Week of Nov. 29-Dec. 3

Welcome back, kids!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you thought about some of the learning we've done over the past weeks about the Pilgrims and the Native Americans so you can see what it is so very important that we give thanks for this wonderful country.  We have a lot going on this week including 2 lessons with Mrs. Hammons, publishing our narrative articles, and 2 field trips!  Also, if you signed up for the Whitley/Coomes Girls' Night Out at the Harmony Harvest please plan to stay after school with me this Friday until 4:00pm for pizza, nails, and other fun girl stuff!

*Kids, I am trying my best to upload your literature circle project videos and your brochure presentations to my blog, but I am having a lot of technical difficulties.  I'll do my best to get them on this week if the computer will cooperate.  :o)

Field Trip Reminders:

• Wednesday we are going to see "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" at NOHS.  This is a walking field trip and we will return before lunch so no sack lunch is necessary.
• Friday we will be attending the performance of "Nutcracker in a Nutshell" at the Palace Theater in Louisville in which one of our talented classmates, Emma, will be performing!  Please bring a sack lunch and a snack.  We won't be eating until we return from the field trip around 12:30 so I am going to ask everyone to eat a snack around 9:00am before we leave.

Change in Homework:

         I want to explain a change I am making to the nightly homework.  In the past months I have been asking students to read and record their book title and pages read in their agenda followed by a parent signature each night.  Now that our first round of literature circles is over though and I have seen such great reading comprehension and hard work by our students, I would like to make an alteration.  I am still requesting that parents sign the agenda each night to indicate that you have seen your child's homework and any important agenda notes, but I am going to be sending home a weekly reading log to be completed a little each night (Monday-Thursday).  There are various tasks to do on the log depending on the day, but all are related to the thinking strategies and are meant to help the kids with their comprehension.  It will be a great way for the kids to communicate with me about what they are reading at home and I will be able to see whether or not they are comprehending what they read.  

Here is what's coming up in class this week...

Upcoming Tests:

Facts Tests

Math:  How do I convert fractions and decimals to percents?

This is still a continuation of our unit over fractions.  We will be testing over this unit next Thursday.  Once again, it has been a challenging unit, so please feel free to assist your child with homework at home.  They may take home one of the purple math books I have if needed, but the math notebook should also have everything they need to help complete assignments.

Reading:  What are literary devices and how they used in reading?

This week we will begin to examine literary devices and how they are used to make reading more interesting.

Social Studies:  What was life like in colonial Williamsburg?

During this unit, the students will get a chance to explore the life of a person living in Williamsburg, VA during colonial times by visiting various stations in class.  It is a very fun unit that allows the children to see how different colonial life was.

Word Study:  Why do we use the prefixes un, mis, and im?

Writing:  How do I complete and publish my narrative article?  How do writers narrate as a purpose for on-demand writing?

This week we will put our finishing touches on our narrative articles and mail them off for a chance at publication in Kentuckiana Kids newspaper.  We will also begin learning how to respond to on-demand prompts that ask writers to narrate as a purpose.

Week of November 15-19

Weekly Update

Reminders:

• This Wednesday a note will be coming home in the agenda regarding the viewing of the movie "Squanto."  It is a 5th grade tradition to show this movie to support our teaching about the first Thanksgiving on the last day before Thanksgiving Break.  Your child is invited to bring a snack and a pillow to enjoy the showing.  :o)
• BOB (Battle of the Books) is beginning this week!  The students have been now and early February to work with a team of students in class to read a list of 10 great novels.  The teams will compete in February to answer questions regarding their comprehension of these books.  Please encourage your child to read as much as possible to support their team!  Students who read 7+ books can also have the opportunity to go on to the individual district level competition!  We will use some of these books for our next literature circles in order to encourage the competition.  It is a fun, competitive way to encourage reading and to develop reading comprehension!  These books may also be used for nightly reading.  If you want to encourage participation, ask your child if his/her nightly reading book is a BOB book.  If not, encourage them to select one and bring it home to read each night.  Teams who do the best usually have members who read the most books.

Upcoming Tests:

Facts Tests

Friday:  Word Study (prefixes:  pre, re, in)

Math:  How do I use equivalency to compare and order fractions?

This unit has been very challenging for the kiddos.  Please do not hesitate to offer help at home.

