Dec 15th

HOMEROOM:
Spelling due tomorrow and there will also be a test
Movie permission slip was handed out and will be due back Thursday.

WRITING:
3 individual hand written paragraphs are due tomorrow.

DOL Test Friday

Dec 14th

HOMEROOM:
Spelling #15 was assigned and will be due on Thursday...as well as there will be a test given

WRITING:
We went over the first paragraph that students did last night, and then students were assigned the other 2 paragraphs. They were given 50 minutes to work on them in class.

Dec 13th

HOMEROOM:
Last day of food drive is tomorrow

WRITING:
We talked about layering examples as well as what a personal example is versus an opinion. We also discussed how to word research.

Assigned was to have one paragraph done in powerbox format.

Dec 9th

HOMEROOM:
Character Counts Assembly today.
Spelling was turned in and we took the test as well.

WRITING:
Final day of DOL
DOL Test tomorrow
Students had 20 minutes to polish up their power 1s and 2s in class. We went over what they needed to look like and used MANY student examples, and non examples.

They need to include the following:
State your position in your power 1 along with the point of that paragraph.
Ex: One reason I am against TSA screening is it is an invasion of privacy.
State the point of the paragraph in your detail along with the support.
Ex: One way it invades your privacy is it allows the screener to practically see you naked.

Dec 8th

HOMEROOM:
We had an assebly today with Radical Rick...the science guy.

WRITING:
We went over the power 1s and power 2s that students had. The assignment for tonight is:

Rewrite power 1s to include a transition word, state the position, topic, and point of the paragraph.

Rewrite power 2s so that they are complete sentences and include a transition word, point of the paragraph, and the detail they will support with personal/researched examples.

Dec 7th

Homeroom:
Spelling #14 was handed out and will be due on Thursday...as well as a test will be given.

WRITING:
Looked over the webs that were due to today. We started working on details (power 2s) for the 3 or 4 body paragraphs. Students had about 20 minutes to work on this on class. They need 3 details for each point.

Dec 6

HOMEROOM:
CNN from Friday and Monday

WRITING:
DOL test #12 from the snow day.
Each rotation narrowed down the topics which they will srite about. Assigned today was for the students to come up with a web stating their position (for or against) and 3 main points that they will support later. The 'should' have more than three, but three would be the minimum.

Dec 2nd

Homeroom:
Turned in Spelling
CNN Student News

Writing:
Narrowing list of persuasive topics.
DOL test #13 tomorrow

Nov. 30th

HOMEROOM:
Spelling #13 was given and the test will be Thursday and the assignment will be due at that time as well. Students had 20 minutes in class to work on this.

WRITING:
Today we did 2 days of DOL since we took a test yesterday. We also broke into groups of 3 to brainstorm potential topics for our next writing assignment. Assigned to the groups, and due tomorrow, was:

Get in groups of 3 and generate a list of “Hot Topics”
Come up with 5 that you would like to write about that CAN have a side taken on
When you have done this, come up with arguments for both sides…minimum of 2 points

Example:

Seating Chart:
Pro (For)
People pay attention
Know where to sit
Con (against)
May have to sit next to a distraction
May be hard to see the board

Nov 17th

HOMEROOM:
Handed out conference folders

WRITING:
DOL day 3 week 10
Assembled conference folders. Discussed contents.

Nov 16th

Homeroom:
Got caught up on CNN current events.
Also handed out Spelling #11 which will be due Thursday. Along with the spelling assignment there are sentences that students need to write. Those sentences need to be at least 7 words long, contain the spelling word, and underline the spelling word.

*Don't forget to get your conference slips turned in!

WRITING:
Today we did day 2 of week 10 in DOL. Students were also given time to finalize their paragraphs that will be shared at conference time. There were 3 that were due today.

Nov 15th

HOMEROOM:
We watched CNN Student News and also had PE this morning.

WRITING:
Started week 10 of DOL

Students had all rotation to work on their conference paragraphs. They will have an additional 30 minutes tomorrow as well. Then they will need to be turned in. Along with the final draft, they will need the power boxes for each paragraph as well.

If your printer breaks down, runs out of ink, runs out of paper, does not work, etc., just email me the paragraphs and I will print them out for you.

Nov 8

HOMEROOM:
Spelling was given and the assignment was handed out. It will be due Friday and we will also take the test then too.

