Teacher Connie's TRANSFORMERS!

New Semester!!! Welcome Back!

2010-02-26T00:41:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Semester 2 has finally begun! We aim to do more supplementary readings and science experiments this semester!

We've also got new students in the class this time around: Let's welcome Edwin and Joe to the class! =)

This week we started off by reading the story: Underwater Explorer. It's an article on a famous marine biologist and her work diving under the sea exploring marine life. I explained in class the differences between snorkeling and diving and showed the students a real life video of my roommate diving in the seas of Thailand!
Corresponding grammar and reading workbook pages were assigned as well.

For Science we started Chapter 8: Lesson 1 "Water, Water Everywhere!" This lesson explains how 2/3 of the world is covered with water. We learned about where water can be found and the different states it's in.
Corresponding science workbook questions were assigned.

For writing we wrote on the topic: "Tell me about how you use water in everyday life, how much you use, and where it comes from". I want the students to think about how water is an essential part of our everyday existence and that we should try to conserve water.

Vocabulary for week 1 and week 2 were assigned and there will be a quiz on the words next Wednesday in class. The words cover the materials we went over in class this week, as well as the materials we will be covering next week.

The new song this week was "Apologize" by One Republic. The students were familiar with this song before and some even memorized the lyrics already! CDs were given to students to take home.

This week's fun day is LASER TAG! There will only be 4 fun days this semester, the other Fridays will be elective classes which are mandatory for students.

**This semester I hope the students can improve their grammar skills (don't keep repeating the same mistakes!), reading comprehension skills, and classroom ethics. =)

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Teacher Connie

Semester End - Happy Chinese New Year!

2010-01-28T06:42:00.000-08:00

It's the end of the semester, I'm sure all the kids are excited for winter break! We had 3 tests this week, which they all did an excellent job on (with one or two exceptions)!
For our big vocabulary Weeks 1-21 final we reviewed for 2 hours together as a class. We played BINGO where the students had to recognize the meaning of each vocabulary word. The 2 winners got a special prize the next day in class. We also played tic-tac-toe, where the students were separated in to 2 teams and got to work as a group to come up with the right definition for a word. The winners got extra good points.

We also corrected and rewrote the vocabulary stories that the students had to write for homework over the weekend.

For Science, we went over the key points in Chapter 7 and had the chapter test. All students got 90% or above!! Very proud of you guys!

We had a long reading mid-term exam as well. While some students did extremely well, some really need to work on their comprehension skills and learn how to find answers from clues in a story.

This semester's last fun day is Ice Skating! It'll be fun, although Teacher Connie can't skate! =\

*Progress reports will be sent home on Friday for Class A. Class B Parents, I will post them on the blog under individual titles.

Happy New Years everyone, and hope you all have a wonderful vacation!

Week 22 Class!

2010-01-21T00:28:00.000-08:00

This week we read the story "Gluskabe and the Snow Bird". It is a myth about the origins of day/night and the seasons. The folk-art illustrations were quite different than the other stories we have read in class. Corresponding workbook and grammar pages were assigned.

For Science we finished Ch. 7 - Moons, Stars, and Planets. The students were very interested with space science, especially learning about the different planets. We also reviewed the 3 lessons in Chapter 6. We had a competition in class where I asked the students different questions. They had about 15 minutes to study beforehand. Then they were put in to partners to test each other. I also discussed together some of the key points that were important for the exam.
Chapter 6 exam was assigned on Thursday for Class B and Friday for Class A.

We also reviewed weeks 1-21 vocabulary words in depth. I gave the students several words where they had to use in a story. We also had a verbal quiz in class where they had to tell me the meanings of several vocabulary words.

We also went through the answers for the Take Home Readers in class.

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

CLASS A:
Jay has been exceptionally good this week! He tried hard, paid attention, answered many questions, and was very enthusiastic. I hope he can keep this up!

Livia did great this week as well. Her sentences continue to impress me (hopefully she's not copying from the dictionary though!). One thing to improve on would be the pronunciation of some words in reading.

Belinda tries hard in class and tries to pay attention. This week however, she did not finish her homework that was given out 2 weeks ago! Another thing to improve on would be the structure of her sentences.

Ryan did great this week, both in class and on the exams. However, he continues to write messy and interrupt others when others are speaking. I hope he can be a better listener.

CLASS B:
Sydney tries really hard in class. She always wants to stay longer or put in extra time to finish her work. I can tell she gives herself high standards, which is great! She also takes initiative in showing me her corrections when I haven't asked for them. Excellent work habits!

Brian gets down to work straight away! He is amazing! While other students may joke around and waste time, he doesn't get distracted by any of it. He wants to get work done and pushes himself to do so. However, he does need to improve his writing neatness!!

Tiger is a good problem solver, he is able to answer questions logically! He is keen to learn and is always asking questions. It's great! Tiger still needs to try to not be distracted by other students in the class.

Richard is able to answer questions well in class when he pays attention. I had a talk with him this week and he knows that he is not putting 100% in to his work. I see so much potential in Richard, if he can take things more seriously, he'll do so well!!!

**REMINDER:
Week 1-21 Vocabulary Test next week
Chapter 7 Science Test next week
Reading Comprehension Test next week

Study study study! have a good weekend guys ;)!

Teacher Connie

Week 21!

2010-01-15T00:46:00.001-08:00

This week for reading we read "Scruffy, the Arctic Wolf". This story is a real-life story that describes the life of a wolf pack and how hard it is to survive in the freezing arctic climate. Corresponding workbook questions were assigned, however Class A did not complete everything (will finish next week).

For Science,we started Chapter 7: The Sun, Moons, and Planets. It is an interesting topic that discusses about space and the different 'heavenly bodies'. The students seem very interested on the subject!

New vocabulary words were assigned and a new song called "Four Seasons of Loneliness" by Boyz to Men was introduced.

Week 17,19, and 20 vocabulary quiz was taken this week. Most students did quite well despite the extra vocabulary words to study for!

We also started designing our own 'Transformer' picture to decorate our brand new classroom!

INDIVIDUAl COMMENTS:

CLASS A:

Ryan has a lot to offer during Science class and makes the class interesting! He got perfect on the vocabulary test as well! When we go over the vocabulary words in class, I hope Ryan can still write down the sentence examples given.

Livia did great on the vocabulary test this week! She is a great listener and very artistic. One thing to improve on would be to read louder in class.

Jay is very interested in and good at Science. When he is alert, he excels in the class. However, for the vocabulary test he was not confident and prepared for it so he seemed to give up. I hope he can change that habit of not putting in 100%.

Belinda takes her time to do her work but only because she wants to do a good job. For the vocabulary quiz she took a long time, but managed to get a great mark! I like the effort she puts in to the class. She is also very artistic!

CLASS B:

Richard seems to want to get his work done fast, but would then make many mistakes because he is not reading the directions and questions carefully. Richard is good at making sentences and is very good at drawing! I hope he can put in more effort when we sing the songs and also be less goofy!

