See the World with Sparks

It's that time of year again!  Eubanks Intermediate School will have the honor of participating in the National Geographic Bee.  All 5th and 6th graders will participate as the preliminary rounds will be conducted in our Social Studies classrooms.  We will have a class winner and then a team winner.  The 8 team winners will compete on January 11 for the EIS Championship. For more information, including sample questions, quizzes and study tips, check out the link below.  National Geographic Bee

Google Earth is an exciting way to explore the world!  Today, we used the historical imagery feature to see an example of how some places change over time as people move and shape their surroundings.  We took a look at current and historical photographs of the United States as well as Southlake Town Square.  Amazing how much Town Square has changed during the life of a 6th grader!!  Google earth has dozens of cool features including a view of the oceans, Mars, a flight simulator and much, much more.  If you don't have Google Earth, check out the link below for a free download. http://www.google.com/earth/index.html Let me know what you find by commenting on this post.  Happy Exploring!!!!!

What is the weather like there?  What animals sometimes wander onto your playground?  What sports do you play?  What music do you listen to?  Does it ever stay dark all day long?  Are you affected by the melting polar ice caps?  We took a break from our Landmark Research to answer those questions when we got a surprise phone call from Mr. Terry today.  The students were thrilled as we Skyped with a 4th grade classroom in Anchorage, Alaska. The picture below shows Mr. Terry with a student in Barrow, Alaska.  To follow Mr. Terry online, go to Ontheroad.to and search for dragonmark.  The password is Alaska (with a capital A).  Enjoy!!

On Monday, several classes had the unique opportunity to use Skype in the classroom. Two of my classes Skyped with a solider who is a sniper in the U.S. Army and is currently stationed in Afghanistan and the third class Skyped with our Principal, Mr. Terry who was in a classroom in Barrow, Alaska.  With the soldier, we were able to discuss how the military is currently protecting the rights we enjoy as American citizens as well as the responsibilities we have here at home.  The solder also shared what the schools and children of Afghanistan were like. Mr. Terry took us to a classroom full of children and the students were able to ask questions to better understand what it might be like if they were a 6th grader in a remote Alaskan village.  I am hoping to post a picture of the classroom soon! I look forward to more Skyping experiences during the year!

You guys are doing a fabulous job!  Thanks for your enthusiasm.  Many of you asked to see the news story about the 2011-2012 Club.....just click on the link below.  I look forward to working with you this year as we explore even more ways to make Eubanks green.  Dragon News

Welcome To My Class!!  We have an exciting year ahead of us as we explore the world.  Take a minute to look at the Smilebox below.  It highlights a few of the places I have visited.  Look for clues in the background and the captions to see if you can figure out where I am.  Feel free to leave a comment here and introduce yourself.  I look forward to meeting each of you at Meet the Teacher Night.  Enjoy the rest of your summer! Create a picture collage

April 10 is Barefoot Day!  In class, we will explore modern day Africa with a focus on what it is like to grow up in a small Tanzanian village at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Students are encouraged to take their shoes off during class to help raise awareness of the difficulties that many children around the world face daily.  Since I teach two teams of students, one team on Tuesday and one on Wednesday, I will be taking my shoes off when I get home on Monday and not putting them back on until Thursday morning. I will be running 3-5 miles barefoot each day, doing crosswalk duty at school, and going about my usual activities after school. I can't wait!!! Please check out the website:  Barefoot Learning at Eubanks!   And plan to join us by going barefoot for all or part of the day.

Dear School Board Members: Thanks for making Eubanks Intermediate and Carroll ISD an outstanding place to work and to learn. We appreciate the time, effort and dedication you give to provide our children with the best possible education. It takes a very special person to volunteer to serve on the school board and we appreciate all of you!!   Many thanks to our wonderful school board!!!