News 12/15 Merry Christmas

News from 5th grade

December 15-19  

Merry Christmas!

Hello, parents, I’m trying to condense information to “just the facts.”  If you have questions about school wide events and schedules, please contact me.

Bible

We’re reading the Christmas Story straight from the gospels. We’ve been through John and Matthew.  It’s neat to see the deeper truths of Christmas with these kiddos!

Verse  for Wednesday: John 1:14  “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Reading

Read every night 20 minutes. Reading logs due 1/5/15.  Students will have a Christmas break reading assignment: “The Indian in the Cupboard.” It will count towards their reading goal for the month.  We will have class work relating to this book when we return.  It will benefit them best if they read it over two weeks rather than trying to get it all in over two days.

Language Arts

Taking notes for a paper over Ben Franklin, whose biography we continue reading in class; Spelling test 15 this Friday---  Grammar: homophones  and helping verbs.

Social Studies

Early colonies, states and capitals. Students  are tested on these each Friday.  Spelling and location count for three points apiece.

1. Olympia Washington   2. Salem Oregon   3.Sacramento California  4.Juneau, Alaska

     5.   Honolulu,  Hawaii  6.Boise, Idaho   7.Carson City, Nevada    8.Salt Lake City, Utah

     9.  Helena, Montana    10.Cheyenne, Wyoming  11.Denver, Colorado  

     12.Phoenix, Arizona     13. Santa Fe, New Mexico

Science

Cell Division and Heredity, parts of the cell.

OTHER

We are taking our collection of donated socks to the Union Gospel Mission on Thursday morning at 8:30.   Please be on time.  We’ll be back by 9:30 for Passport. **Christmas Party this Friday morning. We have cocoa and cookies already coming.  Students would also love popcorn or fruit.  Movie and small gifts for all are on the agenda!

News 12/9/2014

NEWS FROM FIFTH GRADE

December 8-12

Merry Christmas!  May the advent of the celebration of Christmas be full of hope, joy, peace, and light in our lives!

READING

Students are reading a novel of their own choosing for silent reading.

Homework:  READING 20 minutes per night.  Students should still have a goal of reading 20 minutes or more even if they are tracking books read or pages.

We’re discovering a lot about Benjamin Franklin-- he was a very talented man who overcame a lot, but he also had flaws and made mistakes that changed his life in ways he regretted.  We talked about how choosing to make right the wrongs we do in life is a way of showing honor and virtue.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Spelling: Lesson and test 14 this week.  

Grammar- Students got acquainted with contractions and learned a little about what makes a proper contraction versus slang. (Hint: if the syllable or sound is completely gone, you’ve got a winner.)  In Colonial English, they often used ‘d instead of -ed on an ending of a verb, like endeavor’d.  

SCIENCE

We finished illustrating a side by side comparison and contrast of a plant and animal cell.

US HISTORY and SOCIAL STUDIES

Early colonies

THIS WEEK’S STATES AND CAPITALS TO LEARN: Spell them correctly and locate them on a map.

1. Olympia, Washington
2. Salem, Oregon
3. Sacramento, California
4. Juneau, Alaska
5. Honolulu, Hawaii
6. Boise, Idaho
7. Carson City, Nevada
8. Salt Lake City, Utah
9. Helena, Montana
10. Cheyenne, Wyoming

BIBLE

Mark 1:2-3  It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way- a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ “

GENERAL INFORMATION

MUSIC- Fifth graders have a great part to play in this year’s Christmas program.  Bring scripts to school and work on them at home per Miss Mazzuca’s request.

PE is Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday-- please help your fifth grade student remember athletic shoes and good clothes for running and jumping. Showering nightly is a great idea at this age and deodorant is a critical school supply.  Water bottles are also helpful.

Our next class service project will be a warm sock drive.  Both of my older kids volunteer with homeless ministries in the Olympia area, and clean warm socks are a frequent need that they see going unmet. This is a small gift that will make a big impact.  We have a very good start!  Our cart is half full!

I’d like to take the socks to Union Gospel Mission on December 18 as a class. Please consider donating or driving that morning. We’re going to have treats and a movie that morning!  If you’d like to bring cookies, cocoa in packets, cups, capri suns, fruit, chips, or crackers, let me know.

PIZZA FRIDAYS! $2 per slice. ORDER by Wednesdays.

Christmas Program is December 12, 2014 at 6:30 pm.

Auction is coming! We’ve found a great project and are working on the details.  Cost per kid should be minimum and the project is very fun.

God bless and have a great week!

Mrs. Steele

December News

NEWS FROM FIFTH GRADE

December 1-5

Merry Christmas!  May the advent of the celebration of Christmas be full of hope, joy, peace, and light in our lives!

READING

Students are reading a novel of their own choosing for silent reading.

Homework:  READING 20 minutes per night.  Students should still have a goal of reading 20 minutes or more even if they are tracking books read or pages.  New reading logs should be in their binders on Tuesday.  I didn’t have enough copies of the preferred log!

We are reading an excellent biography of Benjamin Franklin and learning how to read a bio whilst taking notes.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Spelling: Lesson and test 13 this week.  

Grammar- Students got acquainted with contractions and learned a little about what makes a proper contraction versus slang. (Hint: if the syllable or sound is completely gone, you’ve got a winner.)  We also looked at how words change over time.  The word “one” in English has a very interesting story.  

SCIENCE

We talked about the parts of a cell today and looked at the differences between plants and animal cells.

US HISTORY and SOCIAL STUDIES

Week 7- Dividing up the New World- Land, loot, and labor along with the great exchange that occurred between the Old and New World.

THIS WEEK’S STATES AND CAPITALS TO LEARN: Spell them correctly and locate them on a map.

1. Olympia, Washington
2. Salem, Oregon
3. Sacramento, California
4. Juneau, Alaska
5. Honolulu, Hawaii
6. Boise, Idaho
7. Helena, Montana

Deuteronomy 32:4

He is the Rock, his works are perfect,

   and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong,

   upright and just is he.

GENERAL INFORMATION

MUSIC- Fifth graders have a great part to play in this year’s Christmas program.  Bring scripts to school and work on them at home per Miss Mazzuca’s request.

PE is Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday-- please help your fifth grade student remember athletic shoes and good clothes for running and jumping. Showering nightly is a great idea at this age and deodorant is a critical school supply.  Water bottles are also helpful.

Technology is Friday just after PE.  Art will begin this quarter, our first class will be November 21.

Our next class service project will be a warm sock drive.  Both of my older kids volunteer with homeless ministries in the Olympia area, and clean warm socks are a frequent need that they see going unmet. This is a small gift that will make a big impact.  I’d like to take the socks to Union Gospel Mission on December 18 as a class. Please consider donating or driving that morning.

Clarifying about Christmas party fifth grade style: Each child brings 12 of the same item and an empty gift bag.    Here’s how the small gift extravaganza works--He or she has twelve classmates.  Each child puts their empty gift bag on a table along with everyone else’s empty bag.  Then the children takes their small gifts and places one into each of their classmates bags, skipping themselves.  They receive twelve different gifts from their classmates.  

PIZZA FRIDAYS! $2 per slice. ORDER by Wednesdays.

Christmas Program is December 12, 2014 at 6:30 pm.

Auction is coming!  Get your game on~ because that’s our theme!  I have a couple of fantastic ideas but need some help getting them into play.   Care to help?  

There's a meeting tomorrow in Mt. Hood for procurement training 101! 2:30 pm.

Classroom News 11/24 and Tortilla Soup!

FIRST... a recipe that the kids can make if they can operate a crockpot and can opener! This is what we had for lunch during conference week. Several students liked it enough for thirds

The tortilla soup is completely canned!  It's a great camping meal, but it's a fun learner meal for young cooks, too.  You can make it and heat it in the crockpot and keep it on low about 8 hours; if you're in a hurry just put it into a big stockpot  (4 qts.) and heat it on the stove on medium high heat under parent supervision until it simmers. Stir frequently on the stove top version. 

2 cans Ranch style beans (Fred Meyer has these)

2 cans corn (not creamed)

2 14 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes (if you can find the Mexican style it's even better)

1 can of chicken broth. 

I usually add leftover taco meat or enchilada filling that I've frozen and throw it in when I make it so it heats up with the rest.  It's served over tortilla chips and sprinkle it with shredded cheese.  My kids like sour cream and guacamole on it, too. 

