Charlotte and Wilbur: Friends Till the End.

Dear Parents of Room 10,

What an exciting week we had in Room 10, despite the fact that we had Monday off.  It was really fun to hear the children practice for their winter concert.  Mrs. Rosselli has prepared an amazing program for both the fourth and fifth grade students.  I have the pleasure of being the page-turner again this year for Mrs. Summers.  Tuesday afternoon will be the school concert and Tuesday evening the children will be performing for their families at the High School.  The children will receive specific details concerning their arrival times, depending on whether they are in band, orchestra or choir only.  See you Tuesday night!

The respiratory system has been our focus for the last two weeks.  It will culminate with a quiz later this week.  I am excited to introduce the whale unit to the boys and girls.  In addition to learning about whale anatomy, behaviors and whaling history, we will also be watching “The Voyage of the Mimi,” starring a 10-year-old Ben Affleck.  It’s old but still relevant.

Spelling will be on hiatus for the next few weeks.  Instead, we will focus on vocabulary.  It’s never too early to prep for the SATs, so I have selected vocabulary words from a list of 100 Top SAT words.  The children will have activities related to their 10 vocabulary words each week, and they will take a vocabulary test on Fridays.  A cumulative test will be given at the conclusion of the unit.  You should see your child studying their vocabulary words nightly.

Last week the reading skill we focused on was Author’s Purpose.  It was a full-class lesson that outlined the three primary reasons an author writes: to inform, to entertain or to persuade.  Currently, we are learning about persuasive or argumentative essays.  The children have taken a position on whether chocolate milk should be served in the cafeteria, and they have begun to edit and revise their piece.

On Thursday, the kids worked with their Bacher Buddies to make their very own Wilbur that is now on display outside our room above their Charlotte projects.  The kids thoroughly enjoy working with their second grade buddies.  It’s always nice to see our 5^th graders take on a leadership role. 

      See you all on Tuesday night!
      Lester Betor and class 

Pajama Day 2014!

Greetings from Room 10,
        This was a particularly productive week as we moved head-on into our new writing unit.  The children have been exposed to a few articles that debate whether school cafeterias should serve chocolate milk.  I have been impressed by how well they can articulate their points and opinions.  Lots more reading about chocolate milk next week.
         We began our respiratory unit in health.  The children have been exposed to a considerable number of new vocabulary words as we investigate the breathing process.  It's an interesting unit, but then again, one of our topics yesterday was boogers.  I mean, can it get any better than that?
         The next Betor's Bulls-Eye project is due February 14th, which is the last day before min-winter break.  I have already been given many projects.  If your child has not yet completed his/her 3rd project, please make sure it is ready for the 14th.
         In grammar we have focused on the homophones your & you're, their, there & they're and its & it's.  I am pleased to say that they did very well.
         The Betor/Bacher Buddies got together on Thursday to make a Charlotte's Web project.  They are currently being displayed in our hallway.  I took lots of photos which should be included on the "One School, One Book" website.
         Bagel Thursday and Pajama Day 2014 both proved to be fun events.  I am attaching several pictures of the kids lounging around reading in their jammies and their stuffed animals.

         Have a wonderful long weekend!  Take care, Lester Betor & class

Happy New Year!!

                                                                                                                   January 1, 2014

Happy New Year!

          As we say goodbye to the year 2013, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished so far this school year.  We have published several writing pieces, learned about crayfish, performed many readers’ theatre plays, learned many new vocabulary words, completed Jeff’s Journey, focused on the geography of the Western Hemisphere, enjoyed four read-alouds and graduated from DARE.

          We also participated in philanthropic endeavors by making and selling Rainbow Loom bracelets to support breast cancers, collecting toiletries for our local food bank and Grassroots Givers and collecting donations for the people of the Philippines.  And we accomplished all of this and MORE in a mere four months.  Pretty impressive, right!

READING

          Moving into 2014 gives us all the opportunity for a fresh start and to renew our academic focus.  Establishing a nightly reading routine is very important.  In September we decided as a class that students must read a minimum of 30 minutes nightly in order to be able to finish at least 25 books this year.  For Betor’s Bulls-Eye, that includes a brief summary (2-3 sentences) of each book.  At his point, the children should have read and documented between 10-12 books.  During a recent Betor’s Bulls-Eye “state-of-the-class” I discovered that many students are NOT keeping up with this reading requirement; that is, not completing their nightly homework.  In looking over their Betor’s Bulls-Eye packets, I have found that far too many students are NOT keeping up with their nightly reading assignment.  When school resumes, please take a peek at your child’s Betor’s Bulls-Eye packet to get an idea of where he or she stands.  More importantly, please ensure that your child is reading at least 30 minutes every evening.

WRITING

          Starting this month, your child will be assigned writing homework a few nights each week.  This is based on a new writing program developed by author Lucy Calkins.  Our first unit is a research-based argument essay. Beginning the week of January 6^th we will be doing four preliminary writing exercises, and the children will be completing a writing pre-assessment.  The following week we will begin the new unit.  I am excited to get started with this program, and I am anxious to see the essays the children write.

REPORT CARDS

          As you recall, students will be receiving two report cards this year;  one in January and one in June.  I shared the format of the new report cards during our parent-teacher conference in the Fall.  They have been updated to reflect the Common Core curriculum.  I will let you know when the report cards may be viewed on BC@Home. 

         

          I am looking forward to the exciting times I will share with your children as we move through the remainder of their 5^th grade experience.  Next up…MUSICAL AUDITIONS!

                                                                                                Happy 2014!  Lester Betor