By Julie Keys on 2/24/2008

Hello again!  This week sees us finishing up with our Circulatory System Documentaries.  The students are doing an excellent job, and so far the results have been both educational and entertaining.  I will make every effort to edit these and get them all placed on a DVD, so that students may have a copy of their work for their portfolios.  Upon completion of this unit, we are off to explore the respiratory system.  As a part of this unit, students will be creating Respiratory System Illustrated Guide Books, which will take readers on a journey through the different organs of this system.  This will be an independent project, with the majority of work completed in class.  This booklet will be due on Friday, so whatever work has not been completed by then must be completed as homework.

On another exciting note, our blood typing experiment will be taking place this Friday.  If you have not already done so, please ... Read More »

By Julie Keys on 2/18/2008

Hello again!  What a week we just had!  Juggling our Circulatory unit with Valentine's Day and our field trip was definitely exhausting - we earned this three-day weekend.  First, a humongous thank you to the parents who created, as usual, a fun-filled, exciting Valentine's Day party!  To Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Schlundt, Mrs. Perriman, Mrs. Zaeske, and Mrs. Blecha, we appreciate all of your efforts on our behalf!

The museum was a huge success.  The students enjoyed wandering through the Hall of Life, as well as the opportunity to explore the other exhibits.  I know my group especially had fun in the South American Animals exhibit!  I am especially proud of the way the students on our team conducted themselves!  Bravo!

Now, on to what you are all really wondering about.  Our week in Theme will be dedicated to the creation of our documentaries on topics related t ... Read More »

By Julie Keys on 2/10/2008

Hello again!  Thank you all so very, very much for your support and your patience during this very difficult time in my life.  I am in the process of attempting to catch up with my work, which is proving quite challenging.  Nevertheless, I will soldier on.  Hopefully, this will be done within the next week or two.

Well, as it turns out, we have another busy week ahead!  With Valentine's Day this Thursday, and our field trip to the Hall of Life this Friday, our week in Theme will be hectic as all.  Thanks to Wanda Turner and all other parents involved in putting together our Valentine Day's party for this Thursday! we're all looking forward to fun and food.  On the topic of Valentine's Day, students are not required to bring cards for their classmates; however, if the individual student chooses to do so, that students must ensure that each one of their classmates receives one.  Also, students have been asked to ... Read More »

By Julie Keys on 2/4/2008

Hello everyone!  Over this past week, many issues arose regarding my grandmother, so I had to put off my return until Tuesday.  Please bear with me over the course of the next couple of weeks, as I will do my best to catch up on all that I have missed.  This will include, of course, grading the students' work. However, once I do return, we'll be able to get rolling again.  Our theme class will continue with its study of the Human Body, concluding our unit on the Circulatory System and then moving on to the Respiratory System.  There will be homework Monday night, and other homework will be posted on the calendar as we move through the week.

On another note, we are still looking for volunteers to help us with our class Valentine's Day party.  Please e-mail me at your earliest convenience if you'd like to volunteer!

I'm sure there will be another update later this week.  For now though, let me simply ... Read More »

By Julie Keys on 1/27/2008

Hello to all.  Due to my grandmother's death and the responsibilities that go with it, I will be out of school for the next week.  Students will be working on activities relating to the Circulatory System in class, with all work to be completed by the time I return on Monday, February 4.  Thank you for your understanding at this difficult time.

By Julie Keys on 1/23/2008

Hello again!  As many of you know, my grandmother took a turn for the worse this weekend.  As a result, most of my attention has been turned to dealing with whatever legal and medical issues have arisen.  I am still in the midst of looking over rough drafts of the newspaper article.  Once I have these returned (I am shooting for this Friday), students will be given a full week to make corrections and hand in the final copy.  Once again, I thank you for your understanding and support!

By Julie Keys on 1/18/2008

Hello again!  I'd like to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude to all of my students and parents for their kindness and understanding over the past couple of weeks.  I have been blessed to have had my grandmother, one of my very best friends, in my life for as long as I have had.  As a result of our close relationship, my grandmother put me in charge of her affairs, so when she became as ill as she did, my presence became a requirement.  Unfortunately, this created a situation where I was unable to choose my substitute.  Please understand that any difficulties the students experienced during this time will be resolved, and in no way will be held against them!  This includes any work students were unable to complete in the time I was away.  However, due to the important nature of the information found in the Declaration of Indpendence Critical Thinking Packet, as well as the American Revolution packet, completion of these activities is ... Read More »

By Julie Keys on 1/6/2008

Hello again, and a happy and healthy New Year to all!  I truly hope eveyone had a wonderful holiday and a relaxing two weeks.  Now however, the time has come to return to school and the excitement of learning!

After a quick review of the causes, our theme class will be continuing our study of the American Revolution this week, focusing not just on the battles themselves, but also what affected those battles, as well as what life was like for the colonists of this time.  Before the break, students were assigned an event related to this American Revolution to begin researching.  This week's homework will center around this research, as students will use their research to create a newspaper article with accompanying illustrations.  After we have completed these articles, we will be putting together an American Revolution newspaper and publishing it on this site!  There will also be some worksheets completed, but these worksheets a ... Read More »

By Julie Keys on 12/16/2007

Happy week before Winter Break!  Before we begin our discussion of academics, let's handle the business side of things.  We are still looking for some parent volunteers for the Winter Party, which will occur in class on Friday, December 21, at 1:30 PM.  Anyone interested in generously donating their time to our endeavors, please contact Mrs. Jennifer Blecha, who is our lead parent for the activity, or me.  Also, in relation to our Winter Party, the Theme class wil be participating in our holiday Secret Elephant activity.  Students have drawn names of other students as their "Secret Elephant."  Students are asked to bring a small, mini-gift for each day of the week, Monday - Thursday (items such as cookies, candy bars, drinks, etc), and on Friday, each student should bring the main gift.  Please make sure that no more than $20 is spent throughout the week on all presents combined.  Please also be aware that this ... Read More »

By Julie Keys on 12/9/2007

    Greetings again!  With the holidays quickly approaching, it's time for our class' annual Winter Holiday party!  Mrs. Jennifer Blecha has graciously offered to be our lead parent volunteer for this.  We do need another four parents to generously volunteer their time, so if you are available, please contact Mrs. Blecha as quickly as possible.  The party will take place in the classroom on Friday, December 21, beginning at 1:30 PM.  If you are able to help us out, please contact me as soon as you can; at that point, I will give you Mrs. Blecha's contact information.

    OK, now that we've covered that, it's time to get down to the business of our Theme class.  Our students are still engaged in their Road to Revolution Learning Stations activities; upon completion of these activities, we will make a smooth transition into our studies about the actual American Revolution.& ... Read More »