March 1st, 2018

Happy first day of March - could we not have more beautiful weather??? - I plan to enjoy dinner out on the patio this evening,  I hope your family finds some time to enjoy the weather and each other!!!

Today students took the Westward Expansion before the Civil War test and we will now move into the Civil war unit.  It is a long, but very interesting unit and the students are so fortunate to be reading at the same time an excellent historical fiction book "Across 5 Aprils".  As per the writer of an overview of the author said, "(The author Irene) Hunt drew on the rich legacy of her grandfather's stories to write an award-winning historical novel." Irene Hunt herself said of her novel:

As to the story of the Creightons (the main characters of the novel), there is hardly a page in this book on which a situation has not been suggested by family letters and records and by the stories told by my grandfather.

Reading this book while studying the Civil War will really bring to life what our country endured during that time.

Tomorrow students will take the Unit 5 math test. To prepare they need to finish the study guide which we will go over before the test and I also gave the answers to all the textbook problems so they could do they ones we did not do and check themselves.  The AzMerit test will soon be upon us and students need to know not only the concepts, but their math facts.  Please review these at lest 3 times per week - especially multiplication and division.

Wednesday will be the test over the bones and joints of the body.  Today I gave them a skeleton reusable practice sheet that they should check themselves on often before March 7th.

****Next Wednesday we will be having a shower for Mr. McBrien.  Thank you to the 4 families that have contributed to the gift card our class will present to him.  If you also want to contribute please send in your contribution by Tuesday 3/6/18.  I also appreciate the 2 typed (font 14) sheets of marriage advice for the book I am putting together for him.  I would really like to have each student participate ad since I need to put the book together I would need these by Monday at the latest.  If you would like to help by sending in snacks, fruit or veggies for our shower that would be very much appreciated.  Connect with Mrs. Stoutenberg or look for her sign up to come out soon. The wedding colors are grey and yellow.

Thursday we will be going to Field Day in the afternoon and If you can help please sign up on this link.  signup.com/go/dHAJZAb
If you can be our water parent just let me know via e-mail.

Friday we will be celebrating our Secret Garden Party.  Chaperone list goes live tonight.  See blog on 2/27 for link.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Dear Parents,

IMPORTANT FIELD TRIP INFORMATION

 

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Parents: (Please scroll down for important field trip information and sign up!)

Please make sure your students have all the supplies they need for the rest of the year. They should have enough pencils, erasers, scissors, and expo markers with them.

Students are still using lots and lots of tissues, so we would really appreciate any and all donations, as well as some sanitizing wipes!

Thank you to those of you who have brought in paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls so far. We need more!

THANK YOU also to the 3 families that have donated to Mr. McBrien's gift card to celebrate his wedding.  If you are wanting to donate please get that in by next Wednesday.  AND....don't forget to also send in with your scholar their "Wedding advice" for our book for Mr.  McBrien.

Important Dates:

Westward Expansion Test: Thursday, March 1st

Spelling Test: Friday, March 2nd

Math Area and Perimeter Test: Friday, March 2nd

Skeletal System Test: Wednesday, March 7th

Academic Field Day: Thursday, March 8th

Secret Garden Field Trip: Friday, March 9th (1/2 day)

For our Secret Garden field trip, we will be having a fun spring day full of games at Apache Park right by campus. Students will be playing lawn games, planting succulents and much more! 

Please sign up your students HERE

Chaperone sign up will be available this Thursday evening at 7:00 PM. 

Sign ups for snacks for the party are available here. Anything and everything is appreciated!

If you sign up to be a chaperone, you will also be assisting in running one of the many stations we will have at the party. 

Dear Parents:

Our classroom could use a few things:

Kleenex boxes (so sorry, flu season hit us hard!)

toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls for our Secret Garden Party (as many as you can offer)

Please make sure your students come to school with Across Five Aprils by Thursday, March 1st.

ELA:

Ago, actum (L) do, act, drive, perform

•        Derivatives to use: Act, agent, agile, navigate, coagulate, prodigal 

Pendo, pensum (L) hang down, weigh, consider, judge

•        Derivatives to use: Pensive, suspend, suspense, expensive, expend  

Hyper (G) above, overly, beyond

•        Derivatives to use: Hyperbole, hyperactive, hyperglycemia, hyperventilate

Hypo (G) under, below

•        Derivatives to use: Hypodermic, hypothermia, hypochondria, hypoallergenic, hypothesis

Spelling words: responsible, response, application, apply, difficulty, difficult, scene, science, descend, descent

Math: We will conclude and test students on the area unit. The area test will be on Friday, March 2nd.

