You Are Now Parents of a Middle Schooler!

Thank you so much for the wonderful year. I had such a great time with all your students; they were an absolutely amazing group of kids. I hope you all have an incredible summer. Please be sure to stay in touch in the coming years. Happy Summer!!!!

The Countdown Continues

I'll start with some fun pictures before I get down to business. Here's some shots from our kindergarten visit on Thursday. It looks like we might be headed back on the 19th to help the kinders build space ships! Again, I am so impressed with the sixth graders' patience and coaching when working with these young learners. It is a lot of fun to watch. 

Speeches

We will begin our "How To" speeches tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for helping your student prepare for this final project. If your student would like to bring materials to share with the class, they are welcome. If they are planning on bringing in an animal, please let me know, so I can schedule accordingly.

Field Trip

We will be heading to Oaks Amusement Park on Wednesday. Please make sure your students arrive to school on time. We will depart as close to 8:30 as possible. Please also make sure your child comes with a lunch and beverage. While the concession stands are open, the lines are long. Students will want to make sure they do not waste time waiting in line for food!

The End is Officially Here

I was just telling the students how each year I find myself in a panic in May because I may not have enough material to carry us through to the end of the year. Then, I'll start planning June, and my panic becomes focused on how I don't have nearly enough time to do it all! We have a busy couple of weeks ahead of us! Here's what we have planned so far...

"How To" Speeches

Today, the students and I worked on a lesson to introduce the "How To" speech. This will be a homework assignment for the week. The rough draft of the speech is due on Friday, and we'll begin presentations next Monday, June 12. I found a website with a number of sample topics here. Please encourage your student to have fun with their topic and practice a lot! We don't have much time to deliver the speeches, so I'll have to cut off students who are running too long. I can't wait to see what the kids will teach me this year.

Upcoming Events

Below is a list of fun activities we have planned for the end of the year. I'll try to post updates with pictures and reminders of any materials the students will need for the activities. Please feel free to let me know if you would like to volunteer. We are always looking for extra help. 

June 7: 4th Grade Play, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" at the high school

June 8: Visit to Kindergarten at Watts to help with science experiment 

June 9: Oaks Park permission slips and $5 due; Rough Draft of Speech Due

June 12: Speeches due!

June 14: Oaks Park Visit

June 15: Last day of Math
June 16 or 19: Life tournament (If you have the game of Life, and you are willing to allow your student to bring it to class, please let me know. I would like the students to be able to play in groups of four). This activity is a fun culmination of our recent personal finance unit. Be sure to ask your student to share how they are doing on this activity.
June 16: Grade level awards; Ice Cream Social (2:00)
June 19-20: Art Workshops
June 21: School-Wide Move; Kickball tournament (with a real life, professional kick ball pitcher!)
June 21, 6:00 pm: Art Show, Mural Unveiling and Bake Sale
June 22: Last Day of School- Early Dismissal; Class Awards; Field Day