9/30/15

Students ended the month of September on a strong note. We moved into our second chapter in math today. We began to discuss different multiplication strategies during our lesson. Students are engaging one another and there was a fast moving dialogue today, which was nice to see.

I wanted to pay a special compliment to my class. I was thrilled to go through the math assessment that the students took the other day. The members of 312 showed their understanding with logical and well explained responses. An encouraging start to the 2015-2016 school year.

We also continued our look at current events, particularly the scarcity of clean water in parts of the world. Students have been focusing their energies into engaging with an informational article pertaining to the theme of the unit. This will be ongoing throughout the next few weeks.

I enjoyed getting to meet so many parents and guardians at curriculum night. Thank you all for coming.

I had some parents mention that they would like to see the specialist schedule for room 312. Here it is:

Monday - Libraray
Tuesday - Art
Wednesday - Music
Thursday - Gym
Friday - Gym

Homework

Math - workbook pages 25 and 26

Reading - 30 minutes of quiet reading. There will be no written reader's log this week

 Kidsblog - (6-8 sentences, due 10/2) Make a prediction about Wonder. What do you think will happen to Auggie at his new school? Do you think that he will have a positive experience or a negative experience? Why do you believe this? Make sure to back up your point of view with evidence from the book



Trivia

Can you name at least three different North American tribes?

9/29/15

During this early release day, room 312 put the finishing touches on their "Important Me" poems. These pieces of work have turned out very well. I give my students credit for dedicating themselves to the task and putting a personal touch on their writing.

In math class, student took an assessment concerning some important terms and concepts that we have been investigating throughout the first few weeks of the year. After, the fifth graders were able to go head to head in an activity that concerned place value and expanded notation.

As a reminder, picture day is this upcoming Friday, October 2nd.

I look forward to meeting parents and guardians tonight during curriculum night.


Homework

Math - double sided worksheet due tomorrow 9/30

Reading - 30 minutes of quiet reading. There will be no written reader's log this week

 Kidsblog - (6-8 sentences, due 10/2) Make a prediction about Wonder. What do you think will happen to Auggie at his new school? Do you think that he will have a positive experience or a negative experience? Why do you believe this? Make sure to back up your point of view with evidence from the book



Trivia

What is the most prevalent mammal in the United States?

9/28/15

The fifth grade spent one more day looking at number puzzles during math class. Students have really risen to the occasion to this point in the year during our work in math. Tomorrow, room 312 will take a brief assessment concerning some of the important terms and concepts that we have investigated during the first three weeks of the school year.

During social studies, the majority of students completed their Kennewick Man report. Students have been very creative throughout our work on this momentous scientific discovery. The fifth graders also completed an exit ticket which allowed me to see the knowledge gained during this unit.

Finally, we officially began our clean water reading unit. Students were presented with an article concerning this very important current events issue. I enjoyed getting a chance to discuss this with my students and look forward to continuing this work over the course of the next few weeks.

Homework

Math -workbook page 17

Reading - 30 minutes of quiet reading. There will be no written reader's log this week

 Kidsblog - (6-8 sentences, due 10/2) Make a prediction about Wonder. What do you think will happen to Auggie at his new school? Do you think that he will have a positive experience or a negative experience? Why do you believe this? Make sure to back up your point of view with evidence from the book



Trivia

What was the first states admitted to the Union after the original 13 colonies?

9/25/15

During math today, the fifth grade once again was able to work with their fourth grade counterparts. Students worked in pairs on an activity that dealt with place value. This was a nice learning experience for both grades and I was happy to see animated and engaging discussions taking place.

Room 312 also continued to work with our 9 core reading competencies. Students were responsible for crafting a summary for a short story read in class. They were also prompted to attempt to make connections with the book and others that they might have read in the past.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday.

9/24/15

It was nice to see everyone back after the day off. We continued to use the 9 core reading competencies to help direct our look at literary texts. Today, the fifth grade read Salt In His Shoes, and had a nice discussion concerning the change undergone by the main character and the deeper meaning of the story. This work will continue into tomorrow.

During our ELA block of time, members of 312 also continued to be hard at work on their "Important Me" poems. Students are using this to give others a snapshot into their likes and interests. The finished products will be displayed in the fifth grade hallway.

Homework

Math - factor worksheet, one sided

Reading - 30 minutes of quiet reading nightly. Fill out reader's logs on a nightly basis


Trivia

Tough one today: What four state capitols are named after presidents?

