Tuesday, March 31, 2009

STATES & CAPITALS TEST


WAHOOO! We finished our States & Capitals test! We had to know the capital of every state, and where it is located on the map. The following students received 100% on the Capitals Test:
Madeleine
Emily
Wyatt
Sarah
Linzey
Katie
Brook
Tyler
Liz
Hunter
Ryan W.

The following students scored a 100% on their state location test:
Madeleine
Emily
Sarah
Brook
Tyler
Gavin
Hunter
Addie

Students could also receive 1/2 bonus point for each state and capital spelled correctly!
The following scored over 100 with the bonus points:
Capitals Test:
Emily 125 Wahooo! All correct, and all spelled correctly!
Madeleine & Brook 122
Katie & Ryan W 119
Hunter & Tyson 118
Sarah 117
Elizabeth 116
Lauren & Wyatt 114
Tyler 113
Liz 112
Linzey & Addie 111
Brandon 103

The following scored over 100 on the State Location test:
Emily 124
Sarah & Addie 123
Gavin 120
Madeleine 119
Hunter 118
Tyler 116
Ryan W. 115
Wyatt 114
Eli B 113
Lauren & Elizabeth 112
Linzey 111
Liz 107
Keli 102
CONGRATULATIONS!

Friday, March 27, 2009

OUR FAVORITE KIND OF COOKIE!

From our poll question, "What is your favorite kind of cookie?" The winner? Chocolate Chip!



The Chocolate Chip Cookie was invented by Ruth Wakefield, who was the owner of the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts. The story goes that one day in 1930 she decided to add small chunks of a Nestle's Semisweet Yellow Label Chocolate bar to her butter cookie dough. The cookies were an instant hit with her customers and word of their popularity reached the Nestle company. Nestle must have realized that adding small chunks of their chocolate bar to cookie dough would appeal to the mass market because by 1939 Nestle was selling chocolate morsels (or chips). What a brilliant marketing plan it turned out to be when Nestle decided to package the chocolate chips in a Yellow bag and then bought the rights to the Toll House name and Ruth Wakefield's chocolate chip cookie recipe. They called her recipe "The Famous Toll House Cookie" and printed it on the back of the Yellow bag of chocolate chips.

MARCH END OF MONTH ACTIVITY




Our March end-of-month activity was a grade level activity! We watched the movie "Holes." We had bags filled with treats--popcorn, suckers, and chocolate. We also had juice boxes for drinks.
Congratulations to the first 5 qualifiers:
1. Addie
2. Ryan W
3. Lauren
4. Tyler
5. Elizabeth

ADDIE IS 11!



On Sunday, March 29, Addie will be 11 years old! Addie loves to read, play the piano, and be with her family. She also loves, loves, LOVES to collect frogs! Addie had the great opportunity of living for 4 years in Hershey, Pennsylvania! That's right---where they make Hershey candy products! Addie said the air smelled like chocolate. Addie is the oldest child in her family, with 1 younger brother, and 2 younger sisters. Addie is a great student, is always caught up, and does well on everything she does! Happy Birthday, Addie!

FIFTY NIFTY UNITED STATES

We have been learning about the United States of America! The location of each state and their capitals. Each student have to give 2 state presentations. Students needed to know about their states, have visuals aids, make puzzles or quizzes, respond to questions, and use voice projection and eye contact.







Each student made a 3-D pyramid about their state.




Everyone colored in a map of each of the states that we have been in to make our bulletin board.

The funniest part about the test, was when I posted on my Facebook page: "I hope my students are studying for their States & Capitals test", within 1 minute, I received over 10 responses about the test from former students!

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS

I totally spaced posting about our February birthdays! My only excuse is that I'm old!!!



Ben turned 11 on February 4. He loves to skateboard, play computer games, collect Legos, go to Jazz games, and draw. Ben's favorite places that he has visited are: Hawaii, California, and New York. Ben has 2 brothers who are twins, and two sisters. His sister, Kyrsten, was in Miss Mitchell's class.



Sydney, our class redhead, is our Valentine birthday girl. She turned 11 on February 14. Sydney likes running, jumping rope, singing, and riding her bike. Sydney takes voice lessons, and is a member of the Alpine Elementary Choir. Favorite trips have been to Alaska, California, and Hawaii. Sydney is extremely luck to have 5 brothers and 5 sisters. Sydney's sister is in our class now, and her brother Dylan was taught by Miss Mitchell.



Kaden turned 11 on February 16. Once in a while, his birthday is on President's Day, like this year! Kaden likes to play football and volleyball. He also likes to play computer and video games. Trips to Disneyland and Las Vegas have been favorites! Kaden has 3 brothers and 1 sister.

HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY TO OUR FEBRUARY KIDS!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

OUR FAVORITE JAZZ PLAYER!


Our favorite Jazz player is point guard, Deron Williams! He received 26 votes on our poll. My favorite birthday present this year was an autographed 8" x 11" autographed color photo of Deron. One of the staff had my name for a birthday gift. She worked really hard on snaring the pic! She said he usually only does this for people who are dying! Whatever it takes! Thanks, Jenn!


