November 6, 2009

Dear Parents,

            There is a rhythm to the school year. About this time, animals start showing up. First there was the snake, then two mice, I've had several offers I had to refuse and no doubt as little creatures scramble to find shelter there will be more things coming into peoples' homes.

            I gave Rocky, the snake, a bath to remove some of his shed that he hadn't been able to get off. I now have a happy snake. Some of the students helped change the litter.

            Overall, the 5^th graders did well on their unit test and we are into the next unit, division. These next two units, division and fractions seem to be the most difficult for students. Please let me know if your child is having difficulty with the work.

            The 6^th graders are working on ordering, converting and using fractions decimal and percentages. Homework is their opportunity to practice independently.

            Today, the 7^th and 8^th graders turn in their first formal lab write-up. Some students have worked very hard at this and others have not taken this seriously. It is the culmination of a lot of practice attempts and fulfills the assessment for the Inquiry standard. Most of students have been working on this standard since 5^th grade so it is a pretty big deal. You should take some time and look at your child's work. It is on their laptop.

            The 5^th and 6^th graders have been using learning to use GeoGebra. It is an application that can be used to teach both Geometry and Algebra concepts.

            As the weather gets colder, please help your students make good decisions about what to wear to school. I always like to keep an extra pair of shoes and socks handy. Don't forget that if the bus breaks down, your students could be waiting on a bus with no heat for long time.

I have the same request. The green house is in need of a repair. One of the ridge poles was damaged. This must be fixed before the snow falls and it probably isn't very difficult but I could sure use so advise and some muscle. Anyone out there good at problem solving?        

Oh, Layne says “Florida was great!”

            Have a great weekend, stay in touch. Laura

This is how to do it.

Home 326-0744

School 326-9421

Laura@penobscotschool.org

Below are a few links of interest for students to visit.

( The followng links are not associated with the Penobscot School Curriculum)

NOAA Maine Realtime River flow  Data Services

Maine Maritime Academy Live Waterfront Webcam

Earth/Science Resources

Math  Resources

DownEast Educational Partnership (DEEP)

University of Maine Cooperative Extension