Second Quarter update

November 10th, 2013:

We are about half way through the second quarter.  This is a good week to check with your student on mykoob how they are doing.  I have tried to get all grades updated over the weekend.  I apologize for falling behind at times.  I will try to post grades once a week.
Most students are doing well, however some are missing assignments.  Mykoob will only let us enter them as a 0, not missing.
I really just want the work to be done.  So if your student has a 0 for an assignment, they should check with me, but it is rare that I will not accept assignments late.  Do not wait any longer though, if they are behind now they need to catch up!

Check out all the pages of my blog for updated information about what we are working on.  Each page contains a calendar of what we will be doing.
Mykoob  contains the exact assignments.  Your students should be recording all their assignments each day in their planner.  That is the very best way to make sure they have the correct assignments and needed work when they leave each day.

Also included on the pages are the directions for both 5th and 6th grade book reports.  Most students have already checked in their book with me, however if your student has not the deadline is Tuesday for all classes.
5th grade is reading Historical fiction or Biographies.  6th grade is reading fiction, fantasy,  mysteries.  3rd quarter book report will be a switch of this quarter.

Thank you for continuing to support your child.  Learning is definitely a process.  As important as the information they are learning is the way in which they learn it.  In both social studies and literature we will do a great deal of writing - of all types.  That is a life long skill.  In both of these classes I am striving for quality work.  Although the answers may be easy, I expect them written in complete sentences unless otherwise stated. Continue to insist on the best your child has to offer.  It will pay off in the long run!

I look forward to our continued partnership. Please email me with any questions.
God bless your week ahead.

September update

September 23, 2013

We have arrived at Fall.  School is in full swing now.  We have had our first round of tests and are completing our first group research project.

5th Grade Literature:  We will read stories from the Treasure's book this week and early next week.  These stories are accompanied by workbook pages and a final weekly test.  Check Mykoob to make sure your student isn't missing anything.

We will be discussing the next set of Literature books.  We will begin these books late next week.
Check out the literature tab for a listing of books and a website to review the books.
The first book report will be part of this literature set.


5th Grade Social Studies: We are currently working on a group research project.  The students are broken into groups, each studying a Native American Tribe. Each student is responsible for one part of the research.  Then together the group needs to put the information into a presentation and have a visual aid.

Check out the social studies tab to see the complete instructions and due dates. Groups are working during school to complete this project.  They may need to do work at home.

6th Grade Literature:  We will complete reading The Good Deed this week and read one more selection from the reading book.  These stories have workbook pages copied that need to be completed. Check Mykoob to make sure these pages are completed correctly.

  We will begin looking at our next set of literature books.  Students will have a choice of books to read.  You can see the list of books on the 6th grade lit tab and check out a website to review each of the books.

We will begin reading these books next week.  The first book report will be part of this literature set.

Weekly News

Week of September 3-6th:
We have survived the first few weeks of school.  It always takes a few weeks to get down the routine.  We are getting there.

We have had our first Social studies test, and Tuesday is both Math and Spanish test.   Make sure your student is aware of these tests and bringing home the necessary study materials.

Tuesday night is Taste of Middle School Night.  I hope you can join us.  We will go over in detail the expectations and evaluation for each of the classes your student has.  And you will have the opportunity to check out their locker (although we did a homeroom check on Friday, so it may be clean)!

 
This week we will begin our first Social Studies unit on Native Americans.  There will more homework now than with the introduction unit.  Keep checking your child's grades on Mykoob.  Some students are rushing through assignments so that they can have time with the Chrome book.

And just a note about that.  Students are not allowed to play any games on the Chrome books unless they come from a teacher's blog or link.  Music is often allowed with headphones, but you may want to have a discussion with your child about what they are listening to.

In Literature this week we will be getting close to finishing Maniac Magee.  There will be an upcoming Vocabulary test, so each student will make flashcards and need to study his/her words.  The test will most likely be next Monday (9/9).  They will be finishing their comprehension packet for the book and complete at least one more journal.  Again, check the grades to make sure they have all the work complete.

I will show this video on Tuesday night.  It is just a few glimpses into last week's projects in both Discipleship and Social studies.


Homeroom video of projects

First two days

Well, we have made it through the first two days.  They were very busy, but the fifth graders did a great job adjusting.

Lockers seem to be going fine.  We find we visit them often so we don't lock them every time.

Friday brought a lot of homework, however we had 2 study halls in the afternoon and most students got everything done.

We even had time to relax and read and do some riddles.

Next week will be regular schedule.  We will have a band pep rally on Monday and band meeting with the kids on Wednesday.  Encourage your student to try out band.  It is an awesome opportunity to try an instrument.  They have plenty of study hall time without that short block.

If you are unsure about assignments, please check Mykoob.  Your student should also be able to show you their stamped assignment book that is accurate.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Welcome back to School

I am so excited to begin my new journey at CCLS as a 5th grade teacher.
My blog will contain updated information about what we are working on as well as photos of projects and group work.
You can find information on my blog about projects and assignments and useful websites the students may want to use.

Stay tuned in for whats going on and keep track of all the exciting things we will be doing!