September 30, 2014

Homework:
Think Through Math or Sheet #2
Study for the seasons and phases of the moon quiz
seasons study guide
moon phases study guide
Read for 20 minutes
Today we had our PBiS assembly to recognize students for demonstrating HR3.
Taylor and Hazel were recognized for their wonderful transition to our school.
October Lunch Menu

September 29, 2014

Just as I hit send on the homework email I get this picture sent to me by Ms. Dion.  It is the 6th grade girls on last week's field trip.  It is a beautiful picture. I will have to see if she got one of the boys.

Have a great night!  Conferences start next week.  I will email reminders this week.  If you have not signed up please use this link to schedule one.
Conference Schedule

September 26, 2014

I do not assign new homework on the weekends.  The students should read if they haven't read the 5 nights during the week.  Any class work or homework that is not finished by Friday afternoon is to be finished over the weekend.  It is important to start the new week with all assignments from the previous week completed.  If work is not finished then a detention will be assigned after school for Monday or Tuesday.  This is the same policy for 7th and 8th grade.
Have a great weekend.  Many students do need to finish science.  Email me if you are wondering, but all students put the work in their  take home folders if they needed to work on it.

September 25, 2014

Homework:
Reading Journals are due tomorrow:

These are the chapters or pages due, with the journal assignment.

Moon Phase Calendar

Social Studies: At least one of the 2 articles read with questions answered correctly and completely.  This means answers need to be fully explained with evidence from the text to back up reasoning.
Links to these assignments can be found on the blog homepage.
Team Tully site
Please sign up for a conference.  Conference Schedule
Here is a video of some quiet work time that we had today.  We spent a lot of time prepping our Chromebooks for daily use.

September 23, 2014

Homework:
Moon Phase calendar
Read for at least 15-20 minutes.  I will take a status of the class tomorrow to check reading progress.

Yesterday the students received their Chromebooks.  Tomorrow we will spend time getting on different sites we often use like Think Through Math, Khan Academy, Middlebury Language, and Gizmos.  The students will also be adding contacts to their gmail accounts and start sending home emails.

Today was a great day and there are many pictures and videos to see.  Please ask your child to share the field trip with you.  Groups of 3 had an ipad to document the trip.  These groups will use this information/coverage with additional information we will discover to produce a Public Service Announcement about composting and recycling.  They will then use these PSAs to teach the younger students.  A year from now they will use these PSAs to reteach the younger grades.  So, as 6th graders they will produce the PSAs and in 7th will use them the first week of school to teach. They will also be added to our Outdoor Classroom website.

September 19, 2014

Homework:
Read, read, and read!

At Open House last night families had a chance to sign up for an October conference.  If you were unable to attend, please use the following link to sign up for a conference.
Student/Parent Conference Schedule Fall 2014

Today the students worked on "The Locker Problem" which you can find out more about here.
Here are some videos:

In science while a group was working a lab the other students were doing some reading.
Science Text Questions Ch. 1 Section 1 part 1
Science Text Questions Ch. 1 Section 1 part 2
Daytime Astronomy  Only half of the reading, see Mrs. Tully if you need a new one.

Our field trip is on Tuesday.

September 18, 2014

Homework:
Moon Phase calendar.
Reading Journal for your first assignment is due tomorrow.  We will meet with members of other groups and discuss common themes.

Open House is tonight from 6-7 pm.  Conference sign-ups will be available.  Conferences will be held on the following days from 3:15 to 7:15; Tuesday October 7th, Thursday October 9th, and Wednesday October 15th.  If you are unable to attend, please use the following link to sign up for a conference time.
Conference Sign-Ups

I often use the following quote with the students, "There are 2 things in life you are in control of...your attitude and how hard you work."
Those 2 things make all the difference in the world.  And............when you have a poor attitude and don't want to work, but you work anyways~it builds character!  I heard that a lot growing up in my house.  My stepdad had to quit college at St. Lawrence University, when his dad died, and go to work. He was born in the Great Depression and knew nothing but hard, hard work.

September 16, 2014

Homework:
Math: Worksheet (these have questions from different math strands).  Students may not know some of this material!  It is meant to be that way.  The questions cover all math, not just what we are working on in class.  They are to attempt these and they may use the internet if available.  No frustration is to occur!  Some problems might not be completely finished.  Once we have our chromebooks, math homework will be done on the computer.
Science: Moon phase calendar.
Reading: 15-20 minutes working on your journal which is due Friday.

Field Trip to Hudaks' Farm (I think I forgot the apostrophe on the permission slip!)
Permission Slip

Some pictures of math today.

September 15, 2014

Homework:
Math: Group A needs to study their notes and review their pre-assessments for a post-assessment we will be taking tomorrow.
Group B will be completing a sheet on exponents. They have a regular sheet and a challenge sheet.  If they try some challenge then they only need to try a couple!
Science: Phases of the moon calendar.
Writing: Finish pre-writing for narrative pre-assessment.
Read for at least 15-20 minutes 5 nights a week!

In social studies the students are getting ready to teach the younger grades about what goes in composting.  We watched a video today to prepare them for this.
Composting Make it Happen

Open House is this Thursday, September 18th, from 6-7.

9-12-2014

Although I don't normally assign homework on the weekends, the moon phase calendar will need to completed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.  There is also reading.  I hate to think of reading as homework!  I want the kids to enjoy the books they are reading.

This morning we spent time learning how our classroom library is organized so it can stay organized throughout the year.  My classroom libray has about 2000 books.  I am very proud of it.  We also worked on math.

