A New Year ... A New Beginning

A New Year ... A New Beginning

In the United States, New Year's Day is celebrated on January 1st. On this special day, crowds of people gather into Times Square in order to watch the ball descend from the sky at midnight. In just about two weeks we will be saying good-bye to the year 2008 and hello to 2009. For many people this occasion will give them the opportunity to forget everything that has happened during the previous year and focus on a more positive upcoming year. This joyous time makes people smile and grateful that we live in such a wonderful country.

One major part of the holiday is making what is a called a New Year's resolution. In past years, I have failed to keep my resolutions for more than two weeks. However, this year I have a good feeling that I will be able to keep my promise for a longer period of time. This year my resolution is to get back into shape and loose 15 pounds by joining a gym and cutting out fast food. I have certainly limited myself with fast food in recent months, however, nothing seems to help unless you are exercising simultaneously. Getting back into shape is not only for personal reasons, but in order to stay healthy as well. High Cholesterol and Diabetes, two serious health risks, run in my family. Therefore, it is extremely important for me to maintain a smart and sensible diet.
For those who are graduating this December, I wish you the best of luck in your future en devours! For everyone else who I will see next semester, have a safe and happy holiday.

What will 2009 have in store for you?? Only time will tell ....

Vocabulary Review
simultaneously: (adjective) existing, occurring, or operating at the same time
descend: (verb) to go or pass from a higher to a lower place
grateful: (adjective) warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness
resolution:(noun) a formal expression of opinion or intention made
joyous:(adjective) joyful; happy

Vocabulary Practice
1. The plane began to ________ from the sky when they were approaching its final destination.
2. During Thanksgiving and other holidays, we reflect on the many things we are _____ for in our lives.
3. Holidays are a _______ occasion for people to be merry and celebrate together with friends and family.
4. I made a New Year's ______ to stop eating candy and junk food.
5. The scientist was hoping that the two reactions would occur ________.

Grammar Point- Articles
(a, an, the)
Articles belong to the wider class of 'determiner', words of phrases that come at the beginning of a noun phrase and signal whether the information is new or familiar, or which tell us something about quantity. These are used frequently during both writing and speaking. Since articles are part of noun phrases, they come at the beginning of the the phrase either immediately before a noun or an adjective, or before a combination of adverb, adjective & noun.

examples:
I heard a noise. (noun)
I heard an eerie noise. (adjective + noun)
I heard the strangely muffled noise of an animal in pain. (adverb + adjective + noun)

Question of the Week:
What is your New Year's resolution?

Safety Town

Safety Town

The students in my third grade class are planning a trip to Safety Town in the Spring.
Safety Town is a realistic, child-sized town designed to provide a complete hands-on safety education for children. Safety Town consists of a child sized town which has working traffic signals, miniature buildings, cross walks, complete with personal traffic provided by the children on tractors. This trip is a wonderful opportunity for children to participate in hands-on activities and be part of an unforgettable experience. I remember going to Safety Town on a school trip when I was in elementary school. It is great that this business is still open and available for teachers, parents, and children of all ages to enjoy.

Not only is this trip one that is exciting, it is also extremely informational as well. Not only do the students learn a great deal about traffic safety, they are also taught bike safety, pedestrian safety, school bus safety, fire safety, seat belt safety, 911 emergency calls, stranger danger and what to do if they find a gun. All of these issues must be taken seriously and children must be prepared if a situation does happen to occur.


Vocabulary Review
pedestrian:(noun) a person who goes or travels on foot; walker

emergency: (noun) a sudden, urgent, usually unexpected occurrence or occasion requiring immediate action

prepared:(adjective) properly expectant, organized, or equipped; ready

unforgettable:(adjective) impossible to forget

personal: (adjective) of, pertaining to, or coming as from a particular person

Vocabulary Practice
1. The trip was the best one yet so my teacher said, "It was simply ________".

2. My mother waited for the ________ to cross the street before she turned the car.

3. In order to do well in school, you must be sure to take notes, listen carefully and be _____ for each class.

4. Safety Town has surely prepared us in case there is an ________.

5. It is my _______ opinion that this was the best field trip ever!

Grammar Point - Contractions
Contractions are two words that are combined in order to make a smaller word. The missing letter(s) are replaced with an apostrophe ('). We generally use contractions more often in speaking rather than writing. They are considered to be a less formal way of expressing your ideas about a topic.

examples:
would not --> wouldn't
should not --> shouldn't
you will --> you'll
he will --> he'll
will not --> won't
can not --> can't


Question of the Week:
What was one memorable field trip that you
enjoyed from your childhood?

