Monday, October 21, 2013

Today we started the Water Cycle for one week. There will be a quiz on Friday (very short about 10-15 questions).

Please visit the Water Cycle Symbaloo for fun practice.

Tonight: Students need to complete the summary on what they learned from their notes and begin learning the steps of the water cycle. Now, when I say learn, I do not mean memorizing the steps. I told students today they can memorize evaporation, condensation, precipitation runoff...and go over and over again but that's not learning. Students need to know what is happening to the water in each step.

Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes into the air.

Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. This is called condensation.

Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore.  The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.

Runoff: When water falls back to earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land.  When it ends up on land, it will either soak into the earth and become part of the “ground water” that plants and animals use to drink or it may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts

all over again.


Transpiration is a new term which simply put means the evaporation of water from the plant leaves. 

Friday, October 18, 2013

For everyone who was here to take the test today, they have been graded and emailed to students. The email is from "noreply" and the subject is "record of grades..."

We have had a fun week, especially the day we made weather tools! Next week we will learn the Water Cycle and have a short quiz on Friday. Remember that Friday is an early release day. The end of the 9 weeks is on Thursday. This is also the day current event extra credit is due.

Have a great weekend.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Flashcards are due tomorrow. Again, there are only 29 words and the links on the blog will help you with definitions.

Here is the list:
1.   Temperature
2.   Barometer
3.   Jet Stream
4.   Air Pressure
5.   High Pressure
6.   Low Pressure
7.   Anemometer
8.   Rain Gauge
9.   Humidity
10.                     Thermometer
11.                     Cirrus Cloud
12.                     Stratus Cloud
13.                     Cumulus Cloud
14.                     Cumulonimbus Cloud
15.                     Weather
16.                     Climate
17.                     Atmosphere
18.                     Meteorologist
19.                     Prevailing Winds
20.                     Front
21.                     Warm Front
22.                     Cold Front
23.                     Stationary Front
24.                     El Nino
25.                     La Nina
26.                     Sea Breeze
27.                     Land Breeze
28.                     Air Mass

29.                     Coriolis Effect 

We have been filling out weather data using wral.com for the past few days during class. I will be grading the weather book. If students were absent or are missing a day, please fill out the missing information. I understand you cannot go back to old days, but just use tonight's weather if you need it.

Thanks!

Monday, October 14, 2013

Happy Monday.

Tonight's homework is a paper copy of a weather worksheet. Please use notes and any other resources to help you.

Mrs. Fail

Friday, October 11, 2013

Test Next Friday!!! Flashcards due Wednesday. I will grade the homework this weekend, some are already graded. To view the grade just open back up the document and check the comments.

Have a Grrrreat weekend!

Love, Mrs. Fail







Below is a review of what we did in class today.

Video from class: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1-Khi9i3UU

Important things you need to know on your notes:
- Clouds consist of billions of tiny Water droplets or Ice Crystals
- Cirrus clouds are made up of tiny ice crystals. They appear before a cold font. We we know that cold fronts have thunderstorms. So, if you see these clouds, beware that a thunderstorm is near. 


- Cumulus clouds are the white and puffy clouds you see on sunny days. 


- Cumulonimbus clouds are the big thunder clouds. 



- Stratus clouds are low level and thick like a blanket over the sky. You see those on rainy days. (like this week)


- Fog is low stratus clouds on the ground. 



Hurricanes gain their energy from WARM water. Therefore, they form near the equator and follow the warm Gulf stream. As it follows the gulf stream, it gains power from the warm water. Look at the picture, the hurricane is gaining power or energy from the warm water. 



Climate- is the average weather over a long period of time. 
El Nino- Is a change in the climate for about a year. What happens is the water in the Pacific Ocean gets usually warm, and disrupts the jet stream. 
La Nina- is opposite, the water is cold. 



Below are the videos we did not watch but are helpful.  


