{Post for the Parents} E.L.A. and other Acronyms

The 2012 New York state English Language Arts exam will be a new test. In an effort to align the state exam with the national, the NAEP Reading exam, New York is upping the ante. {New York is also adopting the Common Core State Standards like 44 of the 50 states have.} Accordingly, our literacy units have been revamped. The majority of the year's reading and writing work will focus on deep interpretation of texts. As we learn more about the ELA exam, scheduled for April 17-18, we will keep you in the loop.

Um. So... like...

Oh, nothing major really. Just, you know, uh--scroll down keeping your eyes on the right sidebar.







I'll wait here.





You're passing all those months.




Boy, time is flying!



Are you at May yet? Good!



Notice anything?  No?!


Ok, look again!


Club Getaway... May 31- June 1.



No biggie really.


That's all.


Some pictures I took of our amazing trip!

} Our September Birthday Celebration {

Cubes Time!

How we earned cubes this week: We were conscientious of our space and our community.

We earned cubes for many reasons this past week. But the top reason for cubes, the reason that added the most to our jar, was our consideration for each other and our learning space. Keep up the great work!

If You Know the Way to Cube...

Cubes, Glorious Cubes!

As we embark upon the collective journey of earning cubes for going above and beyond everyday, let us ponder...

How can we earn more cubes?

Here is just a sample of what we can do to raise the cube count:

★ Be our V.I.P. community member (by nomination only.)

★ Perform your class job with exceptional pride.

★ Help to keep our community clean without being asked, even when the mess isn't your doing.

★ Mentor a student who needs extra help.

★ Use our unit vocabulary when talking in math and social studies.

★ Show consistant outstanding effort as a class.

★ Independently post on your blog; comment on our classroom blog thoughtfully.

★ Try the Super Duper Whammy problem--or, better still, get the correct answer!

★ Accurately estimate our cube count on Thursday.

There are so many opportunities to contribute to the jar! Good luck!

September 11, 2001

Below is a word cloud of our thoughts on September 11, 2001. 


The larger the word appears, the more of you associated that word with how the events 10 years ago make you feel.

After our talk we had new thoughts.

It is pleasing to see that "strong" is larger than "angry."