Going Greek

We have wrapped up our units on Ancient China and Ancient India, and this week began our final social studies unit on Ancient Greece.  This is a topic that has high student interest (thank you Percy Jackson), and so I thought we would try something different from our regular book reading and discussion.  Enter, the "Going Greek" simulation!

Students will learn about Ancient Greece through activities designed to make them understand what life was like during that time.  Students have been sorted into "polis" groups (Argos, Athens, Corinth, Megara, and Sparta) which they will work with throughout the simulation. They will learn about Greek life, food, art, philosophy, and literature, as they compete with other polis groups for Hellaspoints. Students will also dress like the Ancient Greeks in chitons which they will design themselves.  Information about this went home last night.

A big part of this simulation is the Greek Festival.  Students will be responsible for a presentation during this festival, and this will be a huge part of their grade. Packets for this project, including the scoring rubric, will go home today. All projects are due on MAY 11, 2016.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me!

Have a great Spring Break!

Hope you all have a wonderful Spring Break.  In case you miss class too much during your week off (hey, it could happen!), here's a picture of L trying to get on Platform 9 3/4 to tide you over.  :)

See you in April!

Honor Roll!

The Honor Roll ceremony for both trimesters will be held on Tuesday, March 22nd from 7:00-8:00pm in the school's Multi Use Room.  Invitations for Honor Roll recipients went home in today's Wildcat Folders, so please be on the lookout for those!

Pajama Day!

Just a quick note that since the 6th grade Panoramic Picture is scheduled for Friday, we will have Pajama Day on Wednesday, March 2nd (not March 4th, with the rest of the school).  This way kids will not need to worry about changing clothing for the panoramic picture.  :)

Harry Potter Literature Study

We have wrapped up our literature study of Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid, an adventure story involving Egyptian gods, which the students loved.  While reading this story, I learned that many members of our class have never read my personal favorite children's books, Harry Potter.  I found this surprising, and decided to remedy the situation right away!  So, I sorted students into Hogwarts Houses, and we have begun a literature study of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  This is the first book in the series, and often serves as a "gateway" to reading for reluctant readers.  Our class is reading along to the audio book of the story, and completing a literature study packet, along with other projects relating to the story.  Hopefully, by the time we have finished, our students will become hooked on the series and read the other 6 books as well.  Students will also have a couple of Potterverse events in the next year to look forward to: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opening up at Universal Studios Hollywood on April 7th, and the Harry Potter prequel due in theaters this fall, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Congratulations to Parth!

One of our students has had quite an accomplishment, and I wanted to celebrate it with all of you!  Parth S. picked up the hobby of photography this summer, and has been diligently taking nature photographs for months.  Recently, he entered a photo contest with the National Wildlife Federation, and won!  You can view the winning photos here: National Wildlife Federation Kids.

Congratulations Parth!  Keep capturing moment in nature.  You have a good eye, and a great talent!

Make a Wish Update

I wanted to update you all on our class's contribution to this year's Make A Wish campaign.  In total, our students wrote an amazing 10,068 letters!  These letters will go a long way towards helping make the wish of a critically ill child come true!  I am very proud of our students, and I hope you are too.

Have a wonderful Winter Break everyone!