Hello once again! I can't believe it's October already.
Some news first:
This week we will begin our Book-It Campaign! I will send home a letter later this week with details. As a short explanation (as I am sure you have all been through this before!) the students will have a goal each month in terms of how many books they need to read. If they meet that goal they will mark it on our sheet and receive a Pizza Hut coupon. The main purpose, however, is to get your child reading.
The first quarter is over in 3 weeks...I will give you a moment to let that sink in. Yes, October 18 is the final day of the first quarter. I have been updating Progress Book (finally!) fairly often nowadays to make sure you are up-to-date on your child's progress in each subject.
Now to the week!
Reading - We finally finished "The Westing Game" as our whole class reading unit. This week the students are doing project work rather than taking a cumulative test on the book. I have really pushed the students to put as much effort into these projects as possible. Some of them are a little more advanced, and others are going to take a lot of work. However, I did tell the students to not go out and buy supplies. I have plenty of materials in my classroom if they are in need of anything. We will also be writing our first book report together on "The Westing Game" in order to prepare them to write their own every month from now on. Beginning in October the students will be expected to turn in 1 book report on the last day of each month. I will be making them a copy of the format I would like them to use when we go over how to make it. We will then begin reading out of our Explorer books for the first time this year by the end of the week.
English - We had our first test last week, and with everything going on with Reading we will not be doing much in this subject this week. We will begin doing mini-lessons out of the spelling unit each week, but there will not be spelling lists or tests.
Social Studies - We are continuing with Chapter 2: Early People by looking at some of the earliest Native American tribes in the United States, such as the Iroquois, Algonquian, Cheyenne, and Pueblos. One of the skills we are focusing on is note-taking in the classroom. While I am not a huge fan of lecture, I do understand that students are expected to be able to do it in higher level classes. Due to this we are slowly coming into it by using PowerPoint presentations. The students are receiving the presentations with words missing while the one on the board is a complete version. They are gaining the ability to follow along and write in the correct statement or word.
Science - This week we are continuing with Earth and Space by evaluating the sizes of the planets on a scale comparison, making flip charts on the different planets and their characteristics, and then moving on to how the tilt of the Earth and the sun's rays create seasons. We will be having a quiz Friday just on the planets.
Until next week!
Mrs. Perkins
Fifth Grade Teacher
Seneca East
Monday, September 30, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
The Westing Game finale
As part of the unit on "The Westing Game" all of the students had to choose a character to follow for various activities. This led to our Suspect Wall when the students drew a portrait of their character and then compared them to another character with a partner. We will find out who the murderer is this week!
Catching up!
Oh boy. I apologize for not updating for a really long time! The first few weeks of school are always crazy. I will try my best to make sure I update every week for the rest of the year.
First some news:
*This week is Spirit Week! A notice went home on Friday, but here is a preview of the week.
Monday: Pajama Day
Tuesday: Farmer/Redneck Day
Wednesday: Blast from the Past
Thursday: Black Out/White Out Day
Friday: School Spirit
I cannot wait to see the kids dress up this week (and dress up myself as well)!
*Our MAP testing is finished (phew!). We will not have any more standardized tests until March, April, and May when we will have three different ones administered. At least we get a nice long break until then!
*I will be updating Progress book this week. I was at first waiting for enough grades to put in, but now I am searching for someone to show me how to do it (first year teacher problems)!
Now onto the classroom:
English- this week we will have our first test over unit 1. This will cover sentences, types of sentences, subject and predicates, conjunctions, and run on sentences. I have given the students pages 31-41 for practice, although it is not mandatory. Next we move on to writing narratives.
Reading- We are finally finishing up "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin. By the end of this week we will finally know the answer to who killed Samuel Westing! As part of the unit on this book we compared and contrasted characters and events from the story, learned about inferring and predicting, developed comprehension and vocabulary skills, and simply enjoyed reading! To wrap up the novel we will be completing project work rather than a test. I am sure the students won't mind this in the least! After this unit we will do one story from our reading textbook before beginning guided reading groups. This will allow more one-on-one time to work on reading skills.
Science- We have completed our first test and have moved on to the planets in the system. This week we are doing a packet reviewing different characteristics of the planets and then moving on to making a scale model of the system using seeds, beans, and an assortment of other materials.
