Sequencing events

The sixth graders practiced putting events in order. First, one student created a story using a beginning-middle-end graphic organizer. Then, they cut their story apart, mixed it up, and gave it to a partner. Their partner had to put it back together again in the right order and rewrite the story using the sequence words “first, second, next, then, finally.”  I put them in the display box on the stairwell to the third floor.  Don't they look great?

Mill City Museum

Today the sixth graders took a field trip to the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.  We explored the ruins of the old Mill, played with the model of the city, took a grain-elevator ride to learn about factory life, and watched a movie about the history of Minneapolis.  The students learned a lot about the flour business and the history of this area.  Here are some pictures I took from the ninth floor balcony of the mill:

What would you do?

Time to make a decision!  What would you do?

http://middleschooladvisory101.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-would-you-do-decision-making-at.html

Are you an IB learner?

Take this survey and find out!

Learner Profile Survey.

ACCESS testing

For the last two weeks the ELL students at CSE have been taking the ACCESS test, which is a new test the State of Minnesota has adopted to monitor the progress of ELL students accross the state.  It is a lengthy process at a school like CSE. We have to test each group of kids according to their ability level, and we can't have more than 22 kids in a test group.  We have to test them on three seperate occasions:  first for Listening and Reading, then Writing, and finally Speaking.  The Speaking test is administered indvididually, which of course takes a lot of time when 80% of the students in the school need to be tested.

The good news is that the ELL staff at the school have been very organized in the way they are administering the test.  We hope to be done administering group tests next week, and finish up the speaking tests the week after that.  If you have any questions about the ACCESS test or how it is administered at CSE, please send me an e-mail and I will be happy to respond.  We expect to receive the results from the test in May.

Happy Hmong New Year!

On December 16th, Community School of Excellence hosted a Hmong New Year Celebration.  Each class and enrichment group shared a song, story, poem, or dance.  Each one celebrated Hmong culture and traditions.  The Sixth Graders sang two songs: Kwv Tij Hmoob and Nkauj Kawm Ntawv, and then they performed a short play version of about a tiger who tried to eat a whole village.  Many of the students students dressed up in Hmong traditional clothing.  All the parents and the whole community were invited, and the celebration was a huge success. 

Here is a picture of my Sixth Grade Advisory class as they sat waiting for the first performers to begin.

Get Ready!

Last week we began a new curriculum in Advisory.  Get Ready! is a program designed by the Minnesota Department of Education to help students and families prepare for college: financially and academically. 

As part of the program we will be visiting a couple of colleges, and we want your input!  Which college should we visit?  Use the list of colleges below to explore the different colleges in the area. 

Augsburg College: Minneapolis

Bethel University: St. Paul

Brown College: Mendota Heights

Globe University: Woodbury

Hennepin Technical College: Eden Prairie

Macalester College: St. Paul

McNally Smith College of Music: St. Paul

Metropolitan State University: St. Paul

Rasmussen College: Eagan

St. Thomas University: St. Paul

University of Minnesota

Ask yourself, what could I learn here?  Does this look like a college I might be interested in?  What is it like to be a student here?  I will give you a graphic organizer to help you take notes on the different schools.  At the end of the week, you will have a chance to vote on the colleges you think we should visit.