Welcome to Division 1 at Thompson's Class Blog

This site has been put together by Mr. Rollins and my students at Thompson Elementary School in Richmond

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Last Post

No, not the song that is played at Remembrance Day by the trumpet/cornet. This will be the Last post for the Mr.Rollins Division1 blog. It has been a blast. Thanks to everyone. I will not be updating this anymore, but you might be able to find my next blog (it will be more serious) but you will have to use your internet "sleuthing" powers to find it...

A special thanks to Josh who is responsible for many of the posts, plus some gentle encouragement plus at least 10,000 of the hits on the blog!

A More Profound Last Post (which technically isn't my last post because I went back in time to change the time stamp, but really it is my last post- and it's better than the one I had-and I had to change it because it came to me in a dream...)

Now, how's that for a title to the last post that technically isn't my last post, but actually is...

Anyway, the post is a link to Dr. Randy Pausch's Last lecture. ***



Why did I do this*? Well, believe it or not I have been dreaming about blogging/posting/texting and there was a "I can make a difference" theme to my dream. I was on my bike in a traffic jam, and everyone clapped.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*This refers to going back in time to retroactively post a "better" last post blog that doesn't contravene my original "this is my last post" blog title (and essence of that being the last post**

** Why did I make a footnote? Well, my English professor at UBC didn't like writing with the word "this". What does "this" refer to. Apparently I used it a lot. And one shouldn't. Use the word "this" a lot, that is. Especially if you're not a good writer to begin with. Replace your "this" in your writing with the words you actually meant to use there and all will be more clearer to your reader.

***
Why did I choose Randy Pausch's Last Lecture video? Well, I hope you remember the answer to that one. If not, watch it again (this is the entire video). Enjoy

300!!!


DRUMROLl PLEASE
Are we there yet?



and:

Can anyone tell me?

Why my google chrome pages keep coming up in Russian?

Seriously. I have to keep translating the pages. Kind of annoying (not to mention difficult) as I don't know how to read or speak Russian.

Answer?

It's an environmental stapler. It actually cuts and then ties the pieces of paper together without a staple at all. Pretty sweet.

What is this?

I will give you a hint. I got one of them as a present from one of the students in our class today. It is a pretty neat (and environmentally friendly) gift. It is also a super-original idea. I had never heard of there being such a thing. I wish I had come up with the idea!
PS. Mine is white (instead of green)

Stop Motion


Mr Rollins Challenge to create a stop motion video. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
Here are a few stop motion videos.

I more hit?

To all my blog followers! We couldn't have got to errr now it's at 15,345 hits without you.

A big thanks!

To all my blog followers! We couldn't have got to 15,344 hits without you.

And another Google EEGG

Type into Google search and then hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" Button for:

France + Military Victories

Google Easter Eggs


5 coolest Google Easter eggs.
Zerg Rush
The latest and perhaps greatest Google Easter Egg?? Type 'zerg rush' in the search window. Os will start to fall. Your mission is to destroy them before they take down your search results page.

Chuck Norris Search
You could once search for Chuck Norris on Google, press 'Feeling Lucky' and have Google school you on your mistaken feeling of luck.  I tried this today and it appears to no longer work.

Let it Snow
Google made it snow on our laptops. And our screens even fogged up. All we had to do was search for 'let it snow'. This way I could stay inside to play in the snow.

Directions to Mordor
Go into Google Maps and get walking directions from The Shire to Mordor. One does not simply walk into Mordor.

Google Logos Search
If you press the 'I'm feeling lucky' option with no text in the search box, you can take a stroll down memory lane and view every Google logo EVER! Cause what we really need is more time-wasters on the Internet.

As we get to ten posts left

This seems like an appropriate video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRGeLQkWuYk

I think it might be computer produced, but it serves our purposes here.

ASBIFSADBGDSIGSISDBSWFESG


Does this count?

It sure does

Or, How to tie a tie for real

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g-nn_P5TgE&feature=relmfu

I know how because I wore one every day for 5 years at St. George's... Kind of like someone else we all know will be doing soon. I hope he knows how to tie a tie. Otherwise he can be another of the over 4 million viewers of this video!


How to Tie a Tie???


THIS CAN COME IN HANDY TOMORROW

Challenge:

Make a Stop motion video this summer using your IPad (if you have one). The one's Division 2 did were awesome. I am going to try to see if they can get posted tomorrow.

Karaoke anyone?


ANYONE WANT TO BATTLE ON KARAOKE ON KARAOKE PARTY??

15 (I mean) 14 more

Gotta keep going...

Did you Know?

The BC LIons won the Grey Cup last year?

I have been watching it on the tv (I think it's a replay) as I type these posts. How do I know it isn't live? I think I was working at the game when it was here at BC Place last year.

Go LIONS GO!  I think their season starts Friday.

