Morning Announcements 2/16/11

Good Morning Emerson Eagles! Dream, Believe, Achieve!

Today is Wednesday, February 16, 2011
It looks like we are going to be on an INCLEMENT WEATHER SCHEDULE today.

Question of the Day:
Before you answer this question, remember to answer in a complete sentence and please don't start with "good."  How's it going?

Skill Blitz: (Repeat from yesterday)
This week the Reading Comprehension Skill Focus is Main Idea.  You can use the Reading Comprehension Strategy of identifying the main idea to help you in all of your subjects.  Here is a fourth grade CST Released Test Question:
Gabrielle wants to cover her square garden with mulch to protect her plants.  Which bag of mulch will Gabrielle need to buy to exactly cover the entire garden area?
Even without showing you the picture, the dimensions of her garden, and the bags of mulch, what do you already know about the MAIN IDEA of this CST-style math problem? First, here are some important details:

• The mulch must cover the garden.
• You need to know how much mulch it will take to cover the garden. 
• The word "exactly" must be important...she doesn't want to buy extra mulch.
• The word "area" and "cover" are important in describing the type of problem we are solving.

None of these details, however, will help you figure out the MAIN IDEA. The word SQUARE, which means that the length and width of the garden are the same, provide the clue about the MAIN IDEA that will help you solve this problem.  On the picture, the only measurement provided is for the length...but because the problem said that the garden is a square, you will know the width as well. 

How do you tell the difference between an important detain and the MAIN IDEA?  In this problem, the missing detail (which you'll know because of your knowledge that the sides of a square are equal) provides the clue for the the main idea.  In this problem, you need to use clues from the text to fill in missing measurements from the pictures. 

Lunch and Attendance:
For lunch, you have two choices, the Farm Fresh Salad Bar, or the hot lunch. Today the hot lunch is:

Stuffed Crust Pizza 3-Way Salad w/Ranch Diced Pears

If you would like to have a hot lunch, please raise your hand.
Teachers, please take a count and make a note on your online attendance form.

Rules  (repeated from yesterday):
Hats and caps are not allowed at Emerson.  Students who have been reminded of this and are still wearing hats or caps will have to have their hat or cap picked up in the principal's office by their parent.  Another related rule is that of wearing "hoodies."  On cold winter mornings we have allowed students to wear hoodies, but on warm days, hoodies are not allowed.  The two primary reasons for not allowing hoodies include safety (you can't see a ball flying towards you with a limited field of vision) and supervision (the teachers and noon supervisors can't identify you). 
Another rule that needs re-emphasis is that both gum and lollipops/suckers are not allowed at school.

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance!

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

High Expectations:
There's no choice, achieving your personal best is required every day at Emerson!