HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

OUR HOLIDAY WALL is the result of four teams working together in design and construction to create a festive backdrop in our classroom.  Students worked before school, during their lunch period, and free time to decorate the stage for the holidays.

SARDINES ON CRACKERS were a featured snack in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  We wish to apologize to our adjacent classrooms who tolerated the odor of this delicacy last week.  Not everyone was brave enough to try them.  I think most of us are waiting for an afternoon treat of Turkish Delight instead.

THE CHRISTMAS POTLUCK at the Chittenden Home was a special opportunity for students to "deck the halls" with fancy clothing and share in an evening of good friends, great food, and holiday entertainment. We want to thank all the parents for the amazing salads, main dishes, and desserts for our potluck.

The Great Room looked very festive at the class party.

Decisions on food choice were the most difficult part of the evening.

Brooke and others shared their musical talent for our entertainment.

MATHEMATICS is often very challenging for fifth grade learners.  Over the years, we have witnessed a multitude of methods on how best to teach young learners not only the basic skills but mathematical concepts and logic.  Although our first unit in the our new math series was a big challenge, I am beginning to see some outstanding progress in class.  Most recently we scored 10 percentage points higher than the district average on the first trimester common assessment.  We are currently learning the number theory behind multiplying and dividing fractions.  Determining which functions to use in real-world situations is the most recent challenge we have faced.  It's always a good day, however, when we get to use our "sandbox" to experiment with these challenges.

Brooke, Owen, Lauren, and Owen work in Mangahigh Math in the media center.

MANGAHIGH.COM is one of the world's first games-based learning sites, where students learn Mathematics via purpose-built games that balance fun and learning.  White Pines recently secured access for all our fifth and sixth grade students to this Mangahigh site.  The assigned "challenges" relate to specific concepts we encounter in mathematics.  The games provide contexts that often bring out the "real world" application of these concepts, increasing student engagement in the content and encouraging them to explore further.  Thank you to those who have sent a contribution into the school to help defray the expense of this project.

PENDALOUAN OUTDOOR EDUCATION

OUTDOOR EDUCATION at YMCA Camp Pendalouan always provides an amazing experience for fifth grade students; and this year was no exception.  Although the second day challenged us with some rain, our first day was packed full of adventurous outdoor activities.  Click on any image for a larger view of the  photo highlight.

Mrs. Balsom, Mrs. Pellegrom, Ms. Anderson, and Ms. Westerman

Building a shelter was a part of the survival class.

Finding dry materials to start a fire was no picnic.

Camp counselor Thomas helps us "survive" in the woods.

Using harnesses, helmets, cables, ropes and wooden beams strung 20 to 35 feet high among trees or poles, teams explore risk-taking, trust and coaching during the Pendalouan high ropes course and climbing wall.

Myla provided an impressive demonstration of her "no fear" attitude.

Waiting and watching is all a part of the adventure.

Micah celebrates success on the climbing wall.

Working together was an essential part of the challenge activities. 

The Space Web proved to be an extreme challenge for most teams.

Crossing the "raging river" in the rain required considerable teamwork.

Candle making was a part of our Pioneer Life class.

Canoeing Big Blue Lake was an essential part of our "fur trading" on Wednesday afternoon.

Making cornmeal bread with camp counselors Emily and Courtney was tasty.

McKenzie, Mark, and Emma enjoy a relaxing swing.

TEAMS WORKING

AS WE CONCLUDE our fourth week in fifth grade, I am so pleased with the progress we are making as learners and the efficient teamwork of this class.  Although not every aspect of all daily procedures are in place, we are well on our way to understanding the routines of each week. 

INTERACTION in the classroom is essential to learning.  Students often consult with members of their team and work together to solve problems.  During our word studies, students tutor each other from a developmentally appropriate spelling list.  In math class, student partners often collaborate to formulate equations and solve problems.  "None of us is as smart as all of us."

Seth and Jordyn work together on locating objects based on latitude and longitude.

OUR SOCIAL CONTRACT has been under construction for a few weeks.  Today we identified and agreed upon the basic elements of our classroom contract:  respect, selflessness, encouragement, kindness, safety, listening, safety, inclusion, responsibility, time management, and fun.

