Week 11

HOMEWORK MONDAY
Read 20 min.
Math L56/70
Writing-Finish Final Drafts
Heritage Reports
EXTRA CREDIT-Write a brief history of where the holiday Halloween comes from. What do the symbols mean? You may do a poster instead of a report, or a powerpoint.

HOMEWORK TUESDAY
Read 20 min.
Math L58/72 odds
Finish Social Studies
Heritage Reports
EXTRA CREDIT-Write a brief history of where the holiday Halloween (DUE THURSDAY) comes from. What do the symbols mean? You may do a poster instead of a report, or a powerpoint.
OR....John Smith, Pocohantus (DUE MONDAY)

HOMEWORK WEDNESDAY
Read 20 min.
Math L60all/76odds
Social Studies Wkbk p. 40
Finish Spooky Story
EXTRA CREDIT-Write a brief history of where the holiday Halloween (DUE THURSDAY) comes from. What do the symbols mean? You may do a poster instead of a report, or a powerpoint.
OR....John Smith, Pocohantus (DUE MONDAY)







Weekly Quotes
"Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title." ~From Scooby-Doo

When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
�tis near Halloween.
~Author Unknown

Weekly Riddle
Gollum's Riddle
It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.

Class Update
This week our class will be sharing their Milk Carton Projects together. In Social Studies we will be learning about the early colonies. We will also be going over the Family Heritage Project directions so everybody is clear. See you at school!
Mr. Sweet

Week 10

Weekly Quote
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” Albert Einstein

Weekly Riddle
What word can be written forward, backward or upside down, and can still be read from left to right?

Class Update
It was wonderful getting a chance to meet with each of you last week at conferences. This class is amazing and we are all progressing significantly both socially and academically. I sent home the Science Study Guide today. If your child completes this and studies for the test, they should do very well. Extra-Credit this week will be on Michelle Kwan, the ice skater. Students may write a one-page paper, design a portrait, write a newspaper article, editorial, make a power point, or anything else that extends the learning from class.

Homework Monday
Read 20 min.
Math L 51/62
Spelling-Correct mistakes
Science-Do pages 41 and 49 in the science packet.
Study Guide sent home(TEST FRIDAY)
NEWS TEAMS-Practice Speech on summary of article
Extra Credit-Due Next Monday. Michelle Kwan

Homework Tuesday
Math L 53/64
Science--Study Guide sent home(TEST FRIDAY)
NEWS TEAMS-Practice Speech on summary of article
Extra Credit-Due Next Monday. Michelle Kwan/Experiment using a Chemical Reaction
Leadership Speeches due Friday

Homework Wednesday
Math L54/66
Writing-Finish rough drafts
Science-Finish study guide
Book Report due on Monday

Homework Thursday
Math L55/68 + Multiplication w/100s page
Study for test-Remember to look over the vocabulary words too!
Book Report due on Monday

Week 9

CLASS UPDATE
This week, as you know, students will be dismissed at 12:15 p.m. Conferences start promptly at 12:40 p.m. Please make sure that you arrive on time. Otherwise, your time will be reduced to accommodate all of the other conferences. If we need more time together, we can meet in the upcoming weeks. There will be minimal math and reading this week for homework so students can focus on their new Family Heritage Project and their Milk Carton Book Reports. See you at the conferences!
Mr. Sweet

TOP 10 Signs that your parent/teacher conference is not going well:

10. The teacher asks if your child barks like a dog at home, too.

9. As you arrive, the teacher asks if you can spare a Valium.

8. On behalf of the entire class, the teacher expresses sympathy for your marital problems.

7. The teacher says that you seem very intelligent and asks if your child is adopted.

6. The teacher asks how the snake is doing, and you don't know what she's talking about.

5. The teacher shows you $75 worth of dimes and quarters she found in your son's desk, and you notice how thin the other children are.

