12/10/13

Math
Test tomorrow - I did talk to the students about using the Math Journal to prepare for the test!

Language arts
Lesson 15 packet due Friday

Social Studies
Ch.8 worksheets - from workbook - due Thursday

Science
Thursday Mysterious Powders Test

12/9/13

Math
Review for Wednesday test

Language arts
Lesson 15
Spelling pretest

Social Studies
How the pyramids were built

Science 
THE Mysterious Powder - Identity REVEALED

Reminders:
Crisis Center Food Drive
Book Drive
Permission slips for City High Concert

12/8/13 - Dress for Success!!

You CANNOT catch a cold from the cold (http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306931,00.html), but it is a good idea to dress appropriately for the weather!

Some dangers from the cold:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/gid/WCM/awareness/winterdangers.pdf

Now that doesn't mean we will never go outside!  If the temperature is below zero wind chill, there will be indoor recess.  Students will be ushered in before school if the wind chill is below zero.  Keep in mind the office staff, who would be making this call, is quite busy in the morning, so if it's -1, there probably won't be a problem with students waiting outside if students come when they are supposed to and are dressed appropriately.

Students are allowed in at 8:25.  The closer student come to that time, the better, especially on cold days!! There is usually no supervision before 8:15-8:20ish.

Well, I'm off to shovel some snow!  Have a great evening!

12/7/13 - We will WIN the Lemme Holiday Food Drive!!

I have decided that my class needs to win this.  Check out the link below:

http://jccrisiscenter.org/

On the right, there is a Top Ten list of needed items, for some guidance.

Let's win this thing!!!!

12/7/13

Math
Study Link 4.10 and 4.11
Test tentatively be WEDNESDAY.  Check the links for some practice/study.

Language arts
Weekly test
Spelling test
Wrapping up DRAs!

Social Studies
Finished "Riddles of the Sphinx"

Science
THE Mysterious Powder writeup - due Monday
Next week, we will find out the true composition of THE Mysterious Powder!

12/5/13

Math
Percent of a number - no homework
Test next week sometime!

Language Arts
Lesson 14 packet - due tomorrow
Lesson 14 spelling test - tomorrow
DRAs!!

Social Studies
Ch. 7 worksheet - due tomorrow
The Riddles of the Sphinx

Science
THE Mysterious Powder writeup - due MONDAY now (because of time taken up by DRAs)

12/4/13

Math
Study Link 4.9 - due tomorrow
Decimals, fractions, and percents

Language arts
DRAs!!
Lesson 14 packet - due Friday

Social Studies
Ch. 7 worksheet - due Friday
Check blog for Egypt videos!

Science
THE Mysterious Powder
Writing - Procedure for figuring out the contents of THE Mysterious Powder - due Friday

NEXT WEEK - food drive for the Crisis Center!

12/3/13

Math
Study Link 4.8 - Fractions, Decimals, and Percents - due tomorrow

Language arts
Summarize weekly story - due tomorrow (most completed in class)
Lesson 14 packet - due Friday
Spelling test - Friday

Social Studies
Pyramid videos - see links on the blog

Science
Testing vinegar and phenol red
THE Mysterious Powder - we will find out this week!

12/2/13

Welcome Back to School!!

Math
Study Link 4.7  due tomorrow

Language arts
Lesson 14 packet due Friday
Spelling test Friday

Social Studies
We're combining Ch. 7 and 8 - Egypt!

Science 
Another Mystery Powder.  Later this week, "THE Mysterious Powder"!!

11/25/13 - Verb - That's what's happening! The 70s return!

See the link called "Verb - Schoolhouse Rock".  Children of the 70s - reminisce!

11/25/13 - Check out the links to the right!

I added a new one today called "Fractions and Decimals" The teacher is "Mr. C."  You might find it entertaining!

11/25/13

Math
Multiplying Mixed Numbers

Language Arts
Lesson 14
Packet due 12/6

Social Studies
Begin Ch. 7

Science
Another Mysterious Powder

No School Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week!

11/22/13 - Help Sessions Wednesdays and Fridays

I am instituting help sessions beginning Wednesday, December 4th.  These are sessions where students can get extra help from me if needed.  I am planning on being available from 8:00 - 8:25 a.m. every Wednesday and Friday mornings.  Since Thanksgiving is coming, I will remind you about these times next week!

