Constitution Day

Today, September 17, is National Constitution Day.  We celebrate it today because it is the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution.  Try the quiz on the link below and see how much you know about our constitution!



Washington Post Constitution Quiz

Be more AWESOME!

I don't know if any of you have had a chance to see any of the Kid President videos on YouTube, but he is just the cutest kid with really intelligent and challenging words.  He posted a new video yesterday challenging teachers and students to always be learning and always be teaching.  It's a good thing to think about as we are now almost a month into school.  

What do your actions teach the people around you?

Getting ready for a new school year

It's almost that time again, time for that fresh start to a brand new school year.  Often we spend these last couple weeks finishing up summer homework and shopping for new school supplies.  One more thing to consider is getting back into the routines of school.  I know I always have trouble getting back into my school sleeping patterns so that I can wake up refreshed in the morning, even if it is early!

Check out this list of suggestions for parents and children to help adjust from the lazy summer sleep patterns.  It can be one more thing that helps starting school go smoothly.

Back to school sleep tips for the whole family.

Can you beat 5 second?

With Terra Nova testing just around the corner, it's a good idea to give yourself some time to review math facts before the big test.  Of course, any time is a good time to review math.  But here's a fun new game to play.  Our second graders and fifth graders got their times down to under a minute today.  Can you??

Kakooma Game

1. Click on the link above, then click on the Kakooma game.

2. Choose which math facts you want to practice.

3. Choose easy or hard on the six sided shapes (other shapes are available, but the hexagons are free!)

4. In addition, fractions, and integers, the goal is to pick the number in each hexagon that is the sum of two other numbers in the hexagon.  In multiplication, the goal is to choose the number that is the product of two other numbers, then the final hexagon is addition.

See if you can beat your best time each time you play.  Or see if you can beat the All Time records on the side of the page.

Just another way practicing math can be fun!!

The Pope retires! Can he do that?

In addition to being the resource teacher, I teach one class of fifth grade religion.  It just happens that we were discussing how Pope's are elected and how the conclave works this past Friday.  I even said to my students, "It's good to know, but this probably won't happen for a while."  Then I woke up this morning to the very interesting news of Pope Benedict XVI resigning.
In trying to find some information to present to the class, I came across a couple great resources.  This one is a very easy to read graphic from the Washington Post that was put together at the time Pope Benedict XVI was elected.  The numbers may be a little off, but the process is the same.

How Does a Pope Get Elected (Graphic)

This one is a video from You Tube that has much of the same information, but is presented in a different way.

How do they choose a Pope (video)

Hope that helps!

New Year, New Start

Often during the first few weeks of a New Year, we take some time to write resolutions for ourselves.  We think about what we would like to do differently in the new year.  In my religion class today, we wrote goals, but I challenged the students to think about more than just the end result.  I asked them to think about how they will reach the goal and what the steps to that goal might be.  Then I had them draw a picture visualizing what it will look like once they have reached the goal. 

This could be a good activity to do at home as well, especially with students who struggle in school.  Take time with your kids to talk about what they accomplished in the last year and praise their hard work.  Then ask them what they would like to accomplish in the upcoming weeks (until the end of the trimester), months (until the end of the school year) or year.  As they make these goals, talk about what it will take to reach the goal, not just the end result.

You might even create some family goals like more time together, nightly walks, or less arguing between siblings.

If you need some ideas for how to start, click on this link to find different formats for goal setting.

Goal Setting Worksheets