news and notes 4/29/08

Upcoming Events:
Farm Trips

May 1
Sunol Farm, Sunol, CA

City Slickers, Berkeley, CA (1/2 day trip)

May 8
Frog Hollow, Brentwood, CA

Homework:

Reading Buddies: 20 minutes 4 nights a week + entries in reading log everytime + post-it notes. Use Reading Log 2.0

Writing: Finish the concrete poem you started in class or start another, due tomorrow.

Math:
U6 and U9 pages in SMJ and SL

Science: Do reading and answer questions, due Thursday.

World Languages:
Spanish - Do worksheet, due 5/2
French - Study family tree, due 5/2

Other:
Memorize your lines for drama

Notes:

I heard great things about all three farms the 6th grade visited today. They were incredibly different. The oyster was cold, blustery and delicious, Green Gulch, serene, but fun and People's Grocery, quick but energizing. Can't wait to hear about how the trips to Sunol and City Slickers go tomorrow.

Joke:

A husband and wife were driving down a country lane on their way to visit some friends. They came to a muddy patch in the road and the car became bogged. After a few minutes of trying to get the car out by themselves, they saw a young farmer coming down the lane, driving some oxen before him.

The farmer stopped when he saw the couple in trouble and offered to pull the car out of the mud for $50. The husband accepted and minutes later the car was free. The farmer turned to the husband and said, "You know, you're the tenth car I've helped out of the mud today."

The husband looks around at the fields incredulously and asks the farmer, "When do you have time to plough your land? At night?"

"No," the young farmer replied seriously, "Night is when I put the water in the hole."

news and notes 4/25/08

Upcoming Events:
Farm Trips

April 21
Star Route Farm, 95 Olema Bolinas Rd, Bolinas, CA 94924

April 28
McCormack Sheep Ranch, Rio Vista

April 29
Pie Ranch, Davenport, CA

April 30
People's Grocery, Oakland, CA (1/2 day trip, 10:00 - 1:00)

Green Gulch Farm, Sausalito, CA

Oyster Ranch Driver, Drakes Bay, CA

May 1
Sunol Farm, Sunol, CA

City Slickers, Berkeley, CA (1/2 day trip)

May 8
Frog Hollow, Brentwood, CA

Homework:

Reading Buddies: 20 minutes 4 nights a week + entries in reading log everytime + post-it notes. Use Reading Log 2.0

Humanities: Decide on the questions you'll ask farmers, due MONDAY

Math:
U6 and U9 pages in SMJ and SL

Science: Do reading and answer questions, due Tuesday.

Other:
Memorize your lines for drama
Permission slips for farm trips, due MONDAY

Notes:

Earth Day was a smashing success and the Day of Silence was an amazing learning experience for many members of our school community. It's great to see us learning together as an entire community. I hope the farm trips will be equally powerful learning experiences.

Joke:

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Dwayne.
Dwayne who?
Dwayne the bathtub, I'm dwowning.

Hot Choco:
Ben 4/24

news and notes 4/22/08

Upcoming Events:
Farm Trips

April 21
Star Route Farm, 95 Olema Bolinas Rd, Bolinas, CA 94924

April 28
McCormack Sheep Ranch, Rio Vista

April 29
Pie Ranch, Davenport, CA

April 30
People's Grocery, Oakland, CA (1/2 day trip, 10:00 - 1:00)

Green Gulch Farm, Sausalito, CA

Oyster Ranch Driver, Drakes Bay, CA

May 1
Sunol Farm, Sunol, CA

City Slickers, Berkeley, CA (1/2 day trip)

May 8 (Note the date change!)
Frog Hollow, Brentwood, CA

Homework:

Reading Buddies: 20 minutes 4 nights a week + entries in reading log everytime + post-it notes. Use Reading Log 2.0

Humanities: Urban Farm Webquest, due Wednesday 4/23

Math:
U6 and U9 pages in SMJ and SL

Science: Do reading and answer questions.

World Languages:
Spanish-Take notes on family and do sheet from class
French - Descriptions of 3 people, memorize very

Other:
Memorize your lines for drama

Notes:

Nick talked to the class today about his experiences as a farmworker. It was a chance for all us to recognize where we come from as well as the hard work and human lives that a part of all the food we eat. Thanks, Nick.

Joke:

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Dwayne.
Dwayne who?
Dwayne the bathtub, I'm dwowning.

