Tonight there is no homework in the math books. The children have been given three IXL assignments to complete this week (D1, D12, and D 13). These are due Friday morning, but can work on all of them tonight if they/you would like.
We have several tests this week. First of all, we will be retaking math tests that need to be mastered. We will also have a Chapter 4 math test on Thursday and a spelling test of Friday. In addition, the students will be wrapping up our Genetics unit and will be taking the final on Thursday. This is also the last week of our current IB planner, so they will be working on their summative projects all week.
We took a quiz today in chapter 4. There is a big divide on the grades on this quiz, and a common thread that I see across the whole class is homework. The students who have completed all of their homework each night and all of the IXL assignments this week received significantly higher scores than students who did not do all of their homework. This week we had MANY students not turn in homework. We had two book assignments and 3 IXL assignments due. Please check your child’s homework for me. If they are not understanding a specific topic, I am available to help before school or during recess. I know this math is hard. We will be going over this type of division again next week, as this is a very important concept for children to understand. Chapter 6 will be a miserable experience if we do not get this concept mastered. We will continue to work in the book and on IXL next week. If you would like to check our child’s math grades, homework and quiz scores are updated online. I have a tutorial post about how to log in on my website that was posted back in September. If your child has a score of less than 100% in homework, it means either they turned it in late, did not turn it in at all, or received less than 50% correct on the assignment. If a student did the work on time but did not have it correct, they are welcome to fix their mistakes and have it regraded for full credit. If you have a specific question about your child’s math grade, please email me. I will take home my gradebook so I can answer any of your questions. My goal is for all of the children to succeed.
Thank you! Halloween Information:
On Monday October 31st we will have a Halloween Parade at 8:50am. Students come to school in costumes for the parade and change back into uniforms after the class parties. Parents, Grandparents, etc., will go to the gym to watch the parade. Only students and teachers should be in the halls during the parade, so we have room for the students to parade for each other in the halls. Class parties happen immediately following the parade and conclude by 10:30am. We are a wellness school, so no candy, cookies, sugary snacks, etc. should be part of any Halloween party. Instead healthy snack choices will be used. After the class parties, students will change back into their Hawthorn Uniforms, and resume regular class work and schedules. Costume notes: Do Not wear masks. Do Not wear make-up Do Not have any weapons fake or real as part of your costume. (Weapons would include things such as: guns, knives, swords, pitchforks, light sabers, etc.) Parking for the Halloween Parade: On the Morning of October 31st we will be parking on the grass behind the school once the front parking lot is full. You can park in the stacking lane parking stalls until they are full. Once the front parking is full we will be parking on the grass in the back. After parking on the grass you will go to the back doors of school. We will have people in place to direct you. Steps to parking the morning of Oct. 31st once the front parking lot is full: Drive through the parking lot--- don’t form the three stacking lanes.
Thank you! Nikki This week marks the beginning of a new quarter for us. Formal report cards are available online, and I sent home a physical copy with each student today. Starting next week, students will have IXL homework twice a week in addition to regular math work. I really want the kids to become fluent on their basic multiplication and division facts. IXL homework will only be checked on Fridays, and can be completed in two different days or on the same day. I will send an email on Mondays with that week’s assignments. For the first few weeks, students will be completing lower level math to really get proficient with their facts. On these, please do not have students use calculators or multiplication tables.
Halloween is coming up on Monday. Please be aware that students cannot wear masks, fake blood, or makeup. They may not bring weapons of any kind. After the classroom party, all students will be required to change their clothes back into a normal school uniform. Thank you! Fifth grade will be participating in a colonial fair on Tuesday, November 22. We are looking for several donations and volunteers to help this project run smoothly. Please see the link to sign up to either donate times or your time. Thank you so much!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4aa5a923a02-colonial Here are the directions to sign up, if you have never used Sign Up Genius. Click on the link to go to the sign up. Once there, decide when or what you would like to donate and click on the box for that sign up. Once you have made your selections, please scroll down to the bottom and click “Submit and Sign Up”. On the next page, it will ask you to either log in using sign up genius or facebook or it has an option to enter your name and email address. You do not have to create an account to sign up, it will allow to sign up as a guest. We will then be notified that you signed up. Sign Up Genius will send you an emailed reminder a couple days before your sign up date. Thank you so much! We appreciate all that you do! This week has been a crazy one and I have not had a chance to print the missing work reports. I will make sure each student is given their report tomorrow morning. I told the children today that they will have an extended deadline of until Tuesday to get any missing assignments turned in. Next week is the end of the quarter, and I would love to see as many assignments turned in as possible.
Thank you for your understanding in this. I will make sure grades are fully updated tomorrow as well, and send out a note to all parents letting you know that progress reports have been updated. Mrs. Murbach We are approaching the end of our first quarter together. The grading period will end on October 19, just a short 10 days away. I will be passing out one more missing work report on Wednesday and those assignments will be due on Monday, October 17.
Last week, I introduced our reading groups to the students. They are making progress within their groups. This week, I will be adding in literacy centers. This will be a rotating schedule where students reinforce comprehension, and will also work on their writing skills. This week we will be starting a colony project that will last approximately three weeks. Students will be researching specific information about the American colonies and the people who lived there. They will be making a book, taking on a persona of a colonial character. In addition, they will be creating a business storefront sign for their fictional business. Lastly, they will be placed into groups and will create a presentation on an aspect of colonial life. This project should be a fun and creative way to learn more about life in a colony. I am excited to start this with the children. Lastly, we will be introducing class money to the class. Financial literacy is a vital skill for all of us. In fifth grade, we go to Biz Town. This will be just one aspect of real world concepts we will be covering in preparation for Biz Town. Tomorrow starts the first school day of a new month, and the count down to the end of the quarter. Students will be bringing home a missing work report on Wednesday and will have until the following Monday to have any missing assignments turned in.
I am so excited for our new IB Planner that we started this last week. We are now learning about Genetics in Science and Colonization in History. This week we will be doing an overview of animal cells and inherited traits. We will also be looking over the 13 colonies. Spelling will again be resuming this week. Reading logs will be due along with spelling homework on Friday. We will be finishing up Chapter 2 in our math books and will be taking our test on Thursday. I loved seeing so many parents and families last week. Thank you so much for meeting with me, and walking through some of our in class activities. There are so many things going on this week. First of all, we have Grandparents Day on Wednesday. We are inviting Grandparents into the classroom from 8:30-9:00. We have a mini lesson and share with the Grandparents. From there, we will be taking the Grandparents with us to the Book Fair from 9:00-9:20. Wednesday and Thursday are Student Led Conferences. Please sign up for a time if you have not already done so. Please choose a time that you can bring your child with you. You can do that at this link: This week, we will not have spelling. There will not be a test, and there won’t be homework. I am sure the students will not mind! ;) Thursday is an early release day. Please pick up your child at 1:15. There is no school on Friday.
We are starting a new IB unit this week! We are moving away from landforms and explorers and into heredity and colonization. I am excited to teach the children my favorite part of American history! Our classroom Scholastic Book Orders are due on Thursday if anyone else wanted to order this month! Our class code is: Q3Z4R. I can also take money in the classroom if you would prefer not to pay online. |
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
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