School is out!!!

This is the first day of my holiday, officially! I saw some of you last night at the Graduation and for those of you who sang in the Primary Choir, well done!

Vania, congratulations on graduating from Primary. We really missed you in class when you moved up to Grade 6, but I know that was the right class for you to be in.

Hope all of you check the blog over the summer. I will try and post things from time to time.

Hang out with your friends
Help out your parents
Honor God

Have a fun summer!

love you guys,
Mrs Hasmig

Riddles and Glasses and Haiti!! =)

Hey Guys!!!!!

It's Ben! It feels like forever since I've gotten to see to you!! Mrs. Hasmig is really awesome for letting me write on here, so hopefully I'll come up with some interesting question for all of you! Let's see here:

First, let's start with an easy one- who can solve this riddle?

"I break when you say my name~ what am I?"

And no using Google to solve it either!! ;)

A few of you are my friends on Facebook too- be sure to add me as a friend if you haven't! Or post here and I'll add you if you want.

Just to give you an update on me- I got back to the States in March, and I've been really busy getting stuff ready for school in August. My sister, brother-in-law, and I are planning a trip to go back to Haiti in a few weeks too. We're taking adjustable eyeglasses to a city in North Haiti called Cap Haitien (here's a Wikipedia page about the city: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cap-Ha%C3%AFtien

If you guys remember, I talked in Logos chapel about how the Haitien people spend close to 200 Euros to buy glasses- and we're going to be able to bring a thousand pairs of glasses to them for free. But not just any glasses!!

The pairs we're bringing were made by a Dutch company, and they can be adjusted by the person wearing them!! That means they just turn a little wheel till the glasses are the right prescription, then lock them in place!

We actually got our first pair of glasses today!! Here is my sister wearing them:

I admit, they're not the most attractive things ever, but for people who have never been able to see, it's a dream come true! Please keep us in your prayers as we go to Haiti with these!

That's all for today- don't forget to try to figure out the riddle, and write on here just to say hello!! =)

I really miss you guys- can't wait to come back to Cyprus and see you all!!!

Ben

Total Lunar Eclipse: June 15th 2011

Here are some photos of this week's Total Lunar Eclipse. They were taken from a village above Limassol by one of my friends.

First stages of the Eclipse

Last stages of the Eclipse

Question: Who can tell me when the next Total Lunar Eclipse will happen?

Pottery by kids

Since we are going to visit the potter on Tuesday thought you might like to see some pottery pieces made by kids.

htmhttp://www.clayexpression.com/kids.gallery-1.htm

Sports day and our human pyramid

Sports Day May 2011

We had a good sports day this past Wednesday. According to my Grade 5 tradition, I wanted you to make a human pyramid(if you are not sure what this is see previous post). You can see a photo of your attempt on sports day. Thursday many of you were complaining of having a backache...hmmm...Then on Friday I find out after your PE class that you asked to make a human pyramid again! Thanks to Miss Clea I have a photo of this one too. Enjoy!

Human Pyramid

A human pyramid is a type of stunt in which several participants stand or kneel together in a row or other formation, forming a base for another tier of participants who stand or kneel on their shoulders, backs or thighs. Successively smaller tiers of participants may be added, each tier supported by the one below it. Lighter participants are placed at the top of the formation, while the strongest participants form the base of the pyramid.

Human pyramids may be performed by cheerleaders, by circus acrobats—who may perform additional tricks simultaneously, such as juggling or making the pyramid travel—or less perfectly by amateurs (often for the fun of failing and falling).

The Loch Ness Monster

Here is a good website for you to surf and find more about the Loch Ness Monster.
Have fun!

 http://www.loch-ness-monster-nessieland.com/is-the-loch-ness-monster-real.shtml

Happy Holidays

Hi guys,

Just want to wish everyone a happy Easter Holiday! I will be posting some things up in the coming days.
I did not give you a lot of homework, so I do hope you spend some time reading. When I say reading I don't mean just facebook comments! You can be reading good books and writing down good ideas for stories of your own.

Oh and I want to thank you for cheering for me on the sidelines during the basketball game today!

Happy Holidays,
Mrs. Hasmig

Global Warming Humour

What can I do about global warming?

You don’t have to wait until you are grown to do something about global warming. Scientists agree that the burning of fossil fuels is causing global warming. Since these fuels are burned for energy, and everyone uses energy, everyone can help stop global warming just by using less energy.

Think about the things you do each day that use energy. The lights in your house use electricity. The TV and computer use electricity. The washing machine, dishwasher and dryer all use gas or electricity. Every time you ride in your car, it uses gasoline.

There are some simple things that you can do to help stop global warming:

• Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Use fluorescent bulbs in your room.
• Turn off your computer or the TV when you’re not using it. Unplug chargers when not in use.
• Wait until you have a lot of clothes to wash before using the washing machine. Don’t use the machine for one item just because it’s your favorite shirt.
• Take shorter showers. Heating water uses energy.
• Close the blinds on a hot day if the sun is shining in. Dress lightly instead of turning up the air conditioning. Or use a fan.
• Dress warmly inside your house when it’s cold, instead of turning up the heat.
• Offer to help your parents keep the air filters on your AC and furnace clean.
• Walk short distances instead of asking for a ride in a car.

• Whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. .
• Plant a tree.
• Learn more about global warming so you can talk to people about it.

Global Warming Explained

I thought since we talked about this topic today in Geography you will enjoy reading this!

Here are the answers to the key questions about global warming:

Do scientists agree about global warming?

Scientists who study the climate are still arguing about how fast the earth is warming and how much it will warm, but they do agree that the earth is warming and that it will keep warming if we don’t do anything about it.  The most accurate way to measure temperatures on our planet, by the way, is with the help of orbiting weather satellites.

What is causing global warming?

Scientists agree that the burning of fossil fuels like oil and coal cause greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), to escape into the air and that these gases are causing most of the warming. Another cause is deforestation (cutting down trees). Trees soak up the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the air. All humans contribute to global warming, by,  for example, driving a car or flying in an airplane; scientists often refer to the term "carbon footprint" when they refer to the impact an individual or business has on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced.

Carbon dioxide isn't the only greenhouse gas causing global warming; another important greenhouse gas is methane, which is much more damaging to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, but, fortunately, has a much shorter life span in the atmosphere.  At the moment, the atmosphere still contains less than 1/10th of 1% of carbon dioxide, unlike the planet Venus for example, where it is 96.5%, with temperatures hot enough to melt lead!

What is the difference between "global warming" and "climate change"?

"Global warming" refers to the increase of the Earth's average surface temperature, due to a build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (also called the "greenhouse effect").  The "atmosphere" surrounds our planet and protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation and reducing temperature extremes between day and night.

"Climate change" is a broader term that refers to long-term changes in climate, including average temperature and precipitation.

What will happen if global warming continues?

There are already some changes happening because of global warming. Sea level is rising and some animals are already moving to new homes. It’s already too late to stop global warming completely.

If the warming gets worse, as scientists expect, there may be some kinds of plants and animals that become extinct (disappear completely) because they can’t move to new homes. There may be more storms and floods due to melting ice caps. Sea level may rise so much that people have to move away from the coasts. Some areas may become too dry for farming.

What is being done about global warming?

Global warming is a very difficult problem to fix. People are having a hard time agreeing on what to do about it. For example, everyone agrees that wasting energy is a bad thing to do. But some people think that the federal government should make laws about it, while other people think it should be up to each person or business to decide what to do.   In 1997 the famous "Kyoto Protocol" was adopted in the city of "Kyoto", and it entered into force on 16 February 2005. As part of this protocol, 36 countries are required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Many states and businesses in the United States are not waiting until the federal government decides what to do. They have already started working on the problem. A number of companies such as Greatest Planet work on projects that reduce or avoid the greenhouse gases going into our atmosphere: such projects include, for example, treeplanting, windfarms (a windfarm is a group of 2 or more wind turbines which produce electricity), and solar energy (which turns sunlight into electricity).  The energy provided by windfarms, solar power, tidal and hydro power is often referred to as "renewable energy"

It could happen...

http://www.magickeys.com/books/happen/index.html
Here's a link to an interesting online story. Enjoy!

The History of Chocolate

So where and when did the magic begin? Thousands of years ago is the answer, in the ancient Maya and Aztec civilizations of Central America.

Cocoa trees grew wild in the jungle, and they used them to make a spicy, rather bitter drink for special occasions. Centuries later the Aztec Empire fell, and the Conquistador Hernan Cortés brought cocoa beans back across the ocean to Spain.

Gradually chocolate spread across Europe – it was the fashionable choice of Kings and Queens, the nobility and the rich, just like caviar or champagne today. At the end of the 19th Century milk was added, and at last someone devised a way of making chocolate to eat as well as to drink. But it wasn’t until the 20th century that chocolate became affordable for everyone.

So chocolate has been on an epic journey, but its popularity is enduring: prized once by Aztec warriors and today by millions of people around the world.

I thought you might like this since we just started learning about the Aztecs. 

April Fool's Day

from  The Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time


Instant Color TV
1962: In 1962 there was only one tv channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station's technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that, thanks to a new technology, viewers could convert their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their tv screen. Stensson proceeded to demonstrate the process. Thousands of people were taken in. Regular color broadcasts only commenced in Sweden on April 1, 1970.

New Zealand Wasp Swarm

In 1949 Phil Shone, a New Zealand deejay for radio station 1ZB, announced to his listeners that a mile-wide wasp swarm was headed towards Auckland. He urged them to take a variety of steps to protect themselves and their homes from the winged menace. For instance, he suggested that they wear their socks over their trousers when they left for work, and that they leave honey-smeared traps outside their doors. Hundreds of people dutifully heeded his advice, until he finally admitted that it had all been a joke. The New Zealand Broadcasting Service was not amused by Shone's prank. Its director, Professor James Shelley, denounced the hoax on the grounds that it undermined the rules of proper broadcasting. From then on, a memo was sent out each year before April Fool's Day reminding New Zealand radio stations of their obligation to report the truth, and nothing but the truth.

