Sadowski update 12/8/14... Test date change

Due to the fact that many students are leaving on vacation early next week, I have moved the test back to Tuesday, December 16th.

   For those students who are going to be gone all week next week, they may take the test on Friday.

  They received their review sheets today. If they read this over every day between now and the test they should do just fine.

On Wednesday, December 17th all 5th grade students will have their final test over their 4 month long Forces and Motion Unit. 

I will be sending home a review sheet at the beginning of next week with EVERYTHING that they will need to know and to study to do well on this test. The district is now requiring 90% of our students to achieve an 80% or better on these tests, so we WILL be doing quite a bit of review over the next week and a half to get them ready for this test.

   Students that do not achieve 80 % will need to come in at recesses for review lessons with me on the areas that they scored poorly in, and then will need to retake the test.  And based on what I see in class daily, NO ONE should be clueless as to what we've been studying as we've gone over these concepts daily and weekly!

If you have any questions while helping your child review and prep for this test, don't hesitate to call or email me.

Orange books will also be handed in and graded before Christmas break. I will be checking them at the beginning of next week to ensure that pages that are supposed to be completed are. If the are not, I'll send you an email letting you know that they should be bringing their books home and what lessons that they will need to finish. 

  I can’t believe I forgot to send home the spelling list for the kids week!  I’ll be sure to include next weeks at the bottom of this email.

Some upcoming events in the next couple of weeks.

Next week December 11^th, is the store shopping for gifts. This is a store they set up for the kids to come down and shop for gifts for other members of their family.

Our time slot is 1:45 – 2:00. This is NOT  required! I’ve already asked for ski trip money this month and I know this stuff adds up quick.

Next, on Tuesday, December 16^th we’ll be walking to Generous Hands to pack backpacks and to design Christmas bags and cards for donations. We’ll plan on leaving after recess and will return before the busses roll. If this sounds like fun to you , you are more than welcome to join us!  Make sure you have your student watch the weather and dress appropriately. It could be 50 degrees or snowing again by then so who knows!

Christmas party is still on the 18^th.  You can bring or donate any treat or drink that you would like to. We’re still working on the activities.

I talked to a few of you at conferences regarding your frustration with the new Eureka Math.  As of right now, there is a tentative date set for a Math night for parents at the PAC (performing arts Center) for January 22^nd. Times and details are still being worked out….but it will feature different stations with each grade level showing and teaching some of the skills and concepts your child is learning that are so foreign to the way that we learned.  If you have multiple children at Sunset you should be able to visit each grade level station.   I’ll let you now more when I know more.

Spelling list for this week is as follows:

Prerecorded

Reappear

Postscript

Cooperate

Prehistoric

Posttest

Coauthors

Recharge

Precaution

Postwar

Rejoin

Coexist

Prefix

Coworker

Reform

Prepaid

Refresh

Postdate

Reenter

reclaim

Sadowski update 11/24

Tomorrow the kids have a math test over the review sheet they brought home this weekend. 

They also have a social studies quiz over their Africa unit  tomorrow, and on Wednesday their Northeast region test.

I've given all the kids a heads up that I WOULD be emailing this information home to you tonight and that their red and blue folders should probably come home for studying. 

Spelling this week is a review week...... Due to the shortened week, I'll randomly pick 10 words to quiz them on Wednesday morning.  Words are as follows:

armor

stern

linen

morsel

relate

relative

ample

vigor

worse

aircraft

welfare

burglar

modern

penalty

reside

resident

peril

prison

scarlet

Have a great rest of your week and a super Thanksgiving!

Sadowski update 11/19/14

I hope this email finds you well and not cursing at the snow and unseasonably cold temperatures!  It could be worse! A  friend of mine in New York state  has over 50 inches of snow to deal with and shovel!

Couple things.... Conferences for those who have not had conferences yet have been shifted to next Tuesday. If for some reason Tuesday next week doesn't work, let me know, and we can work out a different date and time. 
  Girls on the run....   We have space for 60 girls for GOTR and currently have only 7 signed up!  If your young lady would be interested in this, please let me know asap.  I know this time of year every penny is either going to bills or presents for the Holiday season so let me know if you would like to be considered for a scholarship.

Christmas.... 5th grade generally does their holiday party together in the cafeteria. We divide up into crafty stations for the afternoon with one of the stations being an eating holiday treats station.  Any treat you would like to donate or bring would be welcome. Just like the Halloween party, you only would have to bring enough for a class worth, not every 5th grader.
We typically have our holiday party on Thursday rather than Friday. Friday we reserve for wrapping up our units, tests and cleaning up our rooms and lockers.   The last few years we haven't done a gift exchange.... we've collected socks for generous hands... we've given to toys for tots...In other words we've given to others rather than to receive ourselves. I'm not sure what we're doing this year as an entire 5th grade but I will let you know as soon as I talk to Lynne and Chris.