History: We will conclude and test students on the the Westward Expansion unit. The test will be on Thursday, March 2

Science: We will continue our study of the skeletal system. 

Spanish:  Test for Unit 3 is on Friday

Literature: We will conclude The Secret Garden. Students are not required to work on their alphabet posters over the weekend unless they would like to get a head start. I will give them a couple of days in class next week to work on it. Due date is Wednesday, February 28th. 

Please signup to help out for Field day - Here is the link:   

2nd-5th: signup.com/go/dHAJZAb

Also, We need to secure a classroom “Water Parent” who will be responsible for bringing a rolling cooler for our students’ water bottles. The “water parent” will travel with our class during Field Day. There is no slot for that on the sign-up link provided—those slots are for actually running the stations, setting up and cleaning up.  Let me know personally if you can help us out in this way.

I would like to celebrate Mr. McBrien's upcoming wedding.  As part of our celebration I would like each student to contribute to a book I am planning to put together and I need parent help in doing this.  Could you please help your student type out some "marriage advice" for Mr. McBrien.  Students could also include what they see him being good at thus focusing on his virtues and honoring him at the same time.  I would like each student to contribute to the book.  The entry should be typed in font size 14 and printed on a regular 8 1/2  X  11 sheet of paper and brought into me by March 1st. 

 I would also like to present him with a gift card from the class.  If you would like to contribute to the card please send in your contribution by March 2nd.

Thank you for helping to make this special.

  

February 23, 2018

Please signup to help out for Field day - Here is the link:   2nd-5th: signup.com/go/dHAJZAb

Also, We need to secure a classroom “Water Parent” who will be responsible for bringing a rolling cooler for our students’ water bottles. The “water parent” will travel with our class during Field Day. There is no slot for that on the sign-up link provided—those slots are for actually running the stations, setting up and cleaning up.  Let me know personally if you can help us out in this way.

I would like to celebrate Mr. McBrien's upcoming wedding.  As part of our celebration I would like each student to contribute to a book I am planning to put together and I need parent help in doing this.  Could you please help your student type out some "marriage advice" for Mr. McBrien.  Students could also include what they see him being good at thus focusing on his virtues and honoring him at the same time.  I would like each student to contribute to the book.  The entry should be typed in font size 14 and printed on a regular 8 1/2  X  11 sheet of paper and brought into me by March 1st. 

 I would also like to present him with a gift card from the class.  If you would like to contribute to the card please send in your contribution by March 2nd.

Thank you for helping to make this special.

Week of February 19th  Hope everyone enjoyed their day off - I went places open weekdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 that I usually can't get to ELA Plus, pluris (L) more, many Derivatives to use: Plus, plus sign, plural, plurality, surplus, E Pluribus Unum Kata (G) down, against Derivatives to use: Catalog, catastrophe, catapult, catalyst, catacomb   Ana (G) up, back again, along, through Derivatives to use: Anatomy, anachronism, analysis, analogy, anagram Duco, ductum (L) draw, attract, lead Derivatives to use: Aqueduct, conduct, deduct, produce,  reduce, induce The spelling test will be administered on Friday. Spelling Words-  meant, earliest, early, colonies, colony, assure, sure, relief, probable, foreign Narrative is due Friday, 2/23 MATH We will continue our study of Area, especially triangles this week.  Test will be the following week. HISTORY We will continue our study of Westward Expansion before the Civil War.  We will play the Oregon Trail game to get a better feel of all the struggles pioneers faced on the Oregon Trail. REMINDERS: Please send in: We could still use paper tubes for our Secret Garden party. I am still collecting money for a gift card to celebrate Mr. McBrien's wedding

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

REMINDER:

For Great Hearts Day we are collecting supplies for Maryvale Preparatory's 5th Grade class:

Individually wrapped snacks and sports equipment. 

We will be putting it all together tomorrow and writing notes to the 5th graders

Monday,  February 12, 2018

The math test on Unit 8 was postponed till tomorrow so that we could get in a bit more review and practice. 

This Week:

ELA: We will continue to write narratives and include dialogues this week.

Nonus (L) ninth
• Derivatives to use: Nonagenarian, nonet, nonagon, noon (from latin nones, ninth hour after prime or sunrise)

Decimus (L) tenth
• Derivatives to use: Decimate, decimal system (base ten number system – relate to our math studies), decimeter, dime

Electron (G) amber
•       Derivatives to use: Electricity, electric, electron, electrician

Gradus (L) step, degree
• Derivatives to use: Grade, gradual, graduation, gradient, centigrade, egress, regress


The spelling test will be administered on Friday.

Spelling Words-  stomach, straight, television, tough, wreath, wrestling, wrestle, succeed, whistle, consideration

Math: Students will be tested on More Calculations: Decimals and will begin a new unit on area

Science: Students will continue to learn about plant reproduction and be tested on their knowledge of it.

History: Students will continue learning about Westward Expansion Before the Civil War

Literature: We will continue reading Secret Garden.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Hello 5A Families! Here are your updates for this week:

• Early Release Day this Friday 2/9 - Due to Teacher In-Service
• Unit 8 Math Test Monday 2/12 - More Decimals and converting of measurements
• Great Hearts Day Wednesday 2/14
• Plant Reproduction Test 2/15

*** Parents please remember that once your students math quizes/tests are graded, they can and should, especially if noted on test or quiz, do test corrections. Please go over it with them and make sure they do it correctly (on a separate piece of paper, tell what they did wrong on original and show work and new answer) and staple it to the original) and sign it. This is a great opportunity for students to bring up their math grades so it is really important that this happens.

I am so proud and excited to announce that the CPA girls softball team is going to the championships and our very own Kyra is part of that team. If you would like to support her and the team here is the information:

Chandler Prep vs. Scottsdale Prep
Date:  Friday, Feb 9
Game Time:  3:30pm
Arrive:  2:30pm
Location:  Papago Softball Complex
Address:  6201 E Oak St, Phoenix, AZ 85008

Once again, our PSO is hosting the annual Daddy Daughter dance, with a sit-down dinner, new DJ, professional photo booth, and carriage rides - it is a wonderful time for our students.  Wednesday is the deadline for prepurchased tickets and it helps the PSO with food and other counts for the event.  They have asked us to encourage students to get their tickets early!

What: Dinner, carriage rides, dancing, & photos
Where: Archway Classical Chandler
When: Saturday, Feburary 10th, 5:30-8pm
Cost: $20 per family via this pre-order form ($25 at the door).
Pre-order until Wednesday, February 7th at 7pm.

https://archwaychandler.configio.com/pd/769/2018-father-daughter-dance?cid=433&returncom=productlist&source=search

Thank you!

Once again, our PSO is hosting the annual Daddy Daughter dance, with a sit-down dinner, new DJ, professional photo booth, and carriage rides - it is a wonderful time for our students.  Wednesday is the deadline for prepurchased tickets and it helps the PSO with food and other counts for the event.  They have asked us to encourage students to get their tickets early!
What: Dinner, carriage rides, dancing, & photos
Where: Archway Classical Chandler
When: Saturday, Feburary 10th, 5:30-8pm
Cost: $20 per family via this pre-order form ($25 at the door).
Pre-order until Wednesday, February 7th at 7pm.
https://archwaychandler.configio.com/pd/769/2018-father-daughter-dance?cid=433&returncom=productlist&source=search

Thank you! 

Next Week:

ELA: We will begin writing narratives in preparation for AZ Merit.

Literature: We will continue to read Secret Garden up through Chapter 20.

Math: We will continue our study of multiplying and dividing decimals. Please make sure to check your students math homework this weekend and answer any questions they may have. This is a tougher unit, so it is important that they get all the help they can get! :) 

History: Students will take their Japan test on Wednesday. We will begin our study of the Westward Expansion on Thursday with Daniel Boone and Lewis and Clark.

Science: Students will be tested on plants and will begin the plant reproduction unit.

Spelling Words:  Quintus (L) - fifth 

Sextus (L) - Sixth

Septimus (L) - seventh

Octavus (L) - eighth

massive

medal

metal

medicine

ninety

realize

reign

severe

slipped

sneeze

Upcoming Events:

Tetra String Quartet will be on campus to present to our students on Tuesday, February 6

Great Hearts Day is February 14th.

No School on February 19th.

January 1, 2018

Today I enjoyed your students while we discovered the truth behind placing the decimal in a multiplication  problem where both numbers are decimals such as 39.57 X 4.9,  discovered and debated over the similarities and differences by comparing and contrasting 3 main characters in The Secret Garden, reviewed photosynthesis and terms involved in the structure of a plant and it's processes by playing a game of chance and skill, and we examined the feudalistic government of in the 1100's by reading, discussing and taking notes on a graphic organizer (pyramid).  Ask your students why we took notes about Japan on a pyramid today. 



Dates to remember:

Plant's Study guide due Tomorrow, Friday 2/2

Plant Test Monday, 2/5

Japan Study Guide due Tuesday, 2/6 (was sent home Wednesday, 1/31)

Math Unit 8 Test - Monday, 2/12