February 6 "If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be enthusiasm." by Bruce Barton

Marilyn James, Essex Junction, VT 05452 artist@marilynjames.net

At last a ferry in West Addison! If you should happen to see a good looking guy ushering you on and off, that's my husband, Matt. He started working at the West Addison crossing yesterday, February 5th. He'll be easy to spot--a great smile and a distinctive hat... (You won't see him on this video, but you can see him briefly on the center "related video" featured at the end. He was one of the guys working on the Charlotte Ferry until Wednesday--)

As for school stuff--
Friday was the day to finish our paper airplane procedure piece. We'll complete a creative "peer edit" on Tuesday (I won't be in school on Monday...). Please remind your son or daughter to do all the finishing touches on their writing and prototype by then. (Please, please, please don't help with the writing. In needs to be their own, warts and all...) Did they show you the rubric? Basically, the plane has to be made from one 8 1/2" X 11" piece of unlined [computer] paper. It must be able to fly... It cannot have any staples, tape, stickers, or other add-ons. It must be creatively colored (use bright colors to enhance the design!) and have an appropriate name neatly written somewhere on the plane. Part of the grade will be based on whether or not another child can successfully follow the directions and build the plane (this is part of the "peer edit" I mentioned before). If not, directions can be tweaked as needed before submitting.

We'll resume GVS next week, although no one will get Grammar packets until Tuesday when I return.

Monday's Social Studies will be to work on completing the accordion Timelines. I have given the substitute all the necessary information.

Enjoy your weekend; and if you should happen to take a trip on the ferry, say hi to my husband for me. His name is Matt.

Teri

February 3 "Why, what's the matter, that you have such a February face, so full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?" - William Shakespeare

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,

Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields,

Seems nowhere to alight: the withered air

Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven,

And veils the farm-house at the garden's end.

The sled and traveler stopped, the courier's feet

Delayed, all friends shut out, and housemates sit

Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed

In a tumultuous privacy of storm."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

~

It's already Wednesday--where does the time go?? I guess when you're engaged in your learning, class time seems to fly by. Our procedure pieces are coming along well; many students have already typed and illustrated them. The current step, peer editing, is particularly fun for this project, because a peer must actually build the plane using the directions. If any steps are unclear/confusing, it is blatantly obvious, making feedback both authentic and useful. Students can work together on corrections.

As you probably know by now, I have suspended GVS in 6th grade this week as groups of students work with me to revisit problematic areas. I commend their desire to repair their grades. Grade 5 is working on punctuation, with a quiz to follow by the end of this week.

Social Studies continues to consist of quick in-class assignments, which are both fun and informative. I'm pleased to report that work quality is generally very good, and there are very few late assignments! Just so you know, I rethought today's activity in 6th grade, so I postponed it until I could tweak it. We'll do it on our "free" day--Friday. The focus--the Northwest routes of Cabot, Cartier, and Verrazano.

I hope you're enjoying your evening. I'll check in tomorrow.

Teri

February 1 "Rabbit, Rabbit....."

Where DO they come up with these things??

Ok, so among those ridiculous, 'don't know where THAT came from' habits that I seem to have acquired in my lifetime, I admit to saying "rabbit, rabbit" on the first day of each month. In order to achieve optimum effectiveness, it's supposed to be the first conscious vocalization upon waking -- though I must say that that logic escapes me. Truth be told, if I don't get to it until after coffee, I'm good; I figure it's just as unlucky to attempt coherence that early in the morning....

Where does the saying "rabbit, rabbit" come from, you ask? It's a common superstition with lots of variations, and it's been around for many hundreds of years. (It probably started off as some medieval practical joke...) Suffice it to say that following the protocol will ensure good luck for the duration of the month. (That and getting out of bed right foot first.)

Maybe it's because rabbits are supposed to be "lucky". That makes sense--we think a rabbit's foot is pretty lucky. (Although it isn't exactly lucky for the rabbit... Just goes to show you that one's perception is one's reality.) Maybe it has something to do with jumping into the future with joy and enthusiasm. I don't know about you, but, not being a morning person, I don't DO joy and enthusiasm until around 10:00...

~

Today was a day to reflect upon how we're doing this marking period. We suspended GSV this week so that we can revisit and clarify some repeated errors/misconceptions about Grammar and Vocabulary (in concentrated groups). If your child is among those who will work with me, s/he may bring home a packet or two to work on, since I agreed to regrade resubmitted papers. (ARGHHHHH! More paperwork!) The checklist in front of the room has really limited the number of outstanding assignments--which is great.

In Social Studies, we finished a discussion about Columbus, which included filling in a graphic organizer. Most of them got it done already. Today's discussion was about Vasco Nunez De Balboa and Ferdinand Magellan--a couple of good news/bad news explorer tales... Anyway, each student has to create two postcards (one "from" each explorer), telling a friend, relative, or kingly person something amazing from their adventures. These are due on Wednesday, when next we meet. Grade 5 will do this assignment tomorrow, due on Thursday.

As for the paper airplanes.... You know, it's not easy to find just the right words to describe a process. Even though it's wild and crazy as everyone figures out the paper airplane prototype that best suits their needs, the procedural writing is pretty particular and needs to be tested by a peer (and assessed with a rubric, which they have). Everyone should have created their prototype by now so that the writing can be done in earnest. If your child doesn't have one yet, please help him/her, OK? A reminder about the writing--it's being done HERE so that no one is tempted to reproduce the amazing words of another--so easy to do. The process is an important one, and takes practice.

Have a good evening, everyone-

Teri

P.S.--Check out yet another interesting paper airplane video:

January 28 “Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.”

Well, here we go... Today we made paper airplanes in class. It was pretty chaotic, as you can imagine... but in a good way. As we looked at directions on the LCD projector, we talked about the need for those directions to be clear, concise, and simply stated. We also talked about the need for basic line drawings (well crafted) to further explain the words in each step. We helped each other figure out how to make one design, then we let loose--Whew! As luck would have it, at that precise moment, who should arrive but Mr. Howe. Actually, he thought the whole thing looked like lots of fun--but reminded us we'd just have to keep a lid on it, (we ARE supposed to be setting the standard for social decorum...) which meant no flying in/on the halls, gym, or playground.

The assignment tonight is to explore some sites for designs to modify/or make up a design. I made it clear that the written directions needed to be completely their own--no copying. (This IS a writing assignment, after all.) Tomorrow there will be a substitute in here, and I am a bit concerned that their "creative chaos" may be misconstrued. Help me to remind everyone that tomorrow they should control their enthusiasm to ensure the continued mental health of my sub. Here are some links to peruse:

Joseph Palmer's Paper Airplanes

Model Airplane--How to Make It Fly Better--Tweaking Tips

Really Huge Links Page--Whew!

There are tons more if you google "paper airplane".

Also, yesterday's blog had a link to a pretty sophisticated plane with TONS of help to make it.

Check out this video for another idea (It's one of many out there.):

Tomorrow we'll take our Spelling tests, turn in packets, and complete a lesson about Columbus that will include some homework (I'll give time in the afternoon to work on this). The assignment, for your information, is to draw four SMALL illustrations of Columbus's life and write a few sentences about each. They have all the necessary information and templates.

I hope you all have time to relax this evening. (It's my class night, so relaxing is pretty much out for me...) Maybe the paper airplane idea will give you some quality fun time with your son or daughter. Personally, I learned a lot from them today! (Geesh!)

Take care-

Teri

January 27 "Great is the man who has not lost his childlike heart." Mencius

We finished District Writing Prompts today, and will take a few days to do one of my favorite writing activities... Are you ready for this? MAKING PAPER AIRPLANES! You must admit, this is an intensely clever way to get kids to write a procedure piece. I'll give them directions and a rubric tomorrow so that they know the expectations. Meanwhile, I don't want to leave ANYONE out, so check out these step-by-step instructions for making the what may well be the best paper airplane in the world. I'm going to use them in my classroom, but you may also want to try your hand in the privacy of your own home. (Personally, I'm a visual learner, so I'm going for the slide show instructions at the end before I ever try it with kids.) Check it out!

As for everything else? Well, we should have completed day 3 of Spelling, Vocabulary, and Grammar packets. Also, we completed a short Social Studies activity on Bartolomeu Dias and Vasco DaGama, which is now due for both groups. Tomorrow we'll get explore (no pun intended) the travels of Christopher Columbus (in 5th grade--we'll do it on Friday for 6th graders).

Have a wonderful evening! Time to get home...

Teri

January 26 Leadership is action, not position." ~Donald H. McGannon

INTERESTING PENCIL FACTS

• More than 14 billion pencils are produced in the world every year - enough to circle the globe 62 times.
• Pencils don't really contain lead. That gray matter is graphite and clay.
• One pencil will draw a line 70 miles long.
• Two billion pencils are made in the United States each year.
• The pencil was invented more than 400 years ago, in 1565.
• Famous novelists Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck used pencils to write their books.
• Pencils didn't have erasers on them until 100 years ago because teachers felt they would encourage children to make mistakes.
• It would cost $50 in labor and materials for a person to make a 10-cent pencil.
• One million pencils are used annually on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
• The average pencil can be sharpened 17 times, write 45,000 words, or draw a line 35 miles long.
• A good-size tree will make about 300,000 pencils.
• Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star Spangled Banner" in pencil.
• An unpainted pencil inserted into the soil of a potted plant can eliminate mealy bugs on plants.
• Plant growers mark their plant labels with pencil because it is one marking that won't fade in sunlight.
• Dreaming that you are sharpening a pencil suggests that you need to be more flexible in your way of thinking.
• Why are pencils yellow? Pencils have been painted yellow ever since the 1890s. And that bright color isn't just so you can find them on your desk more easily! During the 1800s, the best graphite in the world came from China. American pencil makers wanted a special way to tell people that their pencils contained Chinese graphite. In China, the color yellow is associated with royalty and respect. American pencil manufacturers began painting their pencils bright yellow to communicate this "regal" feeling and association with China. Today, 75% of the pencils sold in the United States are painted yellow! Source: 2000 Incense Cedar Institute
• Say What? Have you ever seen a left-handed pencil? Left-handed pencils do exist. But it has nothing to do with the way it writes - it's all about the text printed on the pencil. On an ordinary pencil the text runs from the tip to the head so you can read it when you hold it. I just love trivia...

Kid Friendly Writing

Although many basic handwriting tasks, like making lists, can be done with printing, children still need to be able to read cursive. It also enables children to write faster and more efficiently, because the pencil/pen isn't lifted from the paper until the word is finished. If your child struggles with cursive writing, please provide a few minutes of practice time each day. ...Also, check your child's grasp - Make sure the thumb isn't tucked in or overlapping the other fingers. A poor grasp is usually too tight.

Source: Parents February 2001

Another late post...

Just to let you know--we're doing district writing prompts this week. My class will begin a research report project shortly that we'll work on in both Language Arts and Social Studies. (Fifth grade will have an alternate activity.) Also, we are back on track with Spelling, Vocabulary, and Grammar, Week 14.

I'll write more tomorrow...

Teri

January 22 “Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Chris. Robin

Did you notice most of our links are back? Well, I didn't do that (despite my best efforts--and extraordinary angst). I am grateful to my friend and colleague, Jason, for coming to my rescue once again. As for my technology savy... make no mistake, I'm a work in progress. (The good news is that I have found lots of additional links to add--not replace, thankfully--to the list!)

Have a great weekend, everyone! And watch the weather on Sunday night; a "weather event" is upon us (though it looks like rain, mostly). I'll be in touch on Monday.

Teri

January 20 "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Awesome Explorer Movie
(Matt's great idea for a title)

Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal
and Sea Exploration in the 15th Century

Another fun day. There's so much to read about and do in this Explorers unit. The sixth grade made our compasses today, and checked out the apture links on yesterday's blog. There's a wealth of information there to peruse. For example. there are two short videos in the compass link... One explains how to find north if you're in the woods without a compass; the other one shows how to make a compass at home (or at camp...) with simple household materials. I'm having fun finding these things for the kids (and you, hopefully) to enjoy.

Oh no!! I just tried to replace an old link with one I though would be more fun in my list of links, and accidentally deleted them all! Good thing no one else was in the building... my mournful wail would have startled them. I'll try to find more, and get them up and running asap. I don't know how to retrieve the ones I lost, do any of you?? (I'll leave my blog open just in case turning it off will prove even more detrimental.) ARGHHHHH!

I'm having a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad moment... Sigh.

Teri

January 19 "Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Tuesday! Today was a great day....

1. For those of you who may not know, my Literacy group is reading Milkweed, by Jerry Spinelli. It takes place in war-torn Warsaw, Poland during the time of the Holocaust and is an engaging and thought provoking story about a young orphan boy. It really lends itself to group analysis and the subsequent development of shared meaning. We've been enjoying it immensely and have had some pretty intense discussions so far! Ask your son or daughter about it or about ANY book they're presently reading in their Literacy groups. We try to keep the interest level high...
2. Because I don't have everyone for Social Studies today and many didn't have the opportunity to see the Marco Polo short on the blog, we took the time to watch it today as a review, then did the map interactive activity (see yesterday's blog). For those students who watched it last night--you guys are AWESOME!!) I think everyone now gets why it's important to remember this geographic explorer/merchant/storyteller/co-author of one of the most influential books in history.
3. Fifth grade has hopefully finished up their B.E.E. final drafts and turned them in. If not, they need to be completed for tomorrow. (Does anyone need to stay in to finish? Please make arrangements...)
   

Tomorrow the sixth grade will do a short compass activity in Social Studies as part of their unit. It should be fun.

(Check out the apture links I've included on this blog to learn more about Marco Polo and/or direction finding techniques.)

Just a heads up: tomorrow the fifth grade is having a bake sale, the proceeds of which are going to the Haiti relief fund. Great food, great cause! Great kids!

Well, I guess I'm heading home now; I hope you all have a well-deserved restful evening!

Teri

January 18 "Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." ~Martin Luther King

A Tribute to Martin Luther King

Song by James Taylor

Check out the work crew! The construction site was small, but you'd never know it by the mess we created. Thanks, guys, for helping me to finish up!

Just a reminder, we don't have school on Friday. Because of the short week, we won't have Spelling/Vocabulary packets. (Yea, I know, the kids were upset too...) What I AM doing is using that time to get a jump start on an excellent book, The Lightning Thief. Read-alouds have great value; they develop comprehension skills and provide opportunities to discuss a plethora of literary elements. We predict, infer, analyze, synthesize... Besides, who doesn't like listening to a great story??

We'll complete Basic Explanatory Essay final drafts this week, and begin our research on the Explorer of our choice for a research report (one of the major portfolio pieces of the year...). I'll send home some information for you to use as we work together to support your child's efforts. Hopefully everyone handed in their three completed B.E.E. drafts last Friday for my perusal--I provided extra work time and support, so... no more extensions.

In Social Studies, we talked about the adventures of Marco Polo today. Everyone has a brief activity to complete by Wednesday. (Fifth grade will do this activity on Tuesday / due Thursday.) I'd hoped that everyone would take the time to watch the Marco Polo movie I put on last week's blog (as I requested), but most did not. Hopefully they'll still find the time to do it.

I'd also like everyone to take a minute to check out THE TRAVELS OF MARCO POLO –- INTERACTIVE MAP ACTIVITY. I keep trying to find interesting ways for the kids to learn important concepts in Social Studies--after all, the key to our future is in understanding our past...

It's late so I'll close for now; I'll be in touch tomorrow-

Teri

January 14 “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”

What makes an explorer an explorer? Here are some characteristics we came up with in class:

(How amazing is this?)

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EXPLORER

brave, indefatigable, independent, organized, goal-oriented, fair, strong-willed, wise, cooperative, persistent, prepared, a good planner, curious, creative, strong, robust, rational, aggressive, adaptable, resilient, responsible, and determined

We have now set the stage for discussing a number of fascinating historical figures. The first one on the list is a lifelong storyteller and author of The Description of the World , an explorer who stimulated interest in China. Christopher Columbus owned a copy of his book and studied it closely, making annotations in the margins, before beginning his journey in 1492 to what he thought would be China. Here's his story:

Marco Polo Part 2

Marco Polo Part 3

Marco Polo Part 4

Marco Polo Part 5

Marco Polo Part 6

Marco Polo Part 7

Marco Polo Part 8

Marco Polo Part 9

~

What's due in Social Studies at this point?

