Week 9 Howl-O-Ween!

For Reading we read "Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World". It's about a boy who has a certain way of thinking how men should act and how women should act. To him, women should do the chores and men should go out to work and not be a crybaby. At the end he learns from his grandfather that this is not true. I got the kids thinking about their own family and how they feel about the roles of a female and of a male.

For Science we went through 2 lessons, "Animal Characteristics" and "Animals Without Backbones". From now on, we will be pushing on with Science as we have a lot to cover for the semester. The students will be expected to remember the materials we learn in class. We also did Science work book in Class B and Reading work book in both classes.

New vocabulary week 10 was also given out. There are some more words this week. Please remember to study, as we will be having a test next Wednesday (for week 9 & 10).

This week is Halloween week - on Thursday there was no class. On Friday was Halloween Fun Day! We got dressed up and went around the neighborhood trick-or-treating! The kids had a lot of fun and cars stopped to take pictures of us! We were a hit in the neighborhood! ;)
Then we came back to watch some Halloween movies, eat dinner, play games, and visit the haunted house that the teachers spent so much time building!! :) Hope everyone had a lot of fun, and have a safe and happy Halloween!!












Individual Comments:

Class A:

Livia: I can tell she studies her vocabulary =). She is just the perfect student. She listens, pays attention and during pumpkin carving, she offered to clean up without being asked. Very well behaved, just a sweet, sweet girl =D. One little thing to improve on is to speak and read louder.

Jay: Jay studied his vocabulary this week! During the pop quiz, he did quite well =) I'm impressed! It seems that Jay is more keen on learning now and he is improving week by week. I'm really proud of him. I find him just so adorable!!

Ryan: Ryan always knows his vocabulary, even if he has to think about one word, he'll use common sense and knowledge to come up with the best possible answer. That is very impressive for someone his age. One major thing Ryan needs to improve on is to not get angry at other students so easily and try to work better with others.

Belinda: She studied her vocabulary this week as well! I have to say, she has improved enormously from the first few weeks. Her attitude towards learning has changed positively and she pays attention really, really well now. I am so happy that she is able to concentrate in class and take the most out of her studies. Like Livia, she also helped clean up after pumpkin carving and was very good with eye-hand coordination skills!


Class B:
Sydney: Sydney didn't finish her homework again. It seems like she's being more forgetful. She also didn't study study her vocabulary (I can tell from the pop quiz I gave in class). She needs to speak and read louder in class. However, she made excellent sentences with week 9 vocabulary and also did perfect work in the Science workbook!!

Brian: Brian didn't finish all his homework. He needs to write them down and be more responsible. I was pretty disappointed with him this week. I had to give him a talk about being late to class all the time. Brian is a good reader and he has good comprehension of the reading materials. He does need to write nicer, copy words more carefully, and watch his spelling.

Tiger: Tiger needs to read and follow directions in the workbooks instead of always asking others. He needs to follow along with his fingers when he's reading so that he doesn't stop in between sentences. I hope he can also practice this at home (read a whole sentence smoothly without pauses). Tiger is a good singer and knows his lyrics well!

Richard: Richard loses attention in class sometimes. He doesn't study his vocabulary on a weekly basis (he didn't know any answers on the vocabulary pop quiz). His reading has improved! He's learnt to read more smoothly and add intonation. Good job for that!!! If he puts his mind to it, he can do great work.

Week 8 Classes

Teacher Connie's back this week! we read about how "Circuses are no fun for Animals" and "Why Healthy Teeth are Important". These are all related to the reading last week about animal dentistry.
We also did grammar pages which focused on run-on, complex, and compound sentences. This week was also review week so the students also did review pages in their workbook.

For Science we reviewed Chapter 2 which focused on plants and their reproductive cycle. Then we had a Science unit test. I was pleased with the results in both classes and I'm sure soon everyone in the class will be getting 90% and above!! That's the goal!!

We learned a new song called "Sing Along Song" by Khalil Fong. It is not on the CD that the kids took home but I'm sure it can be easily found on the Internet.

We also had weeks 7 & 8 vocabulary test. I added in some vocabulary from the songs we sing in class. This was a test to see if the students actually pay good attention when we learn the songs. Most did quite well on the test, some I know could do even better:)

I made sure we did all the corrections in grammar and on the tests. I want to get the students use to double checking their work and know exactly where they went wrong.

For writing we wrote on an "Animal Experience" that the students have encountered. They had to talk about what the experience was like and how they felt about it.

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Class A:

Belinda is just a pleasure to teach! She is enthusiastic in class and always contributes and asks questions. She does need to do double check her work so that she will not make careless mistakes in grammar and spelling. Her work is neat as usual!

