We are back from our Winter Break and enjoying being with our friends, teachers and classmates. Many of us are busy working on FAIR testing or some of us have completed our portion--for now. The 5th graders are working on DARE this semester and some students are revving to go with the STEM Bowl right around the corner. Tropicana Speech is also in the works for 4th grade. LOTS of things are indeed happening at Minneola!!!!

I am quite pleased to see how well you all have been adjusting with all the different activities going on around campus. hang in there and enjoy the ride--we are heading for the home stretch. Today we celebrated the life lessons and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and we all got a day off from school to reflect on his dream for our nation. Please share something you admire or learned about him. You may comment to this post or write on your blog. 

Enjoy the rest of the week. This week you get early release on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and another day off (students only) on Friday--since it is the end of 2nd nine weeks--marking half of the school year is complete. 

I wish you an adventurous and  fantasterrific New Year and hardworking rest of the week!!!
~~ Mrs. Balkaran

Please read the following story and share your thoughts. We have been studying about conservation, non-renewable resources etc. A friend of mine shared the story/ comments--we do not know the source, but appreciate the thought provoking comparisons of then and now.
Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman,that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day. Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to thestore. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized andrefilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they reallywere recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day. We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store andoffice building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she wasright. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have thethrow-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobblingmachine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry ourclothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from theirbrothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady isright; we didn't have the green thing back in our day. 

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room.And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?),not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, we blendedand stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to doeverything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, weused wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubblewrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cutthe lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised byworking so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills thatoperate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the green thing backthen. 

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or aplastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing penswith ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in arazor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then. 

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes toschool or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets topower a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget toreceive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order tofind the nearest pizza joint. But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?  
 What are your thoughts? Anything you would like to add? Should we go back to living like "the good ole days?" 

Hi Guys,
Yes! The long awaited day is here!!! We had fun last Friday dressing up in Book Character costumes, but tonight we get to Trick or Treat with our friends and family in our neighborhoods.
Last week your assignment was to write about a favorite book or favorite movie and your blog post should have been at least 2 paragraphs--some students did and some students didn't--complete it by Friday please.
This week I want you to share your favorite Halloween experience. It could be from this year or from some other time.
Please re-read your posts, check your spelling, punctuation etc.
In addition, respond to comments on your blogs where necessary, and find time to check on our Quadblogging partners too.
Be safe tonight--roam in groups please. Safety in numbers are always more fun anyway.:)

Have a spooky, spunky, super dee dooper week!
~Mrs. Balkaran

The schools in the UK do not have school this week, so there is not a focus school for the week. Please continue to update your blogs, and feel free to read and comment on the other blogs at ALL four schools.

Have a great week,
Mr. Watson

Hi Students and Fellow Quadbloggers!

What a busy weekend and morning we had!!
Boys and girls, maybe you can share some of the activities we did, so our friends can get an insight on what we've been busy doing.
Fall is in full swing and we are busy deciding what to wear for our Book Character Day next Friday. Fellow quadbloggers maybe you can share some of your favorite book characters--who knows? ... we may have something in common with you.

I am thinking of dressing like Lady Macbeth. Does anyone know the name of the book with that character? How about the author of the book?

Have an absolutely, amazing week!
Mrs. Balkaran

We've blogged with all three of our Quadblogging partners and now we start a new cycle all over again. Let's call this Cycle 2 Week 1, because we are beginning a new cycle with the same group we had the first week!!!! Do you know who they are?

The spotlight school this week for Quadblogging is Ryerson Primary School in Ontario and their blog address is http://kidblog.org/Gill-Ville/   so let us continue being polite when commenting. And we will also continue blogging with our friends in the UK --their link is on edmodo as well as in the post below. 

Have an absolutely, fantastical week!
Mrs. Balkaran

What a wonderful week of blogging we had! Give yourselves a pat on the back for doing such a great job! I  am quite impressed with the way you balanced your busy schedules. This week in our school we issued Progress Reports as well as had FAIR testing and SRI testing for reading, so I know you had a lot "on your plates" to balance.

Today is the First Day of Fall! Happy Autumn to our Quadblogging friends in the United Kingdom and Canada!!! I think it the most beautiful time of the year. Maybe we can hear about what are some of the fun activities/traditions you all do during this time of the year. We will continue to visit your sites and keep you up to date on our activities. 

Have an enjoyable and eventful weekend,
Mrs. Balkaran