Photos by Savannah

Photos by Dylan

November 2011 Lunch Menu

Fall Party Pics/Video

Fall Party

Do not forget that this Friday, October 28th will be our Fall Party. We look forward to seeing you!

Here is a list of confirmed items.

1. Caramel and Apples

2. Chips and Dip

3. Juices

4. Pencils

5. Erasers

6. Hot Apple Cider (maybe)

Somethings to consider: We do not need too much food. I think what we have should be sufficient, but if you have a treat that you would like to send home in a bag that may be more beneficial. If you have a quick crafty activity or game that you would like to lead, just let me know.

If you would like to bring something else, let me know by sending an email, note, or posting a comment here on the blog.

Thanks! See you Friday at 1:00pm.

Photos by Olivia

Photos by Camille

Important October Dates/Announcements

It is hard to believe, but we are about to finish our first quarter (9 weeks) of school, and before we know it, the end of school year will be here. However, within the next two weeks we have a lot accomplish and some of these things include your participation and help.

Important October Dates to Remember:

Wednesday

October 19: Early Dismissal (Parent Teacher Conferences)

Friday

October 21: (8:00-9:30) Literacy Morning-Performances

Friday

October 28: 1:00-2:10 Fall Fun Friday Party (REFRESHMENTS NEEDED)

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please post in the comment section. Thanks!

Photos by Maddie

Photos by Layla (Take Two)

Feedback on CCHS Basketball Website

I know that this post is not directly related to you. However, I thought that you would be a great audience to view and help give feedback on the website I am designing for the CCHS Boys Basketball Team. If you would, take a moment to check out the website and offer your opinion. Please, understand that it is still under construction and will be updated as the season begins. Thanks!

http://www.wix.com/coahullacreek/basketball

Parental Opinion on "Spooky Buddies"

Parents,

The students chose pajamas, popcorn, and a movie for this week's "Fun Friday." However, I need your input before I show this week's movie. The students would like to watch "Spooky Buddies." It is rated "G". Which means that it should be appropriate for all audiences. However, since it does have a "scary" theme, I wanted to make sure that you were aware and had an opportunity to voice your opinion. I'm posting links below of what other people have said about the movie to help give you and idea of its content.

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/spooky-buddies

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8430885/spooky_buddies_bluraydvd_movie_review.html?cat=40

Photos by Layla

A BIG CHANGE WITH BLOGS

As you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging as much this week. As of Monday, I accepted a position as an Assistance Varsity Boys' Basketball Coach at Coahulla Creek High School. I do apologize that I have not been able to post. However, rest assured that you will still be receiving updates at least three times a week. Some of them may not be posted until the weekend, so keep your eyes open and check as often as possible. If you have questions or comments, just post them below.

Cookie Dough Fundraiser (Take 2)

Today, you should have received information on our school's cookie dough fundraiser.

September 12th-16th Photos

Preamble Art by Michael Albert

Last year, Michael Albert, a "cerealist" artist came to BES to discuss and show his recycled art. In honor of Constitution Day, our class will be making our own recycled art of the The United States Constitution Preamble.

School House Rock "Preamble to the Constitution"

We will be finishing up our study of the Bill of Rights on Friday with an Art activity centered around the preamble of the Constitution. For some of you, the following video will bring back memories, and for others, it will be a great song to learn with your child. Enjoy!

Invertebrates/Vertebrates' Video

Watch this video with your child and discuss the similarities and differences between the five types of vertebrates (Mammals, Birds, Fish, Reptiles, and Amphibians). Also, discuss how vertebrates are different from invertebrates.

{NOTE: This video was made by a student and contains some grammatical errors. Please, ignore and enjoy.}

Food Box Donations by Friday

Parents,

We need your help! Our class will be doing an Art Project this Friday for Constitution Day. We need cardboard food boxes to be able to complete this activity. Any cereal, cracker, snack cake, etc... will be greatly appreciated.

Tunnel Hill Field Trip Video

Quick Tunnnel Hill Update

I hate to be brief, but I've got a busy schedule today. The field trip was great, and I will be posting pictures and videos very soon!

Stem and Leaf Plot (Take 2)

Stem and Leaf Plot (Take 1)

Volunteers Needed

As all of you should know, at the end of every Friday, we reward students who have exhibited good behavior with "FUN FRIDAY." After surveying the classroom, many of the students would like to do something related to Art. This could be some sort of craft, painting, constructing, weaving, or etc... If you have any of these talents, please let me know, because our class would appreciate and enjoy your assistance and expertise.

Pay for School Meals Online

I'VE FOUND THAT THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO KEEP UP WITH YOUR CHILD'S PURCHASES. YOU CAN TRACK HOW MUCH THEY ARE SPENDING ON THEIR SCHOOL MEALS OR HOW MUCH YOU OWE. AS FAR AS PAYMENT, YOU ARE ABLE TO USE A CREDIT CARD, HOWEVER THERE IS A $2.00 SERVICE CHARGE APPLIED ON YOUR PURCHASE. THE $2.00 SERVICE CHARGE WILL NOT SHOW UP UNTIL THE LAST PAGE BEFORE YOU CONFIRM YOUR PURCHASE.

Families of students in Whitfield County Schools may now usemySchoolBucks.com, an online system to deposit lunch money into school meal accounts.

Among the features mySchoolBucks offers:

• Safety – Virtually eliminates worries about your child carrying money to school
• Convenience – Make payments when it’s convenient for you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
• Control
  • Receive low balance email reminders (set your own limits!)
  • Monitor your student’s account balances online
  • View your student’s cafeteria purchases
  • Efficiency – Make payments for all your children in one easy step, even if they attend different schools in the district
• Flexibility
  • Make payments using your VISA, Master Card, or Discover credit or debit card
  • Option to have payments made automatically each month
  • Receive deposit confirmations sent directly to your email account

Deposits usually arrive at the school by the next morning. You can set low balance alerts for a reminder when it’s time to add more money.

Security is a priority at mySchoolBucks.com. All transactions are secured with 128-bit encryption to protect personal information, which remains confidential. For more information, please review the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use online.

Get started by visiting www.mySchoolBucks.com to register for an account. Guests must use a valid email address to receive a confirmation email with instructions to complete the registration process. After logging in, parents may add multiple children by entering each student’s school, their name, and date of birth.

Parents may visit mySchoolBucks.com to check balances, review transaction history, and receive low balance alerts for free. A convenience fee may apply to deposits in student accounts. No transactions proceed without an opportunity to review any fees. Questions about the service should be emailed toSupport@myschoolbucks.com.

Thank you for your support and enjoy the convenience of mySchoolBucks!

Double Line Graphs Continued...

Allona and Savannah uniquely presented the average high and low temperatures in Savannah, GA.

Alec, Camille, Olivia, and Maddie researched Hilton Head, SC average high and low temperatures. It looks great!

Double Line Graph Activity

Leadership Academy

There are fewer things that I dislike more than being out of the classroom. However, I am a part of 40 other teachers from WCS and DPS that have volunteered their time and experience to be a part of "The Leadership Academy." Today, I spent most of my time thinking, "What are my educational beliefs?" To stir some of our thoughts, we were shown a video of Jeff Bezos, the founder of "Amazon.com" at the 2010 Princeton Graduation.

To help you understand, I would challenge you to watch the video below for at least the first five minutes. If you have enough time, watch the whole thing. This may help you understand what our local school systems want to accomplish.

And if you have even more time, I would like to know your thoughts about "gifts" and "choices."

Later is Better? (MAPs Testing)

(The picture above is not what the MAPs assessment does. It is just a funny cartoon to go along with computer assessments :-)

I forgot to post our Fall MAPs testing dates last week, so here they are.

