Chittenden Chit Chat

ADVENTURES AT PENDALOUAN

2012-01-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

OUTDOOR EDUCATION allows students to share in a variety of team building activities and to grow in the open air of YMCA Camp Pendalouan. This year nearly 50 students and 15 adults participated in our two days of Snow Camp. Here are some photo highlights of our time together. You can click on any photo to view an enlarged image.

Josh, Robbie, and Mason (foreground) join their activity group for
some cross-country skiing.

Caleb, Morgan, China, and Robbie reference their compass and map
for information during Gold Rush.

Kaitlyn lines up for a brief orientation to skiing.

Sam carefully finds the right path during a challenge activity.

Grace collects tinder and kindling during her survival class.

Mr. Stafford helps Elliott, Jesse, and Dylan build a fire.

Kaitlynn and Isabelle succeed at building a shelter.

How will this group work together to solve their problem?

Broomball is always an exhilarating elective.

Kearstin and Matthew head out on the trail.

The Gaga Pit was a favorite place to burn off some extra energy.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2011-12-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

OUR CHRISTMAS POTLUCK launched the holidays in a classic style as we dressed up for an evening of food, fun, and entertainment at the Chittenden home in Spring Lake. Thank you for sharing so much good food and for providing transportation for students.

Paige, Isabel, Grace, Kearstin, and Anna perform at the Christmas Potluck.

Matthew, Nate, Robbie, and Caleb all dressed up in holiday style.

THE FIFTH GRADE HOLIDAY CONCERT featured our choir, band, and orchestra this morning. Many students, families, and friends shared in this special event in the gymnasium at Lake Hills. We appreciate the efforts of our music teachers, Mari Jo Koedyker, Melissa Myers, and Greg Maynard.


Kaitlyn and Kearstin performed this morning with the fifth grade orchestra.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT'S elementary school program shows students the relevance of education to the work place and helps students understand work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. Junior Achievement uses hands-on experiences to help young people understand the economics of life. David Brockmyre from the C2 Group is our classroom consultant for Junior Achievement this year.

David Brockmyre presents one of the Junior Achievement lessons.

Mason, Tyler, and Caleb interact to create a job skills chart based on the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

BEATING THE ODDS

2011-11-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

LAKE HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL was recently named among 8 area schools for surpassing predictions of student achievement based on demographics. This is the second year the Michigan Department of Education compiled the BEATING THE ODDS list, intended to recognize successful programs rather than struggling schools. The study identified schools that performed above their predicted levels, based on risk factors such as percent economically disadvantaged and percent students with disabilities. This past year Lake Hills was also recognized in the top 10% of all Michigan schools for their academic achievement. Congratulations to us!

SNOW CAMP offers two exciting days of outdoor education at Camp Pendalouan for our fifth grade students. Walt Whitman once said: "Now I see the secret of making the best persons; it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." The YMCA facility is a four-season camp nestled in a secluded bay of Big Blue Lake in Montague. Students will spend January 25-26 in outdoor education.

WORLD'S FINEST CHOCOLATE is being sold by students to help raise their tuition for Snow Camp. Profit from the sale will be applied to individual accounts. All monies from the candy bar sale must be returned by Thursday, December 1. Please provide a check or money order made payable to Lake Hills School.

Student Council Representatives Anna, Mason, and Kaitlynn show their excitement about the candy bar fund raiser for outdoor education that began this week. Fifth grade students are raising money to attend Snow Camp at YMCA Camp Pendalouan in January.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT will provide lessons in understanding various types of businesses and production models. Local businessman David Brockmyre will be presenting these five lessons to our class after Thanksgiving.

REPORT CARDS for our first trimester will be sent home on Monday, December 12. Students will receive a standing in relationship to specific standards in reading, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, and work habits.

DETERMINATION is the theme for our guided reading groups this trimester. Students are reading realistic fiction adventure stories by authors Louis Sachar, Gary Paulsen, and John Gardiner. Each group also focuses on the application of specific reading strategies in their study and extensive vocabulary development.

Grace, Sam, Justin, and Macy read together in their guided reading group.

Kearstin enjoys her favorite cereal during our recent Compliment Party.

Monopoly was included in the recent Compliment Party as well.

THANKGIVING BREAK begins Wednesday, November 23. Classes will not be held from November 23-28. School resumes on Tuesday, November 29.

CHANGING TO LEARN is a 14-minute documentary about the role technology has played at Lake Hills in recent years. Produced by Kirby and Jeffrey Chittenden earlier this year, the video was presented as a part of a technology conference at Arizona State University in March. Just click this YouTube link to view it online.

GOOD TIMES FOR ALL

2011-11-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU for taking the time to meet in parent-teacher conferences this week It was a pleasure to meet with almost all classroom families these past three days. School resumes on Monday, November 7.

DESTINY will be the theme in our Reader's Workshop beginning next week as we launch a focus on adventure in our literature groups. Novels by Gary Paulsen, Louis Sachar, and John Gardiner will allow guided reading groups to reinforce reading strategies taught in whole-class lessons.

PUMPKINS can provide a great opportunity for students to collect data and establish such landmarks as range, mean, median, and mode. More than 6,400 seeds were harvested in our recent exploration. The mean mass of our 12 pumpkins was 2.2 kilograms while their median circumference was 61.5 centimeters. Three pumpkins established a mode for 22 veins in the set. The mean seed count totaled 536.3 seeds per pumpkin.

Macy and Nate determine the circumference of their pumpkin using a centimeter tape.

Kaitlynn and Jesse begin to scoop out hundreds of pumpkin seeds to include in our data analysis.

OUR CLASS recently earned their tenth unsolicited compliment for their classroom behavior. We will enjoy our first Compliment Party this month and spend a few extra hours in a Monopoly Tournament and enjoying our favorite cereal.

THE CANDY BARS for our Snow Camp fund raiser will be arriving in a few weeks. Students will have at least two weeks to sell the kits they ordered last month. A date for the annual outdoor education program at YMCA Camp Pendalouan will be announced soon.

OUR HALLOWEEN PARTY this year included a special feature of Fear Factor where students were asked to consume all sorts of mixed up food appearing as rather gross concoctions, even for a fifth grade palette.

The beef stew looked good until Mrs. Scarpino decided to put it in a blender for Kaitlynn and Kelly.

Alexis goes searching for the hidden gum during the desert round of Fear Factor.

Grace seems to be enjoying the "maggots" on her cracker.

Caleb truly puts himself into his work and play.

HEADING TO THE HOLIDAYS

2011-10-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

OUR HALLOWEEN PARTY is this Monday afternoon beginning at 2:20. Christina Scarpino is coordinating this event and many of you have agreed to bring to special treats. Students may bring, not wear, appropriate costumes to school for the afternoon party. Our classroom is always a fun area for the costume parade to travel through.

THANKSGIVING is just around the corner. Information about the the annual food drive will be coming your way soon. Fifth grade students will be selling candy bars during the holiday once the shipment arrives at Lake Hills around November 17.

CHRISTMAS PLANS are already in many of your schedules. Our Class Christmas Potluck will be at the Chittenden Home on Thursday evening, December 8, from 6:15 to 8:00. More information about this student event will be coming next month.

Kearstin and Anna work on their violin parts during orchestra rehearsal.

THE FUN RUN was a great success. The fifth grade White Dogs came in SECOND place raising $930.61 to help support PTA-sponsored activities at Lake Hills. Thank you for your generous support of this primary event last Friday afternoon. A total of $5,276.76 was raised in the all-school effort.

BREAKFAST is the most important meal of the day. I was surprised to hear that several students choose not to eat breakfast on school days. After going without food, fasting, for the entire night, the body needs to be replenished with fuel for the new day, a break of the fast. Please make sure your child eats breakfast EVERY day or make arrangement for them to eat at school before our day begins.

Macy and Nate determine equations for the perimeter and area of complex figures.

BOXTOPS for education is an excellent way for our school to earn dollars. Our class came in second place in the recent collection and will enjoy an ice cream sundae party. Please keep saving your boxtops for the next round of collection.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES are scheduled for November 1-3. Your conference day and time was sent home this week. Please reply with the attached confirmation portion of the appointment reminder. There will be NO school on the afternoon of November 3 as well as all day November 4 and 5 due to these important conferences.

Kaitlynn, Robbie, Mason, Justin, and Sam join the woodwinds during band rehearsal.

OUR STUDENT COUNCIL is a service-oriented group that works to represent our student body at Lake Hills. The fifth grade council meets frequently with our principal during their lunch period. We are glad that Mason Mahacek, Anna Holman, and Kaitlynn Park represent our class.

FULL SPEED AHEAD

2011-10-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

THE SCHOOL YEAR is in full gear and students are actively engaged in the routines of each day. Thank you for your continual support of all we do for students at Lake Hills. Our recent Outdoor Movie Night was a great success and something we hope to repeat in future years. Our blog has a new look and the post today features some of the special activities our fifth grade students enjoy at Lake Hills.

MEDIA SKILLS CLASS has allowed students to create a PowerPoint presentation about how non-fiction titles are organized in the school library with the Dewey Decimal System. Students meet with Cyndi Phillip for a 50-minute class each week in media and computer skill development.

Kaitlynn and Isabel work together on their PowerPoint presentation in Media Skills.

MEAP TESTING begins next Tuesday for fifth grade students. Students will complete the Reading portion of the assessment on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Math and Science MEAP tests will be given the following Tuesday and Wednesday, October 18-19. It is very important that students are in school these days or else they will need to be assigned to take the MEAP test on a make-up day.

THE FUN RUN provides our school families with a plan to support the many activities sponsored by the Northshore PTA. The goal for each student is to raise at least $20 to support a wide variety of activities including special assemblies. Please be generous in your giving and support this all-school event on Thursday, October 20.

JUNIOR GREAT BOOKS offers a great place for us to move full speed ahead with reading before our Reading Workshop groups are established. Learning to provide evidence for our directed notes allows students to become actively engaged in an interpretive reading, writing and discussion about literature.

Alexis is reading a short story in which she will provide a written response to several comments by a main character.

SNOW CAMP is an outdoor education program at YMCA Camp Pendalouan that our fifth grade students participate in each winter. Students will begin a fund-raising effort next month to help pay for the $50 tuition required for this two-day event. Information about selling World's Finest Chocolate bars was sent home yesterday. Parents are asked to respond to the information by next Wednesday, October 12.

ART CLASS allows students to explore a variety of concepts including drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, mixed media, and more. Irene Sipe provides instruction to our class on Friday mornings. Students are currently working on constructing a life-size painting of a guitar using fluorescent paints.

Carter and Robbie work on creating their guitars in art class.

OUR ROOM LIBRARY is now actually FOUR libraries totaling more than 700 selections sorted into grade level fiction by author. Finding that "just right" book is now much easier for students based on their selection in the blue, green, red, and yellow libraries. Students and parents may donate books to our room library at any time.

Nate and Anna search through our recently updated room library of over 700 selections.

FRESH START

2011-09-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

THE PARENT ORIENTATION last week was well-attended and I enjoyed getting to meet many of you. It is my pleasure to be working with your children as their fifth grade teacher. Thank you for your willingness to be a part of our journey this year. This blog will serve as an electronic newsletter of events that are scheduled and ones we have shared together. Please note the calendar of many classroom/school events on the right side bar.

This is our fifth grade class of 24 students. Click on any blog photo to view a larger image.

ARTWALK 2011 will showcase artistic efforts from the local area and beyond. There will be outdoor sculpture along the Grand River waterfront, in Central Park, and other locations around town. Paintings, mixed media, indoor sculpture and photographs will be on view throughout Grand Haven. The fifth graders will participate in a field trip to ArtWalk on Tuesday, September 27. Transportation will leave Lake Hills at 9:40 am and lunch will be provided by the DeeLite.

Isabel and Kaitlynn view the beautiful display at the Holland Rock and Mineral Show during our recent field trip.

SOCIAL STUDIES instruction in fifth grade focuses mainly on American history before 1805. However, our first unit of study is in the area of geography as we learn how to better read maps and understand the physical features of our planet. Students complete each unit of study with a paperless assessment using remote key pads to record their answers to questions.

Paige, Sam, Kaitlynn, and Jesse participate in a team activity as we focus on recognizing Constitution Day.

