Clean up that Mess!

What does a messy entrance say about the room beyond that threshold? Classroom 135 did an experiment to open our new Science unit on pollution. Students collected litter off of the playground a couple of weeks ago and categorized the types of litter they found. As this was done with a sub, I wanted to discuss their findings and what they felt we could do to help be proactive.

One of the students made a very astute observation. She said, "If everyone thinks that their one piece of litter doesn't matter, what would happen if everyone felt that way about one piece of litter? We'd have a messy world!" So, we tried our hand at this. Each student took a piece of paper and imagined it was an object that we might find thrown around our playground. We gathered in the hallway and as each person crossed into the room, they left their garbage in the hallway.

We watched our doorway start as a host to one scrap piece of paper and then suddenly we had a huge pile. It was a pretty interesting experience. The most telling part of the experiment was the reaction of other 5th grade classes. We left our pile and talked about how this might impact the way people think of our class. The answers ranged from disorganized to dirty. Every time a class walked by there were at least a few students who stopped in their tracks and perused our pile. One student asked, "What's up with the trash?"

I hope it made an impact. The more cognizant we are about putting trash where it truly belongs, the more likely our environment will be spared. Help keep our world clean!

Ask your student what they have pledged for their pollution awareness promise.

End of Quarter

Hello 5th Grade Families,


Wow! Our year is flying by! Can you believe that this week marks the end of our 3rd quarter?

I wanted to touch base to let you know that, today, your student received a list of any missing work they have at this point in the quarter. In addition to the work list, I stapled blank copies of the sheets needed. If your student doesn't have all of the sheets listed, it may be that I put them on their desk for tomorrow. All missing work is due Friday, March 25th.

Students have been getting weekly updates from me about missing work, so the missing work reports should not be surprising. I have been stressing that it is their responsibility to turn work in. I will not be keeping all of the students in from recesses, as I feel they need to make choices on how they want their quarter to end. I, of course, will strongly suggest that they stay in and complete missing work, but I will not track them down if they don't.

We have talked several times in the last few weeks about how now is the time to really claim their education. Take hold of it and aim high. I am hoping that they value their future and potential enough to decide to do all they can to make this a successful quarter.
If, as a parent, you want them to stay in to get their work done, I will respect those wishes. Some students have a long list of missing work, I have requested that they get a parent signature so that you are aware of their current status. This information is also available to you via Skyward, which I am happy to see several of you use consistently.

All 3rd quarter grades will be entered by Sunday evening, with report cards going home sometime next week.

Thank you and let's make the 4th quarter an amazing learning experience with great memories!

Ms. Angel

Electronics Reward!!

Hello Families!

I am happy to report that our class earned a reward party! The students worked hard in their specials to earn 65 excellents, resulting in a vote for a suitable reward.

Winning by a landslide: Electronics party! Please take a moment to read the flyer coming home with your student today. I have also put a copy below.

Update!

Here's an update on what's happening here in Ms. Angel's room:

Reading: Students have successfully finished their Newbery books and projects. Next up, Fantasy! Students received their new Fantasy books this past Monday. I was happy to see how jazzed the students were about their new reads. As they read, students should be filling out their flipbook as they read. Click on the image below to see the assignment that is associated with this unit. The students received a paper copy of this on Monday, along with their pacing guide for the book. The book and flipbook are due March 7th and the 2-5-8 Menu assignment is due on March 14th.



Math: Fractions, here we come! We finished up our 3rd Math unit on a high note. The class averaged 95.59% on the Math test! Congratulations, Math Wizards. We did a very short unit on Geometry that consisted of polygons and different shapes. As it was a mini-unit, we took a quiz as our final assessment. Now, it's moving on to fractions.

I've been really pleased with how well the students are picking up on fraction concepts. Those students who are struggling have been terrific at seeking out help when necessary. This is a wonderful life skill to develop!

Writing: Students have been busy working on different letter formats, such as friendly, business, and a letter of request. We will be sending our letter of requests off to the companies, requesting information or service.

In addition, students have been learning about Black History Month. One of the ways we did this was to read quotes from notable African-Americans that paved the way through history. The students took one of the quotes and formulated a story, poem, essay or account in which the quote could apply. We are still working on these drafts.

Science: We have just finished working on our Human Body unit. Our test was this past Monday. Grades for these will be posted by this weekend. Our next unit is Pollution. I can't wait for us to dive into it! Remember to THINK GREEN!

Social Studies: We have moved into the Colonial Times! We are delving into the New England, Middle, and Southern colony lifestyles. The students are actively creating persuasive posters to convince people to come to their colony.

Other news:

Students are seeing a change in seating in the lunchroom. Due to an increase in poor choices and attitudes from some of the students, it has been decided that the students will now sit by class. At this point, this arrangement will be in place indefinitely. One of the factors is that we want students to recognize that they are a part of a whole; their actions can change the course of the entire school community.

Conferences are next week Monday through Thursday. I have sent home confirmations with each student. If you are unsure of your conference time, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will gladly send home a reminder.

Thank you and enjoy this long weekend with one another.

SNOW DAY!

Hello all,

I hope that you are nestled warmly in your homes today. One look outside showcases the wonders of weather! There are some pretty amazing drifts out there. If you go out, make sure you are bundled up, as that wind is unforgiving.

A reminder: The forecast is predicting temperature drops over the course of the next few days. Please make sure that you are bringing appropriate winter wear for recess. Students without boots or snowpants will not be allowed to play in the snow. Hats, gloves, scarves, and most importantly warm, winter jackets are non-negotiables! We still have many students donning sweatshirts as their winter jacket. Please dress for the weather!

Enjoy the rest of your day!

~Ms. A