“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” ~ Robert Collier

NOTE:  THIS BLOG DIDN'T POST LAST WEEK USING MY SCHOOL WEB ADDRESS.  SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.  IT'S STILL HELPFUL FOR KEEPING TRACK OF ASSIGNMENTS.

This week has been a time to take stock of what we're doing--or not doing, as the case may be--and get back on track.  Late work loses points, guys, and even one zero can alter a grade pretty significantly.  In fifth and sixth grade we begin the process of taking charge of our own learning. 

Thing is, with the unprecedented wealth of information available today, opportunities to learn are everywhere, all you need are the skills, behaviors, and motivation to learn -- and those you develop here.  Think about how you engage in your lessons.  Think about how your behaviors impact both your learning environment and that of others.  Be aware of how you learn best, and use those talents every chance you get. 

End of pep talk. ;}

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 22--25

SPELLING:  None this week

SOCIAL STUDIES: 

• Tuesday (Mrs. D) and Wednesday (Mrs, M) Begin PYRAMIDS unit.  We read and discussed pages 5-13.  Assignment:  answer questions 1-16
• Thursday (Mrs.D) and Friday (Mrs. M.) Complete activity packet. 

LANGUAGE ARTS:    

• Tuesday:  Catch-up day 
• Wednesday:  Create WEB for "How to Survive. . ." brochure 
• Thursday:  Write Introduction (set the stage
• Friday:  Share introductions with class.  Begin work on 3 obstacles (problems) and tips for overcoming each of them.

• NOTICE:  WRITERS' NOTEBOOKS DUE NEXT TUESDAY, JANUARY 29!
  

READING:  

• Book projects due FRIDAY!!!  Be ready to present. (You'll need to include a "Story Map."  

• 6th graders:  you need to have two story maps, one for each of the two books you read this month.  (You had all month to turn the first one in--remember the reminders?  Did you wait until the last minute?)

Remember: Make everything you do the best thing you've ever done.  It's a mindset. 

Hand Image:  http://priyanathan.imagineteachers.com/files/2011/05/Illustration-raised-hands.jpg

“YOU HAVEN’T LIVED UNTIL YOU’VE FOUND SOMETHING WORTH DYING FOR.” MLK

Dear Families--

I spent a great deal of time reviewing videos outlining the Civil Rights Movement of the '50s and '60s in preparation for our discussion about Martin Luther King (1929-1968).  I found them particularly moving--in part because I recall what it was like living in the deep south from 1957 to 1964. Though I was a young child in 1957 when my family moved there from Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, I vividly remember segregation. There were no black children enrolled at my school. Access to public toilets and water fountains was determined by the color of our skin. Black and white children did not live in the same neighborhoods nor did they often play together in the same streets. As disturbing as those times were for the people who lived through them--their ultimate value has been in reminding us how our country has struggled in defining "freedom" and "equality." Our discussion about the Civil Rights Movement was time well spent. Ask your child to tell you about what they learned today.

Students: See how much you learned by completing the interactive timeline found here.

~

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...

Martin Luther King image:  http://seattletimes.com/art/mlk/index.jpg

The ancient Egyptians did not call their home "Egypt" (that name is based on the Greek pronunciation of the name of Ptah's temple in Memphis - "Hwt-ka-Ptah"), instead they referred to it as Kemet (or Kem - the black land) or Ta Mery (the beautiful land). ~ Jeremy Hill (Ancient Egypt Online).

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 14--18

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Welcome to the beginnings of our study of Ancient Egypt!

Thus far we have had an overview of the geography of ancient Egypt and an introduction to the great pharaohs, learning about the varied crowns and the conditions under which they were worn. (assignments for January 7-11)

This week's activities include hieroglyphic writing and sarcophagus design as we prepare for the major part of the unit, which we will begin next week.

Check out this great interactive site to learn more about hieroglyphics and sharpen your translation skills.  It's fun!

Explore Ancient Egypt and take the quiz. (Don't forget to print it off and hand it in. You can always go back and take it again to improve your score!)

This Ancient Egyptian timeline has a lot of really good information, too.  Read it and take the quiz. (Print off and turn in!)

