Tuesday May 29th

There was no post yesterday as we spent our day at Evans Lake Camp and I was too exhausted to consider completing the Blog last night. I am not used to running around a forest setting all day and with the fresh air and the organization of approx 55 children the adults in our group were hard pressed to 'keep up' with them. It is very interesting to see the instructors at camp deal with our students on a different footing as members of the instructional groups.

We had 5+ hours into which we packed a program that was busier than a normal visit to camp. We competed a survival hike into the forest and built shelters which were tested for waterproofing! It was too wet in the forest to try to begin the 'one match' fires unfortunately (it rained on us in the morning). But by the late morning the sun poked its head out and we played a group game of Stones before lunch which was laid on for us. Then we played a game of Survivor in the forest and finished the day with beach volleyball or swimming.
I played the role of the skunk who basically 'sprayed' players with my 'stink' but did not take any 'life' cards. My job was to write an S on their hands (or faces) to show how often the creatures of the game might run into another undesirable situation besides the game players: cougars, bobcats, squirrels and Human, Drought and let's not forget Greenpeace (saving animals).

Some students arrived at school today sporting cuts and bruises from the day at the lake. We had a good day but I know that some were a bit disappointed that it was not longer this year. I do hope your son or daughter had a good day at the Lake.

Homework
except for incomplete work only
Math 7 to complete the Classifying Angles booklet

Reminders
June book orders due soon
if you ordered a smoothie from Mrs. Fanzega please bring your payment tomorrow
thank-you to everyone for paying the camp fees
June 1st if you want to have a chance to go to WE day in the fall please remember your essay is due on Friday

General Day
Vocabulary activities today "B" words Vocab-u-lous
a dictionary and clue finding activity using unusual words that are not everyday

Latin Roots etymology activity (booklet)

returned the last spelling test Unit 8 today- the results were good

Band practice

Math 7 booklet on Classifying angles and putting together all the rules we have been learning regarding the 'constant' angles that are formed in lines.

Silent reading

Socials
virtual trip End Day 5 and start Day 6 from Delphi to Patras and by ferry to Tolo to visit Olympia the birthplace of the Olympic games. Just a few weeks ago the ceremony to light the torch for the London summer Olympics was held in this ancient site. It is hard to believe it is still in use. Olympia is one place that when I visited I had the weird head rush type of feeling walking through the athletes entrance to the ancient running track. There is just an incredible atmosphere there which transports you into a sense of the history of the place and I felt the energy of the stones if that makes any sense what so ever!! Guess you just have to go there to experience it. That's what I hope might happen for some of my students from considering the 'virtual tour' perhaps one day they might want to visit Greece.
I'd go back in a heartbeat. There is a former student who lives in the countryside outside Athens with whom I have kept sporadic contact and who now has a son the same age as mine (and who has extended an invitation to his former teacher). You never know...

Phys Ed. European Handball
Today I set some pretty strict rules and boundaries and made the play more challenging for all. There were a few not happy with the teams (not fair) but...

Complete the socials lesson finishing the text section showing the major city states of ancient Greece which(except for Argos and Sparta) are all on our 'virtual tour'. I read the section describing the 'cities' as they seem to have existed in ancient days and hopefully the students now have some pictures in their minds to be able to relate to the text.

Before dismissal I gave out the class picture taken a month or so ago- it is a neat picture- you can see the 'personalities' in the facial expressions!!!

Have a great evening.
Mrs. J.