Reading:  How do I effectively participate in literature circles?

This week we will have our final meetings and discussions over our literature circle books.  Literature circle projects and presentations are due next Tuesday.  Just as with the reading, this project is meant to be completed in class, but may be taken home if more time is needed.

Social Studies:  What hardships did Africans face when put into slavery?

This week we will examine the lives of African slaves from their life in Africa to their life working as a slave for plantation owners.

Word Study:  Why do we use the prefixes pre, re, and in?

We will practice using the prefixes to understand how they can change the meaning of words.  There will be a quiz on Friday.

Writing:  How do I finish drafting my narrative article and begin the revision process?

This week the kids will finish drafting and revise their narrative articles on the computer this week with a publication goal of next Monday.

Week of November 8-12

Weekly Update

Thank you so much to everyone who returned their field trip forms, money, and signed progress reports so quickly!

Reminders:

• Parent-Teacher Conferences:  Tuesday from 2:40-6:00pm.  If you have not signed up for a conference, but would still like to discuss your child's progress please contact me and let me know the best time to reach you for a phone conference.
• Early Release is at 12:25pm on Wednesday this week. 

Upcoming Tests:

Facts Tests

Tuesday:  Math Test (Dvision)

Friday:  Social Studies Test (chapter 7-Colonial Regions) and Word Study (prefixes and suffixes)

Math:  How do I divide whole numbers and decimals?

We will asses our understanding of division Tuesday.

How do I convert improper fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa?

Reading:  How do I effectively participate in literature circles?

This week we will continue reading and discussing our literature circle books.

Social Studies:  What were the colonial regions in the New World and how did they differ from one another?

This unit is a more in-depth study of the colonial regions among the 13 original colonies.

Word Study:  What are root words, prefixes, and suffixes?

This week we will begin a 3 week study of root words, prefixes, and suffixes and we will explore how adding prefixes and suffixes can change the meaning of root words.  The first quiz over this will be Friday.

Writing:  How do I begin drafting my narrative article?

This week the kids will continue writing to tell about a time when something happened in their lives to that taught them a valuable lesson.

Math Test Date Changed

Update: The math test has been postponed until next Tuesday, November 9.

Week of November 1-5

Sorry it has taken me a while to update the class blog.  Our family had a very busy weekend.

Here are some reminders about things coming up in the next couple of weeks.

1)  Parent-Teacher Conferences are Thursday, November 4 or Tuesday, November 9 from 2:40pm-6:00pm.  There are still spots available, so please sign up.

2)  Progress Reports go home Wednesday, November 3rd.
3)  November 10 is also our next Early Release Day.

4)  A field trip form will be coming home in the Wednesday folder for the production of "Nutcracker in a Nutshell."  Please send in your forms and money for this as soon as possible.  The show will be December 3rd.

Here is what's coming up this week in Mrs. Whitley's room!

Upcoming Tests:

Facts Tests

Thursday:  Social Studies Test (chapter 6-1st colonies) and Word Study (ed and ing)

Friday:  Math Test (Dvision)

Math:  How do I divide whole numbers and decimals?

We will continue to cover division of 1 and 2-digit whole numbers, estimation strategies in division, and dividing decimals.  Please learn those facts, kids!

Reading:  How do I effectively participate in literature circles?

This week we will continue reading our literature circle books.  The kids are doing great so far, though a few missed their deadlines for the first meeting.  This is a reminder to the kids that reading and assignments are primarily intended to be completed during class, but can be taken home to complete if necessary.  It is crucial that they complete their reading in order to effectively participate in the discussions.

Social Studies:  What were the first colonies in the New World?

We are finishing up our study of Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth and we will be testing on Thursday.  This unit will be followed by a more in-depth study of the colonial regions among the 13 original colonies.

Word Study:  How do words change when you add the suffixes -ed and -ing?

I felt the students still needed some extra practice on this and we added some more rules such as adding a k to words ending in the letter c.  For example, picnic becomes picnicked or picnicking.  Our quiz over this will be Thursday and we will make our own personal dictionaries during Word Study on Friday.

Writing:  What is a narrative article and how do I collect ideas for one?

With the first On-Demand writing unit complete, we will begin exploring narrative articles.  These articles are basically personal narratives the kids will write to tell about a time when something happened in their lives to that taught them a valuable lesson.