Sunday, March 29, 2009

Count Down to Pesach Break...5..4..3..2..1..

We are counting the days until Pesach break - and are very aware of the enormous amount of things we need to accomplish before Friday's Model Seders. First of all, our class business - Heaven in the 4th Dimension - has to secure a "business loan" to provide the start-up costs for our business. The CEOs, the Vice Presidents, the Financial Directors, and the Research and Development director have been working very hard to create this business loan proposal. They will present it to Mrs. Sapp this week. Wish us luck!

The packaging and design team has created an AWESOME logo for our company and have designed some snazzy gift bags for our merchandise. The product development team for our ice cream division has created 4 DELICIOUS flavors (2 dariy - Cholov Yisroel, 2 pareve) and are working on the top secret recipes for each. The product development team for our apron division have created 2 beautiful designs - one for dairy, and one for pareve, and are experimenting with painting and printing techniques. The marketing and Advertising department have been hard at work! They have planned an AMAZING advertising campaign, complete with posters, fliers, poems, commercial jingles, and a power-point marketing presentation. I am so proud of our class!


In reading - we will finish the book The Whipping Boy. We will not have a spelling/vocabulary test this week. In math - we will review the basics of division. PLEASE review these at home. After Pesach break, we will tackle the challenging concept of long division. Knowing the basics will make this new concept much easier for all involved. In science - we will continue to learn about the circulatory system. We will learn a snappy little song that will teach us the process by which blood travels through the heart. Before you know it, you will be singing it , too. (sorry....)

We will also have a little talk about manners. Spring fever has hit our class hard. There have been temper tantrums, teasing, whining, arguing, contagious silliness, endless chatter, and general melt-downs. We will discuss ways to manage our emotions and stress, and learn how to peacefully, kindly, and politely resolve conflicts and differences.

Oh, it will be quite a week!

Projected Homework:

Monday: Reading: Finish questions for ch 17-18, The Whipping Boy
Math : division review sheet
Science: practice "Circulatory Song"

Tuesday: Reading: Finish questions from ch. 19-20, The Whipping Boy
Math: division review sheet
Social Studies: TBA

Wednesday: Reading: Writing assignments
Math: division review page
Socail Studies: TBA
Thursday: No Homework!


***Model Seders will be held on Friday. We have a 4:00 dismissal on Friday.****

****School resumes on Monday, April 20. We begin the Achevement tests on Tuesday, April 21.****

Monday, March 23, 2009

It is the last week of the third quarter!

Wow. Time is really flying. This Friday is the last day of third quarter. It is only 2 weeks until Pesach break. Yes, we will also have third quarter report cards. OH! We have so much to do. This week we will finish chapter 12 in math and take the chapter 12 test on FRIDAY. We will have a spelling/vocabulary test for The Whipping Boy, chapters 11-16, on Friday. We will have a science quiz about plants on THURSDAY. We will also work to create a buisness plan for our class company: Heaven in the Fourth Dimension, Inc. The students are working very well on this HUGE project. I am so pleased with their fantastic ideas and their ability to work together.

Projected Homework Schedule:

Mon. : Write each spelling/vocab. word twice.
Complete math reteach pg. 12.4
Study for science quiz!

Tues. Write a sentence for each vocabulary word.
Complete math reteach pg. 12.5
Study for Science quiz.

Wed. Write the vocabulary words in alphabetical order.
Complete math page 265!
STUDY FOR SCIENCE QUIZ!

Thurs. STUDY spelling and vocab. words.
Study for chapter 12 math test!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

The Ides of March, The Wearing of the Green, The Blood Drive, and more...

Here we are, mid-march, 2 weeks of the third quarter left, and still so much to do. This week we will start planning our class business. The students will decide on what we will make, how we will market and sell it, what we will name our "company", and will interview for job positions within our company. We will also learn about Ohio's economy, finish reading the book The Whipping Boy, start chapter 12 in math, and learn about the heart. Whew!

Here is the projected homework schedule:
Monday:
Language Arts: Study spelling and vocabulary words; write words 2 times neatly in cursive.
Math: reteach pg. 12.1


Tuesday:
Language Arts: Write a synonym and an antonym for each vocabulary word.
Social Studies: define vocabulary words from pg. 158 in Ohio book

Wednesday:
Language Arts: Write a sentence for each vocabulary word.
Math: reteach pg. 12.2
Social Studies: define these words from pg. 166 in Ohio book: land, manufacturing, capital, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, gristmill, labor, cottage industry
****PREPARE FOR JOB INTERVIEW!!! PROVIDE REFERENCES!!!***** Interviews will be held on Thursday!

Thursday:
Language Arts: Study spelling and vocabulary words!
Math: reteach 12.3

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Happy Purim! Do you have a costume? Would you like some hamentachen?

We are going to play it by ear this week. We have Purim on Tuesday (LOTS OF FUN - and an early dismissal - 2:00). There will be no homework on Monday or Tuesday. We will try to resume a normal schedule Tuesday-Friday. We will have a spelling/vocabulary test on words from our new book: The Whipping Boy. Those tests will be on Friday. We will continue to learn more about Ohio history. We will learn some new and challenging math concepts. We will eat hamentachen and lots of yummy treats. Homework will be posted on Wednesday.

Monday, March 2, 2009

It's Monday - and we've already made changes to the week's schedule....

Yes, we need to make changes to the homework schedule.

Mon.: complete language arts pgs. 152-154 (from class)

Tues: Math page 11.2
Language arts: study for adjectives tes (complete review page).

I'll post the rest as we go. It is going to be one of those weeks....

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Happy Birthday OHIO!

We are preparing a FANTASTIC birthday event to celebrate the 206th year of Ohio's statehood. The students have been working in small groups to create displays for a classroom "museum": Ohio - Path to Statehood. We will make delicious refreshments (Buckeyes, Red-velvet cupcakes with grey icing, and - if we can find the ingredients - paw-paw sorbet.) Although statehood day is Tuesday, March 3, we will hold our celebration on Friday, March 6 at 11:00. You are welcome to join us!

We are finishing our adjectives unit, starting a new math chapter, preparing our statehood museum, drawing, labeling, and dissecting flowers, and doing a bit of work in the "Buckle Down" books to prepare for the Achievement tests. Here is the projected homework schedule:

****We will not have a spelling/vocabulary unit this week. We will do a review unit next week.****


Mon.: math page 11.2

Tues.: math page 11.3
language arts: review and study for adjectives test

Wed.: math: page 11.4
social studies: questions from Ohio book pg. 143

Thurs.: Math: page 11.5
Reading: mystery story - read for book report!

Have a WONDERFUL week!