May 23 - Graduation Day

Welcome to Middle School!!  Today was truly bittersweet... We released our butterflies in the morning, which was symbolic of the journey that your children took in the afternoon.  Teaching is such a funny profession. I spend so much energy getting to know my individual students, building a supportive community, and leaning into the challenges - then at the moment when it feels like everything is running smoothly, we send them off and start all over. This crew is ready for middle school and I see greatness in their future. I hope they carry fond memories of our time together and know that I believe they can do anything they put their energy into!

May 21 - Please enjoy our class song!

This was  a collaborative project that the whole class contributed to - the kids chose the songs, brainstormed memories from their years at Bear Creek, helped write/tweak the  lyrics, developed choreography, recorded the words three people at a time, recorded instruments and went through several iterations until we felt that it was pretty good.  I had never collaborated on a project this big before so I learned a lot - it was a delightful journey!

Almost everyone has finished their This I Believe essay.  They will all be up in the hallway for you to see as you join us for graduation on Thursday (doors open at 12:50) but I will also send a copy of your students' writing home in their portfolio, along with their computer and yearbook.  

Mrs. Waldrip is managing the volunteers for the Main Event field trip - we have so many parents who want to join us!  Cheese pizza will be provided for students - only those with dietary restrictions can bring outside food.  We will have some ice cream/popsicle options when we get back to school to sign yearbooks.

We talked a bit about plant adaptations and students who wanted to took home a Venus flytrap and a sundew that my husband, Rich, grew from seeds.  The flytraps are pretty challenging to grow but they are really interesting plants.  The mature sundew that I had on my desk caught two fairly large flies in two days - I wonder if I could find some carnivorous plants to help with my wasp problem...  

We finished our class song / music video and I really enjoyed working on it with the kids!  They had great ideas and willingly revised their work to keep improving it - an important fifth grade standard! I will email it to you, along with the end-of-fifth grade slideshow, after graduation.  I believe this crew is ready for middle school!  Thanks so much for all of your support this year!

We finished up the "Gray Area"  environmental project this week too.  Students figured out the causes of the fish dying in Gray Bay and wrote a proposal to improve conditions in this fictional place, based on all of the test data that we analyzed.  We also tested Bear Creek's water near our school and found that it was positive for fecal coliform bacteria - so the kids now know to wash their hands after playing in the creek this summer!

Both the band and orchestra have concerts in the evening this week - you should have all of that information already.  Our last day of instrumental music is Thursday, May 16.  On Tuesday, we plan to record the official segments of the music video for our class song.  It's almost done!  I've had a lovely time working on this with my students.  They should bring/wear whatever their group has decided to wear for recording and guitarists should bring their instruments.  We have started cleaning out desks and cubby areas - some of those Friday folders were pretty stuffed last week. I have everyone's yearbook - we save them to sign after our field trip on May 22.

The International Festival was a wonderful event and it was delightful to run into so many of you.  Many thanks to those of you who helped to make it happen!!  While I enjoy visiting with my current families, my favorite part of these events is catching up with the random former students who appear.  My own children could not imagine going back to their elementary school for any reason, so I do not take these visits for granted!  I love hearing about what my former students are up to and  hope to see you all at future events!!

The students finished iReady this week and are working hard to tidy up loose ends. We also learned about budgeting, different types of investments and how to save money by "paying yourself first."  Students have a checkbook with register ready to go so that they can record their expenditures during the Young Ameritowne simulation.  We will have a job training on Tuesday afternoon.

We have been working on our class song and my son is coming in this week to record the singers.  We will eventually shoot some video and put it all together with images.  Many thanks for sending in some group shots!  We could still use some images from second grade if anyone has a photo of their child doing school via computer! I also sent out the form that you can use to send in four photos of your child for the graduation slide show.  Group shots are appreciated for that project as well!

In addition to finishing the Young Ameritowne adventure, we are going to do a mini-science project and finish a couple of writing projects. I plan to send home a portfolio of writing and artwork on May 22, along with the yearbook so keep an eye out!

Last week, the former Bear Creek fifth graders who are graduating from high school this year returned for a reunion.  It was wonderful to reconnect with my former students and their parents!  I just love this Bear Creek tradition!  I taught this crew in kindergarten and fourth grade so we share a lot of memories.   I hope this year's class will return in 6 years!

Here are some upcoming events to get onto your calendar:

April 24 - Young Ameritowne interviews (kids often change into nicer clothes - this is not required)

May 5 - four labeled photos of your child (baby, preschool, early elementary, recent) are due for the graduation slideshow (the form was emailed on April 24)

May 6 - *Trip to Young Ameritowne (kids need to bring a lunch)

May 15 - Field Day (5th graders help run this event so sun screen is key!)

May 24 - *Trip to Main Event to celebrate the end of elementary school. We will sign yearbooks and send them home, too

May 25 - Graduation in the Bear Creek gym after lunch (I will update this when we pick a time)

May 26 - Summer vacation begins for students!!

*Note: permission slips for these events are due by May 1.  If the cost is a  hardship, please let the office know.

April 5 - quick update

Everyone finished the math CMAS - hooray!!  I actually thought it was great to start with math since it's shorter than the other two tests.  Students settled into the routine and worked really hard - I was so proud of their effort!  We will resume CMAS testing on April 10 with three days of English Language Arts followed by three days of science.  These tests will occur during the first two hours of the school day and it's so helpful to have everyone here.

We have finally  started working on our Young Ameritowne adventure.  Students learned about the possible jobs they could apply for as well as the different levels of responsibility that these roles entail.  I have had several parents reach out to help with the field trip but we need more help with the interviews.  Please drop me a note if you are available on April 24 from about 12:30-2.  Many thanks!

We are making good progress on our music video - writing lyrics is a nice way to explore poetry and capture some great memories from this year!  Mrs. Ewing will be here on Monday and Tuesday to do more poetry with the class.  I am leaving lots of eclipse watching materials too - glasses, pinhole cards, links to live webcasts, etc.  It seems likely that the weather will be cloudy in many of the areas along the eclipse path, but hopefully, some of the live streams will capture good images.  I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

March 24 - Happy Spring Break!

Last week was EPIC!  Beauty and the Beast was a hit, we collected LOTS of socks for the Homeless Shelter (many thanks), our wheat growing science experiment was MUCH more interesting than I thought it would be and I won the chance to meet Mark Rober at the NSTA conference (he is as nice in person as he seems on his videos).  I picked up a lot of good ideas at the science teacher conference and I look forward to working on the BrightSpot grant this spring.

When we return to school, we will begin CMAS testing.  Students  need to be in the building for the first two hours every day.  Ideally, they will have a good night's sleep, eat breakfast and bring a high protein snack to eat just before the test.  I work hard to keep the rest of our learning time non-stressful and I do not give homework during CMAS.  At this point, we have finished our regular math classes and we begin focusing on more "project based learning" for the remainder of the year.

We are off to Young Ameritowne on May 6 so I picked up the student materials while I was in Denver this week.  This is an opportunity for parents to volunteer, as long as you have passed the background check within the past year.  There will be an opportunity to interview students for their job (I will post the date the week after break) and we need about a dozen parents to help us on the day of the field trip - please email me if you are interested.  The kids do the work of running the town, the adults just take pictures and help the managers stay on track if they get into trouble.  My students always love this activity and it's a great way to wind down the year while practicing practical math (and life) skills while building some great memories.

I hope you are able to enjoy this time with your awesome children.  When I was a parent, I felt like time sped up when my oldest started Kindergarten and it sped up again when my youngest entered middle school.  I told my students that I am working to "savor every moment" of the time that we have left together. I thought it was hilarious recently, when I was failing to get my class' attention and was beginning to get frustrated. I just stood in the middle of the room with my eyes closed, breathing.  One of my students shouted, "Hey guys, she's savoring the moment!"  Everyone quieted down immediately and my frustration evaporated. I will miss this crew next year!!  

