Rumors STOP With YOU

Today we talked about ways we can stop rumors from being spread. We even did an activity that demonstrated how difficult it is to take those hurtful words back. Even if we think we have fixed things, there are still parts of those mean words that will linger. If rumors hurt others so much, why do we still do them? So here is my question for you to ponder:

Why do you think it is difficult to STOP rumors (mean things being said about someone else)? What character traits are being tested here?

What is one strategy that you can try out the next time you are given a rumor?

Finally, do you think any of this has anything to do with being an "upstander" or a "bystander"?

I know those are some pretty deep questions, but I would love for you to share your thinking with each other. Hopefully we can prevent these mean behaviors from happening at our school!

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Take a listen to our class reading a few chapters from this exciting and adventurous book. Click "Posts" in the player to listen to other chapters.

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Don't Despair, it's the SCIENCE FAIR!

Can't you feel it?! Science Fair "fever" is in the air!!! Below is a list of the approved topics for this years science fair. This is an individual project demonstrating how well you understand the scientific method and your ability to conduct a fair experiment. If you have any resources of where students can find ideas for questions or experiments, please leave them as a comment below. Also, if you are unsure about your experiment, I'm sure others can give you some feedback here so ask away! Good luck scientists and HAVE FUN!!!!

Topics:

1. Electricity & Magnetism
2. Rocks & Minerals
3. Environments
4. Mixtures & Solutions
5. Weather & Astronomy
6. Living Systems (plants and humans)
   

Presidential Inauguration

Tuesday, January 20th will be a historic day in our country. Please come to school dressed in patriotic red, white and blue as we tune in to Barack Obama being sworn in as our 44th President of the United States.

What are your thoughts or feelings about this historic day?! Please leave a comment below!

Please check the link below for some extra information about the inauguration.
http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/curriculum/holidays/inauguration/inauguration.htm

12 Days of Christmas - Room 19 Style! ! !

Please click on the music below and sing along to Room 19's version of this classic Christmas song. Thank you Mrs. Rowen for helping us create this masterpiece!

12 Days of Christmas ( Room 19 Style)

Cheese pizza without the long lines
2 Spelling words
3 Days of Recess
4 Square Balls
5 Field Trips
6 Crazy Hair Days
7 Book reports
8 Chrissy's talking
9 Snowball recordings
10 Teacher learning Days
11 Running club cards
12 Penguins blogging

Top Thanksgiving Videos

Roasted turkey, tasty stuffing, vegging out with the Macy’s Day Parade… what could be better? Maybe a family-friendly flick to help you through your food coma? Kaboose movie expert Jane Louise Boursaw has chosen her picks for the top Thanksgiving-themed movies of all time. Here are a few movies to get your family in the mood for even more turkey! (From Kaboose.com)

Why You’ll Be Thankful That Your Family Watched This Film: It teaches kids that when you sit down at the Thanksgiving table, it’s good to be grateful for all that you have—even if your meal is just toast and popcorn.


Holiday for Drumsticks
This 7-minute short, part of the “Stars of Space Jam” collection features a family of farming hillbillies who are fattening up a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. A fellow farm animal – namely, Daffy Duck—gets jealous and wants all the food for himself. Of course, his plan backfires.



Why You’ll be Thankful That Your Family Watched This Film: This tiny short helped to make Tom and Jerry a household name. What’s charming about this mini-flick is that Tom and Jerry succeed in turning what otherwise might be a humdrum Thanksgiving into a feast of laughs.


Why You’ll be Thankful That Your Family Watched This Film: Youngsters in your household will love this beautifully animated tale filled with towering forests, rugged cliffs, and sparkling waters, set against a backdrop of lovely tunes like “Colors of the Wind” and “Just Around the Riverbend.” The message: It’s never too late to learn something new and be thankful for it – just as John Smith learned of nature’s peace and harmony from Pocahontas.

Electoral College or Popular Vote?

Each state has at least three electoral votes- one for each of its two senators and one for each representative in Congress. Population determines how many representatives each state gets. Washington, D.C., has three electoral votes.

There are 538 electoral votes at stake. A candidate needs 270 to win.
Would it be more fair if the popular vote, rather than the Electoral College, decided the presidential election? Explain. (Read "Who Really Picks the President?" on page 6 of the TFK magazine for background information.)

Cutest Obama Baby!!

Check out our friend's baby in Pittsburgh, PA who already seems to have an opinion about who our next President should be. She is SO adorable!!

Hello From Middle School

By: Joel (6th grade)

Hello members of Room 19, I was glad to see that this place has not been completely deserted. Only Lucas wrote back. Anyway, I go to Miller Middle School, and I think it is okay. I know I can probably make it through the whole year. It is not as bad as I thought, though I got homework on the first day, as a good "greeting". I got some very nice teachers, and there was a big change from Elementary School to Portal. I've made a lot of good friends and you fifth graders won't believe that I got Kevin Yang in every every class of mine except one. Things that I started worrying about I'm not that much. Things such as bullying aren't happening (probably because there is a member of staff hanging around every corner) and the homework is easy to deal with. The only thing I suffer from in school is the fact that my days are pretty boring. The teachers are constantly repeating the same lectures for 10 minutes and brunch (as we call it now) and lunch is pretty boring. There is nothing to do once you are done eating. There aren't any wallball courts or playgrounds. Well, I think I can still survive.

Amulya's Post

Greetings From Abroad
By: Amulya

Helllooooo, Room 19!!!!! I am Amulya, your fifth grader from India. Sorry, it has been a VERY long time since I got in touch with anyone in Portal. (Except Meryem)

It feels like I have been in Meridian (the school I go to now) for a long time. In India, our timetable for the year is hard to get used to. We have 3 Terms aka Semesters. In every term we first have slip tests, Unit tests, and then slip tests again, then...the term tests. I got A+ for Social Studies, Science, English, Computers and Telugu (3rd Language). For Hindi (2nd Language), gulp, I got a C!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am getting a dog during the Dasarah holidays. It is going to be a Yellow Labrador Retriever. If it is a boy, we will name him Buddy. If it is a girl we will name her Daisy. I am SOOOOOOO excited.

I miss Portal & the U.S. more than anything.

P.S. I want every 4rth grader to know that Room 19 is the best among the Rockhopper villages and that you are very lucky to be in this class.

BYE!!!!!!!!!!! MISS YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What questions to do have for me about living and going to school in a far away country? What things do you think are different and what do you think is still the same? Please ask away and more than one question is definitely allowed! ;0)