Wee 6 Highlights and Week 7 Printout

Dear All!

Here's what happened in this short week:

• First, I taught students about the process of thinking while taking an exam. Then, I had students take a practice exam for English. I later went over every question on the practice exam and had them correct their own answers. I later had them write the score for their practice exam and a target score they had in mind for their final exam. This way, they could visually see how much they effort they would have to put in in order to reach their goal. I would like each student to be proactive in studying.
• After the practice exam, I had everyone do a reading comprehension activity. I also taught everyone about the reading comprehension test strategy, which is to read the full text first before doing anything. After reading the full text, it is important to read each question and its multiple choice carefully. Please make sure to read ALL multiple choice options before choosing the best answer. After reading all multiple choice options, eliminate the obvious wrong answers first. Then, choose the best answer based on the text.
• Then, I had everyone do all of their corrections in their books. I also had them do a science practice test. After all of the practice tests, I had students make flashcards for the exam staring with the answers they've gotten wrong on the practice test. 

My ultimate goal for review week is to saturate the student's mind with everything they've learned this semester. This is a full week of retrieval practice, where each student is working to retrieve the information from their memories. On the other hand, it is very important to play, rest, and eat well! So, make sure to take a movement break every once in a while or your brain might be fried! Alright, below is Week 7's printout:

Please email me if you have any questions about anything from Unit 1!

Love,

Ms. Wendy

A Journey in Kao Shiung - by Anna

        The best memory I've ever had with my family was when we went to Kao Shiung. I was nine years old. At first, we drove a car and got there in the evening. Then, we needed to find a hotel. But, my tummy said to go to the restaurant first. So, we tried to find the restaurant, but it was so difficult to find the restaurant. We also couldn't find hotels anywhere. At last, we found a "car hotel." It was an interesting hotel. First, we put the car on the ground. Then, the big door closed. There wasn't any light. It was very scary. There was only a red light. When we turned on the light, all the stairs lit up. It was amazing. It was like stepping on magic. When we went up, the room looked like a hive. It was very pretty. Then, I went into the bathroom. It was the most beautiful bathroom I've ever seen. It was very, very big.
         I was so tired that I fell asleep instantly. When I woke up, everything was quiet.Then, I found a door. I thought that there would be a ghost because it was scary. I opened it and saw a swimming pool and hot spring. My sister woke up. She saw it and exclaimed, "Wow! Wow!" The sound woke mom up. She was very angry but when she saw the room, she was amazed too. "Let's eat breakfast!" said dad. Maybe he was hungry.
        The restaurant of the hotel was very long and tall. We needed to go up a long flight of stairs. When we got to the bridge, it looked very beautiful. Unfortunately, the food wasn't very good. After breakfast, we drove away. Also, the people gave us wine. What a lucky day! Then, we went hiking. There was no lunch on the mountain so we just had lunch on the car. Then, we went to the park.
         Finally, when it was time to go home, I felt so tired. Everybody was happy except my sister. She was angry that she didn't get a snack. It was the best memory I've ever had with my family because of the "car hotel." I wish I can go to the "car hotel" again. I will never forget it.

The Best Day of My Life - By Effy

        " Let's have a birthday party!" my mom exclaimed. We were at McDonald's and it was 1:00pm on a Tuesday. "Yahoo!" I replied. I felt happy about the birthday party because all of my friends were coming to my part! Anyways, let me tell you why this was going to be the best day of my life.
        First, I went to McDonald's with my mom, dad, and my friends. We went there because it was my birthday and my birthday is very important. When we got there, we were surprised! The place was pretty and it smelled like cake! It was the most beautiful place I've ever been to.
        Once I arrived home, I said "Thank you, mom and dad." I felt extremely happy. This is because I got to eat a lovely and yummy cake with my family and friends. As you can see, this was the best day of my life.

Me and Justin- by Winston

        "Hi," greeted Justin. "Hello," I replied. We were at a mall and it was 11:00 a.m. on a Sunday. I felt very excited about today because Justin and I were going to play all day. Anyways, I am going to tell you about the best day of my life.
        First, we went on a slide. It was very tall. I slid down it first. Then, Justin went second. It was thrilling.
        Second, we went on a go kart. I suggested that we had a race. "Yes!" replied Justin. Then, I beat him. I was very happy. "It is a great day!" Justin exclaimed. "Ya!" I replied. We were on the way home. It was fun. I was quite tired too.
        Once I arrived home, I fell asleep instantly. I even dreamed that I went out again with Justin. I was excited. When I woke up and got out of bed, I forgot about the dream. This was the happiest day of my life because I got to spend the whole day with my best friend.

Best Day of My Life- by Koki

        "When will the duck eggs hatch?" I asked. "I don't know!" my mom replied. I felt excited because this was the first time that I was going to have a duck at home. Anyways, let me tell you why today was going to be the best day of my life.

        First, the duck eggs started hatching. When it was hatching, there was a sound. Then, the little ducklings came out! We were so happy! However, one of my eggs didn't hatch.
        When the ducks came out, it was red, bald, and disgusting. Then, one week later, the ducks turned yellow. It was cute and colorful. Finally, a month later, its neck grew very long. The ducks liked to eat vegetables such as cabbage. Two months later, I gave my duck to Ou-Bei-Bei. Unfortunately, four hours later I gave the duck away, it died. The duck died because it was too fold. I felt down.
     
Even though it was an unfortunate ending, I learned how to raise a ducking. I felt happy. This was my first time every raising a duckling. This was the best experience I've ever had!

The Play date in the Summer -by Sofia

        Ding Dong! Ding Dong! That was the sound of my house's doorbell. On a normal day, I would have assume the package that my bought had arrived and that someone was delivering it to our house. On a normal day, I would have ignored that ringing doorbell. Bur on this day, I rushed to the door and found my best friend Sophia Hu ready for our play date.
        Sophia's mom was going to be busy working so Sophia could have fun at my house all day. I was beyond excited. We came to my room and played with Sophia's lego camping car. After a while, Sophia pointed at my shelf and asked, "What's that?" "That's my camera!" I replied. That's when I thought of a fantastic idea. "We could make our own special movie!" Without saying another word, we quickly set up the lego characters in the living room, where there was lots of space. We finished filming by lunch time.
        For lunch, we went to a restaurant near our house. It was a peaceful, quiet, and spacious resaturant. We had some pasta with iced tea. When I started eating, I saw Sophia adding lots of salt to her pasta. We also had some ice cream from 7-11, which was the perfect thing to do on a hot day like this one!
        At home, we watched our favorite cartoon "Lego Friends" on Netflix while eating some chips and cheetos and drinking Pocari, which was Sophia's favorite. This was the first time I had ever watched cartoons with her. I was pretty sure she thought it was special too because she never had Netflix before.
        This was so much fun. It was also a great experience. It was the first time she came to my house. That's why it's so special and also why it was the best day of my life.

The Best Day of My Life- By Sarina

        Kocadoolodoo! It was the morning of April 13th. I was so happy because it was my birthday! I ran to the kitchen and exclaimed, "It's my birthday!" I felt really excited. Anyways, let me tell you

why this was the best day of my life.
        First, I went to my dad's restaurant to have a birthday party. I went with my mom, dad, and my little sister. Then knock knock! Amber Chen was here and I was so happy. It was lunch at that time, so we ate lunch at my dad's restaurant. When my mom was ordering lunch, Amber C and I played games.
       Then, when the food was ready, Amber Chen and I were very hungry. So, we ran to the table to eat lunch. We ate pizza, spaghetti, french fries, and steak. Wen all the food vanished, we went to see how to make pizza. It is my dad's restaurant, so I could go anywhere I wanted in the restaurant.
        Lastly, my mom ordered a big birthday cake for me. I as so surprised and happy. Once I arrived home, I felt extremely happy. This was because I had the best birthday party in my life. This was the best day of my life.

My Own C.h.i.c.k! - by Tyler

        Kkkkk! "I have a chick!" I said. "Yes! And it is born!" My sister exclaimed. This is a long story that I would like to share with you. It was 3:53pm on Friday, December 23rd and I was at home. This is a very evocative story for me.

        It all began with a project. My family and I decided to incubate chicken eggs with lights, so that the eggs could hatch. We even took a course to learn about chicks! I was feeling very scared because I couldn't promise that I could incubate it successfully. That question was always on my mind.
        One day, when I came home, my mom shouted, " The chick is born!!!" It was unbelievable. I couldn't believe it! We took many photos and videos. This memory is very evocative.
        The chick grew older, it became big and cute. Yesterday was its third month birthday! If I remember correctly, it weights about 500 grams now, but it is still very cute. It no longer squeaks. It now makes sounds like "Gro! Gro! Gro!" My mom always calls me to help clean its leg when it comes out. I won't forget the feeling in my heart.
        We got a lot of good certificates and awards for our project. But... there's a question on my mind, when will we have to let the chick go? We can't keep him forever because he will start crowing a lot in the morning! Whatever it is, I wish I can keep it for longer!

When I was in First Grade - by Chi Chi

        I will never forget the time that I was the bravest in my whole life. The craziest event in the world happened to me in first grade and I will never forget it. The bravest thing that I have ever done was when I had a ping pong competition. At first, I was very scared. I didn't think I could win. Then, I played the game. Finally, when the game was over, I felt very happy because I won and I got a trophy. This was the bravest thing I've done in my whole life.

The Worst Day of My Life - by Nicholas

        "Let's go fishing!" my mom exclaimed. We were on a mountain and it was 8:00am. We were on a vacation. "Okay! Let's go! I'm bored," I replied. I felt exited about fishing because I had never gone fishing before. Anyways, let me tell you why today was going to be the worst day of my life.
        I went fishing with my mom and dad. First, we were still on the mountain. When we got down, we started fishing. There was a little puddle over there. I was sitting at the back. The place was a little high. It was the highest place I've ever been to.
        Then, my mom let me take some beer to my dad. I was walking, but I tripped and fell into the puddle. I later got up and almost cried. This was the worst day of my life.

The Best Day of My Life - by Zoe

        Would you like to know about the best day of my life? It was 4:00pm on a Friday and I just came home from school. "Happy Birthday!" my mom exclaimed. There was a crowd at home. All of my relatives and family were there. I was so happy and so excited!
        First, the cake was so cute and yummy. It was a bunny cake. The bunny cake had white frosting but had chocolate on the inside. Chocolate is my favorite flavor. It even had cookies on it! After I blew the candle, I cut the cake for everyone. That was the best cake I've ever had!
        Then, it was finally time to open my gifts. There were so many birthday cards for me to read, so I decided to read from the smallest to the biggest. It actually only took 3 minutes to read almost all of the birthday cards. They were all so cool! After that, I still had two more to read, and they were actually the biggest. The last two were from my grandpa and my parents. When I opened my grandpa's, I head music coming out of the card. It was so cool! I liked it so much. then, I finally opened my parent's card. There was a picture of my body with some animal head. It was funny and adorable. After reading all of the cards, it was gift time! First, I got a tiny puppy doll. It was so small and fluffy. Second, I got a pair of slippers that was so soft and had a puppy face on top! Those were my two favorite gifts. The rest of the gifts included some key chains and backpack. I love my gifts so much!
        After I finished unwrapping the gifts, my mom told us that we had a little challenging game to play. There was a balloon on top of each person's head and I had to pop them. The balloons were either filled with sand, water, or candy. Those who got the water one had to go change their clothes, which was my sister. Those who got candy would have to eat it. The game was amazing. I loved the game a lot.
         After all of those activities, it was time to eat dinner! The steak was so yummy. The restaurant was so big and it was the yummiest dinner I've ever had. Anyways, this was the best day of my life!

The Best Day - by Amber H

        "Let's make pizza," suggested my little brother Nathan. We were at Meoli and it was 10:00 on Febuary 29th, 2019. "Okay!" everyone replied. I felt excited about making pizza because I had never made it before even though I had eaten it before, haha. Anyways, let me tell you why today was going to be the best day of my life.
        First, I went to Meoli with Nathan, mom, dad, Verena and Abby (my two kindergarten friends), and Kate (Verena's little sister). We stayed overnight at Meoli to make pizza. When we first go there, we drank some tea and put on some animal hats. The place was beautiful, modern, and had many plants. It was the most beautiful place I've ever been to. "It's so beautiful!" Verena exclaimed. "Yes it is," her mom replied. We also had a pillow fight in one of our rooms. It was very fun and exciting.
        "We're going to make pizza!" I exclaimed. First, the teacher gave us the ingredients to make pizza. Verena, Abby, and I were going to make one pizza together. Then, we put some ketchup and cheese on top of the pizza and we put many vegetables on it too! Finally, we put our pizza into the oven. Then, we ate the pizza! It was so yummy!
        Once I arrived home, I unpacked everything. I felt extremely happy. This is because I made pizza the first time every in my life! I've learned from this experience that making pizza is fun. As you can see, t his was the best day of my life.

Unit 1 Exam Scope

Hi everyone!

Please click here to access the e-version of the exam scope. I will be posting review materials for ALL subjects by next week so please stay tuned!

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns,

Ms. Wendy

Week 5 Highlights and Week 6 Printout

Hi everyone!

I hope that all of you are taking care of yourselves both mentally and physically. This pandemic not only affects our immune system but also our mental health. For this reason, it is crucial that we provide moral support to each other and do our personal duties in washing hands and wearing masks.

Anyways, here are this week's highlights:

• In reading, we all read about John Powell and nine men, who embarked on a daring journey down the Mighty Colorado River. When they encountered the rapids, one of their boats tipped over and they lost a lot of necessary supplies during the trip. Even though a few men left, the rest persevered and completed a significant journey that helped other Americans learn about the west so that they could expand their territory and build homes there.
• In writing, we wrote our last personal narrative about 'The best day of my life.' Before having them write, I shared about my personal experience in running a half-marathon, which was the best day of my life. Then, I told everyone that this is your last chance to tell YOUR STORY. I have to say that everyone has done an excellent job in telling stories from their perspective. Reading everyone's stories definitely evokes memories of my childhood. Next week, we'll be sharing each other's personal narratives. I hope that all of you look forward to that as much as I do! 
• In grammar, we learned about question words. Even though students ask and answer questions in class everyday, making a question from a statement can still be tricky. If you'd like more review, please study from this PowerPoint. I hope this helps!
• In math, we learned our last unit about adding decimals. Most students are starting to get a hang of how decimals work. Just remember that when you add decimals vertically, you must align the decimals or else your answer wouldn't be correct!
• In science, we finished our unit about Electric Circuits. We also watched an interesting video about static electricity-- about why is it that there is a ZAP! when we touch the door knob sometimes. Here is the video if you'd like to watch it again :) 
• For novel class, I spent some time reading Charlotte's Web and Boxcar Children out loud to everyone. When I was a little kid, I loved listening to my teacher read. So, I would like to share this experience with everyone as well :) 

That's a wrap for another week! Unit 1 Exams are on April 9th and 10th so please go over the exam scope that should be already glued in the communication books. Again, I'm going to bug you and tell you to start studying TODAY! Exams will be here before you know it.

Below is Week 6's Printout:

Alright, peace out everyone!

Ms. Wendy

Week 4 Highlights and Week 5 Printouts

Howdy, Howdy, Howdy!

I can't believe that we're 80% done with Unit 1. It is unfortunate that the cases for COVID-19 continue to escalate as the weeks pass by. I've noticed that many students were not washing their hands properly so I would urge all parents to remind everyone the importance of washing hands. Let's be proactive and responsible citizens! Anyways, here's what happened this week:

• In Reading, the 402 class read about Cesar Chavez, who was a hero back in the 1930s that helped migrant farm workers fight for better working conditions. Can you believe that they were only getting 10NT/day for working under inhumane conditions? As for the 403 class, we read a story about Harriet Tubman. She was a former slave who led a lot of slaves to freedom by helping them escape through underground railroads and serving in the Civil War. The North wanted to ban slavery whereas the South wanted to continue it. Cesar Chavez and Harriet Tubman are exemplary figures of altruism.
• In Creative Writing, we all learned how to write dialogues by using dialogue verbs such as: exclaimed, said, replied, asked, suggested, insisted, and whispered. I have to say, some of the students' dialogues were absolutely hilarious! Everyone seemed to be entertained by each others' creative and humorous dialogues. 
• In Math, we continued to learn about decimals up to the thousandth unit. While this unit seemed to be a breeze for many students, I've noticed that these students tend to make more silly mistakes in their math books. Therefore, please be fastidious when doing math exercises. No matter how confident you are with your answer, make sure to double check.
• In Science, we moved onto a new unit that's about electric circuits. I explained to them about how batteries work-- of how the electrons travel to the protons while a battery is in use. I hope that you've found that intriguing! 
• In grammar we learned how to use much, many, a little, a lot, a lot of, a few, few, a little, little correctly. Whew! That seems like a lot. However, the rules are pretty straightforward. We use much and little with uncountable nouns. We use many and few with countable nouns. We use a lot with both countable and uncountable nouns. Again, if you read for leisure on a regular basis, grammar is really going to seem easier for you!

Alright! That's a wrap for this week. Exams are coming up in a couple weeks so please please please start reviewing. Take it slow and easy on your brain!

Here is Week 5's printout for next week:

Let me know if you have any questions!

Ms. Wendy

Week 3 Highlights & Week 4 Printout

Dear All,

The weather has been quite sporadic this week so I hope that all of you are replenishing yourselves with healthy food and fluids to maintain a strong immune system. Here is what happened this week:

• In reading, we all read about 'Running Races." In the story, Rachel and Anya were best friends who were trying out for the cross country team. Even though Anya was known for her talent in multiple sports, Rachel ended up winning the race in the tryouts. Anya didn't deliberately slow down for Rachel because she was actually getting tired.
• In creating writing, we all wrote personal narratives about a journey with my family. I loved reading your stories about your journeys to Italy, Turkey, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Canada, Australia, Thailand, Switzerland, and many more! I'd like to thank all the students who emailed me pictures of their family trips! I will be sharing them with the class soon so stay tuned!
• In grammar, we wrapped up Unit 12, which was about the present simple tense vs. the present progressive tense. This was a confusing concept for many so here's a tip: don't just try to memorize grammar rules. The more you read and the more you listening to English, the easier it'll become for you when you learn grammar.
• In math, we learned about the tenth and hundredth decimal place. Please remember that 0.08 DOES NOT EQUAL 0.80!
• In science, we reviewed about the properties of heat energy. For example, when there's heat on an object, its temperature could rise, its state of matter could change, and it could expand.
• As for novel class, I've been trying to incorporate storytelling time by reading this semester's novel to the students. All I ask is for everyone to simply enjoy listening. Reading a novel by yourself definitely feels different than when you simply listen to someone read. I would really like students to improve their listening skills while they enjoy the story.

Here is Week 4's printout for next week:

Can't believe we're already over half of the first unit. Our Unit 1 exam is in 2 weeks! So, if you'd like to get a head start, I'd encourage you to start reviewing now so you wouldn't have to cram everything at the end.

Have a restful weekend!

Ms. Wendy

Week 2 Highlights

Dear All,

We could finally learn in our English Classrooms this week, yay! Here are this week's highlights:

• In Journeys, Class 402 read about "The Right Dog for the Job" from the Hardcover book and Class 403 read about "Monkeys." Both of this stories shined the light on cute and fuzzy animals assisting those who need a hand because they are disabled. For Class 403, we learned an important term called intelligence disobedience where the service dog must learn to disobey its owner when there's imminent danger. As for class 403, we've learned that monkeys could help us fetch and carry several objects because they have thumbs, like us, humans! There's an old saying that a dog is a man's best friend but I think that a monkey could be a man's best friend as well. What do you guys think?
• In creative writing, we started a new unit on personal narratives. A personal narrative is a story about you! I had students share and write about the bravest thing they've ever done. I loved reading about the students' stories about conquering their fear of heights, performing in front of a large audience, riding a terrifying roller coaster, and even confessing about their wrongdoings! I really hope that all of you will enjoy this unit because this is a time for you to tell YOUR story from your point of view. So, what's your story? :) 
• In math, we learned to differentiate between the 12-hour clock notation and a 24-hour clock notation. Please remember that we have to use a.m and p.m when using the 12-hour clock notation. We also started some word problems about time. These word problems could be tricky so please make sure that you review math every week so that you wouldn't have to cram all of your studying at the end before your unit exams. Be proactive!
• In science, we continued our unit that we started towards the end of last semester, which was about heat energy (Unit 19). Here are some review questions for you: What happens when there's heat applied to an object? What is an example of a good conductor of heat? (Hint: think of the type of material that your parents use for cooking)
• In grammar, we learned to differentiate between present progressive and present simple. Because Mandarin doesn't need present progressive and present simple, students often gets these tenses confused. Therefore, this is a tense where students need to be more mindful and aware when applying them. Just remember, we use present progressive to talk about actions that are happening now and at this moment. Therefore, we must use the verb to be + verb(ing). As for present simple tense, we use it with habits and permanent states. If you see adverbs of frequency such as usually, normally, every, sometimes, etc, the sentence is in the present simple tense. So, here's your review question: When do we need to add 's' to the verb in the present simple? (Hint: think about the noun)

I'd also like to give a quick shout out to my drama students who won the Great Performance Award. Again, all of you were very cooperative and did superb. I hope that you guys had as much fun as I did. Anyways, that's a wrap for this week! I hope that all of you will be proactive in reviewing what we've learned this week so that you are ready for next week's lessons.

Please check out below for next week (Week 3)'s printout:

Warmest Regards,

Ms. Wendy