Christmas Break

We made it! Two weeks of sleeping in (some), and family fun...hopefully you will feel rested and relaxed when you come back. Do a little reading every day (I know I will), and have some fun...maybe even try a recipe or two from our Language Arts cookbooks!

December's Upon Us...

We are about to enter December...
In Social Studies, we are doing a mini-study of Ancient Israel before we begin our study of Greece, which will take us into January. If you'd like to do your own Greece study, be sure to read Chapters 8 and 9 so you are ready for the pre-test!
In Language Arts, we are finishing our narrative writing unit, and beginning our expository/explanatory writing. We will be returning to our Reader's Response WEEKLY letters next week. We will continue to practice identifying the elements of literature and strategies for reading informational (nonfiction) text.
I am teaching Digital Photography for the next 3 TBT sessions. More info and links on that can be found in the links list on the right.

Remember....there's never a day when we don't learn something! So be here ready for class every day :)

HAL student survey for 1st Trimester

Students, please take a few moments and complete this form. Your teachers and Mrs. Ferrell will be looking to see if we need to make any changes to our planning for the rest of the year, and this will help us tremendously!
HAL 1st Trimester Survey

Thanks, Mrs. White

Beginning of 2nd Trimester

Hello! Welcome to 2nd trimester...I am pleased with how the year began. We will be working on our study of Ancient Egypt in social studies, tying in with a novel in Language Arts. As we read the Egyptian historical fiction novel, we will discuss elements of a story and how to evaluate better what we read. In Language Arts, we are continuing to work on a Personal Narrative. This is due Wed., Nov. 21st. In a couple of weeks, we will resume our normal Reader's Response letters on students' independent reading books. This is a weekly assignment, which demonstrates a student's comprehension of their reading, along with giving them regular writing practice. I am excited to continue our learning journey!

End of Trimester 1

Dear Parents and Students,
Trimester 1 ends on Friday, Nov. 4. In order to get everything graded and entered in time, ALL work must be in no later than THIS Friday (Oct. 28). Please check PowerSchool to be sure you have recorded grades for all assignments which don't have a special indicator (please check the key at the bottom of the progress report page for indicator meanings).  If there is a 0 or a "missing" indicator, the work needs to be completed.
Mrs. White

Almost October!

Parent Teacher conferences are next week. I have discussed this with all my classes. I encourage them to attend, hopefully they have talked to you about it. Conferences will be Wed & Thurs, 10/5 & 6, from 4 - 7 pm. All teachers will be available in the commons for parents who attend.

I have offered the October book orders to students. I am asking that they are submitted by Wed., 10/12. Every order submitted electronically gets our class library another free book!

Fall Break is Thurs. & Fri., 10/13 & 14. There is no school...hopefully you will have some fun family activities scheduled!

Language arts students need to start planning to do a book review or a commercial before 10/28.

Social Studies students will begin studies of Mesopotamia and then Egypt very soon!

Happy Fall!

First Big Test

Wow! I can't believe how quickly the year is already going...we are ready for our first unit test in Social Studies - Geography. The students did really well on their pre-test, showing me that they already had the basics down, and we just needed to learn a few more concepts to add to our knowledge. We've focused on Elements of a Map, different Kinds of Maps, and where the 3 Climate Zones can be found. Our test will be this Friday, Sept. 16. We will spend Thursday reviewing, but students should study a few minutes every night this week for their study to be effective!

Also due on Friday is our Island Map. We will work on this especially today (Tuesday) in class, to be sure our rough drafts are completed and ready for a final copy. This will also help us to review our information for the test, since it requires knowledge of the oceans, latitude and longitude, elements of a map, and even climate zones!

Book orders where submitted Friday night, so I expect them to arrive the end of this week/beginning of next week. I will distribute books here at school to those who ordered through our classroom. Thank you for helping our class library...every time a parent orders online, I can get another free book to add to our collection! I appreciate the support :)

Mrs. White's Pledge

I promise:

•  to help you be successful this year. But I need your consent!
• to not make you do something that I won't also do.
• to not make you do work that I don't value by not giving you feedback.
• to make you work hard and appreciate your own growth this year!

It may be a little uncomfortable, but we will feel so rewarded at the end of the year if we push ourselves. Please come to me anytime if you have questions or concerns.

What I expect of you:

• to try your best at everything you do. (If not, why bother?)

I think this year will be amaze-balls (wink-wink)!

So Much to Share!

Welcome back to school!  There is a LOT of new information for this school year. I will try to provide the easiest references and links to things you and your families will need to know. Please look around the blog and familiarize yourself with what's here...
There are links to the District (WCSD), the school website (SRIS), PowerSchool (online grading/attendance program), as well as tons of things for class. My students will use this blog on a regular basis...in school and out of it (I hope)! I try to make it a one-stop-shopping venue for everything you might need for school. There are separate blogs for Language Arts and Social Studies, but general information will always be on this site!

I can't wait to see you all and get to know you. I am so excited about this school year!

Blue Hair...Going Fast!

Hi guys! Well, I promised you pictures of my blue hair, so here are a couple. I have gotten many compliments on it, and wish I could come to school the first day so that you could see it, but the Dress Code says no...

These pictures are from my trip to Texas to see my family. The gal next to me in the last picture is my sister, Katie, and that is her son, Logan in the middle.

We had a great time visiting!

Calendar for advance planning...

Here's a link to next year's school calendar... 2011-2012 WCSD Calendar
for those of you who are already planning ahead!

11:50 am... May 25

I miss you already! The classroom just looks so bare and lifeless... Thanks again for a GREAT year! I will continue to post things about the summer on here if any of you want to check in...(see me with blue streak in my hair?).

Have a fabulous summer...remember to do something physical and read EVERY DAY! I will see you next year - be sure to come by and say Hello!

Mrs. W

Keep up with news on Abby at her blog www.abbyninja.blogspot.com

9 Days to Go...

Dear Parents and Students,

We are officially almost on the home stretch. Students still have Math CRT testing and our Social Studies end of the year test to take. Classes will remain "normal" with Thunderbolt time next week. The last 3 days will be full of fun activities.

School will be dismissed at 11:00 am on the last day of school. Make sure that you have made arrangements for an early out that day.

Lunch accounts, library books, and other fines are being assessed and need to be paid in order for students to participate in year-end activities and receive yearbooks and report cards.

Thanks for such a great year!

20 School Days Left...

Dear Parents and Students,

We are coming to the end of our school year! There is still a LOT of important learning going on at school, and attendance (in mind and body) is really crucial. Make sure that during testing you are getting plenty of sleep and eating breakfast in the mornings! While we won't be having a CRT for Social Studies, we WILL be having our cumulative (everything from the whole year) post test. We will spend 3-4 days reviewing this information before we take the test. I have it scheduled that test for Thursday, May 19. This gives us plenty of time to finish all our learning and review.

Other important end-of-the-year dates:
1) Lunch money: may not be charged after May 2.
2) ALL library books (Media Center & Mrs. White): must be turned in by May 13. Fines will be assessed after that.
3) ALL fines and charges must be paid before students will be allowed to participate in end of the year activities.
4) ALL late work and test retakes MUST be done by Friday, May 13.

Thanks for all your support!
Mrs. White

Registration for 7th Grade

Parents and Students -

Please remember that registration forms for 7th Grade are due TUESDAY, 3/29. Forms must be completed and signed by Parents and Students.

We will be in the computer lab on Monday, working on our Crusades assignments. Please remember your flash drives.

Have a great weekend!

Spring Break

Whew! We made it...Spring Break begins today at 2:00 pm. Classes will resume on TUESDAY, March 22.

When we return, many of the students classes will begin really reviewing for CRT testing which begins in April. Social Studies does not have a state level end of year test, but my students all know that we will be taking one in May to see how much we've learned this year. We will resume our study of the Middle Ages when we come back, talking about becoming a knight, the architecture of the period, the Crusades, and the Black Death.

Enjoy the time off!

Current information...

Dates to know:
Science Olympiad and History Fair are this weekend! Good luck to all competitors.

SRIS Geography Bee will be held during TBT next Tuesday, 3/8. Congratulations to all those students who qualified to compete!

SRIS first African Market will be next Thursday, 3/10. Classes will be shortened and the Market will be open to family and friends who want to come!

Spring Break - there will be no school from Monday, 3/14 until Monday 3/21. Classes will resume on Tuesday, 3/21.

Boy Scouts

Young men leaving school early for the campout on Feb. 4 MUST turn in their facies carta profile page BEFORE they leave.

I asked students about the date for this before and after Christmas as I was planning this unit. No one gave me a date for the campout. However, students received the instructions and 2 weeks of time to complete the assignment. There should be no problem with completing before they go. Points will be deducted if it is handed in late due to the scouting event.

Thanks,
Mrs. W

facies carta

I decided to make the facies carta page available to those of you who would like to complete it on the computer and print it out. To find it:
1) Click here: Link to Mrs. White's filing cabinet
2) The assignment is the 3rd one down... facies carta page
3) To use it, you will have to download or "save as" onto your computer or flash/thumb drive.
4) The instructions for the assignment are also there (4th assignment down).

Remember! This is not a point and click, copy and paste assignment. Learn about that person and complete the profile based on their life....

Mrs. W

Student District Survey

Please click on the link below and then answer the questions as best you can. There are 27 questions, and should only take about 10 minutes to complete. You will not be asked to give your name. Please read the instructions at the top and then begin if you have no questions.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HBXLSH9

When you are finished, click on the "Done" button at the bottom. If the screen does not change, go back up to the top and click "Exit this survey" in the top right corner.

Welcome 2011

I hope you all had a nice wintery vacation! The snow over the past day is very beautiful, but please be sure to dress accordingly and be careful traveling to and from school.

This week being a short week, there will be no Thunderbolt time. Next week, a new TBT session starts. Please check your schedule to be sure you have a 5th session TBT class. Check with the office if there is a problem.

We will be starting our unit on Rome soon. If you wish to work on a Roman Independent study project, you need to study up for the pre-test. We will take the pre-test sometime next week.