Technical Problems!!!!

Wondering where the newsletter is this week?  This weekend the IT guys were tweaking things on the website and we were having residual problems getting things working again on our end.  All is better now, so here is your weekly news!

This week we will be continuing our lessons on mapping.  We will be learning about what a key is, how to read one and make one, what important things we should have on our maps, and how to use a coordinate grid.  We will also be learning what are the 7 main continents and 4 main oceans.  We will learn where they are, their names and a little bit about them.  There is no homework this week.  Please make sure your bedroom maps are turned in... they were due today (Tuesday, October 16th)!

Thank you all for getting your field trip forms in today!!!!   The field trip will be to the Berry Patch Farm on Thursday, October 25th.   We will be leaving at 10:00 and returning at about 1:15.   Students will need to make sure that they are dressed appropriately (jackets, pants) with shoes durable enough for possible muck of the season.  Students will also need to bring a sack lunch (no lunch boxes).  I will be looking through my forms for volunteers and contacting parents before the end of the week to let people know if they will be coming or not.  If you don't hear from me, then you will get to go on another trip.   I keep track to make sure everyone gets a turn that wants one : )

Wonder when those pesky book orders are coming in that you placed?  Good news, the boxes arrived today!  There was some delay due to me getting around to getting my order ready (bit busy grading and plannning : ).    The orders should be sorted out by student by tomorrow and coming home on Wednesday or Thursday by the latest.  Thank you for your patience : )

At conferences I gave you a letter about our baskets that our classroom is donating and putting together for the silent auction at the gala.  Please let me know what items (listed on the back of the letter) you will be bringing in so I can keep track.   Items are due by Friday, November 2nd so that our room mom has time to put it together for the gala. 

This year the Stargate Gala will be held November 10, 2007 at the Ramada Plaza in Northglenn.  This year the theme 'Diamonds and Denim' is a little more relaxed in dress and the price per ticket is cheaper to appeal to more people.   There will also be Child Care!!!!!    WOW!!!!    Come and have fun with us while fundraising for our school!   It is going to be alot of fun!!!!!!

Ever wonder what those dashes mean when you look at your child's grades???  On our side those are checks, which is what we put in when we first check in their work.    After the paper is graded the dash will turn into a grade.  

Please remember that the final grade is not gospel and that it does change : )  We just learned this week that a blank or a dash is not calculated into the final grade accurately (crazy : ).  To help with the accuracy, I will now be converting blanks (missing assignments) to zeros after a one week period to help the final grade to be more accurate.  If they did not turn in that assignment you will be able to see that, but clicking on that grade (zero).   Hint: If anything is in blue, that is a link to some more information.  Please remember just to focus on if the assignment is 'in' and how well they did on that particular assignment.    Thank you for your patience during this learning period : )

This week you will get back some graded morning 'handwriting warmups'.  I have now started keeping a grade for these in the homeroom gradebook.   The stamps have the following equivalence in the grade book (for handwriting only!!!):  the 'Amazing' stamp=10 points; a 'Keep up the good work' stamp =8 points; 'keep trying'=6points; 'Needs Improvement'=4points.  These are out of a 10 points possible rubric.   I will be tracking for growth and improvement versus how many points totaled obtained.  Again, do not look at the final grade for this area!!!!   : ) 

Did you know there is a carnival on the Friday before the Stargate Founders Conference on the 26th?   Everyone is welcome to come to the carnival (October 25th) and you can even dress up in your halloween costume.  They will be selling Chick-Fil-A that night, but you need to get your orders in early!!!   Hope to see you there!!!

It is almost that time... Halloween!!!!!   On Wednesday, October 31st we will have a party in the classroom at the end of the day.  Students will be able to bring their costumes in a bag to put on to wear only during the party.   Costumes must also follow the Halloween costume guidelines which are no weapons of any kind, you must still adhere to dress code, no dyed hair, no masks and no face paint and nothing that is gorey or scary.   I will be contacting my helpers by the end of the week that signed up to help.   We will let you know soon what we need for the party!!!!!

Chick Fil A Winners Again!!!!

Can you believe it... we did it again!!!!!!   Our class had the most go to the last Chick-Fill-A Stargate Spirit Night!  Go my class!!!!   To celebrate, this Friday we will have our 'Ice Cream Dream' celebration during theme.   I am so psyched that we won again!!!!!   Congratulations everyone!!!!!