Happy Holidays!

I hope that everyone is enjoying the start of their holidays! I'd love to get some posts on the fun things you've done or the cool gifts you've got. So far, besides all of the great gifts I got at school, I've got some great gift cards! I'm looking forward to buying myself some new books to read.

I want to thank you all for a great 2007 school year. I could not have asked for a better class! I'm really looking forward to 2008 and all of the great experiences we have ahead of us. Also, parents, thank you for all of your support. Also, thanks to all of you who make the blog worth doing. I've really enjoyed it, and I know many of you do, too.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

Long Time, No Blog

I apologize for the lengthy absence of new blog material. As things got busy around here, I found that I had a lot less time to do the blogging. I sure did miss it!

As you know, we've taken two field trips since my last post. Both went very well, and I think the students learned information that they will always remember. In my science class, we have talked a lot about what we learned at the planetarium. I've been pleased with how much the students remembered from our trip!

While in Chicago last week, it was fun to hear the students shout out the different shapes as they walked by. Most students were so excited about their task that they took many pictures in the train station. We hadn't even made it to the fun stuff yet! I can't wait until we put together our geometry presentations.

The holiday party is this week. Thursday, to be exact. PTO will be providing snacks and drinks, so please do not send anything.

I think that pretty well takes us up to date.

Halloween

I would like to thank all of the moms who came to our Halloween party and helped make it a big success! The kids really seemed to enjoy the games, and everything went smoothly. Everyone had great costumes and a fun time. I'm already looking forward to the Christmas party! Thanks again!

More Field Trip Information

I wanted to address some questions about the field trip...
The $4 fee for the trip is only for students; chaperones are free (except for lunch). It covers the bus and admission into the planetarium. Students will need extra money if they are going to eat at Culver's. They need to bring this money on the 15th and keep it on them. Students may choose to bring a lunch to eat, but they won't be able to eat it until we arrive at Culver's (in other words, not on the bus).
I'm still unsure about the number of chaperones. We will take as many as we can, but we are riding on the bus with Mrs. Martin's class so space is limited. She and I will get together by Thursday of this week to finalize the number of chaperones we will be able to bring. I will call all of the parents who volunteered to let them know for sure how many chaperones we are able to accomodate.

Holiday Book Orders

I sent home book orders sometime last week, and I wanted to make you aware that you can order from these catalogs on-line at Scholastic Book Clubs. (The link is under Cool Clicks.) I wanted to offer this option in case you were interested in placing orders that might become Christmas presents. Orders that are placed by November 9 should be available to pick up at Parent-Teacher Conferences, or we can arrange another way to get the books to you. You are able to browse the catalog on-line and pay with a debit or credit card. You may always submit the traditional paper order, which I am also asking for by November 9. If you decide to order books after this date, please let me know because I can order at any time.

First Field Trip

In today's school mail, you should have received a note and permission slip for our upcoming field trip to the Planetarium located at Pierce Middle School in Merrillville. Please turn in the permission slips as soon as possible. If I have to choose chaperones, it will be done on a first come-first served basis. I am hoping, however, that all parents who want to will be able to attend.



The Planetarium field trip coordinates with topics we have or will discuss in class. For example, one of our vocabulary words this week is constellation. Also, while reading Pedro's Journal, we read about the sailors used the North Star to help navigate. We will continue to discuss and read about stars during the month of November. This should be an exciting trip that helps students to visualize what we are doing in class. I hope you are able to join us! If not, look for the post-trip pictures on the blog.

All About Math

I'm excited to say that we had an awesome response from parents about coming into learn the lattice method of multiplication and column division. Tomorrow night should be very informative and productive.



I do know, however, that some parents are unable to attend. This is completely understandable. Under the Homework Help websites, I have linked two sites that show how to set-up and do lattice multiplication. I was not able to find a site that showed column division how I generally set it up. However, I will be sending home explanation sheets for both the multiplication and the division with tomorrow's (Tuesday, the 23rd) handouts, so be on the lookout.

If at anytime you or your child have questions about these procedures, please don't hesitate to let me know. I consider this to be one of the most important indicators we learn this year because it becomes a foundation for so many other problems that we learn to do throughout the year, especially when we begin finding the area of various shapes. If you need to reach me, you can either post on the blog or send me an e-mail by going to My Profile.

What are Indicators?!?

