December 21st from 9:00-10:00 ~ All 5th/6th classrooms will be walking over to the City High auditorium to listen to a choir performance by City choral members.
*Students should be coming home with permission forms on Monday. Please send them back by Thursday of this week. Thank you!
CHANGE IN TIME:
December 21st from 1:00-2:00 ~ Holiday party for 5th/6th classrooms. A big thank you to the parents who are providing treats for the festivities! I really appreciate your support and the time it takes to prepare special treats for the students!
We will be rotating to each 5th/6th classroom next Tuesday for our holiday party. We will start out in our homerooms, enjoying the food and drinks, then move to game activities planned in each room.
Structures in our Neighborhood!
A shelter built by 2010-2011 Hoover 6th graders. This year, all 6th graders will go to School of the Wild the week of April 9th!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
First week of December!
As we looked out our windows this afternoon, the snowflakes fell softly outside. The small white bits were a pretty scene as we worked with our own white bits in science. Today, we did not use snow...we used salt! Students weighed salt, water and salt water in an effort to observe the properties that influence floating and sinking. Tomorrow, students will test several objects in their salt water to see if the buoyancy is affected....and how it is affected.
Students have been hard at work in science and I see many meaningful connections in our floating and sinking unit. It's evident that this unit is as inspiring as it is thought-provoking. For this reason, the end of our unit will include an opportunity for inquiry projects. For the inquiry projects, students will create experiments to test their questions, predictions and scientific thinking. I look forward to some creative ideas!
5th grade math: We are in our fifth unit, dealing with fractions. It is evident that Everyday Mathematics, the materials we use to support our curriculum has been very helpful in students' understanding of math concepts. For example, 5th graders are now just starting to work with equivalent fractions and mixed numbers. However, I have seen such confidence and prior knowledge about equivalent fractions that helps them start off on the right foot. I credit this knowledge to the exposure students receive in past grades and their wonderful Hoover teachers!
Language Arts:
Critical Literacy - Students have been focusing on texts about Mumbai, India. We have used several reading strategies as a large group to improve our understanding of the situations dealing with poverty in Mumbai. Several millions of citizens live in the 'slums' of Mumbai and students have read about the roles of the government, private companies, and citizens who live in and outside of the slum area. The past week, they have debated their positions according to their roles and brainstorms ways to problem solve. Students are reflective and their critical thinking shines through when they have these conversations with each other. I am so impressed!
New reading groups have started and students meet in the afternoon to read Maniac Magee and Tuck Everlasting as well as other short stories and texts. During their meetings, students use their RRJ (Reader's Response Journal) to write a challenged response. They additionally have prompts to aid them in their discussions. I also meet with groups to work on grammar skills and individualized goals for reading.
Have a great...and snowy week!
Go Hoover Hawks!
Ms. Dobyns
Students have been hard at work in science and I see many meaningful connections in our floating and sinking unit. It's evident that this unit is as inspiring as it is thought-provoking. For this reason, the end of our unit will include an opportunity for inquiry projects. For the inquiry projects, students will create experiments to test their questions, predictions and scientific thinking. I look forward to some creative ideas!
5th grade math: We are in our fifth unit, dealing with fractions. It is evident that Everyday Mathematics, the materials we use to support our curriculum has been very helpful in students' understanding of math concepts. For example, 5th graders are now just starting to work with equivalent fractions and mixed numbers. However, I have seen such confidence and prior knowledge about equivalent fractions that helps them start off on the right foot. I credit this knowledge to the exposure students receive in past grades and their wonderful Hoover teachers!
Language Arts:
Critical Literacy - Students have been focusing on texts about Mumbai, India. We have used several reading strategies as a large group to improve our understanding of the situations dealing with poverty in Mumbai. Several millions of citizens live in the 'slums' of Mumbai and students have read about the roles of the government, private companies, and citizens who live in and outside of the slum area. The past week, they have debated their positions according to their roles and brainstorms ways to problem solve. Students are reflective and their critical thinking shines through when they have these conversations with each other. I am so impressed!
New reading groups have started and students meet in the afternoon to read Maniac Magee and Tuck Everlasting as well as other short stories and texts. During their meetings, students use their RRJ (Reader's Response Journal) to write a challenged response. They additionally have prompts to aid them in their discussions. I also meet with groups to work on grammar skills and individualized goals for reading.
Have a great...and snowy week!
Go Hoover Hawks!
Ms. Dobyns
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Week of November 15th ~ Updates
Greetings Hoover families!
We are enjoying our last full week of school before our Thanksgiving break. One big source of excitement is our new SMART board in our classroom! This interactive board is now located in the front of the room (now, the south wall), and has erased the need for our chalkboard... pun intended :) The computer screen is projected onto the large white board. Using several 'marker' tools, we can manipulate the screen as if we were using a mouse or a marker or eraser. We have the capabilities to maximize, minimize, highlight and write with the SMART board tools.
The SMART board also allows me to use interesting and interactive lessons with the students. Today, for example, we looked at the geography of South America, identified countries and landforms. We specifically focused on the Amazon River and viewed a short video of the life of a girl who lives along the river in Peru. The students then were able to come up to the board to answer questions and identify locations.
MATH - 5th graders have their unit 4 assessment this Friday! The test covers division with decimals, the partial quotients method of solving division problems, story problems and remainders and variables. Tomorrow, I will assign the unit 4 review for them to complete and discuss on Thursday. We will review, re-teach some difficult concepts and I will prepare them for the test on Friday.
SCIENCE - Our floating and sinking unit continues. Students have been observing several variables that influence if an object floats or sinks. They have focused on weight, shape and now, the size of materials. Students have been observing the upward acting force that opposes an object's weight. They have discussed this resistance that they have felt as they push down on their foil boats into the tubs full of water. We will delve into this concept further and discuss buoyancy as it relates to our investigations this unit.
WRITING - Students did such an excellent job producing quality finished products for their biographies. Now, their energy is directed towards their speeches. Students are constructing informational speeches to present to our class this upcoming Monday and Tuesday. These speeches will be topics that students have a strong interest in. Today, they worked on their outlines and collaborated to add meaningful details to the body of their speech. I am looking forward to seeing the speeches come to fruition.
