January & February

I hope all families had a restful winter break! We are back to academics in the classroom.  At the time of this posting, students have completed the winter reading MAPs assessment and will be taking the math section January 29. Scores will be coming home following the math assessment. We have no word yet as to when students will be taking the SBAC test.

Below is an outline of what students will be studying during January and February.

ELA & Social Studies

Historical fiction will be our genre study and the whole class will be reading Avi's The Fighting Ground which complements are social studies unit on the American Revolutionary War. Students will be asked to read at least one historical fiction book at their reading level for their next independent reading assignment.  I highly encourage students to read a book set in American colonial or revolutionary times. I have many books set during these times for students to choose from. 

Students will also be engaging in several close readings of poetry. They will analyze Ted Kooser's Abandoned Farmhouse and then use his poem as a model for writing their own "abandoned" poem.  They will compare and contrast poems with similar themes, as well.

As mentioned before, social studies will focus on the American Revolution and students will be analyzing primary source documents to draw their own conclusions about the "Boston Massacre." They will then write an opinion essay addressing the question: Were the British Soldiers that fired upon the colonists guilty of murder or did they fire in self-defense?

To give students added support in reading, Caughlin Ranch has bought a subscription from A to Z Learning called Ready Test.  I will be sending home an informational letter once I have inputted students' names and passwords.  

Math

We are now investigating fractions. By the end of our unit students will be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions.  Students will be using manipulatives and models (fraction bars, circles, and number lines) to build a conceptual understanding of fractions. 

Caughlin Ranch has bought a subscription to Dreambox, an on-line math program.  Dreambox will be used in conjunction with IXL to support students' math skills.  Dreambox assesses students and then provides lessons to improve students' areas of weakness.  Dreambox will not necessarily align with what is being taught in class. 

Science

We have finished investigation #1, Separating Mixtures, in the FOSS Kit Mixtures and Solutions. The next investigations center on saturation, concentration, and chemical reactions.

January 22-27

Happy New Year!

I hope all of you had a restful and joyful winter break.  The students returned to school ready go! Thank you for making your child's education a priority.  Below is an outline of current and up-coming classroom studies and events:

Language Arts

We have begun a poetry unit of study in language arts.  Through this poetry unit students will engage in several Common Core Literature Standards.  Students will be reading and analyzing poetry in the classroom and writing poems, too.  They have been given an Independent Poetry Reading assignment designed to reinforce literature/poetry concepts taught in the classroom.  This Independent Poetry Reading assignment is due February 14.  To celebrate the end of our poetry unit, we will be having a Poetry Slam in the afternoon of February 14.  Students will be sharing their favorite poems with their classmates.  More details regarding the Poetry Slam will be coming home.

Math

We continue to investigate fractions in math.  Modeling of fractions is an important Common Core concept, and students have made fraction sticks, used number lines, and drawn pictures to visualize and model fractions.  We will begin modeling addition and subtraction of fractions with unlike denominators in the week ahead.

Social Studies

The American Revolution is our social studies focus for the next several weeks.  Cause and effect relationships will be examined during this unit of study.  Students will also be analyzing primary source images and documents related to the American Revolution.

Science

We continue our FOSS unit, Mixtures and Solutions.  The focus of the third investigation in this unit is concentration.

Spell-athon

Our PTA is holding a Spell-athon fund raiser.  Students will be bringing home their spelling lists this week.  Please support your child in this activity.

MAPs Testing

Students are taking reading and math MAPs assessments this week and next. I will be sending home the results of these tests by the end of the month.

December 9-19

End of Second Quarter Grading Period

The end of the grading period is upon us.  The last day for students to turn in any missing assignments is Thursday, Dec. 19.  Please check Infinite Campus with your child to see if she/he has any missing assignments. 

Reading

Students Mystery Independent Reading Assignment and AR points was due Thursday, Dec. 5.  The next Independent Reading Assignment will focus on historical fiction.  Students will be assigned to a book club. Each member will have his/her own copy of the book and will be required to read a certain amount each night.  The following day, book clubs will meet and discuss the previous night's reading. I would like to have all books finished before break, but the students and I will have to discuss the time table for completion.

