Reading Buddies

Blog Check

If you are reading this post then make sure to leave a comment and see me in the morning.

We are finishing the Westing Game and I would like to know your thoughts about it. Tell me what you think about the story, what did you like about it? Were you surprised by this twists and turns that have unfolded? What do you think about Ellen Raskin as an author? Would you recommend this book to a friend?

Mrs. K

Life Skill Winners and Student of the Month

Congratulations to our Empathy Life Skill Winners and December Student of the Month!

Life Skill Winners

• Maggie Search
• Grayson Langford
• Leah Seward

December Student of the Month

• Jacob Henley

What's Going On?

We have been hard at work in Language Arts class this past month. Students have been writing mystery stories using literary elements we have talked about in class. We have been working on writing suspense, clues, red herrings, and surprising endings. Some of the stories are unbelievable! We have also been focusing on idea development using The Secret Knowledge of Grown Ups by David Wisniewski. Students had to come up with a rule, why their parents say it is a rule, and then the real reason for the rule. I am very encouraged by the idea development and creative thinking that I am seeing. Keep up the great work guys!!!
Mrs. K

Technical Difficulties

Sorry that the blog has not been updated in awhile. Unfortunately my school computer is no longer letting me sign in to my blog. This will be fixed, but involves wiping out my computer and starting over. Hopefully I will have it back up and going soon.
Mrs. K

Life Skills and Student of the Month- October

Life Skill Winners for October- Common Sense
The follwing students have shown that they have excellent common sense.

• Kendall Brown
• Haley Webb
• Dylan Norton

Student of the Month for October

• Hart Hillerich

Life Skills and Student of the Month

Congratulations to our Life Skill Winners for September.

The following ladies have proven that they are extremely responsible.

• Sarah Griffin
• C.C. Dyer
• Josie Daigneault

September Student of the Month

Alex Taylor

The Westing Game

If you had to make a will, what three items would you include? Why do you think they are each important? Who would you leave these items to and why?

Read Across America

I am excited to see that so many of you have already completed several states on your Read Across America map. Remember that you can only count reading that you do at home for the states and the books have to be listed on your reading logs. The only exceptions to this are your Biography book and The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds. I would love to here about some of the books that your are reading, so leave me a post. Make sure to put your student number and teacher's initial, but not your name.
Mrs. K

Biography Poster Book Report

Dear Parents,
Your child will be coming home tomorrow with some information about their Biography Poster Book Report. Attached to the information and rubric is the poster that they are to put all their information on. Please help your child keep track of this poster and encourage them to work on it a little at a time. Waiting to the last minute will only stress them out and cause poor effort. If for some reason your child did not read a biography book over the summer as instructed, they can check one out at school. They will not get a longer period of time to complete the report, unless worked out in advance with me.
Thank you,
Mrs. K

It's Time To Go Back To School!

I hope everybody has had a great summer! I am looking forward to starting a new school year. I hope everyone completed their summer reading list and you have gotten all of your supplies. Let me know if you need a biography book. I hope to see you guys at open house on Saturday .
Mrs. K

Potter Maniacs, the time has come!!!

Okay, I cannot go to the movie on Wed. the 15th due to a doctor's appointment for Lilly and an orthodontist appointment for myself. I will be going on Thursday the 16th. I will be going to the 5:40 showing at Tinseltown. If you can come, let me know so I will look for you in the lobby. I can also get us tickets on line if you let me know that you are coming for sure by Thursday morning at 10:00. Hope to see you guys there and sorry about the scheduling problem.
Mrs. K

Summer Fun

I know tomorrow is officially the first day of summer, but summer break has been great so far. Lilly and I are trying to keep busy. We are going to Gymboree classes every week, spending lots of time in the pool, and last week we went to the zoo. I hope all my students are having a great summer. I would love to hear about any exciting adventures you have had so far. Keep in touch.
Mrs. K

Harry Potter Fans, Listen Up!!!

Okay

5th grade pod casts

Remember to go and listen to the fantastic narratives that some of your classmates recorded this year. Listen and leave them a comment.
http://cewildcatpodcast.podcastpeople.com/

Congrats Grads!!!!

Here are some pictures from graduation. We had a great ceremony and everyone looked so good. I am really going to miss all of you guys next year. You were a very interesting and loving group. Continue to check the blog and keep in touch with your favorite Language Arts Teacher of all time!!!

Fun in 5th grade

Graduation Video

The Westing Game...

The Westing Game book club group has successfully completed their suspect board!

Historical/Realistic Fiction Book Reports

This is one example of a book report completed using Windows Movie Maker. Huston did an outstanding job, very creative.

This book report, The 5th of March was also created using Windows Movie Maker. Peyton did an outstanding job. She gave a ton of detail and description of the book.

Mrs. K's Library Books

Remember that all of my personal library books are due back to me this Friday, May 29th!!!! I have a long list of students who I will be talking to this week to retrieve books. Take a look around your house, in your room, and even in your car. If you have any at home, please bring them in immediately.

Check out some new personal narratives that are avialable for download on Pod Cast People. When you get a chance, take a listen and leave a comment for your classmates.
http://cewildcatpodcast.podcastpeople.com/

Testing Update

Today, we have finished our Reading section of our CATS testing. Tomorrow we have Math. Testing is going GREAT so far.

Library Books

All Library books are due back this Friday, 5/8.
Please turn in all Historical and Realistic Fiction book report books on this day as well.

