Hillopoly Information Blog

Riley Caring and Sharing Week

2012-02-17T15:36:00.000-05:00

From Mr. Chambers:

Kids Caring & Sharing for Riley Hospital is February 21-24. Riley Hospital offers amazing services and support children around the world. In fact, we currently have a Reagan student that is receiving care from the staff and doctors at Riley. What they give to children touches so many lives, including ours, and the Reagan Student Council would like to sponsor and Spirit Week for Riley Hospital. We are asking families to voluntarily send in monetary donations which benefit the patients of Riley Hospital in many ways. To show our school spirit we will have a color theme each day. All children can participate in the Spirit Week Color Days. We will have daily prizes for the class that brings in the most money each day. The grade level that raises the most money during the week will receive a pizza party on March 2^nd!

The color and prizes for the week are:

Tuesday: Red Day – The class raising the most donations will receive a Rice Krispies treat.

Wednesday: Green Day – The class raising the most donations may each a “Hat Day” on Thursday.

Thursday: Blue Day – For all you Butler and Colts fans (Mr. Chambers is both)….. The class raising the most donations will receive an extra gym time with Mr. Chambers at the end of the day.

Friday: Purple – The class raising the most donations will receive a special visitor in the class at the end of the day…… Mr. Chambers will be dressing in some humiliating way! Details to come!

We appreciate your support during our upcoming Spirit Week to support Riley! We are looking forward to an enjoyable week.

ISTEP Snacks

2012-02-09T09:01:00.000-05:00

We have been preparing for ISTEP and LIFE all year! It's almost time to SHOW WHAT WE KNOW! In order to provide plenty of brain fuel for our class that week, I'm requesting a different snack for each day for the week of March 5-9. We have 25 eager learners! Please be sure to abide by the healthy guidelines for our snacks. Please also consider choosing one of the following items so EVERYONE in our class can enjoy a treat each day:

Cheez-Its
Cheese Balls
Fruit Roll Ups
Peanut packs
Pretzels
Lays potato chips
Bugles
Pringles original

PLEASE DO NOT SEND:
Goldfish
Fruit snacks
Rice Krispie treats
Ritz crackers

2/1 Update

2012-02-01T14:49:00.000-05:00

We have NO math homework tonight! We do have a spelling test tomorrow and our story quiz on Friday.

Please view the letter attached to an earlier email sent today regarding Acuity testing. This is a very important test that helps guide my instruction for preparing the kids for ISTEP. Our first round of ISTEP testing will be the week of March 5. The second round begins at the end of April.

Enjoy this amazing weather!

BEMS Band/Orchestra/Choir

2012-01-27T15:29:00.000-05:00

Information and forms went home today with every 5th grader regarding their musical choice for middle school. These forms are due by Friday. The students will be assessed on an instrument mid-February. Please, please return your child's form by Friday.

Social Health Program

2012-01-27T15:27:00.002-05:00

A Note from the Nurse

Attention: Parents of 4^th and 5^th graders

The Parent presentation for the Social Health Program is scheduled for February 9^th at 7pm at Reagan Elementary. This program focuses on the changes that occur with the student’s body during puberty. The film the students will view is being presented at this parent information meeting. We encourage all parents to attend to view the movie and ask questions. Please contact me if you have any questions at 852-1060 ext.2656. I encourage all parents to talk with their children about the information they will learn during this presentation.

Thank you,

Kylene Touloukian, RN

Box Tops Competition

2012-01-27T15:26:00.000-05:00

Contest

Deadline: Friday, February 17

Every class who brings in 250+ Box Tops will earn a crazy hat day.

Every class who brings in 500+ Box Tops gets a crazy hat AND pajama day.

The ONE class with the most Box Tops gets pizza.

We WOULD LOVE to beat our December contest by bringing in more than 10,000 Box Tops!

Bonus Box Tops

The Meijer Box Tops goldmine has returned!! You can buy any 10 Box Tops items and receive a 70 Bonus Box Tops certificate. This is available only from 1/26-2/1. Each time you check out with 10 Box Tops items, you will get the bonus. You can check out multiple times during one visit (buy 10, pay, get the 70, repeat)...the self check-out lanes make that a bit easier. It's a great time to stock up on Ziploc baggies, Betty Crocker items, etc.

Other ways to earn Box Tops

By visiting www.btfe.com/earn/bonus you can enter daily in contests that could win up to 250,000 Box Tops! The more that play, the better!

By visiting http://generalmills.promo.eprize.com/clickandearn/ you can earn Box Tops simply by watching a video or answering a few questions. Again the more we can get to do this, the faster it adds up.

We are set to easily top $4000 in Box Tops funds this year! A huge thank you to families!!!

Update 1/26

2012-01-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

WOW! That's all I can say about the week . . . it's been interesting, exciting, exhausting, emotional . . . my hope is for everyone to get a great night of sleep tonight and to come fresh tomorrow to enjoy our BEMS field trip and our winter party tomorrow afternoon.

Due to my absences this week, we WILL NOT have a story quiz tomorrow over this week's story in the green reader. We also DO NOT have math homework tonight--everyone take a break tonight and tomorrow night from homework, and we'll start fresh on Monday, in many ways!

I also have NOT updated Power School with current grades from the end of last week and this week as of today. My plan is to get that done by tomorrow or for sure by Monday afternoon. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

There are several pieces of information for our school that I need you to be aware. I will
post the information to the blog by tomorrow afternoon.

Update 1/17

2012-01-17T13:10:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed an extra day off from school! Did anyone serve in one way or another to celebrate MLK Jr. Day? I'd love to hear how!

A little "housekeeping":

We have a mini-field trip on Friday, January 27 in the morning. We are headed to BEMS to watch the orchestra and band. This is a chance for ALL fifth graders heading to BEMS in the fall to see/hear the instruments in which they have a chance to play in middle school. Choosing these instruments and/or choir options will come at a later date. Please be sure to return your child's permission slip prior to that day. Another permission slip is going home today with those students that have not returned the slip as of today (Tuesday).
Our winter class party will be Friday, January 27 in the afternoon. The party will take place in the room and then in the gym for a game. Mrs. Bronger is busy planning the "Beach Bash" themed party, but could really use your response to her letter regarding donations, volunteers, etc. Please contact me if you'd like to contact her directly, or turn in the letter that went home Friday.

Homework/Assessments:

Math: Our Unit 12 math post-assessment will be Wednesday (tomorrow). We reviewed the study packet today, and all students should have taken notes on the packet during the review. I encourage ALL students to look over the problems in the packet to prepare for tomorrow's assessment.
Reading: Our story quiz will take place on Friday, as always.
Spelling: Due to the shortened week and the need to complete a few unfinished projects, we WILL NOT have a spelling list this week.
Writing: All persuasive writing pieces are due (final draft) by Thursday. We have had a lot of time to work on these in class. The final DOES NOT need to be typed, but it MUST BE in best handwriting form.

Update 1/13

2012-01-13T15:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday the 13th! It was definitely a "scary" day at school today . . . is it a full moon, too?

NO SCHOOL MONDAY! Ask your 5th grader what he or she learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week!

We DO NOT officially have homework this weekend. It's the weekend, and I don't like to give out extra work. However, we do have a math test on Wednesday (no school Monday). I wanted to pass out the Unit 12 review packet today so any student that wanted to get a head start on it could do so. We will discuss the entire packet on Tuesday in class. If we don't get through every problem, it is my expectation that the packet be completed by Wednesday before the test.

Tuesday is the final collection for the Super Kids--Super Sharing collection. We have a few items here at Reagan already, but I know we can do more. I'd love to see each student bring in ONE item (see previous blog post or newsletter from Reagan) by Tuesday to donate. Remember, gently used or new items accepted.

Enjoy the weekend! Stay warm!

Update 1/9

2012-01-09T10:44:00.000-05:00

We've started off in an EXCELLENT way this morning! I can tell the New Year's fog has lifted, and that the kids are ready to "CHUG" along with me through these next nine weeks (ask your 5th grader about "CHUG" time!)

Upcoming events:
Starting this week through ? : Our school has teamed up with the National Football League, the Indianapolis Colts, and the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee and Martine University to be "Super Kids-Super Sharing!" Kids bring in gently used or NEW school supplies, sporting equipment, and/or books for local children and schools! What an amazing way to share the gifts of learning and sportsmanship with kids in Indiana!
Tuesday: Hendricks County Waster Management visit with Mrs. Archer
Friday: OWLS of Indiana visits from McCloud Park

Homework:
ANY UNFINISHED WORK IS ALWAYS DUE THE NEXT DAY! IT IS POSSIBLE YOUR CHILD HAS MORE WORK THAN WHAT IS LISTED DUE TO TIME MANAGEMENT.

Math: 12.4 and 12.5 Study Links (ODDS ONLY) due Tuesday
Social Studies: Chapter 7 Test Thursday (We will review in class this week, and the kids will receive a study guide to assist.)
Reading: MLK Jr. Fact and Opinion handout (We WILL NOT have a book quiz this week (normally on Friday!)
Spelling: Test Friday (this date is different than normal Thursday test dates)

Update 1/3

2012-01-03T14:56:00.000-05:00

Our spelling test for Hattie's Birthday Box will be on Friday this week due to the short week. This will be the case during the week of January 16, too, since we do not have school that Monday.

Reading: Workbook page 70 to practice vocabulary is due Wednesday. The kids were given about 10 minutes to complete here at school otday.

Math: Study Link 12.1 is due Wednesday. The math group has page 349 due Wednesday. Please remember, students will receive one assignment grade for the math unit for completing nightly assignments. Since the students are provided with the answers, it's not necessary for me to take a grade. We will always go through the work here at school, but the homework in math is meant as extra pratice for reinforcing the day's skills.

We will take our reading quiz for Hattie's Birthday Box on Friday as we usually do.

A new month for Reading Counts quizzes starts NOW! I will extend December's deadline to Friday, January 6. Taking this quiz can only be done at school, however, the reading of the book at your child's level can be done at home and at school.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back! It will be a tough start since I'm sure everyone, like me, ate too much, slept too long, and did just about whatever we wanted throughout the break! Just think of all the ways you're ready to grow academically this semester!

We are starting a few new things, but keeping some of the old. It won't be anything new to homework, but rather some things we'll be doing in class. I'm just posting them all here because the tasks will reflect each student's reading and math grades.

Once a week, each student is required to complete a FASTTMath lesson. He or she when then check off the lesson each week on the sheet in our classroom. This can only be done at school, and time will be given throughout the week as long as good time management is utilized by the kids each day!

Once per month, each student is still required to complete one Reading Counts quiz for a grade using a book from his or her lexile reading level. Lexile levels can be found on many of the books you read by going to www.lexile.com.

Spelling tests will still continue in the same fashion as before break. We WILL NOT have contracts due each week. It's possible that various assignments will be given throughout the week, however. Keep in mind though, as with most homework (other than math), plenty of time is given to get a good start on the assignments if not completely done during the school day.

