Week of January 27

January is almost over already! I hope everyone is enjoying our wonderful "Winter" weather in San Diego. My husband and I hiked Lake Murray on Saturday and Cowles Mountain on Sunday. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area! 

 

Even though the sun is out, remember it is still cold and flu season.

There have been several cases of strep throat, H1N1, and the stomach flu on our campus. Room 17 is still healthy so thank you to our thoughtful parents who keep their sick students home to prevent spreading illness. Thank you also to all of you who generously provided our class with Lysol wipes and disinfectant. You're the best!

 

Here is a peek inside our classroom...

A friend of mine gifted our class with a cute little dining table and chairs for ELD time and an area for students who need a little more assistance to work. On fun Fridays the group with the most weekly table points gets to eat lunch with me in class.

 

 

In math we are converting improper fractions to mixed numbers.



 Students continue to move up in their reading levels, which is awesome! Keep up the good work!

Scholastic book orders are due on Friday, January 31st. Several students have already turned in their order form and money.  Thank you for getting your orders in on time!

We are almost half way through the school year. Here's a nice little reminder message about what is important:

 

I am so grateful for my nice students :)  Let's make it a great week!

Week of January 21

This week we are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and discussing the impact he had on the world we live in today.

  

We are continuing to read Dollhouse Murders and updating our 100 pages reading logs each Friday.

Students have been writing persuasive essays about which makes a better pet: cats or dogs?

We have a lot of dog fans in our class!

After reading Time for Kids magazine, students worked in groups to create current event posters. Here are a few examples:

Please make sure to sign and return the parent bulletins that are sent home each Friday.

 

Thank you for checking in!

Week of January 13

Welcome back from Winter Break!

I apologize for not updating last week... my family surprised me with a week long trip to Florida and the Caribbean to celebrate my 30th birthday.

 

I had a blast touring NASA's Kennedy Space Center and am inspired to teach a Science/Social Studies unit of space exploration!  So fun! But I missed all of my fabulous students and am happy to be back for a great school week.

This week we are starting a new novel called The Dollhouse Murders. Don't let the title scare you! It's an intriguing mystery story and you can read a synopsis here. Students will be completing a book report on it over the next few weeks, so make sure to check their progress as there will be several homework assignments pertaining to the reading.

In Math we are still working with fractions. Our class is putting forth great effort with the challenging concepts of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing by fractions. We will be spending a few more weeks on this subject. I am doing my best to keep it enjoyable bringing snacks for the class to divide into fractions. :)

 

Band has ended for the 5th grade school year and I am so proud of my students who performed in the concert. You guys rock and you are so talented!

 

We continue to learn about early colonization in Social Studies and are reviewing states and capitals.

Enjoy your 3 day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend!