This Week Has Gone by Fast!

Not having school on Monday has made this week simply zoom by. I can't believe tomorrow is Friday already!

Today, in Social Studies, we wound up our unit on ancient Greece with "My Big Fat Greek Test" and began reading about our next unit on ancient Rome.

We started a new book in Language Arts, The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. Yesterday, I asked the students to do something that we normally tell kids not to do: "Do Judge This Book by its Cover." Most of the time, I know, I literally do that. I'll be browsing around Barnes & Noble, Borders or Changing Hands and I spy a cover that I am automatically drawn to. I know I have to read it because of its title or its art design or both. Other books, I dismiss for the very opposite reasons: ridiculous title, so-so art. It will be really interesting to see how each of the students feels about the book after reading it, as opposed to deciding what it's about based on the cover art and the back of the book blurb.

In Drama, I've been cracking the whip a bit on breath, voice, and body carriage. Come mid-March, we will begin rehearsals for our end-of-the-year final performance (dates to be announced after spring break). Presence and voice are of utmost importance, and I am confident that our students will most definitely rise to the task. However, practice is a definite must.

Saturday (February 20), Meghan Stoyanoff and I will be making our way over to the Harkins Theaters at Tempe Market Place for the Percy Jackson movie. Many of our students did see it opening weekend and said it was definitely different than the book, but that it was worth seeing. So, off we go! For any sixth grade students and their families who would like to go (or go again), there will be adult supervision from 9:30 AM until Noon at the theatre. If your student would like to make other arrangements with you to shop, eat, and/or hang out, that's fine. This is a non-TPJA event, so we will leave that decision up to you.

Enjoy your weekend!

Cheers,
Ms. Nicky Pitman