Thursday, October 10, 2013

After reviewing lesson plans. We will not be doing another topic of Social Studies before the end of the grading period. Therefore, if you are unhappy with your grade, please complete the extra credit.

Thanks!


Current Event Extra Credit
Due: 10-24-13
(Last day of the 9 weeks)
Students will be researching current events for Social Studies class for extra credit of 10 points on their lowest grade. Limit of only 3 current events per student.  Students are responsible for finding an appropriate article from a newspaper, magazine or printed from the internet. The article must be handed in with the summary and reflection and must be less than one month old.

Must Include:
·       Title of Article
·       Date Published
·       Author
·       Student Name
·       Summary
·       Reflection
What to include in the summary:  Main Ideas.  I should be able to know what the article is about without reading the actual article.  It is very important that the summary is written in your own words.

What to include in the reflection:  How you feel about the topic.  How you liked the article.  Your opinion of what you think should be done.
a.   Why did you choose the article?
b.  Was the article interesting to you?
c.   How did the article make you feel? Does what you read make you angry? sad? happy? annoyed? scared?
d.   Did you change your opinion after reading the article?
e.   What would you do to change the situation?

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Homework:

Students have a Weather homework assignment. It is titled "Weather Homework" in the email, or students who needed a paper copy were given one. Please follow all instructions carefully if students do the homework on the computer.

Please note, if students spend 15-20 minutes on their homework then I do not expect them to work on their flashcards.

Weather Flashcards are due 10/16/13

Weather Test: 10/18/13

On that note of flashcards- there are only 29 flashcards assigned for Weather. My blog link has over 50! So, you can use my blog "Weather Vocabulary" link to help you but if your child does over 50, then they are not following directions and we will not learn all those words. Please do not waste your time. No, I will not give extra credit for students not following directions. Sorry.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Rain, Rain, go away....

Tonight please work on flashcards so students can study weather.

5C- please begin learning the layers of the atmosphere in order!

Parents- please quiz your child on Part 1 of the notes.

Here is the link for Part 1 PowerPoint:   Link PowerPoint

Monday, October 7, 2013

Today was a perfect day to start learning about weather. The humidity was 95% this morning! Wow. We will be learning about weather for the next two weeks. The test is planned for Oct. 18. Flashcards are due on Oct. 16. The students were emailed the list of words for complete flashcards on quizlet.com or on paper notecards. The email was subjected "Weather Vocab." On the left side of my blog, I have terms students can use to help them complete the flashcards.

I will say that Ecosystems was the longest science topic of the year and now Weather is probably going to be the most difficult to understand. Usually since students cannot see what is going on in the atmosphere it is hard for them to relate things such as air masses, fronts, and jet streams. The reason why I am teaching these topics first, is so we can review all year.

Tonight students are asked to complete a summary of what they learned on Part 1 of the notes. We will review and complete Part 1 of the notes with correct answers tomorrow.

Mrs. Fail

Thursday, October 3, 2013

SS Test tomorrow.

Please study notes and flashcards.


We now have a conference sign up for 5th grade. On the right side there is a link "Conference Sign Up." If you would like to schedule a conference, please sign up here.

Thanks.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Lab Supplies needed.

In about 2 weeks we will be doing a lab in science on weather. I have requested an update for the Signup Genius for the following items.

5C-
50 Balloons
50 Medium Rubber Bands
3 Rolls of Tape
50 Straws

5B/5A
300 Dixie Cups
100 Straws
50 Thumb Tacks

Please sign up if you are able to help.

Thanks!!!!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B044DABAF2BA46-mrs

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Quiz Grades

I have graded the states quiz from today. I am so proud of some students and disappointed in others. There was no middle ground, grades were very high, or very low. I fear that some students could not recover from this if I keep the grades. Therefore, ANYONE can retake the quiz tomorrow morning before school states to try and get a better score. Please check the student emails to view grades.

Some students STILL have not turned in flashcards and late points will be deducted until they are turned in.

