Hello,
We will be camping out on Thursday, the night before our big Civil War day. We tried to find a nearby venue that would allow for a campfire, but it didn't work out. We will be camping right here in the HBS field. Two other classes will be joining us.
Our plan is to have a regular after school homework club, complete with snacks and reading time. Then we will set up our tents and, hopefully, get some pizza delivered. Please let me know if you can be the driver to go get the pizza. You are also welcome to chip in a couple bucks. We do not plan for an authentic 1863 camping experience. We're hoping for a 2016 version with LL Bean tents, sleeping pads and made to order food.
Parents (and families) are welcome. Make it a fun night for the whole family.
We will have round the clock night watchmen to take kids into the school to the bathroom. We are looking for volunteers for one hour shifts. Last time we had two hour shifts and my 4am person never showed, so I was up from 2am to 6am. I am hoping the faster shift makes for more volunteers. You do not need to be a camper to be a watchman. You can drive to school, play on your phone for an hour (or watch the stars), and then drive home.
In the morning, you are welcome to take your child home or just leave him or her for the big day. In either case, a change of clothes, breakfast, and some cleaning supplies should be provided. The gym restrooms have showers. Last time we had a couple campstoves making bacon and eggs, while some parents dropped off some bagels, juice and fruit. I can run my stove for some of that, but hope we get some people chipping in as well.
The Civil War chorus show starts at 9:30 am in the gym. The outdoor stations go from 10:30 to noon. The reenactment goes from 1:00 to about 1:15. Please let me know if you have any questions or needs for the big day.
I've got to run. Exciting week ahead! And a bonus homework club tomorrow! (Tuesday)
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
PS. I'll blog about it at a later time, but I heard that people are checking the blog to see if I have really taken a new job for next year. I have. I was offered a position at the new elementary school at Chewonki in Wiscasset. I'll be a 5th and 6th grade multi-age teacher. More on that at a later date. Thank you for your support.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Possible Gettysburg itinerary
Hello,
A rough itinerary of our upcoming, non school affiliated Gettysburg trip:
A rough itinerary of our upcoming, non school affiliated Gettysburg trip:
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
June 23-26, 2016
Thursday, June 23 Rough Itinerary
6:00 am Depart from HBS. I
need to know who is going, who is driving, and any possible space available, so
I can find out if we need to rent a van.
4:30ish pm Arrive
at Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg, PA. Actual driving time is about 8 hours. I’m figuring about 2 ½ hours for bathroom
breaks and lunch.
5:00 pm Set
up camp, get dinner started.
6:00 pm Eat
dinner.
6:30 pm Go for a swim. Take
a quick shower.
7:30 pm Campfire time.
Friday, June 24 Rough itinerary
8:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am Tour the battlefield
12:00 pm Lunch / Swim?
1:30 pm National Park Visitors Center (Museum, film, and
cyclorama)
4:30 pm Nap / Swim?
5:30 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Gettysburg National Cemetery
9:00 pm Ghost tour?
Saturday, June 25 Rough itinerary
8:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am Battlefield walk (In the steps of Pickett)
11:00 am Battlefield walk (In the steps of Chamberlain)
12:00 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Downtown Gettysburg
4:30 pm Free choice: museums, battlefield, swimming, souvenir
hunting?
6:00 pm Authentic 1863 meal at Historic Farnsworth House Inn? (Goober peanut soup, turkey, duck, pheasant…)
“The house
sheltered Confederate sharpshooters during the three-day conflict, one of whom
it is believed to have accidentally shot 20 year-old Mary Virginia
"Jennie" Wade, the only civilian who died during the battle.
More than 100 bullet holes pock the walls.”
or
Eat at the 1776 Dobbin House?
(Candlelight, below ground, period dining. Oldest house in Gettysburg and a
stop on the Underground Railroad)
8:00 pm Final
Campfire
Sunday, June 26
6:00 am Break
down camp. Shower. Breakfast.
Hit the road.
6:30ish pm Home again, home again, jiggety jig.
I am not
rich by any means, and while I am perfectly willing to pay more than my share
to give the kids the experience, I can’t
afford to cover all the multiple costs associated with this. Here is a general breakdown of the major
costs as I see them.
$8.50 a night per person
camping. (25.50 total)
Approximately $14.00 a
day for food, that includes snacks, drinks, ice cream at the downtown Mr. G’s
Ice Cream. The period dinner is an added
cost. I added another ten to that day’s food cost, but I think it is well worth
it (66.00 total)
$8.00 National Park
Visitors Center and Museum Group Rate
That totals
up to $99.50. This would be for anyone coming who wants me to take care of
costs.
For the
families coming, if they want to eat or do things on their own, they could pay
for the things they take part in. All
drivers, including me, would pay for their own gas and tolls. This will be substantial, so anyone not
driving would surely be welcome to chip in there too.
Overall, not
too shabby. A four day camping
experience for a hundred bucks is pretty much unheard of. I think it will be worth our time, money and
effort.
