Class Meeting Notes - Things Shauna is Sick of Saying

Today we had an excellent class meeting about some issues that have been cropping up in Room 209. Read below for details.

Things Shauna is sick of saying

1. Get off the chairs, we are sitting on the carpet
2. Please move, move far
3. Take care of the classroom materials
4. In room 209, respect your classroom organization and supplies
5. Which one of these class expectations are we not following?
6. You know that you’re not supposed to be sitting with that person
7. Clean up after yourselves
8. Respect this place, respect others, respect yourself
9. Turn the voice level down
10. You didn’t “brang” it, you “brought” it
11. It’s not your turn right now
12. Work quietly, everyone needs to focus
13. Please speak louder so everyone can hear your ideas
14. If you want to be trusted, be honest
15. Class order, 6 S line
16. Please be quiet so you can hear me
17. Don’t whine or groan or moan

How can we get Shauna to BE QUIET?

-Listen the first time to instructions (Vickie)

-Get in class order (Vickie)

-Maybe we could not only listen the first time, but maybe do it by knowledge. (James)

            -use your prior knowledge

            -use your problem solving skills

            -figure things out

-Think before you say/do (Pat)

            -use the tools around the classroom

-Don’t work with people you know you’re not going to work well with or sit with your friends on the carpet (Miguel)

-You can lose Degu Pen time if you can’t follow class expectations (Ethan)

            -you will get warnings from Shauna

-If you’re not listening to the instructions or you forget them and you have to go back and ask again, set up so that you’re sitting in the front so it’s more clear for you (Thomas)

-Don’t argue when you’re asked to move apart, just do it – STAND UP and MOVE, it’ll make things much better. You might feel like you’ll be angry either way, but Shauna will be happier if you just move. (Fin)

-Don’t chit-chat all the time so the teacher and the people who are listening don’t get fed up (Millie)

            -and when we have to miss a game in French (Madi)

            -the volunteers get fed up (Erika)

            -we get fed up (Fiona)

            -it’s not fair when you have to put your heads down and 

            you’re not doing anything wrong (Molly)

            -the degus (Shauna)

            -substitute teachers too, Shellie (Fin)

-Ask 3 before the teacher (Fiona)

-When you get moved a lot, make a goal/a resolution (a New Year’s Resolution, maybe) to not sit with that person as much (Pat)

  -I think by the end of December, we should be able to not be told

   once to be moved (Ethan)

-If these are your goals, follow them (Kaleigh)

   -follow ALL your goals (Shauna)

-By the beginning of January, we shouldn’t need these talks – CLASS GOAL (Madi)

-monthly whiteboard goals (Fin)

     -when we’ve all finished writing our goals, we will post them in here

      and you will post them at home! (Shauna)

I'm Through, What Do I Do?

Hello my friends,

  Once you have finished your Kiva assignment, you may explore our blog, explore the other blogs on the right hand side of our blog (student blogs, other classes blogs) or you may go to IXL Math and play Data Managment and Probability games.

  Here are the links for:

Grade 4s
Choosing the best type of graph
Read a table
Probability - make predictions

Grade 5s
Choosing the best type of graph
Read a table          
Probability - make predictions

As Fiona just discovered, you can only play one game each day! Bummer!

Observations About Kiva - Computer Lab Assignment

Welcome to the computer lab, boys and girls,

  Today your task is going to be related to Kiva. You will explore Kiva's website and learn more about how we can support somone in a developing country by helping to fund a microloan. Then you will communicate what you have learned to your peers here on the blog.

Step 1: Explore a New Website - Please visit the Kiva website.

Step 2: Gather Information - While on the website, use your critical reading skills (Ask questions, Make Connections, Visualize, Synthesize, Observe and Infer) and soak up as much information as you can.

Step 3: Share Information - Come back to the blog and leave a comment telling your classmates TWO juicy pieces of information that you have learned about Kiva or microlending. Use some of your Writer's Workshop tools (Tell It All, Say What You Mean, Put Muscles in Your Verbs, Invigorate Your Verbs and/or Paint Vivid Word Pictures) to help make your writing interesting to your readers.

Step 4: Continue the Conversation - Read some your classmates comments and make at least ONE positive, constructive response.

Remember:
-Spelling IS important. Double check using a spellchecker on a word processor or the Class Dictionary Box.
-Be constructive, kind and supportive in the comments you write to your peers

Jill's Farming Presentation

Jack's mom, Jill, came in to our class to tell us about her experiences visiting different farms. She told us about a commercial corn farm, a large local tomato farm, and a small local cranberry farm. We all learned a lot from her excellent presentation! We even got to taste some fresh, delicious cherry tomatoes and some bitter, sugar-free cranberry juice!

Thanks, Jill, for sharing your knowledge with us!

The Degu Pen!

My awesome mom, Laurie, made an INCREDIBLE Degu Pen for the classroom! It is fabulous! Two students at a time can go in it with the two degus and have a little quality time! It's a safe, fun way to hang out with our curious, active little pets!

The Degus - Photos by Thomas

-photos by Thomas

Kiva Loans - photos by Melodee

Inspired by Tiiu's class, we had a great discussion about the Micro-loan website, Kiva, today.

Tiiu's grade 6s are writing essays to try to persuade their classmates to loan money to one of three borrowers on Kiva. We talked about some of the reasons you might choose to loan one person money over another person. Then, I showed the students in Room 209 the five loans I have given on Kiva. 

Students in Room 209 took four sticky notes, each one representing $25, and voted on who they thought most deserved the $100 that Tiiu's class plans to loan. I wonder if Tiiu's class will vote the same way we did.

We were so inspired that Room 209 has decided to fundraise and will make a loan of our own next week! We now have a "Kiva donations box" in our classroom thanks to Pat's crafting skills!

-photos by Melodee

The Degus - Photos by Millie

You can see clearly why degus are sometimes called "trumpet tailed rats"!

It's hard to tell the degus apart except when they sit near each other. Caine is much fatter than his brother, Speedy!

-photos by Millie

Our First Skating Day! - photos by Erika

-photos by Erika