Toymakers make better toys every year. Some are faster and some are louder. Some are even smarter! How would you makeyour favorite toy better?

Phoebe would add roller skates to a rocking horse.
Caleb would add deer horns to a hat.
Jeffrey would put deer horns all over a motorcycle.
Hannah would dress her Bratz doll prettier.
Shelby would make her stuffed animal real.
Peyton would drive his train after he made it real.
Kendra would put basketball on her Wii.
Victoria would put more makeup on her iCarly doll.
Ethan would make his Star Wars toys talk.
Mikey would add rockets to his dirtbike.
Macy would add the cutest case to her Ipod.
Sarah would dress up a baby doll as Santa.
Logan would paint his Bop-It blue.
Isaac would make his little trucks real.
Brandon would have a mini driver for his remote controlled Mustang.
Avery would put two jets on the side of his truck to make it go faster.
Scotty would add new games to his game system.
Riley would want her laptop to change colors.
Michaela would like her toy gun to be real.

Things We Excel At

Things We Excel At

home....

Phoebe - Jenga
Peyton - Riding my bike
Avery - Popping wheelies
Ethan - Video games
Riley - Wii
Macy - Rock Band drums
Logan - Bop-It
Michaela - Walking a dog
Hannah - Taking care of my dog
Jeffrey - Tackle Football
Mikey - wheelies on the dirt bike
Kendra - Riding my bike
Sarah - Catching ball
Scotty - Cleaning
Caleb - video games
Brandon - soccer
Ms. Cade - Guitar Hero

At School
Brandon - spelling
Caleb - gym
Scotty - work
Sarah - art
Kendra - Reading
Mikey - art
Jeffrey - fitness lab
Hannah - computer
Michaela - reading
Logan - gym
Macy - monkey bars
Riley - art
Ethan - math
Avery - gym
Peyton - gym
Phoebe - math
Ms. Cade - teaching (the class picked)

What are some ways we can teach each other things? Macy said that you could tutor someone. Michaela says that you can research a subject then tell people about it. Jeffrey wants to use the computer to learn things to tell others. Kendra will share a book with someone. Peyton explains that teachers can tell students things about the world. Ethan will help by sharing information and instructions. Caleb says that you can share information by using the phone.

Creative ideas can solve problems or answer questions. When are creative ideas good? When are they bad? Creative ideas that help you with a science question are good. A good creative idea is to figure out how to fix you broken truck. If your car runs out of gas, you would need to think of a way to fix it. A creative idea could be bad if you break the rules while doing it. It could be bad if you hurt someone or something. It would be bad if you use illegal things. It would be bad if you tore up other people's property.

Watch someone use a cell phone or send an e-mail. Science makes keeping in touch easy. How many ways can we communicate? Phoebe says we can use email. Brandon says that, too. Kendra is going to text to keep in touch. Riley will write a note. Hannah will write a letter to a friend. Ethan will call them on the phone. Jeffrey will write them a letter that tells something that you like about them. Macy will talk to them. Michaela will send them cards on their birthday. Isaac says you can send flowers to someone.

Today we will read about some farmers. They have a problem with mice in their fields. One farmer has a smart idea for getting rid of the mice. What do you think is a smart idea? Ethan thinks the farmers should use mouse traps with cheese. Hannah wants the farmers to get cats so the cats can catch the mice. Mikey knows the cats will chase after the mice and the farmer won't have to chase after them. Jeffrey would put poison in his field to kill the mice. Sarah wants the farmers to get a box with poison pebbles in it to get rid of the mice.

Thanksgiving Traditions

Today we will read about a holiday celebration. We will read about what a group of animals does on Thanksgiving day. What do you usually do on Thanksgiving?
Jeffrey celebrates by decorating the table and eating turkey. Brandon's family has a really big celebration with a lot of food. Riley's family goes to her grandmother's house and they bring food to eat. Hannah's family eats turkey and then plays outside. Shelby's family goes to the cabin for Thanksgiving. Isaac's family decorates the house with turkeys. Peyton's family goes to his grandma's house and then he rides his scooter. Kendra's family goes to her uncle's house. Scotty's family goes to his mamaw's and papaw's house. Michaela spends time with her family. After Ethan's family eats, he and his cousins go outside to play. He likes to see who can roll down the hill the fastest. Phoebe's family goes to Fatz for Thanksgiving.

