What’s Coming Up – Week of May 6-10, 2019

Hello, parents!  What a relief it is to be back into routine and starting some new things once again!  A couple things to let you in on as a class:

We’ve been talking all year about reaching out to people we admire or read about and connecting with them so that we can learn a little bit more about what they’re doing and why they chose to speak about or write about their passions.  Also, we want to the opportunity to ask some growth mindset questions in the form of an interview to see

how these people overcome obstacles. We had the opportunity to connect with Drew Formsma, a sixteen-year-old who travels the country with his father, Brad, to speak about giving and generosity.  We first heard about Drew through playing a podcast snippet of him describing the obstacles he had when launching his first business at 9-years-old (yes, you read that correctly!).

After listening, we checked out his website and found out that there was a link to connect with him.  We sent an email and he responded!  To prepare for our conversation, we have been researching a little more about him and his father’s book, websites, and other materials available online.

We pulled out our growth mindset workbooks today and looked through the interview questions and created a list of some things that we could ask during our time with him.  I will post again about how things go!

Check out some further happenings below!

Miscellaneous:

Camp News:

  • Parent meeting for fifth grade camp will be on Wednesday, May 8, at 6:00 PM.
  • A brief meeting for chaperones will immediately follow.
  • Students do NOT need to attend this meeting; we will meet with students separately during the day.

Important Dates:

  • The end of fifth grade is full of exciting events. For your convenience, we’ve created a list of important dates. We’ve linked it to each of our blogs; you can view it here.

Math:

  • We are wrapping up Unit 7: Algera, Patterns, and Coordinate Graphs and will be beginning Unit 8: Measurement and Geometry

ELA:

  • We are continuing to learn how to create an argument and advocacy writing piece.

Science:

  • We are launching our third unit: To Infinity and Beyond! We will explore forces and motion using a theme of a hot air balloon journey around the world!

Social Studies:

  • We are in our final social studies unit: A New Nation. We’ll learn about how the United States formed its government.

What’s Coming Up – Week of April 29-May 3, 2019

M-STEP is all done for 5th Grade! Whoo hoo! We are so happy to get back into routine and finish the year strong! 

Camp News:

  • Parent meeting for fifth grade camp will be on Wednesday, May 8 at 6:00 PM.
  • A brief meeting for chaperones will immediately follow.
  • Students do NOT need to attend this meeting; we will meet with students separately during the day.

Important Dates:

The end of fifth grade is full of exciting events. For your convenience, we’ve created a list of important dates. We’ve linked it to each of our blogs; you can view it here.

What’s Coming Up – Week of April, 22-26 2019

Miscellaneous:

Important Dates:

  • The end of fifth grade is full of exciting events. For your convenience, we’ve created a list of important dates. We’ve linked it to each of our blogs; you can view it here.
  • April 23, 24, 25 – M-STEP testing dates for fifth grade. Please avoid scheduling appointments during the school day on these dates if at all possible.

Georgetown Art Show Reception Monday, April 22⋅5:30 – 7:30pm. Please see Mrs. Chmura’s blog for more details. http://mchmura.edublogs.org

What’s Coming Up – Week of April 15-19, 2019

Miscellaneous:

Important Dates:

  • The end of fifth grade is full of exciting events. For your convenience, we’ve created a list of important dates. We’ve linked it to each of our blogs; you can view it here.
  • April 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 – M-STEP testing dates for fifth grade. Please avoid scheduling appointments during the school day on these dates if at all possible.

Curriculum:

 

  • Our curriculum will be light the next couple of weeks due to M-STEP testing.
  • We will continue to learn about the Revolutionary War.  There will be a test on this content on Friday, April 19th.  Look for a review packet to come home to help study for this test.

We’ve been practicing some constructed responses to prepare for the MStep coming up next week!

We also presented our informational slideshows on elements of the Revolutionary War. Each person set up their presentation and we walked around and clicked through and gave feedback! Everyone did a great job!

To practice for spelling, we tried incorporating some movement into our learning!

We used racquet balls to “bounce” each letter of our words between partners. Once we got a rhythm, we were able to practice our words smoothly and with confidence!

 

 

Summer Learning Opportunity – Laker Writing Camps

Does your child love to write? He or she might enjoy attending one of the Laker Writing Camps!

What is it?

For one week, your future novelist, poet, or journalist will have the chance to explore the wonders of writing with some of West Michigan’s finest teachers.

Laker Writing Camps offer students an opportunity to explore many styles of writing in a fun environment.  Students participate in activities that create a community of writers and provide nurturing support for developing authors. To prompt writing, campers and facilitators may travel from their camp site to various age-appropriate places of interest, learning and inspiration.

Teachers plan writing activities that build confidence while providing the writing tools that inspire creative thinking and author’s craft. Campers write a variety of pieces such as poems, autobiographical sketches, short stories, and nature observations while engaging in the writing process of drafting, revising, responding and editing. Finally, each camper will choose a piece of his or her writing for publication in the camp anthology.

The Laker Writing Camp is an outreach effort of the LMWP to encourage and nurture young writers. Staff consists of Lake Michigan Writing Project Teacher-Consultants who have been identified as outstanding teachers of writing and nurturing role models for campers.

For more information, please visit the LMWP website.

What’s Coming Up – Week of April 8-12, 2019

Hey, Parents!  I hope you have a safe and relaxing Spring Break!  If you’re traveling, safe travels.  If you’re staying close to home, enjoy some catch up time with your kiddos.  Either way, I hope you connect with each other and have some laughs and some fun as a family!  See you back Monday, April 8th!

