In Honor of Nelson Mandela

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/12/watch-live-president-obama-speaks-on-nelson-mandela.html

Math Updates

I have just added some new links to the math tab for our current unit of study.  Check out all the geometry posts in the math tab under November 8.  Enjoy!!!

Parents,
Just a reminder that I am posting on Edline now.  Please visit edline.net and use your personal info to get in.  If you just want to see through your child's information, ask them for their username and password. Write me with any questions. 

My math class should continue to look at the math tab.  There is nothing new there today for math, but we do have a quiz tomorrow.  Ask your child about that.

Thanks!

Curriculum Night!

I am so excited to see your parents again and share with them all that we have done and will do this year.  Here is the schedule for tonight, in case your parent needs it:

*Session 1: 6:30 pm - 7:10 pm
*Session 2: 7:20 pm - 8:00 pm

Curriculum Night is your parents’ first opportunity to learn more about what you will learn in fourth grade and procedures of our classroom. Your parent may attend either session.

Curriculum Night will be your parents' first opportunity to sign up for November parent-teacher conferences.

Conference Sign-Up sheets will be housed in the gym on Curriculum Night. Individual conferences will occur 11/7 from 4:30 pm – 8:00 pm , 11/8 from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm, and 11/13 from 4:30 pm – 8:00 pm.

Now, on to pressing matters!  Homework!

Reading - read 20 minutes and write the title of the book you are reading on the line.  Conferences tomorrow!

Science - Did you finish the article in your packet?  It was the more detailed one and you should have highlighted new or "Can you believe that?" information.  We will answer questions with the packet tomorrow.  Remember, reading non-fiction material requires us to read some information more than once!  Reread to remember!

Math - (4G)many in my math class finished the pages of practiced and it looked good and precise as I walked around and checked.  We will have a quiz tomorrow over addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimals.  Remember, a quiz helps me see who still needs some private instruction time on a certain topic.  (4D) you may have had a sheet to finish if you didn't in math class.

Homework

If you did not get a chance to read my post yesterday, please scroll down and take a few minutes to read it!

Our word study this week focuses on the welded sounds made in words like mold, string, and think.  Talk at home about these words.  Did you know that if you use a new skill in different environments, it helps you to fully cement it into your brain so that it is easier to recall the information?  That is why talking about your day at the dinner table is SO VALUABLE (so is sitting together atthe dinner table, but with very busy fall schedules, it is hard to do that!). Try talking to your parents about what we are learning in word study, about how to break the words apart and look at them differently.  Also, tell them how you have learned how to mark up the words with different symbols.   You can just leave out the part about any mistakes I MAY have made during a lesson or two...they don't really care to hear all of that!!  :-)

Today's homework includes writing 15 sentences with our new word list.  Today, you evaluated your own sentences from last week.  That first set of sentences was a chance for me to see what you'd do without any sentence direction.  I took lots of notes in my notebook about what I noticed.  Please use the "4- Wow!" column of your sentence rubric while you are writing your sentences today.  Show your parents the scores you gave yourself.  If you have a parent signature on that rubric tomorrow, I will let you do a "Dolphin Dip" (pick some money), AND you'll earn TWO DOJOS!!!  SEE?  It PAYS to check the BLOG!!! We will have an assessment on the word study words on Monday, so you will have tomorrow and the weekend to practice that pattern and how to mark up the words.

We have started our study of the circulatory system.  Yesterday, we created a word splash with words we know that related to this body system as well as a K-W-L in our notebooks.  Today, we watched a Mr. Parr video on Youtube.  This man creates videos about science topics that make it fun and easy to learn about SO many topics.  Music is a very effective way to learn new things!  We will be writing our own parody this year (maybe more than one).  Which song would you choose to be the background music for a song about your heart and blood?  We had a serious discussion about using Youtube at home, only with a parent supervising us.  Youtube is NOT the place to be searching around online since any wackadoo can put any a video on there and teach us the WRONG things about the heart (or worse!).  PARENT SUPERVISION is a MUST when it comes to certain websites!  Even my blog has educational sites that can carry links to other sites that link to other sites that link to sites that are not meant for kids.  THAT MEANS YOU!!!  BE CAREFUL!!

TOMORROW'S FRIDAY!!!


 HAPPY DANCE!!!

Resilience

A major part of our year will include "collecting"  words, both old and new.  We will get them from a variety of sources;  textbooks, read aloud books, novel studies, videos, websites.  We will be empowered with words, either simple or complex.  Words give us the ability to express our emotions, our opinions, and our knowledge.  We will learn meanings of new words and new uses for old words.  We will break words apart and put them back together in new ways. 

Today's word is resilience.  We heard it today from our read aloud, A Wrinkle in Time.  Resilience is very close to another word we have used often this year, perseverance.  Both words mean to keep on going.  However, resilience means the ability to recover when something bad happens or something gets in your way.  Perseverance means to keep going at a task even if it is difficult or takes a long time.  This week, all of you have taken your first math test.  Did you persevere through the test?  Did you keep your focus and work on your precision?  Or did you try hard for part of it, then give up when it got tricky or more difficult than you are used to?  When you get your test back and see how you did, will you be resilient?  Will you bounce back if you didn't do as well as you wanted?  Will you forge ahead and make a plan for success?  If you were persistent (another word that is very similar to the aforementioned words) and did well (on the whole test or most of the problems), how will you celebrate?  Will you let a letter grade tell you how to feel or will you look at the grade as just one picture of how well you understand and use the skills?  There is more to you and your success than just one test, one assignment, one moment in time.    You can be resilient.  Keep going, even if you run into some difficulty.  Make a plan.  Pay more attention.  Take time to study your materials.  Ask the teacher for help.  BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!! 

Ok, that is our lesson in resilience for the day.  I had another wonderful day with you all.  Thank you for forgiving me for my breve mistake.  Don't worry, I am resilient.  I was embarrassed but you didn't make me feel worse.  You all made me feel better!  I learned I should ask more than one source sometimes if I have questions.  I am really enjoying learning this word study program along with you.  It is really fun and I hope you will all persevere and see that it can and will be challenging.  It makes your brain think in new ways, which grows new parts of your brain. 



image of a dendrite in the brain (taken from Google images)

Too Tired!!

Hi everyone!  I am so sorry, but I am just too tired for a long post.  Right after school I went to another class on the new word study program.  Then I went immediately to two hours of Curriculum Night at Hill where I got to meet Kenna's teachers and go through her schedule at middle school.  After that, I came right home and graded all the math tests and created a reflection sheet for that!  Now, I look at the clock and it is almost 11:00p.m.!!  That is 2 hours past my bedtime!!  YAAAAAWWWWWWNNNNN!

Anyway, I had a super fun day with you!  Or, should I say, I had an EXTREMELY ENTERTAINING day with you?  Yes, that is using better word choice!  Much stronger and more striking that plain old "super fun!"
Tomorrow, we will work on creating a list in our writing notebooks of synonyms for overused words! 

See you tomorrow!

Busy Monday!

Today was a great day!  It was cool and comfortable so we were all very productive! We took our first reading test of the year over Donovan's Word Jar.  We spent a good deal of time going over the vocabulary and you were able to use your reading book ot take this test.  Remember, you won't ALWAYS be able to use your book, but it is a good skill to have, to go back into the story and find information.  It is something good readers do!

We also took our first word assessment today.  Since this was our first one, we did it together and talked about it as we did it.  I will use this first one to see what I need to focus more on for the next lesson.  We are doing all the work for this first and second lesson in the classroom (except sentences) as we get to know this new way of looking at words.

This week, both classes have tests over the first unit.  Mrs. Grezlik will give her Accelerated students the test tomorrow and Mrs. Dodd's group will test on Wednesday.  Prepare by using materials collected in your pendafile over the last few weeks.  All papers corrected in class should stay in the pendafile until the unit study is over.  Good luck!!

This week we are beginning our study in science of the circulatory system.  This is the system in our body that is responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients around our whole body!   We will have some "bloody" good fun with it!  Hee hee!  What do you know about your blood, heart, or blood vessels?

Finally, did you hear that the first woman of Indian descent was crowned Miss America 2014 yesterday at Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City.  Here is a picture of her, Nina Davuluri, from New York.  How exciting!!

Photo from usatoday site

A Special Day!

Hi everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful day!  Sorry I wasn't there to share it with you, but we will all be together again tomorrow!!  I can't wait!  Also, it was a special day today for a special person in our room and I wasn't there to share it, so we will have a do-over day tomorrow (see below)!!

As a reminder, some of you did not turn in your social studies worksheet or map today.  Please remember to do that tomorrow.  As for the rest of the homework, I do not yet know what the substitute teacher was able to get through so I am not sure if you finished your spelling/word study sentences in class.  Some of you may have those to do, if they were indeed assigned. 

Can you all please ask your parents if they got my recent email this week about the Edline permission slip?  Since I was absent today, I was not able to hand the paper copy out.  I will hand that out  tomorrow with the Edline codes I am sending home so you can see our class Edline page!  That will replace these blog posts!  I am excited to share that with you and your parents!

I know you all must be out enjoying this lovely weather and I hope you were all comfy and cozy in the classroom today.  I will see you in the morning!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO J.H.!!!!

image from google images
 

Heat Wave

Hi everyone!
I'm sorry I didn't post yesterday. I had to get my girls after school from their sport events and then went to our school board meeting to hear about the plans for the terrible heat we've been dealing with. You all have been great, even though I know you'd prefer jumping in a big pool of water and then standing in front of the turbo fan! We actually had a few more turbo fans delivered to our school today. I missed you all today. I'll miss you more tomorrow!  I can't wait for Thursday when you come back!!

How is your social studies reading going?  Remember that you can break up the reading, read
a few sections of text. Then stop and think about it. Reading nonfiction requires different reading strategies. One is to adjust your reading rate. Slow down!!!  What's the rush?  You want that information to stick, right?! Otherwise, what's the point?  Also, reread to clarify (understand). If you went through a whole section and can't answer one question about it, that's not effective reading!  ?On Thursday, I expect the following to be completed:

Read all of lesson 3 in social studies
Answer lesson 3 question sheet
Complete your map and include the color key for the regions

All kids have math homework and an upcoming test. Use this extra free time to study.

Read at least 20 minutes both days, fill in your title and get a signature in your assignment book!

I hope you're staying cool like the cool dudes and dudettes you are!!  See you Thursday!

A Horse is a Horse

What a great morning we had at Danada Farms today!  It was made 100 times better due to the fact that the weather was PERFECT!  Sunny, but not hot, and no rain!  BEAUTIFUL!  I hope you all had a great time like I did.  In fact, I can't wait until our NEXT field trip together.  I don't think I have ever said that before on the same day of a field trip.  I could have stayed there ALL DAY with you and had a blast (except for the smell!).  Thanks for the wonderful memories!

This was the horse we got to pet. His name was Qazar.

This is where the facility holds the horse shows.
 

 I sent your parents some more pictures of today, so ask them to check their emails!  Speaking of that, there are a few parents I still haven't heard back from that the email provided is working.  Can you ask your parents if they have heard from me by email and let me know tomorrow?  Thanks!

It was a very fun day, with many of you participating in Chorus this morning and Drum Ensemble this afternoon.  Taking the time to do something new is a great way to help your brain in lots of ways!  It makes you see the possibilities beyond what you normally choose to do!

Are you enjoying some of the learning structures we've been using this week?  Which is your favorite?  Mix- Pair- Share?  Rally Robin?  Showdown?  All Write Round Robin?  We will use more tomorrow, so be prepared!  I might even try something new I haven't done before!  My brain could use a boost, too!

Be sure to do your reading and list your title on your assignment book. See you tomorrow!!

wEiRd WeDnEsDaY!

Having the first day of the school week on a Wednesday can be really confusing!  I can't wait until next week when we start having regular full weeks of school (with a few exceptions, of course).   Don't forget that chorus starts tomorrow morning at 7:50a.m. and Drum Ensemble is right after school, if you signed up for either!  You are going to have a blast!!

Today, we did a few interesting activities based on a class the teachers took yesterday during our training day.  As a classroom building activity, our class did a "Rally Robin" activity where shoulder partners met with each other and made a list together of what tasks we do directly upon entering the classroom.  Partners had to work together to create the list, taking turns writing and talking/coaching the whole time.  Then, the teams got up and did a "Mix-Pair-Share"  (to music) and mixed around the room until the music stopped and then paired up with another pair to share what they had come up with and if they saw any differences or similarities in the lists.  We also did an "All Write Round Robin" during writing about how to make our sentences more interesting and flow well. This required groups of 4 to take turns sharing how to make their sentence writing more fluent, but everyone had to write each member's ideas down.  The GINGERBREADS won with a total of 7 ideas that all 4 members had written in their notebooks!  Way to go, Gingerbreads!  Yum, yum, yum! 

Tomorrow, we have our first field trip to look forward to!  I can't wait!  The weather looks amazing, so I think we are going to make some wonderful memories!  Please be on time tomorrow and dress appropriately (I suggest gym shoes)!  Water bottles will stay at school and we will have lunch in the lunchroom when we get back.  Hot lunch and milk will still be available!  

Thanks for another wonderful day!  I loved seeing how you all shared with each other during our activities and helped each other remember some of the directions given.  Tomorrow, you will see how many DOJOs you have earned (both positive and negative).  Please do your part to help your teammates and classmates to follow directions and make good choices!

Studying our Country and Math Facts!

Today, we began a look into our social studies curriculum and got a feel for what we are going to focus on as we learn all about the land around us.  It is going to give you a chance to "travel" around the country without actually going anywhere (although a trip to Alaska would be nice about now!).  We will study each region in detail eventually, but for right now, we are just trying to set our brains up for what's to come...like tasting a bit of the frosting on your birthday cake when no one is looking!
 
Speaking of your brains, did you know that the more you let your brain see something in many different ways and in different places, the better you will learn it?  Have you passed your math fact levels this week?  We've taken three tests over math facts and you should be passing the levels each time, if you are using the time I give you efficiently (that means getting right to the task at hand).  Here is the format for passing through the levels of math facts, including some tips for how to pracice at home:

OTTER CREEK LEVELS

 

MULTIPLICATION

One minute tests (level A - X)

Two minute tests (pass goal 3 times; different tests)

One minute tests (11s and 12s)

Two minute tests (11s and 12s)

 

DIVISION

One minute tests (level A - W)

Two minute tests (pass goal 3 times; different tests)

One minute tests (11s and 12s)

Two minute tests (11s and 12s)

 

MIXED PRACTICE

 

HOW TO PASS EACH LEVEL:

1.  Set personal goals for yourself.  Where do you want to be by Halloween?  Diwali?   Kwanzaa?

2.  Make plans for how to reach each goal.  How often will you study your facts?  Will you use a website or flashcards?  Who will help you? 

3.   Take time to reflect on what you've done.  Do you want to change your goals?  Are other things getting in the way of your studying?  How far have you come? Are you celebrating when you pass?

So, how do you practice?  You should have all the level tests and your Otter Creek folder in your Pendafile.  You could ask a parent or a sibling to practice with you at home.  Teach them how to "POP" with you.  It is a VERY effective method for learning the facts and it doesn't take long at all. We can put a video of it on our blog so you can see it.  SHOULD WE DO THAT?  Would YOU want to be a star in that video?   Really, if you spend only a few minutes each night studying the facts (again, everything you need is in the Pendafile - except your smartpal, but you don't really need that), and then use the time I give you in class, that should be all you need.  However, there are sights you can use to practice at home.  Search on Google for "math fact flashcards" and there are sites where you can make your own flashcards.  I even have a few links down the margin under math sites.  Just type in a few of the facts that you are struggling with and PRESTO! you are set with some personalized flashcards and on your way to passing every level you want to!

IF you haven't been passing levels this week, there is a reason and a solution.  See me if you have any questions....or I will see YOU...during "POP" time or other times during the day!  Yes, this may include "Free Fun Time!"  "Free Fun Time" is something you earn if you have all homework done and you are making progress with math fact work.    Make it happen!  You can do it!!

CHEERS!

Hey!  Tell your parents about the following cheers we learned today (mostly from each other!):

Alaskan Hurrah!
Rodeo Round Up!
FANTASTIC!
Gingerbreads Cheer
Candy Warriors
Dojo Dolphins
GamaBombers
Wild Tigers
Codetalkers
Cheetah Champs

We had another full day, didn't we?  You all did such a great job, I am doing a cheer for you right now!  Guess which one it is!  It has a "Swoosh!" in it!

Today, we talked a little bit about what makes us pick up a book and start reading it.  We still need to add some of our tips on our poster.  Your entrance slip tomorrow will be to tell me how you picked the book you are currently reading.  What made you pick that book?  What made you stick with it?  I hope you read your 20 minutes tonight in a nice, cool, comfy spot that you love.  I also hope that you READ THE WHOLE TIME!  It is so easy to get distracted!  You really have to tell that brain of yours to "Calm Down!  I am trying to read!!"  Your brain will do what it's told (although you may need to tell it twice!).

Tomorrow or Friday, we will be personalizing our writing notebooks.  Everyone has the assignment to bring somethings in that will inspire your writing each day.  Photos, stickers, embellishments, clips from the newspaper or magazines, special drawings,etc.   Please bring a few things! 

