5NC Class Blog

Our future’s so bright………

We gotta wear shades.

Congratulations to students and parents for successfully adjusting to our hectic grade 5 schedule and routines thus far.  Flexibility is a key skill in fifth grade and beyond.  A special thank you to those students who befriended our 40 new grade 5-ers.  They have made a great contribution toward creating a welcoming school community.

I’m impressed with the way students have jumped right into each task assigned and for cheerfully accepting constructive suggestions on their work.  Our first goal of the year is to build up our stamina to read and write for longer periods of time.  Students also began our grade 5 online math site, Mathletics, enthusiastically and played computation games with other students around the world.

You will receive e-mails from this address each time there is a new post to our class blog.  Please let me know that you have received it correctly by returning a quick e-mail to <noreen.croyle@saschina.org>.  You can simple write, “Got it.”  Also, advise me if there is a different address I should use to contact you weekly.

Reminders:

* Next Wednesday is scheduled for swim team tryouts of new students.  More information can be found on the Swim Team blog. http://aquaticscenter.saschina.org/

* Agendas need to be signed every school night by an adult at home.

* Please sign and return all forms in the red Friday Folder, as well as the folder itself.

Kudos to you and your child!  Celebrate by enjoying a wonderful weekend.

So many details, so little time.
The students in 5NC are enthusiastic, curious and ready to take on every challenge I have presented them with so far.  Currently, we are delving into healthy living through balanced nutrition, regular exercise and activity.  We have created a class Food Pyramid that we have hung in the grade 5 hall for all to see and share.

Soon you will be hearing about our visits to the “graveyard” where we will be laying ‘tired, overused words’ to rest as well as our trips to the ‘Sensory Mall’ where we will literally be experiencing sights, sounds, smells, touches and tastes AND the English sensory words that will describe these sensory moments.  Why, you ask?  To build, build, build vocabulary.  This is a huge theme of fifth grade – expanding fifth graders written language.

Stay tuned and stop by often to this blog for continuing updates… chat with you soon. ;p

Bring memories of all your summertime adventures to share with us in Room 205.  This year we will focus on regaling our friends and relatives with tales from our travels….

Can’t wait to hear all about it.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful time in their “Vacationland” of choice.  Bring your tales and adventures to school with you to share on the 17th.

Restfully yours,

Ms C

1). PROJECT RUNWAY – What do Harry Potter, Lady Gaga and Barrack Obama all have in common? They all graced the 5th grade with their presence at the 4th Annual Grade Five Project Runway. After our celebrity guests strutted down the runway, it was the 5th graders’ turn. In their literature circle groups, students had to design a costume for one of the characters in their books. Each group chose one student who had to model the costume on the runway. Good times were had by all! Check out the Project Runway video on this blog. You cannot hear the music, but more importantly you can hear the clapping, laughing, and cheering! Thanks to Mrs. Hughson who spent several hours editing this video.

2). SILENT AUCTION – 5NC students will be given their last opportunity to “spend” their Croyle Coupons on Wednesday, June 8th. They have been earning coupons throughout the year and just like adults they appreciate payment and recognition for all of their hard work. Special Note: I welcome any parents that would like to donate items for the auction – just ask your child for suggestions,

3). 5th GRADE TRANSITION CEREMONY – Thursday, June 10th from 10:00 to 11:00 in the PAC. – All parents are welcome to attend.

4). USED BOOK COLLECTION

SAS Community its time to dust your book shelves, Spring Clean and generously donate to the SAS International Fair USED BOOK BOOTH
We also accept gently used games, magazines, English & foreign language books
The SAS USED BOOK FAIR Is the Best Book Sale In Shanghai

Also, if you’d like to volunteer to help the International Fair Used Books
Committee,
Please contact DeniseFIroozi@gmail.com or 13901667391.
Drop the books off in the PTSA Office 119 Located in the Elementary School

Thank you in advance for your support and have a wonderful summer.
Denise Liedel Firoozi
Executive Vice President
denise.firoozi@pacgroup.com

5). FRIDAY FOLDERS and WEEKLY EVALUATIONS will not be sent home this week.

6). MIDDLE SCHOOL ORIENTATION – Be sure to ask your student about their MS orientation experience they were involved in today.

