New Home

New Home

August 19, 2018

Goodbye Pattengill Pumas and the PumaThinkers. Hello, Dicken and the Pod-Thinkers.
Puma Thinkers@blogspot.com has a new home, Hubbard's Headlines.
Please view the new blog for updated information as I embrace change and set my eyes on the prize.

Giving you all the best,

Avery Hubbard

June 2018

June 2018

June is here.

Forget-Me-Not Dates

Friday, June 8, 2018: Clean Cubbies, Part I
Friday, June 8, 2018: Field Day begins after lunch. (Apply sunscreen, and pack extra)
Students can wear a hat to shield the sun.
Monday, June 11, 2018: Buhr Water park, 10:00 AM- 3:30PM ($6.00)[walking field trip]
Tuesday, June 12, 2018: Dairy Queen, 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM [Walking field trip] $2- $10.00
(Tentative)
Tuesday, June 12, 2018: Clean cubbies part II
Wednesday, June 13, 2018: Rolling Hills Water park, 9:30 AM- 2:30 PM, [bus field trip]
Thursday, June 14, 2018: Fifth Grade Promotion, 2:00 -3:00 PM cafeteria
Friday, June 15, 2018: Last Day of School, half day 11:39 AM (Autograph signing on T-shirts)

Swim Items for field trips

• Swim suit (some students choose to wear under their clothes)
• clean undergarments (after swimming)
• swim towel
• deodorant (optional)
• lotion 
• sunscreen (for reapplying)
• Hair essentials (optional)
• sack lunch + cold beverage
• additional snack (after the pool)

Missing Books

If any student has missing books or materials, the front office may withhold your Spring report letter until all bills are paid or the item is found. 

Avoiding the Summer slide

Avoiding the Summer Slide

If your child does not go to summer school, try using these websites for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Below this section are more summer ideas.

Below are free websites to help your child and family find activities:
readwritethink (writing and reading resources)
Wordgames (spelling/ word study)
Greek and Latin Root practice
mathgames1 (freemath games)
access to free ebooks (kindles and phones)
free articles for kids
free DC comic online
free marvel kids activities
Kidoku free
https://www.mathplayground.com/


Math

·      Practice math facts and computation skills weekly.

·      Cook with a recipe (double, triple or reduce to half using multiplication and division)

·      Incorporate Math night (Powers of 10) into Game Night: Monopoly, etc. 

·      Create real word problems with 2 operations.

• The local grocery store is a great place to apply math skills at all age levels:

·       Use estimation skills to predict how much the grocery bill will be.

·       Comparison-shopping: How much do you save per ounce (or another unit) by buying in bulk? (Grocery store versus Sam's Costco)

·       Look at expiration dates: Which products have short shelf lives? long shelf lives? Why?

·       How much can you save by buying products on sale? (Use Percent, decimals and fractions interchangeably.)

Reading (Writing)

• Visit the library weekly or biweekly and check out books.
• Have a word of the day (discuss the root, base word and share the meaning and try to use it appropriately)
• Discuss the structure of the text (how the information is organized)
• Compare and contrast (2 different topics)
• Sequence (chronological order: beginning, middle, and ending)
• Cause and effect
• Problem and solution
• Description
• Read one chapter book a week (alternating fiction and nonfiction weekly)
• Find the fiction elements (characters, conflict, setting and plot outline.)
• Discuss the theme (fiction)
• Discuss the author’s purpose for writing. (Nonfiction theme)
• Apply theme to your life.

Activities

• Get the Bedtime Math app for leveled math problems with answers
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m77S9ZY4w1A
• Study one self-selected topic and create a project from the research
• Include graphical features
• Rank restaurants or ice cream places with 3 supporting details (My family loved this one.)
• Join a kid investment club
• Nature Walk and Talks
• Have a weekly estimation challenge: dried beans, pasta, and other small trinkets. Discuss strategies and estimation steps.

More academic links:

• Continue to use Lexia Core5 throughout the summer.  Lexia Core5 will allow your child to get additional reading practice. Look for a letter that will be sent home with your student’s login information.
• National Geographic Kids (https://kids.nationalgeographic.com): Great nature videos, activities, games, stories, and more
• Discovery Kids (https://discoverykids.ph): Video, games and activities to explore dinosaurs, sharks, space, pets, history and more
• Smithsonian Kids Collecting: (http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students/idealabs/amazing_collections.html): how to start your own collection and see what other kids collect
• The Last American Dinosaurs https://naturalhistory.si.edu/fossil-hall/last-american-dinosaurs/): from the National Museum of Natural History
• NASA Kids Club:(https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html): a place to play games and learn about NASA through interactive explorations
• My Wonderful World (http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/mywonderfulworld/): A multimedia tour of our seven continents
• Time for Kids (https://www.timeforkids.com): Fun games (The Great State Race), an online weekly magazine written for kids, and news from around the world.
• Visit a children’s museum and discover new things together, create new memories, introduce your student to unknown ideas & concepts, have your student use the Museum Guide/Map to guide the exploration.
• Keep a simple journal or diary. Advanced/ Technology savvy, keep a photo diary.
• Write an opinion letter explaining one item he or she should earn for the summer.
• Write a letter (email) weekly. Be sure to include:Date, greetings, Introduction, body and conclusion, and closing:
• Grandparents/ aunts
• cousins
• Local Mayor
• City council
• State and Federal government officials
• Favorite author

