The end of the school year is near!

Below are the upcoming events for our 5th graders and parents. As you can see, the end of the school year is nearing an end, and we have quite a few activities planned. I will be doing final assessements the last week of May, sending report cards on the last day of school. I'm really going to miss this group of kiddos and I hope they come back to visit me often!!

Thank you to all parents who are volunteering for Field Day (May 30) and 5th Grade Celebration "Amazing Race". If you do not see your name below, and you would like to volunteer, please let me know and I will be sure to get you on the volunteer list.

Tee Shirts:

We will be tie dying tee shirts for our Amazing Race on Wednesday, May 21. Please send in a white tee shirt by Tuesday, May 20th with your child's name sharpied in black on the tag.

Field Day Volunteers:

We have the following parents helping at Field Day:

Alicia Wright, Ashlee Stone, Jennifer Walker, Steve Rutherford, Kim Kane, Ann Shelton, Terri Stevenson, and Shuree Chrysler

On Friday, May 30th, you would need to arrive at school around 9 and would be helping until around 11:30.

5th Grade Celebration "Amazing Race":

I have the following parents helping at Celebration 9-12:30:

Kimberly Christensen, Susan Moon, Alicia Wright, Jennifer Walker, Jerry Shelton, Shuree Chrysler, Terri Stevenson, Angela Angel

We still need around 2 more parents to volunteer to help with activities from 9:00 - 12:30 on June 3rd.

It is quite the event and will leave you with some great memories of your child's time at Discovery. We also need a couple of parents to send some fruit (watermelon, strawberries, grapes, cantelope, etc.) for the lunch we throw afterwards. We will be having pizza, chips, fruit, a treat, and drinks.

Science Fair:

Our Science Fair will be on Wednesday, May 28th. Boards need to be turned in on Thursday, May 22nd.

Parents are invited to tour the students projects in the gym May 28th from 1:30 - 2:30.Other grades will be visiting from 10-12 that same day.

Advancement Ceremony:

We will be holding our Advancement Ceremony on Wednesday, June 4th at 10:30 and want to invite all parents, grandparents, and friends to celebrate this milestone in your child's academic journey. At this time we will be handing out the Presidential Academic Fitness Awards, and celebrating other student accomplishments, and students' advancement to middle school.

May:

21 - Tie Dying Shirts

23 - Heritage Middle School Visit 9:00am-12:00pm

26 - No School - Memorial Day

28 - Success Day

28 - Science Fair 1:30-2:30pm

30 - Field Day 9-11:30am

June:

3 - 5th Grade Celebration Amazing Race 9:00am-12:30pm

4 - Advancement Ceremony 10:30-11:15am

4 - Last Day of School ~ Full Day

Busy, busy, busy...

We have several tests, large assignments, and events sneaking up on us....see below.

MAP and ISAT Testing

Reading MAP - Tuesday, April 29  (A.M.)
Math MAP - Tuesday, May 6 (A.M.)
Science ISAT - Tuesday, May 13 (A.M. and P.M.)
Language ISAT - Friday, May 16 (A.M.)
(5th Graders will also be taking the Middle School Math Placement Test sometime in May.)

We are having a few tests next week:
Causes of the Civil War - April 30
Math - Geometric Attributes, Perimeter, Area, Volume of 3d shapes
Language Arts are continually assessed during reading and writing activities



Heritage Middle School Visit
Yep...that time of year is here.  On Friday, May 23, students will be bussed to Heritage Middle School to tour the campus, meet some teachers, and preview the 6th grade hallways.  It is a thrilling event for students only.  If parents wish to tour, Heritage requests that you please make an appointment over the summer. 

Science Fair
Due May 22
Students were given the Science Fair project requirements.  (I'm sorry I cannot post the doc here at this time.  However, I will email that doc out to parents.) 

We will be hosting our annual Science Fair for parents and family members to come view the projects on Wednesday, May 28 from 1:30-2:30pm.  We hope you can attend!


