This year won't slow down! The month of November was filled with novelty and fun. We started the month with a new humanities teacher, Jennie.
Jennie has taken over the language arts and history portion of our eighth grade curriculum so please refer to her blog (in "links I like") for information.
Our science activities this month were designed as a precursor to the "Murder Mystery" that began last Thursday. Students got to visit the crime scene and document their observations. They will spend the next two weeks questioning suspects, participating in crime labs and gathering information to prove whodunit.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
October 24- November 3
This was a fast couple of weeks!
Students began research on Phase 1 of the AMA project. Most of the research was internet based though I brought many books from the library about buildings and architecture for students to use. I am excited to learn about the structures the students chose. Some buildings are from medieval and renaissance times as well as modern structures. For an idea of what questions students were investigating, click here. We started AMA-GEOMA, the math component of the project. Using images of our buildings, students are learning about 3 dimensional geometry and symmetry. They are using that information to recognize the elements of geometry found in their structures.
We started reading a book together as a class, Nothing But the Truth, by Avi. It is about a boy who got himself into trouble for breaking the school's policy of silence during the national anthem by humming along. The story examines freedom, patriotism and respect.
In other math news, the Skills group is learning how to write exponents, understand square numbers and simplify expressions using PEMDAS. The Pre-algebra group learned how to multiply and divide numbers with exponents using the power rule and convert numbers from standard form to scientific notation. Algebra students learned how to use the distributive property and advanced exponent rules in order to simplify expressions.
Our eighth grade scientists spent October learning about atoms, elements and the Periodic Table of Elements. These fundamentals of chemistry will be useful for November’s mystery.
Week of October 17-21
A big thank you goes out to all parents who joined in on our Student-Led Conferences this week.
The conferences were inspiring and useful in setting goals for the students.
The week flew by and students finished their second drafts of the short stories, reviewed for their math test and gathered more information for the AMA project.
We discussed the 3 main phases of the AMA project:
1) The Individual Research Paper. This research includes gathering information about a specific building or structure that the student chose.
2)Using their knowledge of art, math and architecture, students will work in groups to design futuristic structures for use in phase 3 of the project.
3) Students will work together as a class to create a hydroponics garden area outside our classroom using their futuristic designs.
During the week, students came up with questions that might be important to investigate about their structure. The main goal was to discover the purpose as well as the art, architecture and mathematics that was involved in the building of the structure. Using the questions they came up with in class students will begin research.
The conferences were inspiring and useful in setting goals for the students.
The week flew by and students finished their second drafts of the short stories, reviewed for their math test and gathered more information for the AMA project.
We discussed the 3 main phases of the AMA project:
1) The Individual Research Paper. This research includes gathering information about a specific building or structure that the student chose.
2)Using their knowledge of art, math and architecture, students will work in groups to design futuristic structures for use in phase 3 of the project.
3) Students will work together as a class to create a hydroponics garden area outside our classroom using their futuristic designs.
During the week, students came up with questions that might be important to investigate about their structure. The main goal was to discover the purpose as well as the art, architecture and mathematics that was involved in the building of the structure. Using the questions they came up with in class students will begin research.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Week of October 10-14
Upcoming Events:
Student Led Conferences are next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. If you have not signed up or forgot your time, click on the link here. Remember this time is for your child to share his/her strengths and weaknesses, academic goals, social goals and personal goals as well as show their learning in our class. So please bring your student and be prompt as there is a limited amount of time for each student.
Minimum days next week are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Dismissal time is 12:00pm. There will be no Rubios lunch on Friday.
Week in Review:
We kicked off our Art Math and Architecture Project this week (AMA) We began by asking the question, "How has art and math influenced architecture?" Our first step in answering this question is collecting information. We started by gathering information about bridges and buildings such as what are the elements of buildings and what types of bridges are there? We will take a look at buildings from our past and compare them to those that are around us now. We will learn how geometry and algebra plays an important role in the planning and building of structures. We plan on taking a field trip in November to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles as well as a local field trip to Balboa Park to investigate elements of art in the architecture of the buildings there. We may also take a day for a San Diego bridge tour.
During math skills, students practiced working on integers. There will be a skills test Friday October 21. Our language arts class finished the first draft of their creative writing piece. Students were given a deadline to have their story completed by Thursday Oct 14. They will begin peer editing by 3 students on Tuesday Oct 18. Their final draft will be due Friday October 21.
We began our Cross Class Connection with the 1st grade. All classes are connected to another class on campus to have an opportunity to share their work, to read together and to be in a mentorship type roll. The first graders met in the eighth grade classroom for a get to know you activity. We had so much fun and look forward to working together this year.
Rubios Friday was changed to Thursday since school was out Friday. We made $68.09. Besides the fact that a whole class was on a field trip, we decided the drop in lunches could have been because many students did not realize Rubios day was changed this week. We decided it might be a good idea to advertise more instead of just relying on the Sunday IA calls to remind parents about Friday lunches.
A special thank you to Jennifer for picking up donated carpet for our science lab. And those eighth graders who stayed after school to move furniture and roll out the carpet... you rock!
We had some changes in our 8th grade staff and are doing the best we can to make the transition for the kids as seamless as possible. As expected, the class is taking to the changes in stride. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns. lisa@innovationsacademy.org
Student Led Conferences are next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. If you have not signed up or forgot your time, click on the link here. Remember this time is for your child to share his/her strengths and weaknesses, academic goals, social goals and personal goals as well as show their learning in our class. So please bring your student and be prompt as there is a limited amount of time for each student.
Minimum days next week are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Dismissal time is 12:00pm. There will be no Rubios lunch on Friday.
Week in Review:
We kicked off our Art Math and Architecture Project this week (AMA) We began by asking the question, "How has art and math influenced architecture?" Our first step in answering this question is collecting information. We started by gathering information about bridges and buildings such as what are the elements of buildings and what types of bridges are there? We will take a look at buildings from our past and compare them to those that are around us now. We will learn how geometry and algebra plays an important role in the planning and building of structures. We plan on taking a field trip in November to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles as well as a local field trip to Balboa Park to investigate elements of art in the architecture of the buildings there. We may also take a day for a San Diego bridge tour.
During math skills, students practiced working on integers. There will be a skills test Friday October 21. Our language arts class finished the first draft of their creative writing piece. Students were given a deadline to have their story completed by Thursday Oct 14. They will begin peer editing by 3 students on Tuesday Oct 18. Their final draft will be due Friday October 21.
We began our Cross Class Connection with the 1st grade. All classes are connected to another class on campus to have an opportunity to share their work, to read together and to be in a mentorship type roll. The first graders met in the eighth grade classroom for a get to know you activity. We had so much fun and look forward to working together this year.
Rubios Friday was changed to Thursday since school was out Friday. We made $68.09. Besides the fact that a whole class was on a field trip, we decided the drop in lunches could have been because many students did not realize Rubios day was changed this week. We decided it might be a good idea to advertise more instead of just relying on the Sunday IA calls to remind parents about Friday lunches.
