Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Book Fair - Thursday

Come to Our Book Fair
Family Event

You’re invited!

December 8, 2011
12:30-6:30p.m.

UPA Ellen Thompson – Gym
Come and enjoy refreshments and a surprise guest!
Cash, Credit, and Debit are all welcome.

I hope to see you there!

Camp and Exhibition information

Camp Reminders

Fund raising forms and money are due on Wednesday, December 7th. Cash only, no checks.

The candy will be delivered to the school the week of the 19th. A specific date will be given to you once the orders have been returned.

Camp Meeting – Thursday, December 8th at 4:00. The meeting will take place on the third floor. Please come with questions you might have. If you would like to be a chaperone, please make sure that you attend this meeting.

Exhibitions

Milestone #3 is due on Thursday, December 8. Milestone #3 is all completed visual aids for the exhibition.

Please find the exhibition schedule below. Please arrive on time, and with all necessary work.

Monday, December 12th
9:00 – 10:00 Joshua
10:00 – 11:00 Samyia
11:00 – 12:00
1:00 – 2:00 Kourtney

Tuesday, December 13th
9:00 – 10:00 Chase
10:00 – 11:00 Bakari
11:00 – 12:00
1:00 – 2:00 Ryan

Wednesday, December 14th
9:00 – 10:00 Kendray
10:00 – 11:00 Myles
11:00 – 12:00
1:00 – 2:00 Keiyaira

Thursday, December 15th
9:00 – 10:00 Paris
10:00 – 11:00 Zaria
11:00 – 12:00 John
1:00 – 2:00 Tamiya

Friday, December 16th
9:00 – 10:00 De’Jana
10:00 – 11:00 Future
11:00 – 12:00 Dennis
1:00 – 2:00 Larry

Monday, November 28, 2011

Wow!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Break. It was well needed and much deserved.

It sure has been a while since I have updated the blog. I apologize for this. At times it is difficult with sending stuff home and then updating the blog. Here is some important information.

Picture day - Wednesday, November 30th. Those who are purchasing packets are able to free dress. All others are to be in uniform.

Concert - the 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade concert is on Wednesday, November 30th.

Camp Meeting - Thursday, December 8 at 4:00. The meeting will be held on the 3rd floor village area. If you would like to chaperone the trip, please plan on attending.

Milestone #3 - Due Thursday, December 8th. All completed visual aids for your exhibition are due at this time.

Exhibitions - Exhibitions begin on December 12th. Sign up sheets have gone home today. Please fill out and return ASAP. Times are filled on a first come first serve basis.

Friday, October 21, 2011

A Note Home

The MEAP is over! All of the students worked very hard to complete the MEAP to the best of their ability. I look forward to getting the results later in the year.

Exhibition Milestone – What a great success the first milestone was. I was amazed with everyone’s commitment to completing the milestone and their exhibition in a timely manner. The second exhibition milestone is due on: November 17th. This milestone should be ALL the information that your child is planning to present to the class in his/her own words. Please do NOT copy your information from the books or websites used.

Birthday Treats – I LOVE helping to celebrate your child’s birthday with them. That being said, it is important to give me notice before bringing in a treat for the class. If you could contact me at least a day before you plan on bringing a treat into class, that would be appreciated. We are working non-stop throughout the school day and if I can plan for such an event, it would make our day go a lot easier. It is also important that I am here during that time as well. It is not fair to a substitute teacher to have to accommodate such a change in the schedule.

Fall celebration – On Friday, we will be finishing our Red Ribbon Week with a Fall Celebration. Students will be able to bring their costumes to change into if they would like. Please, no goblins, ghosts, witches, masks, weapons, etc. (See Ms. Johnson’s Newsletter for specific information). If you would like to contribute something to the Fall Celebration, please let me know by filling in the form below.
Look for the calendar of events for Red Ribbon Week

No School – there is no school on Monday, October 24th. School resumes on Tuesday, October 25th.

Book Orders – Book orders are being sent home today. The due date for book orders will be November 11th. If you choose to order books online, you can do so. Simply use the code: FMQVL. If you pre-ordered your Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, it should be arriving on November 15th.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Rounding

Students were able to go on the following site today to work on their rounding skills. Please check it out

http://www.aplusmath.com/flashcards/rounding.html

The link is also located on the right side of the page under useful links.

