Class info Sept. 30

Math

reviewed word problems once again, as well as decimals

Language Arts

worked on writing again today, no additional assignments

Class info Sept 29

tests tests and more tests coming up this week

Math

We revisited word problems today and their basics.  Make sure you take a look at the notes we took on word problems from the beginning of the year

Study Link 2.4 dealing with word problems is optional at this point, and would be a great extra help

Language Arts

We're having a reading test Friday along with the usual spelling and vocabulary quiz.  The good news is that you really can't study for it.  The focus of the reading test is main idea/detail

I need your essay (detailed in last Thursday's post) by tomorrow, as well as your vocabulary boxes and last week's grammar if you haven't already turned them in.

Today's assignment was pages 18 and 21 in the workbook.  I don't think everyone finished in class, and I expect them finished by tomorrow

Science

Test on Friday! Chapter One (pages 24 - 62 or so)  Hopefully you've already been studying nightly

Social Studies

Test on Friday as well.  See Pimenta's blog for more info

Bring water this week...it's going to be hot!

Class info Sept 26

no new info today, but there will be a science test for Pimenta and Hewitt next Friday on cells and the classification of organisms

Class info Sept 25

Math

working on adding and subtracting decimals

Language Arts

major list of things due!

1.   spelling / vocabulary test tomorrow

2.   reading log tomorrow

3.   vocabulary boxes (from p. 12) by Tuesday

4.   grammar worksheet

5.   practice book p. 6

6.   writing assignment due by Tuesday or so
      the assignment:

      Ask an older relative a story about their life, and write about it...use details!

      You have a good deal with artistic license with this assignment.  Try to find the oldest relative convenient to ask for a story

     required format:  rough draft (written) , final draft (typed) stapled with final on top
     font size 12, black ink, Times New Roman, double spaced

Class info Sept 24

Had a lovely picture day today - everybody looked great!

Math

Moved into adding and subtracting decimals, and discussed the fact that place values needed to be aligned in order to do so.

This was in the common core book, and we left off needing to finish pages 57 - 59

Language Arts

A lot of assignments are ongoing at this point:

1.   spelling / vocabulary test Friday

2.   reading log due Friday

3.   vocabulary boxes due Friday

more to come tomorrow, picture day disrupted me mid-flow today

parent calendar 2014-2015

http://www.markkeppelelementary.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=278991&type=d&pREC_ID=627659

parent handbook online

http://www.markkeppelelementary.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=85467&type=d&pREC_ID=161092

Class info Sept 23

Math

continuation of yesterday's topics

Language Arts

continuation of yesterday's topics as well

Science

took notes on the animal kingdom and plant kingdom


Picture Day is tomorrow - free dress day

Class info Sept 22

sorry for the lack of a post the last couple of work days, I got my first cold of the year!

Math

Worked through intensive studies of decimals - how to round and compare them (essentially pages 24 - 29 of our math common core series).  It's important that students visualize what hundredths and thousandths actually are

Language Arts

Week 2 of our writing project.  A reading log went home.  I'll assign spelling words and vocabulary tomorrow officially, but the spelling words are on page 16 and the vocabulary words are crusaded, faze, eccentric, relented, impassable, infuriated, disheartened

Science

Studied the subdivisions of categorization of organisms (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species).  These are on pages 48-49


Picture Day is Wednesday, which is a free dress day.

Class info Sept 17

Today we had a Constitution Day assembly, so classes in the morning were abbreviated.

Language Arts

Started a free writing assignment.  Played a game titled "two true one false", shared from Author's Chair

Math

Quick review of decimals, rounding, exponents, powers of 10

Science

Read about the classification of organisms into different kingdoms,  Students are expected to have previous content from lessons one and two mastered

Class info Sept 16

Math

Reviewed powers of ten and place value heavily today.  The web site I listed in my last post has tons of games to play for these topics.

Language Arts

We started silent writing today.  We're starting a three week or so unit on basic writing.  The final product will be an essay of their choice.  As we go through the process, I'll keep you updated.

GREAT common core site for extra assistance

http://www.adaptedmind.com/Math-Worksheets.html?gclid=CIurwMeF5cACFRaSfgodknsA_w

Class info Sept 15

Math

Worked on common core math lessons involving powers of 10.  There's no additional homework assigned, but you can always research place value and powers of 10 for 5th graders online.  There's plenty out there to help with the common core curriculum.

