Student Led Conference-Genna

Student Led Conference

On April, 26th most of us had our student led conferences, including me. We had made presentations for this day and talked about our strengths, our weaknesses, our goals, and previous projects that we had done.  We had our parents come in and listen to our presentations, then we talked about what needed to be improved. Our parents also helped us come up with the last of the three goals we had to set.

We had started preparing for this weeks before by filling out a chart. In the chart we had to put down our strengths, weaknesses, projects and everything that was put into the presentation. We had a lot of time to think about what we were going to put into this conference and we also had our reports from teachers to base our thoughts and plans.

My student led conference went really well. I put a lot of work into the presentation and really thought about what I need to do better  on. I also put a lot thought into strengths. I think I set great goals for myself and since then I have been trying really hard to work on achieving them. I really like how these conferences include us the students. I think it is a more efficient way of letting us know what we really need to work on and what we are very strong in.

Observations poem-Genna

On the rug of my bedroom floor I lay,
with a blanket over me,
I can smell all he ingredients going into the pasta that my mom is making,
I can hear all the pots and tops clinking,
and the forks and knives doing the same,
I also hear my dog’s collar as she jumps,
trying to get a treat ,
I try to ignore the kitchen sounds ,
as I listen to the other sounds of my house and outside,
The creeks that the old stairs make,
The interesting sounds the trees make as they dance and whisper,
and the faint sound of crickets and other bugs roaming in the night.

Vacation Homework -Genna

12-16-11
Today, after school with the winter festival, I went to get everybody’s Christmas presents. I even got my dog a Santa jacket! When I got home I decorated our Christmas tree with my mom and my sister. After, I played Just Dance 3 with my sister and we both looked really funny and we were laughing the whole time.

12-20-11
Today, my sister Grasie, her boyfriend Damien, and their dog Hayden came from LA to visit for the holidays.

12-21-11
All I really did was hang out with Grasie and Damien today. I went out to breakfast with them to Bread Alone and then we just stayed with my dog and her dog. We also played Just Dance 2. After dinner we made cookies and they are baking now, but they are WAY too BIG!
humongous cookies. She was also going to dye some of my hair purple, so we had to bleach it. When she bleached it, we both liked color it turned, so I kept it like that. That night, at 9:15 we saw….THE MUPPETS!! It was an awesome movie and I really liked it.

12-23-11
Today, my uncle brought my grandmother up to my house for Christmas. He was going to the city to pick up a pig, because he was having a pig roast, and he picked her up on the way. When she got here, she was so happy to see all of us.

12-24-11
Today we cooked for Christmas and wrapped the last presents. We also decorated the house and cleaned.

12-25-11
Today is Christmas and we all get to open one present in the morning and save the rest for later. The first present I opened was a xbox 360 kinect from my sisters Jolee and Grasie. They also got me Dance Central 2 and Michael Jackson The Experience so we could play them. Then we played that all day until we could open more presents. I also got a straightening iron, a really nice camera, a Best Buy gift card so I can get things for my camera, and a bracelet.

12-26-11
Today I went to my friend Cate’s house and my best friend Isabel also came to Cate’s house. The three of us played with a pogo stick, and then ran around and climbed trees. I fell out of the tree trying to “jump like an avatar”. I stayed on the ground for some time while Isabel and Cate were using the pogo stick, still laughing at me. After, Cate came to my house and she slept over. We played xbox all night, after hours of trying to master the pogo stick. We played a motorcycle game and we kept dieing on purpose.

12-27-11
Today, I went to the movies with Cate to see We Bought A Zoo. It was a good movie. After the movies, Cate’s mom dropped me off at my house and left.

12-28-11
Today, Grasie, Damien and I went to Kingston to get a camera case at Best Buy and then we went bowling. I lost every game in bowling and my sister won every one. But I had fun anyway.

12-30-11
Today is New Years Eve! I am having my friend Giana over. I have known Giana since we were babies because our parents have been friends forever. My friend Isabel also came over. We had a lot of hats and decorations for New Years and we even had confetti! All the kids got to throw it on New Years. After Giana left, Isabel and I ate a lot of cheese cake and then stayed up until four in the morning.

1-1-11
Today I went to my friend Cheyenne’s house for a New Years party with my friend Isabel. At the party we played Just Dance 2 for the Wii. We went to a little pond and I almost fell in. We also played basketball with Tiffany, Cheyenne’s little sister, and played with their dogs. After the party I went to Isabel’s house and slept over.

1-2-11
Isabel and I walked in town after breakfast and went into Bread Alone and a few toy stores. Then we walked back to her house and we chased squirrels. A little while after, I went home. My sister and I watched a show called Pretty Little Liars. When it was over I went to my room and watched a show called Mad on Cartoon Network. Tomorrow we are back to school and I am ready to go back!

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind – Genna

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

I like this book because of all the stories and the magic that they believe in. I think that it is so cool to learn how different Africa is from America., for example, how they have “witch doctors” and how they are very superstitious. It is so interesting how they make toy cars, with the wheels made out of bottle caps. Just how they live is so interesting! I know it must be hard work living like them but it would be so fun to spend a day living like them!
When I heard all of their troubles with money and how hard they work it made realize how lucky most people in America, like me are. I can just go to the gas station or super market and get a pack of gum, but in one of the stories, William was so amazed to just see a bag of gumballs! Even though, waking up every morning to go to school can be a pain, we are getting the education that we need. I am very grateful for all of the things that I have and that I can do.

Blogging Challenge #10 by Genna

Blogging Challenge week 10
I have four posts posted on our blog. One is about a field trip, one is a scary story, another is a post all about me called Myself, and last is the Edublogs challenge week #4. Out of all of my posts,  I have nine comments, most on my scary story. I think I got more comments on that one because I think it is more interesting then the others, to some people. I really liked writing my scary story and the Myself post. I liked writing the scary story because I thought it was really fun to be able to see what I could make up and try to make it scary. I also liked writing the Myself post because it was really easy.

Blogging Challenge #9 -Genna

Blogging challenge week 9
Sphinx
The sphinx of Giza, built thousands of years ago on the bank of the Nile, has been a symbol of strength and wisdom. With the body of a lion and the head of a king or a god or Pharaoh Khafre. It is the largest statue in the world, standing 241 ft long, 20 ft wide, and 66.34 ft high. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture, built by ancient Egyptians and believed to be built during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre (meaning it could be his face). The sphinx was also put in front of the pyramids to guard the tombs.

attribution:
“Sphinx”
by: Keith Yahl

Sphinx

The riddle of the sphinx
If a traveler walks by, the sphinx would ask them a riddle. “What has one voice, and yet goes from four legs, to two legs, to three legs?”  The answer is a man (he uses four legs when he is a baby crawling on his hands and knees, two legs as an adult walking, and three legs when he is old and uses a cane). If the person answered the riddle incorrectly, the sphinx would eat them, but if the person answered the riddle correctly, they would be able to pass by.

Most people think that the entire statue was painted in ancient times: red for the face and body and yellow with blue stripes on the headress. The Greek word “sphinx” may have derived from the Egyptian shesep-ankh, which translates to ‘living image’. The name “Sphinx” was given to the statue based on the legendary Greek creature with the head of a woman and the body of a lion. For centuries, the sphinx has been buried in sand, to the chin. It  was finally dug out in 1925.

The sphinx of Giza sounds really interesting! I really like learning about the ancient Egyptians and the pyramids and and I would really like to go see the sphinx some day. I have been told so many times that it is unbelievably more amazing to really see it, then any picture!

http://www.king-tut.org.uk/ancient-egypt/the-great-sphinx.htm

http://www.guardians.net/egypt/sphinx/

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002046F/egyptian_sphinx.htm

Picture Story by Genna

Walking home with my best friend Hayden late at night, we spotted a weird ladybug. I am absolutely TERRIFIED of ladybugs but Hayden LOVES them. He made me follow it with him. I was not happy but I didn’t want to stand in the the dark alone while he was off with his little ladybug buddy. We followed it for a while and I got really tired.

“Hayden why are we even doing thi-”
“SHHHHH!!!”  he interrupted.
DID HE JUST SHHH ME?! I thought to myself. I was infuriated! He was going to make me late for dinner and with no doubt being grounded! All because he wants to chase a stupid LADYBUG!! I sat down on a rock..but he got far away. I got up and caught up to him. I saw the ladybug and I let out a quiet shriek.
I looked over to see how far he went with the polka dotted monster and he was not moving. He was just looking at a plank of wood on the ground.   “What are you looking at?” I asked.
“I’m not sure, but by the looks of it, it could be a…a well!”

I went over to look. I looked through a hole in the plank of wood. He pushed the wood to the side and we both looked down in amazement. I stood up and a huge gust of wind hit me on the back of my neck. Not thinking too much about it, I ignored it. Then I felt a cold bony hand on my shoulder. “Stop playing Hayden! You know I’m easily scared!” I look over but he’s no where to be seen. Then I look at my shoulder. I see the bony hand, pitch black and purple from what looked like frost bite. I scream and the grip becomes tighter. It relaxes, and lets go of me. I open my eyes and I’m falling…down..the WELL! I scream, then hear a SPLSHH-

100 Word Story-Genna

I opened the door and there was the scratching and hissing I hear every night. I look further in my closet. I step in something wet on the ground. I’m scared but I go further. I take two steps, the scratching stops, the hissing starts. I take more and see it. I don’t know what it is but I know that it’s looking at me, coming towards me, it’s a..VAMPIRE! All I remember before blacking out is small, black eyes and blood everywhere.

I woke in a hospital. They think I tried to kill myself.  I swear I didn’t.

Edublogs Challenge – by Genna

If there could be one thing that I could learn, it would probably be to learn how to be a good  archaeologist. I would like to because it would be so fun and exciting.  If I was digging and I hit a hard object I might think was  a rock until I dusted it off and realized I had  just found a bone! I love to go to the museum of natural history and look at the old bones and fossils. It is so cool to learn about all of the bugs and animals that are now extinct and that were once living.

Challenge#4

Myself – Genna

My name is Genna and I am in the sixth grade . My birthday is in January and I was born in 2000. I am eleven years old and I live in Rhinebeck, NY. I have two older sisters and one older brother. Right now I have one dog named Lily, but I have also have had many, many fish and used to have another dog whose name was Kimbie. I am new to PDS this year. I lived in New York City for first grade, half of fourth, and half of fifth grade.

Some of my favorite things to do are play tennis, soccer, volleyball, ride my bike, swim, and garden with my dad. I also love to be with all my friends and have fun. My favorite colors are blue, green, purple, and mostly anything that is bright or neon. I like blue and green so much that almost my whole bedroom is blue and green including the walls and curtains. My favorite subjects in school are science and math. I currently play clarinet, but I would really like to play either the violin or the saxophone.

I am very excited to be in PDS and I look forward to what the school year will bring.

Blogging Challenge Week #1