4. The teacher encourages your family to take a week-long vacation the week of standardized testing.

3. You spot your missing Weight Watchers records on the bulletin board as a part of the Examples of Graphs display.

2. The teacher has a can of pepper mace stored in a shoulder holster.

1. The teacher tells you that she had hoped your son could be a tree in the school play, but he lacked the necessary acting ability.

WEEKLY RIDDLE
What is greater than God, More evil than the devil, The poor have it,
The rich don't need it, And if you eat it, you'll die?

Homework Monday
Read 20 minutes
Math L45/54
Spelling-Study words for test on Friday
* Remind parents of your conference time
* Work on Milk Carton Book Report
* Begin Family Heritage Project

HOMEWORK TUESDAY
Read 20 min.
Math L46/56
Science-p.25-30 in packet (4 pages)
* Remind parents of your conference time
* Work on Milk Carton Book Report
* Begin Family Heritage Project


HOMEWORK WEDNESDAY
Read 20 min.
Math L48/58
Science-p.33, 37 & 38
* Extra Credit-Write a news article on the Presidential Debate
* Extra Credit-Write a brief one-page paper on Richie Valens
Choose News Team Article: Sentinel, msn.com, cnn.com, ksbw.com, etc.
DUE MONDAY


HOMEWORK THURSDAY
Read 20 min.
Math L50/60
Science Test next Friday, October 24th
* Extra Credit-Write a news article on the Presidential Debate
* Extra Credit-Write a brief one-page paper on Richie Valens
Choose News Team Article: Sentinel, msn.com, cnn.com, ksbw.com, etc.
DUE MONDAY
News Team Summaries Due Monday

WEEK 8

Class Update
Here is a brief list of what is happening in Room 12:
* Our class set a record for the earliest party earned! On Monday we will decide what we want to do for our party.
* I have posted our conference times for next week. Please let me know if there are any conflicts or changes that need to be made.
* This week we will be finishing up Crispin and taking our reading quizzes to get A.R. points. Regarding, Accelerated Reader, we have about one more month to take reading quizzes to bring up our grade. I have posted the updated A.R. point chart in class.
* Reports that are due on Monday, October 27th. On Monday and Tuesday our News Groups will present their current events to the class.
* In Science we have begun a new study on the Periodical Table of Elements and Matter.
See you at school!

Homework Monday
Read Ch. 49-51 + Summary
Math L41
L46-Advanced
Everybody: p. 155-157 in wkbk w/protractors
Spelling-Study missed words (no Spelling hw this week!)
Milk Carton Book Report-Due Monday, October 27th. Work on this project during your
extra time this week. THE REPORT IS POSTED ON THE BLOG LAST WEEK.


Homework Wednesday
Read Finish Crispin
Math L43+50
wkbk p. 14+15
Vocab-Finish at home
Friday-Opposite Day/Party/Movie/Bring secret dish to share
NO HOMEWORK THURSDAY!

THURSDAY
Finish Math L44/52
Dress Up for "CRAZY DAY "class party, secret dish
Work on Book Report

Weekly Quotes
"Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential."
Illinois Senator Barrack Obama — US Presidential Candidate.

“Glory is not a conceit. It is not a decoration for valor. Glory belongs to the act of being constant to something greater than yourself, to a cause, to your principles, to the people on whom you rely and who rely on you in rerun.”
John McCain

Weekly Riddle
I am large as a castle, yet lighter than air. 100 men and their horses cannot move me. What am I?

Parent Conference Schedule

Dear Parents,
Here is the schedule for the upcoming parent/teacher conferences for the week of October 13 - 17th.

Monday-10/13
12:40 -Jeffery, K.
1:00 - Lee, T.
1:20 - Sambrillo, C
1:40 - Cruse, N
2:00 - Gaekle, C
2:20 - Fischer, R
2:40 - Feldbrugge,G

Tuesday - 10/14
12:40 -O'Boy, J
1:00 - Russo, G
1:20 - Zuniga, J
1:40 - Jordan N.
2:00 - Quinn O.