Friday, October 7, 2011

It is hard to believe that the first month of school is over. Wow! It is amazing how quickly time has gone by. We have been busy working in our class, and The MEAP is right around the corner. We will be MEAP testing on Tuesday and Wednesday for the next two weeks. It is important that students arrive on time. Testing will begin promptly at 9:00.

Keys for the MEAP
• Get a good night’s sleep
• Have a good breakfast
• Understand the importance of the assessment
• Focus on what is in front of you
• Don’t worry…do your best!

Homework – Wow…the participation in homework has declined quite a bit. It is important that homework gets completed every day. I am sending home a missing homework sheet. PARENTS, PLEASE SIGN THE MISSING ASSIGNMENT SHEET AND RETURN ON MONDAY. If your child did not receive a report, all of his or her work has been turned in!

Brag Board – I was very impressed by the turn out for September’s Brag Board. I can’t wait to see the responses for October. Please fill out the pumpkin following this prompt:
Student’s Name is a pumpkin because…

Gym Shoes – Please make sure that your child is prepared for Physical Education on Thursdays by bringing their gym shoes. It is hard for them to participate, if participate at all if they don’t have the proper footwear.

Social Studies – Students will begin their four week rotation of Social Studies next week. The past four weeks, students have been focusing on Forces and Motion in Science. We did a lot of hands on activities and learned a lot.

Friday, September 9, 2011

The First Week!

The first week is finished! Can you believe it? I know I can’t. We are well on our way to having a successful fifth grade school year.

We have spent the past week getting to know each other, as well as getting started on our academics.

MAP testing – MAP testing begins on Monday. At this moment, I am not sure of what our class’s schedule will be. Please make sure students are ready for testing. That means, they have had a good night’s sleep, and a good breakfast.

Recess – We will be going outside for recess every day. It is important for students have the opportunity to run around and socialize with their friends. We will go outside when the weather permits. Please dress your child appropriately. Unfortunately, we were only able to go outside a few days this week.

Cold – Our class room is a bit on the cold side. If your child tends to be chilly, please provide a sweater for him/her. Make sure that the sweater you select follows our uniform policy.

Be on time! Please be aware that if your child arrives late, is out for a day, or leaves early, they are missing out of valuable time in the classroom.

Uniforms – It is important that students show up to school in uniform every day. The uniform policy includes shoes and belts. Shoes and belts should be ALL black or brown. This is an important part of our school culture.

Summer Reading Club Books – Please bring in your Summer Reading Club books as soon as possible. They will be collected next week, on Wednesday.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Welcome Back!

I can't believe the school year is upon us! It seems like just yesterday I was welcoming you into our fourth grade class, and here we are beginning fifth grade together. I can't wait to get started.

Going back to school was always my favorite time of year, and it continues to be.

We are going to learn a lot together. While we learn together, we are also going to have a lot of fun together.

Here is a little information about myself. This is my seventh year teaching, and my seventh year at UPA, and am a highly qualified teacher. Teaching is my second career. I graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management (Business). After working in the business field for a while, I did not feel I was making a difference in my life and the lives of others. That being said, I went back to school to The University of Michigan and got my Master's degree in Education. I am a Spartan all the way and bleed Green!

I was born and raised in Holland, Michigan. I go there often to visit with my family.

I have been married to my husband, John for ten and a half years. We have two great children. Skyler is four and a half, and Owen is two. Over the summer, we adopted a dog, Violet. She is five months old and is a retriever, shepherd mix.



In my spare time, I love to read, travel, and be adventurous. I love trying new things, including food.

Here are some reminders for school.

Uniforms - All students must be in uniform starting the first day of school. Students must be in complete uniform from their head to their toes. This includes belts, shoes, and socks. If you have any questions about uniform, please see me.

Cold Room - Our NEW room is quite chilly. In fact, I have been wearing a sweatshirt while getting things ready for this year. If you are someone who gets cold easily, please remember to bring a sweater. Remember, no hoodies, or sweaters with zippers, etc. If you are unsure about your sweater, please reference the uniform policy.

