DUNES FIELD TRIP POSTPONED

The decision has been made to postpone our field trip until Tuesday,  June 3.  Students will need to bring a sack lunch to school today.  Please call, text, or email friends who also need to know this important information!  Thanks!

Track and Field Day

Track and Field day has been cancelled for Friday, May 9. 

April 30, 2014

Tuesday, May 6, will be our Poetry Brunch.   This event will be held in our classroom.  We hope you can make it at 9:00 a.m. for the presentation!

Track and Field Day is scheduled for next week Friday, May 9.  Information regarding this event were sent home last Friday.  Please read over the details carefully with your child.  

Revolutionary War

http://revolution.mrdonn.org/games.html

March 14

I'm so sorry.... I mistakenly posted this to my personal blog earlier this week!  Here is the information you need for upcoming events.

Thank you all for coming to conferences last week.  It was great talking to all of the parents and having some of the students there as well.  I am looking forward to continuing to work with your children and finishing the year strong.  We will be having a few special days this month, so please take note of the following:

Destination Education Fridays - Students and staff are encouraged to wear shirts with college logos on Fridays in March as we will be exploring opportunities for education beyond the high school years. 

Early Colonies Day -   Wednesday, March 19.  Students are being asked to dress up for school as if they were children in the 1700's.  Much of the day will be spent learning more about how the early colonists lived.

Yellow Day - Fifth graders are celebrating (hopefully!) spring by wearing yellow on March 27.  Join the fun!!

Field Trip

OUR FIELD TRIP FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 HAS BEEN CANCELED.

February 23, 2014

Snow, snow, and more snow!  Due to the number of snow days we have had, I’ve had to make some adjustments in my plans.  Please take note of the following updates and as always, feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Field Trip:  We will be going on a field trip on Friday, February 28.  We were scheduled to attend the Grand Rapids Symphony and then head over to Calvin College.  Calvin informed us that they also had to make up some events that were cancelled due to weather and would no longer be able to host us.  We have been busy exploring possibilities of how we could use our time in the afternoon.  At this point, we are planning to visit Aquinas College for the p.m. portion of our field trip.  We also became aware of a grant opportunity that we may be able to utilize that would cover the cost of both bussing and lunch.  Hopefully we will have a response to our request on Monday.  As soon as we know if there will be a cost for your child, we will let you know.  Please have students dress nicely on Friday as they will be representing Hamilton Elementary at both the Symphony and Aquinas. 

Conferences:  Thank you to those of you who have responded to your scheduled conference time.  While I would really like the students to lead their own conference, we have not had enough time in the classroom to put together student led conferences.  Your child is invited and encouraged to join us at your scheduled time. 

Week of February 10, 2014

Math:  We will be wrapping up the fractions unit this week.  Due to all of the snow days, the unit has taken considerably longer than I would have liked, but these concepts are all critical learning in fifth grade.  I expect the review to take place on Tuesday and the test will be given on Thursday. 

Reading:   Our lessons will be focused on the skill of making inferences.  While learning this skill, we will also be learning about the Titanic. 

Writing:  We will begin the week learning more about how to write effective leads.  As the week progresses, students will begin writing a piece about a Terrible Day!

Social Studies:  We will continue learning about the early colonies. 

Field Trip Reminder:  We will be taking a field trip this week Wednesday to Grand Rapids.  All students should send in $5.00, dress appropriately for the weather, and have a cold lunch.  

Valentines Day:  We will NOT be having a party on Friday, Feb. 14

January 12, 2014

It was great to see the students again after a very long Christmas break.  We will be working hard over the next couple of weeks learning new concepts and  completing required mid year assessments. 

In math we are reviewing the following concepts:  single digit by 4 digit multiplication and double digit by double digit multiplication, long division with a single digit divisor, comparing fractions, adding and subtracting fractions with common denominators, and multiplying a whole number times a fraction.  These are all concepts that should be mastered at this point in time.  The biggest area of concern that I have is accuracy.  Students need be sure of the facts and also need to be reminded to work carefully.

In reading we will be studying some short articles and focusing on skills such as compare and contrast, summarizing, and using text to support answers to questions.  We are also enjoying the book Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper.  This is a fantastic story about a fifth grade girl with Cerebral Palsy. 

In writing we are learning about commas and when to use them. 

Our Social Studies lessons will continue to focus on the colonies. 

Some upcoming dates to keep in mind:
January 14:  Mrs. Maxson has a meeting and will be out of the classroom in the morning
January 15:  Mrs. Maxson has a meeting all day and will be out of the building
January 16:  Students will be given the Dibels test
January 20:  Black and White day - everyone wear black and white!!
January 21:  Brainstormers will be visiting our school in the morning.  Try to avoid scheduling appointments because this is a really cool assembly!
January 22:  Students will take the Inquizit math screener
January 23:  Mrs. Maxson will be doing reading assessments with each individual student.  I will be out of the room all day.
January 24:  No School - teacher inservice day

February 12:  Field trip to Grand Rapids.  Please avoid scheduling appointments and look for more information to be sent home soon.

Spelling Bee

The fifth grade spelling bee was held on Thursday, January 9.  Congratulations to the winner, Zach Fitzwilliams and runner up, Jenna Fynwever!  Way to go!!

Snow Day!

Well, friends, happy snow day!  I just wanted to give you a heads up regarding eloquence day.  We are in the process of rescheduling it again, and hopefully we will be able to have our special day on Friday, January 10.

Stay warm and safe.  See you soon, I hope!!

