The Fighting Gnomes

This website will house short updates from the T4 Sixth Grade Teachers at Salem Middle School.

Mechanical Pencils are Better!

Dear Parents,

Just a quick note to ask that you think about buying your kids mechanical -- instead of wooden -- pencils the next time you're looking to replace their pencils.  We have a ton of broken pencil sharpeners here at Salem, so a constant struggle is finding ways to keep pencils sharp.  Mechanical pencils would help to fix that problem!

Hope this helps,
Bill Ferriter

Annotated Bibliography Project

Click here to download:
Handout_AnnotatedBibliographyProject.pdf (424 KB)
(download)

Embedded above are a series of directions for using Noodle Tools -- a free service available to WCPSS students -- to create an annotated bibliography.  This is a project that we'll begin in Science class on Thursday. 

It is an expectation that sixth grade students will learn to use Noodle Tools to record information about the sources that they're using while researching before they get to seventh grade. 

To save paper, I won't be printing a copy of these directions for every student.  Instead, students can open the directions on the computers that they are using to complete the project.  If you'd like a paper copy of these directions, please print one!

Hope this helps,
Bill Ferriter


Science Test Tomorrow/Going Outside

Dear Parents,

Just a quick heads up to let you know that there is a science test on heat tomorrow.  While it is only 8 questions long, that probably makes it even MORE important for your kids.  It counts as a summative task -- which is worth 90 percent of their average.  And because it is the first summative task of the quarter, it will have a huge impact on your child's grade. 

There are several study guides posted on Posterous.  We'll be reviewing those study guides in class today -- so your child should have all the tools that they need in order to be prepared for the test tomorrow.

On another note, we'll be going outside in science on both Tuesday and Wednesday.  Please be sure to send your children with a jacket so they can be ready for being outside for the full hour. 

Hope this helps,
Bill Ferriter

Super Secret Reading Group or the AFFL

Hello Parents,

Last Wednesday, during our Spartan Time, and then again during lunch on Friday a new reading group formed on our Gnomes team.  We call ourselves the Super Secret Reading Group or the AFFL.  You will have ask a member to better understand the initials AFFL.

We plan to meet at lunch on Mondays and Fridays and then again on each Wednesday Spartan Time to continue our reading of the novel Wildwood by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis.  To find out more about what we are up to check out our class blog for the introduction and chapter one.

You are welcome to check in from time to time to see what we are getting up to and please feel free to add your comments to the discussion.

Thanks,

Mr. Hutchinson

LA Update

Click here to download:
Must Do- Can Do_Week19 (11-12).doc (36 KB)
(download)

We spent a lot of time this week reading nonfiction text and identifying bias and author's purpose.  Articles such as "Are Girls Smarter Than Boys?" and "TV Will Save the World" made for some interesting discussion.  We will continue with author's purpose next week, spending a couple of days with Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream Speech," and look towards a final assessment on these reading skills the following week. 

The third Word Wizard quiz will be next Friday, Feb 3.  This quiz contains both prefixes and root.  There will also be a reading log due Friday that requires students to find and read an editorial. 

I have attached the Must Do/Can Do for next week.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Chambliss Barrow

Social Studies News

Hello all,

With the start of the 3rd quarter we have moved from the Middle Ages into the time of revolution and reform in Europe. Yesterday we began talking about the Renaissance and today we added in the Protestant Reformation.  We will continue these topics as we work through our 3rd quarter read-a-loud book, The Devil and his Boy by Anthony Horowitz. Each day we will read a little of this historical fiction and then do some connections to the time of Elizabethan England.

Just a reminder that students need to make a comment on our class blog (Our Opus) dealing with commemorating the Magna Carta, history or travel.  Student responses need to be well thought our, but they do not need to answer all of the posted questions, just the one that speaks to most to them.  Many students have already completed this assignment, but they are welcome to check back in and continue the conversation.  Some really interesting thoughts have already been shared.

Book Order News...

We do have a book order circulating out there.  Students have opportunities to order from Scholastic Books up until next Friday (Feb. 3).  If you are interested in ordering online you will need the GKDV8 code to assign your order to my class account.  Remember that checks should be written to Scholastic Books.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Mr. Hutchinson

Heat Assessment on Tuesday

Dear Parents,

A quick heads up that the heat assessment originally planned for today has been switched to Tuesday January 31st.  Students will be receiving three different study guides to complete in class today.  Those study guides will help students to prepare for the test.  They can be found embedded in this post:

http://fightingnomes.posterous.com/upcoming-science-assessment-on-heat

Please be sure that your children study for this assessment.  While it is only a short, 8-question multiple choice test, it does count as a summative assessment grade -- which means it counts as a huge portion of your child's overall average.  Missing a question or two will make it very difficult to earn an A during the third quarter. 

Heat is covered in our textbook on pages B 35-59.

Hope this helps,
Bill Ferriter

Reminder about eBooks from Wake County Libraries

Dear Parents,

It was a fun day in class today for me simply because we had media checkout and I saw a TON of new Kindles and Nooks and Kindle Fires around the classroom!  As a guy who completely loves his Kindle, I think it's cool to see those devices in the hands of so many students. 

I wanted to remind you that the Wake County Public Library started lending out eBooks back in October -- including a pretty good collection of novels that your kids will be interested in.  That will be a great place for them to find new titles to read.

You can learn more about the digital lending program here:

http://www.wakegov.com/images/Library/download_library/dl.html

Hope this helps,
Bill Ferriter

Can you donate a Measuring Cup?

Dear Parents,

One of the tools that we use a ton in science during the course of the school year are plastic measuring cups like this one:

http://amzn.to/zRPfqO

The hitch is that we only have 1 per classroom!  If you happen to have any laying around the house that you're not using -- or if you're willing to pick one up to donate to our sixth grade science team -- we'd love to have it. 

On a related note, we are also on the lookout for any old 30 cup coffee makers.  We use them to heat water during several of our mini-lessons.  If you have one that you are no longer using and you want to get it out of your garage, we'd love to take it off of your hands! 

Thanks for your help,
Bill Ferriter

student headphones

In thinking about all of the technology tools we use on the team, the teachers have decided that it may be a good idea for students to have their own set of headphones or earbuds here at school.  Often times when doing research or using tools such as VoiceThread, there are aspects of the site that are audible.  If students keep a set of headphones with them, it will allow them to easily listen to the material.

This is not mandatory by any means, but if you have an extra set around the house or are able to grab a cheap pair from the store, that would be great.  Thanks so much!

Chambliss Barrow