5th Grade Promotion Speeches

Each of the fifth-grade classes will have one student representative to speak at the promotion ceremony Friday, June 12th. All students are able to submit a speech for review by the 5th grade teachers. I had the whole class begin writing a draft today in class (even those who may not be interested in speaking). Students are being encouraged to finish them at home this weekend.

Final, perfectly written copies of speeches are due to me Monday, June 8. Parents are allowed to proofread students' work for this assignment.

I will let the person who is chosen to represent our class at the end of the day Monday. That person will need to practice reading/memorizing his/her speech to be read on Friday at promotion.

Exhibition Schedule

Final exhibitions of fifth-grade begin Monday! Please don't forget your child's scheduled time. We need all exhibitions to happen on time so that we don't miss any of the activities the last week of school due to redos of exhibitions. Thanks so much in advance.

June 1

• 11:30-Camille

June 2

• 9:00-Ashley
  
• 10:30-Decari
• 11:30 Taylor
  

June 3

• 9:00-Joy
  
• 10:30-Monica
• 11:30-Autumn

June 4

• 9:00-Angelique
• 10:30-Adam
• 11:30-Montel

June 5

• 9:00-Antoine
• 10:30-Tim
• 11:30-April

Milestone #3

Visual aids were due today. Some of the kids need help with creating/finishing their visual aids. Each student received a "milestone #3 sheet" with notes from me about their visual aids. Please look for this.

Many people need to bring their work in to school tomorrow so they can get help with what needs to be completed. Please do not allow them to play "sick" and stay home. They need help and I want to make sure they get it. Thanks!

Supplies Needed

We need uncooked spaghetti, lasagna, angel hair, and other pastas to help with science olympiad activities for tomorrow! We also need handheld mirrors, mini marshmallows, aluminum foil, and clay.

If you haven't sent the money ($17) for the end of the year activities, please send that with your child this week. Thank you.

Carnival

The carnival is rapidly approaching! June 5th after school will be the school's annual carnival. We need volunteers. Because I have to work that evening (somewhere else), I need parents to volunteer to take half-hour shifts for working our class' booth. Please help! Contact me if you would like to volunteer.

Tickets are available now at the front desk for meals and carnival events-- $4 for a meal and 10 tickets.

Visual Aids

We had a long talk today in class about acceptable visual aids for exhibitions. :) Because this will be the final exhibition for fifth-grade, visual aids are especially important. Students are supposed to bring in their visual aids this Thursday for Milestone #3. I will not be accepting visual aids that are not students' best work.

We discussed:
- being sure to write in pencil first for posters.
-drawing light lines in pencil on posters to make sure words are straight
-making sure words are spelled correctly
-writing in the neatest possible handwriting
-using markers to trace over what was written in pencil after everything is finished

For math students need to show their thinking for the calculations they had to do on a large visual aid. I did a lot of explaining for this today in class to clarify what is expected.

For reading cereal box advertisements students need to write small or type in order to fit everything needed on the cereal box. All parts are necessary, not optional.

For social studies I will have a blank map of Michigan that students will need to use to point out all of the cities (7 total where products are made in Michigan + state capital) from the chapters (copies were sent last week).

For science students should have a large visual that relates to the question they were given.

For driving questions students need to have everything listed on their learning plans and visuals that relate (scrapbook-Amazing People, poster-Amazing places).

Working on the "10 Things I Love" Project

For those students who have started typing their paragraphs on the wiki, I have gone through and typed notes and highlighted where improvement is needed. Students need to use my notes to help them make corrections to what they have written. Please give your child time this weekend to work on typing their paragraphs this long weekend.

The goal of the project is writing detailed paragraphs with similes, inserting pictures to match the paragraphs, and inserting hyperlinks to related pages. The most important part is that they have well-written paragraphs, not extra-special pictures! Please be advised: there will be time in class to work on hyperlinks and inserting pictures. I will also be continuing to post feedback on their pages to help them revise and edit.

Check out some of your child's classmates' pages to see what others are doing, too. I have one sample up as well that I wrote. See the wiki.

Amani Village End of Year News

There are lots of fun events coming soon to our village! We will need your help.

We are asking that each student bring $17 to cover the following:
• Field day food-$5
• Carnival operating costs-$2
• Promotion breakfast for the 5th grader and 2 adult guests ($10)

Additionally we will need donations of mini-marshmallows, clay, hand-held mirrors, all types of uncooked pasta, and paper cups for the Science Olympiad.

For the Geography Bee we will need you to help your child study at home with the study packet (that will be given soon).

Fifth-grade Promotion will consist of breakfast (for each 5th grader and 2 adult guests). Breakfast will be from 7:45 to 8:45. The ceremony will start immediately after breakfast in the gymnasium.

Thank you so much for helping us to make this year go out with a bang!

Cereal Box Reading Project

I have put partial examples of the cereal box project on the exhibition googlepage.

Promotion Ceremony

Promotion Ceremony will take place June 12th. Please send $10 with your child to cover breakfast for your child and 2 adult guests for that day. The attire is business casual (not formal). They should wear clothes like the type that they wear for uniform (but not uniform colors of course). No jeans or gym shoes please. Thank you.

Three Strikes

You have received a note explaining all of the year end fun events that we have coming up. The fifth-grade teachers have explained to the entire fifth-grade class the “3 Strikes and You’re Out” system that we will be using for these events (Carnival Dunk Tank, Science Olympiad, Field Day, Geography Bee, and Promotion Ceremony). Each student is allowed three strikes (rule-breaking/ incidents) until s/he is excluded from an event. Strikes can be issued by any teacher in the building. We are keeping track of each student’s strikes. You will receive notice if your child has struck out of an event. Thank you in advance for your support.

Becoming 6th Graders

It is quite apparent that the kids you know as 5th graders are turning into 6th graders with regards to their personalities and relationships with each other. We still expect them to respect one another, even if they are not good friends with one another. We still expect them to be able to work cooperatively and be civil towards one another during school. Unfortunately, we cannot prevent the talking behind one other's backs. My hope is that even if they are not good friends, that they would choose to say nothing if they don't have anything nice to say to or about the other person. Please help me to impress this idea upon them.

Additionally, there is a note coming home regarding all major activities for the end of the school year. Please make sure you see this note.

May's Writing Project

May’s writing project is beginning. It incorporates technology as well.

For this project, students will make a list of 10 things that they really love. Then they'll write about why they love them. Seems simple, right? Well all 10 things have to start with the same letter! AND they don't get to pick the letter. I do!
My goals for this project include writing clear, focused, detailed paragraphs; importing photos into wiki pages; using hyperlinks; and using online photos responsibly by citing sources correctly.

This should be lots of fun. It will be worked on at school during the month of May and it WILL be required to be presented at the third trimester exhibition. Stay tuned for more updates and be sure to contact me with any questions that you have.

Below you’ll see a slideshow that launched this project and gave each student his/her assigned letter. Click here to see an example of the project that and adult did on her blog.

10 Things Launch And Letter Assignment Show

View more presentations from jtiggs.

Checklists

Checklists for exhibitions are coming home today. There is a red sheet on top with several sheets attached to explain the different assignments for math, reading, and science. I will answer questions about them on Monday because there was not time to explain everything today (as I was out this morning). Please have your child bring his/her checklist back on Monday.

Driving Questions and Exhibitions

Today those students who are working on the Amazing People or Places projects received copies of samples of the project. I made them a lot smaller than I expect theirs to actually be in order to save paper. This sample should help them to work on their visual aids. You can find copies on the Exhibition Page on the Google Page. Look at the links on the left side of the page.

People who are not working on either of these projects should continue to work on visual aids as agreed upon in their learning plans.

The checklist is still being revised, but will come home soon. As a part of the reading item that is on the checklist, students need to bring in an empty cereal box for that project.

Science Update-Nature's Recyclers

This week began the last science unit, Nature's Recyclers. In this unit students learn about some of nature's recyclers. Nature's recyclers are organisms-large and small-which feed on dead organisms and waste, and carry out the process of decomposition. During the process, they release nutrients back into the soil or water to be used by other living plants.

Students have had a preview of some aspects of this unit with our UPA Goes Green project. The worms in the worm bins are one of nature's recyclers!

Mysteries are Complete

We had our author celebration today for mysteries. I will be scoring them by the end of next week. Our new writing project for May will be revealed next week!

Milestone #2

Today was Fun Friday for people who passed Milestone #2 (Angelique, Decari, Tim, Camille, April, Monica, Autumn, Antoine, Montel, and Joy).

Milestone #3 is due in a few weeks, however you don't have the checklist yet. It will be coming home soon! Don't worry! Your child CAN get started on visual aids for his/her driving question though (if s/he hasn't already started). Please be sure to start early and not wait until the last minute! This is the last exhibition of elementary school. Let's make it the best one yet!

Welcome Back

I hope you had a great time last week, whether you were able to vacation with your child or not.

This week begins Mrs. Harris' last week with us as a student teacher. She will be graduating! On Friday we will have a celebration for both her and Ms. Fielder (Mr. Curran's student teacher), as it will be their last day. We would like to give them a great send-off and wish them the best in their endeavors. If you wish to send anything for Mrs. Harris to help us celebrate, feel free to do so (this can be in the form of things that would be helpful for a teacher to have for her new classroom or even treats to help us celebrate)! Please help us to give a great send-off!

Friday will also be our March and April Birthday Club celebration.


To the smarties that figured out my new last name, super-sleuthing! Those diligent detectives would be: Montel, Joy, Monica, Camille, Angelique, and Decari.

Spring Break Work

Hi,
The kids do have 2 homework assignments! They have 3 paragraphs to write about the Mysteries of Harris Burdick picture I gave today (Mr. Linden's Library). You can google it if your child loses the picture. I glued them in their writing homework notebooks for those who have them. See below.

Weekend Writing Assignment!
Due Monday, April 20, 2009

You need to write a 3 paragraph story explaining the event(s) that occurred in the picture below from the book, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. Use the sentence(s) underneath the picture as your story starter.

• Write at least 3 paragraphs and make sure that you include dialogue within the story.
• You do NOT have to include a topic sentence (O.P. & Power #), transitions, and conclusion, since they do not pertain to this form of writing.

They were also given 4 math puzzle problems to help them figure out my new last name. They've been told that they must show their thinking on the sheet in order to be able to use my new last name after break.

Barnes and Noble of Allen Park's Special Events

Special events will be happening throughout the month at the Barnes & Noble of Allen Park:

· Saturday, April 11, 1100 a.m. - Storytime & tissue paper egg craft followed by Easter Egg Hunt!
· Saturday, April 18, 11:00 a.m. - Storytime & April showers mobile craft
· Saturday, April 18, 2:00 p.m. - PaleoJoe from the Dinosaur Detective Club presentation
· Monday, April 20, 7:00 p.m. - Joel Thurtell & Pat Beck slide presentation & talk on Up the Rouge: Paddling Detroit’s Hidden River

· Wednesday, April 22, 5:00 p.m. - Local author Penny McCall book signing
· Friday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. - Turnoff Week Family Game Night
· Saturday, April 25, 11:00 a.m. - Storytime & Earth Day craft
·


Barnes & Noble of Allen Park, located at 3120 Fairlane Dr., Allen Park 48101 in the Fairlane Green shopping center "on top of the hill" between Oakwood Blvd. & Outer Dr. east of the Southfield Fwy.

Supplies Needed

It's allergy season again! We're in need of tissues.

Pens, pencils, and paper are always appreciated! Thanks so much for anything that you can do to help.

Congrats! Milestone #1

These students will experience a fantastic, fabulous Fun Friday:
-Montel
-Joy
-Adam
-Monica
-Angelique
-April
-Decari
-Tim

FYI

As many of you know, I have been extremely busy lately with wedding planning. It will all be over next week! Hooray! Or is it just the beginning...

After spring break, "Ms. Barnes" will cease to exist. I told the kids they would call on "Ms. Barnes" and I'd have to say, "she's not here." :)

Anyway, I want to thank you for your patience this year with my busy-ness.

New Writing Project

Students have finished their literary essays. Final drafts should have been turned in today. If they were not completed in class, they needed to be turned in Wednesday morning at 8:30.

Ask your child about the newest writing project that we launched . Watch as your children follow the footprints of writers like Agatha Christie, Donald Sobol, Cynthia Voigt, and Ron Roy. Do you suspect you've deduced the genre?

Clothes...

Parents,
As it is getting closer to our brief Michigan warm weather season, I want to talk about clothes (uniform and free dress). The kids seem to be growing rather rapidly! Some of their clothes are showing that. I have noticed that some girls, in particular, are coming to school with clothes that are exposing them in ways that should be kept private. Please consider this when sending your child to school. In addition, on free dress days, skirts and shorts need to come to the knee (even with tights). These soon-to-be middle school boys are noticing and seeing things that they shouldn't when girls wear clothes that are short. Additionally, often the girls don't sit appropriately when they do wear skirts (knee-length). Can you help with this? :)

Boys are still supposed to wear belts and have their shirts tucked! This is a part of our school uniform policy.
Thanks.
Ms. Barnes

Social Studies Test

The social studies test has been postponed until Monday! Please help your child study this weekend!

Buddy Study

This week students were introduced to palindromes. A palindrome is a word that reads the same forward as it does backwards. For example, "radar." Students also tried to write different phrases that can be read the same forward as backwards like "Sir, I'm Iris". Have your child share some of the palindromes we found in class with you. -Mrs. Harris

Word Study (Buddy Study)

This week students were introduced to palindromes. A palindrome is a word that reads the same forward as it does backwards. For example, "radar." Students also tried to write different phrases that can be read the same forward as backwards like "Sir, I'm Iris". Have your child share some of the palindromes we found in class with you. -Mrs. Harris

Math

Students were given a new math journal this week to begin Unit 7. We are currently working on writing numbers in standard notation, word-number-notation and scientific notation. For example, standard notation is 7,000 and word-number-notation is seven thousand, scientific notation is 7x10^3. Have your child solve this: 8,000 in each notation. -Mrs. Harris

Social studies update

We are just finishing chapter 10: "Neat Stuff We Make & Grow in Michigan." Students learned what a producer and consumer is. They also will create a quilt that has all products made in Michigan. This will be displayed outside of Mr. Curran’s classroom. Make sure you ask your children what are the 3 resources. -Mrs. Harris

Reading Update

In Reading workshop this week we focused on asking questions before, during and after reading a book. Students practiced how to ask effective before questions, during questions and after reading questions. -Mrs. Harris

Writing Update

This week in Writers Workshop we have been putting the final touches on our Literary Essays on the story “The Marble Champ”. Each student has been working very hard and I am sure him/her will have a wonderful piece of work. Once students have completed their essays they will be posted outside of the classroom. Please be sure to stop by and see your child’s work.

Be sure to ask you son or daughter what a preposition means (a word that shows relationships among other words in a sentence). The students have been collecting prepositional words to add to a list we created in class. -Mrs. Harris

Tomorrow there will be:

-Math quiz (exponential notation)
-Monthly Writing Assessment (writing from knowledge and experience)
-Word Study test
-Social Studies Test (Products made in Michigan, producers, consumers, imports/exports, & products grown in Michigan)

Don't forget that Scholastic book money is due too!

Learning Plans

I'm sending home copies of learning plans today, finally! They look a little differently format-wise and are copied on bright red paper.

At the top, you'll see "exhibition debrief" that has the score and notes from exhibitions.