Field Day
~Volunteers Needed~
Field day (for our grade) will be held on Friday, May 30 from 9am until 11:30am and we are in need of parent volunteers.  Mrs. Jensen has requested 7 parent volunteers from our classroom.  If you can help, please let me know right away.  I will also need to know if you want to stay at a station or travel with a group of students from our class from station to station.

5th Grade Celebration
**Students will need to supply a 'washed' white tee shirt by Friday, May 16 for our Tie Dying activity, scheduled for the following week.**  This tee will be worn during our 5th Grade Celebration.
~Volunteers Needed~
Each year, fifth graders get to participate in an event similar to the television hit series, "The Amazing Race".  We will need about 10 parent volunteers from our class to set-up and run stations from 9:30-12:30 on Tuesday, June 3.   Please let me know as soon as possible if you can help at this event.  We cannot do this activity without parent volunteers.

Advancement Ceremony
Mark your calendars!  Wednesday, June 4 at 10:30am (on the last day of school), we will be having our 5th Grade Advancement Ceremony.   At this ceremony, students will be given certificates and a few awards will be given for academics, physical fitness, etc.  This will be the last chance you have of getting pictures of your fifth grader at the elementary level!  It is quite an exciting time for all!

Please be aware that the last day of school is a FULL day and report cards will be sent home on that day.   If your child will not be at school the last few days of school, please let me know so I can be sure to get all necessary end-of-year items prepared in advance.

Marvelous March...

Supplemental Levy ~ Vote tomorrow!
Make your voice count by voting on the Supplemental Levy tomorrow, Tuesday, March 11.   Polls are open 8am to 8pm.


Trimester 3 Curriculum
You can find full curriculum outlines on the Meridian School District website:


www.meridianschools.org


Language Arts: 
Students will be reading more expository (informational) text; comparing/contrasting information; opinion writing supported by valid reasons and evidence; reading and writing poetry; understanding figurative language; demonstrating effective listening skills; continuing word study/grammar skills; and more.


Math:
Students will classify 2d shapes in a hierarchy; calculate volume of 3d shapes; converting units of measurement; plotting  on a coordinate plane; use algebraic thinking skills; and more.


Science:
Students will identify the layers of the earth; identify the rock cycle; explain how matter is recycled in the rock cycle; and more.
(*Layers of the Earth 3d model is due on Wednesday, March 19.)


Social Studies:
Elements of History, Geography, and Economics will be introduced, such as:  Civil War, Reconstruction period, and Westward Expansion; slavery, industrialization, and transportation; map skills; and more.




District Art Collection Project
This week is the week for students to submit any art project of any media type, including 3d items, photography, or more, to compete for the District's art collection contest.  Students can submit art completed in class or from home.  


Tech Night
Friday, March 14 is Discovery's Tech Night from 6-8pm.  Come enjoy a fun night with your family, experiencing the technology our 21st century school uses daily! Our fabulous PTA, parents, and staff have an amazing night planned, including raffle gift baskets, great food, and fun events.    We are looking forward to seeing all of you there!!


Book Fair/Art Walk
Next week is our Spring Book Fair, March 17-20, with the Art Walk on Wednesday, March 19,  3:50pm - 7:30pm. 


5th Grade Music Program
Parents, grandparents, and family members are invited to the 5th Grade "America's Music" Program on Thursday, March 20 at 11am.  It will be a great performance you won't want to miss!


Spring Break
Yep....it's almost here.  Spring break is March 24-28.  Have a fun break!

End of Trimester 2...

 

End of Trimester 2
We do not have school on Friday, February 28.  Teachers will be in an inservice and working on report cards, as it is the end of Trimester 2.  You can expect report cards sent home on Thursday, March 6th.  Please sign the Folder and return in the envelope provided. 



