Science Fair is Just Around the Corner!

Science Fair

This week will begin talking about the upcoming science fair. On Tuesday afternoon, students will be receiving a packet of information about the upcoming event, and how to plan a successful science fair project. For homework this week, I am asking students to come up with a question, hypothesis, and basic outline of a procedure for their project. This is a rough, rough draft, but it will give me time to look through their ideas over the weekend and provide helpful feedback to ensure their project is a success. Unfortunately, the sixth grade information packets were not ready after school, hence the Tuesday start date.

I believe most of the students are excited to participate. Many years ago, I was invited to attend a week-long science fair symposium at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. It was an amazing trip; students who are eager to enter the STEM fields should look at a science fair as an opportunity to explore an area of interest and to learn more about the scientific process. 

Our science fair night will be help on March 31, 2016. As the weeks progress, I will include helpful information through the classroom blog to help students stay on track. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know how I can help.

Doernbecher Days & Clam Chowder Sales

We are currently in the midst of two fundraisers. This week our Doernbecher fundraiser includes a talent show (Monday), Burgerville Give Back Night (Tuesday), Survivor Night (Wednesday) and Lip Sync Battle (Thursday). Event information can be found on the district website. If you would like to donate money to the cause, our classroom collection jar is fairly empty. It could use a little help. Any donations are welcome!

In addition, the fourth grade has started their annual clam chowder sale. Order forms are available in our classrooms. If your students would like to participate, please have them grab a form. I can direct them to the correct location.

Have a great week,

Ms. Kinsman

Homework

Homework 

This week I am asking students to complete assignments from class as their homework. We have been reading Freedom Walkers for the past two weeks and have completed a number of activities from the students' Reader's Notebooks. In order to move on to the next story, I am going to ask students to complete the reading and Notebook pages at home and turn them in on Friday.

Here is a list of pages must be completed. Most of this work was supposed to have been completed in class.  If you student is struggling with the reading, please feel free to offer support. This is a challenging text, with a lot of vocabulary and topics new to the kids. 

Student Notebook Pages: 121-130, 132-133, 138,143-144

Thank you for your help in getting this story wrapped up. Please be sure your student takes very good care of their book. It is important that we keep these in good shape for the upcoming years. 

Valentine's Day

Thank you to all the family members who were able to help at this year's Valentine's party. The sixth grade team appreciates all of your support. Thank you also for all the gifts. The thoughtfulness of the kids is touching.

This Week

In social studies, we are continuing our study of ancient China. Students will be writing the scripts, and begin recording, their multi-media presentation on one Chinese dynasty.

In math, we are continuing operations with fractions. Expect homework practicing these skills.

In language arts, we will be starting a new realistic fiction piece and focus on understanding how the author develops theme in their writing. 

In health, we are finishing the chapter on smoking prevention.

Have a great week!
Ms. Kinsman

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

On Friday, we will hold a grade level Valentine's Day party. There will be music and dancing in the commons, iPads, games, and snacks in the classrooms. Before the party begins at 2:00, students will be allowed to pass out Valentines to their classmates. Remember, this is an optional activity. I have provided large envelopes for students to decorate at home.

If you would like to volunteer to help out at the party, please let me know. We will need assistance with snack preparations and supervision. It should be a lot of fun!

Box Tops

If you have any box tops lying around the house, the final day for turn in is February 26th. We have a nice collection started, but could always use more. I appreciate any donations!

Pencils & Homework

Thank you so much to the families who sent in pencil reinforcements. We are working on being more diligent about how pencils are placed in our desks, and getting pencils off the floor each afternoon. Hopefully, we have enough to make it until the end of the year!

I also wanted to remind families that this week's writing homework requires a parent signature. Please take a moment to read through your student's assignment and discuss any edits or revisions that might be needed. For weeks with a good amount of writing required on the homework, I pass out writing awards to those students I feel showed improvement, or went above and beyond on their assignment. This gives the students the privilege of having a buddy lunch with the iPad. I'm looking forward to reading their work from this week's prompt. 

Have an excellent week!
-Ms. Kinsman

A Long Post for the Start of the Third Quarter

Sorry for the span of time since the last blog post. It has been a very busy couple of weeks!

Report Cards
Report cards will be coming home with your students tomorrow. Please be sure to go through the envelopes carefully, as a number of other important documents will be included. In addition, please make sure you read through the Oregon Student Wellness Survey form. We will be completing the survey next week during our scheduled computer lab time.

If you have any concerns about your student’s performance, please do not hesitate to reach out. Most students are on track to meet, and in some cases exceed, sixth grade standards by the end of the year. At this point in the year, my primary focus will be getting the kids ready for middle school. This means I will be asking the students to be more mindful of the quality of work turned in each week. My goals for the next quarter are to:

1. Hold students accountable for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors in all assignments. Some work may need to be resubmitted if poorly completed.

2. Work to ensure that all students are reading at least 30 minutes each night. As the reading expectations become more demanding, it is important to spend as much time with text as possible.

3. Improve writing scores! We definitely need work in this area. After this week, I will be asking parents to sign writing homework assignments. Please take a few minutes to read through your student's work before it is turned in on Friday. If you notice large amounts of errors, please have your student spend time revising their drafts. Remember, all writing homework assignments can be submitted through Google Docs.