* Characteristics of an Explorer page * Rune (written on brown paper)

* Viking boat

* Viking Q & A Flip Book page

In Language Arts:

* Grammar, Vocabulary, and Spelling, Unit 13 (grade 6)

* B.E.E. 3rd draft (and all previous drafts)

Well, yet another late post; tonight was the last class for this course, but another course starts next Thursday. No rest for the weary. (You might want to check out Thursday's posts on Friday mornings...)

Sleep well-- Teri

January 12 “One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his greatest surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't.”

One of the Vikings' greatest challenges...

~

In addition to being fierce warriors, Vikings were master craftsmen, shrewd businessmen, and fearless explorers. Sleek longboats gave them a technological edge over other seafarers, and they opened vast trade networks in Europe and Asia. These activities stimulated political change. Their reputation probably hastened the formation of European nations as people fortified their cities and joined others to defend themselves against Viking raids. Their travels created lasting new societies in Iceland and Greenland, and led to the discovery of North America 500 years before Columbus.

Well, that's about it for our brief introduction to Viking explorers. Tomorrow we meet Marco Polo and learn about his (slightly exaggerated but nonetheless wonderful) exploits.

--

ASSIGNMENTS:

--

SOCIAL STUDIES: Viking flip books shoul be completed for tomorrow (Grade 6) and Thursday (Grade 5) In addition to that, I want everyone to visit yesterday's blog and visit the link beneath the video to learn how to write their name in runes. That independent activity is super short and interesting, and will be due Friday. Also due Friday-we're each making a Viking longboat (a short art activity--they have the directions and necessary paper). We'll create a two-class flotilla for the hallway!

--

READING:

--

The first book report for January is due by Friday. This one is simply a story map, which everyone knows how to do. Ask to see your child's "List of Books I've Read in Sixth Grade", and please continue to encourage them to read, read, read--at LEAST 20 minutes every evening.

--

LANGUAGE ARTS:

--

Grammar, Spelling and Vocabulary packets, day 2

Finish draft 3 of the B.E.E. so that I can edit.

For grade 5, we did a lesson about commas (to separate introductory clauses or phrases from the rest of the sentence--and yes, we learned the difference between clauses and phrases...) We also need to get draft 3 ready for me to edit.

Hmm...this post got rather lengthy. I guess it's time to go home.

Take care,

Teri

January 11 "Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought."

Vikings used an ancient Germanic alphabet called runes for writing, seeking advice, and magic. (the word "rune" actually means mystery, secret, or whisper) Runes could be read from left to right or from right to left, even in the same artifact. That makes translating them very difficult, especially since rune masters sometimes wrote cryptic messages. Write Your Name using this ancient Viking alphabet.

The problem with modern names is that, no matter how many you have, they don't really tell people much about you. Viking names really described the person. Want to know your Viking name?

Assignments for today:

I just added three new links--two about Vikings, and one really good one about Explorers. Check 'em out!

Spelling, Vocabulary, and Grammar--Day 1

Social Studies--Complete the Viking Q & A Flip Book (In our class discussion, we went over all the questions/answers; the kids [should] have everything they need. (This will be tomorrow's assignment for Grade 5)

Writing--Because we had Art, this class was too short to continue with our B.E.E.--everyone should have drafts 1 and 2, and 2 should be typed, ready for further revisions. Each child also should have peer conferenced and filled out a simple form for their partner with a copy to me.

Time to go home. Have a restful evening, everyone. Like I tell my students, don't forget to eat your vegetables and get to bed early.

Teri

January 8 "Happy 13th birthday, Sammy!"

We just learned about how early explorers used the North Star as a compass to guide their journeys. Students learned how to find the North Star in the night sky. As a follow-up, I thought these two short videos might be interesting to view. Enjoy!

Ursa Major--The Big Dipper

~

There's just so much to learn!

Stay tuned for information and links to our next activity: Viking explorers.

Goodnight, everyone!

Teri

January 7 ~ "Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, ...it is the time for home." ~ Edith Sitwell

a Vermont scene by artist Mona Brown

Hi everybody - Sorry for the late post; I had class tonight. It sure makes for a long day...

Students are rallying to improve the quality and timeliness of work, and as part of that initiative, we have posted a colorful chart in our room to keep track of assignments. Something as simple as a visual reminder has proved to be a great motivator for everyone to complete and turn in work! (I think it feels good to systematically check completed work off on the chart.) I'm proud of everyone's enthusiastic response and their willingness to utilize this helpful tool.

Well, Basic Explanatory Essays are coming along nicely. This is a process piece; that is, students are made to really look at how they develop a piece of writing through multiple revisions. It's nice to see kids accept the challenge to move out of their comfort zones and trust the process as it unfolds. (That process includes opening themselves up to openly sharing their work and receiving constructive criticism...) Thank you for encouraging them as they read their first drafts to you. That's exactly what they need--our faith in their ability to be successful. Tomorrow we'll type our current drafts (2nd) in preparation for future editing and revising on the computer.

I really like the way Social Studies is going, too. Each activity is designed to actively engage students in learning particular concepts about early explorers. Mini-books are due tomorrow (they were due today for 5th graders). Next, we'll move on to a lesson about early navigation and how explorers located and used the North Star as a compass.

Grammar, Spelling and Vocabulary packets are due tomorrow, at which time we'll take our Unit 12 Spelling tests.

That's about it for tonight... It's time to close. Take care; I'll be in touch soon-

Teri

January 6 "Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." ~Hal Borland

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY! I hope 2009 closed on a happy note. (There was a "blue moon" on the 31st; did you notice?) I must tell you that my brother, who lives in Essex, called me on Sunday evening, January 3rd, to tell me he had over three feet of snow -- and I wondered if the first storm of 2010 would provide us with one additional day of vacation. Note to self: It's not a good idea to go to bed with that mindset...

Anyway, welcome back! I'm completing the design of a fun, activity-filled Explorers unit; in a day or so, I'll provide you with a syllabus to describe each activity and an outline of the final product. Today's assignment is to complete a mini-book describing the seven basic reasons that explorers, well, EXPLORED. See if your child can remember them without looking at his/her paper. (Just so you know, they are curiosity, wealth, fame, national pride, religion, foreign goods, better trade routes) (These mini-books are due on Friday.)

In Language Arts, we've begun writing a Basic Explanatory Essay--ask your child to describe how to write one. The format, once learned, will provide them with a "recipe" for creating a good descriptive essay. Helpful information! There will be a district writing prompt at the end of the month, and this will provide much needed practice in elaboration. (Second drafts of B.E.E.s are due tomorrow--they should look for ways to expand upon/elaborate on first drafts).

We're also back to doing Grammar, Vocabulary, and Spelling, so help me help them, please. I go over Grammar here, but in the off-chance it wasn't completed... Spelling tests are always on Friday (or the last day of the week).

With the new year comes a renewed determination to work hard and stay on track. The BEST of intentions, wouldn't you say? ...With our help, I think they just might pull it off!

It's good to be back in touch. Have a great evening!
Teri

December 28 "Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before we can meet again..."

THE LEGACY OF THE CHAMPLAIN BRIDGE--A Documentary

...AND SO, OLD FRIEND, FAREWELL ~ December 28, 2009

Controlled Explosions Topple Aging Bridge

December 22 - "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." - Ebeneezer Scrooge

I found this excellent 1972 animated version of the Charles Dickens classic. Since we watched the George C. Scott version, I thought this animated one might also interest you. It's about 25 minutes long. Enjoy!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Stay tuned for another video I am preparing. Your children read their illustrated books to the Kindergarten and first grade. It was magical!

Have a wonderful safe holiday.
Teri

December 18 "These are the days we'll remember." ~ 10,000 Maniacs

My new granddaughter, Amelia--born December 17th. Isn't she lovely?

~

After working out a few kinks, I finished compiling the pictures I took at the Craft Extravaganza and made another "movie"; I hope you enjoy it. I hope, too, that you enjoy this last weekend before Christmas with family and friends. Stay warm.

Teri

December 17 "Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind."

Today's Craft Extravaganza was a complete success thanks to the planning and hard work of our beloved parent volunteers; as always, they made it all seem so effortless. Thank you, parents, for your tireless dedication to our students! I took lots of pictures to commemorate the auspicious occasion and subsequently brought my camera home to download/post... Unfortunately I forgot the USB thingy at school, so I'll have to do it tomorrow... Sorry!

On a personal note: My son and his wife welcomed their second child, Amelia Claire, into the world this evening. 7 lbs 12 oz. and 19 inches long... Life just keeps getting better and better!