We're looking for ideas


Josh says: "Vincent is going to help with the goal of 300 blog posts. I'm waiting."


So am I...

A couple of Jingle Cat videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9LqRl7tqf4

and:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/63827/the_jingle_cats_white_christmas/


They actually sold a bunch of CDs back in their day. How do I know? I was working at a Music store (A&B Sound) at the time...

5 Artists that are better than 1 (Direction that is)


  1. the JingleCats http://www.jinglecats.com/ (hey, another post involving Cats!)
  2. your tone-deaf sister 
  3. someone screaming in your ear
  4. Justin Bieber
  5. The Thompson grade 6/7 band

5 Artists you could listen to (that maybe you haven't already)


  1. Bon Iver
  2. Wolf Parade (their album, "Expo 86", is the one I was talking about- the lead singer, Spencer Krug was born in Pentiction; the band is from Victoria
  3. Beirut
  4. The Cold War Kids
  5. Voxtrot- they're not together anymore. Too bad

Music that is not played on Sonic

is better than music that is... Unfortunately I have to listen to much of it because my kids listen to the top 6 at 6...

I think they only have about 20 different songs in their rotation.

Josh's favourite video


This is one of my favorite videos. 
Careless Whisper- George Michael. This song was stuck in my head for the longest time.

I have to admit, that one is pretty funny. I love it when he goes in between the football band. 

Half Way There


We're half way there. This blog post is all about halves ?
 Half of an apple. Half Moon.
 Half of a Llama.Half of Justin Bieber.
  Half of the blog.
Half life 2?


Funny, because I was telling a story about a teacher who once gave a couple of colleagues a ride home (except that she only took them 1/2 way home and then turned and left them there to get the rest of the way home themselves)

MOAR cats

Have we got any other ideas besides cats?


MOARRR CATSS !!!
14,633,793 people wasted their time. I am on of those people.


Books from that List I have read Part 2


  • Friday Night Lights (well, actually I haven't read that one, but I saw the movie and watched the tv show for 6 seasons on tv, so does that count? 
  • Lord of the Rings (you guys are going to love "The HObbit" coming to a theatre near you- but you should read it first!
  • Of Mice and Men
  • Animal Farm- Did a book report on this one back in grade 8 or 9

Anyway, that's not too bad. I was worried I wouldn't have read so many of them. Great List! Thanks Josh. 

Winner and Loser Lane

From Freakonomics:  A great story where a guy named his kids "Winner" and "Loser" to see what would happen to them. Well, Winner went on to become a career criminal. Loser was a success story.

From the book:

This might explain why, in 1958, a New York City man named Robert Lane decided to
call his baby son Winner. The Lanes, who lived in a housing project in Harlem, already
had several children, each with a fairly typical name. But this boy—well, Robert Lane
apparently had a special feeling about this one. Winner Lane: how could he fail with a
name like that?
Three years later, the Lanes had another baby boy, their seventh and last child. For
reasons that no one can quite pin down today, Robert decided to name this boy Loser. It
doesn’t appear that Robert was unhappy about the new baby; he just seemed to get a kick
out of the name’s bookend effect. First a Winner, now a Loser. But if Winner Lane could
hardly be expected to fail, could Loser Lane possibly succeed?
Loser Lane did in fact succeed. He went to prep school on a scholarship, graduated from
Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, and joined the New York Police Department (this was
his mother’s longtime wish), where he made detective and, eventually, sergeant.
Although he never hid his name, many people were uncomfortable using it. “So I have a
bunch of names,” he says today, “from Jimmy to James to whatever they want to call
you. Timmy. But they rarely call you Loser.” Once in a while, he said, “they throw a
French twist on it: ‘Losier.’” To his police colleagues, he is known as Lou.
And what of his brother with the can’t-miss name? The most noteworthy achievement of
Winner Lane, now in his midforties, is the sheer length of his criminal record: nearly
three dozen arrests for burglary, domestic violence, trespassing, resisting arrest, and other
mayhem.
These days, Loser and Winner barely speak. The father who named them is no longer
alive. Clearly he had the right idea—that naming is destiny—but he must have gotten the
boys mixed up

Books I've read on that list- Part 1


  • The Great Gatsby- A classic (coming as a movie starting Leonardo DiCaprio soon) 
  • The Adventures of Huck Fin- not bad. a bit old though
  • Sense and Sensibility- not by choice- we had to read it in university
  • Catch 22- Awesome book by Heller
  • The Count of Monte Cristo- a great read. One of my friends' favourite book!
  • Heart of Darkness- Read it in high school. A good read. This is the basis for the movie Apocalypse Now.
  • 1984- another great read
  • the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime- bought this one from Itunes
  • the Pillars of the Earth- !!!
  • Hitchhiker's Guide... read the whole series. Enjoyably entertaining
  • House of the Scorpion- Josh's favourite character is in this one
  • Into Thin Air- climbing + suspense = good
  • Freakonomics- yes, I've even read some Non Fiction on this list!! Loved the stuff about drug dealers in this book. Also about naming of people's kids (see next blog post for more on this) 
  • Tipping Point- This reminds me to add Gladwell to my list of people that I'd like to meet)

Hey, that's pretty small

And hard to read. Sorry about that. Just check the link below (in the last post)  to see it for real.

