The Putney Post
West Homer Elementary--5th Grade
Dates to Remember
April 18- Field Trip Money ($50) due
April 19- Vacation Day, No School
April 22- Spring Music Concert
April 25- Pratt Museum Field Trip
April 29 and May 6- Boys and Girls Health Classes
May 1, 2, 3- Fifth Grade Mystery Field Trip
May 15- Sandwich Book Report due
May 17- Landmark Exhibit due
May 21- Parent Night
May 22- Last Day of School
There will be no school this Friday, April 19th.
Classroom Happenings
Last week we stared poetry and multiplication of fractions.
In reading students began reading their poetry book aloud with their reading partner. The poetry unit has been divided into ten reading assignments. Students read their assigned pages with their reading partner and then respond in their response journal. In the response journals students are asked to identify main ideas presented in their reading as well as interesting vocabulary words. Students are also asked to find one of the following literary devices in their reading each day: simile, metaphor, personification, or onomatopoeia.
In writing we expanded our knowledge of literary devices and poetry structure by writing our own poems. Each day a different literary device was introduced along with a specific poem structure. We started the unit by making a human continuum starting at "Poetry is the best" all the way to "You can't make me read poetry". Some students have jumped into poetry with excitement and enthusiasm. Others are more hesitant. It is my goal for students to see that poetry is one way to write about aspects of life they are passionate about. It is fun to watch the kids grow in poetic confidence as they experiment with language. This week your child wrote a list poem, a dreams poem, and a family poem.
In math we started our unit on multiplying fractions. Students explored the idea that multiplying a unit fraction is the same as dividing by a whole number. We multiplied fractions by fractions, as well as fractions by whole numbers. I was thoroughly impressed by how quickly the students took on to multiplying fractions with confidence. You're kids are so fun to work with!
What's Next?
This week is a four day week. There will be no school on Friday. The day was reserved in the school calendar in case we had a snow day, but since there was no snow day this year your kids get to enjoy a three day weekend this coming week.
In reading and writing we will be continuing our work with poetry. Students will be identifying literary devices in their reading and then using those literary devices to write their own poems during writing. This week your child will write a sounds poem and an alphabet poem. In math we will be converting fractions to decimals and begin to make predictions about the results of adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions.
A Note from Nurse Laura
Field trip season is about to begin! If your child needs to take medications during an overnight field trip, the teacher and nurse need to be notified. As always, there are forms that need to be completed for each medication given. I will send home the necessary paperwork with your child after you have indicated medication will be needed on the trip. Please plan on supplying just enough medication needed for the field trip in its original labeled container. Herbal medications are not allowed on any overnight trips unless a parent is there to administer them to their own child.
I will need the forms and medication in the nurse’s office as soon as possible. Call me at
235-5788.
Nurse Laura
Spring Music Concert---April 22 @7pm
Parents,
We are so excited to share with you some of the things that we have been learning in music classes this semester. Our focus this year has been the integration of written language, short stories and poetry into music to create amazing performances.
I have had such a great time putting this concert together. The 5th and 6th grade classes have written their own poems and set them to music entirely on their own. They have created the melody lines and chosen the instrumentation for their pieces. The 3rd and 4th graders have taken well known books and added instruments to make the story come to life!
Tina Moore
Join us Monday April 22nd @ 7:00 pm
(Students should arrive at 6:30 pm)
Quarter 4 Research Project: Historical Landmarks
This quarter your child will be completing a research project. Through the research process he/she will learn how to annotate text, highlight text effectively, develop research questions, select appropriate sources, and take meaningful notes. Your child will also become knowledgeable about a U.S. landmark of their choosing.
For most fifth graders, this is their first in-depth research project. The research project seems like a daunting process. However, each step of the process will be broken down in a step-by-step way to make the research project more manageable. We will begin the research process using online digital sources such as WorldBook, Digital Pipeline, and Discovery Education. As students research their topic, they will use a notecard system to keep their notes. This notecard system teaches students how to organize their research and prevents plagiarism. Once the research process is complete, students will organize their research into an organized research paper.
Last week your child came home with a packet of information about the project. He/she was asked to review the information with you and choose a landmark to study. We will be doing all of the research and report writing here at school. However, it is your child's responsibility to construct an exhibit of their landmark at home. Please discuss the plan for completion of the exhibit with your child. The final product is not officially due until May 17, but this would be an excellent project for your child to practice his/her time management skills. I am encouraging all fifth graders to start collecting materials for their exhibit starting this week.
Overnight Field Trip: May 1, 2, 3
It's paperwork time! Last week your child came home with a permission slip, a packing list, and a request for their $50 fee. The sooner you are able to send this paperwork back to school the better!
Permission Slip- In order for your child to attend the field trip both sides of the permission slip must be signed and returned to school.
Fifty Dollars- The cost of the trip is approximately $120 per student. This includes food, lodging, instruction, and transportation. We received a very generous donation from the West Homer PTO and have held several fundraisers throughout the year to offset student cost. However, we need to collect the remaining costs: $50 per student. The $50 is due by April 18th. If you need to pay later, make installments, or learn about our scholarship program please let me know ASAP. We are willing to adjust the payment schedule to meet your family’s financial situation. We just need to know how we can help.
Packing List- We sent the packing list home last week so students can start planning out what they are going to bring to camp. Please note that electronics are not allowed to come to camp with your child. However, if you want your child to bring their cell phone to call home on a nightly basis please contact me and we can make arrangements. I will have my personal cell phone on me at all times during the field trip so calling my phone is also an option.
Hershey Track and Field Meet-- Saturday, May 25th
Hershey Track & Field Meet!
Do you want to go the distance, learn new activities, make new friends, and come out on top no matter what place you take? You’re on the right track! Welcome to HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games.
You don't need to be a star athlete to participate in track & field. You just need to have fun. And you’ll start having fun from day one. Check this out, the fun part isn’t winning (of course, that’s pretty fun too), but it’s running and jumping and throwing. It’s meeting lots of kids just like you. It’s not a video game, it’s a real game. It’s not watching others on a TV show, it’s being the star of your own show. In one word, it’s awesome. Every HERSHEY’S Track & Field Games meet offers running events, like the 50-meter dash and the 800-meter run, and field events, like the softball throw and the standing long jump. And that’s just for starters. If you work hard enough and qualify in your events, you’ll get the chance to compete at the North American Final in Hershey, Pennsylvania. P.S. The trip to Hershey is totally FREE and you get to do a lot of cool things like go to Hersheypark, visit HERSHEY’S CHOCOLATE WORLD Attraction, and tour HERSHEY'S state of the art chocolate factory.
If you're between 9 and 14 years old and everything we said sounds pretty cool, you can sign up now for a HERSHEY'S Track & Field Games meet that will be held at Homer High on Saturday, May 25th! Call 235-6090.
If you have any questions, please let me know. Please forward to anyone else may be interested.
Thanks,
Mike Illg, CPRP
Recreation Coordinator
City of Homer Community Recreation
907.235.6090
www.homercommunityrecreation.com
Late Start or Early Release Survey
Parents, please take two minutes to offer your preference about an early release or late start seven times in the coming school year. The KPBSD survey is online, and open until April 20. Thank you.
Link: http://bit.ly/SurveyEarlyReleaseLateStartKPBSD
IXL Math Practice
Spelling and Vocabulary Practice
http://www.spellingcity.com/eputney/
Play games and get extra practice with our weekly spelling and vocabulary words on SpellingCity.com. If you need your child's password please let me know!