Wednesday, November 26, 2008

HOMEWORK, Wednesday, November 26, 2008

None!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving and R & R weekend!

Let Them Eat Cake...







...And they did! The students of Room 503 celebrate Mrs. Veenstra's birthday...



Tuesday, November 25, 2008

HOMEWORK, Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Language Arts:
Read S.G., Ch. 15
Due: Tomorrow, November 26

Study - Vocabulary/Spelling Test TOMORROW!

Vocal Warm-Ups:
Ozymandias - go over what we have memorized so far.
*We will pick up from where we left off next Monday

Math:
ACE p. 28 4-7, 59-64
Due: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 26

Social Studies:
For those who have yet to return Parent-Signed Ancient Egypt Project Grade Sheets, bring them to school by tomorrow (Wednesday) or 3 points will be deducted from your project.

O.T.O.:
Write two paragraphs (or more) on this week's Mother Teresa phrase (see hand-out)
Due: Tomorrow, November 26

Outstanding Homework:
Any homework or assignments that have yet to be turned in must be turned in by tomorrow, Wednesday, November 26 to receive credit.

Independent Reading Projects:
Presenting Tomorrow:
Claire
Eden
Meghan
Ryan

Reminder:
No school this Thursday/Friday: Thanksgiving Break
*R & R weekend: No Homework

Sports Shorts from the Students in Room 503...

Two Hand Touch Football By Ben Shockley

Two hand touch football may not seem like a huge deal. It also doesn't sound very competitive either. But in the TPJA sixth grade it is!

Lots of people get crazy-competitive and make it sound like it's the greatest, most fun discovery of mankind. Some games are really intense and kids are turning red with pressure and running. Two hand touch football at TPJA is so awesome, it should be put on the news!

Sixth Grade Basketball By Denzel Abdulai

The sixth graders that are in boys' basketball are Denzel Abdulai, Victor Dinh, Jacob Shumate, Kyle Pickard and Zach Brittain. We are going to have our first basketball game on Wednesday, November 26. We are gonna kick butt out there! Go TPJA Knights!

Hey! First Ever TPJA Class By Ryan Bush

The homework is a lot but I have made tons of friends. The sixth graders get so many more breaks. We always play football. Zach and I are the best wide receivers. Denzel and Jacob are the best quarterbacks. So far this has been a great year at TPJA!

Monday, November 24, 2008

HOMEWORK, Monday, November 24, 2008

Language Arts:
Study for Vocabulary/Spelling Test on Wednesday!

Thoughtfully and reflectively answer the questions on the
Secret Garden hand-out (both sides).
Due: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 25

Vocal Warm-Ups:
Go over Ozymandias - what we have memorized so far.

Math:
ACE2: Starting on p. 29 (24, 50-58)
Due: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 25

Social Studies:
STUDY!!! Social Studies Test TOMORROW (Tuesday)

Have Ancient Egypt Project Grade Paper signed by parent
Due: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 25

*If you are re-doing any or all of your project, it will be due:
Monday, December 1 (No Later)

*COMPLETE any outstanding homework & turn it in BY Wednesday.

Independent Reading Projects:
Presenting Tomorrow:
Chad
Denzel
Meghan
Reed
Victor
Presenting Wednesday:
Claire
Eden
Ryan

Reminder:
No School Thursday/Friday: Thanksgiving Holiday, R & R Weekend

Yo Ho Ho, and a Bowlful of Social Studies Questions

Multiple choice question, anyone? How about a "true or false"? Perhaps a fill-in-the-blank?

Pick a question, any question (from our upcoming Social Studies test) and see if you can answer it correctly. So went this afternoon's study game challenge for tomorrow's test.

Almost all the questions that will appear on tomorrow's test were individually folded up and put in a bowl for today's all-class game quiz. The students worked in two teams to answer as many questions as possible. Each question answered correctly by an individual student garnered points for his/her team.

Specific questions (answered correctly) could earn each team a certain number of points (just like tomorrow's test questions): Multiple Choice and True/False questions were worth one point, while Fill-in-the-Blank questions were worth two. A question on Egyptian Social Hierarchy and a chronological time line question offered four and five points respectively.

The game was fun and gave students the opportunity to see what they actually do know and what they have to spend more time studying this evening.

Happy cramming!

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

HOMEWORK, Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Language Arts:
Read S.G., Chapters 11-14
Due: Monday, November 24

Gather and bring in materials/art supplies for your S.G. book
By Friday morning, November 21

Bring in index cards for Vocab/Spelling study cue cards
By Friday morning, November 21

Study Vocab/Spelling: TEST NEXT WEDNESDAY!

Vocal Warm-Ups:
Memorize the second line of Ozymandias
"Near them on the sand, half sunk, a shattered visage lies..."
Due: Tomorrow, Thursday, November 20

Math:
P. 22 & Worksheet; prob. 2.2 (A & B)
Due: Tomorrow, Thursday, November 20

Social Studies:
*Bring Index cards to school tomorrow for in-class study time

STUDY FOR ANCIENT EGYPT/KUSH TEST NEXT TUESDAY

*** Please Note:
Ms. Pitman will be attending a science conference up in Portland, OR this Thursday and Friday. Students will be given homework assignments for the weekend on a special hand-out in class. Please ask your student about it. There will be no homework or blog entries made over the next two days. The blog will be back on track next Monday, November 24.
Thanks for your understanding.

The Not-So-Secret Secret Gardens

After reading about Mary's discovery of the Secret Garden in the book of the very same name, the students in Room 503 spent the first part of their morning beginning to sow some seeds to create secret gardens of their own.

First, we all ventured outside and spent a few quiet moments in the courtyard, simply listening, feeling, smelling, being...Allowing our senses to just open up to what was available. Then, each of us set out, silently, around the school to collect all (small) things natural: twigs, leaves, flowers, stones, pine cones, etc. and bring them back to our classroom.

Given two pieces of construction paper (one of green hue, one of brown), three pieces of different sized white paper (haphazardly hole-punched), and some pieces of blue and green ribbon, the students began their foray into creating their own Secret Garden books.

The "gardens" can be anything each student wants to create...within the structure of the physical book itself. Inspired by their outdoor finds and fueled by their imaginations, it is my hope that the students will create magical places, just like Dickon, Mary's Yorkshire friend, says in the original Secret Garden: "It's like as if a body was in a dream."

Wishing you all wonderful ones -

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

HOMEWORK, Tuesday, November 18

Language Arts:
Look up the three dictionary definitions:
wistfully, reflective, contrary (on worksheet)
Due: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 19

Read S.G., Chapter 9
Due: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 19

Vocal Warm Ups:
Memorize first line/sentence Ozymandias
Due: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 19

Math:
ACE 2 (p. 28) 1-3; Finish 2.1 - all letters
Due: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 19

Science:
Read Section 2, Text: p. 12-18
Answer Ques. 1-3, p. 19
Due: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 19

Still accepting...
Empty cardboard toilet paper rolls
Unwanted magazines

The Wizard of Ozymandias

...would be non other than the late, great English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

The students of Room 503 have just begun to take on one of Shelley's shortest, as well as one of his most famous, poems, Ozymandias (published in 1818). The sonnet, with an unusual rhyme scheme, is about Ramses II, pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, and his rise and fall. The central theme focuses on hubris and how this character flaw plays out over and over again in history.

As with Jabberwocky, the students will be learning the poem line by line. Tonight they will begin at the beginning:

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert.

And we'll go from there. By the end of the school year, it is my hope, that along with better diction and projection skills our Sixth Graders will know at least six important pieces of literature that they will be able to carry with them throughout their lifetimes.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Monday, November 17, 2008

HOMEWORK, Monday, November 17, 2008

Language Arts:
Read S.G., Chapters 7 & 8
Due: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18

Math:
Check & Redo Math Quiz
*You may use your book; May not use another person
Due: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18

Social Studies:
Draw/write up conclusions on your findings from your "Shoebox Archaeology" data.
Due: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18

Vocal Warm Ups:
Read through (several times) the Ozymandias poem. Write a paragraph or two about what you think the poem means...and/or what it means to you.
Due: Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18

More of Ancient Egypt From a Current Perspective...
















It's a Dirty Job...

...but Sixth Graders have to do it.

