Mix and Match Spirit Day!

We have spirit, yes we do!  We have spirit, how about you? The slides above give you a glimpse into our crazy world of mix and match today!  Students went out of their way to clash and had great fun!

Some of our students, Hannah, Cameron, and Rachel, attended a special event at Duquesne University called Calc-u-Solve.  Mr. Tatum took the group to compete against other schools of the area.  They were enthusiastic when they returned, and said it was great fun.  Although they didn't place, it was a worthwhile experience.

During Language Arts, the students took their fifty word Unit 1 review test in Spelling.  They also applied new vocabulary learned in the first seven chapters of The Westing Game.  Finally, they were able to enjoy moving further with the novel.  Some worked together because they were in a common spot, and others preferred to work alone.  I'm encouraged by how well they are paying attention to the book.  They seemed to know how each vocabulary word was applied in the story.  The characters have really intrigued them!

Group 310 enjoyed using If it Were My Home to compare the U.S. with various African countries.  The site is so interesting and fun to use.  The students can compare any two countries in the world!  The link is on our blog for the students to explore.  Afterward, pairs of students played a memory game to brush up on information for Tuesday's test.  

Our team meeting was a great time!  The students have written letters of appreciation to specific people who have made a positive impact on their lives, in connection with the story we read called The Richest Man in the World.   Today, they excitedly transferred their great ideas onto beautiful stationery, folded the letters, and addressed the envelope.  They were so enthusiastic about making them neat and delivering them.  I proof read the letters beforehand, and I have to say that they were so full of details and heartfelt examples.  I'm sure the recipients will be touched!

Homework:
Math - Measurement packet
Reading - Read Ch. 8-12 in The Westing Game and complete your role. The next cafe will take place on Thursday, 11-29-12.  Keep watching the blog for Mystery Theatre #3!
Social Studies - Quiz on Tuesday!
THE STUDENTS HAVE A FRIDAY PACKET OF TESTS TODAY!  ALSO INCLUDED ARE IMPORTANT HANDOUTS AND TIMES FOR CONFERENCES. 
No homework for Mrs. Friday's Language Arts and Math groups.

Meet the Characters!

Copy of The Westing Game on Prezi

Our first item on today's cafe menu was a character breakfast of sorts.  The Prezi above was shown to the students to get them thinking about the characters they've been introduced to in The Westing Game.  Students were asked to think about the clues, add any others they could think of, and ultimately choose the character.  Words on the foot path were also discussed, such as alibi.  At the end, any characters that were not mentioned were identified and described.  The class has been reading and recording clues as they come up in the story.  They're surprised at how many characters there are to keep track of, as well as how many seem suspicious for various reasons.  Since the Westing Game has truly begun, and the heirs have been paired for the purpose of play, the students are anxious to continue their reading.  Our next cafe will take place the Thursday after Thanksgiving!  By then, we should have all sorts of things to discuss!  Keep watching for Mystery Theatre!

Group 310 had Social Studies today, and they learned more about the culture of South Africa.  They even listened to the alphabet song to hear the sounds made by the various letters in the Africaan (Dutch) alphabet! 

Our Thursday afternoons are busy with Library and Music!  Today was a book trading day, and the students were happy about picking something new.  Some expressed this morning that they were especially looking forward to learning how to play the piano in Music.  Mrs. (Music) McIlvaine has many keyboards on which the students learn the basics of piano.  I'm sure she'll be sharing this on her blog soon!

Homework:
Math -
Reading - Read Ch. 8-12 in The Westing Game for Thursday, 11/29/12.  Complete your new role!  Complete your vocabulary practice for the novel using the crossword puzzle for tomorrow.  Keep watching the blog for Mystery Theatre #3.
Spelling - Study your Unit 1 review words.  They can be found on Spelling City under links on this blog.  The test is tomorrow.
Writing - Narrative rough draft is due tomorrow.  We will be revising our work!
Social Studies - Vocabulary test on 11/20/12
Wellness - Your fitness report card is due tomorrow.
Mrs. Friday's Assignments:
Spelling - Writing assignment, spelling 3X each and study, 2 wk.bk pages
Math - Multiplying fractions wk.sheet - group 1 and Division wk. sheet - group 2

It's a Mystery!

 The mystery of The Westing Game is just beginning!  Most students have read up to chapter 8, and the characters have been paired by Mr. Westing to begin playing the game!  We are all very interested in seeing the clues and figuring out what they mean.  Try Mystery Theatre #2 above, for a chance at a bonus point!  You're name will also be entered in a drawing for a Barnes and Noble gift card!

This morning, students took time to finish their benchmark exams.  I've scored several prompts, and they've been looking good!  The rest of the test will be machine scored, and the results will be posted soon.

In addition, students chose one of their brainstormed ideas and began drafting their personal narratives.  Many of the students had a lot to say on their organizers!  I'm looking forward to hearing reading these great stories. 

This afternoon, students were able to enjoy their Surprise Scramble reward for great citizenship as a team.  They watched a movie version of From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler while enjoying an ice cream sandwich.  The Surprise Scramble message earned was I Scream for Ice Cream!

Homework:
Math - Worksheet.  Geometry test on Thursday
Reading - Read chapters 3-7 in The Westing Game and complete your role for Thursday.
Spelling - Study Unit 1 Review list on Spelling City.  Test on Friday.
Social Studies - Vocabulary test next Tuesday.  Fable final copies are due tomorrow.
Wellness - Report cards for fitness due on Friday
Mrs. Friday's Assignments:
Spelling - ABC order and 2 wk.bk pages
Math - Division w.s. - group 1 and Dividing by 5 w.s. - group 2

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3...

Today, Language Arts students took their first P.S.S.A. benchmark exam, applying skills pertaining to the first nine weeks worth of skills.  During the test, the students read a fable and two non-fiction selections to which they applied the skills of determining theme, choosing main idea, analyzing details, and attacking unknown words.  Finally, they responded to a prompt related to the third story.  Although testing can cause some anxiety, I feel confident that everyone was prepared for the benchmark.  The results will count in the grade book, but they will also help in determining weaknesses that need to be addressed. 

In addition to testing, Language Arts students worked on brainstorming for a personal narrative that they'll be writing.  Students will write about a something that occurred in their lives that influenced them for the better.  Many have their ideas narrowed down, and they will begin drafting tomorrow. 

African culture is still being studied in Social Studies.  Students saw cultural pictures of South Africa and compared/contrasted our culture with theirs.  So much has been shared and discussed, and the students have enjoyed learning about foods, art, clothing, music, etc. 

Homework:
Math - Tongue Twister 17 - Group 308 and Forgetful Fred - Group 310  Study! Your Geometry test is on Thursday.
Reading - Read through chapter 7 in The Westing Game.  Complete your role for Thursday.
Spelling - Study your Unit 1 Review list (50 words).  Your test is on Friday.  You can find this special review list on Spelling City.  Study!
Social Studies - Vocabulary test on 11/20
Wellness - Exercise report cards are due on Friday
Mrs. Friday's Assignments:
Spelling - Spelling Stair Step and two workbook pages
Math - Division worksheet - Group 1 and Dividing by 5 - Group 2