Fabulous Fifth Graders Rm 5

I hope your child has settled into the new year. Here is a synopsis of what is happening in room 5.
Art – We are creating color wheels by mixing secondary colors. Look for a display soon in the hall near our room.
Writing – We continue to improve our spelling and vocabulary. The students will transfer these skills into their writing as we begin to learn how to write persuasively.
Reading – Our discussion about the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle centers on the changes in the main character. Not only are we completing a character sketch, but we are also writing about Charlotte Doyle’s personality cited by incidences in the book. As we read we are looking for new vocabulary and the author’s use of figurative language: similes, metaphors and personification.
Math – We have completed a unit of study about fractions and percentages. We are moving into 3-D geometry.
Science – Our lima bean plants are sprouting as we learn about experiments and the scientific method. I am hoping students are making plans to participate in the science fair.
Health – The students have written goals to help with their physical and emotional well-being.
Biztown – We have started our unit to prepare for Biztown. A letter will come home this week about our field trip on March 5, Monday.
We are need of collecting paper towel tubes. If you could save your cardboard tubes and send them in with you child, it would appreciated.
Thank you!

• Holiday party – Our holiday party is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 15 from 1:00-2:00. The students are invited to bring a favorite family board game to play. It is okay to bring electronic games, however, the game should not be a single player game. The students have decided on treats to eat while we play games. Come join the fun!
• Community Service – Our class is in charge of the Giving Tree at Stafford School. I am very pleased with the students’ efforts to make tags for the tree, collect gifts, make announcements and help carry gifts to be delivered. The gifts given by Stafford families are given to foster children through the Department of Human Services.
• Report cards – Report cards were given to students Friday to take home. It is optional to return the envelope and gray folder. If you send it back to school, I will keep it in a safe place to be returned to you in June. The portfolio is due back Thursday, Dec. 15.
• Pajama Day – Our student council has announced Friday, Dec. 16 to be pajama day. It’s fun to wear our pajamas at school for the day. Please do not have your children bring stuffed animals and blankets as we plan to keep focused on our learning for the day.
• Holiday homework – The students will be asked to read and write in their Living Journals over the holiday break. Please set aside some time each day the family can read and/or write together. Modeling is a great way to teach your child the importance of reading and journaling. We are trying to use new vocabulary in our speaking and writing. A list of vocabulary words is included in their journals.

Happy Holidays!

Hello Parents,
Upcoming reminders:
1) Speechmeisters -For homework on Tuesday your child worked on his/her speech for 45 min. Your child should be wrapping up the writing of their speech and moving onto practicing their
speech. Check to be sure your child has an introduction that catches the audience’s attention (NOT “Today I will be telling you about…”). On Monday we practiced
writing an outline to help with speech organization.On the day of the speech your child will need to turn in their written speech, notecards and 2 practice sheet forms signed by you. When practicing
their speech at home, it MUST be 4 minutes long.The speech schedule can be found on the blog under Speechmeisters.
2) Our Halloween party is Monday at 1:00. Our school has a policy of no masks of any kind for any occasion. Please be sure you child does not bring a mask on Monday. You are welcome to join us
for our Halloween party.
3) If your child is interested in Student Council, the application is due back Nov. 10, Thurs.
4) Field trip permission form for the Oregon Zoo is due back Nov. 4, Friday.
5) Please ask to see your child’s spelling tests on Thursday. They are scored and returned to the student every Thursday. If a student is studying Wordly Wise Words, I suggest the student make
flashcards to study the definitions.
Thank you!
Donna

Speechmeisters is one of our flagship programs in the 5th grade. Over the course of the next several weeks, students will study public speaking techniques, plan a 3-5 minute speech, deliver said speech, and evaluate their peers. Students show tremendous amounts of growth through this program, and we are excited.

The PTSA has generously enabled for us to have Anne Rutherford on board. She is a professional story teller and speaker, who will teach her craft to our students directly in the classroom.

September 18th: Kickoff assembly

Dear Room 5 Community Students and Families,

I hope that you are having a fantastic summer! I am writing to introduce myself to those of you who don’t know me yet or who are new to Stafford School. I want to welcome you to the 5th grade. My name is Donna Kenny and I am excited to be spending the next year with you.

For those of you who I have not met, I have two daughters and a son. Tara is attending medical school at the University of Washington and Colleen is working for a law firm in Seattle. Joe is a senior at University of California in Santa Cruz. I enjoy running, biking and gardening. I also love to read, listen to music and my husband and I enjoy being Ducks and Timbers fans.

Enough about me! I am really looking forward to our year together. Our year will be challenging, but it will also be fun. I am very excited about the community we will be building together and the opportunity to get to know all of you.
A couple of notes as we begin the year:
• I will provide some silent reading time each day. I’d like each student to come with a book to read by the first day of school. Your child needs to choose a book that can be read in one month. Our school library may be closed the first few days of school so this book needs to come from home or the public library. Please do not choose a book that has been made into a movie. On the back of this letter I have written some titles of books I read this summer that I would suggest for students.
• Curriculum Night – TBA – I strongly encourage parents to attend as the night allows me to lay the foundation for our whole year together including homework, what we will be doing in each subject, projects, special events, etc.

Throughout the year we will have time for snack during read aloud. Part of the reason for this is that many 5th graders eat breakfast prior to 7:30am. Please bring a snack the first day. My snack policy is:
• Please send a healthy snack with your child such as crackers, fruit, dried fruit, bagels, pretzels, cheese sticks, etc. I will not allow students to eat candy during this time and will discourage processed treats. I will also discourage sugary drinks during this time.
• Water bottles are strongly encouraged especially if we start out with warm weather.

The supplies from the 5th grade supply list that will be important the first week of school include notebook paper, spiral notebook, #2 pencils, an ultra fine tip Sharpie pen for labeling and colored pencils.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call me at school 503.673.7150, or email me at kennyd@wlwv.k12.or.us.
I look forward to meeting you,
Mrs. Kenny

Books I read
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
Earthquake Terror by Peg Kehret
Last Newspaper Boy In America by Sue Corbett
On The Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Shorter books I read (you will need to select two)
Calvin Coconut, Trouble Magnet by Graham Salisbury
Who Were the Beatles by Geoff Edgars
The Magical Ms. Plum by Bonnie Becker
43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You by Katie Klise
Number of the Stars by Lois Lowry

Other good titles
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
How Oliver Olson Changed the World by Claudia Mills
Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix