Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Wow, it is hard to believe that it is January, 2013!  The time has gone by so quickly.  Here are just a few bits of information to start the new year.

Exhibition Topic – Students should be working on coming up with an exhibition topic.  Milestone dates will be sent home soon.  Please get started as soon as possible, June will be here before you know it.

No School – There is no school on the following days in January:

Monday, January 21

Monday, January 28

Tuesday, January 29

Personal Items – If at all possible, please have students refrain from bringing personal items into school.  Examples of things that have been coming to school that should stay home are: perfume/cologne, electronics, toys from home, etc.  Thank you for your help in this matter.

Homework – It is important that students complete all homework assignments to the best of their ability.  There has been an increased amount of homework not being turned in.

MAP Testing – We have just finished our Mid-year MAP Test.  I am very pleased in the progress that students are making.  Please continue to encourage your student to do their very best on a daily basis.

Another new game

Check out the new rounding and place value game posted on the right.

New Game

I am adding a new game onto the blog.  The students really enjoyed playing this game.  It works on our rounding skills.

Make sure you scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the game.

I can't wait to hear how it is going!

Mrs. Martin

Quick Note Home

Snacks & Lunches – Snacks and lunches should be healthy. Please refrain from sending regular chips, cookies, and sugary juices. If you send chips, they should be baked, and juices should be 100% juice. Snacks and lunches should also be PEANUT FREE!

No School – There is no school on Friday, September 28th. Teachers will be in professional development meetings.

Book Orders – Book orders are due on Thursday, September 27th. You may also order online. Go to www.scholastic.com and enter the following code for our class: FMQVL

Back to School Night

Thank you to all who attended Back to School Night at the High School this evening!  If you were unable to attend this evening, I am posting the slides presented by the 4th grade teachers.


Back to School Night

Our first note home!

I am so excited to have the first week under our belts. It has been an adjustment for both the students and myself. The first week is usually the hardest because we are getting used to school, new teacher/students, etc. I know that this year is going to be a great year. All that being said, there are a few things you need to be made aware of:

COLD!!! – Despite the warm temperatures outside, it is very cold in our classroom. Please make sure that if your student is cold they bring a uniform sweater. Sweaters should NOT have zippers or hoods.

Pencil boxes / bags – Our desks are becoming more cluttered as we move through the school year. To help eliminate this problem, please make sure that your child has a pencil box or bag to hold their things in.

MAP testing – MAP testing begins next week. We will be taking the test Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:30 to 2:30. These test are important as they drive my instruction of each individual student. Please explain to your child the importance of the assessment. The MEAP test, the state of Michigan’s test, will begin in October.

Snack – healthy snacks are a good way to keep your child’s energy up. Please make sure you pack a snack for your child.

Peanut Free – we are a peanut free classroom. Please make sure that the items you pack in your child’s lunch and snack do not contain peanut products.

AMPT – We do NOT have gym for the first 6 weeks of school. Our AMPT schedule is as follows:
M – Art
T – Technology
W – Music
Th – Art
Fr – Technology

Blog – Please visit our blog often to get caught up on the happenings of our class. Once there, you may subscribe to the blog. By subscribing to the blog, you will be updated, via email, when the blog is updated. Just make sure you confirm the email that is sent to your in box. The address is: mrslwmartin.blogspot.com

Back to School Night – Back to School Night will be held on Wednesday, September 19th. Look for more information to come about this great event. Please feel free to contact me. You can reach me by phone at: 313-874-9800 ext. 2303 or you can email me at lmartin@uprep.com. Emailing me is the best method of contacting me. I check my email often throughout the day and usually don’t check my voicemail until the end of the day. I will do my best to return your call or email as quickly as possible.

Welcome Back!

Wow! It is the first day of school! I can't believe it. This is a very exciting time and I can't wait to share it with you and your family. Unfortunately, I will be arriving late to school today. It is my daughter's first day of Kindergarten and need to bring her in. I can't wait to start an amazing year with all of you! Mrs. Martin

Reminders

No School – February 22 – February 26. School resumes on Monday, February 27.

Milestones – all students should be working towards their exhibition interest project. Below are the milestone dates for the rest of the semester
Milestone #2 – Thursday, March 22nd
Milestone #3 – Thursday, May 17th
Exhibition Week begins May 21st

Additional Exhibition Work – as a class we will be working on creating additional projects to present during exhibitions. A majority of the work will be completed in class; however, there is a slight possibility that they will need to be finished at home. More detailed instructions will be sent home next week.

Homework – Please encourage your child to complete his or her homework on a nightly basis.

End of January Notes

No School – There is no school on Friday, February 3. Teachers will be analyzing data on this day.

Milestone #1 – The fifth grade students will not be participating in Milestone #1. The due date for the milestone is the Thursday after we return from camp. The fifth grade teachers have decided that we are not requiring students to turn in Milestone #1. That does not mean students should not be working towards their exhibition. Please encourage students to keep up the hard work and prepare for Milestone #2.

Camp – We will leave for camp on Monday, February 6th at 8:30. Please make sure students are at school on time. Students should meet in the gym with all of their things. We will return on Wednesday, February 8th between 2:00 and 2:30. All camp information should be turned in prior to us leaving on Monday.
New Semester – a new semester has begun. This should be thought of as a clean slate for everyone. Please encourage your child to put his/her best foot forward by doing their best in class, completing their homework, or studying for an assessment.

Happy New Year!

Camp Reminder – Camp is fast approaching, and I hope you are ready. I know I am. As a reminder, camp is February 6th – 8th. We depart the school on Monday, the 6th, at 8:30. We will arrive back to the school on Wednesday, the 8th, at 2:30 or so. All camp money is due on Friday, January 27th. The cost is $150. If you participated in the fund raiser, you have been notified of the amount you owe. Cash only please.

Camp Chaperones – If you volunteered to be a chaperone, and you received a packet, please have all the forms and necessary fingerprinting done by Friday, January 27th. It is very important that this is completed by this date so we know the exact number of chaperones we have attending.
No School – There is no school on Monday, January 16th in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. In addition, there is no school on Monday, January 23rd for records day for teachers.

Exhibitions / Milestones – It is time to start thinking about our last exhibition. Next week, I will begin speaking with each child about what they would like to do their interest project on. Please have the same conversation with your child this weekend. The milestone dates are as follows:
• Milestone #1 – ALL the resources you will be using to complete your exhibition – Thursday, February 9th
• Milestone #2 – ALL the information you will be using to complete your exhibition, in your own words – Thursday, March 22nd
• Milestone #3 – COMPLETED visual aids – Thursday, May 17th
• Exhibition week begins Monday, May 21st

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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