ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Monday, Nov. 19
Science Vocabulary Link
A short week this week, just Monday and Tuesday and then off for Thanksgiving Break!
I am very thankful for my wonderful class this year. We are off to a great start. I am also thankful that we are piloting flexible seating. My students love this more relaxed way of sitting and learning.
There will be homework tonight, but no homework over the break.
Please have a great holiday.
FYI-There are links on my page that will keep skills sharp over the holiday, especially with our fraction unit.
Tuesday, Nov. 13
Field Trip Tomorrow!!
Chaperones(Young, Morris, Berlas and Gyenin) Arrive at 9:15 am
Students and Chaperones please pack a lunch to be eaten on the way home.
Student uniforms should be worn. Sneakers are ok. (Blue shirt helpful)
We will be back at school by 1:30 pm
No electronics, including phones, for students. Adults ok.
No BACK PACKS will be taken.
Looking forward to a great day and learning experience.
Wednesday, Nov. 7
Thank you to all students' parents for coming in to conference yesterday. I love sharing information about your child, getting to know you and teaming together to help your child be the best they can be. I was also excited to share our new Flexible Seating Classroom works. We are loving it! If you were not able to make it to a conference please feel free to contact me and I would be happy to set up a meeting.
Math Help Video of the Week:
What Are Fraactions and Decimals and How Are They Related
Field Trip Chaperones Will Be Notified This EVENING!!! Thank you all for volunteering!
**** IMPORTANT:
Parents please consider donating some recyclable containers for this upcoming project in Makerspace. (In the past, containers like: water bottles, juice or lemonade jugs, dried oats containers, coffee cans, plastic to-go containers and formula containers have all worked really well. ) We can also always use bottles of glue or rolls of tape too
Monday, Nov. 5
CONGRATULATIONS to Haran Gashaw who was elected as our Classroom Representative to Porter's Student Council.
I also want to congratulate Gavin, Emmery and Jairo for their participation, wonderfully delivered speeches and good sportsmanship. You should be proud of yourself!
Reminder of Parent Teacher Conferences tomorrow. Please note that I will honor our time together by being as ON TIME as possible. There will be a sign on my door instructing you to KNOCK when your time to meet has arrived. I kindly ask that if you are late, to reschedule for another time. I would be happy to meet you. Thank you.
Thursday Evening Share-
Does your child find understanding fractions a bit challenging? This is fairly common and PRACTICE and Consistent REVIEW can help tremendously. I wanted to share this resource with parents and students as it is VERY helpful.
Check it out here-GREAT FRACTION RESOURCE.
Thursday, Nov.1
Math Spotlight Video- Equivalent Fractions
This is a challenging unit for students. It is very important that students practice reducing fractions, finding equivalent fractions and converting improper fractions. This is what we are working on this week.
Equivalent Fractions Tutorial
Sunday, Oct. 28
Can you believe that this is the last week of the 1st Quarter of 5th Grade! This year is going to fly by!
Please be sure to sign up for a Parent Conference via the Parent Conference Sign Up link listed in previous post. Conference Day is Nov. 6. Looking forward to seeing you.
Field Trip Permission Slips were sent home last week. Please be sure to sign and send back to school with the $3 fee.
Homework for the week:
Math HW Monday-Thursday
Reading HW Monday -Thursday
Social Studies Quiz on Friday- Students will need to name the states and their capitals found in the Northeast Region. Students will also have to locate the state on a blank map.
Study Links:
Non-Fiction Text Features:
Northeast Region Quizlet
SCIENCE LINKS
Waves and Currents Video
Ocean's Physical Features Multi Links
Ocean's Geological Features Multi Link
Ocean's Biological Features
Tuesday, Oct. 23- Update
We have begun our Oceanography Unit. We will have a great time learning about this underwater environment. Students already have their Study Guides for this unit. They can be found in their Science Notebook. They will come home as the test draws nearer. The test for this unit will be on or about November 30th. Below is a list of great sites to review the different sections of the unit. Plenty of time to explore.
