Hi, Fifth Grade Families!
Can you believe that October is right around the corner? It was so nice to hear a parent comment on how well our class has “jelled” as a group. I completely agree. We really have connected and become a caring, learning community. This class truly is a talented, smart, and kind “family”.
On Monday, we braved the mud and were lucky to have some sunshine for our trip to the Brookfield Nature Center. We caught a lot of interesting critters! Look for pictures this weekend on our blog. A special thanks to Mr. Pavlovic, Mrs. Thomsen, Mrs. Reddy, Mrs. Stamn, and Mrs. Kim who were fearless in their support of our messy adventure!
In math, we have started our second unit. We are reviewing different ways to add and subtract. After exploring these ways, students are encouraged to pick the strategy that is most effective and efficient for them. They will then use this method going forward. It is interesting to see how some students find one strategy is more “sensible” to them, while another student grasps another strategy more easily. Again, in the end, we want students to be efficient (quick) and effective (correct).
In language arts, we are continuing with our genre study of personal narratives. Along the way, we are learning a lot about point of view, reading like a writer, and grammar (fragments, subjects and predicates (nouns and verbs), and compound sentences instead of run-ons). We are also beginning our study of spelling looking at the history of the English language. We reviewed the rules of silent e and also began to explore the etymology of words in the English language. Along with our spelling we are continuing to build our vocabulary through noticing interesting words, exploring/observing words, and through activities such as analogies. The students are enjoying our current read aloud (Goblins in the Castle) which I have been using to model comprehension and accuracy strategies for reading. I then hold the students accountable for these strategies as we meet to discuss their book club books. I am very excited by the depth of discussions that are occurring at our book club meetings!
We have been using our knowledge of variables and controlled experiments this week to design and implement an experiment using our airplane systems. Stay tuned to our blog for pictures and more information! The kids are loving their experience as pilots!
I also wanted to share that I have had great reports from all special area teachers! Our class is building a very positive reputation as a well-behaved, fun, and hard-working group!
Next week….be on the lookout for more fieldtrip information for the year. Also coming up is picture make-up day on October 12th.
Thanks so much!
Cindy
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Thursday News 9/22/2011
Hi, Fifth Grade Families!
We had another busy week here in room 210. The kids are really starting to dive into the curriculum. It is fun and exciting to see them grow more comfortable with each other and with me! They are a very positive and motivated group. I also love that while they are chatty, they are usually on-task and discussing the assignment at hand.
We have some things to celebrate this week. We have completed MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing in Language Usage, Mathematics, and Reading. When looking at this data, it helps me determine areas of strength, measure growth from prior years, and target enrichment and intervention. I will share your student’s numbers with you at conferences and a formal letter will go home next spring showing the growth of your student over his/her fifth grade year.
Today we had a presentation from a member of the Harlem Globe Trotters. Flight Time taught us about “CHEER”. “CHEER” stands for Cooperation, Healthy Minds and Healthy Bodies, Enthusiasm, Effort, and Respect. A great message was delivered and a lot of fun was had, too.
Tomorrow we will have our second meeting with Officer Kotrly. Our t-shirts arrived today so that we can start wearing our “Friday Uniform”. Please help your child to remember to wear DARE t-shirts on Friday. The students were very engaged last week in working with the DARE decision-making model. They learned to Define the problem, Assess the choices, Respond to the situation, and Evaluate their decision.
In other news, have your heard about our lifeboats? What book will your fifth grader choose for his/her book project? What date will he/she be presenting? We will have our first math test scores to celebrate tomorrow. They will be coming home for your signature on Friday. Hopefully you are hearing a lot about our busy days. If not, the blog serves as a great conversation starter. Check it out at www.ourfifthgradestory.blogspot.com
On Monday, we have our first fieldtrip of the year. We are heading to the Nature Center. We will be leaving school right away in the morning and be returning about 11:15 a.m. Please have your students were “grubby” clothes as we will get muddy and wet as we explore the pond. Please have students bring a set of extra clothes in a grocery bag to leave in their school locker. We will change when we return to school. We rarely lose on in the pond, but better to be prepared. Also, please bring along a pair of socks in a small ziplock bag to take with us to the nature center. They will not want to put shoes back on with wet, dirty socks. Please label the small ziplock with the student’s name. We will have a wonderful and memorable time! We are so fortunate to be able to have our nature center! Look for pictures on our blog next week! We’ll give you all the details!
Thanks so much!
Cindy Stemper
We had another busy week here in room 210. The kids are really starting to dive into the curriculum. It is fun and exciting to see them grow more comfortable with each other and with me! They are a very positive and motivated group. I also love that while they are chatty, they are usually on-task and discussing the assignment at hand.
We have some things to celebrate this week. We have completed MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing in Language Usage, Mathematics, and Reading. When looking at this data, it helps me determine areas of strength, measure growth from prior years, and target enrichment and intervention. I will share your student’s numbers with you at conferences and a formal letter will go home next spring showing the growth of your student over his/her fifth grade year.
Today we had a presentation from a member of the Harlem Globe Trotters. Flight Time taught us about “CHEER”. “CHEER” stands for Cooperation, Healthy Minds and Healthy Bodies, Enthusiasm, Effort, and Respect. A great message was delivered and a lot of fun was had, too.
Tomorrow we will have our second meeting with Officer Kotrly. Our t-shirts arrived today so that we can start wearing our “Friday Uniform”. Please help your child to remember to wear DARE t-shirts on Friday. The students were very engaged last week in working with the DARE decision-making model. They learned to Define the problem, Assess the choices, Respond to the situation, and Evaluate their decision.
In other news, have your heard about our lifeboats? What book will your fifth grader choose for his/her book project? What date will he/she be presenting? We will have our first math test scores to celebrate tomorrow. They will be coming home for your signature on Friday. Hopefully you are hearing a lot about our busy days. If not, the blog serves as a great conversation starter. Check it out at www.ourfifthgradestory.blogspot.com
On Monday, we have our first fieldtrip of the year. We are heading to the Nature Center. We will be leaving school right away in the morning and be returning about 11:15 a.m. Please have your students were “grubby” clothes as we will get muddy and wet as we explore the pond. Please have students bring a set of extra clothes in a grocery bag to leave in their school locker. We will change when we return to school. We rarely lose on in the pond, but better to be prepared. Also, please bring along a pair of socks in a small ziplock bag to take with us to the nature center. They will not want to put shoes back on with wet, dirty socks. Please label the small ziplock with the student’s name. We will have a wonderful and memorable time! We are so fortunate to be able to have our nature center! Look for pictures on our blog next week! We’ll give you all the details!
Thanks so much!
Cindy Stemper
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Inspecting Our Life Boats
As a part of our unit on Variables, we set up a controlled experiment in science. Each group needed to determine the capacity of their boat (in ml)along with the number of passengers (pennies) it could carry before sinking. After inspecting we discussed the difference between INDEPENDENT and DEPENDENT variables. Independent variables are known before the experiment begins. Dependent variables are learned by conducting the experiment.
Reading Reasons
In September, we spent time talking about the reasons to read. We attempted to uncover and share the intrinsic reading "secrets" and share the beauty and value of reading. The reasons (Gallagher, 2003) are:
1. Reading is rewarding
2. Reading builds a mature vocabluary.
3. Reading makes you a better writer.
4. Reading is hard...and "hard" is necessary.
5. Reading makes you smarter.
6. Reading prepares you for the world of work.
7. Reading well is financially rewarding.
8. Reading opens the door to college and beyond.
9. Reading arms you against opression.
If I am successful, each student will hook onto one of these reasons and keep reading. Once they are reading, I trust that the beausty and value of reading will take hold in their lives.
1. Reading is rewarding
2. Reading builds a mature vocabluary.
3. Reading makes you a better writer.
4. Reading is hard...and "hard" is necessary.
5. Reading makes you smarter.
6. Reading prepares you for the world of work.
7. Reading well is financially rewarding.
8. Reading opens the door to college and beyond.
9. Reading arms you against opression.
If I am successful, each student will hook onto one of these reasons and keep reading. Once they are reading, I trust that the beausty and value of reading will take hold in their lives.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Writing Opportunity
Hello 4th and 5th Grade Teachers!
I teach orchestra at BCHS and we have a wonderful piece of music entitled "Night Ride".
The first time I heard it, a story popped into my head. Our October 23 concert, which will take place at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts is called "Spooktacular", and is geared toward a younger audience. The performance will be at 3:00 P.M.
The BCHS Orchestra is inviting all young 4th/5th grade writers to write a short story based on the music "Night Ride".
Here is the link to listen to the music:
http://www.carlfischer.com/Fischer/orchestra/orch_youngstring.html#yas94
Here are the guidelines:
•4th/5th grade students may write a short story based on the music "Night Ride".
•When read aloud, the story should last about 2-6 minutes.
•The story may be typed or neatly handwritten. Be sure the name and school of the author is on the story, along with the classroom teacher's name.
•It would be best if the classroom teacher sent all of the stories together in one envelope.
•Stories need to be submitted to Denice Haney c/o BCHS by October 14.
•The winning story will be chosen by the BCHS orchestra members.
