Room 52 Newsletter 2017-2018 School Year

May 2018 Newsletter

Thank you so much for the lovely and thoughtful gifts last week. The cards your children took the time to make were so sweet too! I feel very appreciated, so thank you again :)

It's so hard to believe that the end of the year is quickly approaching! Here is a brief look at what academic content we will be covering for the next few weeks as well as information about upcoming events.

Reading: The class is working their way steadily through our novel "Tuck Everlasting". They should be finished with the book by the May 30th.

Writing: The class is currently engaged in writing their memoirs. I am enjoying conferencing with them and seeing how much growth they have made as writers. The pieces they have shared with me so far are wonderful!

Math: We are wrapping up Unit 5 in Eureka math next week. The students can plan to take the End of Module Assessment task on 5/16. We will cover coordinate plane graphing for our final math unit.

Science: We are almost finished with our living systems unit for science. The class has 1 more investigation to participate in before the I-Check will be given on 5/22

Social Studies: Lesson 16 which covers westward expansion will be our last unit in social studies for the year.There will not be a quiz on this unit. The class will work on a project related to the Oregon Trail in lieu of a quiz.

Here are some end of the year events for you to know about:

Thursday May 17 Levi Stadium Field Trip. A more detailed email about this field trip will be sent out early next week.

Thursday, May 17

What: Open House

Where: Room 52

When: 5:30-6:30 PM

Please come join us and see what we've been working on in class!

Thursday, May 17

What: Art Show

Where: GLC and Art Room

When: 5:00-7:00 PM

Please come see the art pieces on display that your students have created throughout the year!

Tuesday, June 5

What: Golfland Field Trip

When: 9:00am-1:45pm

Please have your child bring a small backpack (no rolling backpacks, please), lunch (or money to buy lunch), and wear sunscreen! Hats are also a good idea. :) Please note that chaperones are not needed for this trip -- thank you so much!

** A permission slip was sent home in last Thursday's Panda Folder -- please sign and return by Thursday, May 17!

Thursday, June 7

What: End of the Year Celebration

Where: The Gazebo at Ortega Park

When: 11 AM

On the last day of school, it has become tradition for the 5th graders to celebrate the end of their tenure at Stocklmeir. The celebration is a simple one, where all 6 classes will file in and stand together, while a few words are spoken, both by our principal and teachers. The ceremony will be followed by pictures and snacks to be enjoyed with family and friends. Afterwards, students will return to the GLC to pick up their personal belongings, receive their report card, and say a final goodbye. Finally, students will be released for summer at 11:50. Woohoo!

April 2018 Newsletter

I cannot believe that there are only 33 instructional days left in the school year! The time has gone by so fast. We had an excellent time exploring the woods and soaking up the natural beauty of Koinonia. The students embraced every challenge that was tossed their way from the ropes course to the night hike and beyond. April has been a busy month, the class showed off their amazing theatrical skills during our "Walk Through of the American Revolution" and in the same day wowed everyone in attendance with their stellar musical skills during Mrs. O Flynn's musical informance. Parents and families and should be so proud of their talented and hardworking children!

After we return from break it will be back to business as usual in terms of curriculum with the additional task of starting CAASPP testing. Below you will find some information about upcoming curriculum and events:

Reading: The class has completed their genre study. We will begin to work on Scholastic News packets when we return from spring break. It is likely that we will be squeezing in a historical fiction literature circle project before the year ends as well.

Writing: The students completed the informational writing bend today. They wrote in depth about a variety of interesting topics. I look forward to reading through their essays! When we return from break we will begin our memoir unit which will allow the class to show how their narrative writing skills have grown since the start of the year.

