The Week of October 29, 2012

Monday marks the first day of the second term of school!  I can't believe how fast this year is going!  Time flies when you are having a good time :)

For the remainder of the year, all grades will be recorded in the PowerSchool gradebook program.  You can check your grades at any time by clicking HERE or on the PowerSchool link to the right.

Let's begin this term by studying some consumer skills in math.  Over the next week, we will focus on finding sale prices (percent off) and calculating sales tax on items.  This is a skill you will use for the rest of your life...just ask your parents!  We will work together in class and then you will be given homework Monday and Tuesday night to complete.  In addition to this work, please complete your journal (it's all about finding sales prices) and your TenMarks activity by Friday.

How to Calculate Sales Tax on Howcast

In science, we will continue our talk about plate tectonics, but talk more specifically about the landforms that are created as a result of shifting lithosphere.  Here's a great introduction to some of the different landforms we will talk about.



Over the next two weeks, you be studying such landforms.  Please use the following choice sheet to guide your research.  Please note that this assignment is due THURSDAY, November 8th.


Watch Your Steppe Choice Sheet

You will have a vocabulary quiz this Friday based on the following words:

delta	fan-shaped deposit of sediment at the mouth of a stream
dune	mound or hill of wind-blown sand
flood plain	The flat land along a stream or river that floods on a regular basis, sometimes every year.
mouth	where the river flows into the ocean
plain	nearly level area that has been eroded or where material has been deposited
plateau	a large nearly level area that has been lifted above the surrounding area
tributary	stream that flows into a larger river
valley strait steppe	low area of land between higher land, often where a river flows a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water a large area of flat land that has no trees on it

There's a lot of information out there on the Internet about landforms, but I would suggest starting your search at the National Geographic Landforms site.  It is thorough, well researched, and includes many great pictures.

I will be attending the National Science Teacher's Association conference in Atlanta this week.  I will be out Thursday and Friday.  I'm expecting wonderful grace and courtesy from you while I am away.  Be sure to keep checking the blog while I'm gone, because I will be posting pictures of all the awesome science stuff I see!

Ms. Carol and myself will be continuing parent/teacher conferences this week.  We've really had a nice time meeting with families, and I look forward to talking to those who have conferences scheduled for this week.  If you need to cancel your conference for any reason, please contact me ASAP so we can reschedule.

Finally, if you celebrate Halloween and plan on going trick-or-treating, be safe a follow these suggestions from the Center for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov):

	Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
	Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
	Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
	Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.
	Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always WALK and don't run from house to house.
	Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.
	Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
	Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
	Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
	Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
	Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.
	Enter homes only if you're with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Don't stop at dark houses. Never accept rides from strangers.
	Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

Have a wonderful week,
Mr. Trent