Let's get ready to CHUG (Choose How U Grow) through this semester! I'm so excited to see how you've all grown since August! I can only imagine how you'll continue to soar though May! See you Tuesday!

Update 12/13

2011-12-13T11:33:00.000-05:00

McTeacher Night for Reagan Elementary will be this Thursday, December 15 at the McDonalds on Main Street from 5:00-8:00 PM! Come out to see Mrs. Hill working, and to enjoy some good ole' fashion family dinner, all while donating to our school with each purchase!!

We are not having a regular reading, math, and spelling week. Therefore, we DO NOT have any study links for math, no spelling words to study, and no basal reading story for this week. We are, however, doing many other academic activities this week before the end of these nine weeks.

We DO have a Social Studies test on Friday over Chapter 6. Pages 228-229 have been assigned for completion by Thursday so we can discuss and review in class.

We are also in the process of publishing holiday picture books. The final publications are due Thursday morning so we can share them with our first grade buddies while making reindeer food!

We also are doing character education skits in science/health this week. The skits will be presented to the class on Friday afternoon.

One RC (Reading Counts) Quiz is due by Thursday, January 4. We return to school on Tuesday, January 3, so this allows for one extra day to complete the quiz. This CAN ONLY BE DONE AT SCHOOL! However, the reading of the books can be done whenever!

Update 12/7

2011-12-07T10:48:00.000-05:00

Thank you to all families for your donations to the CHEER fund last week! Our class came in second with 145 items for families in our community that needed a little extra help this holiday season!

I wanted to apologize for not updating the blog over the last week or so! I felt that things were a bit more smooth this week, fewer assignments, and not much going on. Therefore, I didn't even think to update the blog! Holiday time=Crazy, Fun Time!!

We have our Unit 6 math test tomorrow (Thursday)! We have been preparing for this test for weeks, but we've also spent this entire week so far working with all of the skills. Your child has a study guide that we worked a bit on yesterday and today in class, but it needs to be done by Thursday.

We DO NOT have spelling this week!

We DO have a reading quiz Friday, as we usually do, over this week's story: The Case of the Flying Saucer People. As long as your child reads along in class (we read it or listen to it at least 2 times each week), he or she should NOT have to study further. One additional reading of the story and a review of the vocabulary words might help if needed.

Everyone has one Reading Counts Quiz due for December. I will accept scores through January 4.

Update 11/28

2011-11-28T15:21:00.000-05:00

We got off to a slow start today, but picked up pace as the day went on . . . I think a few kids were still a bit sleepy from too much rest!

We are starting a donation competition tomorrow for our CHEER committee! The class that donates the most items by Friday (see list picture), wins a pizza party! If everyone can donate just one item, we will show compassion, this month's life skill, toward other families living in Brownsburg that need our help this holiday season!

Homework: The numbers in parentheses indicate the approximate amount of time each student was given to work on each individual assignment today or when assigned.

Spelling:

No test this week over HOW to spell the words in the packet, but each student MUST KNOW HOW TO USE the words from the packet by Thursday (20+minutes). The packet is due Thursday, too.

Reading:

Island of the Blue Dolphin reading and packet for Chapters 9-11 due tomorrow (30+ minutes). This was assigned last Monday, and time was given last week to complete.
Workbook pages 60-61 due tomorrow (10 minutes)

Math:

Study Link 6.6 for all students is due tomorrow.

Extras:

Reading Counts quiz scores due to Mrs. Hill by Thursday, December 1. These can only be done at school. Students have been reminded on the assignment board, orally, and via the blog about this upcoming due date.
Yummy Reading Book It sheets for Pizza Hut pizzas are due by Thursday, December 1, too. The students must each read 20 points for this month of December. Point values are indicated on Reading Counts quizzes after each student passes the quizzes.
CHEER donations are due by Friday, Decembre 2. Help our class win a pizza party!

Update 11/18

2011-11-18T14:10:00.000-05:00

We've been writing, or I should say, comparing and contrasting our favorite family games this week and last week. Therefore, we're going to have a "Thankful for Board Games Tuesday" for about 45 minutes on Tuesday afternoon. If you'd like to bring one of your favorite games that day, perfect! Or, you are welcome to use one of the games we already have here at school. Please DO NOT bring video games or computer games.

Upcoming events and assignments:

Social Studies: Chapter 5 test on Wednesday. We will have a review packet, and we will also review in class on Tuesday.

Science: Open book test for Chapter 3 on Tuesday.

Spelling: No spelling or vocabulary this next week.

Tuesday, November 22: Thankful for Games Tuesday
Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 NO SCHOOL for Thanksgiving Break!
Tuesday, November 29-Friday, December 2: Cheer Donation Drive--See the Reagan Review for more information. I will also post more information to our blog next week.
Tuesday, November 29 Acuity Math Assessment--ISTEP predictions!
Monday, December 5 Acuity Language Arts Assessment--ISTEP predictions!

Students Show Compassion

2011-11-16T07:41:00.000-05:00

Jonah Kiritschenko, one of our friends and classmate, debuted on Fox 59 last Friday to celebrate his 11th birthday on 11/11/11, and to donate his time and compassion to Veterans and soldiers around the world!

Enjoy this video clip from his TV debut . . .

http://www.fox59.com/videobeta/d0b078c0-62b3-427e-b8ba-35878429ba9f/Community/11-11-11-Birthday-boy-s-wish

Update 11/15

2011-11-15T10:10:00.001-05:00

Thanks to all families for your donations to the troops and veterans last week! Our class won a cookie party on Wednesday because we collected the most items at Reagan! Yum!

Our class has a chance to shop at the Penguin store on Thursday. Items range from $0.25 to $10. If your child would like to purchase any holiday gifts, please be sure they bring money on Thursday. This is the ONLY day they will be allowed to shop.

Spelling Update: We DO NOT have an actual spelling test this week. Instead, your child has a packet to practice the uses of "their", "their", and "they're", as well as "its" and "it's", and "your" and "you're". These words are just a small part of our vocabulary study that we will focus on for the remainder of these nine weeks. ***BY FRIDAY, your child needs to know how to use these words in a sentence rather than know how to spell them from memory.

Homework:

Reading:

Island of the Blue Dolphins packet for Chapters 7 and 8 is due Friday (along with reading the chapters, of course!)
Vocabulary workbook page 56-58 is due Wednesday.

Spelling:

Know how to use your vocabulary words (from packet) by Friday for a quiz.

Social Studies:

The Landing of the Pilgrims handout is due Wednesday.

Long-Term Goals:

One Reading Counts quiz (can only be done at school) is due by November 30. These quizzes should be over books that are at your child's current Lexile level (I shared these levels with you at conferences).

Help Our Class Help Others!

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

Update 11/9

2011-11-09T15:54:00.000-05:00

PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT "TREATS FOR TROOPS" THAT ARE DUE FRIDAY! We've already had a few items donated thanks to Davis, Alexa, Hong, and Mrs. Hill. Again, if you'd like to make a monetary donation, I can use that money on Thursday night to purchase supplies for this collection, too.

CHOIR CONCERT: The tribute to America music concert for grades 2-5 is tomorrow night, Thursday, November 10 at 7:30. All 5th graders MUST wear their decorated white t-shirts and dark pants or skirts. Please arrive by 7:15.

Homework:
WRITING: Superbowl postcard due Thursday (had 15 minutes in stations to work)

READING: Summer of Fire comprehension handout due Friday (had 15 minutes in stations to work), Island of the Blue Dolphins packet for Chapters 3-4 due Friday (assigned last Thursday), and Island of the Blue Dolphins reading of Chapters 5-6 by Friday (assigned on Monday).

SOCIAL STUDIES: Time For Kids page 2 due Thursday (Morning Work-had anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to complete--depends on time of arrival)

MATH: Page 155-156 in Math Journal due Thursday--review work

TREATS FOR TROOPS AND HEROES!

2011-11-07T16:18:00.001-05:00

Update 11/7

2011-11-07T16:10:00.000-05:00

We welcomed a new friend today, Tyler, to our classroom! Needless to say, everyone had more energy today (maybe it was the time change or the up coming full moon), and we spent some time discussing our jobs as school.

Homework (This might seem extensive, but please note that I've given ample time to complete these tasks during the school day):

SPELLING: We WILL NOT have a spelling list this week! Something had to give . . .
READING: Page 51-52 from the workbook is due tomorrow (had over 10 minutes to complete in class).
NOVEL: Island of the Blue Dolphins packet for Chapter 3-4 is due Friday along with reading Chapters 5-6. (We started this packet last Thursday and have had time each day to work on the packet).
WRITING: Final copies of mysteries are due by Wednesday. Most students have these completed, but some are still trying to get them done. (We've been working on the final copies for over a week now.)
MATH: 5.7 and 5.8 Study Links are due Tuesday. (10 minutes to complete in class)-If in math group, 5.6 and 5.8 handouts are due tomorrow.
GRAMMAR: "May I Quote You?" page 26 is due tomorrow. (This was our morning work activity that students had from 30 minutes to 15 minutes to complete.)
SOCIAL STUDIES: Supply and Demand reading comprehension and questions due Tuesday. (This was given out last Wednesday during Literacy Stations. During stations, students had 15 minutes to complete, and there has been time each day since then to complete any unfinished work.)

An email went home today regarding a collection for our troops currently serving in Iraq and for our veterans healing at the VA hospital. We would LOVE to show them our support, but we'd also LOVE a pizza party if we collect the most items! The collection list was also attached to the email, but I've included an image of the list on the blog, too. Please have your child write a letter to a soldier or a hero by Friday if your family cannot donate monetarily (food, magazines, etc.). I would really like for each student to understand the importance of our trait this month: Compassion!

Update 11/4

2011-11-04T16:03:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all families that donated treats and snacks this week! The kids were thankful during each delicious bite!

Friday papers went home today! Check out Power School updates each Monday. I have to update grades by 4 pm each week.

Reading Counts quiz for November is due November 30. Also, students will need to read 20 points for th eBook-It reading program for November. This point value is doubled from October's points. Book-It's are due, with parent signature, by November 30 this month.

Science: Each student (unless in Math Lab) has the ocean tides packet (day 1-5) due Monday. This was not a homework assignment given out today, but rather it was given out yesterday with time to complete, and each student was given over 30 minutes today to complete.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mark Your Calendars!

2011-11-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

As the holidays get closer and closer (I can't believe it's already November!), our calendars at school and in our personal lives fill quickly! Be sure to mark these dates today so you are prepared:

November 2-? New Box Top Collection--We are doing a grade level competition! GO 5th GRADERS!
November 10 at 7:30 5th Grade Patriotic Music program (WOW--these kids can sing!)
November 15 and 16 Yankee Candle order pick up dates (times TBA)
November 24-24 Thanksgiving Break
End of November, Early December: Our 2nd Acuity assessment for ISTEP performance prediction
December 9 at 1:45 Body and Safety Program for 5th Grade
December 16 End of the 2nd Nine Weeks' Grading Period and last day of school until 2012!
January 2 Back to School

As more dates approach, I will be sure to notify you here!

