April

We the People

Students have been working hard preparing for the We the People mock congressional hearing to be held Wednesday, April 23.  Students should be at school about 6:15.  By 6:30 parents, students, teachers, and the judges will gather in the cafeteria for presentation of the flag, introductions and a few welcoming words from our principal, Mrs. Thoroughman.  After this, students, parents, and teachers will go to their classrooms--each 5th grade classroom will be conducting  a mock hearing.  This hearing a a wonderful way to celebrate students' Constitutional knowledge and support writing, speaking, and listening skills.

Math

We have begun investigating the Measurement and Data strand of our Common Core Math Standards.  Before spring break students worked with various graphs to represent data: line plots, stem-and-leaf plots, and histograms. Students are now working  on perimeter, area, and volume concepts.   We will also be preparing for CRTs with Nevada Department of Education practice tests.

Reading

Students' Fantasy Genre assignment and AR points were due Friday, April 18.  Some students have not yet turned this assignment in. Students may still turn this assignment in.  We will know begin looking into the science fiction genre.  Students will be given a Science Fiction independent reading assignment this coming Friday, April 25. Students, also,  continue to have weekly Newsela.com assignments.

Science

We are preparing for science CRTs with a variety of science topics.  We briefly reviewed earth science concepts and are beginning to look at life science concepts.

CRTs

State mandated CRTs (Criterion Referenced Test) will be given the first week in May.  Students in fifth grade take tests in math, reading, and science.  Each test has two parts.  Students will be taking Math part 1 on Monday morning, May 5; Math part 2, Tuesday morning, May 6; Reading part 1 Wednesday morning, May 7, Reading part 2, Thursday morning, May 8; and Science parts 1 & 2 on Friday, May 9.  Please make sure your child is at school on time this week  and he/she is getting a good breakfast and plenty of rest. Thank you!

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.

November 12-17

Science Carnival

The Caughlin Ranch Science Carnival will be this coming Wednesday, November 13, from 6-7 pm.    Community voluteers whose jobs and careers involve science will be presenting information and activities in science "booths" set-up in the multipurpose room. The Northern Nevada Astronomy Group will have telescopes on the playground, and UNR engineering students will be in the computer lab.

Colonial Day is Coming!

In order to bring American history alive and understand how children of the past lived, Caughlin Ranch 5th grade will be hosting the 12 annual Colonial Day! Colonial Day is an activity to support and enhance our Colonial America unit of study. During the day students will play, eat, and even dance (thanks, Mrs. Jackson!) as children living in colonial Williamsburg in the 1770s. Colonial Day 2013 will be on Friday, November 22.

 

An informational flyer asking for parental help went home in Friday's, November 8, Folder. We will need parents to prepare food, cut cloth, and assist in the rotation activities during the day. In my classroom, students will be making and dressing corn husk dolls, the more helping hands the better! Since we do not have a third 5th grade teacher this year, colonial games will need to be manned entirely by parents. 

To make the event as historically accurate and fun as possible, we encourage students to dress in a colonial fashion. For girls this means a dress or skirt. I will provide each young lady with an apron, and the girls will be making their own mob caps. For the young gents, I suggest they wear football/baseball pants or roll up pants to simulate breeches, knee length pants, and tall socks. A dress shirt and, if possible, a vest or dress coat, will complete their outfit. Boys will be fashioning cravats, precursor to the tie, out of material. Don't rush out to purchase clothing--raid every closet in the house. One of the best dressed colonial lads I ever saw wore his mother's full sleeved blouse and her vest! If you do decide to buy something, try Savers or one of the other used clothing stores. Old Halloween costumes can be fashioned into colonial clothing, too.

Below are some examples of student clothing from last year: 

 

 

 

October 28-November 3

Conference Week--Oct. 28-Nov. 1

Looking forward to meeting with you and your child next week.  Our conference will  focus on your child's assessment data and student skills observed in the classroom. School will be dismissed each day at 12:50.

Explorer Trading Card

Students' Explorer Trading Card is due this Friday, Nov. 1.  We began this research project 3 weeks ago.  Students were given an outline and rubric for the project, as well as, a note taking guide. Computer and library times were used for research.  I provided students with maps and poster board for creating the "trading card."  Late trading cards will not be accepted.

