If it were ONLY that Easy

"I don't get it," states the student.

"You don't get what?" questioned the teacher.

"I don't know what the question is asking," declares the student.

"Well, let's read through the question one sentence at a time. When we get to the part that you don't understand, tell me," explains the teacher.

"Why can't you just tell me?" the student pleads.

The teacher leans in and whispers to the student, "Oh, if it were only that easy."

Learning takes patients, time, facing obstacles, trial and error, and understanding. The majority of questions asked in a given day are a result of vocabulary understanding(and bathroom breaks). Students don't understand what they are being asked to answer or perform the task. Teaching takes similar traits, only the understanding comes from a different view point. You need to be able to understand what it is that the student struggles with before you can help them, .... without giving the answer away.

Parents become the teachers at home. When it comes to homework and the struggles a student faces, as a parent, start with asking the question "What is it that you don't understand?" You'll find that with a little digging, it can help you understand the child's struggle. A lot of times, simply restating it in a manner that a student understands can remove the road block. Then the next time they see the question with the similar vocabulary, they begin to understand the question a bit better. Really, it's that easy.

Global Warming - Huh?

by Kelsey

What is global warming? Global warming increases Earth`s atmosphere and oceans. It does a lot of bad things to our Earth. Global warming makes the atmosphere get larger which makes the Earth hotter and hotter. We are like the plants in a green house, if the glass is to thick when the sun comes in it we can’t get out and makes the plants too hot.

What is happening to the climate?

The climate keeps on raising about 0.12-0.22 degrees Celsius every decade. If the climate keeps on rising like that it will get too hot for us. Everything in nature has a balance- not too hot not too cold. The earth needs just the right amount of climate for all the living things on earth.

What are we doing to cause global warming?

We do a lot of things to cause global warming. Some of the things we do is when every time we exhale we breathe out carbon dioxide which makes the atmosphere bigger. Also when we go into a car the gasoline does the same as the carbon dioxide. Even when garbage rots in landfills it makes methane gas and goes to the atmosphere too. Those are only some of the things we do to cause global warming.

Are there ways we can stop global warming?

- We can plant more trees to turn carbon dioxide to oxygen
- We can stop using aerosol sprays and start using pump sprays instead
- We can buy appliances that uses less energy
- We can ride your bike or walk to places
- And we can write to the Congress to tell them to help stop global warming

The Wii versus PS3

By Rocky

If you had to choose between the Nintendo Wii or the PS3 which one would you choose?
If you would choose the Wii you probably want to try something different, and you like the idea of working up a little sweat while gaming. But if you would go out and buy a PS3(Playstation 3) then you are probably looking to rival your friend’s Xbox 360 by rocking out with great graphics. The PS3 is expensive, but it’s a pretty awesome gaming machine. For price wise in buying one of these systems is okay.

The Wii is $249.99. The PS3 is $499 for a 20 GB hard drive or $599 for a 60 GB hard drive with Wi-Fi and Memory Stick slot. The Nintendo Wii was started from scratch, overhauling the last design and controllers of it’s last release, the GameCube. But the PS3 looks similar to Sony’s first two models, including the shape and design of the controllers. But it has built in hard drive space, an Internet card, and enhanced graphics.

When using the Wii controller, you can mimic the motion you would make while playing a sport in real life. Swing the controller like a tennis racket or guide it like a bowling ball down the alley. The PS3 has the most complete video, audio, and gameplay package of any system to date. The graphics are unreal.

The Wii comes with the Wii Sports package. It includes tennis, baseball, golf, bowling, and boxing. There is no charge for playing your games online. You can also transfer content between the PSP and the PS3.

If you got the Wii, then you wouldn’t need to go buy a GameCube because the Wii can play all of your GameCube games. You can also download classic games from the NES, SNES, and the N64. And, using the wireless Internet card, you can not only connect to gamers around the world, but also connect wirelessly to your Nintendo DS.

PS3 games will come on all new Blu-ray discs. That means more realistic and fluid graphics, brighter colors, and crisper edges on high-definition TV’s. The discs also can store five times the amount of data that a standard DVD can.


The Wii beats the Playstation 3 (PS3) in number of consoles sold in December, according to the NPD Group. The Nintendo Wii sold about 605,000 Wii consoles, while Sony’s PS3 sold about 500,000. But you choose which one you want.

Rosa Parks: A Civil Rights Hero

by Joe



Rosa Parks was a civil rights hero because she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person. Back then it was a law that black people had to give up their seat to white people. So the bus driver, James F. Blake called the police and she was arrested. While the police man took her away she asked” Why do you push us around?” The officer answered” I don’t know, but a law’s a law, and you’re under arrest.”

Rosa Parks’ actions triggered the Montgomery bus boycott. For 382 days black people carpooled, traveled in cabs, and walked. For months dozens of public buses stood unused, hurting the company. On December 21, 1956 the law requiring segregation on public buses was removed.

This makes Rosa a hero to people of color because they were finally being treated fairly on the buses. I think she was courageous in not giving up her seat. I would consider her a role model because she teaches us that sometimes we need to take a stand.

Brrrrrrrrrrr-ring on School

With the entire county shut down for below zero temperatures, our school opened it's doors and cranked up the heat (in the rooms that didn't have busted pipes). The kids were less than enthusiastic about coming to school (but hey, that would be on any given day with the exclusion of holiday parties, first day of school, and last day of school). Let's just agree that it's human nature to want to have a free day, every day of the year. They call this retirement. Although I know some grandparents who need the free time to schedule all the activities in which their grandchildren are involved.

"Who's idea was it to have school?" announces one child as they enter the door.
"I believe the concept dates back to the early settlers," was my reply.

"My parents are not happy about this," brings up another.
"Here's a note from my mom about us being at school with the temperature being so low," proclaims a third.

"Aside from the fact that we missed out on a 'snow day' (darn it), aren't we all safe and sound? Don't we have heat? Can't we still function?" I received no response.

The one thing that I learned early on in life was to adapt, to deal, and to overcome. Adapt to the fact we are the one school district in session; deal with what must be done from this point on; overcome the feeling of being out of a snow day and move on. When I was growing up, adults had a word for those who couldn't do these three things - whiners. It may not be a word that is politically correct to say to children today because we may bruise an ego or bring down self-esteem, but it is a word that gets to the heart of the matter.

Whining doesn't help anything. Complaining won't change the fact that a decision has been made. Now having said all this,... I have to go and put my gloves back on because I'm losing feeling in my fingers.

Prepare for the SNOW

Students are going outside without boots. I know, .... seems a little strange since our snow fall has reached over 30 inches.

The policy of our school is simple - kids go outside. A few years ago we use to have the blacktop area plowed and those without boots could stay on the blacktop and play; however, as of last year, plowing was stopped and there is nothing but snow everywhere. Just walking out the door to the playground is an uphill climb in some parts.

Kids come in from recess complaining of cold feet, which eventually turns into wet, cold feet. They look at the teachers with disbelief of 'how could we put them through such pain.'

When asking the students where their boots are, the typical response has been, “I forgot them at home. So can I stay in?”

Spelling Week of February 5, 2007

Words with Inflected Endings:


tasted
ripping
forced
flipping
tapped
cared
flagged
ripped
skipped
tapping
saved
skipping
caring
flagging
discussed
saving
tasting
forcing
discussing

REVIEW WORDS

bedspread
desktop
snowstorm

CHALLENGE

outwitted
underscoring