STUDENTS AND PARENTS are invited to the Chittenden Home on Saturday evening, October 1, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm for an outdoor movie and bonfire. Please bring a lawn chair along and dress for the weather. Popcorn and beverages will be provided and we might even roast marshmallows.


Mason helps Anna distribute her windmill cookie to Macy as students share an artifact that represents a "culture" of which they are part.

THE SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR begins next week. Students in our class will preview and/or purchase books on Wednesday. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to build their home library and to select books for their independent reading this year.

LET THE SUMMER BEGIN

2011-06-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU for the many year end gifts and greetings. This has been an amazing group of students to work alongside and I will miss them. I hope you and yours will enjoy a wonderful summer.

Not much left to our classroom on the last day of school.

SUMMER TUTORING in reading, writing, and mathematics is available with Katie Prins who student taught in fifth grade this year. You may call or email her for a free introductory session at your home. If you are concerned about your child losing their current level of achievement during the summer, give contact her via email or call her at 616-283-1309.

Boxes are all finally packed and evacuation underway for the renovations.

SUMMER READING is very important and many students made a commitment to read at least 4 books this summer. I already have my list comprised and will enjoy the Nook versions of several books this summer.

Our custodian, Bob, passes through what remains of the library/media center.

ACTIVE 60 places an emphasis on students getting outdoors for at least 60 minutes EVERYDAY this summer for some physical activity. I know I will be participating in the Spring Lake Heritage Festival Run this month as well as riding my bike 100 miles to help support the efforts of Bluebird Cancer Retreats. Please enjoy the Michigan outdoors and remain active every single day of summer vacation.

Workers are already replacing windows in the media center as part of the energy saving improvements at Lake Hills this summer. New doors, ceilings, carpet, and lighting along with improvements in heating and cooling are scheduled.

ANOTHER GREAT CLASS PLAY

2011-06-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

SEVEN PERFORMANCES last week were received with great reviews from students and parents. Our 24 students presented two short plays this year written by Sid River, a teacher and songwriter in the United Kingdom. "Girl in da Hoodie" featured a tough, no-nonsense main character in a very familiar childhood tale. "Eureka! Eureka!" focused on inventions and discoveries from the stone age to the computer age.

We would like to thank the following people for their assistance in this production: Kim Cooling, Wendy Walters, Katie Prins, Jodie LaVercombe, Melanie Reck, and Jeff Chittenden. Below are some photo highlights of the plays (click to enlarge).

Granite (Cameron) and Grunt (Joe) discuss their design of the first wheel.

The Wright Brothers (Harry, Ben) are the right brothers for the job.

These "musicians" sing as their ship goes down.

Sir Richard Branson (Josh) consults with his banker (Kayla).

Great inventors (Jessica) require thinking time.

Little Red Hoodie (Caitlyn) torments Mr. Wolf (Joe) as he attempts to pose as Grandma.

Mrs. Riding Hood (Alexis) gives Little Red Hoodie (Caitlyn) instructions about delivery a basket of food to Grandma.

The "boys" in the hood mean business.

The real Grandma (Hailey) is assisted by her Henchman (Cassandra, Chyna).

The cast meets for dinner before our final evening performance.

OUR FIELD DAY finally took place after two rain postponements. Students from all Grand Haven elementary schools enjoyed the annual event at Lakeshore Middle School.

Maddy, Jessica, and Chyna chill out on Field Day.

Harry, Zac, and Jonathan prepare for the field day games.

Student teacher Katie Prins with Hailey and Sara at Field Day.

SPRING IS HERE

2011-04-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

INDEPENDENT READING continues to be an important element of what students accomplish this year. Your child should be reading chapter books of their choice and ability at home and at school. The goal for each student this trimester is 900 pages of independent reading.

THE ANNUAL SPRING BOOK FAIR begins next week at Lake Hills. This "buy-one, get-one free" event will allow students to get ready for summer reading. Our class will visit the Scholastic Book Fair next Wednesday morning, April 20. They will have an opportunity then to purchase books or create their "wish list" for purchase on Thursday.

Caitlyn and Sara go all out for Spirit Week.

FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS may ride their bikes to school (weather permitting) on Fridays beginning next week, April 22, as we celebrate Earth Day. Details about this were sent home on today. Learn more about Earth Day by exploring this www.earthday.org link.

BOXTOPS FOR EDUCATION time is here again. We are in a contest with other classrooms to collect the most boxtops by Monday, May 9. You can help the Northshore PTA by participating in this "painless" fundraiser--it can make a huge difference.

Samantha demonstrated considerable creativity for our Colorful Plate Party.

OUR CLASS PLAYS are under construction. Yes, plays! We are performing TWO short plays this year written by Sid River, a teacher and songwriter in the United Kingdom. "Girl in da Hoodie" features a tough, no-nonsense main character in a very familiar childhood tale. "Eureka! Eureka!" focuses on inventions and discoveries from the stone age to the computer age. The cast roles and information about costuming will be coming home next week. Be sure to reserve Thursday, May 26, at 6:30 p.m. for our evening performance of these two plays.

ANOTHER GREAT SNOW CAMP

2011-01-28T06:04:00.000-08:00

SNOW CAMP 2011 is history, but our two days at YMCA Camp Pendalouan provided a beautiful winter wonderland experience for nearly 60 students, parents, and teachers. Hikes, challenge games, cross country skiing, tobogganing, orienteering, Native American life, survival, and great camp food were all a part of our memorable time of outdoor education.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION enables students to enjoy challenging and unfamiliar experiences that test and develop their physical, social and personal skills. They can be among the most memorable experiences for pupils of their school-days. We are thankful that our school and parents strongly support this opportunity for fifth grade students at Lake Hill Elementary School.

ENJOY the photo and video highlights of Snow Camp. Most images will appear larger if you click on them.

Trekking on our first hike was an exciting challenge
though the fresh powder of recent snowfall.


The hike to Sleepy Hollow always includes several legends shared by Matt and Holli.

Jacob, Cassandra, Josh, and Kassidy decide to lead
the way through the Pendalouan Trails.

Holey Moley was just one of many challenge
games included in the group activities.

Sara and Samantha use their compass and map
skills to find treasure during Gold Rush.

Gold Rush robbers are armed and ready.

Big Blue Lake offers a great frozen field for a game of broomball.
Check out the short video below, too.

Harry digs into the tasty waffle during
Thursday morning breakfast.

The toboggan run was better than ever with
some recent design changes. Just ask Peter.

Andrew, Alexis, Autumn, and Zac demonstrate their
survival skills by building a shelter and a fire.

Harper exits the wigwam during a Native American life class.

Rebecca provides instruction in orienteering as students
learn how to use their compass.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

TODAY is our last day before the holidays. I trust you and your family will have a joyous Christmas and a wonderful New Year. The Chittendens plan to celebrate with some Christmas caroling, worship, skiing, family gatherings, and even a run in North Muskegon on New Year's Day. Cheers to you and yours! Here are a few photo highlights from the recent class potluck at our home.

Andrew, Sara, and Caitlyn decked out in their holiday attire.

Harry, Chyna, Hailey, and Zack enjoyed some great food.

Sara, Jacob, Devon, Joe, MaKayla, Samantha, and Jessica
enjoyed prime seating at the Chittenden dinner table.

These people (and dog) truly do look hungry.

Josh, Cameron, Cassandra, Caitlyn, Jonathan, and Harper
camped out in the media room for dinner.

Zac, Andrew, Autumn, and Alexis
relax around the coffee table.

Singing the "Twelve Days of Christmas" was awesome!

'TIS THE SEASON

2010-12-08T11:21:00.000-08:00

OUR CLASS CHRISTMAS POTLUCK will be at the Chittenden Home tomorrow evening from 6:15 to 8:00. Students should wear casual dress (no jeans, tees, or sweatshirts) and bring a dish to pass: last name A-K (dessert); L-R (main dish); and S-Z (salad). Please drop off your child in front of our house; do not pull into the drive. Proceed to the end of the cul-de-sac and return back to Pruin Street. Click the LINK for a map to our home.

A HOLIDAY CONCERT will be presented by the Lake Hills' choir, band, and orchestra this Monday morning, December 13, at 9:00 in the school gymnasium. Parents and friends are invited to attend.

Zack uses the interactive whiteboard to demonstrate fraction and decimal equivalencies on a number line.

IN MATH we are concluding our fifth unit of study. Our focus will now shift from fractions to geometry once again. Understanding fraction concepts is important because the techniques students learn for fractions are exactly the same ones they will need for parts of algebra. If we don't understand and master the ideas for fractions, we will find learning algebra difficult.

Katie Mueller will be teaching Spanish to our class during the second trimester.

SNOW CAMP is on the calendar for Wednesday and Thursday, January 26 and 27. Information about camp tuition balances will be sent home tomorrow. After the holiday break, students will receive information about our schedule and what things they will need to bring for the two days of outdoor education. If you are interested in chaperoning this event, please contact Mr. Chittenden as soon as possible.


Sara, Joe, Devon, and MaKayla play Monopoly during our first compliment party.

OUR ONLINE CLASSROOM has provided a great meeting place to respond to each chapter we are reading in the C.S. Lewis novel, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." Students take a 10 question quiz after our reading and receive instant feedback on their comprehension. They then plot their results on a bar graph. We will soon begin applying our knowledge about thesis statements and essays to writing about this classic work.

THANKSGIVING TIME

2010-11-16T10:18:00.000-08:00

OUR THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE continues through this Friday, November 19. Students are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to school. Fifth grade students should bring canned vegetables or canned fruit. Cash/check donations are also accepted. We hope to provide food baskets for some 50 area families this year!

THE PLANETARIUM at White Pines Middle School will be our destination on Wednesday afternoon, November 17. We are fortunate to include this activity in our field trip schedule this year.

TTQ runners take off from the Gene Rothi Field at Grand Haven high School.

TOTAL TREK QUEST completed their 5-kilometer run at Grand Haven High School last Saturday morning. The air was brisk, but it didn't stop our 16 third, fourth, and fifth grade boys from conquering the trail run. Hundreds of boys, friends, and families from throughout Ottawa County participated in the event.

Team Lake Hills and their coaches geared up and numbered for the big event.

THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE is our focus of study as we finish the first trimester of fifth grade. This C.S. Lewis classic is a part of the "Chronicles of Narnia." A new film in the series, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, will appear in theaters is December. Students access our online classroom to check their comprehension of what we read.

Josh and Cameron attempt to enjoy the sardines and crackers as skeptics watch them encounter the same snack Lucy and Mr. Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe enjoyed.

THE SNOW CAMP FUND RAISER begins this week. Fifth grade students will be selling World's Finest Chocolate candy bars to help raise funds for their outdoor education at YMCA Camp Pendalouan in January. All money from the sales of their kits must be returned by Thursday, December 2. Please submit this payment in the form of a check or money order payable to Lake Hills School.

DATA AND STATISTICS using pumpkins can be a lot of fun. We spent part of our afternoon determining mass and circumference along with recording statistical landmarks.

Kayla and Cameron begin to dig out and count the pumpkin seeds to help us establish range, median, mode, and mean.

Andrew determines the circumference of the pumpkin using a centimeter tape measure.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES were a great success. Thank you for your 100% participation in these important meetings. Report cards will be sent home on Friday, December 10.

THANKSGIVING RECESS is from November 24 to 29. Students will have only two days of school next week. Classes will resume on Tuesday, November 30.

THE GALES OF NOVEMBER

2010-10-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

NOVEMBER is right around the corner. Hopefully, you have been able to witness some of the fury of Lake Michigan this week. Traffic was backed up into Spring Lake on Wednesday evening to get a glimpse of the spectacular shoreline show.

Great photo taken by Marc Blondin, a long time friend of mine.

THE FUN RUN was held on Thursday afternoon, October 21, to help the PTA in their efforts to fund a variety of school activities this year. Our classroom goal is to raise $1200 and we've almost reached the halfway mark. Students are asked to bring in the pledges they collected for Lake Hills as soon as possible, but before this Wednesday, November 3. Thank you for your generous support of this primary fund raising effort.


Fifth graders begin their Fun Run to help support our school.

TOTAL TREK QUEST continues to train for their 5-kilometer run on November 13 at Grand Haven High School. Sixteen third through fifth grade boys are enrolled in the program this fall. It has been a pleasure to work with them along with Coach Levi and Coach Landon on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Albin, Andrew, Cameron, and Ben and the TTQ team in a Thursday run.

