Final Weeks of School 6/1-6/12

I waited to post until Monday since there is no new work due. The quarter closed on Friday so unless you made arrangments with me to pass something in late all missing work will be given a zero. The final science presentation is due on Tuesday and, of course, that is not considered late since we granted this extension to all students. Your grade on this lab report and presentation will be added in to your final grade.

I have been collecting books but some people keep forgetting to bring them in. I will be collecting all books from you on Tuesday so please make sure you have ALL of your books in school.

Monday, June 1st: Six Flags Day for graduates, high school and assignment book winners.

Tuesday, June 2nd: Long-term experiment lab report due if you were asked to re-write it and presentations will be held this day.

Wednesday, June 3rd: Clean up day. Bring extra bags so you can take home everything with you. Early Dismissal is at 1:00 p.m. and there is no afterschool today.

Thursday, June 4th: Field Day and Awards. Field Day will begin at 9:00 a.m. and games will continue until noon. Students will have a BBQ lunch at noon followed by make your own sundaes at 12:30. The cost for the sundaes is $3. Books and awards will be handed out from 1-2:30.

Friday, June 5th: Graduation and Spring Concert. Graduation will be held at First Parish Church, 225 Cabot Street in Beverly. All performers should report to the church at 9:15 a.m. for warm ups. All students should wear nice spring clothes. No jeans, T-shirts or flip flops) Cake and refreshments will be served.

Monday June 8th: We will leave school at 9:00 a.m. rain or shine and return by 4:00. Tickets are $20 a piece at the gate. Please bring extra money with your student for food and games.

Wednesday June 10th: Parent teacher conferences are being held from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Monday June 15-Friday June 19 is camp week at Clark.

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

Week of 5/25-5/29

NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY, 5/25/09: MEMORIAL DAY. Let's hope for sun!

Group 5 Blue: We will have a picnic lunch today to celebrate the "end of the year" (weather permitting) Please bring a lunch for yourself or something to share if you wish.

Math: Tuesday, 5/26: One hour of homework is due today. Hand in Math Graphs at the end of class. Your goal is to finish up Unit Reviews that will be counted on this quarter WHICH ENDS FRIDAY, 5/29/09.

Science: Wednesday: Hand in Science Books and your write-up for your long term experiment. FIELD TRIP TO TUFTS. Bring a non-messy snack for the van and a non-glass bottle.

Reading: Your final project for your final reading book is due on Friday 5/29. Choose one item from the list, complete it and be prepared to share with the class. Also, we did not present our reading logs that were due last Friday in class since so many people were out. We will present them this week during reading class.

Friday 5/29 4th QUARTER ENDS. No late work will be accepted after this date.

Week of 5/18-5/22

Math: 2 nights of Math (1 hr.) during the week. If you are going on Spring Trip, you could work ahead!!

MONDAY
Final Draft of Science Fiction/Fantasy story is due for judging. Remember you should have a title page with your title and name on it that I will keep when the story is routed for judging.

TUESDAY
Wordly Wise: Quiz on student created word list.

WEDNESDAY
Science: Wear old clothes for a lab.

FRIDAY: Now that you have completed your independent reading book the following is due:
1. Pretend you are a tv critic and report on this book. You should summarize the story, point out your favorite part and ultimately recommend it or not to the public. An illustration or powerpoint is not required for this but is welcomed. You will play the role of the tv critic as you present this in class.

Field Trip Next Week:

Bob Cook, parent of Allie Cook in Group 5G has invited Group 5 Blue and Green to visit the Behavioral Science Lab at Tufts on Wednesday, May 27th. We will be able to hear about the research they are doing with animals and actually see how the projects are set up. THIS MEANS THAT THE LONG TERM EXPERIMENT PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE DO ON THIS DAY WILL BE BUMPED TO MONDAY JUNE 1ST. HOWEVER, THE WRITTEN LAB REPORTS ARE STILL DUE ON MAY 27TH.