READING - Lit groups continue in the new groupings. Students continue to read books centered around the them, "One Land, Many Trails." As they read, I meet with each group once a week and the other groups work together to use their reading strategies in discussions. The students also have a packet of vocabulary terms and questions to fill out along the way.
Students also have been reading their independent books and I encourage them to read 30 minutes outside of school every day!
LITERACY LIVING TIME is at the end of each day during our Language Arts period. I value this time, as it gives students the opportunity to assess their learning and choose a task for themselves. Options during this time include:
-Reading and Responding in their RRJ (Reader's Response Journals)
-Reading a News Article and responding in their RRJS.
-Writing - working on projects and creative writing
-Spelling/Grammar - Yellow practice book pages
-Spanish - Using their "carpeta" to review on their own or in pairs.
SMART board time (4 students each day are able to use the SMART board for activities and to familiarize themselves with the new tools it offers.)
Notes from Mrs. Whittington:
6th Grade Math: We are continuing our study of fractions, now turning to how to divide and multiply fractions and mixed numbers. We will be converting fractions to percents soon. Students are just doing fantastic in math. I often kid them and ask rhetorically why I bother to show up to teach them, they are so smart! It has been fun working with this group. That is for sure!
Social Studies: We are now looking at the early colonies to study their strengths and look at the ways they helped make England a richer nation. Knowing how valuable the colonies were will give us a greater appreciation for why the British did not want to lose them in the Revolutionary War. It will also give us some insight into the reasons some colonies were more loyal to the British and why some were ready to break away. The unfolding story of our nation's founding is a great one!
We are enjoying our last full week of school before our Thanksgiving break. One big source of excitement is our new SMART board in our classroom! This interactive board is now located in the front of the room (now, the south wall), and has erased the need for our chalkboard... pun intended :) The computer screen is projected onto the large white board. Using several 'marker' tools, we can manipulate the screen as if we were using a mouse or a marker or eraser. We have the capabilities to maximize, minimize, highlight and write with the SMART board tools.
The SMART board also allows me to use interesting and interactive lessons with the students. Today, for example, we looked at the geography of South America, identified countries and landforms. We specifically focused on the Amazon River and viewed a short video of the life of a girl who lives along the river in Peru. The students then were able to come up to the board to answer questions and identify locations.
What else is new in our room?
SCIENCE - Our floating and sinking unit continues. Students have been observing several variables that influence if an object floats or sinks. They have focused on weight, shape and now, the size of materials. Students have been observing the upward acting force that opposes an object's weight. They have discussed this resistance that they have felt as they push down on their foil boats into the tubs full of water. We will delve into this concept further and discuss buoyancy as it relates to our investigations this unit.
WRITING - Students did such an excellent job producing quality finished products for their biographies. Now, their energy is directed towards their speeches. Students are constructing informational speeches to present to our class this upcoming Monday and Tuesday. These speeches will be topics that students have a strong interest in. Today, they worked on their outlines and collaborated to add meaningful details to the body of their speech. I am looking forward to seeing the speeches come to fruition.
READING - Lit groups continue in the new groupings. Students continue to read books centered around the them, "One Land, Many Trails." As they read, I meet with each group once a week and the other groups work together to use their reading strategies in discussions. The students also have a packet of vocabulary terms and questions to fill out along the way.
Students also have been reading their independent books and I encourage them to read 30 minutes outside of school every day!
LITERACY LIVING TIME is at the end of each day during our Language Arts period. I value this time, as it gives students the opportunity to assess their learning and choose a task for themselves. Options during this time include:
-Reading and Responding in their RRJ (Reader's Response Journals)
-Reading a News Article and responding in their RRJS.
-Writing - working on projects and creative writing
-Spelling/Grammar - Yellow practice book pages
-Spanish - Using their "carpeta" to review on their own or in pairs.
SMART board time (4 students each day are able to use the SMART board for activities and to familiarize themselves with the new tools it offers.)
Conferences
I have enjoyed the time spent with parents these past weeks as we connect over students' learning. It is a joy to share the growth and learning I see happen each day with each student and a time that I value very much. The last day of conferences is this Thursday.
Notes from Mrs. Whittington:
6th Grade Math: We are continuing our study of fractions, now turning to how to divide and multiply fractions and mixed numbers. We will be converting fractions to percents soon. Students are just doing fantastic in math. I often kid them and ask rhetorically why I bother to show up to teach them, they are so smart! It has been fun working with this group. That is for sure!
Social Studies: We are now looking at the early colonies to study their strengths and look at the ways they helped make England a richer nation. Knowing how valuable the colonies were will give us a greater appreciation for why the British did not want to lose them in the Revolutionary War. It will also give us some insight into the reasons some colonies were more loyal to the British and why some were ready to break away. The unfolding story of our nation's founding is a great one!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
November 11th -Weekly Update
I apologize for some strange formatting issues below...this is a copy from our news letter sent home.
~News Flash~
November 11, 2010
Weekly Re-cap by Amber Wells and Ashley Kuennen
5th grade math
In 5th grade math, we are dividing decimals and estimating. We are working on using the partial quotients method.
6th grade math
In 6th grade math, we are multiplying fractions and dividing fractions. Also, we are working with improper fractions and partial products
Social Studies
We are learning about the New England colony, middle colony and Southern colony. We are making posters for the colonies.
Science
We are building clay boats and we’re testing them to see if they float or sink. We put marbles in them and observed how many marbles it takes until they sink.
Greetings Hoover families!
This past week has been short, but it has certainly been a week full of meaningful learning!
On Tuesday, all 5th and 6th graders went to Van Allen to watch a Hancher performance, “The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh.” Jamie, the main character struggles with understanding her differences. As she invites the audience into her life, she shows her confusion with the fact that others don’t understand why she acts the way she does. The play addressed issues of personal differences, the process of figuring out solutions to problems, treating others with respect and understanding that everyone has a lot going on in their lives. The students did an excellent job as audience members and really enjoyed the production.
In Science, students have been inquiring further about the different variables that affect if an object floats/sinks. Students are enthusiastic! I have seen some wonderful connections and reflections as students experiment and record their findings in their science journals.
