Wednesday, Feb.9th

I am still not feeling that great! That's my excuse for cutting my fitness class to do this Blog and go home to rest.
Reminder to everyone to get here ready for a day in Vancouver tomorrow as we have our much anticiapted trip to Vancouver's Chan Centre at UBC. Pack a lunch. Bus leaves just after 9am- get here on time!

Homework
Spelling test Unit 17 Friday this week
Spelling activity for Unit 17 - still have 18 of 29!!
A couple still have science Ch 7 review to hand in- I know you are nearly finished!!

General Day
Question for this morning's installment of Word Nerd  (Ch 26 and 27 ) was "How does the author mange to keep reader interest after the turning point of the story?" The students had some good ideas about what keeps the story exciting: plot twists, language used, suspense, wanting to know what will happen next, wondering if Ambrose will survive or get into more problems by running away, identifying with the character's situation, wanting to find out if things will get resolved. Good stuff.

These are the qualities of a good writer and a well told story. The students don't even really know that they are identifying the elements of fiction and the conventions of a well crafted tale. and yet they can discuss them because they are meaningful in the context of the story. Isn't that wonderful?

 Ch 26 had Ambrose finally stand up to his mother (the kid's really 'ate up' that chapter as it is written so well and is so genuine that they really identified with the dialogue) and then make a rash decision that he was going to run away from home because he was adamant that he did not want to move to another city and start all over again as per his mom's intention. In Ch 27 we find out he is about five or six blocks from home hanging out at Granville Island but instead of going home he calls his mom to tell her he is okay and then beds down for the night in the public washroom of the Granville Island Hotel.
A connection to the story...class discussion
A couple of the boys shared a story about how they were gone for about three hours to a local 7/11 store when worried parents called the police about them being MIA. The boys saw the police cars and hid ( "we 'pretended' that they were looking for us") and it wasn't until they got home to one of their houses they realized the police were looking for them!! Thanks for sharing boys :) Glad there was a happy ending!

Math
we reviewed and corrected the graph problem from yesterday and looked at the components of a graph problem and what it needs to be considered complete (correct computation, clear identification on x and y axis, a title and appropriate value for the space given to display the graph results.)
We completed another 5 various multiple choice problem solving examples which were trickier than usual because of the necessity to read the small details asked for in the final answer!!
Hopefully sharing the answers and the methods will help students on similar problem solving in the future.

FSA Section 4 extended writing section. We conducted this session at the computer lab to allow those students who wanted access to the Word program to word process their extended writing pieces.
The results of the work the students did today will be sent home for your perusal after it is assessed locally. I found the topic difficult as it was so broad: "Living in the Past".

The instructions, in my opinion, actually gave the students two things to think about - the introductory prompt instructed the students to write about a historical  time ..."Imagine you or someone you know, lives in a historical time.Write a story about what would happen?" Brutal topic for anyone given a 60 minute time limit let alone a 12 year old! (Could you do it? Could I?)
On the second page under the extended writing section's purpose, the students are asked something slightly different..." Write an interesting original story about you or someone you know living in the past"
Now that is something quite different. Isn't it? The instructions were rather confusing.

Anyway we did our best under the circumstances but, honestly these assessments, need to go or need revamped into something that is more of a curricular fit for our children. And the topics- really need to be better thought out and age appropriate.

DEAR time was excellent today- good job for the most part.

Computer time in the lab completing the morning activity and getting a chance to have some well deserved free time after their brains worked so hard on the extended writing section.

Physical Education students voted unanimaously (okay maybe one or two weren't interested) to play a game of 'snitch' which we haven't done in a long time (for, in my opinion, good reasons!!) It's like a cross of basketball and benchball. It is not my favourite as there are too many students to look out for and so many have their own ways of bending the rules!! I didn't hear the bell at the end of the day so we went slightly overtime trying to get their attention for equipment clean up. Anyway we survived- just!

3pm Dismissal
Nice evening- I need to get some fresh air. Have a good night.
Mrs. J.