Thank You and Farewell!

To all of my students and families:

Thank you for making my last year at Maple Street wonderful!  I'm so sorry that I couldn't be with you last night at the celebration.  Unfortunately, there was a tragic accident and we lost my husband's brother.  I needed to leave suddenly to be home with my family.  I apologize and I hope to see you around town this summer.

It's been a wonderful year.  Let me know if you need anything in the future!

Sincerely,
Joan Follansbee

Winding Down

Today seemed like a quiet day since fifth grade was out of the building.  This morning, my class played Language Arts Jeopardy.  We had our snack outside and then went to math. 

We also spent some time in the computer lab working on the Jason Project, increasing our knowledge about weather. 

This afternoon was spent doing Greek Olympics!  Fun!

Have a fabulous weekend!  Please remember to sign the permission slip for the movie The Mighty for Tuesday's trip.

Field Day is Monday
Red River trip is Tuesday
Last day is Wednesday (Early Release)

Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday was a "normal" day with the exception of the band leaving for HMS in the afternoon.  We worked on the Jason Project for science.  This is a website that brings each student through a series of activities about weather.  There are games, videos and text to read about this topic.

Students were given time to finish up those portfolios as well if they needed it.

Today, we had our portfolio share time.  It was nice to see so many of you here.  If you didn't get to come, the portfolios are coming home tonight so that you can look at your leisure.

In reading, we played a game where students looked at copies of book jackets with the titles whited-out and tried to figure out which titles they knew.  Some of the book came from their younger years and some were from their time at MSS.  It was fun to see their reactions.

We had the Middle High School's reading specialist and librarian come down to talk with us about books!  They put together a nice hand-out for the students.  Please ask  your child for that.  Also, this afternoon the Interact Club came down to talk with us about their trip to Honduras.

Don't forget about the permission slip for Red River Theater.  The movie that we will see is "The Mighty".  It is rated PG-13 for mild profanity.  Please sign that you give permission for your child to watch that as well.

Tuesday

We started our day at the high school for an outstanding talent show!  The Student Council did an amazing job organizing this fun event! 

We read aloud when we got back.  We are almost done Something Upstairs.

This afternoon 6S had time to work on their portfolios and finish up the reading stations.  Portfolios are due on Thursday for our Portfolio Share (7:30 to 9:15).

We played outside with our 4th grade buddies this afternoon as well.

Please remember the permission slips for Red River Theater. The cost is $8.00 for the bus and movie.  It is $2.00 per slice of pizza.  I need these by Friday.  Thank you!

Monday

Our second grade buddies came over today to visit with us at MSS.  It was so fun.  This has truly been a highlight of this year for me.  My sixth graders do so well with their buddies.  We did 3 different activities, had snack and went outside to show them the playground.  I think fun was had by all!

The third graders came over to MSS today for their Step Up Day.  Some of the sixth graders gave them tours of the building.  We welcomed all of them as they came into our room.  They seem excited to come to MSS!

The middle and high school chorus came down this afternoon and did a concert for us.  They sounded amazing!

We worked the rest of the day on our portfolios and reading stations.  Those who finished those were able to get onto a website called the Jason Project.  On the website are a variety of different activities having to do with weather. 

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT OUR DAY STARTS AT THE MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL TOMORROW FOR THE TALENT SHOW!

Thursday and Friday all in one!

Thursday I was out but here's what went down on that day.  Sorry for the late post.  We went to HMS for one last time to work with our buddies.  Mrs. Perkins has been so great to plan all of our visits there.  Students helped their second grade buddies use microscopes to look at insects.  From what I understand, they were great.  I am not surprised.  This group is a keeper!

Also on Thursday, 6S had read aloud to catch them up with 6F.  In the afternoon, 6F had a chance to work on their portfolios.

Today, Friday, we worked on finishing up the stations in reading as well as reading our last 60 minutes.  In the afternoon, we worked on portfolios.  These are due in final form by Thursday.

For the upcoming week:
Monday: our 2nd grade buddies will come to MSS!  In the afternoon, the Middle School Chorus will perform a short concert for us.
Tuesday:  Talent Show at the High School.  All students will start their day at HMHS.  We will walk back.
Wednesday:  a normal morning.  The band will go to HMS in the afternoon to play for them.
Thursday:  Portfolio Share in the morning.  Parents are welcome to come early.  I'll be there at 7:30.  Also, Kelly Conley and Donna Zeccha from the Middle High School will come down to talk with us about summer reading.  There will be an all school assembly at 2:05 where the Interact Club will tell us about their trip to Honduras.
Friday:  Permission Slips and Money is due for our trip to Red River Theater on Tuesday and our pizza luncheon.

Wednesday

Lots and lots going on today as usual!  In reading, we worked on the metacognition stations.  Students are in good shape with this.  There will be more time to work on these coming up this week.  I also read aloud to my class today.  I will do the same for 6S/B tomorrow.

In the afternoon, we worked on our portfolios.  These are coming together nicely.

Please remember to send in the HMS permission slips for tomorrow.  We will be going over there in the morning to work with our second grade buddies.

Also, today, we talked about upcoming events.  One thing you should be aware of is a sixth grade special day.  This will either take place on June 20 or June 21 (depending on the weather and when field day is).  We will be showing students a movie either here or at Red River Theater.  Also, we will feed them Sal's pizza for lunch.  I asked for their orders today.  They have a choice of cheese pizza or pepperoni pizza, 1 or 2 slices.  It will cost $2.00 per slice.  A slip will be going home with this information soon.  Be looking for that.

It is a busy time of year.  Please check the blog often to stay up on all events.  I'll do my best to remember everything!  Also, please let me know of any questions that pop up.

Tuesday and it's Hot!

Lots and lots going on here in sixth grade!  First and foremost, I sent home a permission slip for our last field trip to HMS with our second grade buddies.  Please, please, please send that back tomorrow if possible.

Secondly, we will be hosting the second graders on Monday, June 13.  We are excited to have them come to MSS and hope to show them around when they are here.

On June 14, we will begin our day at the High School for the annual MSS Talent Show put on by the Student Council.  Students will need to be dropped off (or walk) to the high school that morning, just like they did for Step Up Day.

We are finalizing our portfolios in class this week.  Parents are invited to come in and see them on June 16 in the morning.  I will be here at 7:30 for anyone who wants to come in before work.  We will continue to share until approximately 9:15 that day.  Put it on your calendars if you would like to come in.  It's always fun to see the final product!

June 20 or 21 (depending on the weather) will be our field day.  June 21 is sixth grade's celebration with a barbeque and cake.   Let me know if you have any questions!

Friday and Monday

What a whirlwind it has been!  Friday was Step Up Day at the middle high school.  The comment I heard most when we got back was, "I feel so much better going up there now."  We're so happy to ease some of the anxieties of this transition.  Please let me know what else I can do to put your or your child's mind at ease.  It is a big step, but one for which the majority of students are ready.

Today, I was out at Harold Martin in the morning and the middle high school in the afternoon.  Students worked on a couple of fun activities in writing class. The first one was where they put a wordless picture book into the correct order.  The book is called Zoom and students needed to use their inferring skills to complete the task.  After this, they played Parts of Speech Bingo.  We also completed our final CBM for the year.

In reading, students worked on metacognition stations.  There was a station where they listened to a song and used their schema and prior knowledge to make connections.  Next, the did some inferring with the text from a Chris VanAllsburg picture book, minus the pictures.  Thirdly, they may have listened to a storyteller on tape and drew what they visualized.  The next station was one where they read a non-fiction article from a magazine and determined what was important in it.  Finally, the last station was one where they read from selected picture books and recorded the questions that arose in their heads as they read. We will work more on these stations this week for those who need the time.  Tomorrow we will be reading in class so students should come prepared with a book.

We worked on our portfolios as well this morning. Students are finalizing them all this week. I am holding a portfolio share on June 16 in the morning for parents.  There will be more on this in the near future.

In spelling, we worked on a suffix activity. 

Despite there only being about 2 weeks left, we are still very busy!

World's Fair Today!

This morning we worked on writing benchmarks and this afternoon we had the World's Fair~
See you tonight from 6:00 to 7:00!

Wednesday

World's Fair is coming up!  We are very excited as we bring our boards into school today!  They are looking good.  Don't forget that the World's Fair will be tomorrow evening in the gym at MSS.  It will run from 6:00 to 7:00.  All students are encouraged to be there if possible. 

In reading today, we read aloud Something Upstairs and kept track of our metacognition with sticky notes.  I will be looking at these thoughts to judge who needs help with which strategy.  We will also be classifying the thoughts into different strategies after we make our way through centers next week.  We watched an interview with Avi, the author that we've been studying over the past month.  An interesting fact is that Avi has symptoms of dyslexia and he talked about that openly.

