Just happened to notice that I had posted the wrong date for the teacher inservice date later this month. There will be no classes for students on Thursday, October 17th. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Johnson's Journal September 29, 2013
Homecoming 2013 is now history but it was a great week starting with the district wide pep rally on Monday and ending with the parade on Friday! If you have not seen the Homecoming Heroes video starring the BK seniors check it out on the BK Facebook page; it's really neat. Also, thank you to all the students who participated in the dress up days each week. We built school spirit, had fun, and still had a very productive week!
On Tuesday morning, Do-Jo prizes for September will be awarded, and the sixth graders will be choosing their class reward for shattering the goal of earning 1000 Do-Jos as a group during September. I am proud of the way they are all working together. Cooperation and respect are in the air, and the sixth graders are proving to be good role models to the other students in the building. Keep up the good work!
Tuesday we will start the week with another quick review of what we've been doing up to this point in math. I am anxious to try out a new review game, BAZINGA, before assigning the Diagnostic Checkpoint. I feel it is important to keep re-visitng and reviewing skills taught earlier since so much of math builds upon previously taught skills. I often tell their kids their brains are like computers. After they learn something, they need to hit the save button. You cannot hit the delete key after and assignment is finished or at the end of the chapter because you will need to use that skill again. The rest of the week, math will focus on building the skills necessary to solve algebraic equations. We will start with the "lingo" of algebra--translating algebraic phrases into algebraic expressions. By next week, we will be ready to solve algebraic equations.
Science often seems complex and abstract especially when reading about new concepts. That is why we have acted out the process of mitosis and drawn the steps involved in both mitosis and meiosis. My goal is to provide many different ways for students to connect with a concept. Playing the game of Four Corners has also been a fun way to review the differences between these two methods of cell reproduction. This week we will talk about how traits are inherited and the difference between dominant and recessive traits. These lessons usually involve some lively conversations in class, and I hope they come up again at home with you.
Dates to remember:
Monday, September 30---No classes due to teacher inservice
Wednesday, October 2--School pictures
Thursday, October 3--6-1 canoeing trip with Mrs. Kern
Friday, October 4--6-2 canoeing trip with Mrs. Kern
Tuesday, October 8--Parent Teacher Conferences (2-6 p.m.)
Thursday, October 10--Parent Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m.)
Friday, October 11--No School
Wednesday, October 17--No classes due to teacher inservice
Monday, October 28--No classes due to teacher inservice
On Tuesday morning, Do-Jo prizes for September will be awarded, and the sixth graders will be choosing their class reward for shattering the goal of earning 1000 Do-Jos as a group during September. I am proud of the way they are all working together. Cooperation and respect are in the air, and the sixth graders are proving to be good role models to the other students in the building. Keep up the good work!
Tuesday we will start the week with another quick review of what we've been doing up to this point in math. I am anxious to try out a new review game, BAZINGA, before assigning the Diagnostic Checkpoint. I feel it is important to keep re-visitng and reviewing skills taught earlier since so much of math builds upon previously taught skills. I often tell their kids their brains are like computers. After they learn something, they need to hit the save button. You cannot hit the delete key after and assignment is finished or at the end of the chapter because you will need to use that skill again. The rest of the week, math will focus on building the skills necessary to solve algebraic equations. We will start with the "lingo" of algebra--translating algebraic phrases into algebraic expressions. By next week, we will be ready to solve algebraic equations.
Science often seems complex and abstract especially when reading about new concepts. That is why we have acted out the process of mitosis and drawn the steps involved in both mitosis and meiosis. My goal is to provide many different ways for students to connect with a concept. Playing the game of Four Corners has also been a fun way to review the differences between these two methods of cell reproduction. This week we will talk about how traits are inherited and the difference between dominant and recessive traits. These lessons usually involve some lively conversations in class, and I hope they come up again at home with you.
Dates to remember:
Monday, September 30---No classes due to teacher inservice
Wednesday, October 2--School pictures
Thursday, October 3--6-1 canoeing trip with Mrs. Kern
Friday, October 4--6-2 canoeing trip with Mrs. Kern
Tuesday, October 8--Parent Teacher Conferences (2-6 p.m.)
Thursday, October 10--Parent Teacher Conferences (4-8 p.m.)
Friday, October 11--No School
Wednesday, October 17--No classes due to teacher inservice
Monday, October 28--No classes due to teacher inservice
Friday, September 20, 2013
Johnson's Journal September 20, 2013
We've wrapped up another week and are looking ahead to Homecoming. We will attend the district-wide pep rally on Monday morning and will watch the parade on Friday afternoon. Go Broncos!
It's hard to believe we are already halfway through the first quarter. Mrs. Suntken and I will be preparing mid-term reports and mailing them out by the middle of the week. If you have not been checking Campus regularly, this will let you know your child's standing as of this point. Many of you will be pleased by what your student has accomplished this far, and you can encourage them to keep up the good work! A few students need some encouragement to step up to the plate and put forth more effort. With conferences coming before the end of the quarter (October 8th and 10th), we can talk about areas where improvement is needed before report cards come out at the end of October.
Since our schedule will be a bit off on Monday because of the pep rally, it will be a good day to work with small groups of math students who need a bit of extra practice on specific skills, such as estimation strategies and exponents. Ask your sixth grader about Aunt Sally and how she was part of our math lesson on order of operations on Friday. She will make a return visit on Tuesday as we work more with the skill. The rest of the week we will be working with properties of operations. These lessons are building pre-algebra concepts your child will be using as they advance in their math career.
By now I hope you have heard about the edible cell project which is due on Tuesday, September 24th. I have been impressed by the planning the kids have been doing for this project. They have lots of good ideas; hopefully, all you will have to do is provide a bit of support in helping them round up the supplies they need. In science our lessons this week will focus on how cells reproduce. We do talk about sperm cells and egg cells joining together to form a new life. Our discussion in class does not go into any more detail than that. The discussion may raise questions about exactly how that happens if you have not had "the talk" with your child yet. I will let you decide what conversations you feel are appropriate for your child at this time. The focus of these lessons is not reproduction but how we get half of our traits from our mother and half from our father. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
I am not sure how helpful it is to include assignments for the whole week in this blog post as the best laid plans often change. I will always try to include due dates for big projects and upcoming tests in my Friday blog and will update my blog during the week with "big" assignments or projects. However, I think the best way to see exactly what is due each day is to check your child's planner. This also puts the responsibility on your child to get the assignments in the planner and get the planner home. If there are ever questions, though, give me a call.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Ruth Johnson
It's hard to believe we are already halfway through the first quarter. Mrs. Suntken and I will be preparing mid-term reports and mailing them out by the middle of the week. If you have not been checking Campus regularly, this will let you know your child's standing as of this point. Many of you will be pleased by what your student has accomplished this far, and you can encourage them to keep up the good work! A few students need some encouragement to step up to the plate and put forth more effort. With conferences coming before the end of the quarter (October 8th and 10th), we can talk about areas where improvement is needed before report cards come out at the end of October.
Since our schedule will be a bit off on Monday because of the pep rally, it will be a good day to work with small groups of math students who need a bit of extra practice on specific skills, such as estimation strategies and exponents. Ask your sixth grader about Aunt Sally and how she was part of our math lesson on order of operations on Friday. She will make a return visit on Tuesday as we work more with the skill. The rest of the week we will be working with properties of operations. These lessons are building pre-algebra concepts your child will be using as they advance in their math career.
By now I hope you have heard about the edible cell project which is due on Tuesday, September 24th. I have been impressed by the planning the kids have been doing for this project. They have lots of good ideas; hopefully, all you will have to do is provide a bit of support in helping them round up the supplies they need. In science our lessons this week will focus on how cells reproduce. We do talk about sperm cells and egg cells joining together to form a new life. Our discussion in class does not go into any more detail than that. The discussion may raise questions about exactly how that happens if you have not had "the talk" with your child yet. I will let you decide what conversations you feel are appropriate for your child at this time. The focus of these lessons is not reproduction but how we get half of our traits from our mother and half from our father. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
I am not sure how helpful it is to include assignments for the whole week in this blog post as the best laid plans often change. I will always try to include due dates for big projects and upcoming tests in my Friday blog and will update my blog during the week with "big" assignments or projects. However, I think the best way to see exactly what is due each day is to check your child's planner. This also puts the responsibility on your child to get the assignments in the planner and get the planner home. If there are ever questions, though, give me a call.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Ruth Johnson
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Johnson's Journal September 19, 2013
All the sixth graders received the directions for the Edible Cell project today in class. Look for the pink sheet that outlines the directions in your child's science folder. The project is due Tuesday, September 24th. The kids know that they can bring their project in first thing Tuesday morning. They will not need a pass; supervisors will know that the sixth graders will be bringing projects. We also discussed how this is a project that needs to be worked on over several days. I suggested starting with the key. Leaving everything til Monday night could be very stressful (for both parent and child)!
If an edible cell isn't your thing, your child has the option of creating a poster. The directions for the poster are also outlined on the pink sheet.
I want to thank you in advance for working with your child on this project. This is one of those projects that truly requires your support. I hope this is a positive learning experience for both you and your sixth grader. If you have questions, please be sure to contact me.
Ruth Johnson
If an edible cell isn't your thing, your child has the option of creating a poster. The directions for the poster are also outlined on the pink sheet.
I want to thank you in advance for working with your child on this project. This is one of those projects that truly requires your support. I hope this is a positive learning experience for both you and your sixth grader. If you have questions, please be sure to contact me.
Ruth Johnson
Friday, September 13, 2013
Johnson's Journal September 13, 2013
I hope Friday the 13th was a good day for all of you. It was another busy week in sixth grade. In math, we worked with estimation strategies to use to estimate sums and differences and got our toes wet today with two new strategies to be used when finding estimated products and differences. We will continue to work on these strategies into the coming week. A game of Jeopardy on Tuesday will help prepare us for a quiz on Wednesday. On Thursday, we will do a Diagnostic Checkpoint to check for understanding on the concepts we've been working on since school started. We're aiming for a score of 80% or better which indicates mastery of the skills; students who do not reach that level will receive extra instruction to help bring them up to mastery. By the end of the week, we should be ready to meet Aunt Sally and a tackle a series of lessons on order of operations.
Today, I introduced the Create a State project which will be the culminating activity in our maps skills unit. The sixth graders will have time to work on the project in class on Monday, and the map is due on Tuesday. Just a reminder to the 6-1 students that their Shieldlandia project is due on Monday! Since DGP (Daily Geography Practice) is now due on Thursday instead of Friday, several students asked that they get their DGP on Friday so they could have it over the weekend. Your sixth grader was assigned their DGP today, and it is due on Thursday, September 19th.
Since we are wrapping up our first Social Studies unit on Monday, we will begin a Science unit on Tuesday. The focus of thefirst chapter in Science is cells which are the building blocks of a living things and will move into genetics later on. Cell Theory will be introduced Tuesday, and the rest of the week we will be focusing on learning about the parts (organelles) of plant and animals cells. On Thursday, I will go over the Edible Cell Project which will be due Wednesday, September 25th. Look for directions for the project on Thursday evening. This is a project that takes a bit of support from you parents. Thank you in advance for your help with this project.
Tenative Assignments for the Coming Week
Monday
Math--Estimation strategies for multiplication and division Assignment: P1-6
Social Studies--Shieldlandia Project due for 6-1
Finish Create a State Project (due Tuesday)
Tuesday
Math --Review estimation strategies No assignment
Science--Introduction to cell theory No assignment
Wednesday
Math--Quiz over estimation strategies
Science--Parts of a cell Assignment: Finish packet page 1
Thursday
Math--Diagnostic Checkpoint
Science--Edible Cell Project to be assigned (due the following Wednesday)
Assignment: Packet page 2
Social Studies--DGP due
Friday
Math--Order of Operations No assignment
Science--Parts of a cell Assignment: Packet page 3
Today, I introduced the Create a State project which will be the culminating activity in our maps skills unit. The sixth graders will have time to work on the project in class on Monday, and the map is due on Tuesday. Just a reminder to the 6-1 students that their Shieldlandia project is due on Monday! Since DGP (Daily Geography Practice) is now due on Thursday instead of Friday, several students asked that they get their DGP on Friday so they could have it over the weekend. Your sixth grader was assigned their DGP today, and it is due on Thursday, September 19th.
Since we are wrapping up our first Social Studies unit on Monday, we will begin a Science unit on Tuesday. The focus of thefirst chapter in Science is cells which are the building blocks of a living things and will move into genetics later on. Cell Theory will be introduced Tuesday, and the rest of the week we will be focusing on learning about the parts (organelles) of plant and animals cells. On Thursday, I will go over the Edible Cell Project which will be due Wednesday, September 25th. Look for directions for the project on Thursday evening. This is a project that takes a bit of support from you parents. Thank you in advance for your help with this project.
