Hello! My name is Mrs. Starkey.
I teach Language Arts in cottage 5. I job-share with Mrs. Garton.
Mrs. Starkey: ODD cycle days
Mrs. Garton: EVEN cycle days
Fifth graders are learning to use a variety of writing styles. We use the 6 Traits of Writing and follow rubrics to increase the quality of our work. We combine speaking and writing skills on a regular basis. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are reviewed in an ongoing manner through Sitton lessons and tests. We also apply these skills in our daily work. Word of the Day is supported in all classes to increase learning.
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When I am not at school, I advocate for people in need who are halfway across the world. For four years, I traveled doing relief work in earthquakes, war zones and the tsunami. I have traveled to 37 countries. As a result, I started the organization called "Touch the Nations".
One of my dreams is to write books about my travel experiences. The world is full of rich experiences that go far beyond an internet search.
Examples:
In Cairo, Egypt, people who live in the high rise apartments buy fresh bread and vegetables daily by putting a basket on a rope down from the balcony or window. Vendors take the coins from the basket and put purchased items in the basket. This saves a lot of time tramping up and down eight flights of stairs!
In Burundi, there is no word for "son" or "daughter." People just say, "The boy of" or "The girl of." However, they have a word we don't have..."Bashingatahe" which means "A respected elder in the community." No one is able to claim this title. The community decides corporately that a person is worthy of the title. It cannot be gained like titles and merits earned in a university in the U.S.
In Beijing, China, there are more lanes of traffic for bicycles than for cars. Most people own two bicycles. One they ride from home to the subway. They lock it and leave it, ride the subway, get off and then hop on their second bicycle which they ride from the subway to work. (The day I went to the Great Wall of China it was foggy and I could not see more than 100 feet.)
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, instead of a presidential white house, there is a pink house. The two political parties had symbolic colors of red and white. To express unity, they painted it a mixture of red and white--PINK! The original paint included pig's blood.
If you visit England, you may think you speak English, but British English and American English are not the same thing! Try decoding these...
1. "Is this the que to the loo?"
2. "I'm going to wash up. Do you want to wash or do the washing?"
Answers:
1. "Is this the line to the restroom?"
2. I'm going to wash the dishes. Do you want to do laundry or take a bath?"
In Tibet, I ate yak with green beans. It was scrumptuous. I had a spray can of oxygen to breathe in and literally drank 8 liters of water per day.
In Mombasa, Kenya, I rode a camel. Camels spit, growl and try to toss you off their backs. They stand up rear end first. I recommend avoiding camels.
In Sierra Leone, I held a baby that had her arm cut off by rebel soldiers when she was two weeks old.
In Omaha, Nebraska, USA, I teach Language Arts at Buffett Magnet Middle School on odd days and on even days, advocate for Touch the Nations, assisting the less fortunate in other countries. www.TouchTheNations.com .
Hello! My name is Mrs. Starkey.
I teach Language Arts in cottage 5. I job-share with Mrs. Garton.
Mrs. Starkey: ODD cycle days
Mrs. Garton: EVEN cycle days
Fifth graders are learning to use a variety of writing styles. We use the 6 Traits of Writing and follow rubrics to increase the quality of our work. We combine speaking and writing skills on a regular basis. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are reviewed in an ongoing manner through Sitton lessons and tests. We also apply these skills in our daily work. Word of the Day is supported in all classes to increase learning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I am not at school, I advocate for people in need who are halfway across the world. For four years, I traveled doing relief work in earthquakes, war zones and the tsunami. I have traveled to 37 countries. As a result, I started the organization called "Touch the Nations".
One of my dreams is to write books about my travel experiences. The world is full of rich experiences that go far beyond an internet search.
Examples:
In Cairo, Egypt, people who live in the high rise apartments buy fresh bread and vegetables daily by putting a basket on a rope down from the balcony or window. Vendors take the coins from the basket and put purchased items in the basket. This saves a lot of time tramping up and down eight flights of stairs!
In Burundi, there is no word for "son" or "daughter." People just say, "The boy of" or "The girl of." However, they have a word we don't have..."Bashingatahe" which means "A respected elder in the community." No one is able to claim this title. The community decides corporately that a person is worthy of the title. It cannot be gained like titles and merits earned in a university in the U.S.
In Beijing, China, there are more lanes of traffic for bicycles than for cars. Most people own two bicycles. One they ride from home to the subway. They lock it and leave it, ride the subway, get off and then hop on their second bicycle which they ride from the subway to work. (The day I went to the Great Wall of China it was foggy and I could not see more than 100 feet.)
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, instead of a presidential white house, there is a pink house. The two political parties had symbolic colors of red and white. To express unity, they painted it a mixture of red and white--PINK! The original paint included pig's blood.
If you visit England, you may think you speak English, but British English and American English are not the same thing! Try decoding these...
1. "Is this the que to the loo?"
2. "I'm going to wash up. Do you want to wash or do the washing?"
Answers:
1. "Is this the line to the restroom?"
2. I'm going to wash the dishes. Do you want to do laundry or take a bath?"
In Tibet, I ate yak with green beans. It was scrumptuous. I had a spray can of oxygen to breathe in and literally drank 8 liters of water per day.
In Mombasa, Kenya, I rode a camel. Camels spit, growl and try to toss you off their backs. They stand up rear end first. I recommend avoiding camels.
In Sierra Leone, I held a baby that had her arm cut off by rebel soldiers when she was two weeks old.
In Omaha, Nebraska, USA, I teach Language Arts at Buffett Magnet Middle School on odd days and on even days, advocate for Touch the Nations, assisting the less fortunate in other countries. www.TouchTheNations.com .