What's Going on in Reading?

Students have be working on using their five sense to visualize. We talked about how a good reader can not only paint a picture in their mind while they read, but they create a movie with sounds, smells, tastes, and they can feel. These are only a few students who did an excellent job visualizing music and smells.

North Oldham Middle School Visit

Students had a great time working with North Oldham 8th graders on their partner fairy tale stories. The older students helped them with adding more details to their stories, revising, and editing. It was a great opportunity to learn from some more experienced writers.

Book Character Dress Up Day

We all had a blast on Book Character Dress up Day. Mrs. Rigdon, Mrs. Karen, and myself enjoyed dressing as characters from Sesame Street.

What's Going On in Writing?

Students have been hard at work completing two writing pieces. First, they created their own teaching book to display their strong schema in certain areas. This book also lets them use their new learning about nonfiction writing. We have gone very slow with this piece because we have been learning all about the writing process and how to use response groups, and buddy editing. For a first attempt at a writing piece using the writing process, they are doing well.

Second, students are working with a writing partner to create their own version of a fairy tale. We have been reading many versions of fairy tales and practicing making text to text connections all month. Students have also learned about characteristics of the fairy tale genre. So their stories will include things like talking animals or objects, the number 3 or 7, a villain, a good guy, and even a simile.

How Tall are My Teachers?

Students have been working very hard since the begininng of the year on measurement. We have learned about different measuring tools like rulers, meter sticks, yard sticks, and measuring tape. We also learned what different measurements each tool has and learned how to estimate the size of something. We measured some interesting things like classroom items, parts of our own bodies, and how far we can jump. We used this last one to learn how to make a tally chart and line plot. Both of these were really a challenge. Finally, we looked at some of our measurements and wrote comparisons sentences.

At the end of our unit the students were given a pretty big challenge as a transfer task. They had to measure 10 teachers and explain the tool they used, how they did it, create their own tally chart and line plot, and finally write some comparisons about the teachers, all on their own.

Second Grade, Here We Go!!!

The school year is under way and I have the pleasure of teaching 2nd grade this year. I am having a great time with my students, they are really bright and very sweet. Right now we are doing a fantastic author study on one of my favorite children's author, Kevin Henkes. We have read Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse and Chrysanthemum. Today the students had to draw a portrait of themselves and write why they liked their names. Here are a few wonderful examples from Mrs. K's Class Name Book.

Child Labor in America

Children were often preferred to work in factories, because factory owners viewed them as more manageable, cheaper, and less likley to strike. American children worked in large number`s in mines, glass factiries, textiles, agriculture, canneries, home industries, and as newsboys messengers, bootblacks, and peddlers. In 1836 Massachusetts limts children`s work days to 10 hours. other states soon pass similar laws, but most of these laws are consistently enforced. Some boys and girls were so small they had to climb up on the spinning frame to mend broken theards and to put back the empty bobbins!
By:Jenna:-)

Testing Day 1

Today we tested in reading and I have to say that I noticed many 5th graders really giving their maximum effort on their open responses and taking their time to answer their multiple choice questions. Remember to get a good night sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and take it one day at a time. See you tomorrow!!
Mrs. K

Personal Narrative Podcast

Check out some of the wonderful narratives written by our outstanding 5th grade writers at Centerfield. Students were focusing on using great word choice, writing in slow motion, showing not telling, and using voice. I think they did a fantastic job. You can go on, listen to your classmates narrative, comment, and even download to your mp3 player as a podcast if you like. Enjoy!

Mrs. K

http://cewildcatpodcast.podcastpeople.com

Blog Check

Hey Guys,
I want to to see how many of you are actually getting on my blog regulary and reading our posts. Please leave me a post praising a classmate, friend, or teacher about something you have noticed about them lately. I will be rewarding those who are getting on the blog.
P.S. Don't share this info with anyone.
Mrs. K

Life Skills Winners and Student of the Month

Congratualtions to our Life Skills Winners for April and May

April/ Confidence:

Shane Davis

Kasey Markle

Madeline Skeeters

May/Cooperation:

Gillian Groomes

Payton Metcalfe

Mateo Rosario

April Student if the Month

Tainasia Beard

May Student of the Month

Sierra Hauck

District Governor's Cup

Congratulations to the Centerfield Academic Team members who placed in the top five of their academic areas at District Governor's Cup last month. They will be moving on to Regional Governor's Cup at Clear Creek Elementary on March 19th.

Sierra Hauck 1st place Langauge Arts

Julia Roy 2nd place Math

Tyler Mason 2nd place Science

Emma Lane 5th place Math

Madison Grau 5th place Composition

Lily Forseth 5th place Arts and Humanities

Reading Counts Quiz Challenge

Have you ever taken your reading log, went to the lab, logged on to Reading Counts, only to find you cannot find a quiz on any of the books you have been reading this year? It's frustrating! Well, we are now going to do something about it. For the next two weeks, we are going to have a Reading Counts quiz challenge. The challenge is that you need to make a 10 question, multiple choice quiz over any books from your reading log. Here's what you will need to include: the name of the book, the author's name, 10 multiple choice questions with 4 possible answers, and star the correct answer. It is very important that you really ask good questions about the book. Try to think like a teacher and ask questions about the main character, their family, the problem, the climax, the solution. You can also ask questions about the setting and other characters in the book. Make sure that you spell all names correctly.

The class with the most use able quizzes made in the next two weeks will receive a class reward that we will decide on together. Make sure to put your name on your quiz and check Reading Counts to make sure there is not a quiz already in there. Please turn all quizzes into me personally.
Mrs. K

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!

Here are a couple of links to some great sites that celebrate one of my favorite authors, Dr. Seuss. Feel free to check them out and leave a comment.

http://http//www.seussville.com/

http://www.seussville.com/games/lb_sam_i_am.html

Verb Review and Flip Chip Activites

So, after learning about verbs in class, doing the superhero activity, completing the verb review, and the Flip a Chip activity what have you learned about verbs and verb tenses? How will this learning help you in the future in reading and writing? Please be specific.

Puzzle Time

Students took a different kind of vocab test this week. They were given the challenge to put together a puzzle then write a story to go along with the puzzle using their vocabulary words correctly. This was especially challenging since they were working with Homographs this week.

Here is a great example of a student's work:

Forever Friends

I love my puppy Coco. He is my best friend. My mom got him for me as a birthday present. It was in 2008. I was an invalid and my mom refused to let me go to school. Worst of all, it was my birthday.

I hated being sick. The objects around my room swirled around like a tornado. Everything got more blurry with every minute. My mom walked in to check my temperature.My mom has done that so many times today that I have a feeling the thermometer will be invalid. She objected when I asked her to quit.

"Honey, I got you something," she said. Then she presented me with a little minute puppy. He was so cute! He made my spirits soar and made me well enough to take out the refuse! I was even present at school the next day. I named the puppy CoCo and I still love him to death. He is and always will be my best friend.

by: Julia Roy

Verb Review and Flip a Chip Activity

Students have been hard at work identifying parts of a sentence and verbs. This is a great website that allows them to practice what they have learned at school.

Verb Review: When you finish the verb review, highlight, copy, and paste the self check sections into a word document. Print and turn it in for a grade.

http://cdis.missouri.edu/exec/data/courses2/8225/lesson05/study.asp

Flip a Chip:Students can also practice using grammar skills and verb tenses using this website. You should do all six activities and then print the final paper that says that you completed 6 out 0f 6 activities.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/flip-chip-30031.html