Have a great night,
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Gettysburg Trip 2016
Hello,
I'm attaching in the info sheet that went home last night.
I'm attaching in the info sheet that went home last night.
2016
Gettysburg Trip
Here are a
few details on the proposed trip. Please remember that this is not a school
affiliated trip, but a trip that I am putting together as a culmination of our
Civil War unit and our looping experience.
Thursday, June 23rd
We will leave HBS at 6:00am. We
will be driving to Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg, PA. This is about
a 9 to 9 ½ hour drive. Last year, with a lunch stop and other breaks, we got
there around 4:30pm. It was very warm. We checked in, set up tents, cooked up
some dinner, and some kids went swimming in the pool. We made a campfire,
caught fireflies, and hit the hay. Group rates for camping is $8.50 per person,
per night. Area hotels are available if you are not a camper.
Friday and Saturday, June 24th
and 25th
We will
tour the battlefield in multiple sessions. We did it in three sessions last
time. I have toured Gettysburg several times and have read enough books to be
our tour guide. I may not be perfect, but the price is right. Be sure that we
will find time to explore Devil’s Den, walk in the footsteps of the men of
Pickett’s Charge, and pretend to fix bayonets and perform the swinging gate
maneuver of the soldiers of the 20th Maine on Little Round Top. Last
time we took afternoon siestas. The pool at our campground is nice.
The Gettysburg National
Military Park Museum is also a must see. This is a good activity for hot or
rainy afternoons. Group rate admission to the museum, film, and cyclorama is $8
for kids and $10 for adults.
I’d also like to get the kids
to eat an authentic Civil War Era meal, either in the 1776 Dobbin House, the
oldest in Gettysburg and once an underground railroad hideout, or the Historic
Farnsworth House Inn, which once sheltered confederate sharpshooters and over a
hundred bullet holes pock the walls.
Sunday,
June 26th
Home. Although
last time many families drove elsewhere before heading back to Maine, this will
be up to you if you are a driver. One family went to Six Flags New England,
another spent a day in nearby Washington D.C. We just need to make sure that
kids make it home when they are expected.
If you want
to send your child on this trip without a chaperone, the fee is $100, payable
on the day we leave. This covers transportation, camping, food and fees. I
think it is a great deal for four days and three nights of fun. If you are
going as a chaperone, you can just take care of your own family’s costs as they
arise.
Info nights – Monday, May 16th
and Tuesday, May 17th at 6:00 (whichever is most convenient
for you)
Monday, May 2, 2016
Civil War unit begins
Hello,
The class has taken sides. We have 16 Union Yankees and 8 Confederate Rebels. Both sides have chosen a general. Congrats to Luke and Chelsea on that front. As for names, each student was assigned a battlefront and a homefront persona. They will use these identities in their journals.
Contingents have been made with their own flags and mottoes. Ask your child what they stand for. We have started "marching" to and from our classes. We have had locker inspections. Points are awarded or taken away in much the same way that our classroom economy worked, but this is much more intense, with very few actions ignored.
We started the day with reveille and ended it with taps. Missing reading logs on the Union side were very costly this morning. We ended the day with the Confederates up 970 to 673. The extra members are a big advantage for the Union, except when penalties are awarded. They have a much better chance of having someone standing out in a bad way.
No homework clubs this week. Sorry about the change in plans. I take part in the teacher contract negotiation meetings, and they have been planned for Tuesday and Thursday this week.
Gettysburg Trip News: I talked to the good people at Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania this weekend. I have put in a deposit for our group camping sites. It looks like the cost for the four day trip, which will leave on Thursday morning, the 23rd of June and return Sunday night, the 26th, will once again be $100 per child. The only way we can do this so cheaply is if our volunteer drivers pay for their own gas. I thank you in advance. The campground website is www.artilleryridge.com. If you'd like to reserve a cabin (and sleep indoors) those reservations will be up to you. Those go fast, so you might want to call right away if you'd rather have a bed and a stove.
More details to follow in an information sheet this week. I'm almost done with that. I just wanted to get the major details out asap. This trip is not affiliated with the Brunswick School Department.
All for now,
Mr. Shea
The class has taken sides. We have 16 Union Yankees and 8 Confederate Rebels. Both sides have chosen a general. Congrats to Luke and Chelsea on that front. As for names, each student was assigned a battlefront and a homefront persona. They will use these identities in their journals.
Contingents have been made with their own flags and mottoes. Ask your child what they stand for. We have started "marching" to and from our classes. We have had locker inspections. Points are awarded or taken away in much the same way that our classroom economy worked, but this is much more intense, with very few actions ignored.
We started the day with reveille and ended it with taps. Missing reading logs on the Union side were very costly this morning. We ended the day with the Confederates up 970 to 673. The extra members are a big advantage for the Union, except when penalties are awarded. They have a much better chance of having someone standing out in a bad way.
No homework clubs this week. Sorry about the change in plans. I take part in the teacher contract negotiation meetings, and they have been planned for Tuesday and Thursday this week.
