october

1 month down, 8 more to go!

Thank you to all of those who were able to make it out to Back to School Night two weeks ago, it's always wonderful talking to parents and filling you all in on what your kiddos are doing every day, and how awesome they are.  We are officially a whole month into the transition into 5th grade, and I am very proud of how well they have moved in! We are really starting to get into the grind, and every day the kids are gaining more endurance and grit to work hard. I hope that all of you were able to access the assignment notebook page that I created last week. If not, please email me and I can try to send a link. I will be changing this daily, unless I am not at school, then there is a possibility that I won't be able to.


On a side note,  as I am sure some of the kids told you, my wonderful cat Skittles wasn't doing very well last week, and after almost 19 years, Skittles passed away peacefully on Friday.  As I learned it is never easy to let a family pet go, I had never had that experience, and was overcome with a plethora of emotions all week ranging from guilt, helplessness, sadness and acceptance. This experience has really changed my perspective on losing a pet, as I always knew it was sad, but now I really know... I, like Harry and Luna, can see the Thestrals.

With that said, as heavy as my heart has been all week, I could not be more thankful for the level of compassion your children showed me today. I came to a pile of wonderfully crafted notes and cards, that were meant to show that they understood, and cared. Not only about Skittles, a cat they never met, but that they cared about my sadness, and I quote, "We'll do everything we can to cheer you up, so you can be happy again."


You can't buy that kind of kindness and compassion. It blows me away. Thank you so much for teaching them this every day, as they have must have learned this from the models they have in their lives.

FAQ at Back To School Night

Homework?

A: I generally don't give out a lot of "homework." Most work we do is hands on in the classroom and/or students will have plenty of time to complete in class. The only homework provided regularly is AT LEAST 30 minutes of independent reading time, and maybe a math assignment from your teacher. Eventually, there will also be a short word work activity. 

Reading expectations?

A: Students should be reading 30-45 minutes 3-4 times per week OUTSIDE of school. They will have time daily to read in school. There are no reading lists for them to follow as research shows us that students will be come better readers when given choice. During certain parts of the year, students will be asked to read books that are in the genre we are studying, but they are welcome to continue reading their own texts as well.

Band is when?

A: Mr. Raye sent out schedules during the first week of school and lessons usually start the second week. Click here for schedule Large group rehearsals happen during EL time each week on Thursday or Friday, whichever is a "B" day

When is Orchestra?

A: There are two 5th Grade Orchestras this year, each meeting on a different day.
Orchestra A [Pauls, Muniz, Nagy, Bresser/Blanchard, Davidson] meets on the first A Day of the week (Mon/Tues), and Orchestra B [Longfield, Nygard, Pincombe, Conohan, Doll, Gussel] meets on the second A Day of the week (Wed/Thurs).

All small groups are during Literacy and large groups will be during EL time.

What is Bridges Math all about?
Some of the best info you can find is located here:
https://sites.google.com/a/mcpasd.k12.wi.us/math-resources/

How can I be sure my kid is staying on track and not letting things fall behind?
A:  Talk to them - You can always ask students to bring writing, reading, science or social studies home with them and see what we've been up to. One of the goals in middle school is to really get the kids to be more independent for themselves and their actions.

Can you explain more about the device policy?
A: The Bring your own device policy exists to allow students and teachers enhance and supplement learning. Whether it's reading novels from an e-reader device, publishing writing on a tablet or chromebook or researching Native Americans during Social Studies, we use devices a lot. In our wing alone we have access to 3 chromecarts, a wired computer lab, 4-packs of Chromebooks in classrooms, and in some rooms, some other devices. That said there are times when they are all being used and they are not available. BYOD isn't for everyone; is is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL - Parents ultimately have the decision to sign it or not, after all, it's a huge responsibility for students. We as teachers also have final say whether they stay or not once they come in. Currently, I do not allow students to BYOD, as we usually use that for our argument topic in November to decide as a class if we should or should not. I also wait to bring in the BYOD as we work towards building the right community for it at the start of the year.  


- Thanks to Mr. Pauls for the  great questions and answers. 

Open House III

Finally, the first Monday of the school year!
The kids rocked today, and I think we are really starting to "find our feet" on our paths together.

Just a heads up, this Thursday is Back to School Night, starting at 6:00-8:00. The 5th grade team is planning on having three presentations from 6-6:30, 6:30-7, and 7:-7:30.

