More homework fun!

Maggie reading with silly accessories

Maddie reading in the dark with a flashlight. Looks like fun! 

Homework Challenge

Maddie completing the assignment "read wearing silly accessories."

Now THIS looks fun! 

Abby completing the assignment "read in the dark with a flashlight" 

End of Year Homework FUN!

Yes, you saw it correctly-- 
Homework and FUN in the same sentence.

If you are in my math class or my ELA class, here is your homework for the rest of the year: 

End of year ELA homework

End of year MATH homework

Happy Homework-ing! 

Congrats Fifth Graders!

It's official. The fifth graders are the 2016 volleyball champions! Great work, everyone.

Game faces! 

Enemies for the day...

Grasshopper Ganley 

Celebrating the win!

That's a Wrap!

• Cedardale permission slips went home today. We will be contacting chaperones shorly. 
• Thank you for the notes of encouragement that you wrote to your children. They loved reading them and kept them in their desks during testing as a reminder of your words! 
• Are you on Twitter? Follow me to see what's happening at Memorial! @MKConceison 
• Congratulations to this week's Wall of Fame winners!  

Here's a  glimpse into our week...

Math: We started our week by reviewing multiplying and dividing fractions and mixed numbers. We then moved on to explore and identify polygons. Check out our "polygon puppy play areas" below. We are ready for math PARCC next week!
Talking tidbits: Is a square a rectangle? Is a rectangle a square? 

Social Studies: Students are finishing up their projects on the founding documents of the United States. They did an excellent job researching the "who, what, where, when and why" of their document. Students should be memorizing the Preamble of The Constitution by May 4th. Talking tidbits: Why was your document created?

Science: We will be starting our units on light and sound next week. 

ELA: We had ELA PARCC this week. Although this is not the most fun task, I was very proud of the way everyone worked and persevered through the test. We continued working on turning notes into running text for our informative writing today. 

Enjoy the weekend! 

-Ms. Conceison- 

That's a Wrap!

• Thursday was Cole's last day. He is moving back to New York. We had a class lunch together and put together an album with pictures and notes from classmate. We wish him all the best! 
• We have a field trip on April 7th. Please make sure to send in a brown bag lunch. 
• Are you on Twitter? Follow me to see what's happening at Memorial! @MKConceison 
• Congratulations to this week's Wall of Fame winners!  
• Send all baby pictures and kindergarten pictures to memorial5thgradecommittee@gmail.com Remember that it does not have to be the school K picture-- any picture around that age.   

Here's a  glimpse into our week...

Cole looking at his book of memories.

We had quite the April Fool's Day. Thanks to Amber for being a good sport for this  grand finale of jokes. Please know that this phone already water damaged and Amber was in on it! 

Math: We finished our topic on adding and subtracting fractions. We are doing "boot camp" this week on multiplying and dividing fractions. We are making sure we are prepared for PARCC! 
Talking tidbits: What has been easier for you- adding mixed numbers or subtracting them? 

Using the TIPS recording sheet to problem solve. 

Social Studies: We have continued our unit on the American Revolution. We watched many video clips and took notes on different battles and important people.  Talking tidbits: What was the first battle of the war?

Cause and effect of The Revolution 

Science: We started our unit on electricity. The students built circuits to make a light bulb light. We also made electromagnets that picket up paper clips. Talking tidbits: Why did the doors in the hallway close when the electricity went out on Thursday?

Let there be light! 

How did the nail pick up paper clips? 

Reading: We finished Bud, Not Buddy and we have been using a website called Storyboard That to create storyboards diagramming the plot, analyzing the characters, and interpreting themes. It has been a lot of fun! (Except for when the power went out and we lost our work).

Storyboard That feels like we are making our own video games! 

Writing: Students took on the point of view of a nature occurrence to show the effect that point of view/perspective has on the reader. 

Enjoy the weekend! 

-Ms. Conceison- 

That's a Wrap!

• We have a field trip on April 7th. Please send in permission slip and money by Wednesday, March 23rd. 
• If you are interested in chaperoning our field trip to Cedardale on June 14th, please send in the chaperone form by Thursday, March 24th.
• Are you on Twitter? Follow me to see what's happening at Memorial! @MKConceison 
• Congratulations to this week's Wall of Fame winners!  
• Mr. Musselman and Ms. Pavlicek came to do a presentation Our Trash, Our Choices. They collected ALL of the waste from lunch on Monday. Some very brave volunteers had the smelly job of going through the trash and separating it. I think this will help improve recycling! 
• Send all baby pictures and kindergarten pictures to memorial5thgradecommittee@gmail.com Remember that it does not have to be the school K picture-- any picture around that age.   

Here's a  glimpse into our week...

An important lesson about online communication at the bullying assembly.

How do our choices affect our community? 

Look at all of that trash! 

Brave volunteers! 

Math: We are currently adding and subtracting mixed numbers. It's tricky stuff-- especially when you need to rename the mixed number to subtract. I am very proud of the kids for demonstrating a growth mindset and working through those tough problems! Talking tidbits: What has been easier for you- adding mixed numbers or subtracting them? 

Social Studies: The Redcoats are coming! The Redcoats are coming! We started our unit on the American Revolution. The students needed to take on the role of one of the key players in the Revolution to debate on the fairness of The Stamp Act. Talking tidbits: What was the colonists' view of all the taxes imposed by Britain? 

Exit ticket: Slide and talk! Tell your partner one thing you learned....then slide and tell someone else. 

Researching roles for our Stamp Act debate.

"Paul Revere" explaining to "King George" why the Stamp Act should be repealed. 

Science: We did a quick review unit on plants. I started the unit by asking the kids to think of any plant that comes to mind. They wrote each on a post it. Then, they needed to classify them based on similar characteristics. Students then had to walk around and cross of the ones that they did not think were plants. We also did an experiment to demonstrate the way that transport tubes help plants. Talking tidbits: Why are transport tubes needed for photosynthesis? 

Classifying plants

A tomato isn't a plant, but a tomato plant is! 

What will happen when the celery sits in the colored water? 

Observing our results

Looks like the transport tubes did their job!

Reading: We are toward the end of Bud, Not Buddy and Bud's adventures continue! We are working on determiniStudents have also been writing down their favorite quotes from this book and others to add to our Say What?! board. 

Maddie added "A person's a person no matter how small." from Horton Hears a Who

Writing: We added surprise to non-fiction writing to engage the audience. I modeled the example of a Dasypeltis snake. The kids then chose an animal that is not-so well known. 

Adding surprising facts can engage the reader. 

Hope you find some extra time this weekend to snooze like my niece Olivia!

-Ms. Conceison-