Finally, please remember that chorus and drum ensemble begin NEXT THURSDAY!  NOT TOMORROW!  Sorry about the confusion!  Slips are due this week, however!  I am so glad so many of you are going to give this new opportunity a whirl!

It's Almost Time!

Guess what?  It's about time to get linked up to my Edline page!  I am so excited to share it with you!  First, I will connect you to it at school and show you how to navigate the page.  Here is a preview of what it looks like:

Then, later this week, I will send home activation codes for your parents to log on and see.  You can help them!  Do you see where it asks you if you'd like to sign up?  That is where you will start, by clicking the green "Click here" if you have a new activation code to use.  You can actually activate multiple pages on your account, so you can see multiple pages by loggin on one time.  To sign up for the first time, you click those green words, "Click here."  Ok, that will be step one!  Not too bad, huh?  More to come!


You all did a great job today, even though it was a tad on the warm side!  It is definitely challenging to stay attentive and try to  follow directions when you really just want to jump into a cold pool of water (or have your teacher spill her freezing cold water on you in the hallway...sorry, A.R.!).

Image from Google Images

 I appreciate all the effort you make during every part of our day!

See you all tomorrow!

A Full Week!

Here are some things to look forward to this week in 4G:

MATH!  Wooo Hooo!  This will include our Otter Creek math facts fun!

Getting Dolphin Dollars and Dojos for getting homework completed, keeping chairs pushed in, and remembering to get your assignment book signed (among other ways)

A new seating arrangement (and table mates)!

Reading, reading, and more reading.  Some will be assigned work, but more will be reading of your own material - so make sure you have a good book (a good fit book, if you know what that means)every day

Continuing our read aloud of A Wrinkle in Time (I shared with you how I don't want you to read any story I am reading as a read aloud.  I want you to spend time working on your listening skills, developing vivid images and taking your thinking about the author's purpose in a new way using my guiding questions).  Some of you said you have the movie at home.  Spending time reading and watching our read aloud book at home will work against you and will not allow you to fully experience the story with the class.  Even if you had read a story I chose BEFORE the read aloud, you can get so much out of the story the way it is read and discussed and analyzed in class. Thank you for supporting this rule I have for our classroom.  Plus, there are SOOO many other wonderful books to read out there.  Try some NONFICTION!! 

Beginning our new Word Study program, which will replace the spelling program we've used in previous years.  You will notice some similarities and some differences.  I think it will add a whole new understanding of how to use words, spell words, and comprehend words and word parts.

Diving into our Social Studies curriculum by taking time to digest how our social studies book can be used as a resource.

Writing everyday.  Coming up with lists about what we can write about.  Writing about something everyday!  Those writing notebooks are going to be filled pretty soon.  Also, decorating those writing notebooks.  Bring in what you'd like, special sports paper or newspaper clippings, photos of favorite friends or cousins, pictures from favorite magazines, stickers or embellishments, etc.  You'll make it your special place to keep your amazing thoughts!!

More time in the computer lab

A four day weekend (no school on Labor Day or Sept. 3, which is our Building Articulation Day)

And much, much, more!

Day Two, Something New!

What a great day two in 4G!  We accomplished so much in class yesterday, I was amazed!  I don't think I have ever crossed off so much on my to-do list for the start of the year.  Here's a little taste of what you did on Friday (in case you forgot!): 

• Took part of our Otter Creek placement test to see what level you should start on - talked about personal goals, not competing with anyone but ourselves
• Learned how to play 1, 2, 3, Math! (like Rock, Paper, Scissors, but with numbers - try it at home!)
• Learned a new review structure called Fan and Pick, which is part of the Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures we will use this year.  Some of you made me VERY OLD (YIKES!) when asked the year I was born, and some of you made me very YOUNG (thank you!)
• Met our new class pet, Sapphire
• Wrote about a favorite pet or a pet you wish you could have
• In the computer lab, learned or reviewed how to start a new word document, how to change the margins and preview the document, and how to add clip art and manipulate clip art in a document.  You did such a great job of teaching others around you!  Remember, "Talk them through it, but let them do it!"
• Had our first art class with Mrs. Heller
• Helped an almost lost kindergartner, Lilly, find her way back to class (Thanks! T.L.)
• Talked about how we, as fourth graders, can help all the kindergartners feel welcome and included in school (well, really in the bathroom - which sounds weird, but we share the restroom with the kindergartners, so this was a very meaningful discussion!)
• Played OUTSIDE during recess (yesterday, we were in the gym!) 
• Played a game placing library lables in our classroom library so we know where to find books
• Wrote and sketched about a place we've been and a place we'd like to go
• Listened to our read aloud book
• Created a list of classroom jobs for the year
• Ate our snacks (Thanks, P.M.)
• checked out books from our classroom library
• Did a little reading so Mrs. Grezlik can see what kind of books we pick and observe some of our casual reading behaviors (I'm tricky like that!)
• Amazed me with your manners, kindness toward others (including me), and just your general awesomeness!!!!
• About 100 other things that I can't remember right now....

I can't wait to spend a full week with you next week, but until then....
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

Our First Day Together!

What a day!  It started with weird rumbling storms, but you all were very attentive and I think you even learned a thing or two about me and how our classroom will function. The first few days are hard, there is so much to learn, but we will persevere and get through it together.  It would be sooo much easier if teachers were all clones and nothing really changed from year to year.  How BORING, that would be!  It could make for an interesting story, though!  I give you permission to borrow that idea!

Did you all run home and tell your parents all about your first day?  I'm SURE you did!  Right after you cleaned the toilets and made your snack for tomorrow!!  😋  I know some of you took the news of no "free" time in computer lab a little hard, but tomorrow I will show you what lab time will look like (AND FEEL LIKE!!) this year.  Our time will always focus on a learning target/task and will include three "Choice" activities for when you've completed the agenda (schedule). Most days we go into the lab with an agenda and the choice activities are clearly defined on there. Tomorrow, I will also show you class Dojos, read more from our read aloud book, and get started with Otter Creek (math facts), just to name a few things. I sure hope you come back and that I didn't scare you off  with my weird fear of packaged fruit and liquid yogurt!  Remember, we are a peanut free classroom, so check those package ingredients so we all stay safe.

I have something very, VERY, special  to share with you tomorrow!  I hope you like it.

Excitement Overload!!

Well, it's about that time!  A new school year is just around the corner!  I am so excited for the new year, new classroom, new faces, new stuff to teach AND learn!  YAY!  I just can't wait!

If you are visiting this blog, you are either a former student (Hi!  Miss you all!) or a student I will have this year.  No matter what brought you here, I want to welcome you.  I hope you will take some time to look all around, at some of the tabs (individual pages) listed at the top (under the title), some old blog posts (they go WAAAAAYY back) to get a feel for what I am like and what I put on the blog, or some of the links on the right hand side (organized by subject area).  This year, I intend to keep up on this blog a bit, but will be using more as a resource, like a big binder with things I have collected over the years. 

This year, our school is using Edline, which is very much like a blog, except my Edline page will ONLY be viewable by a parent or a student in my current class.  My blog is available to anyone with the address or link.  Edline is going to be a wonderful addition to the way I communicate with my current class.  So, if you ARE a former student of mine, I am sorry to say that you will no longer be able to keep up on daily/weekly news reports, photos, videos, etc.  All the links will still be here, but my daily/weekly posting will take place on my Edline page, which ONLY my current students (and their parents) will be able to view.  Information will come home soon after school starts on how to activate your Edline so you can view my page.  I look forward to frequent communication!

So, in a way, I am saying "See you later" to this blog.  It will be like my trips to McDonald's.  I will visit it every once in a while, but I will not be a regular guest.   Wait!  That is a HORRIBLE example!  I go to McDonald's every week (sometimes a bit more) for my very favorite drink.  If you know what that is, you ARE a former student!  If not, you will soon find out!

See you all around Young, hopefully very soon!

CIVIL WAR RESEARCH

Use these sites to help you find pertinent information about your group's war:

A complete list of all the battles, organized by state.

A great general site for information.

An animated site.

World Book Online

Don't forget to look at the sites down on the margin under Social Studies sites.

Civil War Days

On Tuesday, we started Civil War Days in our classroom.  As we study the events from the Civil War, our room has literally been divided into two parts.  Two-thirds of the class is representing the Union and one-third is representing the Confederacy. The two groups are facing each other and are competing in different ways, through behaviors, activities, quizzes, etc.  Today, we went back over some of the important events in the war, including some of the major battles.  With every important event, there is a corresponding outcome that led the war closer to its final days.  We talked about Lincoln's address at Gettysburg, which only lasted three minutes and how most of the 15,000 people present didn't even realize that he spoke!  The challenge for the next few days is to memorize the first few lines of the Gettsyburg Address.  I love how some of these kids are up for any challenge I pose!  The extra credit offered is to memorize the first AND second paragraph of the Gettysburg Address.  How exciting it is to speak the actual WORDS that ABRAHAM LINCOLN spoke 150 years ago!  That is the incredible thing about learning from primary sources.  It's like Honest Abe is actually in our classroom sometimes.  Ok, I am stretching it, now.....I'll stop!

Another exciting part of our day (according to my personal observation) is when we headed to the empty music/art room and did some improv with some skeltonic poetry.  This is one type of poem (of many) that we have learned.  Today, we created a few as a whole class by taking turns standing and adding to the existing structure.  It was FUN!   Here's an example:

What a great day
Things went our way
We did play
And I have to say
You didn't stay
Which made me sad
But certainly not mad
Now I'm glad
Just a tad
That you seemed to have had
A nice time
Using rhyme
Down the line
You sure did fine
So now I know
You really can show
How you can grow.

How's that?  

Here is our homework for tomorrow:

Reading - Read the rest of lesson 3 in social studies.  Be prepared for questions about the events which led to the end of the war.  The Battle of Gettysburg was very important.  Can you explain why?   Reading material that has lots of people, places, events and details requires a different pace when reading.  Remember to question as you read and reread to help you identify the main idea and details!

Math - 5G has #2 and 3 on a journal page.  Need to know what the word "trace" means?  Look it up!  What does it mean in the context of this problem?  Also, we will have a quiz tomorrow over some of the work we've done this week  (including from the packet yesterday).  Our Unit 8 test will be next week.  5K and 5R classes both have a sheet of practice work.

Word Work  and test tomorrow.  There has been independent work time every day this week.  Have you used your time efficiently?

Social Studies - Memorize the first few lines of  the Gettysburg Address.  This is due on TUESDAY.  EC = the second paragraph.

Reminder:  Field Day tshirt orders are DUE TOMORROW!  NO EXCEPTIONS!  Progress reports need to be signed and returned tomorrow.  Finally, Sunrise Lakes permission slips and money are due by the 14th.  Please and thank you!

This week....

It is hard to believe we only have a little more than 4 weeks together!  There willl be a lot of material covered in that time!  Some of the things going on this week in class include:

Social Studies:  We will get into our final chapter on the Civil War.  While the book covers a good deal about the events, people, and effects of the war, I will supplement with many resources from the public library, magazines, websites, and video clips.  We will do some fun activities in class to really demonstrate the division of the country back in 1861.  Be sure to ask your child about the day's activities.  We will focus on the lessons for this chapter this week and next week, with our last chapter test late next week.  We will have mini-quizzes over the chapter lessons and some of the study material (all kept in a Civil War folder).

Math:  My math class continues to work on rates, ratios, and proportions.  This week, we will continue incorporating story problems with these concepts into our daily lessons.  It is important to look at a story and figure out how to solve the answer by creating a ratio or proportion and think about the unit rate that can help us solve these problems. 

Science:  Today, we began our unit on magnetism and electricity by talking about matter.  Specifically, that matter is composed of a variety of elements.  We watched several short videos on the scientists who discovered the elements.  Some of our vocabulary for this week in science is: elements, molecules, protons, neutrons, electrons, nucleus, atoms, and matter. 

Language/Writing:  We will continue our study of poetry, with much time devoted to the actual writing of poetry.  Moms should look forward to some lovely prose this weekend!

Reading:  Genre projects are complete!  Each day, a personal reading book should be present in class to read when time allows.  The log should be filled out most days of the week at home.  Some kids need to get a daily signature, some kids should get a signature only some days.  In middle school, there will be reading goals every quarter, so this expectation will be carried over to next year.

Word Work:  The list we are working on this week will be tested on Friday.  We continue to study how words change when suffixes or prefixes are added.  Word work for the week is due Friday.  There will be independent work time given in class.

Please check out the Upcoming Events tab at the top of the home page for....well, upcoming events!!  Here is a picture from our fun trip to Granger last Friday!  The kids had a great time, and I did too!

Only about 20 more school days and they will all be 6th graders!!!

Have a great week!

The social studies test was graded and returned today.  Next Monday, we will get into the "meat and potatoes" of the Civil War.  We are going to focus on what life was really like in our country at this horrible time in our history.  Students will work in small groups to create projects centered around some of the major battles of the war.  We will study some authentic resources to get a real picture of what happened during those 4 (almost 5) long years.

Next week, we will also begin our study of magnetism and electricity.  Yesterday, we had a presentation from a couple of people from Fermilab, who shared some pretty cool demonstrations.  Here are a couple of pictures:

Tomorrow, a permission slip will come home for the trip to Sunrise Lakes on May 30.  This trip splits the six fifth grade classes.  Three classes will go on May 20 and three will go on May 30.  Please take the time to carefully read the slip over the weekend (both sides) and return the slip and money by  May 14. THANKS!

Tomorrow morning, we go to Granger for our middle school trip.  Students should be ON TIME!  Thanks~!

Homework for today:
Spelling - pretest tomorrow (list on Spellingcity.com)
Reading - log your reading (did you do your DR-TA boxes?)
Math - there is no math tomorrow, so all math work is not due until Monday
5G - Journal page 286, 289, and 292 (bring a nutrition label - or a few)
5R and 5K both have a sheet

Check out the updates to the upcoming events page for the schedule of the last 21 days of school.

Spring is here!

I just finished grading our reading quiz over the last two chapters of Night of the Twisters. Those will go home tomorrow. Also, I graded the cinquain poems we wrote for Lincoln and Davis today. Wow!  I am really impressed with the quality of word choice!!!

Many important things are popping up!  This week, there will be a parent orientation at Granger on Wednesday at 7:00pm. Please attend, especially if this is the first time you have a student moving to middle school.  We have our field trip to Granger on Friday morning.  There are still 4 kids who have not returned the trip permission slip (was due last Friday).

Homework this week:

Social Studies-test over ch. 14 is moved to Wednesday. There are many materials with which to study.  Please take time to cover material to prepare.  We will move right into chapter 15, our last chapter of the book. 

Math- my class is working on using formulas, conversions, rates, and ratios. Every day this week could be an entrance slip over conversions, so students should study those nightly. Think about all the ways those questions could look. 

Reading-genre projects due tomorrow (except for those kids who earned 10 points of extra credit by doing it early last week).  Keep LOGGING PAGES!!

Newsletter should be written and signed by a parent by Wednesday (most kids finished writing in class)

A new word list will be given Wednesday. Pretest Wednesday. 

Hope you check here....

It was a busy day! Here is what should be done tomorrow:

Reading
Today you had lots of class time to work on your character development writing. On a couple of students were not able to finish the initial writing, but most of you got to type some of your work in lab, which we will use next week for a project.  Only the first draft is due tomorrow, not the typed version.  If you didn't get to do the reading, don't do that tonight.  I will give time to do that in class tomorrow.

For those of you going for the extra credit, there will be time tomorrow for presentations.  Remember, it should be between 2-5 minutes.

Math
The work you may have finished in class today (journal page 334-335) is homework.  Take time thinking about each problem, even make a few new ones to solve so you have a good understanding of the distributive property.

Social Studies
Finish your posters announcing the Civil War for the North and the South.  Remember, one big message should be written announcing the war and little meaningful messages should be included (at least two) that show your understanding of the North's perspective and the South's perspective.  If you are not clear of either side's view, please go back to the book to clarify this (Lesson 1 and Lesson 4 should help you). There was time for this in class as well.

Word Work
Activities are due tomorrow
Test tomorrow

Happy Earth Week!

Here's what is on the schedule for Earth Spirit Week:

Monday - "E" - Dress in colors of the earth - Blue and Green

Tuesday - "A" - Bring an apple in for your snack or for your teacher

Wednesday- "R" - Wear the colors of the rainbow

Thursday - "T" - Take a bite out of waste - Bring a snack and lunch with no waste - bring reusable/recyclable containers, napkins, and utensils.

Friday - "H" - Handy helpers - lend a hand to keep the school/classroom clean and green

 

 

Poster Contest: Every student is encouraged to create a poster using the theme "What does Earth Day mean to me?" A winner will be selected from each grade level. Posters should be turned into your classroom teacher on or before Thursday, April 25th. Size should be limited to an 8.5"x11" sheet of paper.

Flower Power Coin Wars: There will be a container in each classroom to collect coins. Coins will be used to "green-up" the outside of the school. The winning classroom will have a "garden" planted on their behalf.

 

Important Items!!

Hi parents,

I hope you are enjoying this unexpected time at home with your child. I wanted to send a few notes out to you regarding some of the things coming up in 5G!! Please let me know if you have any questions about anything!

1. Our final genre project is due at the end of the month. This would be a perfect opportunity to encourage your child to complete the reading of their chosen material and work on their project. Any student who completes their project and presents it this week will receive 10 points of extra credit in reading. Presentations should be between 2-5 minutes.
2. Here is the homework that was assigned on Wednesday:
Reading:
- Log your reading
- Read Night of the Twister up to page 73 (there will be a quiz on this material on Monday morning and some students didn't do well on the last quiz - when we didn't have all these days off.) Also, they were supposed to annotate through chapters 9 O'clock and up to page 73. The annotations should focus on what the characters are going through and the events that are occuring, but should not be restating what the author has written. The notes also should not be in the form of a question. We are working heavily on two things: inference and figurative language. Inferencing is when we develop thoughts and ideas, as readers, from the clues from the text and our own background experiences. It is different from a prediction, which focuses on what MIGHT happen. Also, the forms of figurative language your child could look for and identify in the text include similes, metaphors, and personification. Any notes made about figurative language from the book will count as extra credit for writing.


Math
Everyone had a math sheet to work on.

Writing
The weekly newsletter should be read and signed by Monday.
3. If you have not returned a kindergarten photo for the Fifth Grade Memorybook, please do so as soon as possible. The photos and special message (if you choose to participate in that) are due by May 1.

4. Please make note of the following dates and times regarding your child's transition to Granger:

May 1: 5^th Grade Parent Open House at Granger from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

May 3: 5^th grade Young students visit Granger during the school day

May 7: 6^th Grade Registration at Granger from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

May 8: 6^th Grade Registration at Granger from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

May 13: 6^th Grade Registration at Granger from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
5. Plans are being made for the traditional 5th grade trip to Sunrise Lakes. I am so excited for this opportunity and I know the kids are too! Unfortunately, we have to split the classes and go on two separate dates. Here is the schedule:

Monday, May 20th - 5K, 5E, 5P
Thursday, May 30th - 5G, 5R, 5C

Cost will be $20 per student. Further information will come home soon.

6. As spring fever sets in, please take time to check in with your child on their assignments (including reading log) and upcoming tests and activities. I look forward to spending the last few weeks making more great memories with your child!
Thanks and have a very nice weekend,
Mrs. Grezlik

 

 

Poetry in Motion

Check out some of these fun poetry sites.  See if you can find any examples of:

simile
metaphor
personification


Giggle Poems

Classic Poems

http://www.englishpoemsforkids.com/

Please take some time to read this site about the homesteading act.  You can click the links on the page that relate ONLY to homesteading information.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-homestead.html

Fish for Sale (or Adoption)

Our class "pet," Sapphire, needs a home for Spring Break.  I will provide a fresh clean bowl of water and fish food pellets.  If you live close to Young, I am happy to drop her (?) off after school.  If you are farther from school, I will leave her here for you to pick up anytime (I will leave her in the office).  Any child who is interested in this short term experience needs to write a simple note to me promising to care for her and only feed her 4 pellets per day and protect her from excited siblings or other pets at home.  The letters that are signed by a parents will go into a raffle and I will call home to check during lunch.



We are busily working on our weather projects.  The kids are working in groups on the following weather events: hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, lightning, thunderstorms, blizzards, and tsunamis (not related to weather).  If your child would like some additional work time with their group, the classroom is open for them tomorrow morning from 8:15 to 9:00.  I will have laptops available. They can come in through the front door, just tell them to ring the buzzer and check in at the office.  More time will be given to complete this during the day, but some of the projects are a little laborious! Let me know if you have any questions.



Tomorrow is the day Young is celebrating Read Across America Day.  Your child should bring a PRB and some comforts from home for some cozy reading time. 

We the People...

Oh, boy!!  The class gets to memorize the Preamble to the Constitution!  Jake P. won the DOJO of the Day for guessing the closest to how many words are in the Preamble!  Way to go, Jake!! Today, we covered how the Consititution came to be...and we weren't too happy about some parts of it (The 3/5 Compromise!). How can a human be only counted as 3/5 of a person?!  We had a great discussion about the earliest part of our history after gaining independence from Britain!  Not so easy to start a whole new country!

The outlook for the week is positive!  Everyone is excited for Spring Break! Also, the students earned a ton of DOJO points today (if you don't know what these are, ask your child).  Our goals include getting all work turned in on time, keeping materials where they need to be, and controlling our talking in the hallways and stairwells.  We will accomplish a great deal this week, knowing we will have a restful week as a reward (unless you are doing something STRESSFUL for Spring Break, then...I can't help you out). 

Here is what's up for this tomorrow/this week:

Reading
Please LOG this week in a thoughtful manner!  IF you have trouble logging and are making it up quickly the night before I check, stick it up on the wall next to your bed to log right when you wake up.  Also, be sure you are reading material that will help you GROW as a reader.  If you need some suggestions, let me know!   This week, we are reading content area material during our Daily 3 session.  We will have a focus strategy this week of using text features (titles, captions, etc.) and looking for cause and effect in our reading. Know those tomorrow!  We will have a random log check this week - be prepared for some DOJO!!

Math
Mrs. Grezlik's class - we have our PA math test tomorrow, so the homework is not due until Wednesday.  You have a sheet of order of operations as well as the reflection from your Transfer Task.  Our test will not be until the Wednesday (or Thursday) after break, depending on how far along we get this week.

Writing
Finish your newletter (time was given in class for this -follow the direction sheet) and GET SIGNED
Finish your biography paragraphs (BUT NOT YOUR  CONCLUSION!)

Social Studies
Memorize the Preamble by Friday (you can let me know when you are ready to be checked ANYTIME this week).

CHECK THIS OUT TO HELP!

Word Work
Test Wednesday (It is on Spelling City to practice)

What's the Weather?

