Census 2010

After all we have learned during these last weeks, I would like to read your thoughts about the Census 2010. You already know this process takes place every 10 years, you are aware it includes every single person that lives in your household (even babies), you know it will give the government a precise idea of how many people live currently in the country (including Puerto Rico and Guam).

That's why now it is your turn to tell me: why do you think the Census is important for the US?

Mr. Carpio

Do you want to share your plans for a LONG week with no school? :) Whatcha dooooing 4 Spring Break???

I am very excited about having vacations again! I usually go to Lima, Peru, but this time I will stay in Texas. Actually, I had plans to go to Italy with some of my friends (they departed yesterday... I took them to the airport) and take a lot of tours and visit many cities... but it is not going to happen... :( Still, I will try to have a great time.

How about you? Do you want to share? Are you taking a trip? Are you going to a fun place? Will you visit some relatives or maybe somebody is coming to visit you? Tell me EVERYTHING!!!

Mr. Carpio

Resolutions for 2010!!!

A new year is a new and a fresh start! 2009 is over and we learned so many things and we lived all kinds of experiences, some of them great and some of them not very positive, but still useful. We know a little more and better than a year ago and we can take better decisions based on those experiences.

As a tradition, people like to make diverse promises when a new year is born. Those are called 'resolutions'. Personally, I (Mr. Carpio) do that during the first hours of my birthday (April 11... start saving some money for my presents, guys), but, in order to participate with you, I will join you and share some of my resolutions for 2011... I mean, 2010!

Soooooooooooo... go ahead and tell me about your GOOD purposes for this new year.

J

What did you do during the Thanksgiving break?

Breaks are always nice, aren't they? Some free time allows us doing several productive things that we normally can do only on weekends. In addition, it is an excellent oportunity to spend more time with our families.

Some people - like me - love travelling and try to leave town and visit different places (I didn't go anywhere this time just because I am planning on going to Peru in January... more details coming later).

Others enjoy waking up late and staying at home.

Many others use the time to go shopping, especially now because the holidays are so close. I heard that some persons (mainly girls) can be at the mall many times during the same week. Do you think that is true, guys? I refuse to believe...
I will share with you later what I did during the Thanksgiving break (you already know, but it is more fun when you write it). I'll tell you about my lazy days at home (always with a good book, of course), all the restaurants I visited (Greek food, Indian food, Thai food, YUMMY!), and my crazy Black Friday.

Are you ready to share?

Mr. Carpio

PS: This is the BEST video I have seen in the last weeks. A friend of mine let me know about it: look at the awesome Muppets singing and performing one of the most legendary and classic songs/videos - originally written by Queen -. This is called 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Enjoy it!

My Writing Territories

Last week the Fantastic 4th Graders participated in a super cool lesson directed by our awesome friend Ms. Dixson in the cafeteria. She shared many of her personal thoughs and hobbies and ideas with us in a Circle Map. Then, she took those details about herself and started writing a poem. She called it 'My Writing Territories'.
These are some of the things that she considered in order to write her poem:

1. Memories: early, earlier, and recent.
2. Obsessions.
3. Problems.
4. Dreams.
5. Understandings.
6. Confusions.
7. Passions.
8. Sorrows.
9. Risks.
10. Accomplishments.
11. Fears.
12. Worries.
13. Fantasies.
14. Family, close and distant.
15. Friends, now and then.
16. Favorites, now and then.
17. Teachers, now and then.
18. Places: school, camp, trips, times away with friends and relatives.
19. Hobbies.
20. Sports.
21. Games.
22. Music.
23. Books.
24. Poems.
25. Songs.
26. Movies.
27. Writers and artists.
28. Food.
29. Pet peeves.
30. Beloved things - objects and possessions - now and then.
31. All the loves of your life.

I will share MY POEM during the weekend. Will you share yours here, please?

Mr. Carpio

Who is your favorite music star? Dime quien es tu artista musical preferido.

Today Mr. Carpio is going to see AC/DC!!! He is so excited and feels like one of his dreams is coming true after so many years. He remembers when he was a teenager and used to have a loud bedroom every single morning. His grandma would yell at him 'JUAAAAAAN MANUUUUUUEEEEEL!!! TURN THAT OFF!!!'...

She is a sweet grandma!

Now you tell me what your favorite band or singer is and what you would do or tell them if you could meet them.

J


(Updated on Saturday, November the 7th 2009)

Para todos los gustos!

THUNDERSTRUCK (AC/DC, Madrid 1996)

CONTIGO (Intocable in Morongo Casino)

ONE (Metallica in Portland, OR 2008)

HERMANITA (Aventura)

FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME (Foreigner, Live at Deer Creek, 1993)

Book Character Day! Halloween!

Hello, 4th graders 2009 - 2010, I want to welcome you to this space where you will be able to express your feelings and ideas. I am so sorry we are starting late because of some technology issues but I hope we use this blog very often and we have a lot of fun as the previous classes did,

This is the very first question for you: Reading Character Day will be next week, so I am really curious about your attires. Who are you going to be and what book you are bringing to school?

Hola, estudiantes del cuarto grado de la temporada 09-10. Quiero darles la bienvenida a este espacio que está planeado para que expresen sus sentimientos e ideas. Estamos empezando tarde por algunas situaciones fuera de control, sin embargo espero que usemos este blog muy seguido y nos divirtamos tanto como las clases anteriores.

La primera pregunta para ustedes es: ya que se viene el día de disfrazarse como un personaje de libros, quiero saber de qué se van a vestir y que libro traerán a la escuela.

J

What is your final balance of 4th grade and what are you doing this summer? Cual es tu balance final del 4to grado y que haras este verano?

I want to read your final words for this blog, guys. Don't cryyyyyy, please... buuuuuaaaaaaaaaa!!!

Quiero leer sus palabras finales para este blog, chicos... sin llorar.. snif, snif...

What career would you like to study in the future? Que carrera te gustaria estudiar en el futuro?

After Ms. Collins' lesson, we have a better idea about what a job and what a career are. Can you tell me what do you feel like studying when you finish high school? Remember, it has to be something you really enjoy.

Luego de la leccion de Ms. Collins, me parece que tenemos un mejor concepto sobre lo que significan un trabajo y una carrera. Me podrian decir que creen que les gustaria estudiar cuando terminen su educacion secundaria? Recuerden que debe ser algo que realmente disfruten.

J

What are the strategies you will use for the upcoming Reading and MATH TAKS?

I can tell that everyone worked really hard and did their very best for the Writing TAKS test. All teachers and administrator are tremendously proud of you, guys. I am very proud as well. Now, I want you to share how you will attack the next two TAKS. What strategies will you use? How are you going to deal with them?
Explicanos detalladamente que estrategias usaras para estos examenes.

J

We need to choose a pet for our blog (pick one and name it) - Necesitamos elegir una mascota para nuestro blog (escoge una y ponle un nombre)

This page, called Bunnyhero Labs , give us the choice of 'adopt' a pet for our personal webpages. It works for facebook, bebo and... BLOGGER! Guys, why don't you pick a pet from this list?

En esta pagina llamada Bunnyhero Labs , tenemos la opcion de 'adoptar' una mascota para nuestras paginas personales. Sirve para facebook, bebo y tambien para... BLOGGER! Que les parece si escogen una mascota de entre los animales de esta lista?

(Updated on Feb. 1st - Actualizado el 1 de febrero)

These are the results so far. We are choosing our pet this week for sure.

Estos son los resultados hasta ahora. Elegiremos a nuestra mascota esta semana de todas formas:

- Lesly - Lobo - Killer

- Alondra - Caballo - Spirit

- Helio - Perro - Cody

- Destiny - Hamster - Buddie

- Pedro - Tarantula - Zack

- Jarvi - Panda - Super Gordo

- Omar - Tigre - ?

- Jordy - Tigre - ? (2)

- Josephina - Gato - Princesa

- Gloria Vanessa - Perro - Munheca (2)

- Kassandra - Hamster - Maria (2)

- Acacia - Perro - Loco (3)

Hasta ahora va ganando el perro con tres votos y en segundo lugar estan empatados el hamster y el tigre, cada uno con dos votos. Ya saben, sigan votando!

J

What are your resolutions for this new year, 2009? Cuales son tus promesas de anho nuevo?

Would you share your good purposes for this new year we are starting together? Here are some of mine: I promise to call my family in Peru every weekend, I promise to be a better teacher and mentor with my kids, I want to become the best bilingual teacher in the district (I already am, but I also promise to be more humble). :)

How about you, guys? Also, how was your New Year's Eve? Who were you with? What did you do?

What is your favorite sport and what is your favorite team in this world? Cual es tu deporte favorito y tu equipo favorito?

Living in the United States, I learned that there are so many important sports and people cheer for different ones. If you live in the East Coast, baseball is really huge: the most important teams are the Yankees and the Red Socks.

In the West Coast and the center, however, basketball and football are bigger. Here in Texas, people die for football because of the Dallas Cowboys, who won many tournaments (including the SuperBowl) in the past.

Basketball has many followers. We like the Mavericks, the Rockets and the Spurs (of course, we prefer the Mavericks here).

The hockey team is called the 'Stars'.

Finally, there is a soccer team, that is not really great, but has its good moments. It is FC Dallas.

Personally, my favorite sport is soccer and my favorite team in the world is 'la U' (from Peru) and the 'Barcelona FC'.

Now it is your turn! Tell me about your preferences: team, national team, club and sports. Don't forget to include details and many good words!

J

What are you doing during your week off? Are you enjoying your vacations? Cuentame que estas haciendo durante estas vacaciones de una semana.

Most Americans celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday, Thursday November 27th. Did you celebrate? What else have you being doing this week? Are you spending time with your family? Tell me everything you want to share about this week! I know that I will go and see Pedro playing soccer. Who wants to come?

Also, tell me, if that is the case, what you feel thankful for.

La mayoria de estadounidenses celebraron Accion de Gracias ayer, jueves 27 de noviembre. Tu celebraste? Que mas has estado haciendo esta semana? Pasaste tiempo junto a tu familia? Cuentame todo lo que quieras compartir sobre estos dias! Por mi parte, hoy asistire al juego de futbol de Pedro. Quien quiere venir?

Me gustaria que tambien me digan si es que sienten agradecidos por algo en especial.

J

What do you expect from our next president (Barac Obama)? Que esperas de nuestro siguiente presidente?