See you there!

Parents, make sure to see the BCS Code of Conduct tonight.  Your child will bring it home and bring it back to school tomorrow with your signature.  Thanks!

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, 227 pgs.

I read the book Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.  I finished this book on June 5, 2011.  This book is about a girl named Billie Jo and her troubles in life. 

What I liked about this book is that it's all poetry.  It gives the story a beat and it makes you slow down and think about the story.  When she is playing piano, the word seem to flow on the page and when the author wants something to stand out she puts it on it's own stanza.  I think that it is a really cool way to write especially when all the different poems together make a story. 

I liked the book Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.  Its sad in some parts but its a really good book.  I would recommend this  book to others.

For some of you, getting into the habit of checking our classroom website every day just isn't going to happen.  Life is too busy and you just can't count on getting to it, especially when there there is a possibility that there might not be anything urgent or important posted that day.

Most of you probably check your email every day, though.  So you might think about signing up for Feed My Inbox.  At www.feedmyinbox.com you simply type in your email address and the address of this blog and then every day you'll get an email including the day's updates.

Here are some great examples of conclusion sentences that don't just restate the topic sentence, but go beyond the topic sentence to make sure the reader ends in a new place.  That seems a lot more productive than restating the topic sentence and ending where we started.

Topic Sentence: Soccer is an awesome sport.
Conclusion  Sentence: Soccer can help me stay healthy and good looking.

Topic Sentence: Hats can express people's personalities.
Conclusion  Sentence: People can be unique and different from each other.

Topic Sentence: People should sell horses before they starve them.
Conclusion  Sentence: ...because God created horses and we need to take care of them.

Topic Sentence: Legos are fun
Conclusion  Sentence: ...when you grow up you can have a big imagination and get a good job.

Try This First
1.  Look at your current conclusion: That's why everyone should give skateboarding a try.
2.  Ask why (should I care):  ...because it's good exercise.
3.  Ask why (should I care) again:  ...because God made our bodies and we should use them well!
4.  That last answer is your BIG SO WHAT conclusion!

Then Try One of These
1. Ask a question.
2. Ask the reader to apply your ideas to their life.
3. Look to the future.
4. Propose a solution.
5. Use a Bible verse.

Understanding 9/11 is a television news archive of a number of different stations and what they showed on 9/11 and the six days following.

This year's 6th graders were toddlers when the towers were struck, but this archive might be a good resource to use to help them see what the experience was like as the news stations started to pick up tragedy.  I was amazed at how quickly it brought me back to where I was and what I was feeling back in 2001.

Click here to take the student survey.

For anyone who is interested, below is a link to the 6th graders' schedule this year.

Dear families of 6th graders,

Welcome back to school.  I can't wait to get to know this new community of families that make up the 6th grade this year.  We are going to learn and grow a tremendous amount this year, and I'm very excited to challenge each of you

In the past, I have used this welcome letter to give parents a glance at what we will be learning throughout the year in each class I teach.  While that information is important for you to know, you can always learn it from me personally at Back to School Night, through email, or just asking your child what is going on in class.  This year, I want to use this letter as a tool for you to help your child be successful in their first year of Middle School.

In that spirit, I want to list a few ways you can stay in touch easily and know if homework is being completed, turned in, and understood consistently.  You don’t have to wait for the report card or the mid-term to know how your kid is doing.  Here is what you can do any night of any week, to help your Middle-Schooler be successful:

Check their planner
They should have every class written down with their homework from that class and its due date filled in as well.  If they don’t have homework in a class, it should day “No Homework.”  If there is nothing written in for a class, they likely failed to record something important.

Check the classroom website 
http://swedberg.weebly.com is our classroom website and it will be updated almost daily with news and resources for parents and students.  When you check the website, you might find a couple videos we watched in class that day, a tip on how to study more effectively, a reminder of an upcoming field trip, or a parent survey.  It really is the best way to get a glimpse into the classroom and it should be checked daily.

Look for graded assignments as they come home
Your child will have a folder in the classroom marked, “Graded Assignments to Take Home”.  If you aren’t seeing many graded assignments coming home, you should make sure your child has emptied this folder.

Email, call, or stop in any time
My email is [email protected], you can reach me by phone at 733-7303 x106, and I will always make time for concerned parents.

This is going to be a great year!  You child is going to grow and mature, think hard about what it means to be a Christian, work very hard, and be surrounded by amazing people who care a great deal for their success.

God bless,
Mr. Swedberg