Citrus Sale!

The Prisms fundraiser selling navel oranges and pink grapefruit has begun! Some important dates to remember:

• Wed., 10/27: All citrus orders and payments must be in at school.
• Fri.-Mon., 11/19-11/22: Truckload delivery at school (we'll need many hands on deck unloading!)
• Fri., 12/24: Direct-shipped "Holiday Gift" orders arrive by or on this date.

Downloadable citrus sale documents (right-click/ctrl-click to download):

• Letter to Students & Parents outlining details of sale
• Prisms Citrus Sale FAQ
• ¼-sheet instructions for online ordering handouts
• ¼-sheet buyer receipts
• Additional order forms if you run out of spaces (forthcoming)

Suggested Selling Strategies:

• Run a Stand in All-School space
• Walk to neighbors' houses and ask nicely
• Take orders outside stores/YMCA (ask inside first!)
• Announcement at All-School
• Call/Email Friends and Family (especially if you'll see them at Thanksgiving!)
• Put up a poster (apartment complex, library, church, etc.)
• Share on Facebook (use direct link, below)
• Take the order forms with you everywhere
• Ask coaches/teammates
• Ask your parents to take it to work to sell to coworkers

Sharing online:

• Share the direct URL for our sale, which is: http://fruitorder.com/shopnow.asp?id=295786
• Add an html clickybutton somewhere (it will look like the grapefruit icon at the top of this post) by copying and pasting the following code: <a href="http://fruitorder.com/shopnow.asp?id=295786"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4MMxts3M2RPp8c3wrmdCDlC7pspzrCMUMDO4NWwhB57g2LnaAqHPT6WERPp-zhwDBalf6E5c1MJo7GGWY9ZmEIipopIBXdC4AbWctu3fjVyrvqt1JW3UpVUuMNv7esUMEdbZSP3mDZuh/s1600/citrusicon150.gif" width=150 alt="Prisms Citrus Sale: Buy Now!"></a>You can change the size of the icon by changing the number after "width" and the mouseover/alternate text by changing what's between the quotation marks after "alt".

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

General Announcements:

• Read about the Prisms' ongoing observations in defining intelligent here.
• We need tissues! Cold season is upon us and we need nice tissues for sore noses. If every Prism family donated one box of tissues, that would almost certainly get us through the worst of tissue season.
• Fridays: Bring sneakers, clothes to run in and water bottle for Frisbee!

Math:

• Grade 7:
  • Due Wed., 10/6: Read and do #4 Connections on pp. 12-13, #5 on p. 14 and #7.

• Grade 8:
  • Due Wed., 10/6: Complete 2.1 and 2.1 Follow-Up on p. 17 of CMP book.

Social Studies:

• Due Wed., 10/6: Complete survey of topic preferences with your reasons for your top 3.

Science:

• Due Thurs., 10/7: Research/report on your assigned symbiotic organism pair: 1 ¶, complete sentences.

Language Arts:

• Due Thurs., 10/7: Complete reading "Marigolds" and be ready for a quiz on the main ideas and details of the story.

Spanish:

• Grade 7:
  • No hay tarea:
• Grade 8:
  • Due Thurs., 10/7: Repaso del alfabeto: ¿Cómo se escribe tu nombre? Debe poder contarme. (Review of the alphabet: How is your name written? You should be able to tell me.)

Atelier:

• Due Wed., 10/6: 12 in square observed self-portrait. Use black pencil.

Moment of Zen Looks almost good enough to eat. Almost...

Monday, October 4, 2010

General Announcements:

• Read about the Prisms' ongoing observations in defining intelligent here.
• We need tissues! Cold season is upon us and we need nice tissues for sore noses. If every Prism family donated one box of tissues, that would almost certainly get us through the worst of tissue season.
• Fridays: Bring sneakers, clothes to run in and water bottle for Frisbee!

Math:

• Grade 7 & 8:
  • None

Social Studies:

• None

Science:

• No homework

Language Arts:

• Due Tues., 10/5: Complete all revisions to your 2-min speech about your summer reading project. Attach revised copy to first draft.

Spanish:

• Grade 7:
  • Due Tues., 10/5: Cuentame de la familia de Ana en un párrafo. Puede ser en inglés o en espñol. (Tell me about Ana's family in one paragraphe. Can be in English or Spanish.
• Grade 8:
  • None

Atelier:

• Due Wed., 10/6: 12 in square observed self-portrait. Use black pencil.

Moment of Zen

Yup, that's a pancake.

Click the picture to see how it was put together and to see more pancake creations.

Friday, October 1, 2010

General Announcements:

• Read about the Prisms' ongoing observations in defining intelligent here.
• We need tissues! Cold season is upon us and we need nice tissues for sore noses. If every Prism family donated one box of tissues, that would almost certainly get us through the worst of tissue season.
• Fridays: Bring sneakers, clothes to run in and water bottle for Frisbee!

Math:

• Grade 7 & 8:
  • Due Mon., 10/4: Complete MM 1.3 according to usual protocol, with work shown for * problems on separate paper and completing any attached n/a problems from 1.2.

Social Studies:

• Due Mon., 10/4: Copy the timeline and mark key Indian periods.

Science:

• No homework

Language Arts:

• Due Mon., 10/4: With your parents, read through letter about the citrus fundraiser, fill out and sign it and have one or both of your parents sign it.

Spanish:

• Grade 7:
  • Due Fri., 10/1: Releer p. 1 de Pobre Ana.(Reread p. 1 of Pobre Ana)
• Grade 8:
  • Due Thurs., 9/30: Lee cuento 1: Verdadero o falso (Read story 1 - true or false)

Atelier:

• Due Wed., 10/6: 12 in square observed self-portrait. Use black pencil.

Moment of Zen The above photo is from science class one week ago (Fri., 9/24), in the Mill River behind the school. The photo below is from Friday, 10/1, after two days of heavy rain brought the river to levels nearing those of the snowmelt-fueled spring swell.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

General Announcements:

• Due Thurs., 9/30: Share Your Hi-Rock Trip Photos! We have set up a Flickr group for the class's trip last week, which we will look at as a class during our class meeting next Thursday. For security reasons, it is a private, invitation only group. You will need a Flickr account to view or contribute to the group (if you have a Yahoo account, you already do). Prisms and their parents should let me know if you want an invitation to the group. Send an e-mail to gmrowicki AT hilltowncharter with the following information:
  1. Your name
  2. The e-mail address to which the invitation should be sent
• Read about the Prisms' ongoing observations in defining intelligent here.
• We need tissues! Cold season is upon us and we need nice tissues for sore noses. If every Prism family donated one box of tissues, that would almost certainly get us through the worst of tissue season.
• Fridays: Bring sneakers, clothes to run in and water bottle for Frisbee!

Math:

• Grade 7:
  • Due Thurs., 9/30: Complete #3 on p. 11-12 of CMP book. You will need the big sheet of grid paper handed out today.

• Grade 8:
  • Due Thurs., 9/30: Write answers to the Math Reflections on p. 14. Use the glossary as needed.

Social Studies:

• Quiz this Fri., 10/1

Science:

• Due Wed., 9/29: Read Science Packet about Biomes, pp. 108-112.
• Due Thurs., 9/30: Answer questions 1-5 from p. 113 of Science Packet on separate paper.

Language Arts:

• Due Wed. & Thurs., 9/29 and 9/30: Read 20 min each day in independent reading book. Do any make-up work or incomplete work that is remaining not turned in. Remember to have your book with you at all times.

Spanish:

• Grade 7:
  • Due Thurs., 9/30: Lee el párrafo primero de Pobre Ana (Read the first ¶ of Pobre Ana).
• Grade 8:
  • Due Thurs., 9/30: Narra/representa los dibujos del "Cuento de Maiela". (Narrate/act out the drawings of the "Maiela Story")

Atelier:

• Due Wed., 10/6: 12 in square observed self-portrait. Use black pencil.

Moment of Zen I'll see your double rainbow and raise you one more. (from Spaceweather.com)

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

General Announcements:

• Due Thurs., 9/30: Share Your Hi-Rock Trip Photos! We have set up a Flickr group for the class's trip last week, which we will look at as a class during our class meeting next Thursday. For security reasons, it is a private, invitation only group. You will need a Flickr account to view or contribute to the group (if you have a Yahoo account, you already do). Prisms and their parents should let me know if you want an invitation to the group. Send an e-mail to gmrowicki AT hilltowncharter with the following information:
  1. Your name
  2. The e-mail address to which the invitation should be sent
• Read about the Prisms' ongoing observations in defining intelligent here.
• We need tissues! Cold season is upon us and we need nice tissues for sore noses. If every Prism family donated one box of tissues, that would almost certainly get us through the worst of tissue season.
• Fridays: Bring sneakers, clothes to run in and water bottle for Frisbee!

Math:

• Grade 7:
  • Due Wed., 9/29: Complete #2 on p. 11 of CMP book.

• Grade 8:
  • Due Wed., 9/29: In CMP book, complete #5 on p. 10, #8 on p. 11 and #9 on pp 12-13. For #8, actually make a graph of the data before answering the question, to assist you in having more evidence to support your response. You will need 1 cm grid paper, printable at right.

Social Studies:

• Quiz this Fri., 10/1
• Due Wed., 9/29: People bringing in materials for the frog project:
  • Tori
  • Rosie
  • Bella
  • Jaylene
  • John
  • Kaleigh
  • Ruben
  • Maible
  • Abby & Dory
  • Liam
  • Evan
  • Jesse

Science:

• Due Wed., 9/29: Read Science Packet about Biomes, pp. 108-112.
• Due Thurs., 9/30: Answer questions 1-5 from p. 113 of Science Packet on separate paper.

Language Arts:

• Due Wed. & Thurs., 9/29 and 9/30: Read 20 min each day in independent reading book. Do any make-up work or incomplete work that is remaining not turned in. Remember to have your book with you at all times.

Spanish:

• Grade 7:
  • Due Thurs., 9/30: Lee el párrafo primero de Pobre Ana (Read the first ¶ of Pobre Ana).
• Grade 8:
  • Due Thurs., 9/30: Narra/representa los dibujos del "Cuento de Maiela". (Narrate/act out the drawings of the "Maiela Story")

Moment of Zen tax·on·o·my/tækˈsɒnəmi/—Taxonomy is the practice and science of classification. The word finds its roots in the Greek τάξις, taxis (meaning 'order', 'arrangement') and νόμος, nomos ('law' or 'science'). Taxonomy uses taxonomic units, known as taxa (singular taxon). (from Pop Chart Lab)

Monday, September 27, 2010

General Announcements:

• Due Thurs., 9/30: Share Your Hi-Rock Trip Photos! We have set up a Flickr group for the class's trip last week, which we will look at as a class during our class meeting next Thursday. For security reasons, it is a private, invitation only group. You will need a Flickr account to view or contribute to the group (if you have a Yahoo account, you already do). Prisms and their parents should let me know if you want an invitation to the group. Send an e-mail to gmrowicki AT hilltowncharter with the following information:
  1. Your name
  2. The e-mail address to which the invitation should be sent
• Read about the Prisms' ongoing observations in defining intelligent here.
• We need tissues! Cold season is upon us and we need nice tissues for sore noses. If every Prism family donated one box of tissues, that would almost certainly get us through the worst of tissue season.
• Fridays: Bring sneakers, clothes to run in and water bottle for Frisbee!

Math:

• Grade 7 & 8:
  • Due Tues., 9/28: Turn in all homework due Monday (MM 1.2 and revised CMP assignment).

Social Studies:

• Quiz this Fri., 10/1

Science:

• Due Tues., 9/28: Write 1 ¶ on the topic: What is/are the source(s) of energy for our River Ecosystem?

Language Arts:

• Due Tues., 9/28:
  1. Complete evaluation sheet for Camp Hi-Rock trip handed out Friday.
  2. Have your independent reading book chosen—new to you and fitting one of the categories on the form provided you today in class. Read for 20 min. in this new book to you. Have book in class on Monday. (The books should be of a size that they can be carried in backpack and from class to class easily.)
  3. Complete any portfolio elements not completed with quality at this time.

Spanish:

• Grade 7:
  • No hay tarea .
• Grade 8:
  • Quiz Tues., 9/28: Prueba sobre el vocabulario de "El pelo de pepe." (Vocab. quiz on "El pelo de pepe.")

Moment of Zen

On Demand Northern Lights

We're not totally out of luck for seeing the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) the old fashioned way around here—especially those who live farther out in the hills where there's less light pollution, but here it's a rare and precious event (see the "Current Auroral Oval" at SpaceWeather for updates about when to look up for this). In the higher latitudes, though, it's a far more commonplace event. So for those other times, the Canadian Space Agency (ASC-CSA) has developed AuroraMAX - a live camera from Northern Canada which takes a shot of the sky every 10 seconds. You can watch it live at night (except during the summer, when the Midnight Sun washes out the view) or check out their gallery of featured videos for some of their best captured time-lapse displays.