Science Tests

Look back through your science notes, science papers, and science book to be ready for the performance assessment and the test.

Prueba de Ciencias
Revisar a través de sus notas, papeles libro de ciencias para estar listo para la valoración y la prueba.

Happy Valentine's Day

An interesting op-ed piece by Laura Rushton

Students Should Be Disciplined At Home
By:Laura Rushton

Kids these days are getting bullied too much at school. Parents need to control their kids so they are disciplined and kind to one another. Kids don’t have a right to be mean to one another, although kids think they do. Parents should know to discipline their kids when they need it or not. Parents hear what their kids do in class and just let it go. Kids should be disciplined at all times!

Students should have discipline at home because it’s their children and their job not the schools. Parents are sometimes not letting kids know what’s wrong and what’s right. Which then makes kids think they can live their lives and never get in trouble. Which might lead us to trouble in classrooms or school.

Students can learn to behave, help,be respectful, and nice only if they learn how to be disciplined. Schools or should I say most schools are having problems with bullies and some say its because they don’t have enough discipline. Personally I agree. People not only get hurt on the outside but they get hurt on the inside. Some kids may think they should act in a bad way or disrespect people if other kids aren’t disciplined because that will make good kids think its ok to bully and disrespect others.

Students can become a better and nicer people just by one thing called discipline. They will understand where the line must be made. Kids might get overwhelmed and do silly stuff but you don’t NEED to worry about that much. You might want to check if your kid is treating everyone with respect. Kids need to know that friends and (proper ones) are really important, helpful, and meaningful.

I understand that parents let their kids be kids but their kids need to know when a parent says enough is enough. Kids also need to know to be well behaved. Parents may think what I am saying ids crazy but, to be honest it’s true. I have spoken to many parents who have said discipline is very important in a child’s life. Some parents have the idea that discipline has nothing to do with bullying and stuff. I think that they are wrong because if kids don’t know what’s wrong and what’s right they are just going to get away with it or think it is right.

My solution to this problem is spending time more time with your kids and sitting down with them and telling them what is wrong and what is right. You can ground your kids for a punishment which most parents think is a very good solution to a problem like this. It is a very good way for your kids to learn their lesson. It only really works if you ground them for something they really like doing or using. Thank you for taking the time to read my opinion piece.

2nd Night of the MSN Challenge

The 2nd night of the MSN Challenge was another success! Students made jewelry, read, played with their dogs, rocked and listened to music (rock as in rocking chair and not as in rocking out), played soccer, and organized book stacks.

I have to tell you that the atmosphere in the class is MUCH better. Do you see any differences at home, parents?

Segunda noche desafío MSN
¡La Segunda noche del desafío de MSN fué otro éxito! Los estudiantes hicieron lectura, jugaron con sus perros, escucharon música, jugaron fútbol, y organizaron pilas de libros.
Yo tengo que decirle que la atmósfera en la clase es mucho mejor. ¿Usted ve alguna diferencia en casa, los padres?

Science Links

Thanks to a suggestion from Tracy Rushton I've added some science links to the blog. The link to our science curriculum (FOSS) is a source for interactive games that relate to our program and also if you navigate around a bit you can find worksheets to download if you've lost one.

The other two sites have fun interactive games to help learn about simple and compound machines.

Conexiones para ciencias
Gracias a una sugerencia de Tracy Rushton he agregado algunas conexiones al blog de ciencias. El link (conexión o vínculo) a nuestro plan de estudios de ciencias (FOSS) es una fuente para juegos interactivos que se relacionan con nuestro programa y también si usted navega alrededor un momento puede encontrar hojas de trabajo para bajarlas si usted ha perdido una.

Los otros dos sitios tienen juegos interactivos divertidos para ayudar a aprender acerca de máquinas simples y compuestas.

I'm so proud

I'm so proud of the class. They signed the MSN challenge and came in this morning and shared what they did instead of messaging each other. They organized rooms, played soccer in the garage, talked with their parents, read, finished read a bunch of books that they hadn't finished, etc.

They seem quite happy to have taken the MSN challenge!

Estoy tan orgullosa
Estoy tan orgulloso de la clase. Ellos firmaron el desafío de MSN y vinieron esta mañana y compartieron lo que hicieron en lugar de mensajerse entre ellos. Organizaron sus dormitorios, jugaron futbol en el garaje, hablaron con sus padres, leyeron, terminaron de leer algunos de libros que ellos no habían terminado, etc., ¡Parecen bastante felices para haber tomado el desafío de MSN!

Bystander Power!

Last week I gave the students a survey to take about the atmosphere in the classroom. It was a diagnostic tool to help me and the counselor help the students. We determined that as a class they are very concerned about each other and that there is some bullying going on. Ms. Doylet came to the class and spoke with them about bullying, the difference between being a tattle-tale and sharing with an adult about bullying behavior, and she gave tips as to how bystanders can help.

By far the largest group in a bullying situation is the bystanders and we want to empower them. Students are encouraged to protect each other by reporting bullying behavior to me, Ms. Doylet, or Mr. Morris. They may send an e-mail or find a private moment to talk to one of us. This information will be kept confidential as much as humanly possible. We want to protect the students.