Snack - We are going to try and fit a snack time into our schedule. That being said, it is important that everyone is on the same page with snack. Remember that this is also a learning time and having snacks that involve a lot of preparation can be distracting.

Summer Reading Club Books - Please return all of your summer reading club books as soon as possible. It is a big job organizing the books once they are returned. The sooner they are returned, the better.

Please, only water during snack time. Other liquids can spill and make a sticky and smelly mess.

Learning Team Meetings - I was so glad to meet with some students before school started. We were able to talk about their future exhibitions and reflect on the summer. For those of you who I didn't get a chance to speak with, I will be contacting you in the near future.

If there is anything that you need from me, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Exhibitions – I was very impressed by the effort that the students put into their projects. I could see a tremendous amount of growth in each one of the students. I can’t wait to see their final exhibitions.

Milestone Dates
• Milestone #1 – April 14th
• Milestone #2 – April 28th
• Milestone #3 – May 12th
• Milestone #4 – May 25th
• Exhibitions: June 6th – June 10th

Field Trip – We will be going on a field trip on Friday, April 1st. We will be attending a play about Anne Frank. The cost of the field trip is $5.

Music – Ms. Ritter will be placing the order for recorders on April 1st. If you are planning on purchasing a recorder at that time, please have the money turned in to me by no later than Thursday, March 31st. The cost of the recorder is $5.

Newbery Reading Project – We have started our Newbery project. This project is a great way for students to get involved in reading. All of the students have selected their books. Most of the students selected books that I do not have in our library, so it is important for students to check the books out of the library. More information will be going home with your child as the project progresses.

Interest Project Ideas- All students have chosen and interest project idea either at their learning team meeting or at a meeting with me. Their interest project idea is listed on their learning team form.

Snack Time – Please make sure that if you are sending your child with a snack that it is a healthy simple snack. Snacks that involve utensils and/or peeling take too much time to eat. We have a working snack time and if your child is peeling their fruit, they are not focusing on the lesson. Thank you for your cooperation.

I am looking forward to an outstanding final trimester with all of the kids! This trimester promises to be a busy one.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Notes Home

No School – There is no school tomorrow, March 11. Teachers have professional development meetings.

Exhibitions – Exhibitions begin next week. Thank you to all of you who signed up promptly. It makes preparing for exhibitions a lot easier.

Field Trip
– On Friday, April 1, 2011, our class will be traveling to the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn to see the play, The Diary of Ann Frank. The cost for the play is $5.00, and is due by Monday, March 28th. Please have your student to school on time, as we will be leaving school at 9:00 a.m., and returning around 1:00. There will be bag lunches for those students who normally buy their lunch. All other students should still bring their lunch.

Reminder – Our blog address is: mrslwmartin.blogspot.com
You can go to our blog to find updated information as well as links to fun and educational sites.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the day of their exhibition. I can’t wait to see the progress everyone has made.

Exhibition Schedule
3/14 @10:00 Zaria
3/14 @ 11:00 Samyia
3/15 @ 10:00 Paris
3/15 @ 11:00 Bakari
3/15 @ 1:10 Aaron
3/15 @ 2:15 Faizah
3/16 @ 10:00 Dennis
3/16 @ 11:00 or 1:10 John
3/16 @ 2:15 Joshua
3/17 @ 10:00 Myles
3/17 @ 11:00 Kendray
3/17 @ 1:10 Future
3/17 @ 2:15 Larry
3/18 @ 10:00 De'Jana
3/18 @ 11:00 Ryan
3/18 @ 1:10 Kourtney
3/18 @ 2:15 William

Friday, February 18, 2011

Announcements

No School – There is no school next week. School resumes on Monday, February 28th.

Wax Museum – Students have been working on finding information about important African Americans in our countries history. They will be presenting this information on Tuesday, March 1st from 1:30 to 2:00 and from 2:30 to 3:00. I do not know the exact time our kids will be ‘performing’. It is asked that students bring along a prop and/or clothing to help them ‘dress’ the part. This does not have to be elaborate, by any means. If your child is to play a doctor, they prop may be a doctor kit. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Exhibitions – The exhibition check list is attached to this letter. Please go through it with your child. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call me. The exhibition signup sheet is also attached. Please return this sheet right away. Exhibition spots will be given out on a first come first serve basis.