Social Studies- Our first test is this week and there is a plethora of information the students need to know for the test. They have had ample time to study, however so good luck to all!
We are then moving on to the Early Americans in Chapter 2 where we will begin learning the history of the United States starting with Native Americans.
I will try to post pictures soon!
Until next time!
Mrs. Perkins
Fifth Grade Teacher
Monday, September 2, 2013
Week #3
Happy Labor Day everyone!
We will be having a short week for the first week of September, but we will still be VERY busy!
We will have MAP testing starting the end of this week and continuing throughout the month of September.
Last week the students had their hearing checked. All were sent home with a paper saying how this screening went.
I wanted to take a moment to explain homework in my classroom because I sent home homework for the first time last week and was met with mixed reactions. I want to emphasize that in this classroom I do NOT take homework for a grade except in very special circumstances. In my opinion, it is unfair for the students when it is taken for a grade because I do not know how much help, if any, the students get from other members of the family. If they do receive help that is fine - I would like them to ask for help if they do not understand. On the other hand, if one student does it all by themselves and does not do well, I do not think it is fair that another student who received a lot of help from a family member would be graded on the same scale. So in the future if your child does not understand a question and does not finish it, I will notfreak out about it count it against them because I want them to ask questions if they did not understand. If nobody asks questions and they get all of the answers correct, I will assume they understood the material and move on rather than taking one more day to go over materials many students obviously did not understand. Of course if they keep coming to school with their homework not finished I might question it.... Thank you for your patience and understanding as we figure this all out together!
ELA
Reading - Last week we began reading The Westing Game, one of my favorite mystery novels. We discussed genre, characters, and vocabulary, and even though we are only a few chapters in the students are already trying to guess who the murderer is going to be! We will continue reading this story out loud and begin focusing on character analysis, including physical and personality traits of each character, major vs. minor characters, protagonists and antagonists, and comparing and contrasting characters with graphic organizers. Students will also begin writing in a "Reading Journal" everyday except Fridays when I will collect them.
Writing - On Friday I will be going over the format I would like the students to follow for our Weekly Essay that will begin next week. We will do one together, and then I will give them a topic to write about for the following week. I have told them in class this will not be homework as long as they use their time wisely in the classroom.
Language - Last week we focused on forming complete sentences and the types of sentences (declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory). This week we will keep the focus on sentences by learning about subject and predicate.
Social Studies
Geography is still the focus for this first chapter. Last week we looked at states, regions, countries, and continents. This week we will be looking at latitude and longitude, landforms, and bodies of water in the United States.
Science
We are still looking at Earth and Space (one of my favorites!). Last week we performed some activities looking at the rotation of Earth and how it causes night and day, as well as the effect it has on the time zones around the world. This week we will be looking at more changes the rotation causes including the length of shadows throughout the day, and then go into phases of the moon. There will be a quiz on everything we have learned so far either late this week or early next week!
As a final note, I was appalled to hear about bullying that was occurring with a student in a lower grade by numerous students throughout the school. While I do not believe any of the students in our classroom were involved I would like to emphasize to the students that it is never acceptable to treat another human being in this way. I have zero tolerance in my classroom for any of this kind of behavior, so I will be going over this with the students once more this week. We want to be Bucket Fillers in our classroom, not Bucket Dippers!
Thank you so much and have a wonderful week!
Mrs. Perkins
Fifth Grade Teacher
Seneca East Elementary
We will be having a short week for the first week of September, but we will still be VERY busy!
We will have MAP testing starting the end of this week and continuing throughout the month of September.
Last week the students had their hearing checked. All were sent home with a paper saying how this screening went.
I wanted to take a moment to explain homework in my classroom because I sent home homework for the first time last week and was met with mixed reactions. I want to emphasize that in this classroom I do NOT take homework for a grade except in very special circumstances. In my opinion, it is unfair for the students when it is taken for a grade because I do not know how much help, if any, the students get from other members of the family. If they do receive help that is fine - I would like them to ask for help if they do not understand. On the other hand, if one student does it all by themselves and does not do well, I do not think it is fair that another student who received a lot of help from a family member would be graded on the same scale. So in the future if your child does not understand a question and does not finish it, I will not
ELA
Reading - Last week we began reading The Westing Game, one of my favorite mystery novels. We discussed genre, characters, and vocabulary, and even though we are only a few chapters in the students are already trying to guess who the murderer is going to be! We will continue reading this story out loud and begin focusing on character analysis, including physical and personality traits of each character, major vs. minor characters, protagonists and antagonists, and comparing and contrasting characters with graphic organizers. Students will also begin writing in a "Reading Journal" everyday except Fridays when I will collect them.
