1/28

Math extra credit: WB p. 113 (odd OR even)

Finish IRA (Connections) and finish Spell & Draw.  Study for Monday's test!

1/27

Finish math WB p. 110 & 112 if you haven't already (assigned Monday; due Thursday).

Study for Great Depression/New Deal social studies test (ch. 9, 10, 11).

Work on IRA (connections) and spelling draw (both due Fri.).

Great Depression and New Deal Videos

{Unfortunately we have no control over what ads History.com has linked to the videos.  I encourage the kids to mute their volume until the video starts.}

Dust Storms Strike America

Black Blizzard

The New Deal

FDR Creates Social Security

TVA: Nature's Power Harnessed

1/26

Please scroll down for photos from today's High School STEM class visit!

Don't forget about tonight's Milestones meeting @ 6 PM.

Write spelling in ABC order in agenda and finish vocabulary match.

Sign & return signed papers tonight (by Thursday).

Students need to study SS Ch. 9, 10, 11 for their test Thursday.

Work on math WB p. 110 & 112 (due Thurs.).

IRA (Connections) is due Friday.  Spell & draw is also due Friday.

Spelling & vocabulary tests for ped, man/manu will be Monday.

This Week's ELA: Ped and Man/Manu

Latin Roots Ped and Man, Manu             

*Your spelling words and vocabulary words are the same!

Tuesday: Write your words in ABC order in your agenda.  Complete the vocabulary match. 

Wednesday-Thursday: Finish spell & draw (started in class Tuesday; due Fri.).

Tuesday through Sunday, please study your words spelling and meaning nightly for your test on MONDAY.  You will need to understand the words in context, not just be able to match them to their definition, plus you must be able to spell each of the 20 words correctly.

1.             pedestrian            ____  a creature with two feet

2.             millipede              ____  a foot treatment that many people enjoy

3.             peddler                ____  a creature with 100 feet

4.             tripod                  ____  any four-footed creature

5.             pedicure              ____  something that stands in one's way; an obstacle

6.             centipede             ____  a lever that is moved by the foot

7.             quadruped           ____  a person who walks door-to-door selling something

8.             pedal                   ____  a three-footed stand often used to hold a camera still

9.             impediment          ____  a creature with 1,000 feet

10.         biped                   ____  a person walking across the street in a crosswalk

11.         emancipate ____  a hand treatment that many people enjoy

12.         manager              ____  to handily or skillfully go around something

13.         manacles             ____  an order or command placed in one's hands

14.         maneuver             ____  handcuffs

15.         manicure              ____  a person who has the upper hand; a person who is in charge

16.         mandate              ____  a handbook; a book of directions

17.         manual                 ____  to make by hand or machine; to produce something new

18.         manipulate  ____  a handwritten or typed piece of writing, such as a book

19.         manuscript  ____  to skillfully operate by hand

20.         manufacture         ____  to set free; to lend a hand in freeing someone; to release from                                                                      someone's hands

This Week's IRA: Connections

            We have discussed three different types of connections that readers make as they read:

text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world.  As you read in your independent reading book this week, make one “text-to-self” connection, one “text-to-text” connection, and one “text-to-world” connection. Write down three connections that you make to your book.  Describe the passage in the story and how you connect to that passage.  Be sure to identify each connection you make by type.  Turn in the connections assignment by Friday.  Don’t forget to include your book’s title.

HS STEM Class Visit

Today we had a visit from the UCHS STEM Class!  They have created picture books with STEM elements (and hope to have a group compete at Georgia Tech in March) and read them to our students.  Here are some pictures of the fun.

1/25

Welcome back!  Tomorrow students will take their math Mod 10 quiz plus last week's spelling and vocabulary tests. 

At 8:00 AM and again at 6:00 PM Tuesday (tomorrow), there will be a parent meeting about the Milestones testing here at UCES.  Just check in at the office.

Math WB p. 110 & 112 due THURS.

SS Ch. 9, 10, 11 test (Great Depression & New Deal) will be THURS.

Tomorrow students will get this week's spelling/vocabulary words and will test MONDAY 2/1.

Thanks for your understanding as we work through the time we missed and get back on track.

Update for This Week (1/21)

Good afternoon!  I hope that you have been able to enjoy these crazy weather days.  Please note that all work assigned this week is due when we return to school.  I expect that to be tomorrow, Friday, 1/22, but of course time will tell.  My plan is to check work and review spelling, vocabulary, and Mod 10 math, along with continuing in science and social studies.  The weekly spelling and vocabulary tests plus the math Mod 10 quiz WILL BE MONDAY.

Students will earn extra Dojo points for AM.  Any uncompleted assignments will result in 0s.

IF we aren't at school tomorrow, then we would check/review Monday and test Tuesday.

MATH EXTRA CREDIT: WB p. 108

BRAINPOP EXTRA CREDIT (due by Monday, 1/25):  If you can go to Brainpop.com, log in with unionco/panthers.  Watch the selected videos, below, take the quiz(zes), and then send a screen shot of your score to hdyer@ucschools.org.

• Go to Science, then Cellular Life & Genetics, then watch Cells. 
• Go to Social Studies, then U.S. History, and then The Great Depression.
• " " " " " " The Great Depression Causes.
• " " " " " " The New Deal.
• " " " " " " Franklin D. Roosevelt.

This Week's Homework

*Today students are bringing home a note about their early dismissal procedure.  Please complete and return tomorrow JUST IN CASE!  I want to be sure that all of us (you, students, and me) have the same info.  If your child was absent today and didn't get a form, please write a note for tomorrow in case we have an early dismissal.  I'm sure we've all seen the weather forecast.  Thanks!

*Students also have a note stapled to their signed papers stating their balance due for the Atlanta field trip.  Payment is due by 2/17, so this is a friendly reminder so that you can plan accordingly.

*I explained to the students that should be miss a day of school, the due dates for this week's homework remain the same.  I will be reminding them of everything that they need to take home today, again just in case.

*I am asking all of them to take home their AM.  Many of them need a little extra time so carving out a little time would be a big help.

Tuesday:
Finish filling out your spelling and vocabulary sheet (front and back).
Write spelling words in ABC order in agenda.
{The students who did both of these over the long weekend earned extra Dojo points!}
Math WB p. 100 & 102
(Work on AM to help get caught up if necessary.)

Wednesday:
Math WB p. 104
Finish spelling choice IF you made below 90 on Friday's spelling test.
(Work on AM to help get caught up if necessary.)

Thursday:
Math WB p. 106
Finish vocabulary choice if you made less than 90 on Friday's test.
(Work on AM to help get caught up if necessary.)

Friday:
Students will take the Mod 10 math quiz.  All of this week's math homework reviews skills from that section or earlier.  (Of course if we miss for weather, we may have to readjust this quiz date.)  We are currently working in Module 11 in class.
(Work on AM to help get caught up if necessary.)

This Week's ELA: More Homophones & Out of the Dust 3

SPELLING: More Homophones

Tuesday: Write spelling words CORRECTLY in your agenda in ABC order (due Wed.). Also, write a synonym for each word in the blank to help you remember which spelling matches which meaning.

Wednesday: Finish a spelling choice if you made less than 90% on last week’s test (due Thurs.).

[NOTE: STUDENT PAPERS SAY 100% but I changed it to 90% instead.]

Study your spelling words Monday – Thursday for your test on Friday!

1.     poll: __________________________________________________________________________________________

2.     pole: __________________________________________________________________________________________

3.     presents: __________________________________________________________________________________________

4.     presence: __________________________________________________________________________________________

5.     stationery: __________________________________________________________________________________________

6.     stationary: __________________________________________________________________________________________

7.     counsel: __________________________________________________________________________________________

8.     council: __________________________________________________________________________________________

9.     peal: __________________________________________________________________________________________

10. peel: __________________________________________________________________________________________

11. current: __________________________________________________________________________________________

12. currant: __________________________________________________________________________________________

13. manor: __________________________________________________________________________________________

14. manner: __________________________________________________________________________________________

15. sweet: __________________________________________________________________________________________

16. suite: __________________________________________________________________________________________

17. waste: __________________________________________________________________________________________

18. waist: __________________________________________________________________________________________

19. peer: __________________________________________________________________________________________

20. pier: __________________________________________________________________________________________

Vocabulary: Out of the Dust 3

betrothal          hoard               char                 mottle              swarm                         warp

court                knoll                gaunt               salve

Tuesday: Match each definition with a word (DUE Wednesday).

Wednesday-Thursday: Complete a vocabulary choice if you made below a 90% on last week’s test (DUE Friday).

1. _________________________: a small natural hill

2. _________________________: very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold

3. _________________________: a group of insects

4. _________________________: engage in social activities leading to marriage

5. _________________________: save up as for future use

6. _________________________: a thick, often greasy substance rubbed on the skin to heal, soothe, or

                                                            protect it

7. _________________________: bend out of shape, as under pressure or from heat

8. _________________________: mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as

 if stained

9. _________________________: burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color

10. ________________________: a mutual promise to marry

1/15

Today I gave the students their spelling and vocabulary work for next week so that they can get a jump start over the long weekend if they wish.

Also, their math WB p. 100 & 102 is due Wednesday 1/20, and WB p. 104 & 106 will be due Friday.  These are practices to review for their module 10 quiz on Friday 1/22.

Have a great long weekend!

1/14

Report cards did go home today!

Please complete the MLK analogies.
Finish Suffixes IRA.
Study spelling and vocabulary.
Work on AM.

Report Cards THURS.

Report cards will go home Thursday instead of today.  Sorry about the delay!  You can of course check Power School.  (Please note that 3rd nine weeks grades are not up-to-date in every subject yet.  I needed to close out Term 2 first.)  Thanks!

Internet Usage

As we begin to use Google Apps for Education, I am interested in learning how it might possibly be used at home in addition to school.  (No, I do NOT plan to add to your student's work load!  Students may have the option to complete and submit some of their work electronically.)

Thank you in advance for complete a short form about your child's Internet access outside of school (for the purpose of school work, not necessarily for games, etc.).  For example, when my daughters were younger they could use my computer with Internet for school work, but their online game time was limited.

Click HERE to access the two-question form.  Thank you!

SRA & MM Weekly Grades

Just a quick share as we start the 3rd 9 weeks:

MM = Morning Math
     Each week, students are given a Drops in the Bucket (DITB) math review page to complete in sections (usually 2 sections per day).  They are required to finish the section and have it initialed each day.  Each initialed section = 20 points for a weekly "daily" grade of 100.  If a student has an unexcused absence, they lose that day's points (credit is given for excused absences).  Because the DITB is copied front/back, they will go home every two weeks.

SRA Update:
     We are continuing to practice reading skills with the SRA reading problem.  Students are still expected to complete one SRA card each week for two daily grades (comprehension and word study), one for each of the two sections.  For the first 9 weeks, students should have completed 12 SRA cards.  To start fresh in the new year, students who had less than 12 SRAs are starting over at one.  (They are not going to continue to be behind.)  If a student had more than 12 SRAs, they were able to count one of them as this week's SRA.  (They get credit for working ahead.)  Once students have completed their weekly SRA, they have the option of working on Versatiles, continuing with SRA, or independent reading.

1/6

Tomorrow students will take their Unit 3 math test (multiplying and dividing with decimals).

Finish vocabulary sentences.

Work on opposite hand spelling (due Friday).

1/5/16

WELCOME BACK!  We have had a very productive day!  We began working on how to find common denominators to begin adding and subtracting unlike fractions.  We started the Newbury-award winning novel, Out of the Dust, which is set during the Dust Bowl of the Great Depression (and will be the source of our vocabulary this week and next).  Students have a copy to read at school but unfortunately the books cannot be taken home.  We also started a non-fiction book Animal Cells to supplement our science textbook.  (We have enough of these books to share with a partner.) 

Later this week I will be publishing our January newsletter with lots of news for the new year.  As a heads up until then, next Wednesday the entire school will be celebrating "Frozen Fun Day!"  If you would like to help out, we may need some volunteers to send in hot chocolate supplies or other "Frozen" goodies.  We may also need volunteers to help with activities.  Please let me know if you can help!  Students are encouraged to dress up as their favorite Frozen character or to wear their favorite winter pajamas.

Tonight's homework:
*Work on AM, especially if you have an "old" practice or exercise or if you didn't meet your goal last term
*Write spelling in ABC order.
*Begin vocabulary sentences (due Thursday).

Later this week:
*Math Unit 3 (Decimals) Test Thursday
*Write your spelling words with the opposite hand (due Fri.).
*Character and Me essay due by Monday

This Week's ELA: 1/5/16

Spelling: Difficult Words and Vocabulary: Out of the Dust 1

Spelling: Difficult Words

Tuesday: Write your spelling words in your agenda in alphabetical order.

Wednesday-Thursday: Using your non-dominant (opposite) hand, write your spelling words as neatly as possible.  In other words, lefties will use their right hand and righties will use their left.   (Due Friday.)

1.     probably

2.     important

3.     because

4.     friend

5.     beginning

6.     restaurant

7.     remember

8.     government

9.     against

10. separate

11. definitely

12. until

13. doesn’t

14. a lot

15. already

16. finally

17. occasionally

18. enough

19. especially

20. sincerely

Vocabulary: Out of the Dust 1

            On your own paper, use each word in a super sentence (due Thursday).  Please type or use your best handwriting, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.  You need to look up the definition for each unfamiliar word.  Don't panic if you can't immediately find the word.  You may need to drop a suffix, especially the past tense -ed.  Your vocabulary sentences are due Thursday.

1. crouched
2. fierce
3. fidgety
4. riled
5. bounty
6. whittled
7. spindled
8. achievement
9. locomotive
10. ratcheted

Story Response Writing Assignment (due by MONDAY; can turn in Friday): Write (at minimum) a three-paragraph essay comparing and contrasting yourself and the main character of Out of the Dust, Billie Jo Kelby.  Think about what she looks like (her physical characteristics) as well as her character (who she is on the inside), and when/where she lives.  What are her likes and dislikes?  What things do you have in common?  How are you different?  Is she someone you would like to be friends with?  Why or why not?