Tiger is goofy a lot in class, but still he manages to get his work done. He is very good at making sentences and his grammar has really improved. He still needs to write bigger though!

Sydney maintains good work ethics. She gets down to work really fast and is always the first to finish. I am really happy with her work and progress in class!

Brian loves to participate in class and he is able to grasp concepts so fast! He gets down to work right away as well and finishes his work fast. Sometimes when we are reading though, Brian needs to follow along and not get ahead of everyone else.

**FUNDAY: With regards to fun day, many students are not showing up or staying for the events. I would like all kids to participate if they can, as this is a good time to socialize and bond with the other students from the school!

Week 20!

2010-01-07T03:46:00.000-08:00

This week for Science we read lesson 5 of Chapter 6 - Inside Earth. This lesson focused on discussing about Earth's interior, earthquakes, and what causes them. We also did a bit of chapter review. The corresponding workbook pages were also completed.

For reading, Class A read "A Place Called Freedom" which talks about slavery and the start of a new life for a family. Class B read the story "Pat Cummings" which describes the famous illustrator's life and work. Workbook pages were completed and corrected.

For writing we wrote on "New Year Resolutions". I hope this can get the students thinking about what they'd like to achieve in the new year and how they can go about doing so. In class A we did a verbal group discussion to practice the students' speaking skills. Each student really needs to improve the coherency of their speaking. Both classes tend to forget their grammar when they speak verbally!

New vocabulary words were assigned. There will be a test on week 17,19,and 20 words next Wednesday!!!

The new song this week is called "Stronger" by Britney Spears. This song talks about being strong and independent.

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

CLASS A:

Jay is very enthusiastic during classroom discussions but seems to be down when we have to do written work. It is great that he loves to participate but he needs to understand that the workbook is an essential part of the curriculum as well.

Livia is very proactive when it comes to learning, she will take notes and pay great attention. Sometimes when she is trying to express something verbally, it takes her awhile to get the words out. I'd like her to practice speaking more smoothly and also in a louder voice.

Belinda is also very excited about classroom participation. She loves to contribute and tell stories. However, she needs to learn when to concentrate and be a bit more serious. I'd like Belinda to also watch her grammar when she is speaking.

Ryan is a fast thinker and also loves to contribute many stories in class. However, he often goes off topic! Ryan is very creative and can get down to work right away. I am happy with how he always completes his work on time.

Sydney made a huge progress this week in public speaking! She made eye contact, offered to speak first, and also read in a well manner! Good job! Sydney's work is probably the best in the class. She makes the least grammar mistakes, works the fastest, and learns really fast. However, sometimes she would misread directions in the workbook!!

Richard did his work really fast this week! Good job! However, he needs to make less mistakes. I'd rather have him take a bit longer time to double check his work. He is also trying a lot harder when we sing the songs =). One thing to not do in class: stop laughing along with Tiger!!

Tiger can concentrate really well when he wants to. However,recently he has been having a 'laughing problem'. This is effecting his ability to pay attention in class and do good detailed work. When he pays attention, he makes little mistakes! Tiger's reading has improved though, keep it up!

Brian loves to participate in class and is able to get down to work straight away. However, he writes too messy and would spell things wrong very often. This is due to carelessness! Brian is super smart for his age, he just needs to focus and pay attention to small details.

Teacher Connie~

Transformers New Year's Week!

2010-01-04T19:39:00.000-08:00

This week we read "Basho's Journey" and talked about how to write Haiku's. The students got a chance to write 3 Haikus of their own. Haikus are poems that have 17 syllables and 3 lines each.
We also finished and corrected the reading workbooks. This week the reading workbook was a bit more difficult so we spent more time on it.

For Science we studied "The Story of Soil". We are learning about how soil is made and why it is important to have soil. We are also studying the soil profiles and also the different levels of soil.
We finished and corrected the Science workbook. The students were separated in to teams this week and the team that answered the most questions correctly got to go for a 10 minute break while the other team studied vocabulary.

New vocabulary was handed out this week. We went over it in class in detail. A new song called "A Whole New World" was also taught.

This week was a shortened week again, hope everyone had a great new year's eve!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

This week is Christmas week and a shortened week so we had to rush through many things.

This week for science we did chapter 6 "Shaping Earth's Surface". We talked about glaciers and the different ways that the surface shape of the earth can be changed. We also did the corresponding workbook pages for this lesson.

For reading Class A read "Pat Cummings" and Class B read "Grass Sandals". Both did the corresponding workbook pages.

We finished making Christmas cards and wrote greeting messages in them. The kids were encouraged to write how they feel about the person they were giving the card to.

We listened to the song "Grown Up Christmas List" in class. New vocabulary was not given out this week due to the holidays.

I apologize to Class B for Thursday. I had an emergency and explained it to the kids afterwards.

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS

Livia was extremely helpful this week with the moving of the classroom. She was attentive in class as usual and very sweet.

Belinda made an exquisite Christmas card! She definitely has a talent for art! Belinda reads well and seems very interested in the story that we read.

Jay was attentive in class this week. He seems to enjoy the Science topic and participated much in our classroom discussions. He just needs to push himself a bit more.

Ryan has been great in class. Everything taught in class he can digest so quickly! Only one thing that needs to be improved on - to stay on subject during discussions !

Sydney is great when it's time to do work, however sometimes she can rush through work so fast that she misses a great deal of detail.

Brian is just excellent. He is a good reader and pays attention extremely well. However, he needs to improve his writing neatness!!!

Richard made a great Christmas card! He can concentrate when he wants to and he can offer some great insights during classroom discussions. However, many times he is too busy acting goofy in class!!

Tiger is eager to learn and has a really good habit of asking questions. However, many times he'll ask a questions BEFORE he even tries to understand it himself. I encourage students to try first then ask for help.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!

Week 16 Transformers

2009-12-20T19:51:00.000-08:00

This week we had a vocabulary and Chapter 5 Science Test. Both classes all did quite well!
We reviewed together in class and did review questions in the text book and workbook.
The kids received new vocabulary as well, which we went over in class and made sentences with them. We also read the famous Christmas poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas".

I went through several worksheets practicing 'reading in context'. It seems that the kids are not too skilled at 'reading between the lines' 0r figuring out new vocabulary using clues from a story. I will be practicing more of this with the students.

We learned a new song this week called "Together Again" - by Janet Jackson. This song talks about how when people die and go to heaven we will miss them but one day we will see them and be together again.

We also made Christmas cards!

Individual Comments:

Report cards were passed out this week (exception of Sydney and Tiger - files were broken on my computer so I will give it to them next week). Individual progress is summarized on the report cards. If there are any questions please feel free to contact me at school!

Week 15 Transformers Class

2009-12-12T23:28:00.000-08:00

This week for reading we read “Will Her Native Language Disappear?” This story talks about endangered languages and how we should preserve them in order to keep cultures in tact. Then the students did the corresponding reading comprehension and grammar books.

