December 22nd

Today we took down all of our Christmas crafts from the hallway. Enjoy hanging them in your house for some more holiday spirit! We moved our desks to the side and had the entire 5th grade in our room to watch the movie adaptation of the book Hatchet. It does a good job sticking to the ideas from the book.

Tomorrow is our party. Remember to bring any treats etc that you signed up for. Also remember to bring a gift if you haven't yet. We will do the gift exchange from 8:30-9, go to the all school sing along at 9-9:45ish, and then come back to the room to eat our goodies until it is time to go at 11. Bring an extra garbage bag if you think you will have a lot of stuff to bring home with you!

The only homework over break is to finish the chapter book you chose to read. After break we will be doing a project about that book.

Have a great winter break!!!!!

December 21st

Today we saw all of the dress rehearsals of all of the lower grades and then rehearsed our concert in the afternoon.

Homework:

Other:

Maplewood music sheet signed and returned by tomorrow (they were due today and I only got about 8 back)

Gift for party on Wed.

Concert tonight at 7! Be in our room at 6:40-no earlier!!!!! Dress nicely please!

December 18th

I heard that the band concert last night was great! I am sorry that I couldn't be there.

I have a correction: on my Thursday Fridge Note I put that the winter break goes until Jan. 5th. We come back on Monday, Jan 4th-sorry for the confusion!

Today we were really busy. We had a counselor at Maplewood come and explain the music class choice you have to make with your child for next year. A sheet was sent home today and needs to be returned by Monday!!! Your child can only choose one option. If they did not take band/strings this year and want to be in it next year, they need to take lessons over the summer. If you have any questions about this, please call Maplewood. Do not write questions or comments on the slip that needs to come back, just mark the choice. We also has Pals and Junior Achievement today! Whew!!!!

Homework:

Reading: Read twenty minutes in your book

Other: fill out and return Maplewood music slip by Monday
$3-$5 present due Monday so I can count them for the party
Party treats-bring Wed if you turned in a note about it

December 17th

We got to see the dress rehearsal of the Band/Strings concert at the end of the day. Good luck at the concert tonight! Band/Strings students need to be at BDM at 5:30 tonight for the 6:00 concert. Band students need to wear red, white, or green shirts with khaki pants if possible. I am unable to be at the concert-I am very sorry-but I know that you will do great!

Homework:

Reading: Read 20 minutes in your book

ILA: finish final copy of winter story

Math: finish Homework and remembering 3.7 and 3.8 if you didn't finish in class.

Other:
Band/Strings concert tonight at 6
$3-$5 gift due Monday

December 16th

Today the Menasha High School band, orchestra, and choruses visited BDM to share some holiday music. It was a really nice concert! Tomorrow we will get to see our own BDM band and orchestra when they play a dress rehearsal concert for us in the afternoon. Please make sure to bring your instrument to school tomorrow!!!!

Homework:

Spelling: test tomorrow

Reading: read your book for 20 minutes

ILA: these people need to finish writing their second copy of their winter story:
Ethan, Joe, Sammy, Courtney, Brandon, Kevin, and Damion. This is late!!! (except for Courtney who was ill one day :) )

Math: finish 3.7 if you didn't in class

Other:

$3-$5 gift due Monday
Bring instruments to school tomorrow!

December 15th

Today the class had a substitute in the morning while I was at a meeting. They went to Phy. Ed and Music and then got to watch a Holiday video.

In the afternoon we worked on a winter story and watched a video on the Pilgrims.

Homework:

ILA: Finish writing your second copy of your winter story to hand in tomorrow.

Spelling: study fun list

Social Studies: Current Events due tomorrow

Other: Bring in your $3-$5 gift by Monday

December 14th

Today we worked on some winter/Christmas stories, learned about why the Pilgrims came over to North America in 1620, and got to play in the snow a bit. Just a reminder that students can't push or shove on the snowhills. If students do not have hats, mittens, coats, snowpants, and boots they will stand on the wall during recess time.

Congrats to Kyle-he won the drawing for taking home Zurka over winter break!

Homework:

Lang. Arts: finish your 1 page winter/Christmas story rough draft for tomorrow

Math: Finish homework and remembering 3.6

Spelling: study fun list

Spanish: date corrections due tomorrow!

Other: $3-$5 gift due next Monday

December 11th

Today we made Elf Glyphs in class. Then we helped out kindergarten pals make them later in the day. We also watched part of the Disney movie Pocahontas to see if there were similarities or differences between what really happened at Jamestown and the movie.

