Weekend . . .

I will not typically give homework (new assignments) to work on over the weekend. If we begin something on Friday, it will typically be due Tuesday. However, Book Club summaries for #1-7 are due Monday and for all Mondays until further notice. Tuesday Book Club summaries will be due on Tuesdays until further notice and so on. Please ask your 5th grader when his or her summary is due. His or her summary will be due on the same day of the week throughout this year. This summary is based on the 90 minutes of reading completed throughout the week.

We began with our very first edition of our Classroom Chronicle today. We wrote the newsletter as a class. We will continue to do so for the next several weeks. In September, students will begin writing their own newsletters with guidance from me. Each parent is asked to sign the chronicle and the students will need to return the chronicle handout each week. I will collect the newsletters and return them all at the end of the year.

Students will NOT have a typical Friday Folder this year. All papers that need to go home for the week will be in each student's mailbox by midday each Friday. We will set aside a few minutes each Friday afternoon to put these papers in the students' GAME Files. Please have your child remove those papers over the weekend.

Enjoy your weekends! Get some rest. You all did amazing this week while practicing great flexibility, organization, and teamwork skills. Thank you for all your efforts!

A Few Changes & Clarifications

"Book Club Summaries": Each student is required to read 90 minutes each week (as of Monday, August 16) and write/type a summary (on his or her own paper) each week. Each student has a specific day of the week for his or her summary to be due. Each student wrote this date in his or her assignment notebook on Monday, so please see that for a due date for your child's summary.

Assignment notebooks: We will discuss assignments in length throughout the day, but we will also discuss them again at 3:20 each day. Students are going to hold onto the responsiblity of filling the assignments out according to the Assignmen Avenue board. I WILL NOT be signing notebooks each evening, as I previously said I would do. I will, however, begin signing on an individual basis should it become an issue.

I sent an email to all parents and students that provided me with an email address. If you did not get the email, please let me know as soon as possible.

Thursday is PE--5th graders, Wear your gym shoes!

5th Grade with the Dicesquad

WOW! What a busy, busy day, but also a very great beginning to a very full class of 5th graders!

Students, please be sure to give your parents the letter regarding math games for this Friday. We are very excited about the games, but really need parents to create some of them for us prior to next week.

I am currently working on getting a parent and student email group together for easy communication. Therefore, if you'd like me to have your email address (kids), please let me know the address soon.

Book Club started today. Each student should have written down his or her book club due date. The first group of kids, #1-7, have a summary due on Monday, August 23. The summary must summarize the student's reading for the week. Each student should try to read at least 90 minutes a week with a book of his or her choice at this time.

School pictures will be Wednesday, August 25. Information regarding packages will go home on Friday.

Our specials schedule, which I will post to the class website are:
Monday: Spanish
Tuesday: Art
Wednesday: Music
Thursday: PE
Friday: This week is Spanish.

PSG is purchasing t-shirts for all students this year to use throughout the year for various team activities. Our fifth grade was asked to create a design for the backside of the shirt. This is an optional activity, however a finished product must be at school by Friday morning in order to be considered.

Please sign assignment notebooks each night for the month August.

Mrs. Hill’s 5th Graders’ Supply Lists

This list is just a little different than the one online and at the stores. If you've already purchased supplies, no worries--I will have extras! We're just trying a few new things this year, so some of the original items aren't as needed, but will work just fine.

1 plastic accordion file with button/strap closure: at least 6 files inside—preferably 8 files

Pens: blue or black (or add a little fun to it and bring a green, purple, or teal—NO RED)

1 highlighter—(we need a variety of colors, but we DO NOT need yellow)

No. 2 pencils—1 package (Mechanical is fine with me—I will provide the other kind of pencils for testing in the spring)

1 black ultra fine point Sharpie marker

1 non-spiral composition notebook

1 spiral notebook: wide ruled (one subject or preferably multi-subject)

1 pair of scissors (pointed)

1 large glue stick

1 box of tissues

1 package of index cards (for vocabulary)

2 pocket folders, for Music and PE

1 box of colored pencils

2 dry erase markers—larger size

2 packs of Post-it Notes (various sizes)

Boys: 1 package or boxes of baby wipes and one roll of paper towel

Girls: 1 four pack multicolored permanent poster markers

If you want to purchase, but not a requirement:

Pencil sharpener with closure

Crayola Markers

1 small supply box (we’re trying some new things this year with supplies so it will help keep you more organized, but not necessary)

***All things italics items were added by me if you choose—the spiral notebook and the index cards are the only italics items that are a MUST.

IMPORTANT: Saturday "Thoughtfulness"

Last minute idea: I am heading out in the morning, Saturday, July 17 to support the Bret Neylon Paralysis Foundation with Race for Recovery. Mrs. Green, a teacher at our school, has a son name Eric that recently was injured and is recovery in the hospital. Some of the proceeds of this event will benefit Eric's care. Check out www.racetorecovery.org.

The run/walk begins at 8:30 AM at Brownsburg East Middle School. I plan to arrive by 7:45 to register at Door #12, but registration begins at 6:30 and runs until 8:00. It's $25 to enter. I will be walking, not running, so if you have no other plans and want to do a "thoughtful" thing for someone in our community and with our Brown Family, please join me!


Hope to see you there!

August Celebration

We had an awesome turn out in last week at DQ to celebrate our reading and math successes this summer so far! We all decided it would be fun to meet again before school starts to "kickoff" a new year with new friends, new knowledge, and a new room!

Let's meet at Donatos in Brownsburg on Tuesday, August 10 at 12:00. They have individual pizza options with breadsticks. I will attempt to reserve the party room for that date and time. If for some reason that date does not work, I will post the new date and time here.

Hope to see you there to hear all about your amazing summer before 5th grade!

Summer Reading and Math Celebration

I would love to see everyone and hear all about your summer so far! Cory and I will be hanging out next Thursday, July 8 while Camden goes to Ms. McCammack's house for his playtime. Cory has camp at Arbuckle that morning, but we're planning to head to Dairy Queen for lunch and treats at 12:00 if anyone would like to join us!

Hope to see you on Thursday, July 8 at 12:00 at DQ to celebrate all of the accomplishments we've made so far this summer with reading and math!