Welcome Back!

Well, I hope everyone had a fun and safe Spring Break.  We traveled to spend time with family, which was a much needed event.  East Texas is home to our families so when we go to see my parents, we stay on the farm that my grandfather built.  The boys had such a great time fishing.

 

Billy shows off his Blue Gill

 

 

The boys wait patiently.  I don't think they got anything the first day.

 

We went in to town to see the Veteran's Memorial our small town has created.  It is quite a site to see for such a small east Texas town.

 

 My grandmother cooks fries up the Blue Gill for us to eat.  Yum!!!

 

 There's always bluebonnets in their side yard in March.  They make great pictures.

So, what are we doing this week?  

Language Arts: We will be working through our Figurative Language Unit and working on Spelling List 20.    PLEASE REMEMBER THAT BOOK REPORTS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY!!!  We will go over the format on Monday.

Math 6: We will review and test on Ch. 8.  Then we will move in to angles, lines, and construction.  Make sure to bring your compass and protractor on Friday.

Math 7: We will review and test on Ch. 8.  Then we will construct perpendicular and parallel lines using our compass and protractor - please bring them on Wednesday!  We will also continue our Geometry unit with Translations and Tesselations.

Assignments have been posted in RenWeb and on my Assignments page.  I'm looking forward to a great end to the school year as we begin our final quarter.  Let's make it a good one.

Mrs. Burke

Testing Week

Well, it's that time of year again.  I can't believe how quickly this year has gone.  There is still so much to be covered this school year, but we have to test now.   I live with it and press on.  The kids have worked hard this year.  We are continuing Monday with Math and Language lessons.  Testing will be Tuesday through Thursday.   

Please make sure your kids are well rested and eat a good breakfast.  My kids will be going to bed at 8:00.  It will help them be alert, pay attention, and read questions carefully on the test.  If they eat a good breakfast, it will keep their stomach from growling and keep their minds from focusing on their stomachs.  They can bring a snack to eat midway through the morning.  Fruit or proteins are great;  sugary snacks...not so much.

I hope you have a great week.  If you need anything, do not hesitate to contact me.

Biography Book Reports

I had such a great time watching the kids present their person in our Biography Book report presentations.  The month of February, the entire class participated in a biography or autobiography report.  Throughout the year, I let them choose their genre as they work through the selection I gave them at the beginning of the year.  We mark the reports they've done on a chart in the classroom.  When a student has read the biography carefully and fully understands the events of the person's life, the reports are really neat to watch and listen to.  The students present themselves in the first person, fully dressed in character.  Here are some individuals we learned about:

Amelia Earheart

Ronald Reagan

They created time lines and completed the written book report as well.  I'm loving Pinterest for all of the ideas I'm able to steal  borrow and use in my classroom.  The kids will be choosing their March book report book by this Friday (2 days).  Happy choosing.

I never give extra credit!!!!
As an interactive bulletin board, I wanted to present the kids with an opportunity to be observant and show some self initiative.  We have done a few lessons on different types of patterns, so I had them create their own.  I would like for them to notice the board, the detailed directions, complete the task, and turn it in to me for some ...sh........ extra credit.  Not one student has even mentioned the fact that the board was changed or has asked me about the pocket with the directions on it.  Hmmmm....  I'm gonna give it a few more days.  Maybe I'll break down and mention it the day before I take it down.  I want them to be observant - or maybe parents that read this blog can encourage them to check it out.

Have a great rest of your week.  Next week is our big testing week.  We're putting last minute reviews on concepts that we've covered.  These kids will do great.  What a blessing it is to work with them each day.