Tenative Assignments for the Coming Week
Monday
Math--Estimation strategies for multiplication and division Assignment: P1-6
Social Studies--Shieldlandia Project due for 6-1
Finish Create a State Project (due Tuesday)
Tuesday
Math --Review estimation strategies No assignment
Science--Introduction to cell theory No assignment
Wednesday
Math--Quiz over estimation strategies
Science--Parts of a cell Assignment: Finish packet page 1
Thursday
Math--Diagnostic Checkpoint
Science--Edible Cell Project to be assigned (due the following Wednesday)
Assignment: Packet page 2
Social Studies--DGP due
Friday
Math--Order of Operations No assignment
Science--Parts of a cell Assignment: Packet page 3
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Johnson's Journal September 10, 2013
My RTI math group (6 Johnson people) has been introduced to the concept of integers. Integers are whole numbers and their opposites..6, -6, 4, -4, etc. Your sixth grader should know that zero is not a whole number and, therefore, is not an integer. To help the kids become better acquainted with the concept we used a PBS website game. They enjoyed the game and asked me to post the website so they could play it at home. The URL is as follows:
Hope you enjoy it!
Ruth Johnson
Friday, September 6, 2013
Johnson's Journal Friday, September 6, 2013
This has been a busy week, and I hope everyone is looking forward to a restful weekend. When we get back on Monday, we will be reviewing the concepts taught in math--place value, exponents, comparing numbers, and rounding numbers--in preparation for a quiz on Tuesday. We will spend the rest of the week working with various estimation strategies. There are many "rules" to learn and the rules for estimating sums and differences are different than the rules used when estimating products and quotients so your sixth grader will need to be on his/her toes! They will also be assigned a problem solving worksheet which is due Thursday. I have decided to move the due date up to Thursday for purely selfish reasons--fewer papers for me to check over the weekend!! DGPs will also be due on Thursday. We will alternate between problem solving and DGP; this week there is problem solving, next week there will be DGP.
In Social Studies we will be taking a closer look at different types of maps and deciding which maps works best to answer different types of questions. We will then apply all we have learned about maps to create our own maps.
Assignments for the week:
Monday
Math--Domino Place Value Social Studies--NA
Tuesday
Math--Quiz NA Social Studies --NA
Wednesday
Math--NA Social Studies--Design Shieldlandia Map (due Friday)
Thursday
Math--P1-5 Social Studies--Begin working on Create a State Project (due date TBA)
Friday
Math--P1-6 Social Studies--Continue working on Create a State Project
In Social Studies we will be taking a closer look at different types of maps and deciding which maps works best to answer different types of questions. We will then apply all we have learned about maps to create our own maps.
Assignments for the week:
Monday
Math--Domino Place Value Social Studies--NA
Tuesday
Math--Quiz NA Social Studies --NA
Wednesday
Math--NA Social Studies--Design Shieldlandia Map (due Friday)
Thursday
Math--P1-5 Social Studies--Begin working on Create a State Project (due date TBA)
Friday
Math--P1-6 Social Studies--Continue working on Create a State Project
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Johnson's Journal--September 4, 2013
The sixth graders have grasped the concepts of integers nicely. What I have noticed, though, is that the kids are rusty when it comes to their math facts and multiplying two digit numbers by two digit numbers. These are skills that sixth graders need to have down cold. We can spend a bit of time brushing up on those skills, but we have too many new skills to learn in sixth grade to focus on skills that should have been mastered in fourth and fifth grade. We will take our RTI math time this week to drill on multiplication facts, and a time test will be given on Friday to see who has their facts mastered. Mastery is completing 95 or more problems in five minutes.
I am asking that you spend some time with your sixth grader working on flash cards or helping them find an online game or activity to drill on the multiplication facts. Today we went to multiplication.com and worked with the games on that site to get our skills back in shape. I am confident that with a bit of work, we can get those math facts down cold. When your child knows those math facts instantly, the rest of sixth grade math work is so much easier. Thanks for your help.
Just a reminder that you can check on your child's progress via Campus. If you are having troubling accessing your student's grades or need help setting up an account, please contact me, and I will be glad to help you. By keeping abreast of your child's grades throughout the quarter, there will be no nasty surprises when report cards come out, and we can be proactive instead of reactive.
Reminder--Daily Geography Practice (DGP) is due on Friday.
Ruth Johnson
I am asking that you spend some time with your sixth grader working on flash cards or helping them find an online game or activity to drill on the multiplication facts. Today we went to multiplication.com and worked with the games on that site to get our skills back in shape. I am confident that with a bit of work, we can get those math facts down cold. When your child knows those math facts instantly, the rest of sixth grade math work is so much easier. Thanks for your help.
Just a reminder that you can check on your child's progress via Campus. If you are having troubling accessing your student's grades or need help setting up an account, please contact me, and I will be glad to help you. By keeping abreast of your child's grades throughout the quarter, there will be no nasty surprises when report cards come out, and we can be proactive instead of reactive.
Reminder--Daily Geography Practice (DGP) is due on Friday.
Ruth Johnson