Gettysburg Trip News: I talked to the good people at Artillery Ridge Campground in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania this weekend. I have put in a deposit for our group camping sites. It looks like the cost for the four day trip, which will leave on Thursday morning, the 23rd of June and return Sunday night, the 26th, will once again be $100 per child. The only way we can do this so cheaply is if our volunteer drivers pay for their own gas. I thank you in advance. The campground website is www.artilleryridge.com. If you'd like to reserve a cabin (and sleep indoors) those reservations will be up to you. Those go fast, so you might want to call right away if you'd rather have a bed and a stove.
More details to follow in an information sheet this week. I'm almost done with that. I just wanted to get the major details out asap. This trip is not affiliated with the Brunswick School Department.
All for now,
Mr. Shea
Monday, April 25, 2016
Homework clubs to start up next week
Hello,
We welcomed the kids back today and we'll jump right back into testing tomorrow. This next one is the MEA science test. It is much shorter and shouldn't take more than two to three hours over the next two days.
I was hoping to start homework clubs back up this week, but unfortunately have meetings Tues, Wed and Thurs. We'll get them going next Tues and Thurs. The guitar club is going to have to decide what form we want to take at this point. We can practice at the beginning of our Tues or Thurs clubs, but I can't add an extra day.
The Civil War reenactment day will be Friday, May 27th. We're still trying to shore up plans for a camp out on the night before. It looks like we will have more classes involved this year, which I am happy about.
I'm going to go home and do my Gettysburg trip research tonight. I didn't get to it over vacation. For those looking ahead, I'm thinking Thursday, June 23rd to Sunday, June 26th. I'll finalize some pricing and plan to have an info sheet out next week. By the way, this trip is not school affiliated.
No homework the next two nights, due to testing. Back to normal by Wednesday.
Have a great night,
Mr. Shea
We welcomed the kids back today and we'll jump right back into testing tomorrow. This next one is the MEA science test. It is much shorter and shouldn't take more than two to three hours over the next two days.
I was hoping to start homework clubs back up this week, but unfortunately have meetings Tues, Wed and Thurs. We'll get them going next Tues and Thurs. The guitar club is going to have to decide what form we want to take at this point. We can practice at the beginning of our Tues or Thurs clubs, but I can't add an extra day.
The Civil War reenactment day will be Friday, May 27th. We're still trying to shore up plans for a camp out on the night before. It looks like we will have more classes involved this year, which I am happy about.
I'm going to go home and do my Gettysburg trip research tonight. I didn't get to it over vacation. For those looking ahead, I'm thinking Thursday, June 23rd to Sunday, June 26th. I'll finalize some pricing and plan to have an info sheet out next week. By the way, this trip is not school affiliated.
No homework the next two nights, due to testing. Back to normal by Wednesday.
Have a great night,
Mr. Shea
Thursday, April 14, 2016
April Vacation
Hello,
We've had a whirlwind few days here. I've never taught the events leading up to the American Revolution so quickly, but our Civil War unit is coming and the calendar is flying. The increased testing time, snow days, COGAT, Arts Are Elementary mural painting and five paragraph writing prompt really upset our usual schedule.
With all of that, I was impressed with our class showings at our Colonial Market Day and our Science Night. I supported students on their projects a bit more than usual due to the time crunch, but our kids really rose to the occasion. Our market day will definitely influence future classes, as I heard many students from other classes wonder aloud why they didn't get to do that for their market day.
Science Night was a huge success. A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Palopoli for all of her hard work to put it together. Thanks to the parents that chipped in as well. I was really impressed with the independence that our class was able to exhibit that night. Twenty two students were able to stay after school, put the finishing touches on their projects, set up in the gym, eat, and then perform for a full ninety minutes, all with minimal supervision. It made me very proud. They knew their stuff and it showed.
The plan is to have a Science Awards Banquet in May and tie that in with our Manners Banquet. More details on that to follow.
The tea party speeches yesterday were enthusiastic and loud! It was great to see everyone pull that together so quickly.
I hope everyone has a nice school break. Get outside and play. Read a lot. Write a little too.
Thanks so much for your continued support.
We'll be having a Gettysburg informational night coming up in May. This is a non school sanctioned event. (The trip, not the info night.) Stay tuned.
Mr. Shea
We've had a whirlwind few days here. I've never taught the events leading up to the American Revolution so quickly, but our Civil War unit is coming and the calendar is flying. The increased testing time, snow days, COGAT, Arts Are Elementary mural painting and five paragraph writing prompt really upset our usual schedule.
With all of that, I was impressed with our class showings at our Colonial Market Day and our Science Night. I supported students on their projects a bit more than usual due to the time crunch, but our kids really rose to the occasion. Our market day will definitely influence future classes, as I heard many students from other classes wonder aloud why they didn't get to do that for their market day.