It recently came to my attention (today) that many parents do not know what indicators are. I never put much thought into this because they are such a part of my every day vocabulary. As I thought about it, however, I realized that I had never taken the time to explain it. So here it goes...



At the beginning of October, your child brought home a letter with calendars attached. These calendars listed numbers, such as 5.1.1 and a short description of what was expected according to that number. In Indiana, there a academic standards that have been set by the Department of Education. There are standards in each academic area (english/language arts, math, social studies, and science). The standard is a very general statement of what we expect children to learn. Under each standard, there are what are called indicators. These indicators more specifically identify what a child is being taught. When designing our curriculum, we look at indicators to identify what skills need to be mastered by your child. Indicator 5.1.1. in math means that we are looking at 5th grade, standard 1 (number sense), indicator 1 (Convert between numbers in words and numbers in figures, for numbers up to millions and decimals up to thousandths).



We assess a different indicator or pair of indicators each week in math. Students are given a pretest on Friday, then they are grouped by how well they did on the pretest. The pretest is on 5th grade standards, therefore, it is completely acceptable for a child to not pass. The pretests are only used so that students who already know the material can be appropriately challenged. This happens in all four 5th grade classrooms, so students go to a different room each week. At the end of the week (or sooner if the students know the material), students are given an assessment on the indicator. If they earn an 80% or better, it is considered that they mastered that indicator. If they earn less than 80%, then they are retaught the material and reassessed when they seem to understand it. This process can be repeated until the student masters the inidicator. This is why you may sometimes see the same quiz with multiple grades. Only the highest grade will go in the grade book. However, I will send home all given quizzes so that you can review these skills with your child.

In reading and writing, indicators are assessed through performance on work samples, quizzes, and projects. Everything we do in class is linked to an indicator. Again, 80% or better is considered mastery. If I have graded on a rubric, a grade of a B- or better is considered mastery.

I am hoping that this clarifies what we are expecting students to accomplish in 5th grade this year. If you have any questions, please let me know either by posting a comment, sending me an e-mail, or calling me.

Fire Prevention Week

Today, two members of the Portage Fire Department visited to talk with us about Fire Prevention Week. They had a great demonstration and video to share which emphasized the importance of smoke detectors and escape plans. The things we learned can help save lives. For example, every floor of the house needs a smoke detector. This includes the basement! There should also be a detector outside of every bedroom. The smoke detectors should be tested every month and the batteries changed once a year. There should be two ways out of every room in the house. These exits can be doors or windows. The other important information is to draw a map of your house and label ways out of every room. Your family also needs to have a meeting place outside of the home where everyone should go once they are out safely. Call 911 once you are outside of the home from either a cell phone or a neighbor's house.

I have included the National Fire Protection Associations website on the Cool Clicks list. Please check it out for more information on how to keep your family safe. They also have tools to help you design an escape plan.

The firefighters invited everyone to attend an open house at Fire Station 1 on Friday, October 12. There will be food, information, and fun. i will be sending home a flyer with additional information. I hope that you are able to join them!

Up and Coming Events

There are a few things that we have in the works. First of all is Grandparents' Day. Grandparents' Day is Wednesday, October 10, from 1:30-2:30. It will start with short program in the gym and conclude in the classroom. Our class is putting together a Power Point slide show about special memories. The students will then have a chance to share some of their work with their grandparents. It's a special day for everyone!

The next thing we have in the works is our first novel project. Students were given an assignment sheet with three choices to complete our reading of Bridge to Terabithia. We will actually be finishing the book on Monday, but I wanted everyone to be able to begin working on their project over the weekend. Parents may help their child within reason. Please, do not do the entire project, but do feel free to offer advice or ask questions. Part of the grade is showing me what was learned from the book. Students may come up with thier own project, but I must approve it. Anyone interested in doing this should write a description of the project and how he or she thinks it will show their understanding of the book. I'd like these by Monday so that I can approve them and everyone can get started on their projects.

All Done!

Well, we have completed all of our ISTEP testing. I was glad to hear that many students were confident about their performance. Everyone worked hard and gave their personal best. Now it's on to business as usual.

We are past the halfway point in Bridge to Terabithia. The students are really enjoyng this story of a unique friendship that changes the characters' lives. (Just a reminder, Diamante Poems are due on Monday, October 1.) Students are also getting ready to do our first round of Book Talks. This gives each student who wants the opportunity to share with classmates a book they've read and enjoyed. The other thing we recently started were reading journals. Each week, every student is responsible for writing a letter to me about what he/she is reading. I, in turn, write back with comments and questions. It is a great way for me to see what everyone is reading. Plus, it's a lot of fun writing the letters. Next week starts our jump into the 5th grade math standards. Hopefully everyone received the calendars that the fifth grade teachers sent home. These will tell you what indicators we are focusing on each week. The math calendar also provides pages in the math book that can be used for extra practice.

Please remember that tomorrow is a half day. A sack lunch will be served for those who want it. Student can also bring a sack lunch from home to eat in the classroom. That's all for now. Thanks for visiting!

Diamante Poems

We have our first true assignment of the year. Students will be writing Diamante poems about the characters in Bridge to Terabithia. Diamante poems use single words to describe a noun. The form takes on the shape of a diamond. Each student received a sheet with instructions about what to include on the lines. We will then be taking their poems and transferring them into a final copy. The worksheets are due on Friday. Students may work on these at home or during class time when they are finished with other work. Books may be used to help complete the poem.

Book Orders

I have sent home the first book orders of the year. As you can imagine, the students are very excited. The orders are due by October 1. Checks should be made out to Scholastic Book Clubs. I am also sending home a letter that explains about on-line ordering. You will be able to go to www.scholastic.com/parentordering and type in the following username and password:
cannonclass (user name), welovereading (password).

It will then take you to a secure site where you can order books and pay by credit or debit card. I have had parents use this in the past, and we've had great success. If you choose to order books on-line, there is no need to send in a paper order form. The order will show up automatically when I log into my account. If you have any questions, please let me know. Please remember that any books you order for home help us to build our classroom library as well. Thank you!

Buidling Bridges

Yesterday, we began reading our first novel of the year as a class: Bridge to Terabithia. We will be reading about 1 chapter a day over the next several weeks. As we read, we'll be analyzing characters' traits and motives, making inferences, and studying the author's techniques. All of these activities meet the Indiana State Academic Standards. More importantly, though, this is a story that sticks with the reader. Many of the children are already familiar with the book, and that's okay. I am asking that they not spoil it for anyone who has not read or heard the book. Also, if your child has not already seen the movie, I would ask that she/he wait until we are finished with the book. We will most likely watch the movie as a class when we are done reading. There may, on occasion, be reading homework if the daily assignment is not finished in class. In any event, please ask your child about the book and spark a wonderful discussion about this truly timeless story of friendship and growing up.

Comfy Reading Day!

Our class earned their first two rewards of the year for excellent behavior. Earning a reward means that, as a team, we displayed exceptional behavior and met all of our classroom expectations for 5 days. As a class, the students chose to have comfy reading day and play in the gym at recess time. We will be doing this on Thursday, September 13. For comfy reading, students may wear pajama pants and a t-shirt to school. Please note that we are probably going to play dodge ball at recess time, so students need to make sure that t-shirts are long enough to cover their stomachs. No sleeveless shirts, please. (I will have to call the parents of students who are not dressed appropriately so please use your best judgement.) Students may also bring slippers to wear around the classroom, pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals. I do ask that the items fit into your child's backpack or that they bring another bag in which to carry the items. Again, please use discretion as to the size and amount of items.

Please take the time to congratulate your child on an awesome start to the new school year!

Back to School Night

Thank you to all of the parents, guardians, and even grandparents who were able to come to our Back to School Night! It was so nice to meet you (or in a few cases, see you again). Everyone was so patient as I talked with other parents and former students. It was also reassuring to know that I have your support and interest in your child's education. I know that some of you were unable to make it for various reasons, but I know that you, too, share this support and interest for your child. Please remember that you may contact me with questions or concerns at any time. As I have expressed, I feel that the school year is off to a fantastic start. I think it will only continue to get better as we encounter more learning experiences and build a strong learning community.

