Oh my heck!  Did I forget I had a blog?  Well yes, I think I did.

     I am so sorry to the parents that actually read this thing.  I have been so busy being over the Science Fair and other things that I completely spaced other obligations, my blog being one of those obligations, and I am so sorry.  Do know though, that I haven't neglected your child; I promise.

     Well, it is that time of year where everything hits at once and we don't know if we are actually coming or going.  I would like to fill you in on the events that are coming up for the rest of April.

     We will begin our End of Level testing April 26th and end the testing on May 10th.  The students will be doing the tests online again this year.  The week of May 26th, the students will be taking the Language test Monday at 10:00 and on Thursday at 10:00 and 11:00.  On Monday May 3rd, students will take their fist math test at 10:00 and finish math test 2 on Thursday from 10:00 to 11:45.  On Monday, May 10th, students will finish up with the Science test at 1:00.  If you know your child will be gone any of these days, please let me know, so I can get them tested some other time.  It is very important that each student takes their end of level tests.    Right now, we ask that all students take the initiative to take as many U-tips tests as they can, so they can better prepare themselves for end of levels.

     On Friday, April 16th we are having our annual Maturation program.  This program starts at 2:00 and ends at 3:15 or right at 3:30.  Please try to make this if you can.  It always makes the students feel a little more comfortable if their parents are here to help with questions they might have.  Reading Revolution #1 for fourth quarter is due this day, as well.

     In our subject areas right now we are covering last minute standards that still need to be covered.  In reading we just finished up with our last novel and will be doing one last Theme for the year, which is, Images and Imaginings.  We will also continue to work on fluency and comprehension.  We will be doing our last dibel's testing starting next week.  In math, students have been working on probability and will be finishing it up this week.  In Science, students are well into their Heredity unit.  Right now, they are studying traits that are inherited and traits that are learned.  In Social Studies, students are learning about the Civil Rights movement.  Students are done with their spelling program, but still review the words quite a bit.  In Grammar, students are learning the difference between object pronouns and subject pronouns. We try to fit writing in whenever we get the chance.  We just got done learning about how to use our voice in writing.

     I can't believe it is all going to be over soon.  I am so sad.  I just love this group of kids and don't ever want to let them go.

     Thank you parents for all of your help and support you have given me this year.  You have all been great.  

     Be looking for a new blog to come out around the 10th of May.  I will let you know about the end of the year events then.  Thank again.   Sincerely, Mrs. Little

     

     Hello there parents.  I wanted to let you know about some events that are coming up. 

     We will be having a Valentines Party on Friday, February 12th.  Remember if your child brings a Valentine for any friends, they must bring one for the whole class.  This way, no one gets their feelings hurt.

      Remember that Monday, February 15th is President's Day, and there will not be any school that day.  

     Tuesday, February 16th, the first Reading Revolution, for third quarter, is due.    

     On Wednesday, February 17th, a Progress Report and a Newsletter will be coming home.  Please make sure you look over your child's Progress Report with them.  If your child is missing any assignments please help him/her get their missing work in by Friday, February 19th.  All students will need their missing work turned in by this date, with a 80% or better to qualify for Worker's Holiday.  Our Worker's Holiday will be Monday, February 22nd.  It will be in the afternoon and we will be playing some fun games in the gym. 

     I sent a registration form home for the Science Fair, today (Wed., Feb. 10th).  Please, make sure that your child fills the information out that they need to on it, and make sure that it comes back to school by Tuesday, Feb. 23rd.  I told my students that the sooner they get back, the better off they will be.  Students need this form in order to participate in the Science Fair.  All fifth graders are required to do the Science Fair.  The Science Fair will be March 26, 2010.

     Be looking for a SEOP sign up sheet to come home, with the Progress Reports next week.  I will try to keep the same times as the Fall SEOP schedule, but if we need to make changes, we certainly can.  SEOP's will be in three weeks, on Monday, March 1st through Friday, March 5th. 

