Group 2 Clark School

Group 2: May 31 - June 4, 2010

2010-05-31T16:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

What an exciting way to end our year!

Group 2 went on a field trip to New England Coffee, the largest independent roaster and distributor of coffee in New England, located in Malden, MA. We were briefed on our tour in the company's conference room by Account Manager, Tim Hodgkins. Then we donned "New England Coffee tour hats" to keep our hair from contaminating the factory. Our factory tour guide showed us the five huge roasters that roast the beans at a temperature of 400 degrees! We viewed the coffee bean in many stages: roasting, grinding, flavoring, packaging and shipping. We met so many interesting people and learned the importance of each position. Each student received gift bags which contained a travel mug, a writing journal, note cards, a pen and some mints. Thank you to the clever ladies in Marketing for this generous package! Also, each student received a complimentary bag of ground coffee to take home to their parents. The smells were very interesting and the noises were extremely loud! Our tour concluded with a pizza lunch in the conference room and a debriefing session of our tour! Thank you to New England Coffee for a great experience. (Also a big "thank you" to Lauren Poussard for escorting us on the trip!)
As we watched our caterpillars grow and develop into chrysalides, we waited anxiously for their development into butterflies. Sure enough, perfect timing fell upon us! Slowly each one burst from its cocoon and our 10 Painted Lady butterflies were born and prospered in the butterfly habitat. We named each one and set them free into their natural environment. It was a bittersweet good-bye!
We finished reading our group book, Stuart Little, and look forward to viewing the movie!

Monday 5/31/10

A great big thanks to our veterans! Enjoy your day off and remember the importance of the day.

Tuesday 6/1/10

Today is our last full-day of school!
We will complete any unfinished work and watch Stuart Little.

Wednesday 6/2/10

Dismissal at 12Noon
Group 4, Laurie's class, invited Group 2 to attend their performance of an African folktale at 9:30. We will thoroughly enjoy the show!
Please bring in a couple of bags so that we can clean our bins and cubbies!

Thursday 6/3/10

Field Day/ Books & Awards/Art Show: 9:00am - 2:00pm. Please see the WAG e-mail for details!

Friday 6/4/10

No school! Today is Graduation Day for our 8th graders- CONGRATULATIONS!

Have a wonderful summer break. Please be safe and healthy! I will miss all of you!

I look forward to seeing parents on Parent/Teacher Conference day on Thursday, June 10!

Group 2: May 24 - 28, 2010

2010-05-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

The end is near!

This is officially our last academic week.
Grades close on Thursday, May 27, 2010.
There is NO school on Friday, May 28 -Teacher Development Day.

We had a busy week which included the following activities:

Geography: Group 2 took an assessment on the USA, North America and the World.
Historic Figures: We did very well on a quiz on Harriet Tubman and Helen Keller.
Writing: We wrote very interesting and detailed stories on "the topic of your choice" in our Writing Journals.
Science: We witnessed the birth of our butterflies! We had a very exciting week in science as our study of the Life Cycle of a Butterfly reached new levels. Our chrysalises (which formed from our larvae/caterpillars) emerged into butterflies. By the end of the week we had 8 Painted Lady Butterflies with beautiful flapping wings! We also studied ants, spiders, snails and the earthworm.

Monday, 5/24/10

Reading: Keep reading and please pass in any book reports that you have completed!
WW: List 29- brook, caress, gleam, hare, harsh, idle, numerous, rascal, secret, shed, timid, wiggle. We will have our WW test early this week due to the shortened week. Please make flash cards and study over the weekend! This will be our final WW test for this school year!
Spelling Worksheet Review is due.

Tuesday 5/25/10

Reading Comprehension- next section.
WW: Pre-test.

Wednesday 5/26/10

WW: List 29- Exercises A, C, D.
WW: TEST.

Thursday 5/27/10

Grades End!
FIELD TRIP for Group 2! We are touring the New England Coffee Company's plant in Malden. Group 2 will continue our Social Studies lesson on "Who Provides Services in the Community?" and "How Are Goods are Made and Brought to Us?" We will witness how the coffee bean is roasted, ground, flavored, packaged, shipped and marketed for consumption by the consumer! Upon completion of the tour, New England Coffee will serve a pizza lunch to Group 2 in the company conference room! We will depart Clark around 9:45AM and return around 1:00PM.
YMCA: Last session.

Friday 5/28/10

NO School: Teacher Development Day.

Group 2: May 17 - 21, 2010

2010-05-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE LEETE!
You are a star!

The students did a great job with the All School Testing.
What an ambitious and focused group of students!

We spent three mornings testing and the rest of the week we learned about the following interesting topics:

Alexander Bell and his dedication to teaching the deaf and perfecting the telephone...
The amazing life of Helen Keller and her quest to learn to communicate as a deaf and blind person...
Simple and compound subjects and predicates...
The Life Cycle of a Butterfly and its 4 phases: the egg, the caterpillar, the chrysalis and the adult butterfly...
Letter writing...
Our group read aloud: "Stuart Little"...

Monday 5/17/10

Reading: Read your SSR and work in book reports. This is our last book report therefore we need to complete it by the end of the week utilizing our best writing and comprehension skills!
WW: List 28- combat, fleet, globe, hale, hoard, keg, knave, mount, plunder, ply, stingy
Spelling Word Families: -ore, -ose
Spelling Words to remember: carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, propose, suppose
Write-on-Track: pages 75 - 76

Tuesday 5/18/10

Spelling Word Family Worksheet

Wednesday 5/19/10

LIBRARY Day: This will be our last trip to the library for the 2009/2010 school year! Please remember to bring all books as well as any fines that may be owed.
Reading: Reading Comprehension Book- next section.
Art Show: 2 - 3PM

Thursday 5/20/10

WW: List 28- Exercises A, C, D
WW: Pre-test

Friday 5/21/10

Grades End. Pass in all book reports and finished work to recieve credit!
WW: List 28- Test

Group 2: May 10 - 14, 2010

2010-05-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!
I hope that the moms had a wonderful day and enjoyed the creative gifts from your children!

"All School Testing" is this Monday -Wednesday, 8:30AM - 12Noon.
Please get alot of rest and eat a good breakfast!
Remember to bring in pencils and water bottles!

Monday 5/10/10

Reading: Read your SSR books and work in your Book Reports.
Write-on-Track: We have been working in your workbook all week as morning work. Please make sure that you have completed pages 69 - 74.
WW: List 27- approve, colt, dock, except, graze, knoll, meadow, nozzle, orchard, perch, spar, twinkle.
Spelling Words: -oat, oke families

Tuesday 5/11/10

Spelling Word Worksheet is due.
Reading: Read SSR and work in book reports.
NO late pick-up: Teacher's Meeting.

Wednesday 5/12/10

Reading Comprehension : Next section.
Art Show: 2 - 3 PM

Thursday 5/13/10

WW: List 27- Exercises A, C, D.
WW: Pre-test, List 27.

Friday 5/14/10

WW: Test- List 27 and Spelling Words.

LouAnn's Gold/Green Book: May 3 - 7, 2010

2010-04-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome Back!
I hope that you enjoyed your trip!

As we discussed, there will not be any math homework due on Monday.
However, if you feel ambitious please feel free to work in your math book!

As a reminder, all Mathathon books and donations are due now!

Before class begins: please visit the restroom, see Betsy if you need her and come to class prepared.

The following list will be helpful in your successful math production:

A math notebook with graph paper or a math binder/folder
2 pencils- sharpened
Water bottle
Assignment Notebook
A ruler
A great attitude!

Thanks and see you Monday!

Group 2: May 3 - 7, 2010

2010-04-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

What a fun-filled, exciting and successful week!

This is how our wonderful week unfolded:

Writing: We described a " friend" in our Writing Journals utilizing strong descriptive words, good organization, proper sentence structure and neat handwriting!
Reading: We are progressing in our SSR books. The following books are being read: Grace: Wild Girl, Taylor: Lucy Rose, Elodie: Summer According to Humphrey, Zoe: Wimpy Kid, Dog Days, Sam: 39 Clues, Ben: The Missing Tooth, Joseph: Jake Drake Know-It-All.
Geography: Zoe gave a presentation on her trip to Venice. She read excerpts from her travel journal which were very informative and entertaining. We learned about Zoe's adventures, places visited and
yummy dining experiences. Thank you Zoe!
Historical Figures: We successfully took a quiz on Abraham Lincoln and learned about the amazing life of Helen Keller!
In celebration of "Earth Day" we viewed the Disney production, "Oceans", at the Liberty Tree Mall cinema with Group1. We learned a great deal about the wonders of the ocean and its innumerable and incredibly diverse creatures. We were introduced to fascinating and unusual sea life, their habitats and the ongoing life cycle. The ocean is a beautiful place but, unfortunately, human indifference is its biggest threat. We all need to be conscious that the ocean is a major source of life and we need to preserve its integrity by eliminating pollution and demonstrating respect for this incredible wonder!
Science: These brilliant students were challenged with a Science quiz on the Group 2 Science Fair projects!
Science: We visited Endicott Park in Danvers for playground activity and a picnic. Since we are starting our studies on invertebrates, we brought our bug catchers and caught some very interesting creatures!
"Snow Day": We visited "Monkey Joe's" and jumped around for about an hour and a half! We made ice cream sundaes and watched a fun and entertaining movie, "Big Fat Liar"! Thank you Jeff for a great "Snow Day"!

Monday 5/3/10

"21" more days of school!
WW: List 26- aide, arbor, bouquet, dread, eager, hose, plow, plump, quell, stalk, tunnel, urban
Spelling Word Families:, -ine and REVIEW of -ice, ide, ime, ite families

Tuesday 5/4/10

Reading: Book report conferences!

Wednesday 5/5/10

1/2 Day!! Dismissal at 12Noon.
Spring Performance: 5 - 9PM
"LIBRARY Day": please bring in your books and fines if applicable!
Reading Comprehension- next section.

Thursday 5/6/10

WW: List 26- Exercises A,C,D
WW: Pre-test

Friday 5/7/10

WW: Test, List 26

Group 2: April 26 - 30, 2010

2010-04-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

We wish the Clark School Spring Trip attendees a wonderful week as they visit Chicago and Washington, D.C.!

Monday 4/26/10

Reading: Continue in your SSR book and book reports!
WW: List 25- aid, beggar, chord, creak, ornate, peak, pray, rapid, slender, talon, tend, urn.
Spelling Word Families: -ice, -ide
Spelling Word worksheet is due.

Tuesday 4/27/10

Earth Day: To acknowledge and celebrate Earth Day (April 22, 2010) Groups 1 & 2 are attending Disney's special feature, "Oceans" at the Woburn Showcase Cinema at 10:00A.M. We will be transporting the students in the Clark School van. Following the movie, the students will have a picnic lunch at Endicott Park in Danvers, play in the playground and take a nature walk! Please pack a "picnic" appropriate snack and lunch! (We will not have access to a microwave!) We will be providing a small snack for munching during the movie. Jeanne Argento (Sam Kirby's mom) will donate waters for our excursion- THANK YOU Jeanne!

Historic Figures: Quiz on Abraham Lincoln - please review your study guide on one of the greatest presidents of all time!

Wednesday 4/28/10

Science: Please use the study guide for a quiz on the Group 2 Science Fair Projects. We will be quizzed on Germs, Mold, Barometers, Robots, Coqui Frogs, The Life Cycle of Frogs and The Human Skeleton!
Reading Comprehension: Next section is due.

Thursday 4/29/10

WW: List 25, Exercises A, C, D and Pre-test

Friday 4/30/10

"SNOW DAY": Today is a" Snow Day" for Group 2! Since Mother Nature did not cooperate with us this year, Jeff has graciously offered to provide Group 2 with our own "virtual snow day"! Our day will include: Monkey Joe's , recess, "Make-Your-Own-Sundaes" and a movie (TBD)!
WW: Test- List 25

Group 2: April 19 - April 23, 2010

2010-04-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Patriot's Day!

Good luck to all of you who are running the Boston Marathon!

The Clark School Auction was not only a wonderful success but an enjoyable and fun evening.
The Silent Auction was very competitive not to mention the mind-boggling trivia contest!
Congratulations to all the winners!

Welcome Back Zoe! We missed you during your stay in Venice! Zoe is finalizing her travel journal and will share her experiences and adventures with us this week. What a great geography lesson this will be!

Another great week:

Alicia Quintano, the storyteller, visited with Groups 1 & 2 on Wednesday morning. She and her sidekick Koala puppet, Pierre, entertained the students with great folklore stories and humorous songs. The students were challenged as they participated in Alicia's writing workshop which involved responding to a writing prompt to create an imaginative story and illustration. Upon completion, students were encouraged to present their stories to the class. What great writers we have!
Group 2 completed wonderful writing pieces on their science projects in their journals. We are becoming more conscientious about our organization, word usage, capitalization, punctuation and handwriting.
We are thoroughly enjoying our Group Book, Stuart Little, and Stuart's many challenges and adventures!
In geography, we learned that there are six time zones in the United States and 24 time zones in the world! Do you know that there is a one hour difference between each time zone? California is the only state that has five time zones!
In Social Studies, we discussed how communities change and the causes and effects of this process.
In science, we discussed animal habitats and how they build their homes to meet their needs.
In Historical Figures, we completed our readings on our favorite president, Abraham Lincoln, and an art project.
In Math, students are very busy completing their Mathathon books. The completed booklets and the pledge sheets and money are due this week to Denise. Thank you for your participation for this great cause!

Monday 4/19/10

NO School- Happy Patriot's Day!

Tuesday 4/20/10

Reading: Please continue in your SSR books and work in your book reports. We will conference on your progress!
Wordly Wise, List 24: aroma, await, banish, bloom, disguise, dwelling, hasty, overcome, puff, pursue, sly, tumble.
Spelling Word Families: -ee, -eed.
Spelling Word Family worksheet is due!

Wednesday 4/21/10

Library Day!
Reading Comprehension- next section.

Thursday 4/22/10

WW: Exercises A, C, D
WW: Pre-test

Friday 4/23/10

WW: Test- please know definitions!

April 12 - 16, 2010

2010-04-09T07:32:00.001-07:00

SCIENCE is the word of the week!

On Tuesday, we spent quality time taping our Science Fair presentations. On Thursday, we continued to practice our presentation format and role played with the class to fine-tune our discussions.

On Friday, Group 2 was very professional as they presented their Science Fair projects. The students chose very interesting and educational topics. Their creativity was very impressive. The Group 2 classroom was abound with a plethora of information as family, friends, teachers and peers visited the intriguing exhibits and expanded their scientific knowledge base. As an additional benefit, we enjoyed munching on creative topic-related snacks. Move over Einstein!

The following topics were presented:

Taylor: "Germs". We learned that the four types of germs are bacteria, virus, protozoa and fungi. Did you know that there are more germs on a keyboard than a toilet seat?! An assortment of the 4 kinds of germs were offered in the form of colorful candy nerds...
Gracie: "Coqui Frogs". Coqui frogs are found only in South America, Central America, Caribbean and Hawaii and grow to the size of a quarter. "Gummy" frogs tasted sweet and chewy!
Elodie: "Barometers". Barometers predict weather but not the temperature. The homemade barometer was very creative and proved the accuracy of Elodie's prediction. The Poland Spring bottles and marshmallow treats, which represented the water and clouds, were key elements of the experiment.
Sam: "Bones". The human skeleton has 420 bones as an infant and an adult has 260 bones. The bones are not lost but fused as the infant grows. Bones are made up of three matters: spongy bone, bone marrow and the shell. It was nice to have an opportunity to munch on some bones as Sam provided us with "bone" shaped cookies.
Joseph: "Life Cycle of a Frog". Frogs are classified as amphibians, one of the categories of the invertebrates. Our classroom tadpoles, Annakin and Padme, demonstrated one of the phases of the frog life cycle. It will take 12 weeks before our little friends become adult frogs with a developed pulmonary system, ready to face life on land.
Ben: "Mold". There are good and bad forms of mold. "Good" mold was discovered as a medicinal cure in the form of penicillin. "Bad" mold develops on moist surfaces and unattended food as airborne mold spores find a home. We witnessed the formation of mold on several different food products. Not a pretty sight! However, the fresh strawberry shortcake was a nice alternative!
Zoe: "Robots". Robots originated back in the 1920's and have developed into quite sophisticated and popular parts of society. From Hollywood to the manufacturing world, famous robots such as C3P0, Rosie from the Jetsons and R2D2 have proven that these wonders are highly capable of many tasks. Zoe's personal robot creation, Athena 2, is voice activated and made her debut at the Fair. Necco candy wafers were a hit since they are made by robots at the Necco Candy factory in Revere, MA!

Monday 4/12/10

Reading: Please bring is a copy of Stuart Little for our Group Read! Continue to read your SSR books and work in your Book Reports. As a reminder, the following students and their prospective SSR books are below: Elodie: Mrs. Yonkers is Bonkers, Sam Kirby: Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story Ben Armour: Little Prince Know-It-All, Taylor: How Tia Lola Came to Stay, Joseph: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Grace: Wild Girl
Wordly Wise, List 23: armor, bind, column, discover, gradual, groove, helm, ominous, peek, recover, voyage, wealthy, yearn.
Spelling Word Families: -eam, -eat

Tuesday 4/13/10

Write-on-Track: Please complete pages 58 - 60. (This was part of our AM work last week!)
Book reports: We will conference on your completed pages!

Wednesday 4/14/10

"Look- Alike" Day: This is a day to dress like your "hero" or someone special to you!
Storyteller Visit: PAC has arranged for a storyteller to visit with Groups 1 & 2 as an enrichment program for English Language Arts. Alicia Quintano will meet with the students from 9 - 11:00AM. Thank you very much to PAC!
Reading: Reading Comprehension books, next section. Please remember to highlight the sections that include your answers. Also, for students with a "Write About" section, please attach lined paper to your books and write at least 4 - 5 sentences, utilizing proper writing techniques to write your responses!

Thursday 4/15/10

WW: List 23 Exercises A, C, D
WW: Pre-test

Friday 4/16/10

WW: List 23, Test- Please KNOW your definitions!

April 5 - 9, 2010

2010-03-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

I hope that those of you who celebrate Easter had a wonderful day!

Rain, rain go away come again another day!
We can finally see the light.

Althought the weather is improving, Clark School has not approved shorts for recess just yet. Since cool and muddy conditions still prevail, we recommend that you continue to bring in jackets and possibly "outdoor shoes" with a change of shoes for indoor wear to minimize dirt in the buildings. Thank you for your cooperation!

We had an exciting week:

Zoe presented her Science Fair project on robots. Robots are very interesting and we learned so much! What a great job, Zoe! Learn more at the Science Fair...
The class completed reading our Group Book, Ramona Quimby, Age 8. We successfully completed the comprehension tests and the majority of the class book report. Great job, Group 2! Hopefully, we will meet as a group this summer to view the new Ramona and Beezus movie at our local cinema.
In geography, we reviewed the six regions of the US and learned about the 10 different climate zones of the US. Do you know in which climate we live? Do you know which state has more than five climate zones within its borders? Answers below!

Monday 4/5/10

Today is Opening Day for the Red Sox! Please wear Red Sox attire! Hats are acceptable. Also, we are serving Fenway cuisine: Hot Dogs for $1.00 (a maximum of three per person!) and Chips, $.50. Please bring in your money if you would like to purchase lunch!
Reading: Continue with your "SSR" book and work those book reports! Please read each night for at least 20 minutes. I will conference with you on the book reports today!
Wordly Wise: List 22- ashore, bridal, common, coy, error, infant, injure, pedal, pygmy, rash, retire, reward
Spelling Word Families: -ail , -ain
Also, Pizza Day order forms have been e-mailed for the last quarter. Please complete and make your payments if you would like Friday pizza!

Tuesday 4/6/10

Science: Science Fair Taping- please bring in your materials! Also, your presentation will go smoother if you write your information on index cards and allow 3 - 5 minutes for your talk.

Wednesday 4/7/10

LIBRARY Day!
Reading: Reading Comprehension, next section

Thursday 4/8/10

Wordly Wise: Exercises A, C, D
WW: List 22, Pre-test

Friday 4/9/10

Science: Science Fair for Groups 1, 2, 3 will take place in the individual group classrooms, 2 - 3:00PM. Please remember to bring in the "snack" that represents your project. All family and friends are welcome to join us!
Wordly Wise: List 22, Test

ANSWERS:

1. We live in the Continental Moist climate zone.

2. California has five climate zones within its borders- wow!

March 29 - April 2 - Group 2

2010-03-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

NO Homework!
(OOPS, sorry- April Fool's!)

The weeks just keep flying by...

Our beta fish pet, Blue, has company as 2 tadpoles, Anakin and Padme, have joined our class. Thank you to Joseph for bringing in his Star Wars frog habitat for Group 2 to observe the life cycle of frogs. As we have learned, frogs are amphibians- one of the five categories of vertebrates!
"Bon voyage" to Zoe as she embarks on her excursion to Italy. She will be missed! We look forward to learning more about Venice, Italy and Europe, one of our seven continents, upon Zoe's return.
Thank you to Denise and Group 5G for assisting Group 2 with their Science Fair projects. As a reminder, those who have not yet completed their boards and presentation materials, the taping will take place on Tuesday, April 6 and the Science Fair is on Friday, April 9 - 2:00pm - 3:00pm.
Please remember to READ at least 20 minutes each night and work in your book reports!

Monday 3/29/10

Reading: Please read and keep working in your book reports.
WW: Please review List 21 words and complete the crossword puzzle on page 89.
WW: List 21- ancient, banner, compel, debt, helmet, miserable, moist, plume, remote, request, royal, stubborn, tantrum, uproar
Spelling: Word Families -ave, -ate
Scholastic Book order: Please review the book selections, complete the form and submit your order and your payment this week!

Tuesday 3/30/10

Science Fair project: work on completing your tri-fold, experiments and accompanying snack.

Wednesday 3/31/10

Reading: Reading comprehension books- next section.

Thursday 4/1/10

NO SCHOOL!! - Sorry, APRIL FOOL'S!
WW: Exercises A, C, D
WW: Pre-test

Friday 4/2/10

WW: Test (you must know your definitions!)

March 22 - 26, Group 2

2010-03-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

WELCOME BACK!

I know that you must be energized for a jam-packed and fun-filled week!

What does this week hold?
As the 3rd quarter comes to a close this Friday, we will continue to read our group book, Ramon Quimby, Age 8, prepare our Science Fair projects, review our knowledge on the six regions of the United States, finalize our science unit on vertebrates and introduce invertebrates, continue our poetry discussions and write in our Writing Journals, produce quality book reports and visit the library!

Monday 3/22/10

Reading: Continue to read your independent reading book each night and work in your book reports.
Wordly Wise: Please review upcoming WW homework assignments, plan to complete exercises accordingly and reciew words.
WW: List 20- accept, border, burden, carriage, hue, mild, mutter, nil, obstinate, scorch, snip, summit, vow
Spelling: Word Families -ake, -ame

Tuesday 3/23/10

Science Fair Project: Please bring in all Science Fair project materials.

Wednesday 3/24/10

"Library Day"

Science Fair Project: Group 5 students will come in and assist Group 2 students organize information, coordinate the tri-fold board and plan their presentation.

Thursday 3/25/10

Wordly Wise: Complete List 20 Exercises A, C, D

Wordly Wise: Pre-test

Reading: Reading Comprehension book- complete next section.

Friday 3/26/10

Wordly Wise: Test, List 20

School Vacation- Gold Math Book

2010-03-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that there is "NO" homework over the spring break!

Enjoy your vacation!

See you soon-
LouAnn:)

March 8 -19, Group 2

2010-03-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

ENJOY your vacation!

Please remember that your only homework includes the following:

1. Science Fair project:

Choose a topic
Research
Gather information/photos
Secure a tri-fold board
Plan your presentation
Brainstorm on "props" that you may need to make your presentation more effective and a "snack" that relates to the subject mattter.

2. Reading:

Read your independent reading book and work on your Book Reports!

3. Have fun and be safe!

Week of March 1, Group 2

2010-02-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

This is our last week before March vacation: March 8 - 19!

What great presentations we witnessed this week as Group 2 continued presenting their Historical Figures presentations! Ben enlightened us on the many inventions of Alexander Graham Bell. Zoe shared some great information on the life and travels of Marco Polo. Grace provided interesting background information on our 44th president, Barack "Barry" Obama!

Monday 3/1/10

"Wild About Reading" Book Log is due today!
Reading: Read and work in book reports
Reading: Ramona Quimby, Age 8 Chapters 1- 2 Take Home Quiz
WW: List 19: abundant, anchor, creek, distant, harness, pantry, peer, rap, reel, roam, sturdy, tint, tug. Please study spelling and definitions and make flashcards if necessary!

Tuesday 3/2/10

Reading: Continue to work in book reports. Please do not start a new report until you complete and pass in the one you are currently working on! One book report at a time!
HAPPY 15th BIRTHDAY Joe Strangie!

Wednesday 3/3/10

Library Day: Please bring in your books/fines before vacation!
Reading: Reading Comprehension Book- next section. Please take your time reading and review your answers carefully. Also, check your spelling and sentence structure!
Historic Figures presentation: Sam Kirby presents on Albert Einstein!

Thursday 3/4/10

WW: List 19 - Exercises A, C, D
WW: Pre-test

Friday 3/5/10

WW: Test, List 19

Week of February 22- Group 2

2010-02-21T09:52:00.000-08:00

This was a fun and productive 4-day week!

We were very busy with the following activities:

We began our "Group Read", Ramona Quimby, Age 8.

We visited the library.

We hosted a very sweet and industrious student visitor, Victoria!

We enjoyed three very interesting and informative Historic Figures presentations by Joseph (Neil Armstrong), Taylor (Amelia Earhart) and Elodie (Dalai Lama). The students were very well-prepared, professional and engaging! We look forward to presentations by Grace, Sam, Ben and Zoe this week.

My daughter, Alexandra, turned "Sweet" 16 this week and successfully received her Learner's Permit- CONGRATULATIONS Alex!

Monday 2/22/10

Reading: Read and progress in Book Reports.
WW: List 18: admire, announce, antlers, beam, caldron, gash, hail, hinge, jagged, pier, rude, shallow and Dolch Words: start, ten, today, together, try, warm. Please work on the exercise pages and review spelling and definitions!

Tuesday 2/23/10

Reading: Read and progress in Book Reports.
WW: Practice your words!

Wednesday 2/24/10

Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section. Please take your time and review your answers carefully!
Historic Figures: Presentations by Grace and Ben.

Thursday 2/25/10

WW: List 18- Exercises A, C, D
WW: Pre-test
Historic Figures: Presentations by Zoe and Sam.

Friday 2/26/10

WW: Test, List 18

Week of February 15 - Group 2

2010-02-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday Honest Abe Lincoln!

Enjoy your day off as we celebrate President's Day!

We had a very interesting week as the students gave "Career Day" presentations for Social Studies.
Since we are studying service occupations in a community, each student chose a career/occupation, researeched the career, dressed-up as someone in that field and presented the class with very valuable and interesting information.

Taylor, a very impressive dentist dressed in a colorful "lab coat smock", discussed that dentistry goes back to 7000B.C. She informed us that healthy teeth are imperative for eating and pretty smiles!

Joseph, the zoo keeper, informed us that his duties include caring for animals, collecting data and entertaining and informing zoo visitors. He was very well dressed in his button down shirt, khaki shorts and hat. In order to perform his job he needs a bucket, food, clipboard and a poker!

Sam "wowed" us as he came dressed in his hard hat, safety goggles and sweatshirt from Atlantic Millwrights (Sam's dad's business). He discussed how a "rigger" is instrumental in the installation and removal of equipment in factories, construction sites, hopsitals and businesses. Mr. Kirby recently removed a 4,000lb cocolate mixer from the Necco Candy factory!

Ben, owner and operator of B & L Screams ice cream shop, came very prepared with his apron filled with an ice cream scoop, sprinkles and spoons. You need to be nice, like kids and own an ice cream truck to be a successful store owner. He graciously scooped vanilla and chocolate ice cream for us to sample. It was a "yummy" presentation!

Zoe, the Head Scientist, discussed her position as a clinical molecular geneticist. She works at a lab where she tests to help doctors discover what is wrong with patients. She also does research and teaching. We learned that science means "knowing" in Latin. Her giant test tubes were very impressive!

Elodie, the teacher, came well-prepared with her spectacles, briefcase, biology textbook and work sheets.
She informed us that you need to attend college for 4 years to become a teacher. She was such a nice teacher that she gave us onlyone Word Search for homework!

Grace, the physician, informed us that she works in an office and a hospital. She needs her scrubs, stethoscope and prescription pad to properly perform her duties. She helps both children and adults get better. The first doctors were tribal healers! Nobody volunteered for a flu shot!

Outstanding performances by all! I was very impressed and proud of the Group 2 students and their hard work and professional presentations

Monday 2/15/10

Happy President's Day! Enjoy the day-off!
Please take some time over the long weekend to research material for your Historical Figures presentation. Remember that you need to prepare "handouts" for each student as well as for me! You need to prepare a fact sheet, a photographof this historical figure and a map to indicate where the person was born and lived. The students voted to extend the due date. The following schedule is in place:

Ben: Alexander Graham Bell, February 24

Elodie: Sir Edmund Hillary, February 18

Grace: Barack Obama: February 24

Joseph: Neil Armstrong, February 24

Sam: Undecided, February 25

Taylor: Amelia Earhart, February 18

Zoe: Marco Polo, February 25

Reading: Read and work on book reports
WW: List 17: adjoining, awaken, captive, cord, gallows, garment, gloomy, habit, loose, separate, uneasy and Dolch words: seven, shall, show, six, small. Please review spelling and defintions!

Tuesday 2/16/10

Reading: Read and work in book reports

Wednesday 2/17/10

Library Visit: Please bring in your books and resolve any overdue fines or lost books!
Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section. Please take your time and review answers!

Thursday 2/18/10

WW: List 17, Exercises A,C, D
WW: Pre-test
Historical Figures: Presentations by Elodie and Taylor:)

Friday 2/19/10

WW: Test List 17

Week of February 8- Group 2

2010-02-05T05:17:00.000-08:00

Valentines spirit is in the air!

This week was short and sweet!

What did we do?

reviewed verb tenses
conferenced on our book reports
wrote in out writing journals
re-enforced our map skills
visited the library
took our WW test on List 15
met with Brody, the Cavalier King Charles puppy, and observed changes
discussed our upcoming "Career Day" project which will take place this Tuesday and Wednesday (please reference the handout for any additional information)
discussed our upcoming Historic Figures Presentation for the week of February 15

It was a pleasure meeting with parents on Parent/Teacher Conference Day. It is a joy to work with your children each day!

Monday 2/8/10

Valentine's Day project: please bring in a cardboard box(tissue box, cereal box etc.) to decorate for our Valentine's Day cards.
Reading: read and work in book reports.
WW: please plan ahead and work on WW lessons 16 A, C & D.
WW List 16: brilliant, brood, burrow, chapel, companion, harbor, illustrated, include, messenger, project, remark, tuft and Dolch Words: much, myself, never, only, own, pick. Please review spellings and definitions frequently- make flashcards if it helps!

Tuesday 2/9/10

Social Studies: Career Day project

Wednesday 2/10/10

Social Studies: Career Day project
Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section. Please take your time reading and review your answers. You may want to go back over the story to make sure your comprehension is accurate!

Thursday 2/11/10

WW: List 16, Exercises A, C, D
WW: Pre-test

Friday 2/12/10

Valentine's Day card exchange and Happy Un-Birthday! Please bring in Valentine's Day cards for each classmate. If you bring in cards, you must bring in a card for each one in Group 2! If you would like to share a card with specific individuals in other classes, you may do so, however, you do not have to share with each person in that other class. Everyone in Group 2 should receive a card if you are participating in the exchange!:)
WW: Test- please study definitions and spelling!

Week of February 1, 2010

2010-01-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

Happy February!
I look forward to meeting with parents on Parent/Teacher Conference Day this Thursday, February 4.
Please remember that there is NO SCHOOL on Friday, February 5- Teacher Development Day.

This past week was exciting as we celebrated Ben Armour's 8th birthday with delicious cupcakes created by Chef J.C. Happy Birthday Ben!

Monday was an exciting day as Elodie Poussard taught our Geography lesson on London, England. Elodie was born in England, which is an island in Europe, and she and her family lived there for several years. Lauren, Elodie's mom, and Elodie prepared a wonderful slideshow and amazing "British" snacks for Group 2 to enjoy. We learned some very interesting facts about life across the Atlantic:

Windsor, home of the castle of the King and Queen of England, is owned by the Queen but enjoyed by all British.
Elodie and her family played and enjoyed picnics along the banks of the famous Thames River.
Football, which is actually "soccer", is a popular sport in England.
The temperature is warmer there and daffodils start to bloom right after Christmas!
Eodie's sister, Zoe, attended kindergarten in England which is called "reception" and uniforms are required.
Elodies' mom and brother, Freddie, attended the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla!
Each time there a changing of the guard at the Queen's castle a parade is held and the "goat" is the mascot!
There is a grand hot air balloon festival every March!
After our presentation, we devoured biscuits (plain and chocolate covered), "tea time" sandwiches made of white bread, cheese and pickles and punch. Thank you Lauren for all the preparation!:)
There are many interesting words substituitons: We use the phone, the British use the "tellie". We wear pants and they wear "trousers". A speed bump is called a "sleeping policeman". We have "yards and they have "gardens", cookies are biscuits and diapers are nappies!

We learned so much and would love to take a field trip to Windsor (if Jeff will approve!)

We had a great time sharing burgers at Fuddrucker's with each other! Thank you for your support!

Let's "Help Haiti":

Each classroom has a "Haiti Collection Box" and we are collecting monetary donations for Haiti.
We will continue to do this over the next several months since this will be an ongoing need.
Any amount will be greatly appreciated by this country in desperate need.

Monday 2/1/10

Reading: Please read your independent reading book and work in your book reports!
WW Word List 15: bog, brief, elude, loyal, nimble, novice, prey, raze, reckless, shabby, singe, sole, topple, wander, wee and Dolch Words: kind, laugh, light, long, much. Please review and study each night!

Tuesday 2/2/10

WW: Pre-test List 15
WW: Exercises 15 A, C, D
Reading: Work in book reports for conferences!
Social Studies: Work on your "Career Day" project which is due February 9!

Wednesday 2/3/10

LIBRARY DAY: Please bring in your books and fines- if they apply to you!
WW: Test, List 15
Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section is due.

Thursday 2/4/10

NO SCHOOL: Parent/Teacher Conference Day

Friday 2/5/10

NO SCHOOL: Teacher Development Day

Week of January 25, 2010- Group 2

2010-01-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

We had a short week but a great week!

Reading:
Group 2 visited the library. If you forgot to return your books from last week, please drop them by the library OR bring them in for our next visit on Wednesday, February 3.

The students are making very good progress in their independent reading book reports. Keep up the great work!

Science: We studied the many forms self-defense possessed by vertebrates and made riddle books!

Historic Figures: We read So You Want to Be President? and learned many interesting facts about presidents! Did you know that the White House has a swimming pool, bowling alley and movie theater? Also, the most common president's first name is James with six presidents named James followed by four Johns and four Williams!

Monday 1/25/10

Fuddrucker's Night Out! We are hoping to meet and dine together as a group around 6:00! Please don't forget your coupon that was sent home and e-mailed which provides Clark School with a donation from Fuddruckers!
Reading: Please read your independent reading book and work in your book reports.

WW Word List 14: crop, den, endless, faint, flee, gape, hilarious, horde, prank, prefer, reap, remain, response and Dolch Words: hold, hot, hurt, if, keep. Please study!

Tuesday 1/26/10

Reading: Work in book reports for a conference!

Wednesday 1/27/10

Reading: Reading Comprehension book- next section

Thursday 1/28/10

WW: List 14, Exercises A, C, D

WW: Pre-test

Friday 1/29/10

WW: Test- please know definitions and spelling!

Have a great week-

LouAnn

January 18, 2010- Group 2

2010-01-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

Enjoy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!
Please remember today is a good time to honor the efforts and dreams of Mr. King!

Congratulations to Gracie Leete who was awarded Student of the Month!
Great job Grace, you truly deserve it!

We had a very busy and exciting week!

Mr. Tim Hodgkins, Account Manager from New England Coffee, visited with Group 2 to discuss how the coffee production process takes place. We learned that coffee originates as a bean from a cherry tree that is hand- picked mainly in South America, Central America, Africa and even Hawaii. It takes 4,000 coffee beans to make a pound of coffee. The students learned about the roasting, cupping, manufacturing, grinding, packaging and distribution processes. Hopefully we will have an opportunity in the spring to view this process 1st hand on a tour at the New England Coffee manufacturing plant in Malden! The students were the lucky recipients of a gift package from Tim that included a tee shirt, a baseball cap, a bookmark and an information/activity booklet. It was an enlightening and fun afternoon.

Monday 1/18/10

No School- ENJOY!

Tuesday 1/19/10

Reading: 30 minutes over the weekend. Please work in your book reports and we will conference on your work!

Wednesday 1/20/10

LIBRARY Visit!
Reading Comprehension Books: Next section needs to be completed- take you time and be NEAT!

Thursday 1/21/10

WW: Pre-test, List 13 & Dolch words
WW: List 13 exercises A, C, D

Friday 1/22/10

WW: Test

Regards-

LouAnn:)

Week of January 11, 2010- Group 2

2010-01-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

This week flew by!

We visited the library, welcomed a guest speaker from the High School and enjoyed a "Read In"!

Week Highlights:
Geography: We successfully completed a quiz on the hemispheres, equator and Prime Meridian.
Reading: Students are progressing very nicely in their book reports. Group 2 had a very enjoyable "Read In" with Group 1.
Writing: We completed very thoughtful and well-written "thank- you" letters to Santa/relatives who gave us special Christmas gifts.
Science: Sawyer Updike (student from the Clark High School) gave a presentation to Group 2 on viruses, germs and illness prevention. Two weeks ago Sawyer met with the class and observed Group 2's classroom activities in relation to "the passing of germs". He prepared a presentation which discussed ways to prevent the spreading of germs: sneezing into the crook of our arms rather than our hands, using Kleenex, spraying down desks, door knobs and tables regularly. Hopefully the rest of the season will be a very healthy one!
We reviewed our knowledge on producers, consumers and the food chain, completed a quiz on the material and viewed movies on vertebrates and the food chain.

This week's agenda:

Monday 1/11/10

Reading: 30 minutes and continue to work in your BookReports in progress.
Geography: Complete handout on World Map and use as a study guide for a review test on maps, the continents and oceans!
WW List 12: ability, canal, carve, certain, decay, design, doe, ferry, forbidden, ford, keen, purchase, repair, scatter, truce- please study spelling and definitons!
Dolch Words: cut, done, draw, drink, eight.

Tuesday 1/12/10

Reading: Keep making progress in Book Reports!
Social Studies: Guest speaker, Tim Hodgkins, Account Representative from New England Coffee, will meet with Group 2 and discuss how are goods are made and brought to us. The students will learn how coffee originates as a crop and undergoes numerous processes to arrive in the coffee mug!

Wednesday 1/13/10

CRAZY HAT DAY! Wear your favorite, silly cap, lid, chapeau, sombrero or fedora and keep it on all day!
Reading: Reading Comprehension Book, next section.

Thursday 1/14/10

WW: List 12 Pretest (and Dolch Words)
WW: Exercises 12 A, C, D

Friday 1/15/10

WW: Spelling/Definition Test.

Week of January 11, 2010- GOLD Math Book

2009-11-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Just a reminder from my previous blog entries:

Math homework is assigned every evening. A specific goal may be written in the student's assignment notebook or 30 minutes of math homework may be indicated. IF an entry is not assigned or if there is any confusion about your nightly assignment, please complete the 30 minutes of math homework requirement. If a section is too difficult or challenging, please feel free to complete review exercises in the back of the book or print out review sheets from a math website. The bottom line is that math homework is always required unless otherwise noted!
In addition to completing the assignment, the work/calculations and answers must always be written in the math graph notebook. Although you may provide the answers in the Gold math book, the actual calculations are equally important and must be clearly identifiable in the notebook with the date, page numbers, problem numbers, a work column and an answer column.
Lastly, if for some reason you are unable to complete an assignment, please inform me prior to class via e-mail or visit me before class begins (before 8:30am) and provide me with this information.

Thank you!

Regards,

LouAnn

Week of November 16

2009-11-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

It was a very short week but we managed to accomplish alot!

'Tis the season to be thankful and I am VERY thankful for my wonderful Group 2 students!

We are looking forward to our Thanksgiving Extravaganza on this Friday. Thank you for your very generous contributions!

We had the pleasure of a guest student on Thursday and thoroughly enjoyed Peter's visit.

We accomplished the following learning activities this week:

Progressed in our Phonics packet.
Reviewed the Northeastern States.
Conferenced on Book Reports.
Implemented the writing process as we wrote in our Writing Journals.
Completed another section of our Reading Comprehension books.
Reviewed for our Historical Figures quiz on Sharon Clark and the founding of Clark School and scored successfully on our quizzes!
Completed Word List 6 and performed well on the weekly Wordly Wise test.
Continued reading Charlotte's' Web.
Received a Flat Stanley back from the west coast, Hollywood, California, with great photos of the Walk of Fame, Universal Studios and the Hollywood Hills sign! Thanks to friends of the Cirones!
Received "Take-Home-Hootie" reports and learned more about "owls" such as the Snowy Owl and the Elf Owl.

Monday 11/16/09

Reading: 20 minutes/Book Reports/Reading Journal Responses
Geography: Globe Puzzle Handout
WW: please review and plan the completion of the spelling exercises. WW words: cavity, defeat, destroy, fade, false, guest, hive, honest, paddle, plentiful, salary, stoop. Dolch words: tell, their, these, those, upon.
A.M. work ( from last week): please complete!

Tuesday 11/17/09

Reading: 20 minutes/reports/responses

Wednesday 11/18/09

Library Visit
Button Day
Reading: Reading Comprehension Books, next section is due

Thursday 11/19/09

Reading: 20 minutes
WW: Pre-test
WW: List 7, exercises on pages 28 - 31

Friday 11/20/09

WW: Test
Thanksgiving Extravaganza: Please wear your finest holiday attire and bring your best manners and a BIG appetite!
Enjoy your Thanksgiving break- gobble, gobble gobble!

Week of November 9 - Homework

2009-11-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

This is a short week and Thanksgiving is right around the corner...

Monday 11/09/09

Read 20 - 30 minutes/Reading Journal Response/Book Report
WW Words: acre, converse,damage, decorate, delay, direct, escape, expensive, hint, humid, rescue, resemble, stunt, wrinkle
Dolch Words: read, right, sing, sit, sleep
Vocabulary Packet: Page 19, Homonyms, Synonyms, Antonyms
"A.M./Morning Work": Complete any unfinished papers from last week.

Tuesday 11/10/09

DAY-OFF: ENJOY!
However, plan ahead for end- of- the- week due dates!

Wednesday 11/11/09

DAY-OFF: ENJOY!

Thursday 11/12/09

Reading Comprehension books- next section, check your books for comments.
WW: Pre-test
Historic Figures: Quiz on Sharon Clark and the founding of Clark School- see Study Guide.

Friday 11/13/09

A very LUCKY day!
Read 20 - minutes/Reading Journals/Book Reports
WW: Test
WW: Word List 6 exercises pages 22- 26

Week of 11/02/09- GOLD Book Math

2009-10-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome Max T!
Max joined our GOLD Book math group this week and is moving along in his new math book (and doing very well!)

Since each student is working on different material, please read the assignment notebook for daily assignments. As customary, each student needs to complete at least 30 minutes in their math books nightly. Their work for each problem must be clearly identified and outlined in their graph notebooks.

The proper format should include the following information:

Date, page number

WORK Column ANSWER Column

Problem #1

Several times a week the class will be given "review quizzes" which will include a general overview of basic math operations to continually reenforce the foundations of math. Some evening assignments may include a worksheet if a student needs additional support in a certain area. Also, I may give certain pages in the book that appear to be repetitive, but it is based on your student's earlier performance in that area.

Unit Reviews, quizzes, homework and class participation are factored together to determine the student's final grade in class.

Lunch Bunch/Study will be assigned if a homework assignment or class goal is not met.

I will provide daily assignment entries in my blog if they vary from the "30 minutes" a night requirement.

Regards,
LouAnn

Week of November 2, 2009 - Homework

2009-10-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

Is it November already?

Yet another successful week under our belts...

What great Halloween costumes we donned! We had witches, a gypsy, a very authentic mummy, a Clone Trooper from Star Wars and an Angel/Devil...all were very creative and interesting! Thank you to all parents for assisting with the Halloween party and your contributions. What a fun time!

Reading: We are moving along in Charlotte's Web and the story is becoming very interesting as the plot unfolds! The small reading group (Joseph, Grace, Taylor and Sam) is also making progress in reasing Rent a Third Grader and completing sections of their book reports.

Writing: We reviewed the steps in the Writing Process and published a story on Halloween in our writing journals after pre-writing, drafting and editing/proofreading. Our artistic abilities shone as we were not only authors but illustrators as well!

Geography and Social Studies: We are becoming very familiar with reading maps: grids, legends and indexes. We can identify capitals, cities and boundaries and provide directions to various destinations using the Compass Rose.

Library: We visited the library and students chose a chapter book and a"fun" book for their personal reading.

Homework Schedule:

PLEASE NOTE: Students are expected to read at least 20 - 30 minutes each evening and respond in their Reading Journals a couple of times a week to communicate their thoughts on their reading. This assignment is not always written down each night unless something specific is required.

Spelling Words: Word List 5
assist, avoid, depart, exile, expert, harvest, haul, inn, mar, mate, navigate, protect, vat

Dolch words:
made, many, off, or, pull

Monday 11/02/09

ELA (English LanguageArts):

Read 20 - 30 minutes/journal entries or book report pages
For the students reading Rent a Third Grader: please prepare the Venn diagram page in the book report.

Social Studies: Complete "Picturing the US" handout.
WW: Review List 5 spelling words and properly plan to complete each exercise in the section. All sections need to be completed by 11/5, but it is helpful to prepare at least one section a night to become more comfortable with the words and definitions.
"Hootie" The Take Home Owl Project will be completed and brought back to school by Joseph and Taylor Cirone and another student will take it home and complete the assignment. Have fun and whooooooooo will be next to take home Hootie......

Tuesday 11/3/09

ELA:

Vocabulary Packet: Complete pp 15 - 18. Please read directions carefully and do not go beyond the assigned pages.
Reading Comprehension: Please complete your next assigned section and make sure to prepare the "Write about it" questions if you have them. Please DO NOT go ahead until I correct your current section!:)

Wednesday 11/4/09

Thursday11/5/09

WW: please complete the List 5 section exercises, pp18 -21
WW: Pre-test

Friday 11/6/09

WW: Test, spelling and definitions.

Week of October 26, 2009-Homework

2009-10-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween Week-BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Group 2 had a busy, interesting and fun week.

Historic Figures: Sharon Clark, founder of Clark School, visited Group 2. She enlightened and entertained the students on the founding and history of Clark School. We learned the following interesting facts:

Sharon has three children (Jeff, our headmaster, is her youngest) and 5 grandchildren. All her children are entrepreneurs!
Sharon grew up in Washington,D.C. and played in her high school band at the inauguration for President Dwight Eisenhower!
Sharon has her Master's degree and attended Wheelock College in Boston.
Ron Clark, her husband, was a minister and started the Clark School with her.
The Clark School "antique", built in 1665, was home to her family as well as the initial school classrooms. The upstairs administration office was the master bedroom and Jeff's bedroom was the attic! The 1st floor front rooms were classrooms.
Sharon's educational philosophy was centered on the belief that classrooms of small sizes with mixed grade levels provide more educational opportunities for learners.
The Clark School barn/garage is ranked as one of the oldest barns in the country.
Clark School was founded 30 years ago.
The Clark School antique building played a role in the historic "underground railroad" movement providing a safe house for escaping slaves. There is a "hollow" area between the 2 fireplaces in the Goup 5 rooms where slaves were secretly hidden.
Sharon is very proud of her children (especially her grandchildren) and everything about Clark School!

Science: Brody, our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel visited to continue our lesson on the life cycle of dogs. Our log books were updated as he was weighed and measured and the students made observations of changes in his appearance and behavior.

Language Arts: Students continued with the reading of Charlotte's Web, wrote book reports, friendly letters, reading response journal entries and poems.

WW: Students did a great job on their Wordly Wise spelling tests.

A.M./Morning Work: A great job in completing these early morning handouts on A-B-C order, dictionary skills, plurals and money$.

Activities: Pumpkin picking was fun and chilly. We will utilize the pumpkins for a math lesson on Monday.

**************************************************************

Please Note: We may not record "reading" in the Assignment Notebook each day, however, reading is expected each night for at least 20 minutes. The more the better! If students are reading other subject material, this may be counted as "reading". Students are always working on different reading activities. Some nights, writing exercises such as book reports or reading responses may be worked on in lieu of reading. Please continue to read to your child as much as possible! This provides great modeling and bonding!

Monday 10/26/09

Reading: 20 - 30 minutes, reading journal responses, book reports
WW: Please make flashcards ONLY IF you find they are helpful to learn the spelling and definitions of your WW words. (Some students feel that flashcards are not necessary to aid their learning process.) We will continue to make Dolch Word flashcards and put them on our "rings". Please study all of your words! (AND make a plan to complete the WW List 4 Exercises, pages 15 - 18- due 10/29/09.)
WW Words: assemble, cloak, entire, even, gay, irrigate, nibble, omit, ram, reduce, ruin, vast.
Dolch Words: found, gave, goes, green, it's

Tuesday 10/27/09

Reading: 20 minutes
SS: complete pages 8 -13 in Workbook

Wednesday 10/28/09

LIBRARY VISIT: Please bring in library books and reconcile any fees or missing books!
Reading: 20 minutes
Reading Comprehension: Read next section and complete questions.

Thursday 10/29/09

Reading: 20 minutes
WW: Pre-test
WW: Complete Wordly Wise List 4 Exercises: pp 15 - 18

Friday 10/30/09

Halloween Party: If appropriate, students may wear costumes to school or bring the costume and change after lunch. Please leave all weapons home! The party starts at 2:00PM. All are invited!
WW: Spelling/Defintion test

Week of October 19- Homework

2009-10-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Is this fall or winter?

The students had a very good week.

We visited the Danvers Public Library and chose 2 books each. We will be visiting the library every other week on Wednesdays. Our next visit will be on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 around 11:00AM. If your son/daughter has any overdue books or fines, please reconcile this with the library prior to our next visit.

Pajama Day was fun and we had some very interesting attire!

We are progressing in our group reading book, Charlotte's Web, completed the first 3 chapters and performed very well on our 1st story quiz!

A special thank you to Sam Kirby's mom, Jeanne Argento for bringing in their new puppy, Lulu, a Westie, last week. This was a special treat and the newest member of Sam's family is adorable, but not as cute as his sister Kate!

Also, another "thank you" to Sam's mom for printing very "cool"name labels for Group 2's notebooks and workbooks and supplying us with 3-ring binders! We are very appreciative of her generosity.

A very special guest, Sharon Clark, will visit Group 2 on Thursday to educate the students on the founding of the Clark School!

In true Fall fashion, we are planning to go "pumpkin picking" this coming Friday, 10/23, at Connors Farm. (However, our day may change if the weather fails to cooperate!)

Monday 10/19/09

Reading: 20 - 30 minutes /journal entries or work on book reports if your independent reading book is completed.
Wordly Wise Book 1: Finish flashcards with definitions, review WW words and Dolch words and complete Exercise 3A.
WW: All students are now in the Wordly Wise Book 1. For those who may have completed this section last year, this will be a good review. Review the exercises and make sure your answers are correct. Our WW words include the following: absorb, bridle, ewe, fragrant, gallop, glide, limp, narrow, odd, outlaw, refresh, ship, tithe, trample. Our Dolch words: does, don't, fast, first, five.
A.M. Work: Last week's A.M. worksheets are due if you did not complete them in class:)!

Tuesday 10/20/09

Reading: 20 - 30 minutes/journal entries/book reports.
Reading Comprehension: Read next chapter story, answer questions and complete "Write about it" activity (Attach lined paper if necessary).

Wednesday 10/21/09

Reading: 20 - 30 minutes/journal entries/book reports.

Thursday 10/22/09

Historic Figures: Our special guest will be "Sharon Clark" who will discuss the founding of the Clark School.
Reading: 20 - 30 minutes/journal entries/book reports.
WW: Pre-test and complete Section 3 A, B, C and D exercises.

Friday 10/23/09

Pumpkin Picking at Connors Farm.
Reading: 20 -30 minutes/journal entries/book reports
WW: Spelling/Definition test.

Week of October 12- Homework

2009-10-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Hulbert attendees are back! This will be a short week since Monday is ColumbusDay!

Monday 10/12/09

Day off- sleep late!

Tuesday 10/13/09

Library: Visit to the Danvers Public Library.
Reading: 20 minutes/journal response
Reading: AND Bring in Flat Stanley project!
Handwriting: See individual books for pages assigned.
Wordly Wise Book 1: Complete flashcards and definitions - ally, breeze, conceal, cub, dreary, dusk, furious, hollow, splendid, turf, uniform, weapon.
Blue Vocabulary Book- Lesson 4: Complete flashcards and definitions - elegant, emerge, contribute, nestled, assemble, weary, nutritious.
Dolch Words for both groups: best, both, buy, call, cold.

Wednesday 10/14/09

PAJAMA DAY!
Reading: 20 minutes/journal response.
Reading Comprehension Book: (All books) Read next chapter story, answer questions and complete the "write about" activity.
Money Quiz $$$$.

Thursday 10/15/09

Reading: 20 minutes/journal response
WW/Spelling: Pre-test
WW/Spelling: Word List 2, pages 2 - 8
Blue Vocabulary Book, pages 14 -17
Science: What Am I? handout.

Friday 10/16/09

Reading: 20 minutes/journal response AND Charlotte's Web Quiz- Chapters 1 - 3
WW/Spelling: Test

Week of October 5 - Homework Schedule

2009-10-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Since the majority of the school is at Hulbert, we will be the faithful ones to remain behind to work!

We will follow a very similar schedule with some minor changes since some of our teachers are away.

Monday 10/5/09

Martial Arts with Jason.
Wordly Wise: Finish making flashcards (white ones) with the vocabulary word on one side and the definition on the back. This week's words are: alight, archer, cathedral, crew, hoof, instruct, linger, miser, observe, swarm, weary and wily.

***Last week's words are on the ring. All cards should be kept in the plastic bag to keep all words together. Please review the spelling and definitions of the WW words. Dolch Words (most commonly used words) need to be reviewed for spelling only.***

Vocabulary Blue Book (Zoe, Joe, Grace): Please do as above. Your new words are as follows: tremble, giddy, boast, resourceful, consequence and rescue.
Reading: 20 minutes/journal. If you took home a Book Report, please complete. If you have a copy of Charlotte's Web, please bring it in for this week's group reading.

Tuesday 10/6/09

Cheese pizza lunch and picnic (if your child does not want pizza please pack a lunch).
Art with Jodi.
Reading: 20 minutes/ respond in Reading Journal.
Flat Stanley Project: Please finish coloring Flat Stanley. Address the envelopes and return with their contents so that we may mail them out this week!
Social Studies: Quiz on the US Military/Lt. Piatelli's presentation (see study guide).
Geography: Complete Mapping Handout

Wednesday 10/7/09

Apple picking at Connors Farm: We will walk to the farm after lunch with Group.
Reading: 20 minutes/Journal Entry
Movie Snacks: Please bring in your contribution to the movie snack- see flier that went home on Friday- thank you! (Movie to be determined!)

Thursday 10/8/09

Group Snack and Movie!
No early dismissal: pick-up at 2:45.
Reading: 20 minutes/Journal Entry
WW: Spelling Pre-Test
WW: complete Section 1 pp 1 -3 (in WW book), complete Lesson 3 pp 10 -13 (in Vocabulary Blue Book).
Historical Figures: Quiz on Benjamin Franklin (see study guide)

Friday 10/9/09

Corn Maze at Connors Farm with High School and Group 1.
Reading: 20 minutes/Journal
WW: Spelling/Definition test
Geography: Fantastic Seats handout

Week of September 26: Highlights

2009-10-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Group 2 had an exciting week.

1. We finished reading Flat Stanley!

We will be sending home the project on Monday and will need to have you address the envelope to your family or friends who will be "hosting" Flat Stanley's vacation! A letter of explanation and the contents of the mailing will be available for you to review.
We look forward to receiving some interesting letters and photos back from Flat Stanley's trip!
The students took a quiz on Flat Stanley to measure their comprehension and vocabulary skills. Great Job!

2. A special guest, 2nd Lt. Enrico Piatelli, visited with Group 2!

We had a very interesting and informative visit with 2nd Lt. Piatelli from the U.S. Army. As part of our social studies and historical figures lessons on "How People Make a Difference" in our commnity, we learned a great deal about the United States military.

Lt. Piatelli is a resident of Danvers, MA and attended St. John's Prep in Danvers. He recently graduated from the Military School at Norwich University in Northfield, VT as a 2nd lieutenant with a degree in business. He has been undergoing various training and "boot camp" sessions throughout his 4 years at Norwich and played on their varsity hockey team since his freshman year. He is being sent to Oklahoma and then Georgia for additional training and then he is being deployed to Afghanistan. His goal is to become an Army Ranger, the most elite level of the U.S. Army. He met with Group 2, gave a brief presentation, answered their questions and took photos with the class. The students learned the following facts:

There are 5 divisions of the U.S. Military: the Army, the Marines, the Coast Guard, the Navy and the Air Force.
In order to be in the Army, a soldier must possess the following characteristics (which is defined in an acrostic poem for the abbreviation of the word "LEADERSHIP"): Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Self-less Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage.
Members of the Armed Forces are committed to their country and protect people at any expense.
The Army chooses their lieutenants according to their G.P.A, mental and physical strength and experience. (Good grades are important in all aspects of life!!)
A soldier's backpack can weigh over 100 pounds!.
Once a soldier is deployed overseas, they cannot come home for a very long time.
When soldiers are in combat they carry food called "MRE'S" which are vacuum-packed and can last up to 4 years! (The students did not want to try any of these samples!)
The success of the army is based on team work and good listening skills- just like the students of Clark!

3. We reviewed capitalization, punctuation, wrote a friendly letter to Lt. Piatelli and a "I Am" biography poem, reviewed our lesson on Benjamin Franklin and constructed educational kites, moved along in our Wordly Wise books, started to review Dolch Words and progressed in our Reading Comprehension books.

Group 2: Take Home Folders

2009-09-29T10:23:00.001-07:00

Hi Parents,

Please see the work papers that your child has completed to bring home. We have reviewed them and these papers can now stay at home!

Please check this folder daily to see some of the work that we have done and keep them for your records!!!

Thank you,
LouAnn:)

Group 2: September 28 - Homework Schedule

2009-09-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 9/29/09

Morning Work: Please complete pages 8 and 9 in your "grammar packet" if you did not finish in class.
Reading: 20 minutes and journal entries
Worldly Wise Book C: Complete page 58 in WW book AND flashcards need to be complete (accurate spelling and definition on reverse side).
Vocabulary Book (Grace, Joe, Zoe): Pages 8 & 9 AND flashcards need to be complete (accurate spelling and definitions on reverse side).
Geography: Complete a mappping exercise- Hannah's New House. Please complete questions 1 - 9.

Wednesday 9/30/09

Reading: 20 minutes and journal entries
Wordly Wise Book C: Complete page 59
"Grammar Packet": if you did not finsih in class please attempt to work on as many pages as possible to reach page 9

Thursday 10/1/09

Reading: 20 minute/journal entries
Wordly Wise: spelling/defintion pre-test

Friday 10/2/09

Reading: 20 minutes/journal entries
Wordly Wise: spelling/definition test
Reading Comprehension: Please see Assignment Notebook for your individual pages in the Reading Comprehension Book that need to be completed (it will be the next story and questions). Some may have already completed this assignment in class.

Math: Gold Book- October 1

2009-09-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

30 minutes (see individual goal written in math book)
H/W problems must be done in Graph Notebook- answers only on worksheet and math book!
Please use format that we have discussed in class: Divide the graph page in 2 columns (work and answer), place the date and page number at the top of the page and indicate the problem number that you are working on.
Please study and review if you are taking a Unit Review tomorrow. We need to achieve an 80% or above.

Math: Gold Book Students

2009-09-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

Homework due on Monday-September 28:

Complete the "Cumulative Review Worksheet"- page 40.
If 30 minutes is not met after you have completed the worksheet, please meet the 30 minute requirement and work in your math book.
If time allows and you are ambitious, please review multiplication flashcards:)
All work must be placed in your graph notebook to receive credit (please use the format that we have outlined in class: divide the page into 2 columns (a work column and an answer column), place the date and page number at the top and number the problem that you are working on.
Students who took a Unit Review will re-do their math problems on Monday.

I was hoping to meet all of the Gold Book parents at the Back-to-School Parents Night. Since I did not get the pleasure to see all of you, I will send home my "information handout" with your son on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

LouAnn

Week of September 28, 2009- Happy Yom Kippur!

2009-09-25T13:06:00.001-07:00

Group 2 had a very productive week!

Please check the assignment notebook for upcoming assignments. As we discussed at Back-to-School Night, the assignment notebooks have beeen working well to provide you with accurate assignment information.

The blog will provide you with an overview of this past week's progress and highlights of the upcoming week. If there is any confusion or concerns, please e-mail or contact me via my cell. The students have been very good in completing assignments and producing quality work.

It was a pleasure meeting with you at Back-to-School Night and discussing your child's curriculum, homework, grading, schedule and miscellaneous items.

We successfully completed the following:

Science: Created a "Dog Life Cycle" Journal for science to record observations, measurements and behavior as we met with "Brody", a 16 week old King Charles Spaniel. Students observed Brody as he played with them in the playground, weighed him on a scale, measured his body length and ear length. We plan to meet with Brody every 2 weeks to observe his physical and behavioral changes as he transitions from puppy to adulthood through his life cycle.

Reading/Writing: Added additional books to our Reading Logs, produced more advanced book reports to improve our writing and wrote interesting entries in our Reading Journals.

Grammar: Learned the importance of capitalization and punctuation in our writing.

Geography: Since we had such beautiful weather and we are studying mapping skills, we gathered our clipboards and wandered the grounds to develop a "Clark School Campus" Map. We also gathered items related to Fall and wrote about signs of Fall. We worked in our Geography books and identified the home continent for specific animals i.e. the platypus, the Koala bear, the kangaroo.

Letter Writing: We wrote letters to Brody and his owner to thank them for their visit and comment on our thoughts about Brody. We utilized proper letter writng format and the final product was very professional!

Reading Comprehension: We moved along in our reading comp books and completed another lesson.

Social Studies: A Community and its components were discussed.

Historical Figures: We read "Benjamin Franklin and the Magic Squares" and learned amazing facts about Ben Franklin! (Please ask your children about his many inventions!)We completed a biographical summary on Ben and will complets an educational kite on Monday.

Some highlights for this upcoming week:

A Group Reading on Flat Stanley and writing project- instructions to follow!

A science lesson on Owls (to follow through with our summer reading of "Hoot") and a take home activity to extend the lesson.

To combine a Social Studies and Historic Figures lesson, a very special visitor, 1st Lieutenant Enrico Piatelli from the U.S. Army, will speak with the students on "how people make a difference" in our community and how the armed services help and protect not only our community but our country.

If possible, a few "wish list" items that would be greatly appreciated:

A 1" -2" 3 ring soft-binder to create a historical figures journal
4" x 6" colored flash cards for spelling
A copy of the books: Flat Stanley and Charlotte's Web

Also, thank you very much for sending in sturdy "pencil boxes" for writing supplies, a water bottle for our thirsty learners and napkins with lunch!

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Have a great week-

LouAnn

Week of September 21- Happy Fall!

2009-09-20T05:56:00.000-07:00

We had a very successful week and we are taking off!

Please check the assignment notebook for upcoming assignments. Assignments are written in on the day that they are due. The students have been very diligent in completing the notebook and hopefully the assignments are clear.

This week flew by!

We successfully accomplished the following:

Presented the paper bag book reports for summer reading. (Outstanding job!)

Created a Reading Log.

Started writing in our Reading Journals (very good writing and summaries).

Progressed in our independent reading books (some students finished their 1st book and started working on a new book report!)

Excelled on our 1st geography quiz on the 7 continents, 4 oceans and parts of a map.

Excelled on our 1st science quiz on vertebrates.

Visited our spelling/vocabulary words and made flashcards.

Worked in our reading comprehension and handwriting books.

Reviewed punctuation.

I look forward to seeing you at the Back-to-School Information Night on Tuesday- September 22 at 6:15PM.

Have a great week!

Week of September 14- Down to Business!

2009-09-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

The Fun Has Just Begun!
This Week we will explore interesting places in our country as we master mapping skills in geography class. Our community will be explored in Social Studies, heroes will be met in our Historical Figures class, Wordly Wise/Spelling words will be introduced and handwriting will be improved as we practice in our handwriting books and daily writing. Animal Science will continue as we discusse vertebrates and their different categories.
We look forward to a quiz in both science and Wordly Wise this week.

I will communicate weekly to keep you informed on assignments and progress.
At Parents' Information Night (September 22, 2009), additional information will be provided and any of your questions and concerns will be adddressed.

I look forward to seeing you at the Family Picnic this Sunday!
Warmest regards,
LouAnn

Week One- A Success!

2009-09-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

Group One experienced a very successsful week.
What great students!
They are very bright, enthusiastic, positive, eager to learn and respectful.

We discussed class rules, behavior and manners. A job chart was created and classroom responsibilities were assigned. The students decided that they did not like "homework" and wanted to rename it "Fun Work". As a result, our "Take Home" folders are labeled as "Fun Work" folders.

The students experienced an introduction to reading, writing, math, science, art, spanish, music and martial arts.

We started an "All About Me" project for their portfolios, wrote acrostic poems, wrote a book report on summer reading in the form of a paper bag report and created an Animal Science journal. We also welcomed Zoe Blazzard's new baby brother, Aubrey. Congratulations!

Welcome to Group 2!

2009-08-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

I'm sure we'll have a great year! Check out the Clark School Website for more info!

:) LouAnn