Battle of the Books information was sent home today to my homeroom.

Leadership opportunity

I received a letter today for nominations to attend the People to People Leadership Ambassador Program. Please review the link to see if you are interested. If I recall from last year, I can nominate 10 students, so the 1st 10 that emails me will be nominated. Submissions for nominees are due Oct. 28.


http://www.peopletopeople.com/micro/cmpn5/index.html?gclid=CLKC9dTP9bkCFXRp7AodbnYAmw

Monday, September 30, 2013

What a great day! Students were dressed so nice for picture day.

Tonight, please study the NE region states for the quiz tomorrow. The quiz will be on the states only. Friday there will be a test on all SS notes and flashcards.

Some students are still missing a Pocahontas classwork assignment and/or an Explorers Research assignment. We spent two days on each in class last week and whatever was not finished was for homework. I have graded the assignments. To view go to GoogleDrive, students should have the document in their name folder. Just open the document and view the comments for the grade.

5C students- I will be finished tonight on grading.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Picture Day Monday!

Please study over the weekend. Monday flashcards are due. There will be a quiz on the Northern states on Tuesday. Wednesday, several students have their projects due on their state. Test FRIDAY.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Homework tonight and for the rest of the week:

1. Flashcards- please spend about 10 minutes each night completing flashcards or studying them.
2. Study the Northeastern states for our quiz on Tuesday. (10 minutes)


Monday, September 23, 2013

Picture Day Monday Sept. 30!!!

Homework this week is to complete flashcards on Quizlet.com or regular note cards. The flashcards are due Monday, one week from today. Students have been emailed a list of words and as soon as I get home at 4:15 I will scan the glossary of the Social Studies book for them. Other definitions not found in the book will be in the notes.

Today we learned that there were more explorers than just Columbus. We learned about Ponce De Leon and Henry Hudson!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Homework tonight is on the computer. There is an email titled: "Food Web Homework"
Paper copies were provided for those who needed it.

I found this, it is a cool link to study food chains.
Food Chains

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

We had a blast today in 5B and 5C with our outside lab. The homework is to finish flashcards (which students have been working on for 2 weeks) and study. There will be a homework assignment tomorrow (Wednesday). Then I am just requiring students to study until the test on Friday. Students will be getting a study guide in class on Thursday to help them review.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Homework tonight is a review sheet on Food Webs/ Food Chains. We talked about this all class period today. Students can use their notes or anything else I provided them to help. This will be for a grade.

Mrs. Fail

Friday, September 13, 2013

FREE BOOKS

We will be participating in the Sunny D book spree. Please click the link to find out more.

Free Books
Happy Friday! We have had a good week learning about Ecosystems.

Just for review,

Producers- ALL PLANTS

Consumers- Organisms that eat the plants or other animals

Decomposers- Breaks down dead organisms (bacteria, fungi, mushrooms)

There will be a test next Friday. I provide students with many things to help them review. However, all test questions will mainly come from the notes, powerpoint, and flashcards. All other activities in class, readings, homework, classwork, etc, is practice related to the notes/PowerPoint. For example, if students study the biomes foldable, the same information will be on their notes/PowerPoint. I have to teach to all learning styles, so what is a great study tool to one student, may not be for another. Here is my list of recommended study materials:

1. PowerPoint (from Movenote http://www.movenote.com/v/ewTHyEK3j583G  and http://www.movenote.com/v/LZj_JVcrJbq ) 

2. Green and Blue notes sheet that was filled out while watching the PowerPoint, so again the same information.

3. Flashcards on the vocabulary words that were taught in the PowerPoint. 

4. Biome Foldable- Related to biomes section of notes.

5. Worksheets- all worksheets relate to a topic from the notes

6. Blog "Ecosystems Symbaloo" link- games and extended information that review what we learned in notes.

7. Food Web/Food Chain examples- relates to topic in notes.

8. Chapters 5 and 6 in the Science Book (Emailed to them)- not all topics in the book are important. Mainly focus on the reading that relate to the notes.

