November 1

Student Blog Showcase

We just finished Week 4 of the Student Blogging Challenge.  This week was a Free Choice week and students were able to create a blog post on a topic of their choice.  For my Free Choice, I decided to feature some of the great work my students have been doing on their blogs.  I asked my students to suggest a few of their classmates’ blog posts to showcase, and here are their suggestions:

Gena has written a nice post suggesting things to do in New York City.  Blaine had fun with creating a snowman image for the Week 3 Challenge.  Evey argues why Minecraft and Fortnite should not be compared.  Maddox tells about his favorite sport and Ella offers some great book suggestions.

Visit their blogs and leave them a comment!

October 25

Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament!

Veterans Day is coming soon, and that means it’s time for McDowell students and staff to once again show our support to our local veterans in need. In the last few years, McDowell has been very successful in collecting canned food items to donate. This year, instead of collecting food, we would like to raise money to donate to the Military Veterans Resource Center.  We have set a goal to raise $800 to donate. The Military Veterans Resource Center will then use that money to purchase food for veterans.

In order to help with our fundraising efforts, McDowell Student Council will be hosting a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament for McDowell Students next Friday, Nov. 1.  To encourage participation from ALL students, the entry fee to join the tournament will be just $1! You may also pay an additional $1 to go to the Loser’s round of the tournament in order to stay in the tournament.  Students must preregister for the tournament during lunch on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of next week.age

Image created with Canva.

October 9

It’s beginning to look like… FALL!

It’s beginning to look, smell, sound, taste and feel like FALL in Ohio.  Also known as autumn, this season is a particular favorite in our area.  Inspired by Kasey Bell’s magnetic poetry idea, I asked my students  to create a poem about fall.  This was a quick activity that we were able to complete on a beautiful fall day and they will look great on display in our building!

Do you see a favorite poem? Drop a comment and let us know!

October 7

Who has the best students?

Just in case you haven’t heard, WE DO!

McDowell Exchange School received some very good news last Friday.  Ohio’s Growth Measure Reports were released for Ohio’s Spring 2019 AIR tests. There were 1079 schools in Ohio who gave 7th and 8th grade tests.

Guess what?  Out of those 1079 schools, our students had the 3rd highest Average Growth Index!  Our 7th and 8th grade students put forth 110% effort on those tests and these results are a direct reflection of those efforts.  Not bad for our small, rural school in the cornfield!

I am so incredibly proud of our students and staff for such an accomplishment.  I’m always saying #McDowellstudentsarethebest and once again, I have the proof to back that statement up.

I love these kids, my colleagues, and I love being a BRAVE!

September 29

Has it really been 10 years?!

We’re taking part in the Student Blogging Challenge!

Has it really been 10 years since I first enrolled my class blog in the Student Blogging Challenge? Back then, I was teaching 5th grade Language Arts at Laurelville Elementary. I then taught two years of 5th grade Math at Laurelville before moving on to McDowell Middle School to teach 7th grade Language Arts. I am now in my ninth year of teaching at McDowell.

There has been a lot of personal change for me, as well, over those years. My husband and I are officially “empty nesters” since our daughters, Hannah and Molly, are now in college! Hannah is a senior at Miami University, majoring in Middle Childhood Education. Molly is a sophomore at Marietta College and is currently undecided on her major. We have grieved as our beloved dogs, Rambo, Hank, and Riley crossed the Rainbow Bridge and we now have two new dogs, Willy and Dodge.  And six years ago, the passing of my father rocked my world.

Although a lot has changed, some things have remained constant. I still love teaching, am proud to be a Brave, and I still am blessed with having the best students walk into my classroom each day. Connecting with my students and connecting with the world outside of my classroom is still a priority for me as a teacher. Because of this,  I am once again enrolling my class blog as well as my students’ blogs in the Blogging Challenge.

I hope you come back to see what we’ve been up to and as always, we welcome your comments!

September 24

And…we are BACK!

A new school year.  A new group of students.  An opportunity to reflect on things of the past and prepare for the future.  I love this time of year!

In my classroom,  we spend the first few weeks of school getting to know each other and establishing expectations and routines that will carry us through the year.  It doesn’t take long for 7th graders to realize how much they like being a student at our school and we have a discussion comparing life as a 7th grader to life of a 6th grader.

What makes 7th grade at McDowell so great?  Read the Padlet below to see what my Advanced Language Arts class had to say.  They’ve done a nice job explaining their thoughts.

Made with Padlet

I will have to add that these are just SOME of the things that are great about McDowell Exchange School.  There are many more, and the best thing about our school, in MY opinion, is that we have the best students.  #McDowellstudentsarethebest