Newsletter - Week of Aug. 30, 2019

Welcome to a new school year!  It is so great to be back at school.  I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing summer.  This week our class has been getting acquainted with our schedule and routines. Our schedule is quite different this year. 

We begin our day within a multi-age 5/6 setting in our homeroom class.  As the newsletter from Alicia last spring explained we will have Literacy instruction in the morning.  Most days, we will finish the morning with a special.  With the exception of Friday, directly after lunch and recess the students separate by grades to have Math, Science and Global Studies.  On Friday we stay together as a multi-age class for our special and separate at 1:20.  All fifth graders come to me and sixth graders spend their afternoons with Mr. Willard, Mrs. Christiano and Mrs. Christy.  Our specials schedule follows:

Monday – P.E.

Tuesday – Art

Wednesday – Music and Guidance

Thursday – P.E.

Friday – Library

For those students participating in either 5^th or 6^th grade band, Thursday and Friday are the band days. .  Please help your child remember to bring their instruments on that day.

  We will also have one technology class each week, either on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Some technology will be in the single grade groups, while others will be in the multi-age groups.

 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. 

Throughout the year, both of my groups will participate in team-building and collaborative activities. These activities help students develop the ability to work together 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.  Many of the activities will focus on our transferable skills.

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.  My blog will include activities from both the morning and the afternoon.  I will also include updates on the sixth grade afternoon activities as I receive them from their teachers.  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.

Working With Buddies

On Friday we met with our buddies to help them with a Mother’s Day project.

The Tallest Tower

One of the projects that the class has participated in during the past couple of weeks introduced them to the Engineering Design Process.  They learned that engineers go through this process to design solutions to problems using math and science. 

First, we learned the six steps that engineers go through as they solve complex problems.  Step one required students to identify  their problem (to build the tallest tower).  Next, they were given the criteria and constraints.  Each team was given 25 index cards.  They could bend and/or fold the cards, but could not use tape or any other material to build their tower.  They brainstormed possible solutions and then selected an approach.  After they built their tower, they evaluated and redesigned their model.

This activity covered several Performance Indicators under Science Standard 5:  Engineering.  It also covered Transferable Skill 4:  Working Independently and Collaboratively. Below are some photos from the activity.

March 15, 2019

     We have been busily working on our ancestry projects this week.  Students are getting excited to see these projects coming together.  I have had several students ask to stay in during the recess block to work on their projects.  If they haven’t already done the following, they should try to have these completed by early next week:

·      

•       Interview – This could be parents, grandparents or other relatives

• ·        Photo of an artifact or the actual artifact (Ask your child about this              assignment.)

• ·        Photo for their Author page

• ·        Photos that connect to the person they are studying

• ·        Extra credit for a family recipe and photo of them making it

These projects will be on display during our Celebration of Learning on April 4^th.  Natalie Kinsey Warnock, who led the ancestry project, will be joining the 4^th/5^th grade classes that evening. 

This week’s Friday folder will have a sheet for signing up for the student led conferences.  Please fill out the form and return it next week.  Student led conferences provide an opportunity for children to reflect upon their growth and learning.  They take an active role by showing work samples and reflections in the various academic areas.

In technology class and our writing block we have been working on creating a nonfiction booklet using “Book Creator.”  This is a simple tool to create ebooks.   Most students are finishing up on this project.  These also will be shared during the Celebration of Learning and Student Led Conferences.

Have a wonderful weekend!