For Good and For Ill

Today, we made diagrams of crickets and earthworms before we start our terrariums after spring break. The kids had time to work on their vocabulary journals; we actually read some more of the book The Kid Who Ran For President, and the people who are still working on their skits had the chance to work on those as well. We watched a video about animal adaptations, and the kids had the chance to share their preposition projects (from a couple weeks ago...arrgh!).

We haven't done too much that's new, because we have had many students absent! Like I have said, I really do appreciate you keeping your kids home if they are ill. Well, the plague has hit Woodbrook in one way or another. Today we started out with five kids absent, ended up with six absent, and then the end of the day had one sick kid down at the nurse. These are queasy days in 5-1, and I think everyone just needs to have a nice break to get back in good health.

Rest up, ye weary!

Henry

Sorry for the late post, Henry, but I hope you had a happy birthday today! Evidently, Henry's birthday was announced this morning during the announcements, but I glossed right over it and completely forgot about it until the very end of the day, when poor Henry had to remind his teacher that it was his birthday!

Anyway, let me just say that I have enjoyed having Henry in class so much over this past year. Here are the best things about him that come to mind right off the top of my head:

1. I love his problem-solving, engineering brain. I have no doubt that one day he will be a Purdue Boilermaker (okay, okay, so maybe it's wishful thinking to think that will be his school of choice) changing the world through scientific research and engineering. 
2. He is so easy to get along with for anyone. He is always so happy and easy-going. He has taught me that there is a fine balance between taking things too seriously and not taking them seriously enough. And the truly important things in life are the ones he takes the most seriously.
3. I have realized that the disorganized guy who gets all my jokes...there my just be a reason I like this guy so much. 

Henry, you have a wonderful life ahead of you. I wish I could look into the future and hang out with you. In the meantime, in the in-between time, I am just lucky to have you as my student. Everyone in Area 51 is lucky to have you too.

Owl Always Love You

 Today we dissected owl pellets in class.

I have to say that most of these kids did a really great job of not rushing through and ending up with a pile of hair with thousands of disintegrated bones within. They are very carefully excavating their way through them, finding skulls and spines and arms and legs.

My math class has homework tonight--just a page of area of triangular prisms.

Long Distance

Pups Running

Registration closes this Friday March 31st  

(So register before you leave for spring break)   

No late registrations will be accepted.

Register at:  www.puprunning.org

$15 with T-shirt, $8 w/out T-shirt

Details: Practice Monday’s after school - 3:45

Meet schedule: April 27th, May 4th, May 11th

(Each athlete will run the 100M and 400M dash)

Practice starts Monday April 10th

If you have any questions email Caroline Shrieve - cshrieve@gmail.com or call (317) 418-2565

Thank you so much,

Caroline Shrieve

Jungle To Jungle

This should help out with the homework tonight, but it's really not that hard at all. All you have to do is multiply the width, depth, and height by each other. Sometimes they're called different things, but whatever you call them, that's what you have to do. It may be a little time-consuming (there is a front and a back), but it's not hard.

This week, I have decided we are not going to do a Caesar's English quiz after all. We have gotten started with doing our Animal Adaptations unit. We have a good start already. Today the kids have worked on vocab journals and their camouflage cats, plus a GCL.

This afternoon, we will continue either with more creatures or working on the re-dos for the skits from last week.

Camouflage For the Real World

Oddly enough, we are going to actually be starting a few new things this week. Namely, we are starting a brand new chapter in Science--animal adaptations. This is a fun one, and really, it's the coolest one out of all our science units.

Some of the students will have a chance for an additional grade to their informational health and wellness skit from last week. I plan to meet with them tomorrow to go over the expectations again with them so that part two can go a little better than part one did. It's all a learning curve!

We will have a Caesar's English quiz on Thursday over five classical vocabulary words.

That's all for now. Hope everyone has a great week leading into Spring Break!

The Wonders of Technology

For Math tonight, I want the kids to all try this assignment on Khan Academy.

Then, give this one a try!

This will be great practice for the kids. I love Khan Academy.

Right now, I'm sitting in a meeting trying to learn how to do Canvas, but for now, I'm double-dipping with Canvas and trusty old Blogger.

Health and Wellness

Homework tonight is meaning exercise for spelling, 20 minutes of reading, and a study link.

The kids have been hard at work with health projects, their book clubs, and their cabinet posters. Tomorrow we will finally get around to sharing their preposition projects from two weeks ago!

Preaching To the Choir

Coach Lisle here says what every good teacher and good coach wants to say. These are the lessons that are near-impossible to teach in school in the United States. Not public school. School.


Kids need to hear stuff like this. I am thankful for parents the ones I have in 5-1!

If Only It Wasn't True

Well That Just Figures

Oh, yipes! Everybody check out this article about homemade slime. Looks like next year, my "how-to" project is going to include a "no-slime" policy. This week we've been learning about maladies and diseases that have to do with stuff like this, so this is crazy timing.

Reflector

Today the students continued working on their health projects. This didn't go quite as well as it did yesterday, as some students did their fair share of goofing around, but as I told them, it's their grade. If it's going to be good by Friday, they will have had to work on it each day.

