December 9th, 2013

5th Grade Newsletter
December 9, 2013  

Upcoming Dates:

• 12/9- Holiday Show
• 12/10-12- Math Benchmark Testing
• 12/12- Skate Night at the Zone 5:30-7:30 pm
• 12/16-K-Kids Meeting 3:00-3:45 pm
• 12/20- Holiday Parties/ Winter Break, 2nd Quarter Ends (AR goals due)

Homework: Same as last week identify and label the Southeastern Region

Parents-

• Please note that cell phones are NOT allowed to be on during school hours. If cell phones are seen or heard they will be immediately taken to the school office for parent pick up. These and other electronic items are a distraction from the learning process.
• Students will be going outside for recess unless the temperature is 20 degrees or below. Please encourage your child to dress weather appropriate, for they will be going out unless there is a doctor’s note.
• Benchmark testing is continuing, please make sure your child is here everyday it is possible. We have to have all tests completed/made-up BEFORE winter break.

MATH: This week in Math we will be will be continuing with Module 2 and begin using estimation with division.  Student’s in Mr. Siders’ and Ms. Blankenship’s classes will be taking a Mid-Module Assessment on Friday.  This will cover all multiplication skills taught so far including multiplying whole numbers (up to 4 by 3 digits), multiplying decimals, and estimation with whole number and decimal multiplication.  Students have benchmark testing for ELA this week and while students are waiting to be tested, math teachers will be teaching a variety of different topics and skills as well as working on the division concepts in Module 2.

If you have questions or concerns please email your student’s math teacher: nsiders@stjschools.org, bblankenship@stjschools.org, or swatson@stjschools.org. You can also visit the class web pages http://stjschools.org/fifth-grade/ for games and other sites to help review.

ELA: Mrs. Kemnitzer and Mrs. Shultz: Due to benchmark testing and the low performance on AR during the first half of second quarter, Mrs. Kemnitzer and Mrs. Shultz have assigned each student points to reach. This means that your child will be required to earn his or her AR goal “the old fashioned way.” Attendance is important during the ELA testing this week.   While students are in holding tanks this week, I have encouraged them to read when they have free time and test carefully. There are only 14 days to finish their AR goal before Christmas break. We are continuing to review verb tense and main idea and details. Please remember, if you ever have questions or would like to contact Mrs. Kemnitzer or Mrs. Shultz you can do so by writing a note in the red folder, calling us at 265-2300 x4292 or emailing dkemnitzer@stjschools.org and kshultz@stjschools.org.

Sandusky: Reading logs will continue this week, due on Friday with at least 2 hours of reading completed. Parent signatures are required! These points add up, and can make up to a letter grade difference in your child’s grade. Please make sure students are reading at home, as AR is 25% of their reading grade. With the weather and crazy schedules I am extending the research paper until THIS Friday (the 13th). All research papers need to be completed with their three images included in them. We will be working during our ‘holding tanks’ during math testing. For those students who are finished with their papers I will be having them edit and do further research to add information.

Engelbrecht: We will be STAR testing this week.  In language we will be reviewing possessives. We will be reading nonfiction text and working on main idea, details, and cause and effect. Please make sure students are reading at home, as AR is 25% of their reading grade. Book logs are due Monday!!!! If you need anything please email me at lengelbrecht@stjschools.org

.Science:
We are working on simple machines this week, and will be exploring what simple machines we have in our home.

Week 6

	PE 1	Art	Music1	PE 2	Computers	Music 2
Monday	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson
Tuesday	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship
Wednesday	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders
Thursday	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz
Friday	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky

December 2nd Newsletter

5th Grade Newsletter
December 2, 2013  

Upcoming Dates:

• 12/3-5-ELA Benchmark Testing
• 12/6- Holiday Show
• 12/10-12- Math Benchmark Testing
• 12/12- Skate Night at the Zone 5:30-7:30 pm
• 12/16-K-Kids Meeting 3:00-3:45 pm
• 12/19- Holiday Parties/ Winter Break, 2nd Quarter Ends (AR goals due)
• 12/20-NO SCHOOL

Homework: Identify and label the Southeastern Region

Parents-

• Please note that cell phones are NOT allowed to be on during school hours. If cell phones are seen or heard they will be immediately taken to the school office for parent pick up. These and other electronic items are a distraction from the learning process.
• Students will be going outside for recess unless the temperature is 20 degrees or below. Please encourage your child to dress weather appropriate, for they will be going out unless there is a doctor’s note.
• Benchmark testing is continuing, please make sure your child is here everyday it is possible. We have to have all tests completed/made-up BEFORE winter break.

MATH: This week in Math we will be will be continuing with Module 2 and begin using estimation with division.  Student’s in Mr. Siders’ and Ms. Blankenship’s classes will be taking a Mid-Module Assessment on Friday.  This will cover all multiplication skills taught so far including multiplying whole numbers (up to 4 by 3 digits), multiplying decimals, and estimation with whole number and decimal multiplication.  Students have benchmark testing for ELA this week and while students are waiting to be tested, math teachers will be teaching a variety of different topics and skills as well as working on the division concepts in Module 2.

If you have questions or concerns please email your student’s math teacher: nsiders@stjschools.org, bblankenship@stjschools.org, or swatson@stjschools.org. You can also visit the class web pages http://stjschools.org/fifth-grade/ for games and other sites to help review.