Shoebox archaeology, that is!

How do we learn about people, their past, their cultures? What can we find out (or not find out)from the relics they leave behind? What kind of questions do we need to ask to find the answers we're looking for? What do we need to do when our finds are few and far between? What can we conclude if we have little information to go on?

These are the questions the students of Room 503 needed to ask themselves today as they dug through their shoebox sites on their quest for a better understanding of what it means to be an archaeologist.

Time was ticking, and some of the students didn't get through all of the artifacts in their "dig site," while others only had two or three items to uncover and make observations and inferences about. Tonight, the students should be going over and/or writing their conclusions about what they found. Tomorrow we'll share our conclusions as a class and see what we can glean from our experiences.

Thank you to all of the students who worked so hard to get this project prepared over the weekend and to all of you parents who helped them.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Friday, November 14, 2008

HOMEWORK, Friday, November 14, 2008

Language Arts:
Finish Chapter 5 & Read Chapter 6, S.G.
Due: Monday, November 17

*Complete any class work you didn't finish today
Due: Monday, November 17

Math:
20 minutes extra work on additional practice paper
Due: Monday, November 17

Social Studies:
The Shoebox Archaeologist *(students have a hand out)

Collect this weekend (and bring to school on Monday):
~ A shoebox (with lid)
~ A large plastic storage zip loc (or plastic grocery) bag full of soil
~Small "artifacts" relating to your grandparents, parents and yourself - including photos. Make sure each item is placed in an individual baggie or zip loc bag.
~ A metal spoon
~ A paintbrush
Due: Monday, November 17

*Complete any unfinished classroom work from this afternoon





Sundaes on Friday

There's nothing like incentive to get one going. And there's nothing like ice cream to motivate a Sixth Grader to memorize Jabberwocky to (almost) perfection.

So this afternoon we had an ice cream extravaganza...Ahh - the sweet taste of success...
Before I left the students with substitute teachers for the rest of the day (yikes).

I am off to catch a plane. I will be out of town until late Sunday night. My apologies in advance if you email me and I don't get back to you before Monday.

Cheers,

Ms. Pitman

Thursday, November 13, 2008

HOMEWORK, Thursday, November 12 2008

Language Arts:
Bring S.G. to class tomorrow
Vocabulary Words (Yellow Hand-Out)
Due: Tomorrow, Friday, November 14

Social Studies:
Bring History text book & 10 index cards
Due: Tomorrow, Friday, November 14

Vocal Warm Ups:
Go over (and over and over) Jabberwocky.
*If the entire class, individually, can recite the whole poem
tomorrow morning, we will have ice-cream sundaes in the
afternoon. If just one person can't, we won't.

Math:
No Homework!

Don't Put Off Until Later What You Could Do Right Now

Today's blog entry, for example.

I felt so flustered and harried yesterday that I wasn't able to get my entry up by 6:00 PM and that I hadn't copied down the homework assignments to post, I thought I'd get a jump start on today's.

We hadn't had Drama since last Friday, due to Veteran's Day this past Tuesday, so I think the students were happy to be back in the Zelman Center this morning. Everyone participated in an activity entitled "SCENE!"

First, everyone was split into four groups. Each person in the group was given a strip of paper with a writing direction on it. Depending on which group you were in, you had to write one of the following:

1) A statement.

2) A question that requires a “yes”/”no” answer.

3) An answer that begins with either “Yes” or “No” – and then continues with either “and,” “but,” or “however,” with a short explanation attached.

4) A fun exclamation!

There were five people who all had to respond to each direction (each person coming up with their own statementr, question, response and/or exclamation).

Next, one student from each group was selected to form a new group with three other students, so that there was a statement, a question, a response and an exclamation person in each new group.

The newly formed groups each took to the stage one at a time and "performed" what they wrote on their paper strips in order, 1-4. Once each group had a chance to say and hear their "lines" said out loud, they were given all of five minutes to come up with a location, four characters, a situation and rehearse their piece before performing it for the rest of the class.

The person who had the first line had to call out "scene!" to begin the piece. The person who had the fourth, and last line, had to call "scene!" to end the piece. After all the groups had performed one time through, they each had to get up and do the whole performance over, once in high-speed mode, next in slow motion.