Session 1: Homeroom teacher 6:-6:30
Session 2: Math Teacher 6:30-7:00
Session 3: Homeroom teacher (repeat) 7:-7:30
7:30-8:00 Encore Teachers

If your child has me for homeroom and me for math, than plan on being here from 6-7 or 6:30-7:30. If you are unable to attend, let me know and I can send the powerpoint presentation to you for more information. I will be discussing our overall schedule for the year as well as expectations for parents (for example, what to do when your child is sick, snacks, passes, reading at home, BYOD, homework, etc)

Afterwards, please connect with one of your child's encore teachers, as they will love talking to you as well :)

If there is anything specific that you would like me to touch on, please let me know.

Round Three- Let's Begin!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend! I won't be able to write a thorough summary every Sunday, but I can start us off on a good note! Most Likely this will turn into a "homework" update. Please note, I do not give very much homework, outside of reading at least 30 minutes every day, maybe some easy word work, and a math assignment, which will most likely be every other day.   If you have questions, please have your child send me an email about it! Jdavidson@mcpasd.k12.wi.us
Here is the plan for the week:

1. More routines and rituals around KMS. The first few weeks of 5th grade is going to be spending a lot of time breaking this down so that we don't have to revist behaviors and routines later in the school year too much. Plus, KMS can be overwhelming at first!  Expect the kids to talk about getting around KMS, and various bus, bathroom and hallway procedures, as well as other classroom routines and expectations, such as workshop "non-negotiables", and reading at home! 

2.  More getting to know you activities such as : Book Histories and writing journal decorations! We are going to present a project hopefully on Friday about our book history. For example, when I was in 5th grade, I remember reading these books: BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factor and Chicken Soup for the Soul, etc. I encourage you to talk to your kiddos about their most influential books, and the worst books you remember. (BFG is my life changer. I'll be telling the kiddos alllllll about it this school year, and showing them why it's my favorite book as a read aloud!) Share your book histories with your kiddos! They will love to tell me about it the next day!

We are also planning on decorating Journals with magazine clippings, personal pictures, etc. on Tuesday, Wednesday and finishing up on Thursday. Please bring materials for the kids to use, as I only have so many magazines. 

3. Spelling inventory. I will be assessing the kiddos in their spelling skills and placing them in Words Their Way groups hopefully by next week, so we can get the ball rolling! 

4. Fountas and Pinelle testing will hopefully start Friday, or early next week! Once we get workshop rolling, it will be easier for me to get them started. 

Please have ready this week:

Student Information Card

Magazines for your kids to use and cut up

The end is just the beginning.

I can't believe the day has finally come.  All week I have been thinking about how the last day of school was going to go, and even with the ugly weather forecast, I think our class had a marvelous day (for the most part).  The final minutes were awful- trying to cram in the final goodbyes for the summer as tears were shed and hugs were being dished out left and right. Then the bell rang and out the door they went.

I am so proud of each and every one of your children, as they have grown so much in so many different ways throughout this year. 5th grade is one of the most challenging years because it is one of the most difficult points of transition in their young lives, and I believe they all did spectacular.  I am going to miss everyone of them very much next year, as it will never be the same. This may be the end of our year together, but is just the beginning of a beautiful and marvelous relationship in the days to come, as I will always be cheering for them from the 5th grade wing.

Once again, I want to say thank you to all of my parents. Without your support, understanding, flexibility and faith, this school year wouldn't have gone as well as it did. I know there were some challenging where your child might have told you some interesting stories, as no school year is ever without. But thank you for not only helping your child process and understand, but also believing my intentions were always good.

Summer Events:
I will keep all of you posted on those events here on the blog.

1. MCP LIBRARY
This summer I plan on being at the Middleton Public Library to read from 1-3 on Tuesdays- if that changes I will update it on the blog. I invite everyone to come and read with me. Usually we check in with each other and are so excited to chat again, reading doesn't always get accomplished (:P) but it's usually a good time.

2. BFG MOVIE
Also, I will be returning from Brazil on July 3rd- and the BFG movie will be released on July 1st.  BFG is my all time favorite book (changed my life as a 5th grader), and was a read aloud this year. I am going to try and go see it in theaters on July 5th - you are also welcome to come and bring your kiddo to watch the movie with me! I will try and bring enough snozzcumbers for everyone to enjoy.

3. MENCHIE'S FRO YO?
date TBD.


Feel free to email me over the summer if you have any questions or concerns coming up.