Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful concert from the strings and chorus this afternoon...despite some awfully windy conditions!
Also, look how adorable our 6th grade reindeer look. It's amazing what you can do with a little newspaper and paint.
I'm sure your parents loved them!

Bones Project

While many of us are starting to think about Christmas presents and celebrating with families, there are others in the world who are suffering and struggling to simply stay alive.

Our project to build bones for the Students Rebuild organization is complete - today we will photograph our bone collection so we are ready to mail them to Washington D.C. for the fundraising exhibit.

Click the link below to see more on the countries our bones will help.
http://studentsrebuild.org/learn-more-about-cause

Ancient Egyptian Museum Presentations

This was quite a day of presentations! Our class took turns either presenting the information they had learned, or walking around learning and questioning the exhibitors.
It was inspiring to see the intricate models, amazing posters, and Power Point Presentations people made. I appreciated the time many people had spent working on this assignment at home.
Check Elizabeth and Jason's song, some of our photos, and an Animoto of the presentations below. 
For more photos, visit our class Flickr page by clicking the word "Flickr."

Halloween Games

Congratulations! If you're reading this post, then you have successfully finished your math Order of Operations work. 
Try some of these online games. Some are a bit easy, but they are certainly entertaining...with a Halloween theme.
Easier Halloween Math Games

Hard Halloween Crossword Puzzle and Riddles

Interactive Pumpkin Carving

Square Number Ghosts

Investigating our Mystery.???!!!♥

  Since we were doing a science experiment we got some sad news...  First of all, to point out our science experiment was about cleaning a skull (we have a story in our blog, check it out!)The bad news is that our skull is missing!!! Our suspects are, Ms. Sheri (our garden lady), Mrs.Beth (our custodian), and Mrs.Hammond (vice principal).So we decided to interview them. Here is what the suspects said
Mrs.Sheri : On a Tuesday morning at 8:00 am  she was fixing our garden, she said.Then Mrs.Sheri`s
manger notice the the skull, she told Mrs.Sheri to take a look. They were both speechless. Later that day Mrs.Sheri saw Mrs.Hammond and told her what she saw. Then Mrs.Hammond told Mrs.Sheri she'll do something about it. When the interview was almost over with  her  she told us that on September 18 she took a peek and it wasn't there maybe she thought Mrs.Beth had got it. Then we interview Mrs.Beth, Here is what she said. We told her about the skull Mrs.Beth told us she didn't knew anything about it,"Well that didn't help!" We Thought. BUT she told us to ask Mrs.Hammond. She admit she threw away the skull. 
"DUNN DUNN DUNN!!!" We were curious if she has called the school police she answer no. She felt really bad of throwing  away the skull and she wouldn't of threw it away if she knew it was ours. So here is the truth about our class mystery.
    By: Geraldine♥, Jackie♥ and Iris♥ (Class Investigator)

 Geraldine♥(Right), Iris♥(Left)

 Jackie♥ (left), Iris♥ (middle), Geraldine♥(Right)

 Geraldine♥

 Iris♥(left) Geraldine♥(middle) Jackie♥(right)

 Geraldine♥,Iris♥,Jackie♥

 Left of the table: Isis♥,Geraldine♥, Jackie♥

                                                                                         Right of the table; Mrs.Sherri (Garden Lady)

 Mrs.Sherri♥ (Garden Lady)

 Mrs.Beth (School Custodian)

 Mrs.Hammond (Vice principal)

Potato Harvest

This was the most fun...having Myles, my eldest son, home for the weekend, and digging in my planter to see if I had any potatoes.

Surprisingly, we found some! Just as I figured we wouldn't find any more, I stuck my spade right into the biggest potato of the day.

Tonight, it'll be a tiny potato dinner!

Does this look familiar? (Pity they didn't find potatoes...)

Weirdly, this is what my dogs look like!!

Delicious raw potatoes, all washed and ready to cook.

Now all fried up for my husband's 50th birthday breakfast:)

Very Cool Math And Language Arts Games Site

So, sometimes while trying to find something online, I discover a totally different, but very cool site.
Here is my latest:
http://www.mentormob.com/learn/i/how-parents-can-become-strong-teachers-in-the-home/sheppard-software-fun-kids-online-math-games

Check this site out: there are both math and language arts games, which will help you review all the work we have been doing in class.
Leave us a comment on which game you played, and what you thought about it.