December 16 "A Christmas candle is a lovely thing; It makes no noise at all, But softly gives itself away." ~Eva Logue

Today was the perfect day to listen to holiday music, drink hot cocoa, relax with a seasonal read-aloud, laugh a lot, and enjoy the creative aspect of our latest writing endeavor. We are winding down now with our Christmas/Holiday stories. Second, third, and sometimes fourth drafts have been conferenced and tweaked. Students have learned that the process of writing includes multiple layers of revision--new ideas often replacing old ones as the stories take on a life of their own. Editing has been necessarily slow and methodical as every story line, character, word choice, and punctuation mark has been discussed. Beyond the writing, students have immersed themselves in creating the perfect illustrations to accompany each page. Lots of work, huh?

I'm still holding Friday as the date for book completion. It may be that some will need to have until Monday, but I can't guarantee that students will be able to take the books home for Christmas if that happens. I hope to post a few stories on the blog for you all to enjoy. (First, Mr. Wright has to teach me how to do that... sigh.) Next week, we will share our stories with the Kindergarten and first grade. (I must say, that is my favorite part; I'll take pictures and post them here for you.)

It was good to see many of you at last night's concert. It's hard to believe that Christmas is little more than a week away!

Take care,

Teri

December 15 "Like snowflakes, my holiday memories gather and dance - each beautiful, unique and too soon gone."

FALLING SNOW

See the pretty snowflakes
Falling from the sky;
On the walk and housetops
Soft and thick they lie.

On the window-ledges
On the branches bare;
Now how fast they gather,
Filling all the air.

Look into the garden,
Where the grass was green;
Covered by the snowflakes,
Not a blade is seen.

Now the bare black bushes
All look soft and white.
Every twig is laden-
What a pretty sight!

~

I hope to see you all at the concert tonight!

December 14 "Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind." ~Mary Ellen Chase

'Tis the season.... My house smells like balsam and cookies, and wrapping paper covers the dining room table. Aside from getting presents ready to mail far and wide, I'm up to my eyeballs in editing Christmas stories. A warm fire and illuminated Christmas tree, however, create an ambiance that makes any task pleasurable, and I'm always anxious get home so that I can curl up and read. I love the child-like creativity in each of the stories, and, although they require significant editing and much one-on-one time, they're coming along beautifully. The lessons are many:

• Writing to a specific audience
• Writing a fictional narrative, with a beginning, a middle, an end, and a problem to resolve
• Writing effective dialogue
• Designing a book layout
• Illustrating a picture book
• Creating a "presentation quality" final product
• Reading our stories to the littlest members of our school community

The targeted due date for completion is Friday, so those who have progressed slowly on their stories need to get moving. That being said, it's going to be a crazy week anyway, so we will make the best use of any available class time with me to get them done. There will be no Spelling/Grammar/Vocabulary packets this week. Social Studies will take a back seat, too, I'm afraid, since schedules will be interrupted.

Besides, it's not a bad thing to slow down a bit and enjoy a good book...

I hope you all have a warm and restful evening.

Teri

P.S. Before you go, check out the post directly below this one. It's pretty amazing!

Just a drop of water...

Some things are just too cool not to share...

If you want to make this "full screen", go to the bottom right and click on the rectangle just to the right of the volume icon. To get back to the blog, just hit escape.

December 7 ""Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance - each beautiful, unique and too soon gone." ~ Deborah Whipp

Happy Monday! Christmas stories are coming along, though some students are deliberating a little longer than I'd like on those drafts. In the last couple of classes, fifth and sixth graders have reviewed the art and skill of writing dialogue.

Every piece of dialogue should be there to add to the character/s. Done right, dialogue reflects the speech of 'real' people. It invites the reader in and reveals something to them. It moves the plot along and brings the reader into the emotion of the scene. Dialogue should never be included just to make conversation.

As part of this lesson, we reviewed dialogue tags (he muttered, she whispered, Mr. Wilson gasped, etc.). Readers expect to see tags; they are nearly invisible and don't distract from the action. Mosst importantly they reveal how the words are said. (Contrary to popular belief, the words 'said' and 'asked' are not taboo; they simply should not be overused.)

Please remind your child that these [multiple] drafts are due on Friday. If they require more time, your child may not have the opportunity to create/illustrate their book.

Here's an example of a children's story for you to enjoy:

Be well: I'll talk to you soon.

-Teri

December 4 - Native American Podcasts

Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect.

Chief Seattle, 1854

Welcome to our first podcasts. Throughout the year we will create others, and with each one we will increase our skill at modulating/synchronizing voices and music.

Jacob
Bailey
Dylan
Britney
Broc
Zachary
Brad
Korbin
Jeb
Tyler
Crystal
Matthew
Jesse
Nathan
Josh
Nicole

December 3 "Imagination is just intelligence having fun."

Most importantly, let that inner fire build and glow brightly!

~

As we move into December, we find ourselves busier than ever. By now your children have undoubtedly run storylines by you for their Christmas/Winter children's picture books. In the classroom, we're sharing analyzing, and enjoying stories from our own childhood--looking at those qualities that make the writing memorable--things like mood/tone, point of view, audience, dialogue, characterization, plot, conflict, foreshadowing, symbolism, imagery, figurative language.... As we begin, some of us are imitating the style of classics, some are writing in verse, and all of us are animated and excited about the project. Please please please support this creative energy; ask your children to talk about their ideas; ask them to read their drafts; offer encouragement--they really want to write something memorable. (Equally, help me to help them stay on track. As I mentioned earlier, we're really devoted to moving them toward increased accountability to deadlines, and commitment to best effort.)

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In Social Studies, we've started our exploration of exploration. Before the holiday break we'll gain a greater understanding of just what it took to be an explorer. We'll also engage in a variety of fun and educational activities--like creating our own Astrolabe. After we return in January, we'll conclude with a project. Stay tuned for details.

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Assignments:

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Writing/Language Arts--Continue developing your story. (Next, we're going to learn where and how to include dialogue).

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Social Sudies: Grade five did an latitude/longitude activity today. Tomorrow the sixth grade will

complete it.

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Spelling/Vocabulary/Grammar: finish up packets. Unit 10 spelling test tomorrow.

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That's it for tonight.... Stay warm.

Teri

December 1 "Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

December in Stowe, Vermont

To lovers of the wild, these mountains are not a hundred miles away. Their spiritual power and the goodness of the sky make them near, as a circle of friends. ... John Muir

*

A good day; we move into this glorious month with optimisn, humor, and a sense of promise. As I said yesterday, December provides a plethora of opportunities for creative pursuits. With lots of little actvities thrown in to keep everyone active and engaged, we'll begin writing with greater depth and purpose.

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The first challenge will be to create a children's picture book, which isn't as easy at it might appear. I requires a vivid imagination, creativity, and perspective. Just because the book (like the child for which it is intended) is short, it doesn't mean the story will be easy to write--quite the contrary. Unlike novels that have lots of time to develop characters and plot, a children's book only gives the writer a few pages (about 28 actual pages, and half of them are pictures) to do so. A writer's goal is to inform, to entertain, to enchant, and to encourage a love of reading. It involves choosing both the right words for the right places, and the right characters doing the right things at just the right times.

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Assignments:

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Tonight's assignment is to come up with an idea--a story line. Something that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Students will then work to find that delicate balance beween words and pictures. They'll need to explore literary devices like rhyme, rhythm and repetition, which small children enjoy. They'll be challenged to "show" not "tell" their story. Whew!

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On another note, we've begun our next unit in Social Studies--The Age of Exploration. The fifth grade spent classtime interviewing each other and reporting out on a list of perceptions/misperceptions about early explorers. It was lots of fun-and very educational (which was, of course, my intent). There was no assignment. The sixth grade will do this tomorrow.

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For grade six: Spelling, Grammar, and Vocabulary lessons for Day 2 were also assigned.

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Thanks to those of you who are checking your child's work and going over Spelling words for Friday's tests. I'm noticing marked improvement with many. There are others, however, who continue to not turn work in. Just so you know, Mrs. DaBica and I are implementing a tougher policy for completing work in a timely fashion. It serves no purpose to continually allow extentions (which, incidently, creates a grading nightmare!). I could really use your support on this push toward greater accountability and independence...

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It's late.... Time to put another log on the fire and call it a night. Thanks for stopping by, everybody. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

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Teri