How Did You Do On 4-Sight?

So, how did you do on the test? My first period class was with me doing the math part. Tomorrow they move to Mrs. Pulizzi for the writing test.

Have a good night, folks

Thanks For Noticing

Wasteful Americanoes
My kiddoes learned, today, that they are typical Americans willfully and woefully wasteful of water. In a weeklong, take home experiment, my students kept track of water useage. Although several came in with about 200 gallons a week, I did have a few that used 'twix 800 and a 1,000 gallons of water. Average is 325 gallons per person, per week.

4-Sight Tomorrow
First and second period in homerooms.

Have a great night, folks.

A Moving Speech. Was That MLK?

Okay, Mr. Fausnaught and Miss Porter wrote about President Obama. I did not vote for the gentleman, but, I was moved by his speech. I pray he holds true to his words.

Quietest Volleyball Tournament
I've ever attended. The sixth grade tournament during related arts was so quiet I felt our library has more noises and cheers. Have the kiddoes succumbed to the winter blahs? Really, the spectators just sat there.

Water Tally Sheet Due T'marrow
You started the tally on Friday and ended it tonight. Tomorrow, we perform the lesson. Better be ready or you will fail this project. No kidding. No excuses, save for being absent last Thursday, or tomorrow.

Have a warm night, folks

Zero Hour Was 8 Below

The drive to the airport, this morning, seemed so much longer. At 8 below zero, the fan in the car did not work, and so, the defroster was not clearing off the windshield. It took some time, but, finally, we had a fan, defrost, and we were pulling into the airport. My 19-year-old baby was going - as she put it - "home," back to Galveston. She was delayed an hour, here, as they had to de-ice the plane three times. Other than that, the trip to Philadelphia and now to Charlotte, N.C., was uneventful. She leaves Charlotte at 1 p.m. for Houston. Her boyfriend, hopefully, will be there to meet her.
Will update, later.

She made it to Houston about 3:30. However, the boyfriend was not there. Seems his mother took his car shopping and lost track of time. At 4:30, she had to call a friend for a ride. However, that friend lives an hour away. She is having such a long day. She really hasn't eaten since 5:30, this morning.

The boy is on his way out to go ice skating in Lewisburg. Here with a storm coming. Oh well.

Have a safe night, folks.

Excuse Me, While I Panic!!

We are watching live coverage of the US Airways plane crash in the Hudson River, in New York. Yeah, Flight 1549 from New York to Charlotte, NC., went down at 3:26 p.m. today, with 155 people on board. The daughter leaves for Charlotte, Saturday morning, on US Air. Just a couple of days ago a Blackhawk helicopter crashed on the Texas A&M campus. Things happen in threes, so I am now in panic-mode as my daughter prepares to go back to school.

Weekend Homework
My kiddoes have science homework, this weekend. Better get it done. I will not be dissuaded to hand out zeroes to those students that do not complete the assignment.

Have a good weekend, folks.

A Couple 'O' Bucks Worth

Hey, some Dollar Tree Slinky(s), some cotton rope, and a couple of pieces of scrap wood from Mr. Wheeland's wood shop, and I have manipulatives for Earthquakes. Today, some of my munchkins attached a slinky to my classroom door handle to demonstrate a Compression Wave, while the rope served to simulate Shear Waves. The wood? Well, rubbing them together simulates plate tectonics and faults.

I'm Seeing Agendas Getting Signed
Thanks parents. You get to see, daily, what's going on in my classroom.

Did Ya See The Mrs. Fry Photo?
On Mr. Fausnaught's blog, today. She was seen at Monday's bball game, in the bleachers. She stopped by, today, for a quickie visit. She is lookin' good. She is such a phenomenal teacher and I pity the cherubs that did not have her in class the last two years. However, I am enthralled with Miss Porter, Mrs. Fry's substitute. I certainly hope the district finds a place for this talented young lady. Even old dogs, like me, learn from the young talent coming into our schools. Check out Miss Porter's web page and blog -- good stuff.

