Greetings -
As we all move on to new adventures, it is my hope that you have a fantastic year in either 6th or 7th grade . . . and that you make it your best ever.
Work hard, begin each day with a smile, dare to dream, and put forth your very best effort every day.
You are an amazing group of kids and it was an honor to spend last year with you.
May each day bring many laughs, hugs, waffles, hump day videos, and Jolly Ranchers.
Lots of love -
Mrs. Beatty

Well here we are . . the final few days of our 5th/6th year together. What a privilege it has been for me to spend the year with this group of kids. They are unique, wonderful, energetic, and outstanding human beings. It has been an honor!

We will wrap up a few loose ends this week and we will have some fun too. I'm hoping the weather holds out for our outdoor plans on Tuesday and Thursday. Keep your fingers and toes crossed!

Buddy Field Trip ~ On Tuesday afternoon we will walk to Rose Park with our kindergarten buddies, play in the park for a bit, and enjoy a treat together.

Wednesday is the 6th Grade trip to Lewis & Clark Caverns. We will leave Poly Drive at about 7:20 a.m., drive to the Caverns and take our tour. Then we will head to Bozeman for a late lunch (about 2:30 p.m.) and return to Poly Drive by about 6:00 p.m.
The kids may bring a substantial snack or light lunch to enjoy on the bus because lunch will be late. Some kids bring individual coolers and they should bring beverages to drink during our travel time. These items will have to fit by their feet or on the overhead shelves on the bus, but it is pretty roomy and comfortable.
L&C Caverns has gift shop and snack counter. The kids may bring money to purchase items, but all other costs are covered by their fundraising this fall.
Mrs. Williams and I are sharing a guest teacher for our 5th graders and we have a fun day planned for them too. One thing they will do is make individual bags of homemade ice cream to enjoy in the afternoon.

Thursday is the 6th Grade picnic and we will head to Rose Park to enjoy Jimmy Johns sandwiches and lots of other goodies. We will leave Poly Drive at about 11:00 a.m., play at the park, eat lunch, and we will return between 2-3.
I have a guest teacher scheduled for the 5th Graders and they will do some fun activities and clean their desks at the end of the day.

Friday is our final morning together and it is bittersweet. We all look forward to summer, but I really will miss this group of kids.

6th Grade Parents - The 6th Grade awards assembly and video will take place in the library beginning at 10:30. This usually takes about an hour and then I will take the kids back to the room to prepare for their final walk up the intermediate hall at about 11:50. This is a Poly Drive tradition and the kids will be wearing paper graduation caps that we make that morning. The 4th and 5th grade students line the hall and clap & cheer as the graduating 6th Graders walk by. 6th Grade Parents usually line the hall from the library to the front doors and you can get some photos from there. The kids continue out the front doors and gather at the front of the school - some cheering & some crying.

I take photos throughout the year and I have a DVD for each of the kids as a memory of our year together. Please know that every day with this group has been a blessing. Much love and my best wishes to all of you! Hugs from me to you!

I just couldn't resist posting this - One of my favorites!

May 26th ~ 30th

Two weeks to go . . . hard to believe that this wonderful year is coming to a close. I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. We even got a taste of some summer weather!

Tuesday - We have wrapped up the novel, The Watson's Go To Birmingham-1963 and we will watch the movie on Wednesday and the kids will compare and contrast the two versions.
**The movie is rated PG, so send  me an email if you do not want 
your child to view the movie and I will provide an alternate 
activity for him or her. I have previewed the movie, but wanted 
you to be aware of the rating.**

The kids will participate in the "Greek Olympics" on Wednesday afternoon as we complete our study of ancient Greece. The 5th graders are joining the 6th graders for this Olympic event.

Orchestra Concert - Thursday at 10:20 in the gym.

Friday is Field Day and the kids should have tennis shoes at school for this event. It is our normal P.E. day, so this is generally not a problem . . but I just wanted to remind the kids.

Looking Ahead - 6th Grade parents . . . mark your calendars for the 6th grade awards and slide show on Friday June 6th from 10:30 to about 11:30 in the Library. We will take the kids back to the room after the program to prepare for our final "Graduation" walk up the intermediate hall. Bring your cameras and tissues. This is our normal Health/P.E. time, so 5th graders will be with Mrs. Reas.

Spelling: Unit 35 (Our last one - and the final spelling unit EVER for 6th graders) We will take a pretest on Tuesday, have a written assignment on Thursday, and take the final test on Friday.
5th - More words from other languages
6th - Words often confused
Language: The kids will have written assignments on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
5th - Synonyms and antonyms
6th - Etymology of words derived from the Hebrew and Irish languages
Reading: Will will complete our unit work for The Watson's Go To Birmingham-1963 and watch the movie on Wednesday.
Math: Both 5th and 6th graders will work with equal expressions, isolating variables, and inequalities.
Science: 6th graders will continue with physics and an egg drop dilemma & demonstration on Monday.
Social Studies: We will conduct the Greek Olympics on Tuesday and the 6th Graders will begin learning about ancient Rome.

Have a fantastic week!

May 19th ~ 23rd

Spring is trying to make an appearance and we had some nice weather last week. I'm glad it cooperated for our Bike to School - after school loops. It was great to ride with the kids and we had quite a group each day. One day - we had 20 kids and 2 parents riding! Way to go guys!!

Testing is complete and this week will be a bit more "back to normal". Four kids need to make up tests they missed and I will try to wrap those up this week.

Band Concert - Tuesday from 10:10-10:45 in the gym

Thursday: 5th Grade Hooked on Fishing field trip to Lake Elmo.

All Library book are due this Friday to allow Mrs. Delaney time to inventory the library.
If kids have personal e-readers, they may still check books out electronically.

Next Monday is a school holiday - I cannot believe that Memorial Day is here already!

Spelling: Unit 34 - We will take a pretest on Monday, work with our word list during the week and complete written assignments on Tuesday & Thursday, and take a final test on Friday.
5th ~ Latin Root Words
6th ~ Absorbed prefixes
Language: The kids will have written assignments on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
5th ~ Synonyms, and Root Word Extension
6th ~ Etymology of words derived from Spanish and French & Root Word Extension
Reading: We will finish reading The Watson's Go To Birmingham-1963 this week. We will discuss the reading each day and prepare to watch the movie next week. The kids will compare and contrast the book and movie versions.
Math: We are continuing with expressions and equations and the kids are working with variables, exponents, and equivalent expressions. Much of what we do this week will be with a partner as the kids solve various real-world problems using these math concepts. On Friday, the kids will use an online resource to balance mathematical expressions.
Social Studies - 6th
We will study the rise of Democracy in ancient Greece. They will work in groups to study the various forms of government, create skits to represent their research, and then perform the skits.
We will also learn about the Athenians and Spartans in preparation for our "Greek Olympics" in class.
Science - 6th
We will study Newton's 3rd Law of Physics and the kids will work with marbles to test Newton's Laws. On Friday, we will use Alka Seltzer and film canisters to explore how energy is transferred.

Have a fantastic week!

May 12th ~ 16th

I hope all the moms had a great Mother's Day!

Teacher Appreciation Week was certainly a humbling experience. We teach because we love kids and it is so amazing to be spoiled and pampered like we were. I want to say a special Thank You for all of the beautiful gifts you gave as a class. I was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness. Thank you Mrs. Krueger for doing the shopping and wrapping!
In case you are not aware of all the goodies your kindness provided ~ the list is as follows:
Monday - A beautiful cylinder planter with tulip bulbs. They were not open on Monday, but we watched as they blossomed throughout the week. They are now proudly displayed on my dining room table . . . and will end up planted in my yard to enjoy next year!
Tuesday - A great ceramic coffee cup with lid, Kona coffee beans, and a gourmet chocolate bar. I LOVE my coffee!
Wednesday - A body-pampering bag of goodies that included lavender body oils, lotions, liquid soap, bar soap, lip balm, and some yummy minty gum.
Thursday - A really fun "salad kit". It included a lovely glass salad bowl, California olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pink sea salt, pepper corns, wooden tongs, and three packets of lettuce seeds. When the weather cooperates, I will plant the lettuce and anxiously await the harvest.
Friday - A beautiful silver jewelry set that included a multi-strand silver necklace, earrings, and a bangle bracelet. It is a lovely set and I will think about this amazing group of kids when I wear it.
You are all incredible and I thank you so much for your love and support. I am blessed!

Our Smarter Balanced assessment was postponed on Friday due to website maintenance. We will still test this upcoming Monday from 9:30-11:30 and then try to complete our final assessment on Wednesday from 8:30-10:30.

Bike/Walk to School Week ~ I have challenged the kids to ride a 3-mile loop with me after school each day this week. We leave Poly Drive and head to 17th Street, turn around and ride past Poly Drive to Rehberg Lane, turn around again and head back to Poly Drive. This 3-mile loop takes about 20 minutes from the time we leave school . . . and the class with the most miles logged for the week wins a special treat. Unless we have lightning or tornadoes, we ride!

The Poly Drive Select Choir will perform for the students on Tuesday morning and then head off for their concert tour.

Muffins for Moms ~ Thursday in the gym from 7:30-8:30. Join your child for some muffins and juice!

L&C Middle School Tour for 6th Graders ~ We will leave Poly Drive via school bus at about 12:30 on Wednesday and the kids will have an opportunity to hear from Mr. Pomroy, the Principal, and tour the building. We will return to Poly Drive at about 2:30. If you have not returned your permission slip, please do so A.S.A.P.

6th GRADE PARENTS - L&C Middle School is holding a parent Open House this Thursday evening from 7-8. You and your child may attend to receive information about next year. There will be another Open House in August if you are unable to attend this one.

Zoo Montana Field Trip for 6th Graders ~ This Friday from 9:40 - 1:00.  We will travel via school bus, tour the zoo, have pizza & pop for lunch, and arrive back at Poly Drive at about 1:00 p.m.  Please make sure kids have jackets and good walking shoes. Water bottles are a good idea too. Mrs. Williams and I are sharing a guest teacher and 5th graders from both classes will be combined in my classroom for the day. Mrs. Williams and I will take the 6th graders to her room from 1-3.

Mr. Croff has asked me to cover for him on Tuesday and Thursday, while he serves on a new-hire interview panel. I will be in the building, but will have a guest teacher in my room on those days.

Spelling ~ We will work with Unit 33 words this week, complete written assignments on Tuesday and Thursday, and take a final test on Friday.
5th: Greek word parts
6th: Latin root words
Language ~ The kids will have written assignments on Monday and Wednesday.
5th: Analogies and root word extension practice
6th: Greek roots and suffixes and root word extension practice
Reading ~ Both grades are continuing with the novel The Watson's Go To Birmingham-1963. There are daily comprehension questions to answer and we discuss the novel in class. At the end of the book, the kids will view the movie version and will compare and contrast the versions.
The 5th graders will complete a close read of the article, Hide & Seek on Wednesday.
Math ~ Both 5th and 6th graders are working with expressions and equations and will study the properties of operations on Monday and then work with partners to complete hands-on, real world problems in class.
Social Studies ~ 6th graders will continue to learn about ancient China - the emperors and dynasties.
Science ~ As we continue learning about Newton's laws of physics, the kids will design methods to keep a raw egg from cracking or breaking. They may wrap, harness, or cushion the egg using materials from home. I am providing tape, eggs, and the carts to hold the eggs and 6th graders should have their materials at school by Tuesday. The carts - with eggs as passengers - will speed down a ramp and crash into a stationary wall at the bottom. We will see how many eggs survive!! The "Crash Test Dummies" will meet their fate on Tuesday.

I think that about covers it - Have a fantastic week.

May 5th ~ 9th

We only have five weeks left of this school year and they will be very busy!

Thank you to everyone who sent goodies for our farewell party for Mr. Monson. We had a feast and Mr. Monson was very touched by the outpouring of support. He has been a great addition to our classroom and we will sure miss him!

Box tops are due on Wednesday, so if you have any saved up at home, send them to school and I will get them to the office.

We will be taking three Smarter Balanced tests this week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and your child will need headphones at school. Most of the kids have headphones in the classroom, but double check with your child and remind him or her to bring them to school Monday.

6th Graders will register for 7th grade on Wednesday afternoon. The counselors visit Poly Drive and we walk the kids through the process using laptop computers. I will make sure that appropriate registration for enriched classes take place.

The Poly Drive BBQ is this Wednesday from 5-7 and I hope to see you all there for some burgers, hot dogs, and fellowship.

Looking Ahead:
May 12th-16th is Bike/Walk to school week. I bring my bike to school for the week and ride a 3-mile loop with the kids after school. It is fun and a great way to rack up the miles for our classroom! Encourage your child to ride with us after school - rain or shine!

Tuesday May 13th is the Select Choir concert and tour date. If you have additional questions, check with Mrs. Carroll.

Wednesday May 14th is the 6th grade tour of L&C Middle School from 12:30-2:30. We will take a bus to L&C and hear from current students and Mr. Pomroy. Thursday the 15th - from 7:00-8:00 p.m. is the evening open house for parents and students.

Thursday May 15th is Muffins for Moms from 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Friday May 16th is the 6th grade field trip to Zoo Montana. If you would like to chaperon, send a quick email to let me know. It is a fun and relaxed day and we will order pizza delivered to the Zoo for lunch. We will leave Poly Drive at about 10:00 a.m. and return around 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday May 20th is the Band Concert from 10:10-11:00 in the gym.

Thursday May 22nd is the 5th grade field trip to Lake Elmo. This is the culmination of Hooked on Fishing that the kids have participated in throughout the year. Information will be provided by Mrs. Saur and Mrs. Schaff.

Thursday May 29th is the Orchestra Concert from 10:20-11:00

Mrs. Reas has planned Field Day for Friday May 30th. Please make sure your child has tennis shoes for that day.

Wednesday June 4th is the 6th Grade field trip to Lewis & Clark Caverns. We leave Poly Drive at about 7:30 a.m. and return at about 6:00 p.m. If you are interested in joining us that day, send me a quick email. Parents usually carpool to the Caverns, as we do not have extra seats on the bus. We'd love to have you come along if you can make it.

6th Grade Parents ~ Tentatively plan on the 6th grade awards and slide show at 10:30 on the last day of school - June 6th. I will let you know for sure as we get closer. The final graduation walk up the intermediate hall takes place at about 11:50 a.m. on the last day of school. Have your cameras and tissues ready.

Spelling: We will not work with a spelling unit this week due to our Smarter Balanced testing schedule.
Language: We will have written assignments on Tues., Wed., and Thurs. this week.
5th - Root word and Heteronyms worksheets.
6th - Root word, Greek prefixes, and Greek roots worksheets.
Reading: We are beginning a new novel this week for both 5th and 6th graders. The Watson's Go To Birmingham-1963, is an historical fiction novel that takes place during the Civil Rights era. We have done some in-class research on the Civil Rights Movement in preparation for this novel.
Math: 5th and 6th graders will review order of operations and exponents as we prepare to work more extensively with expressions and equations.
Social Studies - 6th Grade
We are studying 3 philosophies of ancient China this week.
Science - 6th Grade
We will learn about Newton's 1st law of motion, including force, friction, velocity, inertia, and speed. We will work with an online resource to build background knowledge before designing protective gear and harnesses for raw eggs. We will run tests with our egg "Crash Test Dummies" next Tuesday.