ELA: Mrs. Kemnitzer and Mrs. Shultz: Due to benchmark testing and the low performance on AR during the first half of second quarter, Mrs. Kemnitzer and Mrs. Shultz have assigned each student points to reach. This means that your child will be required to earn his or her AR goal “the old fashioned way.” Attendance is important during the ELA testing this week.   While students are in holding tanks this week, I have encouraged them to read when they have free time and test carefully. There are only 14 days to finish their AR goal before Christmas break. We are continuing to review verb tense and main idea and details. Please remember, if you ever have questions or would like to contact Mrs. Kemnitzer or Mrs. Shultz you can do so by writing a note in the red folder, calling us at 265-2300 x4292 or emailing dkemnitzer@stjschools.org and kshultz@stjschools.org.

Sandusky: Reading logs will continue this week, due on Friday with at least 2 hours of reading completed. Parent signatures are required! Please make sure students are reading at home, as AR is 25% of their reading grade. This week we are ELA Benchmark testing, while students are in their holding tanks they are suppose to be typing their ‘rough draft’ of their research paper, they may work on these at home too. Friday we will be completing the rough draft, and editing and adding information the following week.

Engelbrecht: We are benchmark testing for ELA this week please make sure students attend and arrive on time to school on these days. We will also be analyzing Raphael's School of Athens and da Vinci’s The Last Supper and discussing how you can tell a story through pictures.  We will also be reviewing prepositions  and nouns. In class this Book logs are due Monday!!!! If you need anything please email me at lengelbrecht@stjschools.org

.Science:
We are working on simple machines this week, and will be exploring what simple machines we have in our home.

Week 5

	PE 1	Art	Music1	PE 2	Computers	Music 2
Monday	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship
Tuesday	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders
Wednesday	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz
Thursday	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky
Friday	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht

November 25th Newsletter

5th Grade Newsletter
November 25, 2013  

Upcoming Dates:

• 11/22,25-26-Science Benchmark
• 11/27-11/29- No School Thanksgiving Break
• 12/3-5; ELA Benchmark Testing

Grades went home last Monday please sign the top portion of the report card and send it back.

Parents-

• Please note that cell phones are NOT allowed to be on during school hours. If cell phones are seen or heard they will be immediately taken to the school office for parent pick up. These and other electronic items are a distraction from the learning process.
• Students will be going outside for recess unless the temperature is 20 degrees or below. Please encourage your child to dress weather appropriate, for they will be going out unless there is a doctor’s note.
• Mid Quarter Grades went home last week for 2nd quarter. Please make sure the top portion is signed and returned to homeroom teacher.
  

MATH: This week in Math we will be will be starting Module 2 which will cover multiplication of multi-digit whole numbers & decimals, division of multi-digit whole numbers and decimals, and estimation using multiplication & division with whole numbers and decimals.  

If you have questions or concerns please email your student’s math teacher: nsiders@stjschools.org, bblankenship@stjschools.org, or swatson@stjschools.org. You can also visit the class web pages http://stjschools.org/fifth-grade/ for games and other sites to help review.

ELA: Please discuss the statement, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” with your child.
Mrs. Kemnitzer and Mrs. Shultz: Due to benchmark testing and the low performance on AR during the first half of second quarter, Mrs. Kemnitzer and Mrs. Shultz have assigned each student points to reach. This means that your child will be required to earn his or her AR goal “the old fashioned way.” Attendance is important! We are working on main idea and details this week. Verb tense will also begin with a review of verbs and past, present, and future tense. As we wrap up our historical nonfiction on the Gold Rush, we will move in to a class reading of the book, Monday With a Mad Genius as we study Leonardo Davinci.  Please remember, if you ever have questions or would like to contact Mrs. Kemnitzer or Mrs. Shultz you can do so by writing a note in the red folder, calling us at 265-2300 x4292 or emailing dkemnitzer@stjschools.org and kshultz@stjschools.org.

Sandusky: There have been a lot of absences lately, please make sure you are familiar with the absent work policy below. Reading Logs over Thanksgiving Break are for EXTRA CREDIT. This is the only time that extra credit will be offered during second quarter. Every hour read will count as a point up to 20 points. Minutes will also go towards our class reading log graph. Last week students read over 12,000 additional minutes at home! Extra credit book logs will be due Monday December 2nd, and will NOT be taken after that point in time. The same rules applies to the extra credit log as normal book logs, it must have a parent signature, times read, pages read, and a total amount of minutes. Please note ELA testing is when we return, students will be required to complete all three portions of the test, so if they’re absent it means they will miss instruction at some other point to make up their test. This week students are finishing their research about their inventor and will be writing their research paper starting next week.  Absent work; Please note, every time a child is absent I place their work on a board in my classroom. It is their responsibility to check it the next day they are present, do the work, and turn it into the absent tray. Absent work NOT turned in will result in a zero. There is no penalty for absent work being late. The students know and have had this procedure explained to them many times. If you let me know your child will be absent, or during the day of your child’s absence I can gather work and get it to the office by the end of the day. As always, if you should need anything, please contact me at; bsandusky@stjschools.org.

Engelbrecht: We are reviewing synonyms and antonyms and nouns. In writing we are publishing our papers about an inventor or a creative thinker they are due Tuesday. We will be writing and reading about Renaissance Art. In reading we will be reviewing summarizing and connections. NO BOOK LOGS THIS WEEK!  

Science: We will be benchmark testing on November 22,25,26 to get data and help drive instruction. Please make sure your child is here these days!
We are working on simple machines this week, and will be exploring what simple machines we have in our home.

Week 4

	PE 1	Art	Music1	PE 2	Computers	Music 2
Monday	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders
Tuesday	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz