Week of 10/12/09 - 10/16/09

Highlights for the Week of 10/12/09 - 10/16/09 in Mrs. Bell's Class

Spelling - Lesson 7 - Soft & Hard G

The final test for this lesson will be on Friday, 10/19. "Words to Know" are everything-friend. Workbook pages are due on 10/18, and contract work will be collected on 10/19.

Reading - Summarizing

Completion of the Wishgiver comic book will be our task this week. Students will be assigned one page per day for the book, and will be given time to work on the page in class. Each page will require a summary written in paragraph form and four drawings that illustrate what is taking place in the summary. Students will use the story maps created in small groups to write their paragraphs. Check your child's binder for the grading rubric to see how the work will be assessed.

(from www.google.com)

"Bite into a Good Book" - Independent Reading Program

The deadline for reaching the goal for first trimester is November 13th. Just a reminder...students must write a "Getting to the Core of the Book" report for EACH book that they count towards their goal. Only ONE book talk is required per trimester.

English - Punctuation & Capitalization

Interjections and quotations are our topics this week. Students will be asked to bring a comic strip to school on Friday to complete an activity titled, "Comic Strip Quotations".

Social Studies

We have completed our study of Jamestown and the Dutch and French colonies, and are moving on to a look at the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies. Ask your child what the Puritans did to make their lives in the new world easier!

Science - Energy & Ecosystems

The structure of plants, and the process of photosynthesis will be our focus this week.

Math - Mrs. Bell's Math Class

We will begin our week by finishing our study of decimals & metric measurement. The first midchapter QUIZ for chapter 3 will be on Thursday, 10/15. Scientific notation will be our topic on Friday.

MEET YOSHI...

This week our class welcomed a new member...a bearded dragon named "Yoshi". The students have enjoyed learning about our new "student", and will take turns caring for him. We are providing "foster" care for him until the end of the year, when he will return to his owner. Yoshi enjoys a diet of greens, fruits, vegetables, crickets, and mealworms. If you would like more information about bearded dragons, please refer to the following website: http://www.beardeddragon.org/

FYI...

On Friday, November 6th, Fifth grade will be taking a field trip to the Robert Crown Center. We will be attending the "Linda" & "Michael" programs which introduce the concepts of the coming of puberty & the human reproductive system in a sensitive way. Girls will attend the "Linda" program, and boys will attend the "Michael" program. We will be having a PARENT INFORMATION WORKSHOP the evening of October 28th to answer any questions that you may have. This optional workshop will be attended by a representative from Robert Crown, and some of the 5th grade teachers. Please look for the permission slip for this field trip to come home with your child on Tuesday, 10/13.


A change to previous information...students will be allowed to bring small treats to share with classmates to the Halloween celebration. Any edible treats must be individually wrapped to be taken home. Treats will not be eaten at school.

Enjoy the Holiday Weekend!

Mrs. Karen Bell