February 8, 2013

It's been a while since I've posted a blog of general classroom information: the 5Ws of the now.  To a point, that's okay because I have been in pretty constant contact in one way or another: specific blogs for specific things, like science fair, the field trip, etc; we've recently had PTCs whether in person or by e-mail; we've also recently had report cards, which I generally love writing comments for.  There are so many positive things for all these kids  I just love them, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Regardless, here's the 411 on the current goings on:

In math, we are currently finishing up the last of our Expressions and Equations units.  Believe it or not, we only have two more math units before we've taught everything they'll need to learn in sixth grade.  Crazy!

We've moved away from our textbook during Language Arts time.  We've started reading the book Tuck Everlasting.  It brings up a really interesting concept.  If there were a well of infinite youth, that would allow you to irreversibly live forever, would you drink from it?  We haven't gotten quite that far in the  book, but it will be a fun discussion  to hold.

We've now finished about two thirds of our science curriculum.  We've gone all through microorganisms.  We've finished up with heat, light and sound.  We've learned about the moon phases, though it is something we are not done touching on.  It is a harder concept to learn to actually understand all eight phases: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent, and then back to the new moon.  Here is a picture of one of the projects we've done based around the phases.  As you turn the plate, it gives you an look at what all eight of the phases look like, the white part of the ping pong ball being the lit half of the moon, and the colored side being the ball being the shadowed side of the moon.  The moon being displayed in the picture is the waxing gibbous moon.

Other than that, just keep in mind what all we have going on.  The field trip is this Thursday.  Do not forget that we are meeting at the train station that day and that the kids need to be in field trip uniform: white top, blue bottom.  There will some time outside, so they'll want to have a coat as well.

The other big project we currently have going on is the Science Fair.  Remember the blog below that has all of the information for the science fair, including the calendar which each part of it comes due.

Also remember that we have tightened up on missing assignments, and we've gone through the first round of zeroes this last Monday, with another one coming up this Monday.  Each week I have given the students a missing assignment list, so as long as I hold up to my end of the bargain, I'm expecting that they do as well.

Other than that, we truck along!  Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll keep you up to date as often as possible.  Thanks for everything you do from home to help support us here at school!

"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually afraid you'll make one." ~Elbert Hubbard