Mid-October Announcements and Updates

I'm having a hard time believing we are halfway through October. I am grateful that we are using trimesters this year at school because I just couldn't imagine the quarter ending in two weeks! Time is flying!
This month, we celebrate two birthdays:  Christine - Oct. 17; Tristan - Oct. 25

Classroom Academics News:

Math - Traditional Multiplication Algorithm; Conversions; Multi-Step Problems and Order of Operations

Reading - Inferences in non-fiction; Selecting good fit books; Reading books from cover to cover

Read Aloud- PAX by Sarah Pennypacker -- Global Read Aloud book for 2016. We are connecting with a class from New Jersey via Twitter to ask and respond to questions related to the book. Throughout this book, we will also have conversations around plot, characters, and point of view.

Writing - Today children finished their personal narratives. Tomorrow we will begin some thematic holiday writing activities

Social Studies - Elections news (through the Scholastic Elections Skills Book)

Wellness- Sara Helman from Dike-Newell School will be coming in three days this week to work with us on sessions for mindful meditation practices.​ I am excited for this opportunity.

Science - Last week, we practiced some engineering skills and thinking like a scientist by experimenting with the design of "Hoop Gliders".

Hoop Glider Launch in School Gymnasium

Classroom Seating Project Update:
Our flexible seating arrangement is going well thus far. It is certainly a learning curve for all of us, but kids have been super respectful about taking turns and sharing. They have also been doing a great job of responsibly taking care of the new items, and we have been putting things back where they belong throughout the day. One thing to continue to work on is the idea of using the seats for the purpose of learning and choosing the BEST SPOT to support individual academic needs. Kids who need movement still need some coaching around selecting a seat that promotes movement (there are 9 movement oriented seats!), and kids who need help reducing their socialization should select spots away from peers who might be tempting to talk to. All in all, it has been a very positive introduction to the classroom, and children seem cheerier and more comfortable while learning. Today, kids had the opportunity to begin to make "Thank You" cards for our donors. If your child would like to make some cards at home, we would benefit from their artistic talents!

Community Announcements:

Health PSA:

Like many of our students, I am currently battling some form of the sickness that has been going around. I hope your child stays healthy (or gets well soon). We all need to remember to get plenty of sleep, keep up with our hand washing practices, and drink plenty of fluids. 

Book Order forms for October were sent home on Friday; however, not every child took one. I have extra copies at school -- please have your child grab one tomorrow if they forgot theirs last week. This round will be due on Friday, October 21st. Each child got a $5 coupon to use with their order -- if you spend $10+ on books, you can select one additional book for up to a $5 value using your coupon.

If you would like to order online, please visit clubs.scholastic.com. Our classroom code is MDWPH.

Our Halloween Dance will be held this Friday, October 21st, at Fisher-Mitchell School. This is a costume party put on by the PTA.

​The Charleston Wraps fundraiser began last Friday. Please remind your child to bring in the order forms/money as soon as they are done collecting. There is more information within the packet about due dates, etc.

September Recap

September is over and we are in full on school mode!

Things we have accomplished this month:

Reading -- How to choose a best fit book, making inferences, visualizing, fluency practice. Classroom books we are reading: No Talking by Andrew Clements and Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.
Unit 1 Math -- Area (rectangles), Volume (rectangular prisms), Order of Operations (multistep problems with parentheses)
Writing -- We are more than halfway through our Personal Narrative Unit. Students are writing true stories about one time in their lives. These should follow the "Story Arc" format, ideally including a problem, solution, and a message.
Spelling -- We are up to Unit 4
Social Studies -- Geography
Science -- Earth's System: The four major spheres (atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere)
Team building & Engineering Tasks: Stacking cups with rubber band and string, Spaghetti/Marshmallow Towers

DRA (Reading Fluency/Comprehension) -- Fall assessment completed.
NWEA (Reading/Math) -- Fall assessment completed.

Fundraising Our Way Toward Flexible Seating!

The flexible seating movement has really taken off over the past year, moving from special education classrooms to general education settings. It seems like everywhere I turn, a new article is being shared about classroom redesign and how it benefits children. I am continually inspired by the other teachers around me who are thinking outside the box when it comes to student-centered classroom seating and learning.

Currently, I have three floor rockers which were given to me by our school principal. This is already helping three of my busiest friends remain calmer and more focused in the classroom; however, there are many more who would benefit from non-traditional seating options.