9. I may send video links for students to watch that relate to a topic. Watching them will help students review. The video will relate to a topic from the notes/PowerPoint.

So, I am not saying students have to study all these things. I'm just providing these things for you. Studying notes, flashcards, and PowerPoint are the requirements.






Thursday, September 12, 2013

The office made every teacher a Sign Up Genius for volunteers/ classroom needs. Here is the link and I will put in the left side of my blog.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B044DABAF2BA46-mrs

Just a reminder that we have a Science Ecosystems test next Friday.

Flashcards are due on the test day.

I have explained to students if they study 15 minutes at home, they should do fine on the test. The way I do things is teach the first week all the information, then review the second week for the test. We will not learn any new information at this point. Students have their blue and green notes, PowerPoint presentation, and flashcards that will help them study the most. I have emailed Chapters 5 and 6 to them from the book so they can read at home if needed.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Good Afternoon,
I have a few things I need to share with you today.

1. The attraction books went home today for the PTO fundraiser. I do not know much about it, but you can always email the PTO if you have questions. If I get information soon, I will share.

2. Just so everyone is clear: There is an in-school project that I am giving between Mrs. Jenkins, Mrs. Radford and I. The project relates to Biomes. Mrs. Jenkins will be grading the assignment according to the technology requirements. I will grade the project based on the scientific requirements. The project will be completed at school! Mrs. Radford will be assisting with research. Many students think there are 3 projects, but I assure you, they only have one. The due date has not been determined because it will take a while to research in their specials. Our overall goal is to help students understand the proper researching skills. I realize students have other things to do at home. Therefore, I do not think you should worry about it at this point. Again, this Project will be completed at school. Maybe once the due date is assigned they may need to finish at home.

3. I have emailed or handed back every student's homework assignment. Online submissions were email their grade, their answers, and correct answers. :-) I love it!

4. Homework- In 5B and 5C most students had about 10 minutes left on the notes. I would like for them to finish if they can because we review tomorrow.

5. I have condensed all the link on the side related to Ecosystems on the "Ecosystems Symbaloo" link. My goal is to make one for each topic so my blog is not so jumbled.

Thanks and let me know if you need me.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Parents: I have found a way to email the grades and answer key for those assignments created in Google Forms. Last night’s homework was a form I created and I have emailed students their grade with answer key. The email is from noreply and the subject says “Record of Grades.” Those students who turned in a paper copy, please give me some time to grade them. Thanks


I want to remind students and parents that on homework they can use anything I give them such as, notes, PowerPoints, shared documents, flashcards and so on. Some grades were very low. I will offer  an extra credit Scholastic News if you are interested please email me. 
There is no homework for my class tonight. However, flashcards are due next Friday. I have encouraged students to complete about 10 a night until they are finished. Students may use quizlet.com or paper note cards to complete. 

Our Ecosystems Test will be Friday, Sept. 20. 

The 5th grade teachers have noticed that many students need help with time management. My personal goal is to give students a graded homework assignment about 2 nights a week. Then flashcards and projects can be worked on between those days. Sometimes students have to finish what they started in class that day. Usually I have already given students 30+ minutes to work on it and they can finish homework if they like. (For example, the biome foldable) In class, all 5th grade teachers encourage students to work on any classes homework if the student finishes early. We will help students use their time wisely in order to manage everything.

I have provided a link to a workbook if parents want to keep this at home for their child. It is like a mini-book with lessons related to what we learn in school. Every topic in this workbook will be covered this year. Just thought I would share. It is a great study guide for tests and EOG.

http://www.triumphlearning.com/what-we-offer/science/end-of-grade-coach-gold-edition.html

Monday, September 9, 2013

I hope everyone had a restful weekend. Someone shared their germs with me and I have a cold! Oh well, life goes on.