Working quickly gave the students no choice but to work as a unit, as an ensemble. For the most part, the scenes all came out clearly and creatively and were a lot of fun to watch. We'll have to see what happens tomorrow when we have Drama once again.

By the way, parents, you are always welcome to stop in and see what we are doing in Drama or any other subject. Just get a pass at the main office when you come onto campus and join us.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

HOMEWORK, Wednesday, November 12, 2008

*Please forgive the tardiness of the blog postings this evening. I left school rather quickly and was delayed in getting some errands finished.

Language Arts:
Read S.G., Chapter 4
*(with a dictionary - to look up words you don't know)
Due: Tomorrow, Thursday, November 13

Math:
Ace 1
*(My apologies - I dashed out of school so quickly,
I forgot to write down pages and problem numbers...
Good quiz for your students to make sure they are
writing their assignments down!)
Due: Tomorrow, Thursday, November 13

And, th-th-that's all folks! Enjoy an easy homework evening.

Ancient Egypt Like YOu've Never Seen it Before!
















Pyramid Schemes

...of the educational variety, that is...and right in our very own classroom!

This morning the students of Room 503 presented their Ancient Egypt projects. There were some absolutely awesome projects - from pyramids to scrolls, to scrapbooks, board games, sphinxes, to a beautifully constructed Rosetta Stone! I will be posting photos of the projects over the next few days for your viewing pleasure *(see above the ones I posted today).

I was very impressed with the time, care, creativity and energy that was put into some of the projects. I am hopeful that the students that didn't put in as much effort this time around will be more motivated the next time we engage in a similar activity.

Because of the enormity of the projects, grades will not be completed until next week (hence, they will not be mentioned on the 3rd quarter progress reports, but will be factored in to the reports at the end of the semester).

The upcoming progress reports are simply that: notes on the progress the students have made since fall break. There are no letter grades - simply check marks and comments. I hope that you and your students find them useful and help you gage how your student is doing. If you have any questions, please be sure to stop by or email. If you would like to speak over the phone, the best way to do that is to email me with your phone number and let me know the best time to phone you.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Monday, November 10, 2008

HOMEWORK, Monday, November 10, 2008

Language Arts:
Read S.G., Chapter 3 - with a dictionary!
*Look up any words you do not know.
Re-read the "Mistress Mary" nursery rhyme in Ch. 2
Due: Wednesday, November 12

Math:
Ace 1, p.12 (3-12, 27)
Due: Wednesday, November 12

Social Studies:
Complete Outline for "Daily Life in Egypt"
Due: Wednesday, November 12

Complete Ancient Egypt Project
Due: Wednesday, November 12

Reminder:
No school tomorrow: Veteran's Day

Cracking Down

We have six weeks left to the first semester and Mrs. Veenstra and I have really started to crack down on the students in Room 503. Suiting up and showing up is key - and that means being accountable...on time to class, prepared with working materials and having homework completed.

When students do not complete their homework, they will forfeit their break time. After showing up unprepared (i.e. without a writing utensil or book that they need) three times, students will receive detention.

Accountability is so crucial at TPJA and at TPA and provides a foundation for life-long habits. Students are responsible for writing down their homework assignments and bringing the correct materials home to get their homework done. They are also responsible for bringing their work and necessary materials back to school.

If a student completes his/her homework and leaves it at home - it's still incomplete until it shows up in class. I have had several students tell me, "I left it next to the computer" (or wherever else), expecting me to say, "oh, all right then," and leave it at that. Homework entails actually doing the work and turning it in (on time).

I have also heard, "oh - I forgot." Hmmm...Forgetting just doesn't make the accountability factor go away. And forgetting is...well, close to impossible if assignments have been written down and can also be found on the blog. "Just didn't do it," is another story.

If you know that your child is going to be over-the-top busy (i.e. is playing in a concert until late at night), please let me know ahead of time so arrangements can be made. I am happy to accomodate when it comes to situations like that. The students know this (or should know this, as I have reiterated it several times), and (should) know to have you let me know in advance.

