Places to practice your typing

Type Rocket
Type
Ztype
Word Games
Dance Mat
Typing Club

Click on any of the above links to practice your typing skills!

James Forten Spelling and vocabulary words

Winter break getting boring already?? (HA)  Need something to do??? Already read those RC books??  Here are your new spelling and vocabulary words for after break, feel free to start studying!

James Forten Vocabulary Definitions
1. abolitionists - persons who felt that slavery should be against the law.
2. apprentice - someone who works for another person in order to learn a trade.
3. assisted - helped, aided.
4. captives - prisoners.
5. conflict - a struggle or war.
6. dread - great fear.
7. encouraged - gave support to and inspired.
8. enslavement - the process by which one person becomes the property of
another.
9. influential - the power to affect events or sway opinions.
10. privateers - privately owned ships that are ordered by the government to
attack enemy ships during a war.
11. tacking - changing the course of a boat.
12. hold - the lower inside of a ship or airplane, where cargo is stored.

James Forten Spelling Words
jewel sparkle angle shovel mineral
single normal angel legal influential
whistle fossil puzzle bushel vital
mortal gentle level label neutral
pedal ankle needle devil kernel

What should you read next?

Check out this cool webpage....if you are trying to find out what you should read next, type in the name of a book that you really liked reading and this site will give you a list of other books that are similar in topic or structure.

WHAT SHOULD I READ NEXT?

Holiday fun day!

Pictures from our Holiday fun day!

Prefix/suffix practice website

We worked on prefix and suffix last week during spelling/vocabulary....many of the kids are still struggling with this concept.  Here are some website to practice!

Prefix suffix Fun English
Fun brain roots
Fish tanks
Greek to me
Interactive languages
Miss Maggie

Things to note:

The 5th graders will be watching a movie on Friday, December 20th. Please allow your 5th grader to bring a pillow, drink, and snack to enjoy.


Homework for tonight:
Any late work!

Winter Clothing Policy

Winter Clothing Policy and Outside Recess:

In grades PK – 3^rd, we require hats, gloves, boots, a warm coat, and snow pants for students to go outside for recess.  All students in grades 4^th – 6^th will go outside for recess and are encouraged to wear the appropriate attire for play.  When air temperatures or wind chills are below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (www.weather.com) students will be kept inside.    

Christmas party reminder

Just a reminder... Friday will be our Christmas party.  We will be watching a movie in the afternoon.  The kids are able to bring a snack and a drink for the party if they'd like to!  Remember, there is no school December 23-January 2.

Extra credit choral reading

We read a story of Paul Revere's ride last week.  The students were introduced to Paul Revere's Ride by Longfellow.  If the students would like a challenge, they have been invited to memorize and recite the first part of the poem for extra credit!  This is NOT required, but some kids need a little extra push :)

Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.
On the 18th of April in 75, hardly a man is now alive who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friends if the British march by land or sea in the town tonight, hang a lantern aloft as a signal light.
One of if by land and two if by sea and I on the opposite shore will be,
ready to ride and spread the alarm, through every Middlesex village and farm, for the country folk to be up and to arm.

12-15-13

This week in reading we will be continuing to read historical fiction stories directly tied to the Revolutionary War.  Last week we talked about the conflict that this war caused and how it would make itself shown through the stories that we are reading in this unit.  Each story is from a different point of view.  We acted out some of the different groups of people that participated in the Revolutionary War.  The great thing about this theme is that it ties directly to Ms. Bram's 13 colonies unit!  We will be review cause and effect this week as well.  That skill really ties into any unit dealing with wars and conflicts.


There will be no new spelling or vocabulary words this week.  We will be using that time to work on prefix, suffix, and base words.

In language we are working on subject and predicate.  We will take that a step further this week and go to simple and complete subject and predicate, as well as move into run on sentences and fragments.

We will have a couple of quick write assignments this week, but no big essays.

Mark your calendar:
Monday and Tuesday Mrs. Mick and I will be a TIES (technology conference) with Mr. Nelson, Mr. Thompson, and several other staff members.  We are really looking forward to bringing back some great technology integration ideas.

