Wednesday, December 18, 2013

What We've Been Doing Lately

For English class, the 8th graders recently wrote a short story about an elderly couple's life.  The assignment required them to create a strong central theme, well-paced events, and vivid descriptions.  The photos below show a peer review session in which they shared their work and critiqued one another.




The 7th graders have just finished a grammar unit in English.  For some seasonal fun, we decorated and labeled reindeer with multiple adjectives.



For social studies, the sixth graders have been working on slideshows which explore the dynasties of China, as well as China's recent history of communism.





The sixth graders also had great fun dressing up and performing for this year's Christmas program.  I loved seeing their enthusiasm and talent!






Saturday, November 23, 2013

6th Grade Philosophy Debates

As part of their ancient Greece unit, the sixth graders recently assumed the roles of Socrates's, Plato's, and Aristotle's students, and debated several topics using these philosophers' ideas.  











Sunday, November 3, 2013

Why We Need a Sasquatch

Recently, the 7th graders wrote papers on why they would like to have a "personal sasquatch."  The papers enabled to learn some basic paper structuring and also to be imaginative.  Some of their work is pasted below -- it's good for a chuckle!


Why It Is Necessary for Me to Own a Personal Sasquatch

The robber picked the lock, and the door swung open soundlessly. He tiptoed down the hall, being extra careful not to disturb the sleeping residents. The thief entered the living room and moved toward the safe that was concealed behind the fireplace. However, just as he was preparing to break into the stash, a large, unknown force grabbed him by the collar. The force then proceeded to throw the burglar out of the window and into the rose bushes. That force was a Sasquatch, and that is one reason that I want one. Sasquatches make excellent security systems. Another reason that I want one is because they have excellent organization skills and I, on occasion, do not.
The first reason that I want a Sasquatch is because they make wonderful personal/family bodyguards. One way that they help to keep their charges safe is by blending in with their surroundings. It is a known fact that Sasquatches can become invisible at will. This allows them to sneak up easily on intruders and catch them by surprise. Another security measure that the Sasquatch takes is to sleep with one eye open. This allows them to rest only half of their brain at a time so that they can keep an eye open for trespassers at all times.
Secondly, the Sasquatch is the best organizer on the planet. One way that my Sasquatch would help keep me organized is by giving me a special Sasquatch-invented folder to put my things in. This folder comes with a set of keys that open up the five locks on the folder's cover. When you open a lock, the folder's contents change. The first key opens up to school supplies, the second opens to your textbooks, the third opens up to a load of loose leaf, the fourth to a place to store assignments, and the fifth to a compartment to keep any other things in. The second way that Sasquatch will keep me organized is by taking all of my assignments and sports and things and prioritizing a schedule for me to work by. If I am unable to complete an assignment without going at least ten minutes over the time set for that assignment, then Sasquatch will sign me up for a little extra tutoring to make sure that I understand the concept.
These are only two of the reasons that you too need a personal Sasquatch. So, what are you waiting for? Go buy yourself a Sasquatch today!



  Squatch and Me

If dogs are man's best friend, just imagine what a Sasquatch would be! Just think of all of the incredible adventures you could have with a Sasquatch, you could travel around the whole world with them. And you wouldn't even have to put them in a kennel when you travel with them.  You could even use your Sasquatch to help fight crime! Just think of all the possibilities!
First of all traveling by plane with a Sasquatch would be great, while traveling with other pets isn't as easy.  One reason this would be convenient would be that you wouldn't have to wait in lines at the airport.  Because everybody would run away from the line at the very sight of a giant ape man.  Another reason flying with them would be great is because unlike other pets, you wont have to worry about how they are doing in a kennel with the rest of the luggage.  You could just get them their own plane ticket and then they could ride with you.  What a blast that would be! 
Another fun thing you could do with your Sasquatch would be fighting crime. One reason this would be a good time is that you could make your own buddy cops television show! You could call it: "Squatch and Me".  Another example would be that they would be a an excellent partner in law enforcement.  Who could possibly be a better partner then a nine foot tall muscular, furry, beast.
Overall, I think that a Sasquatch would be a wonderful pet and companion. I wish that someday I will find one in the wilderness.



Sasquatch Has Changed My Life
        In 2010, the S.R.A, (Sasquatch Research Association,) found Sasquatch in Northern Canada in a large, empty forest. When the S.R.A found him, he was cooking in a vacant cabin making some delicious beef stew. It smelled so good, they just had to ask him for a bowl. Sasquatch surprisingly gave them a bowl and the secret recipe to bring home. Now this friendly creature shares his delicious recipes all around the world through his cook books. This story explains exactly why I invited Sasquatch to stay with my family and me. I think of him as a personal chef, because I don't need to do any of the cooking myself. He is also very polite and incredible with my child. Having Sasquatch around has made my life easier in many ways.