Ocean Zones/Layers
The Sunlit/Light Zone
Twilight Zone
MORE MATH LINKS FOR TEST REVIEW AND PREP
Monday, Oct. 22-Update
Parent Teacher Conference Signup Genius
Please click the link to signup. I look forward to meeting with you to share all the wonderful things your child is doing.
Sign Up HERE
Thursday, Oct 25- MATH DATA ANALYSIS TEST
Study Guide was sent home on Friday. It is a working study guide. Students should focus on creating and reading a stem and leaf plot, a bar graph, a line plot and line graph. We have practiced these, along with mean, median, mode and range. Please feel free to have your student look below in previous posts for video tutorials, as well as check on IXL for specific practice links. We will review Tuesday and Wednesday using Kahoot and Quizzez games.
Friday, Oct. 26- Career Day.
Student Council Election- We will be electing a student council representative for our classroom. Permission forms are due by Friday, Oct. 26.
Friday, Oct. 19: Update-Test Date Change
Due to Career Day next Friday, I have changed our math test date to Thursday, the 25th. Study Guides are coming home today.
Also, our new Science Unit began today. We will be studying Oceanography. This is a fun unit, but heavy in vocab. I am attaching a link for vocab review here. We introduced the vocab today!
Oceanography Vocabulary Link
Another great Math Video for Our Current Unit:
Line Plot Video
Thursday, Oct. 18:
Tutorial Videos of The Week: Enjoy these midweek tutorials on content we are working on in class!!! Great to use for practice and also for review prior to a test.
Math- Stem and Leaf Plot-
How to Read and Create a Stem and Leaf Plot
Video on Mean, Median, Mode and Range
Social Studies_ States of the Northeast Region
Locating States of the Northeast Region
Sunday, Oct. 14
The fall is finally here bringing with it a chill in the air. This is a good time to have students dress in layers. The mornings can be chilly and the afternoons rather warm.
Science Test this Wednesday!!! Study Sheet was sent home two weeks ago and a list of very helpful links was posted below last week.(Please scroll down) Please be sure to help your child prepare for this challenging test. We will spend plenty of time Monday and Tuesday reviewing in fun and engaging ways.
Math- We are beginning our SHORT unit on Data Analysis tomorrow. Students will review bar graphs, line plots, stem and leaf graphs and mean, median, mode, and range. The test for this unit is in TWO WEEKS !!!! Yikes! We WILL be ready!!!!! Look for homework over the next two weeks to reinforce what we are doing in class. In the meantime here are TWO AWESOME links to help with extra practice:
Math Vocabulary Quizlet
PLOTS and GRAPHS
MEAN, MEDIAN, MODE, RANGE
Reading- We have started our unit on Nonfiction which will include nonfiction text features, reference materials, biography and autobiography. As a class we will also sneak in a bit of fiction to compare and contrast with similar stories. Please note homework will reflect word analysis studies as well, this week has a focus on synonym and antonyms.
Social Studies- We are focusing our studies on the Northeast Region of the US. We will also focus this week on identifying the location of each state on a map, utilizing the compass rose to describe location, utilizing longitude and latitude. Students will also be responsible for knowing the capitals of each of these states for our first quiz.
Writing- We have begun our first descriptive writing piece about an Unusual House. We are working on using more descriptive language and building suspense. Next week we will study Haiku and compose our own Haunted Haiku.
Wednesday, Oct. 10
Great Science Links to Help Prepare for Upcoming Science Test
Living Systems
Living Things and Cells Activities
Cell Structure
Cell Alive!
Mitosis
Plant and Animal Cell Vocabulary Match
Plant Parts Vocabulary Match
Tuesday, Oct. 9th Update:
Parent Teacher Conference Signup Genius
Please click the link to signup. I look forward to meeting with you to share all the wonderful things your child is doing.
Sign Up HERE
Monday, Oct. 8th- Update
I hope that everyone has a wonderful day off today. I am at school for Teacher Workday working on Interims and getting our classroom ready for something NEW!!!
