Informational Picture Books

This year I decided to have my students create picture books rather than have them write informational essays.  I assigned several classes different topics.  My first period collaborated with fifth grade students in Wales who were reading about the Stuarts. So my students researched topics from the Stuart era and created picture books they shared with their little Welsh buddies.  My second period created picture book about different punctuation marks that we would like to share with the students in Brazil and my seventh period created picture books on topics from their Biology class.  The rest of my classes chose a topic they were interested in and created an Alphabet Book about that topic.

Here is a link to my class webpage where we have posted the picture book files:

Picture Books 

You'll need to scroll down to see the file called "Picture Books"

Students working on their picture books

On Top of the World

      Our school Copper Mountain Middle's theme this year is "A Year of Firsts."  In line with that theme, the SBOs (I'm one of their advisers) decided to use the song "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons as our theme song for this year.  We wanted to instill as sense of school pride.  We also picked this song because Imagine Dragons is a Utah band and VERY popular among the teenagers in Utah.  At the end of each of our announcements, the SBOs remind the students that they are the very first Colts and they are "on top of the world." 

Check Out our SBO music video featuring all of our CMMS SBOs and the advisers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfgFMS4QExY


        Last week we had our first Spirit Week.   We started the week off with Mix it Up Monday where students wore their clothes all mixed up (i.e. two different shoes, their shirts inside out, etc.).  Tuesday was Twin Day!  Students/Faculty dressed the same as someone else at the school. Ms Putnam and I decided to match each other.  She tore her Achilles on our first day back to school during our faculty "Amazing Race" competition. She has had to wear a boot for several months now. I borrowed my dad's boot from his ankle surgery to make sure we were definitely twins! I must say I now have so much more empathy for Ms Putnam as it was almost impossible to walk in the boot!  I didn't even attempt to go up the stairs!  She's a trooper!
    

I 

Gavin and Jaxon were twins!

      Wednesday was our Colt Colors day because we had our "Minute to Win It" assembly.  If you have ever watch the game show you know that the idea is for contestants to complete task in a minute or less.  Some of our competitions were tuna bowling, junk in the trunk, naughty noodles, and Vaseline Nose.  The teachers competed against the students.  In the first assembly, the teachers creamed the students!  But, the students redeemed themselves in the second assembly by beating the teachers. The losers had to dress up in animal costumes and dance on stage to the popular song "What does the fox say?"  The SBOs and Mr. Vickery (the other adviser) did an awesome job! 
   Throwback Thursday was next.  Students and teachers dressed up in clothes from past decades. We had poodle skirts, hippie bell bottoms, and neon eighties colors! 
    We ended the week with crazy sock day on Friday.  Throughout the week, TA classes participated in service projects where they heart attacked our staff members and each TA class has created a scrapbook page that will be put in our school's scrapbook so all the future Colts will be able to see the students from our school's first year. 
  As SBOs we will keep our school's spirit going by having several more lunchroom activities and service projects throughout the year.  I'm very excited to be a Colt this year and we are definitely ON TOP OF THE WORLD!

 

 

Ms Putnam and I as twins!