State Map

Your State Map Due 3/3/2016

1.  Use the paper provided by Mrs. Steele.  She has extras in case you need them.

Do not trace but use your drawing skills to draw your state as neatly as you can. Spell things correctly.

2.  All words should be written neatly left to right, not up and down or winding about. Either remember to capitalize all names as proper nouns or use all capital letters to label. Write small and neatly.

3.  Locate four major cities that are not the capital with a dot and label neatly.   

4.  Locate with a star and label the state capital.

5.   Draw and color blue at least three bodies of water; these can be rivers or lakes.

6.  Indicate any mountains with a line or groups of triangular points.  Be neat and write small. Label them.

7. Indicate any other interesting geographical features such as deserts or canyons or swamps. Choose an appropriate color to shade the boundary or draw the feature in.

8. Use fine point sharpie and go over all labels, dots, and star.  Do not use on boundaries, bodies of water,  or mountains. Use a SINGLE color of colored pencil (except for swamps, etc.) to color in your state around water and geographical features.  Color around water.  You can also use water colors to neatly and lightly color your state. Make sure your boundaries are neat and tidy.

9.  You are finished with this component!  Great job!

Parent News 2/22/2016 Study and Homework Shortcuts

 Hello from fifth grade!   We had an excellent trip to OJP today for the musical version of "The Lightning Thief".  Your kids were really great and seemed to enjoy the musical.  We had a great talk when we returned to class about why the Greek mythology still is important to Western culture and came up with a lot of literary/science/ math ideas.

We all agreed that they were off base in their belief system and discussed what people tend to do when they don't know about God-- create explanations and try to control or appease that which is beyond control by actions and offerings.   The play was fairly heavy on action and song and light on the little "g" gods. It seems there's always a line or action choice made to play towards crass or immature, but I was relieved to see very little of that type of thing.

Your kids will hear from us at Cornerstone over and over again that only Jesus offers grace, freedom and truth.  We also discussed the difference between being educated about a topic like the Greek mythology pantheon and gaining understanding versus thinking it's cool and adopting it as your own. So while lots of good things came from ancient Greece and we should study it because it's history,  we are deeply grateful to the Lord that we know Him and his love. 

SO MUCH FUN AND GOODNESS coming up! I'll keep it to three. 

Dad's Day Lunch!  THIS FRIDAY!  11:30 lunch, 12:00 recess.  If you cannot make it, please let me know and I will make sure your fifth grader gets to share some dad-ness with a friend. 

March 2 is our Dr. Seuss birthday celebration.  We usually plan some goodness together.  I am suggesting PJs and have permission from Mrs. Davis to pajama up even though it's chapel.  We usually read to younger kids, have a lovely long reading session in the class,  get read to by surprise guests, and have some kind of treat.  There may be sleeping bags and "tents"  (sheets over tables involved for part of the day.  There will be hot cocoa!  If it's beautiful, we will read outside.  If it's rainy, we may go visit my house! Stay tuned. 

NO SCHOOL on March 14- Teacher Inservice

AUCTION!  March 19!  This is coming very fast.  Our project will be fired this week in the pottery kiln and I cannot wait to see the final product.  Please plan to be there, invite friends, and be ready to earnestly enjoy a meal and a very enjoyable evening. 

Progress reports will come out soon, too. This time of year can be a slump for some students as they get weary of schoolwork.  Actually, this is an excellent season for growth when it feels like it's tough to continue. We talked about how to study and its purpose today. Here's a suggested daily schedule for fifth graders; adjust up or down depending on the strengths of your kiddo. 

These are for Monday through Thursday-- state projects might be a weekend event or added to a calmer night on weekdays. 

5-10 minutes Spelling practice- work on a little every night. 

5-10 minutes- write Bible verse as quickly as you can from memory, then correct. 

5 minutes- look at and jot down states/capitals  (this week is review from 1-30, next week also and I will take the top score: normally this is plenty of time). We also have some study time in class for Bible and states/caps but if that's all your student is doing, it won't result in a great score or longtime learning. 

20 minutes reading

5 minutes with passport over snack or breakfast- we keep it right by the breakfast spot for Nora and hit it about 4 mornings a week.