Valentine’s Day
I will send home a list of student names in the report card envelopes. Students are not required to make Valentine’s for their classmates, but if they do I ask students to make sure to include everyone in the class. If they would like to participate, I will provide students with a large envelope to decorate at home. This will be sent home on Friday as a weekend project.

We will also be holding a sixth grade Valentine’s Day party on Friday, February 12 at 1:30. We will have an informal dance in the commons area, crafts, a fun story project, games and technology. Snacks will also be provided. If you would like to volunteer, please let me know. More information will be sent home soon.

Pencils

We have completely run out of new pencils. While the pencil program (eight pencils checked/refreshed each week) is still in effect, the design of the classroom desks has made it nearly impossible for many students to keep a solid pencil supply. As a result, we are out of new pencils. Pencil donations would be welcome at this point. I appreciate your help in keeping the classroom supplies stocked for the students.

Our Studies

Social Studies: We have just started our new social studies unit on Ancient China. Students are working in groups to complete activities relating to how geography impacted cultural and economic growth in China and how its government changed over time. In the coming weeks, the students will begin a research project one of the ancient dynasties. Their studies will be showcased in a multi-media project near the end of the month. 

Language Arts: Over the next two weeks we will be reading Freedom Walkers, a non-fiction narrative about the Montgomery bus boycotts. Students will be completing a number of comprehension and writing activities relating to the text.

Math: Most students are now working on mastering operations (multiplication and division) with fractions. Please check in with your student to see if they math homework each night.

Science: Students are working with Mr. Jeremiah to learn more about physical science. Please watch for homework.

Health: For the third quarter, we will be covering the chapters on nicotine, alcohol, and drug abuse. 

Movie Night

Please join us on Friday, February 12th for a family movie night. We will be showing Inside Out. 

Happy New Year!

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a wonderful break. I know I am feeling refreshed after the time spent with my family, but I am also excited to be back. The students also had a very good first week back, but I have a couple of quick notes before getting into our plans for the coming week: please review school expectations with your students at home. Remember, we have weekly writing homework (assigned Monday and due on Fridays), along with the expectation that students are reading at least 30 minutes each night. 

Also, I have noticed a lot of students not eating lunch. We have a very long afternoon, without any breaks. Many kids are complaining of headaches at this time. Please make sure your kids are coming to school with lunch or lunch money. I know I would not be able to function without a good lunch!

An Ode to Yo-Yo's

Don't get me wrong, I love Yo-Yo's. I can also appreciate the students' new found passion for Yo-Yo tricks.  However, there have been times that Yo-Yo's have been out during class. These are fairly isolated incidences, but I would like if families could talk with their students about keeping toys at home. I have given permission for the kids to use Yo-Yo's at morning recess, but they should be put in backpacks for the rest of the day. Yo-Yo's seen in class will be held until the end of the school year. Thank you for your help.

What Are We Working on in Class?

This week we will be finishing up a persuasive writing piece on the issues surrounding keeping pit bulls as pets. The students have done a excellent job of researching, note taking, and writing about whether or not pit bulls should be kept as pets in Scappoose. Their analysis of this complex issue has been very impressive; I am excited to see their finished works.

In language arts we have started unit three. Our first selection is about the Great Chicago fire, and focuses on arguments and claims made by the author and figurative language. On Wednesday we will begin "Airborn", an exciting science fiction story about a hot air balloon rescue. Our students will be looking at plot development and point of view. 

Next week, we will be starting a new social studies unit and research project on Ancient China. The students will be placed into "Tsings", or clans, and will complete a variety of projects to learn about the longest organized civilization on Earth. It is a fascinating unit, which culminates into a multi-media project on one of the dynasties in China's history.

In addition to all this, the class is now with Mr. Jeremiah for their physical science unit. He sends home some homework. Please check planners for updates. We are also continuing our health work with Chapter 2: Mental and Emotional Wellness.

Have an excellent week,

Ms. Kinsman

Christmas Break is Nearly Here!

This week there are quite a few event happening around the building. Here they are, in order!

Monday

Today the students are starting their Unit 2 Tests (these are the long ones that you saw at conferences) and will be finishing up our reading work from last week. While I hate having to give a test before winter break, it is an important tool in gauging our students' ongoing progress. 

I did not assign any writing homework this week! However, there are many students with missing writing homework assignments that can be made up. If your student is missing an assignment, they have been informed and given a new copy. 

Wednesday

Students will have a chance to visit Santa's Workshop, conveniently located in the sixth grade hall. We are scheduled to visit from 9-930. All items are only a $1.

In addition, we will be attending the 5th and 6th grade band concert in the afternoon. This will be held in the gym at 2:00.

Thursday

On Thursday afternoon, we have our school-wide, canned food drive assembly. This should be a lot of fun. If we reach our building goal, Mrs. Hessong and Ms. G, will be completing super hero training! 

Friday

On Friday afternoon, we will be holding our Christmas party from 1:45-2:45. We are still looking for parent volunteers to help pass out food, monitor students, and help clean up. If you are interested in helping, please let me know. 

Also note, Mrs. Angelo will be holding a gift exchange (new socks or a new/slightly used book) in her room during the party. If you students would like to participate, please have them bring a wrapped gift on Friday morning.

Resources

ASPCA

Cesar's Way

Dog Bite Statistics

Animal Planet Video

Pet Finder

New Yorker Article

Time Article

Pit Bull Video