Nicole printed and took her final exam today. She was able to use her review notes. She successfully completed her 40 questions in the allotted 90 minutes.

Nicole and I co-read and discussed a chapter of her summer reading book, Kook. It's a dense read, with a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary and a stream-of-consciousness writing style. I think that Nicole will enjoy listening to this book more than reading it. The Dganis are going on several long road-trips, and she agreed that she could get it done in that time.

I began with a phonological awareness exercise, level K2 #9. I reviewed the sound deck with visual, auditory and blending drills. We re-visited the syllable division types (4) and Nicole syllabicated example words.

Assessment questions from textbook chapter 10... Study guide review and review of transfer of heat from warmer areas to cooler areas by conduction, convection, and radiation.

Today is a BIG day for the U.S. space program! For the first time in history, a private corporation is launching a MANNED rocket - with two NASA astronauts into space to land at the International Space Station. Wednesday - May 27, 2020, astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken climb aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and, equipment and weather permitting, shoot into space. It will be the first astronaut launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center since the last shuttle flight in 2011. It will also mark the first attempt by a private company to send astronauts into orbit. Only governments — Russia, the U.S., and China — have done that. Ever since the Space Shuttle retired nearly a decade ago, the U.S. has paid Russia upwards of $80 million per seat to fly NASA astronauts to the International Space Station.On launch day, Hurley and Behnken will get ready inside Kennedy’s remodeled crew quarters, which dates back to the two-man Gemini missions of the mid-1960s. SpaceX techs will help the astronauts into their one-piece, two-layer pressure suits. Hurley and Behnken will emerge through the same double doors used on July 16, 1969, by Apollo 11′s Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins — the Operations and Checkout Building now bears Armstrong’s name. WOW!!!! But instead of the traditional Astrovan, the two will climb into the back seat of a Tesla Model X for the nine-mile ride to Launch Complex 39A, the same pad used by the moonmen and most shuttle crews. It’s while they board the Tesla that they’ll see their wives and young sons for the last time before the flight. We reviewed the history of the U.S. space exploration program from the 1950s into the 1960s & 70s. There is so much history here and so much excitement about this event! These two astronauts are married to female astronauts who have also been to space - both families are close friends. It is also worthy to note that president of SpaceX is a woman. Both the SpaceX and NASA teams are really impressive. This event will start to broadcast in the early afternoon today. Lift-off is scheduled to happen at 4:33pm. It will take the astronauts 19 hours to reach the ISS. They are expected to dock with the ISS at 11:39am tomorrow morning.

Nicole read the sentences and answers to exercises G, H, I and J. She also translated each sentence, identified grammar construction and added new vocabulary to her word bank. She did a great job!

First, we edited her "Hero's Journey" one last time, and shared with Judie via Google Docs. Next, Nicole studied her vocabulary list using Quizlet. To conclude, we co-read a chapter of her summer reading book, Kook.

I began with a phonological awareness exercise, level K2#8. I reviewed the sound deck with visual, auditory, and blending drills. I re-visited the four-syllable division types, VC/CV, V/CV, VC/V, and V/V. Nicole practiced syllabicating V/V words; we will review one division type per day before the end of school.

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday. A little known fact...Confederate Memorial Day is still observed FL, AL, MS, GA and parts of SC. - at the end of April! This practice is viewed as controversial today. Why? We discussed it. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season. We discussed how Memorial Day has evolved from the Civil War to present day. Since we have both spent extensive time in Israel, we discussed the difference between the U.S. and Israeli observations of Memorial Day. In Israel, a siren blasts for a minute and the entire country stops what they are doing to honor Israel's military. It is a somber day for the entire population. Why the difference, I asked Nicole. She insightfully stated, 1) because Israel is a much smaller country than the U.S., 2) because serving in the military in Israel is mandatory, which leads us to 3) every person/family has likely lost someone serving their country in the line of duty. On a happy note, congratulations to Nicole for winning the election for "Schlicha" on the BBYO Board! She worked very hard on her campaign. What an asset she will be to the BBYO Board!!!!

Review questions from text on lesson 1 of this unit involving recall,classification, application, inference, and writing. View and discuss how thermal energy is different from temperature. View and discuss the 3 methods of heat transfer; conduction, convection, and radiation.