Guest Bloggers: Bori, Katelyn, & Amy

PARCC TESTING WARNING!

ARE YOU READY FOR PARCC TESTING?

Helpful things you can do to get ready for PARCC:

1. SLEEP WELL! (get your zzz’s on)
2. Eat a good breakfast! (it’s the most important meal of the day!)
3. Study! (Try Measuring Up Live and remember not to rush!)
4. RELAX!!! (Life needs some stops, rests, and red lights!)

Helpful things to do while you are taking the PARCC test:

1. Take a DEEP breath! (still breathe!)
2. Don’t panic! (You have time!)
3. Read CAREFULLY! (Make sure you know the directions!)
4. Don’t think negatively! (You could guess correctly!)
5. Check you work! (Mistakes will occur)

We hope you get a great score on your test!!!

Remember failing is learning!

Snow Learning?

Today I spent my snow day with my kids.  We played in the snow for a little bit, cleaned off the cars, and spent most of the day inside playing with toys, baking yummy treats, and watching movies.  My daughter is loving this movie, The Good Dinosaur.  I've had to watch it so many times now that I've started really thinking about the movie with a closer view.  Although I didn't get much time to read today, I still applied some of the strategies I use as a reader while I watched The Good Dinosaur for the 10th time this week.  So, here are my thoughts on my close read, or close "watch," on the movie:

SPOILER ALERT! I am about to discuss the ending, so if you want to see the movie, stop reading!

At the end of the film, the little "critter" moves on with a family of new "critters".  At first I assumed this was his family, but as I've watched the movie several times, I have started to rethink this theory. I have to infer here because the critters don't talk in the movie.  The critter has brown hair, and all the members of the family have this grey-ish, white-ish hair.  So, I think that this may just be another family of "critters" that are taking Spot in as their own.  However, I wonder if they know of him somehow because they seem so excited to take him in and love him.  It seems like they know him.  But, that excitement could just be that they are happy to see one of their "kind;" maybe it's been awhile since they've found other "critters." Also, earlier in the film, Spot kind of explained that his parents were dead when he and the dinosaur were showing figures of their family members.  Below I linked to the videos of these scenes for your reference.  What do you think about the new critters?  Did they know each other or were they just happy to find more of their "kind?"

So, this is some learning that I did on my snow day.  Did you do any snow learning today?  And, by the way, the above is a good example of an "elaboration" for your reference.

Video:  Spot shows that his family died
Video:  Spot meets new family

Announcement: Student-Teacher Basketball Game!

Hey Kids!  Get your practice on... the date has been set for the Student-Teacher Basketball Game!  Spread the word, and ask your old teachers to play!  This is the best 5th Grade Fundraiser of the year.  All 5th graders are asked to play or just attend to watch.  You don't want to miss this awesome event.  

When:  Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 7pm
Where:  CHS gymnasium

Whether you are playing or not, all 5th graders receive a shirt for FREE!  Please send in those orders by Friday, March 17th.

Mrs. Malki is taking suggestions for her nickname.  Write down your idea on a piece of paper and submit that to her by Friday, March 17th.  She will pick the name she likes best, and you could be the winner!

This Week in Writing... Preparing Your Argumentative Essay!

Last week we had live debates on all your awesome topics!  So, what's next?  You need to design and prepare for your essay by building your main ideas:

1. Look over your evidence.
2. Jot the details and evidence you plan to use on sticky notes.
3. Sort your sticky notes into your main ideas.
4. Choose key words to describe those main ideas (Remember, for my sample topic, I chose "exercise" and "inclusion" and "my counterargument".)
5. Turn those main ideas into topic sentences and begin creating your folders:
• Big Folder:  Thesis Statement
• 2-3 Small Folders: Topic sentences (main ideas)
• Sticky notes go inside the small folders

Example:

Big Folder/Thesis:  All schools should have structured recess.

1. Small Folder/Main Idea:  All schools should have structured recess because it encourages more exercise.
2. Small Folder/Main Idea:  All schools should have structured recess because it allows everyone to be included.
3. Small Folder/Main Idea/Counterargument:  While some people think it kids should make their own choices, schools should still offer structured recess because kids can still have input on the offerings. 

Un-Homework?

I recently read about a teacher who gives choices for homework assignments and calls it #TakeAwayHmk.  Instead of giving everyone the same homework assignment, students are given a choice of assignments and pick from them.  (See below for more information about "unhomework" and #takeawayhmk).  I think this is a very interesting idea, and wonder how my students would feel about this?  Sometimes, when given choices in the classroom, I see some kids struggle with that.  I also see other kids who love it.  What sort of assignments would you want to do for homework?  My biggest complaint about homework is dealing with the kids who don't do it.  Then, it becomes MY homework because I have to go to the parents next.  So, my question is, if I decided to try this out, what sort of homework assignments interest you?  What do you want to do for  #takeawayHW or "unhomework"?  Keep in mind, no homework, is not an option.  You HAVE to choose something!



Read more about #TakeAwayHmk: http://www.teachertoolkit.me/2014/01/28/takeawayhmk/