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.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
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
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.
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
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.
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!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Vocab Feb 14-18
lesion – wound or injury. When a person has a lesion, even a small one that won’t heal, it is time to see a doctor.
fathom – to fully understand; The jury found it hard to fathom how the defendant could commit such a terrible crime.
badger - to tease and annoy persistently; Sadly, the school bully badgered Ron endlessly, making him scared to walk on school grounds.
entice – to attract or tempt; the delicious aroma of a hamburger stand often entices the passerby to stop for a snack..
gloat – to brag greatly; The girl felt silly after gloating so much after her team won their first basketball game of the day, because the next game they played, they lost by 35 points.
chasm – a deep opening in the Earth’s surface; a gorge; The Grand Canyon is one of the biggest chasms in the world..
karma – fate or destiny or to detect good or bad vibrations from someone; All his life he had a bad karma following him around, because it seemed like every other month he was in the hospital for a broken limb or an illness.
consensus – general agreement; The consensus of the of the students was that the cafeteria would serve no more chili dogs.
fathom – to fully understand; The jury found it hard to fathom how the defendant could commit such a terrible crime.
badger - to tease and annoy persistently; Sadly, the school bully badgered Ron endlessly, making him scared to walk on school grounds.
entice – to attract or tempt; the delicious aroma of a hamburger stand often entices the passerby to stop for a snack..
gloat – to brag greatly; The girl felt silly after gloating so much after her team won their first basketball game of the day, because the next game they played, they lost by 35 points.
chasm – a deep opening in the Earth’s surface; a gorge; The Grand Canyon is one of the biggest chasms in the world..
karma – fate or destiny or to detect good or bad vibrations from someone; All his life he had a bad karma following him around, because it seemed like every other month he was in the hospital for a broken limb or an illness.
consensus – general agreement; The consensus of the of the students was that the cafeteria would serve no more chili dogs.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Our class in the newspaper as well!
Click here to read the newspaper article about our class's fine dining experience!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Vocab words Feb 7-11
migratory – roving or wandering. Fruit pickers are migratory workers who move from place to place at harvesting time.
reminisce – the act or practice of recalling the past; Sometime I lie back and listen to the music of the 1960s and reminisce about when I was a child.
opportune - Occurring or coming at a good time; Mrs. Childs, our teacher, said the weekend before our final exam was an opportune time for last minute studying.
girth – the distance around something; to encircle; the girth of the planet Earth is about twenty-five thousand miles..
harrowing – extremely distressed; disturbing or frightening; After the harrowing experience when Eddie’s main parachute didn’t open, and his emergency chute saved his life only at the last minute, he vowed never to jump again.
endure – to carry on through despite hardships or to put up with; Settlers in the 1800s endured many hardships such as harsh winters, diseases, and animal attacks on their way to California.
chronic – continuing for a long time – continuous; George was a chronic complainer, he never saw the positive side of anything. When lower back pain becomes chronic, it’s time to see a doctor.
accolade – an award, an honor; approval, praise; The accolades she received for making the Olympic Swim Team quickly went to her head and she began boasting about her accomplishment all around town.
reminisce – the act or practice of recalling the past; Sometime I lie back and listen to the music of the 1960s and reminisce about when I was a child.
opportune - Occurring or coming at a good time; Mrs. Childs, our teacher, said the weekend before our final exam was an opportune time for last minute studying.
girth – the distance around something; to encircle; the girth of the planet Earth is about twenty-five thousand miles..
harrowing – extremely distressed; disturbing or frightening; After the harrowing experience when Eddie’s main parachute didn’t open, and his emergency chute saved his life only at the last minute, he vowed never to jump again.
endure – to carry on through despite hardships or to put up with; Settlers in the 1800s endured many hardships such as harsh winters, diseases, and animal attacks on their way to California.
chronic – continuing for a long time – continuous; George was a chronic complainer, he never saw the positive side of anything. When lower back pain becomes chronic, it’s time to see a doctor.
accolade – an award, an honor; approval, praise; The accolades she received for making the Olympic Swim Team quickly went to her head and she began boasting about her accomplishment all around town.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Vocab Jan 24-28
mammoth – huge; gigantic; When Jane returned from vacation, she found a mammoth amount of work piled on her desk.
veer – change in direction; When you arrive at the castle, veer left around the wall
and follow the foot trail until you come to the valley.
ajar - partially open; When the police carefully examined the crime scene, they found the second-story window ajar .
cranny – a small opening in a wall or rock face; The secret message was found stuffed into a small cranny in the courtyard wall next to the church.
cower – cringe from fear; or shrink away; When Sheriff Wild Bill Hickok entered the Last Chance Saloon, the villains cowered in fear.
wither – shriveled, shrunken, dried-up; A few withered apples were all that remained on the tree after the pickers had worked their way through the orchard..
gazebo – an outdoor structure with a roof and open sides; On Sunday afternoons the family would gather together in the shade of our backyard gazebo.
enrage – to make one angry or to infuriate; What enrages my wife is when I forget to wipe m feet before coming into the house..
veer – change in direction; When you arrive at the castle, veer left around the wall
and follow the foot trail until you come to the valley.
ajar - partially open; When the police carefully examined the crime scene, they found the second-story window ajar .
cranny – a small opening in a wall or rock face; The secret message was found stuffed into a small cranny in the courtyard wall next to the church.
cower – cringe from fear; or shrink away; When Sheriff Wild Bill Hickok entered the Last Chance Saloon, the villains cowered in fear.
wither – shriveled, shrunken, dried-up; A few withered apples were all that remained on the tree after the pickers had worked their way through the orchard..
gazebo – an outdoor structure with a roof and open sides; On Sunday afternoons the family would gather together in the shade of our backyard gazebo.
enrage – to make one angry or to infuriate; What enrages my wife is when I forget to wipe m feet before coming into the house..
