Newsletter April 22, 2011
Math - We are almost done with unit 10, so the test is scheduled for this coming Thursday. There are only two units left of the year after that.
Social Studies - Lumberjacks are coming along, the students love it, and we are all very excited about the Lumberjack Breakfast on May 25th. The students built models of lumberjack tools and explained their use to the class. A video of the process can be found on our website. Next up some more knowledge about the Civil War and a simulation.
Reading - The students chose our next read aloud “Ragweed” by Avi. We start it next week and will continue to discuss the reading strategies we use. The students have also gotten much stronger in their inferences, and we have been celebrating that as well.
Writing - We started writing fairy tales this week; lots of princesses, evil women and talking animals in our rooms. Also some very strong moral lessons being included. This is our final major project of the year but we are continued to do much minor writing. I gave the students the 50 word challenge this week as well; write an exciting story in exactly 50 words. The great stories can be found on our blog and are definitely worth a read. Our 6th grade buddies will be commenting and giving us feedback on them.
Science - Presentations finished this week and some tough questions were asked. Many students realized that their variables had not been controlled, which was an excellent learning opportunity. They also got to provide me with feedback about the project. We start Sun, Moon, and Stars on Tuesday.
Special Notes -
* I have a sub on Monday since my biological father is visiting from Sweden. I will be back in full force Tuesday.
* We watched the Little Mermaid and boy did Disney have some fun with the story. We discovered many differences and could understand why they changed the story so much since the original might scare small children.
* If your child signed up for the talent show audition please make sure they are ready to perform. They should be well-rehearsed and ready to shine. Also, if your child is singing they need to have a karaoke version of the song.
* We explored two great websites this week in order to build background knowledge for the next science unit: http://wechoosethemoon.org and the 50th Anniversary site for NASA http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/50th/main.html
These sites are both spectacular for anyone interested in our space history.
* Congratulations to all of the students for their work in the science Olympiad challenge. It was great fun to see the ingenuity in their aerodynamic designs. 3 teams move on to represent us at the school wide Olympiad held on April 29th. A video of the challenge can be viewed on our website.
* Placement forms for next year are available; let me know if you have any concerns or questions.
* Our Diary of… projects are almost all up on our class website. The students worked very hard on these and would love for you to see them.
* Mark your calendars; our final field trip is June 7th where we go to Little Norway and the Cave of the Mounds. We take any people that want to go, so join us for this great field trip.
* I have some dates for you to put on your calendars: Science Olympiad 8:30 AM April 29th, Talent Show Auditions May 3rd and 5th right after school, Innovation Day is May 9th all day, Talent Show is May 19th at 1:30 pm, Lumberjack Breakfast is May 25th 8:30 AM, Cave of the Mounds/Little Norway field trip is June 7th all day.
