Hello Again from Room 210!
December, as it usually does, is whizzing by! This week we visited the Brookfield Fire Department for a very informative field trip. We would like to thank Chi Zhang for helping us out by being our 9-1-1 operator for this adventure. The Fire Department does such a fine job of giving the student hands-on and engaging instruction on fire safety and emergency response. What a great and educational experience for us all!
On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week, we are taking the CogATs (Cognitive Abilities Test). This test measures students' learned reasoning abilities. The questions in the tests who how well students use their reasoning skills to solve problems theu had not been directly taught. For this reason, the test questions do not parallel what the students are learning in school. You and your students shoul dnot be concerned if the material is new. We use the scores of these tests, which will be shared with you in spring, for three primary purposes:
To guide efforts to adapt instruction to the needs and abilities of students
To provide a measure of each student's level of cognitve development that captures important information not represented in school grades or in other measures of school achievement
To identify students whose predicted level of achievement are markedly discrepant from their observed levels of achievement
The test are short, and students seem to enjoy the problem solving puzzle format. We are testing each day between 10 and 11 a.m.
Yesterday we began our second science unit of the year, Food and Nutrition. We began by spending some time looking at the dietary guidelines and the new "My Plate" recommendations. "My Plate" has replaced the food pyramid. It emphasizes healthy choices, portion control, and balancing food and exercise. On Friday, we will begin our first experiment. Using the scientific process and vocabulary from our first unit, we will be conducting our first test, the fat test. We will be talking about how to be aware of what is in our food, why we need certain foods, and how to monitor our choices of foods. This is a great unit as our children start making more of their own eating choices.
As I said, the days are flying so here is a look ahead to keep us all on the same page:
Friday, December 9th DARE--wear DARE t-shirts
Friday, December 16th DARE--wear t-shirts
Tuesday, December 20th Read It To Beat It Fieldtrip---All Day, bag lunch and drink needed
Wednesday, December 21st A Winter Celebration--hosted by Mrs. Stemper 2:30-3:00
Thursday, December 22nd DARE Graduation 9-10 a.m. Parents welcome!
Thursday, December 22nd Pajama Day (Please bring pajamas to change into after DARE ceremony)
Thursday, December 22nd Holiday Sing 1:30-2:00
Friday, December 23rd Winter Break Begins
As I said, December is a busy month for us all. I wanted to share with you that I will not be at school on December 22nd. My 8-year-old son needs to have surgery which would require me to take at least one week off of school. The surgeon only performs this surgery on Thursdays. Rather than be away from "my kids at school" for a minimum of one week, I have gotten permission to take off on December 22nd so that I can miss only one day of school. I will not be present for the DARE graduation or holiday sing, which I will miss very much. This plan allows me, however, to fulfill my role as Mom over break and return to school after break to continue to ensure that there will be no disruption in your fifth graders educational experience. I will celebrate their graduation and achievements with them on the 21st instead. Mrs. Sue Mikulecky (my preferred sub) will be here on December 22nd to celebrate and enjoy that special day with the children. Thank you so much for understanding my absence.
I wish you all a warm and toasty Thursday!
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