We will leave promptly at 8:30 a.m. and we will be out the whole day, returning in time for pick up. Please bring a non-messy snack and non-glass drink for the van ride to Tufts. We are still waiting on word on what time the presentations will be over. If possible we may be able to eat lunch out. If not we will be asking you to bring a non-microwavable lunch and drink.

Week of 5/11-5/15

ALL SCHOOL TESTING:

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning all students will forgo morning classes for standardized testing. Students will still have homework but our homework schedule is changing slightly. Please see below:

Math: Students have 30 minutes of math five nights per week. All corrections must be made before students move on. If you are stuck on something you may call me between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. any night for help. If we cannot work things out over the phone I will let you know how to proceed with your homework. I will check on Thursday morning to see that homework for Friday night, Monday night, Tuesday night and Wednesday night (2 hours) is complete.


Writing: The final draft of your Science Fiction/Fantasy story is due on Thursday 5/14/09 for judging. You must provide a title page with the title of your story and your name which I will keep. Your story should have the title on every page and each page should be numbered so that if a page gets separated, we can identify it. I expect you to be working on this story for at least 30 minutes every night this week until it is passed in.

Science Update: 5/13: No class. Art Show
5/20/09: Spring Trip Week: Students who do not go will have a combination lab;
5/27/09: Final Science Class - Dissection and make up work. Extra credit #2 due on 5/5/09 only. This will be averaged in with your other grades. POSSIBLE FIELD TRIP TO TUFTS TO BE ANNOUNCED.

Wordly Wise: Quiz on student created word list is postponed until Tuesday April 19th. If you need to make up any other quizzes in Wordly Wise you need to see me and make arrangements to do that this week. Any Wordly Wise quizzes that are not made up by Friday will be a zero.

Reading: No reading comp this week. I will be assigning a final reading assignment for your independent reading book. This assignment will be due next week so please make sure you finish your independent reading book this week. We will have time to read one more book so please choose a new book that you can read in 3-4 weeks and have the title, author and number of pages to me by Friday. You do not need to start reading this new book yet. Please just choose one!

Week of 5/4-5/8

Congratulations to all of you for a great job on the science fair. You all worked very hard and your projects turned out great!
Math: Students have 30 minutes of math five nights per week. All corrections must be made before students move on. If you are stuck on something you may call me between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. any night for help. If we cannot work things out over the phone I will let you know how to proceed with your homework. Mathathon packets are due by Friday May 8th.


Writing: I will hand back your final draft with my suggestions so that you can finish your story. Please hand back on Thursday, 5/14/09 for judging. You must provide a title page with the title of your story and your name which I will keep. Your story should have the title on every page and each page should be numbered so that if a page gets separated, we can identify it.

Science Update: 5/6/09: No class. Teacher Development Day; 5/13: No class. Art Show;
5/20/09: Spring Trip Week: Students who do not go will have a combination lab;
5/27/09: Final Science Class - Dissection and make up work. Extra credit #2 due on 5/5/09 only. This will be averaged in with your other grades. POSSIBLE FIELD TRIP TO TUFTS TO BE ANNOUNCED.

Wordly Wise:

• Packet for Unit 7 due on Tuesday May 5th. Quiz on Unit 7 words due today as well.
• If you did not finish your ten sentences in class on Tuesday please finish them for homework and pass them in to me by Thursday of this week. I will take two words from each student and create a vocabulary list for next week.
  

Reading:

• Reading Comp Unit 23 Due on Thursday 5/7
• Reading Log assignment due Friday May 8th: Choose a quote from your story. In one paragraph or two (at least 10 sentences) please explain the relevance of this quote in relation to the story. Then draw an illustration to go along with this quote.

Other important dates this week:
Monday May 4th: School picture forms are due.
Tuesday May 5th: School Pictures.
Wednesday May 6th: NO SCHOOL Teacher Development Day.
Thursday May 7th: Literary Character Day
Friday May 8th: Math-a-thon Forms Due

WEEK of 4/27-5/1

Our very own Alexander Hubik is in the National Scrabble Championship this weekend in Providence, RI along with Group 5 Green students Maya Leete, Ali Cook and Max Peterson. Good Luck to all our Group 5 students.