WRITING:
Students saw how they did on theeir last assessment which will be available at conference time.

Assigned was the 3 paragraph project that discusses what has been going well, has been a struggle, and what the plans are to fix it, for each subject area. These paragraphs, too, will be available at conference time.

Nov 8

HOMEROOM:
No big news today.

WRITING:
DOL Week 9, day 1

We also talked about what it meant to be an American and an essay was assigned that will be due tomorrow.

Nov 3rd

HOMEROOM:
Spelling will be due tomorrow

WRITING:
We have started on the final assessment before the end of the trimester. Students had all rotation to work on it today, and will have all rotation tomorrow as well. It will need to include the following:

In a one paragraph essay state your position on having a seating chart in the school classroom. Persuade me using personal examples and/or facts to support your position.

You will NEED to include the following:
Web
Powerboxes
All drafts

Power 1 (Intro)
Position stated using for or against
Point stated
Power 2s (details)
Point stated with support
Power 3s (examples)
Examples used in “layering” format (general to specific)
Must use at least 1 personal example, from experience, or honest fact, for each detail (power 2).
Power 4s (conclusion)
Must restate your position as well as a summary statement.

Nov 2

HOMEROOM:
Spelling #9 was handed out. Homework and test will be on Thursday.

We also spent all day taking the ITBS CogAT test.

WRITING
We did not have rotations today, but students did need to turn in their assignment from yesterday (as outlined on the blog yesterday). We will be starting our finalized persuasive paragraph, individually, tomorrow. We will allow a few days to work on that in class.

OTHER:
Remember that Friday is a half day.
Next Thursday is Veteran's Day so there will be no school on that day as well.

Nov 1

HOMEROOM:
No assignments today. Tomorrow (Tuesday) the 6th grade will ALL be taking the CogAT test. Please make sure they are her since this will be a all day test.

WRITING:
Students finished the last day of DOL from last week.

Tomorrow, the following assignment will be due. This is what was presented in class and they had 45 minutes to work on this as well as come to me for editing help if they wished:


This will be you final attempt at your body paragraph. It must include the following:

*Position (for or against) and main point in the 1st sentence
*The point stated in each of the 3 (yes three) details
*Each power 3 couplet needs to have an honest fact or personal example from experience.
*Appropriate transition words need to be used minimally at the power 2s, but likely at most power 3s as well.
*This will need to be done in FINAL DRAFT form and NOT in pencil.
*This will be due Tuesday at the start of the day. I will collect them from each teacher.

*No show = 0.

Oct 28

HOMEROOM:
Not much happening this week in terms of homework because of ITBS testing on Wednesday and Thursday. Spelling was handed out on Tuesday and will be collected Thursday. We will also have the test Thursday as well.

All money and permission slips were due for the field trip this Friday. I think we are all set for that. Make sure students dress warm, or for the conditions, this Friday.

WRITING:
We only had 2 days of writing this week due to testing and the field trip. We collected the first body paragraph and looked at most of them as a group. This was really the first "major" assignment that was given and assessed. Students got a solid look at what they were doing right, and what they needed to work on.

Oct 22

HOMEROOM:

Spelling was collected and Test #7 was given.

Also, permission slips and money was due for the field trip next Friday as well.

WRITING:
We went over Power 1s and Power 2s and discussed what needs to be included. I assigned their first body paragraph, finalized with new changes and solid transition words, and it's due Monday. Students had 30 minutes to work on this in class.

OCT 21 PERMISSION SLIPS/$ DUE TOMORROW!

Money and permission slips for ice skating and the Imax are due tomorrow (FRIDAY).

Oct 20

HOMEROOM:
Discussed appropriate hallway behavior :) and thought about it more at recess.

WRITING:
Went over last night's assignment and then started on our 'new' first body paragraph from the topic they picked a week ago and inserting appropriate transition words and editing as needed. Students were givn 10 minutes in class to start this.

Oct 19

HOMEROOM:
Assigned week 7 of Spelling which will be due Thursday. Also watched 2 days of CNN Student News.

WRITING:
Edited our paragraphs form the Jumbled paragraph #2. We discussed transition words and each student was given 2 sheets of solid transition words. After, we broke apart a paragraph that did not have any transition words and added appropriate ones depending on their power. This will be done in powerboxes and will be due tomorrow.

The following is the paragraph:
I am for schools having fundraisers. Fundraisers help a school fund activities that they would not normally be able to afford. Our school has 2 fundraisers and they earn over $40,000. Last year we were able to spend some of that money on going to Camp Lutherhaven where we spent 2 days there learning about the wilderness and playing games. I think that fundraisers help kids give back to their school. It takes very little effort to do your part in supporting your school. Last year I raised $800 by myself by calling friends and relatives that all were more than willing to donate. I am definitely for having fundraisers in schools because it allows the students to have programs they normally wouldn’t have as well as the opportunity to give back to the school.

Oct 18

HOMEROOM:
Nothing due today, or tomorrow. Just get in those permission slips for next week's field trip.

WRITING:
Today we did Week 8, Day 1 of DOL.

We also worked on another paragrpah and re-organized it according to Powerwriting. The following 11 sentences ar the ones they used:

Specifically, people take paper, pens, and pencils.

For example, I was absent one day and the day I got back I found a bunch of garbage stored inside my desk…disgusting!

One reason why I am for video cameras in classrooms is that students get into other student’s property.

To describe, people may put trash in your desk so you have to throw it away.

Another reason how people could get into other people’s property is by taking items out of their backpacks.

In fact, my friend had pens stolen from her and they were in the back of her desk!

To emphasize, I was once in science class and this boy took out another student’s cell phone from their backpack.

I told the principal and the culprit ended up getting a principal referral.

The third reason how people can get into other people’s property is by putting their property in your desk.
One results of this happening is that many students are missing supplies.

For instance, people take cell phones from students.

IMAX and Ice Skating Permission Slip

Here is the permission slip in case your child lost theirs. It should print as a jpeg or something. No, I do not have an extras.

Oct 14

HOMEROOM:
Spelling Test

WRITING:
We did day 4 of Week 6 of DOL.

We corrected and went over last night's assignment and discussed powerwriting some more. Assigned today was taking 7 sentence strips, that were out of order, and place them correctly in the powerwriting format...in the boxes. This will be due tomorrow. Students had 30 minutes to accomplish this in class.

Also tomorrow will be a DOL test.

Oct 13

HOMEROOM:
Spelling will be due tomorrow (26 sentences too), and we will hvae a test.

WRITING:
Did day 3 of week 6 of DOL.

Also, we talked about organization and good/bad organization. Students were assigned a paragrpah that they need to break into powerwriting boxes. The following is the paragraph:

Like any other facility, keeping a school open requires a great deal of money. When a school changes to a year-round schedule, the costs skyrocket. Keeping school open in the middle of summer requires air conditioning, and that adds significantly to the school’s expenses. The usual utility bills grow because of the additional open-school time. Finally, teachers must be paid for all the weeks they are working. With all these factors, the cost of keeping schools open becomes immensely high. For example, a high school in Arizona had a cost increase of $157,000 when they switched to year-round schooling. Some schools may not be able to handle such increases, and other schools that can handle these expenses could be doing better things with the money. Is year round school really where the money should go?

Oct 12

HOMEROOM:
Spelling #6 was assigned. Students need to write 1 sentence for each word that must be 7 words long, the spelling word underlined, and spelled correctly. This will be due on Thursday when we have the test.

WRITING:
Students broke apart their first paragraph and wrote them line by line so we can better understand the purpose of each sentence. This needs to be done for one paragraph and we will continue with this tomorrow. Students had 40 minutes in class to work with this.

Special Event

Sixth Grade Upcoming Field Trip On Friday October 29th

All the sixth grade students will continue a tradition that began three or four years ago. On this day set aside in the other classrooms for Halloween related activities, we venture off to Riverfront Park for the IMAX production entitled "Journey through Amazing Caves." We will then eat lunch after which we will enjoy an afternoon of ice skating.

The agenda:
We leave shortly after arriving at school and will be boarding STA buses reserved just for us. Halloween costumes are not permitted as we there will be no Halloween related activities. We invite you to come along and join us on that day.The cost per child is $11.50, $9 for the IMAX and skating and $2.50for the bus fares ($1.25 there and $1.25 back). Please contact the office if this creates a difficult financial situation for you and provisions can be made to cover this expense. Additional information and a required permission slip will be sent home next week.