Jay has improved significantly both in his classroom behavior and in his work. He got good scores this time on both the Science and Vocabulary tests. I am very proud of him!! I can see how he puts in a lot more effort in writing his answers! Now we need to work on his reading so that it sounds more smooth and with intonation.

Livia is a joy to teach as always! She listens and concentrates well. However, I find that she is making careless mistakes on her test and in her work. Livia needs to double check her work and not compete to work the fastest!

Ryan understands the materials well and his writing has improved!! He takes more time in doing his work, not competing to finish first, therefore has less down time during class. I hope Ryan can learn to listen and act on my requests more promptly. We always have to wait for him to pack up his sleeping bag and put his things away!

CLASS B:

Brian had a lot to catch up on this week, due to last week's illness. He managed to finish many of the work in class. He can concentrate amazingly well!! When he sits down to do work he can block any distractions out and just focus on what he's doing. It's amazing at such a young age! I do wish that Brian can hand his homework in on time, I've given him many extensions already.

Richard is a sweet and funny student. He is full of energy but sometimes need to tone it down just a bit! Richard did well on the tests this week and I know he can do even better!! he needs to read the directions in the work books more carefully!!!!!!!! By doing so, I'm sure he can excel even more.

Tiger is just so smart and sweet!! He was the only one who finished his science workbook on time and did a great job on it too!! He's a fast worker and is very consistent with his work. He tries to use the vocabularies we learn in class in his sentences!! Good Job! I will continue to try to practice reading with Tiger 5 minutes before class so that his reading skills can also improve!

Sydney is a joy to teach!! She learns fast and is able to comprehend the materials well. She knows the song lyrics very well which is great! She makes good sentences with very little grammatical mistakes. However, she does need to read the directions in the workbooks more carefully!!

Today is Fun Day! Hope to see all the kids there!! I think it's important for the students to attend fun day so that they are able to socialize with other students in the school. After all, learning can be fun too!

Teacher Connie*

Week 7

Hello this is Teacher Paul substituting for Teacher Connie's class this week.
This week in reading, we read a story about an extraordinary dentist who helps animals around the world with their teeth. We had a discussion about the importance of teeth hygiene.

In science, we covered in detail about the process of photosynthesis. We talked about the difference between transpiration and respiration.

Overall, I am very impressed about all of the students' progress in the past weeks. There speaking ability has improved. They are much more confident and comfortable when they communicate. All of them loves the songs they sing which in terms help them learn to speak more culturally American. This also helped them with their reading fluency as well. Lyrics in songs are sometimes faster when the music is played.

I have also seen improvement in their usage of bigger vocabulary in their sentences and daily usage. This will also help increase comprehension in reading and mature their writing. Hopefully the kids can continue to further improve.

Individual Comments

Jay has been more focused in class and he has been doing his work much faster. His handwritting has also gotten better. His confidence in the class has been improving as well. I hope he can continue to do better.

Livia is careful and pays much attention in class. She does her work with care and quality. However, the last reading assessment she had, she made some careless mistakes in reading the story because she finished early without checking. The mistakes she made does not reflect her usual performance. I have confidence in her that she will do better next time.

Belinda has been working very diligently in class. She follows directions very well and she is spending extra time to review. All the kids love the songs especially Belinda, she enjoys singing all the songs. Her written work is well done and she sometimes finishes work early before others. She will continue to make progress.

Ryan has been doing his written work more seriously. Now he takes time and effort into his writing. In class, he loves to contribute and digress like Teacher Paul but sometimes misses the main point of the lesson. I spent extra time with him to teach him the difference between cellular respiration, transpiration, and photosynthesis. He knows a lot of information and he loves to share but he definitely needs to also remember the details of the concepts in science.

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Tiger has been awesome! He is a model student. He does his work and follows direction very well. He will often ask question when he doesn't know and he takes notes whenever it's necessary. He definitely has positive influence on other students.

Sydney does well overall. She is very confident in class but she made careless mistakes on the reading assessment. She participates in class and works well with others. Her reading is fluent but this semester we are trying to help students read with intonation.

Richard pays a lot of attention and gives good effort. His reading and comprehension is improving but he needs to read with intonation. He reads a little bit like a robot but after I helped him, he made adjustments. Richard will continue to improve through out the semester because of his consistent effort.

All experts start as a novice,

Teacher Paul

Week 6 Transformers Class

This week was Test Week. We had reviews in Science (Chapter 1) and Vocabulary (weeks 1-6).
The students learned about how to 'take notes' when studying for a test. This is important to show them how to efficiently and effectively learn information quickly and be able to do well on a test.
For vocabulary, we reviewed within each class by having a small competition.
**There was an error in calculating the reading marks as we did not have time to do the listening section and writing section. I've let the students know that their percentages will change and they will be taking the new scores home next week.
**The Science marks will also change because after a discussion with Teacher Paul, we've decided to make question 23 a bonus question. The scaling will change, therefore the students will also be taking home new science marks next week.

Sorry for the confusion!

For Reading this week, we were suppose to read "Jame and the Giant Peach", however, after many reminders, many students did not bring their novels to class. Instead, we read "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and learned about MORALS and why it's not good to be a liar. I will let the students keep the novels in class starting from now on. They do however have homework that corresponds to the "James and The Giant Peach" novel page 30-68. They will be doing that reading at home themselves.

We learned a new song this week called "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid soundtrack. This song teaches kids about different types of fish, how a humanized fish thinks, and because the rhythm is quite fast, the students need to practice the lyrics carefully.

We also have new vocabulary, many of which are from Science. We also pre-viewed next week's lesson on "Plants".

I also gave the students a review on grammar - 'third person singular' + verb. I've noticed many mistakes in this area, therefore it was necessary to review this.

The students also did writing as part of the reading test. They had to write a page on "Spending a Special Day with a Friend".

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Class A:
Belinda- Needs to practice reading and answering the comprehension questions more carefully. Belinda seems to concentrate a lot more in class now! I'm very happy, I believe if she focuses, she can excel greatly in the class. Once again, she needs to practice expressing her thoughts and questions more clearly in class.

Ryan: I got Ryan to re-write some of his take home vocabulary homework because it was way too messy. On the test, he took notice of his hand writing and slowed down his work to make sure that his writing was okay. Great job! It's not about how fast you work, but how good your work is =). From my observations, Ryan is quite emotional, he started crying in class because he said his Chinese teacher told him that "his mom really loves him". Last time at Fun Day (Archery) Ryan got very angry when a kid went before him and took his spot. Ryan needs to learn to control his emotions better. Other than that, I'm pleased with the way he's progressing, he's always keen to learn and asking questions, it keeps the class very interesting! =)

Jay: Jay got great on his Science test this week. He is improving lots! I did have to ask him to re-write his homework (vocabulary) because the hand writing was so bad. He also handed in his take home reader work sheet late this week. I believe Jay can do well, but he is lazy or not motivated at home to do so. At tree house, I try to push him to focus, and when he does, he can remember information very well!!

Livia: Livia handed in her take home reader homework late this week. She is still a fast worker, but on the reading test , she did not do so well. This is mainly because of errors made by not double checking her work. She needs to slow down and read carefully. I do believe she understands all the materials covered in class.

CLASS B:
Brian: Brian is very good with vocabulary and has a great memory. His grammar this week has improved in his writing! You listened Brian! =) Brian also got perfect on the vocabulary quiz! He does need to watch his spelling errors and stop writing messily!!

Richarde: Richard needs to practice his song lyircs and pay attention more. Sometimes he has a hard time verbally expressing things/questions. He tends to lose focus quickly, but is also able to regain it when he senses that I am angry. I was very disappointed with his reading results as his errors were all due to the fact that he did not read carefully and did his work too fast. Richard should practice writing more sentences coherently and grammatically correct at home.

Tiger: Tiger is the most improved student out of all!! He pays attention in class and when I ask him questions he can most of the time respond with the correct answer. He made great vocabulary sentences this week. He got the highest mark on the reading test out of both classes!! Congratulations Tiger!! =D. One thing he needs to improve on is his writing and past/present tense grammar.

Sydney: Sydney needs to read questions more carefully in the take home reader. I expect her to answer with more in-depth answers. She has a problem of matching up past/present tenses in a sentences. I've discussed this with her and she's taken note of it. She finished fast on the tests this week but got bad marks in Science and Reading. I am disappointed because usually in class she is one of the brightest students. She does understand the materials well, but because she doesn't double check her work and she wants to finish fast, she makes many inexcusable mistakes.


FUN DAY:
PING PONG!


*NEXT WEEK: I will be away Wed-Friday (Oct 14-16), if parents have any questions please call the school or email me! connie@taiwanspca.org


Teacher Connie

Week 5 Transformers Class!!

Reading:
We read "Seal's Journey" - talking about the incredible journey that Harp Seals take every year to reproduce. To relate to the story I also talked about the seal hunt that goes on around the world (Ex: Canada) and why it is cruel to wear any type of animal products. I tried to bring in the issue of animal cruelty and introduce the topic to the kids. We also read the short article "The Amazing Traveling Tern".

Related workbook and grammar book were also completed - grammar focused on conjunctions and complex conjunctions.

