ballots - Pieces of paper cut up from tossed photocopies. They serve many purposes  - from scratch work paper for math problems to being what answers to the weekly Hogwarts Mystery Question are written on and deposited into the ballot beanpot. 

"BING" - The sound made by the desk bell telling the class to come to order.

Bruins - Yes. Canadiens, no thank you.

boots - Boots are NEVER left in the hallway. They are stacked inside the bottom locker. Please bring shoes to change into for classes, as wearing boots all day long promotes an unhealthy foot condition.

Celtics - Yes...if only because they're green!

chapter Pre-assessment - Most science and math units begin with this to see what you know about concepts. 

claim and evidence - Ideas presented in science class are backed with data to support the idea. This is an element of the scientific method.

classroom "paras" - People who are in the classroom to assist kids with learning.

critical friends - During science forums, students question presentation ideas using a positive format.

end of unit assessment - Yes, it's what you think it is.  It ends the unit of study, and it's a summative assessment of your learning.

explanations - Probably the greatest challenge in science to first and second years, this important component of learning asks students to explain answers given, how answers are arrived at, and what strategy (ies) were used to arrive at these answers. This is an area often resisted by students. This is an extremely important part of current math/science in achieving the standard for assessments!

"First-Year" - A fifth-grade student 

Flip Classroom - This is a learning environment where students choose self-directed interests within a theme in science and the teacher serves as a guide toward that goal.

"good morning" - What I will say to each student who is willing to greet me as I stand outside our classroom upon your arrival. It's what caring people do...and - yes, I appreciate being greeted as well.

Google Classroom - The system of posting work assignments and receiving completed work for/from students. It also serves as a system for sharing video samples related to study topics.

bathroom/water break - Granted as possible after mini-lessons are covered in class. Prefects and Scouts are not required to ask...merely inform the teacher of their departure. My rule is one student at a time leaves the room.

ishkabibble - A word used to describe nonsense situations! It's actually named for a comedian named Ish Kabibble who frequently used nonsense logic in his comedy act. Ishkabibble is another word for gibberish.

inquiry = experiment = investigation - An organised look into the what, why, how, and when something happens in science. Science is an attempt at accurately understanding how the world works around us.

Interval - The 3-4 minutes that mark the end of all 5-8 classes and the start of the next class. All students should be in class at the end of the interval.

Inventors Workshop - a STEM class designed to integrate technology, collaboration, construction, and fun creating different project ideas and products.

jotter - A "marbled" notebook in which you write your science ideas. This also includes illustrations and models. Each student is expected to keep her/his jotter in an acceptable state.

lockers - Currently, students are assigned an upper and lower locker. It is your responsibility to keep these areas tidy. You will be given a chance to clean out your locker about once a week. You are asked not to swap lockers. Permission to go to lockers once class begins is required.

mini-lesson - Science and math classes begin with a group lesson on a particular idea.

monthly house challenges - Usually a day near the end of each month when students and Hogwarts staff get together to have a good time and perform with an activity. Sometimes these events are for fun and sometimes they are for house points.

morning meeting - a time for homerooms to begin their day sharing information, exchanging greetings, and practising the skills that support team learning using Responsive Classroom methods.

naming-hat (5/6 only) - Putting this hat on your head at the start of your first year assigns you to a house for the two years you are part of our team.

New England - yes. New York, no thanks.

nine parts: one part - This is the split between work communication and social communication in any science or math class.

password (5/6 only) - What the fat lady in the portrait requires you to say before entering the science, math rooms, and team chambers.

Patriots - Yes. Buffalo -  no. Jets - Are you serious?

pencils - yes. pens - no. Erasing - yes...scribbling out - no.

portfolios - two-pocket folders kept in the docking ports to help you organise work inside in science.

prefect (5/6 only) - These are the leaders of each house.

recess - an important time of the day when students get to inject fresh air into their lungs and brains. Most recesses last 25 minutes.

redrafts - work that gets a second look by a student and is resubmitted to the instructor for further consideration of success rate.

report out - At the end of science inquiry projects, students share their ideas.

Responsive Classroom - a social curriculum philosophy designed to support positive student interaction, affirmative work strategies, and collaboration in work and play between students.

Sam the Invisible Man (a.k.a. Kitt the Invisible It) - Our resident poltergeist (like Peeves) who occasionally knocks things off from shelves, slams the classroom door, leaves mystery items on desks and other little teasing things. Sam has been with us for over 35 years, and followed down the hallway when Hogwarts moved from room 105 to room 100a.

 scout (5/6 only) - This is a second-year student who is the assistant to the house prefect.

"Second-Year" - A sixth-grade student

standards-based grading - assessments on a four-point scale where...

1 = beginning to work toward the standard, 2 = approaching standard, 3 = attains the standard,    4 = exceeds the standard

social contract conference - When students have tried the TAB chair option and are unable to get back on track, the instructor will meet with the student outside the classroom. I always ask, 

"Why are you here?"

"What is the job you should be doing?"

"Will you be able to do this when we return?"

When a student responds in a manner supporting continued classroom work, he/she simply returns inside the classroom. Students unable to go back to work are asked to try the following:

a. wait outside the classroom until you have returned to a work state.

b. use the bathroom for a minute to take a break.

c. go to the planning room to give yourself a chance to understand better why you cannot work inside the classroom using positive Habits of Mind approaches to work.

student book - This is what the textbook in science is called in fifth-grade. It is regarded as a remote-learning source rather than the main source of information. It is augmented by online inquiry.

T.A.B. chair - Take a break chair is a location students go within a classroom to sort out their work ethic and dedication to focused group work. This is part of the 5/6 Habits of Mind component of effective learning. Take a break. Chair sitters return to their group work when they know what they need to do to get back on track, and intend to do that when they return.

 W.I.N. (What I need) - a 35-minute math collaboration time to further assist student math skills. WIN class often has math options available for students to channel their personal choices in math to a more complete level.