Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Long Awaited Update

Hello!

I apologize for not posting in a REALLY long time.  Apparently the blog slipped my mind.  I'm going to make an effort to post more regularly.

We finish the Human Growth and Development unit today with a Jeopardy review game.  The students exhibited maturity throughout the unit but I'm pretty glad to be done with it!

In math, students are finishing up fractions and will be moving on to data analysis.

In reading, my students are divided into groups that are reading either Because of Winn-Dixie or The Giver.  We are working on making inferences and drawing conclusions from the text.  Please help your child work on this at home during reading log.

The students currently have two projects that, for the most part, need to be completed outside of school.  The students have an essay for DARE that is due December 7.  Dr. Farias, the music teacher, has assigned a research project on a musician.  This project is due January 4.  The requirements for both projects have been given to the students.  If your child has lost the requirements, please let me know and I'll send home a fresh list.  If certain aspects of the projects cannot be completed at home, we will make arrangements for them to be completed at school.

Thanks and enjoy your Thanksgiving Break,

Mr. Butler
mbutler3@wcpss.net

Monday, November 1, 2010

Fifth Grade Yard Sale! Novemeber 13, 7am-Noon

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to make you all aware of the yard sale that will be taking place at JY Joyner on November 13th.  We are selling donated items to raise money for our trip to Washington DC.  The money will be used to ensure that all students can afford to go on the trip and may also be used to reduce the price for all individuals.

Volunteers are needed to help man the yardsale in two shifts: 7-930 and 930-12.  If you are available, please contact Anna Baird at abaird@nc.rr.com.  All help is very much appreciated.

We also appreciate donations of gently used items.  Bring them by the modular building and drop them off on Tuesday or Thursday mornings.

Thanks,
Mr. B

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Vocab and Science assessments this Thursday

Hello everyone,

We'll have a vocab and science assessment on Thursday.   In the future I will post the vocab words as soon as they are assigned, but for now, here are the words your students will be tested on on Thursday:


accurate…adj…able to give a correct measurement.
approximate…adj…not exact but close to a reasonable answer.
course…n…the path over which something moves.
depart…v…to leave or go away from a place.
despair…v…to lose hope.
destination…n…the place to which something or someone is going.
deteriorate…v…to make or become worse.
gale…n…a very strong wind.
horizon…n…the apparent line in the distance where the sky meets the sea or land.
jubilation…n…a feeling or expression of joy.
navigate…v…to direct the movement of a ship or aircraft.
nostalgia…n…a longing for a certain time in the past.
revive…v…to bring back.
sever…v…to break off.
voyage…n…a long journey by sea or in space.

The science words the students will be assessed on are estuary, glacier, floodplain, island, meander, oxbow lake, peninsula, sediment and slope.

Thanks for your support,

Mr. B

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

All about this week!!!

This week we have been working on power points about landforms. We are researching landforms like Death Valley, The Nile River Delta and the Andes Mountains. We are writing stuff like how it was formed and it effects us.  It is so so SO FUN!!! We had Dare today we learned about who to hang out with. We did a work sheet on having good friends. Who you hang out with determines how you will act. That is important. Spirit week is coming up soon! I cant wait! My favorite day is wacky tacky day! IT IS LOADS OF F-U-N!!! Tune in to the blog for some more info!  


-Brode

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

What we dared to learn in DARE

In DARE yesterday we watched a video titled INSIDE OUT which was a video where prisoners were interviewed about what prison was like. They all had dropped out of school and befriended with the wrong sort of people. Also, they advised everyone else to stay out of prison and stay in school. This proves that crime is not the right way to go.

Post by Parker

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Science Test

I sent home our first graded science test yesterday.  I asked that students have parents sign it and bring it back to school to show me.  After that, the students may keep it.  I encourage them to save these tests and study them so that they stay fresh on these topics in preparation for the science EOG.  Thanks for helping at home!

Mr. B

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Interims, Frindle, etc. Post by Emily

Today, we are getting our interims back today. I am really excited about what my grades will be.  On Friday we won't be going to school because it is a teacher workday. Which is sad because Friday is technology and we have missed it in the past.  But I'm so excited, and  I just can't hide it! Also we have finished the book " Frindle" by Andrew Clements. It is a very good book. I Emily, encourage you parents, to get your child this book. Today our special is art and we are doing this fun Rene Magritte art project. I can't wait till our first clay project, which is clay faces. I can't decide whether i should do a dog or a person(myself).This year is going to be great, I  hope. This year Mr, knott, our principal, wants us to be the best magnet school in the whole united states.


                                  Stayed tuned for posts from my other classmates!
       Emily

Math Night and Human Growth and Development Meeting

Hello!

On Tuesday October 5 we will have Math night at 630pm.  Teachers will have math activities in their classrooms.  Come out for a night of mathematical fun!

Just before Math night at 6pm, the fifth grade teachers will hold the informational meeting for our Human Growth and Development meeting.  If you have questions about what will and will not be taught during this unit, make sure to come to this meeting.

I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.

Mr. B

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Spelling vocab contract

HI !
In class we do spelling vocab contract  ,which is also known as sv contract . On spelling vocab contract we have to get at least 4 activities done in 2 weeks . It can be more than 4 as many as you can do . Oh i almost forgot we also have spelling words . We have 15 spelling words . lately people have been doing travel brochures . Travel brochures have been very popular . at least a half of the class has done it already . Spelling vocab has alot of fun activities .  Well thats all for now talk to you later !

Lakeisha 

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Water Cycle and Tests

There have been lots of tests lately. I hope we did well on the blue diamonds.  We are making comic strips  to present The Water Cycle to the kindergarteners. By the way, there is a Spelling and Vocab test Friday. Also for those of you in Mr. B's math class, there's a test. Study up if you have to.

Posted by Calvin

Friday, September 10, 2010

Update by Cameron!

Hi!

In class we have been learning about the water cycle and we have a quiz today. The first step is evaporation, then condensation, then precipitation, then runoff. We started switching for math class on Wednesday. We have a lot of homework.  We have a spelling and vocabulary contract where we have to do a certain amount of activities about a set of fifteen words that we get every 2 weeks. In the morning we have been sort of doing centers where one reading group meets with Mr. Butler and one group does the spelling and vocab words and other groups finish morning work or writes. Check back for more updates from my classmates.

Cameron  

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Open House TONIGHT!

Open House is tonight, September 7.  I invite all of you to join us as we talk about our expectations, goals and teaching objectives.  We will present as a Fifth grade team in Mrs. Bell's room at 6:30 and then again at 7:00.  In addition to our presentation, your students have spent much of this morning writing letters to you about what they expect from fifth grade.  These letters will be waiting for you on your child's desk.  I hope to see you there.

Mr. B

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Multiplication Facts

We need to know them!!  We took a preliminary multiplication assessment last week to see what we needed to work on.  We used the problems that we missed to create flashcards for studying.  We will take multiplication quizzes 2-3 times a week on the Active Expressions until we are proficient in our facts.  It is important that the fifth graders know the multiplication facts as it will be very beneficial to them in math.  Please encourage and help your child study his or her flashcards.

Mr. B

Monday, August 30, 2010

When You Reach Me Oops

I just realized that the link to When You Reach Me that I sent out in my email is for a copy that won't be released until March 2011.  It seems a bit silly to buy a bunch of hardcover copies so maybe we'll just wait on that book until the latter half of the year.  I would still appreciate copies but I might get back to you guys when the paper back is released.

Thanks,

Mr. B

First Post!

Parents and Students,

Welcome to our class blog.  We will use this to post important news, classroom updates, supply needs and other information that might be of interest or importance to you.

So far school has gotten off to a great start.  We are on day 4 and are doing well.

Reading homework will begin tonight.  Unless otherwise noted, students will need to do a reading log entry every night of the week, Monday-Sunday.  They will first need to read for thirty minutes and then write a log entry based on what they read.  I prefer that they are consistent from start to finish with the book they are reading.  Things such as comics or magazines are okay on occasion but I much prefer the students to read novels.

We are working on figuring out math classes and as soon as those are sorted, math homework will come home.

Check back here for more updates!

Thanks,

Mr. B