With all that said, I hope that you all enjoy the mid-week day off tomorrow. Hats off and great thanks to any veterans out there.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Friday, November 7, 2008

HOMEWORK, Friday, November 7, 2008

Language Arts:
Read The Secret Garden (S.G.)
Ch. 1 (if you didn't read it in class today) & Ch. 2
Due: Monday, November 10

Create Bookmark for S.G.
*Paper Book Mark Material given at school
Due: Monday, November 10

Look up and write down definitions for new Vocabulary Words:
precedent, satire, consumption
Write up definitions on a separate sheet of notebook paper
Due: Monday, November 10

Math:
ACE 1: P. 12-15 (2, 25, 26)
Finish unfinished classwork
Due: Monday, November 10

Social Studies:
Work on Ancient Egypt Project
Due: Wednesday, November 12

*If you didn't have all your research in today,
get it done over the weekend - Due: Monday, November 10

Vocal Warm-Ups:
Go over Jabberwocky, stanzas 1-6 (memorized)
Due: Monday, November 10

Indpendent Reading Projects:
Monday's presenters:
Ryan
Meghan
Dane
Max

REMINDER:
NO school Tuesday, November 11: Veteran's Day

Room 503 could use...
Windex or 409
Sani-Wipes

Still accepting...
Empty toilet paper rolls
Old magazines

Far Out - it's Friday!

...And I think everyone in Room 503 is ready for the weekend. Including me. So I am going to keep this entry short and sweet.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend - filled with fun, rest and enough time to work whole-heartedly on our Ancient Egypt projects, due next Wednesday.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Thursday, November 6, 2008

HOMEWORK, Thursday, November 6, 2008

Language Arts:
Bring The Secret Garden to class tomorrow
Friday, November 7

Have parents sign Vocabulary Test
Due: Tomorrow, Friday, November 7

** Students who wish to re-take the test must see
Ms. Pitman and attend a special study session next
Wednesday, November 12 after school

Math:
Pg, 12 (1, 8, 20-24) Ace 1
Due: Tomorrow, Friday, November 7

Social Studies:
Work on Ancient Egypt Project
Research due tomorrow, Friday, November 7
Project Due: Wednesday, November 12

Vocal Warm-Ups:
Memorize Jabberwocky, stanza 6

Reminders:
Tomorrow, Friday, November 7: Early dismissal, 12:25
Next Tuesday, November 11: NO SCHOOL - Veteran's Day

Crexaggerate...A New Portmanteau(x)

One of Room 503's most recent vocabulary words was portmanteau(x) (spelled correctly with or without the "x") - a new word created by merging two existing words (i.e. "brunch" and "smog").

Today, the Sixth Graders created and exaggerated in both their Drama and Language Arts classes, and so I have taken it upon myself to bestow upon our classwork a new portmanteau(x): crexaggerate - which means: to creatively exaggerate and/or to exaggerate creatively (depending).

In Drama, we began with one person telling a very simple story about their morning. Another student then took the story and added some detail to it. The next student added more and then the next went completely over the top. I likened the idea of the telling and retelling of the stories to the inverse idea of Matryoshkas, or Russian Nesting Dolls: instead of getting smaller in size as one opens one doll after another, the story would get bigger as it was retold over and over.

First we orally told the story, over and over. Then we began a new story where the story had to be told and retold not only verbally, but physically as well. Finally, a story was told verbally by one student while another acted out the story physically.

During Language Arts, the students were encouraged to get creative - and most even got a bit wacky - using specific vocabulary words, characters from all the different literary works we've read so far this semester and a phrase from the Mother Teresa piece we learned. Some of the students shared their stories out loud with the class, and each one, though containing similar elements, was incredibly - and crexaggeratedly - different.

Our day, like our writing pieces, was also different - and I'm not exaggerating: we had to get creative about our bathroom usage. Due to some bad overflow, we had to - for a time - use the bathrooms across the street at the church. We are hoping for a much easier flowing day tomorrow.

And so it is.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

HOMEWORK, Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Math:
Read p. 5-6, answer A,B,C
Due: Tomorrow, Thursday, November 6

Language Arts:
Osiris and Isis Story Mural Pictures
Due: Tomorrow, Thursday, November 6

Social Studies:
Work on Ancient Egypt Project
Research due: Friday, November 7
**Please make sure you get to the library by tomorrow night
Project due: Wednesday, November 12

Science:
Complete last night's homework, if you haven't already

Independent Reading:
Please bring your book to school tomorrow (or your project),
and then continue to bring your book with you daily.

Dictionary:
Please be sure to have the soft-cover dictionary TPJA
provided you AT school, readily available for your use.

The Secret Garden: Our next book.
Please make sure to bring it to school Friday, November 7.

Family Pictures

...of Isis, Osiris and their son, Horus, that is. That's what we began in class this morning and are to be completed this evening for homework.

After reading the story of Osiris (god of the Underworld, the dead, past Pharaohs, agriculture, and fertility) and Isis (worshipped as the ideal mother and wife, patron goddess of nature and magic; friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, the downtrodden, as well as listening to the prayers of the wealthy, maidens, aristocrats and rulers), students were asked to create a visual mural story of what they read.

I heard that there were some excellent Math Data Projects presented today (and perhaps some that could use a little more work), and some that will be presented tomorrow.

I cut back on homework a bit this week: between the two big projects the students have/have had to work on and the fact that I am a bit behind on test/homework corrections, I thought we could all use a little breathing room.

However, there is always much to do - including Independent Reading. The students have all been instructed to bring their Independent Reading books to school beginning tomorrow (or their project work, if they're in between books), so that they will always have their reading available and are completely accountable for it. This is the one thing that the students are required to do all of their own accord.

I just completed grading Monday's vocabulary/spelling tests and will be sending them home tomorrow to be signed by parents. Though test grades don't count for more than other grades in terms of the overall progress report marks the students receive, I believe tests are a - somewhat - decent way of gaging if students are ingesting the information they are learning in class. By sending tests home to be signed, you, as parents, can also gage your child's understanding (and/or their study habits).

'Til tomorrow -

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Email Eeks!

FYI: TPA has had some general email problems as of late, and my email seemed to really take a hit this weekend. If you sent me email between Friday and today, I may not have received it. I didn't receive any emails until this early evening when twenty came flooding into my mailbox.

Please forgive me if I haven't gotten back to you. Hopefully, now, it's up and running.
I am very good about emails and certain to get back to you within twenty-four hours. If you do not hear from me, please consider that something may be wrong with our server or our individual email accounts. I will never ignore your contact.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

HOMEWORK, Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Vocal Warm-Ups:
Memorize 5th stanza of Jabberwocky
Due: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 5

Math:
Complete Data Project
Due: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 5

Social Studies:
Work on Ancient Egypt Project
Research Due: Friday, November 7
Project Due: Wednesday, November 12

Science:
Read (NEW) Text Book, p. 8-10
Answer Questions, p. 11 (1-11)
*Complete sentences, excepting quest. #3
Due: Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 5

Special Note:
Krista, Jeremy LaFever's mom, is the Classroom Liaison for our 6th grade class. We met recently to come up with some ideas for this year. Krista will be contacting you soon to see if you have thoughts about any special talents you may have that you would like to contribute. She will also soon be offering you opportunities to contribute to you child's Tempe Prep experience through your involvement. Thanks for working with her to make this a fantastic year for our kids!

1. Holiday party in class for students
2. Family New Year's party at 1:00pm Sat. or Sun. the weekend of Jan. 10th
3. Field trip idea, possibly the AZ Science Center and or the Zoo
4. Special contribution from the 6th grade class: Outdoor work space for art and science.

Actor-Audience

This morning the Sixth Graders spent their drama time engaged in an exercise called "Actor-Audience." Using the first four stanzas of Jabberwocky as their text, each student had the opportunity to experience being an actor, on stage, speaking; being an actor on stage simply in presence; being an actor "waiting in the wings"; acting as a "prompter" from "the wings" and sitting in "the house" as an audience member.

The students did a great job overall - this is not an easy exercise. I was very pleased to see the support they gave their fellow classmates and the focus they brought to their on-stage work.

The morning continued with a very good discussion about yesterday's "silent morning" experience and four students made presentations of their independent reading projects.

I stepped into a whirlwind of data projects in Mrs. Veenstra's Math class in the latter part of the morning, and it looks like there will be some really good work to see tomorrow.

This afternoon we broke into small groups and discussed a couple of the issues that have been hot topics during this last political campaign. The issue of taxes hit a hot spot and we only stopped the discussion because the school day was over.

Hope everyone had the chance to enjoy their voting privileges - whether you stood in long lines today or got in on early voting (and stood in long lines then).

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman

Monday, November 3, 2008

HOMEWORK, Monday, November 3, 2008

Math:
Math Project
Due: Wednesday, November 5

Vocal Warm-Ups:
Jabberwocky
, 1st-4th stanzas memorized
Due: Tomorrow, November 4

Social Studies:
Work on Ancient Egypt Project
Research Due: Friday, November 7
Project Due: Wednesday, November 12

Complete Ancient Egypt Embalming Hand Out

If you are re-taking last week's test: STUDY!!!
Re-take tomorrow, Tuesday, November 4, after school

Special thanks to Ryan for looking up more info. on Isis,
and to Meghan for looking up why Amenhotep IV changed his name
to Akhenaten.

IMPORTANT:: ACCOUNTABILITY

Students must bring a pen and/or pencils
to class with them. If pencils need to be sharpened, please do so
BEFORE class begins at 8:25 A.M.
*Three times unprepared will lead to a detention.

Please bring your own notebook paper to class.

If you would like water, please bring your own water bottle
please do not share with others).

If you are late to class, you MUST go to the office and check in.
Three unexcused tardies will lead to detention.

Shhh...It's Monday...

This morning the students in Room 503 experienced "a morning of silence." From the moment they walked into the room at 8:25 until their break at 10:05 (with one five-minute, out-of-the-classroom break in between), the Sixth Grade students did not speak.

Even our attendance was taken in silence, with the students holding up paper signs with one another's names on them. This brought accountability and communication to a new level.

The only voice that was heard (most of the time - there were some whispers here and there), was mine - as I gave directions and had to orally advise when the students took their vocabulary/spelling test.

Overall, the students did a terrific job with the silent practice. Tomorrow they will need clear, well-projected voices when they must recite the 1st through 4th stanzas of Jabberwocky in front of their peers. This is not an exercise in embarrassment - but an exercise in really working to hone our projection and articulation skills, as well as improving our memorization skills.

The students have their Math Data Project due this Wednesday and they have their research for their Ancient Egypt project due on Friday (the actual project being due on Wednesday, November 12, which means they will have a whole day off that Tuesday before to complete it).

For those parents who don't know anything about this project, here are the guidelines that the students received:

ANCIENT EGYPT
Independent, In-Depth Study

Become an expert! Explore, research, create and share…

Choose a person, place or thing from Ancient Egypt that you would like to explore further.
As part of your exploration you MUST:
· Fill out and turn in a Project Request Form to Ms. Pitman
· Go to the public library and find at least one (1) source that you can site in your project.
· Use at least two (2) internet sources that you can site in your project.
· Find at least two (2) photos or images that you can use IN your project.
· Research items must be brought to class and checked the Friday prior to the due date of the project:
PLAN YOUR TIME WISELY.
Be prepared to turn your project in ON TIME and present it to the class.
IMPORTANT DATES:
~ Project Form Due: Wednesday, October 29
~ Research completed by Friday, November 7
~ Projects due/ready to present: Wednesday, November 12
*You may use the original topic you had said you would like to explore further – or you may choose a new one.
Possible Project Ideas (or you may create your own):
Diorama “Scroll” Report Creative Map
Mural Sculpture/Papier Mache Board Game
“Artifact” Character Creation/Monologue

Regardless what kind of project you choose to do, you must have written information to back it up. You may write a separate report : 1-5 pages in length; create a poster that contains your background information, or, if possible, include the information in your project (power point presentation, mural, scroll, pyramid, etc.). The more creative you are and the more conscientious, the better!
~ Be neat
~ Be thorough
~ Use correct spelling.
Both your project and your report must be thoughtful and thorough.
Before turning your project in:
~ Re-read
~ Edit
~ Critique your own work
~ Have someone else critique your work
~ Ask yourself, “Is there more I need? Is there more that I can do? Is this my best work?”

Happy Researching!

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman