Room 29 - Grade 5
5th GRADE NEWS
March 19, 2010
Twin Lakes School
www.sanjuan.edu/TwinLakes
Remember to SAVE THOSE BOXTOPS!
Calendar...
March 17 - 25 Book Faire
March 22 Awards Assembly 1:50
March 29 – April 2 Spring Break
April 14 Open House
April 21 RIVERCATS field trip
April 20-May 7 STAR testing
May 20 Choir Concert
June 4 Rock ‘n Roll
What’s Happening …
With all of the upcoming activities our fifth grade is in need of a couple of items. If you would like to donate a pack of ultrabright colored paper (81/2 x 11) or a pack of pencils we would appreciate it. We will be using the colored paper for our state reports and the construction paper just doesn’t work very well. Thanks so much for any help you can give us!
Tony Asaro from the River Cats will be here April 5 to talk to use about the triple A’s of learning… Attitude, Attendance, and Academics. Please feel free to join us in the MP room if you’d like. We will be going on our 5th grade field trip to the River Cats game on Wednesday, April 21.
Our STAR testing will take place from April 20 to May 7. We will send a complete schedule home once it has been finalized. We are asking parents to donate healthy snacks on testing days so the students have full stomachs and can concentrate on their tests. If you’re willing to donate please let us know. We’ll get back to you on what to bring and when to bring it.
We would like to welcome you to the Twin Lakes Open House on Wednesday, April 14. The students in our class will be presenting many of the projects that they have worked on this school year. We would also like you to visit the computer lab, where the students can show you their Presidential PowerPoint programs. This will be a fun-filled night for everyone!
W will be doing PE testing in April, although the students will be tested in the mile run during the next few weeks. The students need to wear comfortable clothes and appropriate shoes… no dresses or skirts on the girls. The students are familiar with all of the tests they will be taking so they will know what is appropriate to wear on this day.
And speaking of appropriate clothing, now that the weather has turned warmer please monitor what your student wears to school. Shorts that are too tight and too short will not be permitted along with spaghetti strap tops and open toed shoes. The classrooms are air-conditioned, so there is no need to worry about being too warm while they are learning.
Remember to SAVE THOSE BOXTOPS!
Curriculum…
Language Arts (Home Room)– The next book report is due on Thursday, March 25. The students will be taking an AR quiz on this book at this time, and will need to turn in a brochure.
Language Arts (Mr. Cermak) – WRITING: On Monday, we started pre-writing and drafting our "What Does it Mean to be a Good Citizen" essay for the Orangevale Rotary Essay Contest. Final copies have been collected. Winners and prizes will be announced in May. DOL: Our DOL focus has moved into carefully examining parts of speech. We also had our first sentence diagramming quiz (page #9). We will be having sentence diagramming quizzes about once a week. Though we cover it pretty well in class, there are a wealth of internet sites that offer support in this area if you are interested – just search. READING: In addition to reading In the Year of the Boar, the kids have asked (begged) that I read them The House of Dies Drear. We will spend some time reading THODD in class each day.
Putting a kid in a quiet corner to read for a sustained time is a start, but there are things we can all do to help our children access and strengthen their skills.
Daily reading habits for growing readers:
1. Read to your child
2. Read with your child
3. Have your child read to you
When utilizing these strategies, stop frequently and discuss the action in the story. Talk about words that are interesting. Make predictions, ask questions, have fun with it.
Math (Homeroom) - We tested Unit 10, a unit on Geometry today.
Social Studies (Mrs. Graser) – We are continuing our study of the Revolutionary War and will continue to work on centers through next week. The students need to be aware that if a center is not finished in class they will need to complete it for homework.
Science (Mrs. Black) – Since the students have a cell project due on Monday, I wanted to give them the opportunity to look more closely at an actual cell. I brought in eggs and had the students identify various parts of the egg. We also discussed the structure as well as the function of each of the parts. For many students, the concept of a "cell" made more sense. It's difficult to show an actual cell without the use of a microscope, so this was really insightful for many.
Their cell projects are due on Monday. They should have their rubric and a chart indicating what each part is and its function. I showed the students in class how to set up a chart and printed some out in case they would like to use the form. If the project is late, there will be a 10 point penalty for each day that it's late.
Next week we will continue in our science series with a lesson in nutrition. Students will learn about fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. We will also discuss the food pyramid and the importance of a healthy diet.
Physical Education - Our State Fitness Testing will take place in April.
Extra!
1) RESPONSIBILITY – We are more than half way through the year. We are very proud of the maturity and responsibility many students are showing. It is vital for each child’s academic success that they come prepared with all of the supplies they need to do their work.
Specifically: Pencils (two sharp pencils to start each day)
Notebooks (with enough paper to take notes in all subjects)
2) RIVERCATS – We are excited to have our annual trip to Raley Field. The Baseball Theme is incorporated into all 5th subject areas during our spring teaching. This includes language arts, math, and social studies. Tony Asaro from the Rivercats will be speaking to the kids about the Triple As of school – Academics, Attendance, and Attitude. This trip to Raley Field is a privilege to those children who demonstrate the message of the 3 As. That being said, children who do not make positive choices between now and the trip will not be able to attend. This includes completing assignments, school attendance, and behavior.
Chris Graser
Room #29
cgraser@sanjuan.edu
www.sanjuan.edu/webpages/cgraser
Josie Black
Room #32
jblack@sanjuan.edu
www.sanjuan.edu/webpages/jblack
Scott Cermak
Room #30
scermak@sanjuan.edu
www.sanjuan.edu/webpages/scermak
If you have any questions, you can email me at cgraser@sanjuan.edu. Thanks for visiting!
» US States Game
Practice getting the states in the right location on the United States Map!
» Can you name each state?
Beat the Clock!
Chris Graser - Twin Lakes
Twin Lakes School
5515 Main Avenue
Orangevale, CA 95662
916-986-2243
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