Student Led Conferences, Report Cards, and Award Ceremonies

Dear parents,

It is that time of year again when students receive report cards. Students will receive report cards on January 28th. Some additional information will be included in the report card this term, including retention letters for those students below grade level (77%) or whose tests grades put them at risk for possibly failing the End of Grade Test. If you receive a retention letter, please sign up for a time to meet for a conference (conference times attached to the retention letter).

Awards Ceremony for Grades 5-9 will occur on January 28th at 9:00 am. Your child's homeroom teacher will inform you if your child will receive an award this quarter.

Please keep in mind that student led conferences will occur this Wednesday, January 26th for 6B and 7B in the new Science Lab (classroom closest to the road). This is an opportunity for your child to show you what he or she has learned this quarter. Although I will be in the room to facilitate and answer questions, student led conferences are not intended for parent-teacher conferences. Please schedule a separate conference time if this is your intention. I welcome you in advance to attend the Student Led conference and to visit our new Science classroom!

Grade 5: Week of January 24 to 28th

Due to the difficult nature of the Nine Weeks test on Newton's Laws, we will go over the Nine Weeks test on Monday and any student receiving less than a B will have the opportunity to rewrite it. Newton's Laws and vocabulary are sometimes difficult to grasp, even though we have have gone over many concrete and practical examples of each one. However, there are also other possible reasons for lower test grades: some children did not study as much as they could have, only read the questions instead of tested themselves with a partner, did not complete the Bingo Science vocabulary for homework before the test for practice, were absent during the review, or still have weaker reading comprehension skills.

Your child will bring home the test for you to see on Monday and will have corrections for homework if s/he received less than 80%. I will instruct students on the best way to write corrections (using key words and synonyms for difficult words), and explain the most missed questions. Then students will write corrections three times each for repetition and have the opportunity to receive help from me. I will not allow students who received 80% and below to rewrite the test without having done the corrections since studying is one of the keys to mastery of concepts.

We will then learn about landforms: types of landforms, where they are located in the United States, and what forms each one. We will make a 3-D model of ocean, desert, plains, or mountain landforms. Since the 3-D models require a lot of clay, Your child will receive a letter requesting a dollar or donation of a clay package.

Thank you for your support!

Grade 6: Week of January 24 to 28th

Space....the final frontier! Students will choose a planet for their project this week. Your child will bring home a sheet on project details and expectations on Monday. Please sign this paper and feel free to email me about any questions you may have. The only materials your child will need to bring is research by Thursday (book or internet print outs) and poster paper or material to make a model for the additional project if that is what your child chooses. Please let me know if you do not have access to the internet at home or Power Point to create a slide show.

Grade 7: Week of January 24 to 28th

Grade 7s will continue to examine the parts and functions of the brain, including the right and left hemisphere. We will do inquiries to determine whether students use their left or right brain more often, where most neurons/nerves are located in the body, and what causes a reflex action. Finally, we will watch the video, "The Brain" to gain a greater understanding of our own inner workings. Students will receive questions for homework throughout the week, and a work packet to be completed by Wednesday or Thursday (depending which class). Students will receive a test next week.

Grade 8: Week of January 24 to 28th

Grade 8s will continue to learn about biological, geological, and technological change. Students will piece together continents and examine evidence that these continents have moved apart slowly over time through continental drift. Technological advances we will examine are remote sensing in satellites, both active and passive, and spectral signatures. Students will receive their tests back early this week.

Grade 5: Week of Jan. 17th to 21st

Students will take their nine weeks test on Newton's Laws and simple machines on Thursday and Friday, depending on which class they are in. All of the test will be multiple choice to practice for the End of Grade test. I will hand back the simple machines test on Wednesday for 5A. Our next unit is landforms.

Grade 6: Week of Jan. 17th to 21st

Grade 6 will have a test on the moon and sun on Thursday. We will continue to document the moon's phases this month. Our next topic is our solar system and the planets. Please expect a project sheet next Monday about planets. Students will select a planet to do a project on and more information will follow.