Miss Thies - HES Junior High

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-20T10:46:00.001-07:00

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday break! We will be

returning to school on Thursday, January 5. Your students have a reading assignment to complete over the holiday break, so please make sure they take the time to read.

We are halfway through the year and have run out of some supplies. It would be great if you could contribute to the class by bringing in any of the following:

Blue or Black Pens

Pencil Top Erasers

White paper

Spiral Notebooks

Markers

Thank you so much for your support. I know your students have done great this semester, and I look forward to another great semester in January.

Thanks,

Miss Thies

December already!

2011-12-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know what happened to November, but it came and went very quickly. We are close to the end of the semester. Only 2 1/2 weeks of school left (yes, it's true!). Some important things coming up in and out of class:

December 8 - Book report presentations due
December 15 - Countries projects due
December 15 - 6:00 PM at the public elementary school we will be having our Christmas program

I have posted links to all our songs we will be using in Writing on the Important Links page if you want to check them out. Other than our Adverb song (Lolly Lolly Lolly), my other favorite is the pronoun song. They are all lots of fun and I encourage you to watch them.

Don't forget to do your homework every night. Also, make sure you are doing your Acuity practice at home or at the library. You will get points for doing your Acuity.

CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
We will be singing 2 songs in the Christmas program. Students need to wear plain black shirts (or black shirts turned inside out) and jeans (any color is okay). We still need students to bring in Rockband/Guitar Hero guitars and drum sticks. Also, we are looking for a blue wig. If you can bring any of this in that would be great.

Strong start to our second quarter

2011-10-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome back students! I am so pleased with the effort and hard work you have put in this past week, having come back from our break. I think you will be happy with the results that your persistence will show.

This quarter we are adding spelling to our list of things we are going to focus on. Every Friday, we will be taking a 20 word spelling test in addition to our 10 word vocabulary test. If you study every night, for a few minutes, you will do fine.

We have an animal project due on Tuesday, November 1. Don't forget to be working on your animal model at home! Again, I hope this quarter to be a rewarding and successful quarter for all of you.

October already!!!

2011-09-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's October! Which means that the end of the quarter is upon us. I will accept any missing assignments until October 7, at which time, anything missing will be counted as zero. You all know you can get in your work and get your grades up to where they should be. Just put in the extra effort, and you will succeed.

All vocabulary words have now been defined. Keep studying every day and you will find you remember them permanently. Also, keep practicing your multiplication and division facts.

We are having our play on Thursday, October 6 at 2:00, and you may invite your parent/guardian.

Your biome projects are due on Friday, October 7.

Your mystery books are due on Friday, October 7.

There is no school October 13-14 for fall break.

FAMILY FALL FUN FESTIVAL!!!

On October 12 from 4-6 PM, we will be having our Fall Festival at Heritage. Tickets are 4 for $1. We will be having a jumping castle, face painting, bake sale, and every class will be having games. Everything will cost tickets, and families and friends are encouraged to come and have fun!!! Please bring in a bag of candy and something for the bake sale.

CANDLE SALE:

The Gold Canyon Candle sale ends this Friday, October 7. You are all doing an AWESOME job selling candles and earning money for our class. I am so proud of all of your hard work. Thank you so much!

Big projects and assignments...

2011-09-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

Hello! I am excited to let you know that after taking our predictive tests a few weeks ago, the results are back and your practice problems are available to work on. You need to be actively working on these, either at home, or during your assigned computer time in class, but preferably both! These will be part of your grades/homework, so make sure you are doing them.

The website is:
http://acuitywest.ctb.com
Your username is posted in the classroom.
Your password is posted in the classroom.
If you forget either of these, you can always email me and I'll email them back to you.

We are over half-way through the first quarter, and some major assignments are coming up!
- Tuesday, September 20: If I Was Bud... activities (5 or 7 activities from the worksheet depending on your grade) are due. We will be presenting them.
- Thursday, September 29: Your book report presentations (book report in a bag) are due.
- We will be preforming our Egypt play sometime in early October. You may want to let your parent/guardian know so they can come watch. It will be in the afternoon around 2PM. The exact date will be known soon.

Good job working hard and making it to class! Keep it up!!!

Half-way done with Quarter 1!

2011-09-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hello!!! Progress reports went out today. They need to be signed by a parent and returned Monday. Parents/Guardians, if you have any questions about your students grades, missing assignments, or anything, please feel free to contact me by email, or schedule a time to meet with me in person.

Parents/Guardians, please get your students here, on time, every day!!! Every student in my class has amazing potential to be and do anything they set their mind to, but if they don't put in the time and effort, they will not see their goals achieved. I believe in your student's ability and know they can do it, but without your help as their parent/guardian, making sure they get to class on time, every day, it's hard for them to stay on top of their assignments and get the grades they have potential to get.

Students, I know we are now one month into class. You all have done a great job working very hard, but don't lose focus. It takes hard work, every day, to be amazing, brilliant people. Prove to everyone around you how awesome you really are!

Reading challenge - don't forget to read those chapter books! 20 books gets you a Wizard of Oz t-shirt, school-wide recognition, and the pride of being a super reader!!!

Important dates:
Monday, September 26 - Chicken Patty Sandwich day (Whoooo-hoooo!)
Thursday, September 29 - Book reports due
Friday, October 7 - Last day to turn in any missing/late work
Wednesday, October 12 - Last day of the quarter, report cards

Wow, time is really flying by!

2011-08-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hello brilliant students and families,

We were all talking about how we couldn't believe that it's already past the 3rd week of school (if you count the first half week). We took our first math test this week, and overall many students did very well. I can tell they have been putting a lot of effort into their work and have listened and taken notes during class time.

I am noticing an excess of tardiness and absences in some of my students. Attendance is vital to be successful in my class. Class starts promptly at 8:00 AM and so does the student's work. Even one absent day will cause you to be behind in my class. If you are going to be absent, and you know ahead of time, please let me know. This way I can make sure you have all work ahead of time. Otherwise, please pick up the absent folder, with your work, after school the day you are absent so you can keep caught up with the other students.

This Friday we are taking our field trip to the Fair!!! If you did not send in $2 for lunch, please make sure you bring a lunch that day. You may wear jeans, but you must have your HES uniform shirt and belt on. Although our class doesn't need chaperones, you may check with the front office to see if any other class may need help.

Also, Monday, September 5, there is no school. Enjoy your break, and be ready to come back Tuesday with your enthusiasm to learn. Have a great week everyone!

School is back in full swing

2011-08-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

A great first full week! I hope you are all getting back into the swing of things, getting schedules down, and getting used to the workload that you will be having this year. I know that with effort, every student has the ability to succeed in my class.

We have covered the first 30 words in our vocabulary list. Please remember to go over these daily. The more you reread, the more you will remember. Don't forget that your story that you have been working on is due for presentation on Monday! I can't wait to hear all the things you have written.

If you are having problems with your homework, I encourage you to stay for Kids Club if only for the first hour, which is tutoring/homework help. You will have access to a teacher for 60 minutes who can answer all your questions, and it's FREE!

Events coming up:

September 2: Field Trip to the Fair - more information to come

September 5: No school for Labor Day

Every Wednesday: Half day (11:45 release), and Duds for Dollars

Have a nice weekend and we'll see you Monday!

Welcome to HES Junior High!!!

2011-08-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome students, parents, and families. I am so excited to be your child's new teacher for their 6th/7th/8th year. Your student's education this year will focus on English, Math (with Algebra), Reading, Science (Life Science, Earth Science, Chemistry and a bit of Physics), Social Studies (ancient civilizations, Civil War, WWI, WWII, and our government), and a bit of Art and Music. I know this will be a great year!

Please be familiar with the HES student handbook. Our uniform is red, navy blue, and white polo shirts with khaki/tan or dark blue pants (docker type pants, no sweats or jeans). Students in my class are also required to wear a belt. Please help your students come to school dressed for success. If you have any used, outgrown uniforms, please bring them to school to donate to our Uniform Exchange.

This year there will be NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES allowed at school at all! That means your student can not bring a cell phone, even if it stays in their backpack. If they do bring any electric device to school, it will be confiscated. If your student needs to call, I do have a phone in my classroom that is available during lunch and after school to call home.

We now offer Kids Camp before and after school. This program runs from 7 AM - 6 PM every day, and is free (some activities will be extra). We have 1 hour of tutoring after school every day, and then a lot of fun activities for the students after that hour.

