KidBlog is up and running! Students in my AM and PM blocks will have the opportunity to practice their typing skills by publishing their final essays for each unit on their blog. Homework will also occasionally be KidBlog based. Using this blog will:
- teach students how to type - prepare them for Milestones testing (all of which is on a computer) - give them the opportunity for peer editing - allows parents to view their student's work - keeps their work all in one place - gives students the opportunity to view their progress throughout the year - let students work on their ever growing, always improving essays - so much more! I used this website last year, and the students loved KidBlog time! I will give them time in class to work on their publishing, and even use it in lessons. Parents: this website is a safe place for students to be proud of their work. They can use their blog as a journal, to keep track of small moments, share good examples of writing, and more. You may view your student's blog at any time. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please feel free to email me. Students: to access your blog, follow the link to the right (either AM or PM, depending on your block), find your name, and enter your Student ID/Lunch # (including the zeros).
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What a week!
Reading: Last week we learned tons about how to get to know a character in a story, specifically our book Crenshaw that we have been using as a read-aloud. We've developed ideas, theories, and patterns about Jackson and his family, as well as asked ourselves why he was that way. By digging deeper into the character, we learned more about the plot, predictions, and the meaning behind it all. Writing: We worked on how to generate personal narrative ideas. We can get ideas by thinking about a person that matters to us, a first or last time we did something, a time when we realized/learned something, or a place that has meaning or memories. The students have been writing short, small moment stories based on these ideas, and have done a phenomenal job so far! At home, try to encourage your student to take notice of those small moments, maybe even have them jot it down or even write it out as a narrative. We also learned how to "raise the level" of our writing by: 1) dreaming the dream (making the story come to life for the reader), 2) telling the story from the first person, 3) giving true accounts of what happened, and 4) telling the small moment as a story, not a summary. Please make sure your student brings a book to school every day. We are doing a lot of independent practicing after our mini lessons, and the students need a book in order to do this. They know that this is a requirement for my class, and that if they do not bring a book, they are coming to my class unprepared. This week, we are starting a new bend in our reading and writing units. We will begin getting into book clubs for reading, and start working towards publishing our narrative piece. I look forward to seeing everyone at Curriculum Night on Thursday! Congratulations on making it through your first week of 5th grade! I had a lot of fun getting to know each of you this week, and I already can't wait to learn even more. Quick recap of what we did:
- "Get to know you" games and activities - STEM game - Class schedules - Round Robin: each student added one sentence to each other's stories to create one silly, collaborative story. If you did not get your paper back this week, I will be returning them on Monday. - Decorate files and Writer's Notebook with writing inspiration - Learned about the Inside Reader (the little voice in your head that is making observations and asking questions during reading to help you comprehend what you're reading) We will begin our Writer's and Reader's Workshop on Monday, starting with Narrative Writing and a book called Crenshaw. Each student was provided a Writer's Notebook from myself, and will need another composition notebook (any color or style) for their Reader's Notebook. Finally, please make sure you have a book with you or in your file for independent reading time. Parents: Your student should have brought home their Friday folders yesterday. In their folders are the first 5th grade newsletter and a fundraiser packet. If you need another copy of the newsletter or your student forgot to bring it home, I will post a copy of the information on here shortly. Also, if you would like another fundraiser packet, I will send it home with your student on Monday. Please make sure you send the Friday Folder back on Monday so we can fill it with our most recent assessments and activities. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! Have some fun, get some rest, and come ready to dive into Workshop on Monday. PS. Make sure you follow 5th grade's hashtag (#5thgradeiskey) and RNE's hashtag (#rnegreatthings) on Twitter! |
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