Universal Studios!

The trip is set for June 4th!
The cost per person is $54. Most of you have paid your $10 deposit. Please bring in the remaining balance of $44 before April 28th. Your children have worked hard for the past 6 years and deserve this trip. If you have any problems coming up with the $44, please contact me and we will work something out!

Thank you to the P.T.A for an incredible Cultural Arts Day! It was the best ever!

A masterpiece?

Jay Jay marches in!

The Sand Lady

The Navy Band

Mrs. Hartless????

Enjoy your Spring Break!

Next End of Month Luncheon is set for April 25th at 11:30! Be there or be square!

Thank you to Gabrielle McCance for taking Pearl and Connie for the break!

Happy Easter, Happy Spring Breeak!

Congratulations to Jose Bautista. Jose is our STAR Student for March 20, 2008. Jose has worked real hard to get caught up on his book count, and has really made an effort to do better in school!
FCAT is over! I think the FCAPs really worked. All the student from Mrs. Whitelaw's, Mr. Gibbons, and Mrs. Peck's classes seemed very confident that they did well!

We began reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas on Thursday, and hope to finish it by April 15th. It's an awesome book about a boy caught up in the tragedy of World War II. The subject matter is a little bit above fifth grade, and the reading level is a bit below fifth grade so Mrs. Peck and I decided to read some of it with them, and heave them read some with their partner. Just one day in, and the students seem very interested in what is going to happen to Bruno. We had some fun making inferences in the first two chapters. If you would like to borrow a copy, just stop by Room 71.

We will be reading the book of the month this week The Cello of Mr. O!

Beginning this week, we will be working on a response to literature for the month of April. The book we will be responding to ins Pink and Say by Patricia Polaco. This is the story of two boys who meet during the aftermath of a battle during the Civil War.
Look for our responses on the bulletin board when Spring Break is over. They should be very interesting.

March 17, 2008

Jason Krutki was our Star Student for March 14, 2008! Congratulations Jason.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Naomh Padraig (as he was known in Ireland) is given credit for bringing Christianity to Ireland, and driving the snakes (the pagan Druids) out of Ireland. He was captured by raiders at age 16 and brought to Ireland as a slave. at age 22, he escaped and returned to his homeland Britain. After a short stay in Britain he returned to Ireland as a missionary to spread the Christian religion. Although many holidays celebrate the birth of a famous figure, March 17th is the day of death of Padraig. Many of today's traditions are commercial creations that have little to do with the actual saint.

We are almost finished with FCAT! A couple more days and it is over! We had fun making testing caps, FCAPS! Our principal, Mrs. Kornblum wore hers all day, as did Mrs. Johnston and Ms. Thompson our other administrators. They were quite the fashion statement! Kenny and Ethan model their hats

Stephanie and Huso

Where is your hat Darius?

Mrs. Peck, Abrianna, and Serin finish their FCAPs

Marcus and our new student Kyra pose after finishing their FCAPs

I need more stars and jewels!

Zachary, Yordanos, and Javon

"Everyone be quiet, I'm trying to concentrate"

We will begin working out of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas on Thursday of this week. This will be the fourth novel based on events of World War II that we have read. This will help meet part of the reading standard of reading four books in one genre.

Mrs. Watson's and Mrs. Beaver's kindergarten class came by to thank us for performing our "Gibbo Song", and to wish us good luck on the FCAT!

FCAT? NO PROBLEMO!

~A very special thank you goes out to Joan Patterson, our intern who spent a few weeks with us. Joan jumped right in and helped out, and it is obvious she will be an awesome teacher very soon! What was most impressive was that she was willing to play baseball with us, and work one on one with some students! Mrs. Patterson also came back to help out with our End of Month Luncheon after her hours were completed...the sign of a dedicated teacher. Thanks Joan!

Joan Patterson and Serin Jordan...what a smile!

~We had an awesome few days before FCAT! We learned a new and strange song called the Gibbo Song!

Simile, simile

She looks like a bumblebee

Metaphor, metaphor

She's a sweetheart, she's a door

Hyperbole, hyperbole

A million times, she told me

Alliteration, Alliteration

Harry hears the hateration

Sensory, sensory

Sweaty, bumpy, cold, salty, hairy

Yeah!

We added instruments and even had a background dancer. Abrianna is quite the sport. We performed for a fifth grade class, a fourth grade class, a first grade class, and a kindergarten class!

Darius, Marcus, Ramcher, and John were quite the backup band!

The Manisha Keller Trio poses for the pooparazzi

~Please be on time every day for the next two weeks. If you arrive late to school, you will be in a classroom until 11:30 waiting for us to finish. Eat a good breakfast.

~Monday is FCAP day!

~There is no End of Month Luncheon in March due to FCAT, and Spring Break. April's Luncheon will be April 25th. If you have not made it to a luncheon yet, please try to make the April Luncheon.

~Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Do you know why this holiday was originally celebrated in Ireland? Ask you child, they know!

~Please bring a drink (water, soda or juice), or a cup for water every day this week as we will be having extended recess during FCAT!

~Your child is ready for FCAT! I have been teaching eighteen years, and I can honestly say I have never had a group as ready as this one. There will be nothing on the test that is new to them! If your child is stressing over FCAT, please remind them that Mrs. Peck and Mr. Gibbo have taught them everything they need to know, not only that, we have spent a week reviewing it! We are so ready!!!!!!!!!!!

When asked if he was ready for FCAT, Richard (Romeo) gave the thumbs up!

We are almost there!

One more week until FCAT! We are so ready! We've spent the last two weeks reviewing everything we have learned this year. We've learned a lot!

Want to read a cool and interesting book? Our Book of the Month was Henry's Freedom Box. This was the story of a man who saw his family sold away into slavery and mailed himself in a box to freedom! (true story) If you want to borrow a copy, just stop by Room 71.

We will be making our FCAP hats to wear during testing this week. We will be decorating hats that will help everyone do their best.

Jonathan Culbert's older brother models his 2007 hat

Edvin Beaganovic models his hat!

Thanks to all those parents who came out to February's End of Month Luncheon. We had fun. We had fewer students than usual due to some bad students choices, but I'm sure they will be back for next luncheon. Thanks to Mrs. Mika for delivering our meal, and to Mrs. Bridges for bringing dessert. Thanks for the drinks Mr. Keller and Mrs. Mika! Due to FCAT testing and Spring Break there will be no Luncheon in March. We look forward to seeing you at April's luncheon.

This past week we spent a great deal of time reviewing some literary terms. Even though there is no spelling test, please review the following words with your child:

(there will be a few quizzes on them this week)

metaphor - when a writer says one thing is another thing to make his point. Example: His bedroom was a pigpen. (a room cannot actually be a pigpen, but you get the point)

simile- to say that one thing is like or as another thing. Example: She ripped through the present like a pirate looking for treasure. (all similes have the word as or like in them)

alliteration- the repetition of a letter at the beginning of words. Example: Mindy worked all day Monday to get her mail ready for Mrs. Jones.

personification- to give human qualities to an animal or thing. Example: The cold winter air sneaked under the door. ( air cannot sneak, but you get the point)

sensory words- these are word that involve the five senses. Example: The gentle ocean breeze blew over us with its salty aroma. (senses of touch and smell)

assonance- the repetition of a vowel sound. Example: Ned and Emily went to Eric's house to decorate eggs. (the short e sound)

symbol- when one thing is used to represent another. Example: Miles to go before I sleep. (miles or distance represents time and sleep represents death in many literary works. Also, the lion may be used to represent courage, or the fox to represent sneakiness etc.)

hyperbole- extreme exaggeration to make a point. Example: Sh stuck her nose in other people's business for the millionth time. (she only did it three times, but you get the point)

Thank you to the PTA for supplying us with mints for testing!

Thank you to Joan Patterson, our intern! Joan finished her required hours last week, and we enjoyed having her! She is going to make an awesome teacher!

Mr. Gibbons and Mrs. Peck are very proud of Jose Bautista who has has really gotten on the ball with his citizenship and his 25 Book Standard! You rock Jose!