Every Wednesday is Duds for Dollars. Dress down (appropriate clothing) for $1. Wednesdays are also half days, and school is dismissed at 11:45 AM. Lunch will be provided ONLY for students staying for Kids Club.

Our class supply list is below. All students will need:

3 boxes #2 Pencils
2 boxes pens (green, blue, black)
8 PLAIN-COLORED Folders
8 Spiral Notebooks
3 packages Ruled Paper
Plastic Pencil Box (that will fit in a desk)
1 Dry Erase Marker Eraser
1 4-pack Expo Dry Erase Markers
2 boxes Kleenex (will probably need more during the winter)
1 box Markers - 8 pack
Colored Pencils
Non-electric Pencil Sharpener
2 packages Pencil Top Erasers
Glue Sticks
1 Ruler
1 Scissors
Water Bottle
Hand Sanitizer
1 ream of White copy paper
1 Small Dictionary/Thesaurus (Webster’s recommended)

If you have any questions or needs, you can contact me by email (kthies@lpatucson.org) or call the school to set up an appointment. I am available after school most days to meet with you.

Summertime!

2011-06-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is enjoying their wonderful summer! I had a great year with my students, and really loved having them all in my class. What an amazing group of kids!

I will be moving up to Williams, AZ and teaching at one of LPA's sister schools, Heritage Elementary-Williams. I am teaching a 6th/7th grade combo class. I look forward to this change and the experience I will have in this new position.

My email will stay the same, as will my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/missthies

If you ever need or want to contact me, I would love to hear from you!

Stay brilliant my little ducklings and chickens :)

AIMS information and other news...

2011-04-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of AIMS week. I can't express how impressed I am with all your students on their effort they have already put into their AIMS tests, as well as how great their behavior has been this week. Keep up the good work!

In the afternoons, we have been working on a Humanity World. We created a paper mache globe, and will be gluing different pictures of things that matter with people around the world. I hope your students can be able to tell you some interesting things about the world around them as well as realize the great quality of life they have here compared to many others in other countries.

Ask your students about the game of Life we are "playing" in Math class. Each student has been assigned a career and salary, and they get paid every two weeks, are responsible for bills for housing, utilities, car payments, and daily life. They seem to be enjoying it and realize how important responsibility is when they get to be a grown-up.

Next week we will be back to the normal schedule of activities, so plan on homework again every night. This week they received a well deserved homework-free week so they could save all their brain power for the lengthy tests they take every day. Our normal schedule includes: Writing, Math, Reading, Social Studies, Science, Vocabulary, and Centers.

Don't forget there is NO SCHOOL April 21 - 25 for Easter break. Have a great break and let your minds and bodies take a much needed rest.

Almost the end of 3rd Quarter!

2011-02-28T19:21:00.001-07:00

Hello students and families!

As we near the end of the 3rd quarter, I want to remind all students (and parents) to make sure to get all your missing work in. I sent home lists with students before rodeo break, so there should be no confusion of what your student is missing. If you have questions about the assignments, please don't hesitate to email me.

Some major projects coming up:

Greek God/Goddess/Creature project (social studies - Due 3/10)

Earth project (science - Due 3/14)

We are also doing a big push to get ready for AIMS, which will be held in April. Please make sure your students are having good attendance during this time. Each day is an important day in your students learning and progress in class and their education.

UPCOMING DATES:

3/2 - Duds for Dollars

3/16 - Half day, no after school, no lunch and REPORT CARDS!!!

3/17 and 3/18 - No school for Spring Break

Welcome Back!

2011-01-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome back wonderful students! I hope you all had a great break and got lots of rest. We are now under way for our third quarter. I can't believe how fast this year is flying.

We still have plenty of most of our supplies, but if anyone can bring in pencil top erasers, these seem to be the only thing we have run out of. Thank you so much in advance!

This quarter we are going to be doing a lot of practice for AIMS. Every Wednesday we do practice called Buckle Down. This is very important to your child's success, so please make sure your students are here for these important days.

In January and early February, LPA will be doing a spelling bee and the science fair. Your student will be bringing home the information for both of these things. If you have any questions, email me any time.

Some important dates to remember:

January 5: $1 dress down day

January 7: Fun evening at LPA with cookout, informational meeting and movie. Please RSVP to attend.

January 17: No school for Martin Luther King, Jr. day

January 18: Skate Country night from 6-8PM

January 21: Daddy/daughter dance (Grandpas, Uncles, older cousins are also welcome to attend with your daughter instead)

January 24: 100th day - MORE INFORMATION TO COME!

Thanks so much for all you do to help make your child successful at school. I appreciate all the support I get from all of you.

End of the second quarter!

2010-12-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

As we come to the end of the second quarter, I want to make sure everyone knows what we have ahead.

Monday, December 13 - the students have a major book report project due. This is something we have been working on in class, and all groups seem to be where they should in their progress.

Tuesday, December 14 - at 1:00 PM, we, along with the other 6th grade classes, will be presenting some Egyptian plays to end our unit on Egypt. You are welcome to attend if you would like.

Wednesday, December 15 - at 9:00 AM we will be participating in the Holiday Concert with most of the Central campus. We are singing a rock version of Let It Snow, and if anyone can bring in Rockband/Guitar Hero guitars and/or drum sticks, that would be great.

Thursday, December 16 - Today we will be having our Biosphere trip. I have 2 parents who have contacted me about chaperoning. I have sent home the permission slips. Each student needs to bring in $10 for the trip, and a sack lunch (or money to buy lunch from the Biosphere Cafe). Chaperones, don't forget your cost is also $10 per person.

Friday, December 17 - Half day with no after school and no lunch. Report card day!

December 20-January 2 - No school for Winter break! Have a wonderful break everyone!!!

Some quick November reminders....

2010-11-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

Just some things to remember:

Tuesday, November 23 is our school-wide Thanksgiving Feast. Our class is responsible for bringing in cooked, hot turkeys. Miss Thies is personally making 2 for that morning, so any additional help is appreciated - anyone who can’t bring in a turkey can also donate a dollar or two to help with the purchase of other turkeys. Please let me know if you will be sending in a turkey for the class. We need as many as possible.

There will be NO SCHOOL Wednesday, November 24 - Friday, November 26. Enjoy your break and I’ll see you back on Monday.

If you are concerned about your student’s progress report, please contact me, and we can set up a time to meet. My email is kthies@lpatucson.org, or you can call the school (721-4205) and leave me a message.

November!

2010-11-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

Progress Reports have gone out today! They need to be back, signed by you. If you would like a copy for your own records, please let me know.

Some major things are going to be happening this last quarter. We have some big projects in Science, Reading and Social Studies that are due the next month. Ask your student to tell you all about it.

THANKSGIVING FEAST

Our class is responsible to bring in hot, cooked turkeys on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23. Miss Thies will personally be making 2 turkeys to donate to the class. Please let me know if you can bring in a cooked turkey or a dollar or two towards the purchase of other turkeys.

BIOSPHERE 2 FIELD TRIP

All the 6th graders will be visiting the Biosphere 2. We are going on Thursday, December 16. It will be an all-day field trip. The cost is $10 per person. I do need 2-3 chaperones, please let me know if you are interested. You will be responsible for the $10 fee for yourself as well. Look for the permission slips coming early December.

We are putting on Egyptian plays!!!

All the 6th grade classes will be putting on plays about Ancient Egypt. Your students will be making invitations for this event. It will be Tuesday, December 14 at 1:00 PM. I hope you can all attend!

DATES TO REMEMBER:

November 16: Skate night from 6-8 PM

November 23: Thanksgiving Feast

November 24-26: No School

October, Second Quarter!!!

2010-10-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the second quarter. We are well underway. We have started a poetry unit in Writing, have started a new literature book, A Single Shard, are moving into biomes in Science and Ancient Egypt in Social Studies. In Math, the students are learning all about integers, fractions, decimals, percents, and a lot of other cool things.

The country projects were fantastic. I was very impressed with the students' presentations and props that they brought in. Great job everyone!

We will be having a field trip on December 16. We are going to the Biosphere 2. If you are interested in chaperoning, please let me know so we can get anything you need to be a chaperone in place. The cost will be $10 per person (chaperones must also pay for themselves). If you have any questions or concerns, let me know!

If you need to make an appointment, please call the office, 721-4205, and leave a message for me to call you back. I am available almost every morning for about 20 minutes between 8 and 8:30, and in the afternoons right after school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Thanks so much for your support and all you do! I enjoy seeing your students every day!!!

2010-10-06T10:40:00.001-07:00

40th Day Activity!!!

