Schedules

Here you go:

Flag Raising Schedule

School Store Schedule

Wonderful Wednesday

Hi Friends,

I have received almost everyone's spelling homework via email. Don't forget to send it to me if you haven't already. Your book trailers are looking wonderful. Wasn't it fun to explore and play around with Movie Maker? I can't wait to have a huge sharing day where we can see everyone's.

Going up on the staff, how do I get from F to A to C to D? Steps, skips or both?

Homework tonight: Read for 30, work on math, Spelling Email assignment due tomorrow, TV Commercial log due Friday ( I can't wait to see what kinds of ads you noticed)

Plan out your week!

Hi Everyone!

I hope you like our new room arrangement. It's good to change things up a little bit. We will be switching table partners soon. Remind me to have you make new name tags tomorrow. You can decorate them how you like.

As promised, here are the three links to the book trailers that Mrs. Sloot passed on to me. Remember that your storyboards for your book trailers are due tomorrow. We will spend a good deal of tomorrow afternoon working and exploring Movie Maker (the program that we will use to make our book projects). Please tell your parents, that this will be a project that will be completed at school.

Shift

Dragon Wishes

Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains


Plan out your week of homework accordingly--it's a short, but busy week.

Spanish packet due tomorrow
Advertising Symbols sheet due tomorrow (you may ask family members, or consult the Internet if you get stuck)
Storyboard due tomorrow
Television Advertising sheet due Friday
Email spelling assignment due Thursday

Read for 30 min
Work on math contract

I am here for help if you need it--before and after school!

Short and Sweet

It is a busy night for me, so tonight's post will be short and sweet. I hope you had a fun time with Mrs. Chang this afternoon while I was at the dentist. Good news...no cavities!

Homework tonight:

Practice spelling words for your test tomorrow
Complete "Audience" sheet in the editorial packet--due tomorrow
Work on math contract
Finish "Possessions" sheet from social studies--due tomorrow (this was the sheet we were working on right before I needed to leave for the dentist)

Remember that African Pattern art projects are due Tuesday morning.

Tomorrow is Mix It Up-Session 2. We also have the Hamline Theater Group coming to do a special performance for us in the cafeteria from 10:00-11:00.

We will have a busy and exciting day.
See if your families know what makes money MONEY? :-)

Have a great night. See you bright and early tomorrow morning.

School store is open tomorrow! 8:45-9:00 a.m. in the main lobby. If you still need a locker shelf, they are available for purchase ($7.00).

A productive day

We had an extremely productive day today. Our biggest, most challenging task was analyzing an editorial from yesterday's STAR TRIBUNE called "On the Waves of a Poem." The editorial was written by a local writer who discussed the poem that was read at Barack Obama's Inauguration. We had a great conversation about the author's intended audience and purpose and whether or not we agreed with the author.

The students also worked in teams to story map their fantasy book. They needed to use specific evidence from the book along with their creative artistic skills to draw and label the main characters and setting.

Remember that Friday will be a busy day---from 10:00-11:00 we will be watching a presentation by the Hamline Theater Group, and then we will have Mix It Up in the afternoon. Class lists will be released tomorrow. I am excited for the new session to begin.

Homework tonight: Read for 30 minutes, spelling definitions due tomorrow, finish math, pattern Africa art due Tuesday, mark specific passages in your book club book to use for story mapping tomorrow

Inauguration Day 2009!

Today was a day to remember. And we experienced it together.

Homework:

Read for 30 minutes

Spelling homework due Thursday: define the base word and then define the base word plus the prefix. For example: for the word dissimilar-- define the base word (similar) and define the base word plus prefix (dissimilar). For words 16-20 please define the word as is.

Find out if you have access to Power point at home

Things to look forward to

Hi everyone. I hope you had a great weekend. Here are some things to look forward to tomorrow:

Monkey bread (finally)

Starting LOVE, STARGIRL ( I bought the sequel to STARGIRL this weekend)

I will return your science tests on levers and pulleys (you all did very well)

Art with Ms. Lisa and Spanish with Seniorita Kim


***************

How many pebbles are in your happiness dishes?

Congrats Haven!

 
 
 


I was honored to be able to attend Haven's brown belt testing on Saturday. She performed extremely well. Here are some pictures I took while I was there.
I am so proud of you, Haven.

Storybook Character Day

 
 
 


Here are a few pictures from Storybook Character Day. We had the the big, friendly giant, Anne of Green Gables, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Stargirl, Harry Potter, Miranda, Mississippi Mibbs, Annabeth, Cat in the Hat, and Huggly. Really, really creative ideas:-) I hope you enjoy your three day weekend. Keep up with your 30 minutes/day of reading and your science fair project. Other than that, make snow angels in the snow, find your enchanted place, send someone a porcupine necktie and put 20 pebbles in your happiness jar. See you Tuesday.

