12/11/12

Language Arts:
Our novel study is moving along nicely. We are able to complete comprehension questions at a higher level, spot figurative language in our chapters, and use our context clues for our new vocabulary.

Homework:
*Venturing into Vocab.
*Chapter 7-8 activity
*Chapter 9 comp. questions
*Our daily standard task will be due on Thursday

Reminders:
*Science proposals are due on Dec. 21
* Giving tree gifts are due tomorrow

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Math:
We are focused on Algebra and Problem Solving this week. The students have notes and a study guide in their notebooks for their assessment on Friday. They are doing a great job so far!
Please remember those signed Unit 12 tests.

Homework:
*** Start reviewing for the test

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Social Studies:
We tested over Chapter 6 today.

Until tomorrow...

12/3/12

Language Arts:
Today we finished up the story from last week and took the assessments over it. It looks as though we will jump back into our novel study tomorrow since our books have arrived. We will reread the chapters together and make sure that the students are all refreshed before setting them off on their own. Be looking for nightly homework, journal responses, or responding to literature.((Time will be given in class each day to work on this. It is my goal to have very little homework each night on these crazy weeks leading up to the holiday break!)

Homework:
***Question #2 on Performance Task(Paragraph)

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Math:
We completed our minute and practiced a written example of rates in preparation for our test tomorrow over Unit 12. The students have a study guide with sample problems to complete. We will go over these thoroughly tomorrow before the test.

Homework:
***Complete the Study guide

*********************************************************************************Social Studies:
Today we played a short Jamestown survival game. This stirred up quite a few distraught conversations.... We also moved our way through the Southeast listening to all kinds of music from Jazz, to the Blues, to Cajun, to Bluegrass. We visited the strip mines, Memphis, Louisiana,and the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. We should be wrapping up this chapter this week with our Chapter 6 test sometime next week. Be looking for the study guide to come home in the next couple of days.

Reminders:
***My content #1 class needs to turn in their picture that they will use for our Art Smart class next week.
***Mini Mall papers were passed out today. All proposals need to be turned in by December 14.

Until tomorrow...

11/28/12

Language Arts:
Just so you all know... We started a novel study this week on the book Frindle. Our books were expected to arrive at Barnes and Noble yesterday but I/3 of them did not make the trip. We have decided that in order to get the most out of the book study, we would wait until every student had their own book to mark up and highlight in. Therefore, we started Unit 3 in our basal today. The students will have a test over the story and the grammar skills on Monday. They will not have a spelling test during this time.

We had Acuity testing today. These scores will help me drive my instruction in preparation for ISTEP in the spring.

Homework:
***Final copy of the thankful writing is due
***P.J. day is tomorrow. Please don't forget your $.

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Math:
We took our Acuity test today. I am very proud of the students!

Homework:
***Math Box 12.3 and Rate sheet- due tomorrow

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Social Studies:(Content #2)
Today we started our journey up the coast from the Everglades to Cape Canaveral and stopped in Virginia. These are just a few of the places that we will learn about as we study the Southeast region.

Homework:
***Tests were passed back today-Don't forget parent signatures
***Letter about Jamestown is due on Friday

Until tomorrow...

118/12

It sure is getting cold outside at recess. Please make sure to dress appropriately!

Language Arts:
Today in LA we reviewed for quite some time working with  plural and possessive nouns. This skill can be a bit tricky so any extra practice helps! During our reading portion of our morning we reviewed the vocabulary as well as the Common Core words for the week. Since our skill for the week focused on figurative language, we read three short articles on the same topic, compared and contrasted all three, and picked out the figurative language. We also switched for Vocabulary Vine and Triumphs.

Homework:
***Weekly homework sheet
***Biography presentations will begin on Monday. Please practice over the weekend.(See the rubric that was attached to your weekly homework packet.)
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Math:
During the majority of our class time, we worked on Acuity in the lab.

Homework:
***None

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We had Art Smart today. Thank you, parents, for donating your time!

Reminders:
My content 1 class has their Chapter 4 test tomorrow and their letters due about the Northeast.

Until Tomorrow...

11/7/12

Language Arts:
Today was a busy one in LA. We worked on the illustration for our class published book, discussed our common core words idioms, figurative language, similes, metaphors, and hyperboles , switched for Vocabulary Vine, and worked on reading and writing a mini biography .

Homework:
***Mini biographies are due tomorrow
***Weekly homework packet is due on Friday along with 10 facts that will be presented on Monday for their oral presentations of our biographies.
***Review vocabulary, comprehension skills from the story, and grammar and spelling words for the Friday assessments.

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Math:
After completing our minute we spent just a short time preparing our binders of completed work and then jumped into Unit 11. This unit deals with 3-D shapes, Weight, Volume, and Capacity. I will also be adding a few additional skills as well as a focus on problem solving during this unit.

Homework:
***Writing in math is due tomorrow(4 questions)
***Study Link 11.1 only

*********************************************************************************Social Studies(Content 2)
Content 2 took their test over Chapter 4 today and handed in their letters about the Northeast.

Homework :
***None

Content 1- Your test over Chapter 4 and your letter over the Northeast will be due on Friday. Tomorrow we have Art Smart.

Reminders:
***Please continue to send in your canned goods to help those in need this Holiday season. As always, NP, we can make it happen!

Until tomorrow...

11/06/12

Reminders:
***Chapter 4 Social Studies test on either Wednesday or Friday- check planners

***Biography facts due on Friday

Until tomorrow...

11/5/12

Language Arts:
Today in Reading we started our new story for the week. This week our genre is a biography talking all about Ben Franklin. As a result, our weekly homework packet looks a little different this week. The students are asked to use the resources in class and during their library time tomorrow to find a biography that they would like to present starting next Monday. They will be presenting at least 10 detailed facts about their person in chronological order to the class. They may use a note card and they will be scored using the rubric that was attached to their weekly homework packet. This is a way to ease into the Listening and Speaking standards slowly and to get the students comfortable speaking in front of a group.

Vocabulary words: hilarious, convinced, independence, dizzy, whirlwind, nowadays, (come in) handy

Common Core Vocabulary: biography, idioms, alliteration, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, figurative 
language

Homework:
***Weekly homework packet- due Friday
You may also research facts about your person on line. This counts as your nightly reading minutes.

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Math:
Today we reviewed the skills for our Unit 10 test which will be tomorrow. We also discussed and practiced classifying angles and measuring them.

Homework:
***Review the Study Guide and practice measuring and classifying angles.
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Social Studies:
Today we read and discussed the Reading Further section of Chapter 4. We also completed a page in our ISNB about mill workers in the Northeast in the 1800's.

Homework:
***Be sure to go over the study guide for chapter 4 and complete the Northeast letter that is due the day of your test. Content #2 test will be on Wednesday. Content #1 will test on Friday.

Until tomorrow...

11/1/12

It is hard to believe that it is November already! Please dress appropriately for recess. We have students that would like to stay inside already due to their short sleeves and shorts. Sorry! They need to go outside due to supervision reasons...

Language Arts:
We will have all of our usual assessments tomorrow as well as a writing prompt and some time to work on our Word Master Challenge definitions.

Be sure to remember your Weekly Homework Packet- With parent signatures.

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Math:
Today we had computer Acuity practice and Odyssey. This allowed me time to meet with individual students who needed a little extra help with adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. I feel like we cleared up a lot of things...

Homework:
None

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Social Studies:(Content 2)
We spent our time today working on a chart of the Northeast region. This chart displayed facts about the People, Geography, Economy, History, and Government of that region. This is an excellent study tool.
A letter was also assigned today.(See the handout.) This assignment is due the day of their test. They will need to follow all the bullet points, include both a rough copy and a final copy in ink-not typed.Please study the chapter vocabulary as well.

Until tomorrow...

10/31/12

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Language Arts:
Today in LA we reviewed the parts of a book, took time to practice irregular plurals, played the "Stand Up" "Sit Down" Common Core Vocabulary review game, switched for Vocabulary Vine, and wrote to a prompt as ISTEP+ practice. I am really pleased with how well and how much the students are able to write these days. I tell them everyday,"The more you read, the better you write".There must be some truth to that...

Homework:
***Weekly packet due on Friday- Study your spelling and Common Core words.
***Assessments will be given on Friday even though this is a short week.

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Math:
We are continuing with skills from Unit 10. Our test will be sometime next week.Study guides will be passed out tomorrow with the exact date of the test to be announced.

Homework:
***None-Happy Trick-or-Treating!

