Hello Parents! We have started our new units. 6th grade will learn about the genre of Mystery. Through the learning of key vocabulary and analysis of mystery stories, students will learn about the elements of an effective mystery so they will be able to write their own mystery. We will also be reading the mystery book, The Westing Game. Students will also be expected to read an independent mystery book and prepare a book project for their book that will be due around the end of May. Next week, 6th grade students will have their last module test. The 5th grade unit students will read historical fiction and informational texts about Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and his assassin, John Wilkes Booth in order to gain a deeper understanding about the events surrounding the assassination of Lincoln and the 12 day hunt for his killer. The culminating activity will be to select one of the modes of writing (narrative, informational, or opinion) and write an essay related to one of the topics or texts studied during the year. These units will wrap up our year! I can't believe the year is coming to an end, it has been a great year and I have enjoyed this group of students! Please call or email me if you have any concerns or questions! Thanks!

What a busy month! Just a few announcements: After school tutoring started this week to prepare students for the benchmark. This is a great program and if you are interested please let me know. Also, Literacy Night is February 27th from 6-730. I will be sending home a flyer tomorrow with students on all the information. I look forward to seeing everyone! We also will be attending the book fair next week, so students will be coming home with their wishlist:) In class: 6th grade, students are reading about people in a variety of situations in which they demonstrated tremendous courage and overcame obstacles in life. Students are starting a mini research project on someone they think is couragous. 5th grade: We just finsihed Bud, Not Buddy. They wrote an essay on whether they think life is better today or in the 1930s. They used evidence from Bud, Not Buddy to help support their opinion in this essay. We have module tests at the end of the month, so we are now reviewing and getting prepared! Thanks for all that you do! I am so lucky to have such great kids!!

ELA News!

Hello Parents! Just an update on what's going on in our classes. I was out a few days this week for planning and I will be out again next week on Monday and Tuesday for more planning. 6th grade is working on their Conway writing and reading performance tasks. For the next few days they will be finishing up their essays, Wednesday we will go to the computer lab so they can type them. Then we will have module test review for a few days and then 6th grade module tests will be February 4th and 6th. 5th grade just finished their TLI module tests and their TLI writing. We will begin our new unit on the Great Depression and start reading, "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis. They have really worked hard since we have been back in school and I am really proud of all my students! Book Projects have been pushed back due to all the performance tasks and module tests. 5th grade book projects will be due January 30th. 6th grade book projects will be due the end of February. Thanks for all your support and raising such great kids!

New Module Test Date!

Due to the snow day on Thursday, 5th grade module testing will be moved to January 16th. We will complete both the reading and the writing module on that day. Make sure they get plenty of rest the night before and have a great breakfast. Thanks!

Shop Online: scholastic.com/readingclub is the website for ordering books. Our one-Time Class Activation Code: MC87T. Dear Families, Good news! This month's Scholastic Reading Club flyers are ready for you to explore with your child. Children read more when they choose their own books, so I encourage you to look at the flyers together. Each flyer is filled with curated, affordable books and Storia® eBooks that are just right for our grade, plus I've included some of my personal recommendations below. Place your order online at scholastic.com/readingclub or return the order form and payment to me. Ordering online is the easiest way to ensure I get your order on time, plus there are more books to choose from. Don't forget that for every book you buy from Scholastic Reading Club, our class earns FREE Books and supplies-and we have our eye on some new additions! Thank you for your support! Happy reading, PS: Books make wonderful gifts! Please let me know if your order includes a gift or surprise, and I will contact you when it arrives. Ordering online is fast and easy: • REGISTER at scholastic.com/readingclub • ENTER the Class Activation Code at the top of this letter • CHOOSE from thousands of print titles, value packs, and Storia eBooks • EARN FREE Books for our classroom too! Due Date: January 17th.

New Year!

Hello Parents! I'm sorry I am just now posting on my blog. This school year is going by so fast! My New Year's resolution is to be organized and start posting in my blog. We will see how this goes. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. I am glad to be back at school and excited to start our new units. 6th Grade-During the next two weeks students will be participating in literature discussion groups. For this unit, we will be reading, The Liberation of Gabriel King. Literature Discussion Groups allow students opportunities to practice and develop the skills and strategies of good readers. Students will start the Conway Performance Task January 20th. They will be researching and writing an informational essay based on the articles, "Civil Rights Era" and "Rosa Parks". This will take us to the end of the month. Our next module test dates are February 4th and 5th. 5th Grade-This week students have been working on the Conway Writing Performance Task. They are using the texts, "Parcheesi", from Toys and "Parcheesi: the Classic Game of India" to write a explanatory/informative text. We will spend Thursday and Friday in the computer lab typing their essays. Monday we will review for our module test. The module test is January 14th and 15th. After module tests we will begin unit 3. In this unit students will read historical fiction and informational texts about the Great Depression with the underlying theme of Coming of age. Coming of Age is a learning process that can be understood through the study of fictional characters and historical figures. Students will study the historical context through the novels of Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis and The Trial by Jen Bryant. The informational text for this unit of study will be Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman. Students will use multiple sources to form an opinion and write an essay expressing their thoughts about whether or not they think life was more difficult for kids during the Great Depression Era or for kids in today’s society.