Convection currents

Students working in Science today learning about Convection Currents by adding hot and cold water to room temperature water.  They learned that hot water rises and cold water sinks, and how it relates to our world.

Clouds and the Water Cycle

Today in Science, students learned more about the water cycle. We talked about clouds and what they are made of. Students also learned the weight of clouds.  Many students wanted to show the video we watched at school.  Here is a link to the video on "How much does a Hurricane Weigh?"

Halloween 2017

Friday, October 20th

Hello 5th grade parents,

 

I wanted to remind you that camp paperwork and money is due on Monday, 10/23. 

 

Camp Reminders:

Camp starts on Wednesday (November 8), please have your child here at school with their luggage at the normal school start time.

On Friday (November 10), students will arrive back to WLE by 11:30 with their luggage.  The office will provide sign-out sheets, before your child leaves, please make sure the sign-out sheet is signed.

There will be a 'Suggested Camping List' sent home prior to camp.

 

Parent Volunteers:

Many of you signed up to chaperone some activities. We will be sending home reminders of what you signed up for the week before camp.  We still need some help more help. 

-We need two bus chaperones for Wednesday, November 8^th from 9:30 - 10:30 and a driver on Friday, November 10^th from 10:30 – 11:30.  If you are interested in helping.  Please email me if you  can help.

 

 Curriculum Update:

 5th grade students have a Social Studies test on Monday, October 23rd.  Students have had a study guide since Wednesday, October 18th.  There is a study game that I put together that can be accessed here.

 

Have wonderful weekend.

Mr. Reed

A Great Beginning!

We had a great week here at school, and we certainly packed in a lot of learning.  Here are some of the things that we have been up to:

Readers' Workshop: 
Students are learning the expectations of the workshop.  They are learning how to pick books that are just right for them.  The students of room 15 are very good independent readers.  I even have students begging me for extra time.  Next week, we will begin finding ways to document our thinking as we read by working to set student written reading goals based on a reading survey students will think about and fill out. 

Writers' Workshop:
We have been filling their "ideas" section of their notebook so that when we write longer pieces, students have a place to pull ideas.   I introduced a quickwrite strategy today, and students found enjoyment in writing for short bursts of time.  Ask your child about the expectations of a quickwrite.

Social Studies:
 Students are learning about PaleoIndians and the theories of how early people entered the Americas.  Next week, we will begin learning about large Native American groups that lived throughout North America.

As you can see, we had a very busy and productive first full week of school.  

Mr. Reed

-Reminders:
No school September 21st
Camp Money due October 23rd
 

Curriculum and Camp Night

 Thank you for attending curriculum and camp night last night.  It was great to get a chance to meet you.  If you were unable to attend, I will be sending home information regarding our curriculum and camp. Please look over the information and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Mr. Reed

A great beginning...

 

Our school year is underway!  It has been great getting to know the children the past couple of days.  We have spent a lot of time learning classroom routines and getting familiar with each other.  We have a great class!

To help you better understand how things are working this year, I’d like to share how we will be doing a few things in our fifth grade learning community.

Team teaching and switching

The fifth grade students will continue to receive the same curriculum that they would learn if they were in a self-contained classroom.  The fifth grade students will remain with me during science and literacy.  Fifth grade students will be with Mrs. Rohde for math and with me for the rest of the subjects (science, social studies, readers workshop, writers workshop, and word study).

Friday Folders:

Every Friday students will be bringing home an orange folder.  Inside the folder you will find notes from myself and the office, as well as any finished homework your child may have done.  Please take a moment to check the folder during the weekend and return it by Monday.  These should be handed back on Monday with the Friday Folders.  It is important for us to communicate and this is a great way for us to keep in touch. Do not be concerned if your child's backpack is not bursting at the seams with work.  Much of the work we do is hands-on or in the form of a long-term project such as a piece of writing or a class project.  Papers for math, science, and social studies will be sent home when units have been completed.

Unfinished Work: ­

Any work not completed during the day will be sent home to be finished and returned the next day.  If your child is absent, he/she will need to complete the work that was missed.  At times, your child may need to stay in for a recess to complete work.  I will send a note home if your child is missing work.

Math/Homework:

“Everyday Math” involves group activities, hands-on activities, problem solving, logical thinking, and decision-making lessons.  Letters will be sent home periodically to keep you informed.  There are math study links that go with every lesson, so your child may receive up to five study links per week.  These sheets will help reinforce concepts learned in class.  Mrs. Rohde will always explain to your child how to do these assignments before they are sent home.  There is a math student reference book (SRB) online. Students have their username and password taped into their planners. The ConnectED website has many useful games, math tools, and the online reference book:

https://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/connected/login.do

FAPES (Fine Arts Physical Education):

Our FAPES schedule has not yet been established.  However, please remember to either have your child wear gym shoes or you can send in a pair of gym shoes that will stay in the classroom.  The schedule will be released next week.

Snacks:

Students will be allowed to have a snack half-way through our morning.  Please pack your child’s snack separate from his/her lunch.  Thank you

Planner:

The planners are another way that we communicate with each other on a daily basis.  Your child is expected to take the planner to every class and fill it in.  Please check and sign their planner every day.  Each week I will stamp the planners that are correctly signed. 

Independent Reading

"Research has shown that reading ability is positively correlated with the extent to which students read recreationally," according to the "Reading and Writing Habits of Students" section of The Condition of Education. Please set aside at least 30 minutes each night for your child to read independently or even better, aloud to you.

Blog: http://reedsclassblog.blogspot.com/

Communication between school and home is crucial. This blog is the primary avenue of communication the fifth grade team will use to keep you up-to-date on what's happening in our rooms. The purpose of this website is to keep you informed about what your child's learning and doing at school, and provide you with opportunities to support your student's learning outside of school. Here you will find helpful resources, information regarding curriculum, important classroom news, as well as an updated blog. With our class blog, it is our intention, to keep you updated regarding our current goals, learning, and progress throughout the year. Each day you can expect to see homework posted as well as upcoming reminders. Please visit our blog frequently for the latest information on what we're doing in fifth grade!

·                     To Follow Our Blog: Have posts sent straight to your email by following 2 easy steps!  After you've completed these two steps, you will receive an email with a copy of my post, each time I post to the blog (once a day just before dismissal).  This makes it so you never have to visit the blog to see a post; i.e., you don't have to remember the web address.

1.            Enter your email address in the "Follow by Email" box.  Click "Submit", and type the given code to confirm you're not a robot.

2.            In your inbox, you’ll receive a confirmation email from “FeedBurner Email Subscriptions.” Click the link in the email to confirm your subscription. Done!

I anticipate a wonderful year working with you and your child!  Please feel free to contact me at anytime if you have any concerns or questions.

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Mr. Reed