Have a fantastic week!!

April 28th ~ May 2nd

As I typed "May 2nd", the reality of how quickly this year is passing hit me hard. Your kids are an inspiration to me every day and it will be very hard to see this year come to an end. The good news for me . . . we still have 6 weeks together! We will work very diligently over the few weeks remaining to make sure that your child has the skills that he or she needs to move onto 6th grade or middle school.

There is no school this Friday, so enjoy another 3-day weekend!

Spelling ~ We will work with Unit 32 words this week - taking a pretest on Monday, having written assignments on Tuesday and Wednesday, and taking a final test on Thursday.
5th: Suffixes -ent, -ant, -able, -ible
6th: Greek word parts
Language ~ Both grades will work with the Latin root words miss/mitt and sect.
5th: Homophones & Homographs
6th: Latin prefixes and roots
Reading ~
Both grades will wrap up novels this week. The 5th graders have been reading Woods Runner and the 6th graders have been reading The Westing Game.
We are doing a bit of research on the Civil Rights Movement as we prepare to begin the novel, The Watson's Go To Birmingham-1963 as a class.
Math ~
5th: The kids will be working with expressions and equations, as well as the order of operations.
6th: We are finishing our study of statistics and graphing this week.
Writing ~
6th graders will complete their personal narratives.
Social Studies ~
6th grade will study the Shang Dynasty of ancient China and will work on an interactive activity in class.
Science ~
6th graders will learn about the pull of gravity and perform hands-on experiments related to mass and gravity.

There will be no Extended Studies this week due to Mrs. Watterson's testing schedule. ES will resume next week.

This week will be bittersweet ~ it is great to see Mr. Monson complete this milestone, but we will sure miss him. He will be an excellent teacher and I sure hope that SD2 sets him up in a classroom of his own next year. Best of luck to you Mr. Monson!

Have a great week!

April 21st ~ 25th

We'll, the kids ate 60 waffles, 5 pounds of bacon, and 2 gallons of juice on Thursday. It was a great way to begin a long holiday weekend. I hope you had a blessed Easter with your family - and lots of chocolate from the Easter Bunny (except for Kaylee, who does not like chocolate).   :-)

I want to say a huge "Thank you" for making sure your child was in class for the NWEA tests. I did not have to schedule any make-up exams and the kids worked very hard! We all breathe a sigh of relief when the exams are behind us.

We have two short weeks in a row . . and very few weeks left. This year is flying by and I am certainly not ready to bid farewell to this amazing group of kids.

There will be no Extended Studies this week or next due to testing schedules for Mrs. Watterson.

Wednesday is Secretary's Day and I know Miss Vicki would appreciate any well wishes if you are inclined. We are very lucky at Poly Drive!

Spelling ~ Unit 31: We will take a pretest on Tuesday, complete written assignments on Wednesday and Thursday, and take a final test on Friday.
5th - Prefixes con-, pre-, and pro-
6th - Words from other languages
Language ~
5th - Homophones (our, hour, their, there, they're) and Root Words spec, spect, and vis.
6th - Prefixes and suffixes & Root Words spec, spect, and vis.
Reading ~
5th - The kids are continuing with the novel, Woods Runner. They are writing journal entries each day as they read.
6th - Sixth graders are reading The Westing Game. They have vocabulary and comprehension questions to complete each day.
Math ~
5th - We are continuing to work with graphing and measures of central tendency (mean, median, & mode).
6th - The kids will be creating double line graphs and circle graphs this week.
Writing ~
The 6th graders will finish personal narratives this week and then both grades will begin essay research on The Civil Rights Movement. This research and subsequent essay will serve as background information as we prepare to read The Watson's Go To Birmingham - 1963. A portion of this historical fiction novel takes place in Birmingham, Alabama and includes details about the violence that occurred during that time in our nation's history.
Social Studies ~
Sixth graders will continue working on their relief maps of China and will read chapter 19 and take notes.
Science ~ Sixth graders will work with pendulums as we explore speed and acceleration.

Have a fantastic week!

April 14th ~ 18th

The kids completed the Language NWEA test last week and we have two this week to wrap them up. We will take the reading test on Monday and the Math test on Wednesday. At the beginning of May we will begin our Smarter Balanced assessments, which take the place of the MontCAS tests. The kids may chew gum during testing - or bring small mints like Tic Tacs if the have braces and cannot enjoy gum.

This week is a short one with early dismissal on Thursday and then no school on Friday or next Monday. 

Speaking of the early out on Thursday . . . we are having another Pajama Day & Handheld Electronics Day. The kids may wear their comfy jammies and I will be serving waffles, bacon, and juice before the kids leave at noon on Thursday. They may bring small, handheld electronics to use toward the end of the morning while we are enjoying the waffles.

Spelling ~ No Spelling Unit due to the short week. We will resume next week.

Language ~ We will work with various Language concepts this week - in between NWEA tests. 6th graders will be working with the root words, son & tort, as well as continuing to write a personal narrative.

Reading ~ We will begin new novels this week in both 5th and 6th grade. Mr. Monson has wrapped up Unit 6 in Lead21 with the 5th graders and they will be reading Woods Runner. This historical fiction novel takes place during the Revolutionary War. 6th graders will begin The Westing Game. This novel is a murder-mystery with 20 main characters and lots of plot twists.

Math ~ We will continue working with graphing and will complete a whole-class line plot activity on Wednesday. 6th graders will review fractions to refresh their memories before the NWEA test.

Social Studies ~ The 6th graders will work in small groups to create a relief map of China as we begin our study of ancient China.

Science ~ As we continue with Forces & Motion, the 6th graders will explore gravity, force, and acceleration during pendulum activities.

Looking ahead ~
Secretary's Day: Next Wednesday - April 23rd. Miss Vicki does so much for Poly Drive and I know she'd appreciate a card or email if you are so inclined.
Mr. Monson's last day in our class will be Thursday May 1st and we will take some time in the afternoon for a small going-away party. As we get closer, I'll see if any of you would like to provide treats that day.
May 12th-16th - Bike/Walk to school week. I bring my bike every year and ride a 3-mile loop with the kids after school. These extra miles have catapulted my class into 1st place every year. I hope the kids plan to ride with me again this year!
May 14th is the 6th grade Lewis & Clark Middle School tour from 12:30-2:30. We take the kids by bus, tour the school, and hear from current students and the Principal, Mr. Pomroy. Other evening events are offered for parents and more information will follow about those.
May 16th is the 6th grade field trip to Zoo Montana. We will be gone from about 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will have a pizza lunch at the zoo. A guest teacher will spend that time with 5th graders from our class and Mrs. Williams' class.
June 4th - All day 6th Grade field trip to the Lewis & Clark Caverns. We will leave Poly Drive at 7:30 a.m. and return about 6:00 p.m. We tour the caverns, stop in Bozeman for lunch, and have a great time on the fancy, plush bus. 5th graders will combine with Mrs. Williams' class and will share one guest teacher.
June 5th - 6th grade picnic at Rose Park. We usually walk from Poly Drive at about 11:00 a.m. and return about 2:00 p.m. 5th graders will hang out with Mrs. Williams' class again.
June 6th - This is our final day of school and we will have a 6th grade awards assembly and video show in the library. More information will follow, but we are planning for about 10:30 a.m. Parents are encouraged to attend, then they will already be there for the final "graduation" walk up the intermediate hall at about 11:50.