Mrs. K's library books will still be available for check out until 5/29. Please check your rooms, cars, and back packs and make sure that you do not have any of my library books. Remember, the students next year would like to read them too.

Upcoming Events

April 29th: Panoramic Pictures
May 1st: No School
May 4-22: Book Fair
May 15th: Deadline For Memorization Of Multiplication Facts
May 12-21 and, 27th: KCCT Testing
May 19: Make Up Day
May 25th: No School
May 26th & 28th: Middle School Visits
June 3: Life Skills Assembely
June 4: Fifth Grade Day/Graduation
June 5th: Last Day Of School!

Book Fair Contests

Centerfield Book Fair starts May4th and runs through the 21st. There are many contests that you can win just by buying a book.

* Pie in the Face- buy 2 or more books over $4.00 and get to vote on a teacher to receive a pie in the face. If your ticket is pulled for that teacher you get to be the one to pie her.

* Toy Bag- buy 3 or more books over $4.00 and get to pick a toy out of Mrs. Blake's fantastic toy bag.

* Anything You Want- buy 4 or more books and choose any item you want from the Book Fair.

* Duct Tape Mrs. Blake- if the school earns $6000.00 from the book fair the whole school gets to duct tape Mrs. Blake to the wall for a few hours.

Please check out the wish lists that your teacher has filled out and donate a book to their classroom. I know we would greatly appreciate it.

Podcast

We have a new podcast with some of the greatest personal narratives in 5th Grade! We will be featuring a few this month and then a few more next month. Please feel free to download them to your computer or your MP3 player. If you like, you can also leave a comment for the author.
http://cewildcatpodcast.podcastpeople.com/

Congratulations April Life Skill Winners- Effort

• Jill Oldham
• Lexi King

Student of the Month

• Sydney Rogers

*Life Skills Assembly Is On Thursday, April 23 at 9:00 am

New Library System

The library has a new system were you can check what books you have out online, you can even search for books, too!
Visit: http://oneplace.oldham.kyschools.us/

How To...

Check out these tutorials that our classroom "Tech Guru" created.

How To Use Movie Maker

How To Use Photo Story

How To Make a Powerpoint

Writing Fix

Having trouble coming up with ideas for your writer's notebook? Check out the two new links that I added under Language Arts Websites. There are writing prompts for those of you who are more left brained and those of you who are more right brained. NO MORE EXCUSES!!! Now you have access to many ideas to fill those beautiful lined pages of your Writer's Notebook.
http://www.writingfix.com/right_brain.htm
http://www.writingfix.com/left_brain.htm

What Are We Reading????

In class right now we are reading several books. The Giver by Lois Lowery, Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli, A View From Saturday and From the Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, and The Dead Man in Indian Creek by Mary Downing Hahn. These are some books that have entertained many of my past 5th grade classes. I hope students this year are enjoying them as well.

This is a View From Saturday book club students and Mrs. Smith (IUS Student). We are using pantomime (when we act with no words) to act out scenes from the book. This shows how much detail the author used in her writing, we could act them out and our group could guess which part of the book it was. - Jill Oldham

Jacob and I were using pantomime (in a shopping way) to act out a scene from our book: The View From Saturday. The we are acting out is when Ethen is shopping for a gift for Julian. Ethen first finds a book, then a game, and then a puzzle. Ethen thinks a puzzle would be perfect for Julian. - Trevor Isaacs

This is me and Meredith doing pantomime (showing something without words) of a scene in our bookclub book, The View From Saturday. We were doing the part in the book where Noah talks about how this red wagon was holding a wedding cake. It was lots of fun and The View From Saturday is a really good book. Can't wait to see how it ends...-Joy Girgis

Blog Test

Yesterday, I left a post about how I would like to see how many and which students are reading my blog. This morning I only had 7 students who either left me a comment or printed the blog page. Maintaining this blog takes a good deal of time. I would appreciate it if students and parents checked it on a regular basis. Again, I will be awarding students who leave me a comment tonight or print the blog page for proof that they browsed the blog. If you are printing the page, please turn it in to me in the morning before we switch classes for a prize. Do not tell any other students about this, if you do you are disqualified.
Mrs. K

Historical/Realistic Fiction Book Report

For our last report students need to create a technology presentation of their Historical or Realistic Fiction book. Students can create a Microsoft Power Point; use Photo Story, or Apple Movie Maker. Students will be bringing home information about this assignment this week. They will also be checking books out before the break and should start reading them immediately. There is nothing better than laying by the pool reading a good book!

What are some specific ways that inferring can help you to better understand what you are reading? Think back to all the inferring activities we did in class and use examples in your answer.

Block A Boston Masscre Reader's Theatre

Block B Boston Massacre Reader's Theatre

Block C Boston Massacre Reader's Theatre

Class Information

• Thanks to all parents who donated items for our U of L basket. I heard it went for a pretty good price.
• All students need to really start working hard for a great third trimester. Remember to get all of your assignments in and you will qualify for a 5th grade reward.
• Don't forget to order some books or computer games from Scholastic. Orders are due March 27th. Student orders allow me to buy new books for our classroom.
• Any parent who would like to conference, please feel free to contact me by phone, planner, or email.

Mrs. K

Book Links

• Freak The Mighty
• The Giver
• Maniac Maggee
• The Westing Game
• Tuck Everlasting
• Shiloh
• The Mixed Up Files
• View From Saturday
• Dead Man In Indian Creek

Go CARDS!!!!!

Inferring

1. How does inferring help you to understand what you're reading?

2. What does it mean when people say that your book gives you context clues that help you to infer?