Science Night was a huge success. A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Palopoli for all of her hard work to put it together. Thanks to the parents that chipped in as well. I was really impressed with the independence that our class was able to exhibit that night. Twenty two students were able to stay after school, put the finishing touches on their projects, set up in the gym, eat, and then perform for a full ninety minutes, all with minimal supervision. It made me very proud. They knew their stuff and it showed.
The plan is to have a Science Awards Banquet in May and tie that in with our Manners Banquet. More details on that to follow.
The tea party speeches yesterday were enthusiastic and loud! It was great to see everyone pull that together so quickly.
I hope everyone has a nice school break. Get outside and play. Read a lot. Write a little too.
Thanks so much for your continued support.
We'll be having a Gettysburg informational night coming up in May. This is a non school sanctioned event. (The trip, not the info night.) Stay tuned.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Science Night
Hello,
Science night is tomorrow night, Friday the 8th, at 6:00. I hope you all can make it. Our whole class is invited to stay after school to put the finishing touches on their projects, set up, and practice our presentations. Pizza will be served around 5:15. Fruit and vege platters, fruit juice, and water will also be provided. This should fuel us up for the big night.
Our class has worked hard for this night. I feel like this experience has been just the remedy we needed to get us out of our testing blahs. Come early or come late, but I think you will be impressed with our groups.
We have three students that are finishing up an engineering challenge of making a Ferris wheel out of K'nex that is over six feet tall.
Three other students have made six different bridge models out of marshmallows and toothpicks. Find out which bridge was the strongest.
Visit our Wall of Bubble at our Bubble station. Learns the hows and whys of bubbles. Dip different three dimensional models into our bubble mix and see what happens.
We have four students working on several different erosion models. Dirt and water will be in abundance at this station.
Our Rube Goldberg station will give you a whimsical look at the connection of simple machines.
Lastly, our Egg-cellent Density group will explore the density of eggs, water, salt water, and several other liquids from light to goopy. That is the scientific term for "thick".
Our class only represents six tables out of over sixty. You are sure to find a topic to interest you.
Thanks for all of the support. I'll see you tomorrow!
Mr. Shea
Science night is tomorrow night, Friday the 8th, at 6:00. I hope you all can make it. Our whole class is invited to stay after school to put the finishing touches on their projects, set up, and practice our presentations. Pizza will be served around 5:15. Fruit and vege platters, fruit juice, and water will also be provided. This should fuel us up for the big night.
Our class has worked hard for this night. I feel like this experience has been just the remedy we needed to get us out of our testing blahs. Come early or come late, but I think you will be impressed with our groups.
We have three students that are finishing up an engineering challenge of making a Ferris wheel out of K'nex that is over six feet tall.
Three other students have made six different bridge models out of marshmallows and toothpicks. Find out which bridge was the strongest.
Visit our Wall of Bubble at our Bubble station. Learns the hows and whys of bubbles. Dip different three dimensional models into our bubble mix and see what happens.
We have four students working on several different erosion models. Dirt and water will be in abundance at this station.
Our Rube Goldberg station will give you a whimsical look at the connection of simple machines.
Lastly, our Egg-cellent Density group will explore the density of eggs, water, salt water, and several other liquids from light to goopy. That is the scientific term for "thick".
Our class only represents six tables out of over sixty. You are sure to find a topic to interest you.
Thanks for all of the support. I'll see you tomorrow!
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Colonial Market Day tomorrow
Hello,
This has been a very hectic time with changing schedules on a daily basis. Many of you were interested in getting a peek at the market day festivities. Tomorrow is scheduled much like every other day these past two weeks: we are working around test times. Since tomorrow's test time is at 10:40, we have two small windows of opportunity for you to peruse the Ol' Colonial Market. Shops will open at 10am and will have to close a half hour later. We will reopen after lunch, around 1:10 and then promptly close again at 1:40 for the school talent show. Please drop by if you have some time to spare.
Our potters, glassmakers, silversmiths, cidermakers, blacksmiths, weavers, bakers and chandlers would love to see you visit. They accept cash or precious metals.
Thanks for your support.
Mr. Shea
This has been a very hectic time with changing schedules on a daily basis. Many of you were interested in getting a peek at the market day festivities. Tomorrow is scheduled much like every other day these past two weeks: we are working around test times. Since tomorrow's test time is at 10:40, we have two small windows of opportunity for you to peruse the Ol' Colonial Market. Shops will open at 10am and will have to close a half hour later. We will reopen after lunch, around 1:10 and then promptly close again at 1:40 for the school talent show. Please drop by if you have some time to spare.
Our potters, glassmakers, silversmiths, cidermakers, blacksmiths, weavers, bakers and chandlers would love to see you visit. They accept cash or precious metals.
Thanks for your support.
Mr. Shea
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Science Night April 8th
2nd Annual 5th Grade
SCIENCE DISCOVERY NIGHT
“An Evening with Einsteins”
Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School
Friday, April 8, 2016
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Ask your child what they are working on to be a part of this fantastic night where they will get to present their scientific discoveries right along side of professional scientists from our community.