11/22/13

Math
Study link 4.6

Language arts and spelling
Wrapped up the week

Social Studies
Begin Ch. 7 - Egypt

Science
Experiment with phenol red!!

11/22/13 - Back to the Blog!

Been out of it lately, absences, illnesses, conferences.  But I am back!  I had some excellent conferences with parents!  It has been a great year.

Next week: Only Monday and Tuesday!!

11/7/13

Math

Study link 4.1

Language arts
p.123 - 132

Social Studies

We had a test!

11/5/13

Math
We had a test!

Language arts
p. 123+124  and   p. 127+128

Social Studies
Ch. 5 test tomorrow!

11/4/13

Math
TEST tomorrow
General patterns - special cases
Add and subtract positive and negative numbers
Area and perimeter formulas
Evaluating formulas
Exponents
Spreadsheets

Language arts
p.123 due tomorrow

Social Studies
Test Wednesday
Ch. 5 summary

11/1/13 - Beyond the Sea

Just for fun, have a great weekend!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbcjW9SQabc

11/1/13

Math
Test Tuesday!

Social Studies
Test Wednesday!

10/31/13

Math
Study Link 3.10
Looks like a test next Tuesday!!

Language arts
p.117-118 
LANB - Venn Diagrams (2) due Friday
Spelling test Friday
Be on the lookout for some old assignments:
>>Lesson 9 Packet
>>p.113-116
>>p.109+110, 111+112


Social Studies
Ch. 5 Summary due Friday
Are Squirrels Civilized? due Friday

10/31/13 - Halloween History

As I am manning the door for trick or treaters, I decided to do a little Halloween research.  Go to halloweenhistory.org.   Interesting information!  

Thanks to all who participated in the Halloween festivities at school today!  I am blessed to have such nice students and parents!

10/30/13

Math
Study Link 3.9.  It looks like a test coming sometime next week!

Language arts
 p.109+110, 111+112 due tomorrow.
LANB - Venn Diagrams (2) due Friday
Spelling test Friday
Be on the lookout for some old assignments:
>>Lesson 9 Packet
>>p.113-116

Social Studies
Ch. 5 Summary due Friday
Are Squirrels Civilized? due Friday

10/29/13 - Conference Reminders

This week, I'll be sending reminders of conference times again, and for some, another opportunity to sign up if need be.

I have scheduled conference days 11/7, 11/14, 11/21.  But if those don't work out I am certain that we can come up with a time that will work.

10/29/13 - Halloween Festivities Thursday!

It's that time again!  The beginning of the "Eating Season": Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Holiday of your choice, New Year's, Valentine's Day, and ending with the Holiday of Eggs, Bunnies, and Candy.
 
So Halloween.  Costumes:  Students may bring them, we will "dress up" sometime during the day.  We can't all 400 of us go the restrooms to change, so it may be as early as late morning.  Costumes should appropriate.  Avoid costumes that may destroy the innocence of a 5 year old kindergartner, or that may cause heart palpitations in your grandma!  If you must be "edgy", I suggest waiting until the actual Beggar's Night.

The schedule:  As of now, I am looking at the Parade at 1:00, party until 2:00.  The students will convene in the back blacktop at 1:00 and process from there.  Then we shall return to the room to enjoy calm and peaceful refreshments and Phineas and Ferb.

10/29/13

Math: Study Link 3.7 and 3.8 due tomorrow!

Language arts: Old assignments: Lesson 9 Packet, p.113&114, 115&116

Studies: Ch.5 Summary due Thursday

10/24/13 - Social Studies, Ch. 4 notes

Ch. 4 Notes

Mesopotamia: An area that includes: Zagros Mountains, Zagros foothills, Tigris and Euphrates River, Sumer

Problems in Mesopotamia:

Food shortages

Attacks by people in and out of Mesopotamia

Uncontrolled water supplies

Big Move from the Zagros Foothills to Sumer:

Foothills were nice, so nice that the area became overpopulated and there was not enough area to grow enough crops. So people moved to Sumer.

Sumer:

It was a plain between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  The major problem there is that it would flood during the rainy season, then be dry the rest of the year. So they needed to find ways to control the water supply.

Sumer’s Water Supply:

They created levees, dams, canals, irrigation, reservoirs.  Because of that, various villages had to work together to make it work, since they were all accessing the same rivers.  This created larger villages, which became what we call “city-states”.

Trouble in Paradise:

Some of the city-states got in to disputes over the water.  Sometimes someone upstream would get greedy and fighting would ensue.   As a result, city-states would build walls and dig moats to help keep attackers away, or at least slow them down!  Farmers would run to the walled cities for protection.

From the Zagros Foothills to the City-States of Sumer:

In short, food shortages caused people to move from the foothills to Sumer, then once there, people had to work together to maintain the irrigation systems, which enable larger communities (city-states) to form.

A “City-State”:

A city that is independent and has its own laws and government.  In Sumer, it was often walled.

Have a good evening,

nb

10/18/13 - Officer Buckle Has Spoken!

For those of you who don't know, the book Officer Buckle and Gloria, won the Caldecott Award in 1996, and in 2007 was named one of the "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children".  Officer Buckle has kindly come to Lemme to give us a few of his famous "Safety Tips".

Safety Tip #237 - Do Not Park or Stop in the Fire/Bus Lanes between the times of 8:15-8:40 and 2:45-3:10.

99% of you are doing this right!   There have been some not so safe driving out there the past few weeks.   The buses have been at times unable to get in to the bus lanes.  Soon we will be enforcing that area during the time listed.  Please think about where, when, and how you will be driving in the lot during those times!

Other drop-off and pick-up possibilities are: Washington Street to the south (that can get busy at those times!), Amhurst to the the east, and Hastings to the north.

Safety Tip #238 - Do Not Leave your vehicle in the fire lane at ANY time!

That is straight from the ICPD.  You can be in your vehicle in a fire lane, but you can't leave it (park it) in a fire lane.  We are allowed to make that exception of NO vehicles in the fire lane during those high traffic times.

Safety Tip #239 - Do Not Stand on a Chair with Wheels!

Thanks to Officer Buckle for his wise words of wisdom!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmViPSWwbPY

10/3/13 - Mr. Rickels' Last Week

Next week is Mr. Rickels' last week of full time teaching.  After that he is off to another 8 weeks of teaching in Australia!  It has been a great few weeks! We will miss him a lot!

I would like you to take a minute with your student and remind them about the Pillars of Character:  Respect, Responsibility, Caring, Fairness, Trustworthiness, and Citizenship. Think about how they might relate to a young teacher with a passion for working with young people, trying to make a mark in the world of education.

Have a great evening,
nb

10/2/13 - Identity of the Philosopher

Millions of people living as foes
Maybe, it's not too late
To learn how to love
And forget how to hate

I did get a couple of guesses.  The philosopher that penned these words:  Ozzy Osbourne!  

If you are familiar with Mr. Osbourne, you might not think that he could be so hopeful.  He is obviously a troubled soul, yet he has hope.  What I get out of this is: YOU NEVER KNOW!

Have a great day,
nb

9/28/13 - Last Round from Chris Myers

We read a story this week about Chris and Walter Dean Myers, son-father illustrator-writing team.  Found this interesting interview:

http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/myersc/transcript/#hawaii

9/28/13 - Playground of Science

This passed over my desk this week;

http://www.coe.edu/news/388/716/Coe-receives-STEM-grant-to-support-Playground-of-Science#.UkcwjYasiSo

9/28/13 - Technology Pioneers

Our class has taken the lead in using the new laptops and and getting in on new system of saving documents.  They have done a great job getting going with the technology this year.  They have used the laptops and the lab  for some research on hominids in social studies, keyboarding, and journaling.  We will be trying to the bulk of the writing on keyboards this year.

9/26/13 - What happened to the math test?

Tuesday we had a math test.  I have not returned them to students yet.  Let's just say I was disappointed in my teaching of this material.  Not to say that everyone did poorly, nor did everyone falter on the same items. I have been spending some time studying the tests and I am going to do a little re-teaching, most likely the multiplying by powers of 10.  I will return the tests tomorrow.  Let me know if you have any questions. Definitely a challenging unit!

Have a spectacular evening,
nb

9/26/13 - It's good to be back!

I feel like I've been gone for weeks!  But it's only been a few days. I guess those are the blessings/curses of medication!  I had an allergic reaction to an unknown allergen.  Mr. Rickels, Mrs. Fischer, and Mrs. Stika can easily hold down the fort in my absence and for that I am grateful.

