Wednesday, September 26, 2012

PE Day- October 2

Just a reminder - Our next class PE day with Mr. Carter is Tuesday, October 2.  We begin at 3:15 and students need to change into athletic clothes on that day.

Forces and Motion

The egg drop kicked off a new project for the fifth graders.  We are learning about forces and motion.  We have learned about Newton's three laws of motion and about four kinds of friction.  We have learned how these forces apply to our every day lives, such as moving things, riding in a car, or playing sports.  We have learned about force, mass and acceleration, how even when a bug hits a car windshield, they each have a force, but the car has a much greater force.  We also used some informative websites to get our information. Have your student share what they know about forces and motion.  See if you can find examples around you.  Once you start looking for it, you can find them everywhere!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Count Day

Thursday, September 20 is count day, the day when the school gets money for the year for each student in attendance that day.  It is a very important day to be at school.  There are also a few incentives.
1.  Street clothes - clothing must have the same coverage as the uniform. This is the only day this year for street clothes.
2.  Afternoon treat - there is a fun activity planned for the afternoon. 

Please be in attendance! 

Egg Drop

Today was the day of the much anticipated egg drop! Each team of students worked carefully to protect their eggs.  We had many creative ideas including using bubble wrap, cotton batting, stuffed animals, a tennis ball, string around craft sticks, a fishing reel, a tube, a motor, and parachutes to slow down the drop of the eggs.  In the end, every student was successful in their plans and not one egg cracked!  We had a class full of creative thinkers and hard-working engineers.  It was fun to see the teamwork and ideas in this project.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Egg Drop Project

Today we started an Egg Drop project.  The fifth graders were really excited about this!  They have to follow the steps of the scientific method and design a way to get their egg down a 30 inch drop, from the table to the floor.  The students worked in pairs and had to draw up their design and and get it approved before they started building.  All parts of this project must be built in the classroom, but students may bring a few supplies from home. The egg drop will take place early next week.  This is the start of a project on forces and motion. There was some great student collaboration  taking place in the classroom as the pairs discussed what would protect their egg best.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Our First PE Class

Just a reminder:
Tuesday is our first PE day with Mr. Carter!  Students need to bring athletic clothes to change into.  Athletic shorts, t-shirt, socks and shoes.  Any color is fine.

Our next class PE day will be Tuesday, September 18.

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

First Week of School

After completing the first week of school, things in the fifth grade are going great.  We are learning procedures for things that will soon become routines.  I appreciate the students being so responsible about bringing back their signed paperwork and having a book to read in the classroom and at home.  This week there is no written assignment for the home reading log, but I will expect the students to write a brief (3 sentences or less) summary of their reading starting next week.  I will also ask that a parent sign or initial that your child read the amount of time recorded on the reading log.    

Drinks and snacks are important during these long, hot days.  Be sure your child's water bottle is full each day and clearly labeled.

The students were issued their chrome books this week.  Talk about excited - it felt like Christmas to get those chrome books!  They are demonstrating good care of the chrome books in the classroom.

Please enjoy the home journals.  I am so excited about this project this year.  Be sure to read more of my thoughts on this in the earlier blog post. Also, enjoy your Labor Day holiday.

Parents, you have great kids.  I have seen good manners and kind behavior in addition to good academic habits.  What a delightful group of fifth graders!  I am thrilled with our class.  It has been so fun for me to get to know each of them.