Just Read

Well, we are on our second night of Just Read and I wanted to put out a few reminders and tips. Just Read is a nightly reading assignment of at least 20 minutes every Monday-Thursday night. Each child sets a goal for how much they would like to read every night (a minimum of 20 minutes); however, children have to read the amount of time set by their goal for the assignment to count. A parent, guardian, or other responsible adult must initial the calendar box, also. The sheet then has to be at school so that it can be checked daily. Please do not send in any notes saying your child did Just Read but forgot it at school or lost the sheet. This is a responsibility that I take very seriously, so I do not accept notes for credit on the assignment. Each child is allowed 2 missed days per trimester. They are responsible for the reading even if they are not at school, though, I am not insensitive to serious or emergency situations. Those will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Many parents want to know what they can do to help their child become a better reader or more interested in reading. Just Read provides a great opportunity. Your child can read to you or a younger child. Once he or she is done reading, you can ask them a few simple questions, without even having read the book. Some examples of good questions are: what was your favorite part? Were there any new words that you found? What were the words? What do you think they mean? What do you think will happen next in the book? These are a just few questions that will help spark a conversation about your child's reading. If your child has trouble finding a book or sticking with a book, chances are she or he just has not found the right book yet. In class and at library time, I try to help match students to books, so feel free to let me know if you're concerned.

Just Read should be a quiet, enjoyable time where children and their loved ones can share the joy of reading! As always, please let me know if you have any questions about the program.

PACK-A-SACK Presentations

Yesterday and today, the students presented their PACK-A-SACKs. I loved seeing what everyone chose to include. There were some very creative sacks! Everyone spoke loudly and clearly, and many of the students even made their presentation entertaining by adding a little humor. The students in the audience were wonderful. They listened attentively and showed interest in each other's presentations. This is one of my favorite activities because I get to know a little more about the students and they get to know each other better, too. It helps to create a strong sense of community, which is what we are working towards. Great job, everyone!

Also, I'd like to let all of the parents know that the students were extremely well-behaved while Mrs. Wright was here as their guest teacher. They received many compliments on their behavior. I know that I am very proud of them!

I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night for Back to School Night!

What to Expect in Mrs. Cannon's class

This post has taken me a little time to get to, but I think it's very important--especially for parents. I want to let you know what you can expect from your child's educational experience this year.

First of all, for those of you who don't know, I'm very big on policies and procedures. However, I think that it is important for the students to take ownership in this classroom for their behavior and their reputation. On the first day of school, the class came up with a set of 5 expectations to meet. They are:

1. Follow the lifeskills.
2. Be a good audience.
3. Respect yourself and others.
4. Follow classroom procedures.
5. Raise your hand to talk.

There are rewards and consequences for meeting or failing to meet the expectations. The rewards are events such as Comfy Reading Day when students can bring in pillows or stuffed animals from home to use during SSR or Music Day when students can bring in school-appropriate CD's to listen to during their work times. Consequences for not meeting the expectations are as follows:

1. Warning
2. Fill out behavior sheet to be signed by parents and returned the next day.
3. Call to parents (This is made by the student.)
4. Afterschool detention (This phone call is made by me so that arrangements can be made.)
5. Sent to Principal's office.

The consequences are for multiple offenses of the same behavior in the same day. However, if behavior becomes a problem over a period of time, I will contact the parents regardless of what consequences have been received. For example, if a student is filling out multiple behavior sheets for the same behavior over the period of a week, I may call home to discuss this.

Many parents also wonder about what to expect from classroom work. Let me address several areas: in-class subjects, homework, and test taking.

In-Class Subjects

Our daily schedule consists of math, reading, writing, word study, silent reading time (SSR), and remediation time. Most of the areas are self-explanatory, but there are a few points I want to make.

• We do not have a spelling program, per se. We address spelling through our writing time. The word study portion of our day is spent mostly on vocabulary and decoding new words. The Greek and Latin root portion of vocabulary is done the first week of every month with a test that Friday. We then spend the remainder of the month working on 5 new vocabulary words or terms every week. These words will then be tested at the end of the month, and students are permitted to bring home their word study journals to prepare.
• Writing is done in class. I give plenty of time for all writing assignments and ask that they not be taken home.
• Remediation time will be for those students who are performing below grade level in reading and failed the English/Language Arts portion of the ISTEP. Other students will then be looked at to see if they need extra help in Math. Those who have passed both portion of the ISTEP will be enriched in the areas of Social Studies and Science. All students will be exposed to these content areas through class reading. However, the students who do not have to attend remediation will receive an extra focus in these areas.

Homework

I do not assign nightly worksheets to be done as homework. Homework is only given in these two instances:

1. The work was not finished in class.
2. It is a long-term project that is expected to be done at home.

The only exception to this is Just Read. This is a nightly reading assignment that will be starting in September. I will post about this once it is assigned.