Writing

Students are working in class on an essay comparing and contrasting colonial America with modern times. Students will be using the the "chicken foot" pre-writing graphic organizer to guide them.  Details regarding colonial America will come from the students' textbooks, informational books available in class, and their experiences during Colonial Day.

Students are also working a personal narrative.

Math

We are wrapping up our studies on geometry and division and heading into fractions and algebraic thinking.  We will examine more thoroughly the relationship between fractions and division.

Science

Our second investigation in Mixtures and Solutions dealing with saturation is coming to a close.  Students will be given a Saturation Puzzle this coming week.  Our next Mixture and Solutions investigations will focus on concentration.

Social Studies

We will conclude our Colonial American studies with a test.  Students will be given a study guide and tips on how to study for a test. The study guide will be distributed and discussed on Monday, Dec. 9. The test will be Friday, Dec. 13.

The American Revolution looms on the horizon. Focus of this unit of study will be on events leading up to the Revolution.  Students will examine cause and effect relationships as they pertain to this momentous American event.

December 19 Schedule

On Thursday, Dec. 19, the fifth grade will celebrate the arrival of winter break with muffins and hot cocoa from 8:45-9:30.  Following muffins and cocoa, students will snuggle up with books while they wait their turn to see a banker to deposit their S Bucks.  Once all deposits have been made, students will be able to spend their hard-earned S Bucks at Mrs. S.'s Holiday Auction.  Students will be required to write checks for all purchases and keep  track of withdrawals in their check books. 

Students will attend the Polar Express sing-along in the afternoon.

November 18-24

Independent Reading Assignment

Due to popular demand, the Independent Reading assignment due date has been changed from November 22 to December 5.  Many students felt they needed more time to reach their AR point goals.  For those students that will have met their personal goal by November 22, keep reading and taking tests.  Points earned above your goal will earn you extra credit!  So keep reading! 

Don't forget the Independent Reading assignment includes the following:  AR points, Mystery Story Map, Mystery Analysis questions, and Wow! Words.  Take your time when completing the story map and answering questions.  Take pride in your work by paying attention to spelling and punctuation.  Your responses should be thoughtful and supported with evidence from the text. I suggest you type out your responses to the questions to practice your typing skills and enhance the appearance and readability of your work.

Colonial Day is this Friday, November 22

Thank you to all the parents that volunteered to support our Colonial Day! It is guaranteed to be a successful learning experience for all of our Caughlin 5th graders.

Septemeber 23

I apologize for not posting more blogs; however, learning to comment and score Zaner-Bloser writing assignments has be quite time consuming. 

Zaner-Blosser Writing

Thank you for your support using the Zaner-Bloser program.  Please encourage your child to use the   e-books and other reference materials the program offers.  I have included page numbers to the Strategies for Writers e-book in the assignment instructions. I, also, encourage you to help your child with the revising and editing of their writing.  When I work with students individually on written assignments, I tell them to read out loud to me every word they have written.  This revising strategy helps them to hear their writing and pick up on extra words or missing words. 

Math

This coming Wednesday, September 25, the Caughlin Ranch Math Committee will be hosting a Math Night at school between 6:30 -7:30.  I highly recommend you and your child attend.

We will be finishing up Unit 2 in Everyday Math by the end of the week. This unit focused on estimation, statistics, addition and subtraction.  I have had question regarding how much time should be spent on IXL assignments. IXL is great program for reinforcing and practicing math skills. I would like every student to work toward achieving 100% on a skill; however, I do not want students spending hours achieving 100%.  20-25  minutes of honest to goodness hard work is enough time.  If a student can reach 100% in 10 minutes, that's great.  If after 20 or 25 minutes they are at 75% that is good enough. They have practiced the skill and will have a better understanding of it. What I will down grade students for is having practiced a skill for 3 minutes with score of say 50%.  That student can put in more effort.

Reading

We have finished our novel unit and have focused on reading information text related to science and social studies. We will begin using the district provided reading anthology, as well, as other teacher provided resources to work on specific reading skills.  You child's Independent Reading assignment which includes her/his personal AR point goal, WOW! words bookmark, story map, and character analysis is due October 4.  This is several days later than the original due date because students requested an extension.

Science

We have begun using the FOSS kit, Mixtures and Solutions.  It was quite challenging managing the chemicals and equipment for 33 students, but we did it.  I'll I can say is it takes extra time setting up and passing equipment out. Our first lab was making and separating mixtures.  I encourage you to talk to your child about this investigation.

Social Studies

We recently studied ancient American cultures which intrigued the students.  This coming week will focus on North American Native Americans.  The following week will be the Age of Exploration, which will then lead to exploration and colonization of the Americas.  Our major focus in 5th grade social studies is the 13 English colonies and the American Revolution, but I believe students needs background information on North American Native Americans and exploration to fully understand colonization.

Fall Fest

Caughlin Ranch's annual Fall Fest will be October 4.  I know PTA needs a lot of help to make this event happen.  A flier about this family fun event went home in Friday Folders.  If you did not receive one, information is available in the office. I will be volunteering at the event and look forward to seeing my students and their families there!

Posting Videos and Photos

I would like to occasionally post videos and photos taken in the classroom.  Before I do so, I will review the information parents submitted about posting photographs.  I realize many parents do not want their child's pictures on-line. 

Please e-mail with questions, comments, or concerns.  Thank you for supporting your child's education.

August 26-30

The first two weeks of school have flown by quickly.  Students have successfully learned the procedures of the room and our gelling into a cohesive, collaborative group.

Parent Night

Parent Night will be Tuesday, August 27 from 6-7:30.  Parents will meet in the cafeteria to hear a few words from our principal, Mrs. Thoroughman.  Parents will then head to classrooms for teacher presentations.

Zaner-Bloser On-line Writing Program

Students will be introduced to the Zaner-Bloser website this week.  They will be playing grammar games and composing a persuasive letter on-line. Check it out with your child!

Reading

Students were given Independent Reading Contracts on Wednesday.  This assignment will be due September 30. We are continuing to read and analyze There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom.

Math

We will be finishing up Everyday Math Unit 1, Number Theory this week.  Students will take the Checking Progress Assessment the week of Sept. 3-6.

Social Studies

Our brief exploration of world and US geography has come to a conclusion.  Students will have a test on the material covered Friday, August 30.  A study guide will be given on Tuesday.

Great Thinker

Students have collaboratively worked on their Great Thinker project.  The project will wrap-up within the week.

Thank you!

First, I apologize for not keeping up this blog very well.  It has been hard to find the time and energy due to the illness and death of my father, and  the subsequent estate issues. Our beloved family dog also became ill and needed to be put to sleep recently.  But enough about me. 

I want to thank you for supporting your children's efforts and attending the We the People  mock Congressional hearing.  The students truly shined that night!  Many thanks, also, for attending Open House and the Art Auction. Your support of your children and our school is truly appreciated.

In the weeks ahead students will be delving into the following units of study and events:

Writing

Students will be participating in a Writing Event mandated by the state and Washoe County School District. Students will be given two 45 minute sessions in the computer lab to write to a prompt.  Students' writing will be scored by teachers the following week. 

Language Arts

We will begin a quick study of tall tales.  Following readings and analysis of several tall tales students will write a comparing and contrasting essay of two of the tales.  They will also put their imaginations into gear and write and illustrate their own tall tale.

 Math

We are wrapping up our fractions, decimals, and percents unit of study and will be heading to the realm of algebraic thinking focusing on order of operations and positive and negative integers.

Science

Our Earth science unit is coming to a close, and we will be continuing with our mixture and solutions lab work.  We will be investigating solubility and chemical changes. 

Social Studies

Student will be  learning about the first people to arrive on the North and South American continents and conducting their own research on a Native American tribe or culture.

Happy Holidays

In spite of the tragedy that has struck our nation and stained this holiday season with sadness, I wish you and your family a joyous holiday.  Hold your children close and enjoy the upcoming vacation time together. Our break begins on December 22 with school resuming January 7.

