Pop, Pop, Fizz, Fizz.... :)

We had an interesting time in science class today. Ask your scholar about chemical reactions....

Many of our hypotheses were correct, and we had a fun time working on it to boot....

Saturday is a debate tournament at Weber High School. The speech side will be from 8 to around noon and some of the scholars would like to attend. Please let me know if you would like to join us. The scholars will see Impromptu, Duo, and Oratory.

Scholars should be working on book report books, and have a quick assignment for their Sherlock Holmes piece tonight.

Have a great evening!

NOVEMBER!!!! What Happened!

It's hard for any of us suite-dwellers to even believe that it's already November! Time is flying by, and we have to grab it and get the most of it while we can!

The important dates for this month are as follows:

8 Math Test, Unit Three
11 Vocab/Spelling/Essay
15 History Test, Enlightenment
18 Essay
18 Speech and Debate Training for Coaches/Parents/Judges
21 Spelling/Vocab (from prior week)
22 Grandiloquent Guardians Speech Tournament
29 Book Report Project

After all the long nights this week we will all appreciate a break come Friday.

Ask your scholar about Impromptu Debate, Number the Stars, or Isaac Newton this week and see what you get for discussion topics at the dinner table! :)

Birthdays, Teachers with Toys, and Awards for Boys

What a busy day we had in the suite Friday. Along with our normal tests, we had an assembly, awards to be given, and birthday parties! ....Busy, Busy, Busy..... :)

Wyatt was our winner of the Self Control Award, (if you look carefully you will see his proud mama in the background ;))and Andrew's You Rock card was chosen. We filled up on sugar for Connor, Oaklen, and Jade's birthdays!

Please be sure when you come to your conference that your host/hostess is with you. Scholars know that this conference is THEIR job, and if they are not present I will not give out report cards! :)

Here are some fun photos of Friday....

The Good, the Bad, and the Very, Very Ugly

The day started out lovely yesterday as we made out way in the sunshine to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts to study the exhibits from Ancient Rome and Greece. We learned many interesting facts and saw quite a few pieces of art that were directly related to our study of Rome, Greece, and Mythology. It was a worthwhile trip.

We returned to school just in time for lunch, which made all of us very happy. During the lunch break the pile of grading on my desk demanded attention....that's when things turned ugly......

I had suspected a student's paper of plagiarism the night before, but had to be 100% sure that that's what I was dealing with. Upon confirmation I found two students committing plagiarism on book reports. We spent the afternoon, that was previously dedicated to an engaging and exciting science lesson, learning about plagiarism and how it will destroy the future of a scholar.

The scholars who are guilty will be dealt with soon, but all scholars are aware that it is AGAINST THE LAW to commit plagiarism, and they are very aware of what exactly it is. They may not EVER copy and paste information off the web for a piece of writing that they claim is their own. They may not EVER steal ideas from other writers and claim that they are their own. This not only disheartens me, but I take it as a personal insult to my intelligence. After nearly 30 years in the classroom, it is an insult to think that students perceive my professionalism as that shallow. Now that students are aware of the crime and the consequences, I hope to NEVER see plagiarism in this suite again. It is not scholarly, nor does it fit with our foundation stones. It will not be tolerated.

Please have a discussion with your individual scholars at home about the fact that if a student is caught plagiarizing in high school, and college they are immediately expelled. An expelled college student guilty of this crime has a hard time getting accepted at any other school. That notorious mark will follow them for their entire future.

Thank you,
Mrs. G.

Copper Beeches, UMFA, The Great Seal.....

We started our morning designing our own "great seal" that will be the definition of who each scholar is for the rest of our study of The Prince and the Pauper. We will spend time tomorrow afternoon attempting to discern who's who in the world of great seals.... :)

Sherlock Holmes' Speckled Band complete, today we started the Adventure of the Copper Beeches. We will be spending the next 5 days watching, paying attention to detail, and trying to solve the mystery.

While we're working, we're making our way through our 8 minute oratories, working on this week's essay, and some students are working on duos and HIs. There is a Constitution Quiz on Thursday and then a large History test on Monday. The scholars have quite a bit on their plates, but for the most part they have all risen to the occasion and are performing quite well. They are beginning to feel comfortable with the pace, and some of them are getting ahead of their own schedules; bringing joy to the heart of their pedagogue!

We are moving along in our math unit, and will have a test on this unit sometime next week. We have it scheduled for Wednesday the 2nd. That will depend upon the pace over the next couple days.

