Have a Great Break!

We had a great day today, although I am surprised that I did not have to peel the children off of the ceiling by the end of the afternoon!

I would like to take the time to say thank-you so much for such a great start to the school year, and for all of the very generous Christmas gifts...truly I mean this when I say that your children are more than enough.

Here are some photos from our last day:

Last Few Days...

Writer's Workshop due tomorrow!

Ohmygoodness...what a week!  Phew!  We are excitedly exhausted here in 5R.

Let's do a quick recap:

Christmas Concert was a huge success!  The kids were so great, and although it was a lot of work, it was well worth it to see their smiling faces!  5 minutes of fame...Check!

Today we went to the Cancer Center, and the kids were hilarious!  They were so serious and well behaved...and all of our homemade cookies were eaten.  Way to go Comets!  Comets Care!

Used Book Sale was a huge success.  $350 was raised for the Canadian Tire Jump Start program.  Way to go Miss Albini and Mrs. Whittal, along with our Social Justice Club!

Check out our Carolers below:

Cookie Decorating and Homework

Today Mrs. Friel and Mrs. Flannagan braved the circus of 26 children hyped up on Christmas jitter to decorate cookies for our "Comets Care" Cancer Center trip next Thursday.

It was utter organized chaos.

Christmas music was playing, the kids were measuring and doing all of the work on their own.  They were obsessed with cracking the eggs.

Nathaniel called the hand mixer a drill

I was in stitches.  I couldn't stop smiling.  We smelled up the whole school with the scent of sugar cookies.

The kids decorated them with icing and sprinkles and chocolate chips.

Although Victoria is not celiac, nor does she have a gluten intolerance, she was the voice of the gluten free crowd (I have celiac so I LOVED this).  I told her gluten free brownies would be available the day we went to the hospital.

I love your kids.  They crack me up.

Below are some shots of the day.  Also, there is a Math assignment the kids have for homework if it was not finished in class.  Other than that, they just have Writer's Workshop.

Tis the season!

This Week and Upcoming Events

This week my son was sick with a fever, so my apologies for not being on the ball with blog posts!

Today:  We are decorating and baking Christmas cookies to bring to the Cancer Center next week.  We are practicing our caroling this afternoon.  I think Rino will be most excited abut the singing!

Homework this weekend:  

Writer's Workshop:  due Friday.  Lots of class time has been given and will continue to be given.

Math Test:  Thursday.  Content:  Interpreting data, creating line graphs, bar graphs, and calculating mean and mode.

Math:  Kids are given an assignment today.  It's homework if they don't finish in class.

Next Week:

Used Book Sale All Week

Mon and Tues afternoons:  Concert run-throughs.  Please send your child with their costume on Monday.

Tues:  Advent Mass

Wed:  Concert.  1:30 and 6:30

Thurs AM:  Cancer Center Christmas Carols

Thurs PM:  Math Test, Pita Lunch

Friday:  Last day!  Crazy.  I can't believe it, I feel like we just started our year!

Writer's Workshop: December

Writer’s Workshop:  December

Choose one organizational pattern to focus on, and write a piece following one of these patterns.  Refer to your notes as you are drafting your piece to ensure that you are including all of the necessary elements to the organizational pattern you are following.  

Choose one of the assignments below:

Option 1:  Sequence

Prompt:  Describe how Santa, Mrs. Clause, and the elves prepare for the Big Day at the North Pole, December 25th

Option 2:  Problem/Solution

Prompt:  The elves are angry with Santa, and feel that they are undervalued and mistreated.  Explain how Santa got the elves back to work.

Option 3:  Cause and Effect

Prompt:  So often we forget what Christmas is really about.  Explain what would happen if at Christmas time we always put others before ourselves and remembered the real meaning of Christmas.

Option 4:  Compare/Contrast

Write a piece comparing the way Christmas was celebrated when your mom or dad was a kid vs the way you celebrate Christmas today.

Must be a minimum of one page, maximum of three.   

This must be double spaced, size 12/14 font, and you must include a cover page.

DUE: Friday, December 19th

Success Criteria

piece follows the organizational pattern of choice piece includes a beginning or introduction piece includes a well developed middle or body piece includes an ending or conclusion vocabulary is of grade level piece is formatted correctly piece is interesting to read spelling and grammar are correct throughout piece includes a cover page

Important Upcoming Dates

Below are a list of important dates at CTK over the next few weeks.

If you wish, please send in used books and cans!

December 15:  Used book sale begins
December 16:  Advent Liturgy @ 9:30 in the gym
December 17:  Christmas Concert 1:30 pm & 6:30 pm
December 18:  Used book sale ends and Pita Lunch
December 19:  Red & Green Day, Character Counts Assembly 9:15 and Last day of school

See you Jan. 5, 2015!

Data Management

Currently we are exploring data management.  We have studied how to interpret data, finding the mean and mode, and creating bar graphs.

This week we will be looking at delving deeper in creating line and bar graphs.

We will have a test next week (Thursday) on these lessons.

An area that students struggle with is creating intervals in a set of data.

Homework

Dec 17th:  Concert!  Make sure you notify me if you need help with your costume or you won't be able to attend!

Dec 18th:  We are heading to the Cancer Center in Windsor Regional Hospital to sing Christmas Carols and deliver cookies to staff and patients.

Novel in an Hour presentation tomorrow

Canned Drive

Pita Lunch Dec 18th

What's Been Going On In 5R?

While studying Volume, Zack Created Extra Practice sheets for the whole class, in his free time!  Awesome.

Victoria and Ava are using manipulatives to assist them in calculating volume

Mustache Day at CTK

Loonie License:  Pjs!

This photo encompasses our class personality.  Different, creative, fun, and dramatic.

Reminders for Monday

Social Studies Quiz and your Creed is due!  Make sure you decorate your creed!

Christmas Concert is next Wednesday, December 17th.  Perfromances are at 1:30 and 6:30.  Please send a note in the agenda if your child can't make it to one of the performances.  Costumes are listed in an earlier post.

Marks went home to be signed on Friday.

Christmas is getting closer!!  Bring in your cans for the canned drive.  Pita lunch forms were sent home Thursday.  The Lunch is December 18th.

Homework

Math Homework:  Lesson on Mean-#1,2,3

Loonie License tomorrow

Subway lunch tomorrow

Creed due Monday

Social Studies Quiz on Monday

Away today

Sorry, I was away today due to illness.

The students should have had Math homework and their Creed to work on, along with a paragraph to write for tomorrow in Social Studies.

Homework and quick Curriculum Update

Literacy:  Novels should be read by now. If not, students are behind and encouraged to finish reading as soon as possible.

Numeracy:  We have begun to study Chapter 5 Data Management.  Measurement tests are marked and will go home Thursday.

Social Studies:  We will have a social studies quiz on Monday based on what we have done so far in social studies:  the Haudanausaunee  Confederacy, ways of First Nations life, early European Explorers, and benefits and consequences of early European contact.  All content is from student notes and the textbook.

Religion:  Students are writing their own Creeds.  These will be due Monday.

Friday is loonie license day.  We have decided on the following:

• Pajamas
• Movie (based on one of the novels from Lit Circles)
• Blankets and pillows
• Sit near a friend
• No homework

Proceeds are going to the John McGivney Center.

Friday is also subway lunch!

Homework

Social Studies Explorer Trading Card due tomorrow

Keep up with your reading!  This is the last week!

Friday:  Subway lunch and loonie license