Field Trip

Caughlin's fifth graders are going on an Earth Science field trip this Friday, Dec. 21.  This field trip is in lieu of a holiday party. We will be visiting the UNR campus between 9:40-11:15 to tour the Keck Mineral Museum, the DeLaMare Earth Science Library, and seismology lab.  We will then head to the Bowling Stadium and view the Imax movie Ring of Fire. We will return to school in time for students to  participate in the Polar Express.  Students may change into pajamas at school.

Classroom News

Math: Formal division instruction is coming to a close, but the practice will continue. We are  beginning a fractions unit of study, which will continue in the new year.

Reading: In conjunction with our social studies American Revolution studies, we will be reading historical fiction relating to the Revolution and writing of the Constitution. We will also be reading informational text relating to our science study Mixtures and Solutions and Earth science.

Social Studies:  The American Revolution is still being studied.  We have spent a great deal of time analyzing primary source documents relating to the Boston Massacre.  The purpose of this intensive study to have students formulate an opinion on the "massacre" and cite the documents to support their opinions.  This is an activity that supports the critical thinking and writing aspect of Common Core Standards. 

We the People: We have begun one of the most important studies in our fifth grade curriculum, We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution program.  This program  is a supplemental social studies unit on the Constitution.  The program was created by a Supreme Court Justice in 1987 because he felt students were not receiving adequate civics instruction. He realized that in order to sustain a democracy, the citizens must be knowledgeable and informed on Constitutional topics. The program is designed to be used in fifth grade, with programs for eighth grade and twelfth grade, as well.  The highlight of the program is a mock Congressional Hearing at which students showcase their Constitutional knowledge and speaking abilities in front of a panel of judges.  Twelfth graders' Congressional hearing is a competitive event with the winning teams from each state competing in Washington D.C. Our mock Congressional hearing is tentatively scheduled for the first week in March. To learn more about this program visit the Center for Civics Education: http://new.civiced.org/programs/wtp

Science: We have started the FOSS unit Mixtures and Solutions.  This unit is activity based with several labs.  We will also be investigating Earth sciences in conjunction with our field trip.

Writing: Students have be using the writing process to write a personal narrative. I am sure you will enjoy reading them! And of course they continue to write in the content areas and to the prompts in their spelling books.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

A quick up-date on classroom activities is below.  I hope each and everyone of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Reading:

• Independent Reading Assignment (AR points, story map, book review, and WOW! words bookmark) are due Wednesday, Nov. 21.
• Our whole class novel Sign of the Beaver is drawing to a close. We will be discussing the overall plot structure, theme, and analyzing the characters.  Students will also watch a movie version of the book and write an essay comparing and contrasting the two.
• Students also completed a Common Core close reading of the story Eleven. You might ask your child what they thought of the story.

Math:

• We will be finishing up our geometry unit of study and begin focusing on division following Thanksgiving break. 
• Students have also be engaging in mental math activities and collaborating on solving word problems.
• For Thanksgiving week, students will be planning a Thanksgiving dinner and calculating the cost based on grocery store ads. 

Writing:

• Students continue to write to the prompt in their spelling books.  Many need to remember to use spelling words and proofread their writing. No run-on or comma splice sentences is our motto.
• A focus  in writing has been comparing and contrasting paragraphs using the transition words but  and however.  The semicolon has been introduced for combining sentences, especially with however.

 Science:

• Student will conclude their study of minerals by identifying a mineral based on its density number.  In order to do this, students must find the volume of the mineral using displacement and then calculate the density. 
• We will have a short investigation of buoyancy, and then head into our next major unit of study "Mixtures and Solutions."

Social Studies:

• To support students understanding of our recent presidential election, the Electoral College was investigated.  Students wrote their opinion as to whether or not to retain or rescind the Electoral College. You view their opinions on the bulletin board in the quad.
• We are reading about the "taxing" causes of the Revolutionary War. Students are using a cause and effect graphic graphic organizer to take notes on the events leading to the American Revolution.
• Students will be analyzing primary sources of the Boston "Massacre": Paul Revere's famous engraving, a newspaper article written shortly after the event, and  trial transcripts.