Kyle Korver, the hunk of the team, finished with 22 votes! (Kyle is with Courtney, my great niece, at a season ticket holder family event.)




Matt Harpring, with 22 votes, tied with Kyle Korver as our favorite Jazz player.
We had 49 people vote on this poll question---the most ever!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

THIRTEEN FACTS ABOUT FRIDAY THE 13TH


If you fear Friday the 13th, then pull out your umbrellas. This week's unlucky day is the second of three this year. The first was in February,and the next one will be in November. This triple whammy comes around only every 11 years.
Here ARE 13 MORE FACTS:
1. The British Navy built a ship named Friday the 13th. On its maiden voyage, the vessel left dock on a Friday the 13th, and was never heard from again
2. The ill-fated Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 CST on April 11, 1970 The sum of the date's digits (4/11/70 is 13)
3. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor
4. Fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia
5. Quarterback Dan Marino wore No.13 throughout his career with the Miami Dolphins. Despite being a superb quarterback he got to the Super Bowl just once, and was trounced 38-16 by the San Francisco 49ers and Joe Montana (who wore #16) won all four Super Bowls he played in.
6. Butch Cassidy, notorious American train and bank robber, was born on Friday, April 13, 1866.
7. Fidel Castro was born on Friday, Aug 13, 1926.
8. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 12 guests at a meal.
9. Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a professional 14th guest.
10. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. "It was bad luck," Twain later reported. "They only had food for 12."
11. Woodrow Wilson considered 13 his lucky number. He arrived in Normandy, France on Friday, Dec 13, 1918, for peace talks, only to return with a treaty he couldn't get Congress to sign.
12. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12. 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, etc.
13. The seals on the back of a dollar bill include 13 steps on the pyramid, 13 stars above the eagle's head 13 war arrows in the eagle's claw and 13 leaves on the olive branch. So far there's been no evidence typing these long-ago design decisions to the present economic situation.

Monday, March 9, 2009

THE MANY STUDENTS OF MISS MITCHELL


So, in my almost 30 years of teaching, I have taught about 850 students! I have taught a wide variety of kids. I have taught kids with common names and not so common. (I always like to say I have taught 3 Fishes, 5 Dollars, and a Nickle!) I have taught famous people's kids (Elder Ballard & Charles Schulz's grandsons, 3 students who's dad's have Super Bowl Rings, etc.), students who have won State Championships in high school, and students who have won college bowl games! Seven former students have grandparents who live near me. One boy that I taught had a grandfather whose horse won the Kentucky Derby in 2004. The horse was "Smarty Jones", bearing the last name of his grandson. I have taught students who are now doctors, dentists, lawyers, CEO's of companies, recording artists, photographers (check out their websites on my blog), bishopric members, stay-at-home moms, models, scrapbookers, and even school teachers! One student even taught here at Alpine Elementary with me for 2 or 3 years. She then went on to have triplets, then twins, then a single! When I first started teaching, since I went to school in American Fork, I was teaching the siblings of my classmates. Now their grandchildren are starting to come up through the school! I have taught "students of students", whom I refer to as "grandstudents." (I have 2 this year!) I have taught the children of several Alpine Elementary students. I have taught students who have been in trouble with the law, and have served time in prison. I've also had students die---which is very difficult. I have been to many sealings, and about a hundred wedding receptions. I have taught 3 of my doctor's kids, two of the grandchildren of my dentist before he retired, and I taught a girl who works in my pharmacy. I've taught many brothers and sisters, from 2-6. The most I taught was from a family of 6---all girls! Four of them came back to be my high school aid! (I "borrowed" this picture off of Leslie's blog)

L to R: Lisa, Lacie, Lindsey, Libbey, Lori, and Leslie
So, to all students, past and present, leave a comment on this blog or my Facebook page. Tell me where you are, what you're doing, and how many kids you have. It's been great to get in touch with so many of you through blogging and Facebook.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

DISTRICT SCIENCE FAIR

Ryan K., Keli, Madeleine, and Caitlin from our class advanced to the District Science Fair. It was held March 3, at Pleasant Grove High School. Students were judged by two different judges. Five projects from our school are advancing to the State competition, with Madeleine being one of them! Congratulations to all of our scientists!

Keli

RYAN K.

MADELEINE

CAITLIN

COSMO COMES TO TOWN!

On March 3, Cosmo, the BYU Cougar Mascot, came to Alpine Elementary! He was here to help us celebrate our "Meals for a Mile" program!






Tuesday, March 3, 2009

SAND BOTTLES!









FOR OUR END-OF-MONTH ACTIVITY IN FEBRUARY, WE MADE SAND BOTTLES! WE MIXED SALT WITH DRY TEMPRA PAINT. WE POURED THEM INTO A JAR, AND MADE DESIGNS.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TOP 5 QUALIFIERS:

1. BROOK
2. LAUREN
3. RYAN W.
4. ELIZABETH
5. WYATT


ADDIE, LIZ, & KATIE


LINZEY, EMILY, KAILANI, & ELI


SARAH & ELIZABETH


SYDNEY, KELI, ELLY, & LAUREN


WYATT & RYAN W.


HUNTER, TYLER, & LUKE


SKYLER, GAVIN, BRROK, & BEN