Hot Choco:
Ben 4/24

news and notes 4/21/08

Upcoming Events:
Farm Trips

April 21
Star Route Farm, 95 Olema Bolinas Rd, Bolinas, CA 94924

April 28
McCormack Sheep Ranch, Rio Vista

April 29
Pie Ranch, Davenport, CA

April 30
People's Grocery, Oakland, CA (1/2 day trip, 10:00 - 1:00)

Green Gulch Farm, Sausalito, CA

Oyster Ranch Driver, Drakes Bay, CA

May 1
Sunol Farm, Sunol, CA

City Slickers, Berkeley, CA (1/2 day trip)

May 8 (Note the date change!)
Frog Hollow, Brentwood, CA

Homework:

Reading Buddies: 20 minutes 4 nights a week + entries in reading log everytime + post-it notes. Use Reading Log 2.0

Humanities: Urban Farm Webquest, due Wednesday 4/23

Math:
U6 and U9 pages in SMJ and SL

World Languages:
Spanish-Take notes on family and do sheet from class
French - Descriptions of 3 people, memorize very

Other:
Memorize your lines for drama

Notes:

We did some catching up today, letting kids who were out last week know what they missed. Things are finally getting back tomorrow after all the drama of the play last week (pun intended) and the excitement of the Ancient Civilization Museum. Speaking of which, the play was exciting, funny, sad and hearwarming. Congrats to all the performers. I'll be handing out grades for our Ancient Civilization project this week. You took so much time working on the project, I like to be just as deliberate when I give you my grades. You all should be proud of the work you did on it.

Joke:

Q. What did the fish say when it swam into the wall?
A. Dam!

Hot Choco:
Ben 4/24

news and notes 4/17/2008

Upcoming Events:
Farm Trips

April 21
Star Route Farm, 95 Olema Bolinas Rd, Bolinas, CA 94924

April 28
McCormack Sheep Ranch, Rio Vista

April 29
Pie Ranch, Davenport, CA

April 30
People's Grocery, Oakland, CA (1/2 day trip, 10:00 - 1:00)

Green Gulch Farm, Sausalito, CA

Oyster Ranch Driver, Drakes Bay, CA

May 1
Sunol Farm, Sunol, CA

City Slickers, Berkeley, CA (1/2 day trip)

May 8 (Note the date change!)
Frog Hollow, Brentwood, CA

Homework:

Reading Buddies: 20 minutes 4 nights a week + entries in reading log everytime + post-it notes. Use Reading Log 2.0

Writing: Choose a poem and practice saying it aloud, due Thursday. Try these sites to search for poems Poem Hunter and Giggle Poetry.

Humanities: Urban Farm Webquest, due Wednesday 4/23

Math:
U6 and U9 pages in SMJ and SL

World Languages:
Reflect on game, due Friday.
Take notes on family, due Monday.

Other:
Memorize your lines for drama

Notes:

Today we experimented with listening to music and drawing pictures to inspire poetry. Our visit yesterday from poets John Solt and Ray Craig really helped us to imagine more possibilities for poetry. John and Ray talked about how poetry can be pictures, music, sounds and most importantly exploration. I hope we'll be able to do a lot of exploration during poetry month.

Joke:

When a fellow called a motel and asked how much they charged for a room, the clerk told him that the rates depended on room size and number of people. “Do you take children?” the man asked.
“No, sir,” replied the clerk. “Only cash and credit cards.”

Hot Choco:
Ben 4/21

news and notes 4/15/2008

Upcoming Events:
Farm Trips

April 21
Star Route Farm, 95 Olema Bolinas Rd, Bolinas, CA 94924

April 28
McCormack Sheep Ranch, Rio Vista
Parent Chaperone 1: Nancy Kaplan

April 29
Pie Ranch, Davenport, CA

April 30
People's Grocery, Oakland, CA (1/2 day trip, 10:00 - 1:00)
Teacher: Karen Baughman

Green Gulch Farm, Sausalito, CA
Parent Chaperone 1: Silva Raker

Oyster Ranch Driver, Drakes Bay, CA
Parent Chaperone 1:Mark Burget
Parent Chaperone 2: Michael Warren

May 1
Sunol Farm, Sunol, CA
Teacher: Julie Oulette

City Slickers, Berkeley, CA (1/2 day trip)

May 8 (Note the date change!)
Frog Hollow, Brentwood, CA

Homework:

Reading Buddies: 20 minutes 4 nights a week + entries in reading log everytime + post-it notes. Use Reading Log 2.0

Writing: Choose a poem and practice saying it aloud, due Thursday. Try these sites to search for poems Poem Hunter and Giggle Poetry.

Humanities: Small Farm Webquest, due tomorrow

Math:
U6 and U9 pages in SMJ and SL

World Languages:
Spanish: Study for game, due tomorrow.
Reflect on game, due Friday.
Take notes on family, due Monday.

