Happy Holidays!

I hope you all enjoy the winter break!  School will resume January 3, 2011.

Math-  Review mean, median, mode and range.  Take a test on division and mean, median mode and range.  Begin learning about coordinate grids.     

Science- Continue studying heredity.  We will be doing various activities and experiments exploring recessive and dominate traits.   

WRITING- We wrote a letter to Santa Claus and learned the correct format for writing a letter.  This week we will be learning how to write directions a fun activity we will be doing, is the students will write directions for “How to Wrap a Gift”.  If you have access to a computer please practice typing on typingweb.com.    

Language and Reading- For those who helped your students with the Book in a Bag book report, thank you!  They turned out wonderful and I was impressed how many creative things I saw.  For a classroom read aloud we have been reading the book Holes, we hope to finish it soon and watch the movie to compare differences between the book and movie.  For spelling this week we will be doing a complete review of the spelling words we have had thus far in the school year.  See the attached list. For the test we will not test on all of the words but 50 words will be chosen at random. 

Homework- Due: THURSDAY, December 16

·      Practice spelling review words.

·      Reading Comprehension 

·      Math practice and review sheet.

·      Read 25 minutes or more each evening.

EVENTS-

I love this time of year and am looking forward to enjoyable and exciting week with the students.  Here are some of the upcoming events:

December 14-Workers Holiday.  For all of the students whom have no missing assignments get to have Workers Holiday.  This will give those who are falling behind the opportunity to make up missing work. 

December 16-Classroom Christmas Celebration.

December 17-School winter movie 1:15. Last day of school for winter break.

January 3-School resumes.

News Letter

Math-  Please continue to practice division and multiplication.  This week we are studying mean, median and mode.    

Science- Thank you for helping your child complete the behavior chart.  It has been a fun unit studying inherited traits.  Last week we studied Specialized Structures.  The students colored butterflies to make them blend in with their environment.  I have yet to find them all J

  

WRITING-If you have access to a computer and Internet please encourage your child to practice typing.  You can access typingweb.com your student knows their password and username.  The website helps the students practice proper typing.  The writing test (in February) is online, the better your student can type the better their essay will be displayed and written. 

Language and Reading- Book Reports are due Monday, December 6, 2010.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  Also, you can visit mrs-smith5.blogspot.com for the book report assignment.  Spelling words:

anyway

any way

all right

everyone

every one

already

all ready

a lot

it’s

its

your

you’re

whose

who’s

there’s

theirs

anyone

any one

altogether

all together

Bonus Words: generated

shallow

bulge

gravitational

inlet

energy

Homework- Due: THURSDAY, December 9

·      Spelling Practice Worksheets

·      Reading Comprehension

·      Book Orders Due December 9

·      Read 25 minutes or more each evening.

EVENTS-

December 14-Workers Holiday.  For all of the students whom have no missing assignments get to have Workers Holiday.  This will give those who are falling behind the opportunity to make up missing work. 

December 16-Classroom Christmas Celebration.

December 17-School winter movie 1:15. Last day of school for winter break.

January 3-School resumes.

Iron County Today Newspaper

East Elementary students pose for a photo after a visit from Iron County Today Managing Editor Ashley Langston. The students were from Mrs. Orton, Mr. Coates and Mrs. Smith’s fifth grade classes. Langston spoke with the students about her job, newspapers, and the importance of writing and proper grammar and spelling. The students are preparing for an important winter writing assessment and need to know the mechanics of writing.

Read more: Cedar City News - School News Nov 24

Mrs. Smith's Weekly News

Math-  We just finished and tested last Tuesday on dividing by one digit divisors, finding factors, and prime/composite numbers.  We are now starting division by two digit divisors. 

Science- Your student will be studying Heredity and looking at his/her own inherited/acquired traits.

WRITING-If you have access to a computer and Internet please encourage your child to practice typing.  You can access typingweb.com your student knows their password and user name.  The website helps the students practice proper typing.  The writing test (in February) is online, the better your student can type the better their essay will be displayed and written. 

Language and Reading- Book Reports are due Monday, December 6, 2010.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  Also, you can visit mrs-smith5.blogspot.com for the book report assignment.  Spelling words:

basketball, seventy-five, rock band, everybody, fireplace,anything, takeoff, skateboard, homework, two-thirds, high school, railroad, motorcycle, vice president, strawberry, freeway, car pool, comic strip,

fine arts, forty-two

Bonus Words: 

policy, geyser, canopy, dwindled, embers, veered.

Homework- Due: THURSDAY, December 2

·      Spelling Practice Worksheets

·      Math- review division and problem solving

·      Any unfinished work or missing assignments.

·      Book Reports due December 6.

·      November reading calendar due-don’t for get parent signature J

EVENTS-

The Piano Concert we attending was wonderful the pianist said it was one of the best student audience he had. 

Ashley Langston whom is the editor for Today (formerly known as The Review) came and spoke to the students about writing, grammar, and the process of a newspaper.  She was wonderful and very informative about writing. 

I have changed the due date for homework from Fridays to Thursdays.  This will give me the opportunity to have the students finish their homework who have not yet finished.

I sent grades home last week please contact me with any questions or concerns.

December 14^th all of the 5^th grade classes are participating in “workers holiday”.  All of the students who have turned in assignments, homework, and have had good citizenship get to participate.  Those who have missing assignments or turned in late work will have the opportunity to make up missing assignments or motivate students to have good citizenship and turn in assignments so they can have workers holiday next time. 

I hope you all had a fun Thanksgiving weekend!  Thank you for all of your support. –Mrs. Smith

Book Report

Mrs. Smith’s Class

“Book in a Bag” Book Report

Due: Monday, December 6, 2010

You get to choose any kind of book you would like to read.  It needs to be a chapter book that suits your reading level well.  After you have read the book:

1.     Choose a favorite chapter you read.

2.   Find 5 things that represent characters, events or the setting of your book that can go inside your bag.  You can also draw the object, cut pictures out of magazines, print an example of the object you have found on your computer. 

3.   Place the actual book inside your bag.  If you had to return your book to the library or the owner, draw a picture of the cover or photocopy.

4. Monday Class Presentation:

1.     Present you “Book in a Bag” to us.

2.   Prepare to explain why you chose the objects in your bag and explain how they go with your story.

3.   Try to make it short, exciting and don’t tell us the ending so we will want to read it ourselves.  Leave us wanting to read more.  Advertise why we should read it and why you picked it. 

Book in a Bag Checklist:

o   Report Questions

o   Book or Copy of Cover

o   5 objects placed inside your bag

o   PRACTICE PRESENTATION J

Mrs. Smith's Weekly News

Math-  This week for math we will be factoring and comparing prime and composite numbers. We will also be practicing problem solving.

Science- We are starting our unit on Heredity.  We will be studying inherited traits, genes and the environmentally learned traits. 

WRITING-We are focusing on the 6+1 writing traits.  Also, we will continue to practice the 4 square writing process.  Our state writing test will take place in February.

Language and Reading- We will be reading Island of the Everglades.   Our spelling words for this week are: 

island, design, calm, column, sword, half, yolk, walked, talk, chalk, wrinkled, wrong, autumn, solemn, aisle, foreign, lightning, benign, glistened, resign.  

Bonus Words: plenitude, pondered, scurried, peninsula, multitude, eons.

Homework-

·      Spelling Relay

·      Math- 2 review worksheets front and back.

·      Any unfinished work or missing assignments. 
    Book Reports Due December 6.

UPCOMING EVENTS-

Friday, November, 19:

Flag Ceremony Assembly at 10:45am. This is where A.R. awards are given as well as the Catch the Vision award. 

Wednesday 24, Thursday 25, Friday 26-Thanksgiving break. No School!

Thank you for all you do to help support your child at school and home.

Multiplication Ice Cream Party.

For those students who have passed off their multiplication problems will enjoy an ice cream sundae Wednesday, November, 10 after lunch.

Dad's and Donuts

Friday, November 12 at 8:20a.m. to 8:45a.m.  Come to East Elementary Gym to enjoy a donut and book with your Dad. 

Mrs. Smith's Weekly News

Math-  This week for math we are learning how to divide using mental math and review division steps.  I am encouraging the students to memorize the steps 1: divide 2: multiply 3: subtract 4: bring down. Towards the end of the week we will be factoring and comparing prime and composite numbers.

Science- We are starting our unit on Heredity.  We will be studying inherited traits, genes and the environmentally learned traits.  

WRITING-We are focusing on the 6+1 writing traits.  Also, we will continue to practice the 4 square writing process.  Our state writing test will take place in February.

Language and Reading- We will be reading Island of the Blue Dolphins.   Our spelling words for this week are:

crises, knives, media, roofs, pianos, waves, wishes, armies, briefs, videos, heroes, data, bacteria, oxen, tomatoes, canoes, berries, loaves, lives, messages

Bonus Words: overcome, pitched, lair, gorged, vainer, abalone.

Homework-

·      Spelling- Get to 50

·      Math-3 Review worksheets front and back.

·      Any unfinished work or missing assignments.

UPCOMING EVENTS-

Friday, November 12:

Please remember to sign your student’s permission slip for the field trip. We are walking to the Heritage center for a piano recital.

Dad’s and Donuts. 8:20am.

Friday, November, 19:

Flag Ceremony Assembly at 10:45am. This is where A.R. awards are given as well as the Catch the Vision award. 

Mrs. Smith's 5th Grade Class

Welcome to our fifth grade class blog. I am looking forward to being able to communicate with all of you through blogger. I will always post the weekly newsletter and will try my best to post assignments and let you know of upcoming events.