Organic vs. Conventionally Grown Food Research

Use the sites below to gather information about organic and conventionally grown foods.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/organic

http://m.kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_eating/organics.html

http://tiki.oneworld.org/food/organic_advantages.html

http://m.kidshealth.org/teen/expert/nutrition/organic.html

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/JustOneThing/organic-nonorganic-buy/story?id=13310727

http://www.superkidsnutrition.com/of_convenvsorganic/

https://student.societyforscience.org/article/organic-food-starts-prove-its-worth

http://freshconnect.com/organic-farming-vs-conventional-farming/

Week of February 8-12

Dates to Remember:

February 10^th ~ Early Release @ 12:20pm

February 12^th @ 8:45am ~ Valentine’s Party

Pennies for Patients ends on February 12^th

Upcoming Tests

Math test over adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers on Thursday, 2/11

Here is a link to an online Jeopardy game your child can use for review in the coming days. https://www.superteachertools.us/jeopardyx/jeopardy-review-game.php?gamefile=173600#.VrUCX_krK1s  I will also send home a study guide  Monday, which will be due Wednesday.

Valentine’s Day Party

I recently sent home a list of names for kids to address their Valentines. Please have your child bring in one for each child. We have 25 students. No food can be delivered with the Valentines, but your child is welcome to bring in a special snack and/or drink to enjoy during the party.

Pennies for Patients

Please keep that change coming! I’m not sure of our exact total this week, but the kids have been bringing in money! If you would like to donate to Pennies for Patients, there is still time! We will continue collecting change until February 12^th and on that day, anyone who brings in $1 can buy a piece of tape to “Stick it to Cancer” and tape Ms. Hackmiller to the wall! If you’d prefer to donate online, here is our classroom link: http://events.lls.org/pages/ky/HarmonyElementarySchool/Whitley

Here’s what we’re learning this week!

Science: This week we will explore the difference between organic and conventionally grown foods to determine which type of food is best and which provides you with the most useful energy.

Social Studies: Our focus this week will be on learning about the U.S. Constitution and the 3 branches of government. These concepts are very abstract for kids, so any discussions you can have at home will better facilitate their understanding. You can also check out a website called www.iCivics.org for a variety of government oriented simulations and games. We will use several of these activities over the next week and a half to deepen the kids’ understanding.

Word Study: We are wrapping up our study of Greek & Latin roots this week with a focus on jud, leg, sect, vert, vers, and form. The goal is to teach the kids to use these roots to decode unfamiliar words and interpret their meaning.

Reading: This week we will read about U.S. symbols and their origin to help the kids understand the purpose and history of these symbols.

Writing: During writing this week, the kids will finish, edit, and revise their historical narratives which are set during the American Revolution.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email or call me. Have a great weekend! J

Career Day

Happy kiddos at recess enjoy friends and sunshine!

 Career Day visit learning about a career as a vet tech!

  Career Day visit learning about a career as a member of the Secret Service!

Week of January 18-22

Our Leader of the Week is…

Tyler!!!

Tyler was chosen as our leader this week because he is a pro at putting first things first and beginning with the end in mind. Tyler loves a challenge and if he finds work to be too simple, he will not hesitate to ask for an extension. Not only that, but Tyler really understands the importance of being a successful student. He works hard to do his best every day and he seeks help if a task is unclear. Tyler does a great job of using the 7 habits to be a highly effective husky!

WEEKLY UPDATE

Dates to Know:

January 25^th ~ Beginning of Pennies for Patients

February 12^th ~ Valentine’s Day Party @ 8:45

Upcoming Tests:

Math Test over Fractions (Simplifying, Equivalence, Ordering, Comparing, & Converting between Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions) on Thursday, 1/21

Pennies for Patients begins January 25! We will have an assembly this Friday to get the kids ramped up about helping kids with cancer.

Safety Patrol

Today an application went home for Safety Patrol. If your child would like to sign up for this role, please review the application with him/her. It will be a fun new leadership role for Harmony 4^th and 5^th graders.

Music Survey Link

Please click on the link below to take a parent music survey for Mr. A. J

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DLb0ah3EcsJv-_1OCZG34E9Dpn3ysey_m1E8V_VtNpU/viewform?usp=send_form

Here’s what we’re learning this week!

Science: We will explore the impact of food chains and the need for proper food chains in an ecosystem through a game called Predator & Prey.

7 Habits: This week we are reviewing habits 1-3.

Social Studies: We are turning our attention now to events that occurred during the Revolutionary War including making allies, fighting strategies, and the Treaty of

Paris.

Word Study: We are learning the meaning of Greek & Latin roots this week with a focus on tele, photo, vid, and vis. The goal is to teach the kids to use these roots to decode unfamiliar words and interpret their meaning.

Reading: We are going to read some high-interest passages this week and do some extensions related to the skill of understanding how two or more ideas, people, and events work together in a passage.

Writing: During writing this week, the kids will be planning and brainstorming in preparation for a historical narrative set during the American Revolution which they will write next week.

Please check out our blog for our newest Leader of the Week!! Have a wonderful week!

Week of January 11-15

Good afternoon, parents! We had a great 1^st week back! There have been a few changes, but the kids have adapted well! They are smoothly transitioning into their new math groups/classrooms! We also began implementing the use of the desk cycles and resistance bands I was able to order through my Pyramid Award. It’s been a gradual introduction and the kids are adjusting well. These tools are only used at times when I feel they are best suited to instruction, but so far the kids have done great with the new equipment! Many have expressed to me that they enjoy the opportunity for movement while working. J

Our newest Leader of the Week is....

Kaylin!!!

        Kaylin was selected as our newest Leader of the Week! She just came to our school a couple of months ago and she has adjusted so well! She has done an excellent job seeking first to understand, then to be understood. She carefully listens to instructions given in class before jumping into a task. She also puts first things first and always has a proactive attitude toward school! She blew me away today when she stood up in front of the entire class and sang a song she and a friend had written to share their understanding of events leading the Revolutionary War! That took a lot of courage!

Implementation of Exercise Equipment~Week 1

Important Dates to Remember

Wednesday, Jan. 13: Early Release @ 12:20pm

Friday, Jan. 15: 5^th Grade Snow Day 2:20-4:00pm

Tuesday, Jan. 26: Schoolwide Book Exchange

Volunteer Opportunity

I am looking for volunteers to help with our second Schoolwide Book Exchange between 8 and 10am on Tuesday, January 26^th. If you are available to help and you have completed both confidentiality training and a background check, please contact me for details. J

5^th Grade Snow Day

*If you have not signed up for the 5^th Grade Snow Day, but your child would like to attend, please do so no later than Tuesday, January 12^th.

Here’s what we will be learning about this week!

Science: We will continue our study of energy and matter in organisms and ecosystems. The main idea this week is still to understand how humans get their energy and that the most basic source of energy is our sun. We will examine food chains and webs and play a game called Predator and Prey!

S.S.: We are going to begin learning about the Declaration of Independence this week! Topics include Thomas Paine and his pamphlet Common Sense as well as Thomas Jefferson and interpreting the actual language from the Declaration of Independence.

Math: Regardless of which teacher your child has, the learning goals for the week will be to learn how to compare and order fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers. There will be a test over these fraction concepts as well as this past week’s concepts on January 20^th.

Reading: During reading, we will begin learning about Greek and Latin roots. First we will study the parts of a word (prefix, suffix, root word) and then we will begin focusing on the specific root of super, cap, hyper, corp, and ped. We will learn how knowing the meaning of the root can help you to decode unfamiliar words.

Writing: Our focus for writing will be on understanding bias and how it impacts the message an author is conveying. We will examine several writings related to the American Revolution and look for bias within the writing.

Boston Massacre Re-enactment

Below you will find a video of our class acting out the events of the Boston Massacre. They had so much fun doing this! Ask your child about the events leading to the American Revolution and he/she should be able to describe to you many events including this one that angered colonists and inspired them to revolt against Britain. 

Week of January 4-8

Welcome back and Happy New Year!! First of all, I would like to thank all of you who were so thoughtful to contribute to the class gift or to send in your own gifts to me this holiday season! You are too kind!

Flexible Grouping  in Math

        Today we began our first rotation of flexible grouping in math. This went really well! Whomever your child had math with today, will be his/her math teacher for the next 2 ½ weeks. The kids really seemed to enjoy this today and I think it will be an exciting new way to learn math. After this first fraction unit, we will regroup the kids based on their pretest results for adding and subtracting fractions. It is our hope that grouping the students in this way will help us to better meet their needs. Math homework (aside from study guides) will be assigned each Thursday and be due to your student’s math teacher the following day.

5^th grade Snow Day?

Sign up for a fun afternoon of snow day fun hosted by Mrs. Stump, Mr. Tilley Mrs. Thornton and Mrs. Whitley! 

The night includes…

- Pretend Snowball fight

- Hot chocolate & snacks

- Movie

- Fun with friends

Where/When? Harmony Elementary from 2:30-4:00pm January 15, 2015

Who can come? 5^th graders willing to donate $20.00 or more

*Sign up now!  The more the merrier!  We’re going to have a blast so please come and join the fun! All money donated will go toward our classrooms.

If you would like to sign up, please print and return the attached form along with $20. Checks can be made out to Harmony Elementary.

Here’s what we will be learning about this week!

Science: This week we will begin a new unit on energy and matter in organisms and ecosystems. The main idea this week is to understand how humans get their energy and that the most basic source of energy is our sun.

S.S.: We are going to continue our Mission U.S. lessons on the computer.

Math: Regardless of which teacher your child has, the learning goals for the week will be to learn fraction equivalence, simplifying fractions, and how to convert between fractions and mixed numbers.

Reading: Students will build even further background on the Revolutionary War through reading.

Writing: The kids will have the opportunity to read and write poetry about events leading to the American Revolution.

Below you will find some photos of the kids in their holiday gear enjoying a music lesson with Mr. A prior to break. Enjoy! :)