Time for spring

Hello,

If we have no more snow days then the kids will get out on the 14th of June.  One more snow day and they'll have to come back for Monday the 17th.  It's like a three for one raw deal.  One more snow day costs the kids three days of summer vacation.  So I'm hoping we've seen the end of big snow. 

Auditions for the Stowe School Variety Show are after school tomorrow.  Acts should take approximately two minutes.  A parent or guardian must come to auditions and rehearsals.  The actual show is scheduled for Friday, March 29.

We have been working hard on our paragraphing.  I know some students got frustrated today cutting and pasting sentences to fit inside margins.  I will have them do the activity again if they have trouble writing with margins. 

I read the tall tale of John Henry, famous railroad worker, this afternoon.  I gave them some questions to answer afterwards, checking on vocabulary.  Tomorrow they will have stories to read where they can go back and look to and answer comprehension questions.  Report cards are two weeks away, so the testing is upon us. 

We have to set up conferences for the week of March 11-15.  Most teachers are making Friday the 15th an all day conference day.  I'll offer some afterschool and before school times earlier in the week as well.  I'll send home a sheet on Monday where you can give me your preferences. 

We had a visitor from Bowdoin College, Matthew, observe our classroom for the half day yesterday.  I wish he got to see a little more instructing, but I think he got a sense of our class and school routines.  He watched my math class go over homework and take a quiz.  He then got to see our class start a basketball unit with Ms. D'Agostino in the gym.  It being a half day, I pointed out how little academic instructional time that the students got, even though the day counts as a full day.  As long as the kids eat lunch, the day counts as one of our 175 school days. 

Sorry I didn't get the blog done yesterday.  The fourth grade teachers met and then we got out of here to beat the storm. 

Thanks for understanding.  Have a good night.

Mr. Shea

Half day tomorrow

Hello,

I just checked the forecast.  It looks like the snow will hold off long enough for us to get in our half day tomorrow.  Don't forget that it is an early release day.  Students will be released at 1:00. 

Paragraphing went well today.  Tonight's assignment is to write another one.  The topic sentences were good from last night's homework.  Most people got three or more supporting sentences down.  A few forgot a concluding sentence, but the main issue was the margins.  I'll try something new tomorrow to get them going on that.  It seems like an easy thing to remember, but they are still struggling.  I'm getting a lot of "Oh yeah!"  If they can write a paragraph tonight with the first sentence indented, proper margins, topic sentence, supporting sentences and concluding sentence, they won't have any homework (outside of reading) from me tomorrow.  I already graded the papers of the ten kids who stayed for homework club.  Three out of ten were celebrating.  Seven of ten still have work to do.

We spent some time today looking ahead to next week's tea party.  The kids will get into character in the afternoon as their biography subjects.  I will serve up some unique foods and beverages and they will mingle, teaching and learning as they enjoy each other's company.  It will probably be next Wednesday or Thursday.  I'll let you know by the end of the week.  I usually can use some adult help for the serving.

My brain seemed to turn to mush this afternoon.  After just one week away from school and I feel out of shape for the rigors of the day.  I'm exhausted and am going home. 

Have a great night.

Mr. Shea

We're back!

Hello,

Despite being a no special day, today seemed to fly by.  I think most of us were ready to get the train rolling again.  I heard from many kids that they were glad to be back, which was nice to hear (and not the usual.)

We jumped right in to proper paragraphing.  Students will be writing research reports on the biome of their choice.  (Back in our day we called them habitats.)  Some of the main biomes that we will be studying are desert, rain forest, tundra, temperate forest, deciduous forest, tropical ocean, temperate ocean, chaparral, rivers, etc.  I modeled writing a sample paragraph about the rain forest and then everyone tried on their own.  I was impressed with the results.  Therefore, tonight's homework is to write another paragraph on any subject they wish.  It must have a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence. 

I bought a bunch of books over break.  It is a small addiction for me.  Ask your son or daughter if any of the new books caught their eye.  I have more to unveil tomorrow. 

Fourth grade teachers met tonight and I demonstrated using Lego's to help teach the simple machine units.  I think I have everyone on board, which I think will be good for everyone involved.  I'm sure lots of  kids will be excited to learn this way. 

I need to get home to get on my roof and shovel.  Have a great night.  Thanks for reading.

Mr. Shea

Happy Valentine's Day

Hello,

I saw some impressive President's Day homework.  It did shed some light on an area that I need to spend some time on.  Calendar knowledge seems to be a class weakness.  The statement that President's Day falls on the third Monday of February really meant nothing to many students.  I asked what was the earliest day in February that the holiday could fall on.  It didn't take long to understand how lost they were.  I asked how early in the month the first Monday in February could fall.  I couldn't find a access point in their prior knowledge to build on, so I handed out calendars, about two students per calendar.  I asked them to flip through and tell me what day the first Monday of February fell on.  I got many answers, many impossible, including Sunday.  (No, the first Monday in February can't be on a Sunday.)  It was surprising, but also nice to find these gaps in their knowledge.  We'll be doing some calendar work these next few weeks. 

Valentine's Day was nice.  The class exchanged valentines at 2:40.  I allowed them to eat two pieces of their candy.  90% of the valentines given out included something sweet.  At 2:55 I played a few songs and said that they were welcome to dance.  They had a little conga line going and then a kick line started.  The amount of energy that seemed to surge into their bodies was a little scary.  At 3:05, we got out our assignment books.  Tonight's topic that I want them to learn something about: sugar.

Tomorrow is walk / bike to school day.  Hopefully they will not have a breakfast of more sugar, but if so, I think the walk to school and the early morning school assembly that will focus on exercise will do them good.

I hope everyone has a great February vacation.  This year is whipping by.  I know I see a lot of you picking up your kids from Lego club or Homework club, but please don't hesitate to catch my ear if you have any concern or questions about your child's education.  Today's calendar discovery came out of left field for me.  I have to be more of a detective than ever before to uncover some of the holes in their education.  Please speak up if you see an area that needs some reinforcement. 

Thanks for reading.

Mr. Shea 

Butterbeer!

Hello,

I think the butterbeer in Harry Potter Club was a success.  Sugar usually is very well accepted by nine and ten year olds.  Here is the recipe I used:


Ingredients: A&W Cream Soda
                    Redi-whip whipped cream
                    Smuckers butterscotch ice cream topping

I poured out the glasses of cream soda.  Then I squirted whip cream in a bowl and then mixed in some butterscotch until uniformly yellowed.  I put three rounded teaspoon dollops of the butterscotch cream on top of each glass of soda.  Ms. Thayer added a straw and a couple of students passed them out.  I instructed the young wizards and witches to drink it so that they got a little cream with every sip, thus leaving them with mustache of cream.  It wasn't bad, and easily the closest I will ever get to feeling like I was on a cooking show. 




I'm sorry.  I just got talking with a couple colleagues and lost track of time.  I've got to run.

Have a good night.

Mr. Shea

Happy Fat Tuesday

Hello,

Last night's homework went very well.  Many students came in with some great information that they learned.  Some learned about history, some about new words, some science...  One boy learned about his great grandfather in WWII.  Very interesting stuff.  In the future, I'd like them to search for (or ask you for) information that is specific to something they are interested in.  I think many students asked parents to just tell them something that they didn't know.  While many of those things were very fascinating, I think the kids will get more out of it if they are required to narrow the topic.  My message to them is that nothing is holding them back in their acquisition of knowledge.  Find something that you are interested in and get going.  Ask questions.  Get online.  Read a book, newspaper or magazine.  Becoming knowledgeable about a subject is all up to them at this point. 

I'm going to be asking them to be a class expert in a subject of their choice and it will be up to them to find out answers to any questions that the class has on that subject.  My hope is that they will come to see themselves as experts as they are becoming them.