NEWS FROM FIFTH GRADE   

WEEK OF NOV. 24-28

This week we are doing some reading about the real animals featured in Poppy.  We are coming up with paragraphs for the three main critters, then we will type them into a five paragraph essay.  We also wrote our “scar stories”- an interesting exercise in recounting an event which was fairly vivid for most students! Those will also be typed and illustrated.

READING

Students are reading a novel of their own choosing for silent reading.

Homework:  READING 20 minutes per night.  Students should still have a goal of reading 20 minutes or more even if they are tracking books read or pages. Reading calendars are due ONE week from today on December 1. Students might need a reminder to tuck those into their binder and get your signature on Sunday.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Spelling: Review test 12 this week.  We worked on packets in class for a short while. Most students have a little left to do.

Grammar- about to begin contractions!  

SCIENCE

Microscopes were fun!  Students did a nice job of learning the parts and learning to use the instruments carefully.  We will be looking at the differences between cells of plants and animals this week.

US HISTORY and SOCIAL STUDIES

Week 6 Studies Weekly.

THIS WEEK’S STATES AND CAPITALS TO LEARN: Spell them correctly and locate them on a map.

1. Olympia, Washington
2. Salem, Oregon
3. Sacramento, California
4. Juneau, Alaska
5. Honolulu, Hawaii

Most students did a FANTASTIC job on the first few.  We’ll be adding a few each week.  

BIBLE VERSE:  Amos 3:14 He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness and treads the high places of the earth the LORD God Almighty is his name.

GENERAL INFORMATION

MUSIC- Fifth graders have a great part to play in this year’s Christmas program.  Bring scripts to school and work on them at home per Miss Mazzuca’s request.

PE is Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday-- please help your fifth grade student remember athletic shoes and good clothes for running and jumping. Showering nightly is a great idea at this age and deodorant is a critical school supply.  Water bottles are also helpful.

Technology is Friday just after PE.  Art will begin this quarter, our first class will be November 21.

FIRST HOME BASKETBALL GAME IS TOMORROW AT 3:30.

Our next class service project will be a warm sock drive.  Both of my older kids volunteer with homeless ministries in the Olympia area, and clean warm socks are a frequent need that they see going unmet. This is a small gift that will make a big impact.  I’d like to take the socks to Union Gospel Mission on December 18 as a class. Please consider donating or driving that morning.

Our class Christmas party will be Friday morning, December 19, at 9:30.  We do small gifties-- one per classmate. Everyone brings a bag and we take turns sneaking about and filling the bags of our classmates. (Everyone else is watching a movie.)  Examples of past gifties include: candy bars, homemade cookies, markers, funny bookmarks, whistles, ornaments, etc.  Your child will need an even dozen.    

PIZZA FRIDAYS! $2 per slice. ORDER by Wednesdays.

Christmas Program is December 12, 2014 at 6:30 pm.

Auction is coming!  Get your game on~ because that’s our theme!  I have a couple of fantastic ideas but need some help getting them into play.   Care to help?  Please let me know if you’d be willing to help coordinate. Additionally, the general auction would be greatly enhanced if each family would commit to procuring 8-10 items.  I know it sounds like a big commitment, but it really comes together with a little prayer and legwork.  

News from Fifth Grade 11/17

NEWS FROM FIFTH GRADE   

WEEK OF NOV.17-21

We finished reading Poppy today and will have an open book test over it tomorrow.  We will also check our Poppy folders for completion and make sure all assignments are finished. Half-days were busy, but conferences are good things! I was glad to speak to all of you about your children and their progress.

READING

Students are reading a novel of their own choosing for silent reading.

Homework:  READING 20 minutes per night.  Students should still have a goal of reading 20 minutes or more even if they are tracking books read or pages. Reading calendars are due two weeks from today on December 1.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Spelling:  Lesson 11 due Friday, test Friday.  Lesson 12 will come home this weekend, it is review and we will have its test on the 26th of November.

Writing: We’ll take a break between novels and write a fifth grade favorite, “Scar Stories.” Next week  we will do a little research project with non-fiction text.

SCIENCE

We’re starting cells this week.  Microscopes and cheek swabs, ahoy! My family never quite gets used to microscope cleaning parties all over the kitchen, but the instruments are now cleaned and ready to go.

US HISTORY and SOCIAL STUDIES

Every student is now signed up with Studies Weekly and can extend their learning or review by logging in.  We’re still on week five, so your student can test themselves on the material, earn credits, and decorate their pet rat’s space-- all online.  Encourage them to take the test- it’s not for a grade and only I see their scores.

THIS WEEK’S STATES AND CAPITALS TO LEARN: Spell them correctly and locate them on a map.

1. Olympia, Washington
2. Salem, Oregon
3. Sacramento, California

BIBLE VERSE:  I1 Corinthians 8:5-6 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

GENERAL INFORMATION

MUSIC- Fifth graders have a great part to play in this year’s Christmas program.  Bring scripts to school and work on them at home per Miss Mazzuca’s request.

PE is Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday-- please help your fifth grade student remember athletic shoes and good clothes for running and jumping. Showering nightly is a great idea at this age and deodorant is a critical school supply.  Water bottles are also helpful.

Technology is Friday just after PE.  Art will begin this quarter, our first class will be November 21.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SHOEBOXES DUE THIS WEEK

NEW CORNERSTONE LOGO SHIRT ORDERS DUE WEDNESDAY AS WELL

PASSPORT ON THURSDAY

BOYS BASKETBALL IS STARTING THIS WEEK-FIRST GAME AT HOOD CANAL THIS THURSDAY. FIRST HOME GAME IS NEXT TUESDAY.

gO eAgLeS!

PIZZA FRIDAYS! $2 per slice. ORDER by Wednesdays.

Christmas Program is December 12, 2014 at 6:30 pm.

Auction is coming!  Get your game on~ because that’s our theme!  I have a couple of fantastic ideas but need some help getting them into play.   Care to help?  Please let me know if you’d be willing to help coordinate. Additionally, the general auction would be greatly enhanced if each family would commit to procuring 8-10 items.  I know it sounds like a big commitment, but it really comes together with a little prayer and legwork.  

Parent Note 11/10

NEWS FROM FIFTH GRADE   

WEEK OF NOV.10-14

We are thankful for the many veterans in our families who have served our country in the armed forces. I’m looking forward to talking with you as parents this week to discuss your child’s progress.

READING

Students are reading a novel of their own choosing for silent reading.

Poppy will be finished this week with an open book test Friday or Monday, depending on when we read the final chapter.

Homework:  READING 20 minutes per night.  Students should still have a goal of reading 20 minutes or more even if they are tracking books read or pages.  Please bring reading calendars for a half-way point check up on Friday.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Spelling:  Lesson 10 due Friday, test Friday.  This test presents the ie/ei digraphs and blend sounds. It takes a little more attention to learn this list, but it’s also a group of words that children commonly misspell;  it’s worth their time to work on on it!

Grammar: Verbs, helping verbs, contractions coming our way!  Also, Proxy Parent  worksheets came home tonight.  Many of your children expressed that they didn’t know exactly what their parents do for their job or calling.  They definitely expressed an interest in dialoguing with you to find out more!  These are due Friday; please don’t worry about tracking down phone numbers for the assignment.  They should ask you what you do and record their answers.  They might want to know the name of your company as well.

SCIENCE

We’re starting cells next week.  Microscopes and cheek swabs, ahoy!

US HISTORY and SOCIAL STUDIES

We will be picking our states at the end of the month and starting to memorize states and capitals as well.  I’d recommend the app Stack the States as well as Drive Through USA  to help with practice at home if your student needs a little extra time on this.  It’s very fun! Every student is now signed up with Studies Weekly and can extend their learning or review by logging in.  We’re on week five, so your student can test themselves on the material, earn credits, and decorate their pet rat’s space-- all online.

BIBLE VERSE:  I Tim. 1:17  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONFERENCES  this week

NO SCHOOL  tomorrow

NOON DISMISSAL M, W, TH, F THIS week.  Send a hefty snack!

(We have an earned reward of tortilla soup for lunch on Wednesday. Otherwise they will need a little more to tide them over.) MUSIC- Fifth graders have a great part to play in this year’s Christmas program.  Bring scripts to school and work on them at home per Miss Mazzuca’s request. Music is Wed/Fri this week.

PE is Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday-- please help your fifth grade student remember athletic shoes and good clothes for running and jumping. Showering nightly is a great idea at this age and deodorant is a critical school supply.  Water bottles are also helpful.

Technology is Friday just after PE.  Art will begin this quarter, our first class will be November 21.

No chapel this week.

PIZZA FRIDAYS! $2 per slice. ORDER by Wednesdays.