Happy May the Forth Be With You Day & Happy Cinco DeMayo

Dear Parents of Room 10,

      Wow!  I can’t believe how quickly this year is flying by both personally and professionally. Your children have been an amazing class and 5B community, and I look forward to spending the remainder of the year with them. Today we marked another milestone. Not only is it May 4^th (May the Fourth be With You Day), but we also celebrated Cinco de Mayo. It was such a great day!  I am sharing some photos I took this morning!  In case you are wondering, the two Chewbaccas are Connor and Owen!

      Things are shaping up for our Nature’s Classroom visit, May 14-16. This is the first time we have ever had school the day after our return, so I suspect we will all be a tad tired on Thursday. Please expect us to arrive back to school at around 2pm Wednesday afteroon. You should either be here to pick up your child at that time, or you need to arrange for someone else to take them home.  Mrs. Bonacquist will keep you updated throughout the day on the 16^th about our exact arrival time. I have been asked by some folks about how to contact their child while we are away. Unless it is an emergency, you will not hear from me or your child by telephone during our trip. However, I will update the class blog with information and pictures.

….. Growing to Maturity (henceforth known as GTM) is scheduled for the end of May. I will be teaching the boys with Mr. Burns and Mrs. Ward, Mrs. O’Shea and Ms. Qualtere will work with the girls.  Details and an opportunity to view the materials we use will be coming soon!                                     Enjoy the weekend!  Lester B. and class

Cursive FUN!

Dear Students and Parents of Room 10,

      Last week was quite busy with NYS ELA testing.  During testing time, it can be very stressful for all of us.  With testing comes the promise of Spring and the attempts to get outside for a bit to relax and let the kids be kids.  I LOVED watching them play tag on Friday afternoon. They ran and played together, and I watched with amazement. Ah, to be 11 years old and carefree. Or better yet, to be 11  years old and be able to run all around the playground without breaking a sweat or huffing and puffing!

      Cursive has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Several years ago, I was interviewed by a staff writer for the Times Union about the dying art of cursive. Although I wasn't crazy about the angle that the writer took in constructing this article, I appreciated the time given to the "Latin" of written communication. As you know, I have been working on cursive this year with your children. On Friday, we used shaving cream to practice all of the lower-case letters. This week, we will focus on upper-case letters. Whether you share my enthusiasm for cursive or view it as archaic, I have taken some really cute photos of the children using shaving cream to write their letters.  Unfortunately, Dylan and Harrison are missing from these photos.  Lester B. and class

5B Happenings!

Greetings from Room 10,

       First of all, I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of the 5B families for your support during our 5th grade musical. It truly takes the support of all of you to make this event happen. Despite the snow and postponements, this year’s musical was amazing! I am so proud of all the children!!  I am attaching a photo of the whole cast and crew!  

       This week the children completed their final assignment for our second book club.  They did an outstanding job presenting with their groups.  Their Google Slides were beautifully done, and they were all so poised during their book talks.  Kudos to all 21 members of the Betor Bunch! Attached are photos of each group!  

       Our persuasive writing unit is winding down. The children are preparing to finalize their piece. I have one last mini-lesson to present on Monday. Then the children will take one final look, print and publish.

       Next Thursday evening is our Wax Museum. The children should arrive no later than 6:15pm, and the museum will be open from 6:30-7:30pm. If you would like to send in either a sweet or healthy treat for our bake sale, please use the following link for “Sign-Up Genius.”

http://www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C084AACA92DA1FF2-waxmuseum

       The final two pictures I am posting are the March Phenology photos.  Enjoy!