Really quick...

Sorry this is so late tonight.

Just a couple of things--remember to study for your science test on levers and pulleys and your spelling test with -in prefixes. Both tests are tomorrow. We will do short reviews on both before you take the tests.

I can't wait to see what you come up with for storybook character day. I am excited to show you my costume--here is a hint--it has to do with Jerry Spinelli and a pet rat named Cinnamon:-)

Have a great night.

Don't forget reading responses are due tomorrow as well in a friendly letter form to your table partner.

Homework: Prepare for science and spelling tests tomorrow, finish math, reading responses due tomorrow, read for 30 minutes

Remember--The school store is open tomorrow. Locker shelves are available if you need them.

Fashion Frenzy

 

 

Here you go...as promised...a couple pictures from our Fashion Disaster Day. The outfits were absolutely hilarious and so creative. Have a great night:-)

Homework: Read for 30, reading response journals due Friday, Science Fair proposals due Friday, finish math, practice spelling

Whoops. Short post.

Whoops:

I was really hoping to post some great pictures of our "Fashion Disaster Day" but I left my camera at school. I will post the pictures tomorrow morning. All of the outfits really made me laugh--from the tutus, glasses, tiaras, socks, mismatched clothes, funny hair and crazy jewelry--everything made this a day to remember.

Remember: reading response journals due tomorrow, work on math, Spanish sheet, read for 30 minutes, finish page in editorial packet.

One More Post:-)

I received this special email from Marselienna today. I hope she doesn't mind if I share it all with you:-) I hope you carry this message with you where ever you go.

*****************************************************************************************

Dear Mrs. E,
Looking at all of the pictures of us on the website, it reminds me that no matter how old we get, we all can make time to play and goof around and be funny. And that no matter how old we are ,we are all kids inside :)

-Marselienna

Out of This World Day!

 
 
 
Sorry I burnt the monkey bread:-( I guess I am not used to cooking with the school's ovens--especially when I am reading Stargirl out loud to you. The unburnt part was good, right? I have recipes on my desk so if you want to make this at home you will know how.

It was so much fun to see everyone's creativity for Out of This World Day. After school I took some pictures of our "out of this world" friends who hung around. Tomorrow I hope I can get a picture of EVERYONE for Fashion Disaster Day.

Please remember to tell your families about our new spelling. This week everyone has the same 16 words. You will be tested on the spelling of the base words and the spelling of the base words plus the form of the "in" prefix. Spelling sheets went home today--we will have a test on Friday, and will be doing in class review activities to reinforce the particular skill we are learning. I am choosing to focus more on understanding specific spelling rules and vocabulary rather than strict memorization. I want students to understand WHY words are spelled the way they are:-) It is a different approach, but I know we will be successful.

Earlier this year, students went through the most frequently misspelled words at their grade level and the grade level below. Any words that were missed, will appear on spelling lists as challenge words each week (with the exception of this week).

Homework: Read for 30 minutes. Finish math. Reading response journals are due on Wednesday. Dress up for Fashion Disaster Day tomorrow:-)

Post by Marselienna

First day of spirit week flew by! Today was Out Of this World Day, and there were some pretty impressive costumes, and not just in our class. As you all know, we made monkey bread, that Mrs. E burned. (Don't blame her, we were all listening to StarGirl.) After a while, the costumes died down, and we took off our antennas. For example, my green hairspray faded away. But it was extra cool in the beginning of the day. Get ready for tomorrow, Fashion Disaster day! Also, feel free to e-mail me with ideas, because I don't know what to do for Fashion disaster, except for the hair.


OK So yeah that's my blog. C u 2morrow,
Marselienna

School Spirit Week

Don't forget that this week is School Spirit Week:

Monday: Out of This World Day: Dress like someone/something from another planet or outer space.

Tuesday: Fashion Disaster: Dress in your most non matching colors, patterns and materials.

Wednesday: Sports Day: Dress up in your favorite player's jersey or wear your favorite team's colors with pride. This also includes wearing uniforms or shirts from the teams you play on.

Thursday: Backwards Day: Wear whatever you have backwards, inside out or upside down.

Friday: Storybook Character Day: Dress like your favorite book character.

Super Sledders

 
 
 


The students in my class have invented a new way to sled called "blobbing." It involves everyone in the class going down the hill at the same time in...you guessed it--a GIANT blob. The point is to make it down the hill without anyone detaching from the whole group. The best part happens at the bottom of the hill when everyone rolls around in the snow. Try it.

Excellent Electric Sliders!

