Open House Handouts and More!

 

We are off to a wonderful start to our new fifth grade school year and are eager to meet you at Open House on Tuesday evening, September 16.

I have added another page which includes a copy of the packet I will be handing out.  You will find information about grading practices and an overview of the fifth grade curriculum.  You will also find tips for helping your fifth grader with work habits, homework, and more.  I have also included information about out Peanut/Tree Nut Safe Classroom in the packet. Later this week I will post copies of the fifth grade report cards for Math, English/Language Arts, and Social Studies.  Simply look at the tabs at the top of this page to find these helpful documents.

I also wanted to share a free and simple app, Online Voice Recorder that I recently discovered and plan to use in the classroom this year.  I thought that you might also find it useful.  All you need to do is push the record button and follow the screen prompts to "Allow" the application access to your computer's microphone.  You talk as long as you wish and then listen to the recorded playback.  You can trim and edit the length of the recording as desired and then save your finished version in mp3 format using the link.

Students might use the app to practice spelling words, practice reading fluency, practice giving a presentation, or listen to playbacks of themselves practicing their instruments.

There is one drawback, however.  The site includes advertising, but I have become accustomed to ignoring the clutter of online advertising.  Maybe you have too.

First Day of School

Wednesday, August 29, 2012 was our first day of school.  The first day of school is probably the best day of the school year!  There is nothing more wonderful than a spanking clean school and classroom, students who are well rested and eager to start the new year, and staff who are ready and waiting!  Energy is high and everyone is ready for the next challenge.

Many of you are familiar with Wordle, a fascinating way to create word clouds from text.  To make this image I simply pasted the address of this blog into the Wordle form and pressed "submit".  This image, then, represents all that has been written on our blog.  I was thrilled to see that the word "students" is right in the center, and that it is the largest word in the image.  After all, the students are the most important - they are the center of our universe.

This year in addition to teaching math to both fifth grade classes, I will teach social studies and language arts to my "traveling group" and Mrs. Ladabouche will teach science to both fifth grade classes.  Soon, more information about Reader's Workshop and Writer's Workshop will be sent home and posted on the blog.

We have ordered a homework planner for each student.  As soon as the planners arrive students will place the planner inside the front of their three ring binder and the planner will remain there for the entire school year.  At the end of each day we stop and take some time for students to enter homework assignments, information about special activities that may come up, and reminders about other items of importance.  We would like you to get into the habit of checking your child's planner each evening.  Something new for fifth graders this year is the Reader's Notebook which will go home with students and return with the student each morning along with the novel or chapter book the student is reading at the time. 

Please note that you can now access homework assignments from this blog.  If a student is absent or forgets to write down an assignment simply check the calendar on the sidebar to your right.  Clicking on the calendar will bring up details about each assignment and when it's due.  In the fifth grade students should expect to have reading homework each evening and parents are asked to initial their child's reading log located in the students' Reader's Notebook and which will travel back and forth from school to home each day.  Students will have math homework each night spending some time in practicing the skills that we have learned in class.  Finally, students will have spelling words to study each week.

Students should get into the habit of remembering to bring their instruments each Wednesday and Friday.  Fifth grade instrumental music lessons take place on Wednesday afternoons and Fifth Grade Band practice is held on Friday at 12:30 pm each week.

Homework for April 30 - May 4

We are finishing up Chapter 10, Growing Tensions Between the Colonies and Britain and will have our final test at the beginning of next week.  Students should plan to visit the History Alive! website and practice the tutorial for Chapter 10.


We have only two more Spelling units after this week.  Students can go to Spelling City and work on some of the activities for Lesson 33 to get extra practice.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Math - 5 Minute Math - all ten questions

Language Arts - read and record pages in reading journal


Spelling - handwriting models for Lesson 33 - in cursive with proper heading on paper


Social Studies - re-read chapter 10 and practice the online tutorial for chapter 10


Science - students need to bring in jars for terrariums


Extra - money for the Cape Cod trip is due at this time, students should return their mid-trimester reports with parent signatures, health surveys are overdue

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Math - What is the Title of This Picture computation practice handout - with proper heading on paper


Language Arts - read and record pages in reading journal


Spelling - Unscramble spelling  words for Lesson 33 - in cursive with proper heading on paper


Social Studies - study for the upcoming test on Chapter 10


Science - students need to bring in jars for terrariums


Extra - money for the Cape Cod trip is due, health surveys will be collected tomorrow, instrument lessons tomorrow - bring instruments and music, computer class tomorrow - bring flash drives and ear buds, READ for the Zumba Reading Challenge

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Math - Write word problems to accompany division equations on handout and solve the equations


Language Arts - read and record pages in reading journal


Spelling - lesson 33 practice page, also visit SpellingCity for practice with lesson 33 words