• Students have 30 minutes of math each night five nights per week. Students should do all corrections before moving on to new material. If you have a question about your homework please call me at 978-352-8237. If we cannot resolve the issue over the phone I will make plans to meet with you in the morning.
• Students should be working on their Science Fiction Fantasy essay for at least 30 minutes each night. Students will be receiving continuous feedback in class but this is a work in progress. Students should always be writing or revising until the final draft is due!
• Students should be reading at least 30 pages of their independent reading book each week. I am taking a break from the reading logs and will be requiring students to do an individual assignment this week based on their book.

Monday 4/27

• Math 30 minutes
• Science Fiction Fantasy: Final Draft due. Teachers will edit the stories this week and return to students for final revisions

Tuesday 4/28

• Math 30 minutes
• Vocabulary Unit 4-6 Review packet due. Quiz on first 4 words of each lesson today.

Wednesday 4/29

• Science Fair Taping for all Group 5 students. Students should practice their presentation to keep it close to four minutes. Please come to school prepared with your well-rehearsed speech, your tri-fold board and your model or demonstration. Snacks related to your topic are not needed until family and friends night that night.

Thursday 4/30

• Reading Comp Unit 22 and YES you must do the "Write About It."

Friday 5/1 Girls Night Out

• For the next 30 pages of your independent reading book choose a character from your story. Write me a letter as if you are that character describing yourself to me. Your description should include both physical characteristics and personality traits as well as give me a feeling for the storyline of your book. This should be 1-2 pages typed, 12 pt. font, single spaced. This assingment is in place of your reading log but should be done in your reading/writing notebook.
  

WEEK OF 4/20 - 4/24

MONDAY 4/20 is Patriot's Day and there is no school. Please enjoy your time but use it wisely. We have lots of work upcoming!

• Students have 30 minutes of math each night five nights per week. Students should do all corrections before moving on to new material. If you have a question about your homework please call me at 978-352-8237. If we cannot resolve the issue over the phone I will make plans to meet with you in the morning.
• Students should be working on their Science Fiction Fantasy essay for at least 30 minutes each night. Students will be receiving continuous feedback in class but this is a work in progress. Students should always be writing or revising until the final draft is due!
• Students should be reading at least 30 pages of their independent reading book each week. Reading logs will be do on Fridays. If you have any questions about the format of your reading log or the expectations please let me know.

TUESDAY 4/21

• Second draft of the science fiction fantasy story is due. Students will continue peer editing and the author will work on revisions for homework. All drafts and edit sheets should be kept in your brown folder.
• Activities for word list 6 are due and there will be quiz on word list six today.

WEDNESDAY 4/22

• Science test on Chapter 1

Thursday 4/23

• Reading Comp Lesson 21. Please take your time and do the work correctly.

Friday 4/24

• Reading Log Due

WEEK of 4/13-4/17

Hi Everyone

I don't know about you but I am looking forward to some spring weather. Students have many things due from now until the end of the year. Students in this group can never say they have no homework because of the many long term projects we are working on. Below is a reminder of things we should be working on regularly as well as a more specific schedule for next week.

• Students have 30 minutes of math each night five nights per week. Students should do all corrections before moving on to new material. If you have a question about your homework please call me at 978-352-8237. If we cannot resolve the issue over the phone I will make plans to meet with you in the morning.
• Students should be working on their Science Fiction Fantasy essay for at least 30 minutes each night. Students will be receiving continuous feedback in class but this is a work in progress. Students should always be writing or revising until the final draft is due!
• Students should be reading at least 30 pages of their independent reading book each week. Reading logs will be do on Fridays. If you have any questions about the format of your reading log or the expectations please let me know.

Monday 4/13

• Peer editing of Science Fiction/Fantasy story continues. Students will swap papers and check each others work for grammar, punctuation, capitalization and story gaps. Each "editor" will sign off on his/her suggestions. The author has the right to use the suggestions or not; however the author will be graded on the final edits. Students must bring a hard copy of their story to class each Monday. An electronic version is not acceptable because it is not suitable for edits and students cannot rely on the technology here to get a hard copy to print out.
  