What is the biggest castle in World?

The biggest castle in the world, at about 570 meters length and an average of about 130 meters wide, is Prague Castle, the castle in Prague.

Prague Castle

Mrs Nerg : Quiz!

Let's see how well you remember today's lesson on the Seven Life Processes.

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/revision/Science/life.html

Who did this painting?

Art Activity: Design your own Jewellery Online

http://www.artisancam.org.uk/flashapps/jewellerydesigner/index.php

Have fun making your own online jewellery!

Art Show

I thought the Art Show was a big success this week. I am proud of all the work you guys did for it!
This afternoon I was especially proud of the way you worked together to help put down the artwork during Homework Club. Great teamwork!

Another Riddle

What word contains all of the twenty six letters?

Riddle

What is so fragile that when you say its name, you break it?


Let's see who gets it right first!

Prince Caspian (read it online)

http://www.onread.com/reader/191751

Here is the link to the whole book online. 

We have a few chapters left to read in class, but for those who are in Greek first language you can read it here.

Prince Caspian: Susan Meets Aslan

An excerpt from  Chapter 11 of Prince Caspian, by CS Lewis:


 Then, after an awful pause, the deep voice said, "Susan,"
Susan made no answer but the others thought she was crying. 
"You have listened to fears, child, "said Aslan.
 "Come, let me breathe on you. Forget them. Are you brave again?"

   "A little, Aslan," said Susan. 


This was one of my favorite parts of the book so far. 
What are your thoughts?

Who invented the telephone?

Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell was born in Scotland. His mother, who was deaf, was a musician and a painter of portraits. His father, who taught deaf people how to speak, invented "Visible Speech". This was a code which showed how the tongue, lips, and throat were positioned to make speech sounds. Graham, or "Aleck", as his family called him, was interested in working with the deaf throughout his life.

He only attended school for five years; from the time he was 10 until he was 14, but he never stopped learning. He read the books in his grandfather's library and studied tutorials .

When he was a teen-ager, he and his brother Melly used the voice box of a dead sheep to make a speaking machine that cried, "Mama!" This created even more interest in human speech and how it worked.

When he was in his early 20's, his two brothers died of tuberculosis . Bell himself had the disease and his father moved the family to Canada looking for a better climate in which to live. Bell recovered from the disease.

Two years later he went to Boston to open a school for teachers of the deaf and then became a professor at Boston University. It was at this time that he met Mabel Hubbard, one of his students who was 10 years younger than he. Mabel had become deaf at the age of four due to scarlet fever. Five years later they were married. At the wedding ceremony he gave her a gift of all but 10 shares of the stock in the newly formed company called Bell Telephone Company. They had two daughters and two sons. Their sons both died at a young age.

Thomas Watson became an associate of Bell. He made parts and built models of Bell's inventions. One day while they were working Bell accidently heard the sound of a plucked reed coming over the telegraph wire. Watson had been tuning the metal reeds in the next room. Bell drew up a plan for the telephone and they continued to experiment. The next day he transmitted the famous words, "Mr. Watson, come here. I want you!" A few months later on Feb. 14, 1876, he applied for a patent on his telephone.

He knew he would have to work quickly to get the patent because other people were also trying to make an invention to transmit the human voice.Elisha Gray claims he too invented the telephone, but Bell got to the patent office an hour or so before he did. It is said that Antonio Meucci also succeeded with the invention before Bell.

Because Bell had the patent, he had the right to be the only one to produce telephones in the U.S. for the next 19 years.

He showed the invention to Queen Victoria of England and she wanted lines to connect her castles.By 1917, nearly all of the United State had telephone service.

He continued to invent other things. He developed a method of making phonograph records on a wax disc. He made an iron breathing lung, and a device for locating icebergs at sea. He experimented with sheep. He was interested in kites that could lift a man, and he invented a hydrofoil which set a world speed record of over 70 miles per hour.

He along with others started the National Geographic Society and he served as its president for several years.

He became a U.S. citizen, but he died in Canada at the age of 75.

Pluto

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/actiongames/plutos-secret

Enjoy the game!

welcome to iFive

Dear iFivers,

Welcome to iFive! Grade 5's special internet corner.

Each weekend (usually Friday nights) I will post some articles or links. You are only supposed to be on this blog on weekends and not during the week.

You can comment about what you read. The blog is not a chat room, so you can't use it to chat with your friends or  talk about other topics. Comments need to be about what you read. You can ask questions or say what you liked about the article. You need to write in full sentences with proper spelling (use your spell check) and not in facebook or sms type writing (u, lol etc). I will check all the comments before they appear on the blog.

I think we will all enjoy and learn lots from iFive.

Mrs Hasmig