For Science we started chapter 5 – focusing on rock formations and the different rock types. There are only 2 lessons in this chapter so next week we will have a review and then a test for the chapter.

For creative writing this week we wrote on the topic of “What do you think about Tree House?” The students wrote on their feelings about the class work, the other students, the teachers, the building itself, the food, and special events and fun day. I emphasize during creative writing that story structure is very important in order to make the story flow smoothly. We then had public speaking practice during class.

I gave out new vocabulary words and also taught a new song called “Black Coffee”- by All Saints.

For fun day we went to Daan Park for group games! This is important for the students to socialize with others and learn to work as a team!

Individual Comments:

CLASS A:

Jay is still the slowest in the class to finish his work. It’s not that he doesn’t know the materials, but he is not as concentrated as he should be. He would zone out a lot of times in class. Jay makes good sentences and his grammar is improving.

Ryan’s work is consistent and I have no worries for him. His work ethic is improving tremendously and is learning not to interrupt others. I love how Ryan will make an effort to improve on his weaknesses. He concentrates very well in class as well.

Livia makes careless errors when she doesn’t look at the story details. She concentrates well and does her work fast, but she shouldn’t be making these simple errors. Livia continues to make excellent and intriguing sentences.

Belinda works hard and is very concentrated in class. However, she continues to make careless errors so I hope she can learn to check her work twice before handing it in.

CLASS B:

Richard had been acting silly in class all week. However, when he did calm down and concentrate, he did great work. If he doesn’t goof around in class, he wouldn’t be the last person to finish. His writing has improved drastically and got the top mark in creative writing! His public speaking skills are very good as well.

Sydney’s work is consistent; however, sometimes she would make careless mistakes. The answer would be right in the book and she wouldn’t be able to find it. She needs to pay attention to details more. For public speaking, Sydney went in front of the class for the first time! She did good, but just needs to practice her posture and making eye contact.

Tiger was acting silly in class this week. I had to mention to him many times to stop being goofy. However, his work is consistent. He still forgets to write bigger even though I’ve reminded him a couple times. For public speaking Tiger made good eye contact but he needs to read properly and not take it as a joke!

Brian is doing great in class. I have no worries for him. He just needs to improve on his writing neatness and also stop making careless errors! He concentrates well in class and provides thoughtful answers.

Week 14 Class

2009-12-03T08:40:00.001-08:00

This week was review and exam week!

For vocabulary we had an exam for all the vocabulary words to date. Most students did quite well on the test. A few did not do so well; it is important to be reviewing the words on a regular basis.
New vocabulary words were also given out this week.

We had a reading comprehension exam this week as well. Many students did not do too well. For this exam, there is not a way to study for it at home. This is basically testing how well the student pays attention to details and how he/she can understand a story even if he/she does not understand some of the words. There is a skill to develop - to look for clues in the story to be able to choose the best answer to the question.

There was a Science exam this week as well. Chapter 4 focused on organ systems, adaptations, camouflage, instincts, inherited behavior....The exam included a lot of long answer questions that requires the students to do some critical thinking.

A new song was introduced this week: "Circus" - by Britney Spears.
The students seem to really enjoy this song. They should practice at home, especially the chorus!

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:
Class A:

Ryan did great on his exams this week! 100%!!! I can see that he is also improving on his work ethics and classroom etiquette. Ryan is able to write much nicer now and take his time to check his work. He raises his hand a lot more and interrupts others a lot less. I'm proud of him!

Jay loves to participate in class and seems to know most of the answers. I am happy that he is engaging in the material and is able to think on the spot. However, I hope Jay can be more motivated to do written work (as he is always very slow in doing it).

Belinda is a joy to teach because she is always paying attention. She participates a lot but should ask more questions if she is confused. One thing to improve on is writing proper sentences. She would make many grammar mistakes in her writing. We will improve on that a lot more in class.

Livia didn't do too well on the reading comprehension exam. I know she can do better. She should read more carefully and ask questions if she's confused. She did well on the vocabulary test though! Livia can also read louder and speak up a bit more during class participation time.

CLASS B:

Richard didn't do his exam corrections for homework. The reading comprehension exam is not based on a text book. It is testing the student's reading skills on the spot. I believe Richard can do better next time if he learns to look for clues in the story and multiple choice questions. The take home reader homework was not done as well as I hoped. However, Richard is improving on his reading and his much much better with the songs!

Sydney did well on the vocabulary test but not so well on the reading comprehension. Often times, she will do her work really fast and perhaps miss the important details. She also lied about not knowing how to do her take home reader homework (she just didn't do it, not that she didn't know how).

Brian should write nicer! He gives good responses but sometimes it's hard to read his writing! Brian did well on his vocabulary test but could do better on the reading exam. The take home reader homework was not done very well. Please spend more time on it!

Tiger needs to think about questions more carefully first before saying he doesn't know the answer. Often times he does know the answer but is not reading the question properly. Tiger is a very good worker as he is always on task. He loves to participate and is a very good writer!

Week 13 Transformers Class

2009-11-27T00:34:00.001-08:00

This week in Reading we read "Baseball Saved Us" which talks about prejudice during World War II. Class A had to do a detailed summary of the story, which I hope will allow them to practice writing in a way that makes sense.
Class B did the corresponding workbook and grammar pages. In grammar we practiced writing singular and plural possessive nouns.

For Science we did 2 lessons this week: 1) Development and Reproduction and 2) Animal Survival. We talked about the different ways animals reproduce and how animals adapt to their environment to survive. Both classes did the corresponding workbook pages and made their corrections. As there will be more science lessons to cover each week, I expect the students to be more diligent in studying and reviewing their work.

We also learned a new song called "Independent Women" by Destiny's Child. I explained that this song is from a movie and that it talks about how it is hard to be independent and also what it means to be independent.

I did not give the students new vocabulary this week as we have a major vocabulary exam coming up next Wednesday! Units 1-13 will be covered (all of the vocabulary learned to date). Please make sure the kids study their vocabulary this weekend!!
We had a review in class and also had a vocabulary competition.

We also reviewed the additional grammar sheets I gave out last week. It is imperative that the students memorize and study the 8 major parts of speech as they are very important.

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Class A:
Ryan needs to read workbook directions more carefully and also learn to study himself in class. He has definitely improved in taking his time when doing his work. He's not as rushed and thinks more carefully now. Like I mentioned, I hope Ryan can learn to respect other students and not put them down during a friendly competition.

Belinda didn't do a very good job on her take home reader homework. She had one week to do it but did not complete the questions. In class she is asking more questions and I can tell she is really thinking about the materials taught.

Livia asks questions but needs to participate more in class, instead of me always having to pick her to answer. Like the other students, she also needs to read workbook directions more carefully and not rush to finish her work!

Jay needs to practice reading a bit faster and with more emotion. He needs to read workbook directions more carefully as well. Jay is participating more in class now and I can tell he is thinking about the questions more carefully.

CLASS B:
Brian sometimes gets lazy and does not read the workbook directions carefully. He needs to write in FULL SENTENCES and copy correctly!! Brian is still a great student and most of the time he is always on task. I love it when he tries really hard in singing the songs!

Sydney needs to read workbook directions more carefully!! She does great work and the only mistakes she makes are the ones that she didn't read carefully on. I am impressed that Sydney memorized the entire song from last week! Next week I will probably do public speaking again, so I hope she is prepared this time! ;)

Richard did great work on his take home reader homework. However, he needs to read questions more carefully in the workbook and practice writing stories that flow better. I can tell he is singing a lot harder now! ;)

Tiger did great work on his take home reader homework. His reading has improved! He also memorized the entire song from last week - very impressive! Tiger concentrates very well and is usually always on task.

This Fun Day we are having Thanksgiving Dinner! Too bad not many of the kids stay for Fun Day though! =(

Week 12 Transformers class!

2009-11-20T00:43:00.000-08:00

This week in reading we read "Leah's Pony", which talks about a family who has to sell things on their farm because of a bad harvest. The students learned about helping out neighbors and also not owing the bank any money!

In Science Teacher Tom taught the class about the different systems in the body: Ex: digestive system, nervous system, skeletal system, muscle system,and circulatory system. I was out of the country for 3 days, that is why my Monday and Tuesday classes were filled by substitute teachers. I must apologize for any inconveniences that my absences may have caused.

Both classes finished the corresponding Science and Reading workbooks and made the corrections. I gave the kids week 13 vocabulary (29 words). There are more words to study for this week so I hope they can spend more time on the words this weekend.

We learned a new song called "Complicated" - by Avril Lavigne. All the kids loved this song! Although it was hard to sing, they tried hard to get the words and rhythm right. This song talks about a boy who pretends to be someone else and can't be himself. His girlfriend finds it unnecessary how he has to act different in front of other people.

In class B, the students wrote on what they're thankful for. They also thought about and wrote on the unfortunate things that are happening in the world right now.

In class A, I gave the kids grammar sheets to study at home. This will be reviewed in class next week (Class B will be doing the same next week).

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:
Class A:

Livia makes excellent sentences and draws lovely pictures. Sometimes though when she's doing the workbooks, she will do it really fast. Her writing tends to become messy and then she'll start making careless errors. I must remind her that it is not a race to see who finishes their work first. Also, I would like Livia to practice reading and speaking a bit louder! =)

Belinda didn't finish doing her vocabulary homework this week. However, I can tell in class that she is trying hard and trying to get good marks. When I ask questions in class she is able to think and provide thoughtful answers! I hope everything gets sorted out at her Chinese school!

Ryan is progressing very well, his writing neatness is definitely improving (more so on class work, needs to improve more on his hw writing). Ryan provides good answers and thoughtful remarks during classroom remarks. However, Ryan should learn to not interrupt people when they're speaking and also not be complaining as much in class (Ex: he'll complain that Livia finished faster or that he had to sit in the 'bad seat' - which is the second row).

Jay is making good sentences and I can tell he's thinking more in class. He's answering questions much better now and is listening more attentively. I hope Jay can keep up his usual neat writing (this week his writing was extremely messy on his homework). Jay also needs to read more at home so that he can read a little bit faster and with more expression.

CLASS B:
Sydney's sentence structures are good and the content pretty creative. She works fast in class but needs to read the workbook directions more carefully. She's a great singer (she learns the melody and rhythm really fast!). However, she did not study for her vocabulary quiz this week!!

Tiger didn't do his homework sentences and did not study much for his vocabulary quiz this week. I hope this will not continue. He needs to read directions in the workbook more carefully as well. Tiger was sick on Thursday so I will teach the grammar lessons I've prepared for the class next week! =)

Brian need to pay attention to details when he's doing his workbooks. He needs to read the directions more carefully. Brian got the highest score on the vocabulary quiz this week! Great job! I can see that he's trying very hard to learn the songs too! =)

Richard needs to pay attention to details when he's doing his workbooks. He did a great job on the vocabulary test this week!!!!! I am so proud because he's made such a big improvement! I can tell he's trying harder, even at singing!

Week 11

2009-11-12T20:38:00.001-08:00

This week we had a chapter 3 Science test focusing on Animal Characteristics, Animals with Backbones and Animals without Backbones. We did an intensive review preparation for that and had an in class review competition. The kids were given time to take notes and test each other on the materials covered. There were a lot of information in chapter 3 so I gave the students a bit extra time to prepare in class for the test. Most of them did very well!

In class A we read the story "Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World" and did the according workbook pages. We also finished grammar and workbook pages for "Just a Dream" (that were not finished last week). In class B finished grammar and workbook pages for "Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World" and "Just a Dream". We also read about why chaining up a pet dog is a bad thing to do (pamphlet printed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals PETA).

We also introduced new vocabulary and gave them a verbal pop quiz on week 11 vocabulary. A reminder: next Wednesday there will be a vocabulary quiz for week 11 and 12 vocabulary words.

This week's song was : "Hero" by Mariah Carey. This popular classic talks about how there is a hero in everyone. Everyone should believe in oneself. When no one's there to help you or when you feel sad, be strong and don't give up on your dream.

In writing we wrote about what the future will be like in 100 years, according to the student's own imagination. We then had public speaking practice.

Individual Comments:

Class A:

Jay has done well this week. He's been concentrating in class and doing consistent work. During the science competition, I was proud that Jay knew many of the answers!

Belinda is great as usual. She studied hard for the science test in class and did well. She learns the song lyrics really fast and has a talent for singing! She loved the science competition and did quite well!

Livia worked hard this week as usual, although she seemed a bit tired (probably from being sick). I hope Livia can participate a bit more and speak louder when she answers questions. She concentrates very well and is just so well behaved.

Ryan loved the science competition and knew almost all the answers. However, he was very competitive and got a bit upset when the other team jokingly said something to challenge his team. I explained that it's just something fun and that he shouldn't be so upset. I've noticed he has taken a bit longer time to improve his writing and double check his work this week. Good job!

Class B:

Sydney finishes work fast and concentrates hard but would make careless errors! She needs to read directions on the workbook before asking the teacher. The directions are easy to understand. During the vocabulary pop quiz she knew most of the answers, but still needs to review the words. For public speaking, Sydney cried and didn't want to participate. I explained to her that she shouldn't be shy to go up to speak in front of the class and that she needs to develop that skill.

Brian wrote a very good story about the future in writing! He wrote about people being vegetarians and people driving power cars. It's very good for someone his age. He was a bit shy at first to do public speaking, but after seeing other student go first, he was able to do it quite well. His class work is excellent - just need to double check his answers before handing it in (making careless mistakes because of not reading directions carefully).

Tiger got a high mark on the science test! He never disappoints and is always working hard in class. He is careful with his work and he thinks before he writes. His ability to learn songs quickly is amazing! He really enjoys singing! Tiger has improved a bit in reading, as he is remembering to follow along with his fingers and not stopping in between a sentence. Also, Tiger is a great drawer!

