Week 17 Off to a New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope your holiday season left you happy, healthy, and ready for the adventures of another year. I'm looking forward to seeing all the students again and catching up with their holiday happenings.

Two items that will be in the forefront this week are the student's book trailers and the Martin Luther King essay. The book trailers are due on Wednesday and we'll spend some time sharing all of them. The MLK essay was a surprise to me but please don't fret. I plan to give the students time to work on this in class. I do ask that you read through the assignment posted on Google classroom with your child, brainstorm some writing ideas, and help begin a rough draft.

The Social Studies fair is on the horizon and it will be required this year. We will be working on this during class time and using it as a vehicle to practice research skills and write a research paper. Start talking about this with your child and help find an interesting and intriguing topic to explore.


Here's a peek at some of the academic topics coming up in class this month:

• cell meiosis, genetics, adaptations, theory of evolution
• citizenship, government, beginnings of our nation
• persuasive writing 
• independent and dependent clauses, action - linking - helping verbs
• author's purpose, genre

One last thing... Mr. Graves is actively planning our end of the year field trip to Williamsburg. The tentative dates are Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19. I will keep you informed.

Enjoy these last few days of vacation and best wishes to each of you for a satisfying year ahead.

Mrs. J

Week 16 Holiday Time

Only four more school days until Christmas break. The kids have worked hard these past few months and definitely deserve a little time off. This week we have a few things going on.

• Our class party will happen on Wednesday. Please send a healthy snack for your student that day. We will have pizza for lunch and then PARTY! I'll provide the party food. If your child has a favorite board game, send it on Wednesday. And don't forget the Secret Santa gift. Parents are welcome to come and share in the fun.
• Thursday (December 20) is our last day and one of school wide celebration. Chapel and our Christmas play will start off the morning, followed by Holiday Happenings from 10:30 to 12:00. We can still use some craft centers. If you want to come and help out, just let me know. In the afternoon we'll wind down with a movie and then clean up, pack up, and get out! 

The students have been practicing the mechanics of paragraph writing. By responded to a visual prompt, they practiced writing hooks, topic sentences, details related to the topic sentence,  transition words, descriptive words, and concluding sentences reflecting back to the topic sentence. We took a little time to learn about Norman Rockwell, his art, and his contributions to our country. The students chose one of his Christmas pictures to write about. Enjoy a few of these student samples.

Once there was a man who made Christmas stuff like toys, Christmas lights, and ornaments. When he was a kid, he was a big fan of Christmas. His favorite holiday was Christmas and he wanted to make Christmas things. When he went to school, he always talked about Christmas to his friends. One day three kids bullied him...  Aiden

And it goes on from there with Santa coming out ahead and the bullies getting their dues. It's always interesting to get inside of the minds of the kids.

A Christmas tree is a fun thing. It is fun to decorate it with family. The tree is tall, thin, and rugged. The ornaments are old, rusty, and also breakable and at last the star which is shiny, bold, and big...

So the tree is a very important part in the holidays. Cody

His concluding sentence refers back to his topic sentence and he took the time to add adjectives.

Whoosh - a big, fat guy flew through the sky being pulled by a group of not so excited reindeer. It had been a long night and the man had been drinking a little too many spiked eggnogs... Ian B.

This is certainly an attention getting hook!

...My mom was untangling lights, my dad was hanging decorations on the walls, and my brother just got back from the store with a present for my mom... Jada

This topic sentence spells out what her paragraph should be about.

...The snow was sparkling on the ground, but the kids had their eyes fixed on the skies. They were looking for any signs of reindeer. And then a flash in the sky, like the shimmer of a sleigh... Julia

She used descriptive words and even threw in a simile.

Grandma, who is very kind, is the best grandma there ever was. We pack, drive in the car, and arrive there to see our aunts and uncles... When we get there, we bring in the gifts, help decorate the huge tree, and spend time with grandma. We decorate her tree with all of her ornaments... Mary

She wrote a topic sentence telling what she is writing about and then added details for each idea.     

...They snuggled in bed and as soon as they were absolutely sure their parents were asleep, they crept down the stairs on silent toes. The squishy armchair that sat by the fire bent under the weight of the two children that had just flounced onto it. They stared intensely at the hollow fireplace that was black with soot and coal. However, when Bonnie looked over, Ben was fast asleep, sandy blonde hair spilling over the arm of the chair where his head rested... Maxine

Her word choice is excellent and she even used personification.

The scent of pine trees filled the air. The train screeched to a stop in the place I call home. It was Christmas Eve when I hopped off the train watching families embrace with tearful hellos. I looked at the clock - eight o'clock on the dot. With a long held sigh, I slung my sack over my back, and I waited and waited for the ones I hold dear to show up and be near... Victoria

Yes, I want to read more!

Happy Holidays. Enjoy!

Mrs. J

Week 15 SNOW!

Happy snow day to you. I'll just take a few minutes of your time on this gorgeous Sunday to update you on the Galaxy's latest adventure.

Our mock trial was a success. All the students learned about a "wild" and pivotal event that occurred as our nation struggled toward freedom. They also were introduced to our legal system by role playing as lawyers and witnesses. The lawyers each wrote their own opening and closing statements. These statements were organized, well written with excellent word choices, compelling, and persuasive. John Wooton was an essential part of this event. He graciously shared his legal and historical expertise. Thank you so much, Judge Wooton.

I'm planning to give an occasional snow day assignment; the first one is assigned for tomorrow. Please make sure your student checks Google Classroom. I've posted The Gift of the Magi in the English Language Arts classroom. The assignment is to read it, answer the questions, and become familiar with the vocabulary.

Tuesday, or whenever we get back to school, we will be finishing up the study of cell mitosis. The other two assignments due this week is one for American Studies and holiday writing. Jog your student's memory about these. They are also reading a book of their choice and will produce a book trailer when they are finished.

If you haven't brought in your Christmas 4 a Knight gift yet,  please do so the first day we go back to school. Our class Secret Santa exchange and party will be held on Wednesday, December 19 and our school wide festivities will happen on Thursday, December 20 which is the last day of school for the year. WOW!

Enjoy the snow.
Mrs. J

Week 14 It's December!

I want to invite family and friends to the Galaxy's mock trial of the Boston Massacre. The Honorable Judge John Wooton will be presiding over our court on Friday, December 7 at 10:00 am. The students are working diligently and this is sure to be a fun as well as educational event. Let me know if you will be attending and if you plan to bring others with you.

As we head into December, please make sure to check the school newsletter and all flyers that come home. There are numerous giving opportunities and events lined up. Also, if you haven't given to the annual fund, please do so. Any amount counts towards our participation. We want a pizza and ice cream party!

Progress reports will be coming to you soon. I've attached a fantastic visual of standard based grading. Take a few minutes to read this so that you can fully understand your child's report.

As always, contact me with any questions and/or concerns. I hope to see many of you this Friday at the trial.

Mrs. J