May Watts Fun Fair 3/19 11am-3pm

The May Watts Fun Fair is this Saturday, March 19th between 11am and 3pm. Please come for games, food, prizes, and a silent auction!

Curricular Update 3/1-3/11

This curricular update will include math and science from this week. Because of ISAT testing, reading, flex groups, and writing classes have been minimized.

Reading:

• Kids are giving meaning to words in context by using context clue strategies. We are performing skits to demonstrate the meanings of words like: swoon, pugnacious, distinguish, lethargic, pungent, despair, and undeniable.


• The kids are reading their traditional literature stories with two specific purposes: 1.) To analyze character personalities based on evidence and 2.) To recall important scenes from the text that are important to the goal/conflict of the characters and story.


• We'll probably start some type of reading in our reading anthology book-maybe a fictional story and we'll practice comprehension skills or strategies.


• We'll practice our fluency through 6 minute solution fluency practice, reading silently, and the read aloud.


• At some point we will also analyze non-fiction as we cross this with our current events subject and articles.

Writing:

• Next week we will be in the computer lab researching information about homework and trying to find data and sources to support our viewpoints about the amount of HW children receive.


• As we research, we are studying how to report our arguments in a persuasive manner as we study how to write and organize a persuasive essay.


• Kids will also have time to work on, as always, their student composed, self driven created work.

Math:

• This week and next week we are studying how to measure area for rectangles, triangles, and paralellograms.


• Towards the end of this week and early next week we will study how to measure volume for 3 dimensional objects and how to measure surface area.


• Finally, we will study how to measure area for a circle.


• We are going to study how to use formulas to measure area and volume for our objects and surfaces.


• There will be no math quiz this Friday, but one the following on the 11th.

Science:

• Our astronomy unit has been great. The kids are really enjoying it.


• This week we are studying different constellations, their stars, and the colors/temperatures, and how bright their stars are on the spectral classification scale.


• Kids have been also studying the life cycle of a star as we study constellations.


• Next week we'll finish up our unit with a study of galaxies and take a test, probably on Wednesday or Thursday.


• Be sure to study using the study sheets that are handed out in class.

ISAT Testing Week

HI 5V Families! This week is ISAT testing for 3rd through 5th grades.

Our schedule looks like this each day, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

10:30-11:30 Reading ISAT

12:00-1:00 Math ISAT

On Friday, March 4th between 1:45pm and 3:15pm, we will having our gold ticket celebration party because the kids made their goal of 1300 tickets in our recent counting period.

Children will have the choice between 2 movies (TBD) and can go to a 5th grade classroom to watch the movies. There will be no math class on Friday.

Debate Topic: Too Much Homework

Last week the kids and I studied an article from the Chicago Tribune about a school district in Illinois that is doing away with homework. The report questioned whether students in America are receiving too much homework and if there is any benefit to the homework.

I asked the kids what they thought prior to reading the article and to make their decisions based on their personal experiences as well as experiences with siblings and older friends.

This is what they had to say:

20% We receive too LITTLE HW.

45% We receive just the RIGHT amount of HW.

35% We receive too MUCH HW.

Opinions from kids:

Argument Too Little:

"Places like China and my cousins go to school year round and they get a lot and our scores are worse than theirs."

"We have to compete for jobs with others in America so we need more practice."

Argument Just Right:

"It's not a big deal. My brother in middle school is fine. He doesn't complain."

"Some nights we get a lot, sometimes not very much, so it balances out."

Argument Too Much:

"My sister is up till 1am sometimes. Once I went down into the basement and saw her working like at 1am."

"We're just kids and if we go to school that should be good enough, we don't need to do extra stuff after. My brother has SO much homework in high school."

Debate Topic: Bullying

Debate Topic: Bullying

Students were asked to write another persuasvive debate topic. In this case they were asked if law enforcement such as police and/or the courts should be involved in handling and punishing bullying matters that occur at the middle school and high school level:

NO: 23%

YES: 77%

Persuasive Points:

Against Law Enforcement Intervention:

"Only if there are people getting physically hurt-then the police should step in."

"It's not that big of a deal unless some one is emotionally disturbed by bullying."

For Law Enforcement Intervetion:

"Kids are afraid to go to school because of bullies."

"I've been bullied at school, at least once a month and it's a major problem."

"It's very serious-it can turn violent. I bet that shooter from Tuscon was bullied."

"Yes, especially in HS because it get can violent with shootings."

Important Dates and Reminders 2/14-2/18

Sunday, February 13th:

1. Blackboard Blog Posts due 11:59pm CST =) (For students who selected this option)

Monday, February 14th:

1. Robert Crown Fieldtrip. (Approx 10-1pm)
2. Valentine's Day Party in the afternoon.

Tuesday, February 15th:

1. Option to stay after school and finish movie maker project (3:35-4:35pm)
2. How to Papers are due.

Wednesday, February 16th:

1. Option to stay after school and finish movie maker project (3:35-4:35pm)
2. Robert Crown Health Museum presenters visit boy and girls for follow up meeting.
3. Unit 7 Math test for 5V

Thursday, February 17th:

1. Tentatively scheduled after school class climate meeting. (Time TBD/Subject to change)

Friday, February 18th:

1. Friday Math Quiz
2. Possible Week 1 Science quiz on stars
3. Book Review due for students who selected this option (due on 21st if emailing me)

Curricular Update 2/14-2/18

Hi! Check out what's happening in our curriculum next week:

Reading:

• The kids will be practicing essay writing skills which include writing with one focus, using evidence to support the answer, and interpreting the evidence.
• Students will also reinforce the meanings of vocabulary words through skits.
• The students will read their Folklore genre books for a purpose.
• Kids will practice test taking strategies in preparation for ISAT testing.

Writing:

• The students will study how to write persuasive essays.
• With the writing, students will research information that they can use to support their arguments.
• The kids will also continue their own self selected writing during workshop time. They will work through the process and confer with me to eventually publish their work.

Math:

• Students in math will practice writing math essays with the purpose of explaining how they got their answers.
• The kids will take the unit 7 test on Wednesday, February 16th.
• After chapter 7, students will get into chapter 9 and study graphing, coordinates, finding area and perimeter, as well as volume, and surface area. There will be formulas that we study with this.

Science:

• Well, we've just finished a very fun digestive unit.
• Now we study the solar system.
• Students are going to learn about the life cycle of a star, the parts of a star, constellations, and different types of galaxes, as well as an assortment of space facts.

Citizenship:

• This week we are practicing random acts of kindness.