May

Teacher Appreciation Week

For any working professional, the best reward of all is the satisfaction of knowing you did your best work and having a positive impact.  We have often told our students that the best gift they could ever give to us is to consistently give their best efforts, rise to the challenge at hand, and to persist, even in the face of setbacks and failure.  Beyond that, coming to school every day with a positive attitude, a smile, and consideration of others is the icing on the cake.  We are impressed with their hard work and persistence while still having a little fun during the day . These are the best displays of appreciation a teacher could ask for.

Final Weeks of Fifth Grade

The end of the school year brings mixed emotions for students and teachers. We all feel a sense of relief as well as excitement as summer break approaches. But the end of the school year, especially fifth grade, brings some sentimentality as students have reached the end of a long journey together. For fifth grade, the end of year also means turning the corner from elementary school to the unknown world of middle school.

We recognize that the end of a school year calls for some kind of celebration and closure. We have every intention of making the close of our school year memorable and meaningful for students. This will include ALL of the usual fifth grade events (dates are subject to change): 

• Thursday, May 7 - Young Ameritowne.  The culminating trip to our study of economics, free enterprise, banking, and money management. This experience creates lasting memories for fifth graders.

• May 8 - May 20 - Shark Tank Project. Project Based Learning activity where students team up to design a product and create a business plan.

• Monday, May 11 - High Altitude Balloon Launch - Science project organized and led by students - all are invited for launch at 8:45 a.m.

• Thursday, May 14 - Tie Dye Day - Students design and create their own tie dye t-shirts. Washing instructions will be sent home with the t-shirts.

• Friday, May 15 - 3-5 Field Day (a.m.). - Lots of games and fun!

• Friday, May 15 - K-2 Field Day (p.m.) - Fifth grade students exercise leadership and role modeling by running K-2 events.

• Wednesday, May 20 - Freedom Fest - A day "free" of academics and filled with crafts and games.

• Thursday, May 21 - Fifth Graders vs. Teachers Volleyball - Our annual game of fifth grade classes versus teachers, past and present. This has become quite a tradition and it's a lot of fun (especially when teachers win every year). Let the smack-talking begin!

• Thursday, May 21 - Fifth Grade Picnic. This is Willow Creek's version of "continuation." We choose this event because it is something special that the kids enjoy, rather than formal ceremonies that are best fit for a high school graduation (ask them - they'll agree!). Yearbook signing occurs earlier on this day as well as the "Clap Out" around 11 a.m. where the whole school sends fifth graders on their way. At the picnic, there will be food, games, and activities. This is a student-focused day that sends fifth graders off with fun memories of good times together.

Fifth graders are excused from attending the half day of school on Friday, May 22.