A reminder that we have a Reading Test tomorrow on Main Idea, Details, Character, Plot, and Settings. We also have a Math Unit 3 Test on Thursday. This test is rather challenging. Please help your child review using the Study Guide we sent home last week. There will be NO EXTRA homework this week due to preparation for test. Check out the links below for extra support.
Unit 3: Multiplication and Division
Multiples Game
Factors Game
Area Model
Prime and Composite Numbers
Wednesday, Oct 2- MATH FEATURE VIDEO
Every week I am going to try to post a Math Video Tutorial that the student's and I think will be helpful as the year progresses. Enjoy this week's special feature:
Order of Operations PEMDAS
Double feature:
Prime and Composite
Science Living Systems Quizlet- Great way to study
PLEASE NOTE:
Picture Day is Friday
Study Guides have been sent home for Math, Science and Reading
Monday, October 1- The Month Ahead
October 2018
SAY CHEESE!!! Picture Day this Friday!!!!! Forms were sent home last week.
BOOK FAIR THIS WEEK
Students will have a preview of the Book Fair on Monday morning and will be able to shop the Book Fair all week, This is a great way to find good reading materials to promote reading,
DO YOU FOLLOW PORTER ON TWITTER?
Follow Porter on Twitter, you might just see a sneak peek into what is happening in our classroom. I try to post once or twice a week. Come join in the fun.
THERE IS A CHANGE COMING TO ROOM 120!!!
We have some exciting changes coming to our classroom next week. Ask your super 5th grader about what we are working on. It involves seats.
Science: We are currently midway through our Living Systems Unit. We will be testing on this unit later on in October . This week we will learn about the classification system, kingdoms, and how plants and animals will be classified. Our next unit we will begin the study of our Rocks and Fossils Unit!
Language Arts: We are in our first unit, which focuses on fiction and nonfiction reading. The main skills are identifying theme, main idea and details and character analysis. We will be wrapping this unit soon. Then, Unit 2 will begin with a focus on Exploring Informational Text, Research and ends with Fictional Studies . The assessment for this unit will be in November.
Social Studies: We will be beginning our study of the Northeast Region of the United States this month. Social studies will be assessed though projects completed in class, and the one on the northeast will be due Mid to Late October. Formative Quizzes or Exit Slips will be given weekly
Math: This month we will be finishing up unit 2, Multiplication and Division with an assessment on October 11. Unit 3, Data Analysis and Statistics will begin and will be assessed on October 26. The final unit of October will be Unit 4 - Fraction and Decimal Number Sense. This unit will be assessed in December.
Dates to Know:
October 9 - LA Unit 1 Test-No Study Guide
October 17 - Living Systems Test-Study Guide will be sent home 1 week prior
October 8 - No School - Teacher Work Day
October 11 - Interims Sent Home, Math Unit 2 Test.
October 11- Math Unit Test
October 26- Possible SS Test- Northeast Region
November 5 - Teacher Work Day - No School
November 6 - No School - Possible Conference Day I will confirm
November 12 - No School - Veteran's Day
November 14 - Report Cards Sent Home
November 21 - 23 - No School
Wednesday, Sept. 26th - UPDATE:
As promised at last night's BTS meeting, I am sharing the link below to the presentation, and have sent home a letter and QR Code that will allow access to your child's SeeSaw account. Seesaw is a digital portfolio that has many great features and allows you to see and hear the learning going on in my classroom. The letter was sent home today. You will only be able to see your own child's work. Privacy is important. Enjoy!!!
Back to School Night Presentation
Safety Patrol Begins Tomorrow. Students should keep their belt inside their backpacks. Students who are participating can earn their badge by memorizing the Patrol Creed, which they all recited together today at their induction meeting.
Wednesday, Sept. 26-
It was GREAT seeing everyone who came to BTS NIGHT. I absolutely loved sharing the wonderful things your students are doing in class. If you were not able to attend, I will post the general presentation, along with information about our transformation from traditional classroom setting to a flexible seating class.