Hey, this is a pretty neat Flow Chart of Books


Hey, we're not just wasting people's time here...

There is some educational value too:


Another thing to add on to Mr Rollins list. 
Join the TeenRC online reading club.
Here  is the link to their blog. Details on the website. You can win prizes.

Thanks for this tip, Josh

How to Correctly cook a chicken

Liam, Vincent, Josh and the gang were watching these and I thought they were great. Below is my rating for this video


I love it when he stuffs the egg (whole) into the chicken. Delicious!

How to make scrambled Eggs

Liam, Vincent, Josh and the gang were watching these and I thought they were great. Below is my rating for this video


Awesome! I love it when he pours the eggs on the counter. Tasty!




I thought these were hilarious


Liam, Vincent, Josh and the gang were watching these and I thought they were great. Below is my rating for this video

.

thumbs up!

And, that's the end of the cats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J---aiyznGQ    and the always favorite. Keyboard Cat.

And, thanks to Josh we have More cats



A Few more (cats)


More cats



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP3gzee1cps   Cat gets caught barking.

Cats


Diefenbaker

here is a link to the school website for the school I will be going to next year. Well, actually I start next week. I will also be visiting there tomorrow.

http://diefenbaker.sd38.bc.ca/home%20page

I was a Tiger, now I am a Bulldog!

Things you guys can do this summer


  • go to the Public Library
  • paint something
  • go to Watermania
  • go bird watching
  • go orienteering! or Geo-cacheing
  • go camping- just ask your parents
  • take a hike
  • climb the Grouse Grind
  • practice your French! Even those of you who got an A this term.
  • learn some (funny jokes)
  • bake something for your family
  • work in your garden
  • study the constellatings
  • go rollerblading
  • organize a street party-BBQ in your neighbourhood

Seriously Josh?

I need 40 more ideas. You better send some soon!

People I'd like to meet

Thom Yorke (singer of Radiohead)
Rick Hansen (I've met him, but only briefly)
Malcolm Gladwell
George R. R. Martin (author)


I will come back and add to this list.

New Blog post

A couple of Mr. Rollins' favourite (random) things:

the colour green
the number 24

Let's See if we can help him out, shall we?

Does this count?

Josh has a Dream

Or maybe it was a goal:


I am here to set a goal. Yes, a goal. Not an objective. My goal is for this blog to reach 300 posts by tomorrow morning (7:30) How might I achieve this goal? I have 2 plans.
PLAN A: Submit a blog post every 13 minutes ( My calculation is probably wrong.)
PLAN B: Submit blank blog posts.

Josh Chan.


Report Cards

Hopefully everyone was able to make it all the way home without opening their envelopes. I am sure you were able to do that. Right?
;)

One Down, 48 to go.

Great day at the beach today. Thanks to everyone for being environmentally responsible in terms of cleaning up their litter + more out there.

Highlights included Ocean's game-winning touchdown; skipping stones; Sydney finding her sunglasses at the lost and found and the beautiful weather.

Last day tomorrow.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Let's make it 251 posts, shall we?

Here is a funny video about what might happen in a world with Facebook Police. 


N N I R E E E O G T T R

Also known as Orienteering.

It was a blast today in the Terra Nova area. Thanks to everyone for being such good sports when dealing with the missing letters.



Monday, June 18, 2012

Try this (Make your own Books)

http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/

it uses free images from the internet already so you don't have to worry about copyright infringements. Just create an account and then you're on your way.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

What to do with your tomato plants

So we planted our tomatoes (the ones from our Tomatosphere lab) in a couple of pots outdoors. We used the metal props and placed them around the tomatoes because when they get bigger they will need the support of the wire frames. I also cut out a couple of milk crates to put around the plants- this is to protect the stalk from the wind (as it's pretty windy in our backyard where we have them).

Lastly, ensure that they are somewhere where they can get enough sun! In a couple of months, hopefully we all have some tomatoes to enjoy!




and PS. Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there.

Does anyone have...

An Xbox 360 Memory transfer cable that I could borrow?

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Grade 7 Math Geometry games

Here is a fun golf game to practice rotating, reflecting and moving a point (the golf ball) on the coordinate grid. I shot a 1-under par (35) on the 9 hole course. Tiger was -1 today as well!

http://www.mathsonline.co.uk/freesite_tour/gamesroom/transform/golftrans.html

Not as fun, but still informative is this one, called "Icy turns, flips and slides":
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/icy_slides_flips_turns/

And a tutorial from the BBC in case you haven't understood what we have been doing with transforming shapes so far.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/maths/shape_space/transformations1/revise5.shtml 

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

MasterMind Online Game

The old classic

try it here:
http://www.web-games-online.com/mastermind/

and a version of WORD Mastermind:
http://puzzles.janssenweb.com/?action=wordmastermind

edit the game options so that it chooses 4 letter words to start with (easier) and then challenge yourself.

I FIx It

A great place to find manuals and tips on how to fix your broken stuff.
www.ifixit.com

and Annie Leonard's Podcast from today called: "Fix it, Don't Nix it".
http://www.storyofstuff.org/2012/06/05/the-good-stuff-—-episode-4-fix-it-dont-nix-it/


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Why I love Sports (and maybe why you do too)...

Today we got to play wheelchair rugby with Canadian National Wheelchair rugby player Travis Murao. It was fun, and it got me thinking about the dedication it takes to be an athlete at that level. I am not an athlete at that leve, but I love to compete. With the Olympics coming up this summer, I thought I would
share with you two of my favourite (all time) spectating moments.
Here's Travis in his National colours...


My # 1 would have to be when I got to see Canada defeat Russia in the quarterfinals of the Vancouver Olympics. We were in the 6th row behind the Russian net. There was so much hype surrounding the Russian team, I kind of thought we were going to lose. But we came out on fire and the crowd was amazing and we scored the first 3 goals (right in front of us) and ended up winning 7-3! Sometimes things are better when you don't expect the outcome to happen the way it does. I think that's why everyone loves "The Cinderella Stories" that happen in college basketball all the time.

The second moment I will share with you was watching Simon Whitfield in the triathlon in 2008 in Beijing. He didn't win. That didn't matter. The guts, determination and drive he showed (captured pretty well in the grainy video below-it was better on the real CBC- but Youtube doesn't have it up) were unbelievable and are a sporting moment I will never forget.
Watching live, Simon was a ways back and then he threw off his hat- hinting at what was to come. I got goosebumps...

Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

HW for Wednesday

Math 7: (due Monday) is the 8.4 sheet of questions

Math 6: pg 348. # 1-14 omit 3 and 10 (thanks to Kes!)

LARTS: Read Section 6 of your literature circle novel; also prepare a question/comment/quote about that section for discussion.

Finish character map (about traits) on one of your characters from the story

Math Jeopardy games

If you didn't get a chance to play today (Tate) or if you would like to play again, here you go:
Click here for Coordinate plane Jeopardy

and
Click here for Angles Jeopardy

Also 2 new ones:
Click here for Algebra Jeopardy

and
Click Here for Numbers and Operations Jeopardy

Transit of Venus

Sorry we missed this happening live (it was yesterday after school) but it is still something interesting to look at. Venus, one of the 2 planets between Earth and the Sun, passed in front of the Sun. This won't happen again for another 100 years.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/watch-transit-venus/

Why is this interesting? Well, for one thing, scientists can use this technique to a) find planets in far away galaxies. They do this by watching stars/suns and seeing if they go darker- if they do, then a planet may have crossed in front of it. b) they can analyze the atmosphere around these planets as they pass in front of their sun to see if it might be conducive to hosting life like it's on Earth.

French Euro assignment


Country Facts
en francais

Capital city
capitale

Currency
la monnaie

Population (rank)
la population

Language (s) Spoken
les langues

Land Area (rank)
la terrain

Political Leader
leader mondial

Flag

le drapeau



Interesting Fact/Story
une histoire interessant

Soccer Facts
en francais

2-3 Best Players
les joueurs meilleur

Best and Last EURO Result


Home Jersey
la chandail
 domicile

Away Jersey
la chandail
des visiteurs

Most “Capped” player


Interesting Soccer Fact/Story
une histoire interessant de la football

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Josh says I need 13 more posts to get to 250 for the year.

Does this count? If so, that would take it to 12 more.

Here are some upcoming dates to remember:

Thursday June 7 we are walking to Burnett to listen to their outdoors band concert
Friday June 8 is Sports Day.
Friday June 22 is the grade 7 dance and celebration
Monday June 25 is monitor appreciation day (going to the Oval)
Tuesday June 26 (TBC) will be the Rollodollors Auction day
Wednesday June 27 is our trip to Spanish Banks
Thursday June 28th is the last day of school (1/2 day)

Friday, June 1, 2012

Frisbee Trick Shots- this one's for you, Vince!

I'm a bit skeptical about a few of these shots (the camera seems to jump on a couple) but a lot of them-particularly in the first video look legitimate.

Enjoy!

Something for you to work on in your spare time, Vincent!