Week of Aug. 31, 2018

Welcome to a new school year!  I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing summer.  Our class has had a great start to the school year.  This week we have been getting acquainted with our schedule and routines.  Our specials schedule follows:

          Monday –   Art

          Tuesday –  Technology and P.E.

          Wednesday – Music

          Thursday –  Library and Guidance

          Friday -  P.E.

Please remind your child to wear appropriate footwear and clothing on our P.E. days.  On days with good weather, P.E. class may be held outside. 

For those fifth grade students that are planning to be in band this year, the band days will be Thursday and Friday.  Please help your child remember to bring their instruments on that day.

Our class will be participating in team-building activities throughout the year.  These activities will help students develop the ability to collaborate and contribute within a team, practice positive attitudes and actions for learning in a team environment, and learn to foster mutual respect and trust, creating a successful team experience.  This week we completed a "Cup Pyramid" activity.

  

In Science we will be focusing on the scientific method process during the next few weeks. Students began this week with an activity that worked on observation and recording skills.  We discussed that both sets of skills are needed when conducting any type of science experiment.  Each child was given a marble to observe and record information (in words and in pictures).  We then placed all of the marbles in the center of the circle and attempted to select marbles based on students’ recorded data.  On Friday, we practiced these skills while exploring bubbles. Our class will be participating in a variety of bubble investigations during the next few weeks.

In writing, students brainstormed ideas for personal narratives.  On Thursday and Friday, we created our first personal narrative.  I am excited to read these pieces over the long weekend!

Students were introduced to the first watercolor technique that we will use this year – sponging.  Throughout the year, we will create watercolors to use as inspiration for writing poetry, as well as narratives.  This approach is part of Picture Writing, a progression of art, literature, and writing experiences.

Fourth grade students will have Mrs. Gannon for math this year.  She has asked me to let you know that she plans to write a short newsletter about their activities every couple of weeks.  Fifth graders will have me for math each day.  This week we have been learning a few math games, as well as completing a variety of skill activities to help me learn about each child. 

Thanks to all of you who have sent back the forms for our front office.  If you have not done so, please send them back as soon as possible.

I will be posting a copy of this letter on my class blog.  Throughout the year, I will be keeping you informed with what is happening in the classroom via the classroom blog with newsletters, photos and student work.  If you prefer to receive a copy of my communication in your child’s Friday folder, please send me an email or note.

Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or comments.  My number at school is 223-7936 (ext. 317) or my email is eshedd@u32.org.  Have a great weekend.  I look forward to an exciting year together!

August 13, 2018

August 13, 2018

Dear Fourth/Fifth Grade Families,

I can’t believe that the first day for students is just two weeks away!   I hope that everyone had a wonderful summer.  I have spent time with my family, read many books including several of this year’s DCF books, and have spent time preparing for this year’s class.  During the past few weeks I have worked with Mrs. Gannon and we are both excited for the upcoming year.

Some parents have asked for a list of supplies that students need to bring.  We will supply everything needed with one exception.  Students should plan to bring in some type of notebook (such as a three ring binder) to hold their assignment book and any homework assignments.  We will supply the assignment book.

I have also been asked which days we will have PE.  Our specials this year are as follows:

            Monday – Art                                      Tuesday – PE and Technology

            Wednesday – Music                           Thursday – Library                  Friday – PE

Please be sure to have your child bring appropriate footwear on our PE days.  Fifth graders that are in band will have it on Thursday and Friday mornings.  Students that are interested in Chorus will have it on Friday mornings from 9:00 – 9:30.

            This year we will be integrating Social Studies and Science with the Literacy block.  Social Studies topics will include Map skills/geography, Early Explorers, Colonial America, Revolutionary War and Westward Expansion.  Our Science topics will be Earth Systems (land, water, human impact), and Space Systems.  We will also be participating in nature journaling opportunities.  Through these sessions students will record observations, perceptions, and feelings about the natural world.  Be sure to look for more information on this in my blog during September.

 Arlyn has notified us that she is interested in adding photos of kids reading to her new webpage.  If you want to send a photo, her email is abruccoli@u32.org.

 

Sometimes kids feel less nervous if they know what to do on the first day of school. Your child should come off the bus or arrive by car at 8:45.  If they arrive earlier than that, then they should go to the gym. They should get breakfast as needed at the cafeteria.  They should put their backpack in the cubby outside the classroom. Their cubby will have a label on it. They will be designing and decorating their own name tag for their cubby later. I will post further instructions on the board in our classroom.

Have a great rest of the summer. I look forward to seeing you on Monday August 27th. If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at eshedd@u32.org.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Shedd

Week of March 20, 2018

           

           I am excited to share that our class has been invited to participate in this year’s PoemCity Montpelier, a National Poetry Month festival.  For the past eight years, Montpelier has displayed poetry from Vermont writers ranging from age five to ninety-two.  Each student from our classroom has selected a watercolor and poem.  I have received word from Michelle Singer, one of the festival’s organizers, that three of the poems will be on display in the front window at Woodbury Mountain Toys and the rest will be in the Hayes room at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.  She has also notified me tonight that the Times-Argus will be featuring photos of our display. 

            This week we began writing our reflections for sharing at the student led conferences that we will be holding in a couple of weeks.  Students have completed some thoughtful reflections and goals for the fourth quarter.  Please look in this week’s Friday folders for a sheet to sign up for these conferences.

            In Library class, we have worked on reading fluency skills during the past few weeks.  Students have learned about the categories that they are formally assessed on three times each year (Expression, Phrasing, Accuracy, and Rate).  They then selected a traditional literature piece that they recorded reading and self-assessed based on three of these categories.  Next, students set goals to work on to improve their fluency skills.  After practicing for a week, they learned a new way to record their reading and have once again self-assessed.  This work will be one of the things shared during conferences.

            In writing, we have now completed our pre assessment on opinion/argument writing.  Next week, we will look at how to select topics, leads, and transitions for this genre of writing.  We also continue to create watercolors/poetry and will hopefully finish writing reflections for the conferences.

            Have a wonderful weekend!

January 28, 2018

REMINDERS

• Winter Wellness starts on Tuesday this week.  Please make sure your child comes with all    appropriate outside clothing.

• Tuesdays and Fridays are our P.E. days.  Students should have appropriate footwear and should come prepared to go outside if the weather is good.

This week begins the new Reteach session.  This session will last for 12 weeks and meet 4 days/week for 30 minutes.  There will be four different groups in the fifth/sixth grade unit.  Two of these groups will focus on math skills – one group for each grade.  A third group will work on reading skills, beginning with a focus on comparing and contrasting. 

I will have a group of students that will work on personal interest projects using the following district transferable skills Performance Indicators to guide us.  

Skill 2:  EFFECTIVE AND EXPRESSIVE COMMUNICATION (5^th/6^th grade cluster)

a.       Demonstrate organized and purposeful communication.

d.    Use a variety of ways to express ideas.

Skill 4:  WORKING INDEPENDENTLY AND COLLABORATIVELY (5^th/6^th grade cluster)

b.      Demonstrate organization, including time management skills and spatial

organization.

                d.    Demonstrate accountability through timely task completion.

Skill 5:  INFORMED, INTEGRATED, AND CRITICAL THINKING (5^th/6^th grade cluster)

a.        Integrate Information gathered from active reading, speaking, and listening.

b.      Apply knowledge from various disciplines and contexts across settings.

d.      Analyze the accuracy, bias, and usefulness of information as well as acknowledge and understand biases, assumptions, privileges.

Skill 6:  SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-DIRECTION (5^th/6^th grade cluster)

a.       Identify and actively pursue interests in preparation for lifelong learning and growth.

d.      Discover and cultivate interests that lead to future planning.

These projects will encourage creativity, promote inquiry, problem solving, and perseverance, among other lifelong skills.  The projects will have the following guidelines:

1.       Projects will be inquiry based.  Students will need to create a contract or plan, communicating what they want to learn about and why.

2.       Projects will be research based.  Whatever topic students choose, research on the topic must be involved.

3.       Projects will be shared.  Each student will present their final project.

We will spend the first week learning about the above referenced transferable skills Performance Indicators, what it means to be proficient in each skill, completing a self-assessment on these skills, and then brainstorming possible topics for our personal interest projects. 

Library/Reading

Last week, students learned about the new focus for Library class.  We will be working to practice oral reading fluency skills.  In class during the reading block, we reviewed the criteria used for fluency on the district DRA reading assessment.  We looked at the four level rubric that students are scored on.  There are also four categories under oral reading fluency that students receive a score on (accuracy, rate, phrasing, and expression).

In Library class, Arlyn modeled reading aloud and each student used the sixth grade rubric to assess her in the areas of accuracy, phrasing, and expression.  Then students selected a traditional literature story that they will practice to read aloud.  This week, we will learn how to video each other, read the stories selected, and begin to self-assess in the areas of accuracy, phrasing, and expression.

Students also continue to work on their personal reading goals each day during the reading block.

Writing

We continue our unit on informational writing.  Students have now selected a science topic  (ie. volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, etc.) that they have started researching for their post assessment pieces.  We will continue to work on these pieces for the next couple of weeks.  In preparation for this, we have been reviewing the components of an informational piece, as well as text features of nonfiction.

Math

In fifth grade math, we continue our work on decimals (to the thousandths).  During the past week and a half, students have worked on two larger projects using decimals and fractions.  First, students worked on “Decimal Gardens:  Flowers and Vegetables.”  This activity involved designing gardens on graph paper, recording the various flowers and vegetables in decimals and in fractions, and then comparing the flower/vegetable types using >, <, or =. 

The second project is titled, “Check This.”  Students have been recording transactions in the family checkbook register, choosing the correct operation for each transaction.  They are hoping that they will have enough money left at the end of the 2^nd week to purchase an Xbox One for the family.  We will be finishing this activity on Monday. 

Theme

As part of our unit on Explorers and the Age of Discovery, students have participated in a simulation from Scholastic.  Students have taken on a role of a character living through this period of history.  They have worked together in groups using problem-solving skills to deal with challenges that these brave individuals faced.  Each student has kept a log of their experiences.  We will be finishing the simulation this week.  Our next unit of study will bring us up to the early 1600s as we learn about life in the thirteen colonies.