Class Dojo for Daily Communication

Good Morning Parents! You should have already received a parent sign up for Class Dojo. I use Dojo as a communication tool throughout the school year. Dojo allows me to send class messages to everyone, individual messages to parents when necessary, and links to my weekly blog posts. Dojo also allows you to keep track of your child's behavior; both positive and negative. Additionally,  you will receive messages through Dojo if your child does or does not turn in their homework so that you are aware.

 Dojo is also a quick way for you to send me a message if you have a question, concern, or just need clarification. It comes directly to my phone or computer (much like a text) and I can respond quickly throughout the day. This is much more convenient that calling the school or sending a full e-mail (although you are more than welcome to do either of those as well!).

If you have any questions or difficulty signing up, please let me know. Please note, that you will still receive a paper Weekly News every Friday with updates from class and your child's weekly ratings for behavior and effort (if you prefer paper over technology).

Staying in close communication with families is a huge priority in my classroom. I want you to feel connected at all times to the work and activities your child participates in throughout fifth grade. :-)

Hello Future Fifth Grader!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Have fun exploring what we will be learning about in fifth grade this year. Don't forget to click on the "All About Mrs. Carr" tab to get to know a little about me! During the school year, I will post a "Take a Peek at Our Week" every Friday that includes pictures and descriptions of what we completed during the week in class to show your family! I will also keep our specials schedule and reading homework information in the tabs at the top of the blog in case you or your family need a reminder.

I can't wait to meet you. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I'll see you on the first day of school!!

~Mrs. Carr
jcarr@hilton.k12.ny.us

LAST Peek at Our Week!!

How is the year over already? I really can't believe how quickly it all went by. I want to begin by saying how proud I am of our students this year. What a wonderful group of caring and hardworking kiddos! These two classes have made us smile everyday, and I am extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to teach them this year. I'm sad to think that they are moving on, but can't wait to see what they continue to achieve in sixth grade. My door is always open for visits, a check-in, a moment to brag about reaching a goal, anything! They will be rock stars next year for sure! Thank you SO much for sharing your child with us!

In lang & lit, we finished the year by having fun with reading and writing mysteries. The students LOVED these.....especially the extra dramatic stories! We focused our reading on Sherlock Holmes and the students had the opportunity to create their own mysteries which were amazing!

In writing, we finished up our narrative pieces by participating in round table reads. Students moved around the room "musical chairs style" and where ever they stopped, that was the peer narrative they read and reviewed. Students had to give positive feedback about specific parts of the story (figurative language, suspense, great lead, etc.).

In individuals & society, we tipped our toes into the world of economics. We had some great discussions about saving, spending, budgets, scarcity, and why studying the economy is so important. Definitely laying the foundation for more in depth work with this topic in the future!

Finally, we had some fantastic end of the year activities. Spirit Day, Track & Field Day, the Fifth Grade Talent Show, Reader's Theater with our buddies, and even our class picnic!! Lots of laughs, tons of fun....definitely getting us into "summer mode"!

 Have an amazing summer families!!! Enjoy the extra time together and thank you again for an incredible year! I know two little ones who are very excited to have Mommy & Daddy home for the summer....

Reminders for Next Week:

*Monday, June 24th and Tuesday, June 25th are early dismissal days (11:10)

*Last day of school for students-June 25th!

Track and Field Day Volunteers Needed!

Fifth Grade Mock Trial!

Today we were able to watch the fifth grade REACH students present their sides of the case for this year's mock trial! We even had members from our class serve on the jury! Ask your child their thoughts on the case....The State vs. John Wilkes Booth. The students paid close attention and had great comments about evidence presented throughout the case. Great job!!! 

Take a Peek at Our Week!

In language and literature, students were busy practicing for their IOC assessments! We used another passage from The Jacket and Flipgrid to record our second IOC discussions. Students then reflected by watching their videos, looked for key elements, and set goals for the "real deal" next week. I am SO proud of their progress....they have become very comfortable discussing and analyzing texts! I will be sending home their work from our IOC practice for your review. Monday we will also be taking our final Lexile of the year (can you believe it??). I will send home your child's updated Lexile score after the assessment is complete. The June benchmark score is 900.

In individuals and society, students completed their government research for either Canada or Mexico and began their presentations using Google slides. Students are working on collaboration (our ATL focus for this planner) by working with their research partners to develop and present their research. Students will be presenting their work to the class next week and you will receive a rubric with feedback on their performance.

In writing, we used story arcs to plan out our narratives. Last year, our visiting author Sarah Weeks described how she uses this same process to map out a story before she sits down to write. Story arcs help students to define a clear beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, and satisfying ending. After our arcs were filled out, we completed our narrative drafts and worked with them throughout the week. Students perfected their lead paragraphs by incorporating background knowledge (setting, characters, hint at a problem) and chose a hook (either starting with action, dialogue, or both) to grab the reader's attention. Next, we edited for dialogue throughout the narrative to bring VOICE to the story. Finally, we added figurative language to help our writing come to life....so much creativity! Next week, students will peer edit and participate in "Round Table Reads" to give each other feedback on their work!

Just a reminder that next Friday, June 7th, is an early dismissal day! Have a great weekend!