November 23, 2011

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

With a four day weekend ahead of us, I just wanted to take this second to let each and every one of you and your students know how thankful I am for my class and their parents this year. The students are so sweet and caring. Our class has high times and low times as any family would, but in the end we all get along with each other and we all care for one another. There is no name calling and no blatant rudeness. They are all really good kids and for that I am truly thankful. I am also truly thankful for all the volunteers we've had this year. I know I have hard times coming up with things for all of you to do, but I want you to know that I am thankful for what's been done and for what will still come. Finally, all you parents at home, I am thankful for you. My job as a teacher would not be possible without your support!

A few reminders: we perform our play next week. our final dress rehearsal is Monday. Parents, you are invited to come and see the play on Thursday at 2:45. The auditorium will be pretty full with students for the other performances, but there should be plenty of room for you on the Thursday performance. Thanks for all the support I've had with the play.

Also remember that our class store will be next Friday. If you have anything around the house your kids would like to bring in and sell, have them bring it on Friday. Also, our first class party will be the same Friday. I've not had any volunteers yet, so if you have a game, craft, or something you'd be willing to do in rotations with the kids, let me know.

It is a time of thanks, so one more time, just, thanks, for everything! I love my job and I wouldn't have it without parents, students, and a school!

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

Veterans' Day 11-11-11

This is by far my favorite patriotic holiday here at our school. Each year the students work so hard on the Armed Forces Medley and another song to honor the Veterans. Each year it wells tears up in my eyes to hear it. This year was no different. Our Veterans deserve so much more than one day to thank them, but we do the best we can with that one day. Thank you Vets, for everything you do for us! Our play is quickly approaching. We will be performing it three different times, November 29, 30, and December 1. Please mark your calendars for December 1st. This is the performance that we're reserving the space for parents to come see it. The performance will begin promptly at 2:45. I have asked some student help on costuming. Most of it is easy things. Most of it has also already been brought in. A huge thank you to Becky Austad for all of her help with costuming. Thank you, thank you.

Also something to put in your heads, I plan on doing our first of three class stores on Friday, December 2. I am going to be bringing in some things the kids will be able to purchase with their Seussopoly money. One thing I like to do with my stores is give the kids a chance to bring things in as well. If you can think of anything you have around the house you're needing to get rid of that you think a sixth grader would be intersted in, send it in on the 2nd and let your student profit from it. You could also purchase some small things to allow your students to sell here in the class. The students really light up with the chance to sell their own items. It also helps them develop some entrepreneurship. We do keep our money from store to store so they can build up money throughout the year.

Even further out, keep in mind that I would like to make the final store a bigger one than I can produce on my own. If you'd be willing to donate items or money toward that, I certainly would not turn them down. That will not be until just about the end of the year though, so you really have some time to think about it.

That's about all I have right now. Below is our homework board for this week. Only a week and a half until Thanksgiving! I seriously can't believe how quickly this year is moving!

The courage of our Veterans is really a contradtiction of itself. It is their strong desire to live with us taking form in their readiness to die for us.

November 6, 2011

Holy Cow! There is so much going on here right now, I often wonder if I'm sinking or swimming. But here I am, on this beautiful Sunday morning, getting things caught up, so I say with grace that I am definitely swimming. First and foremost, here is our homework board for the week:

Can you believe first term is already behind us? For some reason, this first transition in terms has thrown me off! Between teaching, our play, tech club, my involvement with the additions to our auditorium, the new grading system, and, oh yeah, life away from school, it's been a busy couple of weeks. Needless to say, I'm finally getting on top of it.

Tuesday will be our first rehearsal in the auditorium where we will be script free! Talk with your students, ask them how they feel about their lines and songs, and if they seem unsure, work with them on it. I think we are going to have a fantastic performance. I am super excited for it. Remember, the calendar below, the performance for parents is going to be Thrusday, December 1, at 2:45. It will be a show you won't want to miss!

This week I will be sending home the assignment for Term 2 book report. They will not be presented until someone after Christmas Break, but it's never to soon to start thinking about it. Also, this week, we will be resuming the at-home reading of our story. This week, it's "Trapped by the Ice." Remember I'm only asking for it to be read at home one time, and it can be counted as that night's 20 reading minutes. Please make sure your students are keeping up on that as well. They should be reading 100 minutes a week, averaging 20 minutes a night.

A bit of down news, we've taken a couple of term tests in the past few weeks, and the average scores have been less than I'd thought they'd have been. I've come to the conclusion that maybe I need change some things about how I am here at school. I do like to joke around and have fun while we learn, but if the fun gets in the way of the students taking school seriously, I need to quit it. Grades are updated online. You can see how your student has done on the Term 1 Math test and the Term 1 Language test. Please have a talk with your students about these tests and see how they felt about it. I know one aspect with the math was the test was just too long. It was 50 questions in two parts and I feel it was just too much, but that's no excuse. I know we're going to struggle a bit with the change in math core this year, but that means we, including myself, have to work at things a little bit harder to get everyone to be as successful as possible. With that said, we went over the math test on Friday. I will be sending them home with a new copy this week and over the course of the week, part of their homework is going to be to redo this test as an assignment. You are allowed to help them and they are allowed to ask me any questions necessary so they understand the material that was covered throughout the term. Please be available to help them on this so we can sure they know all they need to know.

With that being said, we will truck on with term 2. Here's to another 130 or so school days together! Let's make them great!

"He who has imagination without learning has wings and no feet." ~Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)