May 2-6

Remember that Teacher Appreciation Week is this Week!
Monday:
Tuesday: Reading Log due, Buzzwords Quiz
Wednesday: Reading iReady Diagnostic Test
Thursday: Math iReady Diagnostic Test; Progress Reports go home
Friday: Reading Passage (Hydroelectricity) w/s due, Math Minute due (?); PRIDE Friday - wear Spirit Wear

This week we will be:

• taking our time and working carefully during our Reading and Math iReady Diagnostic tests!
• working on EOG practice passages in class to help the students practice testing skills (highlighting to show where the answer can be found in the text and key words in the questions, omitting obviously wrong answers, checking to see if answers actually make sense, not leaving anything blank, and staying on track with bubbling in answers on scantron sheets, etc)
• going back to Spelling sorts and Definition quizzes in Google Classroom - hopefully they don't lose these like they did their choiceboards!  These sorts will be practicing some of the skills they worked on with the choiceboards.
• starting to write the actual paragraphs for our research paper.  I do not want this done at home ahead of time.  
• practicing vocabulary and comprehension skills using Paired Texts about Using Resources Wisely
• finishing up our Civil War unit with the end of our Simulation activity.  If you haven't already heard about it, be sure to ask you child about their "experience" in the Civil War.  He haven't "lost" any of our soldiers but a few have experienced some "injuries" during our battles.  Your child's Soldier's Journal is due on Monday after our final activity.
• starting to talk about Economics in Social Studies.  We will start our Free Enterprise talks on Tuesday.  Watch for information coming home about that in your child's Tuesday Folder.

Fifth Grades Dates to Know!

These dates are hot off the press... so be sure to mark you calendar!
Friday June 3 (am - exact times to be determined) Free Enterprise (more information coming next week) - we would love for you to come spend some time with your child by helping out/shopping at Free Enterprise
Friday June 3 (pm 12:30-2:45) Field Day for grades 3-5
Monday June 6 (pm 12:30-2:30) Auction - I could use a couple of parents to help count coupons and one to be an auctioneer
Tuesday June 7 (12:30-1:30) ice cream social and yearbook signing - we will need some supplies and 1-2 parents to help set up and clean up
Wednesday June 8 (9:30-10:30) Fifth Grade Awards and Last Day of School - just come and celebrate your child!

Fifth Grade Signature T-shirts!

Here is the order form if you would like to order a Signature t-shirt for your fifth grader (all of the fifth grade students' signatures are on the front and staff signatures will be on the back).  The cost is $10.  The shirts will be gold/yellow with black print.  Copies of the order form will be coming home in your child's Tuesday Folder this week.  ALL orders must be returned by Monday May 9.

Buzzwords are back!

We will be working with Critical Verbs over the next few weeks.  These are words that the students need to know in order to understand and/or complete certain tasks in Language Arts.  Many of these words they should already know.  A few may be new or unfamiliar to them.  We will be going over when or how these words would be used and most words will have "reminder clues" with the definition on the Quiz.

The Quiz for our first set of Verbs is scheduled for Tuesday May 3.  See the list of words below if your child is absent or needs to finish recording the definitions.

Monday:
analyze - break something down into parts
articulate - express clearly
cite - quote
Tuesday:
compare - find likenesses
comprehend - understand; find meaning
contrast - find differences
Wednesday:
delineate - describe in detail
demonstrate - show clearly
describe - tell the facts; details
Thursday:
determine - decide
develop - elaborate or expand
distinguish - set apart
Friday:
draw - take or pull out
evaluate - find value; judge
explain - make plain or define

April 25-29

The Book Fair is all this week.  Mrs. Ellison's class will go on Tuesday during Enhancements.  Ms. Curry's class will go on Monday during Enhancements.  The Book Fair will be open during the Palooza on Friday (April 22) and in the evening on Thursday May 28.

Monday - SS notebook check for chapter 20/21 (see my website for guide to notes ch 20 and ch 21)
Tuesday - Reading Log; SS ch 20/21 test (study guide)
Wednesday - Early Release Day (dismissal at 1:30); Mr. Lincoln's Drummer test (only those who read this novel in class - study guide)
Thursday - note card check for Ecosystem research paper (about 20 note cards); multiplication and division faction quiz
Friday - Spelling choiceboard due; Rifles for Watie job #3 due (only those who read this novel); Math Minute worksheet due

Dates to be aware of:
iReady Testing dates are: Reading May 4 and Math May 5
Progress Reports will go home on May 5
tentative due date for Research Paper is May 13
EOG test dates are: Reading May 25, Math May 26, and Science June 1
Field Day for grades 3-5 will be June 3 from 12:30-2:45
5th grade Awards are at 9:30 am on June 8

For those students who are planning to attend Riverwood Middle School next year...
If you did not keep a copy of the orange flyer sent home with your child's report card, please print out this Registration Form for the rising 6th graders and complete it with your child.  This will help RMS with placing your child in their Elective/Enhancement Classes.  Please bring this completed form with you to Riverwood Middle School on May 5 during one of the Parent Sessions (4:30-5:30 OR 6:30-7:30).  If you have any questions, please contact Riverwood Middle.

April 18-22

Monday - Force and Motion Unit Test
Tuesday - Reading Logs due, B1 Math - Fractions Quiz (X); they will be starting the Human Body & Genetics Unit in Science
Wednesday - B2 Math - Fraction Quiz (X)
Thursday - Mr. Lincoln's Drummer ch 9-12 OR Rifles for Watie job #2
Friday - Spelling Choiceboard due, Math Minute Due

**SS ch 20-21 test will be on Tuesday April 26 (please be studying the study guide and ch 20 notes/ch 21 notes)

April 11-15

Monday - report cards go home - please sign and return the envelope (you keep the actual report card)
Tuesday - Reading Log due (80 minutes with parent signature and title of what was read), *students who are reading Mr. Watie's Rifles have job #1 due
Wednesday - Fraction Quiz (X)
Thursday - Pictures and/or picture money is due (please let me know if you paid for them online), * students reading Mr. Lincoln's Drummer (in class) ch. 5-8 questions are due at the end of class (if students miss a day or are behind in their reading they may check a book out from me to take home for 1 night to work on their questions)
Friday - Riverwood Middle School field trip (we are leaving a 9:00 am so make sure you are at school on time), Spelling choiceboard due*see note below, Math Minute due

*We will be doing Spelling a little differently for the next couple of weeks.  Students will receive a choiceboard on Monday and need to complete 4 activities by the end of the week (one activity is a required one).

*Force and Motion test is scheduled for Monday April 18 (due to the field trip on Friday)

*SS ch 20&21 test is scheduled for Tuesday April 26 (study guide, ch 20 notes, ch 21 notes)

*I am meeting with students individually to review their Reading iReady scores for this year and last year's Reading EOG score to do some goal setting and discuss ways they can meet this goal.  They will be taking their final Diagnostic Assessment in iReady around the last week in April.  I want the students to have an idea of how they are performing so far and to remind them to take ALL assessments seriously and do their best.  I know that these are all just pieces to the puzzle that make up the measurements for your child's success in fifth grade.  All I ask if for each student to do his or her individual best and I'll be proud of them for their hard work throughout the year!  Once I have met with all students, I will send these home for parents to review, sign, and return.  If you have questions about the scores please touch base with me.

Mark your calendar's for:

•  PTA's Spirit Night at City Barbeque on April 19 from 10:30 am - 10 pm (we will get 25% back)
• Powhatan's Palooza on Friday April 22 from 4:30 - 7 pm.  Come out and enjoy some fun, food, and fellowship.  There will be a rock climbing wall, dunk tank (I believe Mr Johnson and Mrs Tyler will be spending some time in there), food trucks, and lots of other games.
• Early Release day on Wednesday April 27
• EOG dates: ELA on May 25, Math on May 26, Science on June 1 (dates could change)
• Field Day (times to be determined) for all grades  will be on Friday June 3
• 5th grade Awards Ceremony from 9:30-10:30 am on June 8 (Last Day of School)

Be on the look out for additional end of the year activities.  We would love to see some parents come out to help with these events if you are able to.