Thursday, October 7

Hello students and families of Miss Thies’ and Miss Rubasch’s classes!

For the 40th day, we will be tie-dying shirts. Please wear clothes that won’t be considered ruined if you get dye on those clothes. Also, BRING A SHIRT (white, grey, can have words and logos) to tie-dye. This is permanent.

This will be a fun activity, one of many things we will be doing for fun tomorrow. Please come to school, on time, for our fun 40th day!!!

2010-09-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hello 6th grade! I can't believe we have only 2 more weeks of grading before report cards will be coming out. This first quarter has really flown by! Please keep on task and get all your assignments in on time. This is an important time in the quarter, and any late assignments may affect your grades negatively.

40th day is almost here!!! Thursday, October 7 is our 40th day. Make sure you are at school (on time). We will be having a lot of great activities this day (including tie-dye shirts), so you don't want to miss out.

Dates to remember:

October 1: Movie Night at LPA

October 7: 40th day

October 8: Last day to turn in work

October 13: Grandparents day

October 13: Report Card day (no Afterschool or lunch)

October 14-15: No School

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Just a reminder that THIS THURSDAY (9/30) is your country project presentation. You must have your visual display with your oral report ready, and a 2 page typed written report to turn in. If you have any questions, please make sure to meet with me on Monday!

September is well underway...

2010-09-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

We are already into our second month of school! As you may have noticed, your student has lots of work finished, and lots of work to be done. I think we are all getting into our 6th grade routine by now.

Progress reports will be out on Monday. If you have questions and concerns about your student's progress report, feel free to schedule a meeting with me. I am available Monday-Friday mornings from 8-8:20, and Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons from 3:15-3:45. Please call the front office with times you are available and I will get back to you (721-4205).

Upcoming assignments that you will need to be aware of:

Country Report - Due September 30

Daily Math assignments

Dates to be aware of:

September 21 - Skate Night

September 24 - Boston Market fundraiser

October 1 - Movie Night

October 13 - End of first quarter (no lunch, half-day)

Back to School!

2010-08-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

We are now officially into our second full week of school. I hope everyone has gotten back into their school routine. I have really enjoyed getting to know all my new students this first week and a half of school. I know it’s going to be an amazing year.

Wondering what your students are doing in class? We’ve been busy popping balloons in science, learning about exponential growth in math, writing stories, reading fun literature, and getting to know each other. Want to know more? Just ask your student, and they can tell you all the fun stories from 6th grade.

Thank you parents and students who brought in the much needed school supplies! It will help make this year extra amazing!!! There is always a need for supplies any time of the year, so if you couldn't get everything right at the beginning, don't worry - our class will gladly accept them whenever you can.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

August 31: Book Fair starts

September 1: Dollar dress-down day

September 1: Open House at 6 PM

September 6: No School - Labor Day

Welcome Back!!!

2010-08-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to school! I hope you all had a fantastic summer, and are ready to begin 6th grade. I look forward to seeing you on Thursday, August 12, at 8:30 am. Please bring all your school supplies the first day. We will be starting on our work right away (hurray!), so I want everyone to have their supplies to be prepared for their work. I have attached a copy of the school supply list.

If you, or your parents, are interested in visiting the few days before school gets started (to meet, drop off supplies, or just check out where you will be sitting), please give the school a call at 721-4205 to set up an appointment. I will be in and out Monday - Wednesday this week.

I can't wait to see you all. I know this will be another fantastic school year with the best students ever!

6th grade supply list (all items with a * will be collected)

3 boxes #2 Pencils*

2 boxes pens (green, blue, black)*

8 PLAIN-COLORED Folders (with inside fasteners)*

8 Spiral Notebooks

3 packages Wide Ruled Paper*

Plastic Pencil Box (that will fit in a desk)

Planner (available from the LPA front office for $2 – all students MUST use this planner)

1 Dry Erase Marker Eraser*

1 pack Expo Dry Erase Markers*

1 packs 3x5 index cards*

2 boxes Kleenex* (will probably need more during the winter)

1 box Markers - 8 pack*

Colored Pencils*

Non-electric Pencil Sharpener

2 packages Pencil Top Erasers*

Glue Stick*

1 Ruler

1 Scissors

Water Bottle

Crayons*

White Glue (bottle)*

Graph Paper*

Hand Sanitizer*

Staples*

Ziploc bags – sandwich bag size*

1 pack Construction Paper*

1 ream of White copy paper*

1 Small Dictionary/Thesaurus (Webster’s recommended)

Health Office Wish List:

1 box extra large Band-Aids*

1 ace bandage*

Last quarter already!

