Friday (TGIF)

Got it
$1128.93 :)
that's how much we raised on Saturday for our bottle drive.Thanks everybody- I suggested the owner round it up to $1129 and award us 7c but he either didn't understand me or he wasn't giving up 7c!!! I intend to sit down and review where our fundraising efforts have us for subsidizing camp currently- hopefully there will be some more $$ to come. However, we are only two weeks away from camp.

Homework
10 goal sheets for Term 3 still outstanding (that's a third of the class) ask your son or daughter if they have turned their sheet in. Thanks
Dig out pennies for the Camp Penny Drive

General Day
We started with a computer session in which we explored some of the videos that tell the stories of bullied teenagers. You Tube has a selection of very poignant and compelling videos that include anti-bullying ads. At a conference last year (Mean Girls), one of the videos I showed the students today had a hotel conference room full of adult educators in tears. It's called Bullycide Victims and is about 4 minutes long- a second longer video (7 mins) gives the explanations for the tragic consequences behind some of the same victims. The students were moved enough to continue to watch the videos on their own monitors.
finished with some free-time to lighten things up a little!

Science lab today was a three states of matter lab. Taking a solid (effredent tablet) into a liquid (water) and creating a sodium bicarbonate (gas) solution. We observed the demise of a mimi marshmallow in one of the three variations of the solutions, the effect of adding food colouring to a second solution (same mix) and what difference, if any, stirring the solution had on the third solution. I introduced Litmus paper to test the acidity/base of the solution.
After observations and 10 minutes, we partnered up and used the same solid (Efferdent tablet) in a lidded container to determine how long it took for enough gas pressure to build up so it would pop the top (approx. 5 minutes or less). On purpose I had set some up (randomly) to fail so we could discuss experiment variables and how we could plan a more 'pure' experiment by limiting variable factors.
There was a lot going on in the lab and follow up of all the scientific ideas will be next week. The students started to fill out the first page of a lab report template (one for each group). Follow up

• complete the rest of the lab report as a group
• redo the container experiment limiting the variables
• review the three states of matter explored
• look at the marshmallow results- why did two disintegrate and three remain intact if a little gooey?
• what did the Litmus test tell us- why were there slightly different results?
• review the colour results- all experiments regardless of the food colouring added were all the same colour after 40 minutes- was it concentration of colour or were there other factors?

So many questions and so little time. The students seemed to enjoy the enquiry- it's just trying to get them to do things together as a supportive group that is a challenge- not to mention trying to have five lab groups do things simultaneously!

1-2:30pm The afternoon was mainly taken up by the District Speech forum during which we were invited to attend and listen to students from throughout the district publicly speak and share with us their thoughts and research topics. The topic were diverse and the speakers very accomplished. We are very proud of Emily, Chris and Callista who did themselves proud (us too).

There were three speeches in very fluent French and one amazing student from Quebec (exchange student) who challenged herself to publicly speak in English and who did an amazing job. She knew four words in English last September- yes, no, hello and banana! From others we heard about topics as diverse as vegetarianism, animal cruelty, a missed Papa (it still brings a lump to my throat), a summer cottage on a secret lake and the advantages of having 'old' parents!!! That is , of course if you consider 39 and and 47 OLD!! lol

For the most part our students were a good audience but there are a few points of etiquette that I realize need to be addressed in future before we attend a similar forum.

Because we had been sitting so long, we played a few round of a class group game called "Who started the motion?" until 2:55pm.

Some asked if they could read and a couple of others worked on their art piece for Greek Mythology.

Dismissal 3pm

I had the pleasure of opening a goodie box full of materials that have arrived for our chemistry/science labs after school today. It is very exciting to add new materials and labs to the classroom supplies and allows me to plan for more ambitious experimentation and explore 'real' chemistry concepts. This week I also added six new fiction books to the class library as I has saved up some of those coupons from the Scholatic orders.

Have a great weekend.

Mrs. J.