FUN and BUSY Week...

Happy Pre-Fall Break week, Parents!

By now, you have received your child's permission forms for this Friday's annual, school-wide, walking field trip to the Mesilla Valley Maze. An additional letter regarding request for parents to join us on this fun and festive day was also sent out. The letter outlined how you may purchase a wristband for yourself EARLY from our front office for $7.00. We HIGHLY recommend this, as it will save time when we arrive at the Maze/Pumpkin Patch and will be on a schedule for the outdoor classroom and hayride. Since fifth grade will be arriving first, it is likely we will be going on our hayride right away. The staff at Mesilla Valley will not hold up the schedule if parents do not have their wristbands to enter and join their child.

You can go to the front office yourself beginning on Monday, or send $7.00 with your child to purchase your wristband if you are planning to join us...and I really hope you are!! It's an awesome experience having our parents join us on our field trip excursions, and this is the first of our school year! Additionally, I will be sending home permission forms for parents who attend this field trip who might wish to take their child home directly from the maze. Due to various custodial issues and for the protection of your child, the forms MUST BE TURNED IN PRIOR TO THE FIELD TRIP AND APPROVED BY OUR ADMINISTRATION. Children will NOT be released to ANY other adult unless it is the person on the form who has been approved earlier this week by administration. Please also note that ALL STUDENTS MUST ACCOMPANY THEIR CLASS on the walk from Fairacres Elementary School TO the Mesilla Valley Maze in the morning. Parents will not be allowed to bring their child to the maze. Parents who attend with us are asked to follow their child's class in their vehicle and join us at the entrance to the Mesilla Valley Maze. Students and parents must stay with the class AT ALL TIMES, unless the parents have signed their child out--in which case, they will be solely responsible for their child for the remainder of the day.

Truly, I am VERY GRATEFUL for ANY/ALL parents who are able/willing to join us. Finally, I am asking for parent volunteers who have large coolers and are willing to provide either snacks, water, and transport our sack lunches that will be provided by our school cafeteria. This is a HUGE HELP that is MUCH-NEEDED for our class. IF you are able to assist in ANY of these ways, I will need you to arrive at Fairacres EARLY on Friday morning with your coolers. If I have at least two parents with large coolers who can transport the lunches, THAT would be awesome! A large cooler of water would be FANTASTIC. Between the various activities, students are ALWAYS hungry, so healthy snacks for 20 students would be WONDERFUL!

PLEASE send me a message on Remind and let me know if/what you are able to contribute for our field trip on Friday. I appreciate you ALL and all the support you give your child and me, as well! I look forward to seeing many of you for the field trip! Thank You!!

As I mentioned earlier to many of you during conferences, I sent home the packet for your child's Volume Zoo Animal Project last week. I read through and discussed this project with my class, so that each one knows the expectation of the assignment. Since we have been studying calculating volume in math, your child should have a pretty fair understanding of using the formula: V= l x w x h AND ( l x w = B) ; so V=B x h. I have reminded my students that this is different from Area, since Volume is something that is to be filled and is three-dimensional (like a box). Area is two-dimensional like a paper or tile flooring.

In any case, they are to use small boxes that are NO LARGER than a cereal box (as we ALL--fifth grade) have very limited space currently. Each student is to measure out the dimensions of their box and its parts of the animal in cubit measurements, but should NOT use cylindrical or spherical items; ex.-paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, oatmeal boxes, etc. since those measurements are a bit more complicated and we haven't studied them yet.

Students NOW have three weeks to complete their volume zoo animal. This includes the planning in the packet, the calculations, and the actual model, which is the final product. In lieu of a weekly homework assignment, the team decided that we would just do this as our nine-weeks project and allow four weeks (last week, this week, and fall break) for the "at home" completion of the project. All volume zoo animals will be DUE on Wednesday, October 9th AFTER we return from fall break. We are asking student to NOT turn in their zoo animals early since we do not have the space to facilitate the projects. (*more following!!) PLEASE help your child with their Volume Zoo Animal as much as possible. They've been doing pretty well with the math part in class, and they can use cubit centimeters, millimeters, inches, etc. when they're measuring. Please remind them to provide their units of measurement.

I can provide colored paper for them to decorate their animals if they need any. I will touch base with them again this week. Than you again for ALL YOUR SUPPORT!!

I have just sent home our "annual magnet art" order forms along with artwork your child completed recently. This is NOT a fundraiser, but something that Mrs. White has provided for our students to do showcases student artwork where parents can choose to do a bit of holiday shopping (if they want to) and order various items with your child's artwork on it.

Included in the packet is your child's original artwork, a price list/items list (with many items from notepads to oven mitts) that can be ordered with your child's artwork design on it. The prices vary, and the items can make a fun gift for anyone not sure what to get for a friend, grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc. If you decide you want to ANY of the items, please be sure to send the order form back WITH THE ARTWORK, and A CHECK or CASH for the amount of the items.

Remember, ordering any of these items with your child's artwork/design is optional. Please send all order packets back in the plastic sleeve on October 8th RIGHT AFTER FALL BREAK. THANK YOU!

Parents,

I just sent home the Student Compact Form that is being sent to all students and parents from Las Cruces Public Schools and our Administration. The beginning paragraph of the Compact states as follows-

"As a component of the school-level parental involvement policy, each school shall jointly develop with parents a school-parent compact that outlines how parents, the entire school staff, and students will share responsibility for improved student academic achievement."

Please read this document carefully (notwithstanding the obvious grammatical errors), sign it, and have your child sign it, and return it to school as soon as possible.

Please note that I have already signed the Student Compact Form, and will look forward to receiving each one signed and returned from you and your child.

Thank you so much.

So...erring on the side of being optimistic...

We've been told a bazillion (which isn't actually a number, but...I also haven't seen a golden unicorn either...) times, it's quite possible that we (the fifth grade team) may be able to move our classrooms into the new building beginning...wait for it...September 20th. Yeah, maze day field trip. The timing is NOT great, but IF (and that is a HUGE "IF") we can, I am planning to be at Fairacres on Saturday and Sunday (yes...fall break) to get things moved in there so that my students have a REAL place to call their new home, not eat dust anymore (as much as possible), and have more room than we have EVER HAD! Keep your fingers and toes crossed, send out those good vibes and every amazing prayer you can think of parents; this has been a VERY LONG TIME COMING!!

Here are a few snapshots of the new digs, and it is going to be LOVELY!! Here's hoping...still!

Please remind your children to adhere to dress code for school. Even though it has been super hot outside, we are seeing quite a few short-shorts and crop tops. All students' upper torsos should be completely covered, shoulders should not be visibly bare, and shorts should be middle to 3/4 length of the thigh. If anyone is interested in guidelines for dress code, please contact Mrs. Melissa White for resources at mwhite@lcps.net .

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR UPCOMING EVENTS

• September 20th -- Pumpkin/Maze Field Trip
• September 20th -- End of Quarter 1
• September 21st-22nd -- Mrs. Henry moves everything into the new classroom!! (Cross Your Fingers this actually happens!!)
• September 23rd - October 4th -- Fall Break

• November 5th -- Election Day (No School)
• November 11th -- Veteran's Day/Educator Planning Day (No School for Students)
• November 25th - November 29th -- Thanksgiving Week