update 3/31

Last day of March!!

This week we are finishing our planet reports.  Projects are due tomorrow.  Each child will present his/her project to the entire class.  If for some reason we run out of time for presentations tomorrow, your child will present Monday. I am looking forward to it!  All paper projects will be on display in our hallway and/or display case.   Digital projects will be posted on the Google Classroom for others to view again.

In reading this week, we reviewed some fiction stories and practiced being close readers and answering questions efficiently.   We used a timer to make sure we were able to complete the tasks.  Next week, we will be working  on making some review games to play for our upcoming AIR testing.  ELA testing will be April 12 and 13- Tuesday and Wednesday.  It will be two 90 minute sessions, one each day.

Next week, we will be also practice by using the released AIR questions so students can be exposed to that.  If you want to check it out, here is the link.

A few reminders:
*Please return report card envelopes if you haven't already.
*No reading log due tomorrow. The Planet Project is due instead.  There will be a reading log due next Friday, April 8.

update 3-15

Fourth quarter has begun and Spring Break will be here next week!

This week in reading, we are reading some fictional stories and reviewing the words tone and mood.  We started by reading a story called Sweet Music in Harlem and will end the week reading The Tortoise and the Hare.  We are also talking about how the visuals affect the tone and meaning of the story.

In writing, we started our planet project.  We watched a video about all of the planets and then each child chose the planet he/she wanted to research.  Ask you child which planet he/she chose!  We will be reading and researching details about these planets in order to write a report/essay about it.  Today we brainstormed main ideas and tomorrow will write notes under each one in order to develop an essay.

The planet project should be completed at home and is due Friday, April 1.  Students will have to present their projects that day to the class.  Click here for the project.  It will be given out before spring break so it can be worked on ahead of time if needed.  The project can be made on the computer or using paper, it is up to each child.  There will be no reading log due April 1 because this will replace it.

*Reading Log due this Friday, March 18 for all students.    Have a great Spring Break!

update 3-7

This is our last week of the third quarter.  We have our last reading summative of the third quarter this week on Wednesday and Thursday.  We also have kept practicing writing opinion pieces.  The one we finished today was about which makes a better pet, a cat or a dog?   The kids were interested in this.

Our next writing topic is informational report writing.  We will start by reading and watching videos about the Solar System.  This will tie into their learning in science class about space that will be starting soon.

For reading, we will be reading some more fictional stories and talking about how visuals affect the story while reviewing theme, setting, plot, and characters.  I stopped reading Because of Mr. Terupt when part two came about.  Kids can now borrow the book to finish it if interested.

Reading Counts Goals are due by this Friday.  If your child met his/her goal last Friday, they do not have a reading log due this Friday.  It was amazing that the majority of kids met their goals early!!  They keep reading lots and lots of books...which makes me happy!

Final results for our chocolate milk debate

Our chocolate milk results-7 days in...it was amazing to see the POWER of knowledge!  Each class started with very few people being against serving chocolate milk in school to the following results.  It was a powerful experience and we learned a lot during the process!

10 against and 12 for and Mrs. Skeels' class

8 against and 16 for in Mrs. Stoyle's class

13 against and 12 for in Mrs. Will's class

We continue to read aloud Because of Mr. Terupt, it is an engaging book for sure!

Next week marks the last week of the 3rd quarter.  There will be an informational reading summative next week.  This week, we are reviewing the skills that will be covered on this test.  Reading Counts points are due by March 11. I met with each child last Friday and reviewed their progress.  This Friday there is a reading log due that is required for all students.  If your child meets his/her reading counts goal by this Friday, they will be excused from next week's reading log homework.

We also will finish the quarter writing opinion pieces.  We have learned how to write a counter-claim so ask your child about it!  The kids chose their own topics to write about this week ranging from the need to recycle to world peace to building a Chipotle in Aurora!  Ask your child what he/she is writing about.

AIR Testing (our Language Arts testing) will take place April 12 and 13. There are two testing sessions.  One day is reading, answering a few questions and writing an essay while the other day is just reading passages and answering questions.

Update 2-22

We are four days into our chocolate milk debate!  Tomorrow is the big day where the kids will have to decide their final position on the issues.  We have watched videos, read articles, and had many discussions and sharing sessions.  They will have to choose a position and we will be writing opinion essays about it.  I am curious how many changed their minds.  I will take a final picture when done and post.

During read-aloud, we are reading a book called "Because of Mr. Terupt".  Click the book below to read more about it.   The book is awesome because it is about seven different kids experiencing fifth grade and their interactions.  Each child is unique and his/her own quirks about them.  The beauty of this book is that each kid can identity with at least part of one character if not more.  The characters change through the story...the kids seem to love it so far!


Later on this week, we will learn about tone and mood.  Ask you child about the Mary Poppins trailers at the end of the week.  We will also discuss how visuals affect the story by reading a story called, "Sweet Music in Harlem."

Reading Counts goals are due by March 11.  There is an incentive if they finish them early by March 4...

...your child will be excused and earn a 10/10 for the last reading log of the third quarter.  

*That means, he/she won’t have to do the last one due March 11!  Any questions, see Mrs. Skeels.

Chocolate Milk Debate

Should we continue to serve chocolate milk in our schools?

This is the question we will be researching and debating in class. First, I had all of the kids decide which point of view they support. Then they wrote a quick response about it.  And then, our research began. 

Mrs. Will's Random Acts of Kindness Project