•The winning story will be read at the concert to introduce "Night Ride" before it is performed.
•The reader may be the author or another person. (The decision will be made by Dr. Haney. Some students are great writers and terrified of getting up in front of people. I don't want the reading piece to be the deal breaker for the writing piece.)
I hope you will encourage your young writers to participate!
Our HS musicians are very excited to read the stories!
I teach orchestra at BCHS and we have a wonderful piece of music entitled "Night Ride".
The first time I heard it, a story popped into my head. Our October 23 concert, which will take place at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts is called "Spooktacular", and is geared toward a younger audience. The performance will be at 3:00 P.M.
The BCHS Orchestra is inviting all young 4th/5th grade writers to write a short story based on the music "Night Ride".
Here is the link to listen to the music:
http://www.carlfischer.com/Fischer/orchestra/orch_youngstring.html#yas94
Here are the guidelines:
•4th/5th grade students may write a short story based on the music "Night Ride".
•When read aloud, the story should last about 2-6 minutes.
•The story may be typed or neatly handwritten. Be sure the name and school of the author is on the story, along with the classroom teacher's name.
•It would be best if the classroom teacher sent all of the stories together in one envelope.
•Stories need to be submitted to Denice Haney c/o BCHS by October 14.
•The winning story will be chosen by the BCHS orchestra members.
•The winning story will be read at the concert to introduce "Night Ride" before it is performed.
•The reader may be the author or another person. (The decision will be made by Dr. Haney. Some students are great writers and terrified of getting up in front of people. I don't want the reading piece to be the deal breaker for the writing piece.)
I hope you will encourage your young writers to participate!
Our HS musicians are very excited to read the stories!
Thursday News 9/15/2011
Happy Fall!
Thank you for reading our Thursday Newsletter. It is a great way for me to share what is going on in our classroom and lots of bits of helpful information.
Celebrations
We have completed our first nine innings. We did quite well. Better than the Brewers as of late! We will have a 15 minute extra recess today which will include some organized games. The kids have settled in very nicely and we are really becoming a nice “family”.
DARE
DARE begins tomorrow (9/16). We will meet Officer Marek Kotrly and get our materials. We will have DARE on Friday afternoons for 12 sessions. Our DARE graduation will be held right before winter break. Date and time will be shortly forthcoming so you can plan to attend.
Book Orders
Today your fifth grader is bringing home several book orders. Scholastic offers great book selections at very reasonable prices. Your participation also earns books for our classroom library. You can either fill out the form and return a check made out to Scholastic or order online. If you order online, our classroom earns even more books and you can use a credit card to pay. The website is: http://clubs.scholastic.com/ You can create an account and access all available books or materials. Our activation code for online orders is GVHY8. This will also be posted on our website. Thank you!
Writer’s Notebook
This week we introduced the Writer’s Notebook. Your student is responsible for having 3 entries from home by 9/19. These entries might be a quotation, an inspiration, a ticket stub, a picture, an idea for a story, etc. The idea is for your student to start gathering ideas and “seeds” for their classroom writing. We are not assigning days as the students wanted the responsibility and flexibility of using their notebook in the true spirit of a writer.
Reading Assessment
I have completed my individual reading assessments with each child. Several of you asked that I share that information with you. I will be sending home a short form on Monday that will include where I see your child as a reader through my assessment thus far. With MAP testing coming up and the start of book clubs here in class, I will have MUCH more to share at conferences on this topic.
Book Projects
Yesterday your child received instructions on first semester book projects. Please remember that this project is to be done outside of school. I will give reminders and check in. I will be in touch if I feel your child needs some extra support or encouragement. I am very excited to participate in this activity this year. The children saw many examples of quality projects on Wednesday. As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.
Thursday Folder
Your student is bringing home a clear envelope today. This is his/her Thursday folder. Please make sure to read the contents and return the clear envelope to school tomorrow. Thanks!
Birthday Treat Reminder
If you are sending in a birthday treat, please provide everything needed to enjoy the treat, i.e. napkins, spoons, etc. Also, please send in the recipe, if it is a home-made treat. If it is a store-bought treat, please send in the original packaging with a list of ingredients. This way students with allergies can safely make the decision to enjoy the treat or have an alternative. Thank you!
Label Collections
We are ready to kick off another fantastic year of PTO Label Collections! We will again have a Box Tops Raffle for the kids. Kids may turn in bags of Box Tops for Education in counts of 25 (they could bag 100 in a single bag too) with their name on the bag, teachers name, and grade. The tops must be clipped on the cut lines and not torn, and finally all bags must be in by the 18th of the month to the office for eligibility.
Website
Please check our blog often—both school and classroom. I update homework every night, post these newsletters, and also post many useful and fun websites, pictures, etc. Thanks so much!
Have a lovely Fall Friday and weekend!!
Thank you for reading our Thursday Newsletter. It is a great way for me to share what is going on in our classroom and lots of bits of helpful information.
Celebrations
We have completed our first nine innings. We did quite well. Better than the Brewers as of late! We will have a 15 minute extra recess today which will include some organized games. The kids have settled in very nicely and we are really becoming a nice “family”.
DARE
DARE begins tomorrow (9/16). We will meet Officer Marek Kotrly and get our materials. We will have DARE on Friday afternoons for 12 sessions. Our DARE graduation will be held right before winter break. Date and time will be shortly forthcoming so you can plan to attend.
Book Orders
Today your fifth grader is bringing home several book orders. Scholastic offers great book selections at very reasonable prices. Your participation also earns books for our classroom library. You can either fill out the form and return a check made out to Scholastic or order online. If you order online, our classroom earns even more books and you can use a credit card to pay. The website is: http://clubs.scholastic.com/ You can create an account and access all available books or materials. Our activation code for online orders is GVHY8. This will also be posted on our website. Thank you!
Writer’s Notebook
This week we introduced the Writer’s Notebook. Your student is responsible for having 3 entries from home by 9/19. These entries might be a quotation, an inspiration, a ticket stub, a picture, an idea for a story, etc. The idea is for your student to start gathering ideas and “seeds” for their classroom writing. We are not assigning days as the students wanted the responsibility and flexibility of using their notebook in the true spirit of a writer.
Reading Assessment
I have completed my individual reading assessments with each child. Several of you asked that I share that information with you. I will be sending home a short form on Monday that will include where I see your child as a reader through my assessment thus far. With MAP testing coming up and the start of book clubs here in class, I will have MUCH more to share at conferences on this topic.
Book Projects
Yesterday your child received instructions on first semester book projects. Please remember that this project is to be done outside of school. I will give reminders and check in. I will be in touch if I feel your child needs some extra support or encouragement. I am very excited to participate in this activity this year. The children saw many examples of quality projects on Wednesday. As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.
Thursday Folder
Your student is bringing home a clear envelope today. This is his/her Thursday folder. Please make sure to read the contents and return the clear envelope to school tomorrow. Thanks!
Birthday Treat Reminder
If you are sending in a birthday treat, please provide everything needed to enjoy the treat, i.e. napkins, spoons, etc. Also, please send in the recipe, if it is a home-made treat. If it is a store-bought treat, please send in the original packaging with a list of ingredients. This way students with allergies can safely make the decision to enjoy the treat or have an alternative. Thank you!
Label Collections
We are ready to kick off another fantastic year of PTO Label Collections! We will again have a Box Tops Raffle for the kids. Kids may turn in bags of Box Tops for Education in counts of 25 (they could bag 100 in a single bag too) with their name on the bag, teachers name, and grade. The tops must be clipped on the cut lines and not torn, and finally all bags must be in by the 18th of the month to the office for eligibility.
Website
Please check our blog often—both school and classroom. I update homework every night, post these newsletters, and also post many useful and fun websites, pictures, etc. Thanks so much!
Have a lovely Fall Friday and weekend!!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
First Newsletter Via Email---A Test
Hello Fifth Grade Families!
This is the way that I will normally deliver our Thursday newsletter. Please respond with a "got it" so that I know I have your correct address. If you would like this sent to a different address, please let me know. If you would like it sent to multiple addresses, please also let me know.
The Thursday newsletter will also be posted each week on our classroom blog at
www.ourfifthgradestory.blogspot.com
along with many other news items, pictures, and the daily homework.
I hope to see many of you at PIN tonight. It will be at 6:00 p.m. and again at 7:00 p.m. in our classroom. If you are unable to attend, I will be sending home the handout with your child on Friday. I understand how busy these nights are during September.
Have a great day!
Thanks for sharing your AMAZING children with me!
This is the way that I will normally deliver our Thursday newsletter. Please respond with a "got it" so that I know I have your correct address. If you would like this sent to a different address, please let me know. If you would like it sent to multiple addresses, please also let me know.
The Thursday newsletter will also be posted each week on our classroom blog at
www.ourfifthgradestory.blogspot.com
along with many other news items, pictures, and the daily homework.
I hope to see many of you at PIN tonight. It will be at 6:00 p.m. and again at 7:00 p.m. in our classroom. If you are unable to attend, I will be sending home the handout with your child on Friday. I understand how busy these nights are during September.
Have a great day!
Thanks for sharing your AMAZING children with me!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Getting To Know Each Other
They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but when choosing a book, it is often the cover that draws us in. We get to know a bit about what might be inside from looking at the cover. As a way to get to know each other, we took a close look at some book covers and then painted our own. We shared how our cover represents the story inside of us. We can't wait to get writing our fifth grade story!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
One Million Words!
Did you know that if you read just one 200-page book per month that you will have read for over 60 hours in one year? You will also have encountered over one million words! Today you started to see reading as a part of your homework. Remember that the minutes you read are not what matters. What does matter is that you start to create a daily routine that includes reading. Stay tuned for a Bingo Book Blog coming soon to enrich your reading repertoire.
Tomorrow you will also start seeing math fact practice on your homework. Just 3-5 minutes of practice on your facts will keep you in shape. We will be doing some practice timings this week in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Our goal for you is to get at least 72 out of 80 problems in three minutes. We'll share the results with you and your family so that you can establish some practice routines at home for math, too.
**Parents, hope to see you at PIN on Thursday. I have a first session at 6:00 and will repeat it at 7:00. It will be a 45-minute session held in our classroom. Thanks!
Tomorrow you will also start seeing math fact practice on your homework. Just 3-5 minutes of practice on your facts will keep you in shape. We will be doing some practice timings this week in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Our goal for you is to get at least 72 out of 80 problems in three minutes. We'll share the results with you and your family so that you can establish some practice routines at home for math, too.
**Parents, hope to see you at PIN on Thursday. I have a first session at 6:00 and will repeat it at 7:00. It will be a 45-minute session held in our classroom. Thanks!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
September 1st Newsletter
Dear Parent(s):
It was nice meeting those of you who could make it to our Swanson “Meet and Greet”. I am really looking forward to working with your child and you this year. Because you and I will be partners in your child’s education, I hope that you will feel comfortable contacting me with any information regarding your child. Please call me “Cindy” instead of Mrs. Stemper. Hopefully I can also call you by your first name.
My e-mail address is: stemper@elmbrookschools.org. I check my e-mail regularly, and I will reply promptly. I appreciate it when parents send back a “got it” message, so I know that you received my reply.
As a parent, I love to have strong communication with my children’s teachers. For this reason, I will be emailing you a newsletter every Thursday. I will also be posting the newsletter on our classroom blog. The homework and many updates will be posted there as well. Our blog address is www.ourfifthgradestory.blogspot.com
Please remember to sign your child’s assignment notebook each night. Thanks to those of you who have already answered your “parent homework” assignment. You can email me or send back the answers on any paper. The questions are: What are my child’s strengths? What are my hopes and dreams for my child in their fifth grade year?
Remember that P.I.N. is on Thursday, September 8th in our classroom. The more you’re “in the know” of what we do in fifth grade, the better we can work together to make this year your child’s best year at Swanson School.
When sending money to school, please put your child’s name,5-STE, the amount, and what it’s for written on the envelope.
Finally, we have students who are allergic to various nuts. Please keep this in mind when sending treats to school. Birthday treats are allowed (in fact, encouraged…lol), but please remember to cut the cake ahead of time, send in napkins and forks, etc.!
It was nice meeting those of you who could make it to our Swanson “Meet and Greet”. I am really looking forward to working with your child and you this year. Because you and I will be partners in your child’s education, I hope that you will feel comfortable contacting me with any information regarding your child. Please call me “Cindy” instead of Mrs. Stemper. Hopefully I can also call you by your first name.
My e-mail address is: stemper@elmbrookschools.org. I check my e-mail regularly, and I will reply promptly. I appreciate it when parents send back a “got it” message, so I know that you received my reply.
As a parent, I love to have strong communication with my children’s teachers. For this reason, I will be emailing you a newsletter every Thursday. I will also be posting the newsletter on our classroom blog. The homework and many updates will be posted there as well. Our blog address is www.ourfifthgradestory.blogspot.com
Please remember to sign your child’s assignment notebook each night. Thanks to those of you who have already answered your “parent homework” assignment. You can email me or send back the answers on any paper. The questions are: What are my child’s strengths? What are my hopes and dreams for my child in their fifth grade year?
Remember that P.I.N. is on Thursday, September 8th in our classroom. The more you’re “in the know” of what we do in fifth grade, the better we can work together to make this year your child’s best year at Swanson School.
When sending money to school, please put your child’s name,5-STE, the amount, and what it’s for written on the envelope.
Finally, we have students who are allergic to various nuts. Please keep this in mind when sending treats to school. Birthday treats are allowed (in fact, encouraged…lol), but please remember to cut the cake ahead of time, send in napkins and forks, etc.!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)