Writing - On Friday I will be going over the format I would like the students to follow for our Weekly Essay that will begin next week. We will do one together, and then I will give them a topic to write about for the following week. I have told them in class this will not be homework as long as they use their time wisely in the classroom.
Language - Last week we focused on forming complete sentences and the types of sentences (declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory). This week we will keep the focus on sentences by learning about subject and predicate.
Social Studies
Geography is still the focus for this first chapter. Last week we looked at states, regions, countries, and continents. This week we will be looking at latitude and longitude, landforms, and bodies of water in the United States.
Science
We are still looking at Earth and Space (one of my favorites!). Last week we performed some activities looking at the rotation of Earth and how it causes night and day, as well as the effect it has on the time zones around the world. This week we will be looking at more changes the rotation causes including the length of shadows throughout the day, and then go into phases of the moon. There will be a quiz on everything we have learned so far either late this week or early next week!
As a final note, I was appalled to hear about bullying that was occurring with a student in a lower grade by numerous students throughout the school. While I do not believe any of the students in our classroom were involved I would like to emphasize to the students that it is never acceptable to treat another human being in this way. I have zero tolerance in my classroom for any of this kind of behavior, so I will be going over this with the students once more this week. We want to be Bucket Fillers in our classroom, not Bucket Dippers!
Thank you so much and have a wonderful week!
Mrs. Perkins
Fifth Grade Teacher
Seneca East Elementary
Sunday, August 25, 2013
First Week Finished....On to Week #2!
What an amazing first week! The past few days have shown me that I definitely made the right decision moving up to fifth grade.
The first week usually consists of getting to know each other and going over the rules and policies for the classroom and school. It is imperative the fifth graders know and carry out these rules because they are the top dogs of the elementary wing now the sixth graders have moved over to the high school side. I have seen great things so far from the students in all three classrooms.
I have also learned so many interesting facts about everyone! Hopefully I learn even more over the next few weeks.
Below is the Donation Door I put up right before the first day of school. I have already received a few items from parents, and let me take a minute to thank everyone for the support I have already seen. It's only the first week, but I was amazed at the offers of help from the parents and students! This is something new I had not encountered in my teaching career before now, and I am humbled by all of you. Thank you so much!
This week we will continue with a few more get-to-know-you activities and going over rules and policies. Below I have listed the content we will be covering this week as well:
ELA - Last week we learned how to do reading logs, practiced SSR (Sustained Silent Reading), and wrote Bio Poems. They did an excellent job with the poems, and I learned a lot of new things about them! We will be presenting these on Monday with a possible surprise guest we wrote a poem about together. I have told the students they are expected to have a book by Monday and everyday afterwards. I have my personal library in the room and we will be going down to the Media Center/Library on Wednesdays so there are always books available.
This week we will continue practicing some of the skills I would like them to focus on as we begin our regular classroom routine. This includes proper grammar (capitalization, punctuation, indenting paragraphs, no fragment sentences, etc.), correct spelling, and clear, concise writing. The latter we discussed in detail about what I mean by 'clear' and 'concise' - the writing needs to be neat so I can read it, and organized so I can understand what they are trying to tell me. I would also like to begin reading our first classroom book together (to be determined by a classroom vote - I like the students having as much voice in the room as possible) and get started on figuring out guided reading groups.
Social Studies - Last week we took a quiz on the fifty states to see how much the students remembered from last year. I have asked them to keep these in their accordion folders so they may refer back to them in the coming week. We also listened to some songs that listed the fifty states. I don't know about the students, but these were stuck in my head the rest of the day!
This week we will be focusing on the first unit in their textbook, The Land and Early People. The first chapter, Our Nation's Geography, focuses on the different geography across the United States.
Science - Last week we learned about planning an experiment. In order to prepare for the many experiments planned for fifth grade, we developed our own experiment using the following steps:
1. Observe and ask questions
2. Make a hypothesis
3. Plan the experiment
4. Conduct the experiment
5. Analyze data, draw conclusions, and share results
Our experimental question was "Which paper airplane will fly the farthest?" The students had a blast (as did I!) as we hypothesized, planned, and carried out the experiment.
This week we will begin the first unit on Earth and Space looking at the Earth's rotation and orbiting practices with the Moon and Sun, and what occurs because of these rotations and orbiting (day and night, changing seasons, eclipses, etc.).
Just a few reminders:
*The students DO need gym shoes. Our P.E. classes are on Tuesdays.
*The students DO need book covers. We have five hardcover books that need covered.
*Book Orders for the month will be due Wednesday, September 25.
Again, always feel free to contact me at the school number or my email.
Until next time,
Mrs. Perkins
Seneca East Elementary
Fifth Grade Teacher
The first week usually consists of getting to know each other and going over the rules and policies for the classroom and school. It is imperative the fifth graders know and carry out these rules because they are the top dogs of the elementary wing now the sixth graders have moved over to the high school side. I have seen great things so far from the students in all three classrooms.
I have also learned so many interesting facts about everyone! Hopefully I learn even more over the next few weeks.
Below is the Donation Door I put up right before the first day of school. I have already received a few items from parents, and let me take a minute to thank everyone for the support I have already seen. It's only the first week, but I was amazed at the offers of help from the parents and students! This is something new I had not encountered in my teaching career before now, and I am humbled by all of you. Thank you so much!
 |
| Here is the whole door picture. Below are some zoomed in photos so you can better read the words. |
This week we will continue with a few more get-to-know-you activities and going over rules and policies. Below I have listed the content we will be covering this week as well:
ELA - Last week we learned how to do reading logs, practiced SSR (Sustained Silent Reading), and wrote Bio Poems. They did an excellent job with the poems, and I learned a lot of new things about them! We will be presenting these on Monday with a possible surprise guest we wrote a poem about together. I have told the students they are expected to have a book by Monday and everyday afterwards. I have my personal library in the room and we will be going down to the Media Center/Library on Wednesdays so there are always books available.
This week we will continue practicing some of the skills I would like them to focus on as we begin our regular classroom routine. This includes proper grammar (capitalization, punctuation, indenting paragraphs, no fragment sentences, etc.), correct spelling, and clear, concise writing. The latter we discussed in detail about what I mean by 'clear' and 'concise' - the writing needs to be neat so I can read it, and organized so I can understand what they are trying to tell me. I would also like to begin reading our first classroom book together (to be determined by a classroom vote - I like the students having as much voice in the room as possible) and get started on figuring out guided reading groups.
Social Studies - Last week we took a quiz on the fifty states to see how much the students remembered from last year. I have asked them to keep these in their accordion folders so they may refer back to them in the coming week. We also listened to some songs that listed the fifty states. I don't know about the students, but these were stuck in my head the rest of the day!
This week we will be focusing on the first unit in their textbook, The Land and Early People. The first chapter, Our Nation's Geography, focuses on the different geography across the United States.
Science - Last week we learned about planning an experiment. In order to prepare for the many experiments planned for fifth grade, we developed our own experiment using the following steps:
1. Observe and ask questions
2. Make a hypothesis
3. Plan the experiment
4. Conduct the experiment
5. Analyze data, draw conclusions, and share results
Our experimental question was "Which paper airplane will fly the farthest?" The students had a blast (as did I!) as we hypothesized, planned, and carried out the experiment.
This week we will begin the first unit on Earth and Space looking at the Earth's rotation and orbiting practices with the Moon and Sun, and what occurs because of these rotations and orbiting (day and night, changing seasons, eclipses, etc.).
Just a few reminders:
*The students DO need gym shoes. Our P.E. classes are on Tuesdays.
*The students DO need book covers. We have five hardcover books that need covered.
*Book Orders for the month will be due Wednesday, September 25.
Again, always feel free to contact me at the school number or my email.
Until next time,
Mrs. Perkins
Seneca East Elementary
Fifth Grade Teacher
Monday, August 19, 2013
First Day Countdown....
Wow it seems unreal the first day of school is only two days away! All of the teachers have been hard at work getting everything ready for that very important first day.
Below you will find a brief summary of what topics will be the focal points at the beginning of the year. I will update weekly to provide more specific subject matter.