A couple of items this morning:

Coming to school:  I understand that the weather is absolutely heavenly now that it's the crisp clear days of autumn in Iowa. But because of the cruel hard supervision issues, students should not come come any sooner that necessary.  We sure can build buildings in Iowa City, but we can't seem to hire people. Did I say that?  Ooops.  Anyway, what is "too early"?  I think it's quite possible that I have not communicated this so well (to parents, students know!!!).  8:25 is when we are bringing students in the hallowed halls of learning.  8:30 is the "tardy bell" (the funniest two words since I first laid eyes on them in 1970 as a youngster at "the late" Hoover Elementary).  Perfection would mean walk right up to the school at 8:24:59 and stroll right on in.  8:20 would be a good aim.  If your student walks up to school between 8:25-8:30, they should hustle right on to their rooms. If they come after8:30, the teacher will direct the students to the office to check in, sorry, that's a "tardy".

Conferences:  Impossible!  Too soon!  November 7th is the first day.  I will be sending some sign up sheets for those who need them and reminders for those who need them (and for those who don't need them for good measure).

Have a Splendid Day!!!

9/22/13 - New Links on the webpage!

Under Links on my webpage, I have two new ones, one in the Math section, and one in the Language Arts section.

Under Math, click on it and then you will see the list.  Go to "Decimals and Scientific Notation"  The first part is good, but at the 3:30 mark, that's when they discuss scientific notation.  The lead up to it is good.

Under Language arts, click on it and then you will see the list.  Go to "Possessive Nouns".  It is a nice presentation of one of the most mixed up things (by students AND adults) that there is in punctuation.

9/22/13 - I will be gone Monday!

I am under the weather. And what fine weather it is!  So I will be gone Monday.

Mr. Rickels will be in charge, and also Mrs. Fischer and Mrs. Stika are in the room, so there should be no problems whatsoever.  Plus, a fully capable substitute teacher will be there as well!  I am hoping these excellent students will not give Mr. Rickels "the substitute treatment"!  If you feel the need to review the six Pillars of Character (trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship) by all means, do so.

9/19/13

Math Review

We are doing some division for this test.  Here is what you need to know:

Whole number division with remainder, fraction, and decimal answers.
Decimal division, both divisor and dividend.

Use the "traditional" or "standard" method.  Do not use the "hang 7" or "partial products".

More to come.

9/18/13

Good evening!

I have decided to return to my blog, at least for a while!  A few items:

1. Math - we will be having a test TUESDAY!  In this unit we have been working on:
Division (whole number and decimals)
Standard notation
Expanded notation
Number and word notation
Scientific notation
Exponential notation

Whew!

I will be sending information out regarding preparing for this test!

2. Mr. Rickels - He has been doing a great job in social studies and science so far.  We're talking Hominids in social studies and floating and sinking in science.  We have had the opportunity to get our hands on the laptops to check out a couple of sites.  See the webpage for links.  Also, he showed an excellent Bill Nye episode about bouyancy.  He will be with us until mid-October.

3. Picture day is MONDAY!  Having anything on a Monday is harrowing. I am getting my haircut tonight!

Lem-me Leo-pard,s doom doom doomp-doomp-doomp!

1/17/13 - Math forms and registration forms

Here's how it goes:

1.  I have sent a white math form home that has class recommendations for your student, based on ICCSD standards.  If you agree with the recommendation, then sign and return.  If  not, there is an appeal form on the back that you may fill out. Then sign and return!

2. Once the white math form comes back to me, then I will send a brightly colored registration form.  It will ask you to choose world languages and/or music performance classes, if desired, and a signature.  Then return to me!

This whole process must be completed by FEBRUARY 1ST!

What an exciting time this is!

1/17/13

Language Arts:
p.205-215
Spelling test tomorrow!!

Math:
Test today
Students will receive Math for for South East Junior High math registration.  Forms should be signed and returned ASAP!

Social Studies:
Open book test today

Other:
Yearbook forms and $$
Hat Day $$ 1/25
South East Junior High Parent Meeting: 1/29 at 6:30, Large Group Room.

1/8/13

Language Arts:
193-199
DIBELS

Math:
Part 2, ICCSD math placement

Science:
More smoking

Other:

1/7/13

Language Arts:
DIBELS
193-195, 197

Math:
ICCSD placement test part 1, Part 2 tomorrow

Science:
Smoking health issues

Social Studies:
Ch.9 Brain Only

Other:

1/3/13

Language Arts:
181-187 (not 183)
Spelling test tomorrow!!

Math:
Study Link 5.2

Social Studies:
Ch. 9 test MONDAY

Other:
Welcome Back!!