9/22/15

On this early release day, the members of room 312 continued their Kennewick Man "C.S.I." project, Fifth graders are attempting to recreate what this ancient man might have looked like. Students have also been discussing possible artifacts that this man might have had with him when he made his momentous journey to the North American continent.

During our ELA block, students once again looked at the 9 core reading competencies. These guiding questions/principles, will be referenced often throughout the year and i've felt like the class has done a very nice job the last two days when working with them. Students have been tasked with responding to some of these questions concerning a literary text.

I hope everyone enjoys their day off tomorrow and I will see everyone back at school on Wednesday. As a reminder, students should continue to fill put their reader's log throughout this week


Homework

Math - worksheet, both sides

Reading - 30 minutes of quiet reading nightly. Fill out reader's logs on a nightly basis


Trivia

In which state was Abraham Lincoln born?

9/21/15

The fifth grade continued their work with their "I Am Me" poems. These pieces of writing are a great way for the students to show their individuality and to learn more about one another. Students are going to have the opportunity to type up their finished products using their iPads. I look forward to seeing the finished products.

During social studies, we looked closely a an important scientific discovery concerning the method of arrival of the first people on the North American continent. Students were then presented with an article that they had to closely read with a partner. This was great practice at looking at an informational piece of writing to pick out important details. This work will lead into our first mini social studies project which will be ongoing this week.

Homework

Math - worksheet, both sides due tomorrow

Reading - 30 minutes of quiet reading nightly. Fill out reader's logs on a nightly basis


Trivia

What NFL team is the only one to have their logo on only one side of their helmets?

9/18/15

As we wrapped up our second week together, students continued their strong start to the school year. The fifth grade took the lead today during math class. Members of rooms 312 and 310 helped to teach  their counterparts in fourth grade the rules of a math activity that concerned factors. The fifth graders set a good example and the activity proved quite the success.

Fifth graders also put on their detective hats in social studies. We spent time today looking at the historic discovery of the Kennewick Man. This skeleton has changed the way scientists have come to view the earliest inhabitants of the North American continent. I look forward to continuing this lesson next week.

I have also enjoyed getting to read my students work on the class blog. There is serious writing talent on display. I would like to remind students that if they did not complete their post, there is still time to get credit. If the post has been made by tonight, students will receive credit for completing the assignment.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will see students back in school on Monday

Homework

Kidblog - Tell me about a book you read over the summer. Mention the title and give a brief summary. Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

 - post must be at least 6-8 sentences and is due by Friday September 18th

Trivia

What is the largest land mammal on planet earth?

9/17/15

Today in math class, students continued to work in groups to solve increasingly challenging math puzzles. Students have been presented with clues, that when taken together allow them to find certain numbers. I must admit, that some of the clues today were quite challenging. It is to the credit of my class that they worked well together and did very good work today. I enjoyed getting to converse with my students about their thought processes.

During social studies, students began to look at the first migration of people into the North American continent during the last Ice Age. The members of 312 were engaged participants and I look forward to continuing this unit with my students.

Just as a reminder, students should be returning science camp forms as soon as possible. Also, reader's logs, which should be signed by guardians on a nightly basis, are due tomorrow. The Kidblog post is also due tomorrow.


Homework

Math - whats the number worksheet, both sides

Just a note about math homework. The homework for math is nightly. You an assignment given on Monday is due on Tuesday 

Kidblog - Tell me about a book you read over the summer. Mention the title and give a brief summary. Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

 - post must be at least 6-8 sentences and is due by Friday September 18th

Reading - 30 minutes of personal reading. Fill out reading log on a nightly basis


Trivia

How tall is the Green Monster (in feet) at Fenway Park?

9/16/15

Today was a busy day for room 312. Fifth graders had the opportunity to take part in an information session for the upcoming science camp. Students are very excited for this week in October and they were attentive listeners during this presentation.

During social studies, the class began looking at the earliest people to arrive in North America. Students watched a short documentary about the subject and then compiled important facts from an article while working in small groups. This lesson will continue into tomorrow.

Finally, we continued to read Wonder during read aloud time. Periodically, we have been having some real nice discussions about key characters, traits and scenes. I have also been impressed by the students who are making connections between this book and others that they have read in the past.


Homework

Math - worksheet pg 9 and 10

Just a note about math homework. The homework for math is nightly. You an assignment given on Monday is due on Tuesday 

Kidblog - Tell me about a book you read over the summer. Mention the title and give a brief summary. Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

 - post must be at least 6-8 sentences and is due by Friday September 18th

Reading - 30 minutes of personal reading. Fill out reading log on a nightly basis


Trivia

Which states border Massachusetts?