The bread making in science was a HUGE success!  The class was so appreciative of this activity and they were very encouraging about the unsuccessful gluten-free loaf that I tried to make.  Thankfully, Ellie's mom, Lindsay, saved the day with her yummy GF bread!!  I think it's good for kids to see adults failing at times - I'm a pretty decent bread maker but had never tried to make it without high gluten flour...  I plan to write up the recipe and necessary tools over Spring Break.

I will be speeding down to Denver after school on Wednesday to get ready for the National Science Teacher's Association conference.  Lucy Ewing will be my sub on Thursday and Friday and I plan to have her to do some poetry with the class - she is a phenomenal writing teacher. She will help me wrap up "Kindness Week" too - we will be delivering our clean, new, adult socks first thing on Tuesday morning!   Finally, don't forget to check the lost and found this week!  Remaining items will be donated soon...

March 10 - time is slipping away

The musical is finally here!  My class is full of anticipation and I can't wait to see the show on Thursday!  It's hard to keep their energy corralled...  In related news from the art room: Castles, roses and stained glass ...In collaboration with the Spotlights, Beauty and the Beast musical we have our school wide FairyTale Art Show.  The art will be on display till the end of March. You can find Ms. Ellis's class stained glass in the front entry on the windows. 

 We are deep into our study of life science and have been investigating how different organisms exit dormancy.  On Friday, teams of kids designed an experiment to see if yeast preferred to "eat" flour, sugar or pixie sticks.  I kept their experiment running after school and can't wait to show them the result!  I brought in some of my sourdough starter which we fed and watched grow throughout the day, then I made bread with it over the weekend.  We now have wheat seeds growing in our classroom for a two week experiment on how light impacts the growth of seeds.  This year, I decided to hold off on raising butterflies until after CMAS so that they will have something to eat when we release them...  

On Monday, I plan to try making bread with the class - I have never used the oven at school and have no idea if this will work, but since breadmaking is a passion of mine, I thought we could experiment! If nothing else, it's magical watching the loaf rise.  My loaves only contain flour, water, salt and yeast. Ellie's mom, Lindsay, is sending in a gluten free loaf - whew!  I tried making some but my first attempt was a bit of a disaster.   Watching my mom's cinnamon rolls rise (and sneaking little bits of the dough) is a favorite memory from my childhood.  

We are entering into the home stretch.  My math class will finish the math book this week! Amazing - it's over 600 pages long.  We will do a bit of review before CMAS so that my students can remember how to make models of some of the operations and hone the skill of explaining their thinking. The math CMAS starts the Tuesday that we return from spring break, so our timing is perfect.  After CMAS, we will be doing some project based learning and practicing consumer math through Young Ameritowne.  This will provide some great volunteer opportunities so stay tuned!  

The photos above will give you insight into art, library and the phenomenon from our science test. This week, we will start practicing on the types of English Language Arts questions that they will face on CMAS - not exactly fun but it's good to feel prepared!  We have music this week, too.  The musical is fast approaching!  Thank you, again, for all that you do to keep your children engaged in school and in learning!  

We had an amazing assembly on Friday with Carlotta Walls LaNier - my students were so attentive! Quinn got to ask her question, "If you could go back in time, would you do anything differently?" and Mrs. LaNier said that she would not. Prior to the assembly, we spent some time learning about the integration of schools and my students were just shocked that people could "hate" someone they had not even met yet. We debriefed afterwards and my class' biggest take-away was that "people are not born hating." 

We are about to finish this science unit on space and the interactions of the four spheres of Earth - we will have a test soon.  I will give my students the pre-test to use for studying as well as the quizzes that we have done in class.  We will start living systems next.  We will also be working to finish up our math curriculum by Spring Break.  The next four weeks will be busy!!

I will send in the Scholastic Book orders on Wednesday.  This is likely the last one that we will do this year - you can order from any of the digital materials on the Scholastic Website.  My class code is  GXBBF. If you spend $25, you will get $5 to spend at checkout if you use the code "READS." Here's an electronic link to the fliers: https://clubs.scholastic.com/all-flyer. 