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Vocab words Jan 17-21
flaunt – to show off; It was rude for the girl to flaunt around in her new dress at the homeless shelter.
pungent – having a sharp smell or bitter flavor; The pungent smell escaping from the school cafeteria made me wish I had brought my lunch.
reluctant - unwilling; not eager; The girl was reluctant to begin her one hundred problem homework assignment.
disperse – to spread widely or to scatter; The smoked dispersed into the midnight sky.
vague – not clear; My memory of that day is very vague.
geezer – a slang term referring usually to a strange, old man; That is the old geezer who sold shoe laces on the corner.
rookie – (beginner) an athlete playing his or her first season on a sports team; The young man was having an outstanding year for only being a rookie.
pallbearer – one of several persons who carry or attend the casket at a funeral. My dad was a pallbearer at his best friend’s funeral.
pungent – having a sharp smell or bitter flavor; The pungent smell escaping from the school cafeteria made me wish I had brought my lunch.
reluctant - unwilling; not eager; The girl was reluctant to begin her one hundred problem homework assignment.
disperse – to spread widely or to scatter; The smoked dispersed into the midnight sky.
vague – not clear; My memory of that day is very vague.
geezer – a slang term referring usually to a strange, old man; That is the old geezer who sold shoe laces on the corner.
rookie – (beginner) an athlete playing his or her first season on a sports team; The young man was having an outstanding year for only being a rookie.
pallbearer – one of several persons who carry or attend the casket at a funeral. My dad was a pallbearer at his best friend’s funeral.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Vocabulary Jan 10 – 14
pandemonium – wild uproar and total chaos; There was complete pandemonium at our house for the hour mother was gone.
Samaritan – one who is compassionate and helpful to a person in need; After I tripped on the street curb, a good Samaritan helped me to my feet.
phantom - an illusion of a person or thing; ghost; I was too scared to enter the attic, in fear that I might encounter a phantom.
gawk – to stare stupidly or foolishly; to gape; The young boys gawked at the pretty high school girl as she walked past them.
dainty – very delicate and fine; The girl wore a dainty lace dress to the recital.
eon – an immeasurably long period of time; “It will take me eons to finish this huge book report!” shouted the girl.
unbeknownst –unknown or without one’s knowledge; Unbeknownst to his mother, Gerald had to stay after school on Monday.
antsy – unable to sit or stand still; fidgety; The students were very antsy on the last day of school because they could not wait for summer break.
pandemonium – wild uproar and total chaos; There was complete pandemonium at our house for the hour mother was gone.
Samaritan – one who is compassionate and helpful to a person in need; After I tripped on the street curb, a good Samaritan helped me to my feet.
phantom - an illusion of a person or thing; ghost; I was too scared to enter the attic, in fear that I might encounter a phantom.
gawk – to stare stupidly or foolishly; to gape; The young boys gawked at the pretty high school girl as she walked past them.
dainty – very delicate and fine; The girl wore a dainty lace dress to the recital.
eon – an immeasurably long period of time; “It will take me eons to finish this huge book report!” shouted the girl.
unbeknownst –unknown or without one’s knowledge; Unbeknownst to his mother, Gerald had to stay after school on Monday.
antsy – unable to sit or stand still; fidgety; The students were very antsy on the last day of school because they could not wait for summer break.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Vocab words Jan 3-7
legacy – something such as a story or tradition that is passed down from an ancestor. Even though Grandfather passed away twenty years ago, his legacy of always wanting to help others still lives through our family today.
mirage – an illusion in which something that is not really there appears to be seen in the distance. In the desert we saw a mirage that looked like a lake.
stupefied - to stun, shock, overwhelm, or astonish. I was stupefied when the magician made the tiger disappear.
lumber – to move heavily usually from great weight or exhaustion. The big trucks lumbered down the highway overloaded with freight.
finicky – picky and difficult to please. My sister is a very finicky eater and will only eat sandwiches on white bread with ham, no mayonnaise, and cheddar cheese.
obvious – easily noticed or understood; The student made an obvious mistake in their subtraction problem.
infamous – having a bad reputation; The infamous criminal robbed three banks in Pennsylvania.
suffice – to have enough and to satisfy; These crackers will be enough to suffice my hunger until supper time.
mirage – an illusion in which something that is not really there appears to be seen in the distance. In the desert we saw a mirage that looked like a lake.
stupefied - to stun, shock, overwhelm, or astonish. I was stupefied when the magician made the tiger disappear.
lumber – to move heavily usually from great weight or exhaustion. The big trucks lumbered down the highway overloaded with freight.
finicky – picky and difficult to please. My sister is a very finicky eater and will only eat sandwiches on white bread with ham, no mayonnaise, and cheddar cheese.
obvious – easily noticed or understood; The student made an obvious mistake in their subtraction problem.
infamous – having a bad reputation; The infamous criminal robbed three banks in Pennsylvania.
suffice – to have enough and to satisfy; These crackers will be enough to suffice my hunger until supper time.
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