We will have a busy week with NWEA testing, a field trip to the Alberta Bair Theater, and watching Bridge to Terabithia in preparation for a compare/contrast persuasive essay.
We are testing on Monday from 9:30-11:30 (Math), Wednesday from 8:30-10:30 (Language), and Friday from 8:30-10:30 (Reading). The kids may bring chewing gum to enjoy during our testing times.
We will head downtown to the Alberta Bair on Tuesday from 8:45 to about 10:45. The presentation of Doktor Kaboom should be a fun science-themed show.
Our counselor, Mrs. Tatum will visit our class again on Wednesday. Her lessons will focus on feelings, friendship, bullying, etc.
We will not work with a spelling unit this week due to our testing schedule. We will practice our keyboarding skills on Friday afternoon. The kids do not love this activity, but our testing environments are online and will require some typing skill. These practice sessions will serve the kids well in the future . . . I just have to keep reminding them about all the positives. :)
Language ~ We will work with the Latin/Greek root words -celer- and -gress-.
Reading ~ The kids will create a project to summarize Bridge to Terabithia. We will watch the Disney movie version and the students will begin writing persuasive essay comparing/contrasting the book with the movie.
Math ~
5th: We will continue working with the order of operations, expressions, and equations.
6th: The kids will work with Greatest Common Factors and Least Common Multiples this week.
Social Studies ~
6th will continue learning about the Neolithic Age. The kids will create a comic strip on Thursday.
Science ~
We are working with the various states of matter - solid, liquid, gas. We will work with an online activity on Tuesday and then get a bit messy on Friday as we experiment with liquids and solids.
I was at Saturday Live fairly early, but it looked like a great turnout was in store. I am very thankful that the weather held out for us!! Thanks to everyone who donated, volunteered, or supported the event by attending.
Don't forget about the book order. I would love to have the forms back Monday, but will not place the order until Wednesday if you are still browsing.
Have a fantastic week!!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
September 23rd ~ 27th
Thursday is an early-out day to allow for instruction-related training for teachers. Lunch is not served on early-out days and the kids will be dismissed at 12:00 noon.
Mark your Calendars ~ October 1st Field Trip to the Alberta Bair Theater. This is usually just a 6th grade treat, but I asked Mr. Croff and he was able to have our entire class included. You will find a permission slip in the Wednesday Watch this week and I would like to have it returned no later than next Monday, the 30th. The show this year is Doktor Kaboom, which focuses on the fun and intrigue that science and math can generate.
NWEA Dates ~ I have changed one of our NWEA dates because it conflicted with the Alberta Bair show. We will now test as follows:
Monday September 30th ~ Math
Wednesday October 2nd ~ Language
Friday October 4th ~ Reading
Spelling ~
5th: Unit 3 - long i and long e
6th: Unit 3 - vowel sounds
We will take a pretest on Monday, work with our words and selected vocabulary throughout the week, and take a final test on Friday.
Language ~ Both grades will work with the Latin word roots ~brev, ~cede, ~ceed, & ~cess. Each week, the kids learn the meanings of these word roots and then use their expertise to "create" a new word using at least one prefix, one suffix, and one word root.
5th: Action Verbs and Past Tense Verbs
6th: Reflexive Pronouns and Demonstrative Pronouns
Reading ~ Both grades will finish reading Bridge to Terabithia this week. They will work on a final project for the book next week. For each reading selection, the students must make predictions, look for connections to self, text, or world as they read, maintain an awareness of unknown words or concepts as they read, and then write a short summary of each chapter.
Writing ~ The kids will begin doing a 15-20 minute rotation each day dedicated to using writing prompts for short pieces - or self-selected topics they choose to take to publication after revising and editing.
Math ~
5th: We will be working with the Order of Operations this week. This concept is pivotal for later concepts and we will complete several real-world activities to reinforce this concept.
6th: Our focus will be rules of divisibility, prime & composite numbers, factors & prime factorization, and greatest common factors.
6th Social Studies ~ We are continuing our study of Hominids.
6th Science ~ We are continuing our work with density and will create a layered density tower on Tuesday. It is messy, but fun! We will learn about the various states of matter.
Have a fantastic week - and thank you again for sharing your child with me!
Mark your Calendars ~ October 1st Field Trip to the Alberta Bair Theater. This is usually just a 6th grade treat, but I asked Mr. Croff and he was able to have our entire class included. You will find a permission slip in the Wednesday Watch this week and I would like to have it returned no later than next Monday, the 30th. The show this year is Doktor Kaboom, which focuses on the fun and intrigue that science and math can generate.
