Morning Message 4/30/10

Good morning! Today is Friday, April 30, 2010.
Tiger Day: G
Day 148 of School, 32 days left

REMINDERS!/Announcements:

• You get a 3 day weekend-- lucky you! Monday the 3rd is a teacher work day (“professional day”), so kids don’t have school.
• Tuesday the 4th, there will be a substitute. Excellent behavior and extraordinary helpfulness is expected and required!

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll be doing not one, but TWO, Virginia Studies Weekly quizzes! You all are so advanced, you can handle it.
• Then we’ll do a little bit more probability!

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Take out issues 25 and 27 to help you with your quizzes. Then get to work!

Morning Message 4/29/10

Good morning! Today is Kirsten’s Birthday!
It is Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tiger Day: I
Day 147 of School, 33 days left

REMINDERS!/Announcements:

• We will welcome a visitor from Jamestown today! We look forward to meeting her at 9:50am.
• Ms. Bragg will have to be away from the classroom starting at 9am for a special meeting. I hope to be back in time to enjoy most of the Jamestown presentation.
• There will be a special math lesson in homeroom this afternoon.
• Two more dates to add to your agendas-- Next Monday (the 3rd) is a Professional Day... So kids don’t need to come to school that day. Tuesday, the 4th Ms. Bragg will be away at another special meeting, so there will be a substitute. Excellent behavior and extraordinary helpfulness is expected and required!

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll be learning more about important Virginians in Virginia’s recent history. Why do you think the title of the Chester comic is “Vital Virginians”? What does “vital” mean?

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. Wish Kirsten a “Happy Birthday!”
3. There’s a new Chester the Crab on your desk. Enjoy reading it quietly until after announcements.

Morning Message 4/28/10

Good morning! Today is Wednesday, April 28, 2010.
Tiger Day: T
Day 146 of School, 34 days left

REMINDERS!/Announcements:

• Assembly today!
• NO math today. Tomorrow we’ll have a special math lesson in homeroom.
• Tomorrow there will be a substitute for part of the morning because Ms. Bragg has to go to an important meeting.

THIS MORNING:

• We’ll be doing some Language Arts this morning as well as Virginia Studies.

To-Do List:

1. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
2. There’s a new issue of Scholastic News on your desk. Begin reading.

Flocabulary- MLK Rap ("Let Freedom Ring")

LYRICS

So even though we face the difficulties
of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.
It is a dream deeply rooted
in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation
will rise up and live out
the true meaning of its creed:
We hold these truths to be self-evident
that all men are created equal.
I have a dream…

It would take a nation of millions to hold us back.
Brown v. Board opened some doors.
Back then they called all blacks Negroes.
We kick it off of the top sort of like cerebrals.
Separate isn’t equal, when in practice.
My school is a shack. Mine is a palace!
Do I have to sit in the back of the bus? That’s wackness.
Second class citizen on account of my blackness.
They say to change the world, you’ve got to take a stand.
Rosa Parks took a seat, changed the face of the land.
Martin had a plan that even if you want to change the world
that don’t mean you’ve got to kill another man.
Inspired by the people like Thoreau and Gandhi,
a pacifist in the war without an army.
‘Cause they can’t harm me, no matter how the end seems.
I wonder if Mr. King is still having dreams…

Let freedom ring…
I have a dream…
Let freedom ring…
This must become true...
So let freedom ring…

MLK had a dream, took it mainstream.
Civil Rights Bill, Voting Rights Acts, they passed.
Modern day Jesus, turning the other cheek,
some blacks like “dog, that’s weak.
I’m not looking to get beat deep into next week,
my everyday life is police brutality.”
Malcolm picked up X and dropped his slave name,
radical change, “defense by any means.”
Went on hajj to Mecca, said ‘let God protect ya,
Whites and Blacks, yeah, we’re in this together.’
But there are race riots, people are dying,
Warfare in Watts, tear gas, bullets are flying.
So JFK?
He got assassinated.
MLK?
He got assassinated.
Malcolm X?
He got assassinated.
So it’s up to us to keep that dream alive…

Let freedom ring…
I have a dream…
Let freedom ring…
This must become true...
So let freedom ring...

Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom
by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

Morning Message 4/27/10

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, April 27, 2010.
Tiger Day: S
Day 145 of School, 35 days left

REMINDERS!:

• Report cards!-- still need a couple returned.
• Tomorrow we have an assembly and early release! Thursday we have Jamestown outreach, which will start our review of all 400 years of Virginia history-- and let’s not forget about geography! We’ll review it all before the SOLs... When are those? Let’s take out our calendars today after announcements.

THIS MORNING:

• It’s the last 50 years on our timelines! And maybe a little more?-- Can you fit your B-day on there? REMEMBER: You need to explain the dates that you include so that someone who hasn’t studies Virginia history will be able to learn from your timeline.

To-Do List:

1. Turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like report cards and signed tests).
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
3. Find your timeline partner(s) and get to work! Remember where your spot to work in the classroom is? You’ll need to add 2 more pieces of paper and find important dates from 1950-2000 (and a little beyond?-- maybe a partial piece of paper?).

What is "technology"?

Is "technology" just computers and electronics? Is technology only new stuff?

Our issue of VA Studies Weekly says this: "Industrial economies are made possible by technology. Cities had new technology like paved roads and streetcars."

So "paved roads" is an example of technology? What else can be considered technology?

Check out this funny video... It may surprise you!

Morning Message 4/16/10

Good morning! Today is Monday, April 26, 2010
Tiger Day: R
Day 144 of School, 36 days left

REMINDERS!:

• You made it through Turn Off the TV Week! So your creative muscles should feel supple and strong! This is good news for our poetry recitations... I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
• We have a short Wedensday this week-- with an assembly! There will be no math that day.
• Report cards!-- still need a few returned.

THIS MORNING:

• We’re going to add another 50 years to our timelines! How many sheets of paper is that? We’re only 50 away from 400 total!

To-Do List:

1. Turn in any important papers to the “Notes for Ms. Bragg” box (like report cards and signed tests). Return your empty Friday Folder to its mailbox.
2. Complete your morning routine! Don’t forget about snack.
3. Find your timeline partner and get to work! Remember where your spot to work in the classroom is? You’ll need to add 2 more pieces of paper and find important dates from 1900-1950.