Thursday, May 23, 2013

It's been a wonderful year!

Parents and Students,
It has been such a wonderful year with all of you. We have been able to do so many memorable things. This coming week we will be able to remember some of those things as we make "Personal Timelines." I think the students will be amazed at all of the things that have gone on this year.

We have finished all of our end of the year testing successfully! Thanks for all your support and help in making sure your students are rested and here for the tests.

We are excited for all of the end of school activities. Please check the calendar to make sure you don't miss anything. We will have Field Day and Water Day on Tuesday June 4th. Make sure to wear good running shoes for the activities and then you may wear clothes that can get wet for our water day...shoes that may get wet are also a great idea. We will be outside for much of the day so please wear sunscreen, bring a hat and towel if you would like.

On Wednesday, June 5th, it is our last day of school and we would like to have a pizza party as a class. If you could donate $2.00 towards this, we can have a fun lunch together before we are dismissed for the year at 12:30pm.

We have truly enjoyed your kids this past year and we wish them well in 6th grade!!!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

End of the Year Fun!


Parents and Students, here are some dates to remember:
 
Tote Trays home to be cleaned Wed. May 22nd
DARE Graduation Thursday May 23rd 2:00pm Gym
Last day to turn in missing work Friday May 24th
5th Grade *Fun Activity Day Friday May 24th
(*Must have all missing work turned in to participate)
Falcon Awards Assembly 9:15am Tues. May 29th 
Mrs. Berven/Thomas Class Talent Show Mon. June 3rd
Field Day and Water Day Tuesday June 4th
(Bring hat, sunscreen and a towel – we’re outside from 9-12:30)
Last Day of School Pizza Party!!  Wed. June 5th
We would like to have pizza for the class on the last day. 
Please send $2.00 with your student to cover the cost of the pizza, they can bring their own drink!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Hello Parents and Students~

Our end of year testing has already being scheduled. We will be taking all of our end of the year tests in the computer lab.

Science:
Tuesday, April 16th 11:15-12:15
Thursday, April 18th 10:00-11:00

Language Arts:
Monday, April 22nd 8:45-9:45
Tuesday, April 24th 12:45-1:45

Math:
Tuesday, May 7th 11:15-12:15
Thursday, May 9th 10:00-11:00

Please plan your schedules so that your child will be here for those testing times.

We ask that the students get a good nights sleep and have a good breakfast. The students can also bring a healthy snack that they may eat before we take our tests.

Thank you for all of your support this year.

Mrs. Berven and Mrs. Thomas

Monday, March 4, 2013

Book Report - Cereal Box

A New Cereal on the Shelf

If you could invent a cereal based on the fictional book you read, what would it be?  After you think of a name and shape for your cereal, you'll design a cereal box for it.

Material:
Empty cereal box, white or light-colored paper, scissors, markers or crayons, construction paper, glue and tape.

Directions:
1. Find a fictional chapter book that interests you and is at an appropriate reading level for 5th grade.

2. Think about what you will name your cereal.  Choose a name that sounds enticing and that relates to the story in some way.  Then, choose a shape for the cereal, as well as colors and ingredients that also relate to the book.  For example, for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, you might invent a cereal called Wizard Wands, a toasted oat cereal in the shape of a miniature lightening bolt.

3. Cover an empty cereal box with white or light-colored paper.  Or you might want to write and draw on appropriate-size sheets of paper and then glue them onto the box.  Write a rough draft and draw sketches before moving on to your final copy.  Here are the guidelines for each side of the cereal box:

FRONT
Write the name of our cereal and draw a picture to go with it.  You might draw characters or other elements to help sell your product.  Make your cereal box look appealing and fun.  Look at actual cereal boxes for ideas.

BACK
Design a game that is based on the story.  It can be a puzzle, a word game, or any other fun activity that might be found on the back of a cereal box.  Make sure it includes information from the book.

RIGHT SIDE
Under the heading "Ingredients", list the main characters and write a sentence about each one.  Then describe the setting (place and time).

LEFT SIDE
Write a summary of the book.  Describe the main conflict or problem and the resolution or how the problem was worked out.

TOP
Write the title and author of the book and your name.

4. Plan a 2 minute commercial for your cereal, and present it to the class.  Use your imagination.  You are welcome to tape your commercial and bring in on a DVD.

Your cereal box project will be due on Wednesday April 3rd.

Good Luck and have fun!

Mrs. Berven and Mrs. Thomas

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

 Parents and Students~

We are excited to have started our Science units this term. The students are having fun with all of the hands on experiments. Ask them about their DNA or how an electrical circuit works! We have also been learning about the Westward Expansion of the United States. They worked hard on "Video Diaries" that describe their travels across the United States.