A list of the major gods of Ancient Egypt can be found here. Challenge yourself to click on each one to learn more, then complete the activity.

For fun, here's a cool jigsaw and word search to test your skill.

OK, OK -- one more fun site.  Lots of activities to do here.

NOVA provides a great interactive site for learning more about pyramids; check it out!

We'll be reading and writing about a variety of the articles at this National Geographic site.

LANGUAGE ARTS:

On Monday, we completed our District Writing Prompts, with a few students finishing up on Tuesday.  Students were provided with class time to work on their Writer's Notebooks.  Wednesday and Thursday, we took a break from prompts and portfolio pieces to read and interpret poetry, both artistically and in writing.  We'll have an opportunity to share on Friday, with some time, hopefully, to explore some of the interesting information from the sites above.

6th GRADE SPELLING:

Remember 5 task cards are due by Friday--and for Pete's sake, study those words!

We'll complete packets on Thursday -- they're due on Friday, too.

Work hard; give your best effort.  Remember, excellence is attitude.

Mrs. Maynard

Egypt landscape image:  http://digital-art-gallery.com/oid/84/640x261_14748_Nachshon_Who_Was_Afraid_To_Swim_

2d_illustration_children_book_landscape_egypt_piramids_river_picture_image_digital_art.jpg

Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat. ~Author Unknown

Winter.  Cold days, colder nights.  Heck of a time to have the furnace go out on us, but on Sunday morning, that's just what happened.  Thankfully, our little Hearthstone kept the whole house warm till late Monday when the furnace guy came. 

Ahhhh, winter. . .

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 7 -- 11

Language Arts, Grades 5 & 6

Monday:  Complete first draft of B.E.E. (Basic Explanatory Essay)

Tuesday:  Revise and edit.  Type second draft.

Wednesday:  Peer share/edit.  Begin work on final draft.

Thursday: Complete final draft and turn in.

Friday:  TBA

Social Studies, Grades 5 & 6

Monday (Mrs. M) & Tuesday (Mrs. D.):  The Crowns of Ancient Egypt activity
Wednesday (Mrs. M) & Thursday (Mrs. D): map of Ancient Egypt
Friday:  Scholastic News (Mrs. M's class)                                                                                         
Spelling, Grade 6

Monday:  pages 109 - 111 & Task Cards
Tuesday: pages 112 - 114 & Task Cards
Wednesday: pages 115 - 118 & Task Cards
Thursday: pages 119 - 120 & Task Cards
Friday:  Test -- turn in Task Cards & packet


Keep the home fires burning!
Teri

 

Winter image: http://0.tqn.com/d/webclipart/1/0/I/5/5/Winter-trees-and-Icicles.jpg

 

"Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity, in the finest sense of the word." ~ Goran Persson

A belated happy new year, everyone!  

I hope your holiday was restful and family-filled.  I think we all came back to school a little bleary-eyed; thank goodness for a short week to move us gently into what will be a very busy couple months. We used these days to complete assignments that were not turned in before the holiday, and to introduce what is to come:

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 2 -- 4

LANGUAGE ARTS, GRADES 5 & 6

Wednesday, January 2:  Introduce "Center Square" activity--create a brainstorm list of concrete and abstract nouns, and have one chosen for tomorrow's "4-Metaphor Poetry" activity.
Thursday, January 3:  Share lists and discuss "4-Metaphor Poetry."  Use class time to think of four metaphors for your chosen noun, and write those comparisons into short free-form poems. 
Friday, January 4:  Transfer concrete and abstract nouns and poems into Writers Notebooks following the format given in class.  NOTE:  Whatever isn't completed in class becomes independent and due, along with the 5 squares of your choice, at the end of the month.

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5 & 6

Wednesday, January 2 (Mrs. M.) or Thursday, January 3 (Mrs. D.):  Complete Lesson 4 (Mesopotamia) and complete worksheet pages 22 & 23

SPELLING, GRADE 6

Wednesday, January 2:  Complete pages 99 -- 102
Thursday, January 3: Grade pages 99 -- 102; complete pages 103 -- 106
Spelling test on Monday for 10 words (you have a copy of the list)

There are a number of students who owe back work.  They have been notified and given a list of things they need to turn in to me. Please check your child's planner each night to help them stay on top of assignments.

Thanks!
Teri

"Happy New Year" image: http://img.xcitefun.net/users/2012/12/310748,xcitefun-new-year-greeting-cards-2013-2.jpg

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier." ~Mother Teresa

Hello and happy holidays, everybody--

After tending to some medical needs with my mother on Friday, my husband and I continued on to coastal Maine where my three children and their families gathered for a two-day combination Thanksgiving and Christmas celebration.  It filled my heart with such joy to spend this time with them -- all together, safe and happy.  I am so very blessed  . . .   I would like to take this opportunity to let you know how grateful I am for all of you, too, and for the opportunity you have given me to work with your children.  On this holiday, may you hold them close and share with them all the magic of the season.

Students have been eager to have some kind of gift exchange as part of Thursday's holiday gathering, so, as a reminder:  On Friday, we will celebrate the season with snacks and a small gift exchange.  Girls should purchase a gift for a girl.  Boys should buy something another boy would like.  (Write "For a Girl" or "For a Boy" on the package.)  Please keep the price below $5.00.

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 17--21  

Reading, Mrs. M.'s homeroom:

Monday:  Scholastic News. Read and discuss pages 2-9.  Complete accompanying questions.

Tuesday:  Scholastic News. Readers' Theater (pages 10-13). Complete worksheet

Wednesday:  Craft Extravaganza!

Thursday:  Classroom Holiday Party.

Friday:  No class--Vacation begins !

Social Studies:

Monday (Mrs. M.'s class) and Tuesday (Mrs. D.'s room):  Lesson 3--Babylon and Assyria. Complete Venn Diagram and 5 comprehension questions.

Wednesday:  Craft Extravaganza!

Thursday: Classroom Holiday Party.

Language Arts:

Monday:  Continue work on Christmas carol  parodies.

Tuesday:  Finish parodies and make final corrections on Holiday Persuasive Writing pieces.

Wednesday:  Parody sing-alongs.

Thursday:  No assignment.

Friday:  No assignment.

Spelling, Grade 6:

No assignments this week.

I'll look forward to seeing you all in 2013.  Stay well--

Teri  

 

Wonderful candles image:  http://heathersanimations.com/xmas18/004.gif

Let It Snow image:  http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/8000000/Snowman-Animated-christmas-8020764-448-470.gif

Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. - Mary Ellen Chase

Dear Families--

The countdown has started (actually, it started right after Thanksgiving. . .), and with the holidays right around the corner, focus on anything academic is becoming increasingly difficult.  The kids are having trouble with it, too.  

This week there's a lot going on, and academic expectations reflect our busy schedule.  Although we will provide additional quiet study time to complete independent assignments, some additional time at home may be required.  It might be good to help your student prioritize study time at home.  Remember end-of-month expectations. 

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF

DECEMBER 10--14 

SPELLING, GRADE 6

(Remember--5 Task Cards due on Friday)

Monday:  worksheet pages 83--86. Due Tuesday.



Tuesday:  worksheet pages 87--90. Due Wednesday.

Wednesday:  worksheet pages 91--95. Due Thursday.

Thursday:  worksheet pages 96--98. Due Friday.

Friday:  Test -- 5 task cards also due.   

LANGUAGE ARTS, GRADES 5 & 6

Monday: Finish Persuasive Writing piece

Tuesday:  Share Persuasive Writing

Wednesday:  Holiday Carol rewrite *

Thursday: Continue Holiday Carol rewrite

Friday: Finish Holiday Carol rewrite

* Imitating rhythm and rhyme patterns of familiar carols to produce original poetry. You can find a  helpful website for lyrics to popular songs and carols here or here.

SOCIAL STUDIES. GRADES 5 & 6
("Mystery of the Maya" Reading Comprehension/ Constructed Response handouts due Friday.)

