Wed Nov 3rd

What a beautiful day today- I want to make this quick and get out of the classroom!!

Interesting staff meeting/collaboration activity tonight analysing and sharing the strengths and weaknesses of our students' reading, our instruction and considering strategies for various areas of improvement.

Tonight's homework
Spelling test for unit 6 tomorrow
Novel if not yet done, read Chapters 16-20 of The Giver
All overdue assignments are still to be completed and handed in asap

General Day
After a brief study time, the students completed the Ch 2 socials studies test which we have been preparing for since last week. They seemed to be confident and did a fabulous job of using the available time.
Despite explaining to the students many times that it is perfectly fine to ask for clarification I still sussed out a couple of students (body language is a great thing) who were having difficulty understanding the questions. Once we had 'deciphered' the questions into something more 'friendly' wouldn't you know that they had an answer!
Novel The Giver Ch 16-20
I distributed a list of ideal statements about the world we all think we'd like to live in and tried the T or F trick. The statements are all True in that people ideally think they are desirable but when the implications are made into reality the concept of a world in which we are all the same (no differences) does not seem all that appealing anymore so the statements are all False. The students have really understood the terms of Utopia versus Dystopia - two months ago the students probably thought Dystopia was a new disease :)
Great discussion- our next leap of faith is moving from discussion to written format of ideas and presentation of the amazing ideas they are sharing in the class discussion. Baby steps!

At computers today we started character descriptions of Jonas and The Giver using mind maps, bullets, clip art and quotations from the novel (author's words).
They had a bonus afternoon session at computers with Mrs Paxton today in which I encouraged them to complete and primt the webs, reader's responses and the descriptions.

DEAR time was used well and the students recorded their progress.

I tried to share a picture story called Memorial this afternoon but the interruptions were too difficult so perhaps I'll try again tomorrow. It is a story that ties into the themes of memory and remembering the importance of memorials with specific reference to our soldiers. I saw a connection to so many of the themes in our novel.

As mentioned above Mrs. Paxton took the students for a bonus computer session and to the gym as I met with Mrs. Kurki and a parent about specific IEP's (Individual Education Plans). The rest of our meetings are on Monmday and invitations have been sent to the parents involved.

Mrs. Paxton taught the students a game in Phys Ed. that they enjoyed very much so I will have to get the students to show me on Friday.

Have a nice evening- enjoy the light.
Mrs. J.