Sunday, December 22, 2013

Winter Break Homework

During the Winter Break continue to READ 30 minutes each day and practice MATH concepts such as adding and subtracting 2-digit numbers, adding coins up to a dollar, and telling time. Don't forget you can use XTRA Math and practice Word Wall Words on SpellingCity.com. 

Also have lots of FUN with your family and friends!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

It's Almost Christmas!

We have many special activities this week

Wednesday, Dec. 18th
8:50 Berry Girls Choir Performance

Thursday, Dec. 19th
8:30 Reindeer Run
10:00 Horn Theatre Dept.
11:55 Early Release

Friday, Dec. 20th
10:00 Smith Choir & Campus Christmas Story
11:00-11:30 Christmas Party
11:55 Early Release

Winter Break Homework will be posted here… check back on Sunday, December 22nd.

Students return on Tuesday, January 7th

Monday, December 9, 2013

Ice Experiment Updates

Giselle's Ice Photos from Friday and Saturday
Giselle's Photo

Giselle's Photo

Great display Giselle!

This is De’Marqueis science project of the Water in the Cup

1.       He filled the cup with water
2.       Put the cup outside at 6:00p.m on Thursday
3.       Friday at 12:30p.m went to check the cup and as you can see below the water was frozen

De'Marqueis' Photo


Sunday, December 8, 2013

How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Shared Reading

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
by Dr. Seuss


Every Who Down in Who-ville Liked Christmas a lot
but the Grinch, who lived just North of Who-ville, 
Did NOT! 



The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why, no one quite knows the reason. It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small. 
But, whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, he stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos.

Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown at the warm lighted windows below in their town. For he knew every Who down in Who-ville beneath was busy now, hanging a mistleoe wreath. 

"And they're hanging their stockings!" he snarled with a sneer. "Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!" Then he growled, with his grinch fingers nervously drumming, "I MUST find a way to keep Christmas from coming!"

For, tomorrow, he knew...all the Who girls and boys would wake up bright and early, they'd rush for their toys! And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That's one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! 



Then the Whos, young and old, would sit down to a feast. And they'd feast! And they'd feast! And they'd FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!

They would start on Who-pudding, and rare Who-roast-beast, which was something the Grinch couldn't stand in the least! And THEN they'd do something he liked least of all! Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing. They'd stand hand-in-hand and the Whos would start singing!

They'd sing! And they'd sing! AND they'd SING! SING! SING! SING! And the more the Grinch thought of the Who-Christmas-Sing the more the Grinch thought, "I must stop this whole thing! "Why for fifty-three years I've put up with it now! I MUST stop Christmas from coming! ...But HOW?"

Then he got an idea! An awful idea! THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA! "I know just what to do!" The Grinch Laughed in his throat and he made a quick Santy Claus hat and a coat. And he chuckled, and clucked, "What a great Grinchy trick! With this coat and this hat, I'll look just like Saint Nick!" 



"All I need is a reindeer..." the Grinch looked around, but since reindeer are scarce, there was none to be found. Did that stop the old Grinch...? No! The Grinch simply said, "If I can't find a reindeer, I'll make one instead!" So he called his dog Max, then he took some red thread and he tied a big horn on top of his head. 

THEN He loaded some bags and some old empty sacks on a ramshakle sleigh and he hitched up old Max. 



Then the Grinch said, "Giddyap!" and the sleigh started down toward the homes where the Whos Lay a-snooze in their town. 

All their windows were dark. Quiet snow filled the air. All the Whos were all dreaming sweet dreams without care, when he came to the first house in the square. "This is stop number one," The old Grinchy Claus hissed and he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist. 
Then he slid down the chimney, a rather tight pinch, but if Santa could do it, then so could the Grinch. He got stuck only once, for a moment or two, then he stuck his head out of the fireplace flue where the little Who stockings all hung in a row. "These stockings," he grinned, "are the first things to go!" 



Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant, around the whole room, and he took every present! Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums! Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums! And he stuffed them in bags. then the Grinch, very nimbly, stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimney! 



Then he slunk to the icebox. He took the Whos' feast! He took the Who-pudding! He took the roast beast! He cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash. Why, that Grinch even took their last can of Who-hash! 

Then he stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee. "And NOW!" grinned the Grinch, "I will stuff up the tree!" 



And the Grinch grabbed the tree, and he started to shove when he heard a small sound like the coo of a dove. He turned around fast, and he saw a small Who! Little Cindy-Lou Who, who was not more than two. 
The Grinch had been caught by this little Who daughter who'd got out of bed for a cup of cold water. She stared at the Grinch and said, "Santy Claus, “Why, why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?" 



But, you know, that old Grinch was so smart and so slick he thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick! "Why, my sweet little tot," the fake Santy Claus lied, "There's a light on this tree that won't light on one side. "So I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear. "I'll fix it up there. Then I'll bring it back here." 

And his fib fooled the child. Then he patted her head and he got her a drink and he sent her to bed. And when Cindy-Lou Who went to bed with her cup, HE went to the chimney and stuffed the tree up! 



Then the last thing he took was the log for their fire. Then he went up the chimney himself, the old liar. On their walls he left nothing but hooks, and some wire. 

And the one speck of food he left in the house was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.
Then He did the same thing to the other Whos' houses, leaving crumbs much too small for the other Whos' mouses! 



It was quarter past dawn... all the Whos, still a-bed all the Whos, still a-snooze when he packed up his sled, packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings! The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings! 



Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mount Crumpit, he rode to the tiptop to dump it! "Pooh-pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming. "They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming! "They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do! "Their mouths will hang open a minute or two "Then all the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!"

"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch, "That I simply must hear!" So he paused and the Grinch put a hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow, it started in low, then it started to grow... 

But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY! 



He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise! Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! 



And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! "It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" 



And what happened then...? Well...in Who-ville they say that the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day! And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight, he whizzed with his load through the bright morning light and he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast! And he.....HE HIMSELF...! The Grinch carved the roast beast!

Source: Seussville—the official home of Dr. Seuss on the Web; http://www.seussville.com/faq/about_seuss.php

Friday, December 6, 2013

Ice Experiment Challenge

On Thursday afternoon I challenged the students to try an ice experiment at home, knowing we were going to have below freezing temperatures for several days. All I said was put a cup of water outside overnight and observe what happens.


Here is how Alex's experiment turned out:

Alex's Ice Experiment
Thanks for sharing the photograph Alex! 

Katelyn also posted a comment on her Blog about the experiment. 
Here is what she said:
"My cup of water got a layer of ice on top but the bottom was still water."

This is Katelyn's experiment:

Katelyn's Ice Experiment

Below is Mayah's Ice Experiment

Her mom said they discussed how the freezing temperature
changes liquids into solids. 
Fabulous talking point!

Mayah's Ice Experiment
Mayah's Ice Experiment
Carys' BLOG comment:
I went outside & there was iceacels everywhere even on my tree!
it was so fun on my roof there was snow everywhere!



Yousef's BLOG comment: 
When my brother got the frozen cup from the porch, all the sides had ice on it and it was epic! And the water in the inside was frozen but very easy to brake. Ice in the inside sides were falling in the cup and that is what was making it so bumpy.

Sean's BLOG comment:
when i pot the water out it was frozon

Sunday, December 1, 2013

What is an adverb?

Adverbs are used to modify verbs. 
They tell us when, where, how, in what manner, or to what extent an action is performed.

Some examples: 
When: He ran yesterday.
Where: He ran there.
How: He ran quickly.
In what manner: He ran barefoot.
To what extent: He ran the fastest.

In these examples the adverbs are just one word, but they can be made up of more than one word.