December 9, 2013

Winter has definitely arrived!!  Please make sure your child is prepared for outdoor play every day.  In addition, make sure they have shoes to wear in the classroom. 

On Friday, December 20, we will be celebrating Christmas with our annual Eloquence Day fine dining experience.  Students are asked to wear their nice clothes to school in the morning and will be given an opportunity to change when we come back to school following lunch.  Look for a separate note coming home soon regarding this event!

FIFTH GRADERS AND CHRISTMAS

     This year we are planning an opportunity for our students to be involved in supporting a charitable organization. Students will be asked if there is an organization that they would like to suggest.  If there are more than 5 suggestions, the fifth graders will vote for the top 5.  Once the 5 organizations are identified, students will have a chance to purchase a “ticket” for a friend, teacher, or classmate.  Tickets will be sold for $1.00 each.  Every ticket will then be put into a large jar.  The last day to purchase them will be on Dec.19.  On the 19^th, we will have a drawing and the name that we pick out will be the name of the person who will get to choose which of those five organizations will go to!  Therefore, there will be no student gift exchange.  I would like to ask that if you would choose to honor me at this time of the year that you put your money toward tickets.  I am looking forward to this opportunity to teach your children about charity and giving. 

Log Cabins

Most fifth graders have indicated that they will be making a log cabin to show what they have visualized as we read Sign of the Beaver.  The cabins are due on Monday, December 16.  If you would like to drop it off at school in the morning, I will be here by 8:00 a.m.

Outdoor Discovery Center!

November 4, 2013

I’d like to thank those of you who have sent emails or notes regarding conferences.  If you have not had a chance to do so, would you please consider taking a moment to jot down your thoughts and send them my way in the next day or two?

We will be taking our first field trip of the year TOMORROW!!  You should have received a note regarding the requirements for this trip last week.  In case you missed it, please send $4.50 to cover the cost of your child’s experience at the Outdoor Discovery Center.  You may send cash or write a check.  What ever form of payment you choose, please make sure you send it in an envelope with your child’s name written on the outside and identify it as field trip money. In addition, every child must have a SACK LUNCH!!

Release time begins this week.  Fifth graders who are planning to attend will be out of the building from 9:45 - 10:40 on Friday, November 8.

October 13, 2013

October 14, 2013

Due to the fact that I have been ill this weekend and need to be out of the classroom on Monday, things will be a bit different than what the kids were thinking.  

Math:  In math we will be taking the MEAP test on Tuesday.  Please make sure your child is well rested and has a healthy breakfast.  The test covering tables and coordinate graphing will be given on Wednesday.

Writing:  This week we will begin writing an information piece.  All students will be expected to chose an American Indian Tribe to write about.  

Reading:  We will be finishing the book “Guests” this week and complete additional activities that go along with it.  

Social Studies:  Students will be concluding the unit about American Indians this week.  Once again, I have enjoyed teaching it and I believe the students have all enjoyed learning about the cultures of the various regions.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In honor of this, I would like to promote Breast Cancer Awareness with 5th graders. PLEASE WEAR PINK ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15!!

Monday, October 7, 2013

Monday, October 7, 2013

MEAP Mania begins tomorrow!   You should have received a note home today regarding the MEAP test.  Please read it through carefully and let me know if you have questions.

Conference Slips – conferences have been scheduled and confirmation notices were sent home on Friday.  Please return them as soon as possible.

Writing – In writing, students are working on persuasive pieces, which will also be used as a speaking assignment.  Each child has chosen a fruit or vegetable to try to get their classmates to vote for.  I am hoping these speeches and the voting will all take place on Thursday of this week.  Some students have asked if they may bring in their fruit/veggie for classmates to try and the answer is YES!!

Math – Please, please, please keep practicing the multiplication and division facts at home!  During our RTI time our goal is to get everyone to fluently multiply two digit by two digit numbers and divide a triple digit by a single digit.  Our fifth grade math lessons are about reading charts, tables, and graphs.

Reading – Together we are reading the book titled “Guests” by Michael Dorris.

Social Studies – We are learning about the American Indian Cultures on the North American continent prior to the Europeans arrival. 

Have  a great week!

September 22, 2013

September 22, 2013

Greeting everyone!  Here is a peek at what the class of 2013-2104 will be up to this week.

Writing – We will be working on opinion pieces of writing, focusing on supporting our opinion with details and also using linking words to keep the piece flowing.

Math – This week we will continue reviewing 4^th grade skills and also start our first unit. 

Reading – In our reading lessons we will focus on themes and making connections to what we read.

Social Studies – Chapter two will teach us more about how the natives came to the North and South American continents and how the natives adapted to their environment.  A test will be given on Friday.

Conferences – You should have received a letter regarding conferences.  It is a blue paper that was sent home on Friday.  Please know that the conferences will be student led, so your child needs to be available as well. 

Looking Ahead

Next week is sure to be a busy one!  In writing we will be writing bio poems.  Math lessons will continue to be preparing us for the MEAP test.  This week will will be focusing on multiplication, division and fraction review.  We will be reading some awesome books by Patricia Polacco and responding to them in our reading journals.  In our Social Studies lessons, we will be learning about geography.

Students will be taking the SRI test on Friday morning. 

Wednesday is 9/11.  All students are asked to wear red, white and blue!

On Friday, we will have sit and sip.  Each child may bring one can or bottle of pop.  Please do not send RED beverages or beverages that are known to have lots of caffine.  Students are not allowed to call home or use the pop machine in the teacher's lounge if they forget.  It is always wise to plan ahead!

Bloopers!

Sidewalk Chalk Math!