Update 11/2

2011-11-02T15:53:00.000-04:00

We had a very, very busy day . . . it's always harder to get everything in on Wednesdays! However, we all look forward to a few extra sunlight since we're setting the clocks back one hour this Sunday!

Homework:
**Some of our classmates have changed from an expandable file folder system to a binder system equipped with color-coded folders for each subject. If your child is struggling with the current system, I encourage you to make whatever changes are necessary for your child to be most successful!

Math: 5.5 Study Link is due Thursday.
Spelling: No contract, but we will have a test on Thursday.
Social Studies: Read the rest of Chapter 5 Lesson 1 and complete pages 41-42 handout-this was due today, but we just didn't get to everything today! :)
Reading:

Island of the Blue Dolphins packet for Ch. 1-2 was due today. I will check completion tomorrow.
Everglades comprehension handout was given during stations today (a least 10 minutes to get started on the questions and skills). It is due Friday.

Station tasks:

The almanac task can ONLY be completed at school. That will be a "turn it in as you get it done" assignment.
The conversation task will be due by Friday. Most students already turned this in today.

We need . . .

2011-10-31T15:10:00.000-04:00

Hershey Kisses or mini candy bars
Sugar Free gum
Class snacks (we have 25 students)

The kids really look forward to these special incentive treats and the brain fuel through snacks each day! We've been out of snacks for a few days, however, we did receive a few today, and Mrs. Hill brought Scrabble Cheez-Its for a Halloween activity.

Thank you in advance for supporting our "nurtritional and motivational" needs!

Update 10/31

2011-10-31T15:06:00.000-04:00

We briefly discussed statistics today as a part of our fraction unit. Did you know that the most accidents and/or fatalities of pedestrians happens on Halloween? We used this information from this mornings news show to discuss ways to be safe tonight.

Trick or Treat with:

a friend or family members
on the sidewalk or grass
in well lit areas
with a mask on top of your head until you reach the door

There is NO homework tonight! The only opportunity is for extra credit in math. 5.2 handout is due tomorrow for extra credit.

Enjoy a safe and delicious Halloween! November starts tomorrow . . . WOW, how time flies!

Update 10/25

2011-10-25T15:54:00.000-04:00

Please see yesterday's post for assignments given out yesterday. I've only added NEW assignments to today's post.

Reading: Island of the Blue Dolphin comprehension questions, vocabulary, and figurative language worksheet due Friday. This handout will help your child study for the book quiz on Friday.

If you would like to purchase an autographed book from Herman Parish, the author of the Amelia Bedila series, those orders are due by Monday, October 31.

Have an enjoyable evening with this beautiful weather!

UPDATE 10/24

2011-10-24T16:17:00.000-04:00

Sure sounded like EVERYONE enjoyed a little excitement and relaxation over the break! Now we're gearing up for a fresh start to these nine weeks!

HOMEWORK:
MATH: Unit 4 Test on Wednesday. All students received a Unit 4 Review packet that is due on Wednesday, too. We will review tomorrow, and we will test on Wednesday. ALL STUDENTS WERE GUIDED (2 TIMES) TO PU THEIR MATH BOOK AND JOURNAL IN BOOKBAG.

READING:
1.We will have a reading quiz over the vocabulary and comprehension of the story Island of the Blue Dolphins ON FRIDAY. Some students, in stations, began listening to the story today. Others will read it tomorrow as a class, and they will also listen to it within stations tomorrow or Wednesday.
2. One Reading Counts quiz is due by Monday, October 31 for this month. This is an online quiz taken at school over a book at each student's Lexile level. It can also be used for the Book-It Yummy Reading points!
3. Book-It tracking sheet is due Monday, too.

SPELLING: Test on Thursday. Also, page 39-40 handout is due Thursday.

SOCIAL STUDIES: (For all students NOT in the Reading Lab) Southwest Regions states and capitals quiz on Friday. There are only 4 states in this region, so it should be super easy!

LITERACY STATION WORK: All assignments from last week's Literacy Stations are due tomorrow.
1. Time For Kids: Arctic Animals (front side only)
2. Using Math: Main Idea and Details handout
3. Drawing Conclusions handout
4. Prefixes handout

Update 10/18

2011-10-18T16:23:00.000-04:00

I've enjoyed meeting with all of the families over the last week! Thank you for taking the time to come to your child's school to discuss his or her strengths and needs!

Wear Red Wednesday! Let's see if we can WIN the competition! Person with the most red in the class wins a PRIZE!

Homework:
No spelling this week.
No reading story this week.

Explorer posters (mini posters we started at school) are due Wednesday.
Math: 4.6 Study Link is extra credit ONLY.
Reading Counts quiz due by the end of the month (can only be done at school, however the reading can be done at home, too).

All station work (Math Symmetry, Drawing Conclusions, TFK, and Prefixes) are due next week, probably by Tuesday. By the end of the day tomorrow, EVERYONE will have had at least 30 minutes total to work on these tasks during our stations and other various times throughout the day.

Have a great night!

Update 10/14

2011-10-14T15:28:00.001-04:00

Red Ribbon Week Begins October 17-19

Monday: "Dream Big" and bring slippers to school. Please wear regular shoes to and from school.

Tuesday: "Keep your head in the game" and wear your favorite sports team items.

Wednesday: "Wear Red and Win!" and wear all the red you can for a class contest!

Homework:

All homework pieces had plenty of time to complete in class today.
Social Studies: Lesson 1 and 2 notes for Chapter 4 in book and explorer poster (2 days to work on) are both due Monday.
Math: None
Spelling: NO SPELLING NEXT WEEK!
Reading: Read for Book-It points-10 points due by 10/31 and one Reading Counts quiz due by 10/31 for one quiz grade in reading

Update 10/11

2011-10-11T16:36:00.000-04:00

I will be out tomorrow at a writing workshop will all of the fifth grade teachers in Brownsburg schools. I am anxious for this training session, as I've seen so many amazing mini-lessons come out of the other grade levels so far!

Please continue to return candle orders for BEF. They will accept all orders through Friday, I believe.

If your child has not turned in a white tshirt, please see to that by Friday please.

Homework: Please keep in mind that ALL homework assignments and/or classwork assignments are practicing the skills we've discussed or worked with in class previously. No student should feel as if they are completing assignments using brand-new information. ALSO, please keep in mind that I always give the kids time to work on assignments at the end of each day (most days). I also like to provide time during the subject blocks for asking questions and/or beginning their work.

Reading: Woodsong story quiz and vocabulary on Friday

Social Studies/Reading: Time for Kids "On the Wings of Monarchs" quiz/handout due Wednesday. (This was given out on Monday for Morning Work. Students had at least 10-20 minutes to complete before we moved on.)

Spelling: Test Thursday (No contract)

Math: Study Link 4.1 due Wednesday

Science: Planet mini-poster due Wednesday (Students had 25 minutes to work on this today.)

Literacy Stations: Common and Proper Nouns handout and Vinland comprehension packet due Thursday. (We started these in stations on Monday and Tuesday. Unless students were working on Inquiry Projects, SRI reading quizzes, or progress monitoring reading with me, they had ample time to get the assignments done during stations.)

Change to Math Homework

2011-10-11T16:25:00.000-04:00

Starting with tonight's assignment, all math assignments that go home (Study Links, Mathboxes, Unit Reviews, etc.) will all be counted toward ONE or TWO grades in math for the 9 week period, depending on the number of assignments given.

Each day that an assignment is due, I will simply check students off for completing the assignment, but I will not check that they are all correct. We ALWAYS go over our assignments from the night before using pens, so we're still discussing the correct answers; we're just not putting a grade into the gradebook for each assignment.

For example, if Joe completes 9 out of 10 math assignments over the course of Unit 4, he will receive a 90% for one of his math grades. All other math grades will come from various skill checks, mathbox quizzes, and tests. This should highly encourage ALL students to focus during math block and to prepare themselves for each day's skills.

I've changed this for two reasons:

Answers to the study link pages are in each unit family letter. The letter went home today for Unit 4 and I've sent all others via email or with your 5th grader.
Students receive help from family members at home with their work. I highly encourage this practice, as this is an excellent way to work on the math skills. However, I want your child's grades on Power School to reflect his or her understanding of the skills alone.

Update 10/10

2011-10-10T16:44:00.000-04:00

Parent/Teacher conferences started this week! I've enjoyed talking with families today! I encourage you to include your 5th grader in the conference. Some familes have chosen to do so, and others have not. If you are not aware of your conference time, please call me or email me as soon as possible. If you need to reschedule, please notify me as well.
lhill@brownsburg.k12.in.us
852-1060 x2640

White Shirts:
Almost everyone brought in a white t-shirt by today's due date. However, we're still missing some. If anyone has an extra shirt lying around and wishes to donate the shirt, we would be so grateful. Thank you!

Candles:
Only two students turned in completed candle orders today for BEF. Of course, it was not required to sell the candles, but is always helpful to support our schools. Please end the envelopes to school tomorrow ONLY if orders were collected.

Homework:
Reading-workbook page 37 and 38 due Tuesday. We will have a reading quiz over the story Woodsong on Friday, as we usually do.
Spelling: test on Thursday
Math: We tested today over Unit 3, so no homework tonight.
Social Studies: Time For Kids (Butterflies) and handout is due Wednesday.
Station assignments: We will conclude stations tomorrow, so ALL station assignments will be due Thursday. Those assignments include Common and Proper Nouns handout and a Search for Vinland comprehension packet.

Our initiative bucket is very, very low! If you have a chance to pick up anything small such as erasers, pencils, Hershey Kisses, etc., we would really appreciate it!

Book-It Reading Incentive Program

2011-10-07T16:24:00.000-04:00

We introduced a new reading incentive program yesterday that begins NOW! Pizza Hut has partnered with us through their "Book-It" program. Students are highly encouraged to read books at their Lexile levels, and to complete quizzes over those books. We are determining new Lexile levels in the next week, however, students all have their previous levels from August.

EACH STUDENT IS STILL REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ONE READING COUNTS QUIZ BY THE END OF EACH MONTH FOR A GRADE IN READING. This book/quiz can count toward the student's goal for earning reading rewards.

Each student is required to read at least 10 points for October. (The point values will change each month.) Each student received a tracking sheet today so he or she can track the books read, Reading Counts quiz scores, and points for each book. This information is on the RC book stickers, or students can look them up here at school. The quizzes can only be taken at school.

If a book your child is reading does not have a quiz here at school, he or she can write a summary of the book, and I will reward him or her with the appropriate point value for that particular book.