Other:
Memorize your lines for drama

Notes:

We started investigating some urban farms today in class. Several people missed the videos we watched. Here they are:
Potato Harvest - a look at how one of our most common foods is harvested


People's Grocery - an example of an urban farming project.
Joke:

A state trooper is driving down the highway when he sees a truck driver pull over,
walk to the side of the truck with a tire jack, bang on the side of the truck a few times, and then drive away. A couple of miles down the road the driver does the same thing.
A few more miles, same thing. The trooper pulls the truck over and asks the driver to explain. The driver says, “Well, the load limit is ten tons, and I’m carrying fifteen tons of parakeets, so I’ve got to keep some of them flying around.”

Hot Choco:
Ben 4/17

Upcoming Events:
Farm Trips

April 21
Star Route Farm, 95 Olema Bolinas Rd, Bolinas, CA 94924

April 28
McCormack Sheep Ranch, Rio Vista
Parent Chaperone 1: Nancy Kaplan

April 29
Pie Ranch, Davenport, CA

April 30
People's Grocery, Oakland, CA (1/2 day trip, 10:00 - 1:00)
Teacher: Karen Baughman

Green Gulch Farm, Sausalito, CA
Parent Chaperone 1: Silva Raker

Oyster Ranch Driver, Drakes Bay, CA
Parent Chaperone 1:Mark Burget
Parent Chaperone 2: Michael Warren

May 1
Sunol Farm, Sunol, CA
Teacher: Julie Oulette

City Slickers, Berkeley, CA (1/2 day trip)

May 7
Frog Hollow, Brentwood, CA

Homework:

Reading Buddies: 20 minutes 4 nights a week + entries in reading log everytime + post-it notes. Use Reading Log 2.0

Humanities: Choose one thing to save from your research binder, save the dividers, recycle the rest of the pages and return the binder to Suzette, due tomorrow

Small Farm Webquest, due tomorrow.

Math:
U6 and U9 pages in SMJ and SL

World Languages:
Spanish: Review what you learned in the game and interview your family

Other:
Memorize your lines for drama

Notes:

Next week will start our farm trips. We haven't figured out who's going on which trip, but we are excited because they will be fascinating and fun. Check above to see the schedule for the trips.

Joke:

One day, a cat dies of natural causes and goes to heaven, where he meets the Lord Himself.
The Lord says to the cat, "You lived a good life, and if there is any way I can make your stay in heaven more comfortable, please let me know."
The cat thinks for a moment and says, "Lord, all my life I have lived with a poor family and had to sleep on a hard wooden floor."
The Lord stops the cat and says, "Say no more," and a wonderful, fluffy pillow appears.
A few days later, six mice are killed in a tragic farming accident, and all of them go to heaven.
Again, the Lord is there to greet them with the same offer.
The mice answer, "All our lives we have been chased.
We have had to run from cats, dogs, and even women with brooms.
Running, running, running; we're tired of running.
Do you think we could have roller skates so that we don't have to run anymore?"
The Lord says, "Say no more" and fits each mouse with beautiful new roller skates.
Week later, the Lord stops by to see the cat and finds him snoozing on the pillow.
The Lord gently wakes the cat and asks him, "How are things since you got here?"
The cat stretches and yawns, then replies, "It is wonderful here.
Better than I could have ever expected. And those 'Meals On Wheels' you've been sending by are the best!"

Hot Choco:
Ben 4/17

news and notes 4/9/2008

Homework:

Reading Buddies: 20 minutes 4 nights a week + entries in reading log everytime + post-it notes. Use Reading Log 2.0


Math:
U6 and U9 pages in SMJ

World Languages:
Spanish - do worksheet

Other:
You must have you permission slips tomorrwo.

Notes:

6S, welcome back from break. We are slowly putting our classroom back together and are starting our study of farms and farming. After spending the last couple of months in the library and classroom, researching and writing, we'll get to spend some time outdoors finding out how some of our food gets produced.

Tomorrow, we'll be going to the Museum of the African Diaspora. It's a chance for us to learn about our connection to the continent.

Joke:

Two brothers John and Mike went fishing, every time John threw his hook he caught a
fish but Mike was very unlucky. By the end of the day John had caught more than
twenty fish but Mike had caught nothing. Next day Mike woke up very early in the morning, dressed in John's clothes and carried John's hook. He went to the river and sat where John was seating yesterday. He threw the hook and waited. Darkness
cleared and the sun rose, after about 4 hours of his waiting a fish popped out and asked him "where is John?"