Thanks to everyone who made it to Chili's tonight to help support our school and also to get some good eats!
I did make it, but chose to do the Take Out method instead. It was good to see some familiar faces there though!
We'll have to wait and see if our class one for the most participation. I was told tonight that we missed having the most participation at McDonald's by 1 person! Wow!
It looks like we have one more fundraiser this month. Next Monday is CiCi's Night. This fundraiser is to help support the current years 5th graders. I think I'll be skipping out on this one, but feel free to go support our 5th graders!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pancakes anyone????
During the 2nd six weeks we worked diligently on following directions, both written and oral. Many of us have made improvements. We still need to continue to make sure that all directions are followed, whether they are given before an assignment, written on the board to follow, or written on assignments to guide us.
During the 3rd six weeks, I will continue to look for those of you who are following directions as as it is a part of being a responsible student. I am looking for students who show responsibility by completing and turning in work on time, returning materials when and where they need to be, following directions, taking care of business that is yours, and doing what it takes to be an active part of your learning. Remember that when you earn your first set of ten stamps for being caught following our six week's goal, you will be invited to eat lunch in the classroom. On your second set of ten stamps, you will be invited to lunch and I will buy you an ice cream for dessert. Some of you are already headed towards your third set. Upon your 3rd set, I will invite you to breakfast again!
Here are some pictures of my first breakfast group. This group was rewarded a pancake breakfast for earning the most table points in the class.
Here are some pictures of my first breakfast group. This group was rewarded a pancake breakfast for earning the most table points in the class.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
CAPITALIZATION Rules!
Turn up your volume and check out this skit performed by three of very own Jackson Jaws! Do you remember the other rules of capitalization we talked about? If so, you need to be applying them to your writing every day! I am still finding papers with "i" written.
Here are a few for review for those of you who have forgotten!
Capitalize:
- The first letter of every sentence
- Specials names including names of people, places, and events
- Holidays, days of the week, and months
- Cities, states, countries and places of citizenship
- Titles of books, newspapers, poems, magazines, and songs
Remember that if the name includes more than one word, most all words are capitalized:
- Average Road, Gone With the Wind, President Bush, Olson Park
Friday, November 14, 2008
Elizabeth....
Check it out! We can now view BrainPop's free movie of the month. This month it is about Elizabeth I. Watch this movie to find out who this woman was. Be sure to check back each month for the next free movie!
Monday, October 27, 2008
VOTE
Election Day is coming up! Early ballots have been cast...
Parents, have you voted yet? Take advantage of the shorter lines and vote during Early Voting. Not sure where to go? Click HERE for a link to send you off!
Children, already you have talked about the voting process with Mrs. Cole. What did you learn? Is voting a critical process for America? Remember as you get older, it will be your civic duty to take part in voting! It is never too early to learn about the candidates and who might be your next leader of the America!
Here are a few acitvities you can do to show your patriotic pride:
The Ins and Outs of Voting-even have links to visit the different candidates's sites!
Project VOTE
The Democracy Project-another place to learn about democracy and your rights, as well as give you the opportunity to step into the polls!
Finally, check out these Brain Pop movies about voting, elections, and parties-political parties that is!
Brain Pop Presidential Election
Brain Pop Voting
Political Parties
Parents, have you voted yet? Take advantage of the shorter lines and vote during Early Voting. Not sure where to go? Click HERE for a link to send you off!
Children, already you have talked about the voting process with Mrs. Cole. What did you learn? Is voting a critical process for America? Remember as you get older, it will be your civic duty to take part in voting! It is never too early to learn about the candidates and who might be your next leader of the America!
Here are a few acitvities you can do to show your patriotic pride:
The Ins and Outs of Voting-even have links to visit the different candidates's sites!
Project VOTE
The Democracy Project-another place to learn about democracy and your rights, as well as give you the opportunity to step into the polls!
Finally, check out these Brain Pop movies about voting, elections, and parties-political parties that is!
Brain Pop Presidential Election
Brain Pop Voting
Political Parties
Sunday, October 12, 2008
October falls upon us
Feels more and more like fall.....looks a little like fall. In the morning I can smell the fragrance of fall and hear the sounds of fall beneath my feet as I walk across my yard!
Fall is a wonderful time to explore and share all the uses of each sense. Unfortunately, while I did use all of my senses, I did more "telling" than "showing". Perhaps you would be able to relate to my feelings about fall better if I could "show" you what I am sensing. Here, let me try again---
Yesterday, walking across the park, the morning dew clung to my toes. By the time I hit the pavement, my feet were so wet that I needed a towel to dry off. Expecting the warmer temperatures of the afternoon, I forgot to wear a jacket and instantly became chilled as a swift wind picked up. Goose bumps filled my arms. Entering my car was a welcoming comfort from the chill. Driving down the street, I spotted a neighbor's old apple tree sagging from the weight of the ripe red apples. They held tightly to the branches as the branches danced in the morning breeze. I could almost taste that freshly baked apple pie Mom used to make using the apples we picked when we were kids. The crisp apples and fragrant cinnamon hung in the air from the distant memory.
What do I "show" about fall? What can you tell about me from the writing? If you enjoyed my description of fall, you might want to check out All for Fall by Ethel and Leonard Kessler. It is a very old book-one I can remember reading often when I was your age. The book does a great job describing the colors of fall, but brings in your other senses with the descriptions and water color pictures!
Your turn-for our newest challenge and an attempt to improve your writing, bring in your own "Show, not tell" about fall. I will be hanging them up on our "Catch of the Day" wall! Hurry, hurry-before winter befalls us!
Fall is a wonderful time to explore and share all the uses of each sense. Unfortunately, while I did use all of my senses, I did more "telling" than "showing". Perhaps you would be able to relate to my feelings about fall better if I could "show" you what I am sensing. Here, let me try again---
Yesterday, walking across the park, the morning dew clung to my toes. By the time I hit the pavement, my feet were so wet that I needed a towel to dry off. Expecting the warmer temperatures of the afternoon, I forgot to wear a jacket and instantly became chilled as a swift wind picked up. Goose bumps filled my arms. Entering my car was a welcoming comfort from the chill. Driving down the street, I spotted a neighbor's old apple tree sagging from the weight of the ripe red apples. They held tightly to the branches as the branches danced in the morning breeze. I could almost taste that freshly baked apple pie Mom used to make using the apples we picked when we were kids. The crisp apples and fragrant cinnamon hung in the air from the distant memory.
What do I "show" about fall? What can you tell about me from the writing? If you enjoyed my description of fall, you might want to check out All for Fall by Ethel and Leonard Kessler. It is a very old book-one I can remember reading often when I was your age. The book does a great job describing the colors of fall, but brings in your other senses with the descriptions and water color pictures!
Your turn-for our newest challenge and an attempt to improve your writing, bring in your own "Show, not tell" about fall. I will be hanging them up on our "Catch of the Day" wall! Hurry, hurry-before winter befalls us!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
If I could be any animal, it would be...
. . . a cat. Which is quite interesting, because I'm really a dog person. I like the qualities of cats, though. They roam freely and return when it's time to eat. They like the night life and sleep the day away. They answer to no one. Cats love to be shown affection, and yet move on quickly when they want their alone time. Feeling the need to be clean, they spend hours on end grooming themselves until every tiny hair is just right. THEN AGAIN . . .fur balls aren't all what they're cracked up to be! Think I'll pass on being a cat! Hmmm, how about an eagle? It's a regal animal that can take in the sights below. Imagine soaring above the splendor that this great Earth has to offer. Yes, I think it might be interesting to be an eagle-well, everything except eating worms for dinner! Bleeech!
So what animal would you want to be? I look forward to reading your responses that you wrote today in your TVJ! Thank you, Payton, for this blog starter!
I enjoyed eating lunch with all of you today. It is not really something that teachers look forward to doing all the time, but I would have to say, I honestly enjoyed listening to your playful conversations and enjoyed watching you be children.
Speaking of eating, our first table reward of "Breakfast with Mrs. Jackson" seemed to be a hit. Those that were invited to breakfast enjoyed a plate of homemade pancakes and sausage patties. We had a bit of a time with the forks. I can't quite recall exactly how many forks we went through, but it was practically a bag! Enjoy the pictures from breakfast. They will be posted to a brand new page of my website that will contain pictures of our class doing various activities! The reward for this next round of table points won't be awarded until a few weeks later. It seems to be a pretty good race though. Remember to help your table out by remaining quiet when you need to be and being prepared for whatever we are doing!
Also, here is another scavenger hunt challenge. I forgot to get one up last week. We might be having another this weekend! Since we are studying about sound and matter and I just talked about cats, read this page to answer the following questions:
1. What adaptation do cats have that enable them to pick up sound well?
2. Name two wild cats from this article whose habitat is found in Texas.
3. Name the cat species that do not purr, but are able to roar.
Earn 1 point for each question for your table. Good luck!
So what animal would you want to be? I look forward to reading your responses that you wrote today in your TVJ! Thank you, Payton, for this blog starter!
I enjoyed eating lunch with all of you today. It is not really something that teachers look forward to doing all the time, but I would have to say, I honestly enjoyed listening to your playful conversations and enjoyed watching you be children.
Speaking of eating, our first table reward of "Breakfast with Mrs. Jackson" seemed to be a hit. Those that were invited to breakfast enjoyed a plate of homemade pancakes and sausage patties. We had a bit of a time with the forks. I can't quite recall exactly how many forks we went through, but it was practically a bag! Enjoy the pictures from breakfast. They will be posted to a brand new page of my website that will contain pictures of our class doing various activities! The reward for this next round of table points won't be awarded until a few weeks later. It seems to be a pretty good race though. Remember to help your table out by remaining quiet when you need to be and being prepared for whatever we are doing!
Also, here is another scavenger hunt challenge. I forgot to get one up last week. We might be having another this weekend! Since we are studying about sound and matter and I just talked about cats, read this page to answer the following questions:
1. What adaptation do cats have that enable them to pick up sound well?
2. Name two wild cats from this article whose habitat is found in Texas.
3. Name the cat species that do not purr, but are able to roar.
Earn 1 point for each question for your table. Good luck!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
S-P-E-L-L
It's 8:50. Do you know where your spelling is? Hopefully it is almost finished and ready to turn in on Friday! NOW, you can also practice your spelling online! I have learned about this great new spelling webiste. It is unique because you can practice the words from our current week's spelling list by playing games and being tested over the correct spelling.
Visit the following link:
In the white search box found midpage, type in: Jackson Jaws
It will take you to a new page that contains a list of spelling units. Find the current spelling unit that we are on or practice previous units. You may also choose to practice with words from the "No Excuse" list. You have the option to be tested on the words, be taught, play games, or print out the list. One feature I really love is that you can hear the word! The word can be read aloud by itself or used in a sentence. Now, how neat is that?
Go ahead, and jump right in. You are sure to enjoy yourself while working on your spelling! What are you waiting for?
Click here to tell me what you think about this new website. Have you tried it? What did you like most?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
READ (verb)
Main Entry: read
Pronunciation: \ˈrēd\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): read \ˈred\ ; read·ing \ˈrē-diŋ\
intransitive verb
1 a: to perform the act of reading words : read something b (1): to learn something by reading
transitive verb
1a: to learn from what one has seen or found in writing or printingd (b): to become acquainted with or look over the contents of
Daily 5 is in full swing. We have been practicing the fine art of reading to oneself these last few weeks. Yesterday novels were handed out. As you read your new novel I hope that you find you become acquainted with characters found in the book. Part of reading is identifying and connecting with events. My hope for you is that you enjoy the books, but learn from them on a deeper level. Enjoy this clip of your first day of truely putting to use "Read to Self" with our first Discussion Group novel. I can't wait to get you started on the actual "discussion" part!
By the way, I want to praise you for your efforts on staying glued to your reading! I am so proud of each of my readers!
Pronunciation: \ˈrēd\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): read \ˈred\ ; read·ing \ˈrē-diŋ\
intransitive verb
1 a: to perform the act of reading words : read something b (1): to learn something by reading
transitive verb
1a: to learn from what one has seen or found in writing or printingd (b): to become acquainted with or look over the contents of
Daily 5 is in full swing. We have been practicing the fine art of reading to oneself these last few weeks. Yesterday novels were handed out. As you read your new novel I hope that you find you become acquainted with characters found in the book. Part of reading is identifying and connecting with events. My hope for you is that you enjoy the books, but learn from them on a deeper level. Enjoy this clip of your first day of truely putting to use "Read to Self" with our first Discussion Group novel. I can't wait to get you started on the actual "discussion" part!
By the way, I want to praise you for your efforts on staying glued to your reading! I am so proud of each of my readers!
Monday, September 22, 2008
If I could move mountains, I would . . .
Thank you, Faith (our sole faithful blog reader, no pun intended), for your comments on some blog starters! I am still looking for more ideas so join in and add your own ideas by clicking on "Comments" at the bottom of this post.
If I could move mountains, I would move them for you. I would move mountains to help students struggling. I would move mountains to find extra time to teach everything you need to learn and everything you want to learn. I would move mountains to ensure everyone had what they needed each day. I would move mountains so that you could instantly understand. Unfortunately I cannot move mountains, but I will do whatever it takes to help you be successful this year. I know some of you are struggling to keep up with the class and some of you want to move on. It is difficult to balance a class of 24 wonderful students. Give it time and be patient. We will get to the level of learning at which you need/desire to be!
How was that, Faith? Probably not at all how you envisioned your blog starter to turn out! Well, speaking of mountains, click on the link below to learn more about the Chisos Mountains. In a few days, we will be breaking up into smaller groups to learn about the in's and out's of the four regions on Texas. From the name of the landform, can you guess in which region the Chisos Mountains belongs? If not, you will soon learn!
If I could move mountains, I would move them for you. I would move mountains to help students struggling. I would move mountains to find extra time to teach everything you need to learn and everything you want to learn. I would move mountains to ensure everyone had what they needed each day. I would move mountains so that you could instantly understand. Unfortunately I cannot move mountains, but I will do whatever it takes to help you be successful this year. I know some of you are struggling to keep up with the class and some of you want to move on. It is difficult to balance a class of 24 wonderful students. Give it time and be patient. We will get to the level of learning at which you need/desire to be!
How was that, Faith? Probably not at all how you envisioned your blog starter to turn out! Well, speaking of mountains, click on the link below to learn more about the Chisos Mountains. In a few days, we will be breaking up into smaller groups to learn about the in's and out's of the four regions on Texas. From the name of the landform, can you guess in which region the Chisos Mountains belongs? If not, you will soon learn!
http://www.visitbigbend.com/whattosee_chisos.html
I would love to move these mountains closer to me. What an adventure we could have each day! Even better, did you notice that the daytime temperatures rarely exceed 90 degrees in the basin?
In other news, Jaws returned from Breanna's house and quickly left with Josh. Sounds like he had an exciting time with both people. He is looking forward to his next visit to Ruth Ann's house. Be sure to read about his adventures in his journal! Congratulations to Tables 1 and 2 for tying for the most table points. You 8 students have earned a free breakfast with me this upcoming Friday morning. I hope you like pancakes, sausage and biscuits! New table points have begun. I wonder what treat is in store next!
Here is another game to practice your speed at multiplication facts. Play against other players and test your speed and rate of accuracy! This one would be a fun game to play in the computer lab against your classmates!
I would love to move these mountains closer to me. What an adventure we could have each day! Even better, did you notice that the daytime temperatures rarely exceed 90 degrees in the basin?
In other news, Jaws returned from Breanna's house and quickly left with Josh. Sounds like he had an exciting time with both people. He is looking forward to his next visit to Ruth Ann's house. Be sure to read about his adventures in his journal! Congratulations to Tables 1 and 2 for tying for the most table points. You 8 students have earned a free breakfast with me this upcoming Friday morning. I hope you like pancakes, sausage and biscuits! New table points have begun. I wonder what treat is in store next!
Here is another game to practice your speed at multiplication facts. Play against other players and test your speed and rate of accuracy! This one would be a fun game to play in the computer lab against your classmates!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Blog Logo and such
Did you like our blog logo? Thank you to Payton's mother for graciously donating her time and creativity in creating our new blog logo! I absolutely love it! I hope you do too . . .
Jaws, the shark, is off again to visit with Breanna. We are awaiting his return to hear all about his adventures with her. He seemed to have quite an exciting time at Colton's the weekend before. Apparently, he barely escaped the oven. Oh no! I cannot begin to imagine what Jaws must have thought in that steamy oven! He must have had fun, though, because he did ask if he would be able to visit with him again.
We are keeping busy studying about matter in science still. Speaking of which, did you find the answer to last week's question? Faith was the first to come up with an answer. She found out that Pyrokrete was not very fond of the tropical climate. Pyrokrete, being made partially from ice, would melt in those hot places! Good job, Faith!
Are you practicing your multiplication facts? Remember that quizzes will be given randomly in the next few weeks. Our first one is this Friday over 0-2's! Be sure you are studying! Here is a fun game I found to help you study. It will give you the product. You must find the two factors on the board that gives you the product. Try to clear the board. Try to beat my score of 400. I was playing late at night! I think you can do it.
http://weeklyreader.com/kids/games/multiply.asp
Here is your next challenge. Three days of every week I have been giving you a journal entry in the morning. I post a starter to get you started. Click on the "Comment" at the bottom to add a starter for my next blog entry. You can choose to leave your name by selecting "Name/URL" Don't worry about filling in the URL, just type your name! I will pick the most unique starter to start the next blog! Good luck! Be creative. . .
Jaws, the shark, is off again to visit with Breanna. We are awaiting his return to hear all about his adventures with her. He seemed to have quite an exciting time at Colton's the weekend before. Apparently, he barely escaped the oven. Oh no! I cannot begin to imagine what Jaws must have thought in that steamy oven! He must have had fun, though, because he did ask if he would be able to visit with him again.
We are keeping busy studying about matter in science still. Speaking of which, did you find the answer to last week's question? Faith was the first to come up with an answer. She found out that Pyrokrete was not very fond of the tropical climate. Pyrokrete, being made partially from ice, would melt in those hot places! Good job, Faith!
Are you practicing your multiplication facts? Remember that quizzes will be given randomly in the next few weeks. Our first one is this Friday over 0-2's! Be sure you are studying! Here is a fun game I found to help you study. It will give you the product. You must find the two factors on the board that gives you the product. Try to clear the board. Try to beat my score of 400. I was playing late at night! I think you can do it.
http://weeklyreader.com/kids/games/multiply.asp
Here is your next challenge. Three days of every week I have been giving you a journal entry in the morning. I post a starter to get you started. Click on the "Comment" at the bottom to add a starter for my next blog entry. You can choose to leave your name by selecting "Name/URL" Don't worry about filling in the URL, just type your name! I will pick the most unique starter to start the next blog! Good luck! Be creative. . .
Monday, September 8, 2008
What's the Matter?
Matter is everywhere! Look up, down, and all around. You are matter. HEY- you matter! As we begin our first major unit in science on matter, be thinking about what everything around you is made up of! We will be discussing the three types of matter and the properties of matter.
As we work on our observations skills this year, I encourage you to be Material Scientists on a smaller scale!!! Don't know what a Material Scientists is? Click on the link below. I think you will find it is not such a bad path for a scientist!
http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/whatis.html
When you're done reading about material science and deciding if you'd like to be a material scientist, play this game to learn about properties of a few things you may know a little something about and a few things you probably have not heard of!
http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/properties.html
Scavenger Question 1: From playing the game, determine why Pykrete (one of the Smackdown materials) is not a fan of tropical climates.
(The first student with an answer wins 2 points for their table!)
As we work on our observations skills this year, I encourage you to be Material Scientists on a smaller scale!!! Don't know what a Material Scientists is? Click on the link below. I think you will find it is not such a bad path for a scientist!
http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/whatis.html
When you're done reading about material science and deciding if you'd like to be a material scientist, play this game to learn about properties of a few things you may know a little something about and a few things you probably have not heard of!
http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/properties.html
Scavenger Question 1: From playing the game, determine why Pykrete (one of the Smackdown materials) is not a fan of tropical climates.
(The first student with an answer wins 2 points for their table!)
Friday, September 5, 2008
Welcome to the Jackson Jaws BLOG!
We were told that blogging is out and Podcasting is in, but sometimes I am a little behind in the times. Plus, if you know anything about Podcasting, you know it is a recording of a voice. I would rather see my typos than hear my voice!
I figured this would be a great way to interact and provide updates. This is a good option for me since I can do this from home and only have to provide the link once on the webpage! Feel free to add comments and questions you may have! This is as much for you the parents, as it is for the children. I think I may have to do a little treasure hunt or some kind of prize winning question to see if any of you are actually reading this!
In the news for our classroom:
Jaws the Shark has left our classroom to swim around on his first adventure away from home. I hope that he finds his adventure to be so inspiring that he writes about it in his journal. I cannot wait to hear how the weekend went and how Colton enjoyed taking him home.
When it is your child's week to be student of the week, you will find that a canvas bag filled with Jaws, his journal, and a student of the week poster will be given to your child. Please help your child fill out all the critical ins and outs, adding pictures where necessary. Take Jaws around the house to explore or for a more adventerous event, find something exciting your child is already doing in which Jaws can tag along. Take pictures of Jaws with your child to add to the journal if you are able to. Let your child write for Jaws all about his great weekend trip in his journal and return everything the following Monday!
I figured this would be a great way to interact and provide updates. This is a good option for me since I can do this from home and only have to provide the link once on the webpage! Feel free to add comments and questions you may have! This is as much for you the parents, as it is for the children. I think I may have to do a little treasure hunt or some kind of prize winning question to see if any of you are actually reading this!
In the news for our classroom:
Jaws the Shark has left our classroom to swim around on his first adventure away from home. I hope that he finds his adventure to be so inspiring that he writes about it in his journal. I cannot wait to hear how the weekend went and how Colton enjoyed taking him home.
When it is your child's week to be student of the week, you will find that a canvas bag filled with Jaws, his journal, and a student of the week poster will be given to your child. Please help your child fill out all the critical ins and outs, adding pictures where necessary. Take Jaws around the house to explore or for a more adventerous event, find something exciting your child is already doing in which Jaws can tag along. Take pictures of Jaws with your child to add to the journal if you are able to. Let your child write for Jaws all about his great weekend trip in his journal and return everything the following Monday!
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