Continue Your GMRI LabVenture! At Home!

Students are now able to log in on the Gulf of Maine Research Institute's LabVenture! Student Page to revisit their learning from our trip last week! Students who were absent will still receive Program cards with login and password information, and can see their team's data page, watch videos, and get to experience some of the program as well.

• Go to http://labventure.gmri.org
• Click on the "For Students" tab
• Select "Investigate Your Data"
• Use the username and password provided to you on your LabVenture! Program card. (Pictured above... All students were given this card on Tuesday, 3/31.)
• You will be prompted to enter a new password. Your child is welcome to create a password, or retype the one provided on the card.
• This will bring you to your child's student page. (Pictured below.) On this page, you and your child can explore the collected data, including videos, photos, and other observations! Very cool!

I do not have a copy of students' usernames/passwords, so please support your child in finding a safe place for their Program card in order to continue to utilize this fantastic resource!

Enjoy!

Spelling Bee

Dear Families,

It is getting close to the time in which our school will participate in the annual Spelling Bee! In April, we will have a Classroom Bee, in which all students will participate in writing down a list of words. This will be run similarly to a classroom spelling test or pre-test. Qualifying students will participate in a 5th Grade Bee among their peers. At the 5th Grade Bee, students would be taking turns spelling orally, from a list that is different than the practice words list.

This year’s practice list includes the following words:

Students are encouraged to find their own way to practice if they wish. It is not a requirement to practice these words; however, all of these words are good to know how to spell, and it is FUN!

BEST WISHES TO ALL OF OUR FIFTH GRADE SPELLERS!!

GMRI Visit

On Thursday, March 26th, we were able to take our trip to Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), where students engaged in four investigation stations involving the following questions:

How are cod and lobster connected in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem?Students will dive deeper than typical predator-prey exploration and explore how behavior changes can affect competition for food, shelter, and resulting changes in growth and fecundity.

Are we farming lobsters? Taking on the role of marine ecologist, students will collect data from live lobsters to determine if the use of herring for lobster bait has impacted the growth rate of lobsters.

How are fishermen and scientists collaborating towards fisheries sustainability? In the role of fishermen, students experiment with different fishing gear technologies to maximize fuel and catch efficiency to make money while sustaining their ground fish resource.

What impacts will climate change have on the Gulf of Maine ecosystem? Using models, students will research the impacts a warmer Gulf of Maine may have on copepods, a key prey species, and in turn, the ecosystem as a whole.

(Info taken directly from LabVenture!: Complex Systems on GMRI's website. Visit http://mystery.gmri.org/about/ for more information about LabVenture! and other programs offered by Gulf of Maine Research Institute.) 

Since Mrs. Gerrish and I were asked to "step back" and let the kids run the show for the morning, I took this opportunity to play paparazzi. Here are some favorites from the day:

 

And we can't forget about the blue lobster...

We have taken our new and enhanced learning back into the classroom to continue the conversation about the Gulf of Maine System and the interrelationship of its inhabitants. Students are working toward making informational posters related to cod, Atlantic herring, copepods, and American lobster.

Stay tuned for more updates and photos...

Gulf of Maine

In preparation for our visit to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, our classroom has been studying systems. We discussed how the Gulf of Maine is a complex system, in that there are many parts that rely on one another to function. Some parts of the Gulf of Maine System that we have focused on include: copepods, herring, cod, lobsters, humans, and lobster traps.

Today, we had a classroom visitor who works on a lobster fishing vessel in the Gulf of Maine. The kids had the opportunity to learn about lobsters, lobster traps, and fishermen. They had many great questions for our guest, who was able to give responses based on firsthand experiences. Kids had the opportunity to look at and touch a model trap (approximately 1/4 the size of a real trap), a bait bag, a bait iron, and a measure. Additionally, our guest showed us a chart of the Gulf of Maine, and explained where we are in relation to where he goes fishing. The kids were curious about the depth of the ocean in different areas and were amazed to hear what was considered "shallow" water.

We look forward to our trip to GMRI next week (MARCH 26th) to learn more about the amazing and complex Gulf of Maine resource.

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

From our classroom to your home.

Epic Pi Day

We experience Pi to the billionth digit through time and date!

Happy Pi Day of the Century,

 from the Grade 5 Team!

Pie in the Face

Today, our Pie in the Face winner was revealed at an end of the day assembly. It was a very close race and came down to one final envelope that Mrs. Copeland discovered last minute! (It was almost a tie!!!) In the end, Mr. Berkowitz was announced as the winner by classmate, Addie J., and the crowd went wild! Classmate, Alexandrea B. won the Golden Ticket raffle and got to do the honors of pie-ing our beloved principal!

Congrats, Alex and Mr. Berkowitz!!

Photo Credit: Soggy Dog Designs

Photo Credit: Soggy Dog Designs

Together, the school raised just over $500 for the 5th grade class's trip to Boston! Hooray!

We still have a ways to go, so please be on the lookout for more fundraising opportunities this spring! FYI -- The PTA recently sent out a Yankee Candle Fundraiser, 40% of which will benefit our trip!! Check that out if you haven't yet! Lots of great scents. Makes a great gift!

Smarter Balanced Testing

You should have received a pamphlet with your child's report card regarding the upcoming Smarter Balanced testing that will be occurring March-May this year. A letter of information went home on Friday to remind families that we will begin testing soon. This is a new computerized test that replaces the NECAP paper based test, and students across the state will be taking it.

I would like to provide you with resources I have been given related to testing and preparation. There is a training video related to the tools that will be used during the Smarter Balanced Assessment. Additionally, you are welcome to take a look at the practice tests if you are interested in seeing what it looks like.

I plan to spend time in the computer lab next week with students so that they may become familiar with the tools and format of the test.

Smarter Balanced - Student Tools - Training Video

Published on Mar 14, 2014--The following video will teach students how to use the Universal Tools they will see in the upcoming Smarter Balanced Assessment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbSdw0EEJnc    

This video gives students/parents/teachers an idea of:

• all the features and tools available to them;
• how much typing is involved from the student; and
• how to use tools/features to give best answers (e.g., strikethrough features to eliminate multiple choice answers).

Skills Expected for Test

Mouse skills
right click for various options
home keys for typing
multiple choice--elimination
awareness of clicking into correct box, area, segment etc.

Keyboarding Skills
enter
taking notes

Test Taking Skills
shift for capitals, word processing
highlighting in reading passage

Test Practice Site

http://me.portal.airast.org/training-tests/

No data will be saved when you take the test. This is purely for the benefit of familiarizing with the features and format of the test.



Additional information for Smarter Balanced can be found at http://www.smarterbalanced.org