Students had writing time to work on finalizing their World's Fair Essays.  Many of them have passed them into me already.  It is important that I get a separate copy of the essay to grade for English.  Students may also put a copy with their display board for the Fair. 

In science, we watched a Genetics DVD and discussed it.  Also, I introduced what they will be doing next week to finalize their portfolios.

Please remember to send in the permission slips for Step Up Day which is Friday!  We will start our day at the High School.  Please do NOT drop off your child at MSS on Friday.  I will be there waiting for them!  Let me know if you have any questions!

Tuesday but like a Monday

Happy Memorial Day!
We began our day with an all school assembly in honor of Memorial Day.  The CORE team did a fabulous job putting this together for the whole school.  We appreciate all of their efforts!

Students had a goodly amount of time to work on those World's Fair essays.  These should be finished up by Thursday.

In science, 6S had the class time to work on their Paper Pet Projects. These are due by Friday at the latest.  No more class time will be given.

We ended our day with our buddies from Mrs. Roberts' class.

Reminder that the Crossword Puzzle homework for reading is due tomorrow.

Bye Bye Stu!

We had our "So Long, Farewell, Good Luck" party for Stu today.  He has been fun to work with for me and I think the students enjoyed him as well.  We had cake (Thank you Moe Houx!) and chips with drinks.  It was a mellow party ending with us going outside to say "Good-bye and Good Luck!" 

In reading class, we began our read aloud Something Upstairs by Avi.  Students were each given a book with sticky notes and asked to keep track of their thoughts as I read.  Then, they transferred these thoughts onto Independent Reading Logs at the end of class.  We will do this each time we read this book aloud.  This is practicing our metacognitive skills that we've been learning about in class.

I hope you have a great long weekend!  Enjoy the summer weather!

Thursday

Reminder that tomorrow is Early Release.  Dismissal from MSS is at 12:10. 

All MSS students participated in a climate survey today in the computer lab put on by Team of Tomorrow.  We did this during language arts time.  We also worked on the World's Fair Essays at that time too. 

In reading we read for 60 minutes and logged.  I gave out a new vocabulary assignment (Crossword Puzzles).  These are due June 1.

In science, this was the last class period to work on Paper Pets.  If students are not done this project, they will need to take it home to finish for next week.

Wednesday

Kevin Skarupa from Channel 9 news came to talk with us today about weather.  Please tune into Channel 9 tomorrow morning at 6:15 to see the class on the news!  Woo Hoo!

Writing class had us working on our World's Fair Essays.  They are coming along nicely!  We will continue our work this week.

In science, we watched a Genes and Heredity DVD as well as worked on our Pet Project.  I'm looking at next week being the last week for this.

Tuesday and the Sun is shining!!!!

Woo Hoo!  In celebration of the sun shining, we went outside at snack time.  Thank you Mr. Stokes for the idea!

In reading, we read our 60 minutes.  I'm so pleased with how seriously the students have taken this.  It's great to see them with books and making good progress!

We worked on typing up our World's Fair essays today during writing class.

In science (6S), we did what 6F did yesterday. 

Our day ended with our fourth grade buddies.  We played outside with them.

Monday

***Special Announcement*****  This year we've had the opportunity to work with a high school student, Stu Mosseau.  Stu is a graduating senior and has been interning with me for the better part of the year.  On Friday, I would like to have some sort of "celebration" for him since this will be his last day with us.  I'm hoping people can bring in some light refreshments on Friday.  I will have the students make cards to express their thanks for all of Stu's hard work.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this via email or a phone call.

In writing today, we looked at examples of past World's Fair Essays.  Students focused on writing the introductory paragraph today in class.  I would like rough drafts by Wednesday.

In reading, we continued our discussion of Metacognition while we read.  Students learned about the inner voices that they have when they read.  We distinguished between Interacting voices (those that deepen our comprehension) and Distracting voices (those that take away from comprehension).  I modeled reading a short story and shared my thoughts within the first paragraph.  Students then read the rest of the story and wrote down their inner voice thoughts.  We determined whether each thought is an interacting thought or a distracting thought.  Next, we went over all of the metacognitive strategies and what they are.  Students labeled their thoughts with which strategy each one demonstrated.  It is important for students to tune into the thoughts in their heads as they read. So often I hear, "But Mrs. Follansbee, I don't have any thoughts."  I beg to differ!  All good readers have thoughts, they just need to realize this and start listening to them.  Metacognition happens for all good readers.  It's just a matter of thinking about what they are thinking as they read.

In science today, we worked our way through a few genetic scenarios on the overhead projector.  Students used their knowledge to come up with Punnett Squares for certain situations.  We then worked on our paper pets.

We ended the day in health class. 

Friday

We wrote in our writers' notebooks today to start the day.  5 pages is due Monday.  We, then, began to talk about the Expository Essay (World's Fair report).  Students will need to have a rough draft done by Wednesday of next week.  I will do a series of lessons on sentence fluency over the course of next week to help them through this essay.

In reading, we read our remainder of 60 minutes.  I have talked with the classes about fulfilling their 30 to 40 book goal by the end of the year.  I would like their blue sheets where they are recording finished books by no later than June 17.  Genre Pie is due by June 17 as well. These are major parts of their reading grades since they are projects that we've been working on all year long.

In science for 6S we did an activity called What are You Made of?  (See yesterday's blog for the explanation)  We continued our work on our Paper Pets.

Our day ended with an assembly in the gym.  Have a great weekend!

Thursday

We spent all morning MAP testing.  First, 6F completed their test and then 6S.  It was very quiet!

In health, they had an Internet Safety presentation.  I would love to know the students' response to this.  It is such an important topic.

This afternoon in science, 6F worked on an activity called What am I Made of?  I gave false scenarios of parent genotypes and students needed to figure the possibilities of offspring genotypes.

Wet Wednesday

We were able to make it outside at recess today.  This is a good thing to let the kiddos get their "bee-jigities" out!

In reading today, the lesson was on Greek and Latin roots. Students have a list of the most common Greek and Latin roots found in the English language.  They picked 4 of their own vocabulary words to look at more closely that have one or more of these roots.  Students need to complete the graphic organizer titled "Words in Context" for each of the words they picked. (Due Monday)  I'm hoping by looking at these word parts students will have another strategy for figuring our unknown words in context.

In science today we worked on Paper Pets. 

Tomorrow we will be MAP testing in reading.

*The Pre-Algebra test will be May 25 and May 26*

Progress Reports went home today~

Tuesday

Another busy day!  In writing, students finalized their picture prompts, revised their pre-prompts, and/or began our World's Fair essays.  Lots and lots of work to still be done!

In reading, we read our 60 minutes in class and had conferences.  Students logged this time.  Our next reading day will be Friday because of MAP testing on Thursday.

In science, we watched a Bill Nye show on genetics.  Then, we worked on our Paper Pet Projects. 

The day ended with a guided study hall.  This will be our last one this year since we are going back to regular time tomorrow.

Monday

We began our day typing our final drafts of the descriptive picture prompts.  Students who finished worked on revising their original "Pre Prompt" piece that began the unit.  We will finish these up tomorrow and begin our World's Fair Essays.

In reading, we discussed strategies for using context clues when faced with an unknown word in a book.  Students then used their vocabulary work from the Avi book to label which strategy was used for determining the meanings of these unknown words.  We also read aloud the beginning of a short story by Avi.

This afternoon in science, we continued the work on our paper pets.  Students were able to construct the offspring based on the traits from their genotypes.  We also watched a Bill Nye video about genetics.

TGIF!

The MAP testing went off without a hitch today, thank goodness!  The students worked really hard and took the test very seriously.  Good for them!

In reading today, we did some lessons on using context clues to help us figure out the meanings of unknown words.  I started with an activity called Guess the Covered Word.  Then, I put up sentences on the overhead that had French words in them. Students guessed from the context what those words meant.  Finally, they worked on a sheet where they had to use the context clues themselves to figure the meanings of the unknown words.  The last thing that we did was to work in their Avi books finding unknown vocabulary and use the context clues to figure out the meanings.  Students are struggling with this so we will be doing more work next week on using context clues when we read.

In writing today, we worked on our descriptive pieces.  Second drafts were due today.  We will finalize them on Monday.

In science, 6S worked on their Paper Pet Projects.  I did lessons on genotypes and Punnett Squares.  Students are working on making the parent pets as well as determining the traits of the offspring.  This is an in-class project that will not go home.

Wednesday

It's been another busy day here in 6F/6S/B!  This time of year,  at times it is difficult for students to remained focused on the work at hand.  We are keeping busy, but I am noticing a bit of "checking out" on the students' parts.  Any pep talk that you can give at home to help us remain focused and putting in our best efforts would really be appreciated!

Today in reading, we talked a lot about how to decode unknown words.  Students in both classes gave me the strategies that they may use when coming across a word that they don't know how to read.  The emphasis today was that of decoding only.  We will talk about how to figure out the meanings of these words on Friday.  Decoding strategies include: chunking the word into parts, recognizing smaller words within that word, using rules of phonics, looking at beginning sounds and ending sounds, thinking of similar words, etc.  We then got together in our Avi book groups and decoded unfamiliar words together.  We kept track of the strategies that we used for figuring out each word.

We had longer reading classes today so that Mr. Stokes could have more time to give the math test so I did not teach writing. 

During science class, we began our project for genetics.  Students learned about Paper Pets and began making parent paper pets with specific traits outlined in the guidelines.

Tuesday

This morning, we read for 60 minutes during reading class.  It is so nice to see students taking this time seriously.  I love seeing how much progress they are making in their books.  The Avi books are coming along nicely.  Other students are balancing the Avi Unit with books of their choice.  I'm so glad they are reading!  It makes me so happy!  Conferring one-on-one has been wonderful as well. I am able to get a good pulse on where each child is as far as fluency and comprehension go. 

Remember, students still may read at home, especially if they need to finish books for the end of the year goal or for their Genre Pie.  If they choose to read at home, they do not have to log it.

In writing today we really looked at the descriptive pieces.  Students went over the feedback from me and worked on revision.  I'm hoping these are wrapped up by Friday.  I'd like to finish out the descriptive writing unit early next week and move on to expository writing which involves our World's Fair essays.

Science looked the same for 6S today as it did yesterday for 6F.  These labs are due on Thursday for this class.

Good stuff! 

Monday

This morning, I was in meetings so I missed a lot of what went on!  Mrs. DiPastina was my sub who handled the plans. 

In writing, we worked on editing a couple of paragraphs for complete sentences, capitals and end punctuation.  Next, students got their picture prompt piece back with feedback.  They will revise these tomorrow.

In reading today, students were introduced to another graphic organizer for their vocabulary assignment this week called Making Connections.  They picked 4 previously chosen vocabulary words to work with this week.  This assignment is due on Monday of next week.  It focuses on thinking about the context from where a word comes to help understand what that word means.  This will be a focus of this week.  Next, we continued the Avi short story while students wrote on Thinkmarks to keep track of their thinking.  This is practicing metacognition.

We got our spelling tests back today.  I went over them and we wrote words on our Words to Learn list.

We worked on the Take a Survey lab in science.  Students hypothesized whether the majority of their classmates had traits controlled by dominant or recessive alleles.  They collected their data by surveying the class for each trait and wrote conclusions based on what they found out.

Thursday!

This morning in writing, we did our first May CBM.  Then I did a lesson on redundant words.  We are avoiding these in our writing.  Students then completed their first drafts of the Picture Prompt piece.  I collected them and we will work on them more next week.

In reading today, students read 60 minutes and logged it.  I conferred with the remainder of the students.  Vocabulary Word Maps are due on Monday.

We had a spelling test today.  Students then worked on a secret "project".

Reminder:  Tomorrow is the MFA field trip.  This takes place during normal school hours.  Students need to bring bagged lunches with no glass bottles.

FYI:  May 24 at 6:30 is the 6th grade parent information night at the middle school.

Wednesday

Today, we met in our book groups to decide deadlines for our Avi books.  Students are being encouraged to read as many Avi books as they can during this unit.  The unit itself will last until the end of May.  I also modeled metacognition while Mrs. Bewersdorf read aloud a short story by Avi.

In spelling today, we went over words that have the /s/ sound.  Students had brainstormed a list prior to this class and we talked a lot about letters that make this sound.

In science, we talked more about genetics and vocabulary that goes with it.  Also, we began a lab to look at whether traits with dominant alleles show more than the traits with recessive alleles when it comes to our classmates.  We didn't finish this lab but will the next time we have science.

Tuesday

Today, we were able to dedicate reading class to reading half of the time for our reading logs.  I conferred with quite a few children.  I passed out the Avi books as well.  I will talk more about deadlines for those tomorrow in class.

In writing, we finished looking at sentences with redundancies.  Next, we picked pictures for our picture prompt piece.  Students began brainstorming and drafting in their writers' notebooks.

Science class was the same as yesterday with 6F.

We met with our fourth grade buddies and played Knock-out.  So good to have the nice weather on our side.

Guided Study ended our day.  Students were on task and seemed to get a lot done.

Welcome Back!

We are back and in full swing!  So much to do, so little time!

In reading today, we began our discussion of metacognition.  Students had a chance to make a Real Reading Salad with a mixture of text and thinking while I read a picture book.  This began our awareness of what metacognition is.  Next, we looked at our past reading logs and vocabulary words and chose 3 to focus on for this week's vocabulary homework.  Students will work with the vocabulary words that they have collected up to this point as the homework for the rest of the year.  This week, they need to "map out" 3 of these words by writing synonyms, antonyms, drawing a picture of the word, and finally creating an original sentence for each word.  These 3 "maps" are due Monday, May 9.  Next week, the assignment will be different.

Finally in reading, students chose the Avi books that they want to read.  I book talked each of 6 books and they used their "Can It Be For Me?" strategy to choose the books.  We will begin reading these books tomorrow.  Students are being encouraged to read more than one of these books to get a real sense of how Avi writes.  This author study will focus on vocabulary development as well as metacognition.  It will take us until the end of May.

I will be providing students Tuesday and Thursday's class to read and log their 2 hours.  If students are behind on their Genre Pie or if they need to read more to meet the 30 to 40 books completed by the end of the year goal, then I am encouraging them to read the 2 hours at home as well.  If any child is absent for any part of the class that is devoted to reading (for a lesson, a dismissal or an absence), he/she is required to make up those minutes on his/her own time.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this.  The 2 hour reading in school requirement will last the rest of the year.  The days of the week that we read could differ each week.

In writing, we talked about redundant writing.  We looked at some sentences that were very wordy and whittled them down to the minimum.  This provided for strong conversations about word choice.  I'm hoping it transfers to student writing. 

In science, we finally finished the Heredity Scavenger Hunt.  I also went over crucial vocabulary words and their definitions for true understanding of the Genetics unit.

TGIF!

We saw a great movie today: African Cats!  So awesome!
Then we had a fabulous assembly put on by the Student Council!  It was soooooo fun!!!!

Have a great vacation!

Thursday

We went to Harold Martin School today to work with our buddies.  The second graders LOVE their sixth grade buddies.  All of the sixth graders have been so great with them. I love seeing my students in such a nurturing role.  It truly warms the heart!

We had time to switch for math today.  I took 6S for reading and we did some work with vocabulary.  I took some of the Word Power sheets from Reader's Digest and we worked with those words.  We will be doing more vocabulary building exercises when we come back to school after the break.

This afternoon 6F had computers and then we did some writing, spelling and reading.  I did a CBM for writing with them.  We also read for the remainder of our time for the reading logs.  We finished with Scrabble.

Wednesday

It was a quiet start to the day today with students in band and in chorus.  Those not in either of these activities stayed and worked on various assignments.

In reading, we had another "read all class" class.  I was able to finish reading with every student in 6S and I will finish the conferences with my class sometime this week.  The students did exceptionally well staying on task during this time.

In writing, we finished up a short exercise using precise nouns.  Students wrote a short piece and then went in search of all of the nouns.  We finished class with a "Word Power" exercise from Reader's Digest.  We are trying to expand our vocabularies so that our writing will have better word choice.

In science, we went over the heredity scavenger hunt to begin our discussion of genetics.  I also read a book called Grandfather's Nose.  We took notes on key vocabulary words in our notebooks.

Reading tests went home today.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Tuesday

Students did so well reading for 60 minutes today!  I was so proud of them!  I was able to confer with half of the students today and will do the other half tomorrow.  I am having the students record the time that they are reading in class on the log.  There is no vocabulary for this log.

In writing today, we finished up with helping verbs and have moved on to nouns.  We looked at some fun vocabulary words and discussed them as well.

In science, 6S did the same thing as 6F did yesterday. Please check that blog. 

All science stations are due by Friday.   Please don't forget the permission slips! Thank you!

Monday

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I'm sure people are counting the days until vacation.  We continue to stay busy in 6F.

I went to a conference on Friday with Dr. Richard Allington.  He is a leader in the area of struggling readers and writers.  Currently, he is a professor in Tennessee.  After a lot of research, his message was clear:  the one thing that will help struggling readers become better readers is TIME to read.  That being said, I collected reading logs this morning and cut a deal with my sixth graders.  They will need to do another reading log for this week, however, I am going to give them the time in class to do this.  I am excusing of the vocabulary section but will give them 60 minutes of uninterrupted reading time tomorrow morning.  They may log this time.  I will do the same for them on Wednesday.  This will allow them 45 more minutes to read.  That's my end of the bargain.  Their ends of the bargain consists of this:  they must come with reading material, having gone to the bathroom and gotten drinks prior to the time I start my class.  The 60 minutes tomorrow will be just that....60 minutes of pure reading time.  I will be pulling students to confer with them.  My goal is to sit and check in with each child between Tuesday and Wednesday.  If there is misbehavior (off task behavior) during this reading time, students will owe me time at recess.  I'm really looking forward to how this will turn out.  If it is successful, then I may consider it in the future. I know that students are busy in the spring with activities and would like to allot them time for reading in class.

The time spent in reading will not be a "read-a-thon".  They will be required to read appropriate material for independent reading.  The students have all been prepped knowing that they must choose their books ahead of class time and come with enough reading material to last one hour.  Choosing "just right" books is a very important skill that we've worked on all year long.  I'm hoping this work will pay off for them.

In writing today, we worked on a Helping Verb sheet, some vocabulary development as well as a practice picture prompt.  Students revised based on what a peer gave them for feedback.  All of this work supports our work with word choice.

In science, we read a book called Why You Look Like You Whereas I Tend to Look Like Me.  This sparked much discussion about the topic of genetics.  I fielded questions as best I could and then we went over the Heredity Scavenger Hunt.  We did not finish with this activity.  Genetics is a complicated subject and we will only scratch the surface over the next few weeks.  It is my favorite science unit to teach!

Please remember to send in the permission slips for HMS and the movie.  Both require no money!

Friday

I'm out at a conference today.  The schedule goes as follows:
1.  WIN groups based on language arts skills
2. Reading Test on the Story Elements
3. Science Quiz on Cell Parts and Heredity Scavenger Hunt
4. Assembly at the end of the day

Have a great weekend!

Thursday

In writing, we had some quality time with our writers' notebooks this morning.  Students have 5 pages due on Monday.  We went over our work with action and linking verbs.  Students then had a chance to practice writing a description of a picture prompt. 


I read aloud the short story "Eleven" which is the story that we took a pretest on to begin our unit on Story Elements.  I went over all of the story elements of this story. Students will be taking a test tomorrow to end this unit.  We then continued with Day 5 activities.  Respond to Reading about theme is due tomorrow.

In science, we took a quiz on the cell parts and then did a scavenger hunt with our textbooks to begin the Heredity part of this unit.

We had our Student Council rep. share the news about next week's spirit week.  Monday is "Movie Day"; Tuesday is "Crazy Hair/Hat" day; Wednesday is "Red Carpet" Day; Thursday is "Sports" Day; and Friday is "Twin/Multiplicity" Day.   Please remember the dress code when dressing for these days.

Permission slips for the movie African Cats went home yesterday.  Please send them back as soon as possible.  There is no cost for this trip.  I'm also sending home a permission slip for us to go to HMS for our second grade buddies on  Thursday of next week.  There is no cost for this trip either.  Thank you!

Wednesday

Today was a soggy day of indoor recess.  Just a quick note that papers are going home today.  Included in those papers is a permission slip to go to the movie African Cats on April 22.  Due to the awesome fundraiser, nobody needs to pay money for the trip!  Woo Hoo!  Please send back the permission slip as soon as possible.

In reading today, we worked on Day 4 activities.  I did a short lesson on theme.  Tomorrow is the last day of this 5 day rotation and we will conclude the unit on Story Elements on Friday with a test.

Writing today was a hodge-podge of things. We began with time to write in our writers' notebooks.  We then did a CBM (timed writing to a prompt) and proceeded into a lesson on helping verbs.

Science class brought us time to work on the four stations about cells.  I would like these to be done by April 22.  Students should use the extra Guided Study times to work on them if they don't finish today.

Tuesday: Cell Cakes in 6S/B!

The smell is a sweet one around here!  We had another round of cell cakes that were assembled in 6S/B today.  Yum and Fun!  There will be a quiz on the cell parts Thursday for 6F and Friday for 6S.

In reading, we read aloud a different picture book and talked about its theme.  Students worked on their independent Day 3 activities.

In writing, we went over What Makes Good Descriptive Writing? activity that we did last week with picture books.  I also read aloud Toad, which has excellent word choice.

In spelling today, we went over the homework from last week as well as the Word Ladders from yesterday.  Students then tried to make their own Word Ladders.

We ended our day with Guided Study.

Cell Cake Day for 6F!

I'm sure your child will tell you the highlight of his/her day was science class. Today we got to assemble the cell cakes and EAT them!  Each group put their cakes together, shared what ingredient represented which organelle and then ate them.  Mrs. Christie's class even came over to share the sugar.  It was fun!  I'll post pictures after 6S's class tomorrow.  There will be a quiz on the parts of the cell Thursday for 6F and Friday for 6S.

In reading today, we continued our discussion about theme.  We read a picture book (a different one for each class) and then discussed its theme.  Students were encouraged to take parts of the book that lead them to the theme.  We then worked on Day Two activities in small groups.  I collected reading log #26 and handed out #27, due on Monday.

In writing, we talked about verbs.  In order to have good word choice, one must use appropriate verbs.  We discussed today the difference between linking and action verbs.  We also did some Word Ladders to practice vocabulary this morning.

We had 2 art classes and no health.  We also ended the day with Guided Study. 

Thursday and Friday all in one!

I had the opportunity to go to UNH in Durham to talk with juniors and seniors who are studying to become teachers.  It's hard for me to believe that it was 20 years ago that I was there in their places!  I was able to show them some student portfolios and share what we do in the sixth grade.  It was fun!

While I was gone, students worked on word choice activities involving the book Toad as well as another verb activity in writing.  In reading they looked at some picture books and thought about their themes.  Today, I picked up with that activity and gave them some common themes in literature.  Then, they categorized the books they read into these themes.  I'm attacking theme a little differently this year in hopes of making it more concrete for students.  We are looking at the picture books because they have simpler plots and it makes talking about theme easier.  I'm really trying to get my students to go back into the literature, quote passages that made them infer and make a conclusion based on these inferences.  This is what the small guided reading groups are working on as well during this five day cycle.

In science, we're working on stations having to do with cell parts and their jobs.  I'm looking to give a quiz on this material next week, perhaps Wednesdays.  None of these stations are homework.

During the extra 30 minutes of class time, we are instilling a Guided Study Hall on Fridays, Mondays and Tuesdays.  During this time, we are hoping to let students get help on material that they have questions about as well as work on their homework.  We hope to cut down on the homework load to make up for the extra time spent in school.  Please let us know how you see this working for your children.

Wednesday

Just a reminder, tomorrow we start school at 7:45 and end at 3:00!

Today in reading, we had a housekeeping day.  We organized reading logs, filled in new calendars and learned about our next 5 day rotation about theme.  I also handed out a study sheet for the story elements test that will be on Friday, April 15. Students should know what each element is and be able to apply it to a short story that they will need to read.

In writing today, we worked on reading picture books that had good word choice and determining what made them have good word choice (strong verbs, using the five senses, using similes and metaphors as well as showing and not telling). 

Today in science, I had both classes.  We looked at images of plant and animal cells on the LCD projector and labeled their parts. We also learned some cool facts about cells.  Next, students filled in their own diagrams labeling the parts of an animal and a plant cell.

Typical Tuesday

We are getting ready to begin 12 days of longer school.  Please remember that starting on Thursday, school will begin 15 minutes earlier and end 15 minutes later.

In reading today, I read a picture book called Teammates.  We discussed its theme.  Some students had heard the book before.  It is an informational book about Jackie Robinson.  Students were able to pick up on the message about racial prejudice in the book.  We finished up our lessons on point of view with a story that was written in the camera point of view.  We then went into Day 5 activities.  Respond to Reading is due tomorrow.

In writing, we shared our Burning Barn descriptions.  Then, we worked on an activity with verbs. Students worked in table groups to change the dull verbs in sentences to lively ones.  We then shared those at the end of class.

In 6S science, we finished the graphic organizer about the cell and its parts, their jobs and descriptions.  Next, we worked on determining who will bring what for the Edible Cell project.  Please ask your child about this and let me know if there is a problem with what he/she needs to bring.  6S will assemble the cakes on Tuesday of next week.

Monday

Busy, busy, busy!  Today in writing we worked on our Avatar descriptions from last week.  Students had an adult build them and based on feedback, they needed to revise their writing.  This is a fun activity. I am hoping the students enjoyed it as much as me.  We also wrote a description of a burning barn with exactly 100 words.  We will share those tomorrow.

In reading, it was Day 4 since we missed Friday's class.  I showed an example of a passage that was written in  third person omniscient point of view.  Students seem to be understanding this.  We've worked a lot in small groups as well as whole group with how to determine point of view.  I also read aloud a book called The Big Box.  I'm looking ahead to the next five day cycle which will focus on theme.  I will be reading a bunch of picture books that have various themes.  Theme is a difficult topic so I will guide students as best I can.  That five day rotation will begin on Friday.  Students are working on picking out from which point of view that their independent reading book is told.  This is the Respond to Reading this week.  It will be due Wednesday.

In science today, 6F worked in small groups to talk about cell cakes.  Each small group will be making Edible Cells.  Students have determined who is responsible for bringing which ingredient.  The idea is for them to recreate an animal or plant cell with the cake as the medium.  6F will assemble their cakes  next Monday in class and 6C will join the class for the presentation and to eat it!  Please let me know if you have any questions about this project.  I warned the students NOT to wait until Sunday night to tell you what they signed up to bring! This was a big hit last year and I hope it will go as well this year!

In spelling, I handed out a homework assignment that is due on Thursday.  I called it Take Home Task, but what I did was put together some of the Proofreading Tests from units that we won't get to for the students to complete.  This is the part of each spelling test with which most students have the hardest time.  Maybe it will improve with practice. 

Thursday already?

Wow, this week is flying by!  The last day of March has been a busy one!

We began our day in the computer lab working on the Avatar lesson from yesterday. Students pulled up their saved Avatar as well as a Word document.  They then proceeded to describe in detail their Avatars.  When they felt good about their description, they gave the written piece to someone.  That person then built the Avatar based on the writing.  We are not quite finished, but the lesson here is a good one.  It is difficult to describe something in such close detail.  Hopefully, this will transfer throughout our unit on descriptive writing.

In reading today, we finished A Day of Tears!  It was a book that provided great points of discussion about slavery but more importantly how human beings should treat other human beings, no matter what.  Students worked on Day 3 activities.  Respond to Reading is due no later than Tuesday.

We learned about cell organelles in science today.  Students finished up their graphic organizers with this information.  We will be having a quiz on the cell parts soon. 

Wednesday

It was a quiet start to the day: band and chorus as well as study hall. 

In reading, we had a shorter class so there was no read aloud.  I showed a passage from Hatchet and we discussed its point of view.  Students, as a group, were able to identify that it was third person limited omniscient (in the point of view of a narrator relating Brian's thoughts and feelings).  We picked out sentences from the passage that proved this.  We then moved into our 30 minutes of independent work for a Day Two.

Writing was fun today!  We watched the Schoolhouse Rock clip on verbs.  Verbs are an important part of speech to know in order to have good word choice.  Then, students went to a site (http://www.myavatareditor.com) where they built their own Avatars.  Each student built one and saved it into their folders.  Tomorrow, students will write descriptive paragraphs describing this Avatar.  Then, they will give the paragraphs to a partner and that partner will have to build the Avatar based on the description.  Very fun!

In science today, we watched a clip about animal cells and plant cells on the computer.  Then, I showed specimens through a digital microscope.  Finally, students began to look at the parts of the cell and their jobs. 

Tuesday

Today, we began our day with math and reading.  In reading, we read aloud A Day of Tears.  We are almost done!  I, then, continued my discussion of point of view in literature.  I showed a cartoon illustrating the different third person points of view.  We also looked at samples of stories and talked about how to determine from which point of view a story is told.  I will continue to show examples and chat with students about this topic as it is not always an easy one to grasp.  Students spent the rest of the class working on their day one activities (meeting in small group, conferring, reading to themselves, reading to a partner, or responding to reading).

In writing today, we worked on our descriptive paragraphs.  Students are practicing their skill at writing description.  Parts of speech (nouns, verbs and adjectives) will be a focal point when thinking about good descriptive writing.  I did a lesson where students changed the verb in a sentence to give different meanings.  We shared these.

In science, we did the same thing in 6S as 6F did yesterday.

Monday

We had a bit of a zigger-zagger day today.  This morning, instead of writing, we did reading.  Introduced the idea of point of view in fiction writing.  Students should be thinking about what point of view their books are told in.  We began talking about the difference between first person and third person.  Also, we discussed the three different types of third person point of view:  omniscient, limited omniscient and camera view.  I will do lessons on these throughout the week.

We had a pretty powerful presentation this morning from a DEA officer.  Ms. Wardell will be de-briefing with my class during health today.

We also had the opportunity for an extra art class today.  Mrs. Emerson will take our class for the next 4 weeks to work on masks.  Very cool!

In science (6F), we looked at an animal cell digitally and drew it.  Then, we brainstormed language that we'd use to describe the plant cell as well as the animal cell were we to describe them.  Students are responsible for writing a descriptive paragraph about ONE of the cells that they drew.  These are due Wednesday.

If anyone can, I'm getting low on my supply of anti-bacterial wipes.  We use these to wipe the tables after snack time everyday.  THANK YOU!

It's a Busy Thursday around Here!

We discussed the trait of Word Choice today in writing class.  When writing descriptively, the idea of word choice is an important one.  To help emphasize the point, students worked with using a thesaurus today.  They were given some words and asked to come up with synonyms using the words.  Then, they wrote the new words in sentences that illustrated their meanings in their writers' notebooks.  Manipulating language was an important part of this activity.  We shared our best sentences at the end of the class.

In reading, we read aloud from A Day of Tears.  Students then worked independently on Day 4 activities.

For science, we read more about cells today. Also, we looked at a digital image of onion skin cells and we drew them.  We talked about the importance of observation and close attention to detail.  Students will be asked to write a descriptive paragraph about this or another observation that we will do on the next class.

Wednesday

We started our day with band and chorus today.  Those not in band or chorus had a study hall.

For reading class, I showed an example of the Respond to Reading using the read aloud book.  Students helped me formulate a response in the way they need to do for their own books.  After that, students worked on their Day 3 activities.  My small group read Stellaluna and worked with its plot line.

In writing, students got their persuasive essays back and put them into their portfolios.  Then, we read about descriptive writing and began a practice activity in our writers' notebooks.  Students will be writing a descriptive paragraph about an animal of their choice.  If students need a photo of the animal, they are to do that tonight and bring it for tomorrow's class.

In science today for both classes we discussed "How Big Is a Cell?"  We did an activity to give students and idea of this concept. 

Report cards go home today!  Please sign and return the envelope as soon as possible.  Let me know if you have any questions. 

Tuesday

We began our day a bit delayed due to C-Time.  Therefore, I did not teach writing this morning.  In reading today, we looked at the plot steps to the story of Cinderella.  Students worked in small groups to put these steps in order.  We talked about writing the plot steps in a concise manner.  They are writing out their own plot steps in small reading groups depending on the picture book that they are reading.

In science, we did the same lesson on Living Things that we did yesterday.  (See the blog from yesterday)

Monday

Once again, I realized that an entire day went by and I forgot to update my blog.  My apologies!  Time lately has been escaping me!

Really quickly, Friday we spent reading class talking about plot and what it is.  We discussed the parts of the plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.  We read about these in the Write Source books and I played a song (a rap one!) that talked about these parts.   Plot will be the focus of this week's lessons and small group work.

In writing, we did a pre-test involving language arts skills.  We will use the results of this test to place students in groups for the Friday morning WIN block.

In science, we took another pre-test, so to speak on what is made of cells.  The discussion when we went over this was quite fruitful.  Cells and heredity is our new unit.

Today, Monday, we were a bit distracted by the snow but made it through the day!

In writing, we did a pre-prompt activity to start our unit on descriptive writing.  Students chose from a series of 6 prompts to complete during class.  I will use the results of these to structure my lessons for this unit.  Students need to work on these for homework if they did not finish.

In reading, we read aloud and began our work with plot in small groups.  I collected log 23 and passed out log 24 which is due on Monday.

During science (6F), we looked at the 7 characteristics of living things on the computer and took notes on that.  Then, we tested our knowledge with an on-line quiz together.

C-Time is tomorrow - March 22

Thursday already?

Wow, this week has been a hectic one!  I'm so sorry for the late posts.  I'm still making up for the lost hour because of Daylight Savings Time!

Well, lately, students have been finishing up some setting activities in reading class.  They all completed an Understanding Setting sheet where they had to identify 8 passages in their independent reading books which gave them some idea about the setting of the book.  We've talked about inferential clues as well as literal clues that authors give about the setting.  We've also done some small group work with this topic during class.

In writing, the persuasive essays are due tomorrow.  Students had their last opportunity to work on this in class today.  Most were able to pass them in.

In science, we put our cubes together, did some riddles based on the periodic table of elements, and passed back our matter books.  We are moving on to our unit on cells and heredity.

Monday

The time change has affected us all!  We were a sleepy bunch today!

To start the day, we did a CBM in our writers' notebooks.  I did a lesson on endings for our persuasive essays.  We then went to the computer lab to work on these.  They are due Friday.

In reading, we read aloud and I demonstrated how to complete the Respond to Reading with the read aloud book.  Students then worked independently on their Day 3 activities.  I passed out new reading logs today.  These are due Monday, March 21.

Spelling consisted of a quick review of plural rules.  Students worked on an activity finding words that apply to the different rules.  There is a Take Home Task due Thursday.

In science, we assembled our cubes.  Then we worked on riddles involving the Periodic Table of Elements and did a few word searches.  The word searches are extra credit.

Friday

It has been a pretty quiet morning around here.  I think a lot of kids are tired whether it be from a busy week, the weather or just getting back in the routine of school.  It will be good to rest this weekend!

Instead of the WIN block this morning, we used it as a catch up time.  Students worked on the Portfolio Update that was due today as well as time for their persuasive essays.  Some students had the opportunity to work on their element cubes as well.  It's nice to have a "catch up" time in the schedule.

In reading today, we read aloud and have some great discussions around slavery and people in that time of history.  It's difficult to believe, for most children, how people in our history could be so cruel.  It is my intention to tie this topic into how we treat one another in today's society.  I look forward to the discussions that read aloud time brings on everyday.  So, so, so important!

We continue our discussion of the story element of setting.  How authors reveal setting is the focal point.  Implicit clues as well as explicit clues are important for students to be able to find within the stories we read as well as the books they read on their own. 

Ask about the rap song that I played today!  Fun!

In science for 6S, we went to the library to have more review about citations, just like 6F did yesterday.  Those element cubes are due Monday for both classes.

Have a super weekend!

Thursday

Don't forget that tonight is the Celebration of the Arts at the high school.  I hope to see a lot of you there.

Today, we continued our work on our persuasive essays.  I did a lesson on the introduction.  Students will get instruction on the conclusion next week and I hope to wrap them up by the end of next week.

In reading, we began our Reading Workshop format.  Students worked independently while I met with a small group.

6F went to the library for science today to work with citations.  Mrs. Raymond did a lesson on the importance of citing sources correctly. 

Wednesday, the middle of the week!

It was a productive day today.  I love those kind!

In reading, we read aloud from a new book: Day of Tears.  Next, we discussed the upcoming unit on Story Elements.  We will be going to a Day One, Day Two, etc. reading workshop format again.  All students must have a book to read for class starting tomorrow.  We will be working on the story element of setting to begin.  Students will have the choice of Read to Self, Respond to Reading, Meet in a group, confer with an adult, or Partner Read.  We will start this tomorrow.  Students also took a pretest to determine how the groups will be assembled.

In science, we had one more day to work on our Adopt an Element project.  These are due Monday for both classes.  Students are to bring in a flat cube, final draft. We will assemble them in class.

Our next trip to Harold Martin will be Thursday, March 17.

Tuesday

We're working on portfolio updates today in reading class.  These are due by Friday at the latest.  Students started calculating weekly page averages and totals of books read the week before vacation.  Now, they are reflecting on their progress as readers for their portfolio, using their reading logs as proof of this progress.  We spent time today in the computer lab typing our reflections.

In writing, we are focusing on transitions between paragraphs as well as our introductory paragraphs for the persuasive essays.  Lots of hard work is going into these essays!

6S science did the lesson from yesterday (6F science).  Please see that blog.

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a nice week off last week.  It was good for my family to catch up on many things: sleep, cleaning, time together, etc.

Today, we started with some new guidelines for writers' notebooks.  I am stepping up the requirements.  Students will be required to produce 5 pages in their notebooks each week.  The notebooks will be due on Monday this week.  I posted 5 prompts in my room.  Students may pick from any or all of the prompts to work in their notebooks over the course of the week.

We finished up the fluency stations in reading today.  Thank you to all the parents who were able to come in to help the week before vacation!  Students need to write their portfolio reflections for Friday.  I will give some class time tomorrow as well.  There is also a new reading log due 3/14.

In writing, we worked through the body paragraphs in our persuasive essays.  I had collected them prior to the break and gave people written feedback who wanted it on the body paragraphs only.  We are working on topic sentences, detail sentences and closing sentences within these paragraphs.  The next thing we will do in make sure there are transitions between paragraphs and work on the introduction paragraph.

Science for 6F was frustrating for some.  Students worked on putting their citations from the Adopt an Element project into their notebooks with all of the correct information.  I was VERY particular about how the information was organized as well as the conventions in it.  Some did multiple drafts.  We also worked on the rough drafts of the cubes.  I will give Wednesday's class time to continue the work and then the actual cubes are due Monday.

Wednesday and Thursday

Sorry for not updating the blog yesterday.  It was a busy day to say the least.  Most of our day yesterday was continuing on with what we've been doing this week.  In reading, we did day 3 of stations.  In writing, we continued the persuasive essays.  In science, we worked on researching our elements.

Today, Thursday, we had a small break from the stations.  Mrs. Meserve came in a did reading fluency videos (thank you!).  Students had time to catch up on any station that they needed to during class.  We will finish these tomorrow.

In writing, I asked students to produce their body paragraphs for their persuasive essays. We talked about topic sentences, detail sentences and closing sentences.  Some students need to continue their research, but most are in a good place with this.  The work continues on Monday after break. 

Today is the last science class for 6F to finish their research on their elements.  We will work on our citations when we return from break.  The cubes will be put together then as well.

Tuesday

Today is day 2 for fluency stations.  I did a mini-lesson on how punctuation and special print changes our expression.  We toyed around with this using examples on the overhead.  After that, students practiced their fluency with some You Read to Me, I'll Read to You books.  They partner read these books.  FUN!

In writing, we plugged along with our research on persuasive essays.  I showed an example of an essay and we talked about its parts.  Some students began writing body paragraphs. 

Science for 6S was the same as yesterday for 6F.  We are having a quiz tomorrow on the elements and their symbols.

Monday

Phew!  Mondays are so busy! We began our morning in 6F working on those persuasive essays.  Mrs. Alibrandi, our librarian, found a great site that builds a thesis for the essays.  Students toyed around with that and hammered out a good thesis statement to build their essays around.  This is definitely a work in progress.

In reading, we started stations around reading fluency.  Students either worked with me on fluency lessons, listened to a book on tape with an activity, worked with Mrs. Bewersdorf doing a Reader's Theater activity, or worked with a parent volunteer (thank you!) on updating their portfolios.  These stations will take place all week long.  I will have some time when we get back from the break to work to finish up, if needed.

In science, 6F picked their elements and began their research.  They will be making cubes for their elements and we will make our own version of the Periodic Table with the other pod.

Don't forget that tonight you are invited to come discuss the book Please Stop Laughing at Me in the Maple Street Library from 6 to 7PM.  I can't wait!

Thursday and Friday

We have had 2 early release days this week so we've tried to balance the schedule over 2 days.  Yesterday, we kept our homerooms due to assemblies, specials, etc.  6F worked on narrowing down their topics for the persuasive essays by gathering facts about 2 different topics.  By looking at which topic has more facts, students needed to make a decision about what to write.  We will continue this work all of next week.

We had a juggling assembly and music for a special.  Students also had silent sustained reading.

Today, Mrs. Blinn came in for the morning and we switched for science and social studies.  In science, we finished taking notes on the different families on the Periodic Table of Elements.  Then, we played a game called "Name the Element" where they used dice to identify the atomic symbols.  This is practice for the Element Symbol quiz on Wednesday.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Wednesday

What a fast day today!  We had a catch-up day for the four stations that we did.  Students passed in their work from reading a menu, map, phone book, and food packages.  If they didn't finish, they could come in for recess or it is homework.

In writing, we began to research possible topics for our persuasive essays.  We will continue this tomorrow.

In science, we went over the video from Monday and Tuesday.  Then, we read about families on the Periodic Table and their properties.  Students read in pairs and were able to pick out the important information to share with the rest of the class.  We will finish this on Friday.

Monday and Tuesday all in one!

I apologize for not updating yesterday.  It was one of those days!


Yesterday, 6F started the day with a lesson in evaluating websites and their credibility.  We will work more on this today.  We are getting ready to do some research for our persuasive essays.  Good stuff!

In reading today and yesterday, we are working on the Real Life Reading part of the reading nonfiction unit.  Students had experience on these days reading menus, maps, phone books, and food packages.  We will have a "spill over" day tomorrow to finish up any of these stations.  It has been insightful to watch students plow their way through each of these pieces of informational print.

In science, we watched a DVD about the Periodic Table of Elements.  Students learned more about how the table is organized and what the rows and columns mean.  I gave them focus questions to write notes on and we went over them at the end. 

TGIF!

It was a great day all around!  We started in math groups and then went into reading.  During reading, students used their nonfiction conventions to find more answers to a Scavenger Hunt using the Write Source 2000 books.  They are becoming efficient at using these conventions to get information which was the goal of the unit!  I collected reading logs and passed new ones out.  Those will be due on Friday.  We are back to vocabulary on the back.

In science, 6S did the same lesson as 6F did yesterday.

At the end of the day, we went to the gym for an all school assembly. We watched a video about bullying that the Team of Tomorrow put together.  It was awesome!

Mr. Bessette came in this morning and talked to all the sixth grade classes about being safe at recess.

Have a super weekend!

Thursday

In writing this morning, we worked on Valentine's for our second grade buddies, Valentines for the Valentine Box that Peer Leaders are collecting, and looking for persuasive articles in magazines.  We also found time to write in our writers' notebooks.  3 pages are due tomorrow.

In reading, we read some informational print and talked about the Bulls-Eye some more.  We then, used the nonfiction conventions to do a Scavenger Hunt in the Write Source 2000 book.  Students mapped their process to find the answers to some questions in this book.

In science (6F), we worked on finding information from the Periodic Table of Elements.  We will finish this activity tomorrow.

Wednesday

Today, we began with band and chorus.  Students worked diligently in study hall while others were gone.

In reading, we read an article about Polar Bears and filled out a Bulls-Eye about what was important, nice to know and necessary.  Students should be well versed enough in this format to do it for homework which is due Friday.

In writing, we began to talk about persuasive essays.  We brainstormed topics in the form of thesis statements.  I asked students to begin to think about what they wanted to focus on for their essays.

In science, we talked about the Periodic Table of Elements and its components.  This was on a basic level; we will get more in depth in the future.  Students worked on a Getting to Know the Elements sheet where they looked through the table and wrote down element names that they knew and where they had heard the names.  We also did an activity showing the importance of the organization of the elements. 

Tuesday

What a fabulous time we had at Harold Martin this morning.  Our second grade buddies are so cute!  The sixth graders were so good with them.  To see them in the role of "the big buddy" was very heartwarming!  We can't wait to go back.  Sadly, I forgot my camera.  Next time I will put pictures on the blog.

In writing, students finished up their published pieces.  Others who were done played spelling games.

During 6S science, we did the same lesson as yesterday.  Please see that blog.

Here's Hoping for a Five Day Week!

Our day began with Mrs. Alibrandi talking to us about the Great Stone Face books this year.  There will be a different format in how the books will be read.  Instead of students giving up recess and lunch, the staff is going to be reading books during the Community Club block (Fridays at 2:05) in the future.  Students signed up for the books they would like to hear being read today.

In spelling today, we looked at the plural rules that we came up with last week.  Students had a list of words that they made plural based on these rules.  The words were nonsense words, but they used their knowledge of the plural rules to do this activity.  We went over this together.  Next, we did a Word Preview for unit 5 spelling.  I went over each word and its part(s) of speech.  Students are responsible for putting these words in sentences showing each part of speech.  For example, the first word is "train".  Students need to write a sentence using "train" as a noun and a second sentence using it as a verb.  This is due on Thursday.

In reading, we read a nonfiction article and wrote notes on Post-Its.  We then categorized these notes as "Very Important"; "Important but not Necessary"; or "Nice to Know".  We put our notes on a big poster-sized bulls-eye and went over them.  This activity is guiding them toward doing this on their own for homework as part of their reading log.

In science (6F), we watched a Power Point presentation on atomic structure.  Students took notes on this.  We then saw a clip of the elements in the Periodic Table of Elements.

We are ON for our trip to Harold Martin School tomorrow to work with the second graders!  Students should bring snow clothes.

Friday

I read a book with a surprise ending to illustrate how to write this type of ending.  We then went to the computer lab to work on our stories.

In reading, we did a new type of note-taking called the Bulls-Eye.  This is where students read a selection and then determine what is the essential message of the reading. That goes in the middle.  Then, what's important, but not necessary goes in the next tier.  Finally, what's nice to know goes in the outer tier.  I modeled this today. We will practice this and students will do this on the back of their reading logs which are due Friday the 11th.

In science, 6S, we finished the note taking about atoms and matter and watched Bill Nye.

The trip to HMS is on for Tuesday!

Thursday

We worked in our writers'  notebooks this morning, completing a prompt by request of the Team of Tomorrow.   I then did a lesson on endings.  We learned that there are four types of endings: humorous, emotional, circular, and surprise.  Students revised their pieces to be one of these endings.  We will work with this more tomorrow.

In reading this morning, we had a quiz on the nonfiction conventions.  I have not passed out a new reading log yet.  I will do that tomorrow and it will be due on February 11.

In science (6F), we watched Bill Nye the Science Guy about Chemical Reactions and Phases of Matter.

Students received progress reports today.

A Snowy Tuesday

Sadly, there was a mix up with the buses and our trip to HMS was canceled.  It feels like we will never get there, but we'll keep the faith and our fingers crossed!  I'll let you know when it is rescheduled.  We feel so badly but things happen and we must go on!

In reading, I read from How Come? and then students worked on their nonfiction conventions packet.  I went over these with quite a few students.  There will be a quiz tomorrow (or Thursday if there is no school) on these conventions.  Reading log 18 is due tomorrow with the back side being Facts/Questions/Responses to the nonfiction book that students have picked instead of vocabulary.

EARLY DISMISSAL:  Students will be getting out at 12:10 today.

Monday

This morning, we began with a bit of a catch up period.  Students are working on finishing up reading benchmarks as well as writing benchmarks.  They are also working on drafting their published pieces.  It was nice to have an uninterrupted time where students could do what they needed to do.

In reading, I read from a book called How Come?  This book answers commonly asked questions.  I gave students the choice of what they wanted to hear and we went from there.  Next, I gave students time to work on their Nonfiction Conventions packet.   This is where they are collecting examples of each nonfiction convention.  When they finish, I go over it with each students to make sure they are clear about the examples they have chosen.  We will have a quiz on these conventions on Wednesday.  Students need to know the definitions as well as they need to be able to identify examples as each convention.  If we don't have school because of snow, I will give the quiz on Thursday.

In science, we finished up the science readings on matter and the atom.  I went over the notes that they should have in their notebooks.  I also collected section 3 questions that were due today.

We are going to Harold Martin School tomorrow!

TGIF!

A five day week!  Woo Hoo!

Our day began in math groups.  This is the third lesson we've done with these groups.  It's fun for me to teach math for once! 

In reading, students practiced using the Facts/Questions/Responses sheet as they were reading a piece of informational print about Matter.  I guided those that needed it so that all students should be clear what is expected when doing this sheet for homework.  As a reminder, instead of vocabulary this week, students are to fill out the FQR sheet on the back of their log using the informational print book that they've chosen.

In science (6S), we worked on the same thing that 6F did yesterday:  note-taking on 2 other pieces of info. print about atoms and matter.  Students have to complete the questions at the end of section 3 for Tuesday.  (Monday for 6F)

Thursday

Due to the late start, we were unable to go to Harold Martin for our second grade buddies.  We will reschedule for Tuesday, we hope.  We are still waiting for a confirmation about the buses so I will let you know for sure when I know.  If you haven't sent in a permission slip, please do so as soon as you can.  Thanks!

We worked on our winter writing benchmark today in class.  This afternoon, we read some more information about matter and atoms in science. 

Wedneday and it's outdoor recess! Woo Hoo!

We began with band and chorus today.  Students left behind had a nice quiet study hall.

In reading, we read more informational print and I modeled a new note-taking format.  As we read each section, I stopped and thought about important facts from that section.  I introduced a new way of thinking about the information that students read in informational print called FQR.  Students record facts, questions and responses.  Instead of the normal vocabulary assignment this week, I'd like them to fill out the FQR on the back of their reading logs about the nonfiction book they are reading.  I modeled this in class.  On Friday, we will do some guided practice with this technique as well.

In writing/spelling today, we held our in class spelling bee!  Our winner is Ryan M. and the runner up is Tim M.!  Congrats to both boys.  The school spelling bee will be held sometime in February to determine the winner who goes to the regional bee in March.

In science, we went over section 3 in the textbook.  Students took notes by classifying information into 4 categories: vocabulary, history, facts, and visuals.  I went over the notes with the classes so everyone has the same information.

Indoor Recess... Oh Boy!

Another cold day today!  We began our day with reading class where we read a selection of informational print about Atoms.  It was from Kids Discover magazine.  I talked about how to determine what was important information when reading this genre.  We talked about information that is important vs. what was nice to know.

Students then worked on an activity using the nonfiction conventions that we are learning about. They need to pick out examples of each convention (heading, bold print, timelines, sidebars, etc.) from any of the textbooks that they are using in sixth grade.  This is a classwork activity and we will continue to work on over the course of the week.