Math: We are currently working on Module 5 which is all about volume, area and concepts of measurement and data. Here is our math plans for the next few weeks:

• Monday, 4/9: EM 5.5 (Topic B)
• Tuesday, 4/10: EM 5.6 (Topic B)
• Wednesday, 4/11:EM 5.7 (Topic B)
• Thursday, 4/12: Review Topics A and B
• Friday, 4/13: Mid-Module 5 Assessment

Week of April 23:

• Monday, 4/23: EM 5.10 (Topic C)
• Tuesday, 4/24: EM 5.11 (Topic C)
• Wednesday, 4/25: EM 5.12 (Topic C)
• Thursday, 4/26: EM 5.13 (Topic C)
• Friday, 4/28: Weekly Check-in/Review

Science: The class has begun the 3rd investigation in our Living Systems Unit with Mrs. Kim. In this unit they will be learning about how our bodies process sugar and turn it into energy. They will also be examining the process of photosynthesis and comparing how it is similar and dissimilar to the process humans use to make energy. They will take I-Check #3 with Mrs. Kim. I will provide the specific date of the exam when it is a week or so away.

Social Studies: Students are currently working on Lesson 11 in History Alive. It covers the issues related to the decision to declare independence from Britain or not. The quiz for Lesson 11 will be given on April 27th. We will start working on Lesson 12 during the week of April 30th.

Upcoming Events:

4/23-5/25 CAASPP Testing Window

4/26 Panda Pride Lunch

4/27 International Fair (5:30-8:30)

5/2 Bike Rodeo (more details to come)

5/17 Open House

5/25 Field Day

March 2018 Newsletter

As the year "marches" on I am always amazed by how much all of the students have grown. Your children continue to work hard to complete the goals they set all the way back in October and I am so pleased with all of their progress. We have been enjoying this rainy week back. On March 2nd we spent a lovely morning relaxing in our pajamas and reading our books for our "Breakfast and a Book" which celebrates Dr. Seuss's birthday.

Here is some information about what material we will be covering next across multiple subject areas as well as upcoming events and important dates for the next few weeks.

Curriculum

Reading: The class has begun to work on their genre study projects. This is an independent project that will be completed mostly in class. The students are expected to read their chosen book daily in class and complete 7 journal entries, 10 vocabulary words, 2 illustrations and a title page for their book by the due date of April 13th. Each journal entry has a specific due date associated with it to keep the students on track. The first journal entry is due next Friday March 9th. The journal entries must be completed in class as they are graded. The students may read their genre study books at home if they feel they did not have adequate time in class. Each day the students will be given 30 minutes to read their books and 15 minutes to work on their journal entries. The students have access to the directions for this project as well as options for their journal entries on our google classroom site. Feel free to ask your child to log into google classroom and go through the assignment guidelines with them.

Math: Our math plan for next 3 weeks is as follows. There will be a weekly check in for lessons 4.22- 4.25 on Friday March 9th. Please note that lesson 4.21 has been omitted as we have decided to add the concepts covered in this unit into the other units in order to stay on pace as this module has 33 lessons to get through.

Weeks of March 5- March 23:

Week of March 5th

• Monday, 3/5: EM 4.22 (Topic F) (OMIT 4.21)
• Tuesday, 3/6: EM 4.23 (Topic F) (INCLUDE “Fluency: Write Fractions as Decimals” to make up for 4.21)
• Wednesday, 3/7: EM 4.24 (Topic F) (INCLUDE “Fluency: Write Fractions as Decimals” to make up for 4.21)
• Thursday, 3/8:EM 2.25 (Topic G) (INCLUDE “Fluency: Write Fractions as Decimals” to make up for 4.21)
• Friday, 3/9: Weekly Check In (4.22-4.25)

Week of March 12th

• Monday, 3/12: EM 4.26 (Topic G)
• Tuesday, 3/13: EM 4.27 (Topic G)
• Wednesday, 3/14: EM 4.28 (Topic G)
• Thursday, 3/15: EM 4.29 (Topic G)
• Friday, 3/16: EM 4.30 (Topic G) *No weekly check in will be given this week in order to finish Module 4 before science camp

Week of March 19:

• Monday, 3/19: EM 4.31 (Topic G)
• Tuesday, 3/20: EM 4.32 (Topic H)
• Wednesday, 3/21: EM 4.33 (Topic H)
• Thursday, 3/22: Review
• Friday, 3/23: Module 4 Assessment

Science: Our next unit will be "Living Systems". Our science materials are scheduled to arrive on March 12th. We will begin science instruction shortly after our kits arrive. More information to come in regards to I-Check dates and possible science rotations.

Social Studies: The class is working hard to complete their colonial trade fair research, script and props in order to present their trade to the fourth graders on March 22. We will start working on lesson 10 during the week of March 12th. This lesson will cover the growing tensions between Britain and the colonies that will lead to the Revolutionary War.

Writing: We will be starting our informational writing unit next week. In this unit the students will write 2 informational essays. One essay will be focused on looking at a topic through the lens of history. This means students will be writing about a topic we have already covered in our social studies curriculum during the first bend. In the second bend they will be allowed to choose a topic that interests them to research and write about.

Upcoming Events and Important Dates:

• Readathon March 2- March 16th *Our grade level goal for 5th grade is 20,000 minutes. The students will decide on a class goal for minutes and donations next week.
• 3/7 CMS Incoming 6th graders assembly (for students @1:30)
• 3/7 Middle School Math Placement Performance Task #1
• 3/7 CMS Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night (The meeting will be happening at 6pm on in the gym at CMS.
• 3/8, 3/9 STEM Fair Family Nights
• 3/15 Middle School Math Placement Performance Task #2
• 3/16 Report Cards Go Home
• 3/22 Middle School Math Placement NWEA computer based adaptive test
• 3/27-30 5th Gr. Outdoor School

February 2018 Newsletter

I hope you have all been enjoying this lovely and unseasonably warm weather. Here are some of the things we will be working on in class next week as well as some information regarding upcoming events here at Stocklmeir. We have recently started using Seesaw to share our learning daily so please feel free to join our class and check it out. The students really enjoy using Seesaw to share their knowledge across the curriculum. Here are some of the things we are working on currently as well as a glimpse of things we will be working on in the weeks to come.

Curriculum:

Reading: The class is working to finish their literature circle novels before the February break. I am looking forward to reading through their responses to their books. When we return from break the class will be starting a genre study project. This will be an individual project that will be completed in class and will allow the students to choose a novel from a genre of their choice. They will be given a detailed set of instructions and due dates for the assignments that are required. I will be going over the guidelines for this assignment when we return from break.

Math: We are working on Module 4 which focuses on multiplication and division of fractions. The Mid Module assessment was given on 2/9. The plan is to complete lessons 4.13-4.16 during the week of 2/12. We will finish the unit and take the End of Module assessment by the week of March 5th. As always there will study guides to help students review key concepts. We have also been practicing completing MARS tasks in class which are similar to the paper and pencil tasks they are asked to complete for the middle school math placement test.

Science: The class has picked the element they would like to research and we have gone over the directions for completing this project. They will be given time to conduct the research and to complete their project in class. The I-Check for Investigation 4 will be given on Friday 2/16 with a study guide provided in class on 2/15. The class will take the unit test for Mixtures and Solutions on March 1st.

Social Studies: We have begun to work on Lesson 9 in History Alive which will focus on Colonial Williamsburg. This lesson will provide the students with the background information needed to begin to work on their Colonial Trade Fair project. They will be working on completing the reading notes associated with this lesson next week and the quiz for lesson 9 will be on 2/27.

Writing: The students are working on completing their 3rd and final literary essay by analyzing a children's book of their choice. Our writing celebration will be held on Friday February 16th from 12:00 to 12:30. Please join us if you can :)

Upcoming Events:

2/12-2/16 Spirit Week: Come dressed in a different color each day. Monday is blue. The colors associated with each day are posted in our classroom window.

2/14 Valentine's Day Party: Our party will be from 11:30-12:30. The class will be exchanging Valentine's, enjoying some pizza and making some arts & crafts. Please let me know if you are able to help out in anyway.

2/15 Code Red Drill: Our drill will be after lunch on Thursday 2/15. We will have a class meeting after the drill to debrief the experience and answer any questions/concerns the students may have. Please note that no students will be able to be checked out during the drill as our office will be closed. Instruction for the day will resume after the drill is over.

2/19-2/23 Mid Year Break: Enjoy!

January 2018 Newsletter

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing break. Welcome back! I have put together a short explanation of what we will be doing during the month of January which includes both academics and events here at Stocklmeir. The class is really enjoying our newest writing unit, The Literary Essay. I can't wait for them to show off their hard work during our writing celebration in February. Here is a look at what's coming up in the next few weeks:

Academics:

Reading: The class has started their new literature circle books this week. Each group is reading a different novel and will meet to discuss the daily readings and assignments 3-4 days a week until the novels are completed. Ideally, students should be able to complete the assigned chapters in class as well as their literature circle jobs. However, if they are unable to complete the reading in class then they will need to complete the reading at home and should come to school the next day prepared to complete their assigned job in class in order to be prepared to participate in the literature circle meeting that same day. The following books are options for this literature circle rotation: The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, Holes by Louis Sachar, and The Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury.

​Math:​ We are continuing to work on the addition and subtraction of fractions and mixed numbers. Here are the lessons we will be covering for the next 3 weeks. We will begin Module 4 during the week of January 22nd.

Week of Jan. 1st

• Tuesday, 1/2 : EM 3.8
• Wednesday, 1 /3: EM 3.9
• Thursday, 1/4 : EM 3.10
• Friday, 1/5 : Weekly Check In (3.8-3.10)

Week of January 8:

• Monday, 1/8 : EM 3.11
• Tuesday, 1/9: EM 3.12
• Wednesday, 1/10: EM 3.13
• Thursday, 1/11: EM 3.14
• ​Friday 1/12 Weekly Check in (MARS task using addition/subtraction of fractions)​

Week of January 15:

• Monday, 1/15: MLK Holiday
• Tuesday, 1/16: EM 3.15
• Wednesday, 1/17: EM 3.16
• Thursday, 1/18: Review Module 3
• Friday, 1/19: Mid-Module 3 Test

Week of January 22:

• Monday, 1/22: EM 4.1 (Topic A: Line Plots (standalone lesson))
• Tuesday, 1/23: EM 4.2 (Topic B: Fractions as Division)
• Wednesday, 1/24: EM 4.3 (Topic B: Fractions as Division)
• Thursday, 1/25: EM 4.5 (Topic B: Fractions as Division)
• Friday, 1/26: No School -- Staff Learning Day

Week of January 29:

• Monday, 1/29: EM 4.6 (Topic C: Multiply whole number by fraction)
• Tuesday, 1/30: EM 4.7 (Topic C: Multiply whole number by fraction)
• Wednesday, 1/31: EM 4.8 (Topic C: Multiply whole number by fraction
• Thursday, 2/01: EM 4.9 (Topic C: Multiply whole number by fraction)
• Friday, 2/02: Weekly Check-In: Topics A, B, and C

September 2017 Newsletter

It is hard to believe that four weeks of school have already flown by! We are now in week 5 and the students are tackling the curriculum at a more accelerated rate. The students write what we have worked on in class in their planners daily. Also, they write what work could be done at home in order to increase comprehension of concepts we have covered in class. Here is some information about what we will be covering this month in regards to curriculum:

Science:

The class is excited to start their science rotations with our other fabulous 5th grade teachers next week, beginning with Ms. Jiang and ending with Ms. Joo. We are currently working on Investigation 5 in our Water Planet unit in our class and will take the I-Check for this investigation next Friday. The students would benefit from completing the readings for each investigation and answering the review questions associated with each. Often we have time to work on these in class however, not all students will have time to complete both the reading and the review questions daily. Therefore, I encourage students to take the science textbook home in order to complete the readings as well as to prepare for the I-Check.

Reading:

We have started our class novel "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt and the students have been holding book discussions daily regarding the rich content found within it. I am impressed with the connections the students are making between the characters in this book and themselves as well as connections between these characters and characters from other books they have read. The whole class seems to be really enjoying the book; so much so that many have a hard time putting it down when it's time to move on to other work ;)

Writing:

Writer's workshop is also going well. The students overall writing stamina has improved; they are able to write continuously for longer and longer periods of time. The quality of their writing is also improving as we work to raise the level of our writing during our daily mini lessons on revision skills. I can't wait for you all to join us on September 29th for our writing celebration (the time of our writing celebration will be announced via email sometime next week).

Social Studies:

This month in social studies the focus will be on Native American tribes and how the land/region they chose to live on influenced the way they lived. The students should have their reading notes and vocabulary completed for Lesson 2 by this Wednesday,9/13, as there will be a quiz on this lesson on Thursday 9/14.

Math:

In math the class is working on multiplying and dividing decimals. This week we will be covering lessons 11 and 12 which are focused on multiplying decimals using both the standard algorithm and the area model. Next week, the week of 9/18 we will cover lessons 13,14,15, and 16 which will focus on division of decimals and word problems that cover both concepts. Finally, during the week of 9/25 we will review the concepts covered in module 1 and the students will take the End of Module assessment on 9/26. Students have the option to use Zearn and they may also complete any problem set problems in their red math folder that they did not have time to finish in class in order to review for the test.

That pretty well covers what the students will be working on this month, next up is some information about upcoming events/important dates here at school and in Room 52.

Here are some upcoming events and important dates for Room 52/Stocklmeir Elementary:

Hurrican Relief Donation Drive: Donations for those affected by Hurricane Harvey can be brought to Room 30 on 9/14 at 8 am or at 2:30 pm. Your donations are greatly appreciated!

Staff Learning Day: No school (for students) on 9/15

Volunteer Training: Training will be held on 9/18 in the GLC. There are 2 sessions for this training: 8:30-9:30 and 9:30-10:30

Picture Day: Our class's picture time is on 9/21 from 9:00-9:20 am. Make ups will be available for students who are absent that day.

Conference Schedule: Will go out to parents with siblings here at Stocklmeir first. All parents will be able to sign up for conference time slots starting on 9/20. The link will be posted on my website under Student Goal Setting Conferences and will also be sent out as an email to all parents.

August 2017 Newsletter

Dear Parents/Guardians and students of Room 52,

Hello and welcome to 5th grade! My name is Neva Tracy and I will be your child’s teacher this year. I am so excited to get to know you and your children during the course of the school year!

This year Stocklmeir is piloting a new homework policy. We believe that elementary students should live balanced lives--we value education, learning, play and family time. It is our hope that the implementation of this new policy will promote equity and balance in our student’s lives. Our homework policy for the 2017-2018 will follow these guidelines:

• No work outside of class will be graded
• Unfinished classwork can be completed at home, but the child will only be graded on the portion completed in class.
• Teachers may recommend outside work and resources to help students prepare for tests, presentations and projects.

With that being said, I have high expectations for myself and my students. Learning just like anything else requires practice in order to succeed. It is suggested that students practice reading, writing and mathematics daily in order to further develop these skills. We are a learner focused classroom. This means that your child will collaborate with their classmates on a daily basis. Our fabulous 5th grade team has put together a website of resources that parents can access in order to provide their children with opportunities for additional practice outside of school: www.tinyurl.com/Grade5Pandas

It has been my experience that parents and teachers working together as a team is key to a successful and rewarding year for students. As such, communication is important to me. Please feel comfortable asking questions and sharing concerns, and do not hesitate to call me at (408) 732-3363 ext.81252 or send an email to tracy_neva@cusdk8.org. I am available to meet briefly before or after school, but setting an appointment works best.

I am looking forward to an exciting, and productive year of learning and growth with you and your child!

Here is some information regarding the first month of school.

Monday August 14th is the first day of school. Room 52 students should begin to line up for class at 8:15 am near the upper grade playground and the 4th grade building. This is also where they will line up at the end of both recess and lunch. Our school day at Stocklmeir is from 8:30 am until 3:05 pm. Recess for 5th grade is from 10:20-10:40 am and lunch is from 12:30-1:15. Tuesday's our early dismissal so students will be released at 2:00 pm.

Please fill out, sign and return all of the initial paper work that will be sent home in the student's Panda folders during the first week of school (i.e. emergency cards, technology agreement, etc) as soon as possible.

Back to School Night is scheduled for August 31st and will run from 5:30-6:30. There will be two 25 minute sessions wit 5 minutes passing time in between each session. The first session will run from 5:30-5:55 and the second session will run from 6:00-6:25. I look forward to meeting many of you that night!