Brobisky's Blog

On Wednesday kids received a list of possible canidates for our Black History project.  They are to select 3 they are interested in and we will sign up on Thursday, the 23rd. No two people in any class can do the same person. Right now, I do not want kids doing ANYTHING outside the classroom on this project. Again, my goal is for them to learn the process and we will walk through this TOGETHER here at school. We will begin research Monday, the 27th.

Tomorrow we will review bibliography forms and notetaking so they will be prepared on Monday. Kids will receive daily research points.

We have met is small groups this week, and kids have Job 8 due on Friday.

There is no spelling this week.

This week we will finish the book, Through My Eyes, by Ruby Bridges.  We will then watch the movie. The kids will be given vocab on Tuesday. We will begin our research project next week. There will be no spelling this week.

Reminder: Valentines party is Tuesday. There is no school Friday, the 17th or Monday the 20th. Enjoy the long weekend!

Our class party will be on Valentine's Day, Tuesday the 14th, at the end of the day. Kids can bring Valentines if they wish, I just ask if they bring one, they bring one for everyone. We have 25 kids in our class. Kids may also bring boxes if they wish, some do and some dont at this age. We will have a class meeting this week to figure out what the kids would like to do for their party. ie: pizza, movie, candy,????

The kids selected spelling words today from their small group books. They are: compromise, hatchet, confined, clutching, engine, exactly, themselves, bitterly, tonight, melody. The test will be on Friday and we will get back on track with week 10 of DLR.

Small groups will continue with Job 6 being due on Friday.

We will be starting our Black History Unit this week! Our big project will be a research project. More information will be sent home soon about this.  We spend a great deal of time on this as I walk the kids through this process. My hope and intent is not to have a beautiful product at the end, rather that they learn the process, and other skills they will use throughout high school and even college. Don't panic, the kids will surprise you!! They CAN do this, and my plan is to do it entirely AT SCHOOL, TOGETHER!!!

Mid quarter grades are coming home with your child tomorrow!

Week of 1-23:

   Focus: writing complete sentences, identifying sentences fragments, subjects and predicates and how to use these in our writing. (hopefully, NOT the fragments!)

  Kids continued their small groups in reading also!

Week of 1-30:

    We havent done spelling for a while and we are picking that up again this week.

Words are: furiously, punishment, poisonous, vicious, ignored, museum, trembling, pretending, innocent, gorged.

     The kids selected these words from their reading books! Test is on Friday.

Kids will continue their small groups this week and have Job 6, which is due on Friday!

We have continued our descriptive writing and are completing our essays this week! We have learned how to "Power Write" an outline. This is a tool the kids can continue to use through out high school! Ask your child about it!

Final copies are due this Friday, along with their Job 3 from their small groups.

Reminder: No school for kids on Monday 16th.

We are finishing our "Hank the Cowdog" story this week. Vocabulary is due Tuesday and the kids are taking a quiz also on Tuesday. I hope they enjoyed the silly holiday story.

My Christmas to the kids (my homeroom) is cooking them a pancake breakfast Wednesday morning!

I am so proud of the great job our kids did providing for the family we adopted!!! Thank you so much for your generous gifts!!! You have made a real difference for them!

Have a wonderful holiday break, that I pray is filled with good health and special time with family. I am so blessed to be a teacher here, and thank you for sharing your children with me!

We are continuing to work on descritive writing.  We have also begun some holiday fun with Hank the Cowdog. This is an audio book with the story being told from the viewpoint of dogs. The voices are silly, with great play on words.  I hope it is a time the kids enjoy.  They are expected to follow along in books, complete a vocabulary, and take a quiz when we complete the book. Ask your child about Hank!!

I am deeply touched by your generousity to provide for our adopted family.  Thank you and I beleive this is a powerful lesson for our kids, and I pray they feel the blessing of doing for others.

There is no spelling this week!

This week we have learned about personal letters and have written a letter of appreciation to the host of their Thanksgiving meal. I asked the kids to committ to really getting it into the mail, or to let me know if they needed help and I could mail it for them.

Kids are meeting with their small groups and doing JOB 2 this week. They have 10 spelling words and will have the test on Friday.  We will continue also with descriptive writing.

PLEASE dress kids appropriately for cold weather!!!

The instruments have arrived and if your child is playing an instrument, I suggest you please get your childs name on the case somehow.

STUDY GROUP this week will be on WEDNESDAY!!!! the spelling words are: ancient, mummified, scorpion, exercise, expression, nervous, countryside, shuffling, cautioned, circus

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!  I am thankful for each one of our kids and the opportunity to be a part of this community, I am greatly blessed.

If you are going on a road trip, I suggested to the kids to check out a book on tape, I LOVE these and it helps make the time go by in the car! Our Willard library has a great selection.

Check with your kids and see what school supplies they need refilled.

Enjoy your holiday and some great family time!

Colleen Brobisky