9/28/12

Term Cards!

The meap is approaching!  And by now all students in all 5th grade classes have been making and SHOULD be studying those term cards! (See revious blog entry as to "why" we do these)

  

     Groups B and D should have all 8 sets done and be learning them.  Groups A and C should have sets

1 - 2 done and be working on sets 3 and 4.  Please encourage them to study these, and help them to study these.  90% of what they understand in science this year, in middle school and beyond is going to be based on what they comprehend.  If they can't understand a teacher's question because they don't know the words the teacher's are using, they're going to fall behind.

                                           Field Trips!

    The only trip scheduled so far is the October 18th trip to the outdoor education center.  All 5th grade  classes will be attending all day.  I've copied and sent home your signed permission slips so that you have a copy of what lunch choices you signed up for at the beginning of this year. (home or school lunch.)  If you signed up for home lunch, PLEASE make sure that you provide  a lunch for your child on our OEC trip day.  If you checked school lunch, we will makes sure they pick up their sack lunch from the cafeteria first thing in the morning.

        Have your student dress for the weather please!  Layers is always best, and sturdy shoes are recommended as I'm going to have them off the deck and tramping through the woods for our various activities. Gloves and hats might be necessary.... this is Michigan and we never know what's going to happen temperature wise one week to the next.

5th grade graduation

5th grade graduation this year is going to be 9:00 on Monday, June 3rd.  Mark your calendars for this important event!

   Spelling lists

 New spelling lists are handed out each Monday.  The kids take their final test Friday morning, and then take a pretest for the next week's words in the afternoon.  Unlike "Words their Way" that kept your child at one level of words for an entire marking period, the new program "Spelling Connections" allows them to move up or down on a list each week depending on how they do on the pretest.  This upcoming week's lists will cover the long o sound... the ou combination, the oa combination and the ow combination.

The Hedgehog

By now I"m sure you've heard that in addition to our bunny "Thumper" and the "Bear's" visits Wednesday and Friday, that we now also have a hedgehog named "Quilliam" (As in William with Quills... and he came with that name!)   I checked thoroughly with my local vet regarding and possibly transmissible diseases etc from him to the kids and with hedgehogs (other than getting poked by the quills) there aren't any issues.  Still... as he hasn't been handled in 4 months and because right now he resembles an angry cactus any time we approach his cage, he is going to be a "look only" pet.  He doesn't bite... I've held him numerous times.... but he is a prickly little sucker and when he gets riled his quills stand right on end.  So for the kid's safety it's going to be hands off until he is much better socialized. 

I've also decided that a bunny a dog, and two horses are at home are quite enough to take care of... so if the original owner doesn't want him back at the end of the school year, I'm going to be looking for a home for him.  I have NOT told the kids this.... I wanted you to be the first to know so that you can strategize an answer should the topic come up.

 Hedgehogs are not like porcupines.... their quills don't stick in you or leave their body. They remain fixed in their skin at all times.  For more information on Hedgehogs, I suggest google. The amount of info on them is truly astounding!