Howdy all, We've had a very nice week and will be winding down Friday with a few assessments and a documentary about the Titanic to go along with our reading of this week. We'll be finishing both The Island of the Blue Dolphins and Matilda on Friday. We'll take a week off from chapter books next week and then will begin James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl and The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau.
The students are responsible for the following tonight:
-Reading Log (due next Tuesday)
-Math 3A
-Reading practice pages 49 & 50
-continue studying for Titanic spelling quiz tomorrow
-if students are interested in ordering from the Scholastic catalog that went home last week, orders will be sent to class by tomorrow.
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Hola!
The kids jumped head-first into Spanish with Mrs. Murray this morning. They did a great working on basic conversation skills. Again, we'll be working with Mrs. Murray on Wednesdays up through the Winter Break.
We're looking very good for chaperones and drivers for the upcoming Monterey Bay Aquarium trip. Thanks for getting the permission slips back to me in a timely manner. It is much appreciated.
The kids are responsible for the following tonight:
-Reading Log
-Reading practice book page 46
-Math lesson 18, pages 77-78, problems 1-20
-Reflections practice book page 15
Adios, Mr. Bryant
We're looking very good for chaperones and drivers for the upcoming Monterey Bay Aquarium trip. Thanks for getting the permission slips back to me in a timely manner. It is much appreciated.
The kids are responsible for the following tonight:
-Reading Log
-Reading practice book page 46
-Math lesson 18, pages 77-78, problems 1-20
-Reflections practice book page 15
Adios, Mr. Bryant
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Tuesday
Wow, we had an amazingly artful day. The gloom and drizzle was replaced with cave paintings and bead work, both connecting wonderfully to our current Native Californian studies. We are fortunate enough to have Mrs. McNeilly, sixth-grade teacher extraordinaire and maker of art, available to us a few times during the course of the school year to lead the class in extension projects. The class began designing beaded bracelets today that they will loom in the coming weeks.
A few parents voiced concern over the STAR diagnostics and Accelerated Reading (AR) goals sent home in yesterday's Orange Folders, and I would like to elaborate on them further. I realize that the information I share with the class does not always translate well at home. All students, in varying applications, were required to use AR during their third grade school year. Some teachers required it as literature component grade, while other teachers required it in conjunction with their literature circles. In an effort to prepare students for junior high and beyond, fourth grade and up are requiring students to maintain independent reading logs and to participate with an on-line assessment of what they have engaged with. The individual goals have been based upon their STAR assessments, which each of you have been provided a copy. The print out identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses and makes suggestions as to how to go about improving one's reading skills. Most students are able to meet their AR goal strictly from the readings we partake with in class each semester, as the literature we have chosen as a grade level is rich and engaging. If you have questions about AR's application in the classroom, I am more than happy to address individual concerns. I will definitely include AR as part of our discussions during Conference Week.
The students are responsible for the following tonight:
-Reading Log (due next Tuesday)
-Math lesson 17, page 73, problems 1-22
-Reading Practice book pages 39 & 40 (The kids will need to reference the larger language text to answer these questions.)
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
A few parents voiced concern over the STAR diagnostics and Accelerated Reading (AR) goals sent home in yesterday's Orange Folders, and I would like to elaborate on them further. I realize that the information I share with the class does not always translate well at home. All students, in varying applications, were required to use AR during their third grade school year. Some teachers required it as literature component grade, while other teachers required it in conjunction with their literature circles. In an effort to prepare students for junior high and beyond, fourth grade and up are requiring students to maintain independent reading logs and to participate with an on-line assessment of what they have engaged with. The individual goals have been based upon their STAR assessments, which each of you have been provided a copy. The print out identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses and makes suggestions as to how to go about improving one's reading skills. Most students are able to meet their AR goal strictly from the readings we partake with in class each semester, as the literature we have chosen as a grade level is rich and engaging. If you have questions about AR's application in the classroom, I am more than happy to address individual concerns. I will definitely include AR as part of our discussions during Conference Week.
The students are responsible for the following tonight:
-Reading Log (due next Tuesday)
-Math lesson 17, page 73, problems 1-22
-Reading Practice book pages 39 & 40 (The kids will need to reference the larger language text to answer these questions.)
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
Monday, September 8, 2008
Monday and the week
Howdy all. We are off to a busy week. We will have two visitors this week. Tuesday will bring us an Native American art project after lunch with Mrs. McNeilly and Wednesday brings us our first of twelve visits from Senorita Murray and our Spanish studies. We began about the sinking of the Titanic today and will study the efforts of Robert Ballard, the man who discovered the wreckage back in 1985. We'll wrap up the week on Friday with a documentary that explores the wreckage! We are near finishing our reading and study of Roald Dahl's Matilda and will begin Jeanne DuPrau's City of Ember trilogy next.
The Orange Folders that went home today are full of goodies. Please take a moment to go through the papers that were returned or sent home to you. As always, please remember to initial the folder on the appropriate date and return them to school no later than Friday.
Thanks again to those of you who have donated to the classroom fund. Your support is much appreciated and I'll be sending out thank you cards shortly.
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
The Orange Folders that went home today are full of goodies. Please take a moment to go through the papers that were returned or sent home to you. As always, please remember to initial the folder on the appropriate date and return them to school no later than Friday.
Thanks again to those of you who have donated to the classroom fund. Your support is much appreciated and I'll be sending out thank you cards shortly.
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thursday & Friday
Howdy all. We've begun our tribal studies books, and will build upon them for the next few weeks as we study Native Californians. The kids are doing a great job pouring their energy and creativity into these projects, which is great since they will serve as the basis of the test that wraps the unit. The test is a few weeks off, so no worries yet.
The kids were given their first math take-home quiz today. These quizzes will serve as previews for the in-class exams. The students are more than welcome to use their text books for the take-home quizzes. Each problem correlates with a lesson number that we have done in class. The lesson number is presented in parentheses under each problem, should the kids need to reference the text for help.
Friday brings us further studies of Native Californians, as well as an electricity science experiment and the aforementioned math test. If time permits, we will also be working on the introductions and conclusions to our personal narratives.
Students are responsible for the following tonight:
-Reading Log
-Math quiz 2A
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
The kids were given their first math take-home quiz today. These quizzes will serve as previews for the in-class exams. The students are more than welcome to use their text books for the take-home quizzes. Each problem correlates with a lesson number that we have done in class. The lesson number is presented in parentheses under each problem, should the kids need to reference the text for help.
Friday brings us further studies of Native Californians, as well as an electricity science experiment and the aforementioned math test. If time permits, we will also be working on the introductions and conclusions to our personal narratives.
Students are responsible for the following tonight:
-Reading Log
-Math quiz 2A
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Wednesday and beyond
Howdy all,
The Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser information was sent home yesterday and the kids had many questions regarding the whole process. I am trying to steer clear of these as they do not directly relate to our classroom activities. There should be contact information in the package to direct questions to. Also, thee fundraiser is completely optional. The kids should not feel obligated to participate.
The class is responsible for the following tonight:
-Reading log
-Math lesson 14, page 58, problems 1-20
-Reflections practice book, page 14
-There will be an Island of the Blue Dolphins quiz tomorrow covering chapters 11 - 18
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
The Innisbrook wrapping paper fundraiser information was sent home yesterday and the kids had many questions regarding the whole process. I am trying to steer clear of these as they do not directly relate to our classroom activities. There should be contact information in the package to direct questions to. Also, thee fundraiser is completely optional. The kids should not feel obligated to participate.
The class is responsible for the following tonight:
-Reading log
-Math lesson 14, page 58, problems 1-20
-Reflections practice book, page 14
-There will be an Island of the Blue Dolphins quiz tomorrow covering chapters 11 - 18
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
late Tuesday...
Folks, I have to apologize for the lateness of this post. We switched over servers at school this year and, as a result, internet connections have been spotty at best. This needed to wait until I got home from school, which, as usual, was later than I would have liked. From my best memory, the kids are responsible for the following tonight:
-Orange Folders
-Reading Log
-Math lesson 12, problems 1-20 (most completed in class)
-Reflections practice book page 13
Book orders need to be submitted no later than a week from Friday.
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
-Orange Folders
-Reading Log
-Math lesson 12, problems 1-20 (most completed in class)
-Reflections practice book page 13
Book orders need to be submitted no later than a week from Friday.
Respectfully, Mr. Bryant
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