     Here is what we are doing in each subject area, for right now.  

     Math- Students are still working on fractions.

     Reading- Students are starting a new Theme, which is "Looking below the Surface", and reading some stories dealing with this Theme.  Students are still working on their fluency and sometimes, get a chance to read to themselves, out of their own individual book.

     Science- Students are just starting Static and Current Electricity.

     S.S.-  Just finished the Gold Rush and now students are getting into the Civil War.

     L.A.- Students are still working on Verbs, in the grammar part of language and we are practicing our 4 square writing in writing persuasive essays.

     Spelling-  We are working on list 17 words.

     Dictionary skills-  Homographs and multi meaning words.

     I will try to keep you updated as events come up each month, so you know ahead of time what is coming your way.  It is the end of the year and as we all know, time does sneak up on us, so be prepared for lots of activities to be coming your child's way.

     Thanks for all of your help and support.  

                                                                              Mrs. Little

     Hi there!  Well, we are well into third quarter, and can you believe it?  I can't...  This year is almost over.  What a terrible thought that is.  I don't want this group of kids to go.  They have been so much fun to teach and they are all so sweet and nice.  You have all done such a great job raising your children.  Thank you.

     Anyhow,  some dates you need to be aware of for the next couple of weeks starts with this Friday, Jan. 29th.  We will be walking to the Heritage Center for a presentation.  We will be leaving the school right at 9:00, so please have your kids to school on time.  On Thursday, Feb. 4th, we will be having some speaker's coming into our class to talk to us about Winter Survival.  On Friday, Feb. 5th, we will be going over to the Cal Ranch hill to play some winter games with the students.  A letter will be coming home next week, explaining more about this activity.  We will be having a Valentine Party on February 12th.  I will be sending home a class list next Wednesday.  If your child wants to pass out Valentines, they need to make sure he/she makes one for all the students in the class.  Remember there will be no school Monday, February 15th. 

     Please look for a progress report to come home next Wednesday, Feb.3rd.  Where we are just starting a new quarter, please make sure that your child is staying caught up from the get-go.  It is a lot easier that way.  Thanks for all that you do.  

                                                   Sincerely,

                                                   Mrs. Little

Happy New Year!

     Welcome back everyone.  I hope you all had a great Holiday.  

     We are almost finished with second quarter.  Your child will be receiving his/her last progress report, for second quarter, on Wed., Jan. 13th.  Students will have until Friday morning to get their missing assignments in, to qualify for Worker's Holiday.  Worker's Holiday will be on Friday, Jan. 15th.  We will be having a game day, so students can bring in their favorite game to play.  We will also be having a Pajama Day with our Worker's Holiday, so they can bring their Pajama's in, as well.

     With our subject areas, we are still working on Prime and Composite numbers in math.  In reading we are just finishing up with a novel and working on fluency and comprehension skills.  In social studies, the students are learning about the Gold Rush.  In science, the students are just getting started with magnets.  In language arts, we try to get as much grammar in as possible, and right now we are working with verbs.  The students are working very hard in their writing skills.  We have been practicing the 4 square writing techniques, along with working in the 6 traits of writing.  We will be starting the D.A.R.E program on the 22nd of January.

     It is hard to believe that we are already half way through the school year.  As the end of the year approaches, we have lots of different things that come up, and I will do my best to keep you posted on these things as they arrive.  One you can be thinking about and getting ready for right now is, The Science Fair.  The Science Fair is a few months away yet, but it will be here before you know it, so the quicker you can get an idea for it, the better off you will be.  I will let you know for sure on the date, when I find out for myself.

     Anyway,  your children are the best.  I have really enjoyed them this year.  It will be hard to let them go on to Middle School.  Thanks for all the help you give to me and them. 

     Hi there parents and students.  Sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog.  Quite honestly, I have completely spaced it.  

     Anyways, second quarter is quickly passing us by.  Please make sure to stay caught up students, and parents be sticklers in keeping them caught up.  This time of year can get kind of crazy and it is easy to forget homework and things, so please stay focused.  I will try to do the same.

