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Last Blog for 2010!

Math classes took their full Chapter 2 test and Science classes continued to work on their teaching presentations. We will present our sections when we return.

We are sad to see 2010 come to an end! We all wish Miss Cataldo the best of luck and hope to see her again in the future. We will all miss her!

Because we have a movie tomorrow and a dodge ball tournament on Thursday, this will be the last blog.

Miss Cataldo, Mrs. McIlvaine, and Mrs. Haddox wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year!

Team Enterprise looks forward to welcoming Mrs. McIlvaine back after the break! We missed you!

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Christmas Week! It is finally here!
Monday and Tuesday we will be having regular classes. Wednesday morning we will have Christmas Learning Centers and a Christmas Movie. Thursday we will have a dodge ball tournament and an early dismissal.

Math classes reviewed and started their Chapter 2 Test. Tomorrow we will check them in class.

Science classes are finishing their teaching demonstrations in their groups so that we can present tomorrow.

In Social Studies we had the "Geography Bee" preliminary rounds. We will finish the remaining rounds tomorrow. Winners will compete against the other homerooms to find NSIS's "Geography Bee Champ!"

Language Arts classes worked on an independent assignment today for "Midnight for Charlie Bone." Students were to accurately draw a picture of their favorite endowed character by using details from the story. Also, students are to write a paragraph that includes a topic sentence, what character they chose and what his/her endowment is, and how it was used in the novel. Also, students must state WHY they liked this endowment the best and HOW they would use this special power if they possessed it. These are due tomorrow!

Homework:

Language Arts: Charlie Bone assignment due tomorrow!

6th Grade Chorus to Sing at the Court House

The chorus and band students were gone most of the day. We wish them well!
Homework from Thursday is due on Monday!

:) Have a great weekend!

Energy!

The Science Students are producing a lot of energy! We are doing a great job of producing a teaching demonstration on our sections. Mrs. Haddox is extremely impressed and pleased with our progress!
Math classes reviewed solving equations with decimals. We began to write equations for word problems. Mrs. Haddox stressed that it is important to use complete sentences when writing the answers. We used our knowledge of variables and decimals to complete the questions. We will review Chapter 2 on Monday and have our Test on Tuesday!
We tested our knowledge today in Miss C's class! Students took their Reading tests on "Storm-a-Dust," a Social Studies quiz on section 1 (Ch. 2), and last but not least an AR test on the entire Charlie Bone novel! WOW, did they think a lot! We also had a chance to begin our discussion on the entire Charlie Bone book, which will continue into next week. Miss C was very proud of our hard work.

Homework:
Science: Continue to work in your collaborative teaching groups.
Math: Page 122 in your text. Numbers 1-4, 11-18. Test on Tuesday.

Working Hard!!!

Today was a busy day in Miss C's classroom!! Writing classes worked on using sensory details to enhance a piece of writing. We had a lot of creative (for lack of a better word) ideas and responses. I wish you could have heard the energy and excitement!! By using sensory details in a writing, you can really put a solid "picture" of your details and descriptions in the reader's mind.

Social Studies was exciting as well! We reviewed our homework and created another study tool for tomorrow's quiz. I'm curious to see how many of you found the "foldable" vocabulary study guide useful?? Lastly, we finished off with a fun and exciting game of Jeopardy. Miss C was extremely impressed with the students hard work and participation. In both classes the lowest score was only around a 15/17 (WOW!). In fact, we had to come up with a difficult tie breaking in both rooms. Congratulations to our Jeopardy champs!
- Room 202: Kayla and Conrad
- Room 204: Carson and Rylee

We are working hard in Math and Science too! Math classes learned how to solve equations with decimals. We used the Promethean Board and our min-white boards to make it fun! Mrs. H was impressed with how quickly we learned!

Science classes are learning the meaning of collaboration and facilitaion! Mrs. Haddox gave us each a section of our chapter on Heat Energy and we have to create a teaching lesson from it! Mrs. Haddox is extrememly impressed with the Power Point Presentations that we are putting together. It is important for each of us to contribute to the lesson. Mrs. Haddox will grade us on participation and on our lesson.



Homework:

Language Arts: "Storm-a-Dust" spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension tests tomorrow.

Charlie Bone: Finish reading book and complete role for tomorrow.

Social Studies: Chapter 2, Section 1 quiz tomorrow.

Math: Complete page 29, both sides.

Choir and Band Christmas Concert!

Today we had a beautiful Christmas Choir and Band Concert!
We all did a great job singing and playing our instruments!

Because of our delay today and the NSIS Band & Chorus concert, Miss C has moved our Social Studies quiz to Thursday! Keep studying! Our Band and Chorus students did a wonderful job today =)

Homework:

Math: Start reviewing for Chapter 2 Test in Math. We only have one section left
before our test.
Language Arts: "Storm-a-Dust" tests Thursday
Charlie Bone: Finish reading Charlie Bone and complete role for Thursday
Social Studies: Section 1 ws (Part A only), Quiz Thursday

Snow delay!

Because of the snow delay and band practice, we did not have a lot of class time today.

In Math, we learned how to divide and multiply by powers of ten. We need to take our time and look at the operation and the exponent to know where to move our decimals.

We begin Energy in Science tomorrow! Mrs. H is excited!!

We briefly reviewed Section 1 in Social Studies and Miss C explained tonight’s homework. Students should be studying their notes and vocabulary terms from this section, as we have a quiz on Wednesday. Tomorrow will be a review day.

