Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Vocab Words April 4 - 8

engulf – to surround or enclose completely; The movie stars were engulfed by a swarm of paparazzi as they arrived at the Academy Awards ceremony.

fetish – to have an obsession with something; The British, they say, have an absolute fetish for tea.

fjord – a narrow inlet (river) from the sea between steep cliffs or hills; Fjords are generally deep so that cruise ships have more than enough water to navigate up their length.

fraught – to be full; Eric caught a boatload in a lake fraught with fish.

giddy – light-headed sensation or dizzy; After Sue Ellen won the beauty contest, she was absolutely giddy with joy.

grandiose – grand, impressive, showy, and flashy; Our coach had a grandiose plan to beat the Dallas Cowboys, but he didn’t count on the fact that they had a grandiose plan of their own!

hoard – to stockpile or to gather lots for future use; The squirrel’s hoard of nuts must be stored for the approaching winter.

lax – not tense or strict, slack; Most men who are not married yet are very lax in their housekeeping responsibilities.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Live Eagle Cam!

Just wanted to share this incredible link with you all. It's a live eagle cam from Decora, Iowa. This mama eagle is sitting on a nest of 3 eggs and they're scheduled to hatch this Friday, April 1st, 2011.
 
There's not a whole lot going on tonight in the nest, as mama is sleeping and there's not much action. But in the daylight, you will be glued to your computer screen as you watch her interact with her nestfull. The daddy eagle swoops in from time to time and trades places with his mate, sending her out for food and he sits on the eggs. My students all LOVE watching and it's oh-so-calming to listen and watch nature's finest and most majestic bird up close.
 
Just had to share!
 
  [ http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles ]http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

March 28 - April 1 Vocab

abyss – bottomless pit. The diver missed the ledge and sank deep into the abyss.

amplify – to make larger, louder, or more powerful. The music was amplified to the point where the guests couldn’t hear themselves speak.

askew - to one side, or crooked; The tire would not fit on the car because in the
accident the axle had been bent askew .

aspire – something one hopes to achieve, a goal; I aspire to be a professional tennis player when I grow up.

bleak – discouraging, bad, harsh; The vet said we can keep our hopes up, but the chances of our dog, Spot, surviving the car accident were bleak.

chide – to scold; I told Jaxon that I was going to chide him each time he tried to jump over Braylon.

damper– one that depresses or worsens; The rainy weather put a damper on our plans to go outside and swim.

scapegoat – one who is blamed for what others did; Henry was always the scapegoat, taking blame for whatever happened, whether he was to blame or not.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Vocab and Spelling Words March 21-25

inevitable – It is bound to happen; it is going to happen, there is no stopping it. Even though I am praying every night that summer vacation won’t end, it is inevitable that the next school year will start in one week.

oust – to reject, force out, or banish. The landlord ousted the tenant from the house when he didn’t pay his rent.

somber - depressing, dark, gloomy; You will find that most everyone who attends a funeral wears somber clothing, generally black or gray.

dilemma – a problem or predicament; a difficult situation where one must choose between two choices. John faced the dilemma of either losing his job or taking a pay cut.

intervene – to come between. Referees intervene between player disputes.

alleviate – to relieve or lessen the pain, stress, or fear; I am going to take some Tylenol to alleviate my headache.

melancholy– gloomy, weary; Farmer Brown was beset with melancholy when he saw what the worms had done to his melon patch.

fickle – often changing for no reason; Pregnant women are very fickle; one moment they want ice cream, the next, pickles.

Spelling Words
1. spirits
2. annoy
3. fight
4. casual
5. favorite
6. absurd
7. ridiculous
8. attract
9. dentist
10. different
11. usually
12. caught
13. cot
14. rebel
15. laughter
16. Thanksgiving
17. Christmas
18. Halloween
19. Valentine’s Day
20. Easter

Monday, February 28, 2011

Vocab words Feb 28 - Mar 4

zany – crazy or silly; I always knew that my zany friend would grow up to become a professional clown.

nonchalantly – casual and calm; The millionaire nonchalantly wrote a check for $50,000 .

shenanigans - mischief, pranks, and trickery; The two little boys were always getting into trouble for the shenanigans they pulled.

ludicrous – ridiculous and absurd; It was ludicrous to think that a two year old could know their multiplication facts.

exuberance – very excited, with high spirits and enthusiasm; You could see the exuberance in his wide smile after he received a perfect score on his math test.

maraud – to invade, roam, or attack in search of goods or loot; During the revolt in the city, the stores were marauded by thieves.

ecstatic – showing or feeling great enthusiasm or delight; The young man was so ecstatic after winning his wrestling match, he jumped in the air and did a back flip.

retaliate – to fight back; If someone is picking on you, it is best to tell an adult instead of retaliating.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Hi Fifth Grade!

Hi guys! I am so sorry I have been sick these last few days! Trust me, you wouldn't want me at school! I have never felt this sick in a LONG time! I have strep throat and will hopefully be back tomorrow, but we will see. I went to the doctor yesterday and they put me on an antibiotic, so hopefully that kicks in! Please be good for the substitute! Hope to see you soon!