January Updates 2015

January Updates

It has taken me some time to write this month's blog due to everything being moved as a result of 2 consecutive snow days.  Hopefully, mother nature and other issues will not yield the same results this winter season.

Remember No School Monday due to MLK National Holiday. Enjoy your equality.

NWEA Moved

Mrs. Alston gave our class permission to use an alternative lab and to reschedule our test to a better suited day and time. Thank you Mrs. Alston. Everyone completed it and applied 100% effort. I could not have been more proud. Some students even tested for more than 1 hour of testing.

1/9 to 1/16 (Math Test) Due to Snow day, everyone completed it!
1/15 to 1/20, 1 PM (Reading Test) To avoiding testing consecutive days

Important Dates

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015: Math Unit Test 6, Using Data and Addition and Subtraction of Fractions
Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015: Social Studies Chapter 9 Project due, tentatively

Mark your calendar

Monday, January 19, 2015: No School, MLK Day National Holiday
Monday, January 26, 2015: No school, Professional Development District wide
Friday, Jan. 30, 2015:Winter Survival, 9:30- 2:00 PM (Outdoors)
Monday, Feb. 9, 2015: NAAPID day, National Parent Involvement Day, All parents welcome
Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015: Science Fair, 6:30- 8 PM, attendance is not mandatory

Progress Reports for Social Studies

Due to the depth of intense  activities due, it was necessary to give a progress report for chapters 6, 7 and 8. Parents are to sign and assist their child with completion of the assignments.

Reteach, Retake

I have kept all Unit test 5 for Math due to almost 1/2 the class needing to retake sections of the test. There were several factors contributing to this:

• The test was given the day before break
• Students rushed.
• Difficult concepts taught by my intern and myself

I will be passing back all this week.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly

Our class collaborated and wrote a poem using figurative language about Dr. King titled, The Man, the Leader, Our King.  Also, Juno wrote an original poem about Dr. King titled, Peaceful as a lamb. In addition to those original poems, presenters from our class read a former Pattengill's poem titled, A man named Martin. (See a separate blog with the poetry and video.)

Subjects at Glance

Math: Studying Data and statistical landmarks via Line plots, Stem and leaf, Bar Graphs. Also, students will be learning how to add and subtract fractions the standard way and a "new way".
ELA:
Reading: The entire fifth grade team used a data cycle to give a pretest and post test on myths           and legends, traditional literature introduced in fifth grade. Ask your child to tell you more.
Writing: Our class wrote historical fiction journal entries from the perspective of a slave. Each journal entry had to describe a part on the Triangular Trade Route of Slavery System with a realistic conflict. This was integrated with Chapter 8, Facing Slavery in History Alive, America's Past. Students will be graded using a rubric. Students will be writing a day without equality or justice as a realistic fiction story.
Poetry Anthology: Our class recently learned figurative language: similes, metaphor, idioms, personification and hyperbole. This knowledge was used to write original poetry about Dr. King.
Social Studies: We are concluding our studies of Chapter 8, Facing Slavery and Core Democratic Values of Equality and Justice. Chapter 9, Colonial Williamsburg focuses on the lifestyle of most colonists. Economics will be integrated with this chapter.
Science: Students are studying Motion. Soon students will begin Human Body Unit integrated with Writing.

 Winter Survival

Planning for Winter Survival will begin next week. The first day is the selection of groups: each group can be as small as 4 students and no larger than 6 students. Students are allowed to pick groups with their friends. Also, students will decide which meal will be prepared. The second day will consist of delegating what each student will bring. The final days will be used to confirm parental permission and purchase of the items. All groups will adhere to strict religious or dietary medical restrictions. It is my desire that each group have a chaperone to monitor each group at winter survival.

Each child must have the following items in order to be prepared:

• Warm jacket
• Snow pants
• Hat
• Boots
• Insulated gloves
• 2 pairs of socks or toe warmers
• 2 layers of clothing