Tonight students should complete pg. 14 of the Student Math Journal. Parents please use your best judgment on how much time students spend on this. Some of the items may be review and some may be completely new to the students. If they don't know the process try the Student Reference Book for help, the page numbers on listed in the boxes. If you feel like the student is spending too much time on the problems stop. We will go over the items in class tomorrow.
Mr. Nielsen
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Writer's Workshop- Rough Draft Due
For the last week, we have been focusing our attention on BOLD BEGINNINGS in our writing. How does a writer capture the attention of the reader from the first part of the reading? One way is by showing action. What kind of strong action words can be used to allow the reader to SEE what is happening?
The students have been given an idea sheet (8 boxes about a story idea) that is in their binder. Last week they worked on brainstorming ideas for a story that is TRUE and about them. They know that these boxes are just places to record ideas so they have them when writing the actual story. Some students are still working on the completion of these boxes, so please check your child's.
BY THURSDAY: A rough draft (written every other line on the loose leaf paper in their binder) of the story. This story is not going to be a chapter book! It is not going to be 3 paragraphs long either. Focus on a strong beginning, but also be able to tell the story in a succinct manner. Editing and revisions will be done here in class as we continue through the writing process.
Daily Oral Geography and Daily Oral Language: These are two of the five rotating stations that your child will be visiting each week at the start of their school day. There will be four questions about geography that they will need to answer in complete sentences. A strategy that we have worked on in class is taking part of the question and using it as part of your answer. For example: What is the capital city of Iowa? ANSWER: The capital city of Iowa is Des Moines.
Daily oral language includes two sentences that include spelling errors, grammatical errors and punctuation errors. Students rewrite the sentences to make them correct. If they do not finish these at school during the week, they will be sent home on Thursday night. Using atlases for geography is definitely encouraged! They are also encouraged to use the Franklin Spell Checkers to find spelling errors.
The students have been given an idea sheet (8 boxes about a story idea) that is in their binder. Last week they worked on brainstorming ideas for a story that is TRUE and about them. They know that these boxes are just places to record ideas so they have them when writing the actual story. Some students are still working on the completion of these boxes, so please check your child's.
BY THURSDAY: A rough draft (written every other line on the loose leaf paper in their binder) of the story. This story is not going to be a chapter book! It is not going to be 3 paragraphs long either. Focus on a strong beginning, but also be able to tell the story in a succinct manner. Editing and revisions will be done here in class as we continue through the writing process.
Daily Oral Geography and Daily Oral Language: These are two of the five rotating stations that your child will be visiting each week at the start of their school day. There will be four questions about geography that they will need to answer in complete sentences. A strategy that we have worked on in class is taking part of the question and using it as part of your answer. For example: What is the capital city of Iowa? ANSWER: The capital city of Iowa is Des Moines.
Daily oral language includes two sentences that include spelling errors, grammatical errors and punctuation errors. Students rewrite the sentences to make them correct. If they do not finish these at school during the week, they will be sent home on Thursday night. Using atlases for geography is definitely encouraged! They are also encouraged to use the Franklin Spell Checkers to find spelling errors.
Spelling Lists- Week 2
Spelling Lists- Week 2
This week's spelling skills cover the long a and the long e vowel sounds. There are different ways in which each of these sounds can be written in a word. We have talked about three of them this week.
1. The long a sound can be represented by: ai (as in the word claim), a-consonant-e (as in the word populate) and the letter combination ei (as in the word neighbor).
2. The long e sound can be represented by: ee (as in needle), ea (as in the word feature) , y (as in foggy), e-consonant-e (as in the word complete)
Since there are so many different vowel combinations for the English language, it is uncommon for the students to ask, "How do we know which one to use?" One strategy that we have discussed last year and again this year is to write the word three different ways. Out of those three spellings, which one looks like one that you have seen before in reading? Choose the one that looks more familiar.
