The Surprise Quiz Went Bust!!!

I gave the cherubs a surprise quiz, today, on the first section of the Space textbook -- A Trip Through the Universe. Despite the repeated action given to the three types of galaxies in the universe and the return of homework to fix errors, the munchkins royally bombed the one-question quiz.

Fear not! Tomorrow, they are getting a 10-question multiple-choice test on sections 1 and 2 of the chapter. These grades count! It will give me time to record the grades and print out progress reports for the office. The cherubs will have to wait until Friday to get their progress reports.

Chase Showed Initiative
Chase took it upon herself to interview adults in our building about voting. We are learning about the voting process in Social Studies. I was shocked to not only see her interviews, but, she also typed-out the questions she asked those adults. We are discussing the original Constitution that permitted only white men of property, 18-years or older, to vote. Today, we got as far as womens' suffrage, and tomorrow, the civil rights movement. I gotta couple 'o' kids that are proud to call themselves Americans and want to learn more about our voting process. I feel like that mini-shredded wheat biscuit wiping away a tear, proclaiming his pride in a young man that was able to show his teacher he was paying attention.

Have a great night folks.

I Love Our PTO Moms and Dads

It's National Teacher Recognition Week and our PTO has been busy, since, yesterday, setting-up a luscious lunch for the faculty, for today. I walked into the faculty room, this morning, and found an array of goodies ready for us.

I often brag about our PTO to teachers in other districts. Sometimes, I take for granted, how good I have it, here. This PTO comes in and prepares ice cream sundaes for our cherubs as a reward, they supply us with food and "stuffs" for field trips and offer to come into the classroom and help out. I will tell you, teachers in other districts envy me.

Here's a big, Pappa Z hug, to the Loyalsock Middle School PTO!!!!!!! Thanks for all that you do.

Half Day For Me, Tomorrow
The marine biology major daughter is coming home, tomorrow, for six-week working visit. She is doing an independent study of wetlands at the Muncy Canal archaeology dig site. I have to take a half-day personal day to get to State College in time for her proposed 1:40 p.m. arrival. My cherubs will watch a really cool video on the Unfolding Universe. It pretty much covers, in a fantastic graphics display, the textbook we are using in science.

Gideon versus Wainwright
In Social Studies, we will look at the 14th and 5th Amendments in regards to a supreme court case in which an uneducated man was convicted and imprisoned for a burglary. There are some parts of this textbook that are really neat. I love the court cases they pick to review.

Have a great weekend, folks.

Space, the final frontier

Well, we started our trip through the universe. The munchkins learned that light travels at 186,400 miles per second and that a light-year is the distance light travels in one year -- that's about 6 trillion miles. Whoa, boy. It will take us 83,000 years to reach Alpha Centauri, if we left, now.

Does Spelling Count?
On May 28, the sixth grade will be going on field trips. Three groups, three locations. We will converge on Riverfront Park at Canfield Island. Well, oops, we made a bit of a boo-boo on the permission slips. Those slips will be going home on May 23, and we inadvertantly called the park, Riverside, instead of Riverfront. And, because we are using so much paper, the sixth grade team has opted to simply let the mistake go through. We will instruct the kiddoes to cross out the misspelled word and write-in the correct spelling.

Have a great night, folks.

Cross-age Teachers Discuss Tobacco Use

Our high school cross-age teachers discussed tobacco use. They even brought out "Mr. Yuk", a mouth cancer facsimile. The jar of liquid tar from cigarettes was enough to turn your stomach. Then, we went outside to watch how cigarette smoke enters the lungs, using a 2-liter bottle as the lungs.

Have a good night, folks.

Okay, I'm Late, Again

Lee Lee sent me a message telling me I am late posting my blog. I know. It was just so nice, this afternoon, I decided to do some yard work. And, believe me, after not being able to walk for 8 years there is a lot of work to be done. So, I trimmed away creeping vines on my lilac bushes and junipers, I cut away biggie jagger bushes growing on a hill beneath my row of Pine trees, cut the lawn and replanted an azalea. Oh, and I had to add more string to the weed wacker. Whew! I feel like one of those gardners on the Home and Garden Network.

Back to school work
Flight durations went pretty well. I had a lot of kids that kept their planes in the air for five seconds, but, I had several notables, such as Brandon, whose plane stayed in the air for 8.16-seconds, and Ryland, who made it last for 7.15-seconds. By the way, 7th grade girls that were warming-up for gym class in the gymnasium, gave Ryland the aaaaahhhhs and ooooohhhhs.

