Terra Novas, Red Ribbons, and Halloween...Oh My!

We had an exciting week, and another one is on the way! Mr. Barzan came in for a visit today to share the activities we are looking forward to for a great Red Ribbon Week. The schedule of events can be found in our Friday folders today. On Monday, we'll kick it off with "Wear RED Day." Our red will symbolize the red ribbon theme, and we will receive a red ribbon and pencil on Monday. Special days are planned, along with special activities.

Mr. Barzan also shared a video about drug abuse. Each student interviewed talked about being asked to do drugs and why they said no. They were great role models for us, and each shared what their "natural high" is. Our natural highs are very important to us, and doing drugs could ruin those highs. So, we're ready to celebrate Red Ribbon Week.

Terra Nova tests begin on Monday. For our team, the tests will be over on Wednesday. Please remember to get a good night's sleep on Sunday night, and eat a nutritious breakfast on Monday morning so that your brain is in top form.

Halloween will be celebrated on Friday as part of Red Ribbon Week. "Don't be tricked - Drugs are NO Treat" will be the theme of the day. Students are invited to wear their Halloween costumes to school! It should be spooktacular fun!

We wrapped up The Westing Game today in McD's Cafe! Wow! We were surprised by some of the events at the end! On Monday, we'll take our end-of-book test. Then, we'll be ready to compare the story to a movie based on the novel - Get A Clue. Thanks to Sydney and Maria, as well as their parents, for the delicious drinks for cafe today.

Homework:
Math - packets are due Monday and Tuesday
Social Studies - Travel Journal is due on 11/2
SHARE TEST PACKETS AND ENVELOPES. GET THEM SIGNED.

Bringing in the Experts!

North Strabane's Detective Wybranowski and Cecil's Detective Marcucci took time from their busy schedules today to visit with our sixth grade teams who are reading The Westing Game. Mrs. Rader's and Mrs. McIlvaine's Language Arts classes went to the cafeteria to hear the detectives tell about their jobs and how they work to find clues that will help them to solve mysteries. Each detective told how reading and writing are integral parts of their jobs. We learned some terms that are important to know when reading and solving mysteries, such as alibi, clue, crime, detective, evidence, red herring, suspect, victim, and witness.

Both detectives shared the processes they go through when they are called upon to conduct investigations. Details and timelines are so important. Some of the tools and materials they use to help uncover evidence were demonstrated, and we found it all quite interesting. Detectives Wybranowski and Marcucci were patient in answering all of our questions as well. We're lucky to have these two detectives working in the Canon-McMillan area, and we thank them for sharing their knowledge with us.

Today in Math, we took a test for a chance to compete in the Calcu-solve competition! Some of us may make it to the next level! We also reviewed our geometry homework involving our lessons on lines, line segments, and rays.

Our second class meeting for the Olweus Bullying Program took place this afternoon! It's a nice time to talk about our experiences and concerns as a group. Today, we learned how to help students who are bullied.

Homework:
Reading - Read through page 201 and complete your role for The Westing Game. Cafe is tomorrow.
Math - packet pages
Social Studies - Travel Journal due on 11/2
Science - Pluto sheet and stars packet due tomorrow
Art - Bring a picture of your building for next Tuesday

Dwarf Planet

In Science, we have been learning about our solar system. Above you will see an image of Pluto.

During Language Arts, we visited stations following our spelling test. Our dictation today consisted of three compound/complex sentences. Station work included practicing identifying and making generalizations with a story about Nellie Bly, a news reporter. We also used a program called Culture Grams to research our chosen country in Africa. Finally, we had a discussion with Mrs. Mac about Hot Dogs and Bamboo Shoots, following our guided reading activity from yesterday's class.


Tomorrow, our cafe groups are in for a special treat! We have special guests, experts in solving mysteries, coming to visit! Maybe they will have an idea or two about the mystery of The Westing Game!


Homework:

Reading - Read pages 145-201 in The Westing Game, and complete your role for Friday.
Math - Page 101 P-9
Social Studies - Travel Journal due on 11/2
Science - Pluto worksheet
Art - Bring a picture of the building you wish to draw for class next week.

World Travelers

We are heading to exciting places! Today, we received our travel journals for our research assignment in Social Studies. Each of us will choose a country in Africa to visit, in a figurative sense. We will research interesting information about our country, including its major physical features, climate, landmarks, food, and things to see and do. We will draw its flag, a map, a landmark we visited, and a picture of ourselves enjoying an activity in the country. A tasty recipe will be included in the journal, as well as an entry describing all the things we did while there. All of this will be shared with our classmates in a brief presentation. Don't worry...we'll keep our blog viewers up to date on our progress.

In Language Arts, we read our story 'Hot Dogs and Bamboo Shoots', from The Invisible Thread by Yoshiko Uchida. It is an autobiography. We enjoyed learning more about Japanese culture and traditions, as well as how they celebrate the New Year. One interesting thing is that along with cleaning and preparing the feast, bills are paid and loose ends tied, for New Year's Day is considered a time for new beginnings unsullied by the old year's debts and obligations. We enjoyed the story.

Homework:
Reading - Group 308 has one more night with The Westing Game. Read pages 145-201 for this Friday, and complete your role.
Spelling - Test tomorrow.
Social Studies - Travel journal due on November 2nd.
Science - Uranus article and questions.

Mystery Theater #2!

Welcome to our Mystery Theater #2! Hopefully, you'll seize this opportunity for an extra credit point in Language Arts! Good luck!

In Language Arts today, we reviewed the meanings of our new vocabulary and began using them in compound and complex sentences. Tomorrow, sentences will be shared and checked for proper placement of commas and conjunctions. Also tomorrow, we'll be reading our story 'Hot Dogs and Bamboo Shoots.' The story is an autobiography, and we're anxious to learn more about the Japanese American girl who describes her experiences in America and Japan.

In Social Studies, we viewed a film clip from United Streaming about the various cultures of people in Africa. There are also new links on our blog with great pictures and information to explore. Tomorrow, our Travel Journal assignment will begin. We will draw a region from a container and pick a country from that region to research.

We continue to study nutrition in Wellness. Today we learned more about the Food Pyramid (all new) and how to use it to plan for healthy eating.

Homework:
Reading - Read pages 145-201 in The Westing Game. Complete your reading and role for Friday.
Math - Study for tomorrow's test
Spelling - Study! Test this Wednesday
Grammar - Finish sentences started in class and grammar p. 19
Science - Complete Neptune worksheet and study. Test next Friday.