Ariel

Ariel shared her bag yesterday...she had quite a lot inside this little bag!

The first item she pulled out was a jar of pink fingernail polish...telling us she likes to paint her nails. This is a little duck. Ariel told us she and her dad like to hunt ducks...and also to fish together.
I bet her dad loves having his daughter along on these outdoor adventures!This is a little bag...that holds her collection of....money! She told us she likes to collect money. I asked Room 8 to raise their hand if they also liked to collect money. I think just about everyone raised their hand.

Ariel also brought a game for a DS...saying that it could calm her down.

She brought a bracelet, too. Now I can't remember if it was from her friend Lorraine....or for her friend Lorraine...or if her friend Lorraine also had one???

Ariel also likes to work with her dad on bikes... and she likes to draw.There were a lot of oohs and ahhhs when Ariel pulled this out. She said it was "some sort of rock" that her Dad gave her. She said it will 'sparkle in the sun' and that it 'looks like a snowflake'. Some Room 8ers thought it was a thin slice of a geode. Ariel also had a little shell and told us she likes shells.

After each student shares their bag, I always ask the class, "What did we learn about _____?" When I asked that about Ariel, one Room 8er said, "She loves her Dad!"

Alex T

Alex T was the 2nd to share his bag. He started with a book...telling us that he likes to read in his spare time. Now, as a teacher, that makes me happy...I love when students love to read!

Alex pulled a Star Wars action figure out of his bag to tell us how he likes Star Wars...

He also loves to draw. This paper was slowly unfolded to reveal a drawing of a dragon...I don't remember if Alex said he also likes dragons...A bouncy ball...Alex usually keeps this in his desk (good place for it during school!). When it's recess, he takes a hat from his desk (he showed us the hat, too) and bounces the ball then tries to catch it with his hat! That sounds fun! Alex showed us this car and told us he just likes cars...and his cousin also likes cars.

Other items in his bag included a rock...because he likes to collect rocks and has a huge collection. He also had a rock with a cross on it because, he said, "I believe in God and that's not a bad thing!"

He had "one of my favorite notebooks" because he's writing a book about Star Wars. He said, "Hopefully it will be a real book someday!" Wow, I hope so too!!!

It was fun learning more about Alex T...and for me, it was also fun because I had his uncle in my class...a long time ago!

Alex F

Alex F...one of our two Alexes...was the first student to share his bag. I thought he would be a little nervous, but nope, he wasn't at all!

Alex brought a pencil, telling us how he likes to draw. This soccer medal he brought to tell us he liked soccer...liked medals...and he even told us he had two soccer jerseys. Alex also likes to make necklaces. He brought one to show us. He also collects wristbands, like this green one in the picture.

Alex's grandpa test drives cars, so he brought a little car to show us. Legos is something else Alex enjoys...along with rocks! Alex likes to climb rocks...I forgot to ask him how his mom enjoys his climbing escapades!Last but not least, Alex brought two lollipops...just because he likes them.

Yum, yum, Alex!

We enjoyed learning more about you...thank you, also, for going first to share your bag.

Ms. McL

Ms. McL...we all adore her!

She shared her 'bag' with us on Wednesday. Each student has been given a paper sack with their name and a date written on it. On that day, the student has items in the sack that they pull out one by one to tell us a little about them. Ms. McL had her student ID card in her back to let us know she was still a student...and that she was in her last year! She had an eye mask and told us how she loves to sleep! She keeps herself organized with a mini-notebook. She showed us her markers/highlighters...in pink and purple, her two favorite colors.

Ms. McL loves to go to movies so she brought a ticket stub to tell us. Ms. McL doesn't have a TV or watch movies at home, but she loves to go to the theater!

She brought batteries to tell us how she is very busy...earplugs because she loves music...sunglasses because her favorite season in summer (she loves to go camping and boating!), and ... she loves her nephew!We enjoyed learning more about Ms. McL.

On Tuesday, she read a letter to us about her summer, her favorite things, her family, and what she's looking forward to in Room 8.
How lucky we are to have Ms. McL...and how lucky she is to have the students of Room 8!

Scavenger Hunt

Fourth grade brings lots of changes to elementary school life. One of these changes is the number of textbooks the students have. To give them time to look through the books and to give them time to talk with their classmates, we have a 'Scavenger Hunt.'

To do this, the students are divided into groups. Each student has a page of questions, for example: Where would you find the Yazoo River? As a group, they decide which of their books they need to look in to find the answer...then they look it up and write their answer on their papers.

I encourage them to all work together. This helps me to see who are my leaders, who are the followers, who works well in groups and who doesn't....Oh boy...a new school year!

A New Year!

It's hard to believe a new school year has started!

The 2010-2011 school year is now in full swing! In Room 8, we are fortunate to have Ms. McL with us as a student teacher. We also have Mrs. T for 3 hours a day...in the mornings. Mrs. T and I have worked together...and I count myself fortunate to have her again this year.

As you may notice, the name of this blog is Room 8 News...which is our room number. However, as soon as Room 9 is cleaned...meaning all the materials are moved out by the workers remodeling the school, we will become Room 9. I'm not sure what I'll do about the blog name, however!

I hope this years families enjoy seeing their children on the blog... feel free to write comments to us...

Ms. C starts her solo!

Ms. C.... we all adore her!

On Monday, Ms. C will begin her two week 'solo'.... a time when she teaches Room 8 without me in the classroom. She has planned all the lessons....and created papers and projects....
and now she's ready...
Gold Rush...metamorphic rocks and the rock cycle...probability....Roman Numerals...By the Great Horn Spoon... oh, this will be a fun two weeks for Room 8!
Student teaching is such a fun time!

Mission Reports

Mission reports... that's what we're writing in Room 8! We're also studying missions by working in mission groups. We started off reading out of the textbook...learning why missions were started in the first place... then we divided into groups to learn more...and now we're also writing our reports. Serenity

Each student was able to pick which mission (there are 21) they wanted to write about. Some picked a mission they had visited, some picked the same mission their parent had written a report on when they were in 4th grade, and some just picked a mission!Abby

Each student was given a packet of articles on their mission.
Dallin

As they read each article, they stop after each paragraph and ask, 'What important information did I just read?' At that point, they write notes, not sentences, in the appropriate square.
Logan B.

Each Room 8er was given a piece of paper divided into fourths on each side. Each section is titled, Beginnings and Location; Buildings; Indians; Crops and Crafts; etc.
Keith

After their notes are complete, they will have the notes already divided into paragraphs for their report. We've practiced taking notes in class all year, and specifically practiced for this project on Mission La Purisima.
Aleia and Ms. C
Sam
Noah
Liam...um? He doesn't appear to be taking notes!
Connor
Kaylee
"Yes, Kaylin. Do you have a question?"
Logan T.
Jaelin
Jimi...sorry this blurred! You must have been writing so fast, my camera couldn't stop the action!
Sadie
Andreas
Mission Notes...

Room 8 is really enjoying Missions. When it's time, you'll hear multiple Room 8ers say, "OH BOY! It's time for MISSIONS!"

Music to my ears!