In writing, today, we talked about things to look for when revising their work.  Consistent verb tense, paragraphing, redundancies within the writing, and combining sentences are among the skills students are responsible for in this piece.  We typed our pieces in the computer lab.

In science (6S), we did a lesson on taking notes.  Then students worked on reading the section of their science textbooks about Particles of Matter and taking notes based on what we talked about in class.

Monday, Finally!

We started today with writers' notebooks and then went to the computer lab to type the latest drafts of our pieces.  Some boys left for enrichment reading.  We will be in the computer again tomorrow to finish up these drafts.  I'm hoping to wrap these pieces up soon so we can move on to the persuasive piece of writing.

In reading, we discussed the differences and similarities between fiction and informational print.  Students worked on a Venn Diagram that we went over them in class.  Students then had an opportunity to browse the informational print in my room.  Log 17 is due Wednesday.

We had a spelling test today.

In science for 6F, we discussed how to take notes when reading informational print.  Students worked at stations to gather information about the particles that make up matter (atoms).

Please remember the permission slips to go to HMS.  We will be going Thursday so we'll need the slips before then.

Thursday

Finally a "normal" day!  We began in the library with Mrs. Alibrandi.  She talked with us about the Dewey Decimal system (ask your child about the fun rap!) and ended with a lesson on non-fiction conventions.  This is the kick off to our new unit on non-fiction reading.  Students all left the library with an informational print book to work with during this unit.

In writing, we talked about transitions in writing.  I asked students to look for transition words in their pieces as this is an important part of the trait of organization.  Students were able to have conferences and work on their drafts during this time.

In science (6F), I went over the density worksheets as well as the pop quiz that I gave yesterday.  Next, we moved onto the part of the Matter unit that involves "matter is made up of particles".  We did a pre-reading activity involving section three of the textbook.

I also gave out permission slips today to 6F.  We have an opportunity to go to Harold Martin School to work with a second grade class in the area of math.  We will go once a month for the next few months and work with Mrs. Perkins' class.  It should be pretty exciting!  Thanks for sending in the permission slip as soon as possible.

Wild Wednesday

What a morning we've had around here!  First, we had the delayed start.  Then, band and chorus kids had an extra long rehearsal for the concert tomorrow.  So, kids who didn't have band or chorus had an extra long study hall this morning.  We did not have math or reading today.  However, I still collected the reading logs that were due today.  Those who didn't have them stayed in for recess as per our homework policy. 

In science for both classes, we reviewed how to calculate density.  The homework that was due today proved that many students do not understand this concept so we reviewed it more.

Friday

Math groups started the day again today.  My group worked on divisibility rules and simplifying fractions.  Good stuff!

In reading today, the entire class was devoted to book talks.  Students did a great job and got their grades back right away.  I was pleased with what they produced.

In science, 6S did the same lesson as 6F did yesterday.  Check the blog for that.  The only difference is 6S got homework that is due Wednesday.  I wanted to give them time to ask for help if they needed it.

Remember there is no school on Monday.  Have a fabulous weekend!

Thursday

We're playing "catch up" after having been out yesterday.  Students passed in their spelling homework as well as reading log 15 today.  In writing, we wrote in our notebooks and did an activity involving the trait of organization.  Students were given an envelope with sentence strips in it.  They had to arrange the strips according to how they would appear in a piece of writing.  At first, many of them thought they could just put it together like a puzzle, but that strategy didn't work.  They quickly figured out that they had to read the sentences and organize them according to topics and details.  The point of the lesson was to show how sentences go together in a piece of writing: one of the main components of the trait of organization.

In reading, I collected reading logs, passed out new ones and then we went to the computer lab.  I showed students how they will be scored tomorrow on their book talks.  I gave each person a copy of the rubric as well.  They should be prepared to go tomorrow for this. 

We also worked on a website where students practiced their reading strategies called Into the Book.  We worked on Making Connections and Inferring today.  We will go back to the site periodically as we master each reading comprehension strategy. 

In science (6F), we finished up the activity where we measured the density of water.  We compared our results and came up with the actual answer.  Then, I went over how to measure the volume of a solid that's irregularly shaped.  We practiced with graduated cylinders and rocks.  Fun stuff!  Students have a sheet about calculating density that is due on Tuesday.

Don't forget that we have Monday off for Civil Rights Day.

Tuesday.... Snow Day Tomorrow??????

We had our late start this morning with our second "C-Time".  Students came in and worked on their writers' notebooks.  Then, we had a snack break. 

In reading, we began our discussion of the Book Talk assignment.  All students need to prepare a book talk for Friday.  It must be on a book that has been finished in sixth grade, preferably one that has been finished recently.  Students may not use enrichment reading books.  The criteria was given out today in class.  Students have chosen to give the report in front of the class or be recorded on the computer and have it be shown in class.  The purpose of the book talk is to "sell" the book to the class so that others will want to read it.  Please let me know if you have any questions about the requirements.

In science (6S), we did the lesson on density that 6F did yesterday.  Students are trying to figure out the density of water using Triple Beam Balances as well as graduated cylinders.  Fun!

Monday

This morning, we wrote in our writers' notebooks to start the day.  I discussed the "3 pages a week" assignment, its purpose and some logistical things about it, mainly, not waiting until Thursday to  complete it.  We then did a lesson on "filler" in our writing.  I showed an example of text that had filler and how much better it sounded without it.  Students then worked in small groups to try to delete filler from their own writing. 

In reading, we wrapped up our peer pressure unit with a test.  Students passed in their books and updated their Books Read sheet.  After the test, students silent read.

In spelling, we split into three groups, each doing a separate activity.  Mrs. Nadeau took one group, Mrs. DiPastina another and I took the last. 

In science, we began talking about density.  We did some activities involving measuring density with graduated cylinders and triple beam balances.

Friday

Today started with a new round of math groups.  Next, we reviewed for the test in reading on Monday.  Students worked independently for the remainder of the time.  A lot of students were out, either absent or at Team of Tomorrow.  Students will need to make up the work that they missed.

In science, 6S did the measuring volume activity today.  The chart is due on Monday.

We ended our day with an art buddy activity!  Very fun!

Thursday

We started our day working on the leads to our pieces of writing.  Students did some nice revision.  3 pages in their notebooks are due tomorrow.

In reading, we are almost finished The Shadow Club!  It's very exciting!  We talked about pace or rate as we read aloud.  I modeled a passage of reading slowly and reading quickly.  We are learning that comprehension is directly related to reading fluency.   Students worked on the Weekly Five during independent time.

In 6F science, we did an awesome activity practicing our accuracy with measuring volume. We made the rainbow spectrum with colored water.  The table for this activity is due Monday. 

Wednesday

Here we are half way through the week!  Time is flying!

In reading today, we discussed the "expression" part of fluency.  I shared a few passages from our read aloud and talked about the different expression a reader uses depending on punctuation and types of print.  We worked independently for the second part of class.

In writing, we explored different types of leads.  Students looked at their pieces of writing and categorized the type of lead it is.  We will work with this more tomorrow.

Students also signed up for the next round of community clubs.  They will start next week.

In science, we worked on measuring volume using beakers and graduated cylinders.  Fun stuff! 

Tuesday

Today we read aloud more of our book in reading.  I began to talk about fluency and what reading fluently means.  We will go into more depth over the course of this week and into next.  Students worked independently during the last part of class.  I will pass out a new reading log tomorrow.

In writing, we did a few quick writes in our notebooks using leads that I put on the board.  Students continued to work on their published pieces, conferring, editing, revising. 

In science, 6S did the lesson that 6F did yesterday with the triple beam balances.  We ended our day with silent sustained reading.

Happy New Year!

We had a busy day to get us back in the groove!  Beginning with writing in our writers' notebooks, we put our Holiday Fragrance papers into our portfolios.  Next, students read through their notebooks to look for a piece of writing that they want to publish.  The requirements for this piece are as follows: 1. A story with a beginning, middle and end; 2. 1 to 2 pages long.  We will be working on the trait of organization, with particular focus on leads, conclusions, and transitions among the piece.

In reading today, we read aloud.  The book is very intense at this point.  I talked a bit about the test to end this unit on Monday.  The test will consist of multiple choice where students will be given sentences from the read aloud and they must identify them by the figure of speech.  Next, it will have a matching section where there are four different conflicts and students match them with the type of conflict.  Finally, there is one short answer and one essay question based on the individual books they have read for this unit. 

In spelling, we broke up into 3 different groups to work on 3 different activities.  These activities are Making Big Words, Sort It, and Find It from unit 4 in spelling.

Finally, in science, we played the What's My Substance? game and worked with triple beam balances.  Students had a chance to measure mass using these balances.