What a blast we had during Field Day today!  Relays, Buddy Stations, Zumba, and Jolly Ball were just some of the fun activities in which the students participated.  We even enjoyed a “Jazzy Lunch” on the school’s front lawn and were provided with live entertainment by a local musician.  I have posted some pictures on our classroom Photo Gallery if you’d like to take a peek!

Next week it’s back to the grind as we spend time preparing for and taking some of the fifth grade SOL tests.  On Wednesday, May 23^rd the students will be taking the Reading SOL and on Thursday, May 24^th they will take Science.  Please make sure on these days that your child is well rested, arrives to school on time, eats a healthy breakfast, and comes with a positive attitude!

Certainly a nice reward for all of their hard work will be the four-day Memorial Day holiday from Friday, May 25^th through Monday, May 28^th!  I’m sure after a restful break that they will come back to school renewed and ready to tackle the Math SOL test on Thursday, June 7^th!

Thanks so much for your continued support at home and please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Taking a look back at last week, it all began with our fun-filled field trip to Washington, D.C. on Monday.  It was a very pleasant day and the students very much enjoyed their visit to the nation’s capital.  The pictures I took that day have been posted on our classroom photo gallery if you’d like to check them out!

On Tuesday I began celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week in a big way!  I sincerely appreciate all of the lovely flowers, the much needed school supplies, the kind notes, and all of the awesome gift cards to some of my very favorite places that I received.  My wonderful students and their families really know how to make a teacher feel special!

We ended the week with the annual Spring Carnival.  We couldn’t have asked for a better evening for all of the festivities.  It was nice to see so many of my students there and it looked as if everyone was having a good time.

Next week, please be on the lookout for interim report cards, which will be coming home on Tuesday.  Finally, the students will be in for a treat as Friday is Field Day!  Mr. Rutman has planned a wonderful event and I know that the students will have a great time.

I hope that everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend and to all those moms out there who might be reading this, Happy Mother’s Day!

These students proudly represented our class on the annual Eagle Express chorus trip to Cedarfield, a local retirement community.

It’s finally here!  Our big trip to Washington, D.C. is on Monday and the students are so excited!  The weather looks fantastic and will be perfect for enjoying an outdoor picnic there on the lawn.  Please make sure that your child is at the bus loop on Monday morning at 6:45 a.m.  We plan to leave promptly at 7:00 a.m., so don’t be late!  A previous email was sent out with all of the reminders for the day, but here is a condensed version:

• Bring a small bag/backpack to keep on the bus which contains snacks and a drink.
• Bring a separate labeled, disposable bag containing lunch and drink.
• Student may bring electronic device, but NO PHONE!
• Student may bring small amount of optional spending money. (not to exceed $20)
• Consider bringing a jacket or sweatshirt for the bus, as it may be cool.

Other happenings for next week include the following:

• Tuesday, May 8th – Holman Middle School Concert on the Lawn
• Wednesday, May 9th – Talent Show Tryouts (held during school; please make sure your child brings to school that day everything they need for their tryout)
• Friday, May 11th – Spring Carnival

It will certainly be a busy week in 5th grade!  Have a great weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone bright and early Monday morning!

The State Fair held on Thursday morning was quite a successful event and I am so very proud of my class for the effort they put forth!!  I was so impressed with how well the students delivered their speeches.  Public speaking is not easy and it just goes to show you that lots of practice really does pay off!  What an incredible buffet of food that was provided as well.  I definitely have quite a few new recipes that I want to try out myself at home.

Next week I’m happy to report that we will be on somewhat of a “normal” schedule.  The only exception is on Thursday when the Eagle Express Chorus travels to Cedarfield.  Evidently I have a lot of talented students, as our class has 12 participants who will be going, the most of any fifth grade class!

Some important dates to be aware of are as follows:

• Monday, May 7th – Washington, D.C. field trip
• Friday, May 11th – Spring Carnival
• Friday, May 18th – Field Day

This first week back from Spring Break has just flown by!  The students were busy with all sorts of fun activities, such as a PEAK lesson with Officer Hobbs, a special math assembly presented by the PTA, BAT Day, and Rally at the River!  Just in case you were wondering, we did manage to squeeze in some academics as well!

As I’m sure you are aware, the State Fair is next Thursday, April 26th.  The students are very excited about this event and have been working diligently to prepare for the big day.  Your child should be rehearsing their speech at home nightly so that they have a polished presentation all ready to go next week.  We have been practicing here at school and will continue to do so!  Your child should have brought home an invitation that gives more specific information about the event.  It will start at 8:30 in our classroom and will conclude up in the cafeteria, where we will be enjoying a sampling of recipes from various states.  I hope that you will all be able to join us for this fun event!

Next week we will be taking the NWEA Maps tests in reading and math.  If you recall, we took these at the beginning of the year to assess the students’ current achievement level.  Taking it again in the spring gives us a better idea of the progress they’ve made this school year, as  well as some areas where they may still need some extra work.

That’s about it for now.  I hope that everyone enjoys their weekend!

Well, it was certainly fun to just be a mom on Thursday and Friday last week when I chaperoned my older son’s school trip to Washington, D.C.!  We saw many sights, including the two Smithsonian museums that our fifth graders will be visiting at the beginning of May!  Speaking of the field trip, if you would please try to send in your child’s permission form along with the $28.50 transportation fee before we leave for Spring Break, it would be most appreciated!

This week the students will be taking Henrico County Benchmark Assessments for the third quarter in Science, Reading, and Math.  While we are not grading these assessments, it is still important that the students try their very best!  All of these tests will give us a good idea of where we need to concentrate our instruction prior to the SOL tests that are scheduled for May and June.

Other happenings this week include a meeting with our First Grade Book Buddies from Mrs. Satterwhite’s class.  I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but we will have a great time with this week’s activity!  Also, please don’t forget that our annual Science Fair is scheduled for this Thursday, April 5th.  I know that many of my students have been diligently preparing their projects and I can’t wait to see them.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Well Spring has certainly sprung, although lately it’s felt more like summer.  This week we managed to pack in a variety of activities despite the fact that we only spent four days in school.  First, I am happy to report that we are finished with all components of writing testing!  I know that the kids are thankful for that.  We will now be able to spend some of our writing time before Spring Break focusing on the completion of our animal essays, as well as some grammar work.

Other happenings this week included picture day and  a visit by a local artist.  It was so pleasant to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather while learning about various art techniques.  We even learned that you can paint with a palette knife!  Who knew?

I do have a couple reminders before returning to school on Monday.  First, the last P.E. Activity Log of the school year came home with your child today.  Mr. Rutman has asked the students to begin completing this log starting on Sunday.  They will need to record all of their activities for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, then turn them in on Wednesday.  They will receive 2,000 beans as a reward for the timely completion of this paperwork!

Speaking of paperwork, if you have not returned your child’s blue student information form or Tdap immunization form, please do so at your earliest convenience.  Thanks so much for your help in taking care of this.

I know we are just two short weeks away from Spring Break, but we still have lots of work to do between now and then.  Thank you in advance for your assistance in encouraging your child to stay focused and to keep putting forth their very best effort!

Well, it was another crazy week for scheduling!  I’m beginning to wonder if things will ever get back to normal.  On Tuesday we encountered some technical difficulties while trying to take the first component of the online Writing Field Test.  Fortunately, the situation improved on Wednesday and we were able to complete this assessment.  On Thursday morning we were treated to a special musical performance by the second graders, and today we had a visit from Theater IV and got to see a very entertaining program about simple machines.

Upon returning from their three day weekend,  the students will be greeted by another assessment!  Yes, that’s right, they will be taking the online writing SOL test on Tuesday, but it is just for practice.  The children keep asking why they have to take this test since they already completed the “real” SOL, but I told them that they are helping out students who will be coming along behind them next year by working out all of the kinks this year.  Next year, when the test is expected to be administered online, it will be all ready to go!

Also happening this week:

1.  Wednesday, March 21st is Picture Day!  Your child should have brought home an envelope for ordering the class picture.  Please let me know if you did not receive one and we will try again!

2.  Thursday, March 22nd:  We will be having a visit by an artist in our outdoor classroom

3.  Friday, March 23rd:  Please remember that book reports are due on Friday.

Finally, I know in my last update that I mentioned uploading pictures to our classroom photo gallery.  I have a new camera and the cord that I need to plug in to the computer is missing right now.  As soon as I find it, I promise to upload them!!

What an interesting week we’ve had!  I’m sure the students enjoyed the unexpected Snow Day on Monday, as did their teacher!!  They then returned to school on Tuesday and Wednesday, ready to tackle the Writing SOL tests.  I have to say that I was very pleased with the effort put forth on these assessments.  Just imagine my delight as I walked around the room on Wednesday to see them using all of the phases of the writing process!  I guess maybe they listen to me after all!  Although the big “writing push” has come to an end, we will keep working on improving our composition skills and grammar usage.  It will be scaled back a bit, however, as we ramp up our math, reading, and science instruction.

The end of the week brought some fun and relaxing activities for the kids.  To celebrate the end of the writing test, we watched Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, one of Mrs. Hamilton’s all-time favorite movies!  (Of course we had to enjoy some sweet treats, such as everlasting gobstoppers, to help set the mood!)  Even more exciting than a movie with some candy was today’s field trip to the YMCA, where the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves!  I will be posting some pictures of our fun filled day to our classroom  photo gallery sometime this weekend, so I hope you’ll check them out!

The rest of this month promises to be busy one!  Stay tuned for further updates!

The Writing SOL Tests are finally here!  We have been working VERY hard in the classroom over the past month to make sure that we are well prepared for these assessments next week.  On Monday the students will take the multiple choice component of the test, which evaluates the students revising and editing skills.  The more laborious part of the test will come on Wednesday when the students will be given a prompt and then use all the phases of the writing process to compose a short paper.  I truly believe that each and every student has the ability to pass these tests.  The key is that they put forth their best effort!

The students will also be in for a little fun next week when they go to the YMCA on Friday to complete an Aquatic Safety unit.  We will be heading over to the YMCA at 9:30 and will return around 11:15.  Please make sure to send your child to school that morning with their bathing suit under their clothing.  They will also need to bring a bag for wet items, a towel, and, if needed, a change of clothes.

One final note for the week is that students will be bringing home interim report cards on Tuesday.  I am also planning to include a report that shows the results of the Henrico Benchmark Assessments in Reading, Math, Science, and Writing (multiple choice and direct writing components).  Scores for these tests have been included as quiz grades for the third marking period.  Thanks in advance for reviewing all of these reports, signing the top copy, and returning them to school at your earliest convenience.

Have a wonderful weekend!