Don't Forget!

The PTA Fun Fair is this Saturday from 11-2.  Make plans now to come.  I will be there from 11-1, then off to a soccer tournament with Madison.

Today, the students were completely engaged in a "story" I shared about Makenna and a finger injury that happened to her last December.  They then had to think about an injury that occured to them and share it in a "Round Robin" session with their apple groups.  Finally, they began writing about this injury in their writing notebooks (we are preparing for writing our memoirs) but they had to cease writing when they came to the part when the injury was "fixed."  They had to use as much detail as possible to describe what led up to the injury and the sensory detail that they remembered surrounding the injury.  These details are what engages a reader.  We will continue our work on this tomorrow.  I can't wait to read about all the injuries and THE DETAILS!!!
Please read the homework below carefully.

Due TOMORROW:
Reading - your log  and reading response (not the FINAL RESPONSE - that is due next week). The response due tomorrow is the three paragraph one focusing on the questions for the beginning, middle, OR end of a book.

Math - my class has the blue sheet to complete.  Remember to get it signed. The practice packet is NOT DUE as homework and will not be graded!  Practice what you feel like you need to and keep it in your pendafile.

Science - complete the "FOOD" sheet you started today in class.  Remember to use the back if you need more room for the bottom 5 questions.  Also, try to paraphrase (put into your own words) the answers instead of writing directly from the book.

Assignment book will be checked in the morning as well.

DUE NEXT WEEK:
(there has been time to work on these in class while I have conferenced with students)

Reading:  Your book of choice (reading plan sheet) should be completely read (or reviewed) by next Wednesday so you are prepared to do the FINAL RESPONSE in class.  That is due next Friday.

Word Work:  Sentences are due Thursday (use the rubric - it is posted on the Important Documents tab) and word work is due on Friday (at least one WRITTEN assignment).  The test will be Friday (10/5/12).


LOOKING AHEAD:
Also, by next Friday, you will need to make your next book choice (and another reading plan) for the next Final Response, due by the end of October.  We will talk about this in greater detail on Monday, but it will need to be one of the following:

Historical Fiction
Mystery
Biography or Autobiography
Fantasy
Informational Text (non-fiction, any topic of interest)

My own math class...

Today I was out at a district meeting regarding the new math curriculum.  I learned how to plan the units more efficiently and use more effective engagment strategies.  I can't wait to come back and try some stuff out!

While I was gone, Mrs. Winchester was busy with you.  You did some reading work studying a few authors.  I hope you enjoyed this activity.  I LOVE reading about authors' lives: where they live, what they've written, what awards they've won.  It is so interesting and adds a great dimension to understanding where stories come from. I can't wait to hear what you learned.

In writing, we continue to think about what makes a good story from our lives by today listening about more "Tomie" stories.  Did you like the one about the hurricane and the new house?  I made a connection to Savvy when I read it from the 26 Fairmont Avenue book.  Did you?

In math (my accel. class), you graded your step graph work and studied circle graphs.  You have a 3 page handout/review of the class work that has places to answer questions throughout the reading and then activities to complete on the back page.  You will keep this to study the parts that make a circle graph.  Highlight the vocabulary you think is important!

In case you haven't been on Edmodo this week, I posted two assignments there today that are due by Friday (you will have some time to work on them in class, so they should not be homework unless you choose to do them at home).

See you tomorrow!

Lots of new stuff....

It was great to see everyone who could make it last night. I enjoyed sharing what we do each day and some of what your child can look forward to this year. If you were not able to make it to Curriculum Night, I sent home with your child the materials that were passed out as well as a copy of the powerpoint presentation I used. I promised a volunteer form would come home today for those who wish to volunteer in our classroom, which I copied on a nice pink piece of paper - and I sit here staring at it as I write this. Therefore, I have attached that form for you to print out now to send in, if you'd like. I will send it home tomorrow - but at least you have the info today!! Also, see the attached documents regarding band and orchestra schedules as needed.

Please find under IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS:

Band schedule

Orchestra schedule

Volunteer form

I decided to not use the white folders on Mondays to send graded work home, preferring to send graded work home as it is ready - making it VERY IMPORTANT for the "Take Home" section of the Pendafile to be checked NIGHTLY! There are important things in there daily and I appreciate the effort it takes to check it and clean it out.  This will be checked tomorrow or Thursday for ORGANIZATION!

We will not have a Harcourt story this week, instead focusing on specific skills and writing about our reading, using your child's personal reading choice. There is a reading response (pink full sheet) due on Friday and a white half sheet that is due tomorrow. Your child will move to logging PAGES instead of MINUTES next week, after our conference this week. Please be sure the reading log is IN THE PENDAFILE each day, since it is necessary for my conference with your child. 

The word sort words assigned today will not be tested on until NEXT FRIDAY (same with the assignments - sentences and word work due next week). We will work on a variety of sorts in class this week using both sets of words (Spelling City is loaded and ready for practice).

We have our digestion TEST tomorrow so please make sure your child spends some time studying this evening.

 

MATH:
5G - journal page 25 and 26 (test next Tuesday)

5R - multiplying decimals page - show ALL work (test this week)

5K - place value sheet

just a quick note

Since we have Curriculum Night at 6:30, this will be brief.  Hope to see everyone (parents) later!


Homework tonight is on the lighter side.

Math:
5G - journal page 22 and 23 (class time was given)  TEST will be NEXT TUESDAY (spend time looking at notes and your sheets in the pendafile)
5R - TEST THIS WEEK and a practice multiplication sheet is due tomorrow
5K - 2.4

Reading
read and log 20 minutes (at least!  since you have little homework, spend a bit more time with your book)

Science
use your study guide and flashcards to help you prepare for the TEST on Wednesday

Quick Post....

Hi there!
Busy afternoon with soccer and Curriculum Night at Hill, so this will be quick, quick, quick!

Tomorrow we have a test on "Yang the Third" and our word sort assessment.  Also due:
*  COMIC STRIP ON THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM (see previous posts)
*  WORD WORK (at least one written assignment)
*   MATH HOMEWORK (my accel. class has SL 1.7)

The assignment book and reading log will also be checked to see if you have kept up on those this week.

If you would still like to contribute to our classroom raffle basket for next weekend's
 PTA FUN FAIR (with the theme of "Be Active!") YOU CAN!  Just send it any item by next week and the money raised will go back to the PTA for the wonderul things it does for ALL THE STUDENTS AT NYE!!  By the way, are you a PTAmember?  We all get so much "bang" for your bucks!    Please consider joining and supporting the PTA and the exciting opportunities our kids have because of it!  Thanks!!

Picture Day!

No - not THAT picture day!  Today was picture day in 5G.  I spent the day taking pictures of the kids all day so, at Curriculum Night, you can see what a typical day is like in our classroom.  Of course, I forgot a few important shots, so I will be snapping them tomorrow in different clothes!  I did think of asking the kids to wear the same shirts tomorrow, but thought it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.  I am excited to share this special presentation with the kids on Monday during the day and with you at night.  If you haven't already, make plans now to attend.  That is Monday night starting at 6:30 (see the Upcoming Events tab).

Today, the kids had a good amount of time to work on the comic strip about a piece of food traveling down the digestive sytem.  We did an activity on the Smartboard, which introduced us to a few more parts to the system (like the pyloric sphincter, the pharynx, and the duodenum).  We have talked a great deal about how to manage time with projects like this, so that rushing at the last minute is not necessary.  These comic strips are due Friday (color is optional).  While the kids got a rubric to follow, here are a few guidelines to remember:

• use the sheet from the Pendafile to help you remember all the parts to include
• each box needs a picture
• each box need words (either a caption and/or speech bubbles)
• each part of the digestive system should BE EXPLAINED in some way

HOMEWORK
see previous days and....
Reading -
Read "Yang.." again.  SELF QUESTION.  Think about what questions you would ask if you were writing the test we take on Friday!  Use post-its to help you study the story (this is optional).

Also - some kids did not finish with the time given (with partners) to answer questions 1-3 on the question slip.  TTQA!

Math:
All classes have a page of homework.  My accel. math class studied the Mean Absolute Deviation today and I will try to upload a link to the "Math Class" tab so they can run through the power point if needed.  Notebooks should have come home with excellent notes to follow!

SCIENCE
QUIZ TOMORROW - AND SPELLING COUNTS!  (just the main parts on the flashcards, not all the extra bits).

Subjects and Predicates

For grammar this week, we are studying subjects and predicates.  We can identify the subject of a sentence by asking "What or whom is this sentence about?"  We can identify the predicate by asking  "What is the subject doing?"  The complete subject tells all the description about the subject.  The complete predicate tells everything about what the subject is doing.  For example:

The silly student with the long ponytails / bounced into class with a squeal.

The complete subject would be "The silly student with the long ponytails" and the complete predicate would be "bounced into class with a squeal."  The simple subject would condense (make smaller) the complete subject to just one word, "student."  The simple predicate would condense to only the verb (the action word), "bounced."

Try opening up your PRB or your reading book and identifying the subject and predicate of any sentence.  Some are more difficult than others.

Homework:
See yesterday for the weekly homework. 

Reading - Read the rest of "Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family"
Our focus this week is to question as we read.  This helps us to determine what is really going on in the story (and if our mind is focused or are we thinking about that last round of Angry Birds?).

Math:
5G -Accelerated Math has a two sided worksheet to practice previous skills on reading and using graphing vocabulary.

Today we deepened our study of choosing the best measure of center (the mean, median, and mode) and the best measure of variability (range, interquartile range, lower quartile (the median), upper quartile (the median), and the median.  We also worked on looking at misleading statistics, when just looking at one of these pieces of variability can lead us to the wrong idea.

5R has a worksheet and 5K has no homework.

Culture Overload!

Kids -  I have really enjoyed hearing about all the different cultures represented in our classroom through the culture projects.  Thank you for doing such a great job on presenting the information on your posters in an organized and detailed manner!

Parents - See the Weekly Work folder, there should be 4 items in there to check out (of course that is not ALL the work we do all week).

As a reminder to those of you in band and orchestra - THERE IS NO BAND  or ORCHESTRA AT ALL THIS WEEK!!!  Do not show up tomorrow morning!  The schedule that your parent got at sign up will go into effect next week!  Thanks.

If you are interested in the Drum Ensemble Group, show up for the first practice (with a permission slip) on Thursday after school in Mr. Pape's room.  If you are not in band or orchestra, consider this as a way to activate parts of your brain you didn't know existed!!  FUN!!!

Homework for this week:

Reading - Log 20 minutes each day of the week (logging on the weekends is good practice to instill the habit!)  Also for reading - the vocabulary sketches are due on WEDNESDAY ( many kids finished in the time given in class).  Our story this week is "Yang the Third and her Impossible Family."  The vocabulary is listed on the Vocabulary Power pages, located right before the story.

Word Sort Sentences are due THURSDAY (see NEW rubric)

Word Work is due on FRIDAY (4 activities - one must be a written activity).  Prepare for test, spelling city is open with the word lists.
Science - we have a parts quiz on Thursday and spelling COUNTS!  The test over the system will be next week on TUESDAY or WEDNESDAY.  We will work on the comic strip in class this week and that is due on Friday so use any and all time wisely on this assignment.  ALSO COMPLETE THE  EDMODO ASSIGNMENT!! 

Math:
5G:  Box plots worksheet ( do all on both sides, but you can choose either 5 OR 6 on the back)
ALSO - Boxes due on FRIDAY  (you should have a post it with the pages and numbers...I am not putting them here...work on being responsible!)

5K - subtraction sheet

5R - Study link 2.5 using the activity slip from your journal.

MYSTERY WORD-----------------------------------------------------------------------Lucky (who is this?)

Reminder...

Just a reminder to students that the "1" part of the Grezlik Gazette is due tomorrow morning (composition books).  Also, Weekly Work folders will come home tomorrow with graded work. Make a goal this week to keep up with your reading log and build your stamina at home by reading in a quiet place with no distraction!

Now it's my turn...

Today, you learned how to use a new online program.  Right now, I am learning a new online program for teachers called Edline.  You may not use this program until middle school or high school, but you will use it someday.  After I take the class, I will know if and how I can use this in a fifth grade class.  I am excited to learn about it, as I love learning new things!  I will get on Edmodo later tonight and see what kind of activity has been occurring on there!  I hope you are all having fun communicating in this fashion, remembering your online "manners!"

Homework for tonight includes:

Reading: 
Reread the story "Sees Behind Trees" and think about the extended response question I posed earlier (it should be written in your assignment notebook).   I am not writing the question here but I will put it on Edmodo under assignments.  look for it!

Math:  All classes have homework.  My accelerated class only has to do the back page of the sheet.

Word Work sentences are due TOMORROW.

Color digestive system parts but do NOT cut them out!

Lots of stuff due on Friday, so see below posts.

"Talk" to you soon!

Edmodo

YAY!  I figured out and fixed the Edmodo problem and it is all working fine.  We will enter the Edmodo world tomorrow in the computer lab! 

Adding on for the week

Please read the TWO posts I made yesterday, if you haven't already.  There is important information about the assignments that are due later this week.  Think of the time you have left to complete what is due.  Don't leave until tomorrow what you can accomplish today.

In addition to the work listed for the rest of the week, here are two more (due TOMORROW):

Reading Story:  Sees Behind Trees - 2 annotations per page ("I see.."  "Walnut is thinking...."  or "Mother is thinking...")

Math: 
5G  - Journal page 11
5K - worksheet
5R - SL 2.3 and journal if you didn't finish it

TOMORROW IS LMC DAY! 

DO YOU HAVE A BOOK TO RETURN?

Word Sort Lists for the Week

New word study lists are up on Spelling City for practice. There is the blue group and the green group.  Practice using Spelling City can be one of your choices for Word Work on your pink sheet.  Just write Spelling City on the back of your pink sheet.  I think I left the bottom choice blank just for this reason.  So, this can count as one of the 4 activities you do for Friday.  Remember, you can only write an activity one time.  You will take the test on Friday using Spelling City in the computer lab.  ENJOY!

How to help...

Parents,

This is generally the week when the idea sets in that the school year is really here and we are now deep in the thick of things.  I appreciate any and all support you can give your child, but they really should come home with the knowledge needed to complete everything.  If they really don't know, ask them how they are listening in class. How are they sitting while I teach?  Do they ask for help as they are working?  Do they get caught up in talking as they work?  Talk to them calmly about your expectations.  Minimal help should be needed at home with the actual work, it is the time and materials management that they need you to talk them through and help them set up.  Where is homework done?  WHere should notes or tests go to be signed?  Does your child have to have the backpack filled at night with the assignment notebook and Pendafile?  When do you think your child is logging their reading?  Is this something you are checking?  Taking time in 5th grade to develop some good work habits will make your life SO MUCH EASIER when middle school and high school roll around.  Thank you for giving your time to do this so our time in class can be focused on learning and practicing skills.

 

Homework/things to remember this week:

Here is a tip: Print this off and use it as a bookmark in your assignment notebook - cross items off when accomplished:

• Read and log 20 minutes (LOG your titles and pages - keep IN your pendafile reading section)

• Social Studies Culture Project (poster)  is due on Friday.

• Word work for this week's list is due Friday (see pink sheet in the WtW section of Pendafile)

• Word Study sentences are due on Thursday (use rubric to help - space between and underline words!)

• Math

5G - Histogram (on DVDs) (need extra help - check out Khanacademy.org or studyjams.com and type in the word histogram and watch the lessons they provide)
5K - sheet
5R - 2 sheets - link 2.2

• Writing - things to decorate notebook

• Prelude and chorus meeting tomorrow morning.
• Return Monday Folder (2 things came home today)
• Our book order is due this Friday as well. Scholastic online code for our class is JGN7C.

Homework....

• Empty the White Weekly Folder and have parent sign it with a clear signature (please).
• Read "Hot and Cold Summer" Test on FRIDAY (closed book)
• 20 minutes reading PRB and fill in log
• Quiz on teeth and purpose of digestive system FRIDAY
• Math:

5G - 1.2 sheet on Outliers and Gaps

5K - sheet - odds only

5R - addition practice sheet

 

Also, begin collecting 2 dimensional items to decorate your writing notebook (we discussed this today in class).  This notebook will be a special place for you to do personal writing to build stamina.  Here are some examples, but feel free to be creative (remember - items need to be FLAT!).

 

 

First Book Order

Dear Parents,

Sometimes the right book is all it takes to nurture a child's love of reading.  I was so excited to see the hands in the air when I asked who would be interested in ordering from Scholastic this year.

While I will not send them home every month, the Scholastic Book Club flyers are full of just-right, affordable books and Storia™ eBooks for every age and reading level.  Take some time to talk to your child about his or her reading interests and look through the catalog together.  Let your child hear the excitement in your voice as you talk about books.  By the way, how much does your child see YOU read at home?  That is an extremely powerful motivation you can give your child.  Say this tonight, "Let's read together."  Not reading your CHILD'S book choice...let him or her SEE you sitting down and enjoying a book of YOUR choice.  Powerful stuff!

You can order the traditional way, mark up the order form and send in the check, made payable to Scholastic, but ordering online is fast and easy:

• REGISTER at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs  (this just needs an email and a quick password to use - don't forget to write it down)
• ENTER our Class Activation Code (JGN7C)
• CHOOSE from thousands of print titles, value packs, and Storia eBooks
• SUBMIT the order to your child's teacher
• EARN FREE Books for you and the classroom too!

This is due Friday, Sept. 14.

Thank you for supporting your child's reading development!~

Grace Period

Today, the clips began moving on our behavior chart. This chart is used to track behavior for all sorts of things.  Today, there were two behaviors that caused movement on the chart: not getting the homework done (composition book response from a parent) and not pushing chairs in when away from the desks (MAJOR PROBLEM!).  Being ready for class, with materials and homework, is imperative.  Being safe, by keeping materials where they belong (chairs pushed in), is imperative.  Ask your child where he or she ended the day...and discuss!  

Tomorrow, I will be sure to move some kids up the chart. I am constantly looking for the "above and beyond" in the kids.  Moving up the chart is not done for what is expected of you. It's for the little extra.  This might mean noticing a student helping another student remember to push their chair in,  helping someone with an activity's directions, letting a teacher cross the line as we are in the LMC, or standing in correct position in the stairwell.  Those are some of the behaviors I will reward with a move up the chart.  That means colored stars and the chance for glitter clips...who will have our first glitter clip??  With this groups of kids, I'd better stock up on the sparkly stuff!!

 

 

Here is our homework for today:

 

• Empty the Weekly Folder and have parent sign it with a clear signature (please).
• Read "Hot and Cold Summer"  Test on FRIDAY (closed book)
• 20 minutes reading PRB and fill in log
• Quiz on teeth and purpose of digestive system FRIDAY
• Math:

                   5G - Study link 1.2

                   5K - sheet in packet

                   5R - sheet on conversions

 

Challenge:  Can you tell your parent what a "compliment sandwich" is?  Try giving one to your parent!  Oh, boy!

 



Curriculum Packet

Parents,
Please check out the Curriculum Packet I just added under the yellow tab titled, "Important Documents."  In order to conserve resources, if you want to read this or print it out at home, please send me a email or note that you do not need a hard copy from me this week.   I look forward to reading your (simple) responses in the Grezlik Gazette page of your child's notebook. You can look forward to the Weekly Work Folder coming home on Wednesday. Thanks!