We will continue this reading program through March. For each student that meets his or her goal each month, a Pizza Hut pizza certificate for a FREE pizza will go home with each student! I'm hoping that each student that meets his or her goal for the duration of the program can join me for a walking trip to Pizza Hut for lunch one afternoon in the spring!

Happy Reading!

Update 10/5

2011-10-05T16:08:00.000-04:00

Our first annual "Read for the Record" reading afternoon is tomorrow! Kids can bring stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, and slippers if they wish. However, all of the items each person brings MUST fit into the bookbag or a plastic grocery bag.

We will have a chance to shop at the Scholastic Book Fair tomorrow, too! This is a great opportunity for kids to grab a new book for the read-in! Plus, all proceeds go toward our classrooms here at Reagan!

Don't forget the spaghetti dinner is tomorrow night here at Reagan from 6p-8p. The Scholastic Book Fair will also be open during the dinner time, too. Shopping, food, and a new book! What is better than that?

Our first nine weeks' grading period comes to an end on Friday. WOW, how it's flown by! Some kids have been asking me for extra credit to raise their grades for this report card. My advice to them from the beginning of the year was to do the extra credit opportunties throughout the nine weeks as I provide them. That way, if they come to a B+ or a B-, their grades could benefit from the extra credit effort. I DO NOT give out extra credit just to raise a grade. I've told all of the students that have asked, "There will be another report card in about 9 weeks, so shoot for those goals on that report card."

Homework:
Math-we have a test on Monday over Unit 3. We will review tomorrow and Friday.
Reading-we have a quiz over our story this week, "Iditarod Dream", on Friday. We have read the story two times, and played a few vocabulary games together, too.
Spelling-test Thursday and page 33-34 due Thursday, too.
Grammar-Compound Sentences handout p.6 & 13 (front to back) is due Thursday.

FYI: We had over 15 minutes at the end of the day to work on assignments. Many students chose to read quietly around the room, finish their tessellation math art, and work on inquiry posters rather than homework. However, the grammar sheet is just review.

10/4 Update

2011-10-04T13:30:00.000-04:00

If you are out and about, and you're looking for a way to contribute to the classroom, we are in need of Sharpie markers, Fine Point, in all colors, but especially black. In fact, any size or brand of permanent marker would suffice.

Our initiative box (small items such as erasers, Hershey Kisses, etc.) and our prize box (dollar store type things) are running low again. That's an awesome thing, however, since it means we're really focusing on our monthly life skills and mastering them! If you'd like to contribute, this is another way to do so.

Thank you!

Homework:
Writing:

Personal Narrative Final Drafts due by Wednesday. We have had a lot of time to write these in class, and spent quite some time re-writing them, too. The final draft is due by tomorrow if not already done.

Reading:

Workbook pages 32-33 due Wednesday.
ALL students should be reading each night-however, we're starting a new reading incentive program this week to motivate more reading at home: coming home Thursday!

Spelling/Vocab:

Test on Thursday and page 33-34 due Thursday.

Math:

Students will have a Study Link due tomorrow. 3.7 and 3.8 Odd #s only.
We will have our Unit 3 Post-Test next week (date determined by how whether we're ready as a class or not). Please look for a study guide to go home at the end of this week.

Extras:

Scholastic Book Fair is here-students can shop on Thursday during our Media Center time OR they can shop with families at the spaghetti dinner here at Reagan Thursday night from 6-8pm.
White t-shirst in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag with name on the t-shirt and the bag need to be here by Friday of this week.

Reading Programs

2011-09-28T15:36:00.002-04:00

Parents and Grandparents,

We just received two new programs for reading incentives this month that I’d like to initiate very soon. However, in order for this to be successful, I need several parent volunteers (once or twice per week) to read with individual and/or small groups of students. I am happy to work around your schedule if needed, however I’m hoping to incorporate this reading program from 3:00 to 3:30 Mondays, Tuesdays, and/or Thursdays.

If you’re able to help out, please contact Mrs. Hill as soon as possible. Thank you!

Update 9/28

2011-09-28T15:32:00.000-04:00

Mrs. Benner talked with our class today about responsibility for the things we HAVE to do along with the things we WANT to do. Ask you child about the ping-pong balls and rice in a jar activity! Your child can also share his or her list of responsiblities and enjoyable activities from the lesson today, too!

We DO NOT have math homework tonight. If you want your child working on math, please access www.everydaymathonline.com using the student's login and password that was sent home at the beginning of the year.

Spelling test tomorrow-Remember, NO CONTRACT DUE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!

Social Studies: We have a quiz over the states and captials of the Midwest Region on Friday.

Reading: We have Media Center check out tomorrow, so students need to bring their books to return
***One Reading Counts quiz is due by the end of the day Monday for a quiz grade in September. Please check with your child about whether or not he or she has completed the quiz for this month. This can only be done at school.

Science: Moon Journals are due Friday.

Friday is our Fall Party! Mrs. Bronger and Mrs. Webb have been diligently working for this party to be a success. Thanks to everyone for the donations. If you still wish to make a donation, she will accept the money or items at any time.

T-Shirt Assignment

2011-09-28T15:27:00.000-04:00

Each fifth grader should have or will bring home a letter that Mrs. Edwards, our music teacher, gave to each student on Monday. In the letter are all of the details of the programs on Nov. 10^th.

In addition, students WILL NEED TO BRING ONE plain white t-shirt by Friday, Oct. 7^th. Students should bring the t-shirt folded nicely and in a gallon-sized zip-lock bag. If you need a bag, let me know, and I will gladly send one home with your child. Both the shirt and the bag should be labeled with the student’s first and last name. The bag should also have the classroom teacher name on it.

Update 9/26

2011-09-26T16:26:00.000-04:00

Volunteer Opportunity:
Mrs. Edwards, our music teacher, is in need of some parent volunteers to help the fifth graders decorate their shirts for the fall musical coming in November. If you are available from 10:15 to 11:00 on Mondays (our class music day) or another day during the weeks of October 10 and/or 17, please let me know as soon as possible.

Homework Update:

Spelling: We DO have a list this week and will test on Thursday, but we DO NOT have a contract due. We are trying something for a week or so due to the consistently great scores many students are receiving in spelling. I think our time can be better spent on other areas of need. However, I will reassess this for the second nine weeks which begins October 10.

Reading:
We have an assignment tonight--page 27-28 due Tuesday.

Math:
We had Acuity assessments today during our math time, so we DO NOT have math homework tonight!

Science:
Moon Journals (September calendar) is due Friday with drawings of the moon each night. If you did not see the moon or forgot to look, as I did some nights, please try to search the newspaper or Internet for the results. (If your student goes to Math Lab, he or she does not have this task.)

Social Studies:
Midwest Regions quiz on Friday over the states and their capitals. We went over this information together today, so each student should have the correct information to study for Friday. (If you student goes to Reading Lab, he or she does not have this task.)

Box Tops Collection

2011-09-26T09:37:00.000-04:00

www.boxtops4education.com

www.rewardyourschool.com
Follow these two links to help our class WIN with Box Tops! We are currently in 3rd place for the title this year! GO DICESQUAD!

Update 9/23

2011-09-23T14:56:00.000-04:00

NO HOMEWORK this weekend other than sketching the moon each night until next week. The moon calendars are due next Friday, September 30.

We have our fall party next Friday, too, at 2:30. Mrs. Bronger, our room mom, and Mrs. Webb are heading this party. A note went home at the beginning of this week requestiong dontations and $1 per student for pizza. Please contact me if you need any more information.

Friday papers are coming home today in your child's GAME File (accordian folder). Please check through those papers with your child and correct if needed. This process will greatly benefit your fifth grader!

BEF Yankee Candle packets went home today. Students have a few weeks to sell. This is another great way to support the classrooms in your child's school!

Have a wonderful last weekend of September! Next Saturday is already October 1--WOW, it's gone fast!

Reagan Recycles

2011-09-23T14:51:00.000-04:00

Reagan is recycling again this year, and we’re excited to be adding some new items to our list!
Reagan gets $.02 for each item. Last year we did drink pouches and Ziploc bags for part of the year and made $142.88!

Please send in the following items to be recycled : (bins are in the cafeteria)

Empty drink pouches (Like Caprisun, but any brand is ok. No straws or juice boxes please.)
Ziploc Bags (any brand)
Solo drink cups (any brand with #6 on the bottom, also STYROFOAM CUPS!!)
Candy wrappers (Individual Candy Wrappers, Large Candy Bags, and Multi-Pack Candy Bags - be sure to save these at Halloween!)
Glue sticks and glue bottles

Kindergarten will also be recycling old, broken crayons again this year.
Send all of these items to school as you collect! Thank you!

Update 9/22

2011-09-22T16:07:00.000-04:00

Happy Thoughtful Thursday! We have such a thoughtful group of kids here at Reagan--everyone wrote a kind note to a teacher at Reagan for today's celebration! We received many kind words/responses back from the teachers!

We had A LOT of time today to catch up on work, so very few students will have homework tonight! However, here is what is due tomorrow if not completed (two of these assignments we've had since Tuesday to complete):

Compound Sentences handout (front and back)
Time For Kids quiz handout (front and back)
3.2 Math assignment
Roberto Clemente comprehension questions

TGIF tomorrow! Enjoy this fall-like weather!

Update 9/21

2011-09-21T15:07:00.000-04:00

Wednesdays are always so busy for us! However, the time that I spend with my colleagues in the mornings at our PLC meetings is so beneficial for each of your kids! We are making so many gains with all of the strategies we're incorporating!

Thank you to ALL families for snack donations and Hershey Kisses! We are still in need of more snacks daily, but I also encourage the kids to bring their own snack, too, just in case we run out.

Also, please be sure to sign and send the party information back to school with your 5th grader! Mrs. Bronger is asking for $1 per student for pizza. Our party is next Friday at 2:30 if you want to volunteer or just come to enjoy.

Homework:
Social Studies Chapter 2 test tomorrow--study guide is to be completed ONLY for a "No Homework Pass." It is not required.

Spelling: Test tomorrow and contract activities due Thursday, too.

Science: Moon Journal--track and sketch the moon nightly on your calendar (Do not do this if you go to Math Lab).

Math: We started some different math grouping today, so the assignment tonight corresponds with Lesson 3.1, but some have the Study Link while others have a 3.1 handout. Due tomorrow.

ALL handouts we did during stations over the last few days will be due on Friday. We will attempt to work on them at some point tomorrow, but they ARE NOT homework for tonight.

Quote of the Day

2011-09-20T08:17:00.002-04:00

“...Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.” by Charles Swindoll

Update 9/19

2011-09-19T10:13:00.001-04:00

We are completely out of snacks for our "brain fuel" mornings. If you can donate any healthy items such as Cheez-Its, Pretzels, Granola Bars, etc., that would be super! We do have some dietary needs in the classroom, so please be cautious of the following ingredients:
Egg whites/eggs
Dried onions
Garlic
Gelatin
Meats/Fish oils

We are also VERY low on Hershey Kisses and other small items for our "Initiative Dice Box." These items motivate the kids to do small acts of kindness or the use of initiative around the building and the classroom.

Homework update:

Math: Unit 2 Test tomorrow--study guide coming home again today. We reviewed this study guide in class together, as well as another guide on Friday of last week.
Social Studies: Chapter 2 Test Thursday-Review guide will come home Tuesday after we discuss and complete together.
Social Studies: Workbook pages 25 and 26 due Tuesday
Reading: Workbook pages 23 and 24 due Tuesday
Reading: Unit 1 Test on Friday over the first 6 stories, skills, and vocabulary words
Spelling: Contract due Thursday and test over words on Thursday (We have at least 15 minutes a day to work on contracts in class.)

Update 9/16

2011-09-16T15:19:00.000-04:00

Go BULLDOGS! Beat Avon!

We have no homework this weekend, however we do have a few things coming next week that everyone needs to be aware of:

Math: Unit 2 Test Tuesday--a study guide went home today. It is NOT homework, but rather students that complete the packet will receive a "No Homework Pass" for a future assignment.

Social Studies: Chapter 2 test will be Thursday--we will review this chapter next week.

Friday Folders went home today with graded papers and picture information. Picture Day is October 4. Everyone will be pictured that day, even if a package is NOT purchased.

Have a safe, relaxing, and fun-tabulous weekend!

9/15 Update

2011-09-15T15:11:00.000-04:00

A whirlwind of a day, but a very productive one at that! Each of the kids were given 20 minutes at the end of the day to "catch-up" on any unfinished work, writing, reading, etc. Homework tonight, if any, should be minimal because of this alloted extra time today.

Entertaiment Book orders went home yesterday. Please let me know if you did not receive the books you ordered.

Homework:
Math: 2.10 Mathboxes due Friday (this is different than Study Links pages) We will have a math test on Tuesday next week. Please look for a review packet and test alert tomorrow.

Reading: Elena quiz tomorrow over vocabulary and comprehension of story. The Elena comprehension questions, and the backside of that same page, are due tomorrow. Answering these questions, working with the vocabulary words, and/or discussing them with your child will help him or her succeed on tomorrow's test.

Social Studies: Southeast Regions state locations on a US map and capitals quiz on Friday--study guides went home on Monday and we've been working with this region throughout the week.

9/14 Update

2011-09-14T14:36:00.000-04:00

Thank you to all students and families for your thoughts over the last few days for my family. For those of you that don't know, my grandma passed last week, so I was out at her funeral all day Tuesday and half day Monday afternoon.

Now we're back to our normal routine . . .
Spelling: Test tomorrow and contract due tomorrow, too.
Reading: Elena quiz on Friday
Social Studies: Southeast Regions quiz on Friday (a study guide was filled out, discussed, and should be in your child's GAME file for studying)
Math: Study Link 2.9 Lattice Multiplication practice

Have a great Wednesday night!

9/9 Update

2011-09-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

Parents and 5th graders,
My apologies for the lack of posts to the blog this week. My grandmother has been very ill, and when I was not here, I was sitting with her. She passes away this morning, so I am sure I will be out some time at the beginning of next week. I assure you, however, that the kids will be in good hands here.

We DO NOT have any homework this weekend. All kids will bring home papers from the week, however, although there are very few. PLEASE be sure to check through your child's GAME accordion folder for Friday papers and to help keep it organized. We have a Market Day order form going home today, as well.

Starting next week, spelling contracts and test will be on Thursdays. I am sending home the spelling lists and contracts today so students that wish to get a jumpstart on the activities can do so this weekend.

Update 9/2

2011-09-02T07:21:00.000-04:00

I am out today at a writing workshop. The kids are aware of this. I just wanted to be sure to mention a few changes, as well as things coming up next week.

Spelling: New spelling lists and contracts (same sheet) are going home today. The tests will officially begin on Thursdays during the week of September 12, and the contracts will be due on Thursdays, too. This coming week, though, the test will be on Friday and the contract will be due Friday, too (shortened week).

Social Studies: We will have a Chapter 1 test on Thursday next week. We will prepare for this test at school, but some home study will be necessary.

Math: We started Unit 2 this week. Please work on Study Link pages with your child to enhance his or her understanding of the skills.

Health: We began creating commercials yesterday. We will complete this activity at school.

Have a super three-day weekend! I will be checking email periodically over the weekend since I was out today. Thanks for a wonderful August!

Update 8/31

2011-08-31T14:10:00.000-04:00

Please read the other post from today titled "PSG Fundraiser Update" for important and fun ways to volunteer without actually being here at Reagan!

Social Studies:
We are working on a regions scrapbook throughout the year. This scrapbook should stay in your child's GAME File, in the SS section.

We will have a Northeast Regions quiz on Friday. The students completed a study guide and we have discussed the guide two times together this week.

Reading:
We have a quiz over the story "Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family". The kids are encouraged to bring home their reading books tonight and tomorrow night to prepare for the vocabulary and comprehension skills on this quiz.

Math:
Homework tonight is to read the Family Letter for Unit 2 with a family member (if possible). I will also send this letter via email today. The results of our first math test were AWESOME! Thanks to all students and family members that guided them--your hard word was well worth it!

Spelling:
Spelling will resume next week. There are a few students that have tested out of spelling for this nine weeks, so those students will have vocabulary words instead. You will know whether your child is on a spelling list or a vocabulary list by Tuesday of next week.

PSG Fundraiser Update

2011-08-31T13:54:00.000-04:00

Take a look at all the ways you can contribute to your child's school/classroom without lifting a finger:

1) Entertainment Books: Our class has sold a total of 10+ books so far. The books will pay for themselves, so think holiday gifts, birthday gifts, etc. The class who sells the most books wins a pizza party. There are prizes for every level of selling, too. Even for just selling one book, students will receive Alvin prizes the day the order(s) is returned.

2) Box Tops: Even though our first contest has not officially started, I wanted to alert you to a couple of great ways to earn Box Tops for our school. The first is the Meijer special that is going on only through today, August 31st. Meijer is a Box Tops GOLD MINE! Each time you purchase 10 Box Tops products, you get a certificate good for 70 Bonus Box Tops (it prints by the receipt). The trick is you can do mulitple purchases in one day. If you would like to see a list of all of Meijer's Box Tops items, go here: http://www3.meijer.com/boxtop/list.pdf. Please begin sending Box Tops into school as you have them.

3) Avery products is also offering a contest based on voting. The top five schools at the end of the promotion will each win $10,000 worth of Avery School Supplies, 10,000 Bonus Box Tops coupons, and $1,000 worth of gift cards. Twenty-five runner-up schools will also win 5,000 Bonus Box Tops coupons!

Reagan is really moving up the ranks! As of this morning, we are in 475th place (after starting somewhere in the 3000s less than 2 weeks ago). In the last several days, we have been gaining about 100 positions a day. Many of our Box Tops committee volunteers are voting, but we could use your help too. This contest only lasts a few more weeks and is over on Sept 16th, so please vote daily to help us. It literally only takes a few seconds. To join in, visit http://givebacktoschools.avery.com/

Let's all work together to make Reagan more spectacular than it already is! Plus, it sure would be fun to win a pizza party and prizes!

Update 8/30

2011-08-30T15:40:00.000-04:00

What a busy but productive learning day today!

If students finished page 14 from their social studies workbooks, there is no other homework due tomorrow. We will, however, have a reading quiz on Friday over this week's story and vocabulary (Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family) and the Northeast Regions states and capitals (study guide went home Monday). I will link a few new sites to the links section of this blog tonight.

Just to clarify: Those students attending the reading lab in the mornings DO NOT have social studies requirements. Those students attending the math lab in the afternoons DO NOT have science and/or health requirements. I will specifically discuss each assignment with each individual child. Please contact me if you are not sure.

Keep selling those Entertainment Books! Due September 8!

Update 8/29

2011-08-29T15:34:00.000-04:00

We had a very busy Monday! The kids, as a whole, seemed totally on it today all across the curriculum! That's great news for the progress we're making each day!

Assignment Avenue:
Math: Unit 1 Assessment on Tuesday--all students should bring home his or her Student Reference Book (SRB) and Math Journal to guide studying. They each have a new study guide, too, that is for studying/practice purposes only. It is not a grade nor required to complete for a grade. We reviewed the other study guide as a class today and students had the opportunity to work in a small group with me during math, as well as at recess is desired.

Social Studies-We will have a Northeast regions quiz on Friday this week. Students received a handout this morning to complete (locate the state in an atlas and list its capital). We reviewed this handout together this afternoon so students can use it for a study guide for Friday.

Reading: Workbook pages 11-12 due Tuesday (Students were given 12 minutes to complete in class today with a partner.)

Health: Ad Techniques handout due Tuesday (Students were introduced to the various types of techniques in advertisements briefly today. We also discussed this handout thoroughly before giving the kids 5 minutes to begin working on the matching section.)

NO SPELLING THIS WEEK!

Have a wonderful evening! I know the assignment lists seems lengthy, but please be advised that I allow students a lot of time to complete these activities in class (other than test prep). In fact, we had 15 minutes (car riders and walkers) to 25 minutes (bus riders) to complete any unfinished work today or ask questions about anything.

Reading/Vocabulary

2011-08-29T15:25:00.000-04:00

Each week, we will focus on the current story in the book (green reader). This week's story is "Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family" page 72. The vocabulary and comprehension questions to guide students are in the book as well. We will take a quiz over the vocabulary words and comprehension of the story every Friday unless otherwise stated.

Picture Day

2011-08-29T10:33:00.000-04:00

As you're planning ahead, school picture day will be Tuesday, October 4. We will send home picture packages as soon as they arrive.

Update 8/26

2011-08-26T14:08:00.000-04:00

Go Bulldogs! Come out to see all of the BJFL players in their uniforms on the field tonight as the Bulldogs take on a win!

We WILL NOT have a spelling list next week. We are working out a system to challenge those students that ace spelling each week, so we're allowing ourselves some time to figure it all out. We will let you know how the system will work once we know the answers.

Instead of spelling next week, the students will have a Northeast Regions quiz. Students will fill out the states inside this region on Monday. They will be tested over this region on Friday. Of course, this will be something they have time to work on and study at the end of each day, too, and we will continue lessons about this region all next week. It will also be on the Assignment Ave. board daily.

We have our first unit test in Math on Tuesday over Unit 1. The students are bringing home a Test Alert handout with page numbers to focus their studying. They also have a study guide to work on (not an assignment, but highly recommended) in order to prepare for the test. We will also review Unit 1 on Monday. Students can access the math website, too, at http://www.everydaymathonline.com to play games, access the textbook and journal pages, as well as have the book read to them. Each student has a login and password--it is coming home today, too. Each student was also told to bring home his or her SRB and Math Journal for studying this weekend.

I updated the gradebook today, however, I'm not sure if the system updates the grades until Monday at 4. You should see any missing and/or late assignments in your child's PowerSchool account, as well as all grades thus far in 5th grade.

Please continue to attempt to sell just 1 Entertainment book for our school. It really holds some pretty amazing coupons that each family would use (even for Kroger). All books and/or money is due by Thursday, September 8.

Have a relaxing, fun-filled weekend!

Update 8/24

2011-08-24T15:50:00.001-04:00

Happy Middle-of-the-Week Wednesday!

Please read the "Entertainment Fundraiser" post from today, as well.

We are super, super low on snacks. This is a time of day that the kids LOVE! If you have a chance to send in a few healthy snacks for 25 kids, that would be so helpful.

We also reward with Hershey Kisses in our classroom for initiative-type things. I purchased the first few hundred kisses, but a donation of more would be so generous, as well.

Volunteers: If any parent would like to volunteer at any time, please contact me via email or phone. I enjoy having parent volunteers in the classroom working with kids, or I can put you to work doing other things--your choice!

Ask you kids about "purple-WOW" words tonight!

Homework List:

Math--Study Link 1.7 due Thursday (Math test mid-next week--study guide going home soon)
Science/Health--Respect Authority handout page 47-48 due Thursday
Spelling--Lesson 2 Contract due Friday AND spelling test Friday
Reading--Reading vocabulary and comprehension test Friday
Social Studies--States and Capitals quiz will be some time in September

We completed literary stations again today. From those stations were three different pages to complete by Friday: A World Puzzle, See Behind Trees comprehension questions, and Homophones. We will pull these papers out of our GAME Files tomorrow, provide time to complete, and place on our assignment board tomorrow afternoon. THEY ARE NOT DUE UNTIL FRIDAY!

Entertainment Fundraiser

2011-08-24T15:43:00.000-04:00

Entertainment fundraiser books came home today! We are so excited for each child to try to sell just one book! Each child that sells one book will receive a prize (Alvin and the Chipmunks gear)! We're having a friendly competition with the other fifth grade classes to sell the most entertainment books by Thursday, September 8. The class that sells the most will enjoy a class party (pizza, popcorn, ice cream: the kids' choice)! I know we can WIN that party, so rally, rally, rally!

Each child brought home one book today and an envelope for collecting money and orders. The book your child received is a sample for family, friends, neighbors, etc., but is not to be sold to those people. The orders should be taken on the envelope and money should be collected and turned in on or before September 8. If each family wants to purchase just the sample book, please send the money and order form into school by September 8.

There are so many amazing prizes for students that sell these books. They are $30 each. Students that sell one OR two or more books will receive prizes! And, if we meet our goal of $9,000, Mr. Chambers, our princpal, will dress up like a pirate all day on September 19!

Update 8/22

2011-08-22T13:04:00.001-04:00

Parents and 5th Graders,
Many families have been so generous to send bags of snacks in for the class to share for our daily "brain fuel!" We still have two bags of pretzels that we will enjoy this week, but a little variety is nice, too. If you're out and about, and can take a minute to grab a snack for 25 kids, the entire Dicesquad would greatly appreciate your donation. Food donations can be sent in at any time. Please remember that all snacks need to qualify for a "healthy food": 5% of nutrient values minimum, and sugar cannot be the first ingredient. ***Students are welcome to bring their own snacks, too, and a water bottle each day.

We have a geography quiz tomorrow. I've linked a few of the sites to the blog that we used to review to for the quiz today. Your child also received a study guide on Friday and is encouraged to bring home his or her social studies book tonight.

We will finish up Unit 1 in math this week. We will be testing over Unit 1 at the beginning of next week, possibly Tuesday or Wednesday. I will provide a study guide for this assessment, and we will review in class, too.

Spelling contracts and lists go home tonight. The contract is due Friday. The spelling test will be on Friday, too.

You can expect a Stud Link math assignment each night, unless your child finishes it at school. It's an important key to the succes of this math program, but our hour and 20 minute math block does not allow much time to finish the assignments each day.

Have a great week! I will continue to update as needed throughout the week.

Update 8/19

2011-08-19T13:50:00.000-04:00

Each student should bring home their Friday papers today from the week. There are just a few today, but please expect them each Friday in their folder (that should be in their GAME expandable files). Please return the folder on Monday.

We will have a geography quiz on Tuesday. The kids have a study guide and their social studies books at their seats. They were asked to pack the books with their things tonight, just in case they have some to work on the study guide this weekend. We WILL go over the study guide to review, along with playing a review game, on Monday.(Those students attending the learning lab for reading WILL NOT take this quiz).

Upcoming Events:
Friday, August 19: Brownsburg Bulldog Football Game against McCutcheon
Monday, August 22: Learning Labs officially begin
Wednesday, August 24: 9:00 PSG Fundraiser Kickoff Convocation
Thursday, August 25: Computer Lab as a special

August 17 Update

2011-08-17T14:37:00.000-04:00

We are full swing now! I just love this group of kids . . . they are all so generous, helpful, and genuinely enjoy learning (most of the time)!

We have a few assignments tonight:
Math: Study Link workbook page for 1.2--your child was instructed to pull this page out of his or her workbook two different times today, and then we discussed its difference from a mathbox assignment. It is due Thursday.

Spelling: Contracts and spelling tests will be due/on Friday. We will complete one more review activity tomorrrow before the kids head home.

Social Studies: We discussed latitude and longitude today--we also played a pretty fun game called "Treasure Hunt" that I've linked to the bottom of this blog. Students have handout p9 and p10 to complete for tomorrow.

Please know that my email is always "open" for any parent that wishes to talk with me. I will also check my voicemail messages each morning and after school, if you wish to leave me a message. My goal is to really get to know these kids for who they are--I've started this goal with the "Handle with Care" forms each parent filled out for me. I've enjoyed reading them, and I do plan to put those "ideas" and "concerns" into action.

Thank you for a great first week! It's hard to believe we've already been in school for 6 days!

Websites

2011-08-17T14:23:00.000-04:00

I will always add websites that we use in class to this blog (at the bottom). Here is the Treasure Hunt game we played today to review latitude and longitude. You will also find it in the links below. Enjoy!

http://www.abcya.com/latitude_and_longitude_practice.htm

Monday, August 15 Update

2011-08-15T16:01:00.000-04:00

Our first official Monday has come to an end . . . it was a VERY busy day, so I’m certain your 5^th grader will be EXHAUSTED! This is one of our vocabulary words this week, too—perfect, huh?

The EDM Unit 1 Family Letter was attached to an email today. This information will provide the parents (and students) with an understanding of what we will be doing in the math over the course of the unit. The answers to the Study Links are also on the back page of the letter for reference, if needed.

Please check the blog each evening for important information-the link was sent home with your child, and it's also at the end of my emails. I plan to update the blog before 4:00pm each day, but things do come up, and that may not always be possible. For the next few weeks, I will put assignments with due dates, as well as long-term projects on the blog. Once we hit September, the kids cannot use it as the only resource for finding assignment information; they MUST still use their assignment notebooks.

ALL students were given at least 35 minutes at the end of the day to work on any unfinished work. If the time was used wisely, there should be only 30 minutes or so of homework tonight. That time limit should be expected most nights, too. However, the time your child spends on staying on task and listening to directions in class is important to keep that time-frame in place.

Thanks for a great first few days! The kids seem excited to learn, and the kids and parents have all been so sweet with generous comments of the classroom. It means a lot!

Assignments:

Math: Study Link (S.L) 1.1 page 1 due Tuesday

Reading: Workbook pages 1-2 due Tuesday

Social Studies: World Map due Tuesday (coloring is extra credit, not required)

Spelling: New list went home--test on Friday; Contract due Friday

Science: Popcorn bar graph "What's Poppin'? due Tuesday

Welcome to a New Year!

2011-08-12T07:09:00.000-04:00

Parents and 5th graders--I really enjoyed meeting many of you on Monday night at Parent Information Night! We've also had two really great days in 5th grade! I am so excited for all of the excitement this school year will bring--our team of teachers has some pretty cool things planned to guide each student toward a successful year, and to successfully prepare each student for middle school next fall.

Please be patient with me as I get the beginning of the year things together, including a group email. That is my main goal today so that we can all communicate with one another easily.

Things coming up . . .
We are creating a "Science in Our World" collage, so the kids were asked to scour around the house for news clippings, magazine pictures, Internet images, etc., that represent science being used. Students should try to bring at least 5 pictures for their collages. We discussed many examples at school, so this should not be too tough. Drawing pictures is also acceptable. I'd like all pictures to be at school by Monday.

Contact information is coming home today, but just in case, here it is:
Lindsey Hill
Reagan Elementary
852-1060 x2640
lhill@brownsburg.k12.in.us
http://dicesquad.blogspot.com

End of the Year Auction

2011-05-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

We are holding an "End of the Year Auction" next week for a chance to spend our Brown Bucks before heading off for the summer. However, the auctioneer could really use some extra special items for auctioning off by next Thursday. I am not asking you to purchase anything new, but maybe you have an extra item in a "regifting" closet, or an item set aside to place in a garage sale that you'd like to donate!!! I have a few items already, but could really use some more. Here are some ideas:

Packages of gum
Hershey Kisses
Football/Basketball/Baseball cards
Fun pens/pencils
Gift cards
Bags
Healthy snacks/treats
Candy on Healthy Food Guide Line List
Individual drinks
$ store items
Decorations for locker (mirror, pen holder, notepad)
Magazines
Hair items/Hats
Notepads

Thank you for helping ALL year with donations!
Looking forward to the next 7 days as we celebrate together!

Breakfast Club

2011-05-17T09:36:00.000-04:00

Our final two Breakfast Club breakfasts will take place this week and next week. ALL students invited to April's BF Club this Friday already received an invitation.

I will be sending home invitations for the final BF Club this week. We will meet next Wednesday at 8:20. Congratulations to ALL students that attended at least 1 BF Club to celebrate you're successes!

Congratulations Payton!

2011-05-17T09:33:00.000-04:00

Our friend and classmate, Payton, submitted a poem and was selected as a finalist to be published with Creative Communications! Please join me in congratulating her on her success!

Victory Field Info

2011-05-17T09:22:00.000-04:00

We head to Victory Field on Thursday, May 19!!!! The buses will pull out of Brown's parking lot by 9:15.

ALL STUDENTS MUST BRING $$$ FOR CONCESSIONS AND OTHER ITEMS THAT DAY!

At this point, the weather @ http://www.weather.com/ calls for a high of 69 degrees and partly cloudy (or partly sunny if you're an optimist)! However, the low is 54 degrees that morning. We will keep our fingers crossed for dry weather, and warm weather will be a bonus!

Please dress accordingly for the weather and the event. We will be doing a lot of walking, so gym shoes are preferrable. Also, let's plan to wear our BLACK 5th grade t-shirts (if you have one) or just a black t-shirt.

