Character Ed Assembly

November's Character Ed  assembly focused on the quality of empathy. Teaching children to recognize and understand the feelings and viewpoints of others makes for a better community and society as a whole. 

Students were given an opportunity to put some of these lessons into practice during the month of November.  Team 2 teachers were happy to treat students today and acknowledge they are an AWesome group of students.

Parents are always invited to attend these monthly assemblies. Check the school calendar and watch for dates and times. 

A shout out to Nothing But Country for sharing the A & W label. 

Go Big Red

This weekend the Huskers are in the Big Ten title game against Wisconsin and there is talk of a Rose Bowl trip. Room 102 was all about "red" for this month's estimation activity.

November's estimation jar was used to teach mean, median, mode, and range. Students enjoy the estimation activity. It helps reinforce math skills and adds fun to the curriculum.

This month's GO BIG RED activity was especially fun for the winner of 91 big red candies. 

Turkeys on Parade

This turkey season Room 102 was all about synonyms. A mini lesson on the thesaurus taught students the right word can make a sentence sound interesting and fun. A trip to computer lab introduced students to an online thesaurus and reinforced the use of synonyms as a way of making writing more interesting. Students learned they must take care when using a thesaurus. Each word listed as a synonym may have its own unique meaning. Students must be sure the synonym really fits the context.

Click the button to visit our online reference.

The fun began when students colored their turkeys . . .

                                                                    . . . then recorded synonyms.

This Thanksgiving season I am truly thankful - appreciative -  beholden - grateful for my students. Their pure energy and smiles make learning  fun.   

Comics in the Classroom

Room 102 had fun building their understanding of figurative language with humor using comic strips.  Students created comic strips using an online comic creator. They practiced seven common forms of figurative language:

•   simile — using “like” or “as” for description or comparison
•   metaphor —comparison that does not use like or as
•   oxymoron — combines two normally contradictory terms
•   personification — giving human traits to non-living objects
•   alliteration— the repetition of a particular sound in a series of words
•   onomatopoeia — a word that imitates the sound it represents
•   hyperbole - extreme exaggeration

Creating the comic strips proved lots of fun. MakeBeliefsComix  focuses on the key elements of comic strips by allowing students to choose backgrounds, characters, and props, as well as to compose related dialogue.

After creating a comic, students have the ability to print out their final versions for feedback and assessment. 

Room 102 is creating a comic book to add to our classroom library.

 Check out our sneak preview . . . 

by Yadilis

by Alexis

Warning:  There is a concern reading this book will have you laughing your head off.  (idiom)

It's always a good sign when students want to continue a project after computer lab. MakeBeliefsComix.com is available for students to use at home.  Click the button to visit the site.

Field Trip

GIS Day is coming! Students will be walking to Northeast College on Tuesday, November 13.  It's the the annual salute to geospatial technology. Whoa! What's that all about? Learn more about our field trip by clicking the icon.

Please remember to send a sack lunch for your student if you did not order the school lunch!

World Kindness

World Kindness Week / November 12 - 16

Throughout the week, JOOI Club members are asking NMS students to help in our little corner of the world. 

If everybody gives a little, together we can give a lot!

Donations for the week include:

Monday: Please bring a non-perishable food item for the Salvation Army.

Tuesday: Please bring winter hats and mittens to keep young heads and hands warm.

Wednesday: Please bring change from home to support Mercy Meals.

Thursday: Please bring "gently-used" books for our little friends at Head Start.

Friday:  Any of the above donations are again accepted.

Each day a student particpates a colorful "Do Kindness" bracelet will be given. Simply wear the wristband with pride, saying,  "I SUPPORT WORLD KINDNESS."  

Veterans Day

We had a Veterans Day mini unit this week and the kids were all about it! 

Team 2 found an easy and fun way to say "Thank You" to the Veterans who have protected this country.  Each student wrote a letter to a Veteran and then crafted a soldier to go with it. It was a great way for them to honor those who have served this country.

A company of soldiers now line the hall outside Room 102.  They'll be delivered to the Norfolk Veterans Home  - a reminder to the residents that their sacrifices are acknowledged and we are grateful.

 NMS will celebrate Veterans Day at an assembly on Friday, November 9.  We are SO thankful for those who served…and continue to serve our wonderful country! 

A shout out to TpT for this clever writing lesson. 

A Really BIG Competition

The Middle School PTO association is sponsoring a Box Top Classroom Competition. The homeroom that collects the most box tops by December 17th will win a PIZZA PARTY.  

Please clip Box Tops from your favorite General Mills products.  Parents can earn cash for our school every time they shop for groceries. Each Box Top is worth 10 cents to our school - and that adds up fast!  Please ask your family, extended family, and friends to clip and collect Box Top logos. The real winner in this competition is NMS.

Click the Box Top for a complete list of products.