Week 15 - Straw Structures and the Moustache

The following are pictures of straw and paper clip structures from science class (before they received the Slammer treatment):

And now for the grand finale:

The Contemplative Potratz

The Teacher Potratz

Mr.Potratz - It's Great to be a Lemme Leopard!

11/30/09

Spelling:
Unit 14 Practice Test (W3X and 1-18 Pg. 91)

Language Arts:
The Gift of Life (Wed or Thurs)

Math:
Balke: Study Link 4.6
Gatens: Study Link 4.5
Gordon: MJ 82 and 83 (Tues) Bottom of SL 90 (Tues) Top of SL 90 (Thurs)
Hall: Make a Tesselation---Draw and Color It

Social Studies:
Open Book Test (Thurs)
Brain-Only (Friday)

Science:
Slammer


Other:

Week 14 - Potratz's Moustache

Monday is the last day, so bring your cameras. I will post a picture on the blog.

nb

11/24/09

Spelling:


Language Arts:
Narrative Thanksgiving Paragraphs

Math:
Balke: No Homework
Gatens: Study Link 4.4
Gordon: Cut-Out Shapes & Teach Someone Polygon Capture
Hall: No Homework

Social Studies:


Science:
Structure Slammers

Other:

Week 14 - Have a Great Thanksgiving

Enjoy the time off and I look forward to seeing your students rejuvenated on the 30th!!

nb

11/23/09

Spelling:


Language Arts:
Sheep & Turkey-Day Descriptions

Math:
Balke: Study Link 4.5
Gatens: Fraction Addition Worksheet
Gordon: Polygon Cut-out & Teach a Parent Polygon Game (Monday)
Hall: Study Link 3.8

Social Studies:
Chapter 6 Notes (Reading Notes Ch. 6 Due Tomorrow)

Science:
Slamming Structures

Other: Field Trip Forms

11/20/09

Spelling:
Unit 13 Final Test

Language Arts:
Descriptive Paragraphs & Sheep

Math:
Balke: Adding Fractions 310-311
Gatens: No Homework
Gordon: No Homework
Hall: No Homework

Social Studies:
Chapter 6 Reading Notes (Tuesday)

Science:
No Homework

Other:

Week 13 - Conferences, Thanksgiving Week, Potratz Update

Conferences

They are almost all done and again, it was great to see everyone. I will be sending out sign-up forms for the "spring" conferences (even though it's still winter) soon! I know how it is with schedules and getting time off and all that.

Thanksgiving Week

Students should come to school MONDAY and TUESDAY ONLY!!

Potratz Update

5 days down and 5 to go for Mr. Potratz's full-time teaching. I believe it is going well. We shall see if Mr. Potratz decides to carry out his threat of sporting a 1985 style moustache! No time to grow out a proper mullet, though!

Have a fantastic weekend,

nb

11/19/09

Spelling:
Final Test Unit 13

Language Arts:
Persuasive Paragraphs (CQ Due Friday 11/20)

Math:
Balke: MJ Pg. 132 and 133
Gatens: Study Link 4.3
Gordon: Angle Tangle and MJ 84
Hall: Study Link 3.5

Social Studies:
Reading Notes Due Tuesday 11/24/09


Science:
Structure Data (Announce Awards)

Other:

11/18/09

Spelling:
Practice-Test

Language Arts:
Persuasive Paragraph (CQ Due Friday)

Math:
Balke:Study Link 4.3
Gatens: Study Link 4.2
Gordon: MJ 81 (Thursday), MJ 84 and Angle Tangle (Friday)
Hall: Study Link 4.5

Social Studies:
The Akkadian Empire

Science:
Straw Structures

Other: Field Trip Forms

Week 13 - Homework Help

I have talked about Mrs. Hall's Homework Help periods: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 3:00-4:30.

However, on Mondays and Wednesdays, there is even more Homework Help brainpower available with 2-3 Kirkwood CC students showing up on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Have a good evening,

nb

11/17/09

Spelling:
Words 3x and 1-18 (Pg. 85) Due Tomorrow

Language Arts:

DLR and Paragraph Workshop
Remembering Guthrie (Thursday or Friday)

Math:
Balke: Improper Fractions Worksheet
Gatens: Study Link 4.1
Gordon: Angle Tangle (Friday), SL 86-87 (Wed), MJ 81 (Thursday), MJ 84 (Friday)
Hall: Study Link 3.4

Social Studies:
Empire Notes

Science:
Straw Structure

Other: Field Trip Forms

11/16/09

Spelling:
Unit 13 Pre-Test (W3X and 1-18 Pg. 85 Due Wed.)

Language Arts:

DLR and Sheep

Math:
Balke: Fraction Addition Worksheet
Gatens: MJ Pg. 124
Gordon: Angle Tangle (Friday) MJ 79 (Tuesday) MJ 81 (Wed.) Activity Sheet 3 and 4 (Tuesday)
Hall: Study Link 3.4

Social Studies:
Greatest Achievements

Science:

Straw Structures (Science Notebook Page Due Tuesday)


Other: Field Trip Forms

Week 12 - Conferences, Homework, Potratz

Conferences

I am about halfway through my conferences and it has been great to meet some new parents and to chat with some familiar ones. Thanks for being great parents!

Homework Help

Mrs. Hall has the following homework help times available:

Donut Club 7:45-8:25

5th grade, Monday and Wednesday

6th grade, Tuesday and Friday

Homework Help

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays 3:00-4:30

Now you might say, "Why aren't you giving homework help, Mr. Balke?" The answer is twofold. I will be glad to give help to students after school and before school. However, I just can't GUARANTEE those times. And, Mrs. Hall is quite saintly to offer this to all 5th and 6th graders. We are lucky to have her at Lemme Elementary.

Mr. Potratz

Mr. Potratz will be doing his 2 weeks of full-time teaching starting Monday. I will still be around the school, but my time in the classroom will be limited, since the idea is for the student teacher to perform "without a net". I will pop in now and then. If you have any questions, problems, or compliments, email me and I can get the message to Mr. Potratz. It has been a great semester for him.

I'll see many of you tomorrow, and then have a great weekend,

nb

11/12/09

Spelling:

Final Test Unit 12

No Homework

Language Arts:

DLR

No Homework

Math:
Balke:Fraction Addition
Gatens:Math Journal Pg. 122
Gordon: MST Sheet (Corrections Due Monday), MJ 79 (Tuesday), MJ 75-78 (Monday)
Hall: No Homework

Social Studies:
Civilization Presentations (No Homework)

Science:
How to Build Sturdy Structures (Science Notebook Page Due Tuesday)

Other:

No School Tomorrow!!!!!

Take Your Instruments Home!

Bring Field Trip Forms (Field Trip is Nov. 30)

11/11/09

Spelling:
Final Test Tomorrow!!

Language Arts:

CQ: MMM (Houdini story) due Tomorrow!!

Math:
Balke: SL 4.2
Gatens: Test today, MJ 122 due MONDAY
Gordon: MJ 74, SL 83,84, some have test correction!!
Hall: SL 77,78

Social Studies:

Civilization presentations

Science:
Live load/dead load

Other:

NO SCHOOL for STUDENTS Friday!!!!

Week 12 - Check Out The Blog!!

Greetings Friends:

I am experimenting with this here new-fangled blog! 2 reasons for it:

1. I have always been interested in the web-based monitoring systems whereby parents and students can monitor grades and assignments online. This system is currently in place at the junior highs and high schools in the ICCSD. So this is my attempt to duplicate this at the elementary level.

2. I am considering moving my parent emails to the blog. Then you can access it anywhere there is internet, which for some is quite convenient.

As you know, we post our assignments and other pertinent information on the overhead and students copy it in their assignment books. That will NOT change. However, parent can now double check online to make sure that their student did not accidentally leave some information out.

I hope you find this helpful. To access:

http://mrbalke.blogspot.com/

Or soon there will be a link to the Lemme website:

http://www.iccsd.k12.ia.us/Schools/Lemme/Homepage2.htm

Have a great week,

nb