In Language Arts, students have been grouped into new reading groups as they read books that align with our “One Land, Many Trails” theme for our anthology curriculum. Also, students finished their presentations of their inquiry projects this week. I am so impressed with the enthusiasm and motivation with their projects. Students produced clear, organized and interesting content that they shared with the class. Way to go 5th and 6th graders!
In the next week, I am anticipating the installation of our own classroom Smart Board. This interactive board will allow content from computers to be manipulated by student hands on a white board in the front of our classroom. It is an engaging tool for our classroom and I plan on using it often with our learning.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Go Hoover Hawks!
~Ms. Dobyns
~News Flash~
November 11, 2010
Weekly Re-cap by Amber Wells and Ashley Kuennen
5th grade math
In 5th grade math, we are dividing decimals and estimating. We are working on using the partial quotients method.
6th grade math
In 6th grade math, we are multiplying fractions and dividing fractions. Also, we are working with improper fractions and partial products
Social Studies
We are learning about the New England colony, middle colony and Southern colony. We are making posters for the colonies.
Science
We are building clay boats and we’re testing them to see if they float or sink. We put marbles in them and observed how many marbles it takes until they sink.
Greetings Hoover families!
This past week has been short, but it has certainly been a week full of meaningful learning!
On Tuesday, all 5th and 6th graders went to Van Allen to watch a Hancher performance, “The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh.” Jamie, the main character struggles with understanding her differences. As she invites the audience into her life, she shows her confusion with the fact that others don’t understand why she acts the way she does. The play addressed issues of personal differences, the process of figuring out solutions to problems, treating others with respect and understanding that everyone has a lot going on in their lives. The students did an excellent job as audience members and really enjoyed the production.
In Science, students have been inquiring further about the different variables that affect if an object floats/sinks. Students are enthusiastic! I have seen some wonderful connections and reflections as students experiment and record their findings in their science journals.
In Language Arts, students have been grouped into new reading groups as they read books that align with our “One Land, Many Trails” theme for our anthology curriculum. Also, students finished their presentations of their inquiry projects this week. I am so impressed with the enthusiasm and motivation with their projects. Students produced clear, organized and interesting content that they shared with the class. Way to go 5th and 6th graders!
In the next week, I am anticipating the installation of our own classroom Smart Board. This interactive board will allow content from computers to be manipulated by student hands on a white board in the front of our classroom. It is an engaging tool for our classroom and I plan on using it often with our learning.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Go Hoover Hawks!
~Ms. Dobyns
Friday, October 29, 2010
Weekly Re-Cap ~ October 29, 2010
What a week! It was a week full of editing and revising writing pieces, celebrations with peers and new relationships. Here's a peek at what happened in room 12 this week:
-Reading Buddies! Mrs. Wegman's first graders joined us Thursday afternoon to start our year of regular Thursday meetings. During this time, first graders were paired with fifth and sixth graders. They introduced themselves, got to know a bit more about each other and started reading books together. I was so impressed with the level of care, respect and encouragement that our fifth and sixth graders gave to the younger students. It is a wonderful opportunity to be role models not only as respectful students, but as good readers!
In Language Arts, students have proofread, edited and revised their biographies. We have discussed how writing is an interactive process. The interactions are plentiful...between fellow writers and with the resources students gain knowledge and information from. The writers have conference buddy A and buddy B that they go to for sharing, idea brainstorming and editing.
Students have also continued learning more Spanish, including phrases to describe the seasons and weather changes. With the cold weather this week, we have had good conversations about weather descriptions in Spanish. I notice many students using their conversational phrases often during the day. I encourage them to use these as much as possible at home and with friends and family members.
Students continue to have challenge words each week and opportunities to expand their vocabulary. They also have continued in lit circles using strategies from our literacy "CAFE."
In math, fifth graders took their unit 3 test today. I will spend the beginning of next week re-teaching and offering support to students in areas of geometry and providing extensions for those that are confident in their understanding of angle measurements and polygon properties. Then, we will begin Unit 4!
NEW science unit! We began our unit on floating and sinking. Students began selecting objects to test today in their water bins. Predictions were made and reflections on surprising and interesting events were recorded. What wonderful conversations I saw today in the small groups. Students noticed that oversimplifications about objects floating (for example, "it's light so it floats) don't cover the many reasons why objects float or sink. They discussed ideas for why they do float such as mass, density, weight, materials, shape, size, etc. Students will continue this science unit, recording data and reflections daily in their journals.
THANK YOU parents for contributions to our Halloween festivities this Friday! It was a wonderful time to celebrate with each other. The treats and materials were generous contributions to our fun afternoon.
Have a great weekend.
Go Hoover Hawks!
~Ms. Dobyns
-Reading Buddies! Mrs. Wegman's first graders joined us Thursday afternoon to start our year of regular Thursday meetings. During this time, first graders were paired with fifth and sixth graders. They introduced themselves, got to know a bit more about each other and started reading books together. I was so impressed with the level of care, respect and encouragement that our fifth and sixth graders gave to the younger students. It is a wonderful opportunity to be role models not only as respectful students, but as good readers!
In Language Arts, students have proofread, edited and revised their biographies. We have discussed how writing is an interactive process. The interactions are plentiful...between fellow writers and with the resources students gain knowledge and information from. The writers have conference buddy A and buddy B that they go to for sharing, idea brainstorming and editing.
Students have also continued learning more Spanish, including phrases to describe the seasons and weather changes. With the cold weather this week, we have had good conversations about weather descriptions in Spanish. I notice many students using their conversational phrases often during the day. I encourage them to use these as much as possible at home and with friends and family members.
Students continue to have challenge words each week and opportunities to expand their vocabulary. They also have continued in lit circles using strategies from our literacy "CAFE."
In math, fifth graders took their unit 3 test today. I will spend the beginning of next week re-teaching and offering support to students in areas of geometry and providing extensions for those that are confident in their understanding of angle measurements and polygon properties. Then, we will begin Unit 4!
NEW science unit! We began our unit on floating and sinking. Students began selecting objects to test today in their water bins. Predictions were made and reflections on surprising and interesting events were recorded. What wonderful conversations I saw today in the small groups. Students noticed that oversimplifications about objects floating (for example, "it's light so it floats) don't cover the many reasons why objects float or sink. They discussed ideas for why they do float such as mass, density, weight, materials, shape, size, etc. Students will continue this science unit, recording data and reflections daily in their journals.
THANK YOU parents for contributions to our Halloween festivities this Friday! It was a wonderful time to celebrate with each other. The treats and materials were generous contributions to our fun afternoon.
Have a great weekend.
Go Hoover Hawks!
~Ms. Dobyns
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Educational Trip - November 9th!
All 5th/6th classes will be taking an educational trip to Van Allen Elementary on Tuesday, November 9. We will be leaving the school at 8:30AM and returning at approximately 10:30AM. We will be attending the performance of The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh, a Hancher production.
We ask that all students come to Hoover slightly early on this date in order to arrive at the performance on time. Please have your child to Hoover by 8:20.
Each student will be coming home today (October 28) with a notice of the trip. If you give consent for your child to participate, please return the bottom portion of the notice as soon as possible.
Thank you!
We ask that all students come to Hoover slightly early on this date in order to arrive at the performance on time. Please have your child to Hoover by 8:20.
Each student will be coming home today (October 28) with a notice of the trip. If you give consent for your child to participate, please return the bottom portion of the notice as soon as possible.
Thank you!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
October 24th ~ Weekly re-cap and a taste of what's to come..
Life skills- This week began with lessons about marijuana myths and realities. Students were taught information and common misconceptions about marijuana. We discussed the immediate and long-term effects of marijuana on the body and the legal status of marijuana. Students reflected on and listed reasons why they will choose not to smoke marijuana.
For the remainder of the week, we focused on advertising. We discussed the purpose of advertising and common advertising techniques. Students analyzed cigarette and alcohol advertisements and discussed alternative ways of responding to cigarette and alcohol ads.
This Monday, students will present ads in groups that demonstrate common techniques used by advertisers to target specific groups. This will lead us to discuss violence in the media and our choices in analyzing distorted images. Then, we will move on to our lessons about coping with anxiety and anger and focusing on social skills.
5th grade math: Students have reviewed angle measurement and have compared and contrasted different properties of polygons. This Monday, we will go over their homework from study link 3-9 and continue investigating the properties of different polygons. They will classify, compare and discuss their findings. By Tuesday we will have finished the unit and I will assign a unit review on Wednesday. This review is the same format as the test. The unit test will be given this Friday, October 29th in the morning.
I have been very impressed with the focus and inquisitive discussions we have had during this geometry unit. Students have found many real world connections and have done an excellent job of communicating their understanding and confusion so that we can focus in on areas to review for each individual student!
Language Arts - Students continue to add to their literacy bins and have included new books about people of interest. They will compose their own biographies on their selected individual and we will review proofreading techniques. We will also focus more on writing techniques in biographies such as anecdotes, chronological events, summarizing, and voice.
Students spent the last week with several homework assignments that mirror the lessons we have had in class with writing. These include riddle poems (as we discussed J.R.R. Tolkien's famous riddle poetry!), personal responses that connect to life events and spelling ownership. We finished our week of reading about James Forten, a character in the texts we read about the Revolutionary War. Students focused on questioning strategies as they discussed in a "fishbowl" setting. This "fishbowl" discussion technique, where 4 students converse in the middle and students in the outskirts 'tap in' and 'tap out' was extremely successful this past week. I was so impressed with students' abilities to be risk-takers and share their opinions, ideas and questions with their peers. This is an extremely wonderful way to demonstrate their learning to their peers and give others a new perspective to view texts.
Lit circles will continue as well as Spanish lessons on vocabulary and conversational phrases.
This week, you can expect to see your child bring home work on their biographies, reading books, and inquiry projects. Inquiry projects are due November 2nd. The week of the 2nd, students will present their learning in the form of PowerPoint presentations, computer animation video clips, posters, demonstrations, graphs, charts and models. Students have been working hard on these inquiries and I see meaningful connections to literacy and a wide array of disciplines in each project.
Updates from Mrs. Whittington:
Social Studies: We continue to look at power and authority, studying the benefits and consequences of allowing an authority to take power. We're closing the week with a look at how we select people to hold positions of authority in life and our governments.
6th grade: Math: We're finishing up this unit and I expect we'll be ready for the unit test on Tuesday or Wednesday. I will also be giving assessments of basic math facts. We've done addition already and will go through subtraction, multiplication and division in the next two weeks.
Halloween: Information from Mrs. Kehoe:
Downstairs classrooms will start the parade at around 1:30 with each new class joining in at the end of the line. Those 3 classes will head upstairs and walk down the dinosaur hallway. This hallway should be lined with Lisa's, Rachel's and Nora's classes. Again, each class should join in at the end of the line. Now those 6 classes will continue down the 2nd grade wing and those classes should be in the hallway and should join in as the line goes by! As Sara gets to the gym door, she will enter and parade around the gym for parents and out the door where we enter for lunch. The line should turn right down the intermediate and upper hallway and the same procedure should be followed. All kids in the hallway watching and should join in at the end of the line. Sara should go out the back door by Lori's room and around to the door by the media center and then through the media center. When the parade finishes in the media center you can return to your classrooms. Parents in grades K-2 can view the parade from the gym. Parents in grades 3-6 can view from the back blacktop or the media center. They may also join you in the hallways! If they have multiple children they may think the blacktop or media center is best because everyone will walk by there! Hopefully this cuts down on the congestion and keeps things moving. Please try to keep the line moving!! Pictures can happen in your rooms. Parties will happen after that!
For the remainder of the week, we focused on advertising. We discussed the purpose of advertising and common advertising techniques. Students analyzed cigarette and alcohol advertisements and discussed alternative ways of responding to cigarette and alcohol ads.
This Monday, students will present ads in groups that demonstrate common techniques used by advertisers to target specific groups. This will lead us to discuss violence in the media and our choices in analyzing distorted images. Then, we will move on to our lessons about coping with anxiety and anger and focusing on social skills.
5th grade math: Students have reviewed angle measurement and have compared and contrasted different properties of polygons. This Monday, we will go over their homework from study link 3-9 and continue investigating the properties of different polygons. They will classify, compare and discuss their findings. By Tuesday we will have finished the unit and I will assign a unit review on Wednesday. This review is the same format as the test. The unit test will be given this Friday, October 29th in the morning.