It's been a week full of weather learning in our classroom! We are learning about our atmosphere, severe weather, climate, and the weather instruments that the meteorologists use to forecast the weather (that they don't always get right).  For instance, two days ago, there was an 80% chance of snow.  This morning, it was only a 20% chance.  Then, at 2:00 this afternoon, it was a snow globe outside!  Weather is an ever changing event! 

Here's what is due tomorrow:
Science - Weather test over chapter 8 - use your notes and the questions in the book.

Math - my group has a quiz tomorrow over what we've worked on this week
The other two groups have a sheet of work as well.

Tomorrow we will begin putting our research to work for us as we turn what we've learned into a report about our Revolutionary War figure!  If you don't have enough information in any section, you were directed Wednesday to do some online research at home.

Back to Normal

I decided to give the kids a little break this week and write a newsletter for them. 
_____________________________________________________________________________

Grezlik Gazette

March 11, 2013

     Finally, we have a "normal" week, with 5 full days of school (I hope!) and no big events going on.  Well, actually, there is a big event going on in our classroom.... our new weather unit!  Today, we had rain, sleet, and I did see some snowflakes this afternoon.  Three types of precipitation in one day?  That's March for you!

     We will spend a few weeks on this new weather unit.  Today, we learned about the many layers of our atmosphere.  We are putting some of what we learned in a poster and we will share those around tomorrow.  We will spend our reading time this week working in our science book, learning about all kinds of weather related information.  Other reading materials will be used as well and our test over chapter 8 is scheduled for Friday.  Time will be spent next week making some weather instruments and doing some experiments.  This unit will continue after Spring Break.

     Tomorrow we test over chapter 9 in social studies.  There are a number of sites we explored at the end of the day today in the lab that helped kids study.  We went over the study guide in class and had a great discussion!  Although we will move onto chapter 10 and 11, this will be our last test in social studies this quarter.

     During writing this week, we will continue our work researching our Revolutionary War figures.  This will include learning how to keep track of our sources by creating a "Works Cited" page.  One useful site we'll use is called Easybib.com.  Keeping track of where we get information from is responsible and necessary.

Written by:  Mrs. Grezlik

____________________________________________________________________________

Any student who prints this post, trims it, and pastes it in his or her composition book can turn in their clip and get a blind grab for some Dolphin Dollars.

Have a wonderful week!

Tuesday Test

Practice for the test on Chapter 9:

I created this set of flashcards to practice for chapter 9 terms, people, places, and events.
http://quizlet.com/20786297/revolution-flash-cards/

http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/social_studies/revolutionary_war/quiz414.html

http://military.discovery.com/battles-history/revolutionary-war-quiz.htm

This page has links to lots of quizzes about the Revolutionary War.  Just choose one lesson, click on the word quiz, and go to town!
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/revolutionary_war/american_revolution.htm

A Look Ahead

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN 5G FOR MAKING IT TO SCHOOL EVERY SINGLE DAY OF TESTING THIS WEEK!!  NO ABSENCES!  YAY!!

Due Monday
Reading log assessment (signed by student and parent)
Newsletter (already graded but needs to be read and signed by parent)
Social Studies
 - Finish reading lesson 3 (time was given in class)
 - Finish study guide (time was given in class)
 - Chapter 9 test will be on Tuesday


My math group:
Monday - review of multiplication of fractions and mixed numbers/Transfer task
Tuesday - review of division of fractions and mixed numbers/Transfer task

Be sure to bring your personal reading book each day and keep up on your reading at home and logging your pages.

Almost Done!

It's been a weird week with the snow day and all the ISAT testing. I can't wait to get back to our normal routine. The kids have been doing really well during testing, remembering to pace themselves, use good test taking strategies, and seem to enjoy the perks of testing week; mints and gum, lots of brain breaks, and no homework. Speaking of which, I will collect and check reading logs tomorrow to get an idea of what you are currently reading. We will begin next week with conferencing and a reading review, so be prepared to write about what you are currently reading. I know many kids are choosing to begin the next genre project early, but I suggest just chilling out with one of your favorite genres or one of the books that someone introduced you to and read for pleasure.  Your last genre project isn't due until April 30. However, I appreciate that there are those of you who want to get your project chosen, read, and done. That's your prerogative!

Tomorrow is our last day of testing. If you happen to check the blog, please bring your personal reading book as we will all take time tomorrow to chill out and read for pleasure.  You can even bring a stuffed animal or pillow to be extra comfy as you do so. See, reading the blog gives you even more perks!!

SNOW DAY!!!

Snow day!  Snow day!! Snow day!!!

That's all!

Enjoy!

ISAT Reading Practice

Here is a great place to practice reading passage work online.  Choose which level you feel is appropriate, any year, and click on read the story.  After reading the story thoughtfully, take time to move through the questions.  Remember that you can go back to the text if needed.

ISAT PRACTICE READING SITE

Math Transfer Task

Congratulations! You are opening a sports outlet store. You know your target consumers enjoy sports activities and want to have a variety of sneaker types from which to choose. For your first order, not only do you want to stock your shelves with plenty of inventory for the first 3 months, but you also want an extra 38% reserve to be sure the shelves are never bare. You have investigated a similar store’s weekly sales to help guide your ordering process.

    Type of Sneaker                   Pairs Sold                   Profit Per Pair

     Adidas                                       124                           $4.78

     Nike                                             64                           $3.35

     Tiger                                            49                           $7.19

     Saucony                                      42                         $12.51

     Converse High Top                   21                      $6.15

 

You order should include:

1.        evidence that you have a 3 month supply of each type

2.        evidence you have an extra 38% reserve

3.        an explanation of the process used and how you calculated

4.        graphic representation of the process used

5.        completed order form including the name of your new sports outlet store

6.        expected profit if 40% of each type of your total stock of shoes sell, expected profit if 60%, and expected profit if 75% sell