Spelling list:
1. eighty
2. daily
3. operate
4. claim
5. freight
6. neighbor
7. explain
8. straight
9. contain
10. populate
11. needle
12. beneath
13. foggy
14. gasoline
15. complete
16. scary
17. screen
18. police
19. feature
20. memory
If your child missed 2 or less on the pretest, a challenge list is sent home. The list for this week is:
1. notify
2. raven
3. climate
4. vehicles
5. alien
6. idol
7. trial
8. basis
9. creature
10. motivate
11. species
12. notion
13. prior
14. reality
15. idle
16. trophy
17. premium
18. oval
19. mutual
20. noble
This week's spelling skills cover the long a and the long e vowel sounds. There are different ways in which each of these sounds can be written in a word. We have talked about three of them this week.
1. The long a sound can be represented by: ai (as in the word claim), a-consonant-e (as in the word populate) and the letter combination ei (as in the word neighbor).
2. The long e sound can be represented by: ee (as in needle), ea (as in the word feature) , y (as in foggy), e-consonant-e (as in the word complete)
Since there are so many different vowel combinations for the English language, it is uncommon for the students to ask, "How do we know which one to use?" One strategy that we have discussed last year and again this year is to write the word three different ways. Out of those three spellings, which one looks like one that you have seen before in reading? Choose the one that looks more familiar.
Spelling list:
1. eighty
2. daily
3. operate
4. claim
5. freight
6. neighbor
7. explain
8. straight
9. contain
10. populate
11. needle
12. beneath
13. foggy
14. gasoline
15. complete
16. scary
17. screen
18. police
19. feature
20. memory
If your child missed 2 or less on the pretest, a challenge list is sent home. The list for this week is:
1. notify
2. raven
3. climate
4. vehicles
5. alien
6. idol
7. trial
8. basis
9. creature
10. motivate
11. species
12. notion
13. prior
14. reality
15. idle
16. trophy
17. premium
18. oval
19. mutual
20. noble
Friday, August 27, 2010
Math Homework
Homework for this weekend...
Math - Sheet called "Making Dot Arrays" should be completed and returned to school on Monday. On that sheet you will see a highlighted line at the bottom of the page. Students should look for arrays around the house and bring in examples. Please DO NOT send anything to school with your child that would be valuable. If there were something that they would like to share with the class and it is valuable or too big, a short description or drawing of the item would be just fine.
Mr. Nielsen
Math - Sheet called "Making Dot Arrays" should be completed and returned to school on Monday. On that sheet you will see a highlighted line at the bottom of the page. Students should look for arrays around the house and bring in examples. Please DO NOT send anything to school with your child that would be valuable. If there were something that they would like to share with the class and it is valuable or too big, a short description or drawing of the item would be just fine.
Mr. Nielsen
Fifth Grade News
We have had a good week of school. Nice temperatures, good thinking and getting use to our routines all have been pleasant experiences for the fifth grade. The students are doing well adjusting to our schedules and are learning their responsibilities.
Part of the student's responsibility is coming to class ready learn. We have had a few instances where students have brought things to school that have distracted them from learning. If your child wears a bracelet or necklace to school please remind them that these items should not get in the way of learning.
This year the students will be bringing home Friday Folders. The folder is bright orange and will have the student's name on it. Please sign the INSIDE of the folder when you look at the materials and send it back to school with your child each Monday. Because of a late Citizenship Assembly dismissal today (8/26) Mrs. Lockhart's students didn't get their folders. They will be bring it home on Monday.
Good job remembering swimming suits and towels on Thursday and being leaders at the Citizenship Assembly on Friday! Way to go Fifth Graders!
Mrs. Lockhart
Mr. Nielsen
Part of the student's responsibility is coming to class ready learn. We have had a few instances where students have brought things to school that have distracted them from learning. If your child wears a bracelet or necklace to school please remind them that these items should not get in the way of learning.
This year the students will be bringing home Friday Folders. The folder is bright orange and will have the student's name on it. Please sign the INSIDE of the folder when you look at the materials and send it back to school with your child each Monday. Because of a late Citizenship Assembly dismissal today (8/26) Mrs. Lockhart's students didn't get their folders. They will be bring it home on Monday.
Good job remembering swimming suits and towels on Thursday and being leaders at the Citizenship Assembly on Friday! Way to go Fifth Graders!