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Social Studies(Content 2)
Today we finished our train tour of the Northeast region of the United States. Today we learned about our Government, our monuments, and we ended the class with discussing the three branches of the government.

Study guides were passed out today. Be sure to take notes and study the vocabulary.
Content 1- Your test is on Friday, Nov. 9
Content 2- Your test is on Wednesday, Nov. 7

Until tomorrow...

10/30/12

Today was a busy day!

Language Arts:
Today we read our Real World Reading in our Basal. It is called Stealing Beauty. The story vocabulary words are as follows: dynasties, temples, heritage, preserve, and overjoyed. Our Common Core words are fact, opinion, inference, irregular plurals, title page, glossary, index, table of contents, culture, non-fiction article, and expository writing. Please make sure that your child knows these by the end of the week. The Common Core words will be added in their glossary in their binders a little each day.

Homework:
***Weekly homework packet- due Friday

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Math:
Today in math, we completed our minute, reviewed adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers. The remainder of the class time was spent on working in the vocabulary section of our notebooks. We worked on the following vocabulary: image, pre-image, rotation, line of symmetry, line of reflection, congruent, translation, and rotation. After working on vocabulary, transparent mirrors were passed out and we practiced copying an image using our mirrors.

Homework:
***Math Box 10.1 and 10.2

*********************************************************************************Social Studies(Content 2)
Today in class we traveled by train to Philadelphia and Washington D.c. We ended the class by reading and discussing the summary for chapter 4. Study guides were passed out. Content 2 classes will be having their test next Wednesday, Nov. 7.

Homework:
***Chapter 4 test- Nov. 7- Fill out those study guides!

Until tomorrow...

10/25/12

It is finally fall break! I just wanted you all to know that I enjoyed talking and meeting with all of you these past few days. I feel confident in knowing that we are working as a team to help each student grow and become confident learners....
 Now that that is behind us, we are already moving strong into the second grading period. We have a better idea of the Common Core standards, and the students are realizing what our expectations are. We are excited about the activities that are being planned and the daily routine that is now in place. Please tune in to our blog daily to keep up with what is happening in our classroom.

Reminders:
***Our Stars in Service project for the month is a Stuff a Trailer project to help those in need. Please send in non-perishable food products next week.
***Please send in the Classroom Published Book order form signed even if you are not ordering. This will be the only opportunity you will have to purchase this particular book. Individual books will be completed and for sale at the end of the year. Thanks!

Have a great -long.... weekend!

Until Tuesday...

10/10/12

It is starting to get chilly at recess! Please be sure to dress appropriately.

Language Arts:
We continued with our study of Greek Mythology today. The students have a worksheet to complete over Echo and Narcissus. Be sure to work a little each night on the Mythology trading cards. They are due in two days.
We had a busy morning with the fire alarms(See the note that was sent home from Mrs. Wirth) and our visit from Mr. Glassman. I am sure that both of these events will add to the dinner conversation tonight!

Math:
Today in math the students were very focused. We were able to finish up all the pretests for Unit 9 and work on converting fractions to decimals by using a calculator.

Homework:
***None

Social Studies:
Today we read and discussed the Summary and Reading Further section in Chapter 3. We also had time to review for the test which will be given early next week. I am happy to see how prepared the students are already and how they are taking advantage of the study guide that was handed out earlier in the week.

Until tomorrow...

10/3/12

A big Thank you to all my kiddos for their cards and gifts on my birthday! What a great surprise!

Language Arts:
The students have a worksheet that is due tomorrow over Prometheus.
The students were also given a project that is due on Oct. 12. They all seem to be really excited about it! Please check blue folders for the specific guidelines and the scoring rubric that will be used.

Math:
The students have a test tomorrow over Unit 8. They were given a study guide that tells them exactly what they should be able to do on the test.

Social Studies:
The students worked on a picture today in class depicting themselves doing something in the region of their choice. Many students are finished, but if not, it is due on Monday.

Until tomorrow...

10/1/12

It is hard to believe that it is October! Wow! How time flies!

Today in Language Arts we took all of our assessments from last week right after double specials.

The students do not have a spelling list or a homework packet this week due to the fact that we are starting a unit on Mythology on Wednesday. They will have homework during this unit but it will not be in packet form.

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Math:
Today in math we took our HA Acuity test. All of the students were able to finish the test in the time given. These scores will be very useful in planning my instruction in the months to come.

