Thursday March 7th

Note to self: afternoons from here on in need to be very much structured and more strategically organized!!

During and after lunch today in no particular order I dealt with the following: a nose bleed, lunch mess and wasted food, a tripping accident (no injuries beyond a sore hand), a silly boy pile up stemming from one student trying to stop a silly slapping 'game' between two others, an upset older student fed up with a younger student jumping on him in the cloakroom (no kidding), a lost water bottle (it was found), a lost backpack (it had been hidden behind coats- a prank (hardy, har-not!)
It was a very challenging afternoon.

The seating plan has lasted four days - it is changed- tomorrow back to partner seating. I actually found the horseshoe plan was a safety issue as you can probably surmise from this post!
Is there a full moon coming up?
Is it hormones?

Unfortunately some treat our art time (because it is less structured than a class lesson) as a social 'free for all' so I need to be more in control of the order and organization in class and I have informed the students (have to remember it is really only a couple of students) who spoil the time for others will be taking their art to another venue to complete it away from their classmates and that is no fun at all. Art should be relaxed and enjoyable but I find having to be on top of discipline ruins the atmosphere that a good art session should bring.
I was upset enough tonight to switch the seating as soon as the students had left the room!

Homework
none
I am still trying to get the term 2 reports ready to go home! It has been a crazy week!
Reminders
camp forms 4 grade 7's
grade 8 registration forms (before spring break)
term 2 reports home tomorrow

our day
daily French

If journal... If you had an invisibility cloak where would you like to go without being seen, what would you like to do and why?

I distributed term 2 grades and we discussed the term and did a reflection and self assessment for work habits together.

French J'ai Faim
bandes designee- exercises answering les questions en francais (Vrai ou Faux, choisis le bon mot, complete les phrases etc)

Math 7 complete the translations work from Wednesday MathLinks7 p.28 # 19 and 20
It is interesting how some things that are easily done on paper seems so much more confusing when the directions to do them have to be followed. I find many students do not read the instructions and simply say that they don't 'get it'. After all isn't it easier to make me explain it again for the 8th time? So I have been getting nasty looks by asking students to ask at least two classmates before they come back to me with problems understanding and despite the noise they are 'getting it' by helping each other!
Started Reflections worksheet- it was challenging to explain how a reflection is different on a diagonal reflection line- thanks for manipulatives because they need to visualize it to be able to draw it correctly!
Shared the term 2 marks with the students. No one seemed overly concerned today but that doesn't always mean anything.
Have also suggested that we have a math remediation 'club' after school in April after spring break to help those who want to do better on some of the concepts that they are finding challenging. I'll see how that goes over- no one seemed to be overly excited!

Silent Reading
have a few writing their short story paragraphs

complete the French activity from this morning

Information time- giving them a 'heads up' about the Term 3 personal Planning or Health and Career units- have asked the students to think about the questions they may have or want answered during our Body Science and sex education unit after spring break- information to parents will be sent home soon (after report cards are home)

Art (things fell apart)
We visited the Gr 4/5  - simple machines science fair in small groups
Students for the most part worked diligently on their mythological art pieces- some are beautiful- a few are complete and ,well, what can I say some are just wasting their time and making it difficult for everyone else to settle to their best work. So, guess what? Those students will be finding art a lonely prospect tomorrow.
Promoses, promises...

Have a good night- I still have report card envelopes to stuff!!
Mrs. J.