There are a lot of activities for the 6th graders toward the end of the year . . and although it doesn't seem quite fair for the 5th graders, it gives them something to look forward to next year!!!

Have a great week, enjoy the upcoming long weekend . . . and Happy Easter!

April 7th ~ 11th

As I glanced at the calendar for the remainder of the school year, I realized that we only have five "full" weeks until school is out. The rest of the weeks range from 3 1/2 to 4 days per week. Wow!

We begin our NWEA testing this Friday, starting with the Language test. We will take the Reading and Math tests next Monday and Wednesday.

I am sending home Scholastic Book Order forms this week. Orders should be returned by next Monday (14th). Our class code is GKDT8 if you wish to order books online. Remember that your orders help earn points to build our classroom library.

Pajama Day & Waffles ~ On Thursday April 17th, I am planning another Pajama Day with a waffle breakfast served before the kids leave for the Easter weekend. The 17th is an early out and we will have breakfast before dismissal at 12:00 noon. The kids may bring electronics to use for the last 45 minutes of the day.

Mr. Monson's last day in our room is May 1st. He has become such an integral part of our classroom and we will miss him a ton!

I want to let you know about a change for next year. I have accepted a curriculum position with our district and I will be leaving Poly Drive in exchange for a cubicle at Lincoln Center. I will have the opportunity to help develop curriculum materials, provide professional development seminars, and work in classrooms with teachers in our district. I must admit that I will really miss working daily with "my kids" and parents, but I am looking forward to this new adventure. Poly Drive is an incredible place, with amazing administration and staff . . . and of course, I certainly could not have asked for a more wonderful group of kids to spend this year with as I transition to my new role with our district. You are all very special to me and I have been blessed!!

Spelling ~ Unit 29: We will take a pretest on Tuesday, complete written assignments on Wednesday and Thursday, and take a final test on Friday. Because we have so many shorter weeks, it is important for the kids to take extra time to study for their spelling tests.
5th - Suffix -ion
6th - Prefixes de- and trans-
Language ~ The 6th graders will have written assignments on Tuesday and Thursday.
5th - The kids will be working in their Lead21 Practice Companion books.
6th - Sequential Order and Root Words clude/clus, herb
Reading ~
5th - The students will continue working with Unit 6 of the Lead21 resource - identifying text structures, extending vocabulary, and working with comprehension strategies.
6th - The kids will finish reading Code Talkers and Sweetgrass Basket this week.
Math ~
5th - Students will review multiplication and division of fractions, will take a quiz on Wednesday, and work with graphs and charts on Thursday
6th - We will study the different types of charts and graphs, determining which type is best for various circumstances. We will complete hands-on, real world scenarios this week.
Science ~
The 6th graders will work with speed, acceleration, and units of measure this week. Cubits and marbles galore as we study Physics.
Social Studies ~
6th graders will begin our study of ancient China by completing a Geography Challenge.

Have a great week!

March 31st ~ April 4th

Last week sure was fun, but I must admit . . . I was tired by Friday night. Thank you to everyone who helped stack chairs for Night of the Notables and for supporting your kids. They were amazing.

For those of you who donated basket items, worked shifts, or attended the Family Fun Night school carnival, I extend a big "Thank you!"
We had tons of kids and parents who helped in our room, as well as other locations throughout the school on Friday night ~ and volunteers even helped put our classroom back together. We are all ready for Monday morning and I am very thankful.
A special note of thanks to Colleen Splitter (Alex Hamilton's mom). She planned, organized & put our basket together. On top of that . . she purchased, toasted, and strung almost 500 waffles for the game in our classroom. She was really exhausted on Friday night!! Thank you so much Colleen!!!

Looking ahead to NWEA 
Our scheduled testing dates and times are as follows:
Friday April 11th - 8:30-10:30
Monday April 14th - 9:30-12:00
Wednesday April 16th - 8:30-10:30

* Report cards go home in the Wednesday Watch this week.
* There will be no Extended Studies this week.
* Next Monday, April 7th, is a PIR day. Teachers will report for work, but there is no school for students. Enjoy the long weekend!

Spelling ~ Unit 28. We will take a pretest on Monday, complete written assignments on Tuesday and Thursday, and take a final test on Friday.
5th: Prefixes in-, un-, dis-, mis-
6th: Word parts
Language ~ We will begin a unit about Literary Devices, Literary Elements, and Figurative Language this week. Each student will choose two topics and conduct research on Monday-Wednesday. The kids will create small posters describing and providing examples of their topics. They will then "teach" their topics to the rest of the class while we take notes. When we are done, each student will have a firm grasp of these concepts.
Reading ~
5th: The kids will continue working with the Lead21 resources.
The 6th graders began historical fiction novels on Friday. The boys are reading Code Talker, which is about the Navajo Code Talkers during WWII. The girls are reading Sweetgrass Basket, which is a story about two sisters who are taken to an Indian Boarding School. Each student will write a short summary after reading each day.
Math ~
5th: Dividing with fractions will be the focus this week. The kids will use manipulatives to work toward conceptual understanding. The process and algorithms will follow later in the week, as well as hands-on activities.
6th: We will continue working with Mean, Median, Mode, and Range. The kids will analyze data and calculate the measures of central tendency. We will learn about Mean Absolute Deviation and begin studying the various ways to display data. Frequency tables, dot plots, and histograms will be the focus this week.
Social Studies ~ Our study of religions of the world continues and the kids will learn about Buddhism and the Gupta Empire.
Science ~ We have wrapped our study of the changing Earth and we will begin learning abut Forces and Motion (Physics). The kids will complete an Ant Maze activity on Tuesday in class.

Have a great week!!

March 24th ~ 28th

I hope you enjoyed the extra break this weekend. I guess we have broken the snowfall record . . so it can cease anytime now!!

Night of the Notables for 6th Graders is this Thursday!
The kids should arrive at school, in costume at 6:00 p.m. We will take some photos and have everyone seated and ready to roll at 6:30. Please make sure your child works on memorization at home each evening. The Bio-riddle should be about 1-minute when recited.

Family Fun Night - March Madness is this Friday from 5-8.
Come for food, fun, and games. Be sure to stop by our room and watch the Breakfast Grab . . waffles all around!!  Thank you to everyone who donated to our "Raining Cats and Dogs" basket. We received a ton a goodies and will have an awesome basket. Thank you to Colleen Splitter for all of her hard work on our basket, games, volunteer coordination, etc.

The end of the 3rd Quarter is this Friday and report cards will go home next Wednesday.

Spelling: Unit 27. We will take a pretest on Tuesday, have one written assignment this week on Wednesday, and take a final test on Friday.
5th - Unstressed syllables
6th - Suffix, -ic, -ure, -ous
Language:
5th - Complex word families and adjective suffixes
6th - Transitional words and root words clude, clus, herb
Reading:
5th (Lead21) - The kids will be working with literary elements, extending vocabulary, and unstressed syllables.
6th - We will spend Tuesday-Thursday putting the finishing touches on their Bio-riddles and making sure they are memorized.
We will work together to gain background knowledge about the Indian Boarding School era as we prepare to read two historical fiction novels that take place during this time. The boys will read Code Talker and the girls will read Sweetgrass Basket.
Math:
5th - The students will continue to work with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions. They will work with math manipulatives, recipes, and cookies in class.
6th - The kids took a summative assessment on ratios & proportions and they all did an outstanding job! We are transitioning into statistics and will work with samples and surveys, statistical and non-statistical questions, & mean, median, mode, and range. They will have a written assignment on Tuesday and will participate in partner and small group work the rest of the week.
Science:
6th graders will learn about volcanoes as we wrap up our unit about our changing Earth. They will have a written assignment on Friday. We will begin working with physics concepts next week.
Social Studies:
6th graders are continuing with the study of ancient India. They will design and create a billboard depicting key concepts learned in class.

Have a great week and I'll see 6th grade families on Thursday and hope to see everyone at the carnival Friday!

March 17th ~ 21st

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

We've got another busy week in our room and it is such a pleasure to spend each day with this group of kids!
Thank you to everyone who provided a pie for "Pi day". We had fun with our Pi activities throughout the day . . . and really enjoyed eating the yummy pies!

UPCOMING EVENTS ~
Monday March 24th ~ Vacation day ... no school.
Thursday March 27 ~ 6th Grade Night of the Notables
   18th - Biographies are due
   20th - Bio-Riddles are due and then the kids will have one week to memorize.
Friday March 28th ~ Family Fun Night (Waffle grab in our room)  Don't forget to send any pet related items for our basket, "It's raining cats and dogs". The event includes dinner, raffles, and games/prizes in the classrooms.
Friday March 28th ~ End of 3rd Quarter (Holy cow, this year is flying!)
Wednesday April 2nd ~ Report Cards home
NWEA testing dates for our class ~ Friday 4/11, Monday 4/14, and Wed. 4/16.

This Tuesday, both 5th and 6th grade students will participate in the Human Growth and Development lessons with Mrs. Reas (girls), or a male Health Enhancement teacher from our district (boys).

Spelling ~ Unit 26. We will take a pretest on Monday, work with our words throughout the week, and take a final test on Friday. The kids will have written assignments on Tuesday and Thursday.
5th: Final ij, iv, and is sounds
6th: Prefix ad-
Language ~ Students will have written assignments on Monday and Wednesday.
5th: Dependent and independent clauses & complex word families
6th: Transitional words
Writing ~ 6th graders will continue to work on biographies and bio-riddles for their notables. Biographies are due Tuesday and the Bio-riddles are due Thursday. I will provide samples of Bio-riddles for the kids. They will then have one full week to memorize and practice for the 27th.
Reading ~
5th: The kids are continuing with Lead21, Unit 6 and will work with generalizing and making connections while reading, unit vocabulary throughout the week, as well as comparative/superlative, classifying words, and adjective suffixes.
6th: The students will complete novels this week and will then have a choice of seven culminating activities due by next Tuesday.
Math ~
5th: We continue to work with fractions and the kids will spend the week mastering multiplication and calculating area with fractions.
6th: We will complete our study of ratios, proportions, rates, and unit rates this week. The kids will be working in small groups on Monday and Tuesday to solve real-world problems. They will work individually on Wednesday and Thursday with some higher-level thinking skills related to these concepts, and we will take a few minutes to study for a quiz on Friday.
Social Studies ~
6th Graders will continue to work on their comic strips depicting the Buddhist faith. On Thursday, they will compare and contract Hinduism and Buddhism via a Venn diagram.
Science ~
The kids will have one final hour in class to put the final touches on their earthquake-proof structures. Our earthquake tests take place on Friday afternoon and each structure should be able to withstand a 10-second earthquake, while supporting a raw egg.

Mrs. Tatum will visit our room for her last scheduled counseling lesson in our room on Wednesday afternoon, but she will be in periodically throughout the remainder of the year. She is a terrific counselor and we are very fortunate to have her here at Poly Drive!

We will not have Buddies this week due to our Human Growth and Development classes on Tuesday afternoon.

Have a fantastic week!

March 10th ~ 14th

I hope you remembered to "spring forward" this weekend.

You will notice a couple of changes to the blog this week. I have set up a SYMBALOO site that allows me to organize web links in a more logical ~ and easier to use format. At the top of the blog, you will find a link to my main SYMBALOO page, as well as specific links for Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. When you select MRS. BEATTY'S SYMBALOO, click on the tab marked "Add this webmix" and you will be able to choose any of the tiles. I had so many links listed on the blog, that it was becoming cumbersome for the kids and me.  I hope you find this easier to navigate. Some basic daily links are still listed individually on the blog.

Friday is "Pi Day" (3.14) and several kids have signed up to bring a pie that day. We will calculate the radius, diameter, circumference, and area of each pie before enjoying them. Of course we will wash our hands very well before this activity! Friday is also Mr. Monson's birthday!

Poly Drive Read-a-Thon ~ Don't forget to read, read, read every day!! Our theme days for the week are as follows:

Monday ~ Read with style (Dress up today)

Tuesday ~ Veg. out on reading (Bring a can of veggies for the food bank)

Wednesday ~ www-We wear words (wear clothing with printed words) 

Thursday ~ Read Every Day (Wear red)

Friday ~ Cat in the Hat day (Wear a hat)

6th Grade Night of the Notables: 6th graders will continue to research their notables and will spend time in class writing biographies and bio-riddles. Begin thinking about the costume your child will wear when he or she becomes the notable on Thursday March 27th at 6:30 in our gym.

Spelling: The kids are working with Unit 25 words this week and will take a pretest on Monday, have written assignments on Tuesday and Thursday, and take a final test on Friday.

5th ~ Final /n/ or /ain/, and /ure/, /zure/ sounds

6th ~ Prefixes per-, pre-, and pro-

Language: We will have written assignments on Monday and Wednesday that focus on various grammar concepts. The 6th graders will also work with the Latin root words cumul and lumin

Reading: 

5th Graders are working in Lead21 and will focus on fluency, vocabulary, summarizing, idioms, text structure, and writing to respond to what they have read.

6th Graders are continuing with the novels, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Between Shades of Gray. The kids must read the assigned chapters and complete comprehension pages that show their thinking and comprehension strategies used while reading.

Math:

5th Graders are working with fractions and subtracting, multiplying, & estimating with mixed numbers and fractions. They will have written assignments on Monday-Thursday.

6th Graders are converting fractions, decimals, and percents. This all ties in with our study of ratios and proportions. The kids will have written assignments on Monday and Tuesday and will work with partners on Wednesday and Thursday to complete in class activities.

Pi Day - All math activities on Friday will focus on Pi.

Social Studies:

6th graders will finish our study of the India and the Hindu faith and then we will learn about Buddhist beliefs.The kids will create a comic strip to share their understanding of the concepts.

Science:

We have been learning about earthquakes and the kids will begin work on our earthquake structure project. They will work in small groups to design a structure that can withstand a simulated earthquake, while cradling a raw egg. Each group will have a budget and must "purchase" the supplies from me The supplies include raw spaghetti, mini marshmallows, and blue painter's tape. I provide the base to build on, as well all the materials. This project is completed at school and will not require any work at home. My husband built my earthquake testing apparatus and we will test our structures next Friday, the 21st.

Buddies:

We will create Shamrock paper chain necklaces with our buddies on Tuesday. The chains will depict an ABC pattern, which ties in with the kindergarten math standards.

Have a fantastic week!

March 3rd ~ 7th

Well, I am posting again to the blog after a short hiatus. We have a lot of things coming up and I will try to hit all the high points.

Geo-City : All of the students in grades 4-6 have been working on Geo-City structures for our display this Thursday. Each child will bring his or her structure to school on Thursday and they will be arranged in the gym. Students from Mrs. Williams' class have created a map and the structures will be placed in the location indicated on the map.
If you would like to tour the city, time has been set aside from 2-3 on Thursday for you to come to the gym to see the city. It will definitely be cozy in our little gym, but it should be awesome!
As we do not have room for storage - all structures should be brought to school on Thursday and must go home again Thursday after school.

