Great Friday!

Today flew by, and we're looking forward to a great weekend! In Language Arts, we worked in our groups to complete our huge collages of aspects of life in the '60s. They're beautiful, and we had fun researching and finding pictures on our computers. Even though the pictures are black and white, we found interesting ways to add touches of color. They will be on display in our first floor hallway in the coming week. Enjoy!

In Social Studies, we compared and reviewed the geography of Europe and Russia. Everyone has a study guide and outline to study from for Tuesday's quiz.

D.A.R.E. class was interesting today. Officer Strain began with a review of last week's lesson about the contents of tobacco. He then showed us how companies advertise the product to convince young people to start smoking. We studied a few ads to find the messages they were sending us, and how they strategically arranged the ads to draw our eyes to what they most wanted us to see. We also applied the first steps of the D.A.R.E. model to resist peer pressure in regards to smoking. Finally, we moved on to learn a little bit about marijuana and how it affects those who smoke.

The computer is going off and on, so the homework I typed has gone. Aren't you glad I made everyone write in their agendas? Don't forget to share your Progress Reports!

Smile!

Many people were "lookin' good" today at school! We were dressed in our best for group picture day, saying, "CHEESE!" Bright smiles...everywhere!

The University of Pittsburgh representatives returned today to have us complete our second diary entries. This information was collected and will be combined with our first entry and the data provided by the motes.

During Language Arts, we enjoyed our cafe discussions relating to The Wednesday Wars. This week's discussion was about the chapter called March. The chapter gave us a little more insight into the Vietnam War and how images of the war were on the television nightly. We're truly enjoying the book, with its colorful characters. Look for information in tomorrow's communicator envelope about our upcoming '60s Day!

We were excited to receive a visit from Ms. Horwatt during our class meeting. Ms. Horwatt trained a group of teachers from our school in The Olweus Bullying Program. Those teachers then trained the rest of our staff. Ms. Horwatt took part in today's meeting about Hallway Hazards. The hallways are one place where bullying can occur more frequently, and we role played and discussed ways we can deal with situations in the hallways. Ms. Horwatt helped us to consider different methods for diffusing situations. She was so kind and helpful, and she made us think. Prior to the meeting, she also visited our cafe! She enjoyed our discussions about The Wednesday Wars so much that she took a copy of the book to read!

Homework:
Reading - Read April in The Wednesday Wars for next Thursday, and complete your new role.
Math - Complete work on percentages of whole numbers.
Social Studies - Study
Related Arts - Technology homework is due tomorrow.

A Google-eyed View of Europe and Russia

Thanks to Google Earth, we were able to take a close look at the land and water of Europe and Russia. We visited the lab today to see a United Streaming clip about the land, climate, and resources found in Europe. Following the clip, we used Google Earth. This tool is so much fun to use, and with it we were able to walk the streets, visit famous landmarks and cities, and see the lay of the land. We were also able to check on the weather for the day!

As you are aware, our school is taking part in the University of Pittsburgh Smart Schools Project. The Graduate School of Public Health is studying social mixing and respiratory transmission in schools in an effort to understand more about how the flu spreads in schools. They are hoping the information will help them to develop strategies to better protect students, school staff, and the community. Today, those participating wore motes. A mote is a small electronic device powered by two AA batteries. They send out weak signals every 20 seconds. They look for other motes and record the signal of other motes. Students wore them all day long and turned them in at the end of the day. The University will study the data they provide, along with our student diaries. Interesting!

DON'T FORGET THAT TOMORROW IS PICTURE DAY!

Homework:
Reading - Please read March in The Wednesday Wars and be prepared with your role for tomorrow's cafe.
Math - Turning fractions into percentages - pg. 81, problems 3,5,6 in practice book.
Spelling - Spelling practice book p. 43 for tomorrow.
Social Studies - Study
Wellness - D.A.R.E. form due by tomorrow.

Jump-a-thon!

We came back to a busy, busy Tuesday! Each of our classes attended related arts classes (Music and Foreign Language) first thing in the morning. Then, we had short Language Arts and Math classes before being visited by representatives from the University of Pittsburgh, as part of the Smart Schools project.

This afternoon, after our team's Chorus class, the majority of us participated in The American Heart Association's Jump-a-thon, organized and supervised by Mr. Pietras. We had a great time! A total of 275 students participated in the fun, and we raised a total of $7,000 (5th grade - $4,000 and 6th grade - $3,000)for a great cause!

Just so you know....
Jumping rope can burn up to 1000 calories per hour!
It is one of the most efficient workouts possible!
It tones muscles in the entire body, developing long, lean muscles in all major muscle groups.
It optimizes cardiovascular conditioning and maximizes athletic skills by combining agility, coordination, timing, and endurance.
It's easy to learn!
It's fun!

Homework:
Reading - Share your 'Family Times.' Complete pgs. 27-29 in Buckle Down - Form A - The Best Movie Ever Made. Read March in The Wednesday Wars and complete your new role.
Math - Pgs. 355-357, 1-25
Spelling - Trace +2 and Spelling Practice book pg. 42.
Social Studies - Study your study guide.
D.A.R.E. - Pg. 10, 28, and 33. Also, get your form signed. All work is due tomorrow.