     We do have quite a few assemblies and things coming our way, but we will not let it get in the way of our learning.

     We will be having a class Christmas party on the 18th of December.  I would like to have a gift exchange.  I do this by having the girls buy a gift for the girls and the boys buy a gift for the boys.  They can put on their gift, "To: a boy, From: a boy and To: a girl, From: a girl".  If you are okay with your child doing this, then please only get a gift in the price range of $1.00 to $3.00 dollars.  When people go over this amount, it make others feel bad, so please don't spend more than this.  If it a problem to get a gift at this time, please let me know and I will supply your child with one.

     If your child is in Orchestra or Choir, they will be having their Christmas Concert on Dec. 11th at 2:30, in the Gym.

     We will be making fudge in a bag on Dec. 11th, as well.  If you can donate .50 cents to help out with this project, we would greatly appreciate it.  If you can't, we understand.

     I have had so much fun with your children this year.  This class is an awesome bunch of students.  It is going to be very hard to let them all go..  

     Well, all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy New Year, too.

                                                                       Sincerely,   Mrs. Little

     Hi there.  Can you believe that we are almost half way through second quarter?  Before you know it, we will be half way through fourth quarter.  I can't believe how time flies.  

     Anyhow,  I wanted everyone to be aware of the Share Fair that is coming up on November 3oth.  Your child should have brought a couple of letters home, explaining what they need to do for this project.  Right now, students need to be conducting an interview with either a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, or you.  I sent home a list of questions that they need to ask in their interview, so if they haven't done this yet, will you please remind them? The interview questions are due next Tuesday, Nov. 17th.  If the students need extra time to meet up with the person they want to interview, over Thanksgiving, then I can give them extra time.  If by chance you are confused about how to put the poster together, or what the Share Fair is, please feel free to contact me at any time and I will be more than happy to explain it to you.  You can also come into our classroom to view some previous Share Fair projects.

     The students have earned a class party for their awesome behavior.  This party will be next Wednesday, November 18th.  We will have a game day, so if they want to bring in some games from home to play- that is okay with me.  Students can also bring in snacks if they choose to.  I will be sending a letter home, next week to tell you more about it.

     The first Reading Revolution, for second quarter, will be due on Tuesday, November 24th.  If your child has not already turned their first one in, please remind them that it is due before they go to Thanksgiving Break.  I have a lot of students turning in 4 to 5 books a quarter, but still have some that haven't gotten their first two in yet.  Please check with your child to see if they are keeping up on their Reading Revolution.

     Thanks for everything you help me out with.  You all have great kids and I just love the heck out of them all.  Sincerely,  Mrs. Little

Hi there.  It has been awhile since I have updated you on what has been going on in our classroom, so let me take a view minutes to do that.

In reading we are still practicing our read to self and read to someone techniques that we have learned this year.  The students are building their stamina and we are now up to 20 minutes in reading to self.  This is really good.  The whole class reads a book of their choice, with no movement, staying in one spot, and keeping their eyes in their book for the whole 20 minutes.  If one child looks up, goes to get a drink, or talks to someone, we stop the time and have to start our stamina building over the next day.  Same rules apply with read to someone techniques, but students have to read aloud to a partner, so reading out loud is allowed, but the other rules still apply.  The students have built their stamina up to 15 minutes.  We are also starting a new theme for second quarter and it is "Moving On".  When we read in groups or as a class, all of the stories are about ways we can move on.   We are always working on fluency, comprehension and decoding skills.

In math the students are working on multiplying with decimals and reviewing least common multiples.  Most of the assignments right now, deal with chapter 3.

In S.S. the students are studying the constitution and the American Revolution.

In Science the students are just starting matter.

Please know that we are starting second quarter on Monday, October 26th, so we are off to a fresh start with things.  Remind your child to stay caught up and please contact me if you ever have any questions or concerns.  Thank you.  Mrs.  Little