Tomorrow students who signed up for Safety Patrol will have their first meeting with the deputy to review procedures and responsibility. The students are very excited about this responsibility.
CELL SANDWICHES!!!- Sounds yummy, doesn't it? Ask your child to share our delicious science activities. They made models of an animal cell today, using bread, jelly, pretzels, and a grape. They took a picture of their finished project, labeled it and then recorded what and how they did it, along with definition of each part and what it does.
Science Vocab Quiz This Friday!!!! Please us the StudyStack found in Useful Links. PLEASE NOTE....I teach UP, which means I sometimes include more than what the curriculum for exposure and challenge. I DO NOT test on the extra info.
Monday, Sept. 24: The Week Ahead: Have a GREAT WEEK!!
Science StudyStack - Cells/Living Systems can be found in Useful Links. PLEASE STUDY for VOCAB TEST on FRIDAY.
Back to School Night-Tuesday, Sept. 25. 7:00 p.m.-7:45 p.m.
- A link to the presentation will be available on this site if you are unable to attend.
Book Fair- Next WEEK. Students will be able to preview the fair on Monday and Tuesday.
School Pictures- Oct. 5- Forms will be sent home this week.
Chorus Forms were sent home on Friday. If you would like your child to participate, please send the completed form in ASAP.
Wednesday, Sept. 19
Checkout the new links added for vocabulary practice under the Useful Links section of this website.
Checkout this PRESENTATION when it comes time for the Unit 2 Living Systems Test.
Living Systems Presentation
Sunday, Sept. 17- The Week Ahead
Reminders:
Safety Patrol Permission Forms were due on Friday. If a student forgot, they may bring it in tomorrow. (Last chance. :)
Back to School Night- Sept. 25 7:15 p.m. - 8:00 p.m . If you are unable to attend, no problem, we will make the presentation available on our web page
PRACTICE LINKS Updated: Please see the Useful Links on the left side of page for updated links related to our units of study. I will keep these updated and add as the year progresses.
Language Arts: We are starting the year talking about how Reading and Writing Workshop will work in our classroom. Then we will get into content. Unit 1 will cover the elements of a story (fiction) to include character development, setting, problem, solution, protagonist and antagonist. Additionally, we will focus on main idea and supporting details and text features (non-fiction).
Math: We are starting our next unit this week! Unit 2 will cover the multiplication and division of whole numbers and PRIME and COMPOSITE numbers. The following is a list of IXL Practice items for the kiddos to use for review:
IXL Practice: A.7-8, B.1-5, B.7-9, C.1-5, C.7-9, C.12-20, F.1, Y.4-7
Science: We are starting our first unit after spending the first few weeks of school working on scientific method and science tools. Informal quizzes and hands on projects will be used to assess for understanding throughout the year. Unit 1 will cover living systems including plants, animals, and cells. IXL Practice Links follow:
IXL Practice: I.1-5, L.1-6, M.1-3, O.1-6
Geography: Unit 1 covers map skills and the 5 Themes of Geography before we get into the regions of North America
* We will also be assessing Math Fact Mastery via timed Fact Assessments, along with administering the county Writing Prompt.
Homework: Reading and Math WS. Completed HW due the next day.
Study Guides are sent home prior to Formal Tests and will be sent home a week before the test.
Wednesday- Sept 12- Midweek Update
We took our FIRST MATH TEST today!!!!! We will review the test tomorrow as a class, but if your child finished the test, they know their score from the computer portion of the test.
We will begin Unit 2 tomorrow with a focus on Prime and Composite numbers and Even and Odd numbers. Please check back here this weekend for links to PRACTICE. Multiplication and Division is the focus. Please have students practice their math facts.
Sunday, Sept. 9- The Week Ahead
Math Test this Wednesday. Unit 1- Addition, Subtraction, Rounding, Estimating and WORD PROBLEMS. Study guides were sent home last week. It would be a great idea to have the students also STUDY the word problem homework sheet from Thursday. (They still have it. We reviewed it together and I did not ask them to turn it in.) There is a strong emphasis on multi step word problems on this test. STUDENTS WHO BRING IN A COMPLETED STUDY GUIDE ON THE DAY OF THE TEST WILL QUALIFY FOR A BONUS TICKET.
