OK...this weeks' color is gray. In truth I think the color is, "Cold" - because that's what I "see" when I look out the window (but cold isn't really a color now is it?) ----

Sorry it has been awhile since the last post - 5 track meets in 9 days and 17 hours on a school bus had me running (literally and metaphorically speaking) ---

This week we are on track to finish up Animal Farm - the vast majority of students are keeping up with no problem. They should have a very tidy or typed packet with a paragraph for each chapter explaining how the story relates to our Cycle of Power hand out, in addition to a character log.

We have a quiz on the Cycle of Power today (they have had ample time to read/study in class) --- We have spent a lot of time discussing the differences between a dictatorship and a democracy -- looked at Parade Magazine's "Top 10 Dictators" list that they compile every year - and finally my practicum student shared a presentation on her trip to Guatemala -- I think the kids have a new appreciation for the blessings of democracy! ----

Mr. Grow will be in our room briefly today to give a testing pep-talk ---- and we will follow with a refresher tutorial for the MSP either today or tomorrow. ----

Next week we will begin Shakespeare and after a brief look at Apartheid...move on to juvenile's in the justice sytem in Civics. Stay warm....see warm....be warm!!!!

Hello all....3rd quarter is behind us now - time for a strong finish! This week we have been finishing up our literature circles and discussion/work on our disabilities unit. My practicum student, Natalie Baydo, taught a lesson on the ADA (American Disabilities Act) on Monday that required the students to create a floor plan for a school per the legal guidelines for accessible buildings - lots of discussion and questions - made them think quite a lot about the ways in which they are "capable". We are also watching the movie I am Sam - also lots of opportunities for discussion. I showed a brief clip today on a young man named Patrick Hughes - quite inspirational if you want to Google him :) We will finish up the movie tomorrow - have our final discussion on the student's independent research and then assemble our bulliten board which will include sections of their lit circle packet and a place for students to pledge to omit the R word from their vocabulary - look up the r-word.org campaign on the Special Olympics web site. I will be out of the classroom for track and a writing curriculum day on Th. and Fri. - Mr. Harms will begin a brief unit in Civics on Foreign Policy. No homework for now :) Maybe later :( Hope you enjoyed the sunshine today!!!!

Hope everyone enjoyed their break - of course unless you made it out of the state it didn't feel much like Spring - but that means we still have something to look forward to! In regards to the classroom...we have now put Night of the Notables behind us. I have entered most of the grades for this project - but the final essay will be entered later this week. I will have all the blocks look at their grades on the SmartBoard and ask that they verify my entries before I enter their final grade for the quarter. As we move on with this week we will be finishing up our lit. circle and continuing our study of the Constitution. Up next will be the Cycle of Power - a study of dictatorships vs. democracies in additional to Animal Farm - and a Shakespeare performance by a traveling performance group from Seattle (more to come on this next week). The latter will hopefully get us primed for Midsummer Night's Dream as we come near the end of the school year! Keep thinking warm thoughts - hope you're all well - I'm battling my first cold of the year and hope I feel better soon instead of worse!