That night will also include the unveiling of the 5th Grade Mural celebrating astronomy and space exploration that our students have been working on with Art's Are Elementary's Randy Fein.
The link below is for anyone willing to help out on that night.
https://www.signupgenius.com/index.cfm?go=s.signup&urlid=30e0e4eaeae2bab9-hbsscience&useFullSite=true
Look for note going home with more info, including T-shirts!
Thanks,
Mr. Shea
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Conference sign up
Dear Parent,
You are invited to sign up for Parent / Teacher Conference with Mr. Shea.
DATES: Monday March 21, Tuesday March 22, Wednesday March 23, Thursday March 24, Friday March 25, Monday March 28 and Tuesday, March 29.
PLACE: Room 120.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: End of day, 2 days before each conference day
To pick a time slot,
enter this link in your internet browser:
www.ptcfast.com/reg1
At that
link, you will be asked for your Entry Code, where you should
enter P6L182450
enter P6L182450
If you do not have
internet access, please send me a note and I’ll send you a paper copy of
possible times.
Please let me know if
none of the open times work for you. I look forward to our meeting. Thank you.
Best
Regards,
Mr. Shea
Mr. Shea
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Conferences upcoming
Hello,
Thank you for you patience regarding our conferences. Once again, the Bowdoin Women's Basketball Team has done very well and is heading to the NCAA Division III Tournament Round Three. I will not be in school on March 11, a day that many teachers will be conferencing with students.
I will be sending home an electronic sign up sheet for conferences this Sunday, regardless of our basketball outcomes this weekend. I will once again offer up half hour times before and after school. Conferences will take place through out the rest of March, so you can be sure we will be able to find a good time for everyone.
I look forward to meeting with you all.
Thanks again,
Mr. Shea
Thank you for you patience regarding our conferences. Once again, the Bowdoin Women's Basketball Team has done very well and is heading to the NCAA Division III Tournament Round Three. I will not be in school on March 11, a day that many teachers will be conferencing with students.
I will be sending home an electronic sign up sheet for conferences this Sunday, regardless of our basketball outcomes this weekend. I will once again offer up half hour times before and after school. Conferences will take place through out the rest of March, so you can be sure we will be able to find a good time for everyone.
I look forward to meeting with you all.
Thanks again,
Mr. Shea
Thursday, February 4, 2016
coming soon: puberty video
Hello,
Here is the letter that went home with your child:
Here is the letter that went home with your child:
Dear Stowe School Families,
The 5th grade students are about to study an
important lesson on the early stages of puberty. During the week of February 8th the
students will be viewing the video Always Changing which has specific
topics concerning puberty for both boys and girls. The boys and the girls will
be in separate classrooms for their lessons. The boys will be viewing the boy’s
video with the male 5th grade teachers while the girls will be
viewing the girl’s video with the female 5th grade teachers.
The focus of the lesson helps boys and girls to:
·
Understand the physical and emotional changes
they experience during puberty and
acknowledge these changes as a normal part of growth and development
·
Learn the physiology of their bodies and correct
terminology for the parts of the reproductive system
·
Understand that personal hygiene is each
individual’s responsibility
The students will be given a puberty education booklet so
you can continue the discussions with your child at home. You can preview the
video we will show at: www.pgschoolprograms.com/parents.php
.
Thank you for allowing us to help your child through this
important stage in their lives. Please call or email if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Jean Skorapa, Principal, Linda
Morris, RN, School Nurse
Monday, January 4, 2016
Welcome back
Hello,
We are starting our astronomy unit. I'm pretty psyched about it. The kids will be soon too.
I hope everyone had a nice holiday break. Most of the class got to share today. We focused on the their favorite times and not on the material stuff that they got. Some homework follow-up on that as well.
I'm not sure how many of you remember last year's inaugural Science Night put on by Mrs. Palopoli. It coincided with our Quidditch Match of the Decade. We set up our K'nex Ferris wheel and a K'nex roller coaster that I had purchased. The fair was really well done and had lots of real scientists presenting right along side our student scientists. (I know, they're all real scientists, just some are paid to do it.) Ring any bells?
Well, this year we are all in. It is going to be a major event. I'm on the committee with Mrs. Palopoli to make this bigger and better. Were looking for some parent volunteers to join in the fun. If you are interested, let me know or come to our first meeting on January 13 at 5:00. That's a Wednesday. Our snow date is the next night, Thursday the 14th.
Thank you to everyone for following the "No random sweets" rule. We didn't have anything brought in close to the holiday outside of a couple bunches of grapes. Those are always welcome.
No homework club or guitar club this week. Sorry, just too much hoop right after school.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
We are starting our astronomy unit. I'm pretty psyched about it. The kids will be soon too.
I hope everyone had a nice holiday break. Most of the class got to share today. We focused on the their favorite times and not on the material stuff that they got. Some homework follow-up on that as well.
