Ms. Burress

Describe, in detail, a tiny defect – a scab on your elbow, a loose button, a chip on your tooth, a pimple on your nose, a pimple on someone else’s nose, a rottle in the car door, a scuff on your shoe, a dent in a can of corn, a knob on the television, a stuck zipper, a hangnail, a crack in a cip, a scratch on your sunglasses, a tear in the page of a book, a brokem hook on an earing, or … ? Tell the world more than it ever wanted to know about this tiny defect.

I have a little mole under my belly button. It’s so tiny and light brown. The mole’s location is south each of my belly button. Really, it’s not a big deal. But, when I was seven, it was a big deal. To seven-year-old me, it was a huge, disgusting mark on my body. I tried, at all costs, to rid my body of this nasty mole. I can remember sitting in the recliner at my grandma’s house picking at my mole until it came off, while watching ice skating on TV. I picked at it until it bled countless times.

I’m glad I was never successful at removing the mole. Now that I’m older, when I look at this mole, I think it’s cute. This is just one of many ways I’ve come a long way from seven-year-old me.

“Yoga for the Brain” 1&2 (pg. 9):

Introduce yourself, using one true and one untrue detail about your or your life. As your write, try to make both the true and the untrue details sound equally believeable.

Take the [true and] untrue detail your wrote about and elaborate. Expand. Fill in details. If you wrote that you once played a role in a television commercial, tell how you got the role, how you felt about the product, who you met filiming the commercial, etc. 

I love spinach & I love to ride my bike.

 I crave spinach! Especially after a good work out. I really enjoy spinach with salmon - yummy! I could probably eat spinach with every single meal. Have you ever seen Pop Eye? He eats spinach to makes his muscles grow big and strong. That’s probably why my body craves is after exercise. When I was in Ireland, the food was nasty. I searched Dublin for days trying to find food to appease my appetite. Luckily, we stumbled upon a little hidden French restaurant. It was here that I finally found food that I liked. And guess what it was? … You got it! Salmon served wtih spinach. So delicious.

 Riding your bike is so exhilirating. You have to work hard to get up monstrous hills, but it’s worth it. Once you’re at the top of the hill, the fun begins. Going down hill on your bicyle creates a rush compared to no other.  The wind is in your face, you start going fast and faster. It begins to get a little scary, but then you reach the bottom and just coast for a bit. Riding my bike makes me feel like a kid; I get fits of uncontrollable laughter.

The school year is half way over?

With today being the last day of the 3rd 6 weeks, we are officially half way through the school year! Can you believe it? I am very impressed with how much each of your have grown and improved in your English skills (speaking, reading, writing & listening) since school has started. I am so proud to be your teacher.

With your improvement, I think you’re ready for more of a challenge.  Instead of using Inside, level B (the orange books), we’re going to try Inside, level C (the blue books). I have been very impressed with your last two writing assignments, the research project and the ARE. With that improvement, it’s time to expand your vocabulary. So, we’re using Greek and Latin roots. Studying Greek and Latin roots should both expand your vocabulary and help you become better readers.

Again, I’m amazed at the improvements you all have made. Monday begins ACCESS testing, which assess your English skills. Get plenty of rest this weekend, and make sure you eat breakfast Monday morning. Show this test what you’ve shown me!