Reading: Wednesday, August 31st

Math: Friday, September 2nd

Language Arts: Thursday, September 8th

For those of you who are new to MAPs testing, it is a standardized assessment that all 1st-8th grade students take in WCS. The assessments are not your normal assessments, because the goal is to measure where the students are currently performing. This means that as students get questions correct the test becomes more challenging. Many students do not understand that if the assessment seems difficult, it is mostly likely because they're doing well.

For more information, click the link below.

CLICK HERE!

Please note: These assessments will be given given three times this year, Fall, Winter, and Spring.

Local Historian Visits the 5th Grade

Probably one of my favorite people in the world, Tim Howard, my former 8th Grade teacher at Bagley Middle School, came to speak to the 5th grade about "The War between the States" a.k.a. "The Civil War." Mr. Howard has been teaching Middle School, Social Studies for the past 29 years, yet this is not what makes him a Historian. Mr. Howard is one of the most active members and leaders of the Whitfield-Murray Historical Society. For as long as I can remember, which is at least 16 years, he has been researching, writing, and telling stories of our area's past.

For these reasons, I thought it would be a great treat and experience to invite him to speak on a LITTLE bit of what he knows and loves. For the most part Mr. Howard shared how the Civil War started and how our local area was effected. Honestly, I wish that he could join us each day to share more about our local history, yet I know that there is so much more to cover. If your heritage is here in the Whitfield-Murray County area, I challenge you and myself to help your children understand their past by visiting some of our local historical sites.

Animal Classification

Today, we started talking about Animal Classification. To introduce the concept, each group was given 50 animal picture cards, 50 animal name cards, and title cards to help them classify. Sometimes as a teacher, I think that I understand what students understand. However, the students surprised me with their conversations as they were sorting their animals. During the activity, I could not assist the groups, because I wanted to see what they already knew.

Many of them would come to me with questions, but I would just refer them back to their group or ask them to look up their questions on a classroom computer. To help you understand, here are a couple of things that I heard as I walked around the room.

"A herring is a rabbit!

"Are you 100% sure?"

"Yes!" (Note: A herring is a fish.)

"Don't mammals lay eggs?" (Note: The Platypus does.)

"A snake doesn't have bones!"

This is why I teach! I love to hear what kids know and help guide them to what they could/should know.

For me, it was a fun activity! I just hope over the next week we will all understand Vertebrates and Invertebrates a little better.

A lot in a Little Time!

Today rushed by too fast. So, I'm going to let you enjoy today with a picture slide show. However, before you watch, I would like to send out a thank you to Amelia for bringing in index cards and Fruit Roll Ups (for Fun Friday). Also check out Saturday or Sundays newspaper to see one of our students, Maddie as the Daily Citizen, "Citizen of the Day."

Enjoy and do not forget to turn on the music for the video!

August 26, 2011 - slideshow maker

Fun Friday Clarifications

As all of you know, every Friday is "FUN FRIDAY." With this, I wanted to make sure that you all understood what students are allowed to bring. As of right now, I would prefer that students NOT bring electronic devices. Please, know that I am well aware of other students and classrooms that are permitted to bring in these items. However, I would prefer to wait until the winter months to use these devices, because the outside may not be accessible due to colder or inclement weather.

Even though students are not allowed to bring in electronics, they are allowed to bring in other non-electronic, school appropriate, board, or card games. So...for now, please keep these devices safely at home so that students are able to enjoy other activities. Thanks!

Important Date (September 8th)

Please, mark your calendar for Thursday, September 8th. This will be our first "Open House" and will include your child's writing/photography project. There will be more information to come about this night, but I wanted to make sure that you made room in your schedule to support your child's exceptional work.

Index Card Donations

If anyone has some extra (3 x 5) index cards, our class would be happy to use them. :)

Tunnel Hill (Civil War) Field Trip

Please, mark your calendars (September 9th) for our first field trip to Tunnel Hill Battle Field. This trip will be during normal school hours and will not require chaperones. However, all students who attend this event will be given a free ticket to go watch the actual reenactment on Saturday or Sunday, September 10th or 11th. If your looking for a quality family event that weekend, their will be vendors with arts and crafts from the Civil War era and other goodies like food and music. For more information click the link below.

Click Here!

Double Bar Graph Projects

After spending two hours doing our Math/Science Project, I think most of the class has a better understanding of how to conduct a project. Overall, the process of the projects were excellent! The students worked well together, completed the assignment on time, and included all the six steps of the scientific method. If I could give a grade on effort it would be an (A+).

However, at the end of the project, I think that most students understood more about my expectations as a teacher and their performance as students. At the beginning of the lesson, groups were asked to blindly chose a question from my CLEAN coffee cup that would be the starting point for their survey. After looking at their question, the groups then set out to conduct their experiments without my assistance. Being their first real project, I found that these kids are good listeners and work well together. Of course, there were some little disagreements with how or what to do, but for the most part, the groups had a good final product.

With this final product, the students were able to view each others' work and evaluate themselves. In my opinion, this is probably the most important part of the lesson, because the students are able to reflect, see, and discuss whether or not their work is exemplary. After students had their five minute group debrief, most of them noticed things that they could improve. Many of them were able to see that their work lacked one of the six categories, could not be read at a distance, or lacked creativity or beauty. Each group now has a goal to work toward for their next project tomorrow. It will be interesting to see if they take these into account as they work tomorrow.

Ohhhhh...one last thing, I'm proud of the students for being honest about their teamwork. Everyone of them mentioned that their group had some difficulties about making decisions or working together. However, they were quick to admit their faults, seek a resolution, and pledge to do better the next time. I could not ask for a better way to end the project!

(WCN) Wildcat News

Today, students were given an opportunity to be a part of Wildcat News Team. If your child is interested, they should be bringing home a (WCN) application. By Friday, August 26, these must be completed and turned into me, Mr. Headrick. Please, note that all applicants will be considered yet not all will be approved or accepted to the news team. If your child really wants to participate, he or she must be willing to be present and ready EVERY morning by 7:35am. Also, parents remember that these positions are privileges that will be taken away if abused or neglected by your child. So with your commitment, I ask that you help support your child if he or she desires to be a part of the WildCatNews.

Kickball Science

They did it! They successfully conducted their experiment!

Science Projects

David, Kayree, and Isabel are conducting an interesting experiment on how salt effects the preservation of apples.

I'm really proud of these guys. They have been working diligently on their procedures for a couple of days and have found that even though science is FUN, it can be challenging. In all honesty, they have a great experiment. They want to test whether or not a rubber kickball will go farther than a soccer ball. However, they wanted to jump into the experiment without a plan. Gradually, they have come to a place that they understand that experiments require planning. Hopefully, tomorrow I will have a picture to post of their experiment.

Mastering Math Facts

Alec and Olivia work so well together!

After talking to several middle school and high school teachers this summer, I have decided to take heed to their advice. The common thread that these teachers mentioned had something to do with basic math facts. So...by September, I would like for most of our class to master their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. I know that this may seem like a short amount of time, but I believe that the students should be able to do this with practice and our support. If you have some spare time, spend the next five weeks helping us reach our goal.

Gavin and Jacob are on their way to success!

(C.A.R.E) Folders are Coming

On Monday or should I say every Monday, students will be bringing home their (C.A.R.E) folder. This will contain a blue, (C.AR.E) sheet that shows your child's behavior. Please, sign the blue sheet and return it by Wednesday, so that your child will earn a bonus point on next week's (C.A.R.E) sheet.

Character Characteristics from The Homework Machine

The students made these at (www.wordle.net). Each student had to come up with at least 10 adjectives to describe one of the four main characters (Brenton, Sam, Judy, or Kelsey. Check them out!