Mrs. Somerville

4/26/13

 Next week begins ourMaymesterprogram ( April 29 – May 17). Some students will be pulled out of classes for some extra help in reading or math or both. Due to this change, our lunch schedule is changing for the above dates.We will now eat lunch from 12:21 – 12:51. This is over an hour later then our regular schedule and so PLEASE remember to help your child pack a snack. 

 As the weather gets warmer the students are asking more often to go get a drink of water. Several of them bring water bottles which is great, but there are a few that forget or don’t have one. To avoid missing class by needing water often, please send a bottle with your student. 

 All of the students have been working so hard on testing this week and I gave them a compliment on how proud I was, Mrs. Beaver ( our proctor) followed the next day with a compliment, so they have now filled up our brownie points trey and earned a celebration. The students voted yesterday afternoon and so CRAZY DAY will be Friday May 3^rd. They may dress crazy, have crazy hair, etc.

 A few other important dates:

Thursday May 2^nd Field Trip, Leaving school at  8:00 and returning about 6:30 ( no electronics allowed on the buses)

Friday May 3^rdCrazy Day

Friday May 10^th5^thgrade field day- paper coming home today asking for volunteers

Tuesday May 14- Our tours of Simpson and Hightower Trail Middle Schools

Wednesday May 22- Early Release

Thursday May 23- last day of school- 8:15 awards  and early release

 

 

4/17/13

CRCT Time.... Our schedule next week is as follows

Monday- Reading CRCT
Tuesday- ELA CRCT
Wednesday- Math CRCT
Thursday- Science CRCT
Friday- Social studies CRCT

We have been completing a lot of review and testing strategies in class, but you can help at home also by making sure each student gets plenty of sleep and eats a good breakfast. 

If you would like to send in a healthy snack for the students to eat during our break between testing please feel free to. We have 28 students, please email me to let me know what you are sending in. I will provide a small treat each day for after testing.

Our lunch is moved to 11:03 ( not a big difference) and our specials will be at the end of each day.


4/14/13

I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing spring break, I certainly enjoyed spending time with Michael.
We will spend the majority of the week reviewing concepts in reading, math, science, social studies, and language arts that we have learned this year.  The following week we will begin our CRCT testing.

I hope I see many of you at the Spring Fling on Friday.

3/25/13

If you have a box of Kleenex at home, that you can spare, please send on in. I asked the students last week, so thank you so much to those of you who already brought in a box. In the last two weeks, we went through 17 boxes, yikes ! 



3/21/12

The students all received the directions for the big ABC book in Social Studies yesterday. We have gone over it a few times and worked on it yesterday and today. It is DUE APRIL 25TH.  Start early, do not wait until right before the CRCT to complete this project. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Reminder, CRCT will begin April 22.  The students all have their logins and passwords to practice on teh OAS website.






3/11/13

REMINDER !!  Picture day is Thursday March 21.



3/3/13

The math test on Line Plots will be moved to Thursday.  Wednesday was full with our writing assessment, spelling test, and Jr. Achievement.  I have found some games and review activities, so we will spend an extra day on this standard and test on Thursday.

For extra help...

Line Plotshttp://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/mathematics/mc2/cim/interactive_labs/M2_02/M2_02_dev_100.html

Line Plotshttp://www.ixl.com/math/grade-3/line-plots

3/1/13

First, I am yet again BLOWN AWAY by the caring and generosity of my students and their families. I was so shocked today when many of you came in for my surprise Baby Shower. Baby Michael "Toby" has been spoiled.  I can not believe my students were so good at hiding that secret.

A few other important news items:

Many of you that attended the Simpson Middle School information night asked me about a recommendation. I talked to the admins here at Mtn. View about it, because I was not familiar if it needed to be a letter, who it went to, etc.   They asked for clarification from Simpson and below is the response we received.

Our plan is the same that we have done over the past three years.  It is to come over and give your teachers a spreadsheet with the courses, recommendation scale, and ITBS scores so that they can give us their recommendation for students.

So with that being said, at the end of the year, I will look at their scores and the recommendation scale they provide us and place your students where they need to be. Let me know if you have further questions about this.

This week we had a few words on the spelling list that the students didn’t know the meaning of. I talked with the class about not just memorizing the words, but also knowing them in context and the definitions. We did an activity in class, but please help remind them they are vocabulary as well as spelling words.

In math we are still practicing line plots and figuring out fair share. They have a website with a tutorial for extra review. They will test on Wednesday over this skill.

The writing assessment is Wednesday. We will eat lunch a little later so be sureto bring a good snack. Also it is important for them to get plenty of rest the night before.

2/27/13

Its good to be back ! We are moving right along with line plots in math, they will test over this on Friday. 
In ELA we are reviewing types of writing to prepare for the state writing assessment, and working on antonyms. 
We just tested over magnetism and electricity in science and are starting chapter 9 in social studies. 

Many of you have asked to see a picture of my new son, Michael Thomas Somerville. What a blessing he truley is, I am so in love ! 










2/7/13

   The students are working hard on multiplying decimals and will be dividing them next. Practice, practice practice. I heard from Mrs. Bishop how well the students are all doing in Math, keep it up. 

Social Studies, we will be starting chapter 9 soon and discussing WW1.

Science, circuits, all things electrical. 

Reading: They are finishing the class novel and I hope they have enjoyed it and learned from it as well. We will continue to work on story elements when I return on the 25th. 

Upcoming Events:

Feb 14th, bring in your Valentines for the entire class, if you would like (optional)

Wear your fifth grade t-shirt on Wednesday the 13th for pictures (or a grey shirt)

Mark your calendar for March 15th, we are having a 5th grade skating party at Sparkles in Kennesaw. 

 

2/2/13

   I wanted to update you all and let you know I will definitely be back on the 25th.  I am happy to announce the arrival of Michael Thomas Somerville into my life. It was a last minute adoption placement, but since my husband and I had been waiting for a few years, we were thrilled. He is healthy and happy and I am tired and nervous, but would not change a single thing. 

Mrs. Bishop is doing a wonderful job and I am still available if needed. I certainly miss my 5th graders and will be back with them soon. 

12/16/12

    Tis the season.... for the flu.  Just a little PSA about the importance of starying healthy. If your child is sick, please keep them at home. We are sanitizing every day and washing out hands often. The flu took me out a few days last week and with 14 kids absent last Friday, I'm sure I was not the only one.

We have an exciting week of celebrations, but also hard work to finish off the first half of the year. I hope to see most of you at Wednesdays holiday celebration.

TRIVIA:  You may guess at any one question, but only get credit for one.
1. In the book Wonder, What is August's last name?
2. What is 3 and 1/2 + 2 1/4 in simpleest form?
3. If sugar and sand are mixed and need to be seperated, how would I seperate them?
( three tickets up for grabs)  email me any or all of your answers.

12/9/12

We finished last week with mixed numbers and improper fractions. This week we will be adding and subtracting fractions, both with like and unlike denominators.

In science we continue our study of matter with some fun science experiments ahead. The students received a study guide last week.

In reading we continue to learn about text structure to include cause and effect, problem and solution, compare and contrast, description and chronological order. The unit test on this is WEDNESDAY Dec. 12th.

In the computer lab the students are working on their biography as part of their writing / ELA grade. We are also learning about prepositions.

I have started posting trivia questions on here and the first student to email me the correct answer will win a ticket for the Friday prizes or a guess at our class candy jar. We have a couple jars filled with candy and the person with the closest guess (without going over) will be awarded the jar at our holiday party. Obviously the more guesses they earn, the better their chances.

Excited to wrap up another 9 weeks and celebrate the holidays. I made it clear to the students that it is crunch time and threy cant shut down yet.


TRIVIA - 12/6/12   YEAH Anna   ( Molly and Chloe were a close 2nd)

 The first student to email me and correctly tell me the definition for mass will win a ticket or guess at the candy jar.



12/4/12

What a fabulous day at the symphony !  Please check the pictures page !



11/29/12

The students have their new science contract and I am happy to announce the project is optional. It is not required. If the students choose to complete one of the science extension projects, it is due Tuesday Dec. 18th.  It is worth 5 extra points on any science assessment.

The students will have a unit test on Matter ( science) on Wednesday Dec 19th. we will test and then celebrate that afternoon with our holiday party.

I also wanted to mention that our Hooked on Books deadline for this 9 weeks if also on Tuesday December 18th.  The students must complete 6 more bookmarks by this date. many of the students have completed more then they need and this makes me so happy. Please ask your child if they have enough for this 9 weeks.
 
