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| Working hard to create a tower! |
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| First Place at 11" tall!!! |
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| Making adjustments to the tower. |
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| Second Place at 10" tall! |
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| Trying to see what will work! |
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Teambuilding in Room 17
This week we started an Engineering for Good unit in Science where the first activity tasked us with building a Marshmallow Tower using only 20 sticks of raw spaghetti, one yard of masking tape, one yard of string and a single marshmallow to go on top! The students worked together with their table group members to attempt to build to tallest tower! We learned a number of different things through this activity... we learned that more helping hands makes the task easier, and also that if a few members of the group aren't engaged in the process it makes for a challenging task. Overall, we all had a great time! See the pictures below!
Sunday, September 25, 2016
MAP Testing, Team Building, Reading, Reading and More Reading...
Over the past several weeks we have been busy in the classroom with MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing in Reading and Math, Team Building with the Trojans to build community in our classroom and reading, reading and more reading.
The MAP testing started three weeks ago with a 53 question assessment. All 7th grade students were tested. This assessment serves as our baseline for the 2016/2017 school year. Students had to learn how to navigate the testing program which is always a challenge when there is a new program put in place! We successfully completed all of our tests and now we will begin the process of looking at data and setting individual goals with students. Watch your child's binder for a Goal Setting Handout to have a conversation about how their goal setting conference went!
In USC we participated in a team building activity to focus on creating leaders in our class! The kids were tasked with using 6 red solo cups, 5 pieces of string, and a rubber band to build a tower out of the cups. The catch was, they couldn't touch the cups... at all... even through a paper bag! It made for a great discussion about teamwork and community.
We are about half way through "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park. We are reading, discussing, questioning, and debating choices being made by the characters. As I've been talking with students about the book, I've been tweeting with Linda Sue Park (It's AMAZING how Twitter has changed education!). She and Salva (character from the book) are excited that we LOVE her book!
The MAP testing started three weeks ago with a 53 question assessment. All 7th grade students were tested. This assessment serves as our baseline for the 2016/2017 school year. Students had to learn how to navigate the testing program which is always a challenge when there is a new program put in place! We successfully completed all of our tests and now we will begin the process of looking at data and setting individual goals with students. Watch your child's binder for a Goal Setting Handout to have a conversation about how their goal setting conference went!
In USC we participated in a team building activity to focus on creating leaders in our class! The kids were tasked with using 6 red solo cups, 5 pieces of string, and a rubber band to build a tower out of the cups. The catch was, they couldn't touch the cups... at all... even through a paper bag! It made for a great discussion about teamwork and community.
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| Our teams quickly determined that they needed to tie the strings to the rubberband to use the rubberband to move the cups! Way to go teams!!! |
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Welcome Back to School!!!
Welcome to my 7th Grade Class Blog!
For those of you that I've already met, I'm looking forward to working with your child. For those of you that I haven't yet met, here is a brief bio.
I've been teaching for nine years, the past five at David A. Weir Preparatory Academy. Before coming to Weir I taught at an alternative education charter school and before that I taught at Creekview Ranch Middle School in the Dry Creek Joint School District. Before going in to teaching, I worked for Vision Service Plan (VSP) for 10 years. I enjoyed my work, but knew there was more for me to do, which brought me to teaching!
I spend all of my free time with my husband, Mr. Guernsey and son, Jayson. We LOVE to travel and visit new places. This past summer we took a week long vacation to San Diego where we spent endless days on the beach and visited the San Diego Zoo and LEGOLAND. Jayson is 4 years old and just started Transitional Kindergarten this year. He also just started playing on an organized Soccer team in Carmichael Soccer Club.
Next week I go back to school at California State University, Sacramento to continue working on my Administrative Services Credential and second Master's Degree in Educational Leadership. I will complete this program at the end of this school year, if your children haven't already mentioned! (I love learning, but am VERY excited to have all of my free time back!)
This week was filled with learning more classroom and school procedures, MAP Testing and an All School Roll Call Rally around the world on the back of campus! I only took two photos of this event because it was SO windy and our USC flag was blowing all around! Next time the wind is calm, I'll take a quick photo with the kids!
Throughout the year I will be posting on this blog to communicate events, assignments and dates and details of important 7th grade events.
If you haven't read my course syllabus and signed the signature page, here is a copy to view.
Next week starts with MAP Mathematics testing, Back to School Night on Wednesday at 6:00 PM and concludes with our PBIS Assembly to discuss expectations on campus and off.
Check back here during the week for more information about our days and photos of things we are doing in class!
See you at Back to School Night!
-Mrs. Guernsey
For those of you that I've already met, I'm looking forward to working with your child. For those of you that I haven't yet met, here is a brief bio.
I've been teaching for nine years, the past five at David A. Weir Preparatory Academy. Before coming to Weir I taught at an alternative education charter school and before that I taught at Creekview Ranch Middle School in the Dry Creek Joint School District. Before going in to teaching, I worked for Vision Service Plan (VSP) for 10 years. I enjoyed my work, but knew there was more for me to do, which brought me to teaching!
I spend all of my free time with my husband, Mr. Guernsey and son, Jayson. We LOVE to travel and visit new places. This past summer we took a week long vacation to San Diego where we spent endless days on the beach and visited the San Diego Zoo and LEGOLAND. Jayson is 4 years old and just started Transitional Kindergarten this year. He also just started playing on an organized Soccer team in Carmichael Soccer Club.
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| Mr. Guernsey and I last spring at the Carrie Underwood Concert in Reno, NV. |
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| Jayson and I checking out the giraffes at the San Diego Zoo. |
Next week I go back to school at California State University, Sacramento to continue working on my Administrative Services Credential and second Master's Degree in Educational Leadership. I will complete this program at the end of this school year, if your children haven't already mentioned! (I love learning, but am VERY excited to have all of my free time back!)
This week was filled with learning more classroom and school procedures, MAP Testing and an All School Roll Call Rally around the world on the back of campus! I only took two photos of this event because it was SO windy and our USC flag was blowing all around! Next time the wind is calm, I'll take a quick photo with the kids!
Throughout the year I will be posting on this blog to communicate events, assignments and dates and details of important 7th grade events.
If you haven't read my course syllabus and signed the signature page, here is a copy to view.
Next week starts with MAP Mathematics testing, Back to School Night on Wednesday at 6:00 PM and concludes with our PBIS Assembly to discuss expectations on campus and off.
Check back here during the week for more information about our days and photos of things we are doing in class!
See you at Back to School Night!
-Mrs. Guernsey
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