Mrs. Lockhart
Mr. Nielsen
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Swimming Reminder
Tomorrow is our first swimming day. Please make sure your child has their swimming suit, towel and plastic bag for the return home. We are looking forward to a great day!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Early Years Assignment
In writer's workshop, we are starting the year off by writing our memoirs. The students will be writing a lot of short stories about themselves in the next couple of weeks. The questions below are part of the first assignment for your child. They will need to visit with a family member about themselves by asking the questions and recording the answers themselves. They will be using the information from this activity for a writing project. In the past, the students have always enjoyed this activity and have shared funny things with the class about what they did when they were younger.
The questions will be sent home on a hard copy on Monday. Please return the sheet and answers to school no later than FRIDAY, AUGUST 27.
Thanks!
Mrs. Lockhart
THE EARLY YEARS
The following questions' answers will be all about YOU! Ask a family member (or two!) about what you were like when you were younger. Record the answers on the sheet. If you run out of space, you can use the back of this sheet, or another sheet of paper.
1. What did I like to do when I was 2 or 3 years old
2. What did I like to eat when I was little?
3. What didn't I like to eat?
4. Do you remember my first birthday celebration? What was it like?
5. What was my first day of school (preschool or k'garten) like for me? What was it like for you when I went to school?
6. What was my first word?
7. Is there something funny that I said or did when I was younger that made everybody laugh?
8. Is there anything else that you can tell me about when I was little?
The questions will be sent home on a hard copy on Monday. Please return the sheet and answers to school no later than FRIDAY, AUGUST 27.
Thanks!
Mrs. Lockhart
THE EARLY YEARS
The following questions' answers will be all about YOU! Ask a family member (or two!) about what you were like when you were younger. Record the answers on the sheet. If you run out of space, you can use the back of this sheet, or another sheet of paper.
1. What did I like to do when I was 2 or 3 years old
2. What did I like to eat when I was little?
3. What didn't I like to eat?
4. Do you remember my first birthday celebration? What was it like?
5. What was my first day of school (preschool or k'garten) like for me? What was it like for you when I went to school?
6. What was my first word?
7. Is there something funny that I said or did when I was younger that made everybody laugh?
8. Is there anything else that you can tell me about when I was little?
5th Grade Spelling Information
This week's spelling list has words that are plural. To make a word plural, most of the time it is easy to just add the letter S to the word. However, with most spelling rules, there are exceptions. This is the spelling strategy:
Plural nouns name more than one person, place or thing.
The plural form of most nouns is created simply by adding the letter s.
Words that end in -ch, x, s or s-like sounds, however, will require an -es for the plural:
* more than one witch = witches
* more than one box = boxes
With words that end in a consonant and a y, you'll need to change the y to an i and add es.
more than one baby = babies
more than one pony = ponies
more than one monkey = monkeys (don't drop y and change to i because there is a vowel in front of the y!)
The spelling list for this week is as follows: *(your child will have a hard copy of the list for at home. Please take note of your child's list since some modifications are made to meet your child's spelling level)
1. monkeys
2. babies
3. teams
4. lunches
5. factories
6. scratches
7. trays
8. libraries
9. members
10. ladies
11. slippers
12. coaches
13. memories
14. friends
15. patches
16. adults
17. boxes
18. branches
19. inches
20. sandwiches
SPELLING PRETEST: Given on Monday *(If your child receives 100% on the pretest, a challenge list of words will be given and those words will be studied for the final test on Friday).
Throughout the week, we will do classroom skills that will practice our spelling words, but it is imperative that students break down the list throughout the week at home and study the words
SPELLING FINAL TEST: Given on Friday
Mrs. Lockhart
Plural nouns name more than one person, place or thing.
The plural form of most nouns is created simply by adding the letter s.
Words that end in -ch, x, s or s-like sounds, however, will require an -es for the plural:
* more than one witch = witches
* more than one box = boxes
With words that end in a consonant and a y, you'll need to change the y to an i and add es.
more than one baby = babies
more than one pony = ponies
more than one monkey = monkeys (don't drop y and change to i because there is a vowel in front of the y!)
