The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Seasons Greetings!

       This has been a spectacular week. We got so much accomplished while having fun. I think the highlight of the week was participating in the “Hour of Code” yesterday afternoon. Through the website, code.org, the children learned how to program the video game Minecraft. They had to write code to maneuver through 14 levels. THEY LOVED IT!!

       This afternoon the children will enjoy a rollicking game of dreidel where they will play for Starburst Fruit Chews. I am attaching pictures from the games, as promised!

       They just finished their first writing unit and are submitting their final copies to me a few at a time. Our next writing assignment will be a DARE essay. We have explored seven amazing ways to write an introduction, and I will give the kids an opportunity to get started with the essay in school. They will be expected to finish the DARE essay at home. They may hand-write or type their final copy. I have not given them a due date yet, as we are unsure of the DARE Graduation date. I suspect it will be sometime in January.

       December 23^rd at 9:50am will be our Kidnastics show, and our holiday party will be immediately following.  Plan to join us!  Have a wonderful warm weekend!

                                                                                                              Lester B. & Class

PJ Day in 5B!

Greetings from 5B!
      On Friday we celebrated a great beginning to the school year by wearing PJs, bringing in favorite stuffed animals and blankets and having a popcorn party!  The children had an amazing day.  I am sharing some of the pictures both Mrs. Price and I took during their "Read-In."  Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

Greeting Parents of Room 10,

      The children's last Halloween Party was wonderful.  Thank you to everyone who sent in goodies.  They thoroughly enjoyed the treats while playing Bingo. We also sang three of our favorite songs.  We promise to sing for you when you come to visit us on November 16th for American Education Week. Details to follow.

      The following is a photo of the masks that the children made for the homeless children at the Marillac Shelter.  I think they came out great!!

      Now that the Crayfish Unit is over, I am looking for families to adopt the crayfish.  If you are willing to take one, please either send me a note or email to let me know that you want one.  Because live animals are not allowed on the bus, if you "win" a crayfish, you will need to pick him/her up by Friday at 3:45pm.  I will award the crayfish on a first-come, first-serve basis.

      Don't forget that dismissal on Tuesday will be at 12:10pm in honor of Election Day. 

                                                                                                  Have a great week!

                                                                                                  Lester B. & class

CRAYFISH and CHROME BOOKS!

Greetings Parents of Room 10,
     Today the children had their first peak at "Growing to Maturity" as they were asked to determine the gender of their crayfish. They love taking the crayfish out of their habitat and working with them.  I am attaching photos of the children posing with their respective crayfish buddy.

     Mr. Brown from our Tech Office came for a visit this morning to help the children "jump start" their personal Chrome Books.  A Chrome Book has been assigned to each student, and they will have the opportunity to use  them for the entire school year.  Here are some photos of the children with their Chrome Books.

      Be sure to read your child's Weekly Reflection.  I have provided some information regarding Betor's Bulls-Eye, the crayfish unit test, the Fifth Grade Musical, our Halloween Party and the Marillac Shelter service project.
      Have a wonderful weekend!                    Lester B. and class

Room 10 Update!

Dear families of Room 10,

We had another wonderful week in Room 10.  It has grown into an amazing classroom environment of mutual respect and kindness.  Each morning the children repeatedly ask about singing, and often the subject comes up during the day. Thanks to Ellie Dunn we are adding a few more songs to our repertoire. We will be sharing them with you during your visit for American Education Week. Details to follow. Please note that a request for the initial $100 deposit for Nature’s Classroom went home yesterday. The deposit is due by October 23^rd. Thank you for sharing your children with me!       Lester B.

Our First Week Together

Dear Parents of Room 10,

Our first few days of school have come to a close, and we have had an amazing start to the 2015-2016 school year. The class is coming together as a learning community, and it is really nice to see them work together cooperatively.  It was a busy and fun-filled few days as we prepared for Open House.

It was really nice to have the opportunity to meet many of you last evening at our Open House.  I always feel a tad rushed and tend to talk really fast, so if there is anything you need clarified, please let me know.  Your children worked really hard this week as we prepared to “dazzle” you last night with their self-portraits and letters.

Next week we will begin to discuss and chart the guidelines for reading workshop.  We will also begin to practice literacy stations in preparation for guided reading.  The variety of stations I have prepared offer practice in various language arts skills.  I also include other curricular areas in stations such as non-fiction reading about crayfish.

Each week the children will bring home a “Weekly Reflection” in which they will reflect on their week. Most weeks I will write a note (just like this one).  I will ask that you read and sign their weekly reflection.  Also, feel free to write a note on the bottom or on the back.  I will also post it on our class blog so that we will have a history of all our blogs for the school year.   The address for our class blog is http://thebetorbunch.blogspot.com/                                           

Have a wonderful long weekend!                                          Lester B and class

First Day of School is COMING!

Greetings From Room 10!

      While not everyone was able to join us for supply drop-off on Wednesday, it was a pleasure meeting those of you who were able to come.  Remember that on Tuesday, students should bring their supplies to school along with a $3.15 check made out to "Slingerlands" for the assignment notebook and $5 cash for the BARE book.

      Please be sure to carefully look through all of the papers your child will be bringing home on Tuesday! Some of the material is date-sensitive.  Also, please pay close attention to the letter from our school nurse regarding the allergy concerns in our classroom.  Room 10 is an Allergy-Smart classroom!! Please do not send snacks to school which contain peanuts!  However, we will have a snack every morning around 11:15am so be sure to send your child with a healthy, peanut-free snack every day.  Also, please send your child to school with a refillable water bottle.  The weather forecast for Tuesday currently is calling for temperatures in the 90s. Obviously, the school is not air-conditioned, so it's important to stay hydrated.

      I updated our "Special Schedule" on our BLOG.  You will notice that on the first day of school we have Art.  Each Wednesday and Friday your child will have physical education. It is imperative that he/she wears (or brings) sneakers on PE days. Otherwise, they may be unable to participate.

      Thursday night I will begin my classroom presentation at 7:30pm. Feel free to stop in at about 7:15 so you can sign up for party supplies and your October conference.

      Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day!                       Lester Betor