I have been very impressed with the focus and inquisitive discussions we have had during this geometry unit. Students have found many real world connections and have done an excellent job of communicating their understanding and confusion so that we can focus in on areas to review for each individual student!
Language Arts - Students continue to add to their literacy bins and have included new books about people of interest. They will compose their own biographies on their selected individual and we will review proofreading techniques. We will also focus more on writing techniques in biographies such as anecdotes, chronological events, summarizing, and voice.
Students spent the last week with several homework assignments that mirror the lessons we have had in class with writing. These include riddle poems (as we discussed J.R.R. Tolkien's famous riddle poetry!), personal responses that connect to life events and spelling ownership. We finished our week of reading about James Forten, a character in the texts we read about the Revolutionary War. Students focused on questioning strategies as they discussed in a "fishbowl" setting. This "fishbowl" discussion technique, where 4 students converse in the middle and students in the outskirts 'tap in' and 'tap out' was extremely successful this past week. I was so impressed with students' abilities to be risk-takers and share their opinions, ideas and questions with their peers. This is an extremely wonderful way to demonstrate their learning to their peers and give others a new perspective to view texts.
Lit circles will continue as well as Spanish lessons on vocabulary and conversational phrases.
This week, you can expect to see your child bring home work on their biographies, reading books, and inquiry projects. Inquiry projects are due November 2nd. The week of the 2nd, students will present their learning in the form of PowerPoint presentations, computer animation video clips, posters, demonstrations, graphs, charts and models. Students have been working hard on these inquiries and I see meaningful connections to literacy and a wide array of disciplines in each project.
Updates from Mrs. Whittington:
Social Studies: We continue to look at power and authority, studying the benefits and consequences of allowing an authority to take power. We're closing the week with a look at how we select people to hold positions of authority in life and our governments.
6th grade: Math: We're finishing up this unit and I expect we'll be ready for the unit test on Tuesday or Wednesday. I will also be giving assessments of basic math facts. We've done addition already and will go through subtraction, multiplication and division in the next two weeks.
Halloween: Information from Mrs. Kehoe:
Downstairs classrooms will start the parade at around 1:30 with each new class joining in at the end of the line. Those 3 classes will head upstairs and walk down the dinosaur hallway. This hallway should be lined with Lisa's, Rachel's and Nora's classes. Again, each class should join in at the end of the line. Now those 6 classes will continue down the 2nd grade wing and those classes should be in the hallway and should join in as the line goes by! As Sara gets to the gym door, she will enter and parade around the gym for parents and out the door where we enter for lunch. The line should turn right down the intermediate and upper hallway and the same procedure should be followed. All kids in the hallway watching and should join in at the end of the line. Sara should go out the back door by Lori's room and around to the door by the media center and then through the media center. When the parade finishes in the media center you can return to your classrooms. Parents in grades K-2 can view the parade from the gym. Parents in grades 3-6 can view from the back blacktop or the media center. They may also join you in the hallways! If they have multiple children they may think the blacktop or media center is best because everyone will walk by there! Hopefully this cuts down on the congestion and keeps things moving. Please try to keep the line moving!! Pictures can happen in your rooms. Parties will happen after that!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Weekly Re-Cap
Greetings Hoover families!
The students have been very focused each morning this week on ITBS testing. Our afternoons included math, life skills, language arts, and specials classes.
In Life skills, we have learned about the effects alcohol has on the body. We have also reflected on our "natural highs" and talked about the many moments and parts of our lives that provide happiness.
Next week, we will be having an advertising lesson. To make this lesson the best it can be, I am asking for your help! If you find cigarette or alcohol ads, please send them in with your student so that we can have a wide variety of advertisements to analyze. We will discuss techniques that advertisers use to attract consumers to their products, and choices that students can make to clarify and consider what is presented to them.
In the afternoons, we have had limited opportunities to squeeze in language arts. Here's a look at what we've been doing:
-meeting in lit group circles. As students read their chosen book, they have focused on certain reading strategies and skills. We connect these strategies to our CAFE chart (Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, Expanding Vocabulary) in our reader's response journals.
-Creative writing using analogies, similes and onomatopoeic words to enhance their poetry, narratives and fictional stories.
-studying new Spanish phrases. These phrases are common phrases used daily in the classroom, such as "May I have your attention, please," "Write your homework down," "Take out a pencil and your planner," etc. Students also continue to review vocabulary using songs and mnemonic devices.
-Inquiry project planning - students continue to plan, revise and edit plans to present their information on November 2nd. Some groups are beginning to put together excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint Presentations, posters, displays and video clips. I am impressed with the creativity and level of interest in these projects.
Thank you to parents who provided ITBS treats this week! Students were very grateful for a break with some tasty treats!
Have a wonderful weekend!
~Ms. Dobyns
The students have been very focused each morning this week on ITBS testing. Our afternoons included math, life skills, language arts, and specials classes.
In Life skills, we have learned about the effects alcohol has on the body. We have also reflected on our "natural highs" and talked about the many moments and parts of our lives that provide happiness.
Next week, we will be having an advertising lesson. To make this lesson the best it can be, I am asking for your help! If you find cigarette or alcohol ads, please send them in with your student so that we can have a wide variety of advertisements to analyze. We will discuss techniques that advertisers use to attract consumers to their products, and choices that students can make to clarify and consider what is presented to them.
In the afternoons, we have had limited opportunities to squeeze in language arts. Here's a look at what we've been doing:
-meeting in lit group circles. As students read their chosen book, they have focused on certain reading strategies and skills. We connect these strategies to our CAFE chart (Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, Expanding Vocabulary) in our reader's response journals.
-Creative writing using analogies, similes and onomatopoeic words to enhance their poetry, narratives and fictional stories.
-studying new Spanish phrases. These phrases are common phrases used daily in the classroom, such as "May I have your attention, please," "Write your homework down," "Take out a pencil and your planner," etc. Students also continue to review vocabulary using songs and mnemonic devices.
-Inquiry project planning - students continue to plan, revise and edit plans to present their information on November 2nd. Some groups are beginning to put together excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint Presentations, posters, displays and video clips. I am impressed with the creativity and level of interest in these projects.
Thank you to parents who provided ITBS treats this week! Students were very grateful for a break with some tasty treats!
Have a wonderful weekend!
~Ms. Dobyns
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Orchestra Parents Meeting
A message from Ms. Keettel~
We are having a meeting of all Eastside Advanced Orchestra parents after next Tuesday’s orchestra rehearsal at 4:45 PM at City High School. (10/19/10) We will meet for about 10 minutes in the 3rd floor band room while your children remain with Mrs. Gentzsch in the orchestra rehearsal room on the 2nd floor. Please bring your datebooks with you. I will stay after the meeting and chat with individuals.
Thank you so much -
Mrs. Keettel
keettel.tascha@iccsd.k12.ia.us
We are having a meeting of all Eastside Advanced Orchestra parents after next Tuesday’s orchestra rehearsal at 4:45 PM at City High School. (10/19/10) We will meet for about 10 minutes in the 3rd floor band room while your children remain with Mrs. Gentzsch in the orchestra rehearsal room on the 2nd floor. Please bring your datebooks with you. I will stay after the meeting and chat with individuals.
Thank you so much -
Mrs. Keettel
keettel.tascha@iccsd.k12.ia.us
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Conference sign-up reminders
Fall Conference dates are: November 11th, November 12th and November 18th.
If you have already signed up for conferences, I sent a confirmation copy home Tuesday. If this is a time that works for you, please return it to school. If another time is more convenient, I'd be happy to make changes.
I've also sent home some dates and times that are still available for conferences. Once you find a time that works for you, you can send that sheet back to school. I will then send a confirmation note home about the conference date.
Thank you!
~Ms. Dobyns
If you have already signed up for conferences, I sent a confirmation copy home Tuesday. If this is a time that works for you, please return it to school. If another time is more convenient, I'd be happy to make changes.
I've also sent home some dates and times that are still available for conferences. Once you find a time that works for you, you can send that sheet back to school. I will then send a confirmation note home about the conference date.
Thank you!
~Ms. Dobyns
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
8th Annual FREE Coe Playground of Science -Wednesday Oct. 27th
Kids and parents are invited to the "Playground of Science" night at Coe College. The Coe College Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Nursing, Psychology, Math, Computer Science and ROTC Clubs will lead the fun in Peterson Hall on October 27th from 6:00-9:00 in the evening.
There will be interactive demos that teach kids of all ages about the natural world around them. They will levitate things, launch pumpkins on their trebuchet, make dragon's breath flames, play with numbers, see models of eyes and hearts, make ice cream with liquid air and much more!
There will also be door prizes upon arrival.
All ages are welcome!
RSVP: Prof. Steve Feller, Physics Department, sfeller@coe.edu, 319-399-8633
Peterson Hall, Coe College, 1220 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids 52402
http://www.public.coe.edu/departments/Physics/
Peterson Hall is on College Rd. NE (13th St.) opposite the Clark Alumni House. Parking available and signs will guide you.
Friday, October 8, 2010
What your student will be working on this weekend...
Homework due Monday October 8th:
5th grade math: Study link 3-4. They may use a Student Reference book or the protractor that already is on the worksheet.
6th grade math: pg. 95 and 96 in their student journal
Reading - Read 30 min. daily. You may read any genre of book, or any text source.
Writing - List 10 new creative analogies or similes. Write a creative story or narrative at least one page long, using 5 analogies.
Life Skills - Share your personal reasons for not smoking, with a parent.
5th grade math: Study link 3-4. They may use a Student Reference book or the protractor that already is on the worksheet.
6th grade math: pg. 95 and 96 in their student journal
Reading - Read 30 min. daily. You may read any genre of book, or any text source.
Writing - List 10 new creative analogies or similes. Write a creative story or narrative at least one page long, using 5 analogies.
Life Skills - Share your personal reasons for not smoking, with a parent.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
October 8th -Updates!
October 8th -Updates in our classroom
TESTING...TESTING...1...2...3...
Yesterday, students took the District Writing Assessment. This week, the district has also been administering a reading test called DIBELS. Students have been pulled from class and given approximately 10 minutes or less, to take the test.
Next week, ITBS tests begin. I will be sending home a schedule on Friday. Thank you to Hoover families for all of the help that goes into preparing snacks for the test days!
Language Arts: This week, we began exploring some reading skills and strategies that fit in our CAFE literacy theme. CAFE is an acronym that stands for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expanding Vocabulary. We focused on the comprehension strategy of evaluating, as we used Houghton-Mifflon texts on the Revolutionary War figures, as resources. We additionally have delved into how VOICE is an important element in our writing. Students have had several opportunities to gain awareness of their own voice in their writing and to discover strategies to enhance their creative writing. Students should be coming home with writing assignments twice a week, typically. Every night, students are expected to read texts for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Language Arts: This week, we began exploring some reading skills and strategies that fit in our CAFE literacy theme. CAFE is an acronym that stands for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expanding Vocabulary. We focused on the comprehension strategy of evaluating, as we used Houghton-Mifflon texts on the Revolutionary War figures, as resources. We additionally have delved into how VOICE is an important element in our writing. Students have had several opportunities to gain awareness of their own voice in their writing and to discover strategies to enhance their creative writing. Students should be coming home with writing assignments twice a week, typically. Every night, students are expected to read texts for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Students continue to take ownership for their own spelling. I encourage misspellings in our classroom! I would rather have students use words that fit their purpose rather than refrain from using words for fear of a mistake. For this reason, I offer ways to identify errors, recognize patterns in mispellings, find strategies to correct the spelling. We learned two new ways this week and will continue new strategies this upcoming week. I encourage risk taking and misspellings can be the result of an effort to expand vocabulary and use words that are not as familiar from experiences.
Students have been picking up a great deal of new Spanish phrases! We began a new week of conversational phrases, learned a song to help with identifying body parts in Spanish, and focused on using mnemonic devices. I encourage students to use these at home and at school as often as possible!