I've also issued an MSN challenge. I've asked the students to sign - if they can honestly make the pledge - a promise not to message or text students in the class for a week, starting tonight. We're going to meet for a few minutes each day to discuss how they are using the time they formerly used to message and how the MSN challenge is affecting their friendships.

¡El poder del testigo!
La semana pasada yo les dí una encuesta de investigación a los estudiantes sobre el ambiente en el aula. Era una herramienta de diagnóstico para ayudarme a mí y a la consejera para ayudar a los estudiantes. Nosotros determinamos que como clase ellos están muy interesados y que hay algunos molestando a sus compañeros. Mrs. Doylet vino a la clase y habló con ellos sobre agresión e intimidación a sus compañeros, la diferencia entre un chismorreo y compartir con un adulto sobre agresiones de parte de compañeros, y ella dio tips acerca de cómo los testigos pueden ayudar.
El grupo más grande en una situación de agresión son los testigos y nosotros queremos inspirar a los estudiantes. Que los estudiantes tengan valor y se protejan de los agresores informando la conducta, a mí, Ms. Doylet, o Sr. Morris. Ellos pueden enviar un correo electrónico o pueden encontrar un momento privado para hablar con uno de nosotros. Esta información se guardará confidencialmente en lo humanamente posible. Nosotros queremos proteger a los estudiantes.
Yo también he dado un reto de MSN. Yo les he pedido a los estudiantes que firmen - si ellos pueden hacer honestamente una promesa de no a mensajescde texto con estudiantes de la clase durante una semana, empezando esta noche. Nosotros vamos a encontrarnos durante unos minutos cada día para discutir cómo ellos están usando el tiempo que ellos usaron anteriormente al mensaje y cómo el desafío de MSN está afectando sus amistades.

Math Test

I decided to spend one more day in review. We will take the test on decimals on Tuesday. Then we will start a unit on multiplying and dividing fractions.

La Prueba de matemática
Yo decidí pasarme un día más en la revisión. Nosotros retrasamos la prueba de los decimales para el martes. Entonces empezaremos una unidad en multiplicar y dividir fraccines

Math Test

Many students did poorly on the math test on decimals (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). Today we spent the afternoon on math. I did some class teaching, but mostly individual teaching as students corrected their tests. We'll have a retest on Monday. If your child did not do well, you might want to spend some time reviewing as well.

Prueba de matemática
Muchos estudiantes hicieron pobremente la prueba de matemática con los decimales (suma, substracción, multiplicación, y división). Hoy nosotros nos pasamos la tarde en matemáticas. Yo hice algo enseñando a la clase, pero mayormente enseñando individual como estudiantes corrigiendo sus pruebas. Nosotros tendremos un retest el lunes. Si su niño no lo hiciera bien, usted podría pasar algún tiempo repasando.

Response to Guided Reading Book – Due February 17th

You may present your response in one of many forms:
Response letter (with 3 parts: summary, connections, response to author)
PowerPoint
Poems
Drama
Dance
Painting
Song
Story Board
Collage
Combination of any of the elements above
Anything else you can think of – some of the above (like dance and paintings) may include a written or spoken element of explanation

Present your idea to me for approval by next Monday- February 9th.


Reading rubric showing score of "3"

• Identify and describe character(s), setting, problem/solution, major events, or plot, as appropriate to text Identify any significant changes in character(s) over time
  Describe characters’ physical characteristics, personality traits, or interactions
• Provide examples of thoughts, words, or actions that reveal characters’ personality traits or their changes over time
• Identify the author’s message or theme (implied or stated)
  Compare stories or other texts to related personal experience, prior knowledge, or to other texts

Written components will be scored using 6+1 Traits rubric

Reporte de Lectura de libro Guiado 17 de febrero

Usted puede presentar su reporte en uno de muchos formularios:
Carta de Respuesta (con 3 partes: el resumen, conexiones, reporte al autor) , PowerPoint , Poemas, Drama, Bailando, Cantando, Historia en cartel, Collage, Pintando
O combinando cualquiera de los elementos anteriores.
Nada más usted puede pensar en alguno de los anterior (como el baile y pinturas) puede incluir un escrito o elemento hablado que expliquen la presentación
Presénteme su idea a mí, para la aprobación el próximo lunes - 9 de febrero.

Rubros que determinaran una calificación de “3”

Identifique y describa al personaje(s), poniendo, problemas/solución, eventos mayores, o acciones, escenarios, apropiado al texto cualquier cambio significativo Identificar algún cambio en el personaje(s) durante el tiempo describa los personajes ' las características físicas, rasgos de personalidad, o interacciones.
Proporcione ejemplos de pensamientos, palabras, o acciones que revelan los la personalidad de los personajes y cambios con el tiempo
Identifique el mensaje del autor o tema (implícito o declarado)
Compare historias u otros textos relacionados a la experiencia personal , de conocimientos anterior, o de otros textos.