OUR HALLOWEEN PARTY today was a big success. Walking tacos, fruit kabobs, and refreshments were a big hit. Special thanks to Wendy Walters for coordinating this event. Check out the photographs of each team in costume.

GOOD TIMES ARE HERE

2010-10-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

OUR FUN RUN is set for Thursday, October 21. Help the PTA reach their budget goal and support the fun run with your generous donation. Come join us for this major fundraiser. Students should wear sports shoes, bring a water bottle, and dress in our grade color, GREEN.

TOTAL TREK QUEST involves third through fifth grade boys in an after-school running program in preparation for a 5 kilometer run at Grand Haven High School in November. Members of the team from our class include Harry Reck, Ben Reck, Zack LaVercombe, Andrew Walters, Cameron Nogar, and Josh Huttenga.

The Total Trek Quest team forms a tunnel at the
end of their 3-mile Wildwood Springs loop.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION is a wonderful part of fifth grade life at Lake Hills. Students will participate in two days of Snow Camp on January 26-27 at YMCA Camp Pendalouan. Our candy bar sale will begin on November 17. Thank you for sending in the recent request for these kits. Students can earn their entire tuition for camp by selling two kits of America's Finest Chocolate.


Alexis and Cole partner together for a game of Factor Captor.

OUR STUDENT COUNCIL meets once or more each month with the principal and provides leadership in the school and community. They assist with the Thanksgiving Food Drive and operate the school store. Our class elected Caitlyn Cooling, Alexis Walker-VanSingel, and Andrew Walters today as representatives to the fifth grade student council.


Harper and Josh tutor each other during our word study/spelling.

MEAP TESTING begins next Tuesday at Lake Hills. Fifth grade students will complete assessments in reading on Tuesday and Wednesday. The following week students will complete a math assessment on Tuesday, October 19, and a science assessment on Wednesday, October 20. Please do not schedule any appointments for these test days. All students MUST complete the Michigan Educational Assessment Program.

GEOMETRY was the focus of our second math unit. Students will take a test on Monday which will focus on determining the perimeter and area of rectangles, parallelograms, and triangles. We have also continued a review of multiplication factors and products.

OCTOBER ARRIVES

2010-10-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

THE CRISP AIR is a pleasant reminder that my favorite time of year is here. It was also an "awakening force" during my 6-mile bike ride to school a few times this week. That same force is providing stamina in the classroom as we are now quite settled into the routines of our busy schedule. This is a great class!

THE FUN RUN is a wonderful way for students, parents, and staff to help raise money for our PTA in their efforts to provide support of various initiatives at Lake Hills. On Thursday, October 21, we will help raise money for field trips, educational assemblies, Spring Fling, and other projects by participating in a healthy event of running and walking for dollars. Our classroom goal is to raise $1200 for our school. The Fun Run will replace all PTA fund raising efforts--and make life much easier for all of us at Lake Hills. Thank you for supporting our first Fun Run! ONLINE PLEDGES will accept all major credit cards and PayPal securely.

THE PTA helped make several wishes come true during this week's Scholastic Book Fair. They donated FIVE books I requested for our room library. Two books are by author Mary Downing Hahn; another is from an award-winning author, Frances O'Roark Dowell; a Newberry Honor book by Jacqueline Kelly; and the fifth is an interesting title, "The School of Fear," by Gitty Daneshvari (an interesting name).

ART CLASS with Mrs. Sipe is a favorite Friday morning special. Students have been constructing tissue paper collage boxes. They are made from card stock, tissue paper, acrylic glitter glaze, sequins, metallic paints, corks, glass globs, and sea glass.

Alexis dries her glazed tissue paper in art class.

I ENJOY teaching social studies to both fifth grade classes. Recently, we completed a basic study of geography in preparation for our focus on American history. This week we have considered how American Indians adapted to different environments in North America. Students enjoy taking their social studies tests using our CPS response keypads.

BOXTOPS for Education are a "painless" way to help us at Lake Hills. Students may still bring the boxtops for an October 10 and October 20 pickup.

MEAP testing is soon upon us. This past week we have focused on a review of many concepts in mathemtics--numeration, algebra, geometry, measurement, and statistics. Last week we completed our first unit test and our class average score was an impressive 88% achievement.

Harper's Superdad and Supermom drawing for the book fair.

A GREAT START

2010-09-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

THE FIRST WEEK of school is already behind us. It is a pleasure getting acquainted with new students as I begin my 25th year of teaching. Some of you may be interested in my personal blog and a recent post about my adventurous summer. Please feel free to visit http://kirbylane.blogspot.com.

This is a great looking class!

THE RELAY FOR LIFE will be held at White Pines Middle School this Saturday and Sunday. I will be participating in the signature event for the American Cancer Society in memory of my father who passed away from prostate cancer in 1996. Information about how students can contribute was send home today. If they purchase a $1 footprint or $5 star, we will display them outside our classroom. Thank you for your generous giving.

Caitlyn and Zac help display books from our room library.

WE BEGIN SPELLING today. Each student will be assigned a developmentally appropriate word list for the week. Their "scorecard" should remain in their BBT folder as we peer tutor throughout the week and test on the given words on Friday. Please return the results of the placement test that was sent home today.

TOTAL TREK QUEST begins this Tuesday after school. Students may bring their registration forms and fee with them for the 4:00 to 5:30 practice at Lake Hills. I will be assisting Coach Levi Pulver as the group prepares for a 5K run later this fall.


Finding a "just right" book is not always easy.

INDEPENDENT READING is very important in fifth grade. During the first trimester students should be completing at least 55 pages per week from books of their choice. They should have at least 2 books they are reading, one for home and one for school. Students are asked to "write about their reading" in their Response Journals using a Reading Response form.

A BUS EVACUATION PRACTICE will be conducted tomorrow morning, September 14. All students will be trained in what to do in a busy emergency. Please drop off students who are car riders in fron t of the lower pod and direct them to the bus area so they can join the practice.

WELCOME TO FIFTH GRADE

2010-08-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

THANKS for finding our class blog. Here is a short video about the journey we will share together. Take a few minutes to listen to it; then write down the 3 things I suggest that are important to any successful journey. Bring that list with your name and your parent's signature on it to the first day of school and I will have something special for you.

FIFTH GRADE ORIENTATION will take place before school begins this year on Tuesday, August 31, at 6:30 p.m. It will also include an ice cream social for all students and parents. This is an important opportunity for me to meet students and their families, so be sure to mark this date on your calendar.

SCHOOL BEGINS on Tuesday, September 7, at 8:53 a.m. Be sure to bring the gear that was mentioned in the letter you recently received. The first day is a full day of class and students will be dismissed at 3:52 p.m.

MY FAMILY is important to me and you will probably hear me talk a lot about them. Here is a brief glimpse of the Chittendens.

Kirby, Shelby, Susan, Jeff, and Theresa

Our daughter, Shelby (right), is shown here with Theresa, our exchange student, on graduation day from Spring Lake High School. Shelby will attend Community Based Instruction in Grand Haven this fall. Theresa returned to Germany this summer after spending a year with our family.

Our son, Jeff, worked with the district technology team this summer. He is shown here (foreground), wiring our classroom for the new media cart and interactive whiteboard. Jeff attends Grand Valley State University and is interested in computer science and education.

THE ODRAM (One Day Ride Across Michigan) involved about 85 cyclist traveling from Montague to Bay City on Saturday, August 21. My training partner and friend, Jennifer Mason, and I are pictured here in Blanchard after stopping for lunch about halfway through the journey that took 10 hours, 50 minutes.

2010 FIELD DAY

2010-05-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

FIFTH GRADE FIELD DAY is always a highlight for our students at the end of the year. Although it was a very warm day at Lakeshore Middle School, the enthusiasm and excitement seemed greater than ever. Specific standards are established for ten different events from which students select three. Every student receives a ribbon for their personal achievement in these individual events. In addition, each school also participates in two team events: the 400-meter relay and the tug-of-war. Parents, teachers, and many volunteers join together to create this fun event for students of our elementary schools.

STUDENTS from Lake Hills, Ferry, Griffin, Robinson, Mary A. White, Rosy Mound, and Peach Plains schools join in the National Anthem as field day begins.

STUDENTS wait patiently to participate in the 50, 100, and 400-meter runs.

LUKE doesn't waste any time entering the obstacle course.

SAVANNAH is in good form flying her way through the obstacle course.

MAC puts his relay team effort into high gear near the finish line.

RELAY TEAM members Trey, Mac, Luke, Lauren, Andrea, Leah, and Mrs. Baker took second place in the 400-meter relay.

THE TUG TEAM does their best in an attempt to defeat Peach Plains in one of the longest endurance efforts of the entire day.

TUG TEAM members Griffin, Jimmy, Toby, Devin, Alex, Catherine, Josie, Lynn, Talia, and Shianna join Mr. Chittenden on the field.

CLASS PLAY COMING

2010-04-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

TIME JOURNEY 2 is in production mode and we'll open on Tuesday, May 11, for two afternoon shows for students. We also have performances on May 12 and 13, concluding with a Thursday evening show for friends and families at 6:30 p.m. Students will remain after school on May 13 for a movie and a cast dinner prior to the evening performance.

Mac, Talia, Drew, and Amanda rehearse the final scene of the class play.

PRODUCTION T-SHIRTS should be here tomorrow. Let's designate the next TWO MONDAYS to promote the play by students wearing their tees. In other words, students should wear them to school on May 3 and May 10.

SPECIAL THANKS to several adults who are assisting with production aspects. Diane Mahacek compiled the biographical information of each student and we will dedicate the next blog post to the entire cast. Annel Olthof is coordinating the History Maker's costumes and coordinating the cast dinner. Dawnice Harloff is providing set decorations for the Edison laboratory. Jeff Chittenden has helped with set modifications, lighting, and sound effects.

SCENE ONE from the play will be performed for the GHAPS Board of Education at the beginning of their meeting this Monday evening, May 3, at 7:00 p.m. in the Media Center at Lake Hills. Students performing include Cooper Sale, Shane Cannon, Luke Staskiewicz, Ashley Priebe, Natalie Newell, Drew Henman, Savannah Lemmen, and Mac Mahacek. Students need to report to Room 15 by 6:45 p.m.

OUR FINAL PERFORMANCES of Time Journey 2 will be on Thursday, May 13, at 6:30. Family, friends, and the public are invited to this performance, so arrive early for a good seat. Rooms 15 and 16 will be open for our evening audience.

UNDERWRITERS help us with the cost of production. Although our expenses are less than $500 this year, we rely on the support of individuals, families, and businesses for contributions to our class account. Please let Kirby Chittenden know by Wednesday, May 5, if you would like to help underwrite this year's play. We will recognize you, your family, and/or business in the program for a $20 donation.

PLEASE REMEMBER that cameras are not permitted during the play, so take pictures before and afterwards. We will also be posting pictures on our web log that you can download.

THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD and Principal Mike Shelton welcomed our class to White Pines Middle School today. Students enjoyed a preview of coming attractions as they spent the day with sixth grade students and middle school teacher getting acquainted. Parent Night will be held this Tuesday, May 4, at 7:00 p.m.

TOTAL TREK QUEST will run the 5-kilometer Tulip Time race this Saturday morning. Room 15 students participating in the run include Luke Staskiewicz, Nick Davis, Drew Henman, Mac Mahacek, and Mason Harloff. Mr. Chittenden will also be running with them at the 8:00 a.m. event at Christ Memorial Church in Holland.

EARTH DAY BIKERS to school included more than 20 fifth grade students...plus a few parents. As a result, Wednesdays have been designated as an unofficial ride-your-bike-to-school day.

NO SCHOOL next Wednesday, May 5. Teachers will be in professional development for the day.

SPECTACULAR FIELD TRIP

2010-03-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

THE FIFTH GRADE classes enjoyed a wonderful field trip to the Celebration Cinema IMAX and the Grand Rapids Museum on Friday, March 26.

At Celebration Cinema we witnessed "The Mysteries of the Great Lakes" and traveled to the "inland seas'" to view some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth on the 50' x 70' IMAX screen.

We would like to thank our parent chaperones for joining us in our travel: Mary Ann Noordyk, Shelley Cannon, Dawnice Harloff, Marietta Ackley, Wendy Sale, Lee Miracle, Angela Mitchell, Traci LaFrance, Diane Mahacek, Ken Worthem, Annel Olthof, Tina Hirr, and Char Merz.