In writing the students are interviewing a classmate and writing a biography on their partner. In computer lab they are learning all of the components of Microsoft Word and using it to type up their biography.

I can't wait to see everyone dressed nice for our field trip to the Symphony on Tuesday.


11/26/12

  I am sending home an ELA survey from the county and requesting each parent to fill it out and return it with your child by Dec 14th. Look for them in their blue folder this week. Thank you.


11/25/12

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Mark your calender, our class Holiday celebration will be Wednesday December 19th from 1:00 - 2:00. Please look for an email from Mrs. Jones as to what is needed.

We just finished our Civil War / Reconstruction unit in Social Studies and will now begin our science unit on Matter. In Math we are beginning fractions and in health we will talk about Stress.   Our ELA continues with book studies, not fiction text structure, Narratives and grammar. 

11/7/12

   I am blown away by the amount of effort and creativity that has gone into the social studies projects. We are enjoying the presentations and learning about all the battles of the Civil War.

The students are working on a performance assessment in class and that will be their "test" grade for the causes of the war, leading up to Ft. Sumter.  We will begin the next chapter in our books this week and the students will have an actual test on reconstruction the Thursday ( November 15th) before our Thanksgiving Break. An additional study guide will be sent home in the next couple days.



11/1/12

Please be aware that our Thanksgiving meals are next week. Many of you turned in a form to save your spot and I wanted to update everyone that the adult meals are $3.25, not $2.75 as previously reported.  


11/1/12

Help Wanted !  Mrs. Janus has a fun P.E. Activity planned with our class on Thursday November 29th.  She is asking for some parent volunteers to come in and help.  We need 6 parents to help in the gym on that day from 8:00 to 9:15.  If you are available, please email me.

10/21/12

Here are a few updates on our upcoming units. 

Math: We are finishing our order of operation and algebraic expressions. Next we will be working on Addition and Subtraction of Decimals and Fractions, computing Volume, and collecting and representing Data. 

In Reading, We will  be delving into strategies and skills that develop great readers. Your child is expected to read a minimum of 25 books independently this school year (at home and at school). Many of the students have been working hard on their hooked on books, bookmarks. The next deadline for the students to have an additional 6 bookmarks is December 19th.

In Social Studies, we will be continuing our study of the Civil War and Reconstruction, then enter the era of westward expansion Do not forget that our Social Studies projects are due November 7th.  Please see your childs social studies contracts.  In Science, we will be exploring MATTER.

Writing:   We will be focusing on Narrative Writing this nine weeks,including both personal and descriptive narratives.

Conference Week is this week, October 22 through October 26th.  I look forward to seeing each of you. 
 

10/15/12

   Fall Book Fair Hours are below.   Our day to go as a class is Tuesday Oct 23rd from 11:10 to 11:30.  The students may bring money to buy books. We are limited to our 20 minutes, but the book fair has some extended hours to browse at other times.  

Dates: Monday October 22 – Friday October 26

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – 7:30 AM -3:30 PM;
Thursday – 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM; Friday – 7:30 AM – 2:00 PM

10/4/12

SCIENCE TEST MOVED TO TUESDAY !  Vocab and outline notes also due Tuesday.

10/3/12

    What a fun week !   Our field trip to the Civil war Museum was so awesome ! We learned so much and are all excited to start our next social studies unit. THE CIVIL WAR. We will begin by learning about the causes and the differences between the North and South.

We are wrapping up our science unit on constructive and destructive forces, and had a fun filled day with science centers. I would especially like to thank my helper moms who came out and helped make this successful.

In math we just finished factors and multiples. This is now a forth grade standard, as part of the common core change. Since we did not want any of the students to have gaps, we are teaching it in 5th this year. We will continue with prime and composite numbers and divisibility rules. The first 9 weeks will finish off with powers of 10, exponents, and variables. Some students are still struggling with basic math multiplication facts, so I recommend a set of flash cards from the dollar store. The students can study for a few minutes each night.

In reading we are talking about main idea. This is a big skill that will definitely be seem throughout the year and on the CRCT. When reading with your child at home, ask main idea questions to help with comprehension. We are also enjoying the book Wonder. If your child hasn't told you about Mr. Tushman yet, please ask. I almost fell out of the rocker reading that chapter to the students.

