Pictures from Los Angeles: Day 1

Garage Sale!! This Saturday!!!

Fundraiser Garage Sale Saturday!! Please sign up on the list at the bottom of the stairs for a time-slot.  We are only weeks away from our big trip!! Make every fundraiser count by participating :) 

Weekly News Broadcast: By Erik

Graduation photos and Make-Up Pictures

If you were absent Friday when we did the Grad pictures, make sure you dress up for make-ups on:

Wednesday, March 6th!  

Those of you who are ordering online, 
click here for the website: Justin Barr Photography.

GRAD PICTURES!!!

GRAD PICTURES TOMORROW!!!!! Please come wearing what you would like to be wearing in your graduation portraits.  Pictures can be purchased online at the

 Justin Barr Photography website.  

Pep Talk: Be Encouraging!!

Pictures from the Churches Field Trip

Quick Reminder: Reading Logs!!

Please make sure your reading logs are turned in next week Thursday !! This is the last month you can enter to earn a FREE ticket to Six Flags Magic Mountain!!!! If you need the reading log, click here to print one!!! 

--->Reading Log<---

Be sure to have this fully filled out and signed by your parents BY NEXT WEEK THURSDAY!!

When I Grow Up

What would it take for you to achieve your dreams?  What do you need to equip yourself with?  This is a really interesting question to consider.  We all know the power of someone encouraging our dreams, and someone who discourages us. 

Consider this: How often am I encouraging to my fellow classmates to 'shoot for the moon'? We always think about how 'I' can do well, but do we ever think about how we can be an encouragement to others? What will your story end up saying about you?

When I Grow Up from The Academy on Vimeo.

Here is the video I showed in class today.  Many of the kids asked me to re-post it here so that they could look it up later.  It can also be found on the Principal's Page here.  

Reminder for tomorrow!!!

Happy Birthday, Mr Lincoln!

I hope you all are finding some patriotic way to spend this fine day!! Here are a few little known facts about President Lincoln; the man whose life we celebrate today.

He is the only president to hold a patent – no. 6649 – for a device to lift boats over shoals. 

Lincoln, six feet, four inches tall, weighed 180 pounds – much taller and slightly heavier wearing his stovepipe hat. His hat size was seven and one eighth - his shoe size, fourteen. 

He did not like the names Abraham, Abe or Old Abe, preferring simply to be called “Lincoln.”

Lincoln is known to under-use his pockets and instead, put important items inside his top hat.

The first town named after him was the capital of Logan County in Illinois in 1853. He warned the townspeople that, “Nothing named Lincoln ever amounted to much.”

Lawyer Lincoln made 300 appearances before the Illinois Supreme Court. 

He was once challenged to a duel but the challenger accepted his apology when the much taller and smarter Lincoln chose broad swords as the weapons for the duel. 

Lincoln first spoke out against slavery in a speech to the Illinois State Legislature in Vandalia in 1837. In his second inaugural, he said that slavery was the cause of the war. He was right.

He was born in 1809 and she in 1818, marrying him November 4, 1842 – inside her wedding band were the words, “Love is eternal.”

Follow the link to take the quiz on how well you know this president!! http://constitutioncenter.org/lincoln/

READ

RESEARCH PAPERS!!

The 6th grade research project is DUE TOMORROW!!!!!! Please make sure these are turned in on time!!! Any late assignments will be lose minimum of 1/4 a letter grade for every day late.  No exceptions.

So many papers to grade! :)

Weekly News Broadcast: By Christian

By Christian Monreal

Changing the World: Dollar Project

Here are a few photos from one groups Dollar Project! These students took the initiative to band together and earn money to help the Homeless by giving out hygiene items in pre-made kits.  One dollar can go a long way!! These students have made a total of 39 hygiene kits, and are currently passing them out as I type this.


Students, you make me SO proud!! Great job working together!!

Buying the items

So many band-aids!

The Team

Working Hard

Dedication

39 total kits just like these!

A card like this was placed in each kit.

Final Research Report Due Friday!!

The date for the final draft has been extended to this Friday, January 25th.  Please make sure all of your work is completed on or before this day,and is ready to be submitted.  There will be very few exceptions for late work, so please turn in your project on time.

Dollar Project Field Trip

Here are a few photos from yesterday's trip. More footage to follow!

January Novel: A Wrinkle In Time

While watching this video, imagine yourself at the center of the cube.   If this were really happening, you would be hurtling through time and space at nearly the speed of light.  This is a digital version of what Mathematicians think the Wrinkle in Time portal would look like.   In the novel, the concept of a 'tesseract' is something like what in science-fiction is called a wormhole; a kind of portal that creates an opening through space and time and from one place to another.  This is how the three Mrs. W's are able to take the children to rescue their father, and how their father first finds himself trapped on a foreign planet!