Cross-age Tomorrow
Section 64 does not have science tomorrow, due to cross-age. Section 63 needs to launch planes for duration, and Sections 62 and 61 are gonna build the omni-wing paper airplane. It uses tape, but, boy does that puppy fly.

Whew! Better Hit The Shower
Worked up a sweat, in the yard. Shower and bedtime by 10 a.m. Don't expect to see me at school before 7 a.m. tomorrow. I am starting to show signs of overwork. 10-hour days being paid for only 8, is getting to me.

Have a great night, folks.

I Dig The Dirty Work

Hi guys: Sorry I did not blog on Friday -- I am burning-out. However! Renewed energy and enthusiasm, abounds, once MORE!!!!!

The Saturday archaeology dig at Muncy entered its second week. I took pictures, chatted with Bill Poulton, president of the Muncy Historical Society, and sifted lotsa, lotsa dirt, only to find one tiny chunk of coal. Ho-hum. But, it was a beautiful day and I was outside. I just wish I could've taken my dog, with me.

If you haven't seen it yet, ya gotsta go to my website and view the webpage I put together on the Muncy Canal project. http://www.ltsd.k12.pa.us/497970223125916/blank/browse.asp?a=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&c=52353

Well, tomorrow, my kiddoes are launching their paper airplanes for flight duration. Hope they tweeked and refined over the weekend. No gimmees on this project. What they earn is what they get in three throws, or less.

Have a good night, folks.

Throwing paper airplanes for distance

We will be in the front lobby periods 1,2, and 7, throwing paper airplanes a distance of 10-meters to earn an "A" on that project. The kiddoes are now well versed on the Bernoulli principle of wing design and Newton's Third Law of Motion dealing with action and reaction. For the past week, I have watched these cherubs design, build and test various types of paper airplanes. Each time, learning a bit more about flight, friction, drag, thrust, and, of course, gravity.

Have a great night folks.

Changes in Agenda

I had to change the agenda for the week. I cannot get in the gymnasium or cafeteria on Friday to launch duration paper airplanes. So, I will launch distance planes in the lobby on Friday and then use Monday to launch duration from the gymnasium balcony.

Have a great night, folks.

Bernoulli's Principle, Newtonian Laws, and Paper Airplanes

Gee, Mr. Z, making paper airplanes are so complicated. Using Bernoulli's Principle of flight - the faster the air moves the less pressure there is. And then, Newton's third law of motion that focuses on "the angle of attack". If that was not enough, Mr. Z, you talk about installing "elevators" on our planes. Why can't you just call them, flaps?

Went Diggin' In Da Doit.
Here is a link to photos I took at the archaeology dig at the Muncy Canal project. Click on the link. Downloading takes about three minutes. http://www.ltsd.k12.pa.us/497970223125916/blank/browse.asp?a=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&c=52353

Have a great night, folks.

It's rainin' helicopters!

I'm Late Posting, Today

I took photos of the kids launching paper helicopters but the camera battery died. It is still recharging. Pictures tomorrow, promise.

Have a good night, folks.

Thrust without Drag results in an airplane that gushes rather than flows

The kiddoes, today, discovered their Foamie Flyer airplanes are worthless without a rear stabilizer, either horizontal or vertical, or both. Their planes went the distance, but, if I were a passenger on the 6th grade airlines, I would be using the bag that comes with the plane's passenger seat. That project is due, tomorrow.

Gravity
It holds me in place, but how does it affect an object in flight? The cherubs will find out tomorrow, as they build, launch and test paper helicopters.

Mrs. Pulizzi has become a computer geek
Yep, she has the kids in the computer lab writing Haiku-style poetry on Google.docs. Mrs. P has always been leery of the 'puter until Mr. Fausnaught, Mr. Ellis, and Mr. Johnson, introduced the middle school staff to the simplistic version of Microsoft office. It is not as intimidating as office. In fact, Mrs. Pulizzi is taking the forefront of the sixth grade teachers in implementing this computer program. Way to go, Cheryl!

