Wednesday May 16th

A little cooler today which I don't mind at all :)

I'm taking the opportunity to start today's post as the class is working (not very quietly, either) on their Spend a Million project and the comments I am hearing around the room are very interesting and I guess a little unexpected...It's kind of exciting to listen in to the bits and pieces of conversation with their partners.
Consider the following:
"What does tuition cost to be a teacher (a vet, an engineer, an electrician)?"
 "$3000 a year, holy cow! How many years? Maybe it is too expensive to become a verterinarian!"
"Okay, what's wrong with this house? I think it is too good to be true"
"How much can I spend on a car? I guess that means I can't buy a Bugati?"
"If I want a Puppy- what will I do when I have to go to work?"
"Hey dude, we can't afford that- look for something cheaper"
"Buy on Craigslist? What if it's a scam?"
"If the BMW is so inexpensive do you think it works? What if it's a lemon?"
"I don't want to live there it's too built up and there's no place to run around- where's the park?"
If anything the project seems to be engaging their imagination and if it also helps with a more realistic understanding of money then I will be a happy camper.

Another very nice (and unexpected) surprise today was the representative from the Local Legion (Mr. Nelson Winterburn) came to award the prizes for the contest winners in our local area. We had 5 students in our class who shared prize winnings of $160 for their Remembrance Day poetry efforts.
Congratulations to Harjot ($50) First place Intermediate, Autumn ($40) 2nd place Intermediate poerty, Roshni ($30) 3rd place Intermediate poetry and Teresa and Hannah who shared a $40 prize for their joint poem which took 2nd place Junior poetry.
Very impressive.
It seeme like a long time ago but he effort and 'sweat' was worth it.

Homework
Spell Test for Unit 7 tomorrow (study)

Reminders
popcorn $1 Thursday
no school Friday/Monday
please return report cards signed

General Day
Daily French

Langauage Arts
reading/comprehension/listening activity
today's story was the story of Daedalus and Icarus
I read, the students listened while taking some notes and making some story related doodles before I asked 5 questions about the content of what we read.

Band

Math
Analysis of ststistics- agreement to redo the part of the unit review that was least successful (after long weekend)
11:30-noon computer session (see comments above) regarding the Spend a Million project

Silent reading was crazy
I had students out to help Ms. Sorban, others out for couselling sessions, Aaron up from Grade 1, the community nurse was here (later than expected) to complete the grade six shots, students who needed to get organized, caught up on missed assignments, complete incomplete activites, asking about today's phys. ed. and  a handful reading as others asked to go to the fountain for a drink or visit the bathroom because they had had too much water!!!!!
Meanwhile, the afternoon activity that I wanted to do for Personal Planning (Health and Career) somehow got stuck in the malfunctioning photocpoier and I had to abandon the print run and try to clear the jam on the fly because everyone knows what a pain it is when you go to run a couple of copies and you have to first clear the previous teacher's jam! I drew a particularly bad brain on the board and showed it ready to go 'kaplooie'!
My head felt like it was ready to explode. I appealed for their help and I got it (thank-you, I seriously needed not to answer any more questions or make any more decisions or be Mrs. J. for at least ten minutes!!!)

Personal Planning- bit of a different approach than the one planned! Photocopier malfunction!
Sexism and stereotypes: the advantages and disadvantages of growing up male versus growing up female- the statements were meant to get the students thinking about how they think regarding such topics as women in the workplace, fathers at home, power in relationships, emotional expectations and domestic versus workplace $$$$ It started a lot of discussion which I haven't yet 'harnessed'. It should lead to some interesting debate!

Phys Ed. my one and only grade 6/7 session at Gymnastics-Big Equipment
A half hour of the older kids running around like the little kids doing basic gymnastics moves - but there are 27 (26 today) of them and only one of me. I had a few 'spot' helpers but at the end of the day I am very paranoid about the safety of the moves and the consequences of some of the not so safe 'manoeuvres".
We all survived.

Back in class continue the personal planning discussion and share some of the results and opinions which I will share once I have them compiled. Some are quite amusing from the 12 year old perspective.

Dismissal after reminder of the spelling test tomorrow.
Have a great evening.
Mrs. J.