Science / Health: We began our Life Skills unit this week. We began our unit by setting ground rules for our class, addressing issues and ideas of self-image and decision-making. Students reflected on life experiences that have shaped them, and the choices they face on a daily basis. We learned about ways to clarify, consider alternatives and make choices that consider consequences. We are now leaning about cigarette smoking and bio-feedback. Students have gained a better understanding of the short-term and long-term effects of smoking and have reflected on personal reasons for not smoking.
Social Studies (Mrs. Whittington): We are exploring with the North American European explorers. We are learning the way men such as Christopher Columbus, Ponce DeLeon, and Robert De LaSalle had an impact on the settlement of the New World and the cultures of the native people who inhabited the lands they claimed for the Kings and Queens of Europe.
Social Studies (Mrs. Whittington): We are exploring with the North American European explorers. We are learning the way men such as Christopher Columbus, Ponce DeLeon, and Robert De LaSalle had an impact on the settlement of the New World and the cultures of the native people who inhabited the lands they claimed for the Kings and Queens of Europe.
5th Grade Math: As we begin our unit on geometry, students are learning to identify ways to measure angles using familiar shapes. We will continue to gain a solid understanding of using protractors, compasses, and other tools to classify, measure and recognize angles and shapes. Students also have been using U.S. census data to gain a better understanding of using charts to classify data. This is part of the "American Tour" component of Unit 3. Students should have brought home a family letter for the beginning of the unit as well as a study link homework key.
6th Grade Math (Mrs. Whittington): Having finished our unit on operations with whole numbers and decimals, we started this week on variables formulas and graphs. Your child should have brought home the parent letter explaining the unit, giving key vocabulary and the answer key for homework assignments. Again, if your child is having a hard time with a problem, please alert me by circling it in red so I can spend some extra time with your student.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Weekly update!
The week has gotten off to a great start! Every student has been working well together and I am proud of their efforts across all subject areas. The class has earned three team tickets for working so cooperatively in groups. Keep up the solid effort!
The past two days, students have been finishing up there reading in science about aerial photography, photogrammetrists and national parks. Tomorrow, they will present their advertisement plays to sell an adventure to the national park of their choice. The science reviews will be given tomorrow, so that students have Thursday to review challenge areas and feel confident heading into the test on Friday.
Fifth and sixth graders have additionally turned in their persuasive essays and before we begin our new unit on the Revolutionary War in our reading and writing curriculum, we are delving into poetry! They have welcomed the vast array of poetry at their fingertips and have created their own free verse and rhyming poems.
5th grade math update: Students will receive a math review tomorrow that we will start in class.
Inquiry projects are underway and the planning continues. The final projects will be presented on November 2nd. Today in class, students filled out an update worksheet and planning timeline to stay on track for their inquiries. I am excited to see all of the wonderful ideas and questions that have arisen from these opportunities!
Lit Circles continue this week and students have been meeting in their discussion groups. Today, they did an excellent job of reviewing expectations for leading discussions and contributing their connections, inferences, predictions and reflections.
***Note: Spanish "frases" test will be given on Friday. Students will be tested on the first three weeks of Spanish conversational phrases in pairs. Students can study these every day during their "Literacy Living" time at the end of the afternoon.
Have a great day!
~Ms. Dobyns
The past two days, students have been finishing up there reading in science about aerial photography, photogrammetrists and national parks. Tomorrow, they will present their advertisement plays to sell an adventure to the national park of their choice. The science reviews will be given tomorrow, so that students have Thursday to review challenge areas and feel confident heading into the test on Friday.
Fifth and sixth graders have additionally turned in their persuasive essays and before we begin our new unit on the Revolutionary War in our reading and writing curriculum, we are delving into poetry! They have welcomed the vast array of poetry at their fingertips and have created their own free verse and rhyming poems.
5th grade math update: Students will receive a math review tomorrow that we will start in class.
Inquiry projects are underway and the planning continues. The final projects will be presented on November 2nd. Today in class, students filled out an update worksheet and planning timeline to stay on track for their inquiries. I am excited to see all of the wonderful ideas and questions that have arisen from these opportunities!
Lit Circles continue this week and students have been meeting in their discussion groups. Today, they did an excellent job of reviewing expectations for leading discussions and contributing their connections, inferences, predictions and reflections.
***Note: Spanish "frases" test will be given on Friday. Students will be tested on the first three weeks of Spanish conversational phrases in pairs. Students can study these every day during their "Literacy Living" time at the end of the afternoon.
Have a great day!
~Ms. Dobyns
Monday, September 27, 2010
Upcoming Tests!
Week of September 27, 2010:
Thursday: 5th grade math test of unit 2: Estimation and Computation. Students will receive a three page review on Wednesday over computation strategies for multiplication, addition and subtraction, magnitude estimates, place value, and story problems.
Friday: Science test for all students: Landforms Assessment. This test will cover vocabulary terms. It will assess students' understanding of erosion and deposition and stream table investigations. Students may bring science journals AND PACKETS home to study this week!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Important upcoming dates
Picture Day ~September 17th (this Friday!)
Curriculum Night -parents only ~September 23rd (next Thursday)
Advanced Band -1st full rehearsal ~ Wednesday, September 22nd, at the City High band room. 3:30-4:45 weekly
Curriculum Night -parents only ~September 23rd (next Thursday)
Advanced Band -1st full rehearsal ~ Wednesday, September 22nd, at the City High band room. 3:30-4:45 weekly
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Week four!
~Week Four~
We are in the groove and on the move! Students have settled into routines and we are glad to get to know each other better as learners. Here's a look at what we've been up to this week:
Science - Both classes have done some stream tables activities to observe the effects of erosion on clay/sand landforms. This scaled down version is a great way to see first hand the deltas, channels, and plateaus that are formed. Students have worked in groups to observe changes over time, record the time it takes for landforms to form and to connect these observations to real-life situations.
Posters galore! Each science group became and "expert" on the text they were assigned. These texts included information about John Wesley Powell, Native Americans in the Grand Canyon, Rivers, and Dr. Graf doing her experiments as a hydrologist. Students created visuals and presented their information to their peers while the audience members took careful notes. Ask your child about their group and their topic!
Starting tomorrow (Friday, September 10th) and continuing next week, students will re-create Dr. Graf's Grand Canyon experiment with red dye. They will dye the streams to witness the intricacies of deposition in their stream tables!