Language Arts

New spelling words, new vocabulary, new reading log

Science

Took notes on p. 38-40, taking students from cells to tissues to organs to organ systems.  Students should also know the definition of an organism, and know what the basic life processes are (growth, response, reproduction, excretion, nutrition, respiration)

i-ready info

Today we sent home a flyer that needs to be returned.  It has our email addresses, the blog address and information about i-ready.

We are expecting that four iready lessons are done online per week - two in language arts, two in math.  iready is a program that your child has already been diagnosed on and has lessons tailor-made for your child.

Log in at

login.i-ready.com

Your child has their log in and password information on a sticker attached to the flier.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Class info Sept 12

Math

Not much to report today.  We went over place values (tenth, hundredth, thousandth) in great detail

Class info Sept 11

Language Arts

A lot is happening assignment-wise in the next couple of days:

 tomorrow

1.   reading log due
2.   spelling test, vocabulary test

Monday (latest)

1.  "Where I'm From" poem
2.   vocabulary boxes

Next week....

Finish "Where We're From", start an official writing unit, more vocabulary, more spelling, start grammar

Class info Sept 10

Math

We learned about factor strings today.  Factor strings are the products it takes to create a number.  For example the factor strings for 20 are 2 x 10, 4 x 5, 2 x2 x 5.

Tomorrow we will have a brief assessment just to see where students are before progressing.

Language Arts

We started a poem today called "Where I'm From".  Students are to write their own poems based on George Ella Lyons' poem of the same name.

Also due are vocabulary boxes and reading logs all on Friday.  Spelling / vocabulary test is on Friday as well.

Class info Sept 9

Language Arts

We worked on vocabulary boxes for the words we discussed on Monday.  These will be due this Friday.  Spelling / vocabulary test will be this Friday.  I also passed out a reading log that should be completed and signed by Friday.  The diagnostic/review/norm setting part of the year is done, and we're in full swing!

Math

Had a great discussion about square roots and what they represent.  Study Link 1.8 at home would be  a great complement to the learning.

a common core primer

Here's some good general information on the Common Core curriculum from New York, who happens to be the state that is sort of the vanguard of the whole thing:

http://nyspta.org/pdf/Advocacy/NYSPTA_NYSUT_Common_Core_Brochure_8.13.pdf

The internet is full of great common core lessons and ideas for people who like to work with their kids at home.  When I find good sites, I'll post the links for your use.

Copy and paste the link on to your browser if the hyperlink doesn't work.

Class info Sept 8

I had to have a lovely dental procedure last Thursday, so since having to have a sub that day my blog posts have been a little delayed.

Language Arts

Reading logs go out tomorrow.  Friday we will have a combined spelling / vocabulary test.  The spelling words are on page 5 of the practice book.  The vocabulary words are expectations, fringes, hesitating, humiliation, sincere, and coaxed.  Don't forget that I need to see your library card if I haven't already done so.

Make sure your children are always reading.  We had a class discussion about favorite books and places to read today, and I am proud to report enthusiasm for reading is at an all-time high in this class.

Math

Studying exponents and exponential notation right now.  We studied divisibility and divisibility rules last Thursday and Friday.  These are all concepts that should be mastered.  Feel free to do study links 1.3, 1.5, and 1.7 if you are so inclined.  I can even check them if you'd like to turn them in, but that's not a requirement.

Science

Chapter 1 section 1 complete!  Your student should have mastered the basics of cells by this point. Expect a mini-project on cells to come in the next couple of weeks.

Class info Sep 3

Language Arts

I need you to have a library card by October 1.  I had a couple of kids tell me they don't got to the library at all, but that their parents frequently buy them books.  Thats ok, so long as I have a note.  If the library card is a parent's, that's ok too.

Reading logs are due this Friday signed.  I'd like students to write comments regarding what they thought of their book.  You don't have to do one book per line, you can write down the chapters you've read on every line if the book is long.

Make sure you read about 30 minutes at home on average nightly.  If an event after school deters you one night, try to make it up if you can.

Math

We've finished studying word problems and are working on arrays and fact families, which is a review of 2nd-3rd grade concepts with higher difficulty problems.  I would expect that your child is already at mastery of this concept.

Study Link 1.2 is an optional assignment to reinforce this concept.

Science

We're still looking at plant and animal cells.  Pages 26 - 31 have been covered and are expected to be in your children's brain.  A brief quiz is possible soon.

Thursday night 5th grade fundraiser

Support our 5th grade activities by attending our dine-out night at Blaze Pizza in the Glendale Galleria.  It's supposed to be quite good, and they are donating 20% of your check to the 5th grade.  Save yourself the displeasure of cooking on a hot afternoon and join us