Virginia City Field Trip

Thank you to all the parents that volunteered to chaperon on our recent Virginia City field trip.  We had an amusing time learning about Virginia City's past population by reading tombstones in the Silver Terrace Cemeteries.  Lunch was enjoyed in historic Piper's Opera House listening to the superintendent of Storey Count Schools explain a about the history of the opera house.  We finished up our trip with a visit to Fourth Ward School to learn about turn of the century schools and tour the Mark Twain Room and the Nevada Mining Association's Mining Room.  The students were on their best behavior and  enthusiastic learners!

Conference Week--October 28-November 1

If you have not already done so, please make sure you sign up for a conference the week of October 28.  Confirmation notices and sign-up forms went home in Friday Folders on October 11.  Please make sure your child attends the conference with you.

Virginia City Field Trip

Don't forget the class will be visiting Virginia City on Thursday, Oct. 24 to celebrate Nevada Day. Please make sure you have signed the permission form by Tuesday night as it is due in class on Wednesday. 

 

September 30

Fall Fest

Caughlin Ranch's fun-filled Fall Fest will be held on Friday, October 4.  I know the Fall Fest committee is in need of volunteers.  Fliers went home this past Friday with more detailed information.  If you would like to volunteer your time or some baked goods, the office has the information.

Reading

The students' Independent Reading Assignment is due this coming Friday, October 4.  This assignment includes students' AR points, a story map and character analysis on a realistic fiction book (this was a two sided sheet of paper handed out more than 3 weeks ago), and a WOW! Words bookmark. 

Students are expected to read every night at home.  They are also encouraged to read in the classroom after finishing required assignments.

Math

We are finishing up Unit 2 in Everyday Math.  They will be taking a multiplication assessment and the Unit 2 Checking Progress test in the next few days.

Common Core Standards state that 5th grade students need to be fluent in the standard/traditional algorithm for double digit multiplication.  Some students are still struggling with this algorithm.  You may want to check your child's homework to see how they are progressing using the standard algorithm.

The next Everyday Math unit is geometry based.  As we work our way through this unit, we will also begin practicing simple division.

Social Studies

Students will be introduced to a European explorer from the Age of Exploration this week.  They will begin researching their explorer in the library and during computer time.  Research will be presented in the form of an Explorer Trading Card.  Students will be given instructions and an outline for this project during the week.  I will take student in-put as to when this assignment will be due. Because students will need to work on this assignment at home, this assignment will take the place of one  Zaner-Bloser weekly writing assignment.

Science

Mixtures and solutions is being investigated during our labs.  Students earn a lab grade based on their active participation, ability to follow written and verbal instructions, demonstrations of proper lab behaviors and use of equipment, and cooperation with their science team.  In this week's main lab, students will need to write a materials list and procedure for separating a mixture of gravel, salt, and diatomaceous earth powder.  Then follow their procedure for separation.

Writing

This week students final draft of a Batty Opinion will be due Wednesday. Their rough drafts of this essay were due Friday and have been commented upon.  As a class, students will read, analyze, and compare their essays to  examples of well written essays on Monday.  This will help them in the revision process.  A focus point for revision will be smoothing out transitions.

This week's writing assignment will be another opinon essay on whether or not schools should be nut-free zones.  Information for this topic will be supplied by a Time For Kids article.

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.

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.

Support PTA to Support our School!

Caughlin Ranch's wonderful PTA is hard at work to raise extra funds to support our school.  The big fund raiser of the year, the Jog-athon, is right around the corner.  Students have been given packets to collect money for the Jog-athon.  The PTA is hoping every child in every classroom will be able to contribute something--every little bit helps!  Students will be jogging on September 21.  5th grade will be jogging at 10:45.  So come on down to the school and cheer your jogger on!

Another fund raiser PTA is encouraging is Box Top clipping.  Many products, cereals, can goods, even reams of copy paper, have a red and yellow symbol with the words Box Top for Education.  These box tops can be redeemed for money.  PTA is having a competition for the student, grade, and class collecting the most.  So start clipping and bringing those box tops to school.

The money our PTA raises helps to fund our Accelerated Reader Program, buy playground equipment and  technology for classrooms, and many other things the school district simply can't afford. 

Thanks PTA!