Time for Testing

Hello Parents/Guardians,

I hope everyone is coping with this winter freeze.  By the weekend we should be seeing some milder temperatures.  Think spring!

The Riverside students are now involved in the MontCAS testing.  Yesterday they started the reading sessions.  Today they will finish the reading.  On Tuesday they will complete the math sessions.  Please remind your kids to do their best.  Also remind them that they are not graded on these.  These will in no way affect their school grades.  This may alleviate some of the stress.

The 8th grade Language! students have taken over the literature blog for the next couple of weeks.  Our new post is concerning Joan of Arc.  This relates to the book we are using for Read Aloud.  We invite you to visit 109reading.blogspot.com and leave your comment.  

Language! students have also been using a new internet program called Google Docs to review concepts in collaboration with other classes in the building.

Social studies students have finished their projects on Central America and are presenting them this week.  Two of the students are presenting with Powerpoint.

Riverside will have it's spring choral concert on Monday, March 16th at 7:30 p.m.  Students in the concert need to be here by 6:45.

The girl's volleyball season has also started.  You can call the school for game times.  Come support our volleyball teams!

One more thing.  Please encourage your kids to bring their Riverside planners to school everyday.  They really are a great organizational tool.

That's all for now.  Till next time.

Marjorie Zeedyk

February: A Time to Honor American Presidents

Hello Parents!

Thanks for checking out Room 109 Riverside!

Today the Riverside 8th graders are attending a Chinese acrobatics live performance at the Alberta Bair.  It should be a wonderful experience!  The students in 109 Language! will be writing about it tomorrow.

Both Language! classes are studying pronouns in depth.  Besides designating them as first, second, or third person, we are also talking about whether each pronoun is singular or plural.

Pronouns, pronouns, pronouns!

We have also been working on some new prefixes (non, com, col, cor, ex, ef, mis, etc.).  Students will be getting on nettrekker.com to practice their prefix skills.  Should be fun!

Seventh grade (periods 6 and 7) Language! students be visiting their literature blog this week to comment on the book Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen.  Check it out at 109reading.blogspot.com!  Eighth graders will be blogging again in a couple of weeks.

Social Studies students have returned to the countries of Central America for more in-depth study.  They are working with their partners, studying and researching one Central American

country of their choice.  Some of the them will be creating Powerpoint presentations.

Just to let you know, Riverside will be having a Valentine's dance on Thurs. (Feb. 12th).  It will be held from 3:30 to 5:00.  Admission cost is $2.00.

That's all for now.  Have a happy Valentine's day!

Till next time,

Marjorie Zeedyk

As we move into February . . .

Parents/Guardians,

Hello to all!  We are now well into third quarter.  So much to get done before school is out!

The Language! classes both started a new English concept today, that of singular and plural pronouns.  They will be reviewing it on Monday.  I am giving more homework this quarter than I did last.  I'm sad to say that I am not getting it all turned in.  Please ask to see your child's completed homework.  If a homework assignment is given, it should be written in the Riverside Planner that all the students should have.  Hopefully, we can get all the students to do and turn in their homework.  We have been working on writing using transition words - first, secondly, thirdly, next, then, now, finally, etc.  Some wonderful writings were turned in!  Bravo to your kids!  This coming week we will again be commenting on our literature blog - 109reading.blogspot.com.  Check it out!

The Social Studies class has just completed a chapter in our textbook on oceans, rivers, and lakes.  They will have a quiz on the material on Tuesday.  The kids will be bringing home a handout to study from Monday.  Please encourage them to study for it.

We will be having an all school assembly on Friday.  

That's all for now.  Hope everyone is staying warm during this winter freeze.

Till next time.

Marjorie Zeedyk

Happy New Year!

Dear Parents,

Language classes are busy again!  We are working hard on dividing words into syllables using the "Conquer and Divide" technique.  The students continue to read from their independent reading books.  In the J&J practice book, we are reading a story called The Fire.  Seventh graders are listening to the book Red Midnight.  Eighth graders are listening to a biography about Joan of Arc.  Both classes continue to practice writing masterpiece sentences.  Fluency Builder sheets (#2) were given for homework.  Please ask your child about these.

The Social Studies class has been studying earthquakes and volcanoes this week.

Boys basketball is in full swing at Riverside.  The end of the quarter is Friday, January 16th.

That's all for now.

Marjorie Zeedyk and Thomas Chapman

It's time for Christmas break!

Parents/Guardians,

Hi!

Students who have Room 109 as their homeroom will have a Christmas party on Monday, December 22nd. Students may participate in a gift exchange - boys bring a boy's gift and girls bring a girl's gift. Please do not spend more than $7.00. Students are also encouraged to bring a treat to share with their classmates.

Students who have first and second period Language! will have their Christmas party on Tuesday. There will not be a gift exchange for this one. But please have your child bring a treat to share.

Students will be dismissed for Christmas break on Tuesday at the normal time.

My next post will be in the new year.

Till then.


Marjorie Zeedyk

Season's Greetings!

Hello Parents!

Sorry I've been away from the blog for awhile. I ran into some technical problems.

Things are very busy at Riverside this time of year. One thing I really want to mention is that Riverside's Christmas choral concert is this Tuesday evening at 7:00. Please come and enjoy the singing and music.

Another important reminder is that school will be dismissing early on both Dec. 1lth and 12th.
We will be having parent-teacher conferences on the 11th from 1:00 to 4:00 and again from 4:30 to 7:30. See you here!

My Language classes are moving right along. We have done a lot of work on words with long vowels, mostly the cvcv pattern. Right now we are also studying possessive pronouns. And for Read Aloud we are doing Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen, a Montana author.

Among other things, the social studies students are learning about the Central American countries.

That's all for now. Look for a new post on the 12th.

Marjorie Zeedyk

Hello parents!

Sorry I missed last week's post.  I was out of school ill for several days.  But I'm feeling much better now.

The Language classes continue to be hard at work.  All students commented on our literature blog this week - 109reading.blogspot.com - check it out.  I'm sure your child would like to read you his/her comment.    We also used "Inspiration" software this week to do a good review on contractions (we'll, isn't, can't, etc.).  Another English concept we worked on was verb phrases.

Independent reading and one-to-one reading conferences continue!

The social studies class is wrapping up the unit on Native Americans in Montana.  This week we concentrated on the Fort Peck reservation.  The students should know some facts.  Quiz them on this if you get a chance.  Every Thursday the students have a short oral report due on some current events story.  They just need to have a few sentences written down about the story.

Remember that the students do not have school on October 16th and 17th (Thursday and Friday).  These are Montana Teacher Conference days.  I'm going to the state reading conference in Great Falls.  Hope to come back with many great ideas and some great books to add to our classroom library.

Have a great weekend!

Marjorie Zeedyk

As always, please encourage your child to do extra reading at home.