Below are a few photo highlights of our afternoon at the Grand Rapids Museum.

STUDENTS listen to a museum docent who explains what early American shopping at a department store was like on the streets of old Grand Rapids.

TRANSPORTATION has changed considerably in the past century. Lynn, Ashley, Drew, Trevon, and Shianna stand outside the horse-drawn streetcar that once belonged to the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company in 1885.

EVEN BIKES looked much different than they do today. Trevon attempts to ride this high-wheeler from the past.

THE STEAM ENGINE from St. John's Table Company in Cadillac sits between the first and second floor of the museum. Sadie, Hans, Brady, Alea, Morgan, and Miciah stand below the large flywheel of the 1905 Corliss-type steam engine.

THE FURNITURE CITY has defined Grand Rapids since the 1860's. Cole, Mac, and Devin continue their scavenger hunt in this area of the museum.

THIS TOPOGRAPHIC MAP of Michigan was constructed in 1940 from plywood crates. Back row: Savannah, Mason, Trey, Cooper. Front row: Garrett, Amanda, Natalie, Jimmy, and Taylor.

THE TOWER CLOCK was built in 1888 for the Grand Rapids City Hall. Nick, Luke, Michael, and Shane record information at the working clock during the scavenger hunt.

THE COOK CAROUSEL PAVILION overlooks the Grand River and attracts a lot of attention from museum visitors. Mason, Drew, and Hans get ready for a ride on the restored 1928 carousel.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

2010-03-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

THE ELEMENTARY ART EXHIBIT began with an opening reception last night at the Grand Haven Community Center. The 2010 exhibit runs through Sunday, April 11. Take the entire family to this wonderful event. The center is open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily.

SAVANNAH and MASON work together calculating the volume and face areas of a rectangular prism during math class.

OUR FIELD TRIP to the view "The Mysteries of the Great Lakes" at the IMAX and to visit the Grand Rapids Museum is scheduled for Friday, March 26. All students will need a sack lunch and will travel via school bus. Designated drivers for chaperones will be announced this week.

THE CAST for our class play, Time Journey 2, has been announced and scripts came off the press last week. Rehearsals and blocking begin this week. Students will present the play on May 11-13 with a public performance for families and friends on Thursday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. If you are interested in helping with some costumes or assisting with the cast dinner on May 13, please contact Mr. Chittenden via email.

LUKE, SHANE, and COOPER rehearse the opening scene of our class play. The travelers return in time to capture four history makers who imagined, invented, and inspired.

THANK YOU for your participation in the recent Parent/Teacher Conferences. It was also great to have each student lead a portion of the conference providing evidence of their learning.

TAYLOR uses her laptop during social studies to create a time line of specific events leading up to the American Revolutionary War.

CONGRATULATIONS to our fifth grade Distination Imagination Team who placed third in the regional competition at Mona Shores High School. Natalie Newell, Miciah Hirr, Noah McGee, Catherine Patton, Jake Phillips, and Kolton Epplett will be traveling to Holt for state competition on April 17. The DI Team is managed by Kathy Epplett.

LYNN, HANS, and COOPER measure and record the surface areas of their plywood block during math class.

OUR CLASS CALENDAR now appears in agenda format at the top right hand side of the blog.

SECOND TRIMESTER COMING TO A CLOSE

2010-02-19T06:21:00.001-08:00

WITH REPORT CARDS and conferences just around the corner, it's hard to believe we are approaching the end of our second trimester next Friday. We've been hard at work to put closure to a number of projects: our second literary essay based on our reading of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; our study of the British colonies; and our understanding of adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.

STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES are on deck for March 8-9. If you have not already done so, please return your conference request form. Our staff will be scheduling family conferences next Tuesday. Students will begin working on their plan for the conference in which they present evidence of their learning.

NICOLE TLACHAC recently spoke to our class on the theme of evidence from the perspective of her position as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Ingham County (Lansing). She is a former student of Mr. Chittenden's and a graduate of Grand Valley State University and the University of Notre Dame.

OUR CLASS PLAY is under construction as students complete their initial research about four history makers: Thomas Edison, Sacagawea, C.S. Lewis, and Helen Keller. The play is a sequel of a production Mr. Chittenden wrote three years ago. Students will portray a class who has been given a "seemingly impossible assignment" to complete research about famous people who invented, imagined, and inspired. The Geek Squad and Time Travelers assist the class in "capturing" four history makers and returning them to Lake Hills. Production of "Time Journey 2" will be in May.

MICIAH AND COOPER work on completing a graphic organizer in their research of the history makers for our class play.

INDEPENDENT READING is very important in our class. Students should be approaching their second trimester goal of 780 pages read by Friday, February 26. A record of their reading should be included in their Response Journal which they will present at conference time.

AMANDA loved Crazy Hair Day at Lake Hills and obviously takes pride in being a fan of Michigan State University...GO GREEN!

SHANE completed her storyboards for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with this drawing of the four children being crowned kings and queens of Narnia. Our drawings provided a basis for several writing projects as we studied this C.S. Lewis classic.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT provides an opportunity for fifth grade students to learn about the economy and the development of business in the United States. David Brockmyre visited our classroom on 5 occasions recently to discuss business organization, career interests, and product advertising.

Taylor, Amanda, and Natalie participate in a hands-on activity about mass production during a Junior Achievement lesson.

TEAM LAKE HILLS recently participated in the Indoor Triathlon at Grand Haven High School. Mr. Chapman (swimmer), Ms. VanEizenga (biker), and Mr. Chittenden (runner) joined some 90 other participants in the second annual event. The team took fourth place among other district schools competing. Check out this short video of Mr. Chittenden during the running leg of the triathlon.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION 2010

2010-01-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

YMCA Camp Pendalouan provided a wonderful setting for two days of outdoor education. Our fifth grade students interacted in challenge games, cross country skiing, broomball, orienteering, survival, candle making, hikes, Native American Life Fair, Gold Rush, and more.

The benefits of Outdoor Education on the lives of young people is well-documented. The results from these studies show an impact on four main areas--personal, interpersonal, academic, and environmental awareness. Some things just can't be learned in a traditional classroom.

Students were "geared up" to tackle the brisk January weather on Big Blue Lake. Fifteen adults joined them throughout the daytime activities and during the overnight camping experience in heated cabins at the 210-acre facility of Camp Pendalouan. Great staff...great parents...great students create unforgettable times.

Enjoy the video and a few of the photo highlights of our outdoor education.

Click the PLAY button for our broomball video.

We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

2010-01-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

THE CHRISTMAS POTLUCK is a classic event at the Chittenden Home and this year was no exception. The food was glorious, the music was grand, and 26 students never looked so fine. Here are some photo highlights of the fun evening.

HOLIDAY SEASON AHEAD

2009-11-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES were a great success and I want to thank EACH of our families for their participation in these updates. Students will lead their spring conferences where they will provide evidence of their achievement and share areas in which they face challenges.

CANDY BARS arrived today and will be sent home. Students have until December 1 to sell these and return the total balance due to school. Please make checks payable to Lake Hills School and do not send cash. Thank you for your support of our fundraising efforts as we prepare for the outdoor education program at Camp Pendalouan this winter.

OUR THANKSGIVING BREAK is from Wednesday, November 25, through Monday, November 30. School resumes on Tuesday, December 1.

WE COMPLETED our first unit in Geometry this week as we focused on determining the perimeter and area of rectangles, triangles, and complex figures. We completed our test using the Classroom Performance System keypads with an average score of 83.41%. We begin our study of fractions and decimals this week.

EXPLORING A SUNKEN SHIP in social studies this week permitted us to discover the various artifacts archeologists use to help determine information about the early explorers to America. We will complete this short unit of study with a summary review next week and our test on Wednesday.

THE PTA FOOD DRIVE began this week. Please send non-perishable food items to school as we prepare to make Thanksgiving food boxes for area families. It would be great if we could fill two large boxes with items from our class.

OUR FIRST COMPLIMENT PARTY will be mixed with our Writers' Celebration next Friday morning, November 20. We have received 10 unsolicited compliments and will also celebrate our focus on personal narrative writing. This is a "cereal event" where students may bring their favorite cereal and bowl with them to school. I will provide the milk. We will also enjoy a few hours of Monopoly that morning.

THE LAST SOLDIER was the theme of our discussion about Veteran's Day this week. I shared with the class a web site our foreign exchange student constructed for her American History class project at Spring Lake High School. Click HERE if you wish to visit this site and learn about a member of my family who received a medal from the French government for his role in the Battle of Verdun.

THE LEONID METEOR SHOWER is predicted to by quite amazing this year; so, you might want to catch the predawn sky this Tuesday, November 17. Click HERE for more information about this celestial show. Although Tuesday morning will provide the best entertainment, Monday and Tuesday evening may also provide good viewing.

SCROLL DOWN to view our class calendar.

CONFERENCE TIME

2009-10-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES are scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday, November 2-3. Students will not have class these days and do not need to attend this conference with you. Classes on Wednesday will be dismissed at noon and students will be in class ALL day on Thursday and Friday.

OUR MEAP FEAST was a great way to conclude taking the reading, math, and science assessments in fifth grade. Thank you for your support of this special, fun event. We had a lot of great food to enjoy. The wonderful aromas wafted through our pod.

Miciah and Natalie work on the finishing touches of their science project in Mrs. Baker's class.

THE HALLOWEEN PARTY is slated for this Friday afternoon. Shelley Cannon (616-846-2393) and Donni Jonas (616-842-5144) are in charge of this event. Students may bring costumes and makeup to school for the Halloween parade. The party and parade will begin at 2:30 p.m. Click HERE for the Chittenden family Halloween greeting! Turn up your sound and enjoy.

OUR CANDY BARS for the Snow Camp fundraiser are scheduled to arrive on Friday, November 13. Students will have until December 1 to sell the chocolate bars and return money. Camp is scheduled for January 27-28.

Talia focuses on constructing accurate geometric drawings in her math journal.

TRICK-OR-TREAT FOR UNICEF boxes went home today. Jordan Chusid, a former Lake Hills' student and a GHHS Senior, is the UNICEF Coordinator. Students may help with this collection on Halloween night and return the boxes on Monday. We would like to surpass last year's goal of $700. The classroom that contributes the greatest amount to UNICEF will earn a pizza party. Go Room 15!

Working with oil pastels in art class allows students to learn about blending colors. Mac and Morgan seemed to enjoy it this afternoon.

EATING HEALTHY, washing hands, and getting rest are critical to maintaining our health. Our class has been fortunate (so far) to dodge considerable illness. Today we took a little extra time to use a new de-ionized water device that eliminates 99.9% of bacteria in cleaning our desktops this afternoon. The activated water attracts dirt like a magnet and lifts if from the surface, enabling it to be easily wiped away.

MEAP IS COMING

2009-10-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

THE MEAP (Michigan Educational Assessment Program) testing begins next Tuesday morning. Fifth grade testing will be conducted on the mornings of October 13, 15, 20, and 22. It is very important that your child is in school on these days. Make-up testing will be scheduled on other days prior to our October 29 deadline for all testing. Fifth grade students will be tested in reading, mathematics, and science.

Amanda shares from her Writer's Notebook in response to reading a Polish folktale.

OUR ONLINE READING CLASS allows us to see lessons and assignments when we are using the wireless laptops in class. Students may also access the Lake Hills Online School from home. We took a short quiz today in response to reading Prot and Krot, a Polish folktale about a soldier who wishes for modest things when he can ask for anything in the world. Have your child show you our online classroom this weekend. Students can also view their grades for this class from home.

Sady and Cooper play the online Factor Game with the computer as their opponent.

THE CANDY BAR SALE to raise money for our Outdoor Education camp program will begin next month. Orders for 85 Chocolate Shop kits were placed today with World's Finest Chocolate. This year's Snow Camp will be on Wednesday, January 27, and Thursday, January 28, at YMCA Camp Pendalouan in Montogue.

PERCUSSIONISTS are not all that common at Lake Hills. Can you believe we have FIVE students who are now a part of the percussion section in the Lake Hills band? The band, choir, and orchestra meets every Friday afternoon from 1:00 to 1:50 to rehearse.
Mac, Amanda, Michael, Natalie, and Hans show off their percussion kits. Rhythm abounds!

CONFERENCE REQUEST FORMS were sent home this week. Please complete your request for a Parent-Teacher conference and have your child return this form by Monday, October 12. Fall conferences will be held on Monday, November 2, and Tuesday, November 3.

THE ECOSYSTEM PROJECT dues dates for science are now posted in the classroom. Students must have a "creature picture" turned in on Monday, October 12.

October 16 - Creature Adaptation
October 19 - Fact Sheet
October 21 - Food Web (completed in class that day)
October 22 - Project Poster

THE FALL FUNDRAISER product pick-up is from 3:30 to 6:00 pm on Friday, October 23. Be sure to put that time/date on your calendar if your child participated in the fundraiser.

FIFTH GRADE BEGINNINGS 09

2009-09-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

WE ARE OFF and running as the routines become more familiar. Keith Pruitt is our teacher assistant from Grand Valley State University. He will be working in our class during the mornings until December. It is always a pleasure to host many teacher assistants and student teachers on our campus.

OUR RECENT FIELD TRIP to the Holland Rock and Mineral Show provided an enjoyable shopping experience for many students. Special thanks to Shelley Cannon, Michael Woodwyk, Annel Olthof, and Cris Anderson for accompanying us on this trip.

THE SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR opens at Lake Hills on Monday, September 28. Students will have a chance to purchase books through October 2. We will visit the fair from 2:30 to 3:00 on Tuesday afternoon.

KNOWING MULTIPLICATION FACTS is expected of all fifth grade students. Your child began learning his/her facts in third grade and should be very fluent with multiplication facts through 11. We have taken several "quick quiz" checks on these skills and will continue to expect students to know them. Students may need to practice with flash cards at home if necessary.

MATH EXPRESSIONS is our new math series at Lake Hills. It incorporates the best practices of both traditional and reform mathematics curricula. It offers opportunities for students to interact in pairs, small groups, whole-class activities, and special scenarios. Many of the fifth grade concepts will hinge on an introduction to algebraic expression and problem-solving strategies. In our first unit of study, we are focusing on multiplication and division situations along with developing equations and problem-solving.

NEW LAPTOP COMPUTERS provide an exciting opportunity for our class to connect to the Lake Hills online classroom at EDU 2.0. As we begin to build our online resources, students will reference more lessons, assignments, and assessments via the Internet. This is just the beginning! You are welcome to check out our new virtual school at lakehills.edu20.org to learn more about our educational portal.

THE FALL FUNDRAISER ends on Monday, September 28. This is the last weekend students may contact their Favorite Four to help support the fund raising efforts of our PTA. Be sure to keep the PINK copy of the order form. You have until October 23 to collect the money, which is due when you pick up your orders on October 23.

THE 2009 AUTUMN FEST is next Thursday, October 1, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This free family event at the school is something you don't want to miss...lot's of fun events...family night at the book fair...and more.

OUR CLASS CALENDAR can always be located at the bottom of our blog. If you use Google calendars, you can subscribe to the public calendar and keep updated on all our events.

CLASS PLAY 2009

2009-05-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

WHO, ME? YES, YOU! was presented on May 13-14 at Lake Hills Elementary School. Our one-act play written by Michelle Davis creatively taught us about being safe, responsible, and respectful. The 23 fifth grade students portrayed some 50 roles in the production which tells the story of a film crew intensely working together to record six television commercials about social responsibility.

Bully Busters--coping with bullies
Store Wars--treating customers fairly and honestly
Driving Lessons--not letting impatience affect driving
School for Super Heroes--resolving problems peacefully
Cod of Conduct--being a good citizen
Alien Encounter--being considerate of others' differences

Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Services of Englewood, Colorado, the play was funded in part through the Michigan Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MiBliSi). Lake Hills was one of the first schools in Michigan to participate in this initiative to increase reading performance and reduce behavioral problems among students.

Logan, Tasha, and Nathaniel as part of the film crew.

Tasha and Nathaniel portray Anne Action and Ian Charge.

Hunter, Michael, and Brock receive direction for the filming.

Hunter as Len Sangle.

Stagehands Miguel and Zachary review their checklist.

Ana (Nodda Clue) and Alex in "Bully Busters."

Ana and Michael (Dustin Bins) "cleaning up" the act.

Ana, Olivia, and Rubee in training for "Bully Busters" clients.

Ana, Lluvia, and Jaslynn inspect the anti-bully earplugs.

Ana offers her "expert advice" to Brooke and Emily.

Isaac (Darth Profit) and Drew (Owe-Me-One Kenobi)
attempt to strike a deal in "Store Wars."

Isaac and Kane portray an unexpected visit.

Isaac observes the "dark side" of business.

Zachary as Luke Skyshopper

Zachary defends himself from the boss.

Isaac (Darth Profit) and Emily (Hannah Solo) strike a deal.

Gaige (Little Chewie) and Zachary (Luke Skyshopper)
checkout the light sabers.

Ana as a multitasking mom in "Driving Lessons."

Alex and Emily as unruly children in the car.

Ana and Jaslynn have a driver-pedestrian encounter.

Michael is not too patient with female drivers.

Rubee, Olivia (Viking Girl), and Brooke
in "School for Super Heroes."

Michael and Gaige trade super hero cards.

Kane (Super Social Responsibility Man)
and Drew share a lesson in respect.

Kane and Zachary (Captain Citizen) discuss appropriate behavior.

Rubee (Skully) opens the "Cod of Conduct" lesson.

Jaslynn (Peg-Leg Meg) and Lluvia (Black-Tooth Bonny)
as pirates.

Gaige (Stub-Toe Tom) scopes the horizon.

Isaac (Captain Sealegs) teaches his crew in "Cod of Conduct."

Alex as Captain Sunny Skies in "Alien Encounter."

Olivia (Hayley Comet), Elizabeth (Dr. Una Verse),
Emily (Luna Starstruck), and Michael (Lars Moonwalker)
aboard the starship.

Jaslynn, Miguel, Brooke, and Zachary as aliens from Jargon 5.

Mr. Chittenden as a concerned police officer and
Michael (Guy Slate), who parked his car in a no-parking zone.

Our celebration cake courtesy of the Design Team--
Ann Tibbe, Muerill Tuggle, Annel Olthof.

MAY MADNESS

2009-05-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

THIS MONTH is packed full of activity for students. Please see our calendar at the bottom of this blog for information about all the events scheduled during May.

ALL COSTUMES for the class play should now be at school. We conducted a technical rehearsal today with lighting and we'll add costuming to all scenes on Monday. Please contact your design team representative if you have a concern.

HAIR CUTS should take place this week for actors...especially the guys. Bangs should be at least a half-inch above the eyebrows and hair should be cut so the audience has a clear view of the stage-lit face. If in doubt, go shorter.

BOXTOPS FOR EDUCATION need to be in by next Friday, May 8. Thank you for your continued support of this effort.

THE CAMPBELL FIELD STATION trip is on for Monday, May 4. Students and parent chaperones will need to bring a sack lunch and drink (no glass bottles). Students should also wear socks, shoes, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt with a jacket. Annel Olthof, Wendy Walters, Kim Montgomery, and Maricon Hentschel will chaperone this field trip. We will leave Lake Hills promptly at 9:00 a.m.

SAFETY PATROL DINNER is Wednesday, May 6, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Haven Eagles Lodge.

OUR CLASS PLAY will be presented to students on May 13-14 along with friends and family the evening of Thursday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m. Students will remain after school that Thursday for dinner prior to the evening performance. Seating is limited to about 100 people. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for the Thursday evening performance of "Who, Me? Yes, You!"

THE FIFTH GRADE BAND will present their spring concert at White Pines Middles School on Wednesday, May 20, at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Students must report to the band room with their instruments and music at 6:30.

THE FIFTH GRADE FIELD DAY will be held at Lakeshore Middle School on Wednesday, May 27, from 12:15 to 3:30 p.m. Please send Mr. Chittenden an email or note if you can assist with this afternoon event.

THE COAST GUARD PARK PARTY for fifth grade students is set for Wednesday, June 3. Please contact Ann Tibbe (616-846-7285) or Kim Cooling if you would like to help with this event.

FIFTH GRADE GRADUATION will be held in the gymnasium at Lake Hills on Tuesday, June 2, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

SPRING BREAK

2009-04-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

OUR MONOPOLY TOURNAMENT during yesterday's Compliment Party was exciting. Five teams played and the following students were named team champions with the greatest net worth: Nathaniel Hentschel ($6327); Emily Walters ($5239); Isaac Patton ($3759); Olivia Pulaski ($3427); and Michael Olthof ($2547).

Emily, Hunter, Logan, Zack, Lluvia, Michael, and Kane enjoy Monopoloy during our third compliment party.

Elizabeth brought fruit for our Colorful Plate Celebration.

Tasha and Gaige enjoy their colorful plates of healthy food choices.

Jaslynn enjoys strawberries, kiwi, grapes, a banana and other colorful fruit.

OUR CLASS PLAY is in rehearsal now that the cast has been selected. We will present "Who, Me? Yes, You!" on Wednesday, May 13, and Thursday, May 14 for second through fifth grade students. A 6:30 evening performance for families and friends is scheduled for Thursday, May 14. Mueril Tuggle, Ann Tibbe, and Annel Olthof are assisting as members of our design team.

THE SPLASH PROGRAM is for kids with no prior swim experience. For only $1 registration, students may participate in this special YMCA program during spring for a 45-minute lesson for 5 days. Space is still available if you call 616-842-7051, extension 6.

THE GAME DAY after school was a great success with some 50 students participating in board and strategy games until 5:15 p.m. on Thursday. We want to thank our PTA for the purchase of many new games.

Michael and Elizabeth enjoy a new strategy game, GOBBLET, in the Media Center after school.

OUR CHESS CHAMPIONS were recognized during a school assembly today. The recent tournament included students in third, fourth, and fifth grade. Mrs. Baker coordinates this opportunity which allows students to gain confidence and solve problems through this classic game of strategy.

Olivia, fifth grade girls' champion, and Simon, fifth grade boys' and all-school champion, display their trophies as participants in the Lake Hills Chess Tournament.

MARCH MADNESS

2009-03-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

TELEVISION TURN-OFF WEEK was a great success--in spite of NCAA March Madness--with 20 students in our class participating in eliminating video entertainment for seven days. Many of us discovered a host of alternative activities to replace our addiction to television.

THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS was held at Lakeshore Middle School this morning. With 20 of our students participating in this district event, our entire class attended the two-hour battle. Six teams represented Lake Hills and one team walked away as gold medal winners.

Fifth and sixth grade students convene at Lakeshore Middle School for the 2009 Battle of the Books.

LORDS OF THE BOOKS

Brock, Alex, Hunter, Isaac

FOUR LORDS ARE READING

Michael, Michael, Kane, Drew

SCORCHIN' DRAGONS

Logan, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Emily

MEDIEVAL CASTLES

Kaylee, Jazmin, Andres, Carly

THE MEDIEVAL KNIGHT HORSES

Jaslynn, Rubee, Brooke, Ana

FIRE BREATHING FANTASY

Olivia, Tasha, Lluvia, Gaige

LORDS OF THE BOOKS took the first place, gold medal award for the district. Congratulations to Hunter, Alex, Brock, and Isaac.

OUR THIRD COMPLIMENT PARTY is scheduled for next Thursday, April 2. We will celebrate with a colorful plate party (fruits, vegetables) and enjoy a few hours of Monopoly.

AFTER SCHOOL BRAIN GAME DAY is set for next Thursday, April 2, from 3:55 to 5:15 p.m. A permission form was sent home yesterday for this special event. Our PTA recently purchased numerous new strategy games that kids will really like. Students must return the form by April 1 (no fooling) in order to participate.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS are due by Tuesday, March 31. This is a great opportunity for students to purchase books at outstanding prices.

THE 2009 ELEMENTARY ART EXHIBIT begins at the Grand Haven Community Center on Wednesday, March 25 and runs through Thursday, April 16. A group of our students will be recognized at the Open Reception on Wednesday, April 1, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. The exhibit and events are open to the public.

CONGRATULATIONS to Jaslynn, Lluvia, Miguel, Elizabeth, Gaige, Ana, Nathaniel, and Michael on being selected to represent our class at the Annual Elementary Art Exhibit at the Grand Haven Community Center.

SPRING FINALLY ARRIVES

2009-03-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

THE PTA MEETING tonight begins at 6:30 p.m. and will feature a demonstration of the Promethean ActivBoard that our class is "test driving" for several weeks. The May 5 technology bond proposal will provide for these electronic white boards in our classrooms.

Miguel and Jaslynn help Mr. Chittenden order data on the interactive whiteboard the classroom is using for several weeks. The upcoming technology bond proposal will provide for this technology.

THE LONG WINTER is nearly over. Spring arrives at 7:44 am tomorrow. We are finally experiencing a preview of spring with temperatures we haven't seen since last November. This is a great time for students to move from hibernation mode and get outside for increased physical acitvity.

TELEVISION TURN-OFF WEEK has begun. The class really wanted to make a serious attempt at eliminating television (and computer-related entertainment) for seven days.

THE LAKE HILLS TALENT SHOW will be held at White Pines Middle School Auditorium this Friday, March 20, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Olivia Pulaski, Jaslynn Castaneda, and Brooke Park represent our class in this annual PTA-sponsored event. Your family will enjoy a casual evening of outstanding entertainment. Mr. Chittenden is the Master of Ceremonies.

THE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC MUSEUM is our destination next Monday, March 23. Student will need to bring a sack lunch. Those chaperoning this field trip include Melissa Castaneda, Lee Miracle, Kim Montgomery, Annel Olthof, Mike Park, Karri Murphy, Mueril Tuggle, and Wendy Walters.

MARCH IS READING MONTH and students should be reading at least 20 minutes a day at home. They are encouraged to complete the Reading Stars Over Lake Hills form and return it by March 31. They may also participate in the Whitecaps Reading Club by completing their bookmark for reading minutes.

SPRING PICTURE DAY is Tuesday, March 24. For more events, scroll down to our calendar below.

THE BATTLE OF THE BOOKS will be held at Lakeshore Middle School on Friday morning, March 27. Most of our class is participating (wow) and all of us will be attending this special event next week.

FINAL TRIMESTER BEGINS

2009-03-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS involves many of our students and will be held on Friday, March 27. All teams meet every Thursday during lunch and many reader groups are meeting with adult "book experts" to dialogue about each book. Students may include these reads in their Independent Reading Records, too.

900 PAGES of independent reading is the goal for each student during our last trimester of fifth grade. Students are strongly encouraged to make book choices which are Accelerated Reader selections. A new AR Bookfind is available on the school web site now to see if a selection is an AR book.

THE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC MUSEUM is the destination for our next field trip on Monday, March 23. Cost for each student is $10 and for adult chaperones is $5. Please make checks payable to Lake Hills or send cash along with the form recently sent home.

MARCH IS Reading Month and students my participate in several reading incentive programs: The Stars Over Grand Haven and the Whitecaps Reading Club.

FUN WITH DRUMS is a great concert/clinic for families that will be held on Friday, March 13, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Nelson School in Muskegon. The 11th annual event will feature drummers Marcus Hunter and Scott Pellegrom. The event is FREE and sponsored by Spread the Music Foundation and others. Free door prizes. [Directions]

SIXTH GRADE REGISTRATION for White Pines Middle School is now available on line. You will need your child's school ID number and log on HERE. They will need to make a Music Elective or Non-Music Elective choice. Students will be visiting White Pines on Thursday, April 30.

OUR CLASS PLAY has been chosen. We will be performing "Who, Me? Yes, You!" this spring in cooperation with Pioneer Drama Services. The play includes 7 sketches about social responsibility: Bull Busters, Store Wars, Driving Lessons, School for Superheroes, Social Responsibility Olympics, Cod of Conduct, Alien Encounter. Play dates will be announced later.

OUR CLASSROOM PHONE will not be working for another week. Please avoid voice mails. The best way to communicate with me is through email...thanks.

FRESH AIR

2009-02-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

STUDENT LED CONFERENCES are going well and I am looking forward to seeing all our classroom families this week. I trust you will take advantage of the 6-day "fresh air" vacation as we head into the final trimester of fifth grade.

OUR VALENTINE'S PARTY was a lot of fun and the ice cream brownies were a special treat. Alex, Elizabeth, and Lluvia prepare their decadent dessert. Special thanks to Michelle Strainer, Ann Tibbe, Matt Wilkinson, and Wendy Walters for their assistance.

ACCELERATED READER provides an opportunity for students to improve their reading comprehension skills. We now have an AR Search link on the school web site that allows students (and parents) to check if a particular book is in the AR database of quizzes. Information about the book including grade level and points are included along with a brief synopsis of each book available to our readers. Students receive points based upon the book level, book length, and how well they do on an online quiz which checks for comprehension. Just click HERE or go to the Student or Parent section on the school web site to test drive the AR book find.

THE SWEETHEART DANCE was a wonderful event sponsored by our PTA. Above: Jaslynn, Brooke, Olivia, and Elizabeth are all dressed nicely for the recent dance at Lake Hills. Below: Alex, Nathaniel, Brock, Drew, and Maddy take a break from the Thursday night dance.

OUR CLASS PLAY has been selected, "Who Me? Yes, You!" by Michelle R. Davis. In cooperation with Pioneer Drama Services, the production will feature numerous sketches about social responsibility. The show dates have not been set, but most likely will be in early May. Students will audition for various roles in the next few weeks and we'll need to put together a design team of several parents to help with the production.

THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien was selected by the class for me to read aloud to them. We just began this epic journey of Bilbo Baggins after finishing an interesting primer on economics, "Lawn Boy," by Gary Paulsen.

GOBBLET is a four-in-a-row, tic-tac-toe game where you can move pieces around the board to increase your chances of winning--or losing. Michael and Elizabeth enjoyed this strategy game during today's Game Hour recently "purchased" by a group of students with their "Caught Being Good" slips.

THE GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC MUSEUM is the destination of our Monday, March 23, field trip. The $10 cost per student covers transportation, museum admission, and the planetarium show. Students will need to bring a sack lunch or order one from food services. The field trip form sent home this week must be returned before Thursday, March 12. Please contact me if you are interested in chaperoning this trip.

SCHOOL RESUMES on Tuesday, March 3. Be sure to check the class calendar below for dates and details of events.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABE

2009-02-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

AMERICANS HONOR Abraham Lincoln today on the 200th anniversary of his birth. Our recent Time For Kids featured information about our 16th President and the celebrations across the nation planned to honor his life and impact on our nation. Click HERE to read the TFK feature article, "Remembering Lincoln."

WE ENJOYED a popcorn/movie morning after students combined 200 "Caught Being Good" slips to purchase this class prize. The class is also striving for another compliment party following the accumulation of ten unsolicited compliments. We are planning on a Colorful Plate Party when we receive 3 more compliments. I keep telling people, "This is a great class."

ART CLASS with Irene Sipe always provides a creative time on Thursday mornings. The class is currently using fabric crayons on cloth that will lead to the construction of pillows once they stitch their work to felt. Olivia, below, creates a beautiful butterfly for her pillow.

READING FLUENCY is an important predictor of academic achievement. By the end of fifth grade, students should be reading (aloud) grade level text at a rate of 124 words per minute. Currently, seventy-five percent of the students at Lake Hills are reading at their grade level benchmark.

CONFERENCE APPOINTMENTS are being sent home today. Our class parent-teacher conferences this month are student-led and will be held from February 23-25.

MARCH LUNCH REQUEST forms are also going home today. Students taking hot lunch must have these return by this Monday, February 16.

SCHOLASTIC BOOKS offer outstanding selections for students at reduced prices. Your child is receiving the February and March orders to select books to purchase. Please complete the order form at the back of the catalogue from which they choose books. Make checks payable to Kirby Chittenden or Scholastic Books. You may also choose to order online.

IF YOU NEED to pick up your child before the end of the school day, please send a note to school or contact the office BEFORE 3:00 p.m. that day. Also, please do not leave your car unattended at anytime in the drop-off zone. Park instead in the parking lot adjacent to the sidewalk drop-off areas. Thank you.

OUR CLASS CALENDAR is online at the bottom of the blog postings...scroll down to view it.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION 2009

2009-01-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

The benefits of Outdoor Education on the lives of young people is well-documented. The results from these studies show an impact on four main areas--personal, interpersonal, academic, and environmental awareness. Some things just can't be learned in a traditional classroom.

We were fortunate to spend two days at YMCA Camp Pendalouan last week. Our fifth graders at Lake Hills participated in hiking, group challenge activities, cross-country skiing, broomball, orienteering, native American life games, tobogganing, and other outdoor activities that provided memorable experiences for 44 students.

The attitudes and behaviors of our students during these outdoor and adventure activities were exemplary and the leadership provided by the Pendalouan staff was outstanding. Here are a few photo highlights of our outdoor education time. Please visit the Outdoor Education PHOTO ALBUM on our school web site for additional photographs.

SPECIAL THANKS to Trent, Emilie, Karen, Lori, and Adam for their leadership and ability to orchestrate two fantastic days of outdoor education at YMCA Camp Pendalouan. You guys rock!

For More Photographs Visit
Lake Hills Elementary School
Photo Album

SNOW BEGETS SNOW

2009-01-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

COLDER WEATHER is predicted for next week. The lake effect snow machine has been very active this year and it seems that snow begets more snow. This is a great chance for our students to test the snow gear they will need for Snow Camp...winter coats, mittens, snow pants, insulated boots, etc. Unless wind chills are below zero, we all enjoy outside recess.

KURT REPPART from International Aid visited our class to receive our class donations of $192 for six HydrAid water filters. He also provided an interesting presentation and video on the need for clean water around the world. We want to thank our class families for all their support of this project.

IF YOUR CHILD ARRIVES LATE for school, please be sure to bring them into the office and check them in with Mrs. Dusnik. Classroom doors open at 8:50 and tardy students must be signed in after that time. Thank you for your cooperation.

SNOW CAMP is coming on January 22 and 23. Camper health forms MUST be turned in by this Tuesday, January 13. We have plenty of parent chaperones for our class and they will need to meet in Room 15 on Thursday morning, January 22, at 8:30 a.m. Chaperones may bring their $24 for camp at that time.

ANOTHER COMPLIMENT PARTY is scheduled for next Thursday, January 15. We will need a few additional Scrabble games that day. We will also be watching "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," that day in conclusion of our literature study of the C.S. Lewis classic. Students will need to return a permission slip to view this video. Congratulations to each student in our class for the 10 unsolicited compliments we have received.

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS has begun with several teams forming in our class. Students will be meeting regularly during their Thursday lunch periods. Book chats with adult leaders will soon be scheduled. Here is a list of books each team will be reading:

Because of Winn-Dixie by DiCamillo
The Borrowers by Norton
Charley Skedaddle by Beatty
Danger on Midnight River by Paulsen
Experanza Rising by Munoz-Ryan
From the Mixed-Up Files... by Konigsburg
Gregor the Overlander by Collins
S.O.R. Losers by Avi

OUR CALENDAR is always on our blog site. Simply scroll down to the bottom of this page. It is a public Google calendar that you can add to your Google calendar views.

CHRISTMAS POTLUCK

2008-12-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

THE CHITTENDEN HOME provided a festive setting for our class Christmas potluck on the evening of December 11. We'll let the random photos tell the story of our joyous gathering. Instead of a gift exchange, students brought nearly $200 to help purchase 6 HydrAi d Biosand Water Filters for International Aid relief efforts. What a class act!

Merry Christmas!

LET IT SNOW

2008-12-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

SNOW CAMP balances are now past due. Total tuition for the two days at YMCA Camp Pendalouan is only $48.00. If your child sold two boxes of candy bars, they will not owe anything for camp. If they sold one box, then their balance is $23.00. Please make your check payable to Lake Hills School. If you are interested in being a chaperone at Snow Camp on January 22-23, please email Mr. Chittenden as soon as possible.

OUR CLASS CHRISTMAS PARTY is scheduled for this Thursday evening at the Chittenden Home, 16432 Brown Lane, Spring Lake. Students should arrive at 6:15 dress in "Sunday best" for this potluck dinner event. Directions to the Chittendens are going home today.

Each guest must bring a dish to pass and may also bring a monetary donation for our project to purchase a HydrAid water filter for International Aid relief efforts. Checks payable to International Aid will also be accepted.

OUR STUDENT COUNCIL representatives--Drew, Olivia, and Ana--stand next to one of the HydrAid water filters that International Aid uses in their relief efforts. Each filter cost only $32 and our class hopes to purchase several with our giving this holiday season.

THE HOLIDAY GIFT SHOP date is changed to Wednesday, December 17. Students will be provided shopping envelopes next Monday. Here is there chance to do their "one stop shopping" for the holidays.

A HOLIDAY CONCERT will be held in the school gym on Friday, December 19, at 1:20 p.m. The fifth grade choir will sing and the band and orchestra will perform. Parents and family are welcome to attend.

'TIS THE SEASON

2008-12-04T10:25:00.000-08:00

FIFTH GRADE STRINGS will present a concert tonight at 7:00 at White Pines Middle School Auditorium. String students should report to the middle school at 6:30 p.m.

OUR CHRISTMAS PARTY will be held at the Chittendens next Thursday, December 11, from 6:15 to 8:00 p.m. Students are to dress in their "Sunday best" and bring a dish to pass for the potluck event (A-J bring salad; K-P bring main dish; R-Z bring dessert). Students may also bring a donation for our Water Filter Project with International Aid. Directions to the Chittenden Home in Spring Lake will be sent home next week.

CALCULATORS are always a nice gift at Christmas. The Texas Instruments TI-34 II Plus is the calculator we use in fifth grade. It has a number of nice features that will be applicable to middle school math as well as Algebra I and II. It is available online and in many stores for less than $25.

THE FIFTH GRADE Girls' Basketball Team will be participating in the Play-offs at Grand Haven High School this Saturday, December 6. The team and their coaches are pictured below:

Jaslyn, Ana, Brooke, Lluvia, Jazmin, Alli, Tasha, Coach Mike, Coach Ken.

REPORT CARDS are now scheduled to go home on Friday, December 5. Fifth graders will receive letter grades (A,B,C, or N) in English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science. The number system which accompanies these grades is different this year with 1 meaning "outstanding" and 4 meaning "needs improvement."

THE VIDEO CONTEST from eInstruction announced the winners of the $25,000 Classroom Makeover Contest today. Take this LINK to view the winning video in the K-5 category. Thanks, again, to all those who supported our efforts. Our video can still be seen HERE.

OUR MATH STUDIES now take us into the world of division. We are becoming aquainted with the partial-quotients algorithm of division. Although this method may seem peculiar to those of us who learned long division, it is a significant improvement over the traditional approach to developing computational proficiency. Here is a LINK to a school district in Pennsylvania that includes several presentations to these alternative algorithms.

MICHAEL works in our Thursday morning art class. He is focused on creating an image of himself playing baseball before tackling his radial design snowflake project.

THE JINGLE BELL PARADE is this Saturday, December 6, at 6:00 p.m. in downtown Grand Haven. The Chamber of Commerce's parade will conclude in Central Park with the lighting of the Community Christmas tree and a carol sing with Santa and Mrs. Claus, led by The Salvation Army Band. This is a great family event!

LOOKING FOR A LAPTOP that won't break the bank? I just purchased the new Acer Netbook which is a great alternative to the laptop. It's smaller, utilizes Windows XP, comes with a 160gb hard drive, 1gb memory, built in web cam, wireless technology and more. If you comparison shop, be careful, because there are a number of these out there with far fewer features. Check out this PDF from CCS Technologies in Coopersville for more information on this "little guy" that packs a punch. 'Tis the season.

WINTER WONDERLAND

2008-11-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

OUR MUSIC VIDEO is still online if you click HERE.

OUR FIRST SNOWFALL caught us all off guard. Please make sure your child is prepared for the cold weather. Students should have appropriate winter gear such as a warm coat and boots. Students may participate on the snow hill IF they are wearing a winter coat, boots, gloves/mittens, AND snow pants. Parents should check the link to Spring Lake weather from the PARENT section of the school web site. Unless the wind chill is below zero, students will be expected to go outside for recess.

OUR THANKSGIVING FEAST is this Wednesday. Hot lunch students will enjoy turkey and trimmings. Students are asked to bring a canned vegetable or canned fruit for the food drive.

THE PTA will be meeting this Thursday, November 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Media Center. Superintendent Keith Konarska will be visiting Lake Hills during this meeting of the Northshore PTA.

OUR FOOD DRIVE concludes this Friday. Fifth grade students are encouraged to bring canned vegetables and canned fruit. Our classroom box is only half full.

FUND RAISER money for Snow Camp must be in before December 2. If possible, please return the money in the form of $10 and $20 bills or a check payable to Lake Hills School.

THE CLASS CHRISTMAS POTLUCK will be at the Chittenden Home in Spring Lake on Thursday evening, December 11, from 6:15 to 8:00 p.m. Students will need to bring a dish to pass and wear "Sunday best" clothing to the event. Instead of a gift exchange, we are going to donate money to International Aid to help purchase one or more HydrAid BioSand Water Filters. Visit the HydrAid site for more information about these life-saving filters.

OUR MUSIC VIDEO continues to receive much attention. Click HERE to view the eInstruction finalists. Winners will announced on December 3. We want to thank Grand Haven Area Public Schools and even Grand Valley State University for classes who viewed our video project. It is still available online in the Learnin' Up blog post. We still think it's THE BEST.

MOVIE NIGHT this Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 at Lake Hills.

SCROLL DOWN to view our class calendar.

FIRST TRIMESTER COMING TO A CLOSE

2008-11-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

OUR WRITERS' CELEBRATION gave each student an opportunity to read their selected writing and to hear others "publish" their first project. From stage lights to beginning the "show" with the NFL theme music, we all enjoyed the celebration.

OLIVIA PULASKI walked away from our first Compliment Party with a net worth of $5,156 after a successful game of Monopoly with her team. Other team champions included Jaslynn Castaneda, Drew Strainer, Nathaniel Hentschel, Tasha Jablonski, and Zachery Greenert.

TIMELINE PROJECTS for first trimester are due tomorrow. Students have been using software to develop a timeline of early exploration to North America.

THE FIRST TRIMESTER ends next Friday, November 21. Report cards will be sent home on December 4. Students will receive new job and team assignments for the second trimester period.

CHOCOLATE BARS for our Snow Camp fundraiser will arrive in a few days. If your child chose to participate, they will have until December 2 to sell their World's Famous Chocolate candy bars and return their money to school. Camp balances and all tuition is due by December 9.

OUR CHRISTMAS PARTY (students only) will be held at the Chittenden Home, 16432 Brown Lane, Spring Lake, on Thursday evening, December 11. The potluck dinner will begin at 6:15 p.m. and conclude at 8:00 p.m. Students will need to wear "dress clothes" for this special event. More information will be provided after Thanksgiving.

SEVERAL NEW SITES were recently added to the STUDENT section of our school web site. Check out these links that are also available from www.mylakehills.org/students.php.

Tangram Puzzles
Practice your geometry savvy with this classic 7-piece puzzle.

Monteray Bay Aquarium
This field guide featuring aquatic habitats also includes information about amphibians, birds, fishes, invertebrates, and more.

National Geographic Animals
Amphibians, birds, bugs, fish, invertebrates, and mammals are all here.

SCROLL DOWN to the bottom of our blog for our classroom Google calendar. Click on any event for further details.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

2008-11-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

COMPLIMENT PARTY
With 10 unsolicited compliments in the record book, we will conduct our first Compliment Party tomorrow, November 6. Students may bring their favorite cereal and bowl for a morning feast. Each student team will also spend some time participating in a game of Monopoly. Congratulations, class, on receiving so many compliments so early in the school year.

WRITERS CELEBRATION
Tomorrow will feature a time of celebration for our writers. Each student will share the piece they recently selected to "publish" during our first Writers Celebration. Each writer will have a chance to "step up to the microphone" and read their selection. All writing project "stacks" are due tomorrow.

STUDENTS TRICK-OR-TREAT FOR UNICEF
Students recently collected donations for UNICEF on Halloween. UNICEF was created with this purpose in mind – to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path...believing that we can, together, advance the cause of humanity. Special thanks to Drew Strainer, Nathaniel Hentschel, Ana Saenz, Gaige Hurst, Rubbee Maloley, Lluvia Arevalo, and Elizabeth Tibbe for their efforts coordinated by former Lake Hills' student, Jordan Chusid.

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT BEGINS
Mr. David Brockmyer, our Junior Achievement consultant, will be meeting with us for five Thursday lessons. Mr. Brockmyer is an businessman with iCap Realty Advisors in Grand Rapids. The purpose of JA is to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, business, and economics to improve the quality of their lives. Our focus in fifth grade is on the three forms of business: sole proprietorship, partnerships, and corporations.

GEOMETRY COMING SOON
We just completed our second unit in math and students performed very well with a class average of nearly 90% achievement. We will examine properties of basic plane figures and use tools such as compasses, rulers, and protractors. Our lessons will focus on facts concerning the angles and the elements of triangles, quadrangles, and polygons in general.

FOLKTALES ABOUND
We continue to read various folktales in our Junior Great Books studies. We will begin reading "The Devoted Friend," a folktale by Oscar Wilde. Junior Great Books helps students' reading comprehension in the context of thinking about genuine problems of meaning. Students prepare for a shared inquiry through a "directed notes" activity allowing them to explore the many initerpretive issues in each selection.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
So, what really is success? A friend of mine recently shared with me that he admired my "risk to learn" and my approach to continuous improvement. I have to admit that maintaining a learner's attitude has not always been easy; but the payoff is well worth the additional effort. The powerful concept of renewal--personal, professional, spiritual--wasn't something I picked up at Grand Valley State University, however. Maybe it was simply knowing the unappealing alternative to renewal that convinced me that seeking continuous improvement (the Japanese call is Kaizen) is a practical means to successful living.

VIDEO CONTEST FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

2008-10-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the email we received on Friday afternoon. For those of you who haven't seen the music video we submitted, scroll down past the email to the media window to view it.

Dear Mr. Chittenden,

Thank you for your submission to the Interactive Classroom Makeover Contest!

The contest judges were tasked with the difficult responsibility of selecting 15 finalists from nearly 300 video submissions representing schools from 40 states and four countries (the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). Each submission was an amazing demonstration of collaboration and creativity and while your video, Learnin' Up, was not one of the finalists, it will continue to be viewed and enjoyed by thousands of people as we enter the final round.

You should be very proud of what you and your students accomplished. According to our tracking, more than 350,000 people have already visited the site and had an opportunity to watch the videos. Please note, during the first few days of the voting period, your entry will not be accessible. However beginning next week, ALL the videos will be accessible by going directly to your video's page. And once voting has ended on November 14, all videos will be re-posted to the home page.

We encourage you to support your peers by voting for your favorite video after 12 noon ET (16:00 GMT) on Friday October 31 by going to www.eimakeover.com. (The online ratings count for 30% of the final score.) The voting will close at 12 noon ET (16:00 GMT) on Friday, November 14, and the winners will be announced on Wednesday, December 3.

Once again we, and our co-sponsors, want to thank and congratulate you and your students for taking part in the contest and delivering an important message to other educators, students and parents around the world.

LEARNIN' UP

2008-10-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

Although we didn't make the final cut, we have to admit that the collaborative effort of working on this classroom project provided benefits beyond those of winning any contest. It was an awesome experience for our 22 fifth grade students at Lake Hills.

We want to thank Grand Haven Area Public Schools and even Grand Valley State University for classes who viewed our video project. Thanks for your support. Leave us a comment or note of encouragement.

Learnin' Up
Lake Hills Elementary School
Kirby Chittenden, Grade 5 Teacher

MUSIC VIDEO CONTEST

2008-10-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

THE FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS in Kirby Chittenden’s class at Lake Hills Elementary School are working on a music video to enter in a $25,000 Interactive Classroom Makeover Contest sponsored by eInstruction of Denton, Texas. The class must submit their video by October 24 and a panel of judges will determine the top 5 finalists in each of the three school categories (grades K-5; 6-8; and 9-12).

The finalists will be posted online at http://www.eimakeover.com/ from October 31 through November 14, to be viewed by members of the general public who will be asked to vote for their favorite entry. The online votes will determine 30% of the final score and a panel of judges will determine 70% of the entrant’s final score.

The Lake Hills' students decided to produce a parody on a song by the Jonas’ Brothers. The original song, “Burnin’ Up,” received new lyrics and a rap section created by the class who titled it, “Learnin’ Up.” The instrumental tracks were created by Chittenden on his Yamaha keyboard workstation and the class recorded the vocal tracks on October 3.