2010-03-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe we are already into our final quarter for 6th grade. This year has gone by so fast. It's been a joy to have your students.

This quarter, the biggest "event" that will be happening is AIMS testing. AIMS testing will be right after our April break (April 12-16). Please make sure your students are in attendance that week, as it's a very important test for them to take.

We will be starting projects on Native Americans towards the middle to end of this quarter. Keep watching for work that the students will start bringing home. This quarter we also will be finishing up our Wright Flight program. More information is to come about this program, but it's a great opportunity for the students.

We had fantastic success last quarter with the recorder. This quarter we are bringing in a music teacher, and Mrs. Molina (the art teacher) will be going to Lakeside. Because your students love both art and music, I will be continuing art in class with them.

Good job everyone on the Science Fair and the Spelling Bee. I am so proud of the hard work these students put into everything they do. They certainly make my job so much fun.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Week of March 22 - Talent Show

April 1-5 - Easter Break

April 7 - $1 Dress Down Day

April 12-16 AIMS testing

2010-02-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

What’s Happening in 6th Grade:

It’s amazing that February has almost passed us by! We completed research papers in writing this month, and the students did a great job - they really worked hard on getting their facts together. In math, we have been learning about geometry as well as exponents and order of operations. The students completed the book A Single Shard this month, and we have been reading excerpts from Where the Red Fern Grows. Next quarter we will start Hatchet. I am amazed at your students and how fast and well they have progressed in learning the recorder in music! We have also started the Wright Flight program in science. You should have seen the permission slips come home to participate in this great, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Thank you for all your help keeping our classroom stocked with supplies. If anyone is willing to donate markers, glue sticks, pencil top erasers, or colored pencils, our class is still low on these specific items.

The spelling bee winners of our class were Isaak, Keanu, and John. They will be competing against the other 5th and 6th grade winners in the LPA Spelling Bee on March 2, at 1:00 PM. The parents of these three students are welcome and encouraged to attend and cheer on their student.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

February 25-26 Rodeo Break, no school

March 3 $1 dress down day

March 5 Pancake Breakfast with the Principal, character lunch, and movie night.

March 11 Report card day, no lunch or after school

March 12-15 Spring Break

2010-02-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Happy February!

This month in 6th grade we are starting a unit on Ancient Greece in Social Studies. The students loved the Egypt play so much, they have asked me to get another one about Greece to do in class, so look forward to hearing more about that with your students. The science fair is almost due! Most of the students are right on track with their journals and experiments, but there are still some students who haven't turned in anything. This will definitely start effecting their science grades if they aren't keeping up with their journals. The students have a research paper due soon in Writing. We are just moving right along in Math.

Progress reports have been sent home, and most students have returned them signed. If you have not seen your student's progress report, you are welcome to email me and I can email you the grades of your student.

We are doing AIMS prep tests every Wednesday morning. It is important that your students are here in class to practice for the AIMS test.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

2/12 - Research papers due

2/15 - Love of Reading Week

2/17 - Science Fair boards due

2/18 - Skate Country night

2/25 and 26 - Rodeo Break

2010-01-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to a new year and a new semester! I hope all of you had a restful and relaxing break. We are back in full swing. We are starting a new book in Reading called A Single Shard. We will be learning a lot about Korea and pottery with this book. The Science Fair packets went out today, so please discuss with your students the requirements.

We are still in desperate need for mid-year supplies! If you can contribute anything at all, it would be so appreciated:

Notebooks

Markers

Glue Sticks

Pencil Top Erasers

Pens (blue or black preferred)

Black Expo markers

Expo marker erasers

Pencils (brand name last longer)

Colored Pencils

Lined paper

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Friday, 1/15: Movie night from 6-7:30 PM

Wednesday, 1/27: 100th day - A fun day with projects in each 6th grade classroom

Wednesday, 2/17: Complete Science Fair project due

I love and appreciate all my students and their families!

2009-12-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

What’s Happening in 6th Grade:

Our play was a great success! I appreciated seeing the support from families for the students. They had a lot of fun and did a really great job! For the rest of the semester, we will be doing some functional writing, finishing our book report projects, learning about polygons in Math, and finishing up our Egypt unit and storms unit in Social Studies and Science.

Mid-Year Supply List

It’s that time of year again! The students have been so busy they have used up many of the supplies they brought in at the beginning of the year. I am asking students to contribute as much as they can of the following to get us through until May:

2 notebooks

Markers

Glue Sticks

Pencils (brand name last longer)

Colored Pencils

Pencil Top Erasers

Construction Paper

Pens (blue or black preferred)

Staples

Lined paper

Black Expo markers

Expo marker erasers

Thank you in advance for anything you can contribute to our class.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

Wednesday, 12/9: Holiday program at Grace on Pima

Friday, 12/11: Book Report projects due

Friday, 12/11: Last day to turn in missing/late work

Friday, 12/11: Last day to turn in class poem book permission form

Monday, 12/14: Last day to turn in Biosphere trip money/form

Tuesday, 12/15: Biosphere field trip

2009-11-24T12:06:00.001-07:00

A big thanks to all who helped bring in things for the Thanksgiving feast! We couldn't have done it without the help of the students and families who brought in donations for turkeys, cooked turkeys, and brought in other things. A big thanks to the following students: Tyler, Daniel, Skylar, Alyssa, Hayley, Bhri'ona, Kiana, Shay, Kenneth, Kylie, Macy and Kenny.

Our biosphere field trip is coming up. We will be going to the Biosphere 2 on December 15. The cost is $10 per student and they also need to bring a sack lunch. It will take up the entire school day, so please plan accordingly. The permission slips went out yesterday. If you are interested in going as a chaperone, please make sure you have your fingerprint card in with the front desk. All parent volunteers will also be responsible for the $10 entrance fee and their own lunch.

Central Holiday Music Program: Our class will be participating in this year's holiday music program. It will be Wednesday, December 9 from 9-11 a.m. at Grace Chapel on Pima Street. If you would like to join us, please do!

Upcoming events and assignments:

November 25-27 - No School, Thanksgiving break

December 3 - Class Egyptian play

December 11 - Group book report due

December 15 - Biosphere 2 field trip

December 16 - Half day, no after school or lunch, report cards go home

December 17-January 1 - No school.

November News and Happenings...

2009-11-05T07:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to November!

First, thanks to all parents and students who helped at the Harvest Fest. We had a great turnout and I appreciated all students who brought in candy and cupcakes for our booth and for the parent volunteers we got to help out. It was a lot of fun!!!

This month we will be focusing on our ecosystem projects in science and Egypt plays in social studies. They are also writing mysteries and poems, and of course learning a variety of important things in math! We are also reading Number the Stars, which should be finished in the next few weeks.

Upcoming events:

November 11 - Veteran's Day - No School

November 24 - Thanksgiving Feast (see info below!!!)

November 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

THANKSGIVING FEAST!!! Our school-wide feast will be on Tuesday, November 24. All 5th and 6th grade classes will be bringing in turkeys. Our class needs to bring in AS MANY COOKED TURKEYS AS POSSIBLE on Tuesday morning before 9AM. We are having a contest between the six classes and the class that brings in the most cooked turkeys will be given a class party sponsored by the other classes! If you are interested in helping, please contact me.

Second Quarter...

2009-10-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the start of the second quarter. Some upcoming things you all need to be aware of:

October 30 - Harvest Carnival at Lakeside campus 6-8 PM. Our class is meeting with our reading buddies class and doing a Cupcake Walk booth. We need students to bring in a dozen store bought cupcakes on Thursday, 10/29 or Friday, 10/30.

December 15 - We are going on a field trip to the Biosphere 2. The cost will be $10 per student. We do not need drivers because we will be taking the school bus, but I do need 2 or 3 parent chaperones. Any parent chaperone needs a fingerprint card or fingerprinted by the front desk. You will also have to pay $10 as a parent chaperone.

Some projects that you need to be aware of:

October 20 - Students will be doing a book presentation on a book they have been reading. It has to involve a prop or a character profile (dress up as the character from the book), and they need to "sell" their book to the class - convince the class they want to read it.

November 20 - Ecosystem project. Students will be working in groups and creating an ecosystem poster about an assigned ecosystem. More information to come.

