Mrs. Hughes

Week of January 23 to 27

It was hard  coming to school on a Monday.  It made the week seem long!  In my reading group, we finished the book A Dog's Life.  Today in the computer lab we explored www.scholastic.com/dogslife.  It is a great website that gives the kids an opportunity to write an alternative ending to the book.  Some of the kids expressed interest in going on the website at home, that is why I included it above!  Mrs. Sims' reading group has been working hard on the Benjamin Franklin book.  She has been integrating our next social studies unit into reading time.  Next week, I will start to do the same.  We will learn about the Revolutionary War by reading about it!

In math, we have all been studying fractions.  This week specifically we learned to compare fractions, and change mixed numbers into improper fractions and vice versa.  Next week we will learn how to add and subtract fractions with like denominators.

We finished learning about the 13 colonies.  Next up are the causes of the Revolutionary War, and then the actual war itself.  We will be learning about social studies during reading time.  Our last science/social studies hour will be dedicated to science starting on Monday.  We will be learning about space!

 ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

*Monday is the Blood Drive!

*Tuesday is Math Night at Walmart.  The math sheet that they get at Walmart night is their only homework.  however, if you chose not to go, your child will have different homework...hint hint!

*Happy birthday to Ian MacLellan who had a birthday on January 25!

*Thank you to his dad, Mike, for helping us with Math Centers!

*Read to Succeed fliers came home today.  These are the sheets that you use to log your child's reading, and get a FREE Six Flags ticket!  They have changed it this year.  In order for a teacher to receive a free ticket, at least 10 students must have participated!    Please help me get that ticket!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Week of January 16 to 20

I hope you all enjoyed your Monday off.  This is the last day off for a while!  We continued this week with fractions.  Specifically, we worked with factors and how they relate to equivalent fractions.  We also practiced turning fractions into decimals!  In reading, we are still reading A Dog's Life.  We will probably be finished by the end of next week.  Your child should have conducted their interview by now.  On Monday, we will draft our article based on the interview.    In social studies we have learned about the New England colonies and middle colonies.  Ask you child which states were part of which colony!  Next week we will finish studying the colonies.  We will then have a test, which will be at the end of next week or the beginning of the following.  We also had a Media Center lesson and a lesson with Mrs. Carter!

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

*Cereal box book reports are due Monday for the kids in my reading group!!  The rubric and other pages are attached to last week's BLOG!!

*Thank you Sharon Ryan and Karen Princenthal for covering our class while the 4th grade teachers had collaboration!

*Second notices for the Cobb County Youth Museum were sent home today.  Please return ASAP!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Week of January 9 to 13

Happy New Year and welcome back!  It is so nice to see your children again:-)!  We have been busy this week.  In my reading class, we started a new novel study, A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray.   We will be reading this book in class, and the students will be doing their jobs in class next week.  The reading homework they have is the Cereal Box mystery book report.  The directions and rubric are attached to the BLOG. Download Cereal box rubric Download Cerealbox Download Cerealboxtemp Download Cerealtemp2

In math we are working with fractions.  We learned about equivalent fractions this week.  We will get as far as adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators.  The students will also have to change a proper fraction into an improper fraction, and an improper fraction into a mixed number.  They also have to know how to convert a fraction into a decimal number! 

In grammar we have started a unit on adjectives and adverbs.  Our writing for this nine weeks is nonfiction writing.  The students will start by conducting an interview next week, and then writing an article based on the interview.  We will also be doing a large research paper the second half of this semester.

Social studies was off to a bang!  today!  Ask your child about taxation day!  We are learning about the 13 colonies now, and we will quickly go into the causes of the American Revolutionary War.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

* Please return your permission slip for the Cobb County Youth Museum.  This is a hands on field trip about the American Revolution.  It is a great field trip!

*FAST classes registration is going on now!  Classes begin the week of the 23rd.

*The Tritt Talent Schow is next week!  There are several of our students who are in the show...and so am I!

*Heroes essay forms went home yesterday.  They need to be returned by February 9th if your child wished to participate!

*Report cards are coming home today.  Please sign the signature card and return it in the brown envelope.  If I don't get it back, I will be tracking you down!

*We are in desperate need of new pencils.  If you can spare a pack, that would be great.  Also, please ask your child if they need a new glue stick for the second half of this year.

Week of December 12 to 16

Is it the break yet?  I know it is not, but it needs to be!  The kids definitely don't want to be here!  They are so excited about sleeping in late, opening presents, and not having homework!   We did manage to finally finish our geometry unit.  We had a final quiz on it today.  We also finished our unit on sound and had a quiz on it yesterday.  In my reading class, we watched the movie for the Sign of the Beaver book.  We also took the language arts AND science check point this week!  We are exhausted!  We enjoyed watching the Chorus perform on Thursday.  We have 6 chorus members in our class!!  I think we are now ready for the long break!

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

*I forgot to mention that Tyler Alvado had a birthday on December 11th!  Happy birthday, Tyler!

*Joshua Taub AND Patrick O'Connor share a birthday on Sunday, December 18th.

*Sarah Hotton has her birthday on December 20th!

*Our Holiday party is on Tuesday, December 20th at 11!

*PJ day is Thursday, December 22nd!  We will ALL be in PJs!

*THaNK YOU to Leanne McGrath!  She came to share Hanukkah with our class today!  We learned about the holiday, played dreidel games, and ate latkes!

*I won't be posting a BLOG next week.  I hope everyone has a wonderful, restful winter holiday!  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year!

 

 

Week of December 5 to 9

This week we were again extremely busy.  The poor kids had three tests today!  This time of year is so busy, and the kids are just ready for a break!  I wish I could let up some, but there is too much to cover and not enough time!  We finally finished The Sign of the Beaver.  The students worked in pairs to create an alternate ending to the story.  They were very creative, and the kids had to learn to cooperate and agree on what to write.  That was a learning experience in itself!  We also went to the Computer Lab today and took the SRI and STAR reading tests.  Geometry is a lot to remember!  It is not a difficult "process" like multiplication or division, but it sure is a lot to remember!  We had a lengthy quiz today on triangles, quadrilaterals, and vertices and faces.    We are also exploring sound and sound waves, including pitch, frequency, and volume.  How is your child's instrument coming along?   It is due on December 20th...

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

*We will not be doing another novel study in here before the winter break.  However, the students will be required to read nightly and take as many AR tests as they can on grade level material!

*I can't think of any more announcemets or reminders, so have a great weekend!

 

 

Week of November 28 to December 2

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break!  The kids came in Monday morning in a stupor..I know it was hard for them to wake up!  We had to dive in head first, however, because we still have a lot of material to cover before the winter break.  In reading, we finished reading the Sign of the Beaver.  We took a test on it today.  On Monday, they will work in pairs to complete the last task, which is to give it an alternative ending.  In math we started our geometry unit.  Specifically, we learned the types of lines and angles.  We began using protractors to measure angles.  There was a quiz on the vobaulary that we have been learning.  Most of the kids did great!  In science we have been learning about sound.  Next week we will learn about light!

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

*Don't forget about your child's science project!  If you have no idea what I am talking about, ask them!  They need to have an instrument idea and some research done by Monday!

*Your child should be reading 20 minutes a night...if not a school book, then something!

*We are switching lunches with 5th grade on Tuesday due to a 5th grade field trio.  If you were planning on coming to lunch that day, our time will be 11:47.

*We have our auction on Friday!  That means your child needs to bring in a gently used toy or item that they no longer play with, but is still appropriate.  They will be bidding with their "Tiger bucks" to bring home a different item!

 

 

 

 

Week of November 14 to 18

This week was busy.  In math, we divided decimals by whole numbers.  When we return from the break we will begin working on geometry.  Fun!  In reading, we have continued to read The Sign of the Beaver. We will pick up where we left off when we return.  We also worked on verb tenses, finished our explorers unit, went to the media center for a lesson, and had an assembly on bullying!

 ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS"

*If you asked for a Salvation Army stocking, I am sorry to say they are all out!  I was too late in requesting them!  If any more come in, I will send them your way!

*Happy birthday to Max Gervais!  His birthday is on Tuesday, November 22nd!

Have a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving!

Week of November 7 to 11

I thought after the kids behavior on Monday that the rest of the week would be unproductive, but I was wrong!  The day off on Tuesday was just what was needed!  They came back on Wednesday ready to work!:)  In reading, we started a new novel study.  The Sign of the Beaver is a historical fiction that is a great book to lead us in to Colonial America.  We will be learning about Colonial America in social studies.  When we return from the winter break, we will learn about the causes and battles of the Revolutionary War.   In math, we have continued with division, specifically two digit divisors.  Next week we will be learning how to divide with decimals in the dividend.  After Thanksgiving, we will start geometry.  We also had Mrs. Carter come do a lesson on bullying, and we went to the Computer Lab this morning!

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

*Please make sure your child has the appropriate clothing for outdoor weather.  Too many of the boys are wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts.  They bring a jacket, but I find they are taking it off during recess to make a fashion statement.  We have been told by the administration to relay the message to the aprents that children are to wear weather appropriate clothing!

* Students must wear tennis shoes on PE days - No boots please!  Boots do not give them any ankle support. This is for their safety and will not be permitted to participate if they do not have appropriate shoes.  We go to PE every other day!

*Happy birthday to Eric Del Valle!  He turned 10 yesterday!

* It is that time of year for the Salvation Army stockings!  If you DO want one, please let me know.  I am not going to send one home with everyone because I don't want to guilt anyone into it.  BUT, please be sure to send me an email if you want me to give your child one! 

*Walmart students have homework this weekend.  They are to work on their balanced puzzle packet!

Week of October 31 to November 4

Is it just me, or are these weeks flying by?  I hope everyone had a nice time trick-or-treating, or answering the door!  Thank you to Julie Resh and Kim Brown for organizing a great Halloween celebration!  This week in reading, we worked with non-fiction text.  There was science snuck in there, as we read books about simple machines.  In math, we continue to work on long division.  Two-digit divisors were introduced on Thursday, and we will continue working with these next week.  We will also be throwing decimals in the dividend!  In writing, we are working on writing a summary of a nonfiction book.  We are also learning all about verbs-linking, helping, and action!  We also had our fabulous sound field trip today, Guidance with Mrs. Carter, and a lesson on conducting research with Mrs. Bates in the media center!

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDER:

*If your child brought home their simple machines test today, they need to STUDY!!  Mrs. DeMeester is having a retest for them on Monday!!!!

*There is no school on Tuesday, November 8th.

*Chickfila night is Monday, November 7th.

 

Week of October 24 to 28

It is hard to believe that October is just about over!  What happened?  I enjoyed meeting with you all this week.  I hope you enjoyed hearing me gloat over your kids!  Since it was a shortened day this week, the kids were crazy!  BUT, we did manage to complete a project on our Judy Blume books.  The students designed a movie poster for the book that they read.   They had to give the movie a different title and include a tagline.  They really seemed to enjoy it!  If they didn't finish it, they are bringing it home for homework!  In math, we are still plugging away with long division.  Next week we will be starting a new book!  Please make sure your child is reading about 20 minutes a night.  If they don't have homework reading because they finished it in class, they should be reading something else at home!

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS:

*Please return permission slips for the in school sound filed trip ASAP!!!

* Saturday is the Tritt Trot!  We have quite a few students signed up already!  Come on out to support them!

*Monday is Hat Day.  For $1, your child can wear a hat!  Proceeds go to Relay for Life! 

*Monday is Halloween (in case you forget:))!  We will be having a Halloween celebration in the afternoon.

*Tuesday is the Relay for Life Costume kickball game.  I won't be there because I am leading my daughter's Brownie troop that day!

*The author of the book Escaping the Giant Wave is Peg Kehret.  She has many great adventure books!