"Smart" Classrooms

"Smart" Classrooms

Technology is a wonderful resource that is available to us today. Many school districts have been implementing and promoting the use of technology in the classrooms. The overhead projector which was widely used in recent years, has taken a back seat to PowerPoint and SMART boards. As teachers, it is important to provide instruction in a variety of ways. This helps to peak student interest and creates more interactive and hands-on lessons. My third grade classroom at Riverside just added a SMART board to the classroom. We are working together as a class in order to become more and familar with it.

The students have been working with place value so we set up a lesson using the SMART board. The students had the opportunity to drag different ones, tens, and hundreds markers into the appropraite columns on the board. Additonally, they were able to pracitce with re-grouping. The program made trading and moving numbers around very simple. Learning math became a lot of fun for the students and they were able to focus and pay more close attention to the lesson.

Vocabulary Review
implementing: (verb) to put into practical effect; carry out

promoting: (verb) to help or encourage to exist or flourish

interactive: (adjective) of or pertaining to a two-way system of electronic
communications, as by means of television or computer:

peak: (noun) the highest or most important point or level

Vocabulary Practice

Grammar Point- prepositions
Many of the most common words in English are prepositons, and many of them are very short words (ex. at, for, in to). However, longer words and short phrases (ex. despite, except, out of, in terms of) can function as prepositons too.

Preopositons:

• usually come immediately before a noun or -ing form (to work/of cooking) or at the beginning of a phrase including a noun (at the cinema).
• often occur immediately after a verb (arrive at).

Question of the Week-
What are your feelings on technology in the classrom?

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year....

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year ....


Christmas is a wonderful time of year. No matter what holiday a person celebrates, this season is truely a great time to enjoy being with family and friends. Despite the chaos at the malls and the traffic on the road, there is a sense of love and joy in the air for the entire holiday season. People all across the country and world celebrate the holiday in different ways and participate in different rituals and routines to get ready for the special day.



One of my favorite avtivities to do each year is help put up the Christmas tree. The process is only a few steps, but takes a lot of care and precision. First, we string the multi-colored lights around the branches evenly. Next, we decorate the tree with a variety of bulbs and ornaments. Then, my mother places the angel on top of the tree. Finally, we decroate the outside branches with mint candy canes. For me this is not only an enjoyable activity but one that is memorable.



Vocabulary Review

memorable: (adjective) worth remembering; notable

precision: (noun) accuracy; exactness

rituals: (noun) A state or condition characterized by the presence

of established procedure or routine

season: (noun) one of the four periods of the year

(spring, summer, autumn, and winter)

chaos: (noun) a state of utter confusion or disorder



Vocabulary Practice

1. Summer is my favorite ______ of the year.

2. Surgeons must use a lot of _______ while working with their patients.

3. The concert was certainly a ________ experience. It is something I will never forget!

4. Since there was a substitue teacher in the classroom,

there seemed to be a period of ________.

5. The students performed a set of daily _______ in their morning routine.



Grammar Point - using discourse markers

Noticing and understanding discourse markers helps learners to understand the logical structure of what they read and listen to, the order of events and the attitude of the speaker or writer to what they are describing.

*Numbering and ordering points* - we use numbering and ordering discourse markers in writing more than in speaking. This is beacuse writing usually gives us more time to plan and monitor the number of points we are making.

examples: first, second, third, finally, lastly

Question of the Week:

What is favorite holiday to celebrate? Why?

Awesome Autumn

Awesome Autumn

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons. I personally feel that the temperate weather is just perfect beacuse it's not too hot, yet not too cold. The most exciting part of the season is being able to watch the leaves change colors. From greenish yellow to red, orange, and shades of brown. I watch in amazement as I drive down the streets of my town. Another word for Autumn is Fall and many people use these terms interchangably. People enjoy the Fall becuase it is a great time to get together with your friends and family and participate in a variety of activites.

One activity that I enjoy the most during this season would have to be apple/pumpkin picking. It is a wonderful event for people of all ages to enjoy. My sister Alyson actually went this weekend with her friends. Unfortunatly, I had to work so I missed the occasion. The actual exerience is one in itself. However, carving the pumpkings into Jack-O-Latterns or delicious foods such as pumpkin pie is another acitivity to try out as well. The cool winter breeze is starting to creep in and the hours of sunlight each day are slowly deccresing. Before we know it we will be surrounded by a winter wonderland, drinking hot chocolate and endulging in a variety of different pleasurable activites.

Vocabulary Review

amazement: (noun) overwhelming surprise or astonishment

creep: (verb) to move or advance slowly or gradually

indulge: (verb) to yield to, satisfy, or gratify

interchangeable: (adjective) capable of being put or used in the place of each other

temperate: (adjective) moderate in respect to temperature; not subject to prolonged extremes of hot or cold weather

Vocabulary Practice

1. The majority of the time words that are __________ in a sentence are known as synonyms.

2. The children watched in __________ as the teacher balanced ten books on top of her head.

3. Fall and Spring are two ________ seasons of the year.

4. People tend to ________ themselves with food at a buffet.

5. The sneaky child decided to _____ around the corner in order to scare his friends.

Grammar Point -

Question of the Week:

What is your favorite season?

What are some activites you enjoy doing during that season?

All About My New Teaching Experience

My New Teaching Experience

I began teaching at Riverside Elementary in Rockville Centre about three weeks ago. So far, my experience has been nothin short of wonderful. I work as a teacher's aide in both a first and third grade classroom. My cooperating teacher, Mrs. Altman, is acutally an alumni of Molloy College herself. In addition, two of my former classmates are also teaching assistants at this school. Right now my first graders are working on their earthworm unit. They are excited about this topic, especially when it comes to playing in the dirt and physically handling the worms.


It is really nice to work with a helpul and compassionate staff who are extremely dedicated and passionate about teaching. I never hesitate to ask any questions and I look forward to a fun-filled year with more experiences to build on my foundation. Last semester for my Undergraduate degree I performed my student teaching experience at William S. Covert. This is another elementary school located in rockville centre. Rockville centre has a great curriculum and I certainly feel comfortbale in this district.



Vocabulary Review


compassionate (adjective)- having or showing compassion


dedicated (adjective)- wholly committed to something

foundation (noun)- the basis or groundwork of anything

especially (adverb)- particularly; exceptionally

alumni (noun)- a graduate or former student of a specific school, college, or university

Vocabulary Practice

1. I love all winter sporting activities, ________ skiing.

2. The _________ man worked very hard to build the house. He wouldn't stop at anything until he was finished.

3. I graduated last May from Molloy College and now I am considered an _______ of the school.

4. Due to their caring nature, nurses are usually very _________ people.

5. My college experience has built a strong ________ for my educational career.

Grammar Point- plural nouns

In writing, we place an apostrohe ('):

• before the possessive s on singular nouns (A girl's book)
• after the possessive s on regular plural words (the books' covers)

The pronunciation rules for 's are the same as those for regular plural endings.

Question of the week:

How has teaching changed your life?

Would you to offer any advice for first year teachers?

Loss of a Loved One

In Loving Memory

Laverne M. Shepherd

8/1/27 - 10/6/08

Death is something which is inevitable. It is also something which is universal and affects us all, at one point in time or another. The loss of a loved one can often be a difficult time in a person's life and no matter who the person is, it is never easy to let go. Recently, my grandmother passed away. She was a remarkable, brilliant, inspiring woman who touched every ones life she met. When I first heard the dreadful news, I was beside myself, unsure of how I would ever get through without her in my life to guide and protect me. Not before long, I simply ran out of tears to cry and words to say. It was clear, nothing I could do or say would bring her back. It was at that moment that I realized, I was being extremely selfish. I simply wanted to keep her here for myself, when it was God who really needed her.

With all of the help from my family and friends I now know that everything is going to be okay. I will continue to live my life to the fullest each day as a dedication to her and myself. Although she may not be physically present, I know that she is watching over me and with me each day. I would like to share with you a wonderful poem that my mother wrote pertaining to this event in our lives.

Beyond the horizon is where dreams come true.
You can find undeniable love and peace that waits with open arms just for you.

To hold you tight and never let you go,
to make you feel completely whole.

To whisper all the words you long to hear,
to create a bond of trust that will always be there.

To ease your heart when there are moments which are sad,

and bring joy and laughter to make you glad.

To give you courage when you are weak, and make you strong to fulfill all of your needs.

To care about you every moment in which you breathe,
and live your life the way it is meant to be.

For it may truly be that just beyond the horizon are more than dreams,
perhaps destinies.

Vocabulary Review

dedication (noun)- the act of dedicating.

dreadful (adj.)- causing great dread, fear, or terror.

inevitable (adj.)- unable to be avoided, evaded, or escaped.

selfish (adj.)- devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.

universal (adj.)- of, pertaining to, or characteristic of all or the whole: universal experience.

Vocabulary Practice

1. The _________ boy would not share his new toys with any of his brothers/sisters.

2. Walking through the graveyard alone at night can be a ___________ experience.

3. Working hard each day and never giving up is a real ____________ to your job.

4. The fact that the sun will eventually set this evening is ___________.

5. English is perceived to be the __________ language of the business world.