There is also a state project due every week which varies  but we realistically think that about 35-50 minutes is plenty  IF kids can learn to practice consistently.  It completely pays off in the long run. 

So here's this week's schedule:

Science- Electricity; learning to use the science textbook and read a different sort of text; taking notes

Social Studies- Southern colonies, 1-30 States Review, State Trivia cards (favorite project every time)

Reading-Number the Stars, reading logs due next Tuesday, weekly reading comprehension

Language Arts- iXL G series 1-3, word ladders vocabulary

Bible- How God meets our needs, Ephesians 1:4-5  test Wednesday

Spelling- Lesson 22, Test Friday

Your kids are incredible.  I hear from other teachers and students about their great maturity and kindness- that's such a neat thing!  May the Lord continue to work His good will on their lives. 

Hugs and prayers!

Mrs. Steele

State Notebook Project and other tidbits

State Trivia Expectations DUE 2/25/2016

• Do some research on your state.
• Come up with five interesting facts about your state.
• Use the computer to display your fact in a creative and clever yet readable manner. Spelling counts.
• Each fact must be printed on a separate sheet of paper… but see the next one.
• Each fact should take up a half sheet of paper. So two facts per sheet and we’ll cut them in half.
• You will use your facts and props in your final state fair exhibit.
• Fact can be written as a question with a hidden answer.
• Neatly mount each fact centered on a half sheet of colored paper that Mrs. Steele will provide.
• Carefully put your facts into your  notebook into a plastic sleeve facing up.  Place a small piece of scotch tape on the opening to keep your facts from sliding out.
• You’re done!  Good job!

Bring a friend to school day is tomorrow!  Please communicate to office and be aware that if they do not know your friend is coming, you will need to make plans for their lunch.
Friends will be dismissed at 12:30.    Please communicate to your friends and make sure your friend is aware that visiting hours end then. :)

PASSPORT is next week on Thursday.  We will also be reviewing states 1-30 next week and the week after as well.

This week is somewhat mellow due to its brevity.  We continue working on economy maps due to their nature of slow and steady work and research.  Your kids are stretching- they used the computers to look up facts about their state's economy, used a map to look at geological features for ideas on where specific resources and industries will be located, traced a map, came up with icons to represent their economic factors, placed icons appropriately, and created a key.  Whew!  It's a lot of good learning, but a lot of work!

DATES:
OJP Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief  Monday at 12:30
Please send $4 to cover the cost of admission.

Passport is next Thursday.  Study a little every day. I stick Nora's up in the kitchen so she can practice while she eats.

Dad's Dad Lunch is next Friday.  Please let us know if you'd like to come!
Auction March 19  Less than a month away!

BLBC Boneyard Clean Up February 27 !

Parent News Update 2/8/2016

FIFTH GRADE NEWS AND COMMUNICATION

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 8-12,  2016

VALENTINE’S  DAY PARTY WILL BE THIS FRIDAY DURING/AFTER LUNCH.  Feel free to send capri suns, chips, fruit, or special snacks.  Students will likely have a great deal of candy in their valentine boxes as well.  They are welcome to create a fun box or simply bring a container to collect Valentines from classmates.  If your child participates, we ask that all friends receive a Valentine.  The complete class list is at the end of this note.

THANKS to all the generous donors and those who have procured for our auction.  It truly blesses your students.  I hope you can make it for a wonderful night together as well.

 We're  looking at our next service project!  The Other Bank helps people with personal hygiene items like toothbrushes and toilet paper which are not covered by food stamps or given out at food banks and clothing closets.  

BIBLE:   This week’s verse : Isaiah 40:26  We spent time today discussing our book and reading the following verses: Proverbs 24:11-12 and Micah 6:8.  We read through some Bible study questions and discussed them in regards to the expectations God has for his people in times of injustice and hard choices.  Your kids are amazing!

READING:  Number the Stars Ch 4-7 this week.

*****There are several titles missing from our classroom library.  Please help your student check their room for books marked STEELE or CCS.  Some are being waited upon by the next reader. *********

LANGUAGE ARTS: iXL will play a big part in language arts this quarter as we tighten up some important skills before middle school.

SPELLING: Lesson 20 Due Friday, test Friday

SOCIAL STUDIES: The Middle Colonies

Economy Map-- This is an at school project and will only come home if students are not using their time wisely in class.

