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= = Welcome to Miss Sanders' Bobcat Trail...  //Daily updates about class activities, homework, and school news may be found on this page. // //Don't miss "cool clicks for my bobcats!" //

Friday December 16, 2011
We made it to Winter Break! Today was a relaxing, yet productive day. We spent the morning silent reading and finishing any assignments that may have been incomplete or needed improvement. We were supposed to challenge Mr. Carroll's homeroom in a kickball game. However, the chickened out :-) so we played Mrs. Torres' class. It was a good experience. When we return from vacation, that week will be the last week before the grading period ends. The year is almost halfway over already. Hard to believe. Have a wonderful and restful vacation!

Friday December 09, 2011
=== It was a busy week this week. Most students finished all three performance matters tests today. Next week will be a normal week, except for Friday. Friday we will have a little holiday celebration at the end of the day and there will be a kickball game between our class and Mr. Carroll's homeroom. Students with three or more steps will not be allowed to play. We will be reviewing for and taking the Unit 6 Science test on Electricity next week. Also, we will be reading a story called "Beyond the Horizon" in the Reading book and will have spelling words to study as well. ===

Thursday December 01, 2011
===We wrapped up our week about The American Revolution today. Your child should be able to discuss some of the major events and people of the Revolutionary War. We will have a Reading Test tomorrow with the focus skill of drawing conclusions. We will also have a Unit 5 Science Benchmark test. To prepare for the tests tomorrow, students should study their vocabulary words for reading and their spelling words.===

__Tuesday November 17, 2011__
== I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving break. We are beginning a new Unit in Reading this week with the story __Sleds on Boston Common.__ The story is about a young boy during the American Revolution so we will also be discussing a lot of the historical setting of that time. I am beginning a new read aloud book __Number the Stars__. This book takes place during the Nazi occupation of Denmark at the same time as WWII. In Writing, we are focusing on subject-verb agreement and action verbs. In Science, we are still studying different forms of energy (especially electricity). Students need to understand that enegry changes from one form to another. ==

__Wednesday, November 16, 2011__
====We concluded Unit 2 in Reading today with a test. Tomorrow we will be watching Tuck Everlasting (the movie that goes with the book I have been reading aloud and discussing with the students). Students will analyze a character from the book and movie. In Science, we will be doing an investigation about static electricity. In Social Studies, we are finishing up our digital stories on the history of Thanksgiving. They are looking very interesting so far! Friday is an early release day (11:20). It is also club day. Progress reports were sent home today as well.====

__Tuesday, November 08, 2011 __
==Today we continued our Unit 2 Literature Week. Students are reading one of three books I selected for according to their fluency levels. We are reading and discussing these books in class, so there is no Reading homework this week (except to read independently of course). Next week will be our Unit 2 skills review concluding with the test on Thursday. In Science, we wrapped up Unit 4 and will begin learning about //force// tomorrow. In Social Studies, we are studying the different American Indian regions (one each day) to prepare for our digital story telling project next week. Friday is red, white, and blue day in celebration of Veteran's Day! Also, bring in canned goods! The class has contributed 35 cans so far :-) == = __Wednesday, November 2, 2011__ = =We had a productive day today! In Science, we wrapped up unit 5 with a lesson on the atomic theory. Students can now tell you all about protons, electrons, neutrons, molecules, and elements :-) Ask them, how all that is related to a bag of M and Ms? Tomorrow, we will have a short Reading test on the story __Black Cowboy, Wild Horses.__ We will also review vocabulary and do some more fluency practice as well as take our spelling test. The field trip to see //Puss n' Boots// is Friday. We will also have club day and the first nine weeks awards ceremony on Friday at 8:00 in the gymnasium. If your child is receiving an award, there will be a sticker on his or her report card that was passed out on Monday.=

