Happy First Day of Fall!

I hope everyone has had a great week! We are entering our last week for our explorer in a box project. They are coming along nicely.  We plan on having our whole explorers unit wrapped up, fittingly, on Columbus Day (Oct. 10), which is coming up quick!

The application process is complete and everyone has been given a job at BizTown. Ask your child what their job will be if they haven’t told you already! A big thank you to all parents who are willing and able to volunteer. More information will come out within the coming weeks as well. You will be specifically trained that morning before we get there.

Remember to be recording your reading minutes and to turn them in (with your signed red folders) on Tuesday this week! I am still missing quite a few students from last week; I want to get out as many entry slips from our class as possible this week!

We are still focusing on respect this year in class and throughout the school.  Congrats to our classes two “respect kids” for the week. (I won’t put names on the blog but you know who you are and be sure to let your families know that you were chosen!) For the most part we do pretty well but every now and then I hear about some disrespectful behaviors on the playground…let’s remember to show respect to everyone no matter who they are or what’s happening. If there is ever a problem please let me, or someone know, so we can fix it!

Coming up this week:

• No school on Monday…have a great 3-day weekend!

• Math test on Tuesday…remember to study! And keep up the work on practicing timed tests. We took them again in class and I noticed a huge improvement; your practice is paying off!

• Book Orders due on Tuesday

Thanks for all you do!

Welcome to our blog!

Hello! I hope you have all had a fabulous week! We’ve had a busy week here in 5^th grade! Here is an update:

We have taken and completed the IOWA Basics Test which is given in 3^rd and 5^th grade. We took it over the course of 3 days. The students were tested in reading, language and math. We’ve also had multiple assemblies and even managed to get in some computer lab time where your children are practicing their keyboarding skills and making explorer “trading cards”. In class they are continuing to research their assigned explorer and putting together some creative “explorer cereals”.

In math we are working on better understanding what rounding really is and estimating sums and differences. Although the majority of that is a review from 4^th grade we are pushing them a bit to understand not just the rules of math but the “why” as well.

BizTown has been a lot of fun this week! They have been applying for the jobs they would like and I will be setting up some “interviews” with them for next week to place them in the best job for them!  They are learning some great life skills and great team-building skills that are helping them in the classroom as well. I am still looking for volunteers for our October 11 field trip to BizTown Please send me a note or email me if you are available.

And finally this week was the first week for students to turn in their road to success logs. For every 5 days they meet their reading goal of 20 minutes per day they receive one entry slip and for every 7 days they meet the goal they receive 2 entry slips.

Every 8 weeks there is a drawing for a bike and between those 8 weeks there are smaller prizes awarded.  Beginning Monday I will start an incentive program in class as well. For every student that turns in their reading log on Monday, as well as the parent signature page, and meets the goal of 5-7 days I will add marbles to our class marble jar. Throughout the day I will also recognize and reward good behavior by adding more. Once the jar is full we will earn a class party!

 Thanks again for all you do to help your student succeed! As always please feel free to contact me and have a great weekend!