Reading classes got more practice with our story “Storm-a-dust.” Miss C feels that we now have a strong understanding of the rules for possessive nouns. Also, we took some time to review our vocabulary words. Keep reviewing for our tests on Thursday!

Homework:

Social Studies: Section 1 Worksheet Part A ONLY! Study notes and Worksheet for quiz on Wednesday.

Language Arts: Study for “Storm-a-Dust” tests on Thursday 12/16 (vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension)

Charlie Bone: Finish reading Charlie Bone and complete role for Thursday 12/16

Math: Worksheet 27. We will be having a Chapter 2 Test before we leave for break.

Tomorrow afternoon, we have the band and chorus concert. We look forward to seeing our friends sing and play!

Moving!

In Wellness, we discussed the changes a family can face when moving. We brainstormed different ways to make the family ease into the transition. On Monday, we will share ideas with the class.

Math classes worked on an enriching lesson pushing their knowledge of decimals. Some of the students worked with Mrs. Haddox and reviewed Chapter 2. We had fun using the mini-white boards to teach each other!

Friday’s are our easy day! Students completed Math and Language Art’s centers from Wednesday in Miss Cataldo’s class today. Also, both classes took their quiz on Midnight for Charlie Bone today in the computer lab. We reviewed our Travel Journals in class and room 202 got a little more practice with identifying the setting of a story.

Homework:
Language Arts: Finish guided reading questions #1 – 17 (complete sentences) if you have not done so. We will review these on Monday in class.

Charlie Bone: Finish reading novel and complete role by Thursday 12/16.

Social Studies: Chapter 2, Section 1 Quiz Wednesday 12/15.

Looking ahead:
Language Arts: “Stom-a-Dust” comprehension/vocabulary/spelling tests next Thursday 12/16.


**Special Reminders:
- Sarris “Reading Makes Cents” money due by Wednesday 12/15
- Please bring in signed progress reports for Monday if you have not done so!

Progress Reports!

Progress Reports have been sent home today. Please review the grades and comments with your child.

In Reading class we finished reading our new story titled “Storm-a-dust.” Students facilitated a nice discussion about the story during class. Also, today we were able to identify the full setting of the story as taking place on a Lindy’s family farm in the year 1975.

Students were full of energy today during McD’s Café! Each student was responsible to develop a challenging question from the new reading. Literary circle teams “faced-off” in a competition to see which group could answer the most questions correctly. We ended up with a two way tie!

In Science today, the students finished their Volcano Flyers. They are bright and informational!

Homework:

Language Arts: “Storm-a-Dust” comprehension questions. These are to be answered in complete sentences.

Charlie Bone: FINISH the book and complete new role for next Thursday, 12/16.

We were working hard today!

Mrs. H's classes had not only a math test, but a science test today! She is extremely happy with the science tests. This week we will be discussing open-ended problems in Math and starting energy in science.

We began reading “Storm-a-Dust” today in Reading class. So far we know that a terrible drought is going on, and Lindy’s family is having trouble growing crops. We had to stop as soon as we discovered that the “twig” in the wall of dust was actually a person trying to outrun the dust storm! I wonder who this person is and what role they will take on in our story. We’ll find out tomorrow!

Writing classes continued to practice proper usage of possessive nouns. Also, we continued to work on creating strong topic sentences with important supporting details.

Section 1 in Social Studies is complete! Today we learned all about Feudalism and its society. At the bottom were the serfs, who made up 90% of the population. Above the serfs were the nobles, made up of knights, lords, and the king. Students are looking forward to their upcoming blog entry on Alexander the Great! Our quiz on Section 1 will be sometime next week.

Homework:
Charlie Bone: Read p. 262 – 342 and complete role for TOMORROW!

Social Studies we are learning about Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

Our new story in Reading class is called “Storm-a-Dust.” We looked over our new vocabulary and spelling words. The skill for this story is setting. Students practiced identifying the setting, or time and place, of a story. The setting of a story can influence what happens to a character and how the character behaves. Finally, we continued practice with possessive nouns in both Reading and Writing classes. Remember: we only add an apostrophe to form the possessive of plural nouns that end in -s.
Examples:
Add a -‘s to the plural noun children because it does not end in -s = children’s books
Add a -s to the plural noun chickens because the plural form of this word contains a -s = chickens’ feathers

Math classes and science classes reviewed for their tests today. Math classes have a test on decimals. Science classes have a test on volcanoes.

Homework:
Language Arts: Trace +2
Charlie Bone: Read p. 262 – 342 and complete role by Thursday 12/9
Math: Test on Chapter 2, decimals
Science: Test on Volcanoes. Study your study guide!

Snowy Monday!

We were quite interested in the snowfall amounts this afternoon!

In Math today, we started to review for our Math test. We are reviewing Chapter 2, Lessons 5 through 9. The test will be on Wednesday.

In Science, we are getting quite creative! Using Publisher, we are designing a flyer that showcases a volcano. Through research on the internet and in the library, we are gathering our facts. Mrs. Haddox is quite impressed with our flyers so far!

Social Studies classes continued to learn about ancient Europe. We are focusing specifically on the states of Greece and Rome. We learned how ideas from ancient times, such as the idea of democracy created by Athenians, is still used today.

In Writing, we practiced using apostrophes with singular and plural possessive nouns. We learned three important rules to remember!

We completed a writing prompt in Reading from last week's story "From a Spark." Details were chosen from the text to provide support for how the author created suspense at the beginning of the story. Miss C was very proud of how hard we worked!