Keeping All the Forms Organized!

2011-05-05T07:27:00.000-04:00

One of the kids said yesterday, "There are just too many papers to return!" I totally agree, but if we don't get them out there, many of the exciting end of the year activities we have won't be successful--so I thought I'd lay it out here to help organize all of the forms:

5th Grade Party donations--half white sheet sent home Wednesday--due as soon as possible
Marsville Volunteer on May 24--Blue sheet sent home last week
Marsville T-shirt iron on volunteer opportunity--sent home Wednesday--due if interested
Picnic/end of the year party permission slip and donations--sent home Monday--RSVP and permission slip due as soon as possible
T-shirt size for Marsville--not paper form, but important information that is needed to order shirts--need by Friday
Baseball permission slip--sent home last Thursday--due by May 13 for all students: all parent volunteers riding the bus have been notified. All other parents are welcome to join us at the field, too, but will purchase tickets at the gate and find us in Section 120.

Weekly Citizenship Grade

2011-04-29T11:22:00.000-04:00

With a recent decline is motivation to do our best efforts, and in an effort to prepare the students for the many expectations, responsibilities, and privileges that come with moving on to middle school, your child will receive one citizenship grade per week for the next four weeks. **This will be in addition to earning Brown Bucks as a school-wide behavior plan.

All students with 85% or higher for a citizen grade for the week will receive one extra recess on Friday afternoons. This will allow the students who continually follow their life skills and life-long guidelines to be rewarded for those efforts.

My hope is that this new system will stress to the students that fun activities, such as the Indians baseball trip, Field Day, Marsville, and our class picnic party are privileges, or rewards, for students who follow classroom and school expectations. Should any one student struggle to note these privileges, his or her parent will be notified and special rewards could be at risk.

All students will start the week with a 100% A+ for citizenship. The following are possible reasons for a decrease of 5% for each issue, but are not limited to this list:

Not following classroom rules/expectations
Using inappropriate language or tone
Being unkind to others
Being told more than one time to do something
Not following hallway or lunchroom and recess rules
Not following specials’ class rules

Kindergarten Service Learning

2011-04-28T13:12:00.002-04:00

Clothing Needed for Brown Clinic!

For our 2011 Service Learning project, the kindergarten students are helping to collect clothing for our clinic. Students who spill something on their clothes, have an accident, or otherwise need a change of clothing often visit the clinic for a change of clothes. Unfortunately, many of these items do not get returned to the nurse after they are lent out. We are collecting gently used (no holes or stains, please) or new items to stock the clinic.

• Our Clinic’s TOP Need: Boys’ clothing, ALL SIZES, but especially sizes 10-16

• NEW packages of underwear or socks, all children’s sizes (all underclothes provided by the clinic MUST be brand new & does not need to be returned after wearing)

• Boys or girls pants, shorts, & shirts, sizes 6-16, regular, slim, & husky

• Jackets

• Mittens or gloves
You may bring clean clothing items to donate to school from May 2-13 and place in boxes located outside each kindergarten classroom. If we receive more clothing than our clinic can store, we will donate the excess to Goodwill and other Brownsburg school clinics. Thank you for supporting kindergarten service learning!

Class Picnic Rescheduled

2011-04-28T13:11:00.002-04:00

Our class picnic/end of the year party will be held on Thursday, May 26 beginning at 12:20, our lunch time. Information will go home about this event tomorrow. Please make this change on your calendars. Thanks

Week of 4/22 Update

2011-04-22T09:34:00.001-04:00

HAPPY EARTH DAY! DO SOMETHING THAT'S "EARTH FRIENDLY" TODAY!

Portfolio Night/Middle School Orientations

East Middle School's Orientation is Tuesday, May 10th from 6:30-8:30.
West Middle School's Orientation is Wednesday, May 11th at 6:30.
Brown Elementary Portfolio and Data Night is Tuesday, May 10th from 6-7. The Book Fair will remain open until 7:30.

Picnic: Monday, May 23 @ 12:15-3:00

Information about the class picnic will go home next week. I'm still finalizing the details. However, the time has changed a bit to correlate with all of our schedules the wrap up the school year. Please change that time on your calendars.

ISTEP Snacks

2011-04-13T19:51:00.000-04:00

I just received the ISTEP schedule for the week of Monday, April 25-Thursday, April 28. We will test twice on Monday and Thursday: one test in the morning and one in the afternoon. We will only test once on Tuesday and Wednesday of that week in the morning.

Our generous PSG parents purchased one snack per day for each student in our class for the March tests. However, they will NOT be purchasing snacks for the April tests. If any parents are willing to send a healthy snack into school for one of those days, I know the kids would be ecstatic! They look forward to the treats after working their brains to the limits!

We do have a few allergies, however, that need to be considered. Since items must be store-bought, please check the ingredients for tree nuts, strawberries, and peaches. We CANNOT have any treats/snacks with these items in the ingredients. If you can send something pre-packaged for 29 students, that works best for our large group.

Thanks in advance for sending snacks to school!

Picture Day--It's Not Too Late

2011-04-13T11:56:00.001-04:00

Some students in our class took their spring pictures today with Kim Berry and her Captured Memories' crew. Only students that had order forms were photographed today. However, if you did not turn in a form today with your child, but you'd really like him or her to get a spring picture, Kim will return tomorrow for an additional picture day. Just send the form and payment on Thursday, April 14 with your child, and a picture will be taken at some point during the day . . . hopefully earlier in the day since it is PE day.

(The pictures are from the shoulders up, so dressing completely in "picture" clothes is not necessary.)

Dates/Update 4/12

2011-04-12T09:28:00.003-04:00

Dates: (See below for more information for each date)

April 13: Spring Pictures
Aprl 19: Math Test Unit 9
April 25: ISTEP begins
April 29: Baseball Field Trip permissin slips go home
May 3: PSG Meeting at 6 PM
May 5: Chicken Biscuits sale
May 9-May 14: Scholastic Book Fair
May 10: Portfolio Night & Open House--Time TBA
May 13: Grandparent's Breakfast 8 AM
May 19: Baseball Field Trip to Victory Field
May 19: Fifth Grade Party (after field trip)
May 20: Field Day
May 23: Class picnic
May 24: Marsville
May 27: Last student day (snow make up day)

All myth writings have been completed! Now we're just waiting on a few illustrations for the myths before we can officially "publish" them. The illustrations are due tomorrow, Wednesday, April 13.

Also tomorrow is picture day--Parents can get an order form from the Brown Elementary web page if one is needed for picture day tomorrow. I also have a couple of extras I can send home today if needed. Just let Mrs. Hill know. If a child DOES NOT have an order form and payment, he or she will NOT be photographed. Our pictures will take place at 11:00 tomorrow, Wednesday, April 13.

We have a snow make-up day on Monday, April 18! YEAH--more time to learn! Smiling!

Math Test: We originally scheduled our math test for Unit 9 on Friday. However, we're not getting through the unit as I had planned. Therefore, we will postpone the test until Tuesday, April 19. We will finish the unit and prep for the test prior to Tuesday. A study guide will go home this week to prepare the students for the contents of the test.

ISTEP is quickly approaching. This year, fifth grade students will take this portion of the ISTEP test (multiple choice) on the computer. We will complete a practice test today in order to understand how it will work. ISTEP week begins Monday, April 25 and will continue each day that same week. Please try to get to school on those days on time, and reschedule any appointments, if possible, so your child does not miss any of the testing.

We are headed to Victory Field on Thursday, May 19 to watch the Indianapolis Indians play a baseball game! We will send home permission slips on Friday, April 29. We have five reserved spaces for parent volunteers, however, we would LOVE to have as many other parents attend as wish to, too. Those parents, beyond the 5 volunteers, will need to MEET us at the field rather than ride the bus with the class and will need to purchase a ticket at the gate.

Thursday, May 19: Fifth Grade party after field trip!!! More information to come . . .
Friday, May 20 is Brown Elementary's Field Day! Please email Macy McMullen if you'd like to volunteer for the day! We'd love to have as many parents to cheer us on that day as possible! We will be wearing our team tshirts and pink bandanas!

Monday, May 23: Class picnic--More information to come . . . many parent volunteers and/or donations requested soon . . .

Tuesday, May 24 is our Marsville event! Parents are welcomed to attend and highly encouraged. More information to come . . .

TBA:

Another Celebration!

2011-04-05T11:29:00.000-04:00

We have many, many reasons to celebrate in our classroom, but one particular reason is that we've offcially finished ALL NWEA and SRI testing for the spring!!!!

Our reading scores were AMAZING!!!!!

27 out of 29 students met his or her growth goal for the NWEA!!!

27 out of 29 students increased his or her Lexile reading level on the SRI since the fall!

All of your hard work, Dicesquad, has been worth it!

Yearbooks

2011-04-05T11:26:00.000-04:00

Yearbooks are in! I will pass out a yearbook to ALL students that ordered one earlier this year. If you did not order a yearbook and would like to do so, please bring $15 on Wednesday morning for a "first-come-first-served" sale in the office.

Spring Pictures

2011-04-05T11:24:00.000-04:00

This year our spring pictures will be taken by a local company, Captured Memories. We will take pictures on two days, April 13th and 14th. Grades K, 1 and 5 will be on Wednesday, April 13th. Grades 2, 3 and 4 will be on Thursday, April 14th. Please watch your child's folder/backpack for an order form coming home TODAY. Orders and payments will be due the day that pictures are taken, and pictures will only be taken of children with an order.
If you have questions, please call the school office.

Celebration!

2011-03-23T12:56:00.000-04:00

We completed our math NWEA testing this week--I'm VERY excited to say that 25 out of 30 of our classmates either met their individual growth goal or surpassed the goal altogether! Out of the other 5 students, each of these students came within one or two points of meeting their goals, and in all 5 cases, met their goal on the winter test already this year! All of the students' (and parents') hard work in math this school year (and weeks yet to come) has prepared them for middle school! These math scores are SUPER important for middle school placements!

Wowie, Zowie Dicesquad!!!

3/18 Update

2011-03-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, we were one person up against 4th grade for winning Movie Night (reward: extra recess next week)! Let's hope we (5th graders) come out on top tonight!

West Middle School counselor, Beth Brunson, met with our class on Thursday afternoon. She passed out a form for each student to complete. We copied those forms, and the kids brought them home yesterday. If there are NO changes to your child's form, you DO NOT need to return the form to school. However, if there ARE changes to the form, please make the change, and sign and return the form by Monday.

We are in desperate need of prizes for our prize box. With the amount of money these kids make in one week, our class store has been depleted. If can donate anything for this box, I would appreciate it!

Last chances . . .

2011-03-16T10:08:00.000-04:00

Thursday morning, March 17, is your last chance to purchase tickets for the basketball toss to kickoff March Madness. Tickets will be sold for $1. All proceeds benefit Riley Hospital. Five students will have their names drawn from all of the tickets for a chance to "shoot" for a prize!

Friday morning, March 18, is your last chance to purcahse tickets for Movie Night/Social Night at Brown. Tickets are $4 per student and a maximum of $8 per family. Drop off begins at 6:15--parents will sign their students in at that time and will sign their students out at 8:15. 5th graders get EXTRA RECESS if we have the most students in attendance! Don't miss out on this fun opportunity for socialize with your peers or watch a great movie: Ramona and Beezus!

EXTRA RECESS!

2011-03-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

I knew I'd get your attention . . . "Fifth graders are the BEST! Better than the REST!"

Fourth grade students have challenged the fifth graders this year for attendance at Movie Night on Friday, March 18. All 4th and 5th grade students can attend the movie OR attend social time in the gym!

Mrs. Fiete (fourth grade teacher) and Mrs. Hill have bantered (kindly) back and forth on the afternoon announcements about which grade level will WIN! Our 5th graders are PUMPED to have the most in attendance to get an extra 30 minutes of recess next week!!!

Information regarding Movie Night went home today. Each student in 5th and 4th grades received a printed permission slip for Movie Night. Hope to see you there!

Mission Vocabulary

2011-03-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

Each student received a list of vocabulary words to know by next Wednesday. Each student MUST ONLY study the words within his or her team's titled. For examle, all members of the NAV team ONLY must study and know the words on under the NAV title.

Students will need to know these words' definitions and how to use them in a sentence. We WILL make flashcards on Monday as we define the words using resources at school. However, the students ALL have their lists now so, if they choose, the words can be worked on this weekend.

We will have a vocabulary test on Wednesday morning before we head to CLC for our Mission to Mars.

Upcoming Dates for March

2011-03-07T12:02:00.000-05:00

I am certain new things will come up between now and the end of the month, but the following are items already on our calendar for 5th graders this month.

Friday, March 11: We HAVE school for a snow make-up day. It's a B specials day, so come prepared for Art on Friday!

Monday, March 14: Musical performance practice at 2:30.

Tuesday, March 15: Musical performance in Brown's gym at 7:30. All students must meet in their classrooms by 7:15. The dress for this evening is smart casual or your Sunday's Best!

Wednesday, March 16: Challenger Learning Center Mision to Mars from 12:30 to 3:30. We will leave Brown at 12:15, so we will be eating lunch earlier on this day. Wear regular school clothes and gym shoes for comfort.

Thursday, March 17: Wear green all day today for St. Patrick's Day! Also, the middle school representatives will be coming to Brown to discuss middle school with everyone at 1:30.

Thursday, March 24: Hendricks County Waste Management program with Mrs. Archer for Landfill information at 10:30. Also, we will do Social Health that afternoon from 1:20 to 2:10.

Monday, March 28-Friday, April 1: SPRING BREAK!

Week of 3/7 Info

2011-03-07T11:54:00.001-05:00

Spelling tests have returned for this week! We will test on Wednesday. Packets are due Wednesday, as well. The list went home on Friday for those students that like to spend a little extra time on their words.

Vocabulary tests will not be taken this week!

Math 7.12 Written Assessment is due tomorrow. There is no math homework tonight, but students that wished for and have asked for extra credit were guided to complete Study Links 8.1 tonight. It is due tomorrow for extra credit only.

We began unit 8 today in math. The family letter will go home today via email.

Many students brought their quota of magazines and/or newspapers to recycle today. We're on our way to earning over 5 tons or 10,000 lbs of paper to earn money for our school. Please continue to send recyclable paper into school, and we'll be sure it finds the recycle bin!

Pennies for Peace

2011-03-04T13:41:00.000-05:00

Our first week in the Pennies for Peace campaign was a HUGE success! Let's continue to keep 5th grade in first place all while helping other kids, just like us, that need our pennies! Here are the totals for each grade level:
Kdg + Cross CAT = 356 pennies

1st grade = 4,986 pennies

2nd grade = 2,650 pennies

3rd grade = 4,605 pennies

4th grade = 1,735 pennies

5th grade = 7,460 pennies

Total = 21,792 pennies

From Ms. Harres and Mrs. McKenzie's classes: Thank you all for your support. This will make a BIG difference to children who don't have the educational opportunities that we do.
(NOTE: All contributions were converted into pennies--a one dollar bill is reported as 100 pennies.)

Attendance Challenge

2011-03-04T13:37:00.000-05:00

It's time to make attendance a priority as we come out of the cold and flu season! Attendance includes absences and tardies. Brown has dropped below its target of 97% of students in attendance, so all of the grade levels are being challenged to have great attendance with the following incentives:

Every week, the grade level that is able to achieve our attendance goal of 97% will receive a special certificate for each classroom to recognize their awesome attendance.
The grade level with the highest percentage of attendance each week will receive an extra recess period the following week!

Let the challenge begin!!

Brown Paper Drive

2011-03-03T15:40:00.000-05:00

From Mrs. Hill:

I'm asking that each member of the Dicesquad brings one newspaper or magazine to recycle each day next week. This will assist with the following incentive program for our school:

From the office:

We hope you are aware of the big green bins in the south parking lot. Each month our school earns money based on how many tons of paper we recycle. Last year we averaged 4.68 tons per month. Any month that we collect more than 4 tons we earn $15/ton. In the month of March of 2010 we collected 5.36 tons. As a special incentive our recycling company has offered to double our payment to $30/ton if we exceed the total of 5.36 tons this month. All money earned in the month of March will be used to buy items for the Brown Buck Store. Please consider dropping off your paper recyclables in our green bins during the month of March!! If it is not convenient for you to drive by the school perhaps you would consider sending your magazines or newspapers in with your child on a daily basis (be sure he/she can still safely and easily carry his/her bookbag).

If you have questions about this promotion, please call the school office!

Mars Mission Job Application

2011-03-03T15:35:00.000-05:00

Our Mission to Mars will be on Wednesday, March 16. All students have a permission slip on file and are very excited about this opportunity!

Job applications went home today along with team descriptions. ALL job applications are due by Monday, March 7. Each applicant MUST select his or her top three choices for a job after reading through the descriptions on the handout.

We discussed a few character traits that would be best for each job, and they are listed here:
Communication Team: speaks clearly, patient, prioritize well
Data Team: typing skills, prioritize well, organized
Navigation Team: listening skills, follows directions, math
Medical Team: initiative, active, reads instructions, routine oriented
Probe Team: follows and reads directions, kinesthetic learning (hands-on), reads well, works alone
Remote Team: kinesthetic learner (hands-on), math skills
Life Support Team: can hand stressful situations, math skills
Isolation Team: hand-eye coordination, reading skills, video gamer

Brown Scooper Bowl: Friday, March 4

2011-03-01T09:57:00.001-05:00

Please plan to attend the Brown "Scooper Bowl" this Friday, March 4 from 6:15 to 8:00 PM. This is a family fun night with ice cream, a silent auction, and games for kids (and parents) hosted by Wilbur Tague with Lincolnwood Toy Store. Tickets will be on sale Wednesday morning before school. $1 for a small bowl of ice cream, $2 for a large bowl of ice cream, and $1 for a bottled water.

For the silent auction portion of the evening, families will have a chance to bid on our grade level's basket or any other grade level baskets. The theme for the 5th grade basket is "Brownsburg Bulldogs". Information regarding this fund-raiser went home in the Barker last week and yesterday with the kids.***Each one of the Dicesquad members (5th graders in our class) will receive one Brown Buck for each item he or she brings in for the donation to this themed-basket.

For more information, go to the Brown Elementary website @ http://www.brownsburg.k12.in.us/brown. Click on the PSG tab.

Read Across America

2011-02-23T16:11:00.000-05:00

March 2 is Read Across America Day! We will celebrate reading in many ways on that day and the following Friday. First we will have a first grade guest reader. Then we will read Dr. Seuss books with our Kindergarten buddies. We will share a "One Fish, Two Fish" snack with our buddies, as well. Lastly, we will play a game of "Seussaphone" and "Cat Tricks" on Friday.

****PLEASE PLAN TO BRING YOUR FAVORITE DR. SEUSS BOOK TO SCHOOL BY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2!

2/22 Info

2011-02-22T14:21:00.001-05:00

Tonight/This Week's Homework:

Math--7.12 Open Response math--be sure to fully explain your answer using the four questions we used in class, if necessary (did I label?, did I use transistion words?, did I use math terms used?, and did I use a drawing?).
Writing--All Valentine letters are due by Friday--final copies
Reading--Ida B. and Maniac Magee book clubs have a circle book report due Monday. All students have a Reading Counts quiz due by the end of the day Monday, February 28.

The math test for Unit 7 will be done a bit differently as we prepare for ISTEP next week. There will NOT be a study guide going home today. We will practice in class, and we will complete the "test" in sections as a group.

Applebees Community Connections event will be Wednesday, February 23. Bring the flyer with you (that is coming home today) in order to donate 15% of your purchase to Brown Elementary! This is a perfect way to donate to your child's (children's) school.
Caribbean Cove sales will be again tomorrow morning (Wednesday). The family event will be Thursday, February 24 from 4-9p. Each partcipant MUST have a wristband in order to attend.

Spirit Wear and 5th Grade T-shirt sales will go through Tuesday, March 1. All funds raised will benefit Brown Elementary students. The sales of the 5th grade shirts will go toward our 5th grade party in May.

Yearbook orders and payments are due Monday, February 28.

Upcoming . . .

2011-02-17T12:05:00.001-05:00

***Monday, February 28 through Thursday, March 3---ISTEP Applied Skills testing in the morning for math, writing, grammar, reading comprehension, and social studies

Friday, Feb, 18

Study Links 7.7 for Math due
Book report question/answer sheet OR Book report (For Penguin book club) due
CLC Mars Mission permission slip and $10 payment due

Tuesday, Feb. 22

Explorer Picture book FINAL due
PSG Meeting @ 6:00

Wednesday, Feb 23

Purchase tickets for Caribbean Cove in the morning at school--see Brown Barker for more information
Media Center check out (Don't forget about Reading Counts quiz due at the end of each month)
No spelling this week or vocabulary.

Thursday, Feb. 24

Unit 7 Math test (a study guide will go home on Tuesday)

March 1: Spirit Wear and 5th grade teacher order forms due
March 11: End of Grading Period & Snow Make Up Day
March 28 -April 1: Spring Break

Explorer Picture Books Date Change

2011-02-17T11:54:00.001-05:00

For those students with completed picture books by Friday, February 18, each will receive extra credit for completing the book on time.

I am extending the due date for others to Tuesday, because they've run into a time crunch with very little time! This will allow anyone that wishes to use the long weekend to complete the picture book.

Reading Counts Quizzes

2011-02-15T14:22:00.000-05:00

Reminder:

Each month, each student is required to read a book at his or her Lexile level and complete a Reading Counts quiz over that book.

The reading of the book can be done at home, but the quiz must be taken at school.