Hello world!

Posted on September 9, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Welcome to DP Pages. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start creating content for all to see!

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This week’s homework

Posted on August 31, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.

This week we are learning more about ourselves as learners.  It is each child’s responsibility to try strategies that work for him or her.  Therefore, one of the homework pieces this week is to brainstorm some ‘issues’ that impact their learning.  Like What way do you like to learn new things?  Would you rather listen or watch?  What gets in the way of your learning?  Do you have a hard time remembering things?  Or is it harder to use words to explain things?

Another homework practice piece is the problem we are working on this week. 

Take a number

Multiply it by 10.

Subract the original number.

Divide that by nine.

What do you notice?

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The first three days!

Posted on August 28, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Wow!  It is so Fantastic to have them back!  We have picked right up from where we left off and are already ahead of the game!  We have played somwe strategic math games, Developed some reading goals and began building geographical understanding!tictacproducts1.jpgthink-pair-share.jpg1st 3

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I am Really Ready to Go!

Posted on August 25, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Are you?  The first day back iskind ofnice when we all already know each other!  You will love 5th grade.  It is so much fun!  A lot of work, but so much fun! 

The first day packets are coming!  You know, the ones you have to fill everything out over and over again!  Well, you’ll never beleive how important all of that data is,.  so we really appreciate it. 

Homework for the first week is due FRIDAY!!  Just turn in your completed packet! 

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School Supply List plus . . .

Posted on August 3, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.
Hey There!
I sure hope your summer is going well!  The weather has been pretty good so the kids have been doing a lot of riding, swimming and sadly room cleaning! 
The other day, I went shopping for a gazebo/canopy thing.  I went into Target, then had an anxiety attack!  The summer stuff was almost all gone and in its place were . . .School supplies!   Golly!  What a horrible thing to do!  The kids panicked!  “Mom, is it almost time for school?” 
Anyway, I decided that I should look for the notebooks I think will help for next year. 
Some, well, a few of the students do really well with the organization of the binders.  However, there are several of us who end up with a clogged binder, bent or lost papers and a very messy desk.  If you know a student tht has a messy desk or unorganized binder I would prefer that that student have a 4 or 5 subject notebook.  BUT, :) not just and 5 subject notbook.  One that is sturdy enough to last for a while. 
They are called  Mead Advance.  The one I bought has a cloth cover just over the spiral metal and has a vinyl cover.  The dividers inside are heavyish plastic.  I think the 4 subject notebook is about 8 bucks.  But it is cheaper than buying 5 smaller quality notebooks and folders.
so Basically the school supply list for my class looks like this.
v1 Pencil box            v1 Scissors.  Good ones.  probably not a purple pair your child knows why  :)
v3 Sturdy pencil sharpeners.  at least 3  they tend to disintegrate from use and abuse.
vMead Advance Notebook  label the dividers  in the order.  Writing, Reading, Math, Social Studies.
v1 regular spiral notebook for Science        v1 box of sandwich baggies  or   one package of Gallon baggies
vTiconderoga pencils.  The cheap ones break in the sharpener or do not tend to sharpen well.
optional 
 Personal dry erase board.  like the kind you can get for a locker.  about 8 inches by 12.  or a dry erase type clipboard.  some ofthe kids really like to use the clipboard a lot.  So a personal one that double as a dry erase surface would be nice.
For Table Supply Drawers (not for personal use)
1 Box of Kleenex  or one package of at least 6 of those little personal packages of kleenex. 
Fine point dry erase markers
1 not-too-cheap glue stick
Optional
scotch tape in a plastic dispenser                        1 package brass brads
1 cm grid paper                                                black felt tip pens  Not sharpes.  for art
Regular colormarkers for class supply                     1 Not-too-cheap paintbrush
1 crayola water color tray                                    1 bottle of glue
1 black flair fine point felt tip pen.  not sharpie.        1 hole punch
I prefer for organizational reasons, that most of the students do not have binders.  They tend to clog up the desks. and are bulky in their backpacks.  Each subject time, I ask the kids to get out their Subject notebook.  At the end, I ask them to place the papers in their subject folder.  “Bring your reading notebook  and a pencil to the carpet.”  “Okay, place these math papers in your math folders for tomorrow and get your science notebook out.”
Okay, This year coming up we are going to do some fractions catch up.  We will be putting decimals and fractions in order, changing decimals to fractions and fractions to decimals.  Adding and subtracting and simplifying fractions. 
This will be more fun after we really work on our multiplication and division facts.  So, hit those math games websites. Build lots of things with wood, cloth or recipes that use fractions. .
We will start with a review of  X5 which is X10 and half it.  Like   10X8=80  so 5 X 8=40.  So work on double and halves. 
Science will bring us further into  the scientific method, energy transformations,  variables and life science.  Scienctists record everything in their notebooks so neatness is very important.
Reading, this year we will continue the grat progress from last year.  Trying to strtch us into new genres and a lot of reading about our colonies and the Revolutionary War.  Some economics like taxes and needs and wants.  Of course the school will be assessing fluency about 140 words per minute.  I do think that the kind need to understand what they read and have some time to think about what he or she just read.  So, do not drill them too hard on fluency.  I would rather have them LOVE to read, than just read fast.
I hope to be building 3-D maps and lots of colonial art. as well as more History Pockets
We will do some personal narratives, poetry anthologies, scientific writing and venture just a little into the persuasive writing.  Most of the wrting will be blended into the Science and Social Studies part of the day.
SPELLING  Please visit some internet spelling game sites or play some word games at home.  I have a big vocabulary emphasis coming up.  I notice that our kids greatest area of struggle is VOCABULARY AND SPELLING!  Their vocabulary will impact their future success unless we focus on improving it.  So please help me out by exposing them to and making sure they know wha the words we use mean.
Some words for the rest of the summer, we worked on these before school released for summer, see if they are still remembered
coax lempowerlenableldemonstratel    acoax lcoaxl    acoax lcoaxl    acoax lcoaxl    a
and some new words
ascendladvancelclimate lnegotiateladjust ladaptlassistlassemblelinstalllventurelflow
Practice these word patterns and make certain your child knows the meaning
sure lpressurelassurelcultureladventurelmeasurelpleasurelpicture lendurellurelcurelinjurelpurelcurelmaturelsecurelgesturellecturelcapture
I just went to a website to get more . . .you can’t beleive how many words have -ure endings!    Wordnavigator.com
Hey!  Prizes for kids who know the menaings, and how to spell these.  Also for students who have longer lits of words containing ure.  Gotta’ know the meanings too!
WASL results will come in Late August or September.  This year’s math was a little different.  There were more multiple choice.  I was a little disappointed in that because students tend to see multiple choice and just ‘pick’ an answer rather than going through the problem solving process we have been working so hard on.  Also, our math standards were improved last year, but the kids were tested on the old standards.  So, I was trying to both prepare them for 5th grade new standards while meeting the needs of the old standards for the WASL.  Normally, I love the WASL.  But with a new Superintendent of Public Instruction(Randy Dorn) at the state level and the math standards improvement(not Randy Dorn), I am unsure about the results.  Usually, I am confident that more than 85% of my kids passed in math and over 90% in Reading. 
For you and your child, celebrate and successes.  Use any other results to encourage your child to work for more organization, effort and to take more educational risks!  The more we try and fail, the better our chances of success!
If the scores are less than desirable for your child, then there will not be much difference in your life, but a littlwe more paperwork for me.  I already have specific educational plans for all the kids, so i would love to talk about them with you if you would like.

