Yes, we're majorly producing these days...the three class plays, the products each company has chosen to create...it's all about production...and these kids are truly learning the importance of specialization!
We did a lot of work on scenery and props this week...interdependence at its finest...we need everyone working hard to have a successful play! And then, down the hall on stage in the cafeteria we have people working curtains, moving props, announcing scene changes, producing sounds on cue off stage, and actors performing....we are all about production!!
In our Entrepreneurs unit we've got people managing loans, ordering materials, designing products, building products, planning sales pitches, creating posters/flyers, writing scripts for commercials...we've even had kids ask if they can have a "roll back" price...how funny is that?!
We did a few other things this week...but not many....
Math
We worked with stem and leaf plots...this took us back into statistics as the students realized they could easily find the mode and range using the stem and leaf plot. They also found the median and calculated the mean. Their math tests were returned today...they have them in their take home folders. Most of the kids did a super job...it was obvious they spent time studying...thanks for helping your child manage his/her time!
Word Study
We took our last word study test of the year...YAH!! Two Word Study packets are coming home today...the kids have been doing a great job on those packets...they test the true understanding of the words and their meanings!
Instrumental Music
"Mom, Dad, can I play an instrument next year?" Have you heard this from your child yet? All of the instrumental music teachers from Frederick County came and performed a show this week for 3rd and 4th grade students...it was an entertaining show that introduced each instrument to the kids in order to motivate them to play an instrument next year. Look in your child's Take Home folder for the letter about this fun program! Please return the bottom portion if your child is interested in playing an instrument next year.
Next week is FULL of PRODUCTIONS...
We are attending the CHORUS CONCERT, the 5th Grade TALENT SHOW, and the PTA has a CULTURAL ARTS program for us as well!
Our DRESS REHEARSAL is Wednesday, June 2nd...please have your child bring the costume that he/she needs to wear that day...our plays are at 1:15.
On a side note...I can't believe it's almost over...I get very weepy at the thought of passing your children on to another teacher...I'm so possessive!! Thank you for sending them each day with a love of learning and an eagerness to continue their educational journey with me! Enjoy the long weekend...no surprise here...I'll be on a ballfield.
May 28, 2010
May 24, 2010
Mrs. Wills' Class Theatrical Productions...AKA..."Our Plays"
Please join us Monday, June 7th from 9:15-10:15 in the cafeteria
to view our three productions...
"Will the Real Abraham Lincoln Please Stand Up?"
"Once Upon a Hundred-Years' Nap"
"Two Pigs, a Wolf, and a Mudpie"
The kids are working very hard preparing these plays...we'd love to have you join us! Please plan to stay for all three plays if possible...they will run back to back.
Hope to see you then!
JHU's Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
Please join Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth (CTY) for games, resources and information parents can use to support academically advanced learners in grades 2-5. This special event will feature:
- Research on the social, emotional and academic needs of academically advanced students
- Breakfast and lunch
- Hands-on, educational games that families can do together
- Information about CTY summer, online and family programs
- Optional above-grade-level testing for students in grades 2-5
Admission is free for students participating in CTY’s 2009-2010 Talent Search. Interested in signing up for the Talent Search?! Click on the link below to find out more!
- Research on the social, emotional and academic needs of academically advanced students
- Breakfast and lunch
- Hands-on, educational games that families can do together
- Information about CTY summer, online and family programs
- Optional above-grade-level testing for students in grades 2-5
Admission is free for students participating in CTY’s 2009-2010 Talent Search. Interested in signing up for the Talent Search?! Click on the link below to find out more!
https://legacy.fcps.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://uestechworld.pbworks.com/f/JHU%2520CTY_Supporting%2520Your%2520Bright%2520Child_June%25205%25202010.pdf
Saturday, June 5, 2010
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
McAuley Hall
5801 Smith Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21209
Please call 410-735-6196 or see the attached flier for more information.
Sincerely,
Lionel Foster
Assistant Program Manager
Center for Talented Youth
Johns Hopkins University
5801 Smith Avenue, McAuley Hall
Baltimore, MD 21209
Phone: (410) 735-6196
Fax: (410) 735-6220
https://legacy.fcps.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cty.jhu.edu/
Saturday, June 5, 2010
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
McAuley Hall
5801 Smith Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21209
Please call 410-735-6196 or see the attached flier for more information.