Poly Drive Read-a-Thon: Packets were given to the students last Friday and this week is our pledge week. Students will ask family, friends, etc. to pledge funds by the minute or a flat donation. All monies raised during the Read-a-Thon help our library purchase new books - and our PTA is raising funds for new playground equipment!
Next week, (March 10th-14th) students will read daily to earn the pledged money.
The week of March 17th is pledge collection week.
The themes for each day of reading week are as follows:
Monday 3/10: Read with style (Dress up today)
Tuesday 3/11: Veg. out on reading (Bring a can of veggies for the food bank)
Wednesday 3/12: www - We wear words (wear clothing with printed words)
Thursday 3/13: Read Every Day (Wear Red)
Friday 3/14: Cat in the Hat (wear a hat today)

Class Pictures: Our class pictures will be taken this Friday, as well as spring individual pictures. If your child happens to be gone on that day, I always take a class picture myself in the spring - usually outside on the playground, etc. I choose a day when everyone is present.
6th Graders will receive one class picture free of charge.

Looking ahead ~
Night of the Notables (6th grade only): This event is scheduled for the evening of Thursday March 27th from 6:00-7:30 in the gym and all 6th graders are expected to participate. Beginning this week, the students will select someone from history who is notable/famous (not notorious or infamous) and they will research and write a biography about their chosen person. As we get closer to the Notable evening, the students will prepare a 1-minute Bio-Riddle that shares life events, notable contributions, etc. for their person and it will be written in 1st-person. They should begin thinking about a costume or outfit that would be appropriate for their notable, because on the evening of the 27th, they "become" their notable and will recite the bio-riddle from memory in front of the audience. We work together in class to write the bio-riddle and practice in front of others, so it is memorized and comfortable for the students. This is a great event!
6th Graders - Begin thinking about who you might select as your Notable. Mrs. Delaney is setting aside biographies from our library for you to peruse.

Pi Day ~ We will celebrate "Pi Day" on March 14th (3.14) and the kids are signing up to bring a pie to share. We will measure & calculate the radius, diameter, circumference, and area of each pie before we slice and enjoy. There will be other activities during the day related to Pi.
On a side note . . this is also Mr. Monson's birthday!

NWEA Testing Dates: I have tentatively scheduled our NWEA testing on Friday April 11th, Monday April 14th, and Wednesday April 16th. Please mark your calendars and try to have your child in school on these dates. These tests help determine placement for 7th grade classes.

Smarter Balanced Testing: This year, Poly Drive is piloting our new testing format through Smarter Balanced. These assessments will take the place of our MontCAS testing and they are much more rigorous than in the past. Because we have been chosen as a pilot school, we will not receive reports for individual students. Our school-wide scores will help to set the state and national norms. The tentative dates for our class are Wednesday April 30th, Monday May 5th, and Wednesday May 7th.

No School on Monday March 24th - Enjoy the long weekend
No School for students on Monday April 7th - 3 days of rest for the kiddos.
Early-Out for students on Thursday April 17th.
No School on Friday April 18th or Monday April 21st - Enjoy the break!
No School or Friday May 2nd - 3 days of rest again.

Okay . . . now on with the academics this week!

Spelling: Unit 23 Pretest on Monday with written assignments on Tuesday and Thursday, and a final unit test on Friday.
5th ~ Words from other languages.
6th ~ Prefixes dis-, ex-, inter-
Language: The students will work with language concepts during the week and have written assignments on Monday and Wednesday.
5th ~ Types of Sentences
6th ~ Compound-Complex sentences, and sentence type review. 6th graders will also work with the Latin and Greek roots claim/clam, equ, and equi. They will create a root word poster that is due on Friday.
Reading
5th ~ Continue working in Lead 21: Inferences, general ideas, making conjectures, summarizing, text structure, and working with selection vocabulary. The students will discuss the inquiry project for this unit.
6th ~ We will continue with the two selected WWII novels this week. We meet daily to discuss the novels and I check written work by the students. They are required to notate at least two comprehension strategies used each day while reading.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - The boys will read chapters 6-12 this week.
Between Shades of Gray - The girls will read chapters 17-43 this week. (The chapters are very short)
Link for author's discussion of Between Shades of Gray.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPiQ_LuKtDE
Math
5th ~ We are transitioning back to fractions this week and the kids will continue learning about adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.
6th ~ We are also revisiting our ratios, proportions, rates, and unit rates this week. We will work with percents as they relate to proportions.
Social Studies ~ As we continue our study of world religions, the 6th graders will read about India and the Hindu & Buddhist religions, and take notes in class.
Science
6th graders are learning about seismometers and will design their own machine and create a diagram poster to share with the class. On Friday, we will learn about tsunamis - how they are created and the destruction caused by them.
Counselor
Mrs. Tatum will share a counseling lesson with our class on Wednesday afternoon.

I hope you have a fantastic week - and please drive carefully out there! It looks like the weather may warm up a bit this week . . . and I am certainly ready for spring!!!

February 17th ~ 21st

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. It looks like spring is trying to make an appearance!

The 6th graders will challenge the staff to a volleyball game after school on Friday. I am bummed that I will not be here for the game this year. It is always a great time!!

There will be no Extended Studies this week. It will resume again next week.

Looking Ahead ~ Family Fun Night is scheduled for Friday March 28th this year. Our basket theme is "Raining Cats and Dogs". I wanted you to know, just in case you happen to be out and about and find a cute item to donate to our pet-themed basket. All proceeds from the basket fundraiser go to our PTA to help purchase awesome things for our school and students.

Spelling: Unit 21 with a pretest on Tuesday, written work on Wednesday and Thursday, and a final test on Friday.
Language: Root words temper and ver
5th - Imperative sentences: Written assignments on Tuesday and Friday.
6th - Types of sentences: Written assignments on Tuesday and Friday.
Reading: We will be focusing on comprehension skills this week, including citing evidence from the text and inferring. The kids will have two close read assignments and one inference worksheet.
Math: The 5th graders will work with various quadrilaterals, their properties, and the hierarchy of attributes. They will also study measurement and converting from millimeters, to centimeters, and meters. 6th graders will study circles - including circumference, radius, diameter, and area. They will also work with solid 3-dimensional figures and surface area.
Science: 6th graders will learn about the various types of mountains and how they are formed. They will complete an Investigation Review on Tuesday and take the chapter 2 test on Friday.
Social Studies: We are beginning to learn about India this week. On Thursday, they will complete a geography challenge.

As I mentioned last week, I will be out of the classroom this week and Mr. Monson will be taking the lead. Mrs. Sheehan will be in our room for the week as well. I will send mid-terms home the week of the 24th.
Thanks for sharing your child with me!

February 10th ~ 14th

Snowy Greetings!

We will have a short week due to our school break on Friday and Monday. Thursday is an early-out and the kids will be dismissed at noon. 

The Poly Drive Spelling Bee is this Tuesday at 8:45 in the gym. Our classroom qualifiers are: Tealy Dahlberg, Zoe Houle, LeeAndra Mills, Mackenzie Sell, Luke Breum, Jackson Stapleton, and Dacee Zent. This is quite an accomplishment for this group of kids - way to go guys!

Valentine's Day Party ~ This is our one "official" party of the year and it will take place from 11-12 on Thursday. Many of the kids have signed up for decorations, treats, or games/entertainment. Ask your child if he or she volunteered to bring something. They will get together on Monday to plan and organize a bit.

If your child brings Valentines, please make sure that you provide one for every student in our class. The kids will decorate a bag in class to store their valentines. We have 22 kids in our class and the list is as follows:

Hailey Breum, Luke Breum, Grace Hepp, Carsen McQueen, Seth Morse, Annika Rickbeil, Jackson Stapleton, Kaylee Stubbs, Anna Whitney, Dacee Zent.