Monday (Mrs. M.) and Tuesday (Mrs. D.): Paint Sumerian Carts

Wednesday (Mrs. M.) and Thursday (Mrs. D.): Finish painting Sumerian Carts to put on display

Friday:  "Mystery of the Maya" due today.

READING. MRS. M'S TWO GROUPS:

Thursday: Your final grade will be a book review that you can do online and print off.  Go here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.  Click on the link to download a document that you can use to make writing your book review a lot simpler. (Read between the boxes--you'll find information that is part of the review!)  REMEMBER:  ELABORATE, ELABORATE, ELABORATE!

ALSO -- DUE DECEMBER 20th:

• Independent Book Projects (with accompanying Story Maps) 

• Writers' Notebooks -- at least 4 entries required.

I hope to see you all on Wednesday evening at 6:30 for Addison's annual Holiday Concert! 

Be well--

Teri

Kaelen and Tianna have a birthday on Saturday, December 15th.  

Have a wonderful day, guys!

Christmas lights image:  https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0CrX2XWJuJLrw7JGNpRbQboaqWRXDHSVd5v_Txe_KKILU6T84CiZNE98yj7iy4LYmuyJodK9rNvJSWKsnoQ5a6cQnLv90vcdyBx4ADhjiXUqrV8D35gvRzCtjulVgVxnWrFllBGsXF4/s1600/christmas_lights.png

Happy Birthday image:  http://generationnation.org/images/uploads/happy_birthday1.png 

Christmas heart image:  http://0.tqn.com/d/graphicssoft/1/0/m/A/5/psptubezdotcom_009.png

Gratitude is the best attitude. ~Author Unknown

 

Hello everyone--

It's hard to imagine that we only have two more weeks until the holiday break!  Remember, the Concert is next Wednesday, December 12th, at 6:30, and students get out of school at 11:30 on the 21st. 

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 3 -- 7  

5/6 ASSIGNMENTS DUE NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 20:

Book projects (including story maps) 

Writers Notebooks (only 4 choices required for this short month)

LANGUAGE ARTS, GRADES 5 & 6

Monday: Progress Test 1

Tuesday: "Personified Vocabulary" activity for Writers' Notebooks.  (Like the notebooks, this is an independent activity, to be done during free time or at home.) Plan it out on a piece of scrap paper before drawing it into your notebook! Center square activities are more polished.  DUE FRIDAY.

Wednesday:  Introduction to Persuasive Writing assignment through Mentor Texts.  Assignment:  Be thinking of a topic to write about!  We'll begin tomorrow.

Thursday:  Discussion about possible holiday topics. Use class time to begin writing first draft of persuasive piece, in either letter or essay format. First draft due tomorrow.

Friday:  Share first drafts.  Begin revision/editing. 

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5 & 6 

Monday (Mrs. M.) & Tuesday (Mrs. D):  Turn in Lesson 2 assignment from last week.  Cuneiform activity for today (no homework)

Wednesday (Mrs. M.) & Thursday (Mrs. D.):  Discussion of inventions and innovations that helped develop the economy and the culture of Ancient Mesopotamia. Create Sumerian Cart (to be put on display with the cuneiform tablets)

SPELLING, GRADE 6

Tuesday:  Spelling test.  No further assignments for this week.

~

Please continue to check your child's planner each night.  It should be up to date and signed by a teacher.  It would be good if you initialed it, also.  Should your child say they have no homework, have them show you that it's done. Also, every child should read at least 30 minutes each night.  Ask them about what they're reading.

Thanks, everybody, for all you do--

Teri

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. - Meister Eckhar

 

Hello everyone--

I hope your holiday was family-filled and bounteous.  I didn't get a chance to be with my children and their families as I'd hoped, but I had the good fortune to spend more time with my mother, which was very special.  I am thankful that she is well, and that my family, living in various coastal towns in Maine, are all healthy and thriving. I'm thankful, too, for all that I have here--my Addison family. I truly count my blessings.