In Math, we talked about reflections. Reflections are when a shape is flipped over either the y or x axis. See their homework tonight for an update on that.

That's all for now. Talk soon!

Unsealed On the Porch a Letter Sat

Your child will be bringing home a SEALED envelope today after school. These are report card comments, and I told them it was for you to go over together.

By the way, this message was started right after school, so now it should read "SHOULD HAVE brought" instead of "will be bringing".

Anyway, today we did some work with contractions and possessive pronouns, read the remainder of Flashback Four vol. 1, and did some work on presentations that will be made at the end of the week regarding health and diseases. Oh, and the kids played adverb charades.

In Math, we talked more about the coordinate plane, and that just about did it for the day. It felt much more full than it is when you summarize it like that.

Open Arms Are Gonna Grab Ya

The following is from Clay Middle:

Good Morning!

We would like to invite 5^th grade students and families to an Open House at Clay Middle School on Wednesday, April 19^th.  This is a casual evening allowing you to tour our building and learn about programs available at Clay.  Join us for a scavenger hunt around the building as well as an opportunity to practice locker combinations and learn about athletics and clubs!

Come early and feed the family! A variety of food trucks will be available beginning at 5:00 pm. 
Clay Middle School will then open its doors from 6:30-8:00pm. We welcome your attendance any time during this window.  The Open House is a casual, come and go event designed to accommodate busy families. 

The Wonder of It All

If you're anything like me, you have been disheartened by the hatred that has been handed around in society for the past year. It can be difficult to even turn on the TV or check the news on your phone. One prime example of this is the bomb threats that have been made to Jewish Community Centers around the United States, including just south of here in Indianapolis.

Recently, someone at the JCC shared this with me. They received this from MTI, which is a Muslim school in Indianapolis.

This is a reminder of all the good things and good people in the world. I'm thankful that it was shared with me, because I--for one--needed to see it.

One Lucky Bunch

This was my thankful bunch's thank you to the cafeteria workers today. We did a lot more than that, but as usual, this was the most photogenic.

I hope everyone has a happy and lucky St. Patrick's Day.

A Bit Of a Delay

Parents: Once again, I am still working on report card comments. I apologize that this wasn't finished by today, but I will make sure they go home on Monday. I always tell myself I will keep it simple, but sometimes you need a little more than simple.

Free Throw

We got our brackets filled out just under the wire this morning! I have been so busy that we haven't taken any time to do it. But don't worry, I just handed it out for when they were finished with all of their Daily 5 lessons, including book clubs.

I received an extremely good report from Mrs. Hancock yesterday, which made me really happy.

Ask your child tonight to give you examples of adverbs. If they can't, rough them up for me. (Figuratively, please.)

Bookmarks are due tomorrow! Don't forget to study for spelling as well during commercials.

Drew says for everyone to Boiler Up tonight!

Et Tu, Brute?

At the end of today, I was thinking about how much the Ides of March really stabbed me in the back at first. But then I realized that truly, I caught some pretty darn lucky breaks on March 15.

I did have to get a sub this afternoon, but the report looks good. I got my car back, and so I am in a much better mood than I was earlier today--not toward the kids. They were great today.

Anyway, we took a quiz today over quotations, the kids did a project over the cabinets of the POTUS, and in Math, we started to learn about the coordinate plane.

In the end, a great day, and nobody got stabbed in the back--literally or figuratively. Thank goodness!

Under the Transit of Venus

Forgive the low-light photography from today, but we really did have a nice (and very educational) time at the planetarium today. I told Mrs. Stemnock and Mrs. Loeffler that this was definitely a "better than average" trip.

This may not sound like much, but it's actually saying something for any time you have to take your kids, count them as they get on the bus, can't take your mind off the fact that you are responsible for them at all seconds, count them as they enter and exit the room, count them once again as they get on the bus, then again off the bus, and have to not only take the medical bag and remember who all needs what, but also are responsible for written tabulations for all entering buses and buildings, exits from all buses and buildings, and immediately are asked accusingly by a secretary after returning how you could possibly not know where your students are after one of them goes to the bathroom upon return.

And all of the kids filled out their pages correctly! (Almost all...but we fixed it.)

We then talked Constitution; the Old Farmer's Almanac--moon phases, you know; and worked in some quotation marks to review.

Oh, and today was Pi Day! We learned about that as well.

Good day. Glad the field trip is over, but a good day nonetheless.

Volunteer Americans

SAVE THE DATE!

What a great way to end the school year by giving back to our community!

Mr. Carter’s fifth grade service project

Gleaner's Food Bank

Date: Sat., May 6, 2017

9:00am-12:00pm

I will be sending out a signup sheet and more information in the next few weeks.

We will need parents to help with carpooling.

 If you have any questions prior,

feel free to call or email me.

Nami Swallow-Novak

n9vsn@yahoo.com

317-201-7223

317-201-7223

My class did this last year (thank you, Dr. Fleming, for the idea!), and it was such a huge success that I really wanted to do it this year again as well. As you can see, last year we had a great turnout...

Thank you so much for taking the spearhead on this one, Mrs. Swallow! Let's get down there and have a great time making a difference once again.