NWEA Dates ~ I have changed one of our NWEA dates because it conflicted with the Alberta Bair show. We will now test as follows:
Monday September 30th ~ Math
Wednesday October 2nd ~ Language
Friday October 4th ~ Reading
Spelling ~
5th: Unit 3 - long i and long e
6th: Unit 3 - vowel sounds
We will take a pretest on Monday, work with our words and selected vocabulary throughout the week, and take a final test on Friday.
Language ~ Both grades will work with the Latin word roots ~brev, ~cede, ~ceed, & ~cess. Each week, the kids learn the meanings of these word roots and then use their expertise to "create" a new word using at least one prefix, one suffix, and one word root.
5th: Action Verbs and Past Tense Verbs
6th: Reflexive Pronouns and Demonstrative Pronouns
Reading ~ Both grades will finish reading Bridge to Terabithia this week. They will work on a final project for the book next week. For each reading selection, the students must make predictions, look for connections to self, text, or world as they read, maintain an awareness of unknown words or concepts as they read, and then write a short summary of each chapter.
Writing ~ The kids will begin doing a 15-20 minute rotation each day dedicated to using writing prompts for short pieces - or self-selected topics they choose to take to publication after revising and editing.
Math ~
5th: We will be working with the Order of Operations this week. This concept is pivotal for later concepts and we will complete several real-world activities to reinforce this concept.
6th: Our focus will be rules of divisibility, prime & composite numbers, factors & prime factorization, and greatest common factors.
6th Social Studies ~ We are continuing our study of Hominids.
6th Science ~ We are continuing our work with density and will create a layered density tower on Tuesday. It is messy, but fun! We will learn about the various states of matter.
Have a fantastic week - and thank you again for sharing your child with me!
Sunday, September 15, 2013
September 16th ~ 20th
We are half way through September and are settling into our classroom routines a bit.
Mark your calendars for our NWEA Fall testing dates . . . they are:
Tuesday October 1st - 8:30-10:30 (Math)
Wednesday October 2nd - 8:30-10:30 (Language)
Friday October 4th - 8:30-10:30 (Reading)
Please do all you can to assure that your child is in school during these dates and times.
Your child will perform most effectively during testing if he or she is fully rested, has had a nutritious breakfast, and brings a healthy snack for the morning.
Our School Counselor, Mrs. Katie Tatum is new to Poly Drive this year. It is her desire to be in the classrooms regularly for lessons related to friendship, character traits, bullying, etc. She is scheduled in our classroom every other week on Wednesday afternoons, beginning this week. Each visit will last about 30 minutes and I am looking forward to sharing this amazing group of kids with her.
5th Graders - In math, we are working with decimals and will use food labels that indicate either weight or volume as a decimal for a classroom activity. Be on the lookout for labels to bring to school on Wednesday.
Spelling ~ Both grades will work in Unit 2 this week.
The 5th grade focus is long a and long e words.
The 6th Grade focus is long vowels.
We will take pretests on Monday, work with our word lists throughout the week, and take a final test on Friday.
Language ~
The 5th Grade lessons this week will concentrate on collective nouns, possessive nouns, appositives, and present tense verbs.
6th Graders will work with possessive adjectives and pronouns, pronouns that agree with antecedents, indefinite pronouns, and intensive pronouns.
Reading ~ We will continue reading Bridge to Terabithia and meet in Reading Clubs to discuss comprehension strategies, author's intent, and literary elements. We will read chapters 4-8, one per day.
The students will also work with their Daybook resource independently in class.
Math ~
5th Grade will study place value patterns, comparing and ordering decimals, and converting decimals to fractions. Bring food labels on Wednesday.
6th Grade will practice dividing by decimals and fluently computing with decimals. We will study and review on Tuesday and the students will take a quick quiz on Wednesday. Beginning on Thursday, we will move to divisibility rules and prime & composite numbers.
Social Studies
5th Grade - The kids will be working with geographic terms, such as compass rose & intermediate and cardinal directions.
6th Grade - We will review chapter 1 together on Monday and take a short quiz. We will begin chapter 2, dealing with Hominids and their timelines. We will read together from the text and students will complete a timeline activity with a partner.
Science
5th Grade - The kids are focusing on science professions and researching a scientist of their choice in groups.
6th Grade - We will perform hands-on activities this week as we explore what makes up matter and density.
Buddies ~ Weather permitting . . we will go outside with our buddies on Tuesday and use sidewalk chalk to help them practice writing names, letters, and numbers. We will also enjoy a quick snack of graham crackers.
I hope you have a fantastic week!!!
Mark your calendars for our NWEA Fall testing dates . . . they are:
Tuesday October 1st - 8:30-10:30 (Math)
Wednesday October 2nd - 8:30-10:30 (Language)
Friday October 4th - 8:30-10:30 (Reading)
Please do all you can to assure that your child is in school during these dates and times.
Your child will perform most effectively during testing if he or she is fully rested, has had a nutritious breakfast, and brings a healthy snack for the morning.
Our School Counselor, Mrs. Katie Tatum is new to Poly Drive this year. It is her desire to be in the classrooms regularly for lessons related to friendship, character traits, bullying, etc. She is scheduled in our classroom every other week on Wednesday afternoons, beginning this week. Each visit will last about 30 minutes and I am looking forward to sharing this amazing group of kids with her.
5th Graders - In math, we are working with decimals and will use food labels that indicate either weight or volume as a decimal for a classroom activity. Be on the lookout for labels to bring to school on Wednesday.
Spelling ~ Both grades will work in Unit 2 this week.
The 5th grade focus is long a and long e words.
The 6th Grade focus is long vowels.
We will take pretests on Monday, work with our word lists throughout the week, and take a final test on Friday.
Language ~
The 5th Grade lessons this week will concentrate on collective nouns, possessive nouns, appositives, and present tense verbs.
6th Graders will work with possessive adjectives and pronouns, pronouns that agree with antecedents, indefinite pronouns, and intensive pronouns.
Reading ~ We will continue reading Bridge to Terabithia and meet in Reading Clubs to discuss comprehension strategies, author's intent, and literary elements. We will read chapters 4-8, one per day.
The students will also work with their Daybook resource independently in class.
Math ~
5th Grade will study place value patterns, comparing and ordering decimals, and converting decimals to fractions. Bring food labels on Wednesday.
6th Grade will practice dividing by decimals and fluently computing with decimals. We will study and review on Tuesday and the students will take a quick quiz on Wednesday. Beginning on Thursday, we will move to divisibility rules and prime & composite numbers.
Social Studies
5th Grade - The kids will be working with geographic terms, such as compass rose & intermediate and cardinal directions.
6th Grade - We will review chapter 1 together on Monday and take a short quiz. We will begin chapter 2, dealing with Hominids and their timelines. We will read together from the text and students will complete a timeline activity with a partner.
Science
5th Grade - The kids are focusing on science professions and researching a scientist of their choice in groups.
6th Grade - We will perform hands-on activities this week as we explore what makes up matter and density.
Buddies ~ Weather permitting . . we will go outside with our buddies on Tuesday and use sidewalk chalk to help them practice writing names, letters, and numbers. We will also enjoy a quick snack of graham crackers.
I hope you have a fantastic week!!!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
September 9th ~ 13th
Wow . . what a wet weekend! I hope your homes and yards are in tact. We sustained some landscaping damage at our home (one tree down, sidewalk washed out, fence sections blown out, and 12 inches of hail and mud in our yard), but thanks to some wonderful neighbors and lots of hours holding a shovel, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn't really the way I wanted to spend my Sunday, but life is an adventure!
We are beginning some rotations this week so that all students are learning, practicing, and reinforcing concepts while I am working with various groups. We will rotate during our Language Arts time and during Math.
Open House is this Thursday from 5:30 to 7:00 and our P.T.A. is hosting an ice cream social for the event. The annual Open House Book Fair will be set up in the library and your child was able to preview books that he or she may be interested in reading. Don't forget to stop by to see all of the wonderful reading material . . and help raise money for our Poly Drive library. I will give a short presentation at 5:30 and another at 6:00. I hope you join us for a bit of information about our year, a tour of the room, the book fair, and some ice cream.
Spelling: Both 5th and 6th graders will begin Unit 1 in their books this week (short vowels for both groups). We will take a pretest on Monday, work with the words throughout the week via assignments, and take a final test on Friday.
Language: We are working with a new Latin root word each week and the kids will complete a worksheet and then create a word poster using at least one prefix, root word, and suffix.
Each grade level will also work with a Language Daily Warm Up to reinforce Language skills and concepts.
Reading: I will be designing a variety of lessons and activities focused on the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts. This will include Language, Writing, and Reading. As a class, we will be reading Bridge to Terabithia as we focus on literary elements and comprehension strategies. For the Fifth graders, I will infuse Lead21 concepts, standards, and materials throughout the year. The Sixth graders will also use our Daybook resource for additional non-fiction selections.
Math:
5th Grade ~ We will be working with place value as it relates to whole numbers and decimals.
6th Grade ~ We are focusing on multiplication and division of decimals.