Homework
Math: Page 104, Numbers 1-16, Letters A-F; Review for your Wednesday Test
Science: Volcano Flyer due at the end of computer lab on Friday. Make sure you use your rubric to check your work!
Language Arts: Writing- grammar worksheet p. 55 parts B and C. Please remember that you do NOT have to rewrite the sentences!
Charlie Bone: Read pages 262-342 and complete role for this Thursday.

Rick Smith, Jr!

We had an assembly today for the magazine fundraiser! Rick Smith, Jr. amazed us with his magic tricks and his card throwing! He holds the World Record for throwing cards!

In Math, the students learned how to divide decimals by a decimal. We should jump and slide! We should make the divisor into a whole number before beginning the operation.

In Wellness, we brainstormed about the different changes that can occur in a family. We shared stories on how our families help each other through sickness, job changes, new babies, etc.

In Reading class we were tested on our knowledge from the story "From a Spark." Miss C is confident that our hard work paid off and we did great!

Homework:
Reading: Read pages 262 to 342 in Midnight for Charlie Bone by Thursday and have your role completed
Math: Worksheet page 26, front and back
Wellness: Read pages 354-358 and complete the four questions on page 358 define the definitions.

Mt. St. Helens

We are creating journal entries describing the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. As reporters, we are using our knowledge about volcanoes and vivid imagery to create a realistic view of the volcanic eruption! Our entries are creative and informational.

In Math class, we are exploring what a remainder means in real-life situations. What happens when our answer to our math problems continue to go on and on? We are learning to round! Within the next couple of classes, we will be reviewing for our test.

We had review stations today in Reading class to prepare for testing on “From a Spark” tomorrow. Miss C created a board game and had students use Spelling City in hopes to prepare us for those tricky spelling words!! Don’t forget to study!

Onto Chapter 2 in Social Studies! We will be learning about how different periods in Europe and Russia’s history have “shaped” their government today. Our focus was ancient Greece and how they invented the idea of a democracy. Miss C was very impressed with how both classes absorbed this information and used it to compare our democracy in the Unites States.

Homework:
Reading: “From a Spark” tests tomorrow! (spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension, Midnight for Charlie Bone, pages 262-342
Charlie Bone: Read p. 262-343 and complete new role by next Thursday, 12/10.
Math: Start reviewing for test.
Science: Volcano journals due Friday; test on volcanoes next week

Ben Lovejoy!!

Wow!!Ben Lovejoy from the Pittsburgh Penguins visited Team Enterprise today! He read from Midnight for Charlie Bone and talked to us about the importance of reading and education. He answered all of our questions and then signed backpacks, jerseys, and pictures! What a great privilege and honor for us to meet such a great Penguin!
Ben shared with us his injuries, penalties, and triumphs on the ice. He also shared how he started at such a young age skating and playing hockey. Ben encouraged us to pursue our dreams and to work hard.
What a special day for Team Enterprise!
The Penguins' website will soon post more pictures and streaming video of today's visit. On the Penguins' website, go to featured stories. In the story, you'll see two class pictures. Underneath the pictures you may click to view other pictures.

Homework:
Math- Page 96, 13-20. Review Chapter 2! We will be having a test on Lessons 2-5 through 2-9 next week.
Science- Mt. St. Helens Journal Entry due Friday. Our science quiz on volcanoes will be early next week.
Spelling - worksheet
All tests on From a Spark on Friday
Reading- McD's Cafe tomorrow. Complete role and reading from Midnight from Charlie Bone.

Hello!

Hello, Team Enterprise, Mrs. Haddox, and Miss Cataldo! Just wanted to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! ~Mrs. Mac

Surprise Wednesday

On Wednesday, December first, Team Enterprise will be given a special surprise! Wear your Penguin Gear to school that day!! That is the only hint we are giving!!

Also, those students who need physicals received a note home. The physicals will be conducted on December 1, 2010 in the morning.

Again, have a blessed Thanksgiving with your family!


**Please note:
Miss Cataldo now has a Canon Mac email address! She can be reached at cataldok@cmsd.k12.pa.us Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Week!

Team Enterprise is working hard this short week!

In Math, we are carefully diving decimals. Mrs. H gave us a model and a multiplication chart to help us with our division. We need to take our time and be careful when we are putting our answers in the correct place value. We will continue dividing decimals when we return from Thanksgiving Break.

Science classes are pretending to be reporters that are covering the eruption of Mount St. Helens. We read an account of a fictional reporter covering the events and now we are putting the account into our own words. Mrs. H gave us an overview of what is to be expected in this typed journal entry. We cannot wait to share our journal entries with the class!

In Writing, we are finishing our Turkey Talk Essays. We are getting quite creative with our disguises!

Wednesday is an early dismissal at 1:30 PM. In the morning, we will be having a laser light show!

Homework (due 11/23):
Math: (202) R 2-7; (204) R 2-7 and P 2-7
Social Studies: Test on Chapter 1, Sections 1-3
Reading: Read Midnight for Charlie Bone pages 209-261 and complete role for the Thursday that we return from break.


Due to the short week, this will be the only blog. There will be no homework over Thanksgiving break! :)

Mrs. Haddox and Miss Cataldo wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving and we look forward to seeing you for Parent/Teacher Conferences on November 30th.

Dodgeball Tournament!

Sixth Grade is trying to win a place in the schoolwide Dodgeball Tournament! The students have been challenged to gather pledges for every point that they earn on the Accelerated Reader tests between November 1 through December 3. If Sixth Grade earns enough pledges, they can participate in the tournament against Fifth Grade. The more money we raise, the higher rank we receive on the tournament bracket. The money earned will go to the new Frank Sarris Public Library! There will be pledge forms in their Friday Folders!

