Birney's Bunch of Blogs

Play dough

2011-12-02T14:03:00.001-08:00

Some students would like to make some play dough for their diorama. Here's a recipe you can make with your parents' permission.

Ingredients:
4 c. flour
2 c. salt
2 c. water
2 T oil
4 tsp. cream of tartar

Method:
1. Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. In a separate container, add food coloring and oil to water.
3. Add liquid to flour and salt mixture.
4. Cook over low heat until very stiff.
5. Knead on floured surface.

After using, play-dough may be stored in a plastic container in the refrigerator.
Bake to preserve.

First Quarter

2011-10-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

First QuarterWe made it through the first quarter. The children have settled nicely into the routines of the classroom, they've experienced the fun of three field trips, and they are starting to take responsibility for their assignments. That last one may take some all year (or two), but we're getting there, with at least some growth. Thanks for your help in this parents and grandparents. You're awesome!Richland Church ServiceOn November 5, our class, along with others in the school, will participate in the church service at Richland SDA Church. Because they will be singing with their Kindergarten buddies, they will not need to be in their black and white uniform, but in their usual church attire.Moon JournalsStarting in November, we will be creating Moon Journals. It'll be fun making observations each night and using our creativity to make related projects. Check your children's homework folders for details soon to follow.Parent-Teacher ConferenceWednesday and Thursday will be half days due to the Parent-Teacher Conferences. I look forward to meeting with the parents to discuss each child's progress.

Winding Down

2011-05-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

We're coming up to the bend in the road for the last leg of the race. Library books and classroom books need to be returned by this Wednesday, all missing assignments need to be turned in by Thursday morning, and the spider project and Math facts need to be accomplished by next Thursday.

Book Order Wish List

2011-04-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

If you would like to contribute to adding some great books to the classroom, please see my wish list below.
#4 Animals Up Close $10.00
#5 Archaeology Detectives $8.00
#12 Body Science $9.00
#15 Car Science $10.00
#19 D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet $6.00
#36 How to Do Homework Without Throwing Up $3.00
#43 Incredible Insects Q & A $6.00
#45 It's Elementary! How Chemistry Rocks Our World $8.00
#63 Scholastic Encyclopedia of Animals $8.00
#66 Sea Horses $3.00
#77 Vet Emergencies 24/7 $5.00
#80 The World of Astronomy $6.00

Thank you for your generous contribution.

Important Dates

2011-04-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

April
18 No School
22 Water Treatment Field Trip
26 Class Pictures

May
12 Whitman Mission/Fort Walla Walla Field Trip
18 Health and Safety Fair
30 No School

June
2 PK-6 Concert
1 Mac's Garden Field Trip (tentative)

Laughter and Joy

2011-03-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

We are off to a great start for the last quarter of the year. Some are rejoicing because they have no homework and others are gleefully racing towards the swings to catch the air through their hair. I'm praising God for how accepting and welcoming the children have been towards our new student, Samantha.
I look forward to seeing each of you this Sabbath as the children provide the worship service.

Enjoy Your Break

2011-03-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Spring Break is finally here. The kids were counting down the days for the past week. No more missing assignments to worry about. This would be a good time, however, to replenish their supplies. Pencils are definitely needed! Some folders are looking shabby and some notebooks are almost used up. Check with your child to see if any of these items are needed, or perhaps they need glue sticks or red pens, too.

Enjoy your vacation and may it be a time of rejuvenation.

More Delicious Recipes

2011-02-24T16:40:00.000-08:00

The children tried some more recipes today that work great for lunches. They even know how to make them themselves!
Hummus
4 cans (15 oz.) of chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/8 cup olive oil
2 lemons
2 cloves crushed garlic
salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped parsley
pita bread cut into wedges (toasted in the oven is yummy)

Drain the chickpeas. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the remainng ingredients and mix well. Serve with pita bread.

Black Bean Dip
4 cans (15 oz.) black beans
2 diced tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt to taste
juice of 1 lemon
1 large bag each baked corn chips (blue and yellow)

Drain and mash the beans. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve with baked corn chips.

Pet Day

2011-02-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

This Friday, February 25, is the day that the kids wait for all year--PET DAY!!! Their pets must be able to stay in their carrier or cage all day (they may come out at recess time). If not, a parent may come and show the pet briefly at the beginning or end of the day. The students are to be prepared to tell the class what responsibilities they have in taking care of their pet and/or share some of their pets interesting characteristics or antics.

Yum! Yum!

2011-02-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

The kids made an Egyptian Bulgur Salad today and they want the recipe. Enjoy!
3 cups bulgur
3 cups of hot water
1 cup chopped figs
Seeds of one fresh pomegranate
1 cup chopped apricots
1/2 cup pistachio seeds
2 Tablespoons oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup chopped dates
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Soak the bulgur in hot water for 10 minutes. Chop and measure dates figs, apricots, & pistachios. Cut open the pomegranate and scrape seeds into the bulgur mixture using a spoon. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl containing the oil and cinnamon. Pour the liquid over the bulgur salad and mix well. Serve the salad in the shape of a pyramid.

Field Trip

2011-01-27T13:52:00.000-08:00

Our class will be going to the Tri-City Herald for a field trip on Tuesday, February 8. I'll be sending a field trip form home in the next few days to see who will be able to drive.

Bake Bread Lately?

2011-01-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

Our class, today, had fun pounding and squeezing and shaping the dough into oblong mounds of goodness. Some of the kids might want to bake some mini-loaves of bread for their families, so here is the recipe.
Dissolve: 1 package yeast in
1 1/4 c. warm water
Stir in: 1 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. whole wheat flour
Mix well. Add enough white flour to knead easily, about 2 1/2 c. Knead 5 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding flour if the dough becomes sticky. Form into an oblong loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover with a warm, wet towel and let rise 20 min. Bake 20 min. at 425 degrees.

Church Service at Kennewick
Our class will be performing on Saturday, January 22, at the Kennewick SDA Church. Sabbath School begins at 10:00 a.m. and we will perform for the church service after that. Please have your child dressed in the white and black uniform.

Memory Verse for Dec. 16

2010-12-15T20:03:00.001-08:00

“Whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give will become a spring of water flowing inside him. It will give him eternal life.” John 4:14

This Week's Events

2010-12-12T16:55:00.001-08:00

Wednesday morning, at around 10:15 a.m., our class and the Kindergarten class will do our annual caroling around the school neighborhood, if anyone would like to join us. We will pass out loaves of bread as we sing.
On Thursday, we have our school Christmas concert at 6:30 p.m. The children will need to wear their black and white uniform.
On Friday, my class will be having a Christmas party beginning at 11:30 a.m. I will serve soup and the kids may bring buns, crackers, healthy snacks (for example: hummus and pita chips, carrot sticks, or popcorn) or a dessert to share with the class. We also will be having a recital within the class for students to perform polished Christmas poems, instrumentals, or songs of their choice.
May you sense the presence of Christ this holiday season.

Christmas Giving

2010-11-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

We have an opportunity to see our dollars multiply. If you give $1 to Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA), it will be matched to equal $7. You may also decide to work on a project as a family. The following are examples from which you can choose:
$65/child Provide Physical Therapy to a child with cerebral palsy in Kazakhstan
$25/child Improve the health of mothers and children in Niger
$50/child Send shoes and school kits for El Salvador children
$50/child Give winter boots and warm socks to a child in Armenia
$35/child Educate a child with special needs in Rwanda
$20/students Transform a school in Niger
$50/child Provide for child-headed households in Kenya
If you are interested in any of these projects or more, come check out our Christmas tree in the classroom and pick a project ornament.

Homework Project
A block of wood, a bag of nails, and a star pattern are coming home, today, for homework. Lay the pattern on the wood and make an indent with a nail where there are dots. Then pull away the paper and hammer a nail into each indent to create a star. Return the project by Thursday to complete it at school. Let me know if you need to borrow a classroom hammer.

Thursday's Happenings

2010-11-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

Field Trip
Tomorrow, Thursday, is our field trip to the Yakama Nation Museum Field Trip. We leave around 9:20 a.m. and return around 1:00 p.m., so please remember to bring a bagged lunch. Dress warmly. If you would like to help defray the cost, it is $6.00 for adults and $2.00 for children.

Music Program
Tomorrow evening, the school will be having their Thanksgiving Program. The 3rd/4th-grade students are to wear their black and white clothing. Both classroom music and elementary choir will be performing. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. in the gym. I look forward to seeing you there.

Veterans' Day & Grandparents' Tribute Breakfast

2010-11-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

November 10
Tomorrow morning Tri-City Junior Academy will be hosting a special breakfast for Veterans and Grandparents. It begins at 7:00 am in the gym. The 3rd/4th-grade students are to wear their black and white clothing, but bring clothes to change into afterwards. Come and enjoy the meal with us.

Field Trip
Next Thursday is our field trip to the Yakama Nation Museum Field Trip. If you would like to help defray the cost, it is $6.00 for adults and $2.00 for children.

2010-11-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

November 4, 2010

Supplies
Thank you for checking with your children to see if they need to restock their supplies. A metal utensil (fork or spoon) packed in the lunch box on a regular basis is a necessary supply as well.

November 16
Plimoth Plantation will be coming to our classroom, via webcast the morning of November 16. We are going to dress the occasion, as much as possible, by dressing like the pilgrims. Although they wore varying colors, they are often thought of as wearing white and black, which might be easier to duplicate.

Tumbling Class
On Tuesday, we are doing tumbling (gymnastics) for Physical Education. Loose clothing works best, so please bring sweatpants or P.E. shorts.

Community Service Project
Part of the Social Studies grade is the community service project. This is a home project to be done with part or all of the family. The idea is for the children to learn to be good citizens, looking for ways to make a positive difference in their community. It may be as simple as picking up trash at a neighborhood park or complex as making blankets for a hospital.

Online Grades
You should have already received instructions in the mail for entering the school’s progress reports. Please contact Mr. O if you would like further instructions in our computer lab. You may always use our lab if you don’t have access to a computer at home, in order to access your child’s grades.

Scholastic Literacy Campaign
Please remember to complete “My Classroomscare Book Reading Log” to help donate one million books to kids in need. The sheet fits 7 books and the other 3 books can be recorded on the regular reading log to make a total of the 10 books pledged to be read by each student.

Thanks for being a great class!

End of Quarter

2010-10-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Just as certain as the leaves are falling, this quarter is coming to an end. Please be sure to fill in the forms in the students' homework folders: Home Reading Record, Activity Log, and Community Service Record. The Homework Folders are to be turned in on Friday, October 22.

Our school has been asked to be involved in the Richland Church's worship service this Saturday. Each student in our class is involved; however, if you absolutely cannot make it, please let me know so that I can have another student cover your child's part. The children need not wear their black and white uniforms this time. I look forward to seeing you on Sabbath.

Spring Program

2010-05-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 20th, from 6:30 - 7:30, TCJA's Elementary students will be having their spring program. The third and fourth grade students will be performing their sign language song wearing all black. They must not have any part of their clothing anything other than black. Because they will also be wearing their white and black uniform for the Elementary Choir portion of the program, they will need to quickly change and there will not be time to tape buttons that are white, etc. Hence the need for their clothing to be solid black for the signing portion at the end of the program.
If you are willing to bring something for the refreshments, please bring a fruit plate or cookies.
I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday.

Soon Events

2010-04-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

Gardening
When the weather gets warmer, the children will be planting some seeds in the garden plot here at school. They will need garden gloves and hand trowels by April 26. We look forward to our gardening experience.

Week of Prayer
The week of April 19 - 23, the students of T.C.J.A. will be involved in a student-led week of prayer. All are welcome to join us at the school, first thing in the morning (8:30ish). The third- and fourth-grade students will need to wear all black for a song that they are going to sign with black lights and white gloves. Any bit of white will show up, so they must be completely dressed in solid black.

Show and Tell

2010-03-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

We will be looking at the different regions of the United States. We will be starting with the Southeast region which includes Alabama, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia. The children will be expected to recite all 12 names of the states in this region. The children will pick one or more of these states to find an object and/or tell a fact about the state's environment, people, or heritage.

Pet Day

2010-02-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, pet day is tomorrow. Just make sure the pet is caged and will manage fine caged all morning. The pet may roam at recess with a leash, but it may need to stay clear of the other pets. The parent may also bring the pet just to show and then take it home right away, as another option. We look forward to the fun!

100th Day

2010-01-31T20:52:00.000-08:00

100th Day
Tuesday is the 100th Day of School. The children will bring a sealed bag of 100 items that can be glued to construction paper and displayed on our bulletin board.
We also will be going to Petland on Tuesday provided we get enough drivers.

Haiti Donation

2010-01-26T21:00:00.000-08:00

An envelope was sent home today for the children to contribute money to ADRA (Adventist Development Relief Agency). ADRA has a goal of contributing $1,000,000 for Haiti relief. TCJA will collect the money by Friday, January 29 and will send it on to ADRA . Thanks for being a part of the action to help our fellow man get back on their feet again, after their harrowing experience of an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude.

Baked Play-dough

2010-01-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

Some students would like to have some fun at home with clay. Here's a recipe you can make with your parents' permission.

Ingredients:
4 c. flour
2 c. salt
2 c. water
2 T oil
4 tsp. cream of tartar

Method:
1. Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. In a separate container, add food coloring and oil to water.
3. Add liquid to flour and salt mixture.
4. Cook over low heat until very stiff.
5. Knead on floured surface.
After using, play-dough may be stored in a plastic container in the refrigerator.
Bake to preserve.

Short Week

2010-01-19T19:19:00.000-08:00

Spelling Test
This week is too short to complete a Spelling lesson, so there will not be a test on Friday.
Service Anyone?
I was thrilled to have one of my students out at the Children Center this past Sunday. We wheelbarrowed blocks of wood from the basement out to the parking lot. What a great way to build our muscles and have fun working together. It also gives me hope when I hear parents say that they want to instill in their children a sense of mission. Yes!!!
A student in the high school Sabbath School class at church this past Sabbath insightfully said that God probably wants us to not be self-centered. She got that right. Both adults and kids can pray for the Holy Spirit to remove our selfishness and give us a passion for caring for others. Let's make an impact in our community.

Weekly Memory Verse
“You must not worship or serve any idol. This is because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. A person may sin against me and hate me. I will punish his children, even his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But I will be very kind to thousands who love me and obey my commands.” Exodus 20:5-6

A Taste of Orient
If you haven't received tickets yet for the delicious fundraising dinner this Sunday, check with me and I can get you some.

Parent-Teacher Conference
I look forward to meeting with you next week for the conferences. Please share with me any area of concerns that you might have as well as insights to how things are going at home in regards to reading and practicing the basic Math facts.

Book Orders
Because of the short week, the book orders that I'm sending out on Wednesday may be turned in on Friday of next week, instead of this Friday. Please remember to write the check out to Scholastic. Thanks.

Bangla Hope

2009-12-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

Bangla Hope
We, as a class, have an opportunity to participate in a drive to help an orphanage in Bangladesh. The organization, Bangla Hope, is located right in here in Kennewick. Some church members from the Kennewick SDA Church will be going to Bangladesh in March, but we will gather what we can by December 17. The students may choose to bring a craft or toy item (new or used in good condition) and/or $ 5.00. The items may be brought to class beforehand or on December 17th. Thank you for extending your love and consideration abroad to those in need.

Class Party
On the 18th of December the 3rd and 4th grade class will have a recital for those students that would like to participate. They may play an instrument, sing a song, or recite a poem about Jesus.
We also will have a potluck. I'll provide the soup and the students can bring buns, desserts, and veggies.

Memory Verse
"You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. The Scriptures are able to mke you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." 2 Temothy 3:15

Spelling Words
3rd Grade – ing endings (and root words of each of these words)
keeping, finding, cleaning, spending, buying, saying, hurrying, tracing (trace), freezing (freeze), boring (bore), driving (drive), moving (move), rising (rise), having (have), coming (come)
4th Grade - ou, ow diphthongs
shout, proud, sour, blouse, ounce, pound, thousand, amount, eyebrow, clown, crown, howl, growl, flower, power

Thanksgiving

2009-11-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

We have much for which to be thankful. If your child has a birthday this month, and you would like to give a birthday thank offering, remember there is a treasure chest in the office to deposit the money, which goes towards the Children Center.

I look forward to seeing you at the program Monday night, which starts at 7:00 p.m. Remember the children are to where white shirts and black pants or skirts.

On Tuesday, the Kindergarten class has invited our class to a Thanksgiving Feast for lunch. We will be coming as Pilgrims, so keep the black and white uniform tidy to wear for Tuesday, also. There will be classes in the afternoon, just in case you weren't sure.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Vacation!

Church Program Once Again

2009-10-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

Memory Verse
Even a child is known by his actions by whether his conduct is pure and right. Proverbs 20:11 NIV

Spelling Words
3rd Grade - picnic, pile, hamburger, creek, poured, logs, lemonade, awful, grapes, ants, sparrow, bananas, burned, fire, blanket, napkins

4th Grade - forward, screaming, bleachers, shooting, barely, breathing, banner, backward, court, toward, soccer, skinned, goal, wildly, lying, bandaged, soreness, bleeding, moment, limped

Church Program
Thank you to those who were able to support the program at Kennewick this last Sabbath. The children did very well. I look forward to seeing the children again this coming Sabbath, at Riverview SDA Church in Pasco. Please remember the uniform is white on top and black on the bottom. Since the children are singing with the 5th and 6th grade class, it would look better for all the boys to have black ties where possible.

ITBS Week

2009-10-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

An important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation. -Arthur Ashe

Some students have already interviewed their parents and shared the interview on tape (optional). They've done a great job. I'm looking forward to the posters which are due this coming Friday. The posters are to show pictures of some of the things that were shared in the interview. Captions under the pictures are definitely helpful.

ITBS Testing
Remember to have your child get plenty of rest and have a healthy breakfast for optimal performance on the test.

Spelling Test
We will still have a spelling test on Friday.
3rd Grade - place, prize, once, boat, coat, road, out, about, sound, bed, beds, dish, dishes, glass, glasses, toy, toys, birthday, birthdays, key, keys, city, cities, party, parties, penny, pennies, woman, women, wolf, wolves, knife, knives

4th Grade - invite, inviting, surprise, surprising, promise, promising, love, lovely, complete, completely, sincere, sincerely, care, carefully, hope, hopefully, sleeve, sleeveless, speak, bread, break, coin, join, choice, they’ll, doesn’t, won’t, believe, receive, neighbor

Memory Verse
“If any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. God is generous. He enjoys giving to all people, so God will give you wisdom.” James 1:5

October 5 News

2009-10-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

Family Interview Project
Family ties are close in our Alaskan story Yuki. The students are assigned to interview a family member, such as a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle. The form of questions is provided. Please record interview (audio or video), where possible, and make a poster to display the findings about the family member. This project is due on Friday, October 16.

Spelling Words
3rd grade - men, women, feet, teeth, mice, deer, sheep, elves, calves, wolves, shelves, leaves, loaves, wives, knives
4th grade - chief, niece, piece, field, fierce, shield, brief, believe, cashier, receive, ceiling, eight, weigh, neighbor

Memory Verse
“A person who quickly gets angry causes trouble. But a person who controls his temper stops a quarrel.” Proverbs 15:18

Math Practice
3rd grade - practice skip-counting by 10s, 5s, and 2s, and then write them as multiplication flash cards
4th grade - practice division facts with 10s, 5s, 2s, and 3s.

Summer Fun

2009-06-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Aren't you glad summer vacation is here?

I hope you're not bored yet.

I'm having fun learning new things on the computer in my summer class.

You may want to fill some of your dull moments with the telescope that you can click on at the sidebar.

Let me know what you think and tell me if you have some cool websites for me to check out.

April News

2009-04-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE NEWS

April 6, 2009
Memory Verse
“I send you to open their eyes that they may turn away from darkness to the light.” Acts 26:18

Spelling
quiet, giant, violin, poem, meow, piano, science, neon, radio, create, ruin, rodeo, diet, area, stadium, duet, Iowa, theater, fuel, idea

Supplies
Thank you to those who have contributed a pack of lined paper to the class. Please check with your child to see of which supplies they have run out.

Field Trip
We will be going to the Waste Water Treatment Plant on Thursday morning, April 9. The children will be transported by the school bus.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Wednesday and Thursday are half-days due to parent-teacher conferences. I look forward to meeting with you.