Mixing It Up!

With state testing coming soon, we have switched gears this week to give us time to prepare. In language arts we started reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. Students will report on their understanding of the text through "matchbook summaries", or short explanations of each chapter accompanied by simple drawings to symbolize the key points of the story. This project is a nice break from our weekly reading menus and skills tests. We are only two chapters in, but most of the kids are already "hooked". If you notice fewer grades for language arts, it is due to the duration of this project. 

State Testing 

Next week is state testing. We are trying to minimize the impact of testing on our schedule with a new approach. Rather than many short sessions to complete the tests, we are doing a week of two-hour testing sessions. I have decided to break our mornings up as follows:

Day One: Math Multiple Choice (1 Hour)
                Language Arts Performance Task (1 Hour)

Day Two: Math Multiple Choice (1 Hour)
                Language Arts Performance Task (1 Hour)

Day Three: Finish Math Multiple Choice/Start ELA Multiple Choice (1 Hour)

                   Math Performance Task (1 Hour)

Day Four: Language Arts Multiple Choice (1 Hour)

                 Finish Math Performance Task/Language Arts Performance Task (1 Hour)

Day Five: Finish Language Arts Multiple Choice (1 Hour)

                 Finish Language Arts Performance Task (1 Hour)

Don't worry- I'll keep track of all of this for your students! They are ready, and I know they will do well. What I do need from families is the following:

• Students need to be to school ON TIME. We start testing first thing in the morning. 
• Please make sure your students have a healthy breakfast and snacks. 
• Please also try to get them to bed at a good time and let me know if your child has any concerns before taking the test. 
• If your students have not brought headphones to school, please make sure they have a comfortable pair.
• If it is reasonable for your family, I would prefer no cell phones next week. They MUST be turned off and in backpacks during the testing session. It is a state requirement. If your student needs their cell phone, please help remind them to keep it off during the school day. I will do checks in the morning, as well.  

We will NOT have homework next week. I want kids to go home and play! They will need a break in the afternoon. An hour of running around outside is what I most wish for next week's after school time. 

In the classroom we will spend our afternoon working on fun projects, including more work with The Giver, a new social studies unit, and a special art project. 

Thank you so much for your support!

Final Notes

Friday is House Color Day. We are House Integrity and our color is green. We voted on a house mascot; it is a rising phoenix. On Friday, we will have our second house meeting, where we work to create norms for our groups. 

Look at all our 80's school spirit!

Finally, we will be sending home two important pieces of paper by the week's end. The first is a yearbook order form. The second is our final Scrip order of the year. We are still a few hundred dollars shy of meeting our goal for a fully funded end-of-year field trip. Please take a minute to look through the Scrip order form to see if you would like to purchase some gift cards. 

Thank Goodness Spring is Here!

Even with the rainy forecast, it is so nice to walk into school without the bitter cold wind biting at my skin. What a difference the change of seasons makes! 

As we move into the final quarter of the year, I want to thank you for your continued support. This is the end of elementary school, and the excitement is tangible. As with every year, please make sure to check in with your students frequently about the work, behavior, and stress in and around school. Your children are going through A LOT of changes right now; it can get a little stressful. As always, I am here to help. 

Spring Conferences

On that note, next week week we have spring conferences. I will be reaching out to parents by week's end if I feel your student needs a conference. If you do not hear from me, but have concerns, please let me know and I'll add you to the schedule. We have no school this Friday (April 5) or next Friday (April 12) to allow for progress report preparation and conferences. We will also hold conferences on Thursday evening of next week (April 11). If you are invited to a conference, it is likely due to concerns around work habits and organizational skills not in place for middle school.

Paperwork 

Yesterday, I sent home two pieces of paperwork: spring photo order forms and a permission slip for the end-of-the-year movie. Photos are only for students who return an order form. Please have the paperwork returned by the end of the week. Today, I will be sending home information about an Easter Egg Hunt, and an opportunity for our sixth graders to volunteer at the event. 

Spirit Day

Tomorrow is our April spirit day. Get out your photo albums and look back at all the greatest fashion trends of the 80's! In addition to our typical spirit day events, we are adding a new element to our school's positive behavior support plan: School Houses. If you are a fan of Harry Potter, or British school stories, you might be familiar with a house system. We have divided the school into six houses named for the character traits focused on in our building. Each house is comprised of one fourth, fifth, and sixth grade class. We have teachers and support staff in the houses, as well. We will be having our first Integrity House meeting tomorrow, where we come up with a motto, before our spirit assembly. If you have questions, be sure to ask your students more information. I am really looking forward to using this model to increase positive behavior in our building. 

Homework

Tomorrow, you should also expect a writing homework assignment. With the crazy weather and schedule of March we got a little off track. Please expect weekly writing assignments for the month of April. Remember, they are due on Thursday morning!

Have a great week!