Carol Sing at Pleasantview

Both 5th grade classes will be walking to Pleasantview on Monday, December 10.  We will be doing a carol sing and spreading some holiday cheer!  Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately as we will be walking over that afternoon.

American Red Cross

Bob Kirschbaum, who works for the American Red Cross, came to talk with our class today about the importance of our donation.  He also explained where our money goes and what it is used for.  He even threw in a magic trick!

Math Facts in a Flash

Dont forget that your child can access Math Facts in a Flash from home!  Go to:

goo.gl/w4tjz

Your child has their login and password information (or you can see previous post).  What a quick and great way to practice!

Writing

We are wrapping up the Organization trait in writing.  We have also been focusing on our proofreading with some VERY detailed checklists to try to improve this skill!

Old Creamery Holiday Gift

We had a wonderful morning yesterday as we headed to see live theater at the Old Creamery Theater in Amana.  A good time was had by all!

Mysterious Powder

Our quest to identify the mysterious powder continues!

Yikes!  Accidents happen!

Red Cross Coin Drive

So proud of your kiddos!  They worked so hard to organize EVERY aspect of this coin drive!  Here are a few pictures to enjoy--we had a BEAUTIFUL day to walk to the bank!

Beef and Noodle Meal Fundraiser

Don't forget about the Beef and Noodle Meal Fundraiser being planned by our KE Boosters.  It is being held at the middle school this Saturday, December 8th.  See previous post for more details!

Title I Meeting

Parents of Title I Reading and Math Students -   don't forget. . .

 Title I Reading and Math Informational Meeting

Please come to the Middle School on Saturday, December 8th at 5:30 for our Title I Informational Meeting.  We will be sharing with you, what we do during our Title I times, talking about things you can do at home, and answering questions you might have.

We will post a sign inside the main doors of the Middle School, to let you know which room we are meeting in and directions to get there.  

That night the KE Parent Boosters are also having a fundraiser meal at the Middle School, so you can come early to eat, or stay after the meeting to enjoy Beef and Noodles.  

The Mysterious Powder

In science, we have been investigating a scenario/problem on a school playground that was brought to our attention.  There was a mysterious powder on the playground so we are putting our science skills to the test to see if we can figure out what it is.  We are currently examining 6 different powders that may be or be part of the mysterious powder.  Our science skills are getting sharpened as we get much more detailed in our observations.  For example, instead of just saying the powder is white we might call it a bright white or a yellowish white.  The students are doing a much better job with this and we are more easily coming to a class consensus!  We are also observing the smell, how it looks under a hand lens, how it sounds, how it behaves, and any other observations that they will help in their identification of the mysterious powder. 

Math Facts in a Flash

It is becoming a pattern that many students do not know their basic math facts.  Ideally, these would be more automatic so when they are working a division or other problem, they're not stuck thinking about simple multiplication problems.  Earlier this year, I learned that Wellman Elementary and Washington Township both use a program called Math Facts in a Flash so we thought we'd give it a try!  The program takes students through the four basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) and goes on to other topics such as fractions, decimals, percents, etc.  Mr. Slabaugh came into our classroom today to show us how this worked.  The good news is that students can access this from home as well--what a quick and easy way to get in 5-10 minutes of fact practice each day!

To access Math Facts in a Flash, go to:

goo.gl/w4tjz

Username:  First name (capitalized) and then last initial (capitalized)  JohnD

Password:  Initials (both lowercase) jd

Fractions, Decimals, and Percents

Unit 5 focuses on fractions, decimals, and percents and their relationship to each other.  We have been working on:

*ordering and comparing fractions
*converting between fractions, decimals, and percents
*adding fractions using various tools, such as fraction sticks
 Our two learning targets for this unit are:
*converting between fractions and mixed numbers
*finding equivalent fractions

Here are a few easy ideas to try at home!
1.  Have your child help you double the recipe when baking a batch of cookies--lots of math!
2.  Have your child help you figure the tip the next time you eat out at a restaurant
3.  Play "Fraction War" using a deck of playing cards--use one card for the numerator and another card for the denominator.  Find the decimal equivalents of the fractions (we learned how to do that using a calculator this week) and whoever has the greater fraction gets to keep all four cards--kids LOVE learning through games; it doesn't seem like work to them!