Science:
This week's unit focused on "Changes in the Ecosystem". We talked about how ecosystems can be caused naturally and how humans contribute to these changes as well. I explained ecological footprint and carbon footprint and had the students go home to look up their own contribution to pollution in our society. In class we did a web brainstorming of how our society adds to the pollution in Taiwan and how we can help to conserve more resources.

We also completed the corresponding Science workbook in class and made corrections.

Writing:
I had the students do an "Interview Essay". I put the students in to pairs and they had to interview the other student. The topic was "Which city do you want to live in and why". The students had to write in third person format and had a time constraint. This teaches the kids to work under a certain deadline and learn to focus under pressure.

Vocabulary:
We also learned new vocabulary this week. I did not give very much vocabulary this week because next week we will have a Week 1-6 vocabulary test. The students know this already and should be already studying for it.

P.S. I've written sentences on the vocabulary sheets as examples, the students should not just change a word or two when making sentences. They should try to make up an original sentence using the chosen word.

Song:
This week we learned a new song called "Mirror, Mirror". The song talks about a person regretting what she did and hoping that she had done things differently.

Take Home Reader:
For homework, the students have to read the take home reader "Lois and Clark" and answer the corresponding questions. Due next Wednesday.

Video: This week I also brought in a 28 minute video made by "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" (PETA). The short film talks about how animals are just like us and that we should treat them with respect. I chose to show this video this week because it relates to our story reading.

Passport:
Student passports were given out this week. This can not be lost and should be brought back to every class! If parents have any questions, please feel free to call the school and I would be happy to speak with you!

Also, I would like the parents to know that at Tree House, learning doesn't just happen when the teacher is lecturing. Much of the learning also come from discussions, workbooks, making corrections, writing, interactions etc. I hope you understand I try to incorporate a variety of teaching methods to achieve the greatest outcome.

Individual Comments:

Class A:

Livia: This week Livia handed in her student journal late, but she did a good job with it. It was creative and she was the only one who got an A grade in the writing. Her vocabulary sentences were great as well and I love how she will write more than one sentence for each word. That shows she's willing to learn and push herself to achieve more. She's a quick thinker, even if she's not sure about the answer to a question, she is able to connect the dots and make a logical conclusion.

Jay: Jay can be a good writer but he needs to follow the writing criteria!! When I want at least 8 sentences he'll write only 7. Jay needs to be careful with punctuation marks when doing his work book and write nicer!! His vocabulary sentences were illegible!! Jay has improved a lot though, working faster and doing better work. Jay also needs to learn his song lyrics and practice reading at home. His reading tempo and tone needs to improve. Jay seems always tired in class, he needs to be more focused.

Belinda: Belinda is a great drawer and pretty good at writing but should try to be a bit more creative. She needs to watch her spelling errors and follow the writing criteria! I am very happy that Belinda is so much more focused in class now. I am proud of her for doing so. Her work ethics has definitely improved. She is always willing to participate in discussions and express her opinions.

Ryan: Ryan's writing has to improve. I got him to re-write his sentences in class. Next time I will have no choice but to get him to re-write the whole thing. This is part of the learning process. He has more down time than other students partly because of this. He needs to learn to write nicely like Livia and Belinda. He also needs to follow the writing criteria I give him. I feel he tries to compete to be the first one to finish work and therefore not do the best that he could. His vocabulary sentences are still very good and continues to impress me. Ryan definitely has a lot of knowledge in his head!

Class B:

Brian: Brian needs to watch his punctuations marks and capital letters!! These are basically careless mistakes that he is making. He also needs to watch the use of tenses (he often gets future and past tenses mixed up). Brian is however a very serious worker and really smart. He can think quickly and able to answer questions well!

Sydney: Sydney is a good reader and fast worker. However, sometimes when she gets too excited she can lose her attention. Sydney needs to put more effort in to her creative writing and take it more seriously. She also needs to practice verbally asking questions and answering questions in class.

Tiger: Tiger needs to practice reading at home. He is stutters a bit when he reads, which may be the result of not looking ahead at the words. Tiger pays a lot more attention now and I am very proud of him!! He concentrates and seems engaged in the lesson. Tiger is good at thinking of questions to ask and is a quick learner.

Richard: Richard needs to practice reading at home as well. He needs to be more expressive when he reads and needs to stop at punctuation marks. Richard's biggest problem is that he likes to joke around in class. This distracts other students and also interrupts the class. He needs to practice better time management skills and also not make careless errors when writing his work books. However, I am proud of Richard for beginning to finish his work on time!

Fun Day: Pin Pong! :)

Below is a video of the 2 classes singing last week's song "Beauty in Ugly" - Jason Mraz.