Tuesday December 6th

I'm not quite sure how to lead into today's post so maybe I'll just cut to the chase and it will either come to me or not...
(P.S. it didn't!)

Homework
Spelling List #1 redo and Spelling list #2 test Thursday morning
Novel work needs to be completed now at home or handed in as is (or not at all) there is no more class time
Science booklets (and/or worksheets that are MIA) take text home and complete
Math 7 Reflections worksheet finish (many did in class)

Reminders
Geozua and TJ you have until tomorrow if you wish to join us at the Callaghan- remember your permission slips
Band class will be Thursday (not Wednesday) in order that both the Grade 6/7 classes can practice together for the concert on Dec. 16th
Honour Band class (approx 12 students in Div 1) will be performing at the seniors centre on Friday Dec 9th (this Friday)
please send some canned or dry food items for the CCC

General Day
Settle into the new seating arrangement- thank-you to both Geozua and Ajay for being really good 'sports' about allowing me to use their placement as 'buffers'!!
I said it publicly here first that both boys will have their requests met in the next seating arrangement. That's a promise :)

Daily French
Avez-vous beaucoup de la nouriturre dans votre refrigerateur?
I have asked the students to design and fill their artistic rendition of a fridge with lots of food which they are to label en francais.

Spelling study time- some take this time seriously some not so much!

I took my life in my hands this morning and I gave some artistic licence and control over to the students this morning and I was very impressed with the outcome- it was both productive and, for the majority of the time , the students managed to direct their own learning and productivity and some things were successfully completed and handed in. This allowed me to really assist and provide direction to those who needed and requested it. Students chose to work on the following activitiessome more than one of them :)

Novel:  some students just had the finishing touches to add to their novel project jeopardy boards and the ABC summaries. A couple of others finished biographies on the author and used the on-line programs to create some vocabulary puzzles and crosswords. One partnership has prepared a script and another a soundtrack :) I even have a graphic rendition of one of the major events in the novel's plot. It's pretty impressive stuff :)

Socials: research for the project- reminded the grade six students that their report this year is on the modern day (current) country which includes a small section on history. Today I encouraged the students to find information in text and take notes from resources we have available.

Science: Some students found library books yesterday on their virtual 'pet' and chose instead to take some notes for (or complete incomplete w/s) science power point or pamphlet.

I trusted a small group of student to work independently at the computer lab to finish up some 'nearly finished' activities and I must say that I was worried but needed have been - they used the lab for what they needed and came back to class as expected when they were done. I was impressed. Thank-you.
I guess sometinmes you just have to give them the benefit of the doubt and many times I find when trusted students rise to the ocassion. That makes my heart happy!

Math 7
Followed up and reviewed the language of the Translation (slide)
We reviewed the worksheet 10.1 and I showed visually what the correctly plotted shapes should look like using the overhead projector- I made like Martha Stewart and had one already 'baked' to show on the overhead visually which allowed me to be able to shift around the class figuring out which points were out of place. Truthfully, most students did very well indeed. I love that they all help each other too.

We then tried our hand at creating Reflections or Flips (10.2) on the Cartesien Plane  and the only bugaboo was the diagonal reflection line which even caused me a confused moment before I realized that if we drew a mini-version (manipulative) and flipped it over the diagonal line that the line of reflection goes 'down' and not across a diagonal line!! It's one of those visual tricks! Students seem to be enjoying this especially when I need to be corrected! They got me with 4 'busted' points today!!

Silent Reading
Thanks to my bulletin board team who displayed the landscapes
To the team helping the grade fours with their reading

Personal Planning
I made a heroic effort to have the students clean out their binders of Term 1 work that is assessed and completed to allow space for the new work of Term 2. Please ask them about where they have decided to keep it- some wanted to recycle which was 'verboten'. I suggested either take it home and decide what might be useful (especially for Gr 8 i.e. some French, language arts reference and math) or keep it in their class bin for now. I guess the decsion is really up to them (and you?). I hate to see hard work just being tossed but it is their work.

Phys Ed.
Basketball
We slpit the gym today 3 groups of 5 practiced layups and baskets at the hoops while a mini-game 5v5 played across the gym.

Back in class. time seemed to just disappear- we had the clean up left from the binder emptying, we moved the class bins to their new spots, collected some books and papers and we wrapped up the afternoon with a brief game of Jeopardy, The Frances Rain Edition :) (Thanks to hosts Hannah and Teresa)

I reviewed the homework which was on the whiteboard before the end of the day and it was Dismissal time before I was done yapping about that!!
Anyway, it's 5pm already- where did it go?
I have to go curling tonight gotta run! Hope I play better than last week!
Have a great evening
Mrs. J.