Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Nothing Gold Can Stay


Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

This poem by Robert Frost reminds us to appreciate the things we value. What is "gold" in your life?

Monday, November 30, 2009

Outsiders Glog & Scavenger Hunt



You may link to the above glog at the following:
http://scott7red.edu.glogster.com/the-outsiders-setting/

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Imagine if this were your school...




The link below will take you to the education section of the UNICEF website. I know when we toured the United Nations building in New York last year, I was awed by the conditions of some of the schools in our world. Take a look at a few examples in the pictures above. Log on to the website below and look at the photojournal or another section of this site to discover just how lucky you are.

http://www.unicef.org/voy/explore/education/explore_education.php

Friday, October 16, 2009

Team Hoyt



We have been talking so much about "equality" and "handicaps" lately, that I think it is time we put a new spin on things. Rick and Dick Hoyt are a father/son team from Massachusetts who have run over 1,000 road races, including marathons, triathlons, and multiple Ironman triathlons. They have even bicycled across the country and have run in our local Slattery's Turkey Trot, a race my own father directs. The trick to this is that Rick Hoyt is a non-verbal quadriplegic, meaning he cannot talk or move most of his body. Rick's father pushes him in a wheelchair as he runs, swims with his son attached to a dingy, and rides a two-person bicycle as they compete. Rick says "When I run, I feel like I am not handicapped." This is reason enough alone to get Dick to train and compete for his son. When asked what Rick would do if he was not in a wheelchair, he comments, "I would have my father sit in a chair so that I could push him." We will watch the attached video this week to be inspired by this duo.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Breje on Scholastic



Check out the link below to Scholastic's website section "The Stacks" where Breje teaches the reporter how to dance. I was so excited to see that he recommended the Maximum Ride series, gave a shout out to math and geography, and credited his family and Michael Jackson as his inspiration. Good for you Breje for giving the advice "Usually, we wait for someone else to make the change. Instead of waiting, why don't you make the change yourself?"

http://blog.scholastic.com/ink_splot_26/2009/09/breje-teaches-kid-reporter-matt-to-twist-wit-it.html?cid=6a00e55007a31488340120a5b0c4ba970b

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Smile




A smile can hint at happiness, hide a nerve, and have a conversation all its own. We are reading "I Just Kept On Smiling" this week and I have a question. What makes you smile?

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Fall is Found



This weekend's perfect fall weather makes me want to eat apple crisp, carve a pumpkin, and dive into a pile of crunchy leaves. What are your favorite things about fall? Post a comment and tell me...extra credit if you use a simile or metaphor in your description.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Join The Flock




Always wanted to fly with Max and her crew? Use a photo of yourself and join the flock. http://jointheflock.maximumride.com/experiment/index.html

Monday, September 7, 2009

High Fives All Around


We have a new plan for our homeroom (a la Maddie Cochran) that we would like to spread around. Give random high fives to at least three people per day...you will notice how it makes a difference. Don't just high five your best friends, high five anyone! And hey, high five a 6th grader once in a while as they go by...grade 8 come up to visit and give us some high fives too.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Welcome!



Welcome back to THMS and to 7 red! I am really looking forward to spending the year with you. This blog is a place for me to put tidbits of interesting info. and things for you to view, learn, try, create, write, etc... It is also a place for you to react, tell me how you are doing, make suggestions and more. I hope you have fun with it. I love hearing from you guys!

My whole household went back to school this week since both my husband and I are teachers and my daughters are in 2nd and 3rd grade. We had an unbelievable summer which included trips to Cape Cod and Disney World (you may have noticed the picture of Emerson and Elle in front of Cinderella's castle).

Make a comment and let me know how you feel about grade 7, ask any questions you may have or tell me something about your summer. Your comments come to my e-mail first so you won't see them until I post them. I can't wait to read what you have to say :)

Monday, July 6, 2009

OK...The MJ Tribute


You know I had to do it...I was just leaving 7th grade when Michael Jackson came out with his "Bad" tape (oh yeah, it was not even a CD) and I already had his trading cards plastered all over my walls from "Thriller".

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Idioms




No need to bend over backwards or act like a chicken with its head cut off. Just let sleeping dogs lie and rise and shine to check out the idiomsite.com. I have a gut feeling you'll be head over heels before you hit the dog days of summer. I'm no fuddy-duddy.

IdiomSite.com

Friday, June 5, 2009

India's Widows




This link will take you to CNN's article and video on the widows of India. Makes you appreciate what we have here in America.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/05/damon.india.widows/index.html

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

May 21 & 22


Looking forward to touring New York with those students who are attending the trip. For those of you who are staying in Lunenburg, they have a lot of fun planned for you too! Post a comment about your New York experience or about what you did while we were gone. See you all on Tuesday!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Kurt Vonnegut


Tiger got to hunt,
Bird got to fly;
Man got to sit and wonder, 'Why, why, why?'

Tiger got to sleep,
Bird got to land;
Man got to tell himself he understand

- Kurt Vonnegut

One of Kurt Vonnegut's fewly published poems appeared in Cat's Cradle (1963). The poem was from "Bokonon" who was the founder of the Bokononist religion in the book.

-Posted by student guest blogger, Nick Barney

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Skype


My cousin just moved to Dubai and I recently set-up a Skype account in order to talk to her...this technology just keeps getting better!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Literature Circles





Post a comment to let me know how you are enjoying the literature circles so far. What is working and what isn't? Do you like the book you picked?

Monday, April 13, 2009

Poet - tree Leaves


Don't forget to write or share a poem on a leaf for our "poet-tree". Here's one that celebrates April, National Poetry Month that is.

April
by Marcia Masters

It’s lemonade, it’s lemonade, it’s daisy.
It’s a roller-skating, scissor-grinding day;
It’s gingham-waisted, chocolate flavored, lazy,
With the children flower-scattered at their play.
It’s the sun like watermelon,
And the sidewalks overlaid
With a glaze of yellow yellow
Like a jar of marmalade.

It’s the mower gently mowing,
And the stars like startled glass,
While the mower keeps on going
Through a waterfall of grass.

Then the rich magenta evening
Like a sauce upon the walk,
And the porches softly swinging
With a hammockful of talk.

It’s the hobo at the corner
With his lilac-sniffing gait,
And the shy departing thunder
Of the fast departing skate.

It’s lemonade, it’s lemonade, it’s April!
A water sprinkler, puddle winking time,
When a boy who peddles slowly,
With a smile remote and holy,
Sells you April, chocolate flavored, for a dime.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Descriptive Language


You had some excellent examples of descriptive language which we posted around the room last week. Post a comment with another example of interesting and descriptive language...you may find it in a book or create it yourself.

Here's my example: "The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning." from Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Congrats on Long Comp!

Great job to all of you today...I loved seeing you work so hard on your long compositions. You should give yourselves a hand.