Science:
6th Grade ~ We will continue delving into chemistry as we perform hands-on activities to learn about density and what makes up matter.
Social Studies:
6th Grade ~We are continuing our study of early man and the artifacts that archaeologists have found that shed some light on what life might have been like. We will investigate in small groups.
Buddies ~ Mrs. Bell's kindergarten class is our buddy room and we will meet with the little ones on Tuesday each week.
That gives you a brief overview of our week of learning. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. Have a fantastic week!!
We are beginning some rotations this week so that all students are learning, practicing, and reinforcing concepts while I am working with various groups. We will rotate during our Language Arts time and during Math.
Open House is this Thursday from 5:30 to 7:00 and our P.T.A. is hosting an ice cream social for the event. The annual Open House Book Fair will be set up in the library and your child was able to preview books that he or she may be interested in reading. Don't forget to stop by to see all of the wonderful reading material . . and help raise money for our Poly Drive library. I will give a short presentation at 5:30 and another at 6:00. I hope you join us for a bit of information about our year, a tour of the room, the book fair, and some ice cream.
Spelling: Both 5th and 6th graders will begin Unit 1 in their books this week (short vowels for both groups). We will take a pretest on Monday, work with the words throughout the week via assignments, and take a final test on Friday.
Language: We are working with a new Latin root word each week and the kids will complete a worksheet and then create a word poster using at least one prefix, root word, and suffix.
Each grade level will also work with a Language Daily Warm Up to reinforce Language skills and concepts.
Reading: I will be designing a variety of lessons and activities focused on the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts. This will include Language, Writing, and Reading. As a class, we will be reading Bridge to Terabithia as we focus on literary elements and comprehension strategies. For the Fifth graders, I will infuse Lead21 concepts, standards, and materials throughout the year. The Sixth graders will also use our Daybook resource for additional non-fiction selections.
Math:
5th Grade ~ We will be working with place value as it relates to whole numbers and decimals.
6th Grade ~ We are focusing on multiplication and division of decimals.
Science:
6th Grade ~ We will continue delving into chemistry as we perform hands-on activities to learn about density and what makes up matter.
Social Studies:
6th Grade ~We are continuing our study of early man and the artifacts that archaeologists have found that shed some light on what life might have been like. We will investigate in small groups.
Buddies ~ Mrs. Bell's kindergarten class is our buddy room and we will meet with the little ones on Tuesday each week.
That gives you a brief overview of our week of learning. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. Have a fantastic week!!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
September 3rd ~ 6th
We are beginning to dive into our 5th and 6th grade curriculum and you will start to see more daily work from your child. We are concentrating on some pre-assessments so I can see where the kids are ~ and can then plan our course accordingly.
I explained to the kids that we will use a rotation system for math and language arts. One group will be meeting with me while other groups are working on various seat work assignments, learning activities, and computer & iPad applications.
Spelling and language work will be specific for each grade weekly, but we will work together on writing concepts and assignments.
During Social Studies and Science, the 5th graders will be going to Mrs. Saur's and Ms. Schaff's classrooms for grade-specific curriculum. The 6th graders will remain with me for those content areas.
Our open house is scheduled for September 12th from 5:30-7:00. The open house times are earlier this year so that you can attend other open houses that may be scheduled on the same evening. I will have a brief presentation at 5:30 and another at 6:00. I will be available to answer any questions you may have after the 2nd presentation. I am still working on our daily rotation schedules and making curriculum delivery decisions to best meet the needs of the kids.
I take your child's education and progress very seriously and I am committed to making this a fun and meaningful year for your kiddo. Thank you for trusting him or her with me!!
Have a fantastic week!
I explained to the kids that we will use a rotation system for math and language arts. One group will be meeting with me while other groups are working on various seat work assignments, learning activities, and computer & iPad applications.
Spelling and language work will be specific for each grade weekly, but we will work together on writing concepts and assignments.
During Social Studies and Science, the 5th graders will be going to Mrs. Saur's and Ms. Schaff's classrooms for grade-specific curriculum. The 6th graders will remain with me for those content areas.
Our open house is scheduled for September 12th from 5:30-7:00. The open house times are earlier this year so that you can attend other open houses that may be scheduled on the same evening. I will have a brief presentation at 5:30 and another at 6:00. I will be available to answer any questions you may have after the 2nd presentation. I am still working on our daily rotation schedules and making curriculum delivery decisions to best meet the needs of the kids.
I take your child's education and progress very seriously and I am committed to making this a fun and meaningful year for your kiddo. Thank you for trusting him or her with me!!
Have a fantastic week!
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