Language Arts: There will be a variety of different projects going on with this subject, but I will try my best to make sure students are up-to-date with the assignments. Below are a few of the projects that will be going on throughout the year.
Reading
- Accelerated Reader: Students should already be familiar with this program. It will not begin right away (probably closer to September), so I have not decided on the amount of points the students will need per quarter.
- Guided Reading: Students will meet with Mr. Schock or myself once or twice a week to read in small groups and work on skills (such as comprehension, context clues, antonyms and synonyms). While guided reading groups are going on the rest of the students will be completing other projects independently.
Writing
- Reading Journal - Students will be expected to write in their reading journals every single day. This will be very informal way for the students to jot down their thoughts on the book they are reading at the moment. It does not have to be long (4-5 sentences is fine), but they do need to explain their thoughts and write in a grammatically correct manner.
- Weekly Essay - Every week I will give the students a topic to write about which they will complete independently. This can be done during free time in class or as homework, but it needs to be completed before the end of each week.
- Monthly Book Report - I will give the students a paper with more details on this project, but in short they will choose one book each month and complete a book report on it. This can be done at anytime throughout the month, but needs to be turned in before the last day of the month (no matter the day of the week)
^The work above will not only allow ample opportunities for the students to practice their language skills, but also hopefully improve their independence, responsibility, and time management skills. I do understand this seems like a lot, but for the first few months I will be walking the students through it so they do not become overwhelmed.
Social Studies: The first chapter we will be studying is Our Nation's Geography. This includes, but is not limited to, map skills, states and regions, landforms, climate, and environment.
Science: This year science will revolve around three large units: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Life Science.The first unit we will be focusing on is Earth and Space Science.
As you can tell, the emphasis in this grade level is language arts and math! Mrs. Sauber of course will be teaching math to the students. Please be aware that her homework policies are slightly different from mine!
I did finally finish the Donation Tree as well. I will post a picture of it on this site sometime this week.
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me! Try not to leave questions in the comments if it is a specific question about your child or another student.
Have a great day!
Mrs. Perkins
Fifth Grade Teacher
Seneca East Elementary
Below you will find a brief summary of what topics will be the focal points at the beginning of the year. I will update weekly to provide more specific subject matter.
Language Arts: There will be a variety of different projects going on with this subject, but I will try my best to make sure students are up-to-date with the assignments. Below are a few of the projects that will be going on throughout the year.
Reading
- Accelerated Reader: Students should already be familiar with this program. It will not begin right away (probably closer to September), so I have not decided on the amount of points the students will need per quarter.
- Guided Reading: Students will meet with Mr. Schock or myself once or twice a week to read in small groups and work on skills (such as comprehension, context clues, antonyms and synonyms). While guided reading groups are going on the rest of the students will be completing other projects independently.
Writing
- Reading Journal - Students will be expected to write in their reading journals every single day. This will be very informal way for the students to jot down their thoughts on the book they are reading at the moment. It does not have to be long (4-5 sentences is fine), but they do need to explain their thoughts and write in a grammatically correct manner.
- Weekly Essay - Every week I will give the students a topic to write about which they will complete independently. This can be done during free time in class or as homework, but it needs to be completed before the end of each week.
- Monthly Book Report - I will give the students a paper with more details on this project, but in short they will choose one book each month and complete a book report on it. This can be done at anytime throughout the month, but needs to be turned in before the last day of the month (no matter the day of the week)
^The work above will not only allow ample opportunities for the students to practice their language skills, but also hopefully improve their independence, responsibility, and time management skills. I do understand this seems like a lot, but for the first few months I will be walking the students through it so they do not become overwhelmed.
Social Studies: The first chapter we will be studying is Our Nation's Geography. This includes, but is not limited to, map skills, states and regions, landforms, climate, and environment.
Science: This year science will revolve around three large units: Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Life Science.The first unit we will be focusing on is Earth and Space Science.
As you can tell, the emphasis in this grade level is language arts and math! Mrs. Sauber of course will be teaching math to the students. Please be aware that her homework policies are slightly different from mine!
I did finally finish the Donation Tree as well. I will post a picture of it on this site sometime this week.
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me! Try not to leave questions in the comments if it is a specific question about your child or another student.
Have a great day!
Mrs. Perkins
Fifth Grade Teacher
Seneca East Elementary
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