Tuesday 4/14

• Sentences on next ten scrabble words due. Quiz on these ten words today!

Wednesday 4/15

• Science Outline Due on sections 3 & 4. Homework; p. 41 1-10 and p. 42 11-16 and 21 & 22.
  

Thursday 4/16

• Reading Comp Lesson 20 and yes you must do the "Write About It."

Friday 4/17

• Reading Log due on the next 30 pages of independent reading book.

Upcoming Events:

• Science Fair Taping and Family and Friend's night 4/29.

May 2009

• Long Term Experiment Due
• Final version of Science Fiction Fantasy story due

Week of 4/6-4/10

Monday 4/6 is Red Sox Day at the Clark School. Help the Red Sox celebrate opening day by wearing your favorite Red Sox attire. Students will be able to purchase hot dogs (those who do not like beef hot dogs may bring in their own turkey or tofu hot dogs and we will cook them) and chips for lunch. Hot Dogs ar $1.00 each and chips are .50 cents each. Students should bring their own drink. Help show your Red Sox spirit and join is this fun event.

Students have 30 minutes of math each night five nights per week. Students should do all corrections before moving on to new material. If you have a question about your homework please call me at 978-352-8237. If we cannot resolve the issue over the phone I will make plans to meet with you in the morning.

Students should be working on their Science Fiction Fantasy essay for at least 30 minutes each night. Students will be receiving continuous feedback in class but this is a work in progress. Students should always be writing or revising until the final draft is due!

Monday 4/6

• Math 30 minutes
• Selections from the first draft of your science fiction fantasy essay will be shared aloud with the class for feedback. Students should edit their own first draft for homework and we will continue to work on it in class as well.
• Select a new independent reading book and let me know the title, author and number of pages today. Students should read 30 pages per week.
  

Tuesday 4/7

• Math 30 minutes
• Sentences due for the first 10 scrabble words. Quiz will be given on these first ten words.

Wedneday 4/8

• Math: 30 minutes
• Science: Homework Due Sections 1 & 2 completed outline passed in. Do questions on p.11 #1-2 and p. 20 #1-2. This will be due at the beginning of class. During class we will be going to Group 1 and 2 to help the students with their science fair projects. Remember we are there to help out AND to be good examples to the younger kids.
  

Thursday 4/9

• Reading Comp Lesson 19 Due. You must do one of the two "Write About It" activities.

Friday 4/10

• First reading log due for new independent reading book. Students should read the first thirty pages and complete a reading log in their reading notebook.

Homework 3/30-4/3

Math: 3o minutes of math each night five nights per week. If you cannot figure something out at home do not skip. Call me at 978-352-8237 first and I will try to help you through it. If we cannot figure it out on the phone I will tell you what to do instead.

Science Fiction Fantasy Story: Students should be working on their science fiction fantasy story a little bit each night.

Monday

• Math 30 minutes
• Science Fiction Fantasy Story first draft due. Remember to use transitional words and sentences, link the overall storyline with the characters and the action.

Tuesday

• Vocabulary Unit 5 Packet Due. Quiz on vocabulary unit 5.

Wednesday

• Science in the News Due. Choose an article and do a one page, single spaced, 12 pt font summary. Please include your personal thoughts and opinions.

Thursday

• Reading Comp Lesson 18 Due
• Choose new independent reading book and give me the title, author and number of pages.

Friday

• Independent reading assignment due. Be prepared to share with the class.

GROUP 5 BLUE FOOL'S LUNCH APRIL 1st

On Wednesday April 1st Group 5 Blue will be celebrating April Fool's Day with a fool's lunch. We will be ordering from a local restaurant and watch a "foolish" movie at the same time. We will make our choices beforehand so students will know how much money to bring in. This is not an April Fool's joke. It is just a way to have fun and break up the long stretch between March vacation and the summer!

Extra Credit Assignments for Quarter 4

Quarter 3 ends on Friday and we are offering two opportunities for extra credit in quarter 4.

