December 2014

Friday (12/19/14):
Fourth and Fifth grade worked on Typing Web. Posted scores on a Google doc. They adjust their scores on an interactive bulletin board in class so they can watch their progress.
Third grade learned how to log on to the Upper Elementary server. They got back on to their Edmodo accounts. They explored educational web sites.

Thursday (12/18/14):
Fifth grade students worked on MobyMax.

As seen here, in this snapshot, students are working hard sharpening their skills.

Fourth grade students are working on Glogster. They are studying the History of American Christmas Music.

Lower elementary students performed at St. Mary's Hall at 1:00 and 8:00 p.m. for the annual Christmas Concert.

Wednesday (12/17/14):
Fourth and Fifth grade students worked on iTools (from Think Central) as a class. We worked on measurement.
Mrs. Joll's class started at Upper elementary today, and began the process of learning a PC setting.
Goals for third grade presently:

• Log on to the server
• Log on to Edmodo (the same account used at Lower Elementary)
• Log on to Think Central (our K-8 math curriculum)

Ms. Beedy's, Mrs. Naessen's , Mrs. Hollinshead's, Ms. Whaley's, and Mrs. Parmenter's classes all worked on songs for tomorrow's concerts. We'll be performing at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday (12/16/14):
Fourth and Fifth grade earned a Keyboard party as they reached 100 cumulative average points on their Friday keyboarding exercises.
Morning classes enjoyed a Christmas movie. Afternoon classes rotated between:

• Activity pages
• Board games and puzzles
• Open gym
• Cookies and frosting and Christmas movie
• Play area
• Christmas stories

 Monday (12/15/14):
Mrs. Vandewarker came to Lower Elementary where we practiced the Christmas program. The afternoon was spent watching The Polar Express.

Friday (12/12/14):
Fourth and Fifth graders worked on their keyboarding with Typing Web.

Mrs. McVitte's and Ms. Beedy's class worked on Christmas program practice. Second grade will be singing:

• Welcome song
• Brown Christmas
• Hark The Herald Angels Sing
• Christmas Tree What Will You Be?

Mrs. Postema's and Mrs. Nurenberg's classes worked on the Christmas program. First grade will be singing:

• Welcome song
• Joy To The World
• Snowman Jump
• The Little Snowflake

Mr. O'Rourke's and Mrs. Joll's classes sang the Christmas songs:

• We Three Kings
• Ukrainian Bell Carol
• We Will Jingle

Mrs. Ferral's class sang Christmas songs:

• Welcome song
• Away In A Manger
• Mittens And Gloves
• Snowman Jump

Thursday (12/11/14):
Fifth grade worked on submitting the Glog of their choice. They created guidelines: 

1. There’s nothing negative
2. Three facts
3. Site your source (at least one source)
4. Graphics
5. Video
6. Extra credit for hyperlink

After finishing this they worked on Moby Max and sharpened their math skills. They also worked on Think Central's iTools page where we navigated making change with American currency.

Fourth grade worked to submit their Measurement Glogs. They worked to sharpen their skills with Moby Max. The remainder of class time was spent on pre-approved sites depending on their level of Dojo points earned.

Lower elementary classes worked on Concert music.

Kindergarten, First, Second, and Third grades

Welcome song  By Mrs. V

Kindergarten

Away In A Manger Words By Martin Luther and John Thomas McFarland Music by James Ramsey Murray

Snowman Jump           By David and Anne Ellsworth

Mittens and Gloves  By Anne Ellsworth and Teresa Jennings

First Grade

Joy to the World By George Frederic Handel

The Little Snowflake By Teresa Jennings

A Kitty For A Present By Teresa Jennings

Second Grade

Hark The Herald Angels Sing By  Charles Wesley and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

Brown Christmas By Mike Wilson

Christmas Tree, What Will You Be.... By Karl Hitzemann

Third Grade

We Three Kings Of Orient Are  By John Henry Hopkins, Jr.

We Will Jingle By Teresa Jennings

Ukrainian Bell Carol By  Traditional arr. M.C. Handel

Wednesday (12/10/14):
Fifth grade worked on their Edu glog. They chose their topic. As a class they designed a rubric for what a good glog requires:

1. There’s nothing negative
2. Three facts
3. Site your source (at least one source)
4. Graphics
5. Video
6. Extra credit for hyperlink

Fourth grade worked on iTools from Think Central. We also worked on Edu Glog as we learned of Christmas music from different eras.

Mrs. Postema's, Mr. O'Rourke's, Mrs. Nurenberg's, and Mrs. Joll's classes worked on their Christmas music.

The following is the line up for the Christmas program (as we see it right now)

Kindergarten, First, Second, and Third grades

Welcome song  By Mrs. V

Kindergarten

Away In A Manger Words By Martin Luther and John Thomas McFarland Music by James Ramsey Murray

Snowman Jump           By David and Anne Ellsworth

Mittens and Gloves  By Anne Ellsworth and Teresa Jennings

First Grade

Joy to the World By George Frederic Handel

The Little Snowflake By Teresa Jennings

A Kitty For A Present By Teresa Jennings

Second Grade

Hark The Herald Angels Sing By  Charles Wesley and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy

Brown Christmas By Mike Wilson

Christmas Tree, What Will You Be.... By Karl Hitzemann

Third Grade

We Three Kings Of Orient Are  By John Henry Hopkins, Jr.

We Will Jingle By Teresa Jennings

Ukrainian Bell Carol By  Traditional arr. M.C. Handel

Tuesday (12/9/14):
Fourth, Fifth, Second, and Third grades went to Michigan State to watch the Michigan State Youth Symphony.

Mrs. Naessen's class did not meet today as Mrs. V went to the symphony.

Mrs. Hollinshead, Ms. Baker, Ms. Whaley, and Mrs. Parmenter's classes practiced Christmas program music.

Monday (12/8/14):
Fifth grade worked on their Glogs watching to make sure they met the required guidelines. They also gained passwords for Think Central.
Fourth grade did an online number chart together after gaining new passwords for Think Central. This math curriculum addresses: Estimate Quotients Using MultiplesCOMMON CORE CC.4.NBT.6

Mrs. McVitte's and Mrs. Farlee's classes practiced music for their Christmas Program:

• Welcome Song
• Hark The Herald Angels Sing
• Brown Christmas
• Christmas Tree What Will You Be?

Students also practiced their Solfege syllables and playing rhythms.

Mrs. Postema's and Mrs. Nurenberg's classes practiced their Christmas music:

• Welcome Song
• The Little Snowflake
• Joy To The World
• I Want A Kitty For A Present

Mr. O'Rourke's and Mrs. Joll's classes practiced their Christmas music:

• Welcome Song
• We Three Kings
• Celebramos Juntos
• Ukrainian Bell Carol

Friday (12/5/14):

Fourth and Fifth grade worked on TypingWeb and posted their scores on a GoogleDoc. 

Mrs. McVitte's, Mrs. Postema's, Mrs. Nurenberg's,  and Mrs. Farlee's classes continued work on MobyMax. They are preparing to work independently on MobyMax as we will not be meeting in a Computer Lab once our building construction begins in January. 

Students are also accessed GoMath! curriculum that they are taught in regular education. This activity will reinforce what they are already learning with their classroom teacher.
                                                

Thursday (12/4/14):
Fifth grade:

• worked to finish yesterday's assignment
• http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/Add%20Like%20Mad%20Math/addlikemad_coin.htm

• http://www.mathgames.com/skill/5.47-add-and-subtract-money-up-to-10-000
• http://www.funbrain.com/cashreg/index.html?Grade=5
• commented on peer's glogs
• continued their work on MobyMax
• chose URL's that their Dojo points determined

Fourth grade:

• worked on this URL together http://mrnussbaum.com/measurement-workshop-ipad.html
• worked on this URL individually: http://www.softschools.com/measurement/games/ruler/inch_ruler/
• commented on peer's glogs
• worked on MobyMax
• chose URL's that their Dojo points determined

Ms. Beedy's and Mrs. Naessen's earned a party through Dojo points.

Mrs. Parmenter's, Ms. Whaley's, and Mrs. Hollinshead's classes worked on Common Core State Math Standards with the following URL's:

• http://www.scholastic.com/earlylearner/parentandchild/math/count.htm
• http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/counting_objects/
• http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/countersquare.html

Ms. Snyder's class began their MobyMax assessment. Their progress will be closely monitored as they progress through this online program.

Pre-school sang:

• Put Your Finger in the Air
• First We Wave Our Hands Up High
• Snowman Jump!
• Mittens and Gloves
• Jingle Bells (we marched around with jingle bells)
• Away In A Manger

Wednesday (12/3/14):
Fifth grade chose to create a glog design of their choosing. They created a kind of rubric for what they believe is required to make a good Glog.

Several students completed a math assignment tailored from their math class in GoMath! These were the links they used:

• http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/Add%20Like%20Mad%20Math/addlikemad_coin.htm
• http://www.mathgames.com/skill/5.47-add-and-subtract-money-up-to-10-000
• http://www.funbrain.com/cashreg/index.html?Grade=5

Remaining time was spent on web sites determined by their Dojo points earned.

Fourth grade worked on math skills in measurement. This is the link they used: http://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/meas.cgi?A1=s&A2=0&A3=0

After they completed this assignment, they turned it in, and worked on Moby Max and Glogster EDU. Their progress is closely monitored as they sharpen their math skills.

Mrs. McVitte's and Mrs. Farlee's, and Mr. O'Rourke's classes explored Photo Booth on the iMac computers.

Mrs. Joll's and Mrs. Nurenberg's classes didn't meet as they attended a Nutcracker ballet with High School dancers. 

Pre-school sang:

• Put Your Finger in the Air
• First We Wave Our Hands Up High
• Snowman Jump!
• Mittens and Gloves
• Jingle Bells (we marched around with jingle bells)
• Away In A Manger

Tuesday (12/2/14):
Fourth and Fifth grade sharpened their math skills by logging onto and working with Moby Max.

They also worked on Glogsther EDU.

Ms. Beedy's class practiced music for their Christmas Program:

• Welcome Song
• Hark The Herald Angels Sing
• Brown Christmas
• Christmas Tree What Will You Be?

Students also practiced their Solfege syllables and playing rhythms.

Mrs. Naessen's class practiced their Christmas music:

• Welcome Song
• The Little Snowflake
• Joy To The World
• I Want A Kitty For A Present

Ms.  Snyder's class practiced their Christmas music:

• Welcome Song
• We Three Kings
• Celebramos Juntos
• Ukrainian Bell Carol

Monday (12/1/14):
Fourth and Fifth grade worked on:

Students are displaying their creativity in a variety of ways via Glogster.

After completing Glogster, they went to MobyMax to sharpen math skills.

Mrs. McVitte's and Mrs. Farlee's classes practiced music for their Christmas Program:

• Welcome Song
• Hark The Herald Angels Sing
• Brown Christmas
• Christmas Tree What Will You Be?

Students also practiced their Solfege syllables and playing rhythms.

Mrs. Postema's and Mrs. Nurenberg's classes practiced their Christmas music:

• Welcome Song
• The Little Snowflake
• Joy To The World
• I Want A Kitty For A Present

Mr. O'Rourke's and Mrs. Joll's classes practiced their Christmas music:

• Welcome Song
• We Three Kings
• Celebramos Juntos
• Ukrainian Bell Carol