Saxon Celebration

Students studied hard all year in Saxon Math and our recent MAP testing confirmed we have grown! I am so proud of these kids. It was time to celebrate, so today's 100th lesson in math was center stage. 

Students were all kinds of excited. 

There was plenty of sillliness as students entered through our decorated classroom door into a celebration of math. We started the morning with a math trail mix recipe. Each student brought 100 items in a baggie. We mixed all the "ingredients" together and this bowl of goodies was a fun treat for a morning of munching. Thanks, parents, for contributing!

Our project for the day combined math and art. Students created mosaics.  A mosaic is an art form made with small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. Individual pieces are called tesserae. The pieces fit together to form a design.  To celebrate our 100^th math lesson, the students were given 1-inch paper tiles and the task to create a mosaic person. They then calculated the ratios and percentages of our Fraction People.  

You may join the fun by watching our video. 

Thanks, Amanda, at The Teaching Thief for sharing this lesson.

Leprechauns and Limericks

Room 100 is beginning the season with limericks, a style of poetry popularized by Edward Lear in the 19th century. Limericks aren't Irish, but there is a Limerick county in Ireland where limericks gain fame. These nonsensical poems are a fun way for students to celebrate the season.

A clever song about how to write limericks, sung in limericks, guides students through the steps of writing a great limerick.

Little leprechauns motivated students to write!    

        

We combined writing and crafting in this fun activity for St. Patrick's Day. 

The mischevious fun has begun!

What WILL Monday bring?

Thanks, Cindy, @ Primary Reading Party for this clever leprechaun pattern!

Water Days

Students celebrated Water Days at Northeast's Lifelong Learning Center. Students wrestled with the content, a raft of skills, and some pretty compelling experiments. It was fabulous! Water Days consists of four 30-minute classroom sessions featuring hands-on learning. Natural Resources District is the festival sponsor. 

One core session that is always among the students’ favorites is the water rocket launch. Water rockets are used to help students understand the principles of aeronautics. 

Two-Liter Pop Bottle Rockets may well be the greatest physical science teaching tool ever created! Middle grade students can manipulate and control variables and see their hypotheses verified or refuted.

In the “Edible Aquifer” session  students constructed model aquifers with cereal, ice cream, and pop. This activity was a fun and easy way to understand the geology of an aquifer. 

Huh? Coco Puffs equals bedrock?

And there’s the icky “Garbage-ology” activity that has students sort through garbage and make garbage pizza discs. “Boys tend to like it better than girls, I think,” Mrs. Miller, Keep Norfolk Beautiful, said with a laugh. “It’s very educational and a fun way to show kids what a landfill is.”

Students participated in a Jeopardy game which proved the Water Days festival  greatly improved participants’ water knowledge. Any session that gets children moving is popular and provides an opportunity to incorporate education. After all, education is the NRD's mission.

A big thanks to the middle school science teachers who organized and registered students for this field trip.

Picture Day

Spring Picture Day is tomorrow - MONDAY, MARCH 10.  
Mark your calendar! 

Studio-style portraits!

Students may bring a favorite item such as an award, medal, or trophy. Please check with the office for permission to bring any other type of item.

National Grammar Day

How does one honor the spirit of National Grammar Day? The official website puts it this way:

 “Language is something to celebrate, and March 4 is the perfect day to do it. It’s not only a date, it’s an imperative: March forth on March fourth to speak well, write well, and help others do the same!”

How did Room 100 celebrate National Grammar Day? 

Grammar Guy welcomed students at the door.

We then brought out board games with actual dice.

What? We have to roll the dice manually?  

 Yes, yes you do. 

Curriculum board games provide a motivational way for students to review important concepts. The games engage children in an activity that challenges the mind, teaches social skills, and promotes active learning while having fun!  It was a light-hearted day full of grammar review. 

Grammar Guy was a big hit when he arrived with prizes!

Happy Grammar Day, Everybody! 

YOU ROCK!

The MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) testing has begun. Starting today, fifth graders will mark hundreds of bubbles as the testing season begins.  

To get excited or help others get jazzed about the tests, students were reminded of their hard work and encouraged, 

"You Rock!"  

The class had fun with edible rocks!   

I am so proud of these students and the progress they have shown this year. Please encourage your child to get plenty of rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and do their very best. 

Seriously, are some rocks edible?

A shout out to the Sweet Blessings Blog for sharing the "You Rock" label.

Achievement Tests

All students in fifth grade will take the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) test next week- Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. These tests are given in reading, language arts, and math. 

Please speak with your child about the test experience. It is important that students approach the test with confidence. Parents can help in the following ways:

• Make sure that your child is well rested and ready to do his/her best work. Try not to schedule many activities after school.

• Please ensure that your child eats a wholesome, nutritious breakfast each day.

• See that your child arrives at school on time and relaxed.

• Comfort counts. Have your child dress in comfortable clothes. 

• Encourage your child to do the best work possible and to have a positive attitude. 

Students set their own learning goals and action plan. We reviewed skills and now it's time to test. Students are excited to celebrate growth. 

     Thanks, parents, for ALL you do to encourage your child!