Start of the School Year 2010-2011

Hello! Welcome to Mrs. White's main blog. If you are in my Social Studies class or one of my Thunderbolt Time classes, we will use this blog for assignment reminders, absent or extra copies, and a link to all kinds of adventures. This main blog will be sent to Moms and Dads throughout the year as a reminder of events as well.

Please notice that on the right hand side menu are links to most of the places you might want to visit, including the SRIS website, the WCSD website, PowerSchool login, and my Social Studies blog - where most assignment related items will be.

I am excited about this school year and to meet all of you! Remember, Back-to-School Night is Tuesday, Aug. 10, and school starts Wednesday, Aug. 11.

Is It the End of the Year Already?

We are fast approaching the end of the 2009-2010 school year. It has been a BUSY one! We are continuing that busy theme as we finish out the next 2 weeks. My classes are presenting their World History Museum projects on the 18th, and we will review for their end of year tests after that.

• All SRIS library books are due TODAY. If your child has a library book at home, or owes a fine, please get that taken care of as soon as possible.
• Also, lunch money must be paid in cash until the end of the year. If your child owes lunch money, they may not be allowed to have lunch.
  
• Yearbooks are still on sale for $25 in the student store.Yearbooks will be distributed on Wednesday, May 26, during 5th period to students who have purchased them. Students can get an autograph book from the media center if they don't get a yearbook.
• Sunrise Breakfast for all students will be on Friday, May 21, from 7:15 - 8:00 am. Cost is $1.
• Students who have everything turned in and all monies paid will be eligible to attend the End of the Year party on Wednesday, May 26.
• Thursday, May 27, will be an early release day... students will be released at 11:00.
  

Mid-Term's ...just passed

Hello! Wow, the year has flown by. Testing has started for Math, Science, and Language Arts. Social studies will have an end of the year test, but it won't be until the second to the last week.

I would like to encourage all parents and students to check PowerSchool on a regular basis to make sure all assignments are in... I will accept any late assignments until May 14. I have extra copies available in the classroom - the students should know where to find them!

I will keep you updated on school-related events, including next week's TALENT SHOW! Come watch our school's bravest, most talented students strut their stuff.

3rd Trimester

We are going to be studying more recent events this trimester. We will start with the Middle Ages in Europe, then the Renaissance and Reformation, the Revolutionary period, and Modern Conflicts. I will be adding links to the Social Studies Blog for resources.

I am encouraging students to increase their responsibility this trimester. They need to be on top of their planners, staying organized, and relying more on their own skills. It will be a fast 3 months, filled with testing in the core areas, and hopefully when we get to May, the students will realize how much they've grown this year.

Conversation with students

I was glad to hear from many parents that they had a conversation with their child at home about the Greek newspaper assignment. Again, it was not something that the majority of students did, but it was a significant enough number (and happened in every class) that I felt it was important to address now. Thank you for your support on this issue.

We have begun our unit on Rome. We are focusing on reading for information, taking notes, and creating outlines to solidify thinking. We will be going through Chapters 10 and 11 in the World History book slowly, reading and outlining, before we address the final essay test. I will be sure to prepare the students as best I can for this. I know that many of their future teachers will appreciate them knowing how to communicate their learning.