Here are a few discussion questions we will be going over in class:

1. What are the most important lessons that Meg learns over the course of the novel?
2. In what ways does Camazotz resemble Meg's neighborhood on Earth? How is it similar to  Russian neighborhoods during the 1960's?
3. How are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which distinguished from one another?
4. SPOILER ALERT: Why do you think the author  represents IT as a large disembodied brain? 
5. Think About It: Charles Wallace is an extraordinary child. How do his unusual traits both hurt and help him on Camazotz?

Extra Credit Question: Who says this quote in the novel?

"God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty...."

Christmas Gift Exchange!

          This year we will be doing a Christmas book exchange!! Please buy one new book, and wrap it for your secret person!  Try to buy something that looks fun and exciting!! Please spend only between $5-$10 maximum.  Each student should have a card with a person's name on it and a type of genre that they like or find interesting for their book choice.They may also write down favorite authors on the card to help with the book-finding process.  If you are unsure of what book to get, please feel free to ask me!!  These gifts will need to be brought in first thing Friday morning, or earlier of you can.  If you are in someway unable to participate in this exchange, please tell me as soon as possible.  We do not want anyone left out!

--Mrs. Barr

Research Report Reminders

          Below is the rubric that will be used in assessing your score on your research report.  Please take the time to look at this while we begin the brain storming process for your papers.  

         Your final outline and your works cited pages are due this Friday. Earlier work is fully acceptable and encouraged if you would like extra input in crafting a better paper. Also, please be working on your rough draft over Christmas break! It will be due the Friday we come back, but try to use the extra time you have so that it will not be all rushed at the end.  Please see me if you have any questions!

Criterion	Poor 5-25 pts	Fair 25-40 pts	Good 40-50 pts
Content & Development 50 pts	Poor - Content is incomplete. - Major points are not clear and /or persuasive.	Fair - Content is not comprehensive and /or persuasive. - Major points are addressed, but not well supported. - Research is inadequate or does not address course concepts. - Content is inconsistent with regard to purpose and clarity of thought.	Good - Content is comprehensive, accurate, and persuasive. - Major points are stated clearly and are well supported. - Research is adequate, timely and addresses course concepts. - Content and purpose of the writing are clear.
Criterion	Poor 5-25 pts	Fair 25-40 pts	Good 40-50 pts
Organization & Structure 50 pts	Poor - Organization and structure detract from the message of the writer. - Paragraph is disjointed and lack transition of thoughts.	Fair - Structure of the paragraph is not easy to follow. - Paragraph transitions need improvement.	Good - Structure of the paragraph is clear and easy to follow.
Criterion	Poor 5-25 pts	Fair 25-40 pts	Good 40-50 pts
Format 50 pts	Poor - Paper lacks many elements of correct formatting. - Paragraph is inadequate/excessive in length.	Fair - Paper follows most guidelines. - Paper is over/ under word length.	Good - Paper follows designated guidelines. - Paper is the appropriate length as described for the assignment.
Criterion	Poor 5-25 pts	Fair 25-40 pts	Good 40-50 pts
Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling 50 pts	Poor - Paper contains numerous grammatical,   punctuation, and spelling errors. - Language uses jargon or conversational tone.	Fair - Paper contains few grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors. - Language lacks clarity or includes the use   of some jargon or conversational tone.	Good - Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed; spelling is correct. - Language is clear and precise; sentences display consistently strong, varied structure.

For every day late, the research paper will have 5 points taken off for a total of a ¼ of a letter grade.

Weekly News Update- By Mackenzie

Research Report Due Dates and Format

Due Date Schedule:

5 Artifacts/ Sources due- Friday, December 7^th

Report Rough Outline-Friday, December 14th  

Final Outline- Friday, December 21st

Works Cited Page- Friday, December 21st

Hand written rough draft will be due on Friday, January 11th

Final draft is tentatively due on January 18^th

Dates may be subject to change with sufficient notice.

Research papers should consist of:

• Title Page (should look like the cover of the packet)
• Typed Outline
• Body of paper is at least 5 full pages typed
• Your last name and page number in the heading (upper right hand corner) on each page
• One illustration/graphic related to topic
• Work Cited page (with at least 5 required resources in alphabetical order)

Word Processing Guidelines:

• 12 point font size
• Font: Times New Roman or Arial
• Double Spaced
• No extra spaces between paragraphs (only hit return/enter once)
• Paper does not conclude with “the End” nor does it contain “No-No” words 
• Your final completed project should be put in an essay folder with all of the required materials.