Important Dates:

  • The end of fifth grade is full of exciting events. For your convenience, we’ve created a list of important dates. We’ve linked it to each of our blogs; you can view it here.
  • March 28 – **Reproductive health video
  • Spring break will be March 29-April 8. Have fun and be safe! 🙂
  • April 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 – M-STEP testing dates for fifth grade. Please avoid scheduling appointments during the school day on these dates if at all possible.

April 12– Early release

Middle School Scheduling:

Mrs. Van Zalen came this week to schedule classes with us and put them into PowerSchool.  6th grade is getting closer and closer!  Reminder, if, for any reason, you’d like to change anything with your child’s schedule, contact the middle school counselors, MRs. Van Zalen (jvanzale@hpseagles.net) and Mr. Arnoys (marnoys@hpseagles.net) via email to coordinate.

Mrs. Van Zalen walks us through how to input our class requests!

What’s Coming Up – Week of March 25-29, 2019

Hello parents!  Please check out below some information regarding Alexa and some important dates.  If you know that your child will be leaving early for Spring Break, please send a quick message to myself or the school via email so that we can prepare.  Thanks!

Alexa Updates:

Many of you have asked about Alexa and for updates regarding her diagnosis.  To avoid a lot of extra communication, the family has created a Caring Bridge page which can be followed to receive news and updates.  As a class, we will be working on some things to continue to support Alexa and let her know that we are thinking of her.  https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alexatolsma

Important Dates:

  • The end of fifth grade is full of exciting events. For your convenience, we’ve created a list of important dates. We’ve linked it to each of our blogs; you can view it here.
  • March 28 – **Reproductive health video
  • Spring break will be March 29-April 8. Have fun and be safe! 🙂
  • April 12– Early release
  • April 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 – M-STEP testing dates for fifth grade. Please avoid scheduling appointments during the school day on these dates if at all possible.

We played “Who Am I?” to prepare for our Social Studies test earlier this week.

Students held cards on their heads and other team members had to give clues of who the important people of the revolution were.

Some were easy…

Others were a bit trickier… But we had fun reviewing!

 

What’s Coming Up – Week of March 18-22, 2019

Hello Parents! It was so great to see you once again for this round of conferences! It’s always good to touch base in person to celebrate and talk about progress face to face. Check out an update of the coming week as well as some photos of our learning from this week! Enjoy your weekend!

Important Dates:

  • The end of fifth grade is full of exciting events. For your convenience, we’ve created a list of important dates. We’ve linked it to each of our blogs; you can view it here.

Math:

  • We are working on unit 6 which focuses on operations and word problems.

ELA:

  • We will continuing our research unit in both reading and writing pertaining to the Revolutionary War.  Students will begin a Google Slides presentation.

Social Studies:

  • Unit 5 test will be on Tuesday. Students have study guides to help them review.
  • We will begin unit 6: The Revolutionary War.

    We worked on a Collaborative Challenge math warm up meant to stretch our thinking!

    This challenge revolved around a simple task that encourages student talk and collective problem solving.

    This task required students to arrange cards, numbered 1-8, into three circles. The sum of the cards in each circle needed to total exactly 13. Sounds easy enough, however, students struggled to make it all work out and eventually discovered that some numbers needed to be shared by two circles.

     

    To prepare for our upcoming Social Studies test, students worked together on a 10-minute research project to find out more about some individuals who were influential in the Road to the Revolution.

    Notable people they learned about were: George Washington, John Adams, Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.

    Since this was a timed research project, students needed to work quickly and efficiently. Groups needed to divide and conquer when looking up information and were required to build a Google Slide based on one of the assigned individuals above.

Middle School Course Descriptions

Today counselors from Baldwin Street Middle school visited our classroom to talk with students about course selections for next year.  Students also received a course selection sheet. Please use the links below to review course options with your child to make the best decisions for the upcoming 6th grade year!

Course selection sheets should be returned to your child’s teacher by Friday, March 22.

What’s Coming Up – Week of March 11-15, 2019

Hello, Parents!  I am so excited to touch base with you next week during conferences!  Believe it or not, we are on our last leg of the year and that means looking ahead to middle school success.  Speaking of middle school, we had our visit this week and below are some pictures of our experience.  Our class had lots of good questions and hopefully got some nervousness out of the way as we look ahead!

Check out some happenings below!

Early Release:

  • March 8th

Conferences:

Middle School Music Information Nights

  • The middle school music programs will be hosting 3 information nights for parents and students interested in participating.
  • All events are the same, so families may choose the option that work best for them:
    • Tuesday, March 12 – 5:30-9:00 PM – Riley Street Middle School
    • Wednesday, March 13 – 5:30-9:00 PM – HHS main campus media center
    • Thursday, March 14 – 5:30-9:00 PM – Baldwin Street Middle School

Book Fair:

  • The Scholastic book fair will be at Georgetown next week,
  • Our class will preview on Tuesday, March 12 at 10:30.
  • We will shop on Thursday, March 14 at 10:30.

Important Dates:

  • The end of fifth grade is full of exciting events. For your convenience, we’ve created a list of important dates. We’ve linked it to each of our blogs; you can view it here.

On Monday, March 4th, we visited Baldwin Street Middle School to get a glimpse of what life as a 6th grader might be like next year!

We visited to hear more about choir!

We got to hear more about orchestra instruments and even try out a couple!

Mr. Jacobs told us about how much fun bad can be!

Middle school principal, Mr. Olson, shared with us some words of wisdom as we look forward to next school year!

6th grade student representatives did some Q & A with us!