Happy Halloween!

Here you go--

Halloween pictures! Have a happy and safe Halloween. And remember--my favorite candy is Heath, but I accept anything you have leftover:-)

A Surprise for Scott

Question for you: Can you find the REAL Scott? If you click on the picture, you can see it in a larger form. I will post this to the photo album after school. I hope this gives everyone a laugh. Nametags, Mountain Dew, red water bottles, polo shirts tucked into khaki pants with belts, warm up gear, and brown day planners--I think we make pretty good Scotts. The kids told me that they tried to smile like Scott too--can you tell? Thanks for being a great sport, Mr. Scott.

Half Day Report

Hey Laura talking here! And i am here to tell you what has been happening in our day so far! It was so funny to see everyone dressed up as Mr.Scott this morning everyone did a great job. Look for the picture we took all of us dressed up coming soon! Everyone is talking all about Halloween tonight i hear a lot of friends going with friends, so have fun! Also i hope everyone that got Mrs.E's gift on our desks this morning which was everyone enjoys it! Question for everyone who do you think booed you? And remember if you still didn't get locker booed you probely will by the end of next week. Now last but not least i have a would you rather: Would you rather have been the only one dessed up for halloween in the whole world, and get all the candy on the whole earth? Or Would you be the only one not dressed up for halloween but get to go anyplace in the world? Think about before you answer! Will i have to go music is starting! And look for more upcoming post made by me!

Laura

Pink Elephants

I am very excited for Halloween tomorrow. We have some fun surprises planned for you. Friends--remember the pink elephants tomorrow.

Today was another great day. We are worked on quizzing each other on the nifty thrifty spelling words, and did some word work with synonyms. We had a great discussion today with the WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND--finally, our classroom collection of the book came in so everyone could follow along. We talked about the symbolism in the book, particularly how the author used the weather to parallel the inner feelings of the characters.

Best of luck to you tonight as you work on putting the final touches on your book projects and packets. I am so proud of you for all your hard work. I am excited to start our new unit on contemporary fiction soon.

This weekend I will be working on putting together literacy and language arts grades so you can see where you are at. Please remember to sign and return the math grade sheet. Yearbook order forms are also due tomorrow.

Have a wonderful night. It feels weird for me to remind you about pink elephants:-) I hope your families don't think we are being weird. You will have to explain our code words to them.

Capitol Pictures are Posted

We had a wonderful field trip to the capitol. Take a look at the many pictures I took. The kids were awe struck by the sheer size of the building, and all of the important things that happen inside of it. We took a tour of the capitol, and sat in the Senate and House of Rep. chambers. We learned about the Civil War and how Minnesota was affected by it, we wrote letters to home pretending to be members of the Union Army, we learned about women's suffrage and even got a special visit from Senator Kathy Salzman and Representative Julie Bunn. Both congresswomen honored us with an hour of their time for a special question and answer session about life in the government. We even got to take a special picture outside the capitol with the congresswomen by a professional photographer. Tomorrow I will see if two students would like to write about their capitol experiences. I still have some editing to do on the new pictures, like name tagging and writing captions. I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do.

P.S. Don't forget that running club is tomorrow at 4:15. All are welcome.

P.P.S. Our Halloween party will start around 2:30 on Friday afternoon. Thank you to the parents who have been planning this for our room. I truly appreciate your help and assistance.

P.P.S.S. No book clubs tomorrow! They will start up again the second week in November. Thank you to Audrey and Michelle for your time. Your leadership, guidance and expertise was more than I ever anticipated. The kids and I truly appreciate all that you gave to our book clubs.

BUSY!

This morning Carly and Haley typed up a beautiful blog post. Unfortunately it didn't save. We will try again tomorrow. Today after school several Footprints teachers have a class in Saint Paul. I should be able to post about our field trip and upload the many pictures I took of us at the capitol. I promise that this is an exceptionally busy week--my postings will go back to being on the web by 7 p.m. Monday. I appreciate everyone's patience and support. I have so many wonderful things to share with you all. Check back soon.

More later...

Hi friends,

I had such a busy night tonight. I will write something for you all tomorrow morning. Right now it is bed time for me:-) Thanks for understanding.

Love, Mrs. E.

Colony Map Website

As promised, here is the website that will let you see detailed maps of the thirteen colonies--you should label as many settlements as you see that appear on your map. When you click on the link, scroll down until you find your colony. (Many students were on a roll this afternoon working on drawing a map of the colony that they chose to research. They decided to bring their map on to continue working on it. Don't worry if your student didn't bring home his/her map. It was not assigned homework.)

Colony Map Website Link--click here

A bunch of reminders

Just as a heads up...

Running club meets tomorrow--4:15 in the gym. Please dress in appropriate outdoor running attire. If you haven't signed up to come, but are still interested you can still join us. The more the merrier.

Tomorrow we will be having our last work time for anything related to your historical fiction book. Whether you choose to work on your packet or your project, make sure you have all necessary materials at school tomorrow.

Because of our field trip on Wednesday, we will be running the mile TOMORROW. Please bring tennis shoes and appropriate outside gear.

Our field trip to the capitol is this coming Wednesday. I will send a note home tomorrow, but all parents who are interested in coming may join us. We are leaving promptly at 9:30 and should be back at school no later than 2:30. Unless you requested a lunch from school, please remember to bring a bag lunch from home.

Remember that the second entry in your music journal is due on Wednesday, and your Spanish video/sheet is due on Thursday.

Whew--I think that's all I have for today. Enjoy your evening. Stop by and check out our display of fabulous pop art paintings. They look amazing.

Better Late Than Never!

Happy SNOWY Sunday to everyone. Last night was so much fun. I had a blast seeing you. Your costumes were all so clever and creative. I posted the pictures I took. I think I got pictures of everyone that I saw. If I missed anyone, I am sorry--but know that I tried my best to get everyone who came. I also posted pictures of students working on their pop art painting activity. These will be on display outside of our classroom. I will post pictures of each student's painting in our photo album. The paintings look amazing! Very Andy Warhol-like:-)



Looking back to Friday, our biggest accomplishment of the day was that we finally finished our persuasive business letters! After weeks of hard work, the final copies looked so professional and adult-like. It will be fun to hear back from Cub and Color Me Mine and get our spaghetti dinner and silent auction planned. I am so PROUD of everyone for working through a very challenging assignment, for giving it your all, and for seeing it through until the very end.

I know that the students were very excited to bring home their dream jars this weekend. I hope that in the process of getting them home, the jars and students weren't too greasy:-) Ask your student about the dream that is inside of the jar they made.

Our first Mix It Up class went really well. I heard nothing but positive feedback from the kids. I appreciate getting to know the students outside of the classroom. I know that the kids in my jump roping class had fun making new friends. It was really neat to see the older students take the younger students "under their wings." We have amazing leaders and role models in our class--I just can't say that enough:-)

We have our field trip to the state capitol on Wednesday. Those of you who expressed interest in joining us will be getting more information Monday. We should have a great time with Mrs. LaRoue's class touring the capitol, learning about the importance of voting, and a little bit about the history of government in our state.

I hope that you all are finding time to complete your book club "stuff" (packets, and projects). Everything is due on Friday--and what a celebration we will have when you turn everything in. This will be another challenging project that will have stretched your brains, and helped you to grow as a learner. Also remember to complete your Spanish in school computer activity for Miss Kim by Thursday.

Things to look forward to this week: book clubs, field trip, Halloween party!

More to come..

Hello all,

I was so busy Friday and Saturday with the Halloween carnival. I will most definitely post a more detailed blog on Sunday. I have pictures of the Halloween carnival and the fun costumes I saw you wearing. Thanks for your understanding and patience.

Love, Mrs. E.

Dream Jars

Today was a fun day. The highlight of the day was making dream jars. This fun activity was our cooking activity for the week. I wanted to show the kids that they can use everyday food items to create art. We created dream jars inspired by two of my favorite books: THE BFG by Roald Dahl and GOSSAMER by Lois Lowry. Both novels center on the importance of childhood dreams and how good they can make us feel. Today we created our own ideal dreams--we formed these dreams from positive memories, wishes, hopes, and things that just make us down right happy. We filled jelly jars with water, vegetable oil, food coloring, glitter, buttons and beads. It was so exciting to see the kids first write about their dreams and then bring them to life inside of their jars.

Today was also the first day of running club. If any of you are still interested, you can still sign up--no matter what kind of a runner you are. The important thing is that we are doing something healthy for our bodies while having a good time. The next running club is on Tuesday at 4:15.

Tomorrow we have our first Mix It Up class. I will be so excited to hear what you think of this new activity. Come ready to make new friends, learn new things and have lots of fun.

I am so proud of how hard everyone is working on their book projects and packets. You are all becoming stronger readers as a result.

I am hoping to get some of you (students) to do some posting for me. It would be fun to hear about our school days through your eyes. Be thinking about whether you would be interested in writing on our website.

Reminder: Please return conference forms to school ASAP. If your time doesn't work, please let me know. I would be happy to work around your schedule. A reminder that on conference day (November 7) there will be no school all day.

Have a great night. Thanks for a wonderful day.

PS. What lesson did you learn about taking your teacher's keys? :-) HAHA.

More later. Happy Birthday Rachel!

Hi friends,

I have a busy night tonight. I will post about our day in more detail, but it won't be until after 9 tonight. I did wanted to make sure I posted a "happy birthday" to Rachel. Check back later on, or tomorrow morning when you wake up. I hope we can play, "Do you love me honey?" tomorrow:-) That was so much fun.

Would you rather...

Last night I asked you about dogs and cats. Tonight I am asking you about the body.
Would you rather have a third arm or a third leg? Why?

PS. Today's morning meeting was my favorite. I loved our game, and asking each other Would you rathers:-)

Happy Wednesday

Hello and Happy Wednesday. Families, in today's Wednesday folder please look for your student's conference time. If you are unable to attend conferences at your time, please indicate on the form what time would be convenient for you. All forms need to be returned to school ASAP.

We got quite a bit of work done today--many of us typed and finished our final copies of our persuasive letters. We also worked most of the afternoon on anything related to our historical fiction book--catching up on reading, answering questions in the packet or working with our groups on final book projects. I must say, I am very anxious and excited to see your final projects. We have so many creative people in our room. It was fun for me to notice your dioramas, puppet shows, plays and models take shape.

Most of us took a pretest in math today on fractions. Some of us just spent time catching up on last week's work and getting started on this week's lessons.

Tomorrow, look forward to a cooking project (something you make with food but don't necessarily eat), a fun birthday treat from Rachel, painting our self portraits, finishing and sending out our business letters, Spanish, book clubs, and our colonies project.

This is a heartfelt section to my 15 wonderful students: I have been noticing several comments on our blog that are disrespectful. I am sorry that this is happening, even after our thought-provoking conversation on respect that we had yesterday. Here's what I want you to always remember: In a few short weeks, you all have become like my family away from home. I care about each and every one of you. If you are unhappy with someone or something in our room, please come and talk to me or some other adult. I think it will only make you feel worse if you try and hold a problem inside. My email address is jetshokin@footprintsacademy.com
I would love it if you would write to me if something is upsetting you.

On a lighter note...I am almost finished making my Halloween costume. Another clue for you:

Last week I told you my costume came from a kind of game.
This week, I will reveal that the game is a board game (and no, I am not the Monopoly man:-)).
I can't wait to see everyone's costume on Saturday at the carnival. Have a great night. Thank you for being such an amazing group of individuals.

See the calendar for homework.

To make you think...

Just for my 15 favorite students:

Here is a Would you rather question straight from my book:

Would you rather live your life as a dog or as a cat? Why?

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, I know what I means to me...

Hello!

Thanks for such a great day today. I feel like we got so much accomplished together. I am happy to hear that book clubs went well and that so many of you felt better after having time to work on your packets together. It sounds like you learned many wonderful reading strategies and note taking skills from your group leaders.

Remember that tomorrow we will be working on book projects/packets during literacy time. Make sure you have the supplies that you need to work on with you at school.

I am so proud of you all today during our conversation on respect. Thank you for understanding why we needed to have this talk. I can't emphasize it enough about the amazing role models and leaders that you are for the rest of our school. I know that you will continue to show a positive attitude, even when we are doing an activity that is not your favorite thing. AND--as students, you always have the right to question why we are doing a specific activity. If I can't provide an answer, then we shouldn't be doing it. Remember the great advice that your classmates shared, about what to do when things get tough. I also hope we can remember to stay positive on our website. It's okay to express that you dislike something but please do it in a respectful way--better yet, give me a reason why. It's not okay to say you hate everything! If you have a concern that you need to share please, PLEASE email me, write me a note or come talk to me. I am always on your side. My job is to be there to support you. I hope you ALL know that.

I think our social studies project will be a lot of fun. I am excited to see which colony you chosse to make your poster on to convince new colonists to settle there. So far the maps of the 13 colonies that you were working on today look incredible!

Homework tonight: Work on book club reading/packets/projects

See you tomorrow, friends:-)

Running Club

Get the word out...

Running Club will NOT meet tomorrow due to the FPA staff meeting. The first meeting will be on Thursday, October 24. Meet in the gym ready to run at 4:15. Dress appropriately for running outside. Can't wait to see you all there.

Welcome Back!

SMILE!!!!!!

Hello and welcome back from what I hope was a relaxing MEA break. It sounds like you all had wonderful adventures, travels and time to enjoy the fall weather with friends and family.

My favorite part of our day was the great discussion we had on stereotypes. We talked about where stereotypes come from (false assumptions), and what can cause a false assumption. We discovered that assumptions come from many aspects of a person's life including his/her physical characteristics, family history, job choice, cultural background, religious beliefs, how he/she talks, political views, etc. We were really able to connect with Kit in THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND. How cool that a novel that takes place in the late 1600's has a message that is still relevant to us today.

We shared the stereotypes and assumptions that we found in the media. It was fun to watch everyone react to them, and to recognize what wasn't true. I was happy to hear that everyone was concerned with how to break down the stereotypes and how to promote positive images of humanity to others. I truly believe that the very best and brightest young adults are in our classroom.

We worked hard today on a new social studies project that will be done primarily in class. We used the textbooks to learn about the formation of the 13 colonies. Each student will be in charge of choosing a colony and creating a persuasive poster/travel brochure to convince travelers to visit there. By the time we are finished with this project, we will be experts on the 13 Colonies, and colonial life before and after the Revolutionary War.

Remember that book projects, and packets are due October 31 (Johnny Tremain--we talked about when your stuff is due). You will have time in class this Wednesday and next Tuesday to work on projects, packets or catch up on your book club reading. However you choose to use the hour and 15 minutes of work time (on Wednesday and then again on Tuesday) is up to you. Remember to have whatever materials you need with you at school.

Tomorrow in book clubs we will have time for students to work together on their comprehension packets. I hope that this will help to ease some of your anxieties. Your group leaders will help you make sure you are answering the questions completely, and you will have the rest of your group as support. Remember, from here on out you will not have any additional homework (unless you don't finish your math in class). Your primary job will be to focus on finishing your book project and book packet. If you need help from me, don't wait until the last second. I am always available before and after school for one on one help. I don't want you to feel stressed.

Homework for tonight: Work on book club "stuff" (packet, reading and project), remember to have your book packet at school tomorrow so you can work on it during book clubs.

FIELD TRIP permission forms went home today for our trip to the state capitol on October 29. Signed slips are due to me by Friday, October 24.

New Photos!

Hello Friends. I hope you all had a relaxing four days off. I know that I certainly did. Just to let you know, I have posted some new photos in the album. They are of our morning meeting silent ball game, sharing our pop up stories with Mrs. Missy's class, and music class--a little bit of everything. I am looking forward to hearing about all of your adventures and travels. It was fun for me to read your comments this weekend. Enjoy the photos. See you tomorrow.

Hello again, it's me

Hi Friends,

It has been so much fun to read your comments. I am so excited that you have found a place where you feel comfortable expressing your opinions and thoughts, and that you are able to have a conversation with each other in a respectful and fun way. Even though I don't respond to everything, I read EACH comment that you write. Keep on with the comments and conversation. I am so lucky to be your teacher. Guess what I am reading tonight? GOSSAMER by Lois Lowry:-) I am hoping Craig will let me borrow the sequel to HOLES once he is finished with it.

Love, Mrs. E.

Enjoy your break

Happy Birthday Alexandra. Thank you for the delicious muffins!

I hope you all have a relaxing and restful four day weekend. For those of you who will be at Trailblazers tomorrow, I will be there to hang out with you during your Meal in a Bag time. It will be fun to spend time with you outside of the classroom.

You do not have any assigned homework except to continue to work on your book club packets, reading and projects (all of which are due October 31). If you didn't bring in an example of a stereotype from the media, please bring one in on Monday. Spend this weekend playing, watching your favorite movie, reading your favorite book, kicking the leaves and going for a bike ride.

Look for pictures from our time in Mrs. Missy's room to be posted later tonight or early tomorrow morning.

I am so proud of how hard you worked today on your persuasive business letters. If I didn't know any better I would think that they were written by adults! Cub, Ms. Nikki and Color Me Mine are going to be so impressed. Our goal is to get the letters in the mail by Wednesday. Families can look for copies of your letters to come home in Wednesday folders.

In your student's Wednesday folder today, please look for a copy of your child's NWEA test results. If you need any help interpreting the scores, please let Mrs. Chang or me know and we would be happy to help you.

See you Monday. Remember to look for pictures to be posted soon!

Mix It Up Class List!

Here is what you are doing for the first Mix It Up! session. I will post the same list in our classroom on the message board. The first class is October 24 from 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Creating Memories: Laura, Hummel, Natalya
Jump, Jump, Jump: Cole, Craig
Cartooning: Haven
Puzzle Time: Rachel
Word Wonders: Alexandra
Chess Champions: Marselienna, Sam
Forensic Science: Carly, Emma, Haley, Mady, OJ

Short and Sweet

Hello!

Happy Birthday Natalya! We hope you are enjoying your special day in Florida! Today we had great book club discussions about point of view. Students explored who was telling the story in their historical fiction book, and why the author chose that person. We talked about identifying with the storyteller, questioned whether the storyteller was a reliable source and how the novels would be different had each author chosen someone else to narrate. The kids are really getting into it. I always look forward to reading each person's notes from book club.

Tomorrow we are going to share our pop up books with Mrs. Missy's K-1 class. I know the younger students are very excited to see what the older kids have been up to. Hopefully we can share our books with the other K and 1 students next week. Mrs. Missy is already betting that her students will want to be making pop up books after they see ours. I will try and remember to bring my camera to document the event for you:-)

Remember to bring in your recorder order form for music tomorrow. When I find out class lists for Mix It Up, I will post it here, and outside of our classroom door. I should be getting the lists sometime tomorrow.

Keep up the great work you have been showing for the past several weeks. I am so proud of all you are learning.

Homework for tonight: Work on book club reading and packets, finish math, bring in an example of a stereotype in gender roles from the media by tomorrow. (Hint: think of what we talked about yesterday, and the list we made on the board today with examples from Blackbird Pond) Remember book projects and packets are due October 31!

The Importance of Being You

Happy Monday. Welcome to a three day week. The kids had fun pretending it was really "Wednesday" today. Everyone sounds like they have some fun and relaxing things to do on Thursday and Friday--trips to the Wisconsin Dells, California, sleepovers, pajama days, raking leaves, etc.

Today was the final due date for pop up books. As the kids were putting them together, I was absolutely blown away by the quality and effort that are apparent on each page. The students had fun sitting in the author's chair and sharing their stories with the class. We will continue to share the rest of the stories this week. We are hoping to find time to share our stories with the younger students in the school. Look for our stories to be on display on a table outside our room in the coming weeks.

We had a thought provoking discussion this afternoon that integrated our literacy unit on THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND with Social Studies. We have discovered that the more we can connect to a story, the more interesting it becomes for us. In the WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, the main character Kit has to deal with false impressions and societal stereotypes that require her to be a certain way. Today we talked about stereotypes in our society--specifically dealing with gender roles (what men are supposed to be or act like, vs. what women are supposed to be or act like). We came up with an impressive list of stereotypes that are unfortunately present in our society. Ask the kids about our list. We talked about having the courage to break down the many stereotypes our society has about men and women and the importance of being our true selves. For Wednesday, each student needs to find an example of a false stereotype that is from the media (television, newspapers, magazine ads, Internet, etc.). I am asking each student to bring in his/her example for a discussion on Wednesday. If you have questions about this, please don't hesititate to ask. Students do not need to do any writing, but should be ready to tell us what stereotype is shown.

Homework for tonight: Work on book club reading and packets, finish math if necessary, work on stereotype assignment (due Wednesday). Remember to turn in music recorder forms by Wednesday.

Music Class

Take a look at what's happening in music class with Mrs. Herzberg. Don't forget to return your recorder forms by Wednesday:-)

Cole and Sam's Football Game

What a fun way to spend a Fall weekend morning in Woodbury. Cole and Sam invited me to their football game at the Bielenberg Sports Complex. Their teams were playing each other. I was probably the only person at the game who cheered for both teams! Here are some of the pictures I took of the game. I don't remember the score, or who even won. It was exciting to see what my students do OUTSIDE of the classroom:-)

It's Friday!

Happy Friday! Yet another week has come and gone. I took some pictures of the kids during music today. The kids were learning the hand signals for each musical note. In the conservatory, Mrs. H. made a large musical staff on the floor. Students stood on the staff spelling out words using musical notes. Very cool! Look for them to be posted to the album by tomorrow morning. We had fun with our cooking project. Many students wanted to "save" their concoctions to bring them home and show you. So far, this project has been the students' favorite. Ask them what we made!

Please remember to bring in the Mix It Up class forms by Monday. Otherwise, you will just be placed in a class instead of it being one that you really wanted. Our first Mix It Up session is Friday, October 24th. We will have one Mix It Up class each month. You will be in your class for 3 times before choosing another class. What an exciting way to get to know other students in the school, and spend time learning about a subject that you have an interest in.

The big due date for pop up books is Monday. They must be finished and in students' hands on Monday morning. I can't wait to see the finished products. I am so proud of all the hard work that went into making these books.

We worked more on our persuasive business letters--we are working hard on getting the format exactly right, and giving supporting evidence and facts. We will also be working on addressing envelopes for business letters.

Have a wonderful weekend. Your homework is to finish your pop up book, and keep up with your book club contract and comprehension packet. Remember to turn in your recorder form for music by Wednesday. See you Monday. Remember--no school on Thursday and Friday (Trailblazers are open both days).

Happy Thursday!

Sorry for the late post tonight. I had lots to do after school this afternoon. Thank you for your patience. I am seeing lots of fun comments from classmates about book projects. Make sure and check if your partner left you any messages. I think book clubs were a success again today. We had some great discussions about the authors of our books, and if we could glimpse any part of the authors' lives in what we are reading.

Tomorrow morning is the first newspaper meeting of the year. It starts at 9 a.m. in Mrs. Missy's old room. I can't wait to hear all about the many ideas you have for the first FPA newspaper.

Sign ups for my running club are on the gym door, and on the glass doors to our room. It meets every Tuesday and Thursday starting on October 21. Sign up and come for any or all of the meetings. Runners of all ages and levels are welcome. Any parents who would like to run with us, are more than welcome.

Our week flew by so quickly. Tomorrow we will work more on our persuasive letters, finish our weekly math contracts and do some cooking. Get ready for a fun Friday.

Homework for tonight: Read for 20 minutes, work on book club packets, pop up books due Monday, finish math if you need to. Remember to turn in recorder order forms by Wednesday, October 15th. Book orders are due tomorrow.

PS. Have you had discussions about what Mix It Up classes you are interested in taking? Forms are due by Monday!

If you need to ask your group about your book project, do it here:-)

Hi Friends,

As promised, here is a place where you can talk about book reports and projects with each other. If you have a comment, post it under the comment section for your classmates to read. Have fun!

It's Wednesday already!

It's the middle of the week already. We have so much to do, and time is flying by. Today was another great day. We had a mini book club discussion about THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND. We talked about the main character, Kit feeling like an outsider in the New World. We discussed times when we have felt "out of place," or different and whether or not we should change who we are to fit in. We talked about the difference between adapting to a new way of life, and sacrificing our beliefs and who we are to be accepted.

We will have a guest in our classroom tomorrow--Mr. Scott's brother, who is a teacher will be observing our classroom for the morning. It's always exciting to welcome new people into our room. We will have fun getting to know him.

Our second book club meeting will be tomorrow at 1:30. Those of you who want to prepare yourselves for the discussion, see if you can research interesting information about the author of your book club book. This is not homework, but an optional Internet activity. We will be talking about the authors of our books, and trying to figure out why he/she chose to write the books that they did.

On another note--I finally figured out my Halloween costume for this year. The winner of 5 decision dollars is---my mom:-) All of your ideas were fabulous! I just might use one of them next year. I can't wait to see your costumes at the Halloween party on October 25th.

Look for sign up sheets for my after school running club. They will be at the front desk, near the gym and in our room. Running club will meet from 4:15-5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October 21- December 4. Those who are interested in running the 3 mile Jingle Bell Race in Minneapolis on December 6 can run together to celebrate all of our hard work. I hope to see many of you there.

The first newspaper meeting is Friday morning at 9 a.m in Mrs. Missy's old room upstairs. It should last about 40 minutes.

Book orders are due Friday, October 10th.

Homework for tonight: No required homework because it is Wednesday. Optional homework: read for 20 minutes, work on comprehension packets, finish math and pop up books

Thanks!

Hello kiddos!

Thank you for all your fun comments on the blog! I love reading what you think about things! You make me smile.

The Magic of Books

As I am typing this post, Belinda Jensen just announced that tomorrow the sun will be out and we will have temperatures of around 70 degrees. That's great news--I know we miss our outside times at school when the weather doesn't go our way.

I am so excited about the way book clubs went today. For our first time trying this as a class, things went really well. Everyone's task was to come up with a list of elements that make up historical fiction, and to find supporting evidence in their books. The group that I worked directly with did extremely well. Everyone was involved, thinking, discussing and writing. When we came back together and talked about how things went, the feedback was positive. Some said they felt like grownups--more mature as they were discussing books. Other students talked about really making a connection to the book and becoming emotionally attached to characters. Everyone remarked how quickly the time flew by. Time spent with kids, and the excitement that comes from their learning is one of the best perks of the job. Our literacy time today was absolutely magical!

Students also worked on writing their proposals for their book club project due on October 31st. I will look them over tonight, make comments and suggestions and hand them to you all first thing tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see the ideas you have proposed to me.

I am off to work on reading response journals, and take a look through each book club's work on historical fiction elements. Have a great evening. I am so proud of everyone for budgeting their homework time so well this week. Have fun at Natalya's party! I can't wait to hear about it tomorrow.

Homework: Read for 20 minutes, remember to work on comprehension packets, finish Spanish and math if you didn't in class today. Remember that pop up books are due on Monday.

New Trailblazers Website

Hey Trailblazers!. Mr. Scott and I are working on a new website for Trailblazers. It is still under construction, but check it out. We hope to add some pictures soon.

Please Don't Worry!

Hello and happy Monday!

I can sense the stress levels are high regarding the homework situation this week. As of today, the new official deadline for the pop up books are Monday, October 13. Please don't worry about not getting everything done. Remember if you take home a little bit each night it won't be nearly as overwhelming as waiting until the last minute. Each week I would suggest sitting down as a family and writing down your after school schedule in your planners. That way when we plan out math contracts, and assign long term projects at school, you can see right away how to manage your homework and extra curricular "stuff." We will get things worked out. Whenever you are feeling stressed please, PLEASE let me know right away and we will talk. I am always willing to listen and make adjustments for hard workers.

On another note--the first Student Council meeting of the year is tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. for all elected officers and reps. It will take place in Mrs. Missy's old room upstairs. Remember to bring your binders and notebooks. Please come check in with me before heading to the meeting so I know you are here and can include you in our lunch count. The rest of us will be eagerly waiting to hear how the first meeting went. FPA history is being made--you all officially participated in the first election for the first Student Council ever at school, and the first meeting is tomorrow. How cool!

Today in Social Studies, we took some time to explore the textbook and the many tools it has to offer to us as learners. We will be learning how to navigate through the many sections of the book including skimming for important details, using the preview and review sections, noticing bold vocabulary words and reading time lines. We will also be practicing note taking skills. Even though the textbook will remain a supplemental tool, we will become textbook "pros" by the end of the year.

Book clubs start tomorrow! I am so excited to see how things work. You will all have to let me know what you think and be ready and willing to offer and suggestions or comments. Thanks again to Michelle and Audrey for volunteering to help us out this month.

Tomorrow Natalya is bringing in a special birthday treat to celebrate her birthday. What do you think she will bring?

To answer questions about the reading calendars--They are worth 30 points. If students are reading 140 minutes each week, they get the full amount of points. I completely understand that some nights are busier than others. If students choose to read for 40 minutes one night and take a night off, I am fine with that. Just remember to record what you read and how long you read on your calendar every day--even if you don't read that day. If you are reading the same book for several days, you may abbreviate the title. It is not necessary for parents to sign the calendar everyday. One parent signature at the end is alright with me. If you have any more questions, please let me know:-) I hope this helps.

Homework tonight: Read for 20 minutes, work on comprehension packets for book club, finish math if you need to, continue to work on pop up books (now due 10/13).


Thanks for all your hard work today. See you tomorow.

Newspaper Staff Update

Welcome to a new week. I am happy to report the October newspaper staff from our class. Meetings will be on Friday mornings from 9-9:45. The newspaper "press" room will be in Mrs. Missy's old room upstairs. All students who want to participate will be able to. We will rotate staff members each month, so come November, we will have a new group of kids working. Get excited for one amazing newspaper!

4th grade:
Alexandra H.
Marselienna V.

5th grade:
Haven J.
Rachel H.

6th grade:
Laura D.

Sorry for the delay:-)

Hello again,

I am sorry for the delay in my post for Friday. The science workshop that I attended had several great ideas for us to try out in our classroom. I am really excited to talk about different science options with the other teachers who went and compare notes. The big due day of October 3 finally came. Most students were really good about remembering to turn in mystery books, calendars and their finished Basil projects. I have started looking at them this weekend--WOW! There are some really, really excellent projects. For those who forgot to turn in anything that was due, you have until Monday.

We had great fun in our cooking activity yesterday afternoon. I am bummed that I forgot to bring my camera. Next time. We made a healthier variation of "Dirt." We made "Beach Sand Parfaits." We used non-fat, low-sugar pudding cups, and we layered the pudding with crushed up mini vanilla wafers. The crushed up vanilla wafers really looked like beach sand. We put our concoctions in clear cups--the kids had fun seeing the different layers. We topped off each cup with a Swedish Fish for a beach effect.

I am so excited about how the kids are responding to our read aloud--THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND. Yesterday we worked on comparing and contrasting the main character's former home in Barbados to her new home in the Connecticut Colony. The kids were able to pull out some very intuitive comparisons.

Craig's mom and Olivia J's mom have agreed to help us with book clubs for the month of October! I am so excited to have their help. Thank you so much! Book clubs will meet each Tuesday and Thursday for 45 minutes. Students should continue to work on their comprehension packets at home as they read.

Mrs. Chang and Mrs. Sloot are running the TC Marathon tomorrow. Send good thoughts their way for a great finish, and dry weather. I think some students are even planning to stand on the course and cheer on their teachers. I know they will be looking for you, and truly appreciate your support:-)

Homework for the weekend: Read for 60 minutes, some students have math homework to finish, remember that our persuasive pop up books are due on Friday, October 10th. We will assemble them together in class.

Have a great rest of the weekend. See you bright and early Monday morning:-)

More to come...

Happy Friday everyone. I have a hectic schedule this afternoon. I am heading to 3M for a Science workshop. Look for a post after 8 tonight--for sure by tomorrow morning. Thanks for your patience:-) Talk to you later---

Video Clip Removed

Dear Friends,

Due to some inappropriate comments attached to the sportsmanship video clip in my previous post, I have elected to remove it from this website. When I originally posted the link this afternoon, the site did not have such comments attached to it.

Instead, here is a link to an article on the same story written by NBC News. This way you can still share this incredible story with your family. Thank you for your understanding with this matter.

With much appreciation,

Mrs. Etshokin

Totally Thursday.

We opened our day with our monthly all school assembly. Mr. Scott shared a touching video clip that focuses on sportsmanship (our character trait of the week). Ask the kids about the video. Laura read her "Dreams" poem to the school and explained about the contest she entered. Keep us posted, Laura. Today was our final day of NWEA testing--I know the students are relieved to be finished. They all did a tremendous job. I will update you on scores soon.

Our persuasive stories about wanting unusual pets are due October 10th. Students do not need to worry about gluing the pages together. We will do that as a class on the 10th because there is a special way to put the book together. Students must have all pictures and writing done in the book.

We passed out reading comprehension packets for the students to work on as they are reading their historical fiction books. Packets are due on October 31st. Students know that they must write their information in complete sentences, and not rush!

Our read aloud time was very successful. We worked on plotting the high and low points of what we have read in THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND. We are going to see where we reach the climax (high point) of the book, and how the author leads the readers there. The students are helping me draw a line graph to plot out each section of the book (Heads up: this would be a GREAT idea for a book project!).

We worked on finishing our last colonial America station in social studies. Now that we have a good grasp on aspects of daily life, we are going to move to the textbook to explore some historical documents of the time. For many students, using the textbook for Social Studies is new. We will not be using it all the time, but I think it is beneficial to expose the kids how to navigate and use a textbook. We will be using it as a supplemental tool to our many hands-on activities and projects.

Homework tonight: Read for 20 minutes, Basil projects and mystery books are due tomorrow, reading calendars for September are due tomorrow. Students should have marked in their assignment notebooks that persuasive pop-up books are due October 10th.

A reminder about October reading calendars: Please indicate how long you read as well as WHAT you read. Students will not be penalized for not including this information in their September calendars. From here on out, I need both pieces of information marked on the calendar. Thank you for your support and help with this!

Have a great Thursday evening together! The weather is beautiful.

October 1

Welcome to October. Today was a very successful day. We watched our newly elected Student Council officers and classroom representatives take the official "oath" of office this morning. What a fun and exciting way to start our day. Our biggest feat was getting our book clubs organized. Each group met and spent a lot of time figuring out how to divide their book up and complete a book project in the course of a month. Each group worked so well compromising and trying to be "fair." Everyone should have brought home a typed up sheet with dates and chapters on it today. I suggested that this might be a great thing to put up on the refrigerator and check off each time something gets done. We are so grateful to have Craig's mom and Olivia J's mom volunteer to lead book clubs in October. We will be meeting twice a week, and each group will work hard on answering challenging questions and engaging in stimulating topics of discussion. Our first official book club will be October 7.

I will remember and post each group's reading contract on the website ASAP just in case the dates sheet didn't make it home :-)

I know tonight's post is a little late, but take a moment to answer this question in the comments section: I need help figuring out a Halloween costume. What do you think Mrs. E. should be for Halloween? Post a comment. If I end up picking your idea, you could win 5 decision dollars. Have a great night. Parents and families: thank you for all you do to support your student. Your efforts don't go unnoticed and are so greatly appreciated.

Happy Wednesday: no official homework tonight. Optional work: read for 20 minutes, finish Basil project and mystery book (both due Friday).