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Week 13 Update

Nov9

Happy Wednesday!

First of all, my apologies for the lack of blog and email updates.  My computer has not been working properly and I’ve had extremely limited internet and server access.  I have a temporary solution for now.  Hopefully I can get quickly caught up and back on track with my communication.

Due to the late notice, there are only 2 IXL assignments this week.  They are posted on the IXL page at the top of the blog and your student should have them written in their planners.  This reduced assignment load should have allowed some time for those students who are behind to get caught up.

4th – We are deep in our studies of Utah History and have finished up talking about early explorers and the Spanish Trail (ask your kiddos about our adventure!).  Utah History Fair topics were due last Friday.  Your students should have brought home their project timeline.  This timeline can also be found at the top of the blog.  Research notes, the first big step in the project, are due November 28.

5th – The invention convention assignments have gotten off to a very slow start.  Out of nine students, only 3 have turned in their first assignment.  The second assignment, “Problem Selection” is due Monday, November 14.  Please check in with your kids to see what help they need.  Partial completion of each assignment will not be accepted.  The more details they include now, the easier their end product will be.  A timeline of due dates can be found at the top of the blog.

6th – Our Expert Project is deep in the second week of note card development.  The project has been carefully designed to break down every step of the research process.  I can provide the instruction and help with questions during class time, but it is up to your children to take the initiative to complete the work.  It is crucial that your kids stay on task.  It is my goal to not give any work related to this project over Thanksgiving Break; however, if your child is missing assignments, they will need to be completed during this time.

Lastly, don’t forget our annual Chili Cook-Off tomorrow, November 10.  It’s not too late to sign up to bring a pot of chili to support this fun community event!

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Week 9 Update – AWHC Field Trip, Fall Festival, Book Fair

Oct10

With the 4th level field trip to the American West Heritage Center on Wednesday, Fall Festival Friday, and Parent Teacher Conferences next week, we are busy.

4th Level Field Trip – Please drop your child off by 8:05 on Wednesday, October 12 to ensure they are on the bus and ready to go at 8:15.  I will meet your kiddos at the front of the school and  walk them over to the bus at North Shore.  They will need a “sack” lunch and appropriate dress.  They can wear jeans, but must be in dress code shirt.  It will be chilly in the morning, but warm up in the afternoon.  Please make sure they are prepared with a jacket, water bottle and sunscreen.  This field trip is entirely outside.

5th Level Invention Convention – This year 5th level students will be participating in a STEM inspired Invention Convention rather than science fair.  I introduced the project to your students last week and gave them a rough timeline as well as their first assignment for the project.  Unfortunately, the timeline I gave them was quite rough and I have decided to change some of the details.  Please watch for an updated timeline to come home this week.  If you would like to view a digital version, you can see it under the invention convention tab at the top of the blog.

All Parents – During parent teacher conference next week, MAPA will be hosting our first book fair of the year. Please sign up to volunteer during book fair.  This vital event helps fund books for the library as well as pays for the beautiful scholastic magazines that all students receive.  This time will go towards your mandatory 40 hours per year.

 

Week 6 Updates

Sep20

Good Evening!  I hope you are enjoying the last two official days of summer!

This week in class your children are busy practicing word problems, new ways of solving division problems, factoring, multiplication, addition and subtraction, fractions and more.  In language they are identifying sentence by purpose, nouns (common, proper, collective, singular, plural, abstract), complete sentence writing and essay writing.  In addition to those things, we have officially begun our Scholastic News and Jr. Scholastic groups as well as our novel study groups.

If that sounds like a lot, it is!  We are doing even more good work in the afternoon.  From rock cycle to erosion, and King Hammurabi to the Black Plague our days are full of opportunities for your children to work and research.

Opportunity is the key word.  Ms. Kari and I work hard to provide lessons and tools necessary for your students to succeed.  Your students have a responsibility to themselves to complete their work.  Please take a few minutes to discuss your student’s work with them.  If you have any questions about their individual work expectations, please don’t hesitate to communicate with me through their planner or email.

Our first field trip of the year is next Thursday, September 29.  You should have received an email from our room mom, Meredith, with information about rides to and from the museum.  You will be meeting your child’s ride at the duck pond at Lee’s Market at 8:15, with a departure time of 8:30.  Student’s will return to school in time for regular pick up.

Week 5

Sep13

Good Evening!

Your kids have been working so hard the last couple of weeks.  I am impressed with their motivation and excitement toward learning.  Please be sure you take a couple of minutes each night to check their planners and ask them about the work they have been doing each day in class.  Those conversations will help them connect what they are doing in school to home and will give you a good idea of how they spend their time.

4th level students have learned a new mnemonic to use as a strategy for opinion essay writing and they used it to outline their first formal essay/paragraph.  Writing is a skill that takes a lot of practice and patience.

5th and 6th level students are learning how to use a “Stoplight” graphic organizer for their essay writing.  Although they have not outlined a formal essay yet, they have worked in partners to practice using the strategy.  I’m excited to see where they go with it!

Ms. Rachael presented our first Botany lesson of the year today.  Your kids were so engaged and polite and I’m so proud of them.  We have the privilege of her lessons once a month this school year.  She is an amazingly knowledgeable Botanist!

6th Grade Expert Project

Please be sure your 6th grader brings their library books to class on Thursday.  We will be using them for our next lesson.  You can find all of the lessons to date at the link at the top of the blog.  I’m excited they are taking this seriously, as it is a lot of work, but it will be an amazing reward when they present their projects in April.

 

6th Grade Families – Expert Project

Jul19

I wanted to remind the 6th grade families (and introduce new families) of the Expert Project summer assignment.   At the end of the school year your child was introduced to a year long project we are piloting in our classroom this coming school year.  With the introduction, the initial assignment was given.

I am so excited about the opportunity to pilot this project in our classroom this year.  In order for your child to have a good experience, it is imperative that they stay on top of the deadlines for this project.  The introduction letter and first assignments can be found here.

This project is broken into weekly mini-lessons (the first of which is scheduled September 1) and follow-up assignments.  Because this is ultimately a home-project, the bulk of the work will be completed at home by your child. Throughout this project they will learn skills that will help them succeed in Jr. high, high school and university.

This project is going to be a learning experience for us all.  Ultimately, we will celebrate our success during an evening next spring when your child presents their project to you and other invited guests.

In advance, thank you for supporting your child (and me) in this endeavor!