THE CLASSROOM COUNCIL is a response to the quality of leadership in this class.  The council will not only assist in planning special events, but they will be an integral part in helping with general classroom operations.  The following students met with me for our first Classroom Council meeting this week:  Lauren Streng, Owen Becklin, Gabby Scott, Colin Yetzke, Brooke Babbitt, Jordyn Nichols, Micah Simmons, Justine Wolffis.  Lauren and Owen also represent our class on the school Student Council.

Our fifth and sixth grade Student Council recently met before school in the Media Center.

PARENT CONNECT allows parents and teachers to dialogue about current academic and social topics at White Pines.  Open to all parents, the group met for their second meeting this past week as they discussed fifth and sixth grade mathematics.  Their next meeting will focus on the topic of reading and will be held on Thursday, October 10.  All Parent Connect evenings begin at 5:30 and conclude at 6:45.  Child care is provided.

Owen and Owen use calculators to help determine a common denominator while adding and subtracting fractions.

THE STUDENT HANDBOOK for White Pines is online.  Although we have looked at a few sections of the 23-page document in class, please be sure you and your child have reviewed the contents of the handbook.  I will be sending home an agreement the school has requested for a parent signature regarding your review.  Click HERE to go to the online student handbook.

SCHOLASTIC SCOPE is a new language arts magazine that we will be sharing with Ms. Westerman's class this year.  SCOPE offers a wide range of genres including informational and narrative nonfiction, short fiction, infographics, debates, speeches, and dramas based on myths, classic literature, and history. Click HERE for the online version and a variety of activities for the October 2013 issue.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION for our team of is scheduled for October 30-31 at YMCA Camp Pendalouan.  Thank you for returning all the requested forms and for volunteering to help with these two days outside of the classroom.  Click HERE for a camper checklist of items students should and should not bring.

NEW CLASS, GREAT TIMES

TIME FLIES when you are actively engaged in creating a new classroom community.  We have now completed 12 days of school and it is exciting to see the 29 students in our class come together as learners.  I am very impressed with the ability of this class/team at White Pines. 

We are off to a great start!  Click on any photo for a larger view.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION is set for October 30 and October 31 for our team.  The $60 registration fee is due this Friday, September 20.  Your check should be payable to GHAPS.  If you are interested in serving as a chaperone these two days, please contact Mr. Chittenden via email (chittenk@ghaps.org) as soon as possible.  The camper/student health form and high ropes course consent form is also due this Friday.

SOCIAL STUDIES is an important part of the content presented in fifth grade.  Our first test will be tomorrow, September 19.  Our focus has been on learning basic geography language and its application to reading maps, understanding various land forms.  The test permits open notes (not textbook) and students will use a learning response system to take the paperless test.

MATHEMATICS is an area that the fifth grade MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) will feature in October.  Our first unit of study in Everyday Mathematics Common Core addresses comparing, adding, and subtracting fractions.  These are challenging concepts, but we are making excellent progress in our understanding.

THE STUDENT PLANNER is an important communication tool.  Please check your child’s planner daily for a listing of assignments.  Students should “flag” their assignments as completed, in progress, or as homework requiring completion.  Please sign your child’s planner daily.

LASTING MEMORIES

THE JOY of working alongside an outstanding team of 28 learners this year will remain a fond memory of my first year at White Pines.  Parents, thank you for entrusting me with your fine children during the past 36 weeks.  My belief that "kids are teachers, too" is once again validated by the engagement and amazing achievement of this class.  As students seal their time capsules this week, we place artifacts of this past year into temporary storage (seven years).  It is my hope, however, that the memories of our shared experiences will remain fresh as we commence on another part of our journey this week. 

OUR TEAM PICNIC provided a memorable afternoon of activities in the green space outside St. Paul's United Church of Christ.  Students enjoyed a box lunch and a host of activities coordinated by parents. Several photo highlights of our picnic appear below.  Click on a photo for a full screen view.

The guys wasted no time diving into their Jimmy John's box lunch.

Emily, Brennan, Lexi, and Ashley prepare to "Steel the Bacon."