Holidays are a pleasant time when people gather together to celebrate. How can we contribute to a celebration? Michaela says that she can carve pumpkins. Brandon is going to have lots of things to eat. Scotty is going to give things to others. Riley is going to paint eggs. Sarah is going to put decorations on trees. Phoebe is going to give gifts. Ethan is going to hit the pinata for a birthday celebration. Macy says you could dress up. Jeffrey is going to eat turkey on Thanksgiving.

Turtles and beavers live in ponds. What other things live in ponds? Caleb says frogs live in a pond. Phoebe says fish live in a pond. Logan agrees that fish live in a pond. Isaac says bass fish live in a pond. Sarah says ducks live at the pond. Peyton has seen tadpoles at the pond. Kendra knows that there are lilly pads at the pond. Brandon says deer live around the pond. Macy tells us bluegills live in the pond.

Today we read about Turtle and Beaver. We read about how they competed in a race that was not just for recreation. What are some times you have been in a race?
Brandon and Noah raced at his house for a $100.00. Macy and her sisters raced and the winner got to jump by theirself. Victoria and her friend raced to see who had the fastest cartwheels. Mikey raced with his cousin.

Today we will read about Ronald Morgan and his baseball team. Ronald isn’t a very good player, but he’s still an important part of the team. What are some ways that individuals can help a team? Brandon says that people should use teamwork. Peyton thinks that a team should help each other. Phoebe said that you should be a good sport. Riley says that you should cheer for your team. Macy told us that if you are on a team you should encourage your teammates to do their best. Scotty is going to say good game to all the players.

A team is like a family. It’s important that each person supports the others. What makes a team? Phoebe tells that you need about 19 friends and you play a sport together. Macy thinks that having friends together makes a team. Ethan says that two groups of 11 can divide to make teams to play football. Hannah says that when you are a team you have to take turns. Jeffrey says that when you try to catch an air ball you have to follow it all the way until it comes down to you. Caleb tells that people sign up for a team.

Phoebe's mom and dad brought tadpoles for us to see. Ethan saw tadpoles in all the changes. Some had no legs, some had two legs, some had four legs. One was almost a frog. We talked about what kind of pictures artists make in art. We talked about Autumn and what we think about happening in this season.

Week in Review

This week we read about asking questions. What did we find out about whom we can ask when we are looking for answers? Where can we inquire? We agree that you can ask your parents, a teacher, a cop, and a book for the answers to the questions you have.

This week we also talked about pirates. Caleb found a treasure. Brandon has lots of jewels. Yesterday was bus driver appreciation day. We finished our graphing chapter. We are ready to finish the six weeks strong! Monday is the last day of the six weeks.

Great Week

Phoebe and Logan reached their treasure chest goal. We added origami stars to our poetry books. We made a desert sunset for our poetry journals. We took test all day today. We have almost filled our bumper with stickers.

We learned about graphs and charts in math. We made a lake habitat. Cactus are homes for other creatures. Spelling Test TOMORROW.

We had fun today. Caleb remembers that we learned about animals. Today in science. We drew pictures of animal enviroments. Phoebe remembers learning about suffixes. Isaac knows what arid means. VERY VERY DRY! The class took a survey today in math.

Friday at last

We had a great time in the computer room. Our reading buddies brought us snacks. We learned that the moon goes around the Earth and the Earth goes around the sun. Part of the Earth blocks the sun from the moon. Brandon got 6 book claps in computer. Logan built his own town in computer. Today is our last space day. We all agree we had a good day.

Our Thursday

During art class, we drew our houses. We had a spelling test today and some people made a 100. We rewrote our camping stories. We made constellations creations. Homework is due tomorrow. We had a very good day.