Also in the Enterprise Friday Folder are the times for your scheduled Teacher Conferences on November 30th. All conferences will take place in Mrs. Haddox's (202) room. Please note that each meeting is ten minutes in length. When you arrive and it is your scheduled time, please knock on the door. Miss Cataldo and I look forward to speaking with you!

Math classes today continued multiplying decimals. We used the mini-white boards to practice our skills! Monday we will begin dividing decimals.


Language Arts: Trace x2 and vocabulary worksheets. "Turkey Talk" essay is NOT due until Tuesday 11/23. Bring in any "disguise" items for your turkey IF you wish.

Read Charlie Bone p. 209 - 261 and complete role. We will not be having McD's until 12/2 (due to Thanksgiving break). Roles are not due until then.

Writing: None

Social Studies: Chapter 1 worksheet (only the fill in the blanks). Chapter 1 test Wednesday 11/24.

It was a McD's Day!! We played a guessing game trying to determine the character's name from Charlie Bone. Miss C taped the name on our back and we had to ask questions to try and determine the character. Mrs. H and Miss C were impressed with our discussions. We cannot wait to turn the page and keep reading!!

Math classes started to multiply decimals. We played Frogger, using a green pen to move our decimals. Remember, it is not the same method that we used for addition and subtraction! We had fun using the Promethean Board to practice.

We showed Miss C our knowledge today in Social Studies as we took the Section 3 Quiz on Natural Resources. During our next few class periods, we will be reviewing and discussing in preparation for the Chapter 1 test next Wednesday.

Many of us started typing up final drafts of the Turkey Talk essay! We helped each other out by peer editing and making final changes to our drafts. I am so anxious to hear these being presented next week!

Reading classes started a new story titled, "From A Spark." We focused on the skill of predicting. Students practiced predicting and found that when doing so, they used prior knowledge and context clues to help.

Homework:
Math: Worksheet page 23 front and back
Social Studies: Chapter 1 Test on Wednesday 11/24.
Reading: Read p. 209 - 261 in Midnight for Charlie Bone and complete role.
Writing: Final Draft of "Turkey Talk" essay due Monday 11/22.

Just a Quick "Hello!"

Hello, Team Enterprise! Just wanted to touch base with you and let you know that everything is going well. Each day I'm feeling a bit better! Thank you for your cards and well wishes! I've checked the blog and some of your kidblogs to keep up with you. Keep up the great work!

We are family!

In Wellness today we discussed how a family is like a team. Honest, respectful communication and cooperation are important in a healthy and loving family. We shared stories on how our families use cooperation and compromise to reach a common goal. Pancakes and syrup were the topic of conversation in Mrs. H's house this morning! Conflicts in families can happen over anything!

Math classes reviewed adding and subtracting decimals. Mrs. H was very impressed with the students' homework. We are trying hard in Math class and producing excellent results.

The science classes enjoyed an United Streaming Video on Volcanoes. The video reviewed the three different types of volcanoes. It was interesting to see volcanic eruptions in actions. We also viewed all of the ways lava can spew from the vent of a volcano!

Today in Social Studies we finished and reviewed our section on natural resources. We compared Europe to Russia in terms of natural resources. It’s too bad Russia has such a harsh climate, large size, and few navigable rivers, because they include some of the world’s largest natural resource reserves! Miss C is very confident about our quiz tomorrow. We had a great participation and discussion today!

We continued to work on our turkey essays today in writing. They are coming along great. Students are getting really creative in their new role as a talking turkey. I know I’m not the only one excited to hear the finished products next week!

Homework:

Language arts: Finish reading Charlie Bone p. 105 – 209 and complete role. Due TOMORROW!
Writing: Work on finishing your rough drafts for your Turkey Essays (they do not have to be edited).
Social Studies: Study! Chapter 1, Section 3 Quiz tomorrow
Math- Page 88, 27-31
Science- (202) Review Worksheet (front)
Wellness- Page 351, 1-4 and define compromise

Cinder Cone, Composite, and Shield Volcanoes!

We worked in small groups today to compare and contrast the three types of volcanoes. The students collaborated in small groups to produce facts, an illustration, examples, and a clay model of their volcano. We also used the Promethean Board to explore the internet, view examples, and record our findings. You can see that the students did a fantastic job with their presentations! Watch out for that lava!

Math classes today were introduced to adding and subtracting decimals. We learned that it is of most importance to line up our decimals before we begin our operations. The students worked together to solve problems and then used calculators to check their work.

We wrapped up “A Trouble-Making Crow” today and we were tested to find out what we know! Our new story that we’ll be starting on Wednesday is titled “From A Spark.”

In writing, students discussed the elements of a persuasive essay and began organizing their thoughts and writing their persuasive turkey essays. We will continue to work on these all week. We’re hoping to listen to each other’s stories next week before Thanksgiving break! Who knows, maybe you’ll convince your family to have something other than turkey for Thanksgiving dinner?? GOBBLE GOBBLE!

Mrs. Haddox’s class was the only class to have social studies today. We finished up section 3, learning about Russia's natural resources. We were then able to compare Russia to Europe. Miss C was very impressed with our participation and discussion!


Reading: Read Charlie Bone

Social Studies: Room 202 ONLY—Section 3 Natural Resources ws (p.10)

Writing: None. Continue to work on your Turkey Writing. Due Monday 11/22.

Math: Worksheet page 22 front and back

Volcanoes!

The Science classes started discovering the parts of a volcano. Do you know the difference between magma and lava? Beneath every volcano is a source of magma. Magma is molten rock beneath the surface. Magma is lava once it comes out of the vent.