I took a lot of photos last week.  We turned the yardstick "swords" into "planet markers" and marked off the solar system across the field.  I am always astonished by how spread out the Jovian planets become!   We did some tower building competitions with Ms. Hatlen AND with Mrs. James during library this week, where I got to play, too!  Even though my team didn't win, we worked together really well.  Mr. Dayhoff gave the kids a popsicle party on Friday and the weather was nice enough that we stayed outside for read aloud while they finished eating them. The Battle of the Books kids enjoyed an author visit from Jack Chen and they came back to class so excited about this conversation - what a treat! Finally, I got to watch the fifth grade lip sync practice on Friday morning - I unexpectedly teared up at the end... I am really going to miss this crew next year! We have a lot of fun together, even when I'm feeling crummy...   Hopefully I will see many of you at Lip Sync this Thursday night!  

P.S.  Be sure to look for the Valentine Lunch orders in this coming week's Friday folders!!  Kids typically decorate a shoe box or other container to give clues about their identity, then use this to bring lunch for a specific classmate on Valentine's Day.

We studied the changing shadows in between the clouds on Friday and we started working on character analysis through dialog in our small book groups.  Most kids are getting the hang of correctly punctuating dialog using a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon as a starting point - we move on to personal narratives this week. On Friday, Mr. Dayhoff dropped in to give the fifth graders their Bear Creek banner.  Mrs. Hatlen dropped by last week as well to answer questions about middle school.  The middle school counselors are coming on February 5 to discuss course selections and we will discuss these choices in detail with your student during conferences in February (21, 26, 29).  

It looks like the fifth grade ensemble is coming along nicely for Lip Sync (show is on Feb. 8)!  Valentine's Day is coming up as well - I will send out information about that February 9 but we plan to do a boxed lunch exchange. Finally here's a note from Mrs. Fries:

4th/5th Grade Intramurals 

Join us for 3 weeks of Basketball! If your student is interested in participating Monday after school on January 22nd, 29th & February 5th from 2:50-3:30 - Please fill out the Google Form Basketball Intramurals 2024. Students will play round robin style with a culminating double elimination tournament on the third week. 

Thanks! 

Mrs. Fries

This week, we will get back into the groove of school...  I plan to teach the class to correctly punctuate dialog, then they will include this skill as they write their small moment story from Winter Break.  We will also be reviewing the elements of a story and writing about literature - everyone has been assigned a book so that we can tackle this in small groups and they have a target page to reach by Tuesday afternoon. We are also starting our study of Earth and Space.  This is my favorite science unit!  

Report cards will be available in Infinite Campus on Tuesday at 3:15 and there are instructions in the Bear Creek Blast that explain how to access them electronically.  We are required to use "standards based grading," which can sometimes be hard for parents to interpret.  Basically, if your child gets a "3" they are on track and meeting the fifth grade standards.  I do not give a lot of "4's" because this indicates consistent performance above and beyond the grade level expectations.  A "2" indicates an area where I would like to see some improvement next semester - but it's not a cause for panic!  We can discuss grades, strengths and areas for growth with your child at parent-teacher conferences in February since they will join us!  We will also talk about their middle school course options.  The Southern Hills Counselors will be visiting us in early February to explain the transition.

I heard from a parent that Summit is offering shadow days to their incoming students this week.  I always dread the day that kids come to school and announce whether or not they "got in" to Summit.  There are always a few kids who are deeply disappointed that they were not invited or that they are going to a different school than their best friend... I always give my speech about how Summit uses a lottery system and "getting in" is not a measure of personal accomplishment.  Summit is not a good fit for all students and Southern Hills really is an excellent middle school.  For both of my children (who went to regular Platt), middle school was the time that they actually started to develop their passions (music for one, art for the other) so I tell my students that this is a time to explore new hobbies, expand their friendships and  build good study habits for when their grades really matter!  It can be a bumpy ride, but I will work hard to make sure that everyone is ready when they leave Bear Creek in May!

Happy Winter Break!  

Thank you for the DELIGHTFUL holiday gifts - WOW!!  I feel deeply loved and appreciated!   Thanks also for sending in the StoryCorp interviews as they are recorded.  I am enjoying watching them at a leisurely pace and am impressed by the wide variety of languages my students speak!!  I tossed in a bunch of  December images below, including a variety of science experiments, instrumental music concerts, PJ/stuffy day, art in the library and a visit from Mochi.  I can't wait to see everyone on January 9 - these learners are so joyful! 

I hope you are having a wonderful Winter Break.   

I have received five "StoryCorp" interviews to date - those are due on the day we return in January.  Students should also read at least one book that they can write about when we get back.  We will have a party this Friday to celebrate everyone's hard work and effort this semester.  Report cards will come out when we return in January.  In case this is the last missive that you read before the break, I hope that everyone has a joyful break filled with good health, fun adventures and memorable family time!

December 3 - quick update

This week's update went out via email last Friday: This letter describes the upcoming Human Growth and Development unit that we will teach the week that we return from Winter Break.  After reading the letter, please feel free to reach out to me in December if you have any questions about this unit.

This class LOVES science and we have had some amazing conversations this week!  We plan to finish our chemistry unit before Winter Break so that we can start Earth and Space Science in January.  I have heard that some of my students are planning to travel to see the eclipse on April 8.  The official CMAS window is April 8-26 but there is also a four day weekend in the middle (April 19-22).  Fifth graders need to complete nine days of testing so there is very little time for make-ups!  Please let me know  if you plan for your child to miss any days during this testing window so that we can plan accordingly.

We are hoping to earn a class party on December 22 - you can sign up to help on Help At Schools if you are able to contribute snacks to this festive event!  I have reusable dishes that I can wash so there is no need for individual juice boxes! We have 30 students in our classroom and it would be great if you could avoid nuts and sesame seeds.

Nov. 12 - One week until Fall Break!

Time is flying and I am working to savor every moment!  I am impressed by the quality of American Revolution research and cause/effect writing that my students produced this week - we are focusing on correctly citing works using MLA format and unlike in September, most of my students are now succeeding in this step!  Their writing will be up in the hallway for a  few weeks as we finish up this Social Studies unit and start Science. I deeply appreciate the opportunity that we have at Bear Creek to integrate writing with whatever content we are learning - I think this leads to a much richer learning experience for my students!

This year, we are teaching Mixtures and Solution  (chemistry) as our first science unit and it will wrap up in December.  We will study Human Growth and Development the first week back in January before launching Earth and Space science.  I am thrilled that we will have the opportunity to experience an eclipse in April and have asked the office to order eclipse glasses for each of my students.  Please let me know if you plan to travel to see this eclipse in a place where you can witness totality - the timing coincides with the start of CMAS testing...  

On Monday, I will be introducing a mini-project based on the idea of StoryCorps. (We will not be submitting these to StoryCorp - they are for you!)  Students will choose a person in their extended family to interview and come up with a unique series of questions to ask.  My hope is that students will have a chance to connect with their chosen person over fall or winter break and record their interview live.  You can support this project by helping your child record their interview - any format that I can watch/listen to is acceptable! This project will be due January 9 but students can turn it in as soon as they finish it.  I will share more information with my class this week.

I plan to submit the final Scholastic order of the year on Wednesday, Nov. 15.  My class code is  GXBBF. If you spend $25, you will get $5 to spend at checkout if you use the code "READS." Here's an electronic link to the fliers: https://clubs.scholastic.com/all-flyer. 

4th/5th Grade Intramurals (In case you missed it)

Join us for 3 weeks of Dodgeball! If your student is interested in participating on Wednesday after school on Nov 1st, 8th & 15th 3:00-3:45 - Please fill out the Google Form Dodgeball Intramurals By Oct 31st. Students will play round robin style with a culminating double elimination tournament on the third day. 

Thanks! 

Mrs. Fries

Everyone has now settled into school, although some  students are having a hard time with reading at home.  Ideally, all students should be reading 25 minutes per day - usually from a book of their choosing.  This Tuesday, the Hatchet kids should be finished with their book and the Blood on the River crew should be on page 164.  The class has done a nice job with their book group discussions!

We are about half-way through our study of the Thirteen colonies.  In the pictures above you can see the kids working to create a poster to teach their classmates about their chunk of the broader topic (New England, Middle or Southern Colonial regions; Economics/religion/structure of the towns versus reasons for the colony's founding).  Once the posters were done, I copied them so they could break into groups of 6 to teach each other.  In general, they enjoyed their poster making groups but they are finding the teaching groups to be a lot more challenging.  We will finish this activity on Monday, then move on to synthesize this information and have a preliminary discussion about slavery.  I am working hard to build a framework and an understanding of this time period so that they have some context when they study this era again in eighth grade.  I don't expect a lot of memorization!

I should probably put in a quick note about Halloween.  We typically start the day with a costumed Halloween parade (kids wear their costume to school, then they can change).  In the past, I've shown a movie and kids have brought snacks to share.  Since we finished The City of Ember this week, I thought it might be fun to watch the movie for comparison, although it's not great...  I will include details in a future post, but wanted to remind you now that costumes should not have any weapons or be too gory/scary.  We will have preschoolers watching for the first time!

Scholastic book orders are due  on-line by October 17.  My class code is  GXBBF. If you spend $25, you will get $5 to spend at checkout if you use the code "READS." Here's an electronic link to the grade level fliers: https://clubs.scholastic.com/45 but a lot of my students like to shop in the middle school section.  I find that the book selection varies a lot over the year, but I do use the points to build my library. 

I look forward to meeting all of you at conferences over the next two weeks.  So far, no one has reached out to say that they plan to connect virtually, so I am hoping that this means that everyone will come to my classroom!  Students should stay at home for this round. If you have any specific questions, please email me so that I am prepared for our discussion - otherwise, we will talk about test results, general academic performance, social concerns, open enrollment for middle school, or whatever else is on your mind.  Conferences are supposed to be 15 minutes with 5 minutes in between so that parents with back-to-back conferences can stay on schedule.  I do my best to adhere to the time constraints.  Thank you for participating in your child's education!

This week, we will review the first social studies test and start learning about the early Colonial settlements.  Next week, we will dive into the thirteen colonies and learn broadly about how the regions differed.  Students will do some writing about CalWood and this will be up for parent teacher conferences which begin October 10.  Most people have already signed up through HelpAtSchools- many thanks!!  Although there is an option for a video conference on October 18, I truly hope that everyone will come to school in person to see some of the excellent work that my class has done this year as well as the photos and writing from our trip.  Please reach out via email if you have questions.  

Now that CalWood is done and I've gotten to know my students, it feels like school is really beginning. We are starting book groups this week - you should see a school book coming home a couple of nights since there will not be time to finish reading these books in class.  You should continue to see math homework Monday-Thursday from both classes.  We will be doing a bit more group work / jig-sawing in Social Studies and plan to officially start science near the end of the month.  

Finally, I believe that you are all aware that the Carnival is this Thursday, October 5, and I think there are still a few adult volunteer spots open.  Also, Monday, October 2, is our "OCTOBER COUNTS" day - every student needs to be in school when we take attendance (morning and after lunch) if at all possible.  This impacts our school funding for the year!! 🥺  As always, thanks for your support!

I ended up having the kids make "Who Would Win" movies using WeVideo to share their graphic novel/book comparisons.  They are really enjoying watching their classmates' movies and since they all did a different pair of books, it does not feel too repetitive.  I am SHOCKED by how many students argue that the book is better than the graphic novel!  I asked if they thought that this was what I wanted to hear, but they insisted that the graphic novels left out too many important details. (However, they are also doing a great job of commenting on the "art style" of the drawings in the graphic novels).  We plan to put these in the library so that Bear Creek kids can watch on an iPad via QR code and I will find a way to share them with parents as well.  I am SO IMPRESSED by this group of students and by what they are already able to do in early September!  I can't wait to see where we end up this year.

Picture day is Tuesday, September 19.  Details came home in Friday folders a week ago.  I am noticing that some kids are putting their Friday folder materials into school recycling (where I fished out a picture order form...).  In general, blue folders with graded work and school communication will come home every Friday - please keep an eye out.  

We are all set for chaperones for CalWood - whew!  Please remember to get your child's paperwork and medicine turned in this week - it takes some time to get all of these details organized.  We deeply appreciate the fact that almost everyone has gotten their fees submitted and that some folks have been able to contribute a little extra to help us cover the rising costs of this trip.  Thank you so much for your support!!  CalWood is a truly pivotal experience for some of our students who have never been away from home.  This trip also helps to develop a sense of community and belonging for the whole grade.  I gain so many valuable insights at CalWood!!!!

9/10 - A few quick reminders after a short week

Thanks for getting the Calwood paperwork turned in!  It is due on Tuesday.  I believe that we are still seeking another male chaperone for this trip. If you have the time and have passed the background check, we would love to have you join us!  You won't be with your child during the day, but will see them in the evening when we are all together.  Please drop me a note if you have any questions.  You need to send Mr. Dayhoff an email by noon on Monday if you would like to join us.

Last week, we learned about citing sources and Mrs. James taught a lesson about how to use the public library's databases.  What a great tool for research!  In the future, students will learn how to evaluate the quality of a website.  This is a week to tidy up a couple of projects - I hope to finish the timeline with their invention writing and have some students begin to present their graphic novel/book comparison.  We will also be learning about the Columbian exchange and going into the garden to harvest the tomatoes and potatoes that this class planted in fourth grade. Both of these plants were cultivated in the Americas and introduced to Europe in the 1500's.  

Scholastic book orders are due  on-line by September 13.  My class code is  GXBBF. If you spend $25, you will get $5 to spend at checkout if you use the code "READS."  I believe this works all year long!  Here's an electronic link to the grade level fliers: https://clubs.scholastic.com/45 but a lot of my students like to shop in the middle school section.  I find that the book selection varies a lot over the year, but I do use the points to build my library. Many thanks to those of you who participate!

This week, we will be studying inventions that changed the way that people lived and each student has their own topic to research during our literacy block.  This year, I tried starting our study of history through the question, "Why are we speaking English in a classroom in the middle of Colorado?"  We have been looking at timelines at different scales (dinosaurs to people, 2010 to the present) and will be building out an illustrated timeline of the major events in human history based on the inventions that drove societies to change.  The class helped me to build the list of inventions, which led to a brief discussion about ChatGPT.  For the record, I don't view AI as "good" or "bad," but I do think it has the potential to change our world and I want my students to understand that they are in the process of making history.  We started our actual "history" lessons with the history of the Silk Road and will ease into the Age of Exploration next. 

Once everyone has finished writing about their invention, they will meet to me to discuss all of the writing that they have done so far this year (descriptive, expository, discussion post) and create a writing goal.  We will check in mid-year to see if they have met it and want to change their goal, if they haven't met it and need to keep working or if we need to adjust it.  Because I have so many excellent writers, I am working on creating an enrichment group with Megan Vos.  I am also working on creating a writing reference that documents the various writing techniques they have learned at Bear Creek and the many rules for writing mechanics. Towards that end, we started our "grammar boot camp" and have also been practicing the visual thinking technique called "see, think, wonder."  

The graphic novel study has gone better than I had imagined!  This was a great way to review all of the parts of the narrative writing structure and to get kids to practice finding evidence in the text.  This week I "pitched" all of the book/graphic novel pairs and most students were assigned to a team (a few will work alone).  They are in the midst of reading a book in both formats and will create a presentation for the class comparing and contrasting the two ways of telling the story.  I plan to create an exemplar using the book, The City of Ember, which we will read after I finish Framed!  We will have a Socratic seminar on Framed! later this week so you may see the preparation for this discussion coming home for homework and you should see your student reading a school assigned book at home!

I hope that you are all enjoying time with your family this weekend.  I loved the chance to connect briefly with Bronwyn!! She brought me 30 minifigs for my students and she won first place in her Cosplay competition on Saturday!  Bronwyn's interest in cosplay started in middle school, about the same time that Eric's interest in music composition began.  Eric's band (Hand Turkey) played their first headline show at their "album release party" in Denver about a week ago and they sold it out.  As a mom, I just love watching my children do things that I would find impossible to do myself!  I also am thrilled that they are both continuing to follow their passions as they juggle all of the responsibilities of becoming independent adults - getting launched is a lot harder today it was when I made that journey.  

 The Lifeboxes were a huge hit!  Thanks for supporting this community building activity.  Everyone did such a nice job of presenting and I did not need to get the microphone out once!  I hope to get these photos laminated and up on the wall in our classroom before you arrive on Wednesday at 5:45 for Back-to-School night.  Most students have finished their first draft of their summer memory - look for these in the hallway as well.  We will also have our Calwood meeting on Wednesday from 6:20-7:00.  Please sit at your child's desk for Back-to-School night and pick up their packet to take with you to the Calwood meeting in the fishbowl. Kids should stay at home for both of these events.  (Many thanks!)

We have now established most of our routines.  If your child wants breakfast before school, they need to come in the front door. It starts at 7:30.   Math homework has begun to be assigned Monday-Thursday.  The District is still having an issue getting my math roster synched up with the new curriculum but I am hopeful that by the end of this week, everything will be sorted out and we will hit our stride with the new materials.  I hope everyone can make it on Wednesday night!  I look forward to working with you this year.

Last week, we completed spelling and math placements tests as well as an initial writing sample by drafting on paper, then typing the final version! I have crafted some "grammar boot camp" review lessons based on this initial writing which we will start this week.  We started reading Framed! after lunch to discuss the structure of a narrative and the class has been very engaged so far. We will finish i-Ready this week and that will conclude all of the baseline assessments. 

On Monday, the Instrumental Music teachers will demonstrate all of the available band and orchestra instruments for the fifth graders.  My class will have the opportunity to try out the instruments this Thursday and will be given feedback on whether or not the instrument is a good fit for them.  The packet describing this music program is in the blue Friday folder and it explains where you can rent an instrument as well as find the necessary supplies.  You might want to talk with your child about the logistics of carrying their instrument back and forth to school...

I am already impressed by this crew - they work hard, ask for help when they need clarification and participate in excellent class discussions!  We did a Socratic seminar to review the Bear Creek ROCKS (our school-wide positive behavioral interventions and support system) and they were incredibly self aware regarding the rules that are hard for this group to follow.  We have another week before the Back-to-School night/Calwood meeting but you can email me if you have questions or we can touch base outside on Thursday mornings when I have "duty."  I look forward to getting to know you all better this year - it's great to be a community again!

Years ago, parents indicated that they were getting too much email from the school.  Based on their feedback, I switched over to maintaining a class website, and found that it has the added benefit that information doesn't get lost or accidentally deleted.  I still send email for time-critical or personal communication but this website is where I post photos, information about upcoming projects and general news from our classroom. I tend to update my blog on the weekend, so Sunday evening is a good time to check in.  I know that websites are not for everyone and I welcome feedback!  Please let me know if you are struggling to find information.

A QUICK NOTE ON  MY GRADING PHILOSOPHY

BVSD requires 4th and 5th grade teachers to use Schoology as our "Learning Management System" and parents have access to the grades in this system.  However, the "grade" that you see in Schoology does not directly translate to the standards based grading system that BVSD uses for elementary school report cards.  While I don't use Schoology to formally calculate a student's "grade" for my class, I have discovered that a lot of my students struggle to turn in their work and Schoology does a really good job of tracking completion.  (This will be yet another good habit to build before middle school.)  If a child completes a task but gets the answer wrong, does not fully complete the assignment, or uses incomplete sentences for a short answer question, I will give them  partial credit to avoid the dreaded "zero."  If your child has a very low grade in my class, it's probably because they have a lot of missing work. I DEEPLY believe in giving feedback and building strong school habits, but I also want my students to be curious and more focused on learning than on jumping through hoops.  There will be plenty of time for that later!!  

We can discuss this more at Back-To-School night on August 30 (in person).