Richard paid attention well in class this week. For workbook questions, he needs to read directions carefully and look for answers in the book in detail. He needs to improve on his sentence structures and should read out loud the sentence to see if it makes sense. Richard need to be studying vocabulary words everyday (for the pop quiz, he didn't know most of the words).

FUN DAY: Arts and Crafts! We'll be doing some fabric drawings! =D

Teacher Connie

Week 10

2009-11-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

This week in Class A we read the story "Just a Dream". It is a story about a boy who goes on a journey in his dream to the future. He sees how the world is affected by environmental pollution and realizes that he must take better care of the world now in order for a better tomorrow.
In Class B, the class read "Baseball Saved Us" with Teacher Brendon. They learned about some baseball terminology as well.

In Science we moved quickly and did 2 chapters, "Animals with Backbones" and "Animals Without Backbones". The students were able to catch on quickly, even though we moved at a faster pace. We also did the corresponding workbooks. Next week we will have a Chapter 3 Science test! Please remind the kids to prepare for that!

We also introduced new vocabulary and sang a new song called "Scream" - by Boa. This song had a lot of vocabulary that the students did not understand so we went over them as well. As I've reminded the students before, singing song is fun, but we are also trying to learn from the lyrics and practice our speech - so please practice at home as well~!

This week we had our vocabulary test (week 9 and 10) and I was very impressed! Many students exceeded their previous scores!! Study makes a difference and that was very apparent this week. Good job Transformers!

For fun day we had our science experiments. I taught the students how to poke toothpicks into balloons without popping it! They should be able to explain to you why! ;)

Individual Comments:

Class A:

Belinda got 97% on her vocabulary test this week!!! I am soo proud and so is she!! She is definitely one of the most improved in the class. Both her sincerity and study skills have gotten better - it really shows in her work. One thing to improve on is to watch the grammar mistakes that I have repeatedly told the class not to make!

Livia was absent for 2 classes this week. I hope she's feeling better!! She will be taking her vocabulary test and science test next week!!

Ryan has improved on "following directions more promptly". He is quite a funny character! He knows what he needs to improve on ;). Ryan's handwriting is still a mess! I've gotten him to rewrite many times in class. His "a, d, and u" are the worst. As usual, Ryan's comprehension skills and participation are excellent.

Jay really needs to improve his confidence and motivation levels. For awhile, he was doing really great and I could see that he was trying. This week, he just said that he didn't study vocabulary and kind of gave up on trying. This is something Jay really, really needs to improve on.

Class B:

Richard worked efficiently and fast this week. Overall, he's been improving over the weeks. One thing he needs to do is to not stray from the class topic. Often times, he would make jokes at the wrong moment and not take my words seriously. Richard's reading has improved, but still needs to read a bit more smoothly

Sydney did great on the vocabulary test this week. She is great at making sentences and comprehending new materials. When she concentrates, it is marvelous what she can accomplish. Sydney is a great efficient student! Sydney needs to practice reading louder.

Tiger is a hard worker and has given great, consistent work! He asks questions when he doesn't understand and is keen to learn. He is the most enthusiastic about learning the songs and lyrics. I am very happy with Tiger's performance in class.

Brian continues to impress me with how bright he is. He pays good attention and is a hard worker. Teacher Brendon commented on how much Brian knows about Baseball! Brian got great on his vocabulary test as well. I have no worries for Brian.

*I was very proud of Class B for being extra good in Teacher Brendon's class. I got many compliments about them. Good job guys! :D

Teacher Connie

Week 9 Howl-O-Ween!

2009-10-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

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.

---

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

2009-10-11T22:13:00.001-07:00

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!!

2009-10-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Week 4 Transformers!

2009-09-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

This week in Science we studied the unit "Organisms and Where They Live".

We talked about different ecosystems and population. I brought in the world population

numbers divided in to different countries and the students were excited learning

about that. For a science experiment, we put in to a plastic bag: 1) a piece of ham 2) a piece of

lettuce 3) a piece of bread and 4) a piece of apple. Throughout the week we checked on them to see

which one will grow mold first.

In reading we read the story " Sarah, Plain and Tall". It talks about missing something or someone very dearly. It is quite a long story and not exactly the most entertaining story, but it does teach some good vocabulary.

We also completed Science wkbk and Reading Grammar wkbk this week. Some students tend to work really slowly at these and would not finish the work in class. I may have to assign them as homework if this continues on.

We also learnt new vocabulary and learnt a new song called "Beauty in Ugly" - by Jason Mraz.

It is a great song to teach kids about not judging people by how they look but by their personality and mind.

I also assigned some writing homework: "What do you want to be when you grow up?". I want to get the kids to start thinking about it and perhaps work towards his/her goals =).

I try to review the vocabulary for 10 minutes every class, just testing the kids verbally. This is important as it helps them to be able to iterate the words by speaking, and not just reading it on a piece of paper. On Tuesday we had a vocabulary competition between the 2 classes. By making it a bit more competitive, the students will actually try to do better.

I was very happy with the vocabulary quiz results this week, many students continued to do well and many improved greatly from the first test!!! Proud of you guys!

Individual Comments:

Class A:

Livia: Is always on time and ready to start work. She is behaving as always and knows the materials really well. She made great sentences with her vocabulary and was able to know the answers when we had a friendly vocabulary competition in class. I will be sure to remember to copy all the materials in large font so Livia can read them better. Keep up the good work!

Belinda:

Great this week! Pays a lot more attention now in class. She finishes her work faster too! Belinda seems to like to sing and is a good, loud singer. She seems to know her vocabulary words a lot better this week as well and has improved a lot for the test compared to the first test. There is one thing I'd like Belinda to improve on. When she tries to voice her answer or opinions in class, sometimes her spoken sentences would be broken and hard to understand. This just takes more practice speaking correctly with proper grammar. Keep up the good work!:)

Jay:

Jay always seem tired in class, however this week he has improved on getting his homework done! He works faster now and usually follows along when we are reading. He seems to like to practice singing the songs too. Jay's writing is pretty neat and he makes better and better sentences with the vocabulary. He just needs to have more confidence in himself. I believe he can do excellent work if he tries even harder and pays even more attention.

Ryan:

Ryan is a very expressive singer! Always excited and enthusiastic about the songs =). Ryan always knows his vocabulary words well, even if he forget one he can figure it out quickly. His sentences were great as usual, very creative! Ryan finished his work fast and got the highest vocabulary quiz mark in his class once again. One thing he needs to improve on is not lingering around after nap time. We always have to wait for him to put his sleeping bag away and sit down to start class.

CLASS B:

Sydney: Sydney is a competitive girl and loves to learn about new things. She usually pays attention and is a quick learner. Her writing is neat, her sentences are well written, and she always gives me good consistent work. Sydney is the fastest worker in class and got perfect on the Science workbook. She also made a huge improvement on her vocabulary quiz this week!!! Paying attention and studying does help =)! Keep it up!

Tiger: I've noticed a huge difference in Tiger - he pays a lot more attention now! He knows his vocabulary well so I can tell he has been studying. When he reads he needs to not act goofy and read smoothly. Tiger makes great sentences and has been doing all of his homework. He did great on the vocabulary test this week!! Good job!!

Brian: Brian is very well-behaved but sometimes his attention strays when other students are goofing around. Usually he always wants to concentrate on work and encourages others to do so =). Brian needs to remember his punctuation marks when he's writing sentences though. His mark on the vocabulary test was the highest in both classes!! Good job!!

Richard: Richard needs to read with more expression and not too monotone. He makes good sentences but needs to make sure that he copies his vocabulary words correctly. Watch the small errors! Richard was working slowly in class for the last 3 weeks, however this week he worked super fast and did great work! He also made a huge improvement on his vocabulary quiz!!! Very proud Richard!!! =) Keep it up!!

*P.S. If parents can not make PTA meeting this Friday, feel free to call me at the school or contact me through this blog or email. I would be happy to discuss your child's progress with you. connie@taiwanspca.org

Teacher Connie a.k.a BIG BUMBLE BEE

Weekly Vocabulary

2009-09-21T04:32:00.000-07:00

I will post the weekly vocabulary words here in case anyone loses their copy or needs to enlarge the fonts:

Week

method

a procedure, technique, or way of doing something

inquire

to seek information by questioning

visual

the picture elements;Seen or able to be seen by the eye

observe

to use one or more of the senses to identify or learn about
an object or event

literacy

the ability to read and write

analysis

a method of studying the nature of something or of determining its essential features and their relations

oxygen

An element, normally a gas, that
makes up about one-fifth
of the atmosphere of the
Earth. Oxygen
is usually found as a molecule
made up of two atoms.

organism

A living thing that carries out five basic life functions on its
own

cell

the smallest unit of living matter

tissue

a group of similar cells that work together to carry out a job

organ

a group of tissues that work together to do a certain job

system

a group of parts that work together

organ system

a group of organs that work together to carry on life functions

microorganism

an organism that is so small you need a microscope to see it

buttermilk

a similar liquid made from whole
or skim milk with the addition
of a bacterial culture

peaceful

undisturbed by strife, turmoil, or disagreement

plenty

adj

a full or abundant supply or amount

vast

adj

of very great size or proportions; huge; enormous

nuisance

an annoying person, thing, condition, practice etc.

queer

adj

strange or odd

ramshackle

adj

loosely made or held together

mischief

a cause or source of harm, evil, or annoyance

cellar

an underground room usually for storage

seesaw

a recreation in which two children alternately ride up and down while seated at opposite ends of a plank balanced at the middle

peculiar

adj

strange; queer; odd

flabby

adj

hanging loosely or limply, as flesh or muscles

soggy

adj

soaked; thoroughly wet

spectacles

a pair of eyeglasses

ghastly

adj

resembling a ghost, esp. in being very pale

gaze

n/v

a steady or intense way of looking

radiant

adj

emitting rays of light

over-whelmed

to be overcome completely in mind or feeling

beckon

to signal or summon, as by nodding or waving

murmur

to speak in a low tone or indistinctly

clutch

to grip or hold tightly or firmly

miserable

adj

very unhappy, uneasy, or uncomfortable

centipede

any of various flattened,
wormlike arthropods of
the class Chilopoda,
whose bodies are divided into many segments, each with
one pair of legs

tiptoe

to move or go on tiptoe, as with caution

bulging

to swell or bend outward

glint

a tiny, quick flash of light

massive

adj

large in scale, amount, or degree

ripe

adj

having arrived at such a stage of growth or development as to be ready for reaping, gathering, eating, or use

trickle

to flow or fall by drops, or in a small, gentle stream

midget

an extremely small person having normal physical proportions

miraculous

adj

extraordinary, astounding

Week

kingdom

the largest group into which an organism can be classified

trait

a characteristic of a living thing

genus

a group made up of two or more very similar species

species

the smallest group into which an organism is classified

characteristic

a distinguishing feature or quality

infer

to form an idea from facts or observations

tropical

adj

very hot and humid

timber

the wood of growing trees suitable for structural uses

misconception

A mistaken thought, idea, or notion

extinct

adj

no longer in existence; that has ended or died out

dart

to thrust or move suddenly or rapidly

obtain

to get, get a hold of

ancient

adj

very old; aged

glum

adj

moody and sad

design

to make drawings, preliminary sketches, or plans

petal

one of the often colored segments of the corolla of a flower

knapsack

A bag made of sturdy material and furnished with shoulder

straps, designed for carrying articles such as camping

supplies on the back

outdoorsmen

a person who spends much time in the outdoors

gasp

n/v

a sudden, short intake of breath, as in shock or surprise

salami

a kind of sausage, originally Italian, often flavored with garlic

apricot

the downy, yellow, sometimes rosy fruit, somewhat

resembling a small peach

compass

an instrument for determining directions, as by means of a

freely rotating magnetized needle that indicates magnetic

north

Week

fossil

any evidence of an organism that lived in the past.

embryo

an undeveloped animal or plant.

preserve

1) to prepare (as vegetables, fruits, or meats) to be kept for

future use

2) to keep or save from injury, loss, or ruin

limb

any of the paired parts (as an arm, wing, or leg) of an animal

that stick out from the body and are used mostly in moving

and grasping

gill

an organ (as of a fish) of thin plates or threadlike pieces

for obtaining oxygen from water

pesticide

a substance used to destroy pests (annoying thing that

causes harm or destroys something EX: insects)

contribute

to give, along with everyone else.

resource

a source of supply or support EX: Natural Resources

migrant

a person, animal, or plant that migrates (to move from one

country, place, or locality to another)

architecture

a method or style of building

grim

adj

mean-looking, fierce

shanty

hut or shack (small in size)

labor

the services performed by workers for wages or

something that requires work

to work hard

bruise

an injury in which the skin is not broken but

is discolored from the breaking of small blood vessels that lie

underneath the skin

shortcut

a shorter, quicker, or easier way

wondrous

adj

wonderful

sturdy

adj

firmly built or made or strong and healthy in body

twirl

to turn or cause to turn rapidly

permanent

adj

lasting or intended to last for a very long time

meadow

an area of moist low usually level grassland

dent

to make a hollow (lowered spot on a surface) in or on

something

cartwheel

a sideways handspring with arms and legs extended

necessity

something that is necessary and needed

slit

a long narrow cut or opening

Week

explore

to search or discover new things and places

admire

to look with wonder, desire, and respect

advertise

to announce publicly especially by a printed notice or a
broadcast

prairie

a large area of level grassland

content

adj

pleased and satisfied with what one has

braids

a length of cord, ribbon, or hair formed of three or more strands
woven together

prim

adj

very caring about one's appearance and behavior

quilt

a patterned bed cover made of two layers of cloth with a filling
of wool or cotton

porch

A covered area, usually having a separate roof, at an entrance to
a building.

dough

a soft clump of moistened flour that can be rolled or kneaded

plow

a farm machine used to cut, lift, and turn over soil

streak

a small amount

frowned

to show displeasure or disapproval with the face

sly

adj

mischievious and clever at hiding purposes

portion

a part and share of a whole

carpenter

a worker who builds or repairs wooden structures

bundle

a number of things fastened or wrapped together

community

1. living part of an ecosystem

2. the people living in an area or the area itself

consumer

1. organisms that eat other organisms or use the food that producers make

2. a person who buys and uses up goods

decomposer

organisms that break down wastes and the remains of other organisms

ecology

the study of how living and nonliving things interact

balance

a condition in which 2 things are equal to each other

eroding

gradually becoming destroyed by chemicals

climate

the average weather conditions of a particular place

Week 3 Transformers Class

2009-09-18T01:44:00.000-07:00

This week we had some major improvements in class.