Homework: Students were emailed an "Ecosystems Worksheet" to submit for a grade. Paper copies were provided for those who needed one. We also created a Biomes foldable in class today and some students did not finished. They need to complete this tonight so we can review it tomorrow.

On a side note, those students who have States projects due on October need to email or show me by Friday a rough draft or collection of data. I need to know students are working and not waiting until the last minute.

Thanks!!! :-)

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Today we learned about the ecosystem. Students were emailed a link to view the presentation and fill out notes. I highly recommend students watch the presentation several times to review for the test in a few weeks. I have provided the link for you.

http://www.movenote.com/v/vGjvXtdnvW7

Tonight for homework students will need to fill out the Summary section on the notes explaining what they learned today.

NC give teachers a list of vocabulary words students are expected to know. For this unit there are around 45 words. I know it seems like a lot, but they have more than two weeks to complete them on Quizlet or flashcards. A list was emailed to students and shared on Google Drive. They are due on the test day (tentative date Sept. 20). If students just complete 10 cards a night, it will only take them 4.5 days to finish.
IMPORTANT- on the last set of flashcards, students were using long and challenging definitions copied from dictionary websites. The definitions need to be on 5th grade level and easy for students to understand. I have explained this to them in class. The PowerPoint presentations, notes, Science book at school, and the link "Ecosystem Vocabulary" on the left side of the blog are all great places for students to find appropriate definitions that are easy to understand.

If you are not aware, 5th grade does have a Science EOG at the end of the year. It is my job to prepare them and their job as students to learn. It will not be easy, but the results will be worth it. Thank you parents for your support!

Mrs. Fail

ECOSYSTEM LINKS

Students now that we have started Science I will be expecting you to review these links any time you have an extra minute. They are also located on the left hand side of my blog. These links will help you review for tests and the EOG!


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

We have now completed our first Social Studies unit. Tomorrow we will start Science; the first topic this year will be on Ecosystems. Please make sure students have their headsets tomorrow because we will be listening to notes online.

Quiz Today- Students were given time to complete the quiz in class, then I allowed students to use their notes for 10 minutes. :-) I understand the start of a new year takes some getting used; I will not do this again. Lots of students were nervous about the first quiz. My reasons for open notes was to help students start the year off with a good grade. It will probably take me a few days to grade them and I will call students up to view their grade. Several students have not finished their flashcards on Quizlet or on paper note cards. I will not take anything after today because we are starting fresh tomorrow with Science.

There is no homework other than having headphones. I would suggest spending time working on the States Project. The first group's projects are due near the first of October, don't let it sneak up on you!


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

I hope everyone had a wonderful break.

There will be a short quiz tomorrow on Mayans, Aztecs, and Mapping Skills. I have shared all documents needed for students to study tonight in their GoogleDrive. There is also a yellow note sheet and flashcards for students to study.

Flashcards are due tomorrow. I have called students to my desk if they are missing any work thus far. Everything is due tomorrow or I will not take it. We will be moving on to Science and are finished with Social Studies until mid September.

Below are a list of vocabulary words for students to make flashcards on Quizlet OR handwritten flashcards. Students may use all their notes and/or dictionary.com to help them.

Email me if you have questions. :-)

Friday, August 30, 2013

Happy Friday everyone.

Please remember we do not have school on Monday.

Students were given their placements for 5A, 5B, and 5C today and are expected to make that change on Tuesday. Homerooms will remain the same, so students will come to homeroom in the mornings as normal.

Students technically do not have homework but flashcards are due Wednesday, along with a short Quiz.
Here is a list of the vocabulary words:
1.    empire
2.    migrate
3.    artifact
4.    civilization
5.    archaeologist
6.    topography
7.    hieroglyphics
8.    theocracy
9.    Tenochtitlan
10. Latitude
11. Longitude
12. Absolute Location
13. Relative Location
14. Natural Resources

15. Continental Divide

For fun, I found this link on Aztec life.
Click

Thursday, August 29, 2013

I think most students really enjoy learning about the Mayans and Aztecs. The 5B class has to write the letter for homework tonight because we ran out of time yesterday. Everyone else is free to work on their projects for homework.

I have graded mostly all the work turned in at this point that I have. Several students are already missing work; please ask your child if they are one of them. Grades are posted on a Comment in the document on Google Drive. All students (or parents) have to do is open the document and read the grades.


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Homework: Write a letter explaining how each level of the Mayan people might have felt, Then explain which level you would want to be if you lived among the Mayan people.

You may use the Mayan Social Structure document from class to help you. 

Students can create a GoogleDoc or write it on Paper/Pencil and turn in tomorrow. Several students are having difficulty . Today we made note cards for students to keep and help them at home. 

I have graded the Longitude/Latitude homework and commented the grade on the document. Parents can log on the student's Google Drive and view their grade. 

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Several students had difficulty with their first homework assignment last night. I have reviewed how to properly turn in homework and will give students one more night to complete. Today we learned all about the early nomads that crossed the land bridge to North American. I found this website for students to review at home.

Roots of America


Monday, August 26, 2013

So sorry I am late posting. We do have our first graded homework tonight on longitude and latitude. Students were emailed and given all the instructions on how to submit. Points will be deducted if directions are not followed; we even practiced submitting in class today.


Friday, August 23, 2013

Projects

Students were assigned 50 States Projects today. Depending on the state your child has determines the due date. We will be talking about different regions at different times of the year. I have email the project, rubric, and assigned state to their student email account. If you have any questions, please send me an email. If parents would like a copy, please let me know and I can send it to you.

These two links found in the side of my blog will help students with bibliographies. NCS has specific requirements that must be met.


I am strict on plagiarism, please, Please, PLEASE, make sure your project is 100% yours and no one else!

The page requirements are the minimum; Yes, you may write more if needed. The more details, the better.

These links at the bottom left of my blog may contain information to help.

Have a great weekend.
Mrs. Fail

Thursday, August 22, 2013


Tonight's homework was to visit blog....here is what I would like you to read.

http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/k9mod/Mapskill/mod3fl5.swf

:-) Thanks!!! Be ready to discuss in class tomorrow. Have a great night

Love, Mrs. Fail

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

WELCOME BACK!

Time to start another great year. Tonight's homework is to complete all signed documents and return to school (Including Acceptable Use form for Chromebooks). Also, please try and remember your school email and password. We will be exploring the computers tomorrow. :-)

Have a great night!

Friday, August 9, 2013

Open House: Friday, August 16 at 6:00pm





Parents: Please have student's binders and book bags organized prior to the first day of school. Any bulk items outside of the book bag will be considered classroom donations and stored at school. We will have a place to bring donations the night of Open House so the first day of school load is not overwhelming. Thanks :-)

I am looking forward to a great year and cannot wait to meet all your shining faces! If you have questions please email me at lfail@neusecharterschool.org

Love,
Mrs. Fail

Monday, June 3, 2013

Field Day

We are still in need of a cooler for tomorrow's field day. Does anyone have one at home we can use? There is an ice machine here at school and we can fill it up tomorrow. Thanks so much. 

Other items still needed:
Chips
Water Bottles
Capri Sun Juices



Friday, May 31, 2013

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I have sent home a Elective Sign-Up sheet for next year. Please fill it out and have it turned in by Thursday. If you do not turn one back it, you may be placed in electives that you do not want. :-(

Thanks, 

Mrs. Fail

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

1. Homework is to bring $5.00 for the end of year party. Money is due Friday so we will have time to order pizza and get supplies. 

2. Several students have overdue library books and I will be sending home a list tomorrow. If you know for sure your child has an overdue book, please look for it and send to school. 

3. Tomorrow we all have to be extra quiet while the 3rd and 4th grade test for the EOG. I will send students to the office for being disruptive during testing. Hopefully students know this is important and will remain quiet. Just wanted parents to be aware. 