States and Capitals # 22-30Great Lakes region and  downwards

Quiz on Thursday--  I locate them by number and the students spell the state and capital correctly by the number.

SCIENCE: Assessing our unit on racers, beginning electricity and magnetism this week

MID- WINTER BREAK February 15-16

BRING A FRIEND DAY February 19

PARENT FORUM February 25

AUCTION UPDATE:  Look for a letter with details.

UPCOMING EVENTS:  Olympia Junior Program Plays- February 22, 12:30 Thanks!  We have ushers and chaperones

April 18- 12:30 Possibly an Usher

Class List for Valentines

Isaiah

Selly

Carson

Samuel

Kaari

Teaghan

Judah

Elizabeth

Elias

Gabriel

Tessa

Kids may also want to make cards for other teachers.

Mrs. Solie, Ms. Mazzuca, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Roller

Office: Mrs. Suzy, Mrs. Clerget, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Drohman, Mrs. Davis

Parent News 2/1/2016

FIFTH GRADE NEWS AND COMMUNICATION

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 1-5,  2016

VALENTINE’S  DAY PARTY WILL BE NEXT FRIDAY DURING/AFTER LUNCH.  Feel free to send capri suns, chips, fruit, or special snacks.  Students will likely have a great deal of candy in their valentine boxes as well.  They are welcome to create a fun box or simply bring a container to collect Valentines from classmates.  If your child participates, we ask that all friends receive a Valentine.  The complete class list is at the end of this note.

A BIG thanks to those of you who have sent in your classroom donation for the auction!  We began our very snazzy art piece today.  A big thank you to Tammy’s Ceramics for helping us learn and walking kids through the project.  We still need donations for our class package and other donations. Contact me if you need ideas.

BIBLE:  Pray for your students as we study His word.  These guys are thinking about big ideas and we continue to see that Christ calls us all to personal relationship with Him. This is a sweet year for many students as they come to realize their need for a Savior.  If you have time, take a moment to ask them about what they’re learning in Bible. (Today we had a field trip, but we’ve talked a lot about different ways other religions try to gain eternity or favor.)

This week’s verse : JAMES 1:5   NIV

READING:  Tomorrow (we finished later on all our book reports than I planned last week) we start a very good but intense book called Number the Stars. It’s the story of two girls, one Jewish, one Protestant, in Copenhagen during World War II.   I generally have students read the afterword with their parents before I begin the book with them.  Please take about 10 minutes out of your night to read this with them. They may have questions.  We will talk about a lot of those questions in class, but this is important history. I will do the author’s note and afterword in class as well as a brief history lesson before we read.

*****There are several titles missing from our classroom library.  Please help your student check their room for books marked STEELE or CCS.  Some are being waited upon by the next reader. *********

LANGUAGE ARTS:  Just finished outlining Ben Franklin!  Whoohoo!  Students are working through some grammar skills with subject -verb agreement and plurals.  Give it a try yourself- it’s pretty tricky and they’re doing really well. I love that iXL doesn’t let them move on till they get it- or they get stuck and I can help walk them through it.  There’s some excellent growth coming along in this area.

SPELLING: Lesson 19 Due Friday, test Friday

SOCIAL STUDIES: The New England Colonies- we discussed the differences between Puritans and Pilgrims today.  The students were more in favor in Pilgrims- but we soon learned that although Puritans were strict and trying to achieve holiness by works, it doesn’t work that way. We did appreciate their commitment to education.

State Flower due this Thursday

States and Capitals # 22-27 Great Lakes region and nearby

Quiz on Thursday--  I locate them by number and the students spell the state and capital correctly by the number.

LIBRARY:  This week

SCIENCE: Finishing our engineering unit this week, moving on to energy, particularly electromagnetism, next week.

MID- WINTER BREAK February 15-16

BRING A FRIEND DAY February 19

PARENT FORUM February 25

AUCTION UPDATE:  Look for a letter with details.

UPCOMING EVENTS:  Olympia Junior Program Plays- February 22, 12:30 Still need an usher

April 18- 12:30 Chaperon and Usher

Class List

Isaiah

Selly

Carson

Samuel

Kaari

Teaghan

Judah

Elizabeth

Elias

Gabriel

Tessa