For example, every Tuesday Sasquatch cooks my family and me a wonderful meal. He makes us his world famous shish-kebabs with Caesar salad as an appetizer. For dessert, he creates home-made cheesecake that melts in your mouth. My son, Ronnie, gets so excited when he comes home from school on Tuesdays, that he can't wait to shove that delectable meat in his mouth! Not only is Sasquatch's food delicious, it is also very healthy! Since he makes everything from scratch, we get all the nutrition we need to stay healthy. You could say we're a well fed family!

Another way Sasquatch has made my life easier is by helping me with Ronnie. When I work late, Sasquatch is there to help with the Ronnie's homework and driving him to soccer every night. The only problem with that is when I use the car after him, I get Sasquatch hair all over my skirt, but it's worth it. He also loves telling Ronnie about his adventures in the great outdoors, and teaches him about camping, hunting, and canoeing. In fact, he is taking the two of us on a big camping trip this year to Northern Canada where he is from.

With Sasquatch doing all the work in the house, I don't know what to do with myself all day!




The Benefits of a Sasquatch

             I was sitting in my lawn chair, sipping my hot cocoa on a dewy Thursday morning. The sun was just rising, peeking through the tall birch trees in my backyard. I was gazing at the large, gorgeous orb of light when suddenly, out of nowhere, it was blocked from my view. There was a huge, furry shape coming towards me! I leaped out of my chair and started jogging back to the safety of my house, but was caught by some big furry arms. I was lifted off of my feet, trembling in fear. The fuzzy, strong arms held my shaking body comfortingly. I looked up and saw two huge, friendly eyes looking softly at my sweaty face. This was the day that this amazing creature, Larry the Sasquatch, moved into my home. Larry I became best friends right away. We have had lots of fun together over the years. We love to cuddle every morning before breakfast, just as we did on that first day we met. We also go on nice walks through the woods behind my house, the ones where Larry lived.
           This friendly giant and I love to snuggle every morning. I absolutely love to feel Larry's fur. It is as soft as silk, as warm as sitting by a toasty fire, and divine to bury your face into. I also enjoy the squeeze of Larry's strong and loving arms. It feels as if you are being wrapped tightly by a warm, cozy blanket. Oh, I just love mornings!
            Larry and I, the closest friends, love to go on dream filled walks through the woods. I am always captivated by Larry's stories about his time living in the woods. Most of them are happy, graceful stories, but sometimes he gets a little teary when he talks about his family. Another thing we love to do during our walks is to gaze up at the sky. It feels as if angels are looking down at us when we peer through the old and gnarly tree limbs. Those walks are lovely!
            I have no idea what I would have done if Larry hadn't come out of that forest. He is my best bud, to the moon and back and to infinity and beyond! 


Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Egyptian Tombs 2013

It's an annual sixth grade social studies project to create a model of an Egyptian tomb, representative of their daily lives and religious beliefs.  We had a great batch of tombs this year -- have a look at the photos below!


















Friday, September 20, 2013

What We Like About Sixth Grade


Here are some of the things our sixth graders are enjoying so far this year:

  • We love learning about Egypt.  We also love listening to "The Shadow" (an old radio show) in Performing Arts!
  • We like hanging out at recess with our friends.
  • I love my new home room teacher.
  • We really enjoy religion and social studies.  
  • We like meeting new teachers and friends.
  • What I like about sixth grade is that all of the teachers are really wonderful and help you a lot.  I like how we go from class to class.  It's really fun because you can move around.  I also really like "the Hive" where you can get food for one dollar.  Also, at recess, there are a lot of friends and all of the toys you can play with.  It's awesome.  All the classes are fun too.
  • A new year with new friends!
  • What we like about coming back to school is meeting new friends and seeing old ones.
  • We really like sixth grade because we love the teachers.  Every year it feels like the kids are getting nicer and nicer.
  • I am enjoying sixth grade because I like my new teachers, I like my classes, and it's fun to travel around. 

Sunday, June 9, 2013

End of the Year

At the end of the year, the 8th grade English class did a short story writing unit (in a couple of the photos below you'll see them sharing their stories), the 7th grade English class wrote a comparison paper of two artists (see the photo of the student sharing his paper with an accompanying slide show), and the sixth grade social studies class finished up with a unit on the Renaissance.  We completed this unit by holding a Renaissance ball at which all the students played famous Renaissance people (see photos of the ball below).  It was great to finish the year with these units because I was able to see how thoroughly clever and creative our students can be!