Thanks so much. We only have a few days left! 

Friday, May 24, 2013

PARTY!

We will have an outdoor end of school year luau pizza party on June 6th from 11:30a-1:30pm. Students are asked to bring $5 by Friday May 31st to cover the costs. The cafeteria will be reserved to view a movie in the event that we have inclement weather. Thanks to all of the teachers and parents for helping out with these events this year!!

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0C48ADA62AA46-endofschool
I hope everyone has a safe and great break! See you on Tuesday.

Mrs. Fail

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Homeroom teachers,
I requested that this email and attached document go out through NCS communications. Also, I am sending it to you via email. We need 12 volunteers for the day to help package classroom hot dog orders. Volunteers should be able to sign up at the following link on Sign Up Genius:

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/60B0D45A9AE29AA8-field

We have received a school wide donation of hot dogs, ketchup, and mustard. The only items I am seeking for donation are hot dog buns, foil roaster pans, charcoal, food safe gloves, chips and freezer pops. I ask that each homeroom class hold onto their donations with the exception of hot dog buns, roaster pans, charcoal, and gloves. Please send all buns, roaster pans, charcoal, and gloves to me. All other donations (chips, freezer pops, or any other food that you want to have included in your class' field day picnic) should be kept in your homeroom.
Please read the attached document and let me know if you have questions. 
Leslie Radford 


Please add the additional 12 volunteer spaces to the current field day sign up genius for field day food. We are in need of donations of hot dog buns, foil roaster pans, charcoal, food safe gloves, chips, and freezer pops. 

Thank you! 

Monday, May 20, 2013

Tomorrow is our Math EOG, Wednesday is the Reading and Thursday is Science. Please study, get a good night's sleep, and a healthy breakfast this week. We have worked so hard and I am proud of all my students. 

Love, 
Mrs. Fail

Stone Soup Production

The elementary production of Stone Soup will be on June 5 at 10:00 am in our gymnasium. Everyone is invited to come.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

I was reading this article and thought about health breakfast ideas on the mornings of EOG's



Planning Healthy Breakfasts for School Days

6-healthy-breakfast-ideasEveryone knows that the before school breakfast is absolutely the most important meal of the day. This is the first food your child will have eaten since dinner last night. The tank is officially empty until you put breakfast on the table and in their mouths. This is why breakfast should be the biggest meal that you eat every day. It needs to backfill the hole left by a good night's sleep while preparing you to face the day ahead. No other meal should carry this kind of weight and accordingly, lunch is smaller than breakfast and dinner is smaller than lunch.

How Much Food Should Your Child Have?

When you plan your child's breakfast, you first need to take into account their daily nutritional needs. Children over seven should have approximately 2,200 calories a day. One third to one half of those calories should be a part of your child's breakfast. Properly distributed among the correct food groups those calories will keep your child moving from the breakfast table to the lunch break.
This is important because studies suggest that children who go to school hungry perform poorly and eat more calories in their day than children who eat a proper breakfast. Teachers often cover heavy hitting subjects like arithmetic in the morning and underfed children lack the resources they need perform at their best.

What Kind of Foods Should Your Child Have?

A proper breakfast meets all your child's morning nutritional needs. Nutritious breakfast options include a variety of foods from the important food groups including:
* Grains
* Fruits and vegetables
* Dairy
* Meat
Fruit and vegetables provide necessary vitamins and minerals while complex carbohydrates offer a sustained energy burn that will keep your child going until lunch. A sugary breakfast will only get your child from the table to the classroom. Dairy and meat provide more appropriate sources of immediate energy.