Oct. 11

HOMEROOM:
No Homework

WRITING:
DOL week 6, day 1.

Went over the first paragraph of the writing assignment. Did some peer editing. We will continue this tomorrow.

*Those students that are not caught up, are going to struggle with this since we are working from this on a daily basis. Meaning, they miss out on what we do in class because they are working on what was supposed to be done day(s) before.

Oct 7

HOMEROOM:

We took Spelling Test #5 today. We also got caught up on some current events.

WRITING:
We took DOL Test #5 as well as the quiz on Persuasive and Expository writing. On this quiz students were allowed to use their notes...if they had them.

Assigned for Monday was to have 1 paragraph written from their powerwriting boxes. Just one thought, not all four. Today, in class, they had about 10-15 minutes to work on this. They will also have about 10 minutes on Monday as well. But the time on Monday will not be enough to complete the entire assignment.

Oct. 6

Homeroom:
Assigned Spelling #5 which is due tomorrow (Thursday). Students had 10 minutes to work on this in class.

WRITING:
Today, students continued peer editing the examples on the powerwriting format. If your child is behind on this process, each day they are getting further and further behind. Some students have written notes home rearding this.

Tomorrow, in writing, we will have a DOL test and a quiz on Expository and Persuasive writing.

Oct. 3rd

HOMEROOM:
Watched Today's news on CNN

WRITING:
Handed back DOL Tests and started on day 1 of Week 5.

Also assigned powerboxes that will be due tomorrow. Must have 4 points, that include 3 details each, with 2 examples for each detail. It was actually due today, but some of the directions were a little unclear from Friday. They had 25 minutes in class today to work on this.

Oct 1

HOMEROOM:
Watched CNN Student News and discussed some current issues.

WRITING:
Started working on Power 3s (examples) for the group project. 2 personal examples need to be used for each power 2. Three main points need to be completed by Monday. 40 minutes was given in class for this to be done.

Sept 30

HOMEROOM:
Spelling #4 was due today and we took Spelling Test #4.

WRITING:
We edited DOL Week 4, #4. We peer edited the 15 details that supported the 5 main points. Rotations were shortened today because of the Character Counts assembly. Congrats to Elizabeth for winning this month!

DOL Test TOMORROW

Sept 29

Homeroom:
Spelling Due Tomorrow

Writing:
DOL Week 4, day 3
Went over yesterday's assignment (5 main points). Assigned 3 details for EACH of the 5 main points. Due tomorrow

Other:
Character Counts assembly tomorrow at 2:50 for 4-6

Sept 28

HOMEROOM:
Spelling #4 was assigned and is due on Thursday where we will have a test as well.

WRITING:
DOL day 2 of week #4 was done.
We discussed the pros and cons of the topics and started working in our small groups on the first writing assignment. Assigned was starting the web. Due tomorrow will be the topic, position, and 5 main points.

Sept 27

Homeroom:

Writing:
We are now in our rotation groups and getting those dialed in.

We started DOL #4 and sized down our next positon topic. The DOL Test will be on Friday.

Sept 24

Homeroom:
No Homework

Writing:
Today we took DOL Test #3. We also started to generate a lit of writing topics for our first writing assignment.

Sept 23rd

Homeroom
No homework
Library 9:25-10:15

Writing:
DOL Test tomorrow
We are generating a list of topics to write about.

Sept. 22

Writing:
Rewrite the following paragraph and change the words in "red," to create a visual image of the word. This will be shared in class.

"You are a middle school student. Essay in one hand, you go to class. “I’m done!” You smile. The teacher takes the essay out of your hands and throws it away. She says, “It’s a day late!” You look at your hard work. The teacher didn’t look at it! The No Late Homework Policy is bad. "


Homeroom:
DOL Test on Friday
Spelling Due Thursday

Sept 16, Thurs

Open House tonight at 7:00. 6th grade will continue there with our Open House to accommodate all the parents.

In homeroom today we turned in Spelling #2 and took the quiz.

In writing, we wrote letters to parents for Open House tonight.

In writing tomorrow we will have our first DOL test.

And here we go...

This is the start of a blog thought will hopefully include daily assignments and events in m homeroom and writing rotation. This is the first time I have used a blog in my classroom, so we will see how it goes.