Halloween Candy

A reminder that Halloween candy can be brought into the classroom tomorrow to "buy" some free time in the swimming pool this week! Every pound brought in will earn them a certain amount of time?! How healthy can we be? Let's get some swim time!!

Swimming tomorrow! (10/26)

Just a reminder that we will have swimming tomorrow, Oct. 26, 2010.

Spelling

Since this is a shortened school week, there will not be a regular spelling test/list this week. Instead, the students will be going through their spelling notebooks to look for words that have been misspelled on final tests. They will use these words as a review test next Monday. If there are more than 20 total words that have been missed, we will choose the most frequently used words in our speaking and writing to create the final list. There will not be a test in the classroom this week. A one time test of the missed words will ONLY BE ON MONDAY.
If you have questions, please let me know. Thanks!
Mrs. Lockhart

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Tomorrow the fourth and fifth grade students will be going to the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center for the production of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The students will be reading the book this year as part of one of their literature units called Books 2 Movies. While we have not yet done this unit, the students will have the opportunity to make some connections from the play to the book when we do start that unit. Please visit with your child about appropriate audience etiquette since this is something that we stress as well; especially since they are representing our school and their family.

Math Homework

Just a heads up...tonight (10/19) students may be studying specific concepts from their concept chart they created for Unit 2. As we checked the students progress today they may have felt that they needed a little more work on certain concepts. They will be using their chart to help guide them to better understanding tonight then complete their "Checking Progress" sheets tomorrow in class.

Mr. Nielsen

Planners

We have several students who are "forgetting" their planners at home. Please help to see that your child has his/her planner in the school bag each evening before returning to school.

Thanks!
Mrs. Lockhart and Mr. Nielsen

Reminder!!!

Spelling test will be on THURSDAY, NOT on Friday of this week.

The students do not have school on Friday, October 15 due to the Northern Iowa Conference League professional development day that will be held here at UNI and Price Lab School.

Millions, Billions and Trillions

Today we tackled the concept of millions, billions and trillions. The students estimated how long it would take them to tap their desk one million times, then a billion times, then a trillion times. To illustrate the difference between a million, billion and a trillion we used this web site http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html The website is not exactly what we were looking for because the illustration uses a trillion dollars in $100's. It did serve the purpose. Thought you might like to see it.

Lunchroom Salads

Since the inception of Grassroots Cafe last year, the elementary students have had the option of purchasing a delicious garden salad instead of the main entree. While this is a great option for those who don't necessary like the main dish, it is becoming somewhat of a problem. The problem is they are being purchased, but not eaten. Several students are choosing to eat the bread that is provided with the salad and the cheese (from the top of the salad). The fruit and the salad itself are being thrown away. Not only is this a waste of great food, (and your money!) it is not providing them with the necessary fuel to get through the afternoon. This situation is being closely monitored again this week in the lunchroom. Last week we did speak to the entire 5th grade class about this situation. The menu follows a very similar pattern each week, so students can typically predict if there is something that they don't like. The students suggested writing in their planners on the day(s) that they want to bring cold lunch so they will have something in their system for the afternoon.

Mrs. Lockhart
Mr. Nielsen

School Pictures

School pictures have arrived and will be sent home with students on Friday.

Writing Assignment:

The students have been given 1 of 5 writing prompts for today's writing assignment. Over the course of the last two weeks, we have put a lot of focus on writing complete sentences, using capitalization rules, and getting our ideas to connect to one another. This short story should focus on some of those key concepts from our class time together.

The students always ask, "How long should it be?" There is never a good answer to that question! At this point in their "career" they should certainly be able to develop a story that is more than every other line on a sheet of paper (both sides). The most important thing about their writing is not about length, rather content. Does the writing make sense? Did I make good use of sentence structure? (meaning, sentences vary in the way that they start. Not every sentence starts with "And then...." or "Then....." or "So,.....")

Another strategy that we have used in all areas of writing is to reread a writing assignment out loud to yourself. Read it exactly the way that it is written. By reading it silently they will read it the way they want it to sound, not as it is written. The students can certainly practice this before coming to class tomorrow with a rough draft completed.

Mrs. Lockhart

Walk to school day!

Reminder: Tomorrow is walk to school day. Meet at Seerley Park at 8:00 AM. We will leave the park at approximately 8:15 for the school. Looking forward to good weather.

Book Orders: Order online or send order to school

Below is the information that some of you have requested again about ordering online. Thanks to those who purchased online last month. The books will arrive here at school and I will get them passed out to your child. There are some parents who have ordered books for birthdays or Christmas in the past. Just let me know in advance through an email or a phone call that you would like me to "hold" your purchases until a specified date. We will arrange a way to get the books to you. If you would like another book order flyer, please let me know. Or, they are also available to view online.

Online Ordering Information
Web address: scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GN23R

In order to make our deadline and have all our books arrive on time, your order to Scholastic Book Clubs is due BY OCTOBER 8.

Use the order form in the flyer your child recently brought home and return it to me with your payment (cash or check made out to Scholastic)

Or, make it easy and send me your order online!

Go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs and log in using your user name and password.

If it’s your first time ordering online, use the Class Activation Code shown above to get started

* SIGN UP at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the “Don’thave a user name or password?“ link, then register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code shown above. This code ensures that your order is sent to me.

* SELECT the books you’d like to order—choose from thousands of titles—many more than in our monthly flyers.

* SEND your order to me online by the due date and your child’s books will be delivered directly to my classroom.

Ordering online is fast and easy!

Best of all, we earn a FREE book for the classroom library every time a parent places an order online.


Thank you!
Mrs. Lockhart