PACE is complete!
Pace written reports have been graded and will be sent home in the report card envelope with the grading rubric and scores attached. The oral presentation scored rubric will also be attached. However, the district takes the oral presentation scored rubrics and compiles them into an overall knowledge of content score and a presentation score. These scores should be sent home with report cards if we receive them from district in time. Otherwise, they will be sent home after report cards.


Middle School Registration
Middle school registration packets were sent home with your child on Friday, Feb. 21.  Mr. Hartman, the Heritage MS band teacher will be speaking with our students about music/band options on Wed. Feb. 26 @3:15pm.  Please do not fill out the music option until he comes to speak.  Registration packets will need to be returned to school no later than Monday, March 3. 


Growth and Development Videos
Our Nurse Lafond will be meeting with the boy group and the girl group seperately to watch the Growth and Development videos on Thursday, Feb. 27 after last recess. 

Permission slips need to be sent in if your child can or cannot view the videos. 
There will be a parent preview of the videos tomorrow, Tues. Feb 25
4:00-4:30 Girls Video
4:30-5:00 Boys Video
Parents are encouraged to come preview these videos.

Class Picture Day!
We will be having our class pictures taken on Wednesday, March 5 around 11a.m.  We want all 32 smiling faces to be in the photo, so please do not schedule any appointments for your child during that time.  Thank you.




March
4 - PTA meeting 4pm
5 - Class Picture Day
7 - Popcorn Friday
14 - Pi Day!!!! 
14 - Technology Night 6-8pm
21 - Licorice/Spirit Day
24-28 Spring Break - No School

The day has arrived...

 

Tomorrow are our PACE presentations!

 

February Items

Warm Clothes and Pick Up/Drop Off:
Students need to be sure they are dressed warm during these unpredictable weather patterns.  Sever students have been coming to school in just a lightweight jacket rather than a heavy winter coat, gloves, hat, and boots. 




Also, when picking up or dropping off your child, please be sure to have students enter and exit your car at the curb in the parking lot.  Do not make them come to you unless you are parked in a parking spot.  We have had children darting out into the parking lot with out crossing in the cross walk.  Thank you.






Curriculum Items:
Today was the due date for the PACE final copies with Bibliography page attached.  Most have been printed and turned in, however the following students didn't have them printed and/or on their desk at the end of the day today:  7, 9, 11, 14, 18, 29.   Please ask your child what their number is....and encourage them to get the items turned in first thing in the morning.    Power Points are due on Friday and we will be practicing all next week.    We will be presenting on Wednesday, Feb. 19.






This weekend, Wordly Wise books will be sent home.  Please look over each lesson up through Lesson 10 and encourage your child to redo anything item that is marked incorrect. I have been noticing more and more students rushing through their work, not caring enough to make sure their answers are reasonable.  If your child is missing more than one or two per activity, he/she will need your support nightly to increase their word study knowledge.  Thank you.






We will be having a Social Studies test on Wednesday, Feb. 12.   I have posted a study guide in the Curriculum Items tab, but you can also click here for the study guide.  This will be an essay test, so students need to be practicing writing the information in paragraph format. 






We have been practicing division of fractions/whole numbers this past week and will continue learning strategies for division.  That study guide can also be found in the Curriculum Items tab as well as here.  A test will be given each Friday for the next three weeks to assess mastery.






We have just begun our Cells unit in science.  As soon as I can get the digital evidence uploaded, you will get to see how popular our cell lab was today.





Valentine Party:
Friday, February 14, 2:45-3:45 is our Valentine's party.  Here is the student list: 2014 Student Valentine List. 