Dividing Decimals

Hi, We are going to show you how to divide decimals.

By Lily, Jacky, Jason, and Jacky.

Show Me

We decided that we would make a video showing how to  divide fractions.So Lily, Julio, Jason, Jacky made a video (a.k.a Show Me)  explaining how to divide fractions:

Are You a Harry Potter Fan?

So next week, there is an opportunity to hear J.K. Rowling LIVE on our computers...
I have never taken part in a webcast, but maybe this is something we should try out.

It starts before school, so if we want to try, we need to organize. Here is the flyer - post your comments on whether or not we should take part on the board below. Remember to write your name on the heading - not anonymous!

LIVE from Edinburgh, Scotland!

Thursday, October 11th, 2012 12:00 P.M. ET / 9:00 A.M. PT

Recommended for grades 4 and up.

J.K. Rowling will discuss the world of Harry Potter including Pottermore (www.pottermore.com), an exciting, free online experience that offers Harry Potter fans the chance to explore and discover exclusive new writing by J.K. Rowling as well as immerse themselves in other interactive content and community activities.

Band Rocks!

So finally I was able to hear the band playing last Friday! Can you name to tune? Great job, and we look forward to hearing more soon...

Blog Action Day is October 15th

Here is an interesting thing going on in the world...International Blog Day! I think we should take part. What is the Power of We? What do you think it means? Next week we will sign up to find out more...but until then, think about it.

Blog Action Day Logo

Fun Wordplay Game

Although I usually ride my bike to work, I happened to be driving last night and I heard this quiz challenge on National Public Radio. Every Monday evening, at 6pm Pacific time, they have a show called "Another Thing." Each week they ask listeners to send in an unusual, clever, or funny name for an item related to the news.

This week, they are asking listeners to name prehistoric toothpaste! To find out why, visit the link below. You can listen to the report, learn about this photo of the prehistoric tooth, and talk to me to send in your idea, as we can use the school address and e mail.

Give this challenge a try!
http://www.npr.org/2012/09/24/161687090/another-thing-a-toothpaste-worthy-of-a-caveman

Photo courtesy of PLoS One

Your Own Blog!

Now is the time to get serious, and start your own blog! We will be using Kidblog as our home base, and from there those of you who have earned your right to blog will make your own page.
Here is what it looks like.

You will be able to choose your own theme, upload your own Avatar, and post your own work right on your own blog. I know those who have not yet earned their right to blog will soon catch up, and I look forward to all our class taking ownership in the digital age!

The jog-a-thon

The jog-a-thon at school was fun cool and cold. I was wet and I jogged 13 laps. It was hard to breathe but I can still breathe and run. My shin hurt. My pants were wet and my shirt was wet because I poured water on my self with a cup. It was so hard.




                                 BY TEEJAY

Write Like a Babylonian!

Visit the site called "Write Like a Babylonian" to see how your name would have looked in cuneiform. Save your tablet as your name in the student folder so that we can post them all on a blog post when everyone is done.
Here is mine:

Next week, we will be making salt dough then inscribing our own text just like the Bablyonians and Mesopotamians did thousands of years ago. I think it will make you appreciate using paper and pencil...

Words for Jason

Please share your words for Jason, the character in the book Rules.

Strings in September

Today I decided on the spur of the moment that it would be fun to have a "before" and "after" record of our music classes. That way you will be able to compare how you sound now to how you sound at the concert at the end of the school year. 
I think everyone sounds great, and I look forward to hearing you all using the bow next week!

P.S. Band and Chorus, I will be visiting on Monday - so practice!

Class Novel Assignment

Here is a new way to turn in responses to our class novel! Let's try it out to see if works for us. You just double click anywhere on the page below to leave your response. You can't write much, as you will run out of sticky note space. REMEMBER TO SIGN YOUR NAME!!

FUN WITH HULA!!!!!!!

Wow hula is so fun!! Too bad I can't show anybody my hula dances. But I don't know why but...... it is secret?????? I have it every Saturday. I also have Hawaii'an language on Mondays.
   The Hawaii'an name is Hapa Hula for Hula and for Hawaii'an langulaage its called Papa Olelo!!!!!!! To me Hula is like math. I love hula for many reasons. First lots of exercies, like streching, and push ups, duck walks and more.
Second, getting to know my family, my ancestors, and their history. Lastly, I have fun! translation ( Hapa- ha-pa )
( Papa pa-pa and then o-le-low )   
                                     By Elizabeth <3 :)

Yoshi

Yoshi is happy
Yoshi likes to eat his fruit
Yoshi is sleepy

Smores

  WOW! I really enjoyed going camping to Donner lake. My favorite part of going camping was making smores . First we found a stick that is pretty long.After we found the stick we got the marshmallow and we put it on the stick.Then we made fire and we roasted the marshmallow on top. After that we got two crackers and 2/12 of a Hershey chocolate bar and the marshmallow  to make the smores.In the following are the steps on how to make smores. First you get the cracker. Next you put the marshmallow and the chocolate and put it on top. Last you get the cracker and place it on top then you eat a yummy snack and it will taste really good. It was getting dark and my family and I decided to built the tents. it was pretty hard to make them so my parents helped me. I think it was fun going camping. I cant wait to go again.

by Iris

I Felt Like a Boss!!

   Everyday towards the end of  school I grab the iPad. Why do I grab the iPad you say.??? I grab it to take pictures with.
       Right now I am taking pictures of our interesting life science, so I am the class photographer HOW COOL IS THAT!! Do you want to know what were doing for science? Take a guess ... I bet you'll never find out!!! It's a .....smelly situation!!! We first read and researched information about, how to clean a skull. Sounds pretty interestingly scary when I put it that way huh?!?! I'm guessing you have a lot of  questions popping into that head of yours. PLEASE don't try even typing "how to clean a skull" in Google because trust me, woah is it stinky. Just to verify this can cause serious eye damage, I am just kidding but stinks really bad you even worry 'bout your eye burning by just looking at the smelly skull. Well... I was telling you about the technology device (ipad) I felt like a boss and by that I mean I feel like a professional , I  felt like business .
Have you ever felt like that.!?
                                By: Geraldine♥
                             (p.s comment below)

Balloon Races!

Every year, I see the hot air balloons floating over Peavine, and think, "I should go watch them some year." So this year, I hopped out of bed at 4:56am, and dashed out the house to meet my friend Lara at 5:30am by San Rafael Park.

I was AMAZED at the crowd of people stomping up the hill toward the park - in PITCH dark! Kids, grandmas, moms and dads, strollers, blankets, chairs...you name it, people were carrying it.

Lara and I had on headlamps, so we could run the trails behind the park up Peavine and watch the balloons rise for Dawn Patrol. The view was incredible, and all the Patrol balloons raced northwards as soon as they were released. We should have realized that was a bad omen, as later the Mass Ascension could not take place, as the wind was too strong.

Instead, most of the balloons simply inflated and then remained tethered in the park. It was still amazing to watch the teams lay out the balloons, fill them with air, then hoist them vertically up above the basket. We couldn't believe the heat coming off the burners as the captains blasted the flames into the silk balloons. 

Here are some of the photos of how they get the balloons going.
I will definitely go back next year, as it was really much more fun to be in the park than to be watching the balloons from far away. 

Maceration Update!

OK, while we are using the phrase, "How scientific!" instead of saying, "Gross!" I must admit that this week's experiment with macerating our dog skull almost put me over the edge. I knew the water would begin to smell, but maybe leaving it over the holiday weekend was just a bit TOO long. 

Luckily nobody threw up, and we have all lived to see another day. We were also hoping that by moving the bones kids won't realize there are still out there, and will stop peaking at them and risking contracting zootonic diseases...

Here are the photos by Geraldinee of what we have done with our skull now. As you can see, it is now awaiting the local insect population to come on out and nibble away the remaining flesh for us - after all it is now nice and juicy. When I left school tonight at about 4:30pm, there were some small red ants scurrying along the fence wire, and some large red ants coming and going just beyond the fence. I am sure they could smell our bones, but just hadn't found them yet. A couple of flies were buzzing about and sitting on the skull, but they don't help by eating it.

Hopefully tomorrow morning we will see some actual flesh-eating insect action...