Teacher Paul came in to give the class a serious talk about proper class behavior, respect, patience for other classmates and the teacher, working hard, and paying attention. The kids understood the importance of all these things and promised to become better students. I feel that the students may not have performed their best during the last 2 weeks because of several things: 1) They did not know what was expected of them 2) They were adjusting to a new environment and 3)They were getting to familiarize themselves with the school system and also me as a teacher.

This week I saw major improvements in the students' attitudes towards learning, sentence making, writing skills, and creativity. We went over the vocabulary in detail this week and both classes will have a quiz next Wednesday. I expect them to all get at least 80% this time as I've spent alot of time in class quizzing and playing vocabulary games with them.

For reading we read the story "Amelia's Road", which is about migrant laborers and the feeling of belonging. The main importance was to explain that there are unfortunate people in the world who have to do hard labor for very little money and that alot of them do not have a definite place to call home. I brought in information about migrant labor and discussed it with the class to give them a real life example.

For creative writing I got the kids to write about their dream house and then draw a picture of it. They have all improved very much from the first time we did creative writing! The sentences were much more interesting and grammar improved. The students focused on meeting the criteria I gave, therefore got better marks.

In Science we read "Organisms of the Past" and discussed fossils and extinct organisms. We talked about the top 10 most interesting extinct animals and I had the students do public speaking by reading out information on these extinct animals. I was impressed as many of them improved from the first week. Many improved on making eye contact, which is very important in speaking publicly.

The new song we learned this week is called " Music of the Sun". It talks about dancing happily and letting go your worries. I taught them about the formations of a song: Intro, Verse, Bridge, and Chorus.

Fun Day: Group games at the park! Some friendly competition between the classes ;)

Individual Comments:

Class A:

Ryan: Public Speaking - 95%
Ryan has improved on trying not to interrupt, keep it up! He was the only one who finished all of his hw this week and his writing has improved a tad bit ;), except on copying vocabulary words. He wrote about and drew the most creative house (car house!) during creative writing. Ryan was excited about singing the songs in class and has memorized some of the lyrics. During fun day, Ryan was upset because our class was not together on the same team. He needs to realize that during fun days it's a school event and that getting to know other students in the school is necessary. I hope Ryan didn't feel that I neglected him during fun day, he came up to me and asked "why are you mean to me Teacher Connie?". I hope Teacher Paul has explained to him and you about the whole situation and I hope Ryan can learn from that.

Belinda: Public Speaking - 89%
Belinda is a great reader and loves to learn and sing the songs in class. After Teacher Paul's talk to the class, I noticed a huge difference in her attitude towards learning and towards myself. She worked faster and harder and participated in class, giving creative and thoughtful answers. I hope she can continue to do so and with a better attitude, I'm positive she will excel in the class! Also, Belinda needs to study vocabulary at least once a day.

Livia: Public Speaking - 89%
Livia got a perfect mark on her creative writing (dream house)! Livia's grammar is great and she got perfect on her Science work book. I can tell she has studied her vocabulary words as well =). She works fast, concentrates, and contributes in class. However, when she tries to do the work too fast, she makes small inexcusable errors. Working in class is not a race! ;) Livia's great!

Jay: Public Speaking - 81%
Jay is a slow worker, that is his biggest setback. He can do good work (his work on his takehome reader was great!!! although he handed in a day late) if he tries. His creative writing was excellent and grammar has improved (still watch out for past tense mistakes). Jay needs to look at his vocabulary words everyday at least once. When I gave a pop quiz to the class, Jay admitted he didn't study at all. There is a week 3+4 vocabulary quiz next Wednesday in class.

Class B:

Tiger: Public Speaking - 84%
Tiger has improved on not goofing around so much in class =)! But, sometimes when I speak to him I find that his mind wanders off. I know he is quite smart and just needs to focus. When I sit him at the front deak he does better work. Tiger is a good singer and loves the songs! He contributes great vocabulary sentences during class and is quick to understand the definitions. One thing to improve on: writing neater. =)

Brian: Public Speaking - 87%
Brian got the highest public speaking mark in Class B. He is such a quick learner and a good reader. Brian was sick for a few days this week so he has a lot to catch up on, but I'm confident because he is really smart. However, he needs to check his work more carefully, as he's been making tiny mistakes in his Reading Comprehension work book. He's making spelling and grammar mistakes because he's trying to do it too quickly.

Richard: Public Speaking - 84%
Richard's biggest problem is that he works too slow! He understands the materials but his mind wanders and he can't seem to concentrate while doing written work. During discussions though he is very attentive . Sometimes he needs to calm down and not goof around so much. During reading, he should practice reading more smoothly and less breaky.

Sydney: Public Speaking - 86%
Sydney is the fastest worker in class and makes great sentences with vocabulary words. She has nice writing and is a good singer. She really seems to enjoy the songs we sing in class and pays attention most of the time. Sydney should study her vocabulary words everyday at least once.
Really enjoy having her in the class. She works hard and is really smart!

Teacher Connie a.k.a Big Bumble Bee

Pictures!

2009-09-13T08:11:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from the CLASS and during our FUN FRIDAYS!

Miniature Museum (In attendance: Sydney,Livia,Belinda, Jay)

Tree House Bus

Batting Cages

Class B: Learning new song....Sydney is so camera shy!! :P

Class A: Learning "Bring it All Back" song!

Week 2

2009-09-11T01:27:00.000-07:00

This week we started the reading textbook and read " The Lost Lake" by Allen Say. Ryan, Belinda, Livia, and Jay's class already read it during the summer. Both classes did the Reading Comprehension and Grammar books corresponding to the reading.

For science we did 'Classifying Organisms' and did the corresponding science workbook. I also introduced them to an animal that lives on Madagascar- Lemurs! We read about Lemurs and Ryan and Sydney even brought in their own information on the creatures! Good job guys!

I also talked about animal shelters in Taiwan and the stray animal problem. The kids were very interested about the issue and I hope to one day bring them to a shelter if I can. I taught them about the ethics of proper animal care and animal welfare. I brought in pictures that I took of the shelters and also of my own adopted dog MISO!