October 22-25

I greatly enjoyed meeting parents during conference week.  The commitment and support you have for your child's education is truly appreciated and inspiring!  An outline of our week ahead is below.

Nevada Day

Nevada's statehood  birthday will be celebrated on Friday, October 26.  There will no school that day.

 

Virginia City Field Trip--Monday, October 29

Our Virginia City field trip to celebrate Nevada Day and in lieu of a Halloween party was originally scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 25.  That date has changed due to a busing issue.  The new date for our Virginia City field trip will be Monday, October 29. A permission slip will be sent home on Monday, October 22.  To prepare for the field trip, students will be learning about the history of Nevada and Virginia City this coming week. We will not be having a Halloween Party in our classroom.

Atoms to Minerals Science Unit Wrap-up

Students were given a study guide on Thursday, October 18 for the up-coming test Atoms to Minerals.  The test was originally scheduled for Wednesday but has been rescheduled to Thursday, October 25. We will review for the test on Wednesday. A successfully completed study guide earns a student extra credit points on the test.

To further their appreciation for minerals, students are investigating a mineral of their choice and creating a Most Wanted Mineral poster.  Students were given an outline of the requirements for the poster, a list of suggested minerals, and website sources of information on Thursday. We discussed a due date, and students felt 2 1/2 weeks was sufficient time.  So the poster will be due on Friday, November 9.

Independent Reading

Students were given a new Independent Reading assignment on Friday.  Story map, book review, WOW! words, and AR points will be due on November 20.  I suggest you question your child as to what she/he is reading and how he/she feels about.  If your child is not happy with a book choice because it is too difficult, encourage him/her to find a more appropriate book.

Spelling Book

Due to the Friday holiday and field trip on Monday, October 29.  Unit 7 in our spelling book will not be due until Thursday, Nov. 1.  We will begin the unit this coming week.

Thank You! & The Week of October 15

I realize I have not been a very consistent blogger, so I am in the process of improving by promising attempting to blog every week.  First of all, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank all the parents that prepared fabric, cooked, set-up, served, and cleaned-up for Colonial Day.  It was a huge success; an experience the children will remember for years to come.  Thank you again!

Looking at the week ahead of us:

• It is Conference Week.  Students will be dismissed at 12:50 each day
• Students will be having a test on Colonization of North America on Wednesday, Oct. 17.  They were given a study guide on Tuesday, Oct. 9.  We will review the study guide on Tuesday.  A successfully completed study guide will be worth extra credit points on their test.
• I reviewed students' rough drafts of their explanatory essays on physical properties of minerals. Making comments on their individual essays. We also reviewed the organization of the essay as a whole class.  Students have also been given a scoring rubric to guide them in making revisions for their final copy.  The final copy is due Friday, Oct. 19.
• Students first Independent Reading Assignment was due Friday. Several students did not complete all the requirements which were the following: AR points goal, story map, book review and WOW! Words bookmark.  This assignment was given to students 5 weeks ago. Please make sure your children are reading for 20-30 minutes a night.  Thank you!

Topics being studied by subject:

• Math--We are focused on addition, subtraction, multiplication of whole numbers and decimal numbers and corresponding word problems.  We are also investigating volume through our science studies. Decimal place value is being reviewed using IXL.
• Reading--Our focus in the classroom has been reading informational text using our social studies and the weekly Time for Kids. Students are learning the importance of rereading text to locate answers and support their responses with evidence from the text.  As a class, we have been reading the historical fiction novel The Sign of the Beaver.
• Writing--Writing is being integrated with science and social studies topics.  Common Core Standards indicate students need to pull information from a variety of sources to write cohesive multi-paragraph essays.  To that end, we have been writing about the physical properties of minerals. On Monday we will be learning how to write a comparing  and contrasting paragraph on the topic of Colonial Children vs. Modern Day Children.
• Science--Our unit Atoms to Minerals is coming to a close.  The last physical property of matter we are investigating is density.  Students engaged in two density labs so far, we 3 more to come. Students will be given a study guide for the Atoms to Minerals test at the end of next week.  The test will sometime the end of the month.
• Social studies--We are leaving the colonies and heading to the American Revolution!

We are Well on our Way!

The first several weeks of a new school year focus on establishing rapport, expectations, and procedures to ensure a successful school year.  Below is an outline by subject of what we have discussed in class:

Math
We are using the Everyday Math program in our classroom.  Everyday Math is a leader in digital and on-line support for teachers, students, and parents.  The program supports teachers' instruction with ready made and easily modified Active Inspire flip charts.  Students have been given usernames and passwords to access Everyday Math's on-line resources.  These resources include Family Letters that explain the concepts and vocabulary of each unit and offer the answers to homework Study Links, videos demonstrating the use of various computation alogorithms, and games for practice. There's more, but that is all we were able to investigate in class!  Student log-in address is https://www.everydaymathonline.com/student_login.html or just google Everyday Math and the student log-in will pop right up!  I am in the process of laminating the students' log-in cards.  They should have them in their possession by the end of next week.

For math practice, we are also using IXL.com.  Students will be given three IXL skills to practice for one week.  The IXL skills will be announced on Monday and will be due the following Monday.  For some students having a weekend to work on these is helpful.  The IXL assignment is valued as 1/2 of a regular classroom assignment.. The IXL Smart Score is the score the student earns on the assignment. 

Spelling/Word Study
Zaner-Bloser is the spelling and vocabulary program we are using in all of 5th grade.  Students will have their own practice book which includes a dictionary and thesaurus. The books have not arrived yet, so students have been given photocopies of the practice pages. The spelling unit is introduced on Monday and students are given time in class to work on the pages that day.  The practice pages are to be completed by Thursday.  These pages may be worked on in class when other assignments are completed or as homework.    Each spelling unit includes a Connection to Writing page.  The writing page practice is not due until Friday. Students are expected to rewrite the model paragraph correctly and write their own paragraph on the prompt given. Students have been given a bright green scoring rubic for the self-written paragraph. I encourage students to word process their writing. Parents feel free to discuss the meanings of the words with your child and look over his/her work.

Reading
Students have been given their first Independent Reading Assignment. This assignment is linked to AR (Accelerated Reading). Students took a STAR test to help identify  their independent reading level.  I conferenced with each student to review the STAR test data. That information was used to determine an AR point goal suitable to their reading level.  Students are expected to read 30 minutes per day and attain their AR points goal by October 12. Students may read as many books as they want to attain their point goal.  Book levels shoudd be within the range indicated on their Independent Reading Assignment. For one book that they read before October 12, students are to complete a Story Map and write a Book Review.  Students will also collect 10 interesting words and the word's definition on a WOW! Words bookmark. Students will be given details on the Book Review and WOW! Words bookmark next week. 

Starting Monday, September 13, students will be given their first weekly fluency assignment.  This assignment promotes students' reading fluency and comprehension skills.  The idea is to have students read the given passage out loud to a parent several times during the week--they should become more fluent with each reading.  Corresponding comprehension questions are on the back of the paper along with a Parent Tip.  Parents sign of at the bottom of the page to indicate they listened to their child read. The fluency assignment is due Friday.

We will be focusing on reading informational text in the classroom in conjunction with our social studies and science units.

Writing
As many of you already know, students have been writing a Me Report. The purpose of this report was to highlight the writing process, review paragraph structure, and the structure of an essay (introduction, body paragraphs, and concluding paragraph). Their writing is definitely a work in progress and we will be continueing with this report on Monday. In order to prepare students for the state mandated Writing Test in February, students are encouraged to type their writing.  The Writing Test is taken in the computer lab and students are expected to type their responses to the prompt. Parents please review your child's writing especially to assist in spelling and punctuation.  Thanks!

Well, that's about all for now--probably more than you care to process in a single blog!  If you have any questions, please contact me! 

Looking forward to seeing you at Parent Night on Tuesday evening, September 14.