We are going to do a simple exchange. No money may be used for this. The children were given a name of a classmate. It is a secret. They are to bring in a gift for that child with the child's name on it, but not who it is from. It may not be bought, it may not be cash, it may not involve a charge account. It is to be a gift from the heart.

Please have them bring it to school on the 18th.

ALSO: CRCT practice logins are in Thursday folders for you to use from home. Thanks for using it to prepare them for Spring testing in April.

Please use this unit of study to open dialogue on these sensitive subjects with your soon to be middle school child. The children have posed great questions and shown an increased sense of urgency in our discussion for more information. The topics have been handled with direct instruction and some role playing in group work.

The Standards for a fifth grader are:

Drugs are any substance other than food, that is ingested to alter the body or mind. This is to include both Legal and Illegal Substances. Misuse and abuse are discussed.

Emphasis is on...
1. Refusal skills.
2. Health risks/factors.
3. Media glorification of drug and alcohol usage.
4. Alternative healthy activities that are not drug related.

Thank you for spending time to study with your child and for answering questions that may not have been covered in class.

Writing Parents - All parents are welcome to participate in mentoring students in their writing processes. Parents will be in the classroom this month on Wednesdays Dec. 3rd and 17th from 12:15 - 1pm. Please stop in to help if you can. We appreciate your time in reading and responding to the students' writing.

IMMIGRATION SIMULATION - December 8th. Students will dress as immigrants from the Eastern Countries as they enter through Ellis Island. It is cold in New York in December! Please dress in layers because waiting in lines outside to be processed is a tough entry reality. Don't forget...$20 can help you tremendously as an immigrant (play money only please). We will feast after we have made it through customs and have passed all inspections. Each student must recite a poem (given in class) for Mrs. Hazlett and will be graded on the oral completion of this assignment.

The family tree project is optional. However, extra credit will be given if completed and brought in. There is no deadline or due date on this optional project.

December 9th - Atlanta Symphony at the Cobb Energy Center 11:30 - 1:30
We are privileged to be able to attend this performance through the donations of parents and the Cobb County Performing Arts program. Please dress appropriately for this event. We have discussed in class that the gentlemen will wear collared shirts, dress pants and dress shoes. Young ladies will wear dress clothes such as skirts, dresses, or leggins/dress pants also. We take pride in our Garrison manners and cultural expectations.

PARTY!!!! Please join us for the Holiday Party on December 18th if you are free. The students will participate in games and activities. Special treats will be provided also. Please email or call Mrs. Krogh if you are interested in helping or attending this event.

Now for Business... We are moving along steadily in the curriculum. I am very pleased with the level of commitment shown by the students for their own learning and performances. We  have truly.. finally arrived! Now for the push, we'll plug away until the Holidays!

Dec. 10th - Science test Chapter 5
Dec. 12th - Health test Chapter 6

I enjoy your babies everyday. May the Holiday Season provide you all with quiet moments to just be family. Take time to cuddle them and remember the simple joys of their young lives.

Have a great Vacation!!!! :) December 19th is our final day of school. Dec. 20- Jan. 5 the students are off. Please return to school Jan. 6th ready to go! Conference schedules will be set soon after our return.

Reminder: Wear your class T shirt on Friday Oct. 24th for 5th grade yearbook photo.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST!!!   YUMMY TUMMY TIME - This Saturday Morning in the cafeteria. Drop in if you have a change of plans. RAINOUT???  Please stop in for breakfast and some GREAT RAFFLE DRAWINGS. Support the GM Educational Foundation. $5.50 at the door

We have established a pattern of independence and function that allows us to speed down the tracks now!

CHANGE IN DAILY SCHEDULE:

The LANGUAGE ARTS/HOMEROOM BLOCK HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 10:15 - 11:38am daily.

The SOCIAL STUDIES/SCIENCE BLOCK HAS BEEN CHANGED TO 12:10 - 1:10pm daily. 