__ Monday, October 31, 2011 __
==== Happy Halloween! This week in Reading we will be working on making inferences and reading a story in the Reading textbook called __//Black Cowboy, Wild Horses.//__ Students received Spelling lists today with the word pattern VCCV (which they should be able to explain). In Language we will be working on correct punctuation of titles, plural versus possessive nouns, and using a variety of short and long sentences when writing. The atomic theory (electrons, neutrons, protons...) will be our focus this week in Science. We will conclude our study of matter on Friday with a benchmark assessment. Also on Friday, we have the first nine weeks behavior and grades reward trip. Students who received no more than ten steps, no referrals, and no failing grades on their report card will be allowed to attend the field trip to the movies. ====

__ Thursday, October 27, 2011 __
==== Today we learned about mixtures and solutions in Science and did a demonstration about the desnities of different liquids. In Reading, we practiced listening skills with a mini detective activity as well as some practice with suffixes and reviewing vocabulary. Tomorrow, we will have Spelling and Reading tests and a quiz in Social Studies on landforms. Our fall candy exchange is tomorrow as well. ====

__ Tuesday, October 25, 2011 __
==== There's a lot of news today! This week is Spirit Week to support Red Ribbon Week. Tomorrow is Sports Team Day. Wear any shirt to support any team tomorrow. Thursday is Tie-Dye Day. Friday is Camouflage Day. Also, Friday will be club day and our fall party day. There will be a field trip to the movies on Friday November 4th for students who do not get to step 3 any time between now and then. Yearbooks are on sale this week for 20 dollars plus an extra 2 dollars for a smily face (or other face) next to your child's name. Academic awards will be on Friday, November 4th at 8AM in the gymnasium at OMS. Finally, candy grams are on sale in the cafeteria this week as a fundraiser for the school. We are starting the second nine weeks this week with a new seating arrangement, new reading logs, and renewed enthusiasm! ====

__ Tuesday, October 14, 2011 __
==== In Reading today we read about Maya Lin and did some practice identifying the main idea. We also read about quilts and the Underground Railroad and did a little art project with quilt patterns. In Science we finished lesson 1 of unit 4. The assignment was pages 177 and 178. In language, we practiced what we have learned about plural nouns and did a word sort with the Spelling words. Friday is club day! The book fair is still open. ====

__ Thursday, October 13, 2011 __
==== Oops, book fair is tomorrow. Family book fair night is tonight from 5-7. There will be pizza and soda for 1.00 per person. Tomorrow we have a spelling test and a science test. Tonight's homework was to finish your porquoi story and study for the spelling test. ==== =__Wednesday, October 12, 2011__= The book fair starts tomorrow! Students will be allowed to shop if they bring at least 3 dollars. Homework tonight: finish the quick write, read and answer "hydrologist" pgs. 157 and 158 in Science.

__ Tuesday, October 04, 2011 __
==== Today was a busy day! Students took the FAIR test during Reading. This test is designed to help teachers know exactly which Reading skills each student needs the most help with. In Science, we finished our lesson on "How do we measure weather?" Students were assigned pages 124-126 as well as their vocabulary review assignment in the interactice glossary at the back of the book. Other assignments include, Reading workbook pg. 29 and Grammar pg. 36. Tommorow is picture retake day. If your child needs to re-take the picture, he or she must bring the proof that was sent home earlier back to school tomorrow. Have a great evening :-) ====

__Monday, October 03, 2011__
==== Today was the first day of afterschool tutoring. Mr. Carroll tutored students in Math and I will be working with students in Reading tomorrow. Any student may attend, as long as we have his or her permission slip on file. We began Unit 2 in Reading. We have FAIR testing in the computer lab tomorrow (it's an assessment used to help us target specific needs in Reading). In Writing, we are working on creating strong openings and capatilizing proper nouns. In Science, we are learning about the different tools that scientists use to meather weather. Friday is spirit day and the theme is camouflage! There was no homework today (except for studying Spelling words), but there will be tomorrow. ====

__Friday, September 30, 2011__
==== We finished Unit 1 in Reading today and did an investigation in Science. We reviewed the seven continents and began learning about the major lakes of the United States. Tutoring permission slip letters were sent home. Tutoring will begin after school next week for 5th grade. Please fill out the permission form if you are interested. ====

__Thursday, September 29, 2011__
==== Some students may have work to finish from Reading Centers this morning. We have the Unit 1 Reading test tomorrow so we used centers today to review some of the skills we learned at the beginning of the Unit. In Science, we used our textbook's website to do an interactive lesson and took a quiz following that. The website is [|www.thinkcentral.com]. Students will have usernames and passwords soon to begin using this resource. ==== = =

=__Wednesday, September 28, 2011__= In Reading today we practiced our fluency and reviewed cause and effect. The Unit 1 Reading Test will be Friday. Students may prepare by reviewing the vocabulary words from weeks 1-5. The Unit 1 Spelling Test will also be on Friday. In Science, we did Lesson 2 of Unit 2 on the water cycle. Tomorrow, we will be reviewing the water cycle again with an interactive lesson using our textbook's website. There will be a quiz on Unit 1 Lesson 2 following the lesson tomorrow. Remember, picture orders are due October 6. Have a great evening! =__Monday, September 26, 2011__= This week we will be preparing for the Unit 1 Reading test on Friday. Today we reviewed vocabulary and spelling words as well as topic sentences, subjects, and predicates. In Science, we took the Unit 1 Benchmark test. I passed out order forms for pictures. If you want to order pictures, please have your student return the form with payment to me no later than October 6. Thanks, for checking the wiki! = = =__Thursday, September 22, 2011__= Tomorrow is an early release day. Students will be dismissed around 11:30. It is also club day. Fifth grade will be participating in soccer, volleyball, drama, gardening, agriculture, and student council clubs. There will also be a faculty versus the girl's volleyball team game that the students will get to watch. After that, we will take a short test on //Pipiolo and The Roof Dogs// and a short Science Benchmark test. = = =__Wedensday, Semtember 21, 2011__= It's the middle of the first nine weeks and progress reports went home today. We did centers today in Reading. In Science we did a review of the solar system and took our vocabulary quiz. Most students did very well! We also wrote about "The Best Pet" in our blogs. Remember, Friday is early release day. Students will be dismissed at 11:20. = = =__Tuesday, September 22, 2011__= Welcome, or welcome back! You have reached the wiki page for Miss Sanders' 5th grade class at Osceola Middle School. Thank you for joining :-) Today, we practiced cause and effect passages in Reading and took a short quiz afterward. We also did some fluency practice with partners to become better readers and did our silent reading, of course. There will be a Science quiz tomorrow on the following words: planet, galaxy, universe, solar system, sun, experiment, and variable. In Social Studies, we read about North America and answered a few comprehension questions. In Language, we practiced correcting run-on sentences. Tommorow, we will put this to good use in the computer lab working on our blogs again ([|www.kidblog.org]). = = =__Monday, September 20, 2011__= =Welcome to Miss Sanders' Fifth Grade Class Wiki= Thanks for checking out the wiki. I will be posting homework assignments, class news, and anything else that is good to know. In addition, you can click on the discussion tab if you have a question you would like answered or to just chat with other parents. Please remember that everyone in this class and their families will be able to view the discussion.

Today in class we learned our new vocabulary words for Reading. We read a story called __Pipiolo and The Roof Dogs__. Students completed workbook pg. 31 to go along with the story. In Science, we read Unit 2, Lesson 3 about galaxies and did pages 90-92 in the book. On a more exciting note, we went to the computer lab and began blogging at the website [|www.kidblog.org]. Check it out to see your child's writing for the day. Students were also given their spelling words for the week and they had a Math assignment from Mr. Carroll.

Any questions, feel free to post them on the discussion board. I intend to update the wiki and respond to questions every day.

-Miss Sanders