Here are some pictures of us doing the "Electric Slide" yesterday in gym and at the all school assembly!

Fantasy Reading Contracts Posted

YOU WISH:

January 15--Read to Chapter 6
January 20--Read to Chapter 15
January 22--Read to Chapter 20
January 27--Read to Chapter 27
January 29--Finish book

(Read 20 pages each night)

HORNS AND WRINKLES:

January 13--Read to page 120
January 15--Read to page 160
January 20--Finish the book

(Read 20 pages each night)

MAYBIRD:

January 12--At Chapter 12
January 15--At Chapter 16
January 20--At Chapter 20
January 22--At Chapter 24
January 27--At Chapter 28
January 29--Book is finished

(Read 2 chapters each night)

School store open tomorrow!

Pass on the word....remember the school store is open tomorrow. 8:45-9:00 a.m. in the main lobby!

Line Dancing Machines!

The best part of my day was teaching the kids the Electric Slide line dance. Since Mrs. Lisa was not here today, I took over the role of gym teacher from 11:30-12:15 today. The kids are in the midst of a dance unit--so far they have been swing dancing and working on the Charleston. Today we learned that the Electric Slide has 22 steps and it takes 88 steps for us to return to the position we started in. The kids not only perfected their "slide" moves, but they helped teach the 3rd graders the steps. I am also proud to announce the 4th-6th graders will be performing their dance at the all school assembly tomorrow. If you want to witness this big event, you are most certainly welcome to attend. The assembly is at 9:15 tomorrow in the cafeteria. I took several pictures which I will post tomorrow ( I left my camera at school).

Students also got together with their book club groups to put together a reading contract. Book clubs will start on Tuesday and will continue through February 5. I am looking for volunteers to help lead a book club. The time commitment is: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30-2:15. You will get a book and activities beforehand :-)

Please mark your calendars--book projects are due February 12. I will be handing out project requirements early next week.

Brr--it's cold out. By the way, did you know that Fairbanks, Alaska is experiencing highs of 53 below zero. Compared to that part of the world, we are having beach weather:-)

January reading calendars are due February 2, 2009!

Look what we did today!

Hello everyone:

We certainly had a busy day. I am so proud of all we got accomplished. I am very excited about how well you understood our lesson on prepositions and I can't wait to display your prepositional poems. The poems I have seen are absolutely beautiful.

Word on the street is that tomorrow in gym you will be doing some line dancing. If you want to bring cowboy boots and hats to wear in gym, you certainly may. I might just have to peek into the gym to see what you are doing tomorrow. It sounds like fun.

January reading calendars went home today. Remember for 2009 all students are required to read 210 minutes each week--the comes to 30 minutes a night. Please remember to record how many minutes you read each night as well as the book title:-) For Jan 1-4, I won't be a stickler if you can't remember how many minutes you read because you didn't have the calendar.

Make sure you update your families on the many exciting things you are doing on your student council committees. I am so proud to say that every person in our room is somehow involved with a student council committee. FPA is so blessed to have you students as its leaders.

Homework tonight: math homework (30 minutes), read for 30 minutes, Spanish verb paragraph (have a family member read it while you act it out--don't forget to have the reader sign your sheet), type your prepositional poem.

Remember: foreshortening art project due Monday (add color and a background)

Back at it:-)

Welcome back from break! I hope everyone had a peaceful and relaxing few days off. It sounds like you had exciting holiday gatherings and special family time. It is good to be back in a routine and to see everyone again. December reading calendars were due today. Book reports were also passed back and graded. They were out of 50 points. I told the kids that I was a stickler when I was grading their reports. Many of them will be bringing home their reports to redo parts of them. I told the kids that all book reports and book report corrections are due to me no later than Friday. All book reports will be put in the students' portfolios to track individual growth in writing.

I also gave a book chat on our new book club books--our next unit will be on fantasy and fairy tales.

The book choices are MAYBIRD AND THE EVER AFTER by Jodi Lynn Anderson, HORNS AND WRINKLES by Joseph Helgerson and THE MISADVENTURES OF BENJAMIN BARTHOLOMEW PIFF: YOU WISH by Jason Lethcoe.

We also worked on reviewing the elements of a friendly letter. Students practiced writing friendly letters to their table partners in their reading response journals. Within each letter, students will be working on summarizing, making text to text and text to self connections and predictions. I hope this exchange of letters will foster a dialogue between students about what they are reading.

Homework tonight: Read for 30 minutes (yes, the minutes are upped in 2009), work on math, finish reading response letter, make changes to book reports if needed

Reading Calendars

Don't forget that your December reading calendars are due tomorrow. I will have January calendars on your desks tomorrow morning!! I can't wait to see you all. Enjoy the last few hours of break.