Students will have a sub for the remainder of the week.  I have to make a quick trip to WV due to a death in the family. 

The packet will be in a different order this week.  We did the grammar on Monday so that students will have that knowledge before the quiz on Friday.  The substitute teachers will do the stories and 2 pages in the packet.  Students are not to do the page with the graphic organizer and the last page of  the packet.  The rest may be completed as homework.

1. For Communication Arts, the blog page labeled Classroom Activities at the top will have the same information that is in the planner each day.
2. In this part of the blog, I will have more details of the activities that we do in class if I feel there may need to be more clarification.

This week we are doing the grammar pages (proper nouns) in class on Monday.  Tuesday will be planned around idioms, and Wednesday we will concentrate on compound words.  If you can help reinforce these during the week, that would be wonderful. One easy way you can help is to point some out, during normal conversation, to your child. They would be surprised how much we use them. All of these are in the packet (study guide) to help you in case you do  not remember these.

We listened to segments of an interview from the author of the book Shiloh last week and students learned about the writing process she uses.  some of the books she wrote are in our library, and I introduced some to the students.  These include selections for both boys and girls.  These  books would be great for your child to check out.

NEW QUARTER - NEW BEGINNING

It is  a new quarter and students can begin with a fresh start.  Now, all students should have the routines down, expectations understood, and they know what to do to be successful in the 5th grade at PHIS.


Please help your child out by checking on their work.  It really does make a big difference when parents show that they care about their grades.  These students are amazing and we want to see them work to the best of their abilities.  One way is by keeping you informed on their progress.  It is very easy in this day and age and there are many resources there to help you.  I know it can be daunting from time to time, because you have so much information, but try to pick and choose what works for you. Let me help you out:

1. Parent Portal

• This may be your only place for information.  There is a lot on there.  You can access homework/class work from there.

 If you are someone that needs more detail than this...the blog is there for your help.
2.  Blog
     Question: Do you need to read the blog each week?
     Answer: Only if you need to. 

• The main page of our team blog has links on it to access RenLearn (AR and AM), book finder, lunch menu, etc., for your convenience.
• There are other links that can help your child be successful.  
• Each class blog is updated each week to help you understand certain projects we are doing, and/or other class activities.  
• We put the same information from the homework on the web (Parent Portal) in the blog, just more details. 

3.  We send out weekly emails to remind you of things in a quick, short note.  These are mainly quick reminders of activities for the week.

Hope this helps you understand why there is so much out there.  You do not need to read everything every week, but it is there in case you have some questions.  Informed parents are amazing tools to help children be successful, but we do not want you to be bogged down by too much information.

If you cannot read your child's planner, look at the page at the top of this blog.  This information is in the planner with a little abbreviation.  If you would like a little more detail, but much of the same information, keep reading.  We try to put information in many places to help you out and to make sure you are informed.  You do not need to look in all places, but would like for you to use what works best for you.
 
Parent Portal - grades and homework/class work in one place
Blogs - More detailed information
.
 Details of the Week for Communication Arts:

Monday we will be doing our second quarter common assessment in class.  We will also be doing our short story and vocabulary.  This week, vocabulary will be different than we have done in the past.  It is included in the packet on the first page.

Tuesday is Guidance, so there will be no class work for the day.  If students have extra time, they may work on the dog story we began on Friday or on their spelling, in the packet.

Wednesday will be the main story and the small booklet we create that includes the skills of inferences, idioms, context clues, and similes.

Thursday, students will finish any pages in the packet that we have started to this point, and also finish up the booklet for bell work. Class time will be concentrated on Grammar.

Friday - NO SCHOOL

Week of Oct. 8 - 12
Students will be STAR testing on Monday.  We will be able to see their growth from the first of the year.  This test is very helpful for students and teachers to see areas they might need improvement and also areas they have improved since the beginning of the year.

Monday is also the last day to turn in the brochure for full credit.  I told them Friday, but gave them an extra day in case something happened.  These are really great and I can't wait to display their hard work.  It was quite a success, even with the computer glitches we ran into.  The project was extended for much longer than what I would have liked, but students were given plenty of opportunities, even with Mrs. Bornaman's absence.  Her sub was great and students were able to work on this in class, actually much longer than was planned previously.  There was a lot of computer class time given to this.  

Tuesday is Grammar day and the packet will be complete by Tuesday.  Also with this section, students created a green foldable for their vocabulary.  On the back should be sentences that were started on Monday.  Vacabulary words are always on the quiz we take over the section. 

Even though we do not do spelling tests, as an individual test, they are always on the quiz.  The last 3 questions on the quiz have approximately 12 words in them.  The students choose the word that is misspelled in each question.  Students should review the spelling and vocabulary for each section (packet) studied.  Questions that are frequently missed on the quizzes, are spelling words.

Student should also review the grammar in the packet.  The grammar is rarely graded in the packet.  If it is, I will grade one or two of the question in the packet.  I always tell them which ones to do their absolute best on, and whether I will be grading any of the questions.  This is after modeling, and guided practice in the packet.  Please do not complete grammar or practice pages in the packet.  Those pages are just for practice but are included in the packet so that students will know the skills that will be tested and areas they can study for the test.  Each skill that is tested is included in the packet each time. 

The Tree Brochure is due on Friday, Oct. 5th.  Monday in class is the last time to turn it in without a late grade applied.  Students were instructed of this on Wednesday, Oct. 3.  Students have had plenty of opportunities to print and work on the brochure in computer class during this time.  Mrs. Bornaman has printed them this week, if the students did not do it already.  I have also expressed on many occasions that students may come in early or stay late on most days to work on it.  If your child has turned it in, I have written it in their planner (in green pen at the bottom of the planner) for the past couple weeks.  Please check out their planner if you have any concerns of your child turning them in. I have not accepted any of them if they did not have their planner with them.  This way we know for sure who has turned it in.