To the parents of my 5th grade class...

Hello, parents! I am switching away from this blog and moving toward having everything accessible from the Charlotte Choice Charter web page. Please go there for links to homework assignments, spelling and vocabulary word lists, etc. There is also a link on there to contact me by email. Thanks!

Bubble Gum Science

By now you've probably heard about our review of the scientific process. Students started by formulating a question. Our question was, "Which brand of bubble gum will blow the largest bubbles?" Students formed a hypothesis and then tested 3 brands of bubble gum. A partner helped them to measure their bubbles with a length of yarn. Students recorded their findings, analyzed data, and drew a conclusion. Based on data collected from the entire class, we found that Double Bubble blew the largest bubbles. We also thought that Double Bubble was the largest chunk of gum inside of it's package, and that may be why it resulted in the largest bubbles.

Did you notice the name change (above)?

Yes, the name of my blog has changed. Now my class is made up of only 5th graders. As of Tuesday, the 4th graders will join Mr. Newkirk's class and Coach Cotte's students will join my 5th graders. We will spend a few days getting to know each other and learning new rules, expectations, and procedures while continuing to work hard. Our first official class newsletter will go home next Thursday. It will contain information about my behavior plan. I look forward to getting to know my new students!

150th Anniversary of March on Washington

While the beginning of our day was the standard fare, we had an interesting afternoon, learning about the March on Washington and the events that led up to that historic event. We worked with the 5th grade students in Coach Cotte's class to create a timeline of important events in the Civil Rights Movement. Although we were sitting for 2 hours, my class was so well behaved that I gave them a small reward when we got back to our classroom. It was a great day!

Great First Day!

Hello! I am happy to report that we had a great day in our 4/5 combo class! We played some ice breaker games to learn each others names, compared interests via a Venn diagram, and played "Two Truths and a Lie." We also discussed character development, came up with a list of class rules, and read chapter one of The Hundred Dresses. We played a "I have ___. Who has ___?" card game for math, which required that students know units of measure, and took 2 math assessments for placement purposes. It was raining during our outdoor physical activity time, so we played some dice games in the classroom. The only homework I assigned was the "Me Bag" which is due on Friday. Please read, sign, and return the forms that were sent home today. There are also several pages at the back of the student handbook that must be signed and returned. I am looking forward to tomorrow!

Welcome to Charlotte Choice Charter!!

Welcome, parents of Charlotte Choice Charter 4th/5th grade class! You can read about me and my background in my bio area, if you wish. I would love to get to know you, too. I invite you to leave me a message by commenting on this post. I have not updated my web page with 4th/5th grade expectations, but I will briefly mention them here. Students are expected to read for at least 30 minutes a night. I will send home a slightly different reading log each week, which asks for more than just a parent signature. Students will take this reading log home each night to record information and I will be checking their reading log each morning. A portion of your child's grade will be based on their daily reading requirement. Additionally, your child will have nightly math homework. I will provide links to helpful web sites and other resources to make it easier for you to assist with math homework. Homework is meant to provide practice, so it should be your child's work, not yours. Please don't take on too much responsibility! I am trying to ease into the school year by only requiring the reading homework for now. Stay tuned...

Visit my new sign language blog!

Hello out there.... I don't know if anyone is still following this blog, but I have a new blog specifically for teaching sign language. Each Monday through Friday I will post a 2-5 minute sign language lesson. I know how much my kindergartners enjoyed learning sign language and I want them to continue to learn, as well as you parents! Check it out and let me know you're out there by commenting. Go to signlanguageschool.blogspot.com