I am doing the Blog post before I leave school!! Feb 4th

The afternoons are not kind to my voice!
I am hoarse from the effort of trying to function the way I normally do (all talk!)and need to figure out a way to talk less before I have no voice left! Our classrooms are equipped with a field sound system which really helps but I need to learn to trust that my students understood the first time!

Reminders

hot lunch orders due before the 11th Feb.
spelling Unit 8 and L words on Friday this week (a couple of students asked for Thursday and I can accommodate that)
Socials projects are now overdue and need to be in asap for assessment
FSA testing to be completed by the 21st of February (grade sevens have two sections left)

Our Day

band class

Langauge Arts- working on spelling prep, follow up the proofreading activity (mainly spelling and try another that requires more sleuthing of COPS (capitals, omissions, punctuation and spelling.
Past Participle puzzle reviwing recognition of past participles of verbs that are irregular
drink-drank-drunk does not become think-thank-thunk :)
think- I am thinking- I thought- I have thought
you would be surprised how much thought process goes into forming the past participle especially for my ESL (ELL) learners

early snack by 5 minutes to accommodate the FSA section after recess

Grade 6 math with Mr. Parker
Grade 7 FSA extended write section today- 3-5 paragraph essay (persuasive)
I would have to say that for some of the students this section proved to be difficult because they are not used to providing deatil amd reasons for multiple paragraphs!

Read to self
drop-in

January reading records were collected for the draw (which I haven't done yet!)

Personal Planning
The Human Body and hormones: glands and their functions

Today we took a look at the Endocrine system and how hormones that are secreted into our bloodstream can keep us healthy or be the cause of some significant illnesses like diabetes or lack of kidney function.
We discussed the hormone called ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) produced in the pituitary gland which regulates levels of cortisol released by the adrenal gland. The pituitary as the 'master gland' also kick starts puberty by secreting hormones that signal the reproductive organs to make sex hormones.
It is all quite incredible.
The students had some intersting questions but some were getting hemeroids confused with hormones- need I say more? This is why we do these lessons (unless they were just pulling my leg!)

completed the day with a little more work on Mapping activity for Countries of Asia
- although the atlases are a bit dated the countries are still there! I had no idea there were 7 countries that ended in -stan


pack up and prepare for the cold outside!

Before we finished today Robert E. gave us a presentation on his model ziggurat that he and his dad made from styrofoam and balsam wood- it is very well constructed and detail painted- it took three weeks and was designed from a picture of one of the 'simpler' Mespotamian structures. I'll see if I can post a picture just don't hold your breathe!

Great job Robert and dad. I had no idea you could cut styrofoam with a band saw!
The other students seemed to enjoy playing with the structure today and were interested in how it was done. Pricelss!

Have a good evening- keep warm!
Mrs. J.