Martin's Memos
Volume 1, Issue 33: May 18, 2018
This Week
Parents,
Please read through this newsletter and let me know if you have any comments or questions. Please see the very bottom for help with keeping up our academic skills in the summertime.
Have a great weekend!
Thanks!
-Ms. Kate Martin
End-of-Year GT Class Party!
The year has flown by and summer is around the corner!
The classes will combine for a party on Tuesday, June 12--kids will tie-dye t-shirts and a have a picnic lunch together.
A few ways you can help:
- Sign up here to send in a party food or supply item. Please remember--Woodland is a nut free school. These items can be brought in the morning of the party.
- Send in a prewashed white t-shirt no later than Monday, June 11.
- Families are also asked to donate $4 to cover pizza and tie-dye materials. You can donate through PayPal (send to b22msu@gmail.com) or send cash in an envelope to Aly Marx at school. On PayPal, please include your child’s name in the note section.
Thank you to Heather Shaw, Jennifer Wloch and Megan Marx for your help coordinating this!
Topics:
Writing & Reading: This week we presented our group exploration research projects and started working on our student-led conference information. We have also been reading Wonder in class (we took a break from it for a while, but we're back!) and will be writing our own books that communicate a theme from Wonder.
Math: All Groups: We are all working on a new Tiny House project this week! Check it out!
Science: We continued our FOSS unit on Environments this week. The students learned about how animals rely on their senses to navigate and survive. We also created brine shrimp hatcheries to monitor ideal environments.
Enrichment:Students continued their 6th enrichment project. Check it out here.
Looking Forward to Next Week
Topics:
Writing & Reading: We will finish our student-led conference information and practice how we will present the information and data to you, the parents! Students will start writing their own books that communicate a theme from Wonder.
Math: All Groups: We'll be learning about probability through various hands-on activities and stations.
Science: We will finish our FOSS unit on environments.
Enrichment: We will continue our 6th enrichment project. (Some onto a 7th!) Students will present both the 6th and 7th (if they have one) in June.
Pictures of the Week
Exploration Summaries
Tiny Houses!
Brine Shrimp Hatcheries
Optional Student-Led End of Year Conferences
To summarize and reflect on our year, the students will prepare to lead an end-of-year conference. This is an optional conference for you to attend, however I believe it will be a fantastic opportunity for your child to share their strengths, areas for improvement, favorite assignments/projects/products and goals for the future. If you choose not to sign up, please email me and I can send home the sheet for your child to do the conference at home on their own.
Self-Reflective Learning
This week we focused on taking initiative. We realized that:
- We can respond to needs WITHOUT being asked....anticipate and act!
- We can do this at school: helping around the classroom - clean up, another classmate, with Ms. Martin, with anyone in the school as long as you are staying safe and following the rules.
- We can do this at home: your chores, helping out around the house even if it ISN'T your chore, knowing you should read/practice math, etc.
Scholastic Book Fair!
Summer Learning
Math:
Purple group math - Look for grade 4 materials
Blue group math - Look for grade 5 materials
Orange group math - Look for grade 6 materials
Remember that the students will always have free access to Khan Academy online. (khanacademy.org) The students just need to go to the website, log in with their current credentials, and then choose "subjects" in the upper left hand corner. They can then choose the grade level material they need to work on and then they will start the "missions"! Students can also go to khanacademy.org/mappers and continue to practice on their leveled skills, too.
Reading:
READ, READ, READ!
Have you used the Lexile Find a Book feature?
Go to https://fab.lexile.com/
Enter your lexile range.
Choose your areas of interests.
View your results!
Find the books at local libraries or online!
Check out other website sources for books!
goo.gl/o1s5CU
goo.gl/sxVUgf
goo.gl/oLTMS8
DON'T get too hung up on reading EXACTLY in your child's lexile. Find a balance! Maybe try encouraging your child to read every other book within their lexile. The purpose is to increase awareness that when we read within in our "zone of proximal development" we are challenging ourselves to come across new vocabulary and content.
Science and Social Studies:
Students will continue to have access to www.discoveryeducation.com using these credentials below. This website has thousands of videos, reading passages, interactive activities, etc. for science and social studies.
User - ghes5
Pass - ghes5
Khan Academy has more than just math! It also has middle school and high school level science and social studies courses. Have your child log in and click on "subjects" to check it out!
General Information
- Homework
-Independent Reading: Minimum 20 minutes
-Literature Circles: Reading and "job"
Math:
-Daily math homework M-Th
-www.khanacademy.com/mappers
- Please check your child's agenda nightly by initialing under "Parent Signature". I will also initial it in the morning to confirm they have written the correct information down.
- Friday Folders: They were sent home today! Please take out all the sheets and return the folder MONDAY.
- Bagel Sales! Pre-Order on Wednesdays of each week. All varieties cost $1, cash only. Bagels are delivered on Fridays.
- Order online at www.scholastic.com and use our class code R3CHK if you need books!
Upcoming Important Dates
5/28 Memorial Day - No School
6/1 Field Day (6/8 rain date)
6/12 End of Year Party
6/14 1/2 Day
6/15 1/2 Day - Last Day of School
Contact Me
Email: kate.martin@avondale.k12.mi.us
Website: katemartingt.weebly.com
Location: 6465 Livernois Road, Troy, MI 48098, United States
Phone: (248) 537-6900