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.