I grade daily assignments as a participation grade. Therefore, if the work was done, credit is given. If work is late or not done, then partial or no credit is given. These assigments are crucial in determining what a student understands, but I do not feel any student should be punished with a failing grade for a lack of understanding.

Test Taking

Quizzes in math are given just about every Friday. They are based on the Indiana State Standards and Indicators. Students who do not pass the quiz are then retaught the information and given the quiz a second time to recheck their understanding. We will continue this process in an effort to have each student master the indicators that are needed to be successful in 5th and into 6th grade.

At this time, I generally give a reading test at the end of every novel or story that we read. These tests are usually accompanied by a take-home project. The tests are open book and students are given an unlimited amount of time to finish.

I am very strict about talking during a test. Any talking will be considered cheating and students will receive an F for that test and will have to call home to let their parents know what has happened. This also goes if a student is caught cheating in some other way. I explain this expectation to students very well when we take our first test, so that they are aware of the consequences.

I hope that this helps to give you some idea of what to expect from your child being in this class. While this is all very formal, I do what I can to make learning enjoyable, but we're serious when we need to be. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone at Back to School Night on September 6! You can find our classroom at Room 23.

Lunar Eclipse

There will be a lunar eclipse early tomorrow morning. You can start looking around 3:51 a.m. The best time to view it will be around 5:30 a.m. For more information, check out the Earth and Sky site under "Cool Clicks." I know it's early, but it's not something you get to see all the time, so I hope you're able to check it out!

A Couple of Things...

First of all, PACK A SACKS are due on August 31. I have sent home two papers that explain what the sacks should contain. Every student is expected to bring in a decorated sack with one item for each of the categories. There should be a total of 9 items in the sack. Use your creativiy when coming up with your items. Each student will present his/her sack to the class, and they will be graded. This is a fun activity and an easy grade! Please remember to bring back the sheet with the self-evaluation since that is part of your grade.

Also, there are a few extra items that are needed for our class that are not on the supply list. Students will need a 1 inch binder for their writing handbook and a spiral notebook for their reading response journal. Please have these by September 4.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. See you on Monday!

Snacks Part 2

There have been a few questions about snacks, so let me add some information. Yes, you are more than welcomed to save a healthy part of your lunch to eat as a snack later in the day.(Thanks for asking, Mack.) Snacks can be eaten at any time in the afternoon, as long as we're not in the middle of a lesson. They also have to be eaten at your desk. In other words, you can't take your snack into the library during SSR. This way we don't get ants! The only type of chips we're allowed to have are baked--no regular (sorry, Monika). I hope this clears up some of the questions. Let me know if you have more.



P.S. Caragh, yes, I'll post on weekends, but probably not all of the time. Only if I think of something I need to say. Like now. : )

Snacks

A few students today asked about snacks. You may have snacks as long as they follow the health guidelines. Some examples of good things to bring are baked chips, pretzels, and granola bars. You may bring fruit as long as it doesn't have to be peeled and can be eaten in bite-sizes. Examples are grapes, raisins, or cubed cantaloup. The only drink that is permitted is water, and it has to be in a non-spill bottle. Also, please do not bring any snacks that require a fork or a spoon. If you have questions let me know.

Thanks to all of you who have checked the blog and made comments. Be sure to publish your comments under "Other" so that you can enter your name and I know who sent them. Have a great night and see you tomorrow!

What a Day!

It was so nice to finally get to meet everyone! I really think we had a wonderful first day. We spent a lot of time going over the policies and procedures. We also got to do a writing activity about what our big toes did over the summer. I can't wait to read them. I was also pleased that everyone was excited to get into the class library, and many students to books home with them to read. Later this week, I will post our classroom expectations, consequences, and rewards so that all blog viewers are aware of them. I will also be sending a copy home, as it explains in the letter I sent to the parents. Thanks again for a great day. I can't wait until tomorrow! :)

A New Adventure

Are you ready for a year filled with fun and learning? I know that I am! I created the blog to help me communicate with parents and students about what is going on in our classroom. My posts will include classroom expectations, news, and assignments. I plan on including pictures, too! At this time, there will not be a daily post of homework. However, I will blog about upcoming major projects and assignments. Please continue to check the blog periodically and make comments. Comments are sent to my e-mail before being shown on the blog. Therefore, I can timely answer any questions about information I have posted. If you have a question or concern that more individually relates to your child, please e-mail (there is a link in "My Profile") or call me. I'm very excited about the new blog, the new year, and meeting my new class! See you soon!