Homework:

Spanish:
Do corrections on the dates we did in class-due Tuesday.

Other:
Zurka note due Monday
$3-$5 gift due Monday the 21st

December 10th

Today we caught up on work we missed during the snowday and finished up our Deck the Halls Projects.

Deck the Halls is tonight from 6-7:30pm. You can have pizza if you bring tickets or money. If you take any photos of deck the halls, feel free to email them to me for the yearbook and my blog!

Homework:

Math-finish homework and remembering 3.2-3.4 if you are missing any.

Other:
Popcorn money
$3-$5 gift for party
Zurka note due Monday
Band tomorrow

December 8th

Today the students finished choosing between three chapter books to read in the next few. Each student chose three books and then filled out a packet of information to find out which one was just right for them. Now we will be reading the books independently and doing a project after we are done.

Homework:

Spelling: Study

Social Studies: current events-make sure to read and understand your article before coming to school. You can't just come up front and read the article word for word-you just need to summarize what it was about. Also make sure it is a topic appropriate for school!

Math: finish Hwk and rem. 3.3 if you didn't finish it.

Other:

Buy $3-$5 gift for our holiday party
Zurka note due Monday

Mini-Sub Program on NOVA in Jan.

Yesterday in class we watched a documentary about D-Day in honor of the anniversary of D-Day on Dec. 7th. I found out that NOVA will be airing a TV show on the possibility that they found the 5th Japanese mini-sub. On the documentary we watched, they were trying to find it, but never did. I added the website to my links so you can check out the synopsis of the show. This would be an interesting show for all of the military history buffs in my class. It will air on January 5th, 2010-I am not sure what time.

December 7th

This morning there was a surprise waiting for the class-St. Nick had visited our room over the weekend! The students found the wooden shoes that they made were hidden around the room with a candy cane treat in them.

Homework:

Math: do homework and remembering 3.3 due tomorrow

Other:

$3-$5 gift for gift exchange
Zurka note-for taking her over Winter Break
Wear snowpants, winter jackets, mittens, hats, and boots starting tomorrow
Deck the Halls this Thursday

Animoto.com

Animoto.com

Animoto.com

December 4th

Today we read books and wrote in journals with our kindergarten pals. Mrs. Hess spent some extra time at the end of the day with the class doing a porject all about ourselves.

Homework:

Math: Make sure Homework and remember 3.2 are done.

Reading: Make sure to finish your "choose your own book packet"-all except the grids.

December 3rd

Today we finally finished out read aloud book The People of Sparkswhich was the sequel to The City of Ember. There are two more books in the series-the next one is a prequel to City of Ember called the Prophet of Yonwood. Check it out! We also got to try out a Jamestown simulation game during computer time. I will put it on the links on this blog.

Homework:

ILA: signed essay due tomorrow, read poem to someone and get it signed. The poem is by Robert Louis Stephenson-we looked him up, and he died on this date in 1894. It was a very odd coincidence!

Math: Homework and remembering 3-2, Math test signed by tomorrow, people with test corrections, they are due tomorrow. I wrote the formulas on the front of the test-you can use a calculator if you are having trouble multiplying.

Other:
Full Band
Popcorn money
Zurka note
Winter clothes

December 2nd

Today the class worked very hard in Spanish and Reading class to get work done. Thank you for the effort!

Homework:

ILA: Get essay signed if you didn't last night

Math: Get Math test signed if you didn't last night

Other: You need to wear a winter coat, hat and mittens tomorrow if you want to go outside for recess. If the weather is ever around 32 degrees this is a must. When it snows, then you need boots and snowpants.

12-1-09

Today we had an assembly on "responsibility" which is our character trait to focus on for second quarter. I have been talking to my class a lot about being responsible to do your best work. I have a lot of students in class that are rushing through work and it really shows. Thanks to all of the students who are really trying to do their best. They are great role models for the rest of the class.

Homework:

Math: Get Unit 2 Test signed and return tomorrow

Lang. Arts: Get essay signed and return tomorrow

Social Studies: Current events article due tomorrow

Other: The fund-raiser for Toys for Tots ends this Thursday-so bring in your change!

I also stapled incentive cards from November to the Math tests. I sometimes have the students initial their own cards. Most of the initials this month were from missing work, talking, and some fighting. If you have any questions, please let me know!