Calendar Items:
Feb. 7, Friday:  Popcorn Day
Feb. 10-14:  White Ribbon Week
Feb. 12, Wednesday:  Constitution Test
Feb.  12, Wednesday:  Chipotle Night (Fundraiser for Discovery at Chipotle)
Feb. 14, Friday:  Valentine's Party
Feb. 17, Monday:  No School
Feb. 19, Wednesday:  PACE Presentations (no parents please)
Feb. 19, Wednesday:  Parent Tech Awareness Night
Feb. 21, Friday:  Cells Test (study guide not available yet)
Feb. 21, Friday:  Licorice/Spirit Day
Feb. 25, Tuesday:  5th grade Growth and Development Video Parent Preview Night (Girls video: 4-4:30; Boys video: 4:40-5pm)
Feb. 28, Friday:  No School - End of Trimester 2;  Teacher Inservice

Upcoming events

Map Testing
Math MAP test ~  Tuesday, January 28 in the morning
Language MAP test ~ Tuesday, February 4 in the morning



Ski Night
Tuesday, January 28  3pm-9ish. 
Students who signed up and paid to go on the 5th Grade Ski Trip to Bogus will be leaving school around 3pm on Tuesday.  We will be back to Discovery around 9pm, so please be sure to be in the parking lot to get your child off of the bus.    Students not going on the ski trip will be dismissed at the end of the regular school day. 



Valentine's Party
Friday, February, 14
We will be having a Valentine's Day party on Friday, February 14 the last hour of class.  Student's will be doing a valentine swap.  It is not required that your child bring valentines, but if he/she does choose to bring them, he/she must bring a valentine for every student. 

Students will need to bring a decorated shoe box or a decorated bag to use to collect their valentines, as we won't have time to decorate them in class.  

The first 20 minutes of our party will be devoted to passing out and reading the valentines.  I am requesting a parent volunteer to organize this party.  This will include organizing a treat and a 30 minute activity.  Please contact me as soon as possible if you can be the organizer of this party.


Curriculum Items
Reading & Language Arts:  PACE reports (Rought Drafts have been started, editing has begun, and second drafts are currently being written.  Typed final drafts due Feb. 5)
Wordly Wise Lesson 10-11
Root Words:  Graph/Scrib/Script (Test Jan. 29)
Math:  Division models and variables (Multiplication test over modeling fractions, decimals, whole numbers, and the standard algorithm will be on Jan. 31)
Science:  Discovering plant and animal cells and the process of photosynthesis (Test Feb. 14)
Social Studies:  Identifying the Bill of Rights, the three branches of our government, and the concept of Federalism (Test Feb. 12)

Happy New Year!

We are off and running!


Our PACE research projects have begun:  students have organized their PACE folders and research is underway.   We will be working of PACE each day for 1 hour per day (during our Language Arts block).    Click here to view PACE documents.

In Math, we are learning different ways to model multiplication of fractions and whole numbers, with students mastering the standard algorithm of multi-digit factors.  We will then be moving on to divisibility rules and models for dividing fractions and whole numbers.  Students will be given a multitude of contextual (story problems) questions.   

Students will be learning about the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution; its founding fathers, set up of our National Government, and our basic civil rights. 

Biology is our next Science unit and we will be kicking it off by creating a Biology Lap Book containing information about plant and animal cells particularly their functioning organelles and how the cells are similar and different.

Root words and spelling words will continue as before.  Please be sure your child is practicing his/her spelling words nightly and root words practiced weekly.


MAP Testing:
Students will be taking the Reading, Language Arts, and Math MAP tests this month and next.  These tests won't be reported to the state, but will be used to see if your child is "on target" for reaching his/her growth goals.   I will be conferencing with each student to discuss their targets prior to testing, so students have a goal to reach.  Please encourage your child to do his/her best on the tests.  I will be posting the testing dates once they are finalized.


5th Grade Ski Night:
We have a record turn out for students going up to Bogus Basin for ski night.   As of right now, some students are driving up with their parents and we have one bus full of students.  We are over capacity on the bus by 5 students.  If you are able to drive your student up to the mountain and back home, then we would really appreciate you letting myself or Mrs. Jensen know by written statement.  We cannot get a second bus, so we need parents to volunteer to drive their own child if possible.   Thank you!!


Marble Jar Party:
I'm sure you've heard....we've earned a Marble Jar Party which will be on Friday, January 24, the last hour of class.  Students have voted to have a Pizza Party. 