Sincerely,
Lionel Foster
Assistant Program Manager
Center for Talented Youth
Johns Hopkins University
5801 Smith Avenue, McAuley Hall
Baltimore, MD 21209
Phone: (410) 735-6196
Fax: (410) 735-6220
https://legacy.fcps.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cty.jhu.edu/
May 21, 2010
Happy "Strawberry Festival" Friday!
What a fun afternoon/evening! First and foremost...thank you SO much to Mrs. Gallo who organized the game and organized all of the volunteers...I so appreciate her hard work for our class!! Thank you also to the parents that were able to volunteer their time tonight...what a great time all the UES students had!
We had a great week...we are very busy working cooperatively...I was sitting back watching the kids the other day thinking about how much they've grown up in one year. They are such a great group and I get a little teary thinking about the fact that the year is starting to wind down...but enough about that...onto the important stuff!
Language Arts
Your children are heavy into the theater right now. They have picked scripts, chosen parts, designed scenery, and they are in the midst of rehearsals. They are projecting their voices and using great stage presence in their parts. I am extremely proud of them. I am hoping to have their plays ready to be viewed by YOU, the parents, the first full week of June. UNFORTUNATELY I left my planbook at school, so I cannot give you a date until Monday...but I promise to set the date so you can make plans to see the play. It will be in the morning...probably 9-10:15 or so...but again, can't give you the exact date without my planbook in hand!
This coming week will be the last week of Word Study. I know you all love for the homework to stay strong right up until the very end...but I gotta tell you...if they're half as tired of Word Study packets as I am of grading them...we need to quit after next week!! :-) I will continue to send Math or something to do with Social Studies, but June and Word Study are not friends. :-)
Social Studies/Math
Ladies and Gentlemen..."ENTREPRENEURS in the house!!" We have four different companies being run in our classroom right now. These companies have been given a loan and have designed a product they believe their classmates (the consumers) will want to buy. They have had to work within their budget while deciding what resources they will use, what type of advertising they're going to do, and what kind of profit they should shoot for when deciding on a price for the product. These groups are working very well together...even with a few economic problems along the way...and that is a feat in itself! Today we began to build the prototype and we will continue this venture next week.
We had an excellent lesson from Mrs. Cicerone in the computer lab on Tuesday! She showed the kids how to use Excel when organizing and recording data. THEN she showed them how to use the "chart" tool to graph their data...can you scream, "EXCITING!!" You could have heard a pin drop as these kids took her info and explored in Excel making all sorts of charts and graphs. THANK YOU, Mrs. Cicerone!! The next day we went back into the lab and using data we had collected that very morning, the kids chose which set of data to record in their own spreadsheet and they created graphs to depict their data...how is it they are only 8? 9? I was way impressed!!
I hope you have a great weekend...I'll try to take some pictures next week while the kids are working in their play groups or their Entrepreneur groups...'til then...
We had a great week...we are very busy working cooperatively...I was sitting back watching the kids the other day thinking about how much they've grown up in one year. They are such a great group and I get a little teary thinking about the fact that the year is starting to wind down...but enough about that...onto the important stuff!
Language Arts
Your children are heavy into the theater right now. They have picked scripts, chosen parts, designed scenery, and they are in the midst of rehearsals. They are projecting their voices and using great stage presence in their parts. I am extremely proud of them. I am hoping to have their plays ready to be viewed by YOU, the parents, the first full week of June. UNFORTUNATELY I left my planbook at school, so I cannot give you a date until Monday...but I promise to set the date so you can make plans to see the play. It will be in the morning...probably 9-10:15 or so...but again, can't give you the exact date without my planbook in hand!
This coming week will be the last week of Word Study. I know you all love for the homework to stay strong right up until the very end...but I gotta tell you...if they're half as tired of Word Study packets as I am of grading them...we need to quit after next week!! :-) I will continue to send Math or something to do with Social Studies, but June and Word Study are not friends. :-)
Social Studies/Math
Ladies and Gentlemen..."ENTREPRENEURS in the house!!" We have four different companies being run in our classroom right now. These companies have been given a loan and have designed a product they believe their classmates (the consumers) will want to buy. They have had to work within their budget while deciding what resources they will use, what type of advertising they're going to do, and what kind of profit they should shoot for when deciding on a price for the product. These groups are working very well together...even with a few economic problems along the way...and that is a feat in itself! Today we began to build the prototype and we will continue this venture next week.