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 26 -- 30

Due on Friday, November 30th:   

1. Independent Book Project, Grades 5 & 6 (Oral Presentations that day) 
2. Story Map -- Grade 6
3. Writers Notebooks for November (lots of class time was given for these independent activities)

Language Arts, Grades 5 & 6:

Monday -- wrapping up loose ends

Tuesday -- Poetry Forms: Create two (or more) seasonal Haiku 

Wednesday -- Share Haiku & illustrate for B' Board display

Thursday -- Finish up Haiku project and direction-following activity.

Friday -- Seasonal activity--no assignment (these 2 days are changes)

Social Studies, Grades 5 & 6:

Monday -- ( Mrs. M.'s class) and Tuesday (Mrs. D.'s class)  

Unit 3, Lesson 1  Due at the next class:

1. Create T-Chart showing geographical features (on left) and ways people adapted to them (on right)
2. Answer questions 1-5 on page 57
3. Complete worksheet (page 18)

Wednesday (Mrs. M.'s class) and Thursday (Mrs. D.'s class)  

Unit 3, Lesson 2 Due at the next class

1. Create compare/contrast chart (see page 58)
2. Answer questions 1-5 on page 62
3. Complete worksheet "The Cities of Sumer"

Spelling, Grade 6 -- all assignments due the next day.

Monday -- Task Cards for Unit 2 must be turned today!

Tuesday -- Unit 3 pages 69-72

Wednesday -- Unit 3 pages 73-76

Thursday -- Unit 3 pages 77-80

Friday -- Test and 6 task cards due.

REMEMBER:  REPORT CARDS GO OUT ON FRIDAY--FILLED WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK WITH YOUR CHILD ABOUT THEIR LEARNING. (Help your child to see that mistakes provide opportunities for learning, and that his or her goal is ultimately to become a self-directed, successful student.)

Have a wonderful week, everyone.

Teri

Happy birthday to Heather (November 27) and Bethany (November 30)!! 

  

Candle image: http://karladornacher.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451638369e20120a6d37c07970b-450wi 

Happy Birthday image: http://img.xcitefun.net/users/2012/08/300946,xcitefun-happy-birthday-4.jpg

"Should things go wrong at any time, the people will set them to rights by the peaceable exercise of their elective rights. " Thomas Jefferson

 Hi everyone --

Yesterday grades 5 and 6 spent time reviewing President Obama's and Governor Romney's political platforms via an animated role play and subsequent discussion about the issues.  It was an enlightening experience to watch these young people contemplate complicated issues, offer their views, and thoughtfully exercise their right to "vote."  Your children are amazing.

ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 5--9

WRITER'S NOTEBOOK -- Grades 5 & 6

*  Monday:  Set up Writer's Notebook for November 

*  Assignment for Tuesday: complete 1st of 4 "16-Word" poems based on "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams.  (This work is considered Williams' masterwork--a poem in which he objectively illustrates the importance of the ordinary.) This first poem can be about any topic the student chooses.  

*  Assignment for Friday: complete the other 3 poems, which should focus on 3 academic subjects.  

LANGUAGE ARTS -- Grades 5 & 6

*  Tuesday:  Read about, role-play, and discuss Democratic and Republican political platforms prior to "voting" for the next president.

*  Wednesday through Friday:  Work on "Wonders" brochure--a major grade in both Language Arts and Social Studies.

SOCIAL STUDIES -- Grades 5 & 6

*  Monday & Wednesday -- 5/6 Maynard -- complete "Wonders" brochure (to be worked on in L.A., too)

*  Tuesday & Thursday -- 5/6 DaBica -- complete "Wonders" brochure (to be worked on in L.A., too)

SPELLING -- Grade 6

*  Monday - Wednesday: Unit 2, Part 1

*  Thursday - Friday: Unit 2 Part 2

* Continue working on Unit 2: Spelling "Task Cards" -- due at the end of Unit 2

~

Thank you, families, for attending parent/student/teacher conferences on Friday, November 2.  It was so nice spending time getting to know you / getting together again.  Addison's children are fortunate to have families that are so devoted to them and to their academic and socio-emotional growth and well-being. Together, we will provide the support and encouragement each and every child deserves.  

My best to you all--

Teri

Voting Booth illustration:  http://wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/710keel.com/files/2011/03/Cartoon-voting-booth.jpg