Spelling

As you know, Sitton Spelling is about mastery, NOT about memorizing a list of spelling words that we soon forget. Thus, students do not know which words they will be tested on each week.

I put a list of the Sitton Spelling Core Words for 5th grade on the sidebar of this blog under "Word Work help."

Second Step

We teachers will teach the Second Step program this year. This program teaches students social skills they need to work together with other people. Last year Marcela Doylet taught Unit I: Empathy Training. This year I will teach Unit II: Impulse Control and Problem Solving, and Unit III: Anger Management.

Students will occasionally receive homework, and lots of time the homework involves the family. Thanks in advance for your support.

New Social Studies Curriculum

Social Studies Alive: America's Past is our new social studies textbook. There is a nice feature at their website: http://www.teachtci.com/programs/enrichment-resources.html

You can register for free and complete various enrichment activities. Sometimes I will sign activities from this site, so be sure to register.

Thanks!

If your child is missing the beginning of the school year...

Please count on them staying after school the first few days they are back (except for Tuesdays) so I can catch up on beginning of the year assessments in spelling (2 assessments), reading (1 assessment), and math (4 assessments).

Also, I'll keep what we've done posted here as there may be some assignments that can be completed before you return. If not, they'll need to be completed upon your return.

• Read Thank-You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco.
• Read Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney.
• Read first 6 chapters of Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner.
• Writing ideas: Make a list of people and jot down things that happened with those people as possible ideas. For example, my 6 1/2 year-old grandson, Riley, is obsessed with Steve Erwin, loves nature, collected honeybees the last time I visited, observes lizards, and visits the Alligator Farm every week.
• Writing ideas: Draw a map of a place you love or are very familiar with. (I chose the house I grew up in.) Then write story ideas on the map. (For example, This is the tree that Doug fell out of and broke his arm. I used to lay on the roof here and read and look at clouds.)
• Math: pp. 1-12 in student journals, plus study links.
• Make a postcard about you. Use two pieces of cartulina cut to the size of a large postcard. (1/2 of A4 is perfect). One one piece make the back of the postcard: draw a stamp, address it to me, and write me a note about yourself. One the second piece, make the front of the postcard: draw items that have something to do with you. For example, mine has books, art materials, pencils and notebooks, mountains, etc.

Specials!!

Monday: Music

Tuesday: P.E.

Wednesday: Art

Thursday: Library & P.E.

Friday: Computers

First Day of School!

Welcome to 5th grade!

If you haven't already, please let me know your e-mail so I can send you an invitation to grou.ps. There are important homework assignments on the website. Students and parents both.

Thanks,

Mrs. Stevens

School is just around the corner!

Today I created our class social networking site. It will be the go-to place for information and will connect to this blog, as well (as soon as I figure out how). We used grou.ps last year and it really helped our learning. Groups were able to collaborate, and at the same time I was able to keep track of each student's individual contributions to group projects.

I will form a parent's group where I can post information specifically for you! You can also use it to communicate with one another.

This is a closed community. You have no worries about Internet predators here as I have to approve membership and keep a careful watch on what is uploaded and in chats.

I know I've missed a lot of folks; please send me contact information for those I am missing so I can invite them to the grou.ps site.

The site is http://grou.ps/interamerican5thgrade. However, you can't see it without an invitation from me. Chao!