Week of February 26-March 2

Just 2 weeks left in the 3rd quarter.  Time seems to be flying.  It will be important these 2 weeks, to stay up with all work and check on anything still missing.

Book Reports:  All 6th grade reports should be turned in.  There are a few missing, and they will receive a late grade.  There is a large variety of projects.  We are displaying them in the upstairs hallway.  Feel free to come up and view them.  Students will be presenting them this week.  Then grades will be totalled up and posted on Educate.  This project will be a large percentage of third quarter's literature grade.
**5th Grade book reports are due tomorrow!

5th Grade weekly assignments
Literature - We will begin a question document on Tuesday with our last chapters.  We will work on it Wednesday in class as well and it is due on Thursday.
Tuesday - Spelling assignment - due Wednesday
Thursday - Spelling test
Thursday - due Friday - Literature journal on the end of our novel

5th Grade Language Arts:  Literature - We will be finishing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe this week!  It has been an awesome book to read.  We will finish up vocabulary this week as well, and do some classwork making biblical comparisons with the book.
There will be a final test sometime next week.
Spelling/Grammar:  We are on week two of this week's spelling words.  We have completed one assignment and will complete a second this week.  The test over the words will be Thursday, March 1st.  Class words are on the blog, and each student's complete list is on Google classroom.
Writing:  We will be choosing a picture to write about this week and after completing the graphic organizer, we will be writing first drafts.  This has been a fun unit so far, and now we will take some time to develop a good fantasy story.  There will be some upcoming deadlines.

Social Studies: We are working on developing an historical figure for our Loyalists vs. Patriot debate.  This is a class debate, in which each student will have a part.  Each is part of a team researching and developing a character from history.  These characters will face off in a live debate.  5 Akerson will hold the debate Thursday morning, March 8 in the Atrium room from 8:30-9:30 am.  5 Brown will hold the debate Friday, March 9 from 8:30-9:30 am in the Atrium room.  This is a great event and we love to have parents come and watch.
**Students correcting the Chapter 10 test, need to have it signed by a parent and corrected by Friday, March 2.

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6th Grade Literature: We will take time this week for each 6th grade student to present their book report. It is a great way to hear of new books to read!! We will finish reading Number the Stars this week.  We will work on vocabulary together in class.  There will be a final test early next week.  Even though the reading of our novel is coming to an end, we have several things left in this unit.  We will be watching a wonderful documentary called "Paper Clips", taking notes on it and answering questions.  This is a great connection from the history of this event, to present day.
There will be a group project using project based learning techniques. 
We hope to finish the components of this unit by Spring break, and show group presentations when we return.

Blessings on our full week ahead.  I pray each student can continue to be diligent in their work and reflective of their faith during this lenten season.
Mrs. Brown

Week of February 20-23

We have another short week ahead, with lots to do.  We are in the midst of great units and the students are enjoying them.  With just a few weeks left in the 3rd quarter, it is vital that students stay on top of their work.
Students should be checking Educate to make sure all work is turned in - especially from absences.

Book Reports!! 6th Grade book reports are due at the end of this week.  Students should be working on their report now!  Choices and all directions are posted on the blog under Literature and on Google classroom.  Students may bring in their reports anytime they are complete.  5th grade reports are due Monday, Feb. 26th.

5th Grade Weekly Assignments
Tuesday - Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe journal is due on Google classroom
Wednesday - Spelling list words due on Google Classroom
Thursday - Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe questions due
Friday - Spelling assignment due

5th Grade Language Arts:  Literature: We continue to read our class novel.  We are enjoying it greatly.  Journals are due Tuesday.  We will work on vocabulary and character sketches in class.  We will probably reach the end of the book next week.

Spelling/Grammar: We will choose new spelling words on Tuesday.  Class words will be posted on the blog, and student's full list of words will be on Google classroom. We will have an assignment on Wednesday that is due Friday.
We are taking a break from grammar skills to focus on our writing project.  We will continue to talk about verbs as we write. 
Writing:  We are practicing the skills we will need to write our fantasy stories.  We have worked on setting and characters.  This week we will work on problem, solution, and theme.  We will then be choosing a story to write based on the pictures from Chris Van Allsburg book - The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.  At this point we are doing all the work during class time.  As we get into our drafts there will be homework.

Social Studies:  Our awesome US history chapters continue.  Chapter 11 focuses on the debate between the Loyalists and Patriots.  Students will be broken into small groups, research a character from history and then represent that character in a live debate.  This is an awesome event.  I will send the date of the live debate out this week, once we begin research.  For this debate, students dress in costume and we moderate a debate based on the viewpoints from 1775.
Last week's chapter 10 test will be returned this week.

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6th Grade Literature:  We are reading through our class novel Number the Stars.   As we do that, we are focusing on some basic facts about the Holocaust, but many positive stories and writings coming from this time in history.
Last week, we worked on an activity based on the story and book Hana's Suitcase.  We are working to build empathy among the students based on historical events.  The Hana's suitcase project is due this week Tuesday/Wednesday.  The directions are posted on Google classroom.
This week we will also read some poetry coming from the Ghettos and respond in our reader's notebooks.
As we finish this novel, we will be watching the documentary Paper Clips and completing a group project that requires some research into a specific topic. 
Again, our focus in this unit is to create empathy around the historical events that happened, and extend that empathy into their lives and world today.

**Don't forget Book reports are due this week for 6th grade!!  Since this is the only book report this year, finished products should show time and great effort.