Whenever it is a learning period in which partner work or independent work is allowed, I give kids the option to find a place that works for them. Very few are left seated at their traditional desk while the rest are spread among the floor and at other desks around the classroom. This has been true each of the four years I have taught. While a few kids still appreciate the familiarity of a desk and chair, most want to feel like they are comfortable and at home. I am coaching students on how to be comfortable while being productive, and it is a learning curve for us all!

Please help us achieve our goal of adding three wobble stools and three Zynergy ball chairs to our classroom, both which allow for movement while learning. Thank you for your consideration.

Flexible Seating - Moving Toward Success

For more information on flexible seating, check out these articles and publications:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flexible-seating-student-centered-classroom-kayla-delzer
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104013/chapters/Movement-and-Learning.aspx
https://www.especialneeds.com/blog/active-seating-special-needs-classroom/

Happy Birthday Roald Dahl!! A Readerly Message

September 13th would have been Roald Dahl's 100th birthday. As a child, Roald Dahl was, hands down, my favorite author. Matilda was the very first chapter book I completed independently and remained my favorite book for many years. I still get goosebumps thinking of the magic of that story. I remember wanting to BE Matilda, to have her supernatural abilities as well as her academic talents. I remember fearing the Trunchbull and the Chokey. And like every child, I always wished at the start of each year to have a Miss Honey type for a teacher.

My wish for all of my students this year is that (if they don't already) they will fall in love with reading. Matilda was my first book love. What will be your child's?

In order to grow as a reader, your child should be selecting books that give him/her an appropriate challenge without being too difficult to understand. It can be tricky finding that "just right" book, but it is the best way to become a stronger reader. No matter whether your child is at a 4, a 40, or an 80 in DRA level, there is always room for growth and improvement.


Your child should remember to read every night for 25 minutes and record in their reading log. On weekends, it is ideal to read every night; however, the expectation is to read at least one weekend night (Fri, Sat, or Sun). It would benefit most children to read aloud at least 5 minutes. Encourage your child to read to a stuffy, a pet, a sibling, a parent, or a pillow. This helps boost oral reading fluency and confidence.

~Be well and happy reading.~

Beginning of the Year Greetings!

Greetings!
We are off to a great start in 5H. This week, we've begun to take a more academic path, diving into our math curriculum, getting spelling going, continuing to increase our reading stamina, and showing some of our writing knowledge. Please expect that the demands will increase gradually over the next couple weeks.

Potato Olympics!
Our afternoons have been dedicated to community building, sportsmanship, and a little bit of world news from the 2016 Summer Olympics. We've begun our own Olympics-inspired project -- Potato Olympics! Thank you, families, for your potato donations!

"Best Spuds"

The Germans

Italia

Homework: Please expect one page of math and 25 minutes of reading per night. Students will also have a spelling words list to practice as well as one spelling worksheet due on Fridays. Soon, I will be requiring a reading log, and may ask for signatures if it seems kids need help with accountability.

Open house is September 15th. I look forward to meeting you!

Band will be starting next week -- please check out the paperwork which will be sent home tomorrow. (*It should have been sent home today, but I set it down on my way to pick children up from Art, and forgot to pass it out when we returned.)  An Instrument Rental Night will be held directly following Open House on the 15th and the hope is for band to begin the next day.

Summer Reading

I hope your children have a happy and fulfilling summer. I always like to encourage reading so they can keep up with their skills.

This week I read the first chapter (or a little more) of a few books to pique their interest in some books I've enjoyed.

*Three Times Lucky

*The Luck Uglies

*The Phantom Tollbooth

Other books I've recently enjoyed:

*Walk Two Moons

*Out of My Mind

*Bridge to Terabithia 

*The Giver

*Stargirl

*Wringer

The Mustard Seed bookstore keeps a current selection of popular titles for children, including a section of Maine Student Book Award books. Patten Free Library also has an amazing children's wing and would be able to provide your child assistance in selecting an appropriate book for his/her interests and abilities.

This graphic provides a good visual for why it is important not to skip out on independent reading during the school year; however, I feel it could support why reading over the summer is not only a good choice, but a necessary one in keeping skills sharp.

May your summers be filled with fun, sun, and good books!!!

From First Day to Last Day

From the first day until the very last, I have loved you all. You have grown so much, and I am so proud of how far you have come. I wish you all the best in middle school and beyond!!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!