9/15/15

Today in math, the fifth grade continued working with arrays. The discussion was expanded to include prime and composite numbers. Students had time to talk about the differences between those two classifications and to build examples using manipulatives.

During our ELA learning block, the students talked about the different genres of books found in the classroom. This led into independent reading time. Students used post-it notes to focus in on important scenes and characters that caught their attention while reading.


Homework

Math - 2 sided workbook page, complete both sides

Kidblog - Tell me about a book you read over the summer. Mention the title and give a brief summary. Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

 - post must be at least 6-8 sentences and is due by Friday September 18th

Reading - 30 minutes of personal reading. Fill out reading log on a nightly basis


Trivia

What is the state bird of Massachusetts?

9/11/15

During math class today, students used tiles to build arrays. These arrays had to correspond with clues that the fifth graders were presented with. These clues pertained to multiplication factors. I loved to see the cooperation from my class during this partner activity.

I wanted to compliment my students on completing their first week of fifth grade. I was impressed with both the enthusiasm and the diligence shown by my new group of students. I am confident that these positive qualities will carry over into the rest of the school year.

I hope everyone has a great long weekend and I will see everyone back in school on Tuesday.


Homework

Writer's notebook - by Tuesday of next week, I would like all of the students in room 312 to personalize their writer's notebooks. I really want students to take pride in their pieces of writing and make it their own. This arts and crafts component will help in that regard. As an example, here is my writer's notebook.

I would also like all students to make an attempt to log into their kidblog site while at home. This important site will be home to the students writing during the year. If there is any trouble, please let me know.

9/10/15

During math today, the fifth grade began our first lesson of our first unit. This lesson focused in on arrays. Students were tasked with creating arrays that fit certain clues. This lead into a closer look at multiples and factors. Students did a nice job participating in this lesson and I welcomed the class discussion that was an ongoing part of the period.

In social studies, the students finished their work with the directions of the compass and moved onto to looking at the hemispheres of the earth. This lesson allowed time for students to move around the room and to work together in small groups. I compliment my students on their ability to stay on task during this time block.


Homework

Math - workbook page 3

Introducing You worksheet, please fill out and pass in by Friday

Writer's notebook - by Tuesday of next week, I would like all of the students in room 312 to personalize their writer's notebooks. I really want students to take pride in their pieces of writing and make it their own. This arts and crafts component will help in that regard. As an example, here is my writer's notebook.

I would also like all students to make an attempt to log into their kidblog site while at home. This important site will be home to the students writing during the year. If there is any trouble, please let me know.

9/9/15

During social studies, students engaged in activities pertaining to compass directions and the hemispheres. I was also able to talk with some of the students about history topics that they have interest in learning about. I think this will be an informative and enjoyable year for the fifth grade in social studies.

Members of 312 took their beginning of the year assessment during math class. This piece of work will give me an important glimpse into where students stand as we begin our work in math. Tomorrow, grade 5 will turn our attention to the first lesson of unit 1.

Finally, during our ELA learning block, students were able to write in their writer's notebook about an important event that they had over the summer. I enjoyed getting to hear the students share some of their pieces with the class.

Homework

Introducing You worksheet, please fill out and pass in by Friday

Writer's notebook - by Tuesday of next week, I would like all of the students in room 312 to personalize their writer's notebooks. I really want students to take pride in their pieces of writing and make it their own. This arts and crafts component will help in that regard. As an example, here is my writer's notebook.

I would also like all students to make an attempt to log into their kidblog site while at home. This important site will be home to the students writing during the year. If there is any trouble, please let me know.

9/8/15

I enjoyed getting to meet the new members of room 312. I am a big believer in first impressions, and the fifth graders made a positive one on me today. Students spent the day getting familiar with one another and the day-to-day workings of the fifth grade.

The fifth graders also went on a scavenger hunt today. Students were tasked with finding classmates who met certain criteria. This was an enjoyable activity that the class seemed to enjoy.

To close this first day back, members of room 312 worked to design puzzle pieces which expressed their positive attributes and interests. These puzzle pieces will be displayed in the classroom over the first few weeks of school.

Tomorrow, we will begin our first math unit and will start to talk about the reading expectations of fifth grade.

I hope everyone has a nice night.

Homework

Students should attempt to log on to the kidblog site. A link can be found on the class site.