Wednesday: Our last SRI test of the 2013
RC quiz over Katie's trunk
Laptop work on prefix/suffix

Friday: Bring a snack and drink for our Winter "party".

Winter celebration

Winter celebration

We will be celebrating in our classrooms on Friday, December 20, 2013.  Just like at Halloween, we will be watching a movie. The kids are allowed to bring a drink and a snack if they would like to.  All late work must be completed in order to participate in the movie. We will not have school from December 21- January 1.  School will resume January 2^nd!! 

12-11-13

Read 20 minutes

Some kids have spelling...test tomorrow!

Vocab test Friday!

We've had to make some changes in our room this week!  Our Promethean board is down for the count. The technicians are unable to come for a couple of weeks. We were a classroom that used our technology ALL day.  I told the kids that I used to teach without tech and kids still learned WAY back then. (HA) So, we'll be just fine.  It is just definitely an adjustment to go back in time :)

Your 5th grade teachers have been very busy the month of December.  We attended a conference with hundreds of other 5th grade teachers from Iowa.  It was GREAT!  Just ask the kids, we've been using some neat new techniques with them that we learned that day.

Mrs. Mick and I attended a PBIS meeting this week as well.  We are working on the roll out of an AWESOME new behavior program for fall.  We have started this year with our DOJO program and our consistent behavior expectations in the building. Watch for more information on Bronco Pride!

Finally, Mrs. Mick and I will be attending a national technology conference next week.  I am looking forward to 2 full days of training on using technology in the classroom.  Watch for more information on this next week!  I'm sure I'll come back full of great new ideas.

12-10-13

READ 20 minutes
Finish looking over your rough draft of your tall tale.  You will be writing your final draft tomorrow.
Preposition worksheet
Spelling worksheet for those of you who have to do it.

Spelling test Thursday
Vocabulary test Friday

12-9-13

READ 20 minutes tonight

All homework that was given today, is due on Wednesday, not tomorrow.
- tall tale story
- preposition worksheet

Vocabulary and spelling words for Paul Revere

Vocab test Friday
1. cargo - the freight carried by a ship or other vehicle.
2. colonies - territories ruled by or belonging to another country.
3. express - fast, direct, and often nonstop.
4. liberty - freedom from the control of others.
5. oppose - to be against something or someone.
6. Patriot - a colonist who was against British rule in the time of the Revolutionary
War.
7. revolutionary - connected with complete change.
8. sentries - guards who are posted at a spot to keep watch.
9. taxes - monies that people must pay in order to support a government.
10. occurrence- an event that happens
11. chaos- wild activity, unruly behavior
12. nourish- feed
13. hysterical- out of control, or incredibly funny
14. revise- change
15. sequence- put in order
16. conclude- end


And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? Spelling Words TEST on Thursday
theater actor mirror powder oyster
humor anger banner pillar clamor
major thunder flavor finger tremor
mayor polar clover burglar scholar
tractor matter lunar quarter chamber

12-6-13

Homework for the weekend....
Spelling word sort
READ!

Bowling again Monday and Tuesday.

12-5-13

Students who got a D or an F need to write each word they missed 10 times.  We have got to study these words, kiddos :)

Prepositional phrase maps

Read 20 minutes

Book orders due tomorrow.

Bowling tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday!

12-3-13

Remember...Bowling money is due as soon as possible.  The students will be going bowling for PE class on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Book orders are due Friday in order to be sure we get them back before break.  If you would like to keep your order a secret, let me know and I'll just call you when they get here, and you can come and pick them up.

Tonight's homework is to finish your 3 paragraph pen pal letter, study for tomorrow's spelling test, and READ!


A reminder that the three fifth grade teachers will be in Des Moines tomorrow at a conference.  Please don't leave an email or phone message for your child, as the substitute may not get it.  Just call the office and they'll get the message to the kids!

12-2-13

Homework tonight:
Write each of your spelling words 2 times
Complete your Venn diagram on Tall Tale characters
Mick's homeroom: finish the introductory paragraph of your pen pal letter

READ