McCrary Elementary School Battle of the Books Blog
Hello, McCrary Elementary Battle of the Books competitors! I'm setting up this blog so that we can discuss the Battle of the Books books during the summer and the school year. Feel free to post any comments, questions, or thoughts about the different books on here. Just remember that this is a school blog and it is a public document. Make sure that your comments are thoughtful and appropriate! Happy reading!
-Ms. Salabak
I liked this book a lot, it reminded me of my own experiences in choir when I was in Middle School. I did feel sorry for the band director. Many schools in Ohio where I'm from have RIF (Reduction in Force) where large numbers of teachers lose their jobs because the school district does not have enough money to pay them. I loved band and choir in school, so it always makes me upset when they cut music or art positions. I think these classes are very valuable in schools.
ReplyDeleteSome questions about the book:
Would you like to take over the chorus like Hart did? If you did lead the chorus instead of Hart, what would you do differently?
If you were the principal, what would you have done? What would you say to the parents calling to complain? What would you say to Mr. Meinert about losing his job or letting Hart take over chorus?
Did you think that the ending was satisfying? Or did you hope something else would happen? What would you have liked to happen? Why is the ending bittersweet?
What other themes would be good for a chorus concert today? Do you think the theme of peace is a good one?
I really liked this book. I think I would've taken control of chorus like Hart but do the voting the 1st or 2nd days. only because I like to know what I'm working on before I get started on something. I also would've recruited Mr.Mienert and really appreciated his help like Hart. By the way what is the date of the first meeting?
ReplyDeleteElizabeth-
DeleteYou are really flying through the books now! :) Did you check them out of the public library? I tried to check a few out last week and they were already all gone!!
I also like to know what I'm working on before I get started. My favorite teachers in my classes now are the ones who tell me what I need to do very early- and I love having rubrics that give even more information about what I need to do. But sometimes I think teachers need to leave the directions more open to allow students some room for creativity. When you are doing a school project do you prefer specific directions or more general guidelines?
I'm thinking we will meet Mondays after school again this year. The first meeting will definitely be after Labor Day so we can all get settled in again. I'll probably have a meeting during school soon so that we can all see where we stand and work out the details of our meetings. See you next week- happy reading!!
No when I tried to check them out they were all gone! So I just bought them at books a million one night. I think that I would like general guidelines so that I can be creative and make my own.
DeleteThis book I think that the consequences Hart had reminded me of some of the boys in my class last year the boys will be unnamed. I would love to take over the chorus. Anyway what I would do differently if I led the chorus is I would have our vocal cords warmed up. I would also have them sing the national anthem they got it perfect.
DeleteElizabeth- you are so lucky you got to buy the books! Tell your parents thanks!
DeleteAnd Marion- I love the idea of singing the national anthem. I think the pledge of allegiance and national anthem are very important and I think we should take them seriously. Great idea!
I am very impressed that you (Marion) could take all that resposibility on your shoulders I mean booking concerts dealing with kids who ocassionlly misbehave and trying to find appropriate songs! That is alot of work!
DeleteElizabeth-
DeleteAre you getting a new appreciation for what Ms. Payne does every day? :)
I wish you and Marion the best of luck at your big concert this weekend in Winston Salem!
The concert in winston was awesome and I have always appreciated what Ms.Payne does. By the way I hope that Ms.Payne has talked to you about practicing for the holiday concert on Monday. If not just casually bring up the subject in conversation!
DeleteElizabeth-
DeleteI'm glad that the concert in Winston Salem went well! I also appreciate Ms. Payne. I played an instrument in middle and high school, but I can't sing at all! I wish that I had half the talent Ms. Payne does. I think her job would be a fun one- but very challenging!
if i ran the chorus like hart then i would make it almost like marion said she would run the group. i would also include some of Mrs.Payne's ways of making our big group of musical mustangs. this is a good book. i like all of andrew clement's books.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you like about Andrew Clements' books? What does Mrs. Payne do with the Musical Mustangs? I thought you all sounded great at the DARE assembly! :)
What do you mean, we never did DARE assembley? Mrs.Payne makes shoure that everybody is paying attention and comes up with signals to indicate that we need to do things.
DeleteGeorgia,
DeleteI meant the red ribbon week assembly! oops! I'm sure it is important for Ms. Payne to have signals so she doesn't interrupt the music to tell you things.
i like that andrew clements has the main person in the story does something amazing and good things happen to them and then bad things happen. have you started to see that in almost all of andrew's books that it all thakes place at a school and the teachers are into it too. like the laundrey news is about a girl who got a teacher who does not teach so the students get to do what ever they want. in that time she writes and she writes about how bad her teacher is and then she and her class mates start a newspaper. then when she wants to put something personal in the news paper because a kid wanted to put that in their about himself. then it becomes a big deal
DeleteI really liked this book i can kind of relate to this book because at the begining of the book when he is at a assembely in the front row and he didnt want to shoot the ruber band because he didnt want to get in trouble again becasue he had got in trouble alot for doing that. I can relate to this because my sister allways got in trouble for doing things in school and i told her about this and she said wow he is alot like me! Autumn
ReplyDeletei would like to that what would mr.mentir had said to hart when he got in trouble and what will mr.menter do with out a job.
ReplyDelete