Wednesday - 10/15
1:00 - Surgalski, R
1:20 - Calcagno, J
1:40 - Bruce, S
2:00 - Spencer, R
2:20 - Rastatter, S
2:40 - Dorney, A

Thursday 10/16
12:40 -Hurley, J
1:00 - Hayes, T
1:20 - Hopkins, J
1:40 - Hildebrand
2:00 - Tunink, A
2:20 - Mitchener, J
2:40-Sambrailo M.


Fri - 10/17
12:40 -Hougardy, H
1:00 - Chmelicek
1:20 - Harris, J

MILK CARTON BOOK REPORT
Due: Monday, October 27th

This fun book report will combine your artistic skills, creativity and understanding of the book you read. You will be graded on neatness, C.U.P.S. and completing ALL of the components correctly. Please use the computer to type all the parts of the carton. Have fun with this project and make your carton a standout, eye-catching work of art!

Bottom of carton-Name, # and Date

Front panel-Write the title, author, publisher and the illustrator. In addition, make a colorful illustration from a key part of the book.

Back panel-Write a concise summary of the book in your own words. Create a word search, or a crossword puzzle, with key words and any small objects and symbols from the story.

Side Panel – Describe each main character briefly. Also, write your favorite quote by them. If there is enough room, you may draw some pictures of them.

Side Panel 2 – Describe the most important lesson you learned from the story. What do you think the moral of the story is and what did the author intend you to understand?

Top Section #1 - Write and define five key vocabulary words from the story.

Top Section #2 – Describe the setting and time that the story takes place. Once again, you may draw a small picture if there is enough room.

WEEK 7

Weekly Quote
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
~George Cooper, "October's Party"

Weekly Riddle
Brad stared through the dirty soot-smeared window on the 22nd floor of the office tower. Overcome with depression he slid the window open and jumped through it. It was a sheer drop outside the building to the ground. Miraculously after he landed he was completely unhurt. Since there was nothing to cushion his fall or slow his descent, how could he have survived the fall?

Homework Monday
Read Ch. 37+38 + Summary
Math L36 + p. 189, 190 in orange workbook
Advanced Math L38
Spelling - Study missed words. Use each word in a sentence correctly. You may use more
than one word in a sentence. DUE FRIDAY IN CURSIVE
News Teams-Choose article
Extra Credit-You may write a one page report on King Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, or the Knights of the Round Table. Due Friday.


Homework Tuesday
Read Ch. 39-40 + Summary
Math L38
Advanced Math L40
Spelling - Due Friday
Finish Vocab. Due Friday
News Teams Summary Due Thursday (Presentations on Monday)
Extra Credit Due Friday


Homework Wednesday
Read Ch. 41-43 + Summary
Math L39
Advanced Math L42
Spelling - Due Friday
Finish Vocab. Due Friday
News Teams Summary Due tomorrow (Presentations on Monday)
Extra Credit Due Friday


Homework Thursday
Read Ch. 44+45
Math L40 odds
Advanced Math L44
Spelling - Due Friday
Finish Vocab. Due Friday
News Teams(Presentations on Monday)
Extra Credit Due Monday

WEEK 6

NASA FIELD TRIP









WEEKLY QUOTE


WEEKLY RIDDLE
For some I go fast
for others I'm slow.
To most people, I'm an obsession
relying on me is a well practiced lesson.
What am I?

Class Update
A special thank you goes out to Hugh Voris for coming to our class on Friday to share about his experiences working at NASA. This was a great prelude to our exciting field trip to NASA Ames Aerospace in Mountain View on Monday.
We have begun our first unit of study in Science about the Scientific Method and experiments. Overall, on the Social Studies test, the class did well. As always is the case, if students struggled on an assessment, they may correct and return the test for 1/2 credit. This also goes with any Math Test/Homework assignment.

Picture Day is Tuesday so make sure they dress their best.

See you at school!

HOMEWORK MONDAY
PICTURE DAY TOMORROW!
Read Ch. 25-27 + Summary
Math-L31
News Teams Presentations tomorrow

HOMEWORK TUESDAY
Read Ch. 28+29 + Summary
Math-L32
News Teams Presentations tomorrow
Spelling/Vocabulary-Make a word search or crossword puzzle
w/the 20 words. Also, write each word that you missed twice in cursive.
Due: Friday
*You may use puzzlemaker.com

HOMEWORK WEDNESDAY
Read Ch. 30+31 + Summary
Math-L34
More News Teams Presentations tomorrow
Spelling/Vocabulary-Make a word search or crossword puzzle
w/the 20 words. Also, write each word that you missed twice in cursive.
Due: Friday
*You may use puzzlemaker.com
FINISH PERSUASIVE ESSAY FINAL DRAFTS

HOMEWORK THURSDAY
Read Ch. 34+35
Math-L35 odds
Adv Math-L36 odds + p. 189-190 in orange wkbk
Spelling/Vocabulary-Due tomorrow
Milk Carton Book Choice due tomorrow

WEEK 5

Weekly Quote
“While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet her behind the veil.”
John Taylor

Dear Parents,
As you probably already know, our school lost a beautiful little girl, Sofia last week. Sofia succumbed to LCH after a long hard battle and died on Thursday afternoon. We discussed our feelings, cried and shared together. Sofia has been in my son's class twice and they sat in the same group this year. My son said to me that kids aren't supposed to die. Another little one in another class said, "I bet you Sofia is having lunch right now with Abraham Lincoln!" It was touching to hear children share of their loss of loved ones. Our class also had a powerful discussion about September 11th too. These are heavy issues that I hope will continue to be explored at home. At school there will be grief counselors available for any child who needs a quiet place to mourn and remember Sofia.
In other news, our class is enthralled with the new book Crispin about a boy from the middle ages. Last Friday we began a Powerpoint project about the middle ages that the kids enjoyed. A special thank you goes out to Kean Hurley who came in and shared about computers and helped support students needing help with the online activity and project. Our 5th graders also began writing their 5-paragraph persuasive essays. Please ask them what they are writing about and see if they can persuade you!
On Tuesday we will have our first test in Social Studies. I sent home the study guide last Wednesday. If your child studies with this guide, they should do very well because it covers the main things we went over this unit on Explorers.
That's it for now! See you at school ;>)

Weekly Riddle
Four men were in a boat on the lake. The boat turns over, and all four men sink to the bottom of the lake, yet not a single man got wet! Why?

HOMEWORK MONDAY
Read Chapter 15 + 16 + Summary
Math L26
Spelling/Vocab-In cursive write the words and definitions-DUE FRIDAY
SOCIAL STUDIES TEST WEDNESDAY-DO STUDY GUIDE
A.R. Contract needs to be signed by parents-DUE ASAP

HOMEWORK TUESDAY
Read Chapter 17+18+19 NO SUMMARY
Math L28
Spelling/Vocab-In cursive write the words and definitions-DUE FRIDAY
STUDY FOR SOCIAL STUDIES TEST TOMORROW
FINISH S.S. WKBK pages 1-3, 6, 25-33
A.R. Contract needs to be signed by parents-DUE ASAP

HOMEWORK WEDNESDAY
Read Ch. 20-22 + Summary
Quiz on Friday
Math L29
Spelling/Vocab Due Friday Study meanings

HOMEWORK THURSDAY
Read Ch. 23+24
Quiz on Friday
Math L30
Spelling/Vocab Due Friday Study meanings
Do News Teams Summary

WEEK 4

Weekly Quote
"Out of clutter, find simplicity, from discord, find harmony, in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." Albert Einstein
Weekly Riddle
Here on earth it is true, yesterday is always before today; but there is a place where yesterday always follows today. Where?

Dear Parents,
Our class book orders will be due this Friday. In other news, this week our class will start our first book together entitled CrispinThis book by award-winning author Avi, is a historical fiction story of a young boy in medieval England and his struggles to find his identity. It is also a book of universal themes. For those of you who are able to, it is beneficial to read the story and ask questions about the themes and events in the story. It is a wonderful book and I look forward to the deep class discussions that will arise.
In Social Studies we will finish our chapter study of the Explorers and clash of cultures. The first test will be next Tuesday, September 16th. I will send home a study guide this coming Tuesday.
In Spelling we have begun to do challenge words for those students who pass their pre-test with a 90% or above. During our reading of Cripsin we will be learning new vocabulary and challenging words.
This week in math I will be forming an advanced math group, as well, for those students who receive a 95% on their math pre-tests. This will all be explained more thoroughly at our conference time in a month.
That is it for now!
See you at school,
Mr. Sweet

HOMEWORK MONDAY
Read chapter 2 & 3 in Crispin and write a summary
Math - Finish L.
Spelling p. 103-108 in cursive (DUE FRIDAY)
Social Studies-Finish Exp. Brochure (DUE WEDNESDAY)
BOOK ORDERS DUE FRIDAY


HOMEWORK TUESDAY
Read chapter 5-7 + Summary in Crispin
Math - Finish L22
Spelling p. 103-108 in cursive (DUE FRIDAY)
Social Studies-Finish Exp. Brochure (DUE WEDNESDAY)
BOOK ORDERS DUE FRIDAY


HOMEWORK WEDNESDAY
Read Chapters 9-12 in Crispin and write a summary (QUIZ TOMORROW ON CHAPTERS 1-12)
Math - Finish L24
Spelling p. 103-108 in cursive (DUE FRIDAY)
Social Studies-Test next Tuesday. Study guide was sent home today
BOOK ORDERS DUE FRIDAY

Extra Credit Due Friday-Martin Luther/Reformation 1-page report
(Social Studies)

Homework Thursday
Reading 20 min. A.R. Book Optional
Math L25 odds + p.4 in wkbk (Factors)
Spelling-p. 103-108 in cursive (DUE FRIDAY)
Vocabulary-Draw pictures for 10 vocab. words
Extra Credit Due Monday

Week 3

Weekly Quote
"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." ~Ovid

Weekly Riddle
Tom and his younger sister were fighting. Their mother was tired of the fighting, and decided to punish them by making them stand on the same piece of newspaper in such a way that they couldn't touch each other.

How did she accomplish this?

Homework Tuesday
Reading - 20/4/1
Math-Finish L16
Spelling-p.43-46 in cursive
For those who passed the pre-test, do spelling contract
DUE FRIDAY
Extra Credit-Write a news article about a volcano that has erupted in the past.
Make sure to answer the who, what, why, when, where etc. These may be typed in column form like a newspaper.
BOOK ORDERS DUE-Friday, September 12th


Homework Wednesday
Reading - 20/4/1
Math-Finish L17
Spelling-p.43-46 in cursive
For those who passed the pre-test, do spelling contract
DUE FRIDAY
Extra Credit-Write a news article about a volcano that has erupted in the past.
Make sure to answer the who, what, why, when, where etc. These may be typed in column form like a newspaper.
BOOK ORDERS DUE-Friday, September 12th

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Homework Thursday
Reading - 20 min.
Math-Finish L19 odds + Pre-Test
Spelling-p.43-46 in cursive
For those who passed the pre-test, do spelling contract
DUE FRIDAY+Test Friday in DLR/SPELLING
Extra Credit-Write a news article about a volcano that has erupted in the past.
Make sure to answer the who, what, why, when, where etc. These may be typed in column form like a newspaper.
BOOK ORDERS DUE-Friday, September 12th