Our students were also assigned a President's Report that is due on Thursday February 21st.  This report is in the form of a 'folder'.  Students were given a manila file folder and needed to print/draw a picture of their president on a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 white paper to glue on one side, and then fill out some personal information on their "research information" sheet that they would staple onto the other side.  Write in your own words 3-5 paragraphs on what you learned from the information sheet and staple on top of your "research information sheet".  Students can be creative and decorate these in any way that they want.

We also had our Patriotic Program on Friday February 15th, which was a great success! The students worked hard on their songs and were excited to share them with family and friends.

We are coming up to the end of the quarter and any missing/late work will need to be in no later than Thursday February 27th. This also applies to any work missing due to an absence - they will still receive full credit, however we need it in by the 27th.

We look forward to seeing you at Parent Teacher Conferences on March 6th and 7th.

Mrs. Berven and Mrs. Thomas

Thursday, January 3, 2013

State Report Guidelines

Dear Parents/Guardians:

We will begin the new year by having our student’s research and write a state report. It will culminate with our 5th Grade State Fair on January 30, 2013.

Attached are the guidelines for students to follow in writing the report. Most of the report will be researched and written in class however the poster, oral presentation and final written report will be done outside of school.

We ask that you guide your son or daughter in doing research on the state. Students must write the report using their own thoughts and words and not copy from books or other sources. Students should enjoy doing the state report from their own perspective. Your encouragement will mean a lot to your son or daughter!

The student will also give an oral presentation on the states. They will present their state poster and any other items for display at our “5th Grade State Fair” on Wednesday, January 30, 2013.

State Report Guidelines

The State Report will be done using a report notes packet before writing the final report. Students are to organize their reports using this packet.
The State Report Notes are due Wednesday, January 16th. After the teacher checks the packets, they will be returned, and the students may begin work on their rough drafts.
For the rough draft the student should take the State Report Notes and following the State Report Categories, write their state report in their own words. These can be handwritten in pencil. These will be due on Wednesday January 23rd.
The Final Draft and State Poster will be due on Wednesday January 30th. These may be typed or may be handwritten in blue or black ink, skipping lines. If typed, the report should be done in 12-point font, Times New Roman and double-spaced. Students should use their imagination and creativity in making an interesting report!

Oral presentations will be on Wednesday 1/30, Thursday 1/31, and Friday 2/1
Guidelines:
• Tell when your state was added to the Union.
• Tell your State’s Nickname.
• Show your State Flag (from your report) and explain the meaning and importance of the flag.
• Name and briefly describe three famous people from your state.
• Tell the five best things about your state.
• Remember your presentation should be 2-3 minutes long.

State Poster Requirements: (must include the following but anything else is great too!)
• Poster cut out in the shape of your state
• Important facts about your state
• Your favorite thing you learned about your state
• Major Cities (including State Capital)
• Famous Places
• Make your poster exciting. Pretend you are a travel agent and you are trying to get people to visit your state!



STATE REPORT CATEGORIES

1. COVER
List the following information on your top cover sheet:
Title (name of your state)
Name (your own, first & last) and number
Grade (5th or Fifth Grade)
Teacher (Mrs. Berven and Mrs. Thomas)
Date (Date that report is due)
You may add pictures, drawings, phrases, or anything else to make your cover page more exciting!

2. INTRODUCTION
(1/2 - page minimum)
Write about these using complete sentences:
a. What state you have been given.
b. What you thought/knew about your state before you started your report
c. What you will be writing and showing in your report.

3. HISTORY

Required: Write about at least two of these topics: (1-page minimum)
* Explorers * Indian tribes * Settlers * Government
* Past and current events * Wars and battles


4. FAMOUS PEOPLE

Required: Write about three famous people from your state: (1-page minimum)
* Presidents * Indians *Authors * Inventors
*War Hero’s *Athletes * Actors/Actresses

5. NATURAL RESOURCES / INDUSTRY/ PRODUCTS

Required: Make a chart or graph of at least one of the following:
• Farm crops (wheat, corn, cotton, etc.)
• Dairy products
• Mining (oil, coal, gold, silver, uranium, borax, etc.)
• Auto or other industries.
• Try http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx

6. STATE SYMBOLS

a. Required: illustrate or print your state seal and state flag.
b. Required: illustrate or print at least one of the following:
• State bird
• state flower
• state animal
7. CLOSING PARAGRAPH (REACTIONS)
Required: (1-page minimum)
Answer these questions using complete sentences for each category.
a. What did you like most about your state?
b. Why?
c. What did you dislike?
d. Why?
e. What makes your state interesting for others to want to visit or live there?
f. Tell about three things everyone should know and remember about your state.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!