Also in reading, the deadline for your child to have 6 reading bookmarks is October 12th. The students are aware, as are most of you since I wrote notes home on their blue Friday folders. Please encourage them to finish up their bookmarks.

Please be sure to check the dates section of the blog, i added a few dates such as book fair and fall picture re-takes.


9-27-12

   Congrats to our own Natalia Bass for being the winning artist. Her drawing was selected to be the cover of the 2012-2013 Mountain View yearbook.    We had so much fun today presenting our science projects. The students will test over all of the constructive and destructive forces on Friday October 5th. They should know all of the vocabulary and essential questions on their science contracts.

We have an exciting field trip to the Civil War museum in Kennesaw next week, don't forget to pack a lunch.

In math we are learning about factors and multiples. The students will test on Wednesday the 3rd. 

9-12-12

   Yesterday was such a cool day for science after the long math ITBS test. We learned about plate boundaries using candy bars!  Pictures will be added soon. I added a new science link that will help with those science projects. I will post it below as well.

http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/plate.html

9-9-12

    Our 5th grade curriculum continues amidst the ITBS testing.

In Math, we will work on rounding numbers to include decimals and we have some exciting "real world" applications to help us learn.

In Reading, we will discuss setting goals, accountable talk, and continue learning how to respond to literature.

In Science, we began our unit on constructive and destructive forces. Please continue to encourage your child to start on their at home project and not wait until the night before it is due. ( DUE DATE September 26th)

In Writing, all of the students are doing so great with writers workshop and are writing opinion pieces. We read the book Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister and talked about what a great book it was. Then I showed them book reviews and others had valid points on why it was a horrible book. This really helped them see how using evidence from the book helps back up their opinions.

A huge thank you to our room rep, Kim Jones and all the parents that helped me get the much needed paper cutter.


9-6-12

    ITBS testing begins tomorrow. Just a reminder to send them to bed a little early and feed them a good breakfast.

Friday September 7th-Reading
Monday September 10th-ELA
Tuesday September 11th-Math
Wednesday September 12th-Science and Social studies
Thursday the 13th-Maps and Reference.



9-2-12

       I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend, and the start of one of my favorite times of the year, College Football ! ( Go Buckeyes!)
  Just a quick note to let everyone know I updated the site a little. We now have links for our curriculum. You will find helpful links / games to support our standards. Our TEXTBOOKS are also listed, so you may link to them directly from the blog. The last addition is is photo page, check back regularly to see the class in action.



8-28-12

Math: We are working hard on expanding decimals and mastering place value. The students will test over this standard on Friday August 31. After Labor Day we will start ordering and comparing decimals.

Reading: We just finished learning about non-fiction text features combined with our health lessons. We are moving into text based evidence and comprehension strategies.

Social Studies: We are knee deep in amendments, and starting an exciting performance assessment to help explain each one. The students will test over the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Amendments, on Wednesday September 5th.
 
Science: We will begin constructive and destructive forces after our social studies test.

Writing: Our Writers Workshop notebooks are organized and we started learning the writing process today with brainstorming. The students have brainstormed a list of writing topics and have already wrote some opinion paragraphs.

Thank you to all the parents who helped make our Back-to-School festival so fun. I enjoyed seeing co-workers get dunked in the dunk tank. 






8-21-12

The fifth grade class is responsible for food sales this Friday night at the Back to School Festival. All proceeds will go toward the fifth grade activities for the year. Thank you to all the parents who have already volunteered to help
or donate items. We are still in need of both help and some items. Volunteers are needed to work the event- please go to the link at volunteerspot if you can work a shift-http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/262770086091

Weare also in need of Sprite, cookies and brownies. Please email Paige Conner if you can donate any of these items at jpconner@charter.net

8-17-12

    I am blown away with the kindness and generosity everyone at Mountain View has shown me. A special thanks to all the parents who brought in an item off the wish list.  A Very Special thanks to Mrs. Grosse for purchasing toys, and equipment for the student to use at recess. They are loving the soccer ball, basketball, badminton, etc.  Also to Mrs. Jones for bringing in Popsicles to reward the students after a long hard week. Just a reminder that if you still have forms at home that need to be turned in, please send those in with your child this week.

8-13-12