A special thank you to Jennifer for picking up donated carpet for our science lab. And those eighth graders who stayed after school to move furniture and roll out the carpet... you rock!
We had some changes in our 8th grade staff and are doing the best we can to make the transition for the kids as seamless as possible. As expected, the class is taking to the changes in stride. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns. lisa@innovationsacademy.org
Week of October 3-7
This week was one that required much teamwork. I am so impressed with our class' attitude of ownership this year. The students began leading morning meetings and class council this week. I watched as a leader was chosen each day and how the other students worked together to make the meetings effective for everyone. They try to show respect for each other and honor each other's ideas. I am so excited to watch them grow as individuals as well as a united class this year.
We braved the elements on Wednesday to hike Iron Mountain. Our hike started out cool with a chance of showers. After about a mile of walking it started misting. As we walked higher up the mountain we were immersed in the clouds and quite damp. We trudged up the trail, not being able to see much ahead of us because of the mist. Just after we got to the top, the cloud cover opened up enough to enjoy an incredible view of the horizon. On a clear day you can get a 360 degree view of San Diego county all the way to the ocean. We still enjoyed the nearly 6 mile hike and had a fun time out in nature. A very grateful thank you to Jennifer, Laura and Naomi for helping with the drive.
Our first Friday Rubios lunch program went off without a hitch! We profited $ 115.90. We hope to average $100 per week to raise funds for our Northern California trip in May. Each student in our class helped with order form distribution, advertising, collecting money and orders, and serving food.
Math: Pre-Algebra and Algebra students focused on the rules of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of integers this week.
Science: Students used the earthworm information they gathered last week to learn about how to create a laboratory report. After collecting their work and realizing many of them were incomplete and lacked detail, we discussed the reasons why complete and accurate laboratory reports are necessary. Students were then given a model of a “good” laboratory report as well as a template that would work for most experiments. Our second drafts were much better!
During humanities, students finished their "Who Am I " artwork, created a presentation rubric and started presenting their work to the class. They also worked on writing individual stories.
We braved the elements on Wednesday to hike Iron Mountain. Our hike started out cool with a chance of showers. After about a mile of walking it started misting. As we walked higher up the mountain we were immersed in the clouds and quite damp. We trudged up the trail, not being able to see much ahead of us because of the mist. Just after we got to the top, the cloud cover opened up enough to enjoy an incredible view of the horizon. On a clear day you can get a 360 degree view of San Diego county all the way to the ocean. We still enjoyed the nearly 6 mile hike and had a fun time out in nature. A very grateful thank you to Jennifer, Laura and Naomi for helping with the drive.
Our first Friday Rubios lunch program went off without a hitch! We profited $ 115.90. We hope to average $100 per week to raise funds for our Northern California trip in May. Each student in our class helped with order form distribution, advertising, collecting money and orders, and serving food.
Math: Pre-Algebra and Algebra students focused on the rules of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of integers this week.
Science: Students used the earthworm information they gathered last week to learn about how to create a laboratory report. After collecting their work and realizing many of them were incomplete and lacked detail, we discussed the reasons why complete and accurate laboratory reports are necessary. Students were then given a model of a “good” laboratory report as well as a template that would work for most experiments. Our second drafts were much better!
During humanities, students finished their "Who Am I " artwork, created a presentation rubric and started presenting their work to the class. They also worked on writing individual stories.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Week of Sept 26-30
Upcoming Events:
- Iron Mountain Hike: Wednesday October 3. Leave school at approx 9:30, return to school at 1:00. Wear tennis shoes. Bring water and lunch.
- Friday Lunches: 8th grade fundraiser begins Friday Oct. 7! We will be taking orders and passing out Rubios lunches to IA students and staff. Lunch will cost $4.00 and include an entree, a side and bottled water. Look for menu on our school website and this blog on Wednesday. Students can pay for lunches to their teachers Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday morning. Lunches must be prepaid by Friday morning meeting at the latest.
This past week was very productive! We officially moved into the science lab so we now have two classrooms to work in. (We would love some indoor plants for the lab to help muffle the noise! We are working on getting floor rugs too)
Students are well into math skills according to their appropriate levels. I introduced weekly Academic Language for math this past week and students had their first quiz on Friday. The quizzes are designed to help students master the language of math. New words will be introduced each week with a mastery quiz at the end of the week. Last weeks words or phrases for pre-algebra: integer, whole number, natural number, rational number, evaluate, expression, equation, order of operations. For algebra: constant, variable, coefficient, term, expression, equation, independent variable, dependent variable, order of operations
Science started out a little slippery as students searched for earthworms on our campus. After trying many different spots ranging from dry and rocky to cool and green, students discovered the best place to find the worms was underneath the air conditioners where water was condensing and dripping on the dirt. After we collected them, students created a testing environment in the classroom. The purpose of this activity was to introduce the scientific method and the protocol for designing and reporting on an experiment. Students investigated the question whether earthworms prefer light or dark environments. Rather than always providing the supplies and testing apparatus already set up for them, our eighth graders will learn what it is like to be a real scientist. Often they will create their own experiment from a question they may have about a topic, form their own unique hypothesis, need to search out their own testing materials (worms in this case..."no animals were harmed in the making of this activity!" ), devise their own procedures, analyze and report out their data and present their findings to the class. Next week we will perfect our laboratory reporting techniques and presentations.
During language arts, students began a "Who Am I " activity by creating a piece of art that represents them.
A vocabulary list was generated from an article read in class as students came across words they were unfamiliar with. They defined and acted out the words in skits. The words that students are responsible for this week are: philanthropy, fiscal, aggregate, inconsequential, sacrifice, burden, coddle, federal, revenue, and legislators
Looking forward to another great week!
Lisa and Diana
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Week of September 19–23
Week of September 19–23
The students finished presenting their skits and shared their suggestions with the class on ways to make stronger the systems that society requires in order to best function and meet its members’ needs. They also started writing a class letter to city planners with their suggestions, which we will be revising and sending out next week. The students also decided that we would find out more about and participate in the current planning that is going on in our local community.
We have begun working on math skills. We are also continuing to work on our stories and learn new vocabulary words.
The class has officially finalized and ratified our class constitution.
Supplies:
Students need to bring in and have in class each day several composition books or spirals and a free reading book, as well as a few pens and pencils.
Assignments:
Students were assigned to research their topics and bring in a newspaper or magazine article. Some students still need to do this.
Students also need to figure out what supplies their family would need for 72 hours in an emergency, and make a checklist of whether or not they have those supplies.
Announcements:
Back to School Night is Thursday from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!
Have a good week!
Diana and Lisa
Week of September 12–16
Week of September 12–16
We are working on defining what makes “beautiful work” and the importance of revision. We have made physical representations, and the students are working on presenting their work.
We have also been studying the systems that society requires in order to best function and meet its members’ needs, and what happens when a part of that system breaks down. Students are analyzing the systems and creating a skit to share their information and demonstrate their suggestions. We have also been reading newspapers and researching how this applies to current events as well as decision making. The students have decided to write to the city as well as their representatives to share their suggestions, which we will begin working on next week. We will also be building upon this to look at community planning today as well as examine the ways people lived during periods of time throughout history.
The students have taken a math assessment. We will begin working on skills next week.
We have created our class constitution and are now ready to finalize and ratify it.
We have begun writing fiction stories and are working on critiquing and building a safe environment to share our work. Soon, we will be working on grammar based on the students’ writing.
This week we set up the science lab and made the room our own. It has been great to have two classrooms.
Supplies:
Students need to bring in and have in class each day several composition books or spirals and a free reading book, as well as a few pens and pencils.
Assignments:
Students were assigned to research their topics and bring in a newspaper or magazine article. They were also asked to figure out what supplies their family would need for 72 hours in an emergency, and make a checklist of whether or not they have those supplies.
Announcements:
Back to School Night is Thursday from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!
Have a good week!
Diana and Lisa
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sept 6-Sept 12
What an interesting week we've had! Our eighth grade class is off to a great start. We are putting our systems in place while getting to know each other. We are practicing routines and signals that we hope will help our classroom run effectively. Parents - ask your student about morning meetings, class council, signals, critique, our pets (and their names :) ), lunchtime, their peers, etc.
We are currently in the midst of creating our class constitution. We are also creating the framework for expressing ourselves through writing and presenting our work to others.
We were all surprised to get a day off of school on Friday and hope you enjoyed the unexpected break!
Yesterday, we started our Explorations program. Our 8th grade class has the opportunity to spend the next nine weeks in two classes on Mondays: "Rhythm and Percussion" and "Hands On Art."
We are so impressed with how quickly our class is becoming a strong community. On the second day of school during a small group activity, we noticed students laughing and working together as if they had known each other for years!
We are currently in the midst of creating our class constitution. We are also creating the framework for expressing ourselves through writing and presenting our work to others.
We were all surprised to get a day off of school on Friday and hope you enjoyed the unexpected break!
Yesterday, we started our Explorations program. Our 8th grade class has the opportunity to spend the next nine weeks in two classes on Mondays: "Rhythm and Percussion" and "Hands On Art."
We are so impressed with how quickly our class is becoming a strong community. On the second day of school during a small group activity, we noticed students laughing and working together as if they had known each other for years!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Welcome Back To School!
Hello new 8th grade families!
Although I can't wait to have students back in the classroom, summer was not long enough! I hope you all had a restful time off and are ready to get back in the swing of things.
I would like you to be prepared for the new school year before we begin by looking over the following two things:
1) 8th Grade Class Supply List
2) A brief overview of the first few weeks of school
CLASS SUPPLY LIST
(Don't panic if you don't have it all on the first day! This is a list of things used throughout the year)
For each student:
One journal/idea/planning book (a bound composition book is best)
For the class to use (please help with these if you can):
I often purchase a variety of supplies for the classroom, so gift cards to Barnes and Noble, Michaels, JoAnns, Staples,etc or adding $10-20 to the classroom supply fund is greatly appreciated. As we are a public school, your donation is voluntary and we thank you for your generosity! Please bring any cash(designated for the 8th grade class) to Donna at the front office for proper accounting.
Thank you for everything you are doing to get your child ready for school. Feel free to contact me anytime at lisa@innovationsacademy.org. I look forward to seeing you soon!
4 spiral notebooks
A large variety pack of colored pens and colored pencils
Loose leaf notebook paper- College Rule preferred
Dividers- 5 count (I will provide 3 ring binders)
Large durable pencil pouch or box
Several #2 pencils
2 blue or black pens
Highlighter (3 various colors)
Scissors
One package lined Index Cards (3x5)
Quad (Graph) paper
Personal whiteboard
1 ream of printer paper
1 pack of cardstock paper, any color
Poster board (preferrably white)
1 box of Kleenex
1 box of Wet Wipes
Scotch tape
Painters tape
OVERVIEW OF THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL Eighth grade students take on a great role at Innovations Academy as the leaders, mentors and examples for our younger students to follow. I have great expectations that they are students who can think for themselves and take on roles of leadership and responsibility
Lisa Moncrief
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
End of the year events
Friday June 10: Six Flags Grad Night. We have drivers covered! We will leave school at 10:00am and plan to leave Six Flags at 10:30 pm. We should arrive back at school around 1:15am. Please pack a lunch, snacks and bring money for dinner. We will eat lunch when we arrive. A meal costs around $10-12. We can go out to the car to eat snacks, but cannot bring food in.
Monday June 13 is Field Day for the whole school: 10:00-2:00 at Allied Gardens Community Park about two miles away on Zion Ave. We are looking for a few parents to shuttle kids up there and back.
Thursday June 16: Eighth Grade Promotion 6:00- 8:00. Location TBA this weekend. Promotion begins with a message from Christine and Teachers, followed by student speeches and promotion certificates. After the ceremony, we will have dinner. During class council today, some, but not all students signed up for food assignments. With 22 students, we are looking at around 80-100 guests. I did tell students if they have more people than just immediate family, we are asking that they also bring a dish.
Food Assignments include:
1. Appetizers: chips dips
2. Main Dish to serve 10-12 each (8 volunteers)
3. Side Dish to serve 10-12 each (8 volunteers)
4. Drinks sparkling pink lemonade (8 2liter bottles sprite, countrytime or crystal light pink lemonade mix)
5. Dessert: cookies, sweets
I am bringing a Costco graduation cake, lemonade decanter,dinner plates and utensils(donated from Poway little league)
Barb Carlson has volunteered to pick up decorations.
Friday June 17: Last Day of School! Beach Party at Belmont Park Leave school at 10:00, return to school at 3:30. Students can be dropped off at 10:45 at Belmont Park but I need to know in advance to mark students present for school. Bring lunch or money for lunch, bathing suits, sunscreen, etc. Main setup will be on the beach in front of the rollercoaster.
The year flew by! Can't believe its almost over!
Monday June 13 is Field Day for the whole school: 10:00-2:00 at Allied Gardens Community Park about two miles away on Zion Ave. We are looking for a few parents to shuttle kids up there and back.
Thursday June 16: Eighth Grade Promotion 6:00- 8:00. Location TBA this weekend. Promotion begins with a message from Christine and Teachers, followed by student speeches and promotion certificates. After the ceremony, we will have dinner. During class council today, some, but not all students signed up for food assignments. With 22 students, we are looking at around 80-100 guests. I did tell students if they have more people than just immediate family, we are asking that they also bring a dish.
Food Assignments include:
1. Appetizers: chips dips
2. Main Dish to serve 10-12 each (8 volunteers)
3. Side Dish to serve 10-12 each (8 volunteers)
4. Drinks sparkling pink lemonade (8 2liter bottles sprite, countrytime or crystal light pink lemonade mix)
5. Dessert: cookies, sweets
I am bringing a Costco graduation cake, lemonade decanter,dinner plates and utensils(donated from Poway little league)
Barb Carlson has volunteered to pick up decorations.
Friday June 17: Last Day of School! Beach Party at Belmont Park Leave school at 10:00, return to school at 3:30. Students can be dropped off at 10:45 at Belmont Park but I need to know in advance to mark students present for school. Bring lunch or money for lunch, bathing suits, sunscreen, etc. Main setup will be on the beach in front of the rollercoaster.
The year flew by! Can't believe its almost over!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Student Led Conferences are May 23-26. All of those days are half days for the students. Here is the link to sign up for conferences with me and Tony.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Eighth Grade Sacramento Trip
Sacramento Trip 2011
Day 1:
After a harrowing morning packing 22 people’s belongings into 3 cars, we got on our way at 10:45 in the morning. We had one mishap. Lost an air mattress off the top of Tony’s car. 9ish hours later, we arrived safe and sound at the Ponderosa campsite. Much to the dismay of many of us, there was little to no cell service. It was dark and we couldn’t see much but we could hear a river roaring nearby. People were grumpy, tired and excited all at the same time. We settled into our campsites and called it a night around 11:00.
Day 2:
We woke up to a cool, cloudy day after a much needed rest. We decided today we would take it easy and get a lay of the land. We found ourselves out in the middle of nowhere on a beautiful river. The kids spent the morning exploring and wanting to jump into the freezing river fed by snow. I spent the time figuring out the best way to get all of the kids fed quickly and efficiently. After a successful breakfast and lunch, we drove a couple miles away from the campground for Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park. First stop, the museum where we learned about the history of the land we were on. We took a hike through the park, stopping to see a replica of Sutter’s Mill, the original site and the place where James Marshall first discovered gold. We continued on our hike along the river where Tony showed us his ninja rock skipping and tree climbing skills. We played for a while before taking a trip to civilization (Walmart) so everyone could call their moms for Mother’s Day, as well as replace the air mattress and stock up on supplies. (one gallon of milk = one breakfast for our crew). We came back to our campsite in time for dinner and barbequed burgers. I was surprised by a bouquet of roses and a Mother’s Day card signed by my class. We ended the day with a relaxing evening sitting around the fire, hanging out, joking and laughing.
Day 3: (Pictures coming tomorrow)
We had a great time today, as expected. We got up at seven and drove through the Sierra foothills to Moaning Cavern. It was like going down the rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland. 300 steps down, we were tiny in comparison to the giant cavern and formations around us. It was exhilarating to climb into the earth. Some kids were claustrophobic at first and the height where we started the descent to the bottom of the cavern was a little scary. This cavern can hold the statue of liberty inside it. Much like you would look at clouds and see shapes, our guide pointed out rock formations that looked like ET, Mufasa, a child’s arm, Homer Simpsons head, Jaws, etc.
It was so eerie when the lights went out and we were all silent. All you could hear was water dripping and it was impossible to see anything in front of your face. (Unless you were sitting next to Ashley’s glow in the dark shirt) After the tour, Sage and Moen ziplined through the forest. Our next stop was Sutters Gold Mine. What started as a beautiful sunny day turned into a downpour as we got out of the cars to begin the tour in open trucks. Fortunately our hair didn’t get wet on the short ride to the opening of the mine shaft due to the fashionable hard hats we were required to wear. We toured the mine and learned about the history of gold mines and the geology of the land around us. We traveled back to the campground sighting cows, horses, wild turkeys and gorgeous rolling hills. There was just enough time before dinner for the kids to take a trip down to the river and jump in. Tony took most of them down while I got tacos prepared with the help of Hunter and Brittney. Just as we were finishing there was a sudden rush of girls cramming into any available hot shower. They came in purple, blue and red and laughing after having a great time in the freezing river. After dinner we had an awesome class council around the fire. We finished up by recalling one memory or good thing about the trip so far. Below is what each student said:
Ashley – Writing things I want to let go of on pieces of paper and tossing them in the fire.
AJ – Freezing while fishing in the river.
Brittney – Everyone bonding and getting closer.
JC – Being the first guy to go completely in the freezing river!
James – Besides the homesickness, it’s been fun!
Hunter – Tony getting me a free short stack at IHOP after taking a survey.
Chana – I just think that all of it’s great. I loved when we all came back from the river and just jumped in the shower!
EZ – Building the fire and having everyone around it.
Lorenzo – Sitting around the fire with my friends.
KT – Falling “up” a tree at Sutter’s Mill.
David – Singing “I’m a Little Tea Pot”.
Elena – Skipping stones with Tony and getting to the bottom of Moaning Caverns and seeing the characters formed by the rocks.
Moen – Playing with the Frisbee and watching KT fall “up” a tree and watching Brittney eat ketchup.
Jacqueline – Swimming in a freezing river and still having fun!
Eddie – Being around the campfire with everyone.
Sage – Fun with the fire.
Melanie – Having an awkward, but funny conversation with the girls.
Lynn – This is the first time I’ve gone camping and I like the whole thing.
Sorry no pictures today. When we get to “civilization” tomorrow, we will download them.
Day 4:
Yesterday, we woke up bright and early to head out to the Old Sacramento School House. We met our “teacher” who converted us into an authentic 1850’s class, with boys and girls separated and sitting on opposing sides of the room. Each of the students had a small chalkboard and practiced their cursive as the teacher had everyone point out differences between the old classroom and classrooms of today. Kids got a kick out of hearing the old school rules and the amount of lashes unlucky troublemakers would receive. We moved on to Sutter’s Fort after a brief lunch at Subway.
Everyone enjoyed touring the headquarters of John Sutter, California’s enterprising businessman who owned the land on which his partner, John Marshall, discovered gold. The kids got to explore the fort and take in what life might have been like during Sutter’s time as they observed merchants and farmers at work behind the two and a half foot thick, eighteen feet high walls.
Day 5:
This morning, we went on our way to the California State Capitol building in Sacramento, where the students got a tour from Senator Joel Anderson! He showed us both the senate and the assembly halls and students’ jaws dropped as they marveled at the ornate ceilings. As we left the building, we were quickly greeted by a small news crew doing a story about a bill that, if it were passed, would force manufactures to reveal the ingredients of hot dogs! The anchor interviewed us and most people had blank stares as they contemplated what a hotdog could be made of.
Next, we moved on to the Jelly Belly Factory, where we made the last factory tour. We got to walk above the factory floor and watch the workers and machines create the delightful little treats that we’ve known and loved our whole lives. At the end, our tour guide gave us free Jelly Bellies and released us into the gift shop where kids tried every flavor from strawberry to dog food!
We headed west for San Francisco and are now in a beautiful home, courtesy of Elena’s aunt, to continue our San Francisco leg of the trip.
Day 6:
We slept in because we were all so exhausted from the past few days which have been packed with activities and moving around. Once everybody was ready, we drove down to Danielle’s house to do a service project. When we first got there Danielle and her roommates explained the way they live in an “intentional community.” They explained how they practice things such as living in a community, recycling, and self growth. They basically try to live off of what they have. They recycle everything they can and have a compost pile, which is the start of what we did there.