Mrs. Antonacci Is Tireless
in her duties as sixth grade math teacher and sixth grade team leader. I am using her Buckle Down math series for my BASE classes. Once you get into the swing of it, it is really cool. However, you have to have the stamina of an Olympic athlete to keep up the students, each of whom are working in different parts of the book. You have to check problems and then provide one-on-one help for those having difficulty with a particular skill. It is really cool, but, tiring. Hats off to Mrs. Antonacci. Only a totally dedicated individual would do this everyday, five times a day.

Snow?
Ya gotta be kidding!!!!!!! Possible four inches!!!!!!!! My one kid goes to school in Texas, the other is leaving for the Air Force in Texas. They want me to move there. The PERK? NO SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay warm and safe and have a great night, folks.

It's Da Wolf!

According to native American folklore, tonight's full moon, known as Wolf moon, is roughly 15% larger, at moonrise, than any other part of the year. Too bad I won't be able to get a snapshot of moonrise. This darned storm.

I Can't Win
My bad leg went bad, again. Since I have no feeling in my feet, I was unaware of the infection in my big toe. The result? My large, swollen right leg -- the result of lymphedema from sepsis (blood poisoning) -- is infected, again. I zipped out of school at 3 p.m., yesterday, to get to the doctor's office. So, back on antibiotics. The swollen leg makes it difficult to shovel snow. You work up a sweat falling over everytime you toss a shovelful of snow, and then struggle to get back up.

Have a safe weekend, folks.

Just No 'scapin' It

I felt the cold icy stare of Mother Nature, yesterday, as I broke and scraped ice from the driveway, patio and sidewalk, at home. It was then, I decided, the Christmas decorations had to go. Despite it all, I still have the holiday spirit as I look at my "Mr. Z Rocks" cup, I got from Dalton, for Christmas.

Have a great night, folks.

We Got Slimed!!!

To reinforce the notion that the mantle is a molten, solid rock, that flows like a liquid - we did an experiment in Plasticity. Okay, we made slime. It's a simple third grade experiment that should take a group of five kids about 30 minutes to do. Believe it or not, not all the munchkins made their slime. They ran out of time!?!?!?!

They Have The Recipe
The kiddoes are now armed with the recipe for making slime. All they need is a 4-oz. bottle of Elmer's glue, a smidgen of corn starch or borax, water, and a squirt of liquid hand soap.

Have a great night, folks.

It's My Mom's Birthday

My mother passed away in 2002, but, we still visit her grave on her birthday. I miss my mom. My kids miss their grandmother. Kids, have you hugged your mom, lately?

Welcome to 2009
Time is fleeting. Oh, thanks to those who wished me well on my birthday, and my students that gave me cards and gifts for Christmas.

How Was Christmas and New Year?
Christmas was spent at my dad's house. Most of the Zdun clan assembled for several days. My daughter, Krysia, took command of Christmas Eve dinner (Wigilia), the most solemn time of Christmas in Poland. She cooked, served, and played the hostess as my mother taught her. We all enjoyed the family time. What did you do for Christmas?
For New Year, the fridge konked out about 10 p.m., so I toasted in the new year by defrosting the freezer. I did stop for several minutes at midnight, then, stayed up 'til 2 a.m. - fridge is working well, now. How did you spend New Year's Eve?

Pappa Z Baked
I made, from scratch, pumpkin rolls for Mrs. Antonacci, Mrs. Dincher, Mrs. Phillips, Miss Porter, and Mrs. Pulizzi. They were my Christmas present to the womenfolk. To date, I heard only from Mrs. Antonacci about how much she enjoyed my baking effort. Either I poisoned the others, or, they were too afraid to taste something I made. I keep telling them I can cook and dance, and although I choose not to display my prowess, I do have those skills.

Will We Be Back On Monday?
Weather guys are calling for a nasty storm for Sunday night. I suppose I should make my own prediction, but, I am not yet back in the swing of prognostication.

Plasticity
The ability of a solid to flow like a liquid. Hmmm, Kiddoes. In your Earth Innerds unit have you encountered a substance that is a solid, yet, flows like a liquid? Hopefully, you made the connection, because I am planning on making Monday a day to make our own homemade example of plasticity.

The Core
Saw the movie on FX at 5 p.m., today. Even my daughter saw the connection with what we are doing in science class, right now. You gotta rent the video.

Have a great weekend, folks.

It's My Birthday, And I'll Blog If I Want To

Yepper. I am officially 50. And, ya know? It ain't that bad. My kids and I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning and then, I was up at and showered by 5:30. Coffee is brewing, the dog is outside, the cat's have gone out and are back sleeping on the radiators, the bird is flying around the house, and I am blogging.

I am getting my new driver's license picture, today. My old one, has the most horrendous photo of me when I weighed over 400 pounds. Yuck.

So, what's new at 50?
a.) I've dropped 150 pounds and feel great.
b.) I realize I've lost track of every childhood friend. And, am picky about whom I call friend, today.
c.) My life is centered on my children, who are both grown and about to leave - for good - to start their own lives.
d.) The dog and I have become inseparable as we spend every afternoon walking three or more miles through the Vallamont area of Williamsport. You get to ponder life during such walks.
e.) I can get away with flirting.
f.) I feel intellectually alive!
g.) Maturity still escapes me
h.) Love is underrated, overstated, and, misunderstood
h.) I understand the phrase, "Life begins at 50."

Have a great weekend, folks.

Mr. Z! Is That Your Daughter?

Yep. She's home. A race to State College, last night, because our local airport cancelled all flights from Philly. No wonder I never use this airport. Anyway. The baby is home. We called family and friends to notify of the safe arrival. Krysia came to school, with me, this morning. She already misses her boyfriend.

Pangea to Present
Most groups are working on the Pangea packet in science. It is an introduction to Plate Tectonics.

Do You Think School Will Be Cancelled?
Unfortunately, yes. Looks like about three-inches of snow for us for tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Antonacci!!
She still looks like a teenager. It's hard to believe my baby sister, whom we found under a cabbage leaf, has grown to be such a beautiful woman. All I can tell you is, she is over 21 - barely.

Have a great night, folks.

Bad Weather

I hate two-hour delays! Why? Because it means the weather was bad enough for my daughter's flight to be moved from 10:45 a.m. to 3:07 p.m., today. That means, she will not arrive in Philadelphia until after 7 p.m. That means, she misses her flight to Williamsport, which leaves at 6 p.m., which means, she will have to catch a puddle-jumper to State College at 9 p.m. Which means, I have to drive to PSU, in this weather, to pick her up and return home.

I hate two-hour delays.

Have a grumpy night, folks. Hhhhrrrruuuummmmpppphhhh.

Welcome To My Nightmare

Okay, imagine this. Six groups per class. Some getting ready to test on a powerpoint lesson, others testing, others finishing the packet to test, still, others finished testing and starting the next powerpoint. I am barraged with kids coming, going, flipping, tipping, fanning, banning, tearing, swearing, mixing, fixing, tickling, etc. Suddenly, half my computers go down because I overloaded the internet server with a computer switch. Aaaaarrrrrrgggghhhh! Thank God, Mr. Black happened by. He got me up and running by noon.

Looking For Parents Signatures
Are you signing your kid's science agenda? Each signature counts as 20-points on a 100-point scale. I have one kid that did not get a single signature, last week. She got a zero for that grade.

The Good News?
My baby is coming home, tomorrow. Haven't seen the youngest of my offspring since late June. I stink at this empty nest stuff.

Got An Interesting Text
It appears my daughter's boyfriend is preparing a birthday gift for me. He is sending it home with my daughter. I really like this guy. He is a good and caring man. Actually, after she leaves Houston, he is going to Colorado to ski. Hhhrrrmmmppphhh.

Have a great night, folks.

SIGN THEM AGENDAS!!!!!!!