Simonne Clay, Tealy Dahlberg, Koby Dolan, Garrett Dostal, Alex Hamilton, Zoe Houle, Cannon Krueger, Cameron Leo, LeeAndra Milla, Quinn Sanderson, Mackenzie Sell, Brady Uhren.

Looking Ahead ~ 

I will be out of the classroom from the 18th-21st and will send mid-terms home with your child the week of the 24th. I will check email regularly, so feel free to contact me during my absence.

The annual 6th Grade vs. teachers volleyball game will be Friday the 21st at 3:00 in the gym. I will be out of the building that day and I am bummed that I will miss the game. It is a fun event!!

Poly Drive Talent Show and PTA Dinner ~ Lewis & Clark Middle School

Thursday February 28th is the date and several kids from our class are performing. The 6th graders always perform a dance routine and they have been practicing with Mrs. Reas. A yummy dinner will be served in the cafeteria from 5-6:30 and the show begins in the theater at 6:30. Don't miss this great event!!

Poly Drive Geometry City ~ Thursday March 6th

Over the next three weeks, we will be studying the geometry concepts included in our math standards. The culminating activity will be the construction of a Geometry City in our gym. Each grade (4th, 5th, and 6th) has different requirements for the city and that information went home with the kids last week. Each structure must include the geometry concepts studied and a 2'x2' board will be provided for each child.

Class Pictures will be taken on Friday March 7th.

The Poly Drive Read-a-Thon will kick off at the beginning of March. Kids will collect sponsors the week of March 3rd and will complete their reading during the week of March 10th. Pledges are collected and turned in the week of March 17th. This is a fabulous fund raising event for our school!

This week in Room 7 . . .

No spelling this week due to our short week, Spelling Bee, and Valentine's party.

Language ~ The kids will have written assignments on Monday and Wednesday.

5th - Interrogative Sentences

6th - Conjunctions (Like & Such) and Interjections

Reading ~

We will work with two non-fiction articles this week and practice our close reading skills. When we read closely, we determine the important details in a passage, ascertain the author's purpose, and cite evidence from the text to support our thinking.

Math ~

5th - The students will work with a variety of quadrilaterals - classifying and learning the properties of each, as well as arranging them in a hierarchy of attributes.

6th - We will be learning the various formulas for calculating area of regular and irregular polygons.

Social Studies ~

Sixth graders will continue our study of the early Hebrews and Judaism.

Science ~

We are learning about the earth's tectonic plates and how these interact. We will read from our textbook, watch a short video, and complete a written assignment on Tuesday.

Have a fantastic week - and stay warm!

February 3rd ~ 7th

Our snow accumulation continues to climb, as does my desire for spring! I must admit that the snow this weekend was beautiful.

Looking ahead . . . Thursday the 13th is an early-out day and there is no school on Friday the 14th or Monday the 17th.

6th Grade Parents ~ Don't forget to gather those yearbook pics and either send them back in the envelopes provided, or email digitally. Due date for photos is February 13th.

The kids will be taking a qualifier test on Monday for our school Spelling Bee. Teachers will meet Monday after school to determine the students who qualified for the Spelling Bee on Tuesday February 11th at 9:00 a.m. The winner from Poly Drive will represent our school at the county bee.

This year, Poly Drive has been chosen to pilot our Common Core assessment tools through Smarter Balanced. These assessments will take the place of the MontCAS tests given each spring that determine Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) status each year. The tests through Smarter Balanced are more rigorous and require the students to utilize information from several sources before responding. Our class will take a couple of practice exams on Monday and Wednesday so we are familiar with the format and online tools within the exams.

On Monday, the 6th graders will attend a "Talent Search" presentation that encourages the kids to think about what comes after high school. The presenters will discuss college, trade schools, and jobs right after high school. Information will come home on Monday that provides details about the organization and how they can assist with post-graduate decisions. Middle school is not too early to begin thinking about the options.

Ryan Matzinger, an acclaimed saxophonist, will perform at our school on Tuesday. We are very fortunate to have him visit Poly Drive and the kids will really enjoy his music and presentation.

Mrs. Tatum, our school counselor, will teach another lesson in our room on Wednesday afternoon.

The 5th grade science fair will take place on Friday afternoon from 12:45 - 3:00.

Valentine's Day ~ We will celebrate with a classroom party from 11-12 on Thursday the 13th. If your child would like to bring Valentines, please make sure that one is provided for each student. The kids will plan the party and sign up for decorations, treats, games, etc.

Spelling ~ We will take a pretest of the Unit 20 words on Monday, work with our words and vocabulary throughout the week, and take a final test on Friday.
5th: words with -ed and -ing endings
6th: suffixes -able/-ible, -ate
Language ~ The kids will have written assignments on Tuesday and Wednesday.
5th: Declarative sentences
6th: Subordinating conjunctions
Reading ~ We will practice assessments online. We will do a close reading of an article on Thursday.
Math ~
5th: The kids will work with converting fractions to decimals & adding and subtractions fractions with like and unlike denominators.
6th: We are transitioning from ratios and rates, to solving proportions and cross multiplication.
6th Grade Social Studies ~ We will continue learning about the Hebrews and Judaism by completing a classroom activity together on Thursday.
5th Grade Science ~ The kids will prepare for the science fair on Friday.
6th Grade Science ~ We are learning about the earth's layers and magnetic field. We will take a short quiz on Friday.
Buddies ~ Tuesday is the 100th day of school and we will make a snack mix with our buddies that will consist of 100 items per person.

Have a fantastic week!!

January 27th ~ 31st

It seems like Christmas was just here . . and now the end of January is drawing near!

Talent show tryouts are this Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00-4:30. If your child is trying out for the show, he or she received a slip indicating the tryout day and time.

Sunday February 2nd is Groundhog Day . . . and I don't know about you, but I'm hoping for a cloudy day and no shadow. I am ready for spring!

ATTENTION 6TH GRADE PARENTS: 6th Grade yearbook information went home last week in the Wednesday Watch. The yearbook committee would like to have photos, etc. emailed or sent to school no later that February 13th. They do prefer digital items if possible and these can be emailed to diana.nyquist@hotmail.com
Be sure to check the Wednesday Watch for the information and envelopes that were sent home.

Spelling: Unit 19 - The kids will take a pretest on Monday, work with their word list and vocabulary during the week with two written assignments on Tuesday and Thursday, and take a final test on Friday.
5th: -ed and -ing endings
6th: Suffixes -ent and -ant
Language: We will study various grammar concepts with written assignments on Monday and Wednesday, as well as an assignment on Monday with the Latin roots manu, vor, and vour. The students will also create a root word poster for Friday.
5th: Subject and Predicate
6th: Coordinating and Correlative Conjunctions
Reading: We will finish our novels this week and wrap up our book club discussions. The kids have had vocabulary and chapter questions to complete throughout the novel units and these will be completed on Wednesday. On Thursday, we will read a short article pertaining to Denmark during WWII. The students will compare and contrast details from the article and their novels. We will read and respond to another WWII article on Friday.
Math: 
5th: We will work on converting fractions to decimals and vice versa. The kids will reinforce this concept on Tuesday with various online activities. We will move into fraction addition with like and unlike denominators. The kids will have written assignments on Monday, and Wednesday through Friday.
6th: We will continue to work with ratios and equivalent rations. The students will learn about rates and unit rates and work in small groups to solve real world scenarios dealing with these concepts. They will have written assignments on Monday and Tuesday.
6th Grade Social Studies:
In our study of ancient civilizations, we learn about many world religions. This week will include ancient Hebrews and Judaism.
6th Grade Science:
We completed our work with Chemistry concepts last week and we will begin studying the changing earth. We focus on plate tectonics, the layers of the earth, earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. This week, we will study continental drift and the Pangaea theory.

Have a wonderful week!

January 20th ~ 24th

I hope you enjoyed the long 3-day weekend. Teachers spend these PIR days in training and working on report cards and records. Football games are on the Sunday agenda at the Beatty home!

Report cards will go home on Wednesday. Please remove the contents to keep & then sign and return the envelope for use in future quarters.

The Poly Drive talent show is coming up quickly and tryouts are next Tuesday and Thursday (28th and 30th) in the library from 3-4:30. Tryout forms should be returned to Mrs. Carroll by this Tuesday. The talent show is on Thursday February 27th. The PTA will host a dinner prior to the talent show.

Our Student Teacher, Mr. Monson begins officially in our room on Monday. He and I will be attending a district training seminar on Tuesday, so he will begin working in the classroom on Wednesday. He will be a great addition to our class!

Spelling: We will work with spelling unit 17 this week - The kids will have a written assignment on Tuesday only.
5th: Final schwa + l sounds
6th: Final iz, iv, and ij sounds
Language: The kids will have written assignments on Tuesday and Thursday.
5th: Indefinite and reflexive pronouns
6th: Prepositions
Reading: The students will continue working in their novels, including written work daily. The 5th graders are reading, Milkweed and the 6th graders are reading, Number the Stars. Both of these novels are set in Europe during WWII.
Writing: We will continue working on a persuasive piece that we began awhile back.
Math:
5th: We will be working with comparing and ordering fractions and mixed numbers, fractions to simplest form, and converting fractions to decimals. The kids will have written practice each day this week.
6th: We are continuing with Ratios and the kids will work in small groups to complete three different activities involving real-world situations. This work will be completed in class.
Social Studies:
6th graders will learn about the Kingdom of Kush. We will read together and complete written work on Thursday.
Science:
Science: We will finish our 6th grade Chemistry unit this week. The students will complete a hands-on investigation with Mystery Powders.
Counselor:
Mrs. Tatum will teach a lesson in our room on Wednesday afternoon.

The 6th graders will participate in the annual Yellowstone Art Museum presentation on Tuesday afternoon.

Have a terrific week!

January 13th ~ 17th

NWEA ~ We will be taking our winter benchmark NWEA assessments this week. We will start with Language on Monday, then Math on Wednesday, and wrap up with Reading on Friday. The kids may chew gum during the assessments, so have them bring a pack of gum on Monday if they wish.

Scholastic Book Order ~ Don't forget to return your book order forms - or order online. The kids glanced at the order forms before they were sent home and made their "wish lists". I will place the classroom order on Wednesday. All classroom orders from Scholastic help add books to our classroom library. Thanks for your support!

Upcoming Events ~
PTA Meeting this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the library.
End of 2nd quarter this Friday.
Report cards go home next Wednesday.
Poly Drive Talent Show tryouts - Tuesday January 28th and Thursday January 30th from 3:00 to 4:30 in the library.
Poly Drive Talent Show at Lewis & Clark Middle School on Thursday February 27th.

Spelling ~ Unit 16: We will take a pretest on Monday, work with our word lists and vocabulary throughout the week, and take a final test on Friday. The students utilize a combination of written work from the spelling book and online practice with Spelling City.
5th: VV Pattern
6th: Prefix -com
Language ~ We will work with the Latin roots - vers, verse, and vert. The kids will have a written assignment on Monday.
5th: Possessive Pronouns : Written assignments on Monday and Wednesday.
6th: Adverbial Phrases and Prepositions : Written assignments on Monday and Wednesday.
Reading ~ We are beginning our novel units. Both novel genres are historical fiction that take place during WWII. The students will have daily reading and written assignments for their books. I will meet with groups throughout the week to discuss the book and hone our comprehension strategies.
5th: Milkweed ~ The kids will read through chapter 19 this week (they are short chapters). This story takes place in Warsaw, Poland at the time of the invasion by the Nazis.
6th: Number the Stars ~ The kids will read through chapter 6 this week. The setting of this book is in Denmark during the Nazi occupation.
On Wednesday, we will all read and discuss a poem, First They Came for the Jews.
Math ~
5th: We will continue to work with fractions. Topics this week include equivalent fractions and greatest common factor. There will be written assignments on Monday and Tuesday and a group activity on Thursday.
6th: We will begin working with ratios and proportions this week. The kids will have a written assignment on Monday and complete group work on Tuesday and Thursday.
Social Studies ~ The 6th graders will continue working on their Egyptian god/goddess reports. The reports and projects are due on Thursday and the kids will share their projects and selected information about their god/goddess with the class.
Science ~ We will be wrapping up our study of Chemistry over the next two weeks. We will read about acids, bases, salts, and acid rain on Monday and the kids will complete an Investigation Review assignment. We will perform a hands-on activity on Friday, read about plastics and polymers, and complete another Investigation Review assignment.

Have a wonderful week!

January 6th ~ 10th

The snow is sparkly and beautiful, but I am already looking forward to warmer spring weather. We are getting back into our normal routines as we look toward the end of the 2nd quarter next Friday. It is hard to believe that we are almost half way through this school year.

Our school Geography Bee will be held this Friday at 1:30 in the gym. We had four sixth graders from our class who qualified. Quinn Sanderson, Cannon Krueger, Cameron Leo, and Garrett Dostal will be representing our room. Way to go guys!! The winner from our school will then participate in the county Geography Bee.

Spelling ~ Unit 15: We will take a pretest on Monday, work with our word lists and vocabulary throughout the week, and take a final test on Friday. The kids will have written assignments on Tuesday and Thursday.
5th - VCCCV
6th - Prefix -in
Language ~ Latin root words , duct and vol with a written assignment on Monday and a root word poster assignment due Friday.
5th - Demonstrative pronouns : Written assignments on Monday and Wednesday.
6th - Comparative and superlative adverbs : Written assignments on Monday and Wednesday.
Reading ~ We will be reading about, and conducting research on WWII and the Holocaust in preparation for historical fiction novel units. Beginning next week, the sixth graders will read Number the Stars and the 5th graders will read Milkweed.
Math ~
5th - We are beginning our work with fractions. We will review some basic concepts and then work with benchmark and equivalent fractions this week. The students will have written assignments on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
6th - We will continue working with the coordinate plane and use this knowledge to solve real world problems and problem solving using map coordinates. The kids will have written work on Monday-Thursday. We will review the coordinate plane and take a short quiz on Friday.
Social Studies ~
The sixth graders are working on reports and projects about an Egyptian god or goddess they selected. The kids have a lot of freedom regarding the project portion, but most of this will be done at home. The report portion will be completed primarily in class. The final reports and projects are due next Thursday, the 16th.
Science ~
Sixth graders will complete an Investigation Review from last Friday and we will conduct a hands-on experiment testing liquids to determine if they are acidic or basic.

We will play a variety of board games with our kindergarten buddies on Tuesday and Mrs. Tatum will teach a counseling lesson in our room on Wednesday.
Have a fantastic week!

January 2nd & 3rd

Greetings for the New Year!!!
We will be getting back in the groove over the next two days and will return to our normal schedule next week.  I see some sleepy faces today and I do understand the challenge of getting back into routines. I tend to be a night owl, and returning to a "normal" schedule will be good for me too.

Enjoy the short week ~ and look for a full update over the weekend.
Happy 2014!!