Camping under the stars

Henry and Mudge go camping with Henry's parents in our story this week. What do you think would be the best thing about camping in the wilderness? Phoebe says taht hiking would be the most fun. Ethan thinks fishing is the most fun. Peyton tells us he likes to camp in a tent. Macy wants to go swimming in the lake. Michaela says roasting marshmellows is the most fun. Shelby wants to catch fish. Jeffrey's favorite thing is to go horseback riding. Isaac wants to explore animals.

Space the Final Frontier

We have been studying about space all week long. We had a space treat today. We ate orange Tang and Moonpies. We read a book all about Mars. We made moon landings with Neil Armstrong's footprint.

We wrote a story with our reading buddies today. The stories were about our planets. We made up new planets to live on instead of Earth. Ask about what planet we live in tonight. Ethan's planet is Doctor Death. Macy's planet has a blue-green and violet red sky. Homework is due tomorrow.

A Great Wednesday

We went to gym today. We got a new water fountain. We learned a space song. Brandon brought a space book to share with us. We learned about the planets in the sky. We used blocks in math. We practiced our subtraction. We have a spelling test tomorrow.

Today we read about astronauts who explore space. What do you think it would feel like to take off into space? Peyton thinks it would feel very good. Kendra tells us about the rocket that took off on the playground. Macy remembered that the sun gives us heat. Sarah told us about the Earth going in circles around the sun. Jeffrey heard a song about space.

Explore Space

Astronauts fly somewhere into space. They can fly around our beautiful Earth. Why would anyone want to explore space? Jeffrey says there are alot of neat things in space to see. Isaac says that the Earth will be even more beautiful in space. Sarah tells us that you can play with the rocks on Mars. Brandon thinks we should go to space for our field trip. Macy says that in space you can see UFOs. Phoebe says that you can discover planets and find something new. Michaela wants to take a little piece of the moon.

8-21-09

Today we had so much fun. We spelled our words on the computer. We took several tests to show how smart we are. We glued our building together to make a city.

8-20-09

We painted our boxes to make buildings. Tomorrow we will make a city with them. Today everyone stayed on green. We hope we stay on green tomorrow. We had a great day. We had fun learning about urban and rural places. Ask us about Iris and Walter tonight.

Exploring

Today we will read more about the forest. What plants could we investigate in the forest? Isaac says ferns. Peyton suggested trees. Ethan said poison ivy. Phoebe wants to investigate daffodiles. Scotty wants to look at trees, too. Michaela will look at wildflowers.

Sarah told us about finishing our maps. Riley played the WII in the gym. We played password with our vocabulary words.

8-18-09

Today we read about a girl named Iris. We made a map. We played with our best friends. We found a new book by our author of the month, Kevin Henkes. We played in centers. Brandon had a good day today. We had fun in music. We used the shakers in music.

Friday

We chanced our names in computer class. We wrote a letter to an illustrator. His name was Kevin Henkes. He wrote Lilly's Purples Plastic Purse and Chrysanthemum. We had so much fun. We finally got to do social studies.

A Good Day

This morning we met our reading buddies. Mrs. Short's Shining Star are our reading buddies this year. Every Thursdays we will read books with them. We also illustrated our Camper book today. We all think we had a pretty good day.

Together all day

We had a exciting day. We listened to music from books. We practiced the rules in all places. our rules are Just show respect. Enter ready. Take responsibility. Stay safe. Michaela says it was an exciting day because it was the first real day of school. Shelby found some of her friends in her class.

Finally here

We have just finished our first day of school. I was so excited to meet all my students and their families. I am looking forward to a great week with you. This week we will focus on learning the rules and procedures in the classroom, as well as, getting to know each other better. In math, we will be reviewing addition facts. Social studies will start out with learning about communities and rules. Everyone has a break from spelling this week.

Getting ready for a new school year

I hope everyone is having a great summer. I can't wait to see all my new students. I hope you are ready for an adventure.

Things Change

Today is Tuesday, February 10, 2009. Everybody goes through changes. We grow older. We move to a different school or town. We even change friends. Why are some changes difficult? Noah says that friends moving would be difficult because you would miss them. Samantha thinks that moving to a different town would be hard because you might not be able to take everything that you love with you. Anthony says that moving to a new place would be hard when you have to change things like not having pets anymore. Gracie says not seeing your family would be hard if we moved away.

Animals Grow and Change

Today is Monday, January 26, 2009. Animals everywhere start life as babies. Each animal has a mother and a father. Over time, the babies grow. How do animals change as they grow? Anthony says,"If they are a snake, they grow longer and more venomous." "They can grow taller and get bigger," told Samantha. Aubrey informs us that animals are small at first but they get bigger. Tre tells us that cheetahs get faster. Seth says that the way frogs get born and change with back legs and then they get all their legs and turn into frogs.

101 day of school

Today is the 101st day of school. Today we counted dots to 101. We measured out puppy chow and ate it. Then we watched 101 Dalmations for play time. Below is the recipe for puppy chow.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Butter
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
9 cups Crispix cereal (any flavor)
1-1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions:
1. Combine peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for one minute then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Stir well.
3. Place the 9 cups of Crispix cereal in a very large bowl.
4. Pour the peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss evenly, making sure all the cereal gets a good covering.
5. Coat with powdered sugar, sprinkling evenly over the cereal and tossing as you sprinkle to cover each piece well.

Things from seeds

Today is Thursday, January 22, 2009. Today we will read about pumpkins. In four months, they grow from tiny seeds to large, round fruits. What else grows from a seed? Tre knows that watermelons and grapefruits come from seeds. Ron tells us that plants, weeds, and bushes start as seeds. Samantha knows that flowers and carrots grow from seeds. Haley tells us that cantaloupe and pineapples come from a seed. Alec explains that corn grows from a seed. Anthony tells us that grapes and grass come from seeds. Aubrey tells us that zucchini and bananas come from a seed. Gracie knows that daisies and pomegranate come from seeds. Jake tells us that apples and oranges come from seeds.

Life Cycles

Today is Thursday, January 15, 2009. Our class feels like it is autumn again. This week our story is about the life cycle of a pumpkin. There are many things that grow in cycles. Apples grow in cycles informs Taylor G. Jake tells us that frogs grow in cycles. Kittens grow in cycles tell Samantha. Haley knows that flowers grow in cycles. Tre knows that dogs grow in cycles. Horses grow in cycles tells Aubrey. Keana tells us that all plants grow in cycles. Anthony tells us that butterflies grow in cycles.

Groundhogs already?

Our class is signed up for the 2009 Project Groundhog. Project Groundhog is about finding out if the groundhog as weather hog is myth or truth. For the six weeks following Groundhog Day, February 2nd, we will record the daily temperature and sky conditions in our area. The information collected is shared weekly with the participating schools via email and the Project Groundhog website. Oh yeah, if school is closed for weather we record that too.... we love SNOW DAYS!!!

Making a Class Quilt

Today is Thursday, January 8, 2009. Today we will read about another quilt. It was stitched by the people of Brewster. The pictures on the quilt represent important things about the town. What would a quilt of your class include? Haley says we need to put our names on the quilt. Noah thinks the date should go on it. Taylor G. says we should use our favorite colors. Samantha told us to put something we all like on the quilt. Anthony says our teacher needs to be on the quilt. Jake says to put things we care about on the quilt. Alec wants our favorite animals on the quilt. Aubrey wants her friends on the quilt.

Old Things

Today is Tuesday, January 06, 2009. We will be reading about a warm , old quilt this week. This quilt changes over time. Have you ever owned something for a long time? “I still have one of the quilts that Mamaw made for me when I was a baby,” Samantha said. Seth says, “I have an old blanket that my mom use to hold me in when I was a baby.” Anthony’s skateboard is old. He has had it since he was three. Haley has a blanket from when she was two. It has teddy bears on it. Tre has an old pair of shoes that his grandma made. Ron’s mom made him a blanket when he was three and he still has it.