Week of Feb. 14-16

Hopefully you are enjoying your days off.  Those 5th and 6th graders still reading their book report books, should take advantage of these days and work to finish the reading.

This is a short week, but we still have a lot going on!

5th grade assignments:
Wednesday - Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe quiz is due. On Google classroom
Thursday - Social studies chapter 10 test.  Study guide came home last Friday.
Thursday - Spelling test 
Friday - Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe journal

5th Grade Language Arts: Literature:   Our class novel is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  We are reading the majority in class, but there will be home assignments of one chapter at a time.  Check your child's planner for these assignments.  We worked on a quiz last Friday, that is due on Wednesday.  We will work on a journal this week as well.  As we read, we are sketching and writing in our reader's notebook.  Absent students will have to see what they missed and complete it.

Spelling/Grammar:  We will take a break from grammar skills as we begin writing daily.  Spelling words were chosen last week and the test is this week Thursday.
Writing:  We will be writing daily for the next several weeks.  We are working on fantasy writing.  We will begin with using our notebooks.  Again, absent students will need to see what they missed and make it up.

Social Studies:  We learned a lot in chapter 10 about events that will lead us into the American Revolution.  The test is Thursday of this week.  We spent several days last week working on the study guide.  It should have come home on Friday to go over.  It is not an open note test.
Our next chapter will revolve around a debate of Loyalists vs. Patriots.  I will let you know as soon as I have a date for each class' debate.  It is a lot of fun to come and watch.

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6th Grade Literature:  Our class novel Number the Stars is going well.  We will read the majority at school, but students will receive short reading assignments at home.  We have taken our first quiz, and a journal is due this week.  Keep checking on Educate, that all this work is being turned in on time and complete.  This week Thursday/ Friday we are involving the student's in an activity revolving around the book Hana's suitcase.  It will connect well to other aspects of this unit, and we are excited to introduce this awesome story to the students.

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Keep working on Book reports.  Directions posted both here on the blog and Google classroom!
Blessing,
Mrs. Brown

Week of February 5-9

Last week was a busy week, especially in 5th grade.
Both 5th and 6th grade ended literature units and took the final test.  Those will be posted this week.
5th grade had the awesome experience of attending JA Biztown through Junior Achievement.  This was a wonderful real world program.  We are thankful to all those volunteers that helped with this.
We will be posting and sending out some pictures of our day.

We begin new units this week in literature and writing - back into class novels.
*All students should have set a goal last week for reading the remainder of their book report book.  Reports are due end of this month.

5th Grade assignments
Monday - Past tense verbs worksheet - due Tuesday
Tuesday - Spelling word list - due Wednesday
Wednesday - Spelling assignment - due Friday
Thursday, due Friday - Literature - Quiz one for Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe

5th Grade Language Arts - Literature:  We will begin our class novel on Monday.  We will be reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.  This is an awesome example of fantasy writing, that has a wonderful Christian element to it.  We will be reading a lot of the book in class, but there will be some outside reading as well.  Feel free to read the at home assignments with your child.
We will focus on Characters during this read, elements of fantasy and again, theme.
We will be completing daily drawings and writings in our Reader's notebook.  If your child is absent they will need to make sure and find what we did in our notebooks each day.

Spelling/Grammar:  We will pick new spelling words this week.  Each students list is due and will be checked on Wednesday.  We will have an assignment due Friday.  We will continue working some with verbs this week.

Writing:  We are beginning a new writing unit.  We will be writing Fantasy short stories based on the drawings from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.  We will begin by doing some character writing this week and then setting.  We will write focusing on the different elements before we begin a final story.  There may be some homework this next two weeks in the Writer's notebook.

Social Studies:  Last week Monday, the King of England came to our room and implemented some candy taxes without the representation of the students.  We are using that lesson to discuss how the colonists felt as we move through the historical events of chapter 10.  We will spend some more time on this chapter this week, before taking the test.
Chapter 9 tests were returned last week.  Any students wanting to make corrections will need to see me.
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6th Grade Literature: We are continuing our unit on Historical fiction by beginning a class novel.  We will be reading Number The Stars by Lois Lowry.  This is a relatively easy read for 6th grade, and we will move through the book quickly.  Some chapters will be read at school, some assigned for home.
**We will post a calendar, however it is just a basic guideline of what we will do each day.  Assignments and dates will change, and your student will need to record the actual assignments in their planner.
Any work listed on the calendar is what will be done in class that day.  Students may not work ahead on assignments.

Along with this unit we will be doing several other activities.  We will be investigating other literature surrounding this subject, including some poetry.  We will be completing a group project and a final reflection project by each student.  We will be watching a wonderful documentary and taking notes.
Our goal is to keep the focus of this unit (the Holocaust) on the positive aspects and people that came from this tragic time in history.  As we do some research, we will be guiding the students to filter carefully what they view.

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Book Report: Both 5th and 6th grade should be working diligently on completing their book report book and beginning the project.  Each class has looked individually at what they have left to read and set a daily reading goal.  They are receiving class time to read, but they will need to read outside of class.  Please check with your child on the goal they have set and where they are with their book.
Reports can be started whenever the book is completed.  Remember directions are posted on this blog and Google classroom.
If students need templates or other help, they can ask anytime.
Due dates:  6th grade - February 22 - Teasdale (A day classes), February 23 - Hieber (B day classes)
                   5th grade - February 26th.

Blessings on the upcoming week,
Mrs. Brown