1st week in 5-2!

Hello 5-2 Families ~

I hope you are enjoying the cooler temperatures today - it's beautiful outside now that the humidity has decided to move on :) 

Important Dates:

Parent Night ~ Thursday, 09/08 6:30-8:30 ~ Please join us on Thursday night to learn about curriculum and classroom expectations. Our presentation will begin in the classroom promptly at 8:00pm and end at 8:30pm.  Looking forward to seeing you all there!

5th Grade Annual Egg Drop ~ Thursday, 09/01 ~ SHHHHH!!!! Don't tell them! Students will come in tomorrow to discover it is our Annual 5th Grade Egg Drop!  We don't let them know ahead of time because we don't want any research or planning to be done before the big day - it's more authentic when students have to brainstorm in the moment, and don't have any hints from older siblings ;)  They will all be given the same supplies and will work in teams to try to build Egg Carriers that will safely land a raw egg when dropped.  We start by dropping them off the 5th grade ledge, then the lucky winners will have their Egg Carriers taken to the roof for a drop!!  It is traditionally one of the most exciting and memorable days in 5th grade - we've even had press coverage in past years!  I give you advance notice because I post pictures on my blog throughout the day so you can share in the excitement :)  We plan our Egg Carrier during the 1st hour, build during the 3rd hour, then start dropping shortly after lunch.  Watch for pictures!

Bike Rodeo ~ Wednesday, 09/07 3:45-4:45pm ~ If your child would like to ride their bikes to school, it is mandatory they attend a Bike Rodeo at least once!

What's Happening in 5-2

We spent the first three days in 5-2 getting to know each other, learning routines and exploring classroom organization - they were all excited to explore our classroom library and many checked out a book today during LMC orientation.  We will be establishing more reading expectations and routines when we begin our reading curriculum next week, but hopefully many of your children are already reading every night for 20 minutes.  The single greatest activity that improves a child's reading comprehension and increases test scores is simply reading - your child needs to be reading every single day!

What's in the Sack? ~ It has been so much fun getting to know many of your children as they shared their 5 treasures with the class.  I just love seeing pictures of families and dogs, hearing stories of favorite vacation spots, seeing medals and trophies, and learning about their favorite hobbies.  And they all seem to take great pride in sharing who they are with their classmates and with me :)  We're still excited to learn more about many of their friends as they plan to bring in their What's in the Sack? the rest of this week!  This activity is due by Friday!

5th Grade Goals ~ We've spent some time discussing our goals for 5th grade yesterday.  We talked about the importance of reflecting on our past and using that to guide our decisions for the future.  Not only did we set up and post our goals for the year, but we discussed the specific ways we can achieve our goals.  It's difficult to accomplish anything if you don't know how you're going to get there!  I was so impressed with the maturity of your students as they committed to specific ways they will improve themselves this year!  Look for their goals and commitments on our Putting Our Best Foot Forward bulletin board when you visit our classroom next week!

Team Building ~ Your kiddos had a great time yesterday as they engaged in a team building exercise called "Build a Robot."  One team had a robot made out of Duplo Blocks, and the other team had a pile of blocks. The communication between the two teams was made by one student with only one direction at a time.  Students rotated communication roles until the robot was built.  They chose to play boys against girls - ask your child how the robots turned out and what they learned about communication and working as a team :)

Edmodo ~ Your kiddos have spent plenty of time already on technology as students learned how to download and complete a couple of assignments on Edmodo, then turn them back in.  I have not only been impressed with their competence using technology, but also the leadership so many of your children demonstrated as they learned, then turned around and helped each other!  They had fun filling out the Interest Surveys and sharing some information to help me get to know them a little better.  Have them show you around Edmodo a little - they should be able to show you the document they completed and turned in.  You can even read their assignments.  I'll be enjoying their responses and responding to all of them tonight.  On Friday, they will learn how to view their grades and read my feedback.

FLIPS & FLOPS ~ Our day started today with a discussion and writing exercise about the BEST moment of our summer, and the WORST - our FLIPS and FLOPS of summer.  The students worked on these independently, and I will be using them as a baseline for their writing skills.  A few students did not finish the assignment in class, so they were asked to complete them at home tonight.  They are due in the morning.  Please allow them to complete them independently at home.  They will not be graded, but will help me get to know them as writers.  I'm looking forward to reading all about their summer vacations tomorrow!  Look for them when you visit our classroom for Parent Night :)

What's in a Name? ~ Finally, we spent this afternoon working on a project that allowed your child to creatively share their interests in their letters of their names.  I was blown away by the creativity your children demonstrated this afternoon! They should be asking you tonight why they were given the name they have.  On Friday, they will also research the meaning of their names and combine this information for the written portion of the project.  I can't wait for you to see their hard work when you visit our classroom next week!

Patrol Training ~ On Friday afternoon, students will receive their Patrol Training and choose their positions.  It was refreshing to see how excited all of your children are to serve as good role models this year!  With the bigger building and changes in routines this year, it is especially important that we have Patrols on duty around the building keeping our community safe.  A Safety Patrol letter will be sent home via backpack tomorrow to explain our Safety Patrol program and expectations, but you also should have received one electronically tonight.  Please let me know if you have any questions about Safety Patrol!

Whew!  What a full few days we've had!  I just love the energy and sense of community in our classroom this year.  The students are excited for the year ahead, and look forward to taking on the challenges of 5th grade.  I will share more about the upcoming year at Parent Night - hope to see you there!

I've included lots of pictures from the past couple of days below.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns at all, please do not hesitate to send me an email or set up a time to meet.  Have a fantastic weekend!

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”  Aristotle

TEAM BUILDING!!

What a beautiful class we have!!  Already love these kiddos!

Okay...so they're a little silly, too :)

SILENT BALL!!!  A class favorite!

Working hard on What's in a Name?

Friends!!

The dab executed flawlessly by 5-2 boys.

The obligatory selfie...I think I need a selfie stick ;)

1st Day in 5-2

What a wonderful first day in 5-2!!  We spent the day getting to know each other a little better, playing a few games, and already jumping into some technology.  If you want to know if they enjoyed their day, just ask your kids to log on to Edmodo and show you some of the comments from tonight :)

I truly had a blast spending the day with your kids...I hope they had as much fun as I did!   You all have such delightful, respectful children...pause and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done :)

I just wanted to give you a quick heads up that a BUNCH of paperwork came home today.  I know...a BUNCH of paperwork from the paperless teacher doesn't make sense (ha ha!), but I promise you -  it won't be a regular occurrence!

I didn't want you to miss anything, so here is a list of all the things that your child should have brought home:

Tenth Inning Letter - this needs to be signed by you and returned to school tomorrow.

Homework Policy

Re-take & Re-do Policy

Lunch Menu

If you're missing any of those, please let me know - I can email you an electronic copy.  

In all our fun, I completely forgot to take pictures today!  I wish I could have caught all their smiles, but I'll snap some tomorrow and post them here in the evening :)

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.  Have a peaceful evening - they should sleep well tonight ;)  I know I will!

"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure." - Emma Goldman

Cheers ~ 

Welcome to 5-2!

Hello 5-2 Families :) 

I hope this blog finds you refreshed after a relaxing summer and ready for a new school year!  I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to you, and to tell you how excited I am to be your child’s 5^th grade teacher!

I have had the privilege of working at Olive-Mary Stitt for the past thirteen years, with the majority of my time spent in 5^th grade.  I hold a Master Degree in Elementary Education from Roosevelt University, and an undergraduate degree in Information Systems and Accounting.  I am also a dedicated mother of four adult children, all whom have taught me the many joys and trials of parenting.  I have also recently become a grandmother, with one beautiful little granddaughter and another on the way in the spring!

Your students are part of a Paperless Classroom this year.  As they will learn, “paperless” means “less paper”, rather than “no paper”.  The students will be using significantly more technology in their daily work and communication in the classroom, and significantly less paper. Have no fear, this does NOT mean you will be expected to provide more technology or support for your children at home!  They will always be given the choice with every homework assignment to take it home on paper, or to complete it online.  We will discuss this expectation in more detail on Curriculum Night on Thursday, 09/08/16.  

*** IMPORTANT INFORMATION ***

Ø  Please have your child bring a water bottle each day to keep on their desk – especially during these last few days of summer.  It can get warm in our classroom after recess or PE, and this will cut down on the number of trips to the water fountain.  Wrapping the water bottle in a sock will help to reduce the amount of condensation on their desks.

Ø  Students will be allowed to have a snack around 11:00 each morning – please be sure this is a healthy snack (fruits and vegetables only!)

Ø  Lunch will be from 12:10-12:40 for the first half of the year.  All 5^th grade students will be eating and having recess together.  It is important that your child knows each morning if he/she is going to eat a hot lunch, a cold lunch, a sack lunch from home, or if they will be going home for lunch.

Ø  Students will be taken outdoors for recess every day - please be sure your child is wearing appropriate footwear this time of year.  Flip-flops and Crocs are discouraged as many students have received injuries wearing these types of sandals on the playground.

Ø  Specials Schedule:

o   Art will be on Tuesday from 10:10–10:55.

o    PE & Music will be on Thursdays and Fridays from 10:10-11:10 – please be sure your child wears or brings in gym shoes on those days.

o   LMC will be on Mondays from 3:15-3:30, please help your child to remember their library book due dates. 

Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions.  The best way to contact me is via e-mail: tfowler@sd25.org . I check my e-mail throughout the day, but generally respond only in the evening, unless there is an urgent need for a quicker response.  If you would rather leave me a voice mail, you are welcome to call me at (847) 506-6999 x7856.  

I look forward to getting to know your children better over the next several weeks.  I am truly excited for this year and am looking forward to working with your child as well as with you.  

Looking forward to seeing all of you at our Meet & Greet scheduled for Thursday, 8/25 5:00-6:30.  Please look for further communications from me in the form of emails, as well as website and blog updates.

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

William Butler Yeats