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November 30, 2004
School Nurse Visits
Norwayne is very happy to welcome our new school nurse Mrs. Blanca. She will be with us every Tuesday and has a small "office" over in the Eighth Grade building. Mrs. Blanca did a short hand washing lesson with the kids and really reinforced the merits of being pro-active when trying to keep away from the flu. A special thanks goes to our "germ models" Skylar C. and Jordan B..
In language arts we are working through A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It is a very difficult drama but I believe the kids are enjoying the challenge and will develop a stronger appreciation for the holiday because of it. I am always amazed at how many different "tie ins" they come up with we are discussing ideas and morals. Making that connection is a very important component of not only enjoying material but also mastering it. This play will take the better part of our time between now and our holiday break. The kids will not have as much homework from me but they really should be making sure they reach their AR goals and make up and missing assignments.
I conducted a video lecture with my social studies group these last two days. They got to experience The Lost City of Petra. An amazing place located in the Middle East that often gets overlooked with all of the other issues that are so dominating in that region. As an educator I have to make sure that the students are exposed to all of the great accomplishments of our areas to avoid just the "problems". This fabulous city was literally carved from solid rock and flourished in the middle of the desert. Parents from my homeroom please ask the kids what they thought about this lesson.
Posted by hlperson at 04:26 PM | Comments (37)
November 22, 2004
Field Trip Info
Today was an unacceptable day to say the least. I wrote ten After School Detention notices because students are not doing their part. I really need your help with this. The same ones who are not passing on their Progress Reports are the ones who did not have their assignments today. I know this concerns the parents, because it concerns me. I will be assigning more after school detentions for students in both groups as a way to get homework assignments turned in. Poor grades do not seem to be affecting the students so I will try more punitive actions.
On a more positive note, tomorrow we will enjoy a pizza party from Brooklyn Pizzeria in Goldsboro. The cost is $3.00 and the kids need to bring in a drink to have with their lunch. Brooklyn’s has always been a strong supporter and we appreciate their help with this.
We also sent home some information about our fall semester field trip to Exploris to see The Polar Express, and the Kanki. The permission slip is linked at the bottom of this blog.
Download Field Trip Info
This time between Thanksgiving and Christmas will be hectic and busy. We all have to work a little harder to make sure the kids do not get behind academically. Best wishes!
Posted by hlperson at 04:14 PM | Comments (15)
November 16, 2004
Early Dismissal
Today was an Early Dismissal Day for Staff Development. Lots had to be crammed into a short day. The kids who earned the Ice Cream Reward from the Magazine Sale had an Ice Cream Sandwich before lunch and some social time. Even though it was cold outside I know they enjoyed their little break.
We began Unit 6 in our Vocabulary book. Yes we are a little behind schedule but I tend to stay that way in Vocab. We do so much in our curriculum areas with vocabulary that sometimes we get behind on our Vocabulary Book. We will get caught up.
We are beginning out discussions of the Darfour region in Africa and thinking about what our obligations are to these unfortunate people. I hope to get the kids thinking globally in order to better understand locally. The fact that we are the most blessed country in the world requires that we do for those that do not have our blessings. This simple concept is especially difficult with middle schoolers as their realm of concern usually does not extend that far.
Our first basketball game is tomorrow at Rosewood and we extend best wishes to Jessica for a good game and to Skylar to cheer the Cobras on!
Posted by hlperson at 01:31 PM | Comments (0)
November 08, 2004
Cotton Candy Friday
This is a little late but I figure better late than never. Friday we had a lot of fun in the afternoon hours thanks to Ms. Cox�s homeroom�s Science lesson. It seems the kids are studying elements in Science. Well somehow or another heat and sugar and a rapid spinning motion makes an excellent item I like to call �Cotton Candy�. Thanks to our friends at Ram-Rent-All for helping us with this project, our kids really enjoyed it and we appreciate your support! This isn�t an advertisement but when good people help us out like this, I really do like to recognize their assistance.
We have just finished reading My Furthest Back Person by Alex Haley. This was the basis for his best selling novel and movie Roots. Hopefully your children have been asking some questions about where you and your parents are from and what you have done in life. They only have to go back to their grandparents, but some are choosing to go back even further. It is pretty exciting to hear from the kids as they realize that their families have led some exciting lives. Andrew shared today that his grandmother was a missionary in El Salvador and that is where his father was born. Do you know how many of our family members were born in the home? Did you know that the Health Department Building use to be the Wayne County Hospital? Our kids are learning their family stories and some local history at the same time.
Posted by hlperson at 10:11 AM | Comments (7)