Messages+From+Miss+Jakob

Welcome to Science Rockz!!!

Future scientists currently in Green Team Science Classes will be using this website frequently throughout the year to further add to our scientific and technological knowledge base! The website will also serve to be an excellent resource for students who were absent from class or whose homework didn't make it into the agenda that day. Science Rockz can also facilitate parental involvement...parents who are interested in seeing what students are up to in science class will be able to view an updated weekly agenda, a quick window to the topics being covered and activities taking place in our classroom that week. Some ongoing student projects, such as our "Adopt a Spot Project" will also be posted online for parent viewing pleasure.

By using wikispaces to run our class website students are able to post, and make changes to any of the website pages. This feature of wiki's is of great use when collaborating on group projects, as everyone will be able to post, and edit materials,as well as, leave comments on our site.

New News...

9/19/10 REMINDER: Back to school night is this Thursday starting at 6pm. Check out the link below to the PMS website for more information.

Back to School Night Info

Thank you for coming to Back to School Night!! It was nice to meet all of you, and I look forward to an exciting year!

9/28/10 NECAP Information: The Green Team is scheduled to start NECAP testing next week... Please join us in making sure your student is prepared for testing by encouraging them to get a good night's rest, as well as, to eat a hardy, complete breakfast in the morning. For a little extra persuasion this article from webmd details why breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

__Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day__

NECAP Testing Schedule: __Reading__ Tuesday 10/5 Wednesday 10/6 Thursday 10/7

__Math__ Tuesday 10/12 Wednesday 10/13 Thursday 10/14

10/7/10

Progress Reports were passed out in class today to any student who is failing or in danger of failing. Progress reports are to be signed and returned.

10/12/10

Finally!!

Today was the official starting day of our Adopt a Spot Enrichment Project, the first day that enrichment period has been rain free in about a week. C Block ventured outside, picked their spots, and made their initial observations, even had a photo op!! Students also collected a leaf sample from their spot. All enrichment classes will be working on creating a Tree Key (to be posted online) throughout the Fall Foliage season. Next week students will begin putting together their Adopt a Spot websites...Stay tuned for spotty updates :)

10/20/10

Unit Test #1 Scheduled for 10/29

Students have been aware for over a week now that we have a unit test scheduled for 10/29, next Friday. This test will be a summative evaluation and will consist of material from the beginning of the year through this week (metric-classification). We will begin our official review on Friday and will continue throughout next week. I also encourage students to flip through their notes during any of their free time. Students will be receiving a study guide on Friday listing all of the topics being covered by this test.

10/25/10

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent teacher conferences have been scheduled for Tuesday, November 16th from 6:30-8:30 pm. Students will be sent home with forms, some time this week, that can be used to sign up for a conference. The team will then schedule an appointment. Forms need to be returned by November 4th.

11/02/10

Unit 1 Test Results

The results are in!.... For the test taken in class last Friday anyway...we'll have to wait a bit for today's elections. I will be passing back the Unit Tests that students took in class last Friday. Class averages for this test were in the C range. As per my policy, students are encouraged to make up points lost on their tests via staying after school and completing a review and a quick make-up. Normally the policy is that only students with a failing grade (65 or below) are eligible to take a make-up, but since this test was large, and counts for 20% of the Quarter 1 Grade, any student with a 70 or below on this test is encouraged to come after school for a make-up.

I will be sending home notices with those students who are eligible for a make-up, and ask that you sign and return the form/test to me in order to ensure that you have seen the test as well. Even if the student preformed well on the test and is not eligible for a make-up I ask that you sign and return the test, so as we can acknowledge your student's achievements. My late night is Thursday night. We are down to the wire with 1st quarter closing on Friday, so I would like to get as many make-ups as possible done this Thursday.

Thank you for your help and for all of the time that many parents put into helping their students study last week, you efforts are greatly appreciated!! :)

11/12/10

Report Cards

First quarter report cards are being handed out today in homeroom today, please watch for them to come home.

11/22/10

Deadly Invaders Project

We have started our bacteria/virus research projects. Please visit the "Deadly Invaders" link off of my homepage to view the project deadlines, description, and even rubric. Although most of our research will be done in class the site also provides links to helpful websites as well as a direct link to the Glogster website that students are using to construct their visual aid.

11/29/10

Late Nights Week of 11/29

I will be staying after school twice this week, both Tuesday and Thursday nights. I will be having my late night in the computer lab so as students have extra time to work on their bacteria/virus projects that are due Friday. There is no Exploravision meeting this week.

12/8/10

Honoring Our Veterans at PMS

Video from projo.com featuring the Wreaths Across America Ceremony at PMS!!!

media type="custom" key="7792563"

12/9/10

Ponaganset's Next Top (Cell) Model!

The cell model project will be assigned in class tomorrow. Please check out the project link on the home screen for further information, helpful websites, and the project rubric.

01/19/11

Never Ending Quarter!

Due to the recent Snow Day craziness second quarter has been extended with grades now closing on January 26th, and report cards expected to go home on February 1st. All science make up work is to be turned in no later then 01/25, including quiz corrections on the cell part quiz as well as the upcoming Osmosis and Diffusion quiz scheduled for this Friday (01/21). Students are aware of the work they are missing, and can check the missing work lists hanging in my room if there is any question about an assignment that has yet to be turned in. We've been working on two Osmosis and Diffusion labs over the past 2 weeks...check out some of our Gummy Bear Lab results below!!



02/28/11

Quick Announcements! Welcome back from a hopefully very restful February Vacation. Over the vacation I have updated all 3rd quarter grades, this includes two new quiz grades, the Cell Cycle Quiz and Genetics Vocabulary Quiz. These quizzes were our first quizzes of the quarter to be taken without using notes from class. Leading up to the quizzes we had many in class and homework assignments covering the topics of both the cell cycle and introductory vocabulary for our genetics unit that we will continue to cover for most of 3rd quarter. Quizzes will be handed back in class on 2/28 and students are welcome to make corrections to both of these quizzes regardless of their grade, and turn in corrected quizzes for up to full credit. Students can hand in one or both of the corrected quizzes up until Friday (3/4) of this week.

I also wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of the change in my weekly late night. I will now be staying on Wednesdays not Thursdays, due to a class that I am taking on Wednesday nights. This class will hopefully allow me to secure some grant money to take the Green Team on an awesome field trip this Spring :) very exciting!!

03/09/11

3rd Quarter Progress Reports

We're half way through another quarter! 3rd quarter progress reports for Science should be coming home today for all those with an average of a 70 or below at this point. Slips should be signed and returned to Miss Jakob by Monday.

= 05/18/11 = 4th Quarter Progress Reports and Other News!

Wow! We are offiicially half way through 4th quarter. Progress reports for Science are being handed out in class tomorrow and will be coming home to students with averages below a 70. Slips should be signe and returned to Miss Jakob by Monday. I'm sure that students have already spread the word that we are starting the dreaded or much anticipated (depending on the student:) ) Frog dissection. We are currently in the process of creating our own lab manuals which will allow us to identify the Frog's structures and organs properly when the time comes. We have practiced our safety and dissection techniques yesterday with the help of a less threatening specimen...a pickle. Prior to our dissection we will also be viewing a virtual frog dissection which will allow students to preview the actual dissection. Below is the link to the virtual dissection...there are many on the internet but this one seems to be very complete and helpful!! Dissection pictures to follow!

Virtual Frog Dissection

5/30/11

Dissection Success!

As promised please see some of the Green Team's fabulous work on the frog dissections last week! I was very impressed with how the students took this lab very seriously and were so inquisitive about what they were seeing. I think we may have some future surgeons on our hands!! Great Job Everyone!