I'm not sure how many of you remember last year's inaugural Science Night put on by Mrs. Palopoli. It coincided with our Quidditch Match of the Decade. We set up our K'nex Ferris wheel and a K'nex roller coaster that I had purchased. The fair was really well done and had lots of real scientists presenting right along side our student scientists. (I know, they're all real scientists, just some are paid to do it.) Ring any bells?
Well, this year we are all in. It is going to be a major event. I'm on the committee with Mrs. Palopoli to make this bigger and better. Were looking for some parent volunteers to join in the fun. If you are interested, let me know or come to our first meeting on January 13 at 5:00. That's a Wednesday. Our snow date is the next night, Thursday the 14th.
Thank you to everyone for following the "No random sweets" rule. We didn't have anything brought in close to the holiday outside of a couple bunches of grapes. Those are always welcome.
No homework club or guitar club this week. Sorry, just too much hoop right after school.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Wrapping up 2015
Hello,
We won't be having a big party to end the week. We will do some fun activities at the end of the day, however. Please don't bring any sweets in for these activities. Our class policy on sweets and snacks hasn't changed. I'm asking you to get permission before showing up with a couple dozen cupcakes or treats. I felt badly that I had to send a little one home with a box of cookies to bring back home last week, but I need to put my foot down. We have varying diets in the class, and I don't think that it is fair to put them on the spot, every time someone brings in some homemade goodies.
We're working on a little review and a little symmetry this week in math. Just a little break from fractions before we jump back into them in January.
We shared writing topics today. Quite a change from this time last year. What is your child writing about?
Tiger beat Arctic Hare today by one vote. Every vote counts! The Tiger made the finals for the second year in a row. We'll see if it can top the winner of tomorrow's Sumatran Rhino - Fennec Fox match up. Some took today's loss hard. It is nice to see them put their heart into their work, just sad when it doesn't pay off.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
We won't be having a big party to end the week. We will do some fun activities at the end of the day, however. Please don't bring any sweets in for these activities. Our class policy on sweets and snacks hasn't changed. I'm asking you to get permission before showing up with a couple dozen cupcakes or treats. I felt badly that I had to send a little one home with a box of cookies to bring back home last week, but I need to put my foot down. We have varying diets in the class, and I don't think that it is fair to put them on the spot, every time someone brings in some homemade goodies.
We're working on a little review and a little symmetry this week in math. Just a little break from fractions before we jump back into them in January.
We shared writing topics today. Quite a change from this time last year. What is your child writing about?
Tiger beat Arctic Hare today by one vote. Every vote counts! The Tiger made the finals for the second year in a row. We'll see if it can top the winner of tomorrow's Sumatran Rhino - Fennec Fox match up. Some took today's loss hard. It is nice to see them put their heart into their work, just sad when it doesn't pay off.
Thanks for reading,
Mr. Shea
Monday, December 14, 2015
Long time, no blog
Hello,
No basketball tonight, so I'm here welcoming any blog readers back. Sorry for the disappearance. It is a tough time from mid November to mid December.
We have been approved to go on a March field trip to the Challenger Center in Bangor. They have a great website, if you'd like to google it and check it out. I think the kids can tell that I am really psyched up to go. We have some prep work to do for it and we've already started with some communication activities. Ask your child what we have done so far to work on clear, concise directions, both written and oral. Part of the communication puzzle is also listening and reading carefully. That has also been part of our work.
We have been conducting daily elections on this year's class World Wildlife symbolic adoption. Tomorrow we will decide between the Fennec Fox and the Narwhal. That winner will join the Tiger, the Arctic Hare and the Sumatran Rhino in the the final four. We learned a lot about the Crocodile and the Emerald Hummingbird today, so it was sad to see them go.
We've been learning cribbage in class these past three weeks. I hope you've played either cribbage or 99 recently. These games are the ticket to faster and more accurate addition. We could use another cribbage board or two in the classroom if you have an old one lying around that doesn't get much use. I thought we might do a little tourney at some point this year.
I have pleased with the adding and subtracting of fractions lately. We're getting the hang of it. I'm not really looking forward to fraction multiplication and division coming up so soon. We may need a fraction break first. I'll see what I can do.
Homework club and Guitar club are both a green light this week. No hoop for me until the 26th.
Thanks for reading. I'll try again tomorrow!
Mr. Shea
No basketball tonight, so I'm here welcoming any blog readers back. Sorry for the disappearance. It is a tough time from mid November to mid December.
We have been approved to go on a March field trip to the Challenger Center in Bangor. They have a great website, if you'd like to google it and check it out. I think the kids can tell that I am really psyched up to go. We have some prep work to do for it and we've already started with some communication activities. Ask your child what we have done so far to work on clear, concise directions, both written and oral. Part of the communication puzzle is also listening and reading carefully. That has also been part of our work.
We have been conducting daily elections on this year's class World Wildlife symbolic adoption. Tomorrow we will decide between the Fennec Fox and the Narwhal. That winner will join the Tiger, the Arctic Hare and the Sumatran Rhino in the the final four. We learned a lot about the Crocodile and the Emerald Hummingbird today, so it was sad to see them go.