Back to School Night- Sept. 25 @ 7:15 pm -8:00 pm. Looking forward to seeing you and sharing information about the year ahead.
Safety Patrol Letters and Sign up information was sent home on Friday. If your student would like to become a member of the safety patrol, please fill out the form, sign and have your child sign and return to school asap.
Homework:
Students will have reading homework each evening, but no math homework on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday so that they can prepare for the math test by utilizing the study guide and last Thursday's homework.
Wednesday, Sept. 5- Midweek Update
Study Guides:- Study Guides were sent home today. Students can ask for help from parents. Completed study guides can be returned next Wednesday, the day of the test, for a bonus point.
Back to School Night- More info coming soon.
Agendas- Students have begun to record their assignments in their agendas. I have my students write in their agendas on Monday, for the entire week.
Sunday, Sept. 2- The Week Ahead
Water Bottle Sign Up-
The students love having fresh water during the day, especially after recess. We would greatly appreciate donations of water. I believe that donations count towards volunteer hours. Please use the following link to sign up for a week over the course of the upcoming year.
Click Here to Sign Up
Just a Reminder:
Forms that were sent home on the first day are due back to school asap. Thank you.
Please remember to send in $6 for agendas. Thank you.
Homework:
Monday- Thursday: Math and Reading WS - Homework should be completed nightly and returned to school in the morning.
Test-
Our first TEST in 5th grade will be our Math Unit 1 Test. The test will be on Wed., Sept. 12. A study guide will be sent home this week. PLEASE SCROLL DOWN to bottom of page for review links.
Midweek Notes: Tuesday, Aug. 28
We are off to a GREAT START!!! I am truly blessed with a WONDERFUL class this year!!! Please remember to fill out the forms that were sent home by the end of the week and RETURN asap. (I have a prize for each student who brings in their forms by Friday!)
CLASS DOJO- We are using Class Dojo again this year. I will send home invites soon, but in the mean time, if you have an account from last year you should be able to connect with our class. (Some have already done this--Thank you.)
Sunday, August 26- FIRST DAY of 5th GRADE !!!!
Get excited! It is the first day of 5th grade and the last year of elementary school!!! Please come ready to learn about the year ahead, organize our school supplies, meet new friends, and be prepared to set GOALS for the next month and year ahead.
PLEASE NOTE:
1. Our Encore Rotations are listed on the right side of this webpage.
2. Students can still bring a light snack to eat later in the day.
3. Wearing appropriate Porter attire is required for both class and PE. PE clothes only on PE days please. :)
4. There will be many forms and papers sent home over the course of the first week. Please be sure to check for them, read and return asap, if necessary.
Our first county MATH TEST is in 2 weeks!!!! Mostly review of Place Value to Millions, Rounding, Adding and Subtraction of whole numbers and decimals, and WORD PROBLEMS. Just like I did in 3rd grade, I will send home Study Guides or make them available this page a week before the test.
I AM SOOOOOO excited to meet everyone, and really excited to be able to teach these wonderful students and work with their amazing parents one more time!!! Truly honored.
HERE IS TO A GREAT YEAR AHEAD!!!!!
WE WILL HAVE AN AMAZING YEAR !!
Thursday, August 23- Meet the Teacher @ 3:00-4:00
Please stop by and say hello. You are welcome to bring your supplies and pay for your agenda at this time if you wish. (Please note that I can not make change for the cost of the agenda.)
PARENT VOLUNTEER NEEDED-
ADMIN VOLUNTEER: Looking for a parent that could come in once a week to help with copies and lamination of math and reading centers.
MATH VOLUNTEER:Also looking for a parent volunteer to work with select students on building basic math facts.
If interested, please contact me at garaykl@pwcs.edu