Our Stories

Lights, Camera, Action!

Mrs. James's class yesterday completed a 50-minute editing workshop as part of a school-wide assembly titled Lights, Camera, Action! Students assumed the roles of anchor persons (using cue cards reading daily news for the school), microphone operators, and floor managers.

Throughout the day Derek and Gretta McDonald presented 40-minute assemblies, combining Derek's wacky humor with some real inside info on television's tricks-of-the-trade.

Conlee School was presented with a DVD of the day's filming so that everyone can enjoy all of our talented students and staff.

Based on overheard comments, students and teachers agree that Derek and Gretta gave an outstanding presentation. Kudos to Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Terrazas for bringing them to our school!

Now it's your turn. Tell us (in the Comments section) how you liked the assembly. Be sure to type in your name before clicking the Post box. Then, come back in a day or two and read other students' comments. It's like mind reading for the 21st century.

For Teachers

Yes, we're creating our own individualized Shark WebQuest for Mrs. James's class. But what if you don't have the time or resources to roll your own? This morning I discovered a fantastic site featuring high quality WebQuests for "inquiry-based instructional activities." If you're thinking of doing a WebQuest, I suggest you start here.

Looking for online resources organized around specific themes? Visit eThemes for an extensive listing. You can search alphabetically or by grade level. Taking a dry run this morning, I searched alphabetically. Yikes! That's an extensive listing! I fished around under Animals and clicked on Sharks. And, as the French say, "Voila!"

When a pet dies

It's always a sad day when a beloved pet dies. I was reminded of this when I read Mrs. Terrazas's comment concerning the death of Socks.

 

I like to believe there's some truth to the anonymously written poem Rainbow Bridge. I do know that every time I read these lines, I am comforted. That mere words can bring a blessing to millions, well, to me, that's a miracle.

Click here for a tastefully done Flash presentation of the poem.

More Constitution Day lessons (For Teachers)

I lucked up this morning and found an excellent lesson for Mrs. James's class. It's at The Constitution for Kids site. You'll also find lessons for older students as well as pictures of the Constitution.

Why I Missed Open House

Parents, students, teachers all
gather in the Conlee Halls.
It's Open House, a time to share,
a time for fun, but, where oh where
is Mr. Field?

Snoring, snoring, on a couch he lay.
Snoring, snoring, oblivious to the day.

Ring! RING!! RING!!! The telephone.
He snaps awake with startled moan.
It's Mrs. James - Open House is through.
It's 7:40. So where were you?

Snoring, snoring, on his couch he lay.
Snoring, snoring, the waning of the day.

I write these lines on Wednesday morn.
Self-loathing greets regret and scorn.
To make amends for my disgrace
There's but one answer - I'll shave my face!

Snoring, snoring, on his back he lay.
Snoring, ignoring, the darkening of the day.

My tale is over, now please make note.
In order not to miss your boat,
eat something light, then walk a block.
And always, ALWAYS, set your clock.

Snoring, snoring, on a couch he lay.
Snoring, boring, he missed another day.

My favorite online puzzle

I like to play games. Do you? If you're looking for a real challenge (and this goes for adults too), try the online games at Set Enterprises. I've only played Set - The Daily Puzzle, which, the first time, took me over an hour to solve. It's educational. It's fun. It gets your brain cells jumping! (There's much more info on this intriguing brain teaser, including complete instructions and examples, and even some Set math tricks, here.)

Other daily puzzles include Quiddler and Xactika, neither of which have I attempted. If you try them, come back here and leave a comment telling us if they're worth the time.

Teachers - this one's for you (Constitution Day lessons)

Constitution Day is Sept. 17, which is a Sunday. Schools are noting the observance either this week or next.

I found a treasure trove of lessons for all levels at the Center for Civic Education. (I inspected only the Level 1-2 lesson and found it relevant and grade-level appropriate.)

Lifeguard Warning!

Shark Caption Contest spotted offshore!

Special occasions

Hi kids!!!!

I just wanted to share a picture of my family with you. Here I am with my husband and my son. We were having a party for Dylan (my son) in Albuquerque. We were celebrating his baptismal ceremony. There were a great deal of family members who came down for this special occasion. Have any of you had any special gatherings with your family or friends recently?

Mrs. James

Sharks!

Our class is creating a Shark WebQuest. Jump on in, but watch out for those teeth.