EXTRA CREDIT DUE FRIDAY APRIL 17th
Science: Select three elements that interest you and find more about them. Who identified or discovered the elements? How did the elements get their names? How are the elements used?
Writing: Design a random act of kindness. Describe what happened? How did performing this act make you feel? How did it make the other person feel?

EXTRA CREDIT DUE TUESDAY 5/5
Science: Choose a familiar metal object and create a "product label" for it. Your label should describe at least two of the metals properties and explain why it exhibits those properties. Please include illustrations on your label as well.
Reading: Read A Worn Path by Eudora Welty. (I have a copy) Choose one of the two discussion and composition questions and provide an answer. The answer should be 1-2 pages, single spaced, 1 inch margins.

Homework Due 3/23-3/27

I hope you all have a great two weeks off! Relax, enjoy and get ready to come back with a positive attitude willing to finish strong. I am not giving you lots of homework during the break but here is a list of what is due the week we return and when so you can plan your time accordingly.

Monday, March 23rd

• 1 hour of math due
• Action Timeline is due for the Science Fiction Fantasy story. You must state the main sequence of events for the beginning, middle, conflict/resolution and the end of the story. You must tell who is involved and their relationship to what happens next. This should be written in complete sentences not a bulleted list. Also, if I asked you to add detail or revise your character analysis that is due today as well.

Tuesday, March 24th

• Wordly Wise Lesson 4 activities due and quiz today.

Wednesday, March 25th

• Tell Tale Heart Activity Due: Choose one of the following activities: 1. Draw a sketch or a scene where the narrator is having a conversation with the officers in the room where the crime was committed. Be prepared to share with the class. OR 2. Write a police report of the crime from the point of view of the officers that arrived at the house. Be prepared to share with the class.
  

Thursday, March 26th

• Come up with a long term experiment idea. Pass in a one page write up with your plan and hypothesis.
• Reading Comp Lesson 17 Due with one "Write About It.

Friday, March 27th

• All students must be finished their independent reading books by today. I expect one final reading log with comments and critiques of the book as whole. Final Assignments for your book will be handed out today and due next week.

Homework Week of 3/2-3/6

We are starting off March with a snowstorm and a day off! Can you believe it? Here is what is due this week.

Everything that was originally due on Monday will be due on Tuesday that is why the Tuesday blurb is so large. It includes two due dates in one. There will be no excuses for late work since you have an extra day to work on things!

Tuesday March 7th

• Math- 1 hour due (30 minutes for Friday night and 30 minutes for Monday night)
• Vocabulary Packet Unit 1-3 Review is due. I will be quizzing you on the first four words from each unit today as well. (only 12 words total)
• Character Analysis is due for your Science Fiction Fantasy Essay. (see packet) Students must develop their main characters to the point that we know their physical characteristics: age, eye color, any distinctive marks and clothing. Students must also describe the character's personality: how he/she reacts and whether the character is smart, funny, sarcastic, wise etc. It is absolutely fine to include pictures if you like but the written description is required. You have had class time to work on this but if you have additional question please call me.
  
• The school show is tonight at 7:30 at Hogan. If you are not participating in the show please go to the show and support your friends and classmates!
  

Wednesday March 8th

• No homework due today so you can attend the school show.

Thursday March 9th

• Reading Log Due on independent reading book. If you finish your independent reading book please see me so I can give you a final project to do.
• Reading Comp Lesson 16 Due. Please include one "Write About It."

Friday March 10th

• Grammar packet due. (you will receive this packet in class on Wednesday)
• This is the last day to pass in any overdue or late work in all classes. The quarter is coming to a close and any work that was due up to this point must be passed in today or it will be a zero!

Enjoy your snow day. Four more days until spring vacation so let's finish strong!

Science Fiction Fantasy Essay - Note to Parents

Your student is about to begin writing a Science Fiction or Fantasy story. The process will take approximately ten weeks. Work will be done in class as well as at home in small stages. On Wednesday of this week you will be receiving a packet outlining this process complete with all expectations and due dates. We are asking that parents review this packet and sign off on it so that I know you are aware of the project and all of its details. If you do not receive the packet from your child on Wednesday or you have any questions please give me a call at 781-760-0035.