Jump Roping Around the Gym

Today marks the halfway point of the second quarter.  I looked at my curriculum map of the year and discovered that I'm right on schedule with 7/8th history, I'm ahead in 7/8th science, and I'm a little behind in 5th grade science and history.  I've been trying to do more projects for history lately, maybe I need to introduce some science projects too.  We're going to start an oceanography unit on Monday.

Other than that, our day has been pretty standard.

I suppose I could mention the argument between the two female 5th graders during read to someone.  They each wanted to read a different book and couldn't compromise.  We switched rounds and then while the rest of the class played the Circular Story Game for English, they had to read for another 6 minutes with each other using the compromise they came up with.  Our topic for Circular Stories was: John Deere and International.  My only stipulation was that no one/thing could die in the stories.  Oh man, poor International tractors got slaughtered in the stories.  I did my best to make them come out ahead, but the Deere power is too strong in our classroom.  We didn't get to read the stories aloud yet (we ran out of time), so we'll do that on Monday. 

At recess, I promised one of the girls that I would play jump rope with her (instead of SNAKE like the rest of the class plays).  Since Ms. J and I twirled the rope and didn't do SNAKE, the rest of the class decided to join us jump roping.  One of the boys asked if we could walk around the gym while he jumped.  So we did.  And everyone wanted to try it that way.  The teachers twirled the ropes and walked while the kids jumped.  At the end of recess, we tried with all 4 students jumping.  They tripped up before we could start to walk.  I think we're going to have to try it again some time.

The cold weather is doing nothing for my car.  Even in the garage the temperature got down to 17 degrees.  On my way to school my car was creaking because it was so cold!  I wonder if my hatch is shut all the way.  I'd try to shut it again, but there is ice and snow blocking it.  It never melted from the last time it snowed.

This weekend is shaping up to have some complications.  Sunday is caroling, Christmas at Bethany, and an education alumni dinner.  And we're supposed to get 2-3 inches of snow Sunday afternoon.  Hmm.  Lovely driving weather.  Sigh.  Hopefully we don't get much and the roads stay clear.