We've been learning cribbage in class these past three weeks. I hope you've played either cribbage or 99 recently. These games are the ticket to faster and more accurate addition. We could use another cribbage board or two in the classroom if you have an old one lying around that doesn't get much use. I thought we might do a little tourney at some point this year.
I have pleased with the adding and subtracting of fractions lately. We're getting the hang of it. I'm not really looking forward to fraction multiplication and division coming up so soon. We may need a fraction break first. I'll see what I can do.
Homework club and Guitar club are both a green light this week. No hoop for me until the 26th.
Thanks for reading. I'll try again tomorrow!
Mr. Shea
Monday, November 16, 2015
No Guitar Club
Hello,
Our Superintendent has called for a full staff meeting tomorrow after school meaning that guitar club will have to cancelled. Next Tuesday is an early release, bringing our cancellations to three in a row. Please keep practicing. We will get back on track as soon as we can.
There will be no homework club on Thursday this week either due to Bowdoin basketball.
Next week is Thanksgiving. We will be having an early (1:00) release day on Tuesday. Wednesday is a no school day for kids and is set aside for conferences. I've written in about 40 possible time slots for meetings over the next two and a half weeks. Let me know if none of those work for you and we can figure something out.
I've cut and paste the directions for signing up for conferences. You can also circle times on the sheet that went home today, but the online sign up is easier and quicker for me.
Thank you.
I'm sorry for the brief or nonexistent posts lately. These November weeks of report cards, conferences, basketball, meetings and regular classes are the busiest of the year.
I look forward to meeting with you all soon.
Our Superintendent has called for a full staff meeting tomorrow after school meaning that guitar club will have to cancelled. Next Tuesday is an early release, bringing our cancellations to three in a row. Please keep practicing. We will get back on track as soon as we can.
There will be no homework club on Thursday this week either due to Bowdoin basketball.
Next week is Thanksgiving. We will be having an early (1:00) release day on Tuesday. Wednesday is a no school day for kids and is set aside for conferences. I've written in about 40 possible time slots for meetings over the next two and a half weeks. Let me know if none of those work for you and we can figure something out.
I've cut and paste the directions for signing up for conferences. You can also circle times on the sheet that went home today, but the online sign up is easier and quicker for me.
Thank you.
I'm sorry for the brief or nonexistent posts lately. These November weeks of report cards, conferences, basketball, meetings and regular classes are the busiest of the year.
I look forward to meeting with you all soon.
Dear Parent,
You are invited to sign up for Parent / Teacher Conference with Mr. Shea.
DATE: November 23, November 24, November 25, November 30, December 1 and December 2.
PLACE: Room 120.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: End of day 2 days before each conference day
You are invited to sign up for Parent / Teacher Conference with Mr. Shea.
DATE: November 23, November 24, November 25, November 30, December 1 and December 2.
PLACE: Room 120.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: End of day 2 days before each conference day
To pick a time slot, enter this link in your internet browser:
www.ptcfast.com/reg1
At that link, you will be asked for your Entry Code, where you should
enter P6L182450
enter P6L182450
If you do not have internet access, please send me a note with requested times .
Please let me know if none of the open times work for you. I look forward to our meeting. Thank you.
Best Regards,
Mr. Shea
Mr. Shea
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Conference sign up
Dear Parent,
You are invited to sign up for Parent / Teacher Conference with Mr. Shea.
DATE: November 23, November 24, November 25, November 30, December 1 and December 2.
PLACE: Room 120.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: End of day 2 days before each conference day
You are invited to sign up for Parent / Teacher Conference with Mr. Shea.
DATE: November 23, November 24, November 25, November 30, December 1 and December 2.
PLACE: Room 120.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: End of day 2 days before each conference day
To pick a time slot, enter this link in your internet browser:
www.ptcfast.com/reg1
At that link, you will be asked for your Entry Code, where you should
enter P6L182450
enter P6L182450
If you do not have internet access, please send me a note with requested times .
Please let me know if none of the open times work for you. I look forward to our meeting. Thank you.
Best Regards,
Mr. Shea
Mr. Shea
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Homework club tomorrow
Hello,
My apologies for last night's math homework. I assigned questions 1-5 the night before and they were a lot easier than the next four questions. This morning, I quickly went over how the program wants them to be solved, but I didn't dwell on them too much because those are not questions that match our current math abilities. I'm sorry that I hadn't done them before hand. I thought that they would be similar to the first half of that extra practice section of the book. Thank you to the parents who emailed me. Thank you to all of you who tried to work with your kids to solve them.
Late practice tomorrow, so homework club is still on. I hope to see most of the class after school.
Most of the class finished our Lewis and Clark hallway maps today. Some have some extra work to do at home. You'll get to see those during conferences. I need to write up that sign up schedule soon.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
My apologies for last night's math homework. I assigned questions 1-5 the night before and they were a lot easier than the next four questions. This morning, I quickly went over how the program wants them to be solved, but I didn't dwell on them too much because those are not questions that match our current math abilities. I'm sorry that I hadn't done them before hand. I thought that they would be similar to the first half of that extra practice section of the book. Thank you to the parents who emailed me. Thank you to all of you who tried to work with your kids to solve them.
Late practice tomorrow, so homework club is still on. I hope to see most of the class after school.
Most of the class finished our Lewis and Clark hallway maps today. Some have some extra work to do at home. You'll get to see those during conferences. I need to write up that sign up schedule soon.
Thanks for reading.
Mr. Shea
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Late practices
Hello,
We will have homework club this Thursday due to a basketball practice schedule change.
We just finished up with guitar club, but this has to be quick for me to make it to Bowdoin by 6:00.
Ask your child about their mapping of the HBS River, just like Lewis and Clark. They took notes yesterday, but are back in the capital of the classroom today where they have to covert their notes to a map of the hallway river. We may have a few scale issues, but overall their notes looked sound.
We are entering the fraction zone in math. We have started in class, but the homeworks will remain word problem centered for a while.
I hope everyone gets a chance to go vote. Our class voted yes on one, campaign reform. We voted no on two and three. Three was the only decisive outcome at 19-2. I gave the argument on both sides of each issue, but I think seeing how much I pay in taxes, (I projected my paystub on the white board), might have been the swaying argument for no new spending.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
We will have homework club this Thursday due to a basketball practice schedule change.
We just finished up with guitar club, but this has to be quick for me to make it to Bowdoin by 6:00.
Ask your child about their mapping of the HBS River, just like Lewis and Clark. They took notes yesterday, but are back in the capital of the classroom today where they have to covert their notes to a map of the hallway river. We may have a few scale issues, but overall their notes looked sound.
We are entering the fraction zone in math. We have started in class, but the homeworks will remain word problem centered for a while.
I hope everyone gets a chance to go vote. Our class voted yes on one, campaign reform. We voted no on two and three. Three was the only decisive outcome at 19-2. I gave the argument on both sides of each issue, but I think seeing how much I pay in taxes, (I projected my paystub on the white board), might have been the swaying argument for no new spending.
Have a great night.
Mr. Shea
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Math test today, Field trip tomorrow
Hello,
The math test went okay. We struggled with the word problems, which were very difficult. I don't think anyone should panic. Math In Focus tests are scored on a 25 point scale. The last two problems on each test are considered "stretch" questions. The point is to give kids a chance to show if they can stretch what they have learned and apply it in a unique situation. Most of these type questions have not been practiced. Essentially, that means anyone scoring a 20 has learned everything that we have taught. You shouldn't take your child's score and convert it to a score out of 100. For example, someone scoring a 21 out of 25, shouldn't be a seen as a 84 out of 100. A 21 should not be equated to what we used to think of as a "C" grade.
These tests will come home tomorrow. They were graded and passed back so we could go over them this afternoon. I didn't have time to input the scores in my grade book so I needed to collect them at the end of the day. Make sure to take a look at how your child did and please contact me with any questions or concerns.
We started a light-hearted read aloud today. I thought I would go back to an old favorite of mine: Soup by Robert Newton Peck. It is a funny story of a farm boy and his best friend growing up in rural Vermont. We had finished Because of Mr. Terupt last week, and then I read the first few chapters of Chains by Laurie Halse Andersen. I wanted to get them started on that great book to see if I could get a few takers. It is one of my favorite historical fictions. My goal is always to get them to grab that reading baton.
Field trip tomorrow at 10:30. I hope many of you can make it. I can already smell Danny's from here.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
The math test went okay. We struggled with the word problems, which were very difficult. I don't think anyone should panic. Math In Focus tests are scored on a 25 point scale. The last two problems on each test are considered "stretch" questions. The point is to give kids a chance to show if they can stretch what they have learned and apply it in a unique situation. Most of these type questions have not been practiced. Essentially, that means anyone scoring a 20 has learned everything that we have taught. You shouldn't take your child's score and convert it to a score out of 100. For example, someone scoring a 21 out of 25, shouldn't be a seen as a 84 out of 100. A 21 should not be equated to what we used to think of as a "C" grade.
These tests will come home tomorrow. They were graded and passed back so we could go over them this afternoon. I didn't have time to input the scores in my grade book so I needed to collect them at the end of the day. Make sure to take a look at how your child did and please contact me with any questions or concerns.
We started a light-hearted read aloud today. I thought I would go back to an old favorite of mine: Soup by Robert Newton Peck. It is a funny story of a farm boy and his best friend growing up in rural Vermont. We had finished Because of Mr. Terupt last week, and then I read the first few chapters of Chains by Laurie Halse Andersen. I wanted to get them started on that great book to see if I could get a few takers. It is one of my favorite historical fictions. My goal is always to get them to grab that reading baton.
Field trip tomorrow at 10:30. I hope many of you can make it. I can already smell Danny's from here.
Have a good night.
Mr. Shea
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