I'm Sure This Never Happens Here

Maya DiRado, Gold Medals, and You

Your assignment, Reading Workshop students is to write a blog post describing your "gold medal" year? What will it look like? What steps will you take to make it happen? What goals do you have? What problems will you have to overcome to be successful? How will you persevere when it gets tough? In the end, how will you know that you have achieved at the highest level?

Maya DiRado, Gold Medalist Swimmer

What motivates you as you train and compete?

I’m motivated by seeing how good I can be. That applies not just at race time but during every practice: I prepare as well as I possibly can, even when we’re nine months out from the big meet. I set high goals for myself and then enjoy the process of working toward them. Maya DiRado, August 2016

Award Ceremony

DiRado Gold Medal Ceremony

And some more of the gold medal winners

USA Gold Medal Winners

Image from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/13/sports/olympics/maya-dirado-katinka-hosszu.html?_r=0

Take Control

Hey sixth grade Reading Workshop students, take control of your life. Make yourself great!

Don't Be Average

Give it all to be your best!

Have a Happy Day

Weekly Reading Assignment

Each week students have an assignment to read at home. Students choose a book that they want to read from home, the library, or the book room. The only requirement is that they log the date, title, time read, and pages. Students are responsible for filling out this bookmark/chart each week as they read. All minutes read outside of language arts class count towards their grade. Occasionally, students will have longer than a week when the school schedule is affected by holidays.

Students can choose to earn the grade they want. The more they read, the higher the score. A large part of their language arts grade is based on this weekly assignment.

This is the grade scale:

A = 180 + Minutes
B = 120 - 179 Minutes
C = 60 - 119 Minutes
F = 0-59 Minutes

Although students have no direct assignments associated with the Read at Home assignment and the Reading Log, many of the activities and projects in class are based on the book they are reading.

The best part of this system for monitoring reading, and increasing reading time is how students can control their grades. If they are willing to work hard, their grades will show it.

A Little Bit of a Stomach Ache

Do you have a little bit of a stomach ache this morning? I do. 

You see, my grandson, Carter aka Zoom starts kindergarten today. Now I really think he will be OK, but I'm just a little worried. Thoughts are running through my head: Will he like school? Will he work hard? Will he keep out of trouble? Will the teacher like him? Will the other kids like him? Does he know enough? Will he be successful?

Reading Workshop students, you might be wondering by now, what does that have to do with me? Well really, it has everything to do with you. There is someone feeling the same way about you. It might be your mom or dad. I might be a grandparent, aunt, or uncle. Hopefully for all of you there is someone whose stomach has a little knot hoping for the best for you.

To tell you the truth, I am a little nervous with a knot in my stomach, worrying about you on this first day of school. I want you to have an amazing year. I want you to love school. I want you to work harder than you have ever worked and learn more than you knew was possible. I want to be proud of you and I want you to be proud of yourself.

It's a lot harder for you than it is for Zoom though. School is new to him. You have a history. You know a lot about school. There are things you like and things you don't. You are better at some things than others. You have had some successes, but maybe a few failures along the way.

The thing is, only you can control your success. Others may worry, but you are the one in charge. You make decisions that determine if this is the best year of your life. So choose success this year. Make it an outstanding year. I believe in you. Let's work together to make this an amazing year and when it's over, we'll know there never was any reason to have a little stomach ache today!

Welcome to the 2016/2017 School Year!

School is starting soon and I am excited!

It's All in How You Treat People

Helping Anyone?

Blueprints?

Blueprints?

By Sara Holbrook
 

Will my ears grow long as Grandpa's?

What makes us look like kin?

Tell me where'd I get long eyelashes

and where'd I get my chin?

Where'd I get my ice cream sweet tooth

and this nose that wiggles when I talk?

Where's I get my dizzy daydreams

and my foot-rolling, side-step walk?

Did I inherit my sense of humor

and these crooked, ugly toes?

What if I balloon like Uncle Harry

and have to shave my nose?

How long after I start growing

until I start to shrink?

Am I going to lose my teeth,

some day?

My hair?

My mind?

Do you think

I'll be tall or short or thin

or bursting at the seams?

Am I naturally this crazy?

Is it something in my genes?

I'm more than

who I am,

I'm also

who I'm from.

It's a scary speculation--                    

Who will I become?

This poem is from the book, Am I Naturally This Crazy. You can buy it HERE.

Happy Monday!

Image from @VAeducatorRJW

Happy Friday the 13th!

Welcome Back From Camp

Today is the first day back in school after the trip to Camp Oty Okwa for three days of outdoor education. This video explains a little about the experience.

Three Rules

Do you have rules for life?

 

Share Your Thoughts

On the Mountain

Reading Workshop students, here is a free verse poem prompt. Let your imagination go!

Write a Poem

Write a free verse poems. No rhyming allowed.

Adventures Of Isabel

Adventures Of Isabel
By Ogden Nash

Isabel met an enormous bear,
Isabel, Isabel, didn't care;
The bear was hungry, the bear was ravenous,
The bear's big mouth was cruel and cavernous.
The bear said, Isabel, glad to meet you,
How do, Isabel, now I'll eat you!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry.
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up,
Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up.
Once in a night as black as pitch
Isabel met a wicked old witch.
the witch's face was cross and wrinkled,
The witch's gums with teeth were sprinkled.
Ho, ho, Isabel! the old witch crowed,
I'll turn you into an ugly toad!
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry,
She showed no rage and she showed no rancor,
But she turned the witch into milk and drank her.
Isabel met a hideous giant,
Isabel continued self reliant.
The giant was hairy, the giant was horrid,
He had one eye in the middle of his forhead.
Good morning, Isabel, the giant said,
I'll grind your bones to make my bread.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She nibled the zwieback that she always fed off,
And when it was gone, she cut the giant's head off.
Isabel met a troublesome doctor,
He punched and he poked till he really shocked her.
The doctor's talk was of coughs and chills
And the doctor's satchel bulged with pills.
The doctor said unto Isabel,
Swallow this, it will make you well.
Isabel, Isabel, didn't worry,
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She took those pills from the pill concocter,
And Isabel calmly cured the doctor.

You can buy the book HERE.

Spread Some Awesome!