Lauren, Tatum, Morgan, Destiny coordinate their collaboration.

Catching marshmallows isn't all that easy when using butterfly nets.

Our class even enjoys the "agony of defeat" against Ms. Westerman's students.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT is a non profit organization that brings the real world to students through hands-on curriculum delivered by a trained classroom volunteer.  On Tuesday, our class shared in 5 lessons under the guidance of Renee Visser, Senior Business Consultant, of Haworth, Inc.  We focused our attention on the following topics:

• identify factors needed to create a entrepreneurial venture and advertising design
• learn about natural, human, and capital resources and how they apply to technology, business, and industry
• examine the skills (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) needed by jobs that are in demand by businesses in a free enterprise system
• learn about job clusters and being introduced to a simple resume and its components
• explore how our nation is connected to the global economy and the contribution of specialization and technology

Emily and Sam display their team's "Turbo Taxi" concept advertisement.

Ashley, Ryan, Claire, and Brandon discuss their "Get Connected" game card.

Kirk, Evan, Tatum, and Lexi discuss the the impact of a scarcity of workers.

Renee Visser of Haworth, Inc. discusses three types of resources and the STEM skills.

We created a visual representation of our nation's connectivity with the global economy.

THE WHITE  PINES Library/Media Center (LMC) now offers a link to several online whiteboard resources that transform informational text into videos, leveled texts, ebooks, and more.  Links toTrueFlix and FreedomFlix are located on the LMC web page.  Students have been given a user name and password to access these sites this summer.  The activities help students hone literacy skills, build knowledge of subject-area content, and cultivate 21st century skills through the inquiry process.

FINISHING STRONG

MOST OF YOU know that I enjoy running.  One aspect of running that is critical to success is the ability to pace oneself...preserve some "fuel" in order to finish strong.  Well, we have paced ourselves as a class this year and are experiencing a strong academic finish.

Throughout the year our class has remained above the district average in math as measured by their common assessments.  Our final evaluation indicated that the class responded with 88.8% correct answers in strands like decimals, fractions, multiplication, division, and word problems.  Impressively, eight students scored 100% on the assessment and the class scored 12.1% above the district average.

In regard to reading fluency and comprehension we began the year with 69% of the students in our class at grade level benchmark.  Our recent Developmental Reading Assessment indicated a significant improvement to 96% of students at benchmark.  Now that's a strong finish!

Josh H., Josh B., Morgan, Andre, Kiya, Carter, Claire, and Sam know how to make math matter. 
These students achieved perfect scores on their math common assessment this month.

WE SURVIVED  fifth grade...and it is now time to celebrate.  On Monday, June 3, we will spend the afternoon enjoying a box lunch and various yard games in the green area at St. Paul's United Church of Christ.  There is no cost to students for this special event from 12:30 to 3:00.  Special thanks goes out to our parent volunteers: Mandy Barlow, Laura Graham, Amy Zelenka, Maureen Hampton, Sarah Boogerd, Nancy Bramer, Wendi Gutierrez, and Abby Hyink.

Sam and James enjoy one of our favorite math games, Factor Captor.

MANIFEST DESTINY has been the topic of our social studies for several weeks with a considerable focus on Lewis and Clark and the Corp of Discovery in the exploration of the Louisiana Territory  between 1804 and 1806.  It was quite an amazing accomplishment nearly 210 years ago as our nation doubled in land size almost overnight at a price of only 15 million dollars.

Andre, Destiny, Evan, and Braily complete a graphic organizer following a
 collaborative activity about the Louisiana Territory in social studies.

SCIENCE with Ms. Westerman has included an examination of three different "systems" in our lives: classification systems, ecosystems, and human body systems.  Students have used the characteristics of organisms to build model ecosystems, classify organisms by physical traits, and research human body systems and how they work together.

Claire and Tatum study science vocabulary cards in preparation for their final test.

 

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT will host a special day of activities for our class this Tuesday, June 4.  This will will provided practical information about the economic need for individuals who can meet the demands of today's job market...including high-growth, high-demand jobs.  We will learn about entrepreneurship as well as the different types of resources needed in business production.