Then you'll see a "goal setting" section. That is what is the focus for this trimester (driving question, academic goals, and personal goals). If there's anything you want modified or anything is missing, please send me an email.

Science Update

We just finished our six-week unit on Watery Earth. Students were assessed on Friday on water conservation, water pollution and the water cycle. Look out for some outstanding results from you children. Be sure to ask him/her what is water pollution. -Mrs. Harris

Reading Workshop Update

This week we as a team are working on flashbacks. A flashback interrupts the action in a piece of literature to describe an earlier event. Students seem to enjoy reflecting back on events that took place in their readings, so they have no problem making this connection.-Mrs. Harris

Math Update

We as a class have fought the battle of fractions in unit six. Each student has brought their own unique techniques to the table to help them solve everyday fractions. We have started adding and subtracting uncommon denominators. I have sent home worksheets to reinforce what I am teaching in class. For example, ¾ + 5/8 =? -Mrs. Harris

Writing Workshop Update

This month, we are focusing on Literary Essays (responding to literature). We have been practicing writing the essay through a step process. We started with the thesis statement, topic sentences, finding evidence from our short story we will end with the introduction and conclusion. Each student has progressed based on his or her individual levels. I am very proud of your children. Start looking for the short story “The Marble Champ.”

This week the students were introduced to Independent clauses and dependent clauses, An independent clause is a complete sentence. It contains the main subject and verb of a sentence. (It is also called a main clause.) Ask your student to define an independent clause and give you an example. I am sure you will be pleased. A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be connected to an independent clause. Ask your student to define a dependent clause and give you examples.
-Mrs. Harris

Scholastic Book Money

I am sending home new book order forms today. There are lots of great books in these order forms!

You can order online or by sending the order form to me with cash/check made out to "Scholastic." Orders are due by March 27. The online ordering information is: Class User Name: upa309 Password: team

What's So Funny? Poetry Contest

Scholastic is hosting a poetry contest that I encourage all of the Room 309 Poets to enter!

Guidelines:
Humor is not aslwasy about what you say but how you say it.
So think about yourself and then write a poem that describes something about you in a funny way!

25 Winners across the country will receive a signed copy of Alan Katz's Oops and Two 10-book poetry libraries--one fo the winner and one for the classroom!

Entries are due to Ms. Barnes by April 1st.

Narratives!

Narratives (report cards) are coming home today. Please ask your child to see his/hers!

Supplies...Please

We need:
-dry erase markers
-copy paper

Homework & Friday Folders

Today Friday packets are coming home with graded work from this week. Please be on the look out for it. Mrs. Harris has been very diligent about scoring their papers.

Additionally, students have not been consistently turning in homework this week! I am really disappointed in this. The homework that Mrs. Harris give DOES COUNT! I am recording it , keeping track, and looking at their assignments.

I am asking that you all purchase a notebook/spiral/composition book for kids do their writing homework. This way, they can keep it in the same location and you all can look for this notebook to come home each day.

Thank you!

Thank You!

I would like to thank everyone who came for their child's exhibition on the day it was scheduled! We appreciate you taking time out. I enjoyed having a chance to talk with everyone about their child's progress at the learning team meeting afterwards. If you have any questions, please contact me via phone or email.

Narratives (report cards) will come home next week. Please be on the look out.

Thanks Stringer family for the copy paper! We needed it.

Mrs. Harris is Leading!!!

Beginning this week Mrs. Harris is teaching all subjects for the next few weeks. Mrs. Fielder (Mr. Curran's student teacher) will be teaching science. Together, they will teach social studies when we switch in a few weeks.

Please encourage your child to participate and give both of them the upmost respect! They are in charge!

Wayne State Summer Programs

Wayne State University has exciting summer programs for youth ages 2 through 18. Our more than 30 programs can be searched by type, age, and/or gender. Summer programs are categorized as either academic, sports or fine/performing arts programs. All can be viewed on our Web site at www.k-12.wayne.edu. For printed information please call (313) 577-3157.