Change of Plans For Tomorrow

Please check the assignments page.  I will be out tomorrow for 3rd and 4th periods so there will be a substitute.  My lesson plans have changed for the 2 math classes.

2nd Period: You will still be taking your Lesson 14 Spelling Test and presenting your book reports tomorrow.  It will be a full class.  Come ready to work.  Study tonight for your test.  I hope your paper bags are complete and filled with creativity.

I will be back for 6th and 7th periods so the 2 band classes will not change.  If you have any questions or comments, you can comment below or email me at ag95kmb@gmail.com.

Have a great evening.

Book Report Reminder

Language Arts 6: 

Just a reminder that the Paper Bag book report is due on Friday.  We ARE NOT doing this together in class.  It must be done at home.  The kids have been given the criteria, the rubric by which they will be graded, and the brown paper bag to complete the report.  There is an oral presentation as well as the written report on and in the bag.  Here is an example of one that has already been started.  The directions are very clear on what goes on each side.  Please don't wait until Thursday night.

                            If you need another copy of the book report format, please let me know.  

Band:

Please make sure that you are practicing through line #94.  We have covered a few new music elements and rhythms that you need to be working on.  When you practice at home, we can move faster in class. :)  

Writing This Week

What a great short week this has been.  I think teachers like days off just as much as the kids.  I am enjoying teaching Language Arts so much.  After a few years of just Math, it's nice to shake things up a bit.

Language Arts 6:

We are getting some creative writing, or descriptive paragraphs, ready to submit for publication in the next few weeks.  To prepare for this, we took an in depth look at the characteristics of creative people.

(digital graphics courtesy of KPM Doodles)

We focused on Awareness and Imagination this week.  We went outside and spent 10 minutes in silence to pay attention to what each of our senses experienced.  We recorded this information on our log sheet.

The next day, we began writing and editing statements and supporting details for each of our senses.  Whether the 10 minutes were a miserable experience or an enjoyable experience, it is fun to see how each student is putting their paragraph together.  

I think the introductory sentence was the most difficult for them to come up with.

Remember:  Tomorrow is a Spelling Test.  I hope everyone has completed their Spelling City.

Math 6:  Tomorrow is our Ch. 6 Test.  Wow - we should call it Tests with Mrs. Burke day.  Next week we will begin multiplying and dividing fractions/mixed numbers.

Math 7:  We will continue working with fractions/mixed numbers and begin some geometry studies.  Hmmm... what will we do with jars, string, and rulers????

Band:  Chair Tests tomorrow and Counting Quiz!!  Be ready.  

Have a great Friday!!!

The Liebster Award

Well, I've had an active blog for about 5 days now and I really didn't think anyone knew I existed.  However, Jena, over at Caught in the Middle, must have actually paid attention when I let her know that I grabbed her button for my blog.  I love her site.  She has so much creative information to use in middle school classrooms. Thank you very much for this and for welcoming me to the blog world.  I still don't even have a button, nor do I know how to make or get one; so if anyone has any wisdom to pass on my way, I'd love it.  I just need to take the time to research it.  

The rules are you have to thank the person who nominated you, nominate 5 blogs with less than 200 followers and post it on your blog.  Check out these 4 blogs.  I'm sorry I don't have all 5.  Most people already have more than 200.

The Polka Dot Owl

It's Always A Picnic in 4th Grade

Chocolate Air

History is Elementary

Thanks again.  We get back in the swing of things tomorrow morning.  Hope everyone had a great MLK Jr. Day.

Friday Testing

Language Arts:  Just a reminder that tomorrow, Friday 1/13, you have a spelling test on List 12.  Your Spelling City activities should also be complete.  Continue reading your book report books.  You will receive your brown paper bags next week and we will discuss those a bit more.  


Here are the capitalization rules we have learned.  We are getting ready to start the Comma Unit in our Language books.

Math 7:  We will begin working with fractions and mixed numbers tomorrow through the next week. 


Math 6:  We will finish Ch. 6 strong this next week working with fractions and mixed numbers.  You will have a quiz on Wednesday and the test on Ch. 6 will be Friday.


Band:  Don't forget we have a field trip tomorrow to watch the Albuquerque Youth Symphony.  Wear your prayer shirt to school, bring a jacket.  The afternoons are still cool.  We will leave at 2:00 and return about 3:30.  You do not need your instruments tomorrow.

My First Post

I'm really beginning to love the winters here in Southern New Mexico.  The early mornings are just the best. 

Welcome Back!  We are finishing up our first full week back in school since Christmas break.  I hope you are able to use this blog to keep up with what we are doing each week in class.


6th Gr. Language Arts:  We are working through the Capitalization Unit in our Grammar Books.  We are also working on paragraph writing and preparing to submit one of our writings to the State Writing Festival.  More info. on that to come later.

**Reminder:  Book Reports are due on Friday, January 27th.  You will need to follow the directions for the Paper Bag Book Report you were given in class.  Paper bags will be given out the week prior so they do not get destroyed over the month.

6th Grade Math:  We are working with fractions and Mixed Numbers.

7th Grade Math:  We will be finishing up our introduction to functions and graphs and begin working with fractions for a while.