In science right now we are working with and talking about the 6 simple machines.
Wheel and axle
pulley
wedge
inclined plane (ramp)
screw
lever
Today for instance we talked about what kinds of simple machines are on or in a vehicle. For example pulley's move the serpentine belt that runs the alternator. Windshield wipers are examples of wedges on the end of levers.  Ask them how many examples they can name the next time they're in a car with you.

Spell list for this week is as follows:
inform
ornament
disappear
pioneer
important
warmth
serious
forever
reward
appear
perform
force
peer
weary
pier
fortune
career
pierce
formal
enormous

Thanks so much!

11/11/14

PTA and Student Council are doing a Hat Day on Friday for the Hall family. Your kids will have letters in their mailboxes and these will go home today.
PTA Meeting is Wednesday at 6pm in the library

Picture Retake is THIS Thursday make sure that the children bring back their old picture package

Popcorn Day is Friday.

Thanks!

Sadowski update 11/10

Tomorrow is Veterans day.  All Sunset 5th graders will be traveling to the memorial park to the east of Family Fare to observe the memorial. Please Please please have kid dress for the weather as starting tonight it will start to get cold and snowy (Gah!)  Gloves/mittens and hats will be a must.

  Also... I had a student remind me of a really cool gift idea for that hard to please child 
On the World Wildlife Federation website you can choose one of dozens of endangered stuffed animals to "adopt" for $25.00.  The $25.00 will get you the animal, some information cards about that species, as well as an adoption certificate for that species.  All money paid will go to the preservation, protection and rebuilding of that endangered species.
The link is:
http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/Default.aspx?sc=AWY1200WCGA4&gclid=CMms3JL68MECFU-CMgod7VgABA

Click on adoptions in the upper right corner to learn more.



Round one of conferences are done... and many parents expressed their frustration with the new math.. specifically when it came to helping out their student.

So!  I'm resending the link that I sent out in September.  The link will take you to a Youtube video which will help you by using your child's homework identify and find HOW each lesson was taught and what they are supposed to work on at home.  This youtube link then takes you to another site called "Learnzillion" which provides videos to repeat instruction that students may not have understood in class. It will also finally give you parents a much needed resource so that you can understand they methods that they are being taught.

I had to watch the video a few times to get the hang of it... but I found it most beneficial to have the video playing on my phone so I could pause at certain points to navigate my computer screen based on the homework assignment the kids were given last week. (I had some extras).

Give this link a shot.... it will be confusing in the beginning.... but I think if you play around with it a bit, it will be a huge help!

web link below that can help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT_uMvtIYhQ

Also... please remember our classroom blog.... mrssadowski.blogspot.com   I post all emails I send to this site so if you forget one, or need some dates but you already deleted an email I sent, you can go here and scroll down as far back as you need to.

Spelling list for this week is as follows:
repair
aware
carpet
pardon
guard
remark
scarce
declare
argue
department
vary
prepare
flair
article
farther
regard
area
harvest
despair
flare

Sadowski Update 10/29/14

First!  I can see the kids' mailboxes from here and judging by how many of them forgot their mail I thought I'd email you with a Halloween update.
Parade tomorrow starts at 2:15.  No rain, we march around the bus ramp.
Rain... we march around the inside halls.

Teachers theme tomorrow is "The 80's".  Please feel free to join us in this.... I know I still have a stone washed denim jacket that is just screaming to be worn tomorrow!

Kids party will immediately follow in the cafeteria.  Any food or drinks you are donating will be set up in the cafeteria during recess.  The auction will begin as the kids are eating their goodies. Any parents available to pour drinks and spread out food are appreciated!

Second... conference slips... I still have a chunk not back yet.  If you've emailed me we're good! If not, please get those slips back as soon as possible.  Students are allowed and encouraged to sit in on their conferences this year.  There isn't anything that I will say to you that I haven't already told them anyway so they are more than welcome. If however you want a conference without them that is just fine too.

3rd....Spell test is tomorrow since we don't have school on Friday. Which reminds me that I didn't even  email the list home this week.

Spell List for this week:

citizen
profession
governor
companion
solution
mention
common
senator
mission
section
million
oven
differ
bother
mayor
copper
dozen
motor
onion


Thanks!