Social Studies (from Mrs.Whittington's blog)
Our next unit is on the human migration routes from Asia into North America and the adaptation of NativeAmericans to a variety of environments. Feel free to ask your student to bring home a textbook. My only demand of the students is they not read ahead. A lot of the meaningful thinking we do is make predictions and put together ideas based on what we've learned so far. If students read ahead a lot of that thinking is merely recalling and the level of discussion and learning is much lower for everyone.
5th Grade Math
Many FACTORS will go in to doing well on this upcoming test tomorrow! Pun intended! Students will take their first test of the year, covering all of unit one's essential areas. Students received a review today that they have as homework to finish if they did not do so in class today. Students have learned to find the prime factorization of numbers, reviewed place value, made connections about square numbers and can define prime and composite numbers. I am impressed with the level of focus in our math class and excited for the rest of this year!
Homework is essential in math! Almost every day, students will have a homework worksheet or study link assignment!
6th Grade MathFrom Ms. Whittington's blog:
We are moving through graphs and data analysis very well. These students are the best homeworkers I've ever had. Nearly 100% every day so far!! We will probably be ready for our first math test sometime the week of September 13. We'll also start doing some timed skill tests of basic math operations. I should have students set up for EM Games in the next week or so.
Language Arts
Writing - Practice makes....persuasiveness? We aren't aiming for perfection...but we ARE aiming for some convincing arguments in our writing pieces. Students have come up with topic sentences and are now backing those up with their rationale. They are formulating ideas to back up their arguments and addressing opposing arguments. Today, we learned about ways to "spice up" or enhance our writing with details, descriptive language and vivid imagery. Persuasive essays will continue to be drafted through next week.
Reading -Literacy circle groups are currently reading one of the following novels: Crash, Hatchet or The Egypt Game. Students in each group are responsible for fulfilling their lit circle role and coming prepared to discuss their book and add to their discussion with their assigned role responsibility (literary luminary, vocabulary enricher, summarizer, illustrator, and discussion director).
Oral Lit- We are currently reading The Giver as a whole class. This is time to practice our "think aloud" strategies as readers as we delve into the world of Jonas' community in this fictional novel. Students share what they wonder, predict, infer and connect as we experience a piece of text that elicits some very meaningful discussion about life and society.
Spanish - FRASES (phrases) are some of the useful pieces of the Spanish language students are beginning to feel more comfortable using. Phrases in Spanish such as "I am hungry," "I'm happy," "My head hurts," or "What a mess!" are just some of the phrases students have learned and practiced in class. We are learning the days of the week and a song to connect each day with different names for food. Encourage your child to use the phrases when they can!
Inquiry Projects - Students have self selected their inquiry project topic. This week, they have signed up to conference with me about their main investigation question, their plan of action and any other issues to resolve before we get into the research process. We will use a variety of resources to investigate and research and a variety of literacy opportunities to display our final results.
Homework is essential in math! Almost every day, students will have a homework worksheet or study link assignment!
6th Grade MathFrom Ms. Whittington's blog:
We are moving through graphs and data analysis very well. These students are the best homeworkers I've ever had. Nearly 100% every day so far!! We will probably be ready for our first math test sometime the week of September 13. We'll also start doing some timed skill tests of basic math operations. I should have students set up for EM Games in the next week or so.
Language Arts
Writing - Practice makes....persuasiveness? We aren't aiming for perfection...but we ARE aiming for some convincing arguments in our writing pieces. Students have come up with topic sentences and are now backing those up with their rationale. They are formulating ideas to back up their arguments and addressing opposing arguments. Today, we learned about ways to "spice up" or enhance our writing with details, descriptive language and vivid imagery. Persuasive essays will continue to be drafted through next week.
Reading -Literacy circle groups are currently reading one of the following novels: Crash, Hatchet or The Egypt Game. Students in each group are responsible for fulfilling their lit circle role and coming prepared to discuss their book and add to their discussion with their assigned role responsibility (literary luminary, vocabulary enricher, summarizer, illustrator, and discussion director).
Oral Lit- We are currently reading The Giver as a whole class. This is time to practice our "think aloud" strategies as readers as we delve into the world of Jonas' community in this fictional novel. Students share what they wonder, predict, infer and connect as we experience a piece of text that elicits some very meaningful discussion about life and society.
Spanish - FRASES (phrases) are some of the useful pieces of the Spanish language students are beginning to feel more comfortable using. Phrases in Spanish such as "I am hungry," "I'm happy," "My head hurts," or "What a mess!" are just some of the phrases students have learned and practiced in class. We are learning the days of the week and a song to connect each day with different names for food. Encourage your child to use the phrases when they can!
Inquiry Projects - Students have self selected their inquiry project topic. This week, they have signed up to conference with me about their main investigation question, their plan of action and any other issues to resolve before we get into the research process. We will use a variety of resources to investigate and research and a variety of literacy opportunities to display our final results.
Any questions? Let me know! dobyns.lynn@iccsd.k12.ia.us
Go Hoover Hawks!
~Ms. Dobyns
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Welcome to our blog
Welcome Hoover families!
This blog will be a place for posts that will help to better inform you about our class activities! Every week, the class News Flash letters, created by the 5th and 6th grade students, are sent home. On this blog, however, I will post updates about our activities, curriculum, and reminders about upcoming important events.
I have greatly enjoyed getting to know your 5th and 6th graders as students and young people. They bring so many wonderful ideas and experiences to our room and we will build on these throughout the year.
Please, always feel welcome to contact me by e-mail at: dobyns.lynn@iccsd.k12.ia.us.
Go Hoover Hawks!
~Ms. Dobyns
This blog will be a place for posts that will help to better inform you about our class activities! Every week, the class News Flash letters, created by the 5th and 6th grade students, are sent home. On this blog, however, I will post updates about our activities, curriculum, and reminders about upcoming important events.
I have greatly enjoyed getting to know your 5th and 6th graders as students and young people. They bring so many wonderful ideas and experiences to our room and we will build on these throughout the year.
Please, always feel welcome to contact me by e-mail at: dobyns.lynn@iccsd.k12.ia.us.
Go Hoover Hawks!
~Ms. Dobyns
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