We had three groups, one was planting seeds, one was planting plants, and one was turning the compost. The group planting seeds first had to prepare the dirt, which Danielle had dug up from her backyard. The dirt was clay-like, which made it hard to work with and required a lot of preparation. We had to break up the dirt was there was very little clumps and take out all the weeds and pieced of plants and stuff. Next, we mixed it with some fresh compost. Then, we added Alfalfa Meal, mixing it all together. Once the dirt was ready, we poured it into boxes where we would then plant the seeds. We planted a variety of flowers, but I’m not really sure how that helped them out. Haha.
The plant planting group poured fertilizer on the ground and got it ready for the plants. They then dug little holes in the ground that were just big enough to fit the plants that they had in them. They planted flowers, which kind, I’m not sure.
The compost group was by far the most interesting and exciting group. When they got to the compost pile, they pulled off the cover and a wave of bugs poured out. Most of the girls in the group screamed, if not all of them. The pile of old, broken-down food was alive with bugs. It was just once huge mound of wreathing dirt.
As soon as we finished with the service project (helping Danielle and her roommates with their gardening), we ate lunch. Lunch consisted of or sandwiches we made and packed this morning, some fresh apples, kumquats, strawberries, and chips. As soon as we were done eating, we hit the road.
Three students went with Lisa to go get the Wharf passes so we could go do a bunch of fun stuff in the area. The other group went to Blazing Saddles to rent bikes to ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, but still had to wait for us to get there and give them the wharf passes.
When we finally got to Blazing Saddles, we watched the bikers take off. As soon as they were gone we got back in the car and drove across the bridge just for fun and to see if we could see them. We got out of the other side and took pictures and looked out across the bay to the city and Alcatraz Island. When we got in the car and drove across the bridge, we looked all over for our class but we couldn’t see them, they weren’t that far yet. So we stopped at the famous Lombard street and drove down because we were finally in a car small enough (a Dodge journey, not the giant van) to drive down the windy, narrow path. When we got to the bottom we got out and took a picture. Then we went to the coolest music store ever, Amoeba Music. We searched through some music for a while then left to go back to Blazing Saddles.
When we got there, some kids were late, but everybody made it across the bridge and back. Yay! It was a long and tiring bike ride (two hours), but they made it! After that, everyone was hungry so we went to a pizza place in Fisherman’s Wharf, which was overly priced for the tiny pizzas. As soon as everyone was done eating, we decided to take advantage of our Wharf passes, so we went to the Wax Museum. On the way there, we passed by the Rainforest Café and went inside. We planned on getting dessert there but didn’t exactly have the time, considering we wanted to do as much as we could. So we looked around for a while and bought some stuff then continued on our way to the Wax Museum.
We got there and everybody went through at their own pace, taking pictures and admiring the great works of realistic art. When we got out of there, we kind of just wandered around. Some kids went into a Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum thing. At the end of the night, we got home late, and everybody was tired, but we still had packing to do considering we were planning on trying to get out of the house at 8:30 the next morning. After a long day, we finally all went to sleep, ready for the next morning.
Day 7:
We woke up early, having to pack and have everything ready within the next hour. We got packed and were ready to go at 8:40, only ten minutes behind schedule, which is a lot better than usual! Yay us! The first thing we did was drive to Chinatown. The way there, everybody in Lisa’s car was dead asleep, so by the time we got there, nobody wanted to get out. We decided we didn’t need to go, and left the other groups to get out for an hour and look around while we went to get our Alcatraz tickets. They went to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, which was tiny and everything was handmade.
Lisa’s car went to get the Alcatraz tickets and waited around for a little bit for all the other kids. When they got there, we all got in line and waited to get on the boat. When we got to the island, we got to go inside and we got audio players which played directions of where to go and gave us some information on what we were looking at. They were basically recorded tour guides. We got to walk all the way through the prison and learned a lot about it. When we finally left and got back to San Fran, we got on a double-decker tour bus around the city. We drove in a complete circle, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and by a bunch of other tourist attractions, listening to facts about them along the way.
We got off the bus and went to Subway to eat lunch, it was late and not everyone got to eat breakfast due to our rushing. We ate and left, going back to our cars to leave San Francisco and head toward Big Sur.
(Day 6 and 7 written by Ashley on the way to Big Sur)
Day 8:
Last night we got to Big Sur after sunset and had to set up in the dark. Not fun. So we got all set up and went to sleep pretty early. This morning we woke up under gigantic Redwood trees, had pancakes and hot chocolate for breakfast and left for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We all had a great time going through and seeing all the sea birds, fish, and other marine life. There were a bunch of cool touch pools and other interactive things.
On the way back to our campsite, we stopped to hike down a short trail to see Mc Way Falls, an 80 foot waterfall that poured right down onto a beach. The water was incredibly clear. It was beautiful. We even saw a proposal written in the sand, “Natalie, will you marry me?” It was really cute.
When we finally started going back to camp, we decided to stop at Pfeiffer Beach instead. After driving two miles down a bumpy, windy road, we got to this beautiful beach. We were virtually unprepared, considering we didn’t have time to go back to the camp and get bathing suits on and stuff. But either way, the kids went in the freezing water and had fun. Others climbed the rocks and explored.
We got back to camp and it was freezing so we started a fire and made dinner. Hunter’s dad and sister showed up on his motorcycle and joined us for the evening. After spaghetti and veggies, kids separated and played flashlight tag around the campground. That’s when the rain started. Because of the lush Redwood trees, there was some protection from the rain so we sat around the fire and made s’mores. Eventually it was time to call it quits and seek refuge from the rain inside our tents.
Day 9:
We woke up to sprinkling after a long night of pouring rain. Most tents were soaked and we were all cold. We packed as well as we could with everything wet and muddy and left Big Sur for our homes. Our cars smelled of wet dog, we were damp and tired, but we knew we were heading home after an awesome trip. Nearly everyone commented on how much fun we had. It was difficult to say goodbye but exciting to be back to family and the luxuries of home.
Day 1:
After a harrowing morning packing 22 people’s belongings into 3 cars, we got on our way at 10:45 in the morning. We had one mishap. Lost an air mattress off the top of Tony’s car. 9ish hours later, we arrived safe and sound at the Ponderosa campsite. Much to the dismay of many of us, there was little to no cell service. It was dark and we couldn’t see much but we could hear a river roaring nearby. People were grumpy, tired and excited all at the same time. We settled into our campsites and called it a night around 11:00.
Day 2:
We woke up to a cool, cloudy day after a much needed rest. We decided today we would take it easy and get a lay of the land. We found ourselves out in the middle of nowhere on a beautiful river. The kids spent the morning exploring and wanting to jump into the freezing river fed by snow. I spent the time figuring out the best way to get all of the kids fed quickly and efficiently. After a successful breakfast and lunch, we drove a couple miles away from the campground for Marshall Gold Discovery State Historical Park. First stop, the museum where we learned about the history of the land we were on. We took a hike through the park, stopping to see a replica of Sutter’s Mill, the original site and the place where James Marshall first discovered gold. We continued on our hike along the river where Tony showed us his ninja rock skipping and tree climbing skills. We played for a while before taking a trip to civilization (Walmart) so everyone could call their moms for Mother’s Day, as well as replace the air mattress and stock up on supplies. (one gallon of milk = one breakfast for our crew). We came back to our campsite in time for dinner and barbequed burgers. I was surprised by a bouquet of roses and a Mother’s Day card signed by my class. We ended the day with a relaxing evening sitting around the fire, hanging out, joking and laughing.
Day 3: (Pictures coming tomorrow)
We had a great time today, as expected. We got up at seven and drove through the Sierra foothills to Moaning Cavern. It was like going down the rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland. 300 steps down, we were tiny in comparison to the giant cavern and formations around us. It was exhilarating to climb into the earth. Some kids were claustrophobic at first and the height where we started the descent to the bottom of the cavern was a little scary. This cavern can hold the statue of liberty inside it. Much like you would look at clouds and see shapes, our guide pointed out rock formations that looked like ET, Mufasa, a child’s arm, Homer Simpsons head, Jaws, etc.
It was so eerie when the lights went out and we were all silent. All you could hear was water dripping and it was impossible to see anything in front of your face. (Unless you were sitting next to Ashley’s glow in the dark shirt) After the tour, Sage and Moen ziplined through the forest. Our next stop was Sutters Gold Mine. What started as a beautiful sunny day turned into a downpour as we got out of the cars to begin the tour in open trucks. Fortunately our hair didn’t get wet on the short ride to the opening of the mine shaft due to the fashionable hard hats we were required to wear. We toured the mine and learned about the history of gold mines and the geology of the land around us. We traveled back to the campground sighting cows, horses, wild turkeys and gorgeous rolling hills. There was just enough time before dinner for the kids to take a trip down to the river and jump in. Tony took most of them down while I got tacos prepared with the help of Hunter and Brittney. Just as we were finishing there was a sudden rush of girls cramming into any available hot shower. They came in purple, blue and red and laughing after having a great time in the freezing river. After dinner we had an awesome class council around the fire. We finished up by recalling one memory or good thing about the trip so far. Below is what each student said:
Ashley – Writing things I want to let go of on pieces of paper and tossing them in the fire.
AJ – Freezing while fishing in the river.
Brittney – Everyone bonding and getting closer.
JC – Being the first guy to go completely in the freezing river!
James – Besides the homesickness, it’s been fun!
Hunter – Tony getting me a free short stack at IHOP after taking a survey.
Chana – I just think that all of it’s great. I loved when we all came back from the river and just jumped in the shower!
EZ – Building the fire and having everyone around it.
Lorenzo – Sitting around the fire with my friends.
KT – Falling “up” a tree at Sutter’s Mill.
David – Singing “I’m a Little Tea Pot”.
Elena – Skipping stones with Tony and getting to the bottom of Moaning Caverns and seeing the characters formed by the rocks.
Moen – Playing with the Frisbee and watching KT fall “up” a tree and watching Brittney eat ketchup.
Jacqueline – Swimming in a freezing river and still having fun!
Eddie – Being around the campfire with everyone.
Sage – Fun with the fire.
Melanie – Having an awkward, but funny conversation with the girls.
Lynn – This is the first time I’ve gone camping and I like the whole thing.
Sorry no pictures today. When we get to “civilization” tomorrow, we will download them.
Day 4:
Yesterday, we woke up bright and early to head out to the Old Sacramento School House. We met our “teacher” who converted us into an authentic 1850’s class, with boys and girls separated and sitting on opposing sides of the room. Each of the students had a small chalkboard and practiced their cursive as the teacher had everyone point out differences between the old classroom and classrooms of today. Kids got a kick out of hearing the old school rules and the amount of lashes unlucky troublemakers would receive. We moved on to Sutter’s Fort after a brief lunch at Subway.
Everyone enjoyed touring the headquarters of John Sutter, California’s enterprising businessman who owned the land on which his partner, John Marshall, discovered gold. The kids got to explore the fort and take in what life might have been like during Sutter’s time as they observed merchants and farmers at work behind the two and a half foot thick, eighteen feet high walls.
Day 5:
This morning, we went on our way to the California State Capitol building in Sacramento, where the students got a tour from Senator Joel Anderson! He showed us both the senate and the assembly halls and students’ jaws dropped as they marveled at the ornate ceilings. As we left the building, we were quickly greeted by a small news crew doing a story about a bill that, if it were passed, would force manufactures to reveal the ingredients of hot dogs! The anchor interviewed us and most people had blank stares as they contemplated what a hotdog could be made of.
Next, we moved on to the Jelly Belly Factory, where we made the last factory tour. We got to walk above the factory floor and watch the workers and machines create the delightful little treats that we’ve known and loved our whole lives. At the end, our tour guide gave us free Jelly Bellies and released us into the gift shop where kids tried every flavor from strawberry to dog food!
We headed west for San Francisco and are now in a beautiful home, courtesy of Elena’s aunt, to continue our San Francisco leg of the trip.
Day 6:
We slept in because we were all so exhausted from the past few days which have been packed with activities and moving around. Once everybody was ready, we drove down to Danielle’s house to do a service project. When we first got there Danielle and her roommates explained the way they live in an “intentional community.” They explained how they practice things such as living in a community, recycling, and self growth. They basically try to live off of what they have. They recycle everything they can and have a compost pile, which is the start of what we did there.
We had three groups, one was planting seeds, one was planting plants, and one was turning the compost. The group planting seeds first had to prepare the dirt, which Danielle had dug up from her backyard. The dirt was clay-like, which made it hard to work with and required a lot of preparation. We had to break up the dirt was there was very little clumps and take out all the weeds and pieced of plants and stuff. Next, we mixed it with some fresh compost. Then, we added Alfalfa Meal, mixing it all together. Once the dirt was ready, we poured it into boxes where we would then plant the seeds. We planted a variety of flowers, but I’m not really sure how that helped them out. Haha.
The plant planting group poured fertilizer on the ground and got it ready for the plants. They then dug little holes in the ground that were just big enough to fit the plants that they had in them. They planted flowers, which kind, I’m not sure.
The compost group was by far the most interesting and exciting group. When they got to the compost pile, they pulled off the cover and a wave of bugs poured out. Most of the girls in the group screamed, if not all of them. The pile of old, broken-down food was alive with bugs. It was just once huge mound of wreathing dirt.
As soon as we finished with the service project (helping Danielle and her roommates with their gardening), we ate lunch. Lunch consisted of or sandwiches we made and packed this morning, some fresh apples, kumquats, strawberries, and chips. As soon as we were done eating, we hit the road.
Three students went with Lisa to go get the Wharf passes so we could go do a bunch of fun stuff in the area. The other group went to Blazing Saddles to rent bikes to ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, but still had to wait for us to get there and give them the wharf passes.
When we finally got to Blazing Saddles, we watched the bikers take off. As soon as they were gone we got back in the car and drove across the bridge just for fun and to see if we could see them. We got out of the other side and took pictures and looked out across the bay to the city and Alcatraz Island. When we got in the car and drove across the bridge, we looked all over for our class but we couldn’t see them, they weren’t that far yet. So we stopped at the famous Lombard street and drove down because we were finally in a car small enough (a Dodge journey, not the giant van) to drive down the windy, narrow path. When we got to the bottom we got out and took a picture. Then we went to the coolest music store ever, Amoeba Music. We searched through some music for a while then left to go back to Blazing Saddles.
When we got there, some kids were late, but everybody made it across the bridge and back. Yay! It was a long and tiring bike ride (two hours), but they made it! After that, everyone was hungry so we went to a pizza place in Fisherman’s Wharf, which was overly priced for the tiny pizzas. As soon as everyone was done eating, we decided to take advantage of our Wharf passes, so we went to the Wax Museum. On the way there, we passed by the Rainforest Café and went inside. We planned on getting dessert there but didn’t exactly have the time, considering we wanted to do as much as we could. So we looked around for a while and bought some stuff then continued on our way to the Wax Museum.
We got there and everybody went through at their own pace, taking pictures and admiring the great works of realistic art. When we got out of there, we kind of just wandered around. Some kids went into a Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum thing. At the end of the night, we got home late, and everybody was tired, but we still had packing to do considering we were planning on trying to get out of the house at 8:30 the next morning. After a long day, we finally all went to sleep, ready for the next morning.
Day 7:
We woke up early, having to pack and have everything ready within the next hour. We got packed and were ready to go at 8:40, only ten minutes behind schedule, which is a lot better than usual! Yay us! The first thing we did was drive to Chinatown. The way there, everybody in Lisa’s car was dead asleep, so by the time we got there, nobody wanted to get out. We decided we didn’t need to go, and left the other groups to get out for an hour and look around while we went to get our Alcatraz tickets. They went to the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, which was tiny and everything was handmade.
Lisa’s car went to get the Alcatraz tickets and waited around for a little bit for all the other kids. When they got there, we all got in line and waited to get on the boat. When we got to the island, we got to go inside and we got audio players which played directions of where to go and gave us some information on what we were looking at. They were basically recorded tour guides. We got to walk all the way through the prison and learned a lot about it. When we finally left and got back to San Fran, we got on a double-decker tour bus around the city. We drove in a complete circle, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and by a bunch of other tourist attractions, listening to facts about them along the way.
We got off the bus and went to Subway to eat lunch, it was late and not everyone got to eat breakfast due to our rushing. We ate and left, going back to our cars to leave San Francisco and head toward Big Sur.
(Day 6 and 7 written by Ashley on the way to Big Sur)
Day 8:
Last night we got to Big Sur after sunset and had to set up in the dark. Not fun. So we got all set up and went to sleep pretty early. This morning we woke up under gigantic Redwood trees, had pancakes and hot chocolate for breakfast and left for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We all had a great time going through and seeing all the sea birds, fish, and other marine life. There were a bunch of cool touch pools and other interactive things.
On the way back to our campsite, we stopped to hike down a short trail to see Mc Way Falls, an 80 foot waterfall that poured right down onto a beach. The water was incredibly clear. It was beautiful. We even saw a proposal written in the sand, “Natalie, will you marry me?” It was really cute.
When we finally started going back to camp, we decided to stop at Pfeiffer Beach instead. After driving two miles down a bumpy, windy road, we got to this beautiful beach. We were virtually unprepared, considering we didn’t have time to go back to the camp and get bathing suits on and stuff. But either way, the kids went in the freezing water and had fun. Others climbed the rocks and explored.
We got back to camp and it was freezing so we started a fire and made dinner. Hunter’s dad and sister showed up on his motorcycle and joined us for the evening. After spaghetti and veggies, kids separated and played flashlight tag around the campground. That’s when the rain started. Because of the lush Redwood trees, there was some protection from the rain so we sat around the fire and made s’mores. Eventually it was time to call it quits and seek refuge from the rain inside our tents.
Day 9:
We woke up to sprinkling after a long night of pouring rain. Most tents were soaked and we were all cold. We packed as well as we could with everything wet and muddy and left Big Sur for our homes. Our cars smelled of wet dog, we were damp and tired, but we knew we were heading home after an awesome trip. Nearly everyone commented on how much fun we had. It was difficult to say goodbye but exciting to be back to family and the luxuries of home.
Monday, March 28, 2011
The Month of March
UPCOMING:
Family Night: Thursday 5:30-7:00. I will provide pizza. Please RSVP so I know how much to get. We will go over final plans for Sacramento trip, including itinerary, money and packing list. I will also have computers up with the websites and programs available to you as additional learning resources for your family. Christine will be meeting in the lower bay at 6:30 with all school announcements and information about next year.
MATH:
NEW MATH GROUPS were started last week. If you are not aware, our 7th and 8th graders have a wide variety of knowledge in math. Some students never had the opportunity to master basic math skills, while other students are far advanced. Although I have made a huge effort to make sure all students are learning in class, it is very difficult with the limited time we have to satisfy the needs of every student. I have found some students are checked out because they are lost, while others are checked out because they are bored. I was teaching three levels at one time and feeling as if many students were not getting the attention they needed. I made the decision last week to break my class up into skills based groups rather than grade based. The periods have been broken up into Advanced Math/Skills section and a Middle School Math section. While I am teaching Advanced Math, Christine and Trish have taken on the Math Skills class in the commons for those students needing extra practice. So far, it seems to be going smoothly and I have felt a sigh of relief from students as they are getting THEIR needs met.
SCIENCE:We had an awesome fieldtrip to Camp Pendleton on Tuesday for our HOVERCRAFT PROJECT. Students saw and got to board a real military hovercraft or LCAC (Landing Craft Air Cushion). Looking at the design, we were able to understand how our own hovercraft designs can be adjusted to work more efficiently. Everyone should be done with the assembly of their hovercrafts by Thursday Night's Family Night. We plan on racing them On Tuesday after spring break for the whole school to see.
Students worked on Zingy Lesson 6: Topics 4-6 in class. If your student is not that far, please help them work on it at home.
Velocity experiments are due Wed March 30. Students should have: 1) A model or diagram of their experiment. 2) Conduct the experiment. 3) A written description of the Materials and Procedures needed to perform the experiment. 4)Written conclusions about what they learned and how this experiment taught them about speed and velocity.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Supplies and Drivers needed
UPCOMING:
- A possible change in Friday lunch fundraiser: We are going to try out Panda Express or Subway Sandwiches for the month of March.
- Beach Bums Club Field Trip Change: We will be going to La Jolla Children's Pool on Friday during clubs. Drivers needed.
- 7th and 8th grade Camp Pendleton Hovercraft Fieldtrip Tuesday March 8. DRIVERS NEEDED. We need license plate numbers for military clearance for all drivers asap by Wed March 2.
MATH:
EVENT PLANNING PROJECT is well under way. Students are planning activities and troubleshooting snags in their planning. This past week students learned how to convert decimals and fractions to percentages.
SCIENCE:
Our HOVERCRAFT PROJECT started Monday. Students were introduced to Newton's First Law of Motion while building mini hovercrafts with cds and balloons. On Tuesday and Thursday, students were given a set of instructions and a supply list for the construction of their 4ft hovercrafts. If you can help with the supplies, we would really appreciate it. Our goal is to start working on the construction next Tuesday and Thursday. I will have the plywood cut outside of class. Students have decided within their groups their team name and theme. The designs are looking fantastic! Students should be well into Zingy Learning. On Wednesday we worked on Lesson 6: Topics 1-3 in class. If your student is not that far, please help them work on it at home.
BEACHBUMS:Our Beach Bums Club went to Sea World last Friday. The storm held off long enough for us to have a beautiful afternoon. Our guide was Keith Yip, curator of mammals. He took us behind the scenes where we got to learn how the animals are fed and cared for. We saw a baby harbor seal, a green sea turtle and a deaf pilot whale, all rescued from the wild and otherwise would have died. We also got up close and personal with many other animals. Mr. Yip was very impressed with how well our students listened and paid attention during the tour. I hope we can build a relationship with Sea World so we can do this again.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Projects Projects!
Time is flying by!
UPCOMING THIS WEEK: Whole school yearbook photo on Thursday at 2:00. Turn in Vons receipts and Box Tops. Pizza Friday(we need help picking up pizza)
MATH:
We are well on our way into the planning process of our EVENT PLANNING PROJECT. Our essential questions for this project is "How do the PARTS contribute to the WHOLE? Throughout the planning, students will incorporate the math concepts of fractions, decimals and percentages into their planning.
We finally started Zingy Learning! Students were given their own username and password so they can use this program at their own pace at school or at home. We are currently completing Lesson 6 - Motion. This coordinates with our HOVERCRAFT PROJECT starting Monday. Students will learn about speed, velocity, acceleration, bouyancy, friction and momentum during this fun project. Students will be constructing 4 ft diameter hovercrafts out of plywood, plastic and a leafblower. If anyone has access to plywood or gas powered leafblowers, please let me know. The plywood does not need to be new.
******I have a special request: It seems that some 7th and 8th graders do not feel a sense of urgency to turn in work on time. All Detective Reports were due on Tuesday. Out of 10 groups, I only have 3 group's reports turned in. I would like to debrief both classes and uncover the guilty suspect but I will not do that until all reports are in. Please ask your student if assignments have been turned in.
UPCOMING THIS WEEK: Whole school yearbook photo on Thursday at 2:00. Turn in Vons receipts and Box Tops. Pizza Friday(we need help picking up pizza)
MATH:
We are well on our way into the planning process of our EVENT PLANNING PROJECT. Our essential questions for this project is "How do the PARTS contribute to the WHOLE? Throughout the planning, students will incorporate the math concepts of fractions, decimals and percentages into their planning.
- 7th graders chose to work on 3 events: Field Day for grades 6 thru 8, School Sleepover(Lock In) for grades 4 thru 8, and a 7th grade Beach Bonfire.
- 8th graders are working on 4 things. One event is 8th Grade Promotion. The other three involve our Sacramento Trip. One group is working on Food and Supplies, another is working on the Itinerary and the last group is working on Lodging.
We finally started Zingy Learning! Students were given their own username and password so they can use this program at their own pace at school or at home. We are currently completing Lesson 6 - Motion. This coordinates with our HOVERCRAFT PROJECT starting Monday. Students will learn about speed, velocity, acceleration, bouyancy, friction and momentum during this fun project. Students will be constructing 4 ft diameter hovercrafts out of plywood, plastic and a leafblower. If anyone has access to plywood or gas powered leafblowers, please let me know. The plywood does not need to be new.
BEACHBUMS:
Our Beach Bums Club went to Mission Beach last Friday. We braved the weather and had a great time picking up trash and walking on the jetty. We almost had to cancel because we did not have enough drivers. Thank you Jaq's mom and Austin's mom and Fortunately we had some non parent drivers who also helped out. Thank you Luisa, Julian and Michelle.
Our next trip this upcoming Friday is behind the scenes at Sea World. Again I need help with drivers! This trip is a rare opportunity that not many kids get to get up close and personal with dolphins, pilot whales and other sea animals.
******I have a special request: It seems that some 7th and 8th graders do not feel a sense of urgency to turn in work on time. All Detective Reports were due on Tuesday. Out of 10 groups, I only have 3 group's reports turned in. I would like to debrief both classes and uncover the guilty suspect but I will not do that until all reports are in. Please ask your student if assignments have been turned in.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
End of Semester
This past month has been a busy one! We went on two field trips, had an eighth grade beach bar-b-que, had an awesome intern, Katy with us as well as do a lot of school stuff!
In math, students studied the properties of equality, solving one, two and multi-step equations and combining like terms. We learned about factoring and the beginnings of fractions. We are kicking off an "Event Planning" project next Tuesday where we are looking at "How do the parts contribute to the whole?" We will be investigating in detail the concepts of fractions, decimals and percentages.
Our science mystery is almost solved! Students interviewed suspects and investigated evidence for a mock arson this past month. They are putting their finishing touches on their Detective Reports as I write this. After wrapping it up next week, I am introducing our new Zingy Learning Online Science program. This will be an ongoing program that will be integrated into our science curriculum. Our next science project is buiding hovercrafts. More info coming soon!
Clubs started this month. I am part of the Beach Bums Club. We are learning about sea creatures from the ocean and will have three fieldtrips coming up in the next few Fridays. Some of our eighth graders are in my club. Ask your student which club they joined.
Report Cards went out this past week. If you have any questions or would like to come in to discuss them or your student, please see me.
Spring is in the air and our middle schoolers are maturing. It is so fun to watch how much they have grown since the beginning of the year.
In math, students studied the properties of equality, solving one, two and multi-step equations and combining like terms. We learned about factoring and the beginnings of fractions. We are kicking off an "Event Planning" project next Tuesday where we are looking at "How do the parts contribute to the whole?" We will be investigating in detail the concepts of fractions, decimals and percentages.
Our science mystery is almost solved! Students interviewed suspects and investigated evidence for a mock arson this past month. They are putting their finishing touches on their Detective Reports as I write this. After wrapping it up next week, I am introducing our new Zingy Learning Online Science program. This will be an ongoing program that will be integrated into our science curriculum. Our next science project is buiding hovercrafts. More info coming soon!
Clubs started this month. I am part of the Beach Bums Club. We are learning about sea creatures from the ocean and will have three fieldtrips coming up in the next few Fridays. Some of our eighth graders are in my club. Ask your student which club they joined.
Report Cards went out this past week. If you have any questions or would like to come in to discuss them or your student, please see me.
Spring is in the air and our middle schoolers are maturing. It is so fun to watch how much they have grown since the beginning of the year.
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