This week we also went through new vocabulary IN DETAIL. I had thought before that the students would study them by themselves, but after the first vocabulary quiz I was quite disappointed (with the exception of Ryan who got 100%! and Livia and Brian who got marks in the 80%!). I expect the students to study the vocabulary on their own and while they are copying the words down. After talks with parents and with Teacher Paul we've decided that they will only copy down 10 vocabs and make 10 sentences. However, all the vocabulary may be tested on the quiz. There will be a vocabulary quiz EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY. PLEASE REMIND THE STUDENTS TO STUDY.

The new song we learnt this week is called "Bubbly - by Colbie Caillet". It is a mid tempo song. I want the kids to learn both fast and slow songs =). This song is about love and missing a person.

The students also have a week to read the TAKE HOME READER and finish the questions on the last page (due 14th for Class A and 16th for Class B).

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Class A:
Ryan: Ryan made GREAT sentences for his vocabulary homework. No mistakes. I was very impressed (he said he spent half an hour on them)! Ryan does need to calm down sometimes in class and learn to not interrupt me when I'm talking. He also likes to compete with other kids and doesn't like it when other kids work faster than him. I've told him many times to write nicer but he doesn't seem to stick to it. I've made him promise to me to write nicer though =). I was happy that Ryan researched about the Lemurs and brouhgt information in to the class! Good job!

Belinda: Belinda likes to move around a lot and make noises in class. Sometimes it's hard to get her to listen. She needs to learn to listen to directiosn more promptly. However, she is a fast worker and does pretty good work! I love how she contribute to class discussions!

Livia: I have nothing but good things to say about Livia. She is attentive, works fast, writes neat, participates, and is trustworthy. She is keen on learning the new song and learning about the animals. I love having her in my class!

Jay: I was a bit disappointed at Jay this week. He didn't do his writing homework completely or his vocabulary homework. Sometimes he doesn't seem to try. Jay works too slow sometimes and would make inexcusable mistakes. Jay doesn't follow along when we're reading and I have to remind him multiple time to do so. I hope Jay can improve on these things because I know he can be a great student if he concentrates =).

CLASS B:

Sydney: Sydney concentrates well in class and is the fastest worker! She got almost perfect marks in the Science and Reading workbooks!! She is well behaved and I love having her in the class. Smart and well behaved!

Brian: Brian got the highest mark on the vocabulary quiz in his class!! Good job Brian! :D Brian makes great sentences and always contributes in class. He does need to watch out for small mistakes in his work though. Also he didn't read James and the Giant Peach, which was assigned as homework.

Richard: Richard works way too slow. He needs to concentrate a bit more and work on his vocabulary!!! He didn't study for the test, therefore got a bad grade. Richard also need to practice some of his pronounciation when he is reading. However, I enjoy having Richard in my class and belive he can become a great student!!

Tiger: Tiger never follows when we are reading. He needs to pay more attention and not zone out! He can do fast and good work if he concentrates. Tiger didn't complete some of his homework this week...Also like last week, Tiger needs to be more serious and read better.

FunDAY: Off to the miniature museum! :D

Teacher Connie~

First Week of a New School Year! =)

2009-09-04T06:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to school kids! In one week I've gotten to know my students a bit more and feel that we will be bonding extremely well!
This week we started on reading the novel "JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH" by ROALD DAHL. I feel this book is a great start to the school year. It's a classic children's novel, very descriptive, imaginative, and well written. I gave the students homework - to read 5 chapters at home and finish a work sheet. I wanted the kids to practice writing their own POEM, which we will recite in class next week.
For Science the 2 classes did different things, but focused on the same topics.

In Ryan, Belinda, Livia, and Jay's class I gave them a quiz on Lesson 1 "Living Organisms" by having them fill out the science comprehension booklet without using the textbook. I was impressed in that all of them got above 90%. However, the students must remember to use FULL SENTENCES to complete their work. I had them correct their mistakes in class on Friday.

In Richared, Sydney, Tiger, and Brian's class we went over Lesson 1 of the textbook and discussed in detail the differences between plant and animal cells. They should be able to remember all the parts of the cells now! We did the comprehension booklet in class on Thursday. The problem is that the students need to READ CAREFULLY at the textbook because the answers are right infront of them yet they would always ask the teacher instead (laziness!)

For vocabulary this week I introduced 44 new words (reading and science words). I know it's alot but usually they would have the weekend to copy and make sentences with them, just that the first week is always a bit more rushed. Vocabulary is important and in order to understand the materials covered in class this step is necessary and should be completed at home. I went over the vocabulary in class and gave example sentences. For the following weeks the vocabulary will be given out on Thursday/Friday and would be due Tuesday/Wednesday for each individual classes.

This week I also tested them on their writing skills. The topic was "Describe a Terrible Event that has Happened to You". I gave the students certain criterias to follow and allotted them an amount of time to finish in class. Then they had to each go up infront of the class to present their writing verbally. I wanted to see how their public speaking was and how they can write under certain restrictions. My findings were that each student needs to practice better public speaking skills (with the exception of Ryan) and needs to read the topic question more carefully. Many students wrote SEVERAL terrible events instead of just ONE. Grammar needs to be improved and also creativity. We will work on creative writing much more throughout the semester.

We also learned a new song this week "Bring it All Back" by S Club 7 (Richard, Sydney, Tiger, Brian's class will be introduced next week). The kids found it really interesting and we had alot of fun learning the lyrics, the meaning behind the song, and the tune.

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

Ryan: Excellent public speaker, was the only one who made eye contact while reading. Grammar is really good but NEEDS TO WRITE NEATER!!! Ryan also needs to stop speaking out in class and raise his hand to speak.

Belinda: Loves to participate in class and is very neat, which can slow her down sometimes. Belinda can become restless in class and tends to just stand up and walk around. She understands the material well and I have no worries for her in the class.

Livia: Very dependable girl! I will always ask her to get the students to come back in time after the break. She is very proper, polite, and always the most well behaved! Fast worker and understands the materials well.

Jay: Jay needs to write a lot neater. He was the only one who finished his vocabulary at home! (with the exception of the sentences) Jay is a smart boy but can get distracted easily.

Sydney: Fastest worker in the class and a joy to teach! Sydney is really smart and well behaved. Reading and public speaking skills can be improved.

Brian: Very, very smart boy. Always contributes and pays the most attention. Brian needs to read louder. But for public speaking he was great!

Richard: He is a great reader and is always keen on reading. Richard needs to concentrate a bit more and work faster in class. A joy to have in the class!

Tiger: Tiger needs to pay more attention and read more properly - he reads TOO expressively (as in a joking way). He understands the material when he listens and pays attention. Very cute kid, just needs to concentrate more.

FUN DAY: We went to the batting cages at DaZhi! What a fun way to end the week! Look forward to next week and remember all your homework guys ;)!

Teacher Connie a.k.a BIG BUMBLE BEE