We were so impressed with the creativity of the “design” groups while constructing costumes for a character from their newly completed fantasy book study in Grade 5. The selected models showed how well they could “work-it” while parading down the runway. All the teachers joined in the action and spirit of the day by dressing up as celebrity judges. We were graced with the presence of the likes of Snow White and her seven dwarves, the White Witch from Narnia, Harry Potter, Timber Junstinlake, Angelina Jolie, Michelle and Barack Obama and Lady Gaga complete with her bodyguards.

And a good time was had by all.

Comments welcomed!

1). M.A.P. TESTING will take place on Tuesday [Math] and Thursday [Reading and Lang. Arts] for our class. Please ensure that your student has had a good night’s sleep and a proper breakfast so that he or she can perform at his or her peak for these morning testing periods. The Best News: We have been told that results for these test should be available within the week.

2).The Reading Olympics has been given an extension until Friday, May 28th – if you turn in a project between now and Friday you will be graded (a “late turn-in” will also be noted) and this will avoid your child receiving an incomplete for the project.
SPECIAL NOTE: For any project ALREADY turned in students may chose to UPGRADE and RE-SUBMIT for a possible improved grade, i.e. go from a Silver to a Gold.

3). Middle School Exploratories – Your child will receive instructions to sign-up for Exploratories in his/her Friday Folder. On Monday evening, students can login to Powerschool from home and choose their Exploratory classes for 2nd quarter. You can currently view the online catalog on Powerschool, then sign-up for the desired class by giving a 1,2,3,4,5,6 ranking or priority status to the choices given.

In the first quarter, all 6th graders are required to take the “Getting to Know your Mac” exploratory.

Sign up for exploratories is NOT on a first come first serve basis.

Students must select one course from 5 out of 6 categories (Create, Expand, Inquire, Lead & Serve, Live & Move, and Wired). They will get one of their choices.

If students do not sign up by Thursday, May 27, they will be assigned an exploratory. Please return the hard copy of the sign-up sheet by Friday, May 28 just in case their is a glitch with the online registration.

If you have any questions, please email Theron Mott in the Middle School at theron.mott@saschina.org

4). Eat in the Middle School cafeteria- On Tuesday, students in 5NC and 5LK. Students need to bring their lunch cards to pay for lunch or bring a lunch from home.

5.) Middle School orientation- On Friday from 11:00 to 3:00, all 5th graders will attend.

6). The Music Bonanza was a huge success. Orchestra students made the long trek to the Pudong campus and all 5th grade band students met on the Puxi campus. I am always so impressed by how talented our students are. Way to go 5th graders! You can view the Band Bonanza concert on the blog (see below). You will be able to view the Orchestra performance from the year end concert within the next couple of days (stay tuned!).

We are recognizing those students that are putting their blogs to good use and endeavoring to engage their classmates in meaningful discussions.

The garden we started with our grade One buddies has sprouted and we are tending to it daily. Hope runs high that we will be able to enjoy radishes before the end of the school year.

1). Literature Circles – Starting on today, all fifth grade students will participate in the final literature circle of the year. Our final genre is fantasy. Please note that students can use their literature circle novels as one of their Reading Olympics books as long as it covers one of the categories (Newberry Winner, Fantasy, Controversial, etc…) that they have not yet completed.

2). Field Day – Our wonderful PE teachers are still in need of 5th grade parent volunteers for Field Day on the afternoon of Friday, May 14. Please email Rachel Baydo at rachel.baydo@saschina.org if you are able to help out.

3). String/Band Bonanza – The annual 5th grade Puxi/Pudong music exchange will take place on Monday, May 17. Letters from the music teachers have already been sent home.

4). The ES Spring Concert is Thursday, May 20th at 9:00 am in the Performing Arts Center.

5). Middle School Transition – Students from 5NC will have the opportunity to eat in the middle/high school cafeteria on Tuesday, May 25 (they are quite excited about having a choice of what to eat!) and then all fifth graders will go for middle school orientation from 11:00 to 3:00 on Friday, May 28th.

6). Reading Olympics – I met with each student this week to chat about what they still have left to do for Reading Olympics. Some only have one or two jobs left, and others have several. Each student came up with a plan to finish all jobs and books before Friday, May 22. Please check in with your child about his/her plan to finish everything before the due date that is only two weeks away.

Virtual School continues… here are the two Discussion Blog Monarchs from last week