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
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!
Friday, October 29, 2010
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.
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