The math classes started a review of the first four sections of chapter 2. We reviewed understanding decimals, comparing and ordering decimals, rounding decimals, and estimating with decimals. The homework on page 85 tonight is graded.

The classes are trying to keep their Manic Minutes! If we continue to listen and not talk, we can keep our 20 minutes to visit and talk to our friends on Friday at the end of the day!

In social studies we focused on the natural resources of Eastern and
Western Europe. We learned of their importance and that these resources exist naturally and are not created by mankind. Tomorrow we will be focusing on Russia’s natural resources and comparing the two.

We attempted centers today in Reading to get a final review in before tomorrow’s testing on “A Trouble-Making Crow.” Centers included spelling practice, a new vocabulary review game, and small group with Miss C. Everyone seemed to have a strong understanding of the story, but it doesn’t hurt to keep studying!

Lastly, we finally kicked off our Turkey writing! Tomorrow we will start the writing process and continue to work on this all week. Turkeys: Don’t forget to come up with some convincing alternatives for the farmer tomorrow. After all, it’s your life on the line!

Homework:
Reading: Spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension tests on “A
Trouble-Making Crow.
Writing: Start thinking about how you’re going to convince the farmer
not to serve YOU as his Thanksgiving meal!
Social Studies: None
Math: Page 85, 1-26, Graded
Science: (202) Read up to D33 and define vocabulary

We are sending Mrs. McIlvaine our love and wishes! We will miss you!

Today we started Blogging! We learned how to use our Kids Blog with the help of the Promethean Board today. Mrs. H and Miss C took us to the lab where we created our first post. Many of the students got quite creative with their castings. We look forward to viewing each others posts!

A reminder that the Blog is an extension of the classroom. All postings should be of the highest quality and should be related to what we are learning in class. The students were given a detailed outline of how to log onto their blog and how to post pictures for their assignments.

The students are reading away in Midnight for Charlie Bone book. The assignment is to read pages 105-209 for Thursday and to have your role completed and ready.

Math classes are continuing to use decimals. We are rounding money to make estimations. The students used a menu to round prices and to estimate the cost of a meal they might have at Regina's Cafe.

Science classes are using their map plotting skills by finding the longitude and latitude of the volcanoes around the world. Soon we will be studying specific volcanoes and creating a poster highlighting our research.

We also visited our learning centers today and turned fractions into decimals.

Homework:

Spelling and Reading Test on Tuesday on A Trouble Making Crow

Team Enterprise Casting Agency

Hi! I'm Mrs. Mac, and I'm a member of the Team Enterprise Casting Agency! After reading the first part of Midnight for Charlie Bone, I've decided that this book would make a great movie! One of my favorite characters is the very mysterious Uncle Paton. In the story, Uncle Paton stays to himself and seems lonely and somewhat sad. He eats by himself and only ventures out at night. I picture him thin and in shape, due to his nightly walks, and the quick way he swept through the heavy rain when we first met him in the story. Several times in the story, it says that Paton walked fast. Now knowing his endowment, I can tell he feels uncomfortable and doesn't want attention drawn to himself. Although I've just met this character, and he seems dark, I feel good about Paton. He seems to look out for Charlie and have good intentions. His sisters, who intimidate others in the family, do not seem to bother him. In deciding who I would cast as Uncle Paton, I considered many actors. I chose Orlando Bloom because he is thin, and has deep, dark eyes. I liked his strength, confidence, and loyalty to friends when playing Will Turner in Pirates of the Carribean. Also, I'd truly enjoy watching him in the movie (hahahaha). He is my pick for Uncle Paton!

The writing above is a modeled example for a new project introduced to our team today at McD's Cafe. Each member of our team now has a blog! Our blogs are private to the members of our team. We will blog about many things, and our friends in the class will be able to comment on the content! This creativity and sharing has us truly excited. Our first assignment is based on our present novel Midnight for Charlie Bone. Mrs. Mac asked us to think about the characters we have been introduced to thus far. We're asked to consider their physical traits and personality. Each of us drew a character's name from a basket today at McD's Cafe. We are to pretend that we are part of a casting agency assigned the job of choosing actors to play our selected characters. We must search for and describe what we know about the character from the story. Then, we are to choose an actor to play the part. Our actor must be a fit physically, and he/she must have shown the ability to play our character's personality. We will download a picture of the actor/actress on our blog and complete the writing. Then, we will visit each blog to see what everyone has come up with! Who knows? This may lead to a career for some of us!

Homework:
Language Arts - Read pg. 105-209 in Midnight for Charlie Bone and complete your new role. Spelling and Reading tests for A Trouble-Making Crow will be on Tuesday.
Math - Pg 21 (both sides)
Science (202)- Find the longitude and latitude for the volcanoes.
REPORT CARD ENVELOPES ARE DUE BACK TOMORROW!

I Get By with a Little Help From My Friends!

Team Enterprise is enjoying the story Midnight for Charlie Bone. There are so many interesting characters, and we're enjoying the mysterious plot. We're finding it hard to stop reading.

Tomorrow is McD's Cafe! We will be kicking off an exciting new assignment relating to the characters of Midnight for Charlie Bone. Our new Kids Blog will be used for this assignment! Enjoy the video above! Enjoy the story through page 104, and be prepared with your role. Bring your enthusiasm with you to class tomorrow!

Our first Math Benchmark test was today. We worked hard to show what we know. Results of this test will reveal our strengths and weaknesses in Math. It will help us focus more on what we need to learn.

A Trouble-Making Crow, by Jean Craighead George, is our story for the week. Today, we reviewed our vocabulary words and previewed the story to make predictions and set a purpose for reading. We read this true story about one of the author's pets to find out why it was such a trouble maker.

Our first Travel Journal assignment was submitted in Social Studies today! We were anxious to share what we learned about our chosen countries.

Homework:
Language Arts - Read p. 1-104 in Midnight for Charlie Bone and complete your role for class tomorrow.
SHARE YOUR REPORT CARD WITH YOUR PARENTS! YOU MAY KEEP THE REPORT CARD! RETURN YOUR SIGNED ENVELOPE TO SCHOOL BY FRIDAY.

Meet Miss Cataldo

For the next two days, Miss Cataldo will be shadowing Mrs. McIlvaine to get familiar with Team Enterprise's everyday routines. She will be teaching in Mrs. McIlvaine's place as she recovers in the weeks ahead.

Meet Miss Cataldo!

Hello everyone! As you've read from above, my name is Miss Cataldo. I just wanted to let you know how excited I am to join Team Enterprise over these next several weeks! I will be working closely with Mrs. McIlvaine and Mrs. Haddox to make sure that your daily routine stays the same. My new email address and contact information will be posted as soon as it is assigned to me. If at any time you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am a recent graduate of Penn State University (Go PSU!) and grew up in the nearby town of Washington, PA. I can't wait to get to know and learn much more about each of you very soon!

Homework:
Language Arts - Complete practice page 52 for review of vocabulary. Read through page 104 in Midnight for Charlie Bone and complete your assigned role for Thursday.
Math - Page 20 in workbook (both sides) Your Math benchmark test will be tomorrow.
Social Studies - Travel Journal (Country #1) is due tomorrow.
Science - Study for test tomorrow (group 202) Latitude/Longitude papers due tomorrow.

We Get a Kick Out of Reading!

Some students ALWAYS have their nose in a book! Since it is the end of the first nine week period, it was time for us to see who met their goals for our Accelerated Reading Program. Many students were rewarded today for reaching or surpassing their goals! Those super readers went to the gym at the end of the day for kickball.


Did you know that today is the 115th Anniversary of the Discovery of the X-ray?

The Math Classes had fun today comparing and ordering decimals. They used the Promethean Board to play a decimal game with the class. Remember to add a zero to a place value to help you compare decimals. On Wednesday morning, Team Enterprise will be taking their Math Benchmark.

Room 204 had a Science Review today on Erosion and Deposition. The students reviewed with the class on the Promethean Board and also quizzed each other using their review sheets. We are excited about the next chapter on Volcanoes!

Do you make judgments? We all do! Today we read a short story and looked for the judgments the author was making about wolves. We looked further to find evidence of support the author had for these opinions. Our new story is about a trouble-making crow. What do you think about crows? Do you think they're trouble-makers? Our author may provide enough evidence to change your mind.

In Social Studies, we reviewed for our test tomorrow. We also began to learn about important natural resources found in Europe and how they are used.

Homework:
Language Arts - Share your new 'Family Times' paper with your parents. Complete your trace +2 exercise. Read through page 104 in Midnight for Charlie Bone and complete your role for Thursday.
Math - p. 19 (both sides)
Social Studies - Quiz on section 2 tomorrow. Travel Journals are due this Wednesday.
Science - Quiz tomorrow.

An End to Another Great Week!

Team Enterprise is excited about their new novel, Midnight for Charlie Bone. We've had to make some adjustments in beginning this novel due to being short a few copies, but the books are in, and we're ready to take off. The story has many interesting characters. Some will send chills down our spines!

Today was our second Learning Station Day for the week. We continued to work on our reading comprehension skills with a story called Lost, and we practiced adding and subtracting decimals, as well as measuring perimeter and area. Everyone worked hard.

In Lab, many of us concluded work on our Travel Journals. The journals are due next Wednesday, and no further class time will be spent on the project.

Science classes enjoyed and discussed a video about erosion. They were surprised to see our Three Rivers! Why is the Mononogahela River so muddy? We learned about how the rivers can move sediment quickly through the water. We also expanded upon our vocabulary from the chapter.

Math classes reviewed naming decimals and place values. We enjoyed using the Promethean Board to discover how to compare and order decimals. We will continue this on Monday.

Homework:
Math: Decimal Worksheet
Science: Erosion Worksheet, front and back
Language Arts - Read through page 104 in Midnight for Charlie Bone. Complete your newly assigned role.
Social Studies - Quiz on Section 2 next Tues. Travel Journal due Wednesday.
Wellness - Finish poster - due Monday
Giving Thanks Essay is due Monday.

Decimals and Deposition!

Math classes today were introduced to decimals. Using the Promethean Board, the students placed the number into their place values. There was a lot of funny "th's" sounds in the room today. The students learned how to write the decimals in standard form, word form, short-word form, and expanded form.

In room 202 Science class, we reflected upon the last snow storm and used our experiences to discuss glaciers. The students observed pictures and discussed how the glaciers were like huge bulldozers!

In McD's today, we enjoyed Mrs. H reading of Chapter 2. We learned that the Yewbeam sisters agreed to send Charlie to the Academy. But what really happened to his dad? And why is the man with the three cats significant? The suspense is rising!

Homework:
Math: R 2-1 and P 2-1
Science (202): How Does Flowing Water Affect Earth worksheet (front and back)
Social Studies: Section 2 Flashcards. Quiz on Tuesday.

Concert!

Today North Strabane had a very special guest! Abby Abbondanza came and played the guitar and sang. The students enjoyed singing along and asking him questions. We were amazed by how many songs that he knew by heart. It is so cool that Mr. Abbondanza's brother is a country music singer.

Wellness classes created posters reflecting what a responsible family member would do. The student's posters are to state the responsible characteristic of family member. It is also to depict the student showing that characteristic in a picture.

Today we received our new novel! We enjoyed Mrs. McIlvaine reading to us from Midnight for Charlie Bone. The novel is about the mysterious and magical powers of the Red King that have been passed down through his descendants.

In Social Studies today we worked on our Travel Journals and read Chapter 2 in our book.

Homework:
Wellness: Responsible Family Member Poster due Monday
Social Studies: Travel Journal and finish Study Guide
PLEASE SHARE MRS. MCILVAINE'S LETTER WITH YOUR PARENTS.

Earth, Wind, and Water!

Today in Science, we started to talk about the immense power of water and wind on the Earth's surface. Do you know what loess is? Tomorrow you can receive an extra credit point if you can tell Mrs. Haddox the correct information.

The Chapter 1 Test in Math is completed. The students will now embark upon the world of decimals. But, do not fear! Most of the information that we learned in Chapter 1 can be applied to decimals in Chapter 2.

Delicious slices of juicy tomato arrived today to complete our Sub Sandwich Book Reports! Most students have completed the sandwiches, but some are adding their finishing touches. These sandwiches must be turned in by Wednesday! We are keeping our Bud, Not Buddy books until Wednesday. At that time, we'll receive our new novel for McD's Cafe!

In Social Studies, we began our first Travel Journal assignment! Everyone chose their first country to research. We are using a program called CultureGrams for research, as well as on-line encyclopedia resources. Everyone is excited to learn more about their chosen country!
NO SCHOOL TOMORROW! TEACHER IN-SERVICE DAY! ELECTION DAY, TOO!
Homework:
Math: Page 74-75, 1-35
Wellness: (204) Page 346, 1-4 and define vocabulary
Science: Pages D58-D65 vocabulary and questions
Language Arts: Finish book report sub sandwich for Wednesday!
Social Studies: Continue to work on your travel journal.

Thriller.....Thriller Day!

Poor Charlie Brown! We all had our minds on candy and pumpkin patches today! In the afternoon, we were able to dress up in our costumes and parade around the front circle. We also were able to see the cute little goblins from Borland Manor! After that, it was back to the room for Halloween treats and fun. We hope you enjoy the slide show!

Students, watch out for rocks in your candy bags!

Homework:
Language Arts - Finish your sandwich report for Monday!
Math- Chapter 1 Test Monday

What's Your Natural High?

Our team was encouraged by Mrs. Kyle, our guidance counselor, to find our natural high. A natural high is something we find to do, other than drugs, that we love and makes us feel good inside. We watched a great video in which some athletes shared their favorite natural highs. They also shared personal experiences of friends who didn't make good decisions, and what this did to their lives. Their messages were very powerful. We enjoyed Mrs. Kyle's visit, and we're thankful that she cared to share this lesson with us.

How many correct words per minute can you read? Today, our team found out! Mrs. Mac gave us our first fluency testing today. We each read individually for her, and letters describing our performance will go home in our first report card envelope.

We began work on an end-of-book project for Bud, Not Buddy. Each of us is making a submarine sandwich book report. Each item on our sandwiches will describe the various story elements. Our sandwich parts: bread, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mustard, and mayo will make one delicious story when we're finished! Bud was hungry through most of the story. This is a sandwich in which he would love to sink his teeth! Reading great books like Bud, Not Buddy makes us hungry for more!

In Math, we started our review for our Chapter 1 test. Boy, did we cover a lot! Go back to page 4 in your text to start to review. Many of the students need to look back and review exponents. To review, it would be best to complete some of the problems from each Check section. There is a Diagnostic Checkpoint on pages 39 and 51. I encouraged the students to focus on the areas in which they have difficulty.

Bud, Not Buddy came to a close today in McD's Cafe. During our cafe, we played a comprehension game together. Each of us wrote a question about the story on a card. Mrs. Mac, Mrs. Haddox, and Mrs. Corwin gathered the cards and we sat in our discussion groups. When a question was asked, each group spelled out the answer with their soup. They also cited text to support their answer. The first group to do this, raised their hands and were checked. Winners received chocolate skeleton parts and were able to place one piece of their skeleton on the board. Group 204 had the most complete skeleton by the end. Everyone had fun reviewing the story. We enjoyed Halloween cookies from our teachers with our Kool-Aid today. Mrs. Corwin visited and assisted with McD's today, and shared her love of reading. We thank her for taking part.

Homework:
Language Arts - Work on sandwich. It is due on Monday.
Math - Finish your study packet. Test on Chapter 1 is Monday.
Science- read D 58-65 and complete questions and define vocabulary.
Wellness- Graph on jumping rope.

Our brains were working hard today!

We were busy bees in Team Enterprise today. Math classes completed an Open-Ended Problem focusing on the use of variables. The students will be graded by a rubric. In Science, we finished the Three Types of Rocks with a quiz.

In Wellness, the students took their data from jumping rope yesterday and turned it into a graph. They computed the mean, median, mode, and range of their jumping. The students really enjoyed going to the gym for Wellness.

We are nearing the end of the first nine weeks! In Language Arts, we've completed one unit's worth of work. Today, we demonstrated our knowledge of these key reading skills by taking a Unit Skills Test. We also completed our Reading Benchmarks to show what skills have been mastered and those that still need work. Hats off to our team! We're looking forward to McD's Cafe tomorrow.

Homework
Language Arts: Finish Bud, Not Buddy, and come prepared with your role tomorrow.
Wellness: Graph recording the number of jumps per 30 seconds
Science: Read pages D 58-65 and complete the questions on page 65. Define the vocabulary for those pages.
Don't forget tomorrow is "Wear Red Day!" Show your support for drug awareness!

The Ventriloquist's Message!

Our student body had the pleasure of being entertained by a comic ventriloquist named Joe Gandelman today! He visited our school with all his friends to send a special message about drugs and how we need to listen to our special 'inner voice' that tells us when something is right or not right for us. We truly enjoyed watching him perform, and he found ways to get us involved in his message. It is a special week, and it's nice to be reminded of how we should respect ourselves and make good decisions. Today was blue and gold day! Tomorrow, show your unity by wearing your favorite team jersey.

In Language Arts, we took our first benchmark test. The benchmark will measure our mastery of skills thus far. It helps to determine what skills still need attention.

In Math, we concluded Chapter 1 by learning to check our word problems. We soon will have a review of the whole chapter. Do you remember place value? Rounding? Oh, no! Let's start reviewing!

In was Garbage Day in Science! The students played eraser basketball to review for their test on the Three Types of Rocks. Both games were very close. Chyna tied up the teams in room 202 with a beautiful three-pointer! Remember to study an example of each type of rock for the test.

Homework:
Language Arts - Read the rest of Bud, Not Buddy. Complete your role, and be ready for Thursday.
Science - Study for the Three Types of Rock Test
Math - Complete your algebra crossword puzzle number 22, and complete 5-10 on page 53

Red Ribbon Week Begins!

The students have been hard at work creating their doors for Red Ribbon Week. You can see how elaborate and creative our students can be!

Math was full of competition as the students answered variable equations on their mini white boards. The students learned to solve the equations by getting the variable alone. They learned a little jingle "so the same to each side" to help them.

Wellness, room 204, got a bit of a workout this afternoon! The students took turns jumping rope and counting their jumps. Later, they will calculate their mean, median, mode, and range. There were many red faces at the end! How many jumps can you jump in 30 seconds?

In Science, we started to review for out test on Wednesday. The students worked in groups to answer review questions. Remember to review the three types of rocks and examples of each.

In Chapter 14 of Bud, Not Buddy, Bud cries real tears! This is something Bud thought he couldn't do anymore. Mrs. McIlvaine read Chapter 14 to us in class today. Then we attempted to write about why Bud's tears came so suddenly. We supported our thoughts with examples found in the story.

Remember to wear GOLD and BLUE tomorrow to show your support of a drug-free school!
Wednesday is Team Jersey Day and Thursday is wear RED day.

Homework:
Language Arts - Finish Bud, Not Buddy and complete your role for Thursday.
Social Studies - Study your notes and lesson 1. Quiz tomorrow.
Science: Review sheet on the Three Types of Rocks. Test Wednesday.
Wellness (204): Put your data in order from your jumps.
Math: "Solve Algebraic Equations" Worksheet

The Math students are trying their hands at Algebra. We are exploring how to keep equations balanced in Math. To keep the equation balanced, you do the same operation to both sides. We had fun completing the problems on our mini white boards and the Promethean Board.

We wrapped up Chapter 10 in Wellness today. Next week, we will combine a little physical activity with some math. How many times can you jump rope in 30 seconds? We will use our data to find mean, median, and mode.

In Mrs. McIlvaine's class, the students worked on math and reading in their Learning Centers.

Our classroom doors are all decorated for Red Ribbon Week! I think one of our doors are sure to be a winner!

Homework:
Reading: Complete the novel Bud, Not Buddy and work on your roles for next week.
Social Studies: Study your study guide

Limo Ride, Pizza, and Game Boards! Oh My!

The students on Team Enterprise had a Game Period as a reward for receiving all of their Surprise Scramble letters. The reward was for good behavior. But, the fun doesn't stop there! Many of the students enjoyed a limo ride and lunch at CiCi's Pizza today. Those students who sold enough magazines for the school fundraiser were able to take the special ride!

In the afternoon, we had a great discussion about Bud, Not Buddy at our McD's Cafe. Many of the students highlighted new vocabulary words and discussed parts of the book that were meaningful to them. We now can read the book until the end!

Homework:
Math- complete workbook page 13, sides P and R
Science- Rock Cycle Worksheet completed for Monday
Wellness- Review Flash Cards due tomorrow and Test on Chapter 10 tomorrow
Reading- Finish reading Bud, Not Buddy to the end. Complete your new role for next week.
Social Studies- Study your Study Guide

Letting Our Creativity Flow!

In addition to concluding our Terra Nova Testing this afternoon, our team, as well as others in the building, worked on our doors for the Red Ribbon Week Door Decorating Contest. The ideas and creation of the doors is totally student-driven. We have been amazed at the energy, materials, and great ideas the students have brought to the table. Look for a video next week showing our doors and the special events the students participate in all week long. Red Ribbon Week, a time set aside for drug education and awareness, is so important. Our students need to be able to resist negative peer pressure and keep their bodies and minds safe. Mrs. Kyle has planned an event for each day next week to help our students show unity in being drug-free.

Homework:
Language Arts - Tomorrow is McD's Cafe! Please make sure you've read and prepared your role for Chapters 11 through 13.
Social Studies - Study your study guides for section one, as well as the lesson in your book.
Wellness - Complete vocabulary cards and review for your test.
Other - Bring board games for tomorrow's Surprise Scramble Reward.