We had an excellent lesson from Mrs. Cicerone in the computer lab on Tuesday! She showed the kids how to use Excel when organizing and recording data. THEN she showed them how to use the "chart" tool to graph their data...can you scream, "EXCITING!!" You could have heard a pin drop as these kids took her info and explored in Excel making all sorts of charts and graphs. THANK YOU, Mrs. Cicerone!! The next day we went back into the lab and using data we had collected that very morning, the kids chose which set of data to record in their own spreadsheet and they created graphs to depict their data...how is it they are only 8? 9? I was way impressed!!
I hope you have a great weekend...I'll try to take some pictures next week while the kids are working in their play groups or their Entrepreneur groups...'til then...
May 18, 2010
Field Trip Movie...as promised!!
First...thanks to Ms. Kim, our field trip photographer!! Click on "Our Field Trip May 2010" below to see our visits to the Frederick News Post, Mt. Olivet Cemetary, and the Frederick Keys Stadium. Ask your kids about the different pictures and how we got to see specialization and interdependence in action! Enjoy...
Our Field Trip May 2010
Our Field Trip May 2010
May 14, 2010
Happy (or not so happy if you were hoping for the Strawberry Festival) Friday...
The Strawberry Festival has been postponed until next Friday...I know this was a tough decision for the women running the event (three years ago I ran the Strawberry Festival), with the threat of SEVERE thunderstorms, it was a good call.
We had a busy, great week! Read below...please pay close attention to our classroom NEEDS!!
Language Arts
So, we have begun the last unit of the year...our dramatic unit...PLAYS!! We spent the week talking about the elements of plays and reading lots of different scripts. We have chosen three scripts, chosen speaking parts, found directors, and have started the undertaking of producing amazing plays...I'm very excited!!
Math
We dove back into measuring angles this week...we discussed line segments, rays, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, vertices, etc...we worked on labeling angles correctly and using the protractor correctly. The kids love using protractors...I tell you, if I could give them formulas and tools all day long, they'd be like in putty in my hand. :-)
Social Studies
Our field trip was fantabulous (fantastic and fabulous all in one)!! We saw two different productions in the works...we saw specialization and interdependence at both the Frederick Keys Stadium and the Frederick News Post. The kids wrote great letters using economic vocabulary. They truly got to see everything we've been teaching in action! As soon as I get copies of the pictures from our field trip, I will put together a short video...look for it early next week!
The kids will be becoming ENTREPRENEURS this coming week! (don't quit your day job...its fake money) :-) I am excited to see what their companies come up with for products. For this project, we will need:
We had a busy, great week! Read below...please pay close attention to our classroom NEEDS!!
Language Arts
So, we have begun the last unit of the year...our dramatic unit...PLAYS!! We spent the week talking about the elements of plays and reading lots of different scripts. We have chosen three scripts, chosen speaking parts, found directors, and have started the undertaking of producing amazing plays...I'm very excited!!
Math
We dove back into measuring angles this week...we discussed line segments, rays, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, vertices, etc...we worked on labeling angles correctly and using the protractor correctly. The kids love using protractors...I tell you, if I could give them formulas and tools all day long, they'd be like in putty in my hand. :-)
Social Studies
Our field trip was fantabulous (fantastic and fabulous all in one)!! We saw two different productions in the works...we saw specialization and interdependence at both the Frederick Keys Stadium and the Frederick News Post. The kids wrote great letters using economic vocabulary. They truly got to see everything we've been teaching in action! As soon as I get copies of the pictures from our field trip, I will put together a short video...look for it early next week!
The kids will be becoming ENTREPRENEURS this coming week! (don't quit your day job...its fake money) :-) I am excited to see what their companies come up with for products. For this project, we will need:
- egg cartons
- plastic cups
- foam letters or shapes
- Popsicle sticks
- paper towel/toilet paper tubes
- any other fun recyclable items
Have a great weekend! Enjoy your families...
May 8, 2010
Great Heron Wetlands Celebration and a big Thank You!
First, thank you to the children who made me feel so special this past week during Teacher Appreciation Week...it is my absolute pleasure teaching your children and their notes and cards are an added bonus...I will treasure them...so thank you.
Click on the words "Great Heron Wetlands Celebration" below to see the movie of our day Friday...hope you enjoy!
Great Heron Wetlands Celebration
Click on the words "Great Heron Wetlands Celebration" below to see the movie of our day Friday...hope you enjoy!
Great Heron Wetlands Celebration
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