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