Today we begin planning a lesson to teach to kindergarteners about Forces and Motion. More to follow!
This week we took our first Math Unit Test. I am pleased to say that all students in my class passed! I was so excited with their scores! I am sure all of their hard work in Math Workshop had a lot to do with it! Our next unit is on decimals and operations with decimals. I am confident they can tackle these concepts with ease! We are studying Native American groups in Social Studies. Everyone is enjoying "digging into the past". We will begin an indepth project next week. We are rolling along in Science, learning about forces. We will continue to plan experiments and demonstrations to help our understanding of these concepts. Reading groups are going well. Many new books are being shared. Ask your child about what they are reading! I am looking forward to a crazy week next week! The parade should be full of surprises:) I seriously cannot believe it is week 7! We are gearing up for our first big math test this week on fractions. We are enjoying exploring forces in science. We will be researching Native Americans, and hopefully producing some amazing projects. The students continue to amaze me with how they find new ways to use technology. Our reading groups are working well, with some exciting stories being shared. As the weather continues to cool off, please remember to dress appropriately. Also, check out Math Night this Friday. It will be lots of fun! This week we took our first test on the chromebook. The results were amazing! I think the students loved the challenge of the online format. I loved the immediate results I could see! I emailed the results to each student. If needed, we can print that for anyone who wants to see it. We also had lots of small group activity going on in Reading and Math. I enjoy meeting with small groups. It allows me to see who needs extra help and who needs a challenge. I also love to talk with the students and get to know them better. Science was a blast this week with paper airplanes flying as we talk about forces. I am looking forward to more opportunities for students to produce their own hands on activities related to these concepts.
As the weather gets cooler, please remember to make sure students are dressed for the weather. If needed, they can leave an extra layer at school so they are not too cold outside. Our playground tends to be cool, especially when the north wind picks up. Time is certainly flying! I am already seeing so much growth in all of the students. Looking forward to new challenges and learning experiences! This week found us stepping out of the classroom for our learning experiences. On Monday, we were able to attend a presentation at Kaufman that taught us a little about Brazilian culture, dance, and martial arts. Penny Wars kept us busy, and raised some money for our Bay Cliff fund. On Wednesday, we were able to get out and find several geocaches on the nature trail. Our reading groups are winding down, with many interesting projects in the works. Science this week brought more experiments as we begin to look at forces. Friday brought the Fun Run, and several fun Math games. Who knew fractions could be fun? Monday brings our first Social Studies test. We hope to complete it on our chromebooks. Looks like a cool week, so dig out the warm coats! Fall has arrived!
This week we took our first field trip! The students enjoyed learning while being outdoors. We saw exhibits by the National Weather Service, UP FurTrappers,DNR Firefighters, Fisheries and Wildlife and more! The highlight was a hayride around the farm, seeing some animals, and of course ice cream! This week I expect you will begin to see some review information coming home in Science and Social Studies. I will let you know when I schedule those tests. Don't forget picture day is Thursday! Enjoy the fall weather! This week finds us settling into our routine. We have decided that to best meet the needs of all our readers, we have grouped students from all three classes for reading. We will all present different stories and projects, then we will mix the groups again and offer more options. This has been done in other grades and at other schools with much success. It also lets the students mix and see a different teacher in their day.
Next Friday will be our first field trip! We are excited to participate in Agripalooza! I will let students post Friday about their experience and hopefully put up some new pictures. Please remember to save your Econo slips. The fifth graders get to use the funds collected to help finance their trip to Bay Cliff in the spring (easy fundraiser). I know it's hard to believe, but I am already seeing growth in these students! Making good choices, working well together, and practicing good habits are all areas I am seeing growth. Keep up the good work! So week two is in the books! We have been working very hard on routines. They say "go slow to go fast" and I have found that to be true. If we take the time now to practice routines, the students know what is expected and usually can accomplish more.
This week, we have expanded our Chromebook borders a bit. I have introduced Google Classroom, which is a site I can use with the students for assignments. I created an assignment, they completed it and turned it in to me. Amazing what they can accomplish! We are truly learning as we go. I love watching the students just get up and help each other. The excitement in the room is contagious! You may have noticed that students have posted comments on this blog page about certain activities we are doing. Kahoot is a jeopardy type game that we have been playing with our Chromebooks. It is a fun and interactive way to test skills. Professor Peabody is an activity in which students practice basic science process skills like observation, comparing, ordering, categorizing, and communications. Everyone gets an object and they work in groups to practice the skills. Math workshop is a group approach to math. Students visit four stations, rotating in a group. It allows me to teach/reinforce skills with small groups, and allows students to review and practice skills. Heart maps were a visual representation of what is important to us. We wrote some poems based on our heart maps. I look forward to publishing them on this webpage (when I figure it out haha!). Get out and enjoy the cool weather! Well, we made it through the first week! I think I finally have everyone's name memorized:) We began with a lovely tribute to Mrs. Bott, and ended the week with a fun and sweet Science activity. We have lots of energy and enthusiasm in our room, and we are finding the best ways to channel it so learning can take place. Our technical difficulties will hopefully be fixed next week on our chrome books. We had fun using them, and I have many ideas for using them next week already. We will dive right into Science and Social Studies next week, as well as Math and Reading. Be ready for a bit of homework! Remember your pictures, and be sure to enjoy some reading time this weekend!
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AuthorMrs. Bengry is enjoying her 28th year of teaching! Cherry Creek rocks! Archives
May 2016
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