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.