December 9 - Egyptian play presentation. More information to come.

I am so impressed with all of my students - they are amazing and unique individuals!

2009-09-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another week of learning! This week, students will be working on their countries projects (DUE September 28!) as well as start publishing a piece of their writing. As we are coming to the last few weeks of the semester, we are finishing up some big projects and pieces that we have been working on for quite some time.

We finished our first class book, Bud, Not Buddy. Most, if not all, students really enjoyed reading this piece of literature. Ask your students about it, I'm sure they'd be more then happy to tell you about the adventures of Bud.

Next semester we will be doing another all-class book, Number The Stars. Until that starts, students will be doing some individual reading with a book report due sometime in mid-late October. Some other things we are doing in class: plays, math projects, science experiments and lots of creative writing.

If you need to schedule a meeting with me, just call the front desk and leave a message for me to get back to you. I am available Monday, Thursday and Friday 3:30-4:30 p.m. or before school any day of the week 8:00-8:20 a.m. You can also reach me by email. I appreciate all the support my students receive at home to further their education!

What's happening this week in 6th grade...

2009-09-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hello families and 6th graders! I hope everyone had a nice extended weekend. This week, please make note of the following things:

-Entertainment Books are due!!! Please return the book or money to the class ASAP.
-I have been taking pictures to post on this blog and in future projects. Keep checking this website to see some pictures of your students working hard!
-September 11 will be heros night at the Lakeside campus. Our class made a poster for heros night, so if you happen to make it to the event, look for our class poster.

Some things to look forward to in the classroom:

Every Tuesday is a Vocabulary test!
Monday, 9/14 will be a Math test
Friday, 9/18 will be a Reading quiz

We are starting a short poetry unit in Writing this week that will continue for the next week or so.

In Social Studies, the students have been working hard on their Countries project. If you are not familiar with this project yet, ask your student to share what they need to be doing. I can't wait to see the things that the students produce for this assignment.

We have also started practicing for some short plays that we will be performing for the administration.

We are starting to get pen pals in place. I am coordinating with another school in another country and you will get updates on how that is going and when we will start writing those students.

I thank you for all your support and help in making your child's education a success!

Some upcoming projects and other things...

2009-08-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hello parents, family, and students! Another great week gone by - time is really flying. I appreciate all the families who came to the Open House this week. It was wonderful to see you all.

Your students will be starting projects on different countries in the world in Social Studies. They will have to create a visual, write a report and give an oral presentation on their country. They will have time in class to research and make use of the materials that we have in our classroom, but may have to do some work at home as well.

After the countries projects, the students will be doing group projects in Science based on the different biomes in the world. This is to get them ready for the field trip we will be taking to the Biosphere 2 on December 15. The cost will be $10 per person.

Please make sure your students are staying on top of their homework. I would hate for any student to get behind this early in the year. It is a combined effort for their success between the student, their family and myself. I know each one of my students can succeed in my class.

Please email me or call the school if you ever need to set up an appointment to talk about your student.

The second week is well underway...

2009-08-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the second week of school! The students are already working very hard and have completed many assignments, including some tests and quizzes! We shared our self portraits (you may have noticed your student working on this for homework) and they are now hanging up in our classroom.

I look forward to seeing parents and families again, or for the first time, during our Open House on August 26. Please come visit the class and see some of the work your students have been creating in and out of class. Another upcoming event is the Book Fair which will be held next week (Tuesday, August 25 is the first day it will be open). If you need any information about future events, the LPA Link newsletter goes out every week with each student to keep you updated on any news or events.

If you ever have questions about assignments, your student, or anything, feel free to call the school. I am available from 7:30-8:15 every morning, or 3:15-4:00 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday afternoons.

Welcome Back to LPA!

2009-08-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

Parents and Students,

Welcome back to LPA and to our 6th grade class! I look forward to getting to know your students and challenging them to reach their potential. My classroom provides a safe environment for students to learn and grow. They are encouraged to work cooperatively with one another, and my small group environment provides opportunity to learn from each other. Regardless of what subject they are studying, students are always discovering and asking questions. I want to motivate my students and instill a desire for learning. I provide my students with opportunities to learn in exciting and meaningful ways through balanced literacy.

Please call LPA if you have any questions!

Miss Thies