We got another visit from Mrs. Fry, today
It was a special visit. One of our boys, I won't say who because it would ruin his macho image, approached Mrs. Fry and gave her a big hug and told her how he missed her. My jaw just dropped. I have always liked this kid, but, his behavior has always been an issue. To actually succumb to the moment and react as he did to Mrs. Fry, made me smile and think, this kid is gonna be okay.

Progress reports went out, today
Summer ain't here, yet. The number of failing or near failing science grades has me a bit shaken. I hope this serves as a wake-up call and you kiddoes get back to work. We have a couple of neat projects to complete before the end of the year. PARENTS: these are progress reports, not report cards. Don't get too excited about the low science grade. Just double-check my homework page and ensure the munchkins are getting the work done. Click the link to go to my homework page. http://www.ltsd.k12.pa.us/4979_3814173829/Blog/browse.asp?a=398&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&c=51715

Have a great night, folks.

Young Jedi Learn The Ways of the FORCE

Pause a moment for momentum

For homework over the weekend, the cherubs were to "look-up" the definition of momentum and apply it to the balloon-powered race car project. Few of the munchkins did that, and so, few understood the concept of momentum.

Well, I took 'em outside and had them run downhill shouting for them to stop at certain points. Funny, none were able to stop. The momentum of their run caused them to take a step or two or five as they tried to stop.

Earth Day
I feel so bad. Tomorrow is Earth Day and I'm having the kiddoes build Styrofoam airplanes, called, Foamie Flyers. Styrofoam and Earth Day do not mix. However, to understand one of the four forces of flight -- thrust -- this mini-project is neccessary. If it helps, I spent the weekend transplanting rhododendrums, a juniper, and several blooming daffodil clusters. Excuse me, I gotta hug a tree.

Have a great night, folks.

Balloon-Powered Race Cars Tested, Then Trashed

Click here to see my powerpoint of photos I took of the races

Have a great weekend, folks.

Racing Outside, Tomorrow

Sorry, the hallway racing is now over. No, I am not granting BASE or classtime to race in the hallway. I have been generous. Tomorrow, we are moving outside to race the cars on asphalt.

The Balloon-powered race car packet is due on Monday- that includes the questions.

Have a good night, folks.

Mrs. Antonacci Is Making Us Work!!

A full slate of parents coming in today to discuss their child's risk of failing sixth grade. I'm sorry to see so many children in that position, but, I'm glad to see parents are taking an active role in helping to ensure their child is graduated from sixth to seventh grade.

The title of today's blog comes from Mrs. Antonacci is the interim sixth grade team leader. She took it upon herself to organize the parent conferences today and tomorrow. I never really tell her how much I appreciate the extra work she does for this team. Perhaps, you could let her know her efforst really are appreciated -- even though PappaZ get annoyed sometimes. I guess we all do, when someone gives us commands and we just "don't wanna do it." Thanks, Wanita. You know I still luv ya, despite my grumbling -- but, then again, I'm an old man and we do that.

Get them race cars finished
Tomorrow we race in the hallway and Friday we are outside on the driveway. Which reminds me. How in the world do 100 kids go through 45 sticks of hot glue gun glue?

Have a great night, folks.

Building Race Cars

Building race cars in class to test friction and momentum. They kept me hopping, today.

Okay, I am beat. Have a great night, folks.

Hey! Z!! This ain't no 'ritin' class!

Okay, you conducted an experiment with friction. Now, I wanna know how you know water reduces friction. In other words, if you are going to answer such questions, be prepared to show evidence or support to what you are claiming. Gee, I feel like I'm teaching a class in language arts.

Outside for BASE
Well, I've been taking the cherubs outside during BASE and they just don't seem to appreciate it. We asked them to wipe off their shoes before entering the building. Mr. Bubb even went so far as to place a rug at the door. Still, a handful of kiddoes refuse to abide by our wishes and track mud throughout the hallways and classrooms. Then, when we call them in, several boys insist on continue playing until we are hoarse shouting them in. Perhaps, the children should earn the right to go outside? I know I am not too keen on doing that for a while.

Have a great night, folks.

Mr. Nike! My Sneaks Slide Too Easily!!!!

My cherubs, today, elevated a laminate board, placed a sneaker on the board and tilted it until gravity overcame friction. Then, they applied a layer of water between the shoe and board and found the lubricate decreased friction, permitting gravity to pull easier on the wearing apparel. Needless to say, a whole bunch of deodorizer was used in the room. Whew!

Have a great weekend, folks -- I gotta work, tomorrow.