National Antem-Yes Rumors Are True We Can't Sing

Mrs. Fairbanks just sent me the video she took of us sining the national anthem before the DC trip. I will post a poll, but I think the evidence is conclusive-we stink! But we had fun! Just watching the video makes me laugh all over again. Enjoy!

AIMS Testing

If you are at all like me you are looking back right now and wondering where February went and how come all of a sudden it is March already. The great thing about March is that Spring Holiday is just a few weeks away, the bad thing is that between now and then we have AIMS testing. I know you all dread AIMS, really who would look forward to siting and taking a test for HOURS? It does not have to be that bad though, especially if you start taking some time at home to prepare yourself.

One way to make sure you are prepared is to take the AIMS practice tests. Taking some time to get to know the way questions will be asked on the test will really pay off because you will know what to expect. These links will take you to some practice tests you can download and printout at home, this practice tests includes the math, reading and writing sections, this test has the science questions.

Once you look at these tests, you can go and ask your teachers before the test : ) Keep checking in for helpful hints about the test.

Ms Deva

Urban Wildlife

One of the things I love most about our campus are the great birds we get to see.  I challenge you to find another school with a resident population of ginormous crows!  Everyone who went with me the Renaissance Festival, or had to hear me talk about the Renaissance Festival ; )  knows that I love birds of pray.  My favorite part of the festival, until of course I discovered the bungee thing, was the Birds of Pray show.  They are so beautiful, powerful and smart.  If you turn your eyes to the sky here on campus you can see some of the same birds.

Some of you may have heard of New York's resident hawk Pale Male.  He took up residence on a expensive high rise years ago and has been coming back every year since.  Now his children even come back to raise their children.  Watching Pale Male has become popular, both for locals and tourists.  There has even been books written about him and a TV documentary.  This blog, Pale Male and Lola , has some great photos taken of Pale Male.  Most people might not know this, but New York has a lot of bird enthusiasts.  Central Park is a popular place for people to go bird.  So check out the web site and keep your eyes peeled for cool birds at school. 

Ms Deva

Daniel Radcliffe as David Copperfield

I don't know how many of you are fans of the Harry Potter movies, but if you are or even better if you are a fan of Charles Dickens-OK I do know none of you are but a teacher can hope right?  Anyway, if you like the actor Daniel Radcliffe might like to check him out when he was just a little kid.  His first acting role was in the BBC's David Copperfield, he was nine at the time.  PBS's Masterpiece Theater is re-airing it as part of their Masterpiece Classic collection starting in March.  I remember watching this production from when it aired the first time and it is excelent.  You can watch it on TV on Sunday evenings or you can watch it on your comptuer too.  Check out the web site, there is even an interview with Daniel about how he landed the part, and be sure to watch it come March.  If you give it a try I know you will enjoy it ; ) 

Ms Deva

Cold War Vocabulary Words

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

First I want to thank you for the cooperative and productive way your groups worked during class this morning. I really appreciate it! Second here are the Cold War vocabulary words. I don't know how to attach them to the page as a Word document (if any of you know please tell me) so I am putting them in the text of this post. Just copy and paste them into Word if you want to print it out at home. Good luck on getting them done, and to those of you who did not bring in your note cards REMEMBER them tomorrow!

Ms Deva

Classifications:
People, Issues/Ideas, Events, Places

Cold War-Event
satellite nations-Place
containment-Issues/Idea
Truman Doctrine-Idea/Issue
Marshall Plan-Idea/Issue
Berlin Airlift-Event
Berlin Wall-Place
North Atlantic Treaty Organization-Idea/Issue
Warsaw Pact-Idea/Issue
United Nations-Idea/Issue
38th parallel-Place, Idea/Issue
demilitarized zone-Place
perjury-Idea/Issue
censure-Idea/Issue
Harry S. Truman-Person
Joseph Stalin-Person
Douglas MacArthur-Person
Dwight Eisenhower-Person
Joseph McCarthy-Person
Communist sympathizer-Idea/Issue
Iron Curtain-Idea/Issue, Place
North Korea-Place
South Korea-Place
East Germany-Place
West Germany-Place
Armistice-Event
Korean War-Event
Communism-Idea/Issue

Ms Deva @ the Renaissance Festival

As most of you know I went to the Renaissance Festival last Wednesday with TVHS. We all had a great time, if you get a chance to go with your family or friends you should. Be prepared for people in costumes, ducks in costumes (I kid you not!), jousting, funny shows, birds of pray, fun stuff to buy and this my favorite part the bungee trampoline thingie. It costs $6 to go on, but it is worth it. It was the most fun I have had in ages, even though I did break one of the bungee cords! It is set up to look like you are jumping up among the masts of ships and any of you that really know me will know that was a big selling point for me! What you probably don't know is that I just adore big trampolines. The best part was at the top of the jump I felt so free and weightless, and for just a moment each time it seemed I would stay suspended there above the crowd. As you can see from the video I tried to do a flip but then the bungee broke, I think I could have done it if I had more time to practice. Enjoy the clip.
Arg, ahoy and shiver me timbers!

Ms Deva

The Land of Forgotten Words

We spend a lot of time talking about words in school, and not just in Language Arts class, we study vocabulary words in Science, in Social Studies, in Spanish, even in Math. Congruent anyone? We understand the world around us through words and use them to express ourselves to others. But how many of you like words? How far would go to save a word from being kicked out of a dictionary?

Believe it or not dictionaries take out words each year. Don't ask me how they do this, maybe there are word detectives running around counting every time they hear someone say a word, but people at dictionaries figure out what words people are no longer using and replace them with new words that have just come into being. Now I like words and my sister REALLY likes words, she reads books all about words and where they came from (and you thought I was a nerd) and I think it is great how fluid language is. Language and words are not just something we learn in school, but is something we create by how we use it. Back when I was in elementary school you could search all day and never find the word Internet in the dictionary. It had not been invented yet. Now words like frenemy and bling are being added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). For those of you who don't know the OED is the bible of words, it is no dictionary.com.

Now, back to those old words no one is using any more. Some people are upset about these words being taken out of the dictionary. They feel that they add variety and color to the way we talk. Some of them have created this web site Save The Word
to bring back some of these words into our every day vocabulary. I am sure few of you will believe me but this site is fun! Check it out, come on it just takes a second to click on the link ; ) and you will see. One of the things you can do on the site is to adopt the word and try to get other people using it again. As we established earlier today the end of the quarter is coming up soon and the bowling party is going to cost 50 Bobcat Bucks. I know a lot of you would like opportunities to earn more Bobcat Bucks so every time I hear one of you use one of these lost words in everyday speech I will give you a one.

So go ahead adopt a word and give it a good home in your vocabulary. Who knows, you might just pick what will become the new hit word.

PS

I know some of you were having a hard time find the WordSmyth site. Click on the link it will take you there, remember you need to register but it is free and much better the other dictionaries.

Ms D