The 22 fifth graders also worked in cooperative teams to develop storyboards for more than 60 video clips used in the 2 ½ -minute music video. Final post production work on the project is scheduled for this weekend.

Judging will be based on the following criteria: effectiveness of demonstrating the use of technology in the classroom; the extent to which the entry demonstrates collaboration between the students and teacher in creating the video; and overall creativity and spirit of the entry.

The class will post their video with eInstruction by October 22. You have the option of “rating” our entry at that time. However, we’ll have to wait until October 31 to find out if we are among the finalists in our category…then you can officially vote for our video.

Former Lake Hills student Jeff Chittenden helps with the digital sound recording, mixing the instrumental and vocal tracks. Jeff is now a freshman at Grand Valley State University majoring in film and video production.

MEAP AND MORE

2008-10-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

MEAP TESTING for grades 3-5 will begin on Tuesday, October 14. Please avoid scheduling outside appointments for students during our testing days: October 14, 16, 21, and 23. Make up tests are scheduled for Wednesdays and the week of October 27.

OUR MUSIC VIDEO project continues to evolve. We will shoot the last video clips this Wednesday, so students should wear clothing without logos. We viewed a "rough draft" of the project today after 6 hours of editing this weekend. Please sign and return the release form your child is bringing home today. The final editing will begin this weekend and we'll let you know when the video goes live on the eInstruction site.

THANK YOU for making Parent-Teacher Conferences very successful. Each student in our class was represented at a conference last week. It's all about community and commitment!

BLOGGING among staff members at Lake Hills is increasing. Our reading specialist, Patti Konarska, has some good things to share in her recent post about Writer's Workshop. Click HERE to visit her blog, The Reading Room.

CLASSROOM WRITERS have now chosen one of more than a half-dozen "seeds" from their Writer's Notebook to develop into a narrative essay. We are in first draft mode this week and students should be narrowing their focus to a single event or short period of time in this first narrative. Students may bring drafts home for assistance, but should always KEEP all their writing.

WE ARE COMPLETING our second chapter in social studies and will review this Wednesday morning. Our test on Indians of North America will be next Monday, October 20.

MY NEXT READ ALOUD is an entertaining historical fiction book by Hope College professor, Albert A. Bell, Jr. A captivating tale, The Secret of the Lonely Grave, educates students on the issues of war, slavery, and the Underground Railroad.

OUR EVENTS CALENDAR is below. Click on any event for detailed information. You can also subscribe to this public calendar if you are using Google calendars.

AUTUMN HAPPENINGS

2008-09-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

THE SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR is this week. We will be visiting the Book Fair Safari on Tuesday afternoon. Students may purchase books at this time or complete their wish list to buy books later this week. The fair will also be open during the Thursday evening Autumn Fest from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. You may also choose to buy a book for our classroom library...see the Passports.

OUR MUSIC VIDEO instrumental tracks were recorded this past weekend and we are now practicing the vocal parts in class. We are also putting the final touch on our storyboards this week. Our plan is to record the vocal tracks on Friday and beginning shooting some video as soon as possible.

THE AUTUMN FEST is this Thursday night. Sponsored by the PTA, this event is designed for the entire family. Whether rain or shine, you'll want to join us from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for hay rides, face painting, games, and loads of entertainment. Your family can enjoy hotdogs, chips, caramel apples, pumpkin pie, apple cider, hot cocoa and coffee.

CONGRATULATIONS to our new Student Council Representatives. Drew Strainer, Ana Saenz, andOlivia Pulaski were elected as our classroom representatives. Rubee Maloley is our alternate representative. These students work with our principal to help organize various events and services throughout the school year.

OUR FIRST MATH TEST will be this Thursday morning as we complete our first unit of study on number theory--prime numbers, composite numbers, factors, factorization, factor strings, exponents.

SNOW CAMP is scheduled for late in January. However, students will need to raise their tuition expense by selling candy bars. You will receive a pre-order form this week for the World's Famous Chocolate. Students who sell one box of the premium candy bars (50) will raise enough money for half their camp expense. Students who sell two boxes of the $1 candy bars (100) will raise enough money for their entire outdoor education expense. Look for more details to come this week.

LIFE IS GOOD

2008-09-19T14:54:00.000-07:00

I LIKE THE THOUGHT that life is good. Fifth grade is good. I am so impressed with our class and the early progress they have demonstrated in our few weeks together. What a team!

LAKE HILLS raised $368 for the Lakeshore Classic Relay for Life. Thank you for your generous support of the American Cancer Society event and for your contributions in fighting the war against cancer.

HOT LUNCH FORMS are due on Monday. Students are to complete their choices of hot lunch for October and return these forms and money.

THE GREEN LIGHT is ours to participate in a special technology project being sponsored by e-Instruction. Our class is going to apply for an Interactive Classroom Makeover. We could win a technology-fueled classroom worth up to $25,000. However, we need to construct a music video and submit our entry in the K-5 category with e-Instruction by October 24. More news next week, but email me if you have an interest in contributing to a design team.

OUR AUTUMN FEST is designed for the entire family. Whether rain or shine, you'll want to join us on Thursday, October 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for hay rides, face painting, games, and loads of entertainment.

THANK YOU for returning the parent/teacher conference request forms. Teachers met today to schedule family conferences. You will receive information about your scheduled conference next week.

OUR PTA is need of a treasurer. Simply CLICK HERE to get to their blog and find out the latest information about Northshore PTA.

SPEAKING OF BLOGS, you may want to check out Mrs. Mueller's new blog, Principal's Desk. Several other teachers have recently joined the ranks of Bloggers at Lake Hills.

THE FALL FUNDRAISER continues until this Monday, September 22. Please help support our PTA and school by allowing your child to contact their "favorite four" friends or family. Orders will arrive at Lake Hills on Friday, October 17, and must be paid for at that time.

THE SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR is coming. As a class, we will preview the selections and construct our "wish list" on Tuesday, September 30, at 1:00 p.m.

ORCHESTRA will begin Thursday morning rehearsals at White Pines Middle School auditorium on October 2. It is very important that string students attend these morning rehearsals.

NO SCHOOL next Thursday, September 25, because our teachers will be participating in a professional development day. Classes will be conducted as usual on Wednesday and Friday.

ROLLING ALONG

2008-09-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

SPECIAL THANKS to Maricon Hentschel, Annel Olthof, Michael Park, Michelle Strainer, Ann Tibbe, and Matt Wilkinson for their assistance during our recent field trip to the Holland Rock and Mineral Show.

BOXTOPS for Education are a great way to help our school. Our contest begins today and will continue until October 13. Please submit your trimmed boxtops to our class anytime. Classes with the most boxtops will receive special prizes.

THE FALL FUNDRAISER continues until next Monday, September 22. Please help support our PTA and school by allowing your child to contact their "favorite four" friends or family. Orders will arrive at Lake Hills on Friday, October 17, and must be paid for at that time.

SCHOOL PICTURE DAY is Tuesday, September 16 (tomorrow). Smile.

RELAY FOR LIFE is a signature event for the American Cancer Society this Friday and Saturday. Mr. Chittenden will be participating in the relay at Lakeshore Middle School on Friday evening. Students may purchase a "foot" for only $1 or a luminary for $10 as a contribution to ACS.

NO SCHOOL on Thursday, September 25, because our teachers will be participating in a professional development day. This is a date change! Students WILL attend school on Wednesday, September 24 and on Friday, September 26.

OUR FIRST QUICK QUIZ in mathematics was today. Your child should have their copy of the 20 multiplication facts and quiz results.

MR. CHITTENDEN will briefly share with the Board of Education tonight about his week at the American Wilderness Leadership School this summer in Jackson, Wyoming. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm at the Educational Service Center, 1415 Beechtree.

CURRENT STUDIES
Math-Number Theory (prime/composite numbers, factors, divisibility, factorization)
Social Studies-The First Americans (Olmecs, Adenas, Hopewells, Anasazi)
Writing-Personal Narrative
Science-Rock Cycle
Reading-Folktales

INTO THE ROUTINE

2008-09-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

OUR FIELD TRIP to the Holland Rock and Mineral Show is this Friday. Students should have a sack lunch that day as we will eat in the classroom before leaving Lake Hills promptly at 12:10.

SPELLING has started this week. Based on last week's assessment, students will begin at a developmentally appropriate level. Please make sure your child has a SPELLING SCORECARD in their BBT each day. The usual schedule provides for peer tutoring Tuesday through Thursday and a test on Friday.

AN AFRICAN FOLKTALE from our Junior Great Books series continues to be the focus of our directed notes this week in reading. Students are preparing for a class discussion where the class will discuss places in the text where characters do, feel, or say things that contribute to their conflicts and problems.

I AM READING a science fiction book entitled, "The Green Book," to the class. This Accelerated Read book is a first-person narrative of an exodus of a group of Britons from a dying Earth to a new planet. The planet does not seem to be hospitable to humans, and the adults despair. However, the courage of the children prevails and saves the colony.

PLEASE CALL THE SCHOOL if your child will be late or absent, otherwise our attendance people will need to call your home or place of employment. Appointments that take students out of class should be made for early morning or late afternoon if possible.

WE WILL BEGIN our preparation for the MEAP (Michigan Education Assessment Program) soon. Students in fifth grade will be tested in English Language Arts (ELA) , Mathematics, and Science. The MEAP testing begins the week of October 13 (see our class calendar). Please do not schedule any appointments for your child these days.

OUR SRB (student reference book) is a helpful tool in mathematics. Our recent scavenger hunt showed us that we can reference this book when we are unclear about how to solve problems. It is also a good reference for parents who help their child with math assignments.

OUR SCHOOL FUNDRAISER begins today. This is the primary student fundraising event sponsored by our PTA. It helps raise money for various assemblies, projects, field trips, and events sponsored by the Northshore PTA. The forms students are bringing home today are due back to school on Monday, September 22. All monies are due when orders are picked up on October 17.

OUR FIRST WEEK

2008-09-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU to those families who attended the Tuesday night orientation. A total of 18 of 22 students were represented in our gathering. I will arrange appointments with those who were unable to attend.

THE ROUTINES of fifth grade require several days of instruction and we are well on our way to establishing those important classroom behaviors. Thank you for your rapid response to all the forms and permission slips.

OUR FIRST FIELD TRIP will be next Friday, September 12. Students should bring a sack lunch or make arrangements for one by food service since we will be eating lunch prior to our 12:15 p.m. departure.

INDEPENDENT READING at home and school is an important part of our expectations for fifth grade students. Each student should have a book of their choosing at home AND at school to be reading at all times.

OUR CLASSROOM CALENDAR is displayed at the bottom of our blog. If you use Google calendars for your planning needs, you can add this public calendar to your viewing list. I will make every attempt to provide as much school and classroom information as possible on the calendar.

THE FIFTH GRADE ORCHESTRA will begin morning rehearsals on Tuesday, September 30, from 7:40 to 8:30 a.m. at White Pines Middle School. Bus transportation from the middle school to Lake Hills is provided following rehearsal.

THE BBT FOLDER will come home every day and should return to school the next. Please be sure to sign your child's daily assignment log and check the folder for any school notices.

BAND INFORMATION will be released this month for students interested in this instrumental music program. Instruction in cornet, trombone, flute, clarinet, and percussion is provided.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION class is held every Tuesday morning from 10:45 to 11:15. Student should have appropriate sports shoes. Classes in physical education will also be provided every other Friday, beginning September 5 at 10:45 a.m.

WE ENJOYED OUR FIRST ART CLASS today with Mrs. Sipe. She will be meeting with us for 50 minutes of art instruction every Thursday at 11:10 a.m.

IF YOU USE Google calendars, you already know how to add this public calendar to your listings. You may also subscribe to the RRS feed for this blog and keep informed as information is released.

WELCOME BACK

2008-08-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

SEPTEMBER 2 is the first day of school at Lake Hills. It is a pleasure for me to be teaching fifth grade once again and to welcome 22 students to our class. A nice addition to the blog this year is the online Google calendar. Simply scroll down to the bottom of the page and you can get the latest listing of classroom events--including field trips, special days, book fairs, etc.

If you use Google calendars, you already know how to add this public calendar to your listings. You may also subscribe to the RRS feed for this blog and keep informed as information is released.