Welcome to my blog, my first post of the 2012-2013 school year!!  I have spent a good deal of the day uploading some pictures of our classroom, my family, and adding some documents to the home page and just generally having some fun with some of the new features on blogger.  If this is your first time here, take some time to look around and learn a little bit about me and how this blog should be used.  Please consider scrolling down to the bottom right side and adding your email address.  All this does is notify you of when any new material is added.  Some parents have commented that they appreciated getting a notification so they knew when to check in.  Try it!  Now, for some reasons why I love to blog.... 

1. At the beginning of the year, I like to use the blog to post homework assignments so you can help your child create good work habits. Please check the site daily to see if the homework assignments I add are compatible with what your child has written in their assignment notebook. As the year goes on, I taper down to posting assignments periodically, since the kids should have developed good, responsible habits and you should trust that they have written all assignments down correctly. I will still post about other things though, so you can continue to check daily! I will be sure to send reminders out to you via email to let you know when to check my blog for updates later in the year when I may not be posting daily.  Again, if you add your email to my blog - you'll receive automatic notification!

2. This site is a great place for me to add a variety of links that will help your child access information that will enrich what we are doing in the classroom. I like to add video links that relate to social studies and science lessons, connections to our math and reading curriculums, as well as lots of games to play that will strengthen skills that will benefit him or her in the classroom. Check out the great links already posted on the right hand margin. I will go through these with the class so they are familiar! I will also be able to posts some class documents that you might need from home. If you ever find a site that you think would be beneficial to the class, please let me know!  Some of my best material has come from parents and students and I am so grateful for the assistance.

3. Blogging is something the kids will join in doing this year, among other fun technology activities.  They will write script for me to add to our classroom blog and will learn how to do it themselves.  While our blog is open, it is only accessed by people who have the actual address or link.  I like to post anonymous pictures from activities we do in class (please sign the permission form for this reason) so kids can share what we are doing at home - and you have specific things to ask about (I know how fifth graders can be!). Rest assured that names will never be used, only pictures and sometimes initials.  Being comfortable using technology in this and other ways is very important for your child's future. I hope to use podcasts and vodcasts, once I learn how to add them. This will allow you to know what is going on in our class,viewing it and hearing about it in a wonderful new way.
4.  It's FUN!!

I am really looking forward to another great year of teaching 5th grade!! I LOVE 5th Graders!! I hope to see you and the kids on Wednesday at the Ice Cream Social in the back of the school from 4:00-6:00 p.m.  If not, I look forward to meeting you Thursday morning at the Meet and Greet, which is from 8:40-9:10 a.m.!Please look at the right margin for upcoming events as I try to keep this area updated regularly for your help. See you at Curriculum Night on September 24th starting at 6:30 p.m.

Finally, cheers to you for reading this entire post!  See you soon!