This afternoon we spent time "playing" with Keva Planks.  Keva Planks
Here are some pictures and videos.  We will have them out next Thursday night at Open House.  It is from 6 to 7.  You will have the opportunity to sign up for October conferences.

Have a great weekend!
Keva Plank Pictures

September 11, 2014

Homework:
Science: Moon Phase Calendar and finish your constructed response if it is not finished.
Read 15-20 minutes
Phases of the Moon cards Just for FYI
Students who were with Mr. Baxter: Read composting article and watch video.
Composting Article

Open House is September 18 from 6-7.  Families will learn more about our classroom, see the silhouette posters, and sign up for October conferences.
The first few weeks of school we build our foundation for the school year.  As we all know, if a house is built without a strong foundation it will become unstable.  That is how I feel about our classroom.  The last 2 weeks the students have learned how our class operates. This allows for differentiated instruction and classwork.  I often have many different things happening in the classroom at one time.  Students need to learn how to manage themselves so everyone can be on task and getting what they need when they need it.  Our chromebooks will be here soon and that will allow us some more independence.  Math homework will be on the computer once I get the students on Think Through Math.  They will also be using Khan Academy for reteaching and enrichment.
Today my order for Keva Planks arrived.  Check out their link to see these amazing blocks!
Keva Planks

9-10-2014

Homework:
Science~Phases of the moon calendar.  Reading with questions.
Read DEAR book for 15 to 20 minutes.
Read PBiS Letter with parents.  There are 2 links, one to the Tully website to see the class expectations and another to the survey form.

Next week is Open House.  It is on September 18th from 6 to 7.

September 9, 2014

Homework:
Read for 15-20 minutes 5 nights a week.  Status of the class is taken every Monday and progress is to be evident!
Math-100 chart to identify prime, deficient and abundant numbers.

We started talking about factors and multiples today to prepare us for dividing fractions by fractions.  It is important to know that with dividing fractions the students will have to draw it out and will not be allowed to simply keep it, switch it, flip it..........as we were taught.  They can eventually do this, but we first focus on what is means to divide fractions and also what is means when you multiply them.

Thank you for taking the time to read the letter and answer the survey on PBiS.  PBiS has done a world of good for our school.  If you didn't get the chance, here is the letter PBiS Letter. There are links to visit and a survey to complete at the end.

Next week we will start our Picture of the Day.  Students will go around our school and grounds and take pictures of every day sights, but from a different perspective.  This helps us to understand that we need to treat people the same way.  Things are not always how they look.  Here is an example.

Here is a copy of the reading journal for our books on Kindness, Acceptance, and Tolerance. Reading Journal

Reminders:  September 18th is Open House from 6-7.

9-5-14

No homework on the weekends unless your child reads.  I take a status of the class for reading every Monday so I can check weekly progress on how they are doing.

As you know, the students get brand new computers this year that will follow them through 8th grade.  This year we are switching to Chromebooks.  Hopefully they will be in by next week.  However, we also have ipads.  Today the students worked on them to learn how to get on to apple tv, create folders, and work with others while using the ipads.  Each group shared 3 apps they liked working with.  One group shared a photo app.

This afternoon we went up on the hill to do some activities.  The students played on their "old" playground.  The video shows they are not ready to give up this awesome playground.

Next week our days will follow the middle school schedule with math, science, language arts, and social studies.  We have spent the last week and a half getting to know class expectations and building community. On Monday I will send an email asking you to check out our class blog and site with your child.  The site will have class documents and class expectations.  You will then use a link to a google form (survey) to answer some questions about the blog and site.

Have a great weekend!

9-4-14

Homework:
Read 15-20 minutes 5 nights a week.
Self-selected reading forms shared with parents and slip with signature returned.

What Happened Today?
We learned a new game called Math 24.  A video below shows how you do it.

We went out to the high tunnel and did some watering and weeding.  When in the high tunnel students need to be on task and attentive to the task at hand.  The high tunnel is an outdoor classroom and the same expectations apply as in the regular classroom.  We will do lots of activities this year that require students to do exactly as we ask, just as we will do lots of activities where the students have choice.
As I was hanging up Silouette Poster the students were having Relish time.  Relish is when you are done with your Mustard and Ketchup work...... must do and catch up. Students need to stay on task during relish because I am working with other students.  These pictures show what a great job the students were doing.

We are also having a healthy snack delivered to our door 4 days a week now!

Reminders:  Open House is September 18 from 6-7.

9-3-14

Homework:
Read for at least 15-20 minutes.
Share the self-selected reading forms with your parents.  Cut off the bottom slip and return to Mrs. Tully... with a parent signature.  Keep other papers at home.
Bring pictures for the silhouette poster.
What Happened Today?
Today we set up our schedule for collecting recycling around the school.  Our year is focused on Natural Resources.  We start the year with composting and recycling, then focus on the sugar bush and maple tree, and end the year with alternative energy and water.  In the next couple of weeks we will be taking a field trip to Hudaks and the Northwest Solid Waste District.  Everyone has a self-selected reading book and has learned how to keep track of this reading.
Here is a picture of recess today.

Reminders:
Open House is September 18th from 6-7.

September 2, 2014

Homework:
Pictures for Silhouette poster.
Share the behavior form with your parents.
Prepare for the writing pre-assessment.

Today we spent time talking about class expectations and what we will do to keep track of positive and negative behavior.  The students learned a game called, "Buzz" and how to complete a Sudoku

board.  We continued working on our flipbooks to become familiar with the literary elements.

September 18th is Open House from 6-7.