Cold Weather Clothing:
Please be sure your child brings a coat, hat, gloves, and boots (if possible).  With cold temps and wet conditions, it is important your child stays warm and as dry as possible.  Thank you. 

Happy Holidays!

CUPS from First Tee fundraiser are here!

The BRAX fundraising cups are finally here!  Parents must pick them up  (sign for them) Monday from 3:30-4:30, Tuesday 8:30-4:30, or Wednesday 8:30-9:30. Remaining orders will be sent home with the students (if the cups are sent home with the students, the PTA cannot be responsible for lost or damaged items).

We will also have sample cups for sale at $3 each. Spirit Wear will also be available.

Thanks again for supporting our fundraiser. We made enough to buy the First Tee Program and have about $4500 left over for playground improvements!


Revolutionary War Test and Root Word Test
Thursday, Dec. 19 we will be having two tests.  I have posted both study guides to this website.  Click Revolutionary War Essay Study Guide and the Mis/Mit/Port Root Words Study Guide to study for the test.


Christmas Party
Friday, December 20
2:30-3:50pm

Friday is Ms. Baker's last day as our student teacher and we will miss her dearly!  Please feel free to come by and give your well wishes during our party.

For our Christmas Party, students voted on having celebrating with Friendship Stew, Hot Chocolate, and watching a movie.  We seem to have enough crockpots and gallons of chocolate milk.  We are still in need of marshmallows, cups for cocoa, and a holiday table cloth.  Also, if any family has a holiday movie that is "G" rated, we would love to vote on the movie we will be enjoying.   Below are details about the Friendship Stew in which students are to bring a snack to add to the mixture.

 

 

 

P.A.C.E.

This week, students will be provided a list of possible American heroes to be researched for the P.A.C.E. report and presentation.  Click the link to learn more about it:  PACE Documents

 

 

Happy Holidays!

I'm sure you are all aware, we have a full day on Friday, December 20, with no school the next two weeks.  School will resume Monday, January 6, 2014.

 

Want to learn more about PACE and about helping your child with math homework?

Wednesday, December 11 is Parent Night (5:30-6:30pm)

We, the Fifth Grade Teachers are hosting a Parent Night in which we will have three (3) - 20 minute sessions providing important information about PACE and strategies for modeling multiplication and division of fractions and decimals.

I will be providing information about PACE requirements, rubrics, and due dates.  Mrs. Bonebrake and Mr. Spenner will be modeling strategies of multiplication and division of fractions and decimals, which are quite different that just using the standard algorithm.  The models will include, but not be limited to:  fraction strips, number lines, ratio tables, arrays, and more.

Please join us Wednesday evening! 

Report Cards, Holidays, and Parent Education Night

Report Cards
Yay!  Report cards are on their way.  Can you believe we have already finished the first trimester of school?     Report cards will be sent home on Thursday, November 21.  Please keep the report card,
but sign the yellow card and return it in the envelope it will come home with . 

Thanksgiving Break
There is NO SCHOOL the week of November 25-29.  Enjoy  Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

Penny Drive for the Holidays
Bring in your pennies for the Give Joy campaign, benefiting families in need.  The Give Joy penny drive will run from Nov. 23rd-Dec. 18th with a pizza party on the 20th.

Box Tops
We are continuously collecting Box Tops as a fundraiser for our school and classroom.  Every Box Top clipped gives .10 cents to our school....which adds up to purchase much needed supplies.
Discovery thanks you (and your scissors).


Parent Education Night

Are you feeling like you don't know how to help your child in Math because the method for solving problems looks foreign to you?   Do you want to know more about what to expect with P.A.C.E.?  We, the fifth grade teachers, are going to hold a Parent Education Night in early December to educate parents how to "do" the math that we teach, so you can help at home.  We will also be discussing the P.A.C.E. process so you have an idea of how you can be helping your child in the process.  As soon as the date is set, I will notify parents. 

Happy November

Moms and Muffins

This Friday, November 8 from 8:00a.m. to 9:00a.m. is our annual Moms and Muffins event.  Please come enjoy a free muffin and juice with your Discovery Elementary student.  Thank you, PTA for sponsoring this great event!

Friday, November 8 is also Spirit Wear Day and Popcorn Friday. 

 

Report Cards
The end of Trimester 1 is November 15.  Report cards will be sent home on Thursday, November 21.
Also, we don't have school on November 15 due to Teacher Inservice. 



Thanksgiving Break
No school November 25 - 29 due to Thanksgiving break.

We have a lot going on at Discovery....

 

Book Fair is this week!

Red Ribbon week is this week!

Let’s UNITE TOGETHER to celebrate RED RIBBON WEEK!!!!

 

We want to show our support to one another for making good choices and being DRUG FREE!  October 21^st through 25^th please show your support by joining in and wearing themed clothing designated for each day: 

Monday:  My future is bright, I won’t do drugs:  Wear Neon/Bright colors and sunglasses

Tuesday:  Team up against drugs:  Wear your favorite team jersey, sweatshirt, or t-shirt

Wednesday:  Follow Your Dreams, Don’t Do Drugs:  Wear school/weather appropriate pajamas.

Thursday:  Put a cap on drugs:  Wear your favorite hat

Friday:  I’m a ‘jean’ious-I’m drug free:  wear jeans and a red shirt

 

 

 

Penny Drive for Thanksgiving....

October 22 - November 13, Discovery is teaming up with Albertsons to raise money for families in need this holiday season by collecting pennies or other denominations of change. 

 

Our Halloween Party is coming together!  Thank you to all parents for volunteering treats, activities, and/or time.  Those parents will be receiving an email this week with further details.   Remember:  Costumes need to be school appropriate....no weapons, gore, blood, face paint, masks.

 Curriculum Items

 

 

 

Math:   Identifying, ordering, adding/subtracting fractions and decimals

Word Study:  Spelling practice, Root Word: Dict

Language Arts:  Identifying parts of speech; writing Narrative stories;  Rough draft of Narrative is due Thursday, with the final draft due on Friday.

Social Studies:   Review Colonies; Identify Latituted and Longitude

Art:  Student Art Portfolios are due this week, with the front and back completely covered in mosaic paper tiles or any material they choose to use.

Conferences and more...

Conference Information:
Conferences are being scheduled for October 9th and 10th.   A conference slip with the specific time and date for your conference will be sent home this week.  Teachers will be collaborating to ensure sibling conferences are back to back, so parents can attend all of their children's conferences within a certain time frame.  Conferences will be no longer than 20 minutes.  If you feel you would like more time, please contact Mrs. Wright in advance and arrangements will be made for a longer time slot.  Discovery strives for 100% attendance during conferences, so please let your child's teacher know if a conference time doesn't work so it can be rescheduled.  

Wednesday, October 9:   
9:00-3:50 Full day of School
4:00-8:00pm  Conferences Scheduled

Thursday, October 10:
No School
8:00am - 8:00pm  Conferences Scheduled

Friday, October 11:
No School
No Conferences


Student Responsibilities:
Parents should be checking student homework folders nightly for homework and work that has been graded.  Please take time to look at all work that comes home, assisting your child in understanding the concepts he/she may have missed on the written work.  It is crucial that students begin to think critically, using skills to solve problems.  This also includes developing the ability to read, understand, and follow directions completely.  As I have been grading classwork, I am finding students are not completely answering the questions that were asked and students are not proofing or checking their work before handing it in.  Reading to obtain information and writing to provide information are skills we are developing  this year.  Please encourage your child to interpret the directions and/or the questions being asked before you tell them what it is asking.  This will help students to think critically, while taking ownership of their learning.

Lunch Bunch:
At Discovery, we really only have three rules: 

Act Safely,
Be Respectful, And
Care Enough To Be Responsible In All That You Do.

To reward students who continuously demonstrate Safety, Respect, and Responsibility, we have started a Friday Lunch Bunch group.  Each week, students who turn homework in on time, act responsibly in class and out of class (specials, hallway, playground, lunchroom, etc.), and demonstrate respect towards teachers and classmates have the opportunity to each lunch and a treat in the classroom on Fridays.   If you would like to provide a small treat to be shared by the students, please contact me and I will put you on the treat schedule.  Treat ideas can include:  muffins, cupcakes, chips, fruit cups, cheese/crackers, popcorn, etc.

Our goal is to have 100% of our students joining this group each week. 


Halloween Party:
Discovery's first party is just around the corner!  Thursday, October 31 from 2:45-3:45 is the Halloween Party.  Students, staff, and parents are encouraged to dress up to enjoy the "spooktacular" festivities.    Costumes will be allowed from 2:30 to 3:50 and must be appropriate for school. (Skimpy costumes, masks, weapons, hoods, and gore are not allowed.)

We are in need of a few parent volunteer in planning this party.  Planning will include organizing treats and a few classroom activities.  In the past, students have decorated cookies, used toilet paper to wrap a mummy, pumpkin painting, and more.    Please contact Mrs. Wright by October 4th if you
are interested in planning or participating in any of the Halloween party activities.


PTA News:
    

Discovery Night at Farmstead Pumpkin Patch is tomorrow, Monday, Sept. 30th from 4-9pm.  The cost is $4 per person, or $3 if you wear your Discovery Elementary spirit wear.  For directions, visit www.FarmsteadFestival.com or call 922-LOST.

Our next PTA meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 4:05.  Parents are encouraged to come see what is planned for this exciting school year!

Popcorn Friday is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 4 at last recess.  Only.25 cents will buy a bag of yummy popcorn.

Licorice Friday is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 18.  Only .25 will buy two pieces of scrumptious licorice!  This is also our Spirit day!  The classroom with the most students wearing Discovery Spirit wear will win the coveted Discovery Bronco for the month!

Reflections Artwork is due Friday, November 8. 
The theme this year is:   "Believe, Dream, Inspire"
For more information visit:
http://www.pta.org/programs/content/cfm?ItemNumber=2897
or contact Michelle Hall at chicago_halls@hotmail.com

National Walk to School Event:
This year we will be Dancing to school on Wednesday, October 9th.  Below are a few of the details:

• Our walk will begin at 8:00 in the morning.
• We will have two teams. One team will start at the parking lot behind Maverick. The other team will start at the park in the subdivision behind the school. Parents are welcomed to walk too!
• Meridian Police and Fire departments will be located at both locations.
• Meridian mayor will be here to walk/dance with us and will speak when we all arrive at the school.
• There will be at DJ at the school!
• BEST of all...freebies for all students who participate!
• Just a friendly reminder:   this event is a walk TO school event.  We will NOT be walking home FROM school....regular after school routines will be expected. 

   

Curriculum, Volunteers, and Upcoming Events

This week is shaping up to be a busy, productive week!   We will be concluding learning about the regions of the U.S.A., while continuing to explore decimals, fractions, and place value, identifying narrative elements of a story, and writing using dialogue.

Below are a few items of interest:

5th Grade Curriculum:
Please click on the 5th Grade Curriculum link for an overview of 5th grade curriculum.  On the Meridian School District website, you will find valuable information about PACE and student resources for practicing curriculum skills. 

Parent Volunteers:
This year, I have had an extraordinary amount of parents offering to help in and out of the classroom.  I will be contacting each of you soon to plan your assistance.  Thank you!!

Upcoming Tests/Events:
Please note: Reading (fluency and comprehension), Written Language (handwriting, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraph format, etc.), and Word Study (spelling, identifying spelling patterns, understanding meanings, etc.) are skills that are assessed weekly by informal and formal assessment methods.   All of the following dates are on the Calendar tab to the left of this page. 


11th  Individual Picture Day
12th  Ped (root word) Test
13th  Scholastic Book Orders due

17th  Back To School Night 
 19th  Wordly Wise Lesson 1 and 2 Test
16-Oct 4:  MAP testing for Reading and Math


Discovery PTA is on Facebook! 
If you have a Facebook account and want to stay up on the happenings at Discovery Elementary, search for and 'like' the Discovery Elementary PTA facebook page. 

Odds and Ends....

What a great class we have!!  I am so impressed by the dedication and pride all students are demonstrating in class, to myself and classmates, and on the playground.   We are well on our way to earning our first Marble Jar Party!

Please be aware of the following items:

~  This "Home" page is where I will post a "weekly newsletter".  It will contain important dates, notes, upcoming testing dates/info., and much more.    Each time I post in this "Home" page, you can be notified by entering your email address in the box to the left called "Follow By Email".  An auto-generated email will be sent to you with a link to the blog.  This is a great way to be sure you don't miss anything. 


~  Homework Folders:  Every evening your child should be coming home with a "Homework" folder and log in his/her binder.  Please help him/her get into the habit of showing you the homework list.  If a check is by the item, he/she completed it in class.  If there is not a check, then he/she needs to complete it that evening.  This folder must be brought back to class each morning.  If parent and child communicate about the Homework folder items, then homework middle school routines will be established and easier to transition.   Homework that is not turned in when due, will need to be done during recess.

Any work that is not legible, will be redone.  Please stress to your child that neatness and organization in classwork is part of being a responsible citizen in the classroom. 

~Word Study (Spelling):
This year, we will be doing the Words Their Way spelling program.  We will have a pretest on Mondays and a post-test on Fridays.  During the week, students are to complete activities at home as homework.  A letter is in your child's binder, behind the 'word study' tab, that discusses the weekly homework activities. 

~Curriculum Items:
There is so much to learn this year and student's need to be aware of all items they will be tested on.  I will put test dates in the "Calendar" tab as well as on student homework logs.   I will post items that students will be tested on in the "Curriculum Items" tab to the left of this page.   Root words will be found under the "Root Words" tab. 

~ The following items can be found by clicking on the "Calendar"  tab:

+Friday, September 6:  Popcorn Friday ....only .50cents for a bag of scrumptious popcorn!
ABC's of Discovery Mustangs Poster is due this day also.
+Wednesday, September 11:  Picture Day
+Tuesday, September 17, 5p.m.:  Back to School Night.   (Parents only please.)

Day one is done!

We are off to a great start!  I know this will be a great year in which we will prepare for middle school and beyond! 

Today was a day full of expectations/rules/requirements and tomorrow we will be diving right in to our curriculum.   We did complete a Unit 1 pretest for math and we do have homework tonight.  Please be aware of the "Daily Homework" on the left of this page.  There I will post nightly homework.

I am adding all parent email addresses to my contact list, and will be sending an email home tomorrow.  So if you don't receive an email from 'Mrs. Wright', please contact me soon to be sure I have the correct email address.   I email weekly newsletters home and need to be sure all students/parents are receiving them.    Thank you!

Students and Parents,

I would like to welcome all students and parents to a spectacular new school year at Discovery:  A 21st Century School!  I am excited to welcome all students on Tuesday, August 27.

Please browse this site as it is a way for parents, family members, and friends to view the "happenings" in our classroom.  It will be updated daily as a way for students to show pride and ownership in their accomplishments, an informational tool for parents/family/friends, and a record of important activities, due dates, events, and more.

I encourage students to refer to our class blog on a nightly/weekly basis so for future reference, add this site to your "favorites" or add to your browser "toolbar".  Also, on the left hand side of the page there is a link called:  Follow by Email.  By adding your email address to the space and following the simple steps, you will be sent an email any time I update the site. 

It is great to have you as a member of our class!   I am thrilled to meet all of you and I look forward to a great 2013-2014 school year!

Mrs. Wright
5th Grade Teacher
Rm 28