Please parents. Sign those science agendas. But, first, check with your child as to where they are at in the current science assignment. Quiz them as to what they learned on the computer, today. They are working in groups, sharing one computer per group, trying to find the answers to nearly two dozen questions pertaining to a powerpoint lesson.

Hope Mrs. Pulizzi
feels better, tomorrow. She was flushed, today, and complained of being cold and "headachy." More importantly, I hope she stays clear of me, Mr. "I get sick just by looking at'ya."

Have a great night, folks.

OMG!!! I WAS WRONG!!!!

I thought for certain there would have been enough ice to prompt a tw0-hour delay, today. Nope. It never got to freezing. Actually, I'm glad. A Friday and a two-hour delay would have made today nearly impossible to survive.

Have a great weekend, folks. In particular, best wishes go out to our resident "grandma-to-be." December 18 is getting awfully close.

It Done Snowed In Houston, As Rare As Mr. Z Smiling

The daughter sent this photo from the University of Houston. She is visiting with her friends and boyfriend before heading home, next week. The boyfriend, Eric, told me it is very rare to see snow, much less, enough to make this snowman.

This is the storm heading our way.

Can you say two-hour delay tomorrow?

Have a great and safe night, folks.

Is It Time To Go Home, Yet?

Such a long day. Whew. I've got a weather headache and my cherubs are nervous about a simple six-question multple-choice quiz, tomorrow. Hey, guys! I quizzed you during the movie. You know the answers. Unlax. It will be fine.

Have a great night, folks.

Trying Desperately To Save Time

All the timelines fell off the hallway walls, overnight. Oh well. Fear not. I gathered them "up" and placed them on a desk outside of my classroom. Mrs. Pulizzi suggested using them to decorate a Christmas tree. Hmmm. Methinks, I have an old 7-footer at home. Whaddya' think?

Have a great night, folks.

Blame Mr. Fausnaught

The boss kept us after school for a faculty meeting. I did not get home in time to go for my daily walk with the dog. So, here I am, sitting at the 'puter, blogging, instead of walking. Do I feel guilty. Arrrrgghhh!! Well, better make some coffee to comfort, myself.

Timelines Are UP
I got nasty looks from our maintenance guys. We're not supposed to hang anything from the walls in the hallways. I have about 11o, 15-foot long geologic timelines hanging in the sixth and seventh grade hallways. The epoxy paint they used on the walls does little good in permitting masking tape to hold. By the time I left the building, half the timelines were on the floor. But, ya know, they look good.

Oh, here is where I wanna thank Section 62, my first period class. They not only got their timelines up, but, all the students in that class did a timeline. Also, we got a chance to review the timeline packet. Mrs. Dincher suggested a candy reward, tomorrow. To be fair, Section 64, my second period class, also did a nice job in completing the assignment, getting timelines up, and reviewing the material. Okay, I'll give them candy, as well.

Timeline Quiz
on Thursday. Six questions. Multiple-choice. Hopefully, easy.

Funny Day, Today
Two members of my harem were a bit out of sorts, today. Something that never happens, with them, they were relatively quiet. I am concerned. The only good part of that is my ears got a well-deserved respite. I know, that comment will earn me some time in the boo-boo box.

Another one of my girls said she is feeling the impending weather, and, although she was not "bummed-out," she was on the reserved side. Still another of my girls, who is normally bouncy, bubbling and excitable, actually kept both feet on the ground. In fact, she was serious in several of our conversations. Thank goodness the last member of my gorgeous harem was back to normal, today. The last two weeks she was kinda stand-offish with me. Today, we joked and I even smiled. Shhhh, don't tell anyone. If the media were to find out I smiled . . .

I'm Not Ready For A Two-hour Delay
I hope the storm passes without affecting the school day, tomorrow.

Jealous Of My Boss
Not only did he infuriate me, today, by reminding me he is about a dozen years younger, but, Mr. Fausnaught tells me his blog has had over 1,500 hits since the third week of October. Is anybody reading my blog? Hello, lo, lo, lo, lo.

Have a great night, folks.