to pick three of the people off the board that they think show or showed respect. They are writing a paragraph about each this evening. Tomorrow we will work on our conclusions. There is a big surprise tomorrow morning at 8:30 so we will get to writing around 9:30 tomorrow morning.
A past student is in town to visit. His name is Terenti Bittner, and he is Russian. I taught him 11 years ago, and he is currently 26 years old. He drove straight through from New York and is currently resting. He will be visiting our class tomorrow, and hopefully have a couple minutes to talk to the students as he is a professional photographer. The scholars will enjoy hearing his story.
The presentations went fairly well. Most scholars met their three minute goal. Some fell quite short, but grades will filter in over the week as I take the time to look at every poster/timeline/written piece and then get the rubrics done. Overall I believe it went quite well for the first time! :)
We began a new math unit today and your scholar was supposed to teach you strategy three this evening, adding a string of numbers together. Scholars are getting faster and faster as the days move on and they will be pros at this by the end of the year! We are working with dividing fractions, and will be multiplying and dividing them tomorrow.
In history we are working on our Greece and Rome unit. We will have the test this week, but that does not mean we are done with this unit. It gets carried on to October as we finish The Odyssey and Julius Caesar. Today we read about Caesar in history. I love the way Core Knowledge ties subjects together. The scholars get to hear about these famous people in more than one subject.
Speaking of famous people, we filled the board this morning with people we have studied so far this year. The scholars needed to pick three of the people off the board that they think show or showed respect. They are writing a paragraph about each this evening. Tomorrow we will work on our conclusions. There is a big surprise tomorrow morning at 8:30 so we will get to writing around 9:30 tomorrow morning.
A past student is in town to visit. His name is Terenti Bittner, and he is Russian. I taught him 11 years ago, and he is currently 26 years old. He drove straight through from New York and is currently resting. He will be visiting our class tomorrow, and hopefully have a couple minutes to talk to the students as he is a professional photographer. The scholars will enjoy hearing his story.
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| Hello Susan B Anthony! |
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| A movie about Roy and Dale Rogers....coming SOON! |
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| A timeline about Jackie Joyner Kersee |
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| A Timeline about Robert E. Lee |
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| A wanted poster for George Washington Carver |
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Oh Happy Day!
This pedagogue is happy to announce that the class average for the Chapter Two Singapore Test was a whopping 86% with only two scores below an 80%!!!! I knew these scholars could perform at this level...they just needed a little bit of prompting and pushing. They will continue to improve as the year goes on. I have no doubt!
Scholars should be finished and prepared for their Hero presentations on Monday Morning. They have had a month to work on their hero biographies and we are all super excited to see what they have created as their way to present. We spent quite a bit of time in class discussing their options (in the center keeper of their Language Arts folders) and they came up with some very creative ideas. If your scholar is presenting on Monday and you would like to observe, please feel free to find your way into our family room and make yourself comfortable. I have 20 to get through, and the entire class SHOULD take about 1.5 hours. We will be moving right along...if you join us, I will be sure to put your scholar next. I would like to begin presentations by 8:45.
I will be working on invitations to the Math Counts Team and the Novel Writing Team this weekend. If your scholar gets invitations to both, please realize that there is a serious time commitment involved. Math Counts Team will be working together on individual and team problems two recesses a week, and one day after school which has yet to be decided, depending on the team. Then once we return from Thanksgiving break they will be also working together for an hour both Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, hopefully during character time.
The Novel Team has to be responsible enough to meet together every morning Monday - Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 to watch their lesson, work in their workbooks, and then do the homework assignments. They will also have to be responsible enough to collect the spelling/vocabulary/ and Latin that they will miss each morning from the class secretary. Once the Math Counts Team has competed in February, the Novel Team may have to meet during lunch recesses to get their chapters written and meet the date for editing in May. Students who are not well organized and able to catch up when they are sick, or "life" interferes would not handle this program well. They need to be able to know where their books are, and keep track of all their writing, all the time! :)
I don't expect students to jump and answer right away once they get an invitation. Please discuss it as a family, taking into account Grandiloquent Guardians Forensics Team, and whether or not your student is serious about debate. The competitive team will be traveling to tournaments and working on their speeches, which will also require time. I ask that families consider together which activities the scholar would most enjoy. Also, please note, that if your scholar is failing any of the basic subjects, he/she may NOT take part in tournaments, competitions, etc. We work with first things first.
The Greek party is going to be upon us soon as we head into the first week of October. Each scholar has chosen a Greek god or goddess and will be responsible for designing a costume and contributing to our Greek meal. Moms and Dads who wish to help out with the day (Oct 3, 1:00) please contact Mrs. Tracy. I am sure she would love some help. We are doing this as a joint effort with Mrs. Hartman's sixth grade so there will be parents helping from that class also.
Scholars will have to give at least five facts about their god/goddess and the rest of the class will be guessing who he/she is representing. We will have a small competition to see who knows the most about the Greeks! We will then enjoy Greek foods that families have contributed. It is bound to be one of the scholars' favorite learning experiences!
Scholars should be finished and prepared for their Hero presentations on Monday Morning. They have had a month to work on their hero biographies and we are all super excited to see what they have created as their way to present. We spent quite a bit of time in class discussing their options (in the center keeper of their Language Arts folders) and they came up with some very creative ideas. If your scholar is presenting on Monday and you would like to observe, please feel free to find your way into our family room and make yourself comfortable. I have 20 to get through, and the entire class SHOULD take about 1.5 hours. We will be moving right along...if you join us, I will be sure to put your scholar next. I would like to begin presentations by 8:45.
I will be working on invitations to the Math Counts Team and the Novel Writing Team this weekend. If your scholar gets invitations to both, please realize that there is a serious time commitment involved. Math Counts Team will be working together on individual and team problems two recesses a week, and one day after school which has yet to be decided, depending on the team. Then once we return from Thanksgiving break they will be also working together for an hour both Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, hopefully during character time.
The Novel Team has to be responsible enough to meet together every morning Monday - Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 to watch their lesson, work in their workbooks, and then do the homework assignments. They will also have to be responsible enough to collect the spelling/vocabulary/ and Latin that they will miss each morning from the class secretary. Once the Math Counts Team has competed in February, the Novel Team may have to meet during lunch recesses to get their chapters written and meet the date for editing in May. Students who are not well organized and able to catch up when they are sick, or "life" interferes would not handle this program well. They need to be able to know where their books are, and keep track of all their writing, all the time! :)
I don't expect students to jump and answer right away once they get an invitation. Please discuss it as a family, taking into account Grandiloquent Guardians Forensics Team, and whether or not your student is serious about debate. The competitive team will be traveling to tournaments and working on their speeches, which will also require time. I ask that families consider together which activities the scholar would most enjoy. Also, please note, that if your scholar is failing any of the basic subjects, he/she may NOT take part in tournaments, competitions, etc. We work with first things first.
The Greek party is going to be upon us soon as we head into the first week of October. Each scholar has chosen a Greek god or goddess and will be responsible for designing a costume and contributing to our Greek meal. Moms and Dads who wish to help out with the day (Oct 3, 1:00) please contact Mrs. Tracy. I am sure she would love some help. We are doing this as a joint effort with Mrs. Hartman's sixth grade so there will be parents helping from that class also.
Scholars will have to give at least five facts about their god/goddess and the rest of the class will be guessing who he/she is representing. We will have a small competition to see who knows the most about the Greeks! We will then enjoy Greek foods that families have contributed. It is bound to be one of the scholars' favorite learning experiences!
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