Social Studies - study for test on Tuesday, complete online tutorial for chapter 10 at HIstory Alive!, practice vocabulary words at SpellingCity (please note that this is a different link that the link above to the spelling lesson)


Science - bring a trowel and dress for outside tomorrow rain or shine:  we will be collecting wildflowers and other "wildlings" to place in student-made terrariums


Extra - dress for outside, Physical Education - wear appropriate shoes and clothing, return Cape Cod packing list form, READ and record each ten minutes for Zumba Reading Challenge

Homework For April 23 - April 27

I apparently misunderstood how extra pages work in Blogger.  I had thought that I could post regularly to the homework page and it would update as a regular blog post does.  Wrong.  Wrong.  Wrong.  Evidently the extra pages are "static" and not meant to be used for regular blog posts.  Therefore, I will try to add homework to this part of the blog each afternoon instead!  Perhaps it would be less cluttered if I start a post for each week and add to that one post during that week (but date the posts) before starting a new post the following week.  We'll try and see!  I will give the title the dates of the week.


Please send me feedback.  I would like to know if you are using this blog to double check homework assignments.  Is there anything else you would like me to include?

Monday, April 23, 2012

Math - Chain Code computation practice handout - with proper heading on paper


Language Arts - read and record pages in reading journal


Spelling - handwriting models for Lesson 32 - in cursive with proper heading on paper


Social Studies - some students need to complete the map of the original 13 colonies


Science - students need to bring in jars for terrariums


Extra - money for the Cape Cod trip is due at this time.  Please send it in ASAP!!!

Tuesday April 24, 2012

Math - Code Line computation practice handout - with proper heading on paper


Language Arts - read and record pages in reading journal


Spelling - Unscramble spelling  words for Lesson 32 - in cursive with proper heading on paper


Social Studies - two students need to complete the map of the original 13 colonies


Science - students need to bring in jars for terrariums, some students need to complete their "foldables"


Extra - money for the Cape Cod trip is due at this time.  Please send it in ASAP!!!  Health surveys are due tomorrow, instrument lessons tomorrow - bring instruments and music, Walk At Lunch tomorrow - wear appropriate shoes and clothing, Computer class tomorrow - bring flash drives and ear buds

April 25, 2012

Math - Animal Cracks computation practice handout - with proper heading on paper


Language Arts - read and record pages in reading journal, some people have a grammar test retake


Spelling - student choice


Social Studies - two students need to complete the map of the original 13 colonies


Science - students need to bring in jars for terrariums, study for science quiz


Extra - money for the Cape Cod trip is due at this time.  Please send it in ASAP!!!  Health surveys are due this week, Physical Education AND Walk At Lunch tomorrow - wear appropriate shoes and clothing

April 26, 2012

Math - no math homework this evening


Language Arts - read and record pages in reading journal, some people have a grammar test retake


Spelling - student choice, test tomorrow on lesson 32


Social Studies - one student needs to complete the map of the original 13 colonies


Science - students need to bring in jars for terrariums


Extra - money for the Cape Cod trip is due at this time.  Please send it in ASAP!!!  Health surveys are due this week, Band tomorrow - bring instruments and music

April 27, 2012

Traditionally I give little to no homework on Fridays BUT...  

Language Arts -  read and record pages in reading journal 


Spelling - Visit Spelling City Lesson 33 and get a head start on lesson 33 if you wish


Social Studies - test coming up at the end of next week or early the following week on Chapter 10, Growing Tensions Between the Colonies and Britain.  

• Visit Chapter 10 tutorial to get some extra practice
• Visit Social Studies Vocabulary Practice/Spelling City to practice your vocabulary words

Science -  PLEASE bring in jars for terrariums

Extra - money for Cape Cod is due today.  A few people still need to send in their money.  Health surveys will be collected on Monday.  Wear gym shoes and dress appropriately for physical education on Monday.  

Homework Assignments

I have updated this blog with a new page, "Homework Assignments".  My hope is to keep this section updated regularly with homework assignments and due dates so that parents and students can check in on a regular basis if necessary.  

I think it would be useful mainly if students are absent.  Then they can check and at least get some of their homework done before they return to school if they are feeling well enough.  Sometimes, too, students forget to write down  every assignment or forget due dates.  I hope that this will provide an efficient way for you to stay up to date.

This will mean that I will need to update the blog every afternoon after school, and I hope that I will be able to keep up with this new endeavor.  Please bear with me as I establish this new habit.

Parents

In general there is homework every night except for Fridays.  However, weekend is assigned over the weekend more frequently during the last trimester.

Homework is collected each morning and math homework is reviewed daily at the beginning of each math class. Students who have difficulties understanding their homework are expected to ask the teacher for assistance.   We are always available at lunch/recess for extra help as needed.   
Language Arts - Read and record pages read in journalsMath - every night except FridaySpelling - every night except FridaySocial Studies - occasionallyScience - occasionally