TOMORROW is our field trip to Utah Museum of Fine Arts. We will be visiting the Greek and Roman artifacts which will include the sarcophagus of a Roman nobleman. We should come back quite enlightened.

We will begin our new unit in science sometime this week. We will be studying Energy for the next month and will be learning all sorts of fun facts. We will be performing some interesting experiments also, and I will be notifying some of you when we need assistance for our labs.

If you have not signed up for a conference please remember to do so. Conferences will be held next week Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.

Have a great night!

Poe, Conan Doyle, Fairwell Dear Alex!

Important Notice: If you have not registered for a conference via PTC please consult your email and sign up for a time. If you miss conference you will have to come in the following week to get your scholar's report card. It is vitally important that I get to meet with each of you for at least 10 minutes to properly assess where your scholar is in his/her journey through the beginning of middle school.

Our short week consisted of listening to two different versions of the short story the Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe....just enough to wet the palate of a number of young men in the room to read Poe's short stories around this time of year. We began our unit on the mystery genre and enjoyed the first Sir Arthur Conan Doyle short story of Sherlock Holmes and the Speckled Band. The scholars will be learning more about Doyle and we will we go over a couple more short stories for our read-a-loud time this coming week.

In math we are moving right along in our unit for multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals. We will have another quiz this next week and see if the scholars can be precise enough to earn pizza on Friday. We should be finishing up this unit by the first week of November.

We will also be finishing up Homer on Monday and the scholars will be writing their essays next week on just who their modern day hero is and why. We have studied heroes, superheros, myths, etc for the past month and now is their opportunity to write about a real person and why he or she is their hero. These are usually very touching as parents tend to be the focus. :)

For Literature Circles we will be moving into our next novel, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. This unit is a favorite, especially for the lords and ladies of the room. They will be choosing their "royal" names and be put through the proper training of chivalry. In fact, there is a whole section of proper chivalry for young ladies too, and they will be learning about how to properly handle themselves when amongst the lords of the suite. I enjoy this piece of literature at this time because it goes hand in hand with the Prince and the Pauper that we have already begun reading.

In History we are finishing up our Ancient Greece and Rome unit and will be testing that material on the 31st. Scholars should be reviewing the geography portion and their terms each night in preparation for this test. They will be required to label 10 of the 16 city states on their maps. They will be begin the review packet on Wednesday of next week as it is an extensive unit and will require some time to prepare.

Last week we lost yet another scholar. Alex Marshall will be moving to Phoenix, Arizona this weekend, and will be sorely missed by the class. He brought in treats on Wednesday and we enjoyed a game of dreidel and some Sherlock Holmes mystery before he left us. We are hoping to be able to have Alex join us for some science classes as soon as he gets his laptop at his new home. We will be keeping in touch!

A Short Week; Accomplishing Much!

Even though we only have a short week, we are cramming in as much material as we possibly can! We do not have an essay due this week, but on Wednesday the scholars will complete their myths, and have a written book report to hand in. Two pieces of writing is plenty for a three day week!

We are working on multiplying decimals in math and worked on tenths and hundredths today. Well over 80% of the class was performing 100% on the guided practice....now to get them to show that on a quiz! :)

We have continued with our History unit and today got to read all about a Roman Dictator by the name of Julius Caesar. It is an absolute joy to read through this piece of history with a class that has just completed the Shakespearean piece. They know every word, how to pronounce it, and they read it with passion....it is so encouraging to me! Julius Caesar will be a part of their world for their entire 6th grade experience.....

We are finishing up listening to the Children's Homer this week and the students will have a written final on it sometime next week. I believe they know the storyline and how it plays out. Of course when we were listening about the cyclops today they all found it quite interesting!

We are also introducing the genre of mystery with two authors that I like to save for the end of October. We will be reading and listening to both Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) and Edgar Allen Poe (Tell Tale Heart) which is always a favorite around this time of year. They will listen to a dramatized version tomorrow which includes the pounding heart and all.....

We are completing our bulletin boards outside our room for Self Control tomorrow as we have been practicing it in the classroom as well.

Please see our photos today of our men practicing chivalry as they allow the ladies in the room to pick their seats in the family room first.....CHIVALRY IS NOT DEAD!...at least not in the Sixth Grade Sagacious Scholars' Room!

Also see photos of putting together lettering for the bulletin board and practicing speeches.....:)