New Year -- New Position

Wow! I can hardly believe this year is flying by and it is already the end of October. There have been so many changes this year, that I am just now feeling like I have the time to set down and write a little.

The students have been doing a great job reading Where the Red Fern Grows. It's one of my favorite stories from childhood and I knew they would also love it! Besides reading and checking for comprehension, we have also been working on grammar skills, such as distinguishing between choppy and run-on sentences, combining sentences, and also writing summaries. I am hoping that by the end of the year the students will be much sharper in their writing.

Continue encouraging your son/daughter to keep up with assignments and get them turned in on the due date. It not only helps them be a successful student, but also helps them later in life because they have learned to meet deadlines.

This week we have discussed geography and how it affects climate. We also did a little practice finding places by latitude and longitude. Some students still need quite a bit of practice, but they will get much better as the year progresses.

Some of the students chose to do the walk-a-thon to help defray costs of the Bradford Woods trip. Please remember that all money is due to Mrs. Heshelman by September 4 . We have a tentative schedule for our activities and it looks like it will definitely be a great trip!

On a side note, the students seem to be doing a great job as far as getting to class on time and having their materials. Keep encouraging them and reminding them of the importance of punctuality and timeliness. It's definitely an important lifeskill.

Have a great weekend!

Welcome Back!

It’s really great to be back at school!!! The students have done a great job getting into the swing of 7^th grade and are really beginning to settle into their routines. I think I'm also finally getting back into the routine also. (At least I wasn't falling asleep by 8:30 this week!)

I wanted you to know that our textbooks are brand new this year, so we did have a serious discussion about taking care of them. The books are going to need to last for the next six years until the next adoption. We will use them almost every day for some purpose. I did suggest to the students that they get book covers to try to help protect the books. However, they should be careful and not write on the book cover with a permanent marker as it will bleed through to the book.

Thanks to everyone for the supplies you sent to school. We use lots and lots of colored pencils during the year, and the students don't realize what an important tool they are until we run out. The other material we use large amounts of are tissues. I leave boxes out around the room so students can use them, but during the cold and flu season we sometimes go through two or three boxes per day. To help with this, I do offer the students extra credit points for boxes of tissues. Students may receive 5 points per box, up to 25 points per nine weeks. This has been a great help to many students in the past. I only ask the student put their name on the box so I can give credit where credit is due. Again, thanks for helping support the class.

Please remember Monday is Back-to-School Night at MMS. Your son/daughter should have brought home a green sheet highlighting the schedule. The times are from 6:30-8:00 and you will need to go to the MMS gymnasium to start the evening. I am looking forward to meeting many of you and talking to you about our curriculum and classroom. I will also be able to answer any of your questions and get e-mail addresses/phone numbers so we can communicate about any concerns.

Have a wonderful weekend! I look forward to seeing you on Monday evening.

Moving to East Asia

We have completed our general study of maps, globes, and skills. We are now going to start studying the continent of Asia, beginning with East Asia. This area only has six countries that we will be studying, but it is packed full of fascinating history and information. I am certain the students will enjoy studying it.

Today we started working on a map of East Asia, which is due on Monday, October 6.

Check out this link to find different kinds of games about Asia:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Asian_Geography.htm

We're Back!!!

What a great time we had at Bradford Woods!!! It's such a great place to learn, and that's exactly what the kids did while we were there. There was not only environmental learning taking place, but also a lot of team building and cooperation in order to accomplish tasks. There was also a lot of fun -- the canoe activity was a lot of fun for the teachers to watch!

In class today, we are winding up our study of natural resources by doing a mining activity. The kids each had a mine and had to be careful when mining in order to not incur any fines. We will finish up the activity tomorrow by calculating how much money the students made.

Here is a fun coal mining webquest to try:
http://www.roe25.com/webquest/Harlan/

It's Good to be Back!!

Well, we are winding down the first week of school. I'm exhausted, and even though the kids say they aren't they seem a little more subdued than normal, so I'm assuming they too are feeling the effects of a new schedule.

We began passing out books today. I talked to the students about the condition of the books and how they need to last through the year, without further abuse or damage. I have suggested they get book covers to try to hold them together the best they can. This year is social studies adoption, so next year the books will be brand new. I can hardly wait!!! Nonetheless, we will be using the books almost every day this year...they are a huge reference source for us.

Thanks to everyone for the colored pencils and dry erase markers. We use a tremendous amount of colored pencils during the year and the students don't realize what an important tool they are until we are out. We run out of blue first, so I have ordered extra blue colored pencils that will take us through May. Again, thanks for helping support the class.

Have a nice evening and I am looking forward to finishing off this week. (I was actually in bed asleep at 7:30 last night if that tells you anything!)

It's Almost Here!!!

Yes, we're getting down to the wire and summer break is coming to a close!!! I'm going to be working this weekend with my husband trying to finish up in my room. Since I'm short, he helps me hang all of the things that are too high for me. I'm anxious to get this new year started and underway. It's always an exciting time for teachers and there's nothing quite like watching the kids come back with new hairstyles, new clothes, and brand new school supplies.

I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend and spends time getting rested up for next week. See you soon...