Breakfast Ideas for You and Your Family

It can be difficult to make sure that your family has the time for a full breakfast in the rush of the morning, but it is worth it. One way to make it a little easier is to plan your meals an evening ahead and set out non-perishable ingredients. Healthy breakfast ideas for your children include:
* Eggs
* Fruit smoothies
* Fruit parfaits
* French toast, waffles, or pancakes made with whole grains
* Hot cereals like oatmeal with dried fruit and / or nuts on top
* Bananas and peanut butter
* Cottage cheese and fruit
* Whole-wheat toast with peanut or almond butter
These are just a few ideas. Whatever else you do make sure that you steer away from simple sugars and fatty foods when you plan your child's breakfast. Though breakfast is a great time to eat high calorie foods, too much sugar and fat will only drag your child down during the day, where as a great breakfast will pave the way for a great day. 

Friday, May 17, 2013

I hope everyone has a great weekend. We need to study for the EOG but also relax. Do not stress or worry.  We have worked hard all year and most of us are ready. Those who did not do well on this weeks practice needs to spend more time reviewing.

See you Monday.


EOG DATES:

Math- May 21
Reading- May 22
Science- May 23

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

There may be several graphs on the EOG so I have created a review sheet of graphs for homework tonight. We will go over in class tomorrow.

If my counting is correct, 17 more days!

Monday, May 13, 2013

18 more days of school!!! Tonight's homework is to complete the EOG packet.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Social Studies Extra Credit

My goal was to have students learn the 50 states before the end of the year. However, time is running short. Due to 5th grade testing early, report cards going home before school's out,  and other obstacles I fear I will not be able to teach it continuously during class time. Some days we will, but 2-3 days is not enough to learn all 50 states. So for extra credit, you will need to label as many of the 50 states as possible on a blank map. Come to me any day before May 29 and I will give you a blank sheet to label the states. You must do this in front of me, not at home. For every state you get correctly, I will add that many points to your lowest Social Studies grade. 

I have posted many link at the bottom of my blog to quiz students and I have flashcards you may borrow. Good Luck!!!

Friday, May 10, 2013


Extra Credit: 10 points on lowest Science Quiz

We have studied many topics this year in science. For extra credit research 10 job related fields that go along with what we have learned this year. Explain what topic this career relates to and a few details about the career.

Example:
1.      We studied about a few chemicals so a career in that topic would be Chemical Engineering. Chemical engineering uses science to process raw materials and chemicals into useful forms. Work by chemical engineers can lead to the discovery of important new materials and/or medicines.
2.      We studied mechanical energy. A job related field is Automobile Technician / Mechanic In this career field people keep equipment available for use by inspecting and testing vehicles; completing preventive maintenance such as, engine tune-ups, oil changes, tire rotation and changes, wheel balancing, replacing filters.

There are lots of topics to choose from that we studied. You must have detailed answers to get full credit.
Due on Friday (May 17)

SS extra credit will be coming soon. J
I want to thank everyone again for the cards, flowers and gifts this week. I feel very appreciated! 

Homework is to get Progress Reports signed and study for EOG. 



Found this picture and thought I would share. 


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Quiz tomorrow on Cells, Heredity and human Body Systems. Progress reports were also sent home today and need to be signed by parents. 

Thanks, 
Mrs. Fail

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Tonight's homework is to finish the cut/paste from class. We will go over the answers tomorrow in class.

Have a good night.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Oh Boy! I received so many wonderful treats! Thank You soooo much!

Tonight's homework is to complete a Venn Diagram on Multi-cell vs Single-cell organisms. 


Monday, May 6, 2013

Thanks so much for all the flowers. They really brighten up the classroom! 

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Happy Monday!

This week we will be reviewing for the EOG. We will have a quiz on Tuesday (Heat and Force/Motion), then on Friday (Cells, Body, Heredity). The quiz on Friday should be very easy since we just learned this after Spring Break. I found a few videos that may explain a few things for you to watch.

Let's have a great week and work hard!

Love,
Mrs. Fail




Thursday, May 2, 2013

We have been studying force and motion today. There is a homework review sheet tonight. Students you may use your old notes, EOG folder, flashcards, and anything else to help you. Even your parents can help! :-)