The spelling list for this week is as follows: *(your child will have a hard copy of the list for at home. Please take note of your child's list since some modifications are made to meet your child's spelling level)
1. monkeys
2. babies
3. teams
4. lunches
5. factories
6. scratches
7. trays
8. libraries
9. members
10. ladies
11. slippers
12. coaches
13. memories
14. friends
15. patches
16. adults
17. boxes
18. branches
19. inches
20. sandwiches
SPELLING PRETEST: Given on Monday *(If your child receives 100% on the pretest, a challenge list of words will be given and those words will be studied for the final test on Friday).
Throughout the week, we will do classroom skills that will practice our spelling words, but it is imperative that students break down the list throughout the week at home and study the words
SPELLING FINAL TEST: Given on Friday
Mrs. Lockhart
Friday, August 20, 2010
Book Orders
There are two book orders that are being sent home today. You can purchase books from either, neither or both. If you write a check, please make it out to SCHOLASTIC. The book orders will be due to your either fifth grade teacher on or before Friday, August 27.
You can also submit an order online! Our classroom earns free books if parent order online, so if you would like to earn us books, great! Please read the letter that is in your child's Friday folder that explains how to set up an account on Scholastic!
You can also submit an order online! Our classroom earns free books if parent order online, so if you would like to earn us books, great! Please read the letter that is in your child's Friday folder that explains how to set up an account on Scholastic!
Swimming will begin on Thursday August 26
Please have a swimsuit and towel each week for swimming. If you're in need of a suit for swim classes, please contact one of the teachers.
Homework Assignments
Math
Complete p. 2 of Student Journal (will need the Student Reference book!) In the space under the directions on p. 2 write 4 numbers that are prime and 4 that are composite. The numbers written should not be any of the same numbers in either question 1 or 2.
Complete p. 2 of Student Journal (will need the Student Reference book!) In the space under the directions on p. 2 write 4 numbers that are prime and 4 that are composite. The numbers written should not be any of the same numbers in either question 1 or 2.
Math News- Student Reference Book
Throughout the course of the year, your child will be doing math homework through various assignments. One of those will be the Everyday Mathematics Journal, a paperback workbook. While your child will have received instruction on the work in the classroom, there may be questions that your child has about a problem in the book. This journal does not include example problems that may be similar to the math textbooks that we all used as students in elementary school. In ADDITION to the journal, there is a hardcover Student Reference Book (SRB) that should accompany the journal each night. In the event that a question arises, the SRB is a place for you to refer to for help. The math boxes that are assigned (in the journal) may have a small symbol in the corner of the box that has SRB and a page number on it. This symbol provides you with the page number that will directly relate to that particular skill. Hopefully this will help you with any questions that come up at home.
Mrs. Lockhart
Mr. Nielsen
Mrs. Lockhart
Mr. Nielsen
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Additions to the Supply List
We inadvertently left off some of the supply list that was posted on the school website. While we support being green we are not quite green enough to completely go paperless in the classroom. Please have your child bring the following items to school as soon as convenient for you.
2 packages of wide rule lined paper
1 ream of white paper
3 spiral notebooks (wide rule)
We are sorry this was not included in the original list.
Mrs. Lockhart
Mr. Nielsen
2 packages of wide rule lined paper
1 ream of white paper
3 spiral notebooks (wide rule)
We are sorry this was not included in the original list.
Mrs. Lockhart
Mr. Nielsen
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Welcome to 5th Grade
Welcome to fifth grade! We are glad that you chose MPLS as your school and are happy to be your teachers. We will have lots of interesting things for you to do to make your fifth grade year a memorable one. You will have a homeroom teacher and much of the instruction will be departmentalized. Mrs. Lockhart will teach writing and science and Mr. Nielsen will teach math and social studies. Both, along with Mrs. Miller, will be teaching literature. You will also go to Art and Music twice a week, Spanish four times a week, P.E. five times a week, Guidance one time a week and Library one time a week. Our swimming day will be on Thursday's. You will get to meet really cool teacher education students as we will have lots of UNI Friends visit our classes during the school year.
We are looking forward to a great 2010-11 school year with you.
Mrs. Lockhart
Mr. Nielsen
We are looking forward to a great 2010-11 school year with you.
Mrs. Lockhart
Mr. Nielsen
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