Homework:
***4 questions Show Your Work and Explain What you know paper due- Friday
***As of now, it looks as though we will review for our Unit 8 test on Thursday and Test on Friday of this week. A study guide will be given on Thursday.

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Social Studies:
During our class time we worked on designing a region of our own. We also drew a picture with a map key to go along with it. This art work will be used for art frames in the halls.

Tests from last week were passed back today. I am very proud of them!

Until tomorrow...

9/26/12

Language Arts:

Today we had a new student join our class. Welcome to Northpoint, Grace!

During our grammar portion of our morning, we continued working with run-on sentences to turn them into two complete sentences, compound or complex sentences.This is getting better but I still want to see it transfer over into their writing.

During our reading time, we worked on vocabulary and then the students were split into three groups. Each group read a short realistic fiction story and then as a group they completed a Venn diagram to compare the characters and the setting of that story to our weekly story. This stirred up quite intense conversations within the groups.

Homework:

***Weekly homework packet is due on Friday.

***Please note- Due to the number of students that need to finish their Acuity testing, we will not have our usual LA testing on Friday. The only possible test that may be taken will be the grammar test. The rest of the tests will be given on Monday.

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Math:

Today we took the on-grade level math Acuity test during our math time.

Homework:

***Friday packet due on Friday.

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Social Studies:

Content class 2 met today. We spent our time together reviewing for the test which will be given on Friday for this group.(My content 1 class will have their test tomorrow.)

Homework:

***Use the study guide and STUDY!

Until tomorrow...

9/24/12

A busy day... even for a Monday!

Language Arts:
Today in Language Arts we took our spelling pretest. This week we will focus on the long o spelling patterns. Please be sure to study these words a little each night.

Our reading story for the week is The Raft. It is a realistic fiction piece that brings about good conversation of how the main character's feelings change from the beginning to the end of the story. Please ask questions as you read the story together at home. Also, be sure to discuss the following vocabulary words and their meanings:downstream, disgusted, nuzzle, scattered, raft, and cluttered.

Our Common Core vocabulary words for the week are plot, characters,complex sentences, setting, context clues, purpose, audience,and voice. They will be added to a glossary a little each day. Your child is responsible for studying these words as they are presented each week. We will be working with them and quizzing over them periodically.

In grammar this week, we will be working on run-on sentences and sentence fragments. I'd love to see these disappear from our writing!

Homework:
***Weekly homework packet- due Friday
***Acuity testing for LA tomorrow morning- Eat a healthy breakfast.
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Math:
Today we completed our minute, reviewed a few skills on white boards,and discussed our weekly objectives and Common Core vocabulary that we will discuss this week. Next, we worked on our lesson for the day which dealt with finding the area of a rectangular shape and a few irregular ones as well. This week our standards focus on measurement and finding both the perimeter and area of shapes.

Homework:
***Math Box 8.1 and 8.2- due tomorrow
***Yellow Writing and Computation in math sheet-due Friday
      (The students were told to do all their computation in the box, circle their answer, and explain in detail using math vocabulary in their responses.
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Social Studies- We discussed the Mississippi river in detail today. We learned how many states it passes through, where it starts, where it ends, how it has changed since the days of Mark Twain, and what regions it flows through....

Homework:
***Our Chapter 2 test for Content #1 will be on Thursday- Please use the study guide that was passed out last week.

Until tomorrow...

9/20/12

Grammar:
Today we continued to work on complex sentences during our grammar portion of the day. This is a skill that we continue to work on since it needs to carry over into their writing.

During reading, we read a short nonfiction article about the solar system and used a diagram to answer comprehension questions. This also stirred up quite a conversation about comparing and contrasting the different- This was not a planned activity but it turned out to be a very beneficial activity!

Writing today continued with writing a letter(personal narrative) to someone that they admired. Since we are really working on using paragraphs and complex sentences, this was a struggle for some students. This letter is due on Friday.

Homework:
***Personal narrative writing is due tomorrow- It should be two pages in length with details.
***Weekly Homework Packet is due on Friday
***Vocab. Vine quiz on Friday
***Personal narrative letter- due Friday

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Math:
Quizzes were passed back today. Please be sure to get a parent signature and return it to school tomorrow.
We completed our first unit test today. Please remember that these skills that were tested today will be revisited throughout the year over and over again during our computation time. This will keep them solid!

Homework:
***Homework packet- due Friday

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Social Studies-
Today we read and discussed section 2.8 through the summary. We also looked at colorful pictures of different places in the United States and the students had to figure out where they were based on specific clues.

Study guides were passed out today for chapter 2. My content class #1 will have their test next Thursday. Be sure to fill out the study guide and study the vocabulary. The students should be able to write to show that they know the vocabulary.

Until tomorrow...

September 17,2012

Today was a busy day even though we had double specials!

After taking our spelling pretest and discussing words with the long i sound, we jumped into our story for this week. This week our genre is a realistic fiction. Our vocabulary words for the week are as follows: endless, astronaut, protested, realistic, universe, sensible,and paralyzed. Please be sure that you discuss these definitions throughout the week as you read and discuss the story together at home.

This week in reading, we will focus on analyzing characters, describing the setting, and making inferences. We will also stress the following Common Core Vocabulary:
setting- when and where the story takes place
characters-the people or animals that make up the story
analyze-being able to look at something closely and understand all of its parts
personal narrative-writing about yourself
complex sentences- complete sentences that contain an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses

In grammar, we will continue to stretch our sentences by looking at building complex sentences. We will practice by using this type of sentence in our personal narratives later this week.

Homework:
***Weekly homework packet is due on Friday
***Assessments covering all the skills from the week will take place on Friday as well.

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Math:
Today in math we reviewed skills, and worked on probability and chance events.

Homework:
***Finish page 213 and complete page 216
***We will be working on a practice test of skills tomorrow and our first test will be on Wednesday.

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Social Studies:
Today we watched a short video about the writing of the Constitution and went over the answers for our Geography Challenge questions in our Interactive Student Notebook.

Homework:
***None

Until tomorrow...
 

9/12/12

What a day!

We accomplished a lot this morning during LA. We reviewed subjects and predicates, simple and compound sentences, and worked on responding to literature. The remainder of the class time was devoted to Vocabulary Vine and Triumphs.

Homework:
***Please remember to check planners each night and initial them.
***Weekly homework packet is due on Friday- A parent signature is required at the top and after each night's reading minutes. Thank you!

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Math:
During math today we reviewed previous skills stressing adding, comparing, and ordering fractions. Our lesson of the day dealt with finding the whole when a fraction is given.

Homework:
***Journal pages 210 and 212
***Common Core vocabulary was passed out today. The students should have them in their red minute folders. These folders, along with their blue math notebook,s should be reviewed throughout the week to keep old topics "fresh".(The Common Core words that were passed out today were from the 4th and 5th grade list.)

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Social Studies:
Today in class we read and discussed sections 2.5 and 2.6 in our books and worked with partners to find designated places in the United States by using Interactive Student Maps and lines of latitude and longitude.

Homework:
***None
***Chapter 1 tests were passed out today. Please be looking for them in blue folders tonight.

Until tomorrow...

9/10/12

Language Arts:
Today in Language Arts we took our spelling pre-test and talked about words with the long e spelling. Each student has one of three lists to study for their test on Friday.

In grammar we started discussing simple and compound sentences. This brought about a discussion about what an independent clause is and what purpose a conjunction serves. We will continue with this skill throughout the week.

Our story for the week is a short Nonfiction article. The questions for the article can be found on page 77 in the basal. Please be sure that your child writes in complete -detailed sentences and uses details from the text to support their answers. Additional paper may be used and stapled to their packet if necessary.

Homework:
***Assessments will be given on Friday
***Weekly homework packet is due on Friday. Parents, please be sure to sign the top and initial the number of minutes read each night. Thank you!
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Math:
After completing our Math Minute we hit the floor for computation skill review. We were then off to work on renaming fractions and converting fractions to decimals. (Please note: Skills are reviewed constantly during our floor time. If you find that your child is struggling in any area, please let me know so that can be our daily focus the next day.)

We ended the day with a board quiz. This is a review of all the skills taught so far.Several students need to finish this up tomorrow.

Homework:
***A Train Ride- Worksheet

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Social Studies:
Since I was out of the building two days last week, I have not passed back the chapter one test yet. It will be coming home later in the week. Please be looking for it in blue folders.

We started chapter 2 today. This chapter deals with Exploring the Regions of the United States. The students have their vocabulary for this chapter in their folders. It should be reviewed a little each night.

Homework:
***None

Until tomorrow...