School 2014-2015

Hello, and welcome to a new school year!!!  I am using this blog now for informational purposes only.  For the first posting, I would like to put an internet site on here that the students have been using to practice their keyboarding skills.  It is www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ typing/.  This is a great site for them and they are having a great time practicing.  I hope that you will let them show you what they have accomplished!!  I have put this address on the Facebook page, as well.  Talk to you soon!

January 15, 2014

Hello!!!

This week is going by so quickly!!!  We have been working on changing the states of matter this past week.  Our test will be tomorrow.  I have given the students notes from the board, typed notes from me, and a study guide from the book.   We used today to review, as well, using a Smart board lesson and having each student make up questions to ask their group members.  This is a very interesting way, and yet fun, to study for a test.  We will begin Friday to look at kinetic and potential energy.  I have a video to show them and some notes to give them, too.  There is a fun activity to go along with our study of these types of energy.  Have a great rest of your week.  I will talk to you next week!!!

New Year and new grading period

Hello, and welcome back!

Wow!  I did not think we would ever make it back!  It is good to be here, though.  The second semester is here and we are starting the 3rd grading period.  We have begun looking at changing the states of matter and will move to kinetic and potential energy.  From that point, we will go to life science and cells.  We will spend the rest of the year on life science.  It is hard to believe that we have only 18 weeks of school left!  I have given the students some notes today from the board, but more will come tomorrow that are typed.  There were just too many to make them write everything down.  I will let you know, when the test will be.  We will be completing LAB #1, too, between today and tomorrow.  Well, I believe that is all for now.  I have great weekend and I will talk to you next week!

Week of Dec. 16

Hello and Merry Christmas!!!

I cannot believe that the first semester is almost over!  We will have been in school for 18 weeks come this Friday!!!  Our Christmas break will last two weeks, so students will not come back to school until January 6, 2014!  Enjoy the time off!!!

I have extended the time to finish the atoms test.   Some students did not get finished, so many will be working on it today and maybe even tomorrow.  We are having some technical issues with the laptops in my room, so not everyone can be on the computer working.  I will be giving out the list of labs that students can turn in for extra credit today, too.  They will be due on Thursday!  I did not get this list to my 1st period class, so they will get it tomorrow and will have till Friday to turn it in.

We will be having a pizza party on Friday.  I will bring in chips and Pepsi and Mountain Dew.  If your child wants something else, then they are more than welcome to bring it in to the party.  We are going to make Friday a party day with our homerooms.  There will be movies and games, if my Wii will hook up to my Smart board! hee!  Well, I think that is all for now.  If I think of anything else, I will put another post on here.  Have a great Christmas!!!  See you next year!!

Test date correction!!!

I have had to change the date for the test this week. I will not be here on Thursday, so I need to move the date of the test on atoms to Friday.  This will give students an extra day to study.  I will have my sub reviewing the terms with them, too.  I hope this does not cause too much trouble with anyone.

We are working with various stations this week that allow students to practice mass, volume, and density.  They are also working with their terms in these stations, so they are getting some help for their test.  It will be an interesting Thursday, since the students will be going to Secret Santa, too.  I have sent home a letter today with your child from the PTO telling about Secret Santa.  The 6th grade will be going during their science class.  Have a great week!  One more till Christmas break!!!

Friday, Dec. 6

Wow!!!  How time flies when you are having fun!  I cannot believe how this school year is flying by!!!  We have been working on a couple of different things the past couple of weeks.  We finished up the soil activity and got to use a new computer tool - the wiki!  The kids liked it, but didn't like getting up in front of the class to talk.  They would rather record their information and have me play it for the class.  Speaking in front of a group of people is a skill that is hard to get comfortable with and some do better at it and will end up feeling more relaxed at it then others.  Some are just born public speakers and that is okay.  I just want the kids to have a little experience talking in front of a group.  I tried to give them a few tricks of the trade to help them - like looking at the tops of peoples' heads or the tops of their ears, walk around the room, and the popular dramatic pause!  This helps you to gather your thoughts and the audience to think about what you are saying.  The kids laughed when I told them this.

We are working on atoms right now.  They will be going through seven stations next week and then we will be ready for the test.  This test will be different because it will be on the computer.  I will have them create a glog poster with the required information on it.  It is really cool and a creative way to assess what the kids know.  Right now, I am planning on the test taking place on Thursday.  This will give us time to get all the stations completed and review for the test.  Well, have a great weekend.  Christmas is almost here and we will get a nice break.  Talk to you next week!!

Friday, November 8

Wow!  We have been very busy the past few weeks!  Students have been learning about metamorphic rocks and the rock cycle.  They even wrote a song about it!  We have started soil this week.  Yesterday, they worked on a lab activity on soil types.  I gathered three types and had them look at the characteristics, then identify them.  We will finish that identification today.  It will be our LAB #4.  This lab will be worth more extra credit at the end of the grading period, since it is so big.

Today is our veteran's assembly.  I will not get to see my last two periods, so we will have to complete their activity on Monday.  It will not be a problem, though.  I gave the students copies of information on soil that I got off the internet.  This way, they would not have to write all those notes off the board.  There is nothing in our textbooks on soil.  These papers should be in their folders.  They need to keep these so use for reference and to study for their test.  We will finish going over those on Monday, too.  I have a really exciting project for students to complete on soil.  It will be a small group project.  They will start it next week.  Once I give them all the details, I will put it on here for you.  I want it to be a surprise!!!  Well, I guess that is about it for now.  Have a good weekend!