Have a fun and restful break! I look forward to seeing all of you on Monday, February 28th.

2nd trimester exhibition checklist

Friday, February 11, 2011

February Update

Classroom policies –
• Cell phones – Students have been bringing cell phones to school with more frequency. Ideally, cell phones should be left at home to discourage other students from taking them. However, I do understand that sometimes it is necessary for the students to bring them to school. In order to keep the cell phones from being a distraction students should:
o Turn off the phone
o Keep the phone in their coat or backpack
• Lip gloss – Girls bringing lip gloss and applying it throughout the day has been a distraction in the past. I have asked the girls to keep their lip gloss in their bags during the day. With the cold weather our skin can dry out, including our lips. I suggest bring Chap-stick or Vaseline to combat the dry lips. The lip gloss tends to be more fashionable than practical.

Poster board – I have asked that all students please bring a piece of poster board with them to school next week. We will be spending some time working on our science and reading portion of the exhibition.

Milestone #3 – Milestone #3 is due on Thursday, February 17th. Fun Friday will be on Friday, February 18th. We have been talking about the due date and the requirements daily in our Morning Meeting. The requirements for Milestone #3 are that ALL visual aids, for the interest (state) project, are completed and turned in. Examples have been sent home, and are on the classroom blog (mrslwmartinupa.blogspot.com) for assistance. If you have any questions about the requirements, please contact me as soon as possible.

Responsibility – We have been talking a lot in our class about taking responsibility for our actions. This is a concept discussed quite frequently in fourth and fifth grade. This conversation has mostly been centered on homework. We have had quite a few days where students have not completed their homework. We have also had some instances with students trying to sign papers for their parents. Please discuss with your student the importance of homework as well as not forging someone’s signature.

No School – There will be no school February 19th through February 27th. School resumes on Monday, February 28th. Enjoy your Mid-Winter Break!
Wax Museum – Students have been working on gathering information on poignant African Americans. The culminating activity is the students writing a paragraph about this person, memorizing it, and performing during the wax museum. The wax museum is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1st.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

My Example

Here is my example of Michigan's Power Point.

Michigan - Example

Here is one of the brochures I created for one of my cities...Holland

Brochure Holland

Milestone #3 Examples

Here is a student's example of the State Project Power Point.

State New York

Milestone #3 Examples

Here are two student examples of the travel brochures for milestone #3. The Power Point for Michigan, my exhibition, will be uploaded shortly.

Brochure Examples

Friday, January 28, 2011

January is almost over!

Milestone #2 – I am so proud of all the hard work that all the students did to complete Milestone #2. It is, by far, the best work I have seen in a long time. I understand exhibitions can be tedious, however, if you work a little at a time to complete them, it doesn’t seem so difficult.

Milestone #3
– Milestone #3 is due on Thursday, February 17th. This milestone consists of ALL visual aids for the state project. This means that your Power Point or display board along with your billboards, brochures, etc. for each city. Examples of milestone #3 work will be posted on the wiki and sent home on Monday, January 31st.

Homework – Homework is assigned every day. It is important for students to complete each assignment with the best of their ability. Homework is assigned to help reinforce skills talked about and discussed in class. Please encourage students to complete their homework and turn it in daily.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Milestone 2

Way to go! Everyone did a great job turning in their first milestone. Milestone #2 is right around the corner. Below you will find the information for the milestone.

State Project 1st Trimester


State Milestone 2-Reminder

Friday, January 7, 2011

Happy New Year!

It is hard to believe that we have started a new year. It is even harder to believe that we have finished the first week of school of the New Year. Wow!

No School – There is no school on Friday, January 13th and Monday, January 17th.

MAP Testing – We will be MAP testing next week Monday through Wednesday.

Milestones / Exhibitions – A reminder was sent home with the milestone dates as well as another copy of milestone #1. (All on the one sheet of paper). Just as a reminder, Milestone #1 is due on Wednesday, January 12th. Milestone #1 is a list of resources that will be used to complete the state project. Don’t forget a parent’s signature.

Book Order – Book orders are a great way to purchase books for a reduced price. There are a lot of interesting books offered by scholastic. The book order will be due on Tuesday, January 18th.