Tonight's homework is also about finding out information.  They have a choice.  They can find out more info about Valentine's Day or Fat Tuesday.  They don't have to write a research paper, but they should be able to find out what one of these days is all about.  I have family in New Orleans and have experienced a couple Mardi Gras celebrations down there.  I gave out beads from New Orleans to everyone at the end of class today. 

Students also received five bracelets today.  Those were courtesy of our 5-2-1-0 health program.  The idea is to eat a total of five fruits and vegetables a day.  Every time your child eats a fruit or vegetable, they are supposed to transfer a bracelet from one arm to the other.  At the end of the day, the hope is that all of the bracelets will make it to the other wrist.  It seems like a good idea.  Ask your child if they are up to the challenge. 

We had some current events news brought in today about the pope.  I guess I hadn't heard any news with the big storm and all, because I hadn't heard.  It is nice to have a student break a big story to me.  (And a little embarrassing).

I'm seeing some original games in my math class.  They were challenged to invent a game that had a theme and included a good amount of probability.  I asked them to make it so that even if someone was way behind, they still would have a chance to win.  I gave Candyland and Chutes and Ladders as examples.  You can make a big comeback in those games.  Monopoly... not so much.  I have played five different games so far and have been impressed.

Dinner time.  Thanks for reading.

Mr. Shea

Storm survived

Hello,

I heard a lot of stories and it seems we all survived the Blizzard of '13.  I don't usually like snow days, but I was glad that we got one in this year.  If we don't have another, the kids will end school on a Friday, which would be nice for them. 

The main homework tonight is to learn something new.  Ask you about something, look it up in an encyclopedia or online, or discover something themselves.  I want to hear about it tomorrow.  It can be a new word, a new mathematical theorem, or anything else that they can find out that they might like to share. 

I hate to cut this short, but we are hearing reports that the roads are going to get worse as this gets colder.  I'll write tomorrow after Lego Club.

Thanks for reading,

Mr. Shea

PS.  Ask about the class spelling results: overall very good!

Snow day?

Hello,

I think the snow may hold off for us to get our school day in, but we'll see.

I don't have much time to type tonight.  I just got out of my second meeting after school and I need to head to the high school to see one of my students perform in the halftime show. 

I postponed the math weekly challenge due date to Monday on account of the excitement over the snow.  They can learn about getting burned hoping for a snow day some other time.  They are really going to miss out on a school time tradition if we don't get a snow day all year.

I gave the spelling achievement test today.  Early results look like lots of improvement from the first time they saw these words back in late October. 

We wrote compliments to each other today.  Each student had a class list and had to write a compliment to each of their classmates, then deliver them.  I got a couple of compliments that I wasn't 100% sure were compliments at all, including: "I think your a verry good taecher."  Umm... thanks?

Have a great night.  Good luck with the storm.  Stay safe.

Mr. Shea 

Wednesday

Hello, 

Harry Potter club let welcomed seven more members today.  We are now over thirty.  I said I wouldn't do it, but it is very hard to say no.  I left out twelve kids who have shown interest and I immediately got an email from a fellow teacher asking me to add "just one more."  I have to say "no" now.  Our next meeting on Wednesday will include a Butterbeer tasting.  We'll see how my recipe goes this year.  I think I have a good one.  I'll have to test it this weekend.  Don't worry, no alcohol.

I showed the second half of my "national park erosion" slides this afternoon.  I like to split them up so that the students can get a reminder and reinforcement of their previous learning.  I was happy with what they were able to remember.  The pictures sure make me long for a trip out west and maybe you'll hear some requests from your children as well.  Some of the sites: Balanced Rock, Landscape and Delicate Arches, the Windows (at Bryce), may not make it through our lifetimes, so I was quick to point out that they should go and see these before they get too old.  Geologic time moves very slow, but you never know.