Just for Laughs

May 2018

May 2018

Important Dates

Thursday, May 10, 2018: Unit Test 6, Investigations in Measurement, Multiplication and Division  with Decimals

Forget Me Not Dates

Tuesday, May 8, 2018: No School, Local Election Day 
Wednesday, May 9, 2018: Bike to school day
Monday, May 14, 2018: Instrumental music concert, 6:30 PM, Pattengill Cafeteria
Monday, May 14, 2018: NWEA, MAP testing Reading, 10:00 AM Lab C
Friday, May 18, 2018: Spring Fling: Our biggest Fundraiser for the school 6:00- 8:00 PM
Friday, May 18, 2018: NWEA, MAP testing Reading cont. 10:00 AM Lab C
Wednesday, May 23, 2018: NWEA, MAP Math testing, 10:00 AM Lab C
Wednesday, May 23, 2018, Early Release, dismissal 1:29 PM
Friday, May 25, 2018, NWEA, MAP Math continued
Monday, May 28, 2018: No school, Memorial Day.

Looking Ahead

Thursday, Jun. 14, 2018: Fifth Grade Promotion, 2:00 PM in the cafeteria
Friday, Jun. 15, 2018: Last Day of School, half day (autograph signing bring t-shirt, yearbook or special notebook.)

Subjects at a Glance

Everyday Math: We are currently concluding Unit 6 which involves multiplication and Division of decimals. Students are learning 2 strategies for both multiplying and dividing decimals.
Language Arts:
Writing: Students will be conducting a research paper about the Human body. Students will choose a body system of their choice.
Reading: Students are learning how to apply theme to their lives from books and reviewing the literary skills learned this year.
Social Studies: Students are concluding their study of Africa.
Science: We have begun our study of the human body: we have learned how bones are connected and how muscles move.

Technology Supplements
http://www.kidfriendlysearch.com/Science.htm kid friendly search engines

https://kidskonnect.com/health/human-body/ Human body resources

Google doc with requirements

Sample notes for research
sample draft

Reproductive System Letter and Unit

Last week a letter was sent home stating the previewing of the Reproductive system will be May 18, 2018. The letter also included the process of opting out of the unit. If you choose to opt of the instruction, your child will receive alternative health lesson about nutrition and safety.

M-STEP schedule

M-STEP Schedule 

April 4, 2018

Dear Families,

Below is the schedule for the M-STEP Test 2018. M-STEP, Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, is a newly, designed standardized assessment given to grades 3- 8, and grade 11. This year the test window is April 9- May 1, 2018 for fifth-graders. Your fifth-grade child will be tested in the subject areas of ELA Reading, Mathematics , Social Studies and pilot Science.  If your child is tardy or absent on a test day, he or she will have to make- up the missed part of the test on a rescheduled date. Keep a copy of the calendar posted or handy.

Info to Know:

• M-STEP is not a timed test.
• Having a peaceful night’s rest helps.
• Eating a balanced breakfast and lunch is important.
• Be mindful of the schedule as you plan appointments or early student pickups
• Homework assignments and some classroom assignments will decrease.
• No Homework, the day of a scheduled test.

What M-STEp means, what it offers, etc.

We need your help!  On the calendar are the types of food we will need. The count is 24.  If possible, try to have the snacks in one day prior to the scheduled date.  Avoid popcorn, as well as chocolate, nuts or tree nuts. All food must be labeled or store bought. Sample list is below. If you are able to send in a snack, send a note or email as soon as possible, subject line, M-STEP snacks along with the date.

Suggestions:

Breakfast: Fruit, cereal, bagels (cream cheese), yogurt, or a protein bar

Beverage: milk, 100% juice boxes or small, 8-oz bottled water         Students should bring a reusable water bottle too. (No refills during the test.)

Healthy snack: sandwich crackers, fruit, pretzels, or yogurt

Gum: sugar-free, spearmint types (as needed) or peppermints

Snacks: Packaged treats ( Individually wrapped snacks) needed for make ups too

Paper products:  bowls, napkins and spoons

Gratefully, Avery V. Hubbard

Abbreviations

CAT- Computer Adaptive

ELA- English Language Arts

	April  2018
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9Math CAT 9:20-11:20 AM Lab C Breakfast Beverage Snack Gum mints	10	11 Science  Lab C 9:20-11:20 AM Breakfast Beverage Snack Gum mints	12	13	14
15	16	17 ELA-CAT 1:00-3:30 PM Lab C Snack Beverage Gum mints	18	19 Yearbook photos Social Studies Part I 1:00- 3:30 PM (Lab C) Snack Beverage Gum mints	20 Earth Day/ Day of Service No Testing	21
22	23	24 Social Studies Part II 1:00-3:30 PM (LAB C) Snack Beverage Gum mints	25	26	27	28
29	30 Last Make up for Fifth Grade 5/1	Notes: NWEA and Reading Inventory, RI, formerly SRI, May 1- June 15, dates will be sent in May.