It's been a busy few weeks! Milestones testing wrapped up last week, and I am so proud of how hard these students worked to show what they knew. It is hard to believe that we have NINE DAYS LEFT!!!! These next few days will be busy. At this time of year, excitement is high. Please remind your child that the same expectations for behavior and character that have been in place the last 171 days remain for the last few. I have gently reminded them, but it always helps for them to hear it from all of their trusted adults. We are wrapping up the last few assignments for the year. Many of the students could greatly benefit from completing the Click Here to Start extra credit project. I will not accept any projects after Monday morning, so if your child is planning to submit a project, please make sure they bring it in Monday, May 13th. IMPORTANT DATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
I am in denial that we are so close to the end. This class has been such a special group. I can't imagine not sharing my classroom with them. I plan to make the last nine days count, so that the memories can last a lifetime! Please let me know if you have any questions.
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We had a great start to our Milestones testing. The students did an excellent job. They worked hard and gave it their best effort. I am so proud of each and every student. A special shout out to Mrs. Hamrick, Mrs. Davis and Mrs. McCluskey, Mrs. Wood, the Killimett family, and the Manickaraj family for sending in treats and/or words of encouragement during testing.
This week, we began our sixth and final unit of inquiry. In this unit, we are exploring how culture influences expression. We will learn about some important culture events that influenced artistic expression in US history. The students will also have the opportunity to learn about an artist, musician, author,performer of their choice and create a piece of art that pays homage to that particular style. Our novel study for this unit is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. As I told the students, this novel is near and dear to my heart because it was the book that made me love reading. I hope the experience of reading this amazing work will be a happy memory for these amazing children. We will use elements of the novel to tie in our final two concepts for science - chemical and physical changes, as well as electricity and magnetism. It should be magical! Upcoming Assessments: Harry Potter Vocabulary One Assessment - Friday, April 19 Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors Quiz - Monday, April 22 Volume Assessment - Tuesday, April 23 Coordinate Plane Assessment - Friday, April 26 Harry Potter Vocabulary Two Assessment - Friday, April 26 IMPORTANT DATES: April 22 - 23 Milestones Assessment (Math) May 2 - 3 Milestones Assessment (Science and Social Studies) May 10 - Field Day May 20 - 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony May 21 - 22 Early Release May 22 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to the fact that expenses were greater than expected on some of the field trips this year and more scholarships were requested than originally estimated, the field trip to Sparkles has been canceled. We are so fortunate to have been able to attend so many amazing field trips. We could not have done it without your unwavering support. Thank you!! Have a great week! We had a BLAST at Space Camp! Thank you to everyone who contributed in any way, shape, or form to make this experience possible for our 5th graders. It was EPIC!
It's hard to believe the FOURTH QUARTER is here! In this quarter, we will be increasingly focused on working towards our goals and improving our work/study habits. In Q4, we will no longer be offering retests and late assignments will not be accepted. I will continue to provide students with LOTS of reminders to get work submitted by the deadlines. I will also continue to provide class time to study and prepare for assessment. Let's make these last few weeks count! We have been gradually releasing to this point and I know these students are ready for this next step in their growth towards becoming independent, self-directed learners. This week, we are diving deeper into our unit on innovation. Students will be learning more about how innovation advances society. In math, we are continuing our study of measurement. Students are working hard on putting their writing skills to practice as we continue to work on text-based writing for informational and opinion. They have made TREMENDOUS improvements, and I am one PROUD teacher! In reading, students are continuing their independent novel study for Click Here to Start. UPCOMING ASSESSMENTS: Measurement Assessment - Friday, March 29 Vocabulary Assessment - Friday, March 29 Innovation in History Quiz - Friday, March 29 IMPORTANT DATES: April 1 - 5 SPRING BREAK April 10 - 12 Milestones Assessment April 22 - 23 Milestones Assessment May 2 - 3 Milestones Assessment May 20 - 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony May 22 - 23 Early Release Have a great week! It's been a busy, but fun few weeks in room 315. We have been busy learning and building our community. A special shout out to our amazing room moms who took time out of their day to come help me show the kids some love with a Valentine's Day nacho bar. We had a great day of celebrating each other and the things we love about one another.
Last week, several students in our class represented Teasley at the 1st Cobb County Project Soapbox Jr. Student Voice Showcase. The students spent a few weeks developing "soapbox" speeches that addressed the question, "What is the biggest issue that young people in your community are facing today?" On February 15th, our principal, assistant principals, and the district Social Studies specialist heard all of the speeches from both classes that participated in this project. Based on the feedback from our community judges, 10 students were selected to represent us at the district event. I cannot express how AMAZING every.single.speech was at our Teasley soapbox event. I am so proud of these amazing young people for being so aware of the issues in the community and having such great ideas of how we can address these issues. I am so inspired and encouraged that our future will be VERY BRIGHT with these amazing kids leading it. Last week, we enjoyed an amazing Read Across America day. It is really awesome to see what avid readers these students have become. Mrs. Killimett came and was our mystery reader. Even 5th graders aren't too old for a read aloud! The 5th grade teachers dressed up in costume to get everyone in the spirit for our final novel study of the year which we will dive into after spring break. It's going to be a magical end to an amazing year of reading. Yesterday, Ms. Clemmons came and shared her geometry expertise with the class. The students enjoyed the activities she shared so much! We ALWAYS love to have experts from our community come in and share about their passions and areas of expertise. If you would like to come in and lead an activity or share about your passions, hobbies, or professional field with the students, please email me! We love having such special guests!!! We are wrapping up our unit on "Where We Are in Place and Time." The students have learned so much about why systems exist. We have explored classification of organisms, earth process, geometry, and government. It's been truly amazing to see the high level of thought that the students have given to this concept. They have come so far since the beginning of the year. It's safe to say that we have a classroom FULL of inquirers! Next week, we will begin our 5th unit of inquiry, "How the World Works." This unit will focus on how innovation moves society forward. In science, we will look at electricity, magnetism, and technological innovation in the prevention and awareness of natural disasters caused by earth processes. In social studies, we will look at important inventions and inventors that impacted American life. In math, we will be learning about measurement conversions. Measurement is always a fun, but challenging unit. I would encourage you to invite your child into the kitchen when you are preparing dinner. Ask him or her to help measure some ingredients. The kitchen is a great place to learn about this important math concept! In writing, we will be working on organization and integration of text in opinion and informational essays. Students will be working on writing essays using the strategies that we are practicing together daily in our classroom. Our novel study for this unit, "Click Here to Start," will be our first independent book study. Students will read this text on their own and apply the skills we have been practicing as a whole group. UPCOMING ASSESSMENTS: Friday, March 8th - Geometry Assessment Friday, March 8th - Government Quiz IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
Have a great week! We have a busy week ahead in room 315! This week, we will continuing to study line plots in math. We will also begin to discuss classification of 2D geometric figures. As we work through our geometry and measurement standards, we will continue to review the skills we learned earlier in the year. In reading, we are nearing the end of The One and Only Ivan. Students have been given time daily to work on their graphic novels. I checked in with students last week and made a note of where students should be if they were behind. Please check in with your child and make sure that he or she is keeping up with his or her graphic novel. On the final day of the novel study, I will provide students with time to complete their frame for the day, and then all of the projects will be collected. It is important that students use their class time wisely each day to keep up with where they should be with their daily frame. In science, we are continuing our study of earth processes. This week, we will take what we have learned and work to create an infographic that demonstrates our knowledge of earth processes. I am looking forward to seeing the finished products. Our writing time this week will be focused on revising our Project Soapbox speeches. I have been truly BLOWN AWAY by the speeches the students have prepared for our Soapbox competition. I cannot wait to hear all of the final speeches. This week, we celebrate Valentine's Day. Because the 5th grade TARGET day is on Thursday, our class will exchange Valentines on Friday, February 15th. I will have a special treat for these amazing children who hold such a special place in my heart. If your child would like to bring in Valentines to distribute to classmates, please send them in on Friday. February 15th. There are 24 students in our class. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: On Friday, the online registration form for the Space Camp overnight trip was sent home with every 5th grader. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center requires that all participants in their programs complete an online registration. ALL PARTICIPANTS (STUDENTS AND CHAPERONES) MUST REGISTER ON THEIR WEBSITE. All online registrations MUST BE COMPLETED by 8:00 AM on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019. NO EXCEPTIONS! The Space and Rocket Center uses the online registrations to finalize the group housing assignments and to accommodate for dietary needs. Once the deadline has passed, adjustments to the group reservation cannot be accommodated. Please note that refunds WILL NOT be issued for failure to complete the online registration by the deadline. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE REGISTRATION BY THE DEADLINE. I do not want anyone to miss out on this amazing experience due to incomplete paperwork. I have attached the flyer that went home below for your reference. IMPORTANT DATES: Space Camp Online Registration Due - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 @ 8:00 AM MD.2 Line Plot Assessment Due - Friday, February 15 Earth Processes Assessment - Friday, February 15 Ivan Vocabulary Assessment - Friday, February 15 WINTER BREAK - Monday, February 18 - Friday, February 22 Parents Night Out – Friday, March 1 4th and 5th Grade Flashback Friday Dance – Friday, March 15 SPACE CAMP – Wednesday, March 20 – Friday, March 22 MISC ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Have a great week!
We've are excited for another week of learning. This week, we will continue our study of systems. We will finish off our study of classification of organisms. Additionally, we will begin writing our information essays about gorillas to tie in with our novel study of The One and Only Ivan. We will be focusing on paragraph writing. Some students are still working to build their understanding of the sentence types. We will continue developing that skill. In math, we will begin working on division of fractions. We will use models to solve whole number by unit fractions and unit fractions by whole number problems.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
2019 is off to a great start! Last week, we spent some time thinking about our goals for the second half of the school year. We did an activity that demonstrates the importance of time and its correlation to the quality of our work. It was quite an eye opening experience for us all!
In math, our current focus is problem solving. We are working on NF.2 and NF.6 which incorporate problem solving with the addition, subtraction, and multiplication of fractions. Our class is using step-by-step model drawing as a strategy to help us organize our thinking when solving word problems. Our goal is to be problem solvers not calculators. Ask your child about the special meaning we discovered behind that saying! We have begun a new unit of inquiry called Method to the Madness. In this unit, our central idea is that systems exist for a purpose. We started the unit by building bridges out of straws. Teams aimed to develop the longest bridge and the one that could hold the most weight. Afterwards, we reflected on the process or system used to build each bridge. We also discussed other systems that we are familiar with in the world around us. We concluded that a system is an order that a set of living and/or non-living things uses to accomplish a function. My students never cease to amaze me with their brilliance! Within this unit, we will study plant and animal cells, the functions of the organelles that make up each type of cell, the similarities and differences between the two types of cells, the classification of plants and animals, earth systems (erosion, weathering, deposition, earthquakes, volcanoes, and impact of organisms), and some of the functions of our government system (specifically due process and the amendment process). Today, we began reading The One and Only Ivan. Throughout this novel, students will be working to create a graphic novel that tells the story of novel using illustrations and text. Each day, the student reading reflection will take the form of the development of one frame of the student's graphic novel. I CANNOT WAIT to see the final products!!! In writing, we are increasing our focus on writing craft. We are learning about three different types of sentences: simple, compound, and complex. We are also exploring common errors in sentence structure such as sentence fragments and run ons. Once we have solidified our understanding of these concepts, we will begin developing paragraphs. For the first part of our unit, we will work to write an information essay about gorillas. During the last two weeks of the unit, students will write an opinion essay that will integrate their research from the informational writing, their understanding of The One and Only Ivan, and their own perspective. It will be a busy unit, but one full of learning! I am excited for a science focused unit, and so far, the students seem excited to spend time with science as well! IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: In the second quarter, there were an overwhelming number of missing assignments. As we get closer and closer to becoming middle schoolers, it is increasingly important for students to be responsible and accountable learners. In the third quarter, students will continue have the opportunity to turn in missing assignments; however, in this quarter, they will have ONE WEEK from the original due date to get those assignments submitted to me. Anything submitted beyond that time frame will not be awarded credit. Please ensure that your child is in the habit of checking his or her StudentVUE on a consistent basis. I always mark missing assignments as such, so checking the portal will ensure that your child is clear on whether or not assignments were received. Additionally, Google Classroom is an EXCELLENT resource for staying organized. Students should be in the habit of submitting completed assignments in Classroom. Doing so provides a secondary check point for ensuring that all work is submitted. In the fourth quarter, I will not be accepting any missing assignments, so the purpose of this revised time frame for missing work is to work towards eliminating the need for extensions. Announcements and Reminders:
2nd-3rd grade Thursday January 24, 31, February 7, 14, and 28 4th -5th grade Thursday March 7, 14 ,21 , 28, and April 11 Click on this link to register https://goo.gl/forms/myd5dvqWIq7T13iM2 Have a great week! We are just three days away from closing out the first half of the school year. The students have come such a long way since August. There are a few important announcements that I wanted to share as we wrap up the second quarter:
Thank you all for making the first half of the school year so spectacular. I can't wait to see what 2019 will hold. I know it will be AMAZING! It has been a whirlwind the past few weeks in room 315! My apologies for not posting more frequently, but the days have been filled with planning and executing some amazing activities. Conference week and the talent show were phenomenal! These students never cease to amaze me with the ability to shine in any situation.
I was very fortunate to attend the Teacher of the Year pep rally with some of the amazing children in my class. There is a limit to the number of students who attend, so we held a raffle to select the students who would attend. When I returned to school, I had a lovely display of notes and words of encouragement from all of my students. This experience was a highlight, and I feel so lucky to have been able to share even a part of it with your children. The graveyard project is one of my favorite activities year after year! Shout out to the AMAZING Tida Bruce-Banfield who shared this activity with me a few years ago. I was BLOWN AWAY by the quality of the work that the students submitted. They were so excited to explore the graveyard and learn about rebels in US history. To top it off, Mr. Ogburn and I created an ofrenda in the graveyeard as an example of what occurs during this time of year in Mexico with the Dia de los Muertos celebration. The students also learned about this important celebration in Spanish with Senora Vega. Our trip to Montgomery was timely and informative as we learned about civil rights leaders who fought and even lost their lives to secure the right to vote for all. I've loved hearing all of the great dialogue among students about how leaders are capable of bringing about change. Montgomery highlighted that all rebellion is not negative. In fact, many rebels bring about change that is necessary in order create a better society. It was special to be able to share a snapshot of home with my students. Thank you so much for your continuous support of our 5th grade activities this year! This week, we held 5th grade market day. I loved seeing the passion that the students brought to their ideas. This activity is a bridge between our current novel study and our next unit on economics. I know there are many future entrepreneurs in room 315! This week, we will wrap up our "Rebel with a Cause" unit. After Thanksgiving break, we will begin our third unit of inquiry, "A Penny for Your Thoughts." Our central idea for the unit is that humans adapt based on economic needs. If you do any Black Friday shopping, please involve your child in the process. We would love for them to start to see how the economy is relevant to their lives. In math, we are currently working with operations with decimals. After the break, we will begin working on operations with fractions. Fractions are typically challenging for our 5th graders. If you have any questions on how to best support your child throughout that unit, please don't hesitate to reach out. REMINDERS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
IMPORTANT DATES: Rebels Unit Assessment (Social Studies) - Friday, November 16 Narrative Writing Publication - Friday, November 16 4th and 5th Grade Winter Performance - Tuesday, December 11 The Teasley Talent Show for 3rd - 5th grade is FRIDAY! I have had several questions regarding what to wear. Be creative! Have fun! The 90s was all about mix and matching. You can find some inspiration above. Please do not stress or spend much money on this "costume." A neon colored shirt can go a long way for this theme and those can be found for under $3 at Michael's or Hobby Lobby.
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January 2019
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