The class started a mini-mystery about the case of the missing Babe Ruth baseball.  Much like yesterday's mystery, this one required writing down clues.  This group doesn't like to write what they feel they can say out loud.  (That's why I often hear the response, "I did it in my head," when I ask where a homework assignment is.  This mystery may not take us another day to crack, but it will to write down the necessary clues.

No math homework for my math class tonight.  I usually give some type of review if they haven't quite figured out the new material.  I overestimated how far we would get with the long division today, so I chose not to give my planned homework.  They completely understand using manipulatives to do long division, but they are having a little trouble writing it out in the way that the Math In Focus program requires.  I like that many kids have different methods, but they will need to understand the Singapore way as well if they want to do well next year. 

I watched the gymnastic performances in P.E. class this morning.  We have some tumblers, acrobats, and dancers in the class.  I saw some good choreography too. 

Thanks for reading.  Have a good night. 

Question for you all:  I always put two spaces after my end of sentence punctuation.  See?  One space would look like this. See?  Are my old school ways out of date?  I heard that they are, but I'm currently not convinced.  Your thoughts?

Mr. Shea

Some frustration this afternoon

Hello,

It's getting really late in the year to have to remind them about reading their work over.  Punctuation, full sentences, capital letters... these things should be old hat.  I wasn't overly impressed with this afternoon's output.  I really don't want to hear, "Oh yeah!" when I ask what they should do at the beginning or end of a sentence.  Do it.  There were lots of rewrites today.

I got more reading logs this week.  This was due to stiffer penalties.  I'm sure I'll get even more next week.  For every twenty minutes of reading that I'm not seeing done at home, students are losing a recess at school.  I never take more than one recess a day from them, but losing the longer one is not sitting well with some of them.  I hate to have to "force" them to read at home, but I'll do what I feel I have to do to give them a better future.

My math class dipped into some long division today.  We may be the last to get there, but I think they are well prepared to have an easy time of it.  They'll be pros at it in no time.  And they'll understand what they are doing, rather than just following a pattern.  We are lucky to have a Bowdoin student, Helen, joining us on Tuesdays and Thursdays for her second semester.  We just met her today, but she seems like a keeper.

No Lego Club on Thursday.  I have an IEP meeting with parents and staff members.  We'll get back at it next week.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  They schedule the meetings and I go to them.

Have a good night.

Mr. Shea

Daily wrap up

Hello,

The islands are coming along well.  Once again, the placement of rivers seems to be the hardest.  I am constantly asking where water runs and I am constantly hearing, "downhill."  Easy to say, hard to show on an island made of dough.  Overall I am very pleased with the quality this year.  Students are taking their time on the key and the color schemes.  I think you'll be impressed with their creations.

We read a book called Miss Alaineus by Debra Frasier this afternoon.  A fifth grader in the story really messes up her vocabulary homework by not looking up miscellaneous and making up a definition based on what she thinks it is.  She gets laughed at by the whole class, but then makes up for it by taking responsibility and turning her mistake into a great project.  We are going to do one of the girl's homework assignments this week.  She had to find three words in a dictionary that started with the letter A and put them in a sentence.  Then she had to pick three B words and write another sentence.  Then C, D, and on and on.  Our class will be doing this with the whole alphabet.  I told them to pace themselves.  They have all week.  Try to do five or six a night.  We'll see how that goes. 

We're teaching charts and graphs from chapter four in our Math in Focus books in our homerooms.  Occasionally you may see what looks like double math homework.  Charts and graphs will be part of our reading informational texts lessons.

Thanks to everyone who made play dough.  We had enough for everyone and noone felt like they had to limit their island because of the amount of clay they had.  Thanks for helping out.  Islands will be able to come home as I grade them.  The grading process includes a little one on one interview where they have to answer any of my questions.  So far so good.  I graded four at the end of the day today.

I hope you enjoyed the super bowl.  Some kids said they stayed up for the whole thing.  They are probably as tired as I am right now.  I'm going home for a nap before dinner.

Have a great night.  Thanks for reading.

Mr. Shea