WOW! Congratulations to our REFLECTIONS WINNER :)

Emily won 3rd place for Literature and also 2nd place in Visual Arts. We are all very proud of her!

Portfolios/Assessments/Work Samples - Work samples can be found in a portfolio drawer or journals. However, most learning takes place by oral direction, in class conversation, technology interaction, reading in text across the curriculum subjects, or by demonstration of knowledge in buddy pairs/group work. Both Formative (NO GRADES) and Summative assessments take place. Many work samples in the portfolio are daily work or H.W used as a means for the teacher to see how students are thinking and reacting to lessons.

2nd Nine weeks in a Nutshell:

Spelling - We have 2 Groups now... Know It Allz and Smartie Pants. Both groups will have themes of the week. Some words are phonics based and others are content related. All published work should have correct spelling when resources are available.

Science - Life Science...Single Celled Organisms vs. Multi Celled Organisms and the differences between plant and animal cells.

Social Studies - Leaders and Battles of the Civil War, Reconstruction of our  Nation after the War.

Reading and Writing - Informational Text in both areas. Scanning for information along with reading non-fiction materials to summarize for writing purposes.

Health - RED RIBBON WEEK ....hence we will coincide our Alcohol,tobacco and Other Drugs unit with Red Ribbon Week. The emphasis will be on prevention, peer pressure, and media.

Field Trips:

October - 28th Marietta Trolley Company

December 9th - Performing Arts - Atlanta Symphony

ASSESSMENTS AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE:

PORTFOLIOS, JOURNALS and WORKBOOKS ARE EVIDENCE OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE. PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT WHEN VIEWING THEIR  REPORT CARD. DISCUSS THE WORK WITH THEM AND ASK QUESTIONS. Presentation of Knowledge is important.

We have used multiple assessment tools this nine weeks.  The two main types of tools are known as formative assessments and summative assessments.

Formative assessments are evaluations of students' knowledge, ability, and skill performance. These assessments are used in evaluating the needs of the learners in our classes.  We determine much of our instructional direction and planning based on these assessments.  Paper and pencil, kinesthetic activities, technology-based work, and verbal responses are some examples of formative assessments. Journals are often used in the S.S, Science Areas along with Workbooks across all areas of study.

Summative assessments are measures of student learning at the conclusion of units of study on standards-based curriculum.  These may include chapter tests, multimedia performance tasks, presentations, or written essay responses. 

The use of rubrics, or guides for performance tasks, are usually involved in multifaceted summative assessments.  As our year progresses, students will gain more experience with these tools.  They will be able to self-evaluate their work with more accuracy and confidence.  Rubrics give specific expectations for student work.  They are helpful to student learning on many learning levels. 

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL $22*
Nov. 1st price increast to $25*

On-line ordering available at:  http://www.myyear.com
*Note:  cost includes taxes.  Does not include 1x $1.75 processing fee per transaction, multiple items per order allowed.  Be sure to print & keep your confirmation for proof of payment.

ORDER FORMS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE CREDENZA OUTSIDE OF THE OFFICE.

REPORT CARDS GO HOME FRIDAY, Oct. 17th

The first nine weeks has been a successful building project. We have accomplished a great deal of training. The track is laid for future movement in our standards based learning style.

Students receive a printout daily of what their responsibilities are. The use of the printout is for individual assessment. Students may work at an individual pace and manage their own time when "Falling Back" into work zone status. Direct instruction takes place either whole group, small group, or individually if needed. 

Grades are to be monitored by the student for their own advocacy practices. Parents are welcome to question grades also. However, the student should be able to answer their parents questions concerning grades before a teacher is notified. If this is not a clear communication practice for the student, please notify the teacher and we'd be happy to explain the situation at that point.

MATH POST TEST for 1st NINE WEEKS:   Wednesday, Oct. 15th

Chapters 1,2,3,5 and Ch.7 page 134 from Textbook for study purposes.

See standards sheet sent home for Math in Thursday Folders second week of school or visit the Picasso Link on the Cobb County Home Page for a more detailed standards list. www.cobbk12.org

SCIENCE POST TEST Friday Oct. 10th, will be on Chapter 3 from the Textbook for study purposes. The students will use Beyond Question or Active Vote to test on physical change vs. chemical change (standards S5P2a and S5P2c).This method provides a remote control for each student. A flip chart is shown on the Promethean Board. Each student then "clicks" in their own answer to each multiple choice question. It is graded automatically. The remainder of the test will be pencil and paper. It will be matching vocabulary and multiple choice. There are practice pages for this on pages 170 and 171 at the end of Chapter 3.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO EMAIL QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS. EMAIL IS THE FASTEST and MOST EFFICIENT FORM OF COMMUNICATION.

Parents and Students,

We find ourselves at the 1/8 mark of the year. The building of the TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILWAY is a tough job! However, with strength and determination it can be done.

We are going to start speeding down the curriculum path. We'll hit the standards hard and fast. Some will travel faster than others, but in the end we will all arrive at the final stop in MAY....READY TO BE A STUDENT FOR LIFE!

The transition periods and material disorganization is starting to settle. In fact today, we rewarded our hardworking successful students with the Movie SPIRIT BEAR. It is a coming of age tale that emulates the power of one. It is based on a true story. The students loved it. The students that either owed work or in some other ways needed redirecting to tasks at hand were required to go to study hall during movie time.

The Transcontinental Railroad that is being built between Mr. McGill's classroom and Mrs. Hazlett's classroom is an avenue for a community that is  designed to work interdependently. In order for this to take place, the students must be trained to be individual thinkers and community contributors at the same time. We are well on our way to achieving this with all of our students. The Cobb County school district supports and encourages this method of teaching. It is the wave of the future. We are ahead of the curve at Garrison and very proud of it.

Technology integration will be a strong component of the program. In order for this to take place, the students must be able to function independent of the teacher.

The teacher directs, yet does not carry the students. The resources and information are widely available, but the students must go after their education. Oral information is an integral part of the many prompts, hints and other cajoling the teachers provide for the students also. Listening skills are imperative to a student's comfort level. Oral delivery is detailed and repeatedly used to prompt students. Therefore, the "Ask 3 and then me" prompt is a necessary element in protecting the integrity of the information that has already been provided to the students on a daily basis.

Small Group instruction has finally arrived this past week. Math groups have settled in nicely. Writing is always a focus. The following is a standard checklist for the past four weeks:

• Math - See standards sheet sent home in Thursday folders. The students are making board games in Mrs. Hazlett's Math class. We do drill              and skill 3 days a week. We have completed comparing decimals              and whole numbers. We have completed standard and expanded             form. We have completed place value whole numbers. We have              reviewed long division and multiplication with decimal fractions.             We have reviewed attacking word problems and solving equations.         We will prepare for the nine week test in class.

Science - We have completed and will Test on Chapter 1 Tuesday the 9th.
                We have had 3 lab sessions. All labs were inquiry or investigation                     based. We have studied scientific method and will move on to                        demonstrate it next week. Lab safety has been reviewed.

S.S. - Mr. McGill has provided a wonderful Citizenship unit.

Spelling - Oops!!! Forgot again!!! A weakness of mine. I am working on dividing the children into spelling groups and deciding which type of spelling instruction the groups will receive. Sorry..I'll work on it.

Reading - Literature Circles are working on their "Productions" to their books. It looks like we have a passion for the arts and theater! The video camera will be rolling!

Writing - Building an outline for writing was a challenge, but we did it! We                      also have completed a 3 paragraph Persuasive Essay. We will be                      training the students to self assess with the State Rubric.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE DUST SETTLING ON THE RAILROAD AND THE  TRANSPORTATION LINE OPENING UP FULL TIME!