Monday May 9th

Challenging day today right from the 'get-go'...I am always happy to get Monday over with. It is like the first end of my curling game when I get a chance to figure out the ice conditions and the opposition's strengths and weaknesses!! I never really thought of my self as competitive but I do like to rise to a challenge!

Homework
Novel final activities due by this Friday- time is provided in class but I have recommended that a few who are 'behind' (Zac, Jasmeet, Jas and Lucas) complete the work at home in order to bring their work up to date. Final activities for Tuck Everlasting and Surviving the Applewhites
Science Ch 4:1 booklet (Describing Matter), 3 Phases of Matter lab report
Socials complete the questions for today's class activity How Greece was Governed Please remember to answer in full sentences
Reminders
School starts at 9am until the end of the school year!
Some students owe for the Japanese fundraiser - cough it up please- I know where you live :)
UBC forms still being accepted- congratulations to Tracy for winning the draw for a pizza lunch this Friday
Camp commitment forms please (Mr P. and I are planning the schedule based on numbers and we'd like to encourage EVERYONE to come to camp)
Track and Field Tues/Thurs running events Wed/Fri shot put and long jump- come prepared to participate
Don Ross Open House Wednesday May 11th 6-8pm-a chance to get up close and personal with the staff and the junior high school that the grade sevens will be attending next year

General Day
After the announcements, attendance, the HK (housekeeping): collecting and sorting and reminding!
Language Arts
I have a love-hate relationship with 'teaching grammar'- there really is NO transfer of learning when it is taught in text book style out of context so I spend about ten minutes + using a book (an old one) called Communicating Skills to try to encourage my students to see the parallels and connections of language learning (to French and out Greek/Roman studies). We did some specific activity sections on verbs and agreements in English orally and made the connect to what we are doing in French. However, I know that these skills have to show up in their daily writing and not just in the fill in the blanks activities which are rather 'dull'.

I mixed it up today by trying math next (maybe that's why they were a little cranky!) We corrected together the area and perimeter work from last week. We also looked at the possible patterns of area and perimeter when a rectangle is requested to have a certain area and perimeter and how to go about solving problems that ask for solutions to these types of questions. The learning outcome states we should be able to "demonstrate and generalize that many rectangles are possible for a given perimeter and area".
Time of the day didn't seem to have a better or worse effect on students' ability to pay attention!

Novel time next
Today this allowed an extended time for class work on the novel and gave me time to determine who needed what in the way of encouragement, assistance, resources and/or a 'wake up call'!!

Talking about wake up calls, today four students arrived to class between 11am and noon!! Glad they have finally arrived but, seriously, school starts at 9am!!

DEAR there seems to be a 'count' game being played among eight students in class to see who can get my attention when everyone is supposed to be reading - I won't let on I know about it yet but today was interesting for the number of call outs, whistles, interruptions and general 'whoops' all trying to grab my attention. Later I found a checked list of how many time each student of the eight had tried to disrupt class. Hmmmmmm...I'll have to get creative with this one. It is speculation on my part but my instincts tell me I could be onto something :)
I'll keep you posted. The hilarious thing is the rest of the class were enjoying their reading time! lol
I am aware of the eight 'playing' me and that is fascinating- I doubt they'll read this entry so I am confident I can sit back and be aware of the game tomorrow. Shhhh

Socials
partner activity first - a chronological time list for important events in Greek history dating back to the Bronze Age 3000BCE with the first Greek speaking people moving into the Mycenaen area (Crete) up to the Hellenistic age in which Greece actually became part of the Roman Empire146 BCE.
Most partners managed to complete this activity in class- some struggled to use the class time provided wisely! In future, I will be randomly assigning partners!
The activity that some are completing tonight is the independent reading activity on How Greece was Governed. Kudos to the ten students who worked hard enough to get both activities completed and managed to get some notes from the board about the Day 4 trip to the islands of the Saronic Gulf. This session took and hour +

After reviewing work that needed to be completed and covering all the reminders we headed to the gym for the 15 minutes that were left and played some two on two basketball. It was okay but the time wasting and whining is a real detriment to getting more court time. Oh well.

3pm Dismissal
Have a nice evening. I have my work 'cut out' for me this week.
Mrs J.