School’s OUT!(side)

Posted on June 18, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Well, at least for the kids! We teachers have been busy revamping things to match our state’s new and improved math standards! I have seen quite a few of you around town! So wonderful to see smiling faces. I have also been preparing for our pack trips and in case of emergency. A great place to stock up on supplies is http://www.thereadystore.com/ The have EVERYTHING, and great knowledge combined with decent prices. They are offering a giveaway contest that includes a FREE DELUXE 72-Hr-kit

 

Hey!  Go outside and learn something!  Have fun!

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Another Busy week!

Posted on June 2, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.

Today, Stephanie took us on a guided tour of the fire station.  We all saw every nook and cranny of the trucks the firefighters use!  When we returned we discussed how important it is to follow rules and directions in order to keep everyone safe.  We need to be safe and good guests in order to be invited back.  People do not want to invite people over who are not safe. 

This afternoon we looked at some of our Mix Park Science Trip data.  We learned how important it is to keep accurate records in our science journals.  Scientists depend on each other to do their jobs.  We each work on our own puzzle piece.  Then when we get together, we try to put our puzzle pieces together.  Hopefully, everyone has done their job right, so the picture makes sense!

 

Field Trip Thank you’s

to Tim Heglin for helping Steph organize and being a chaperone.  Thank you to Mary Jansen who arrived early and helped organize the permission slips as well as chaperone.  And our faithful Mrs. Bekemeyer, what a great walkie-talkie range we have!

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I’m Ba-ack!

Posted on May 26, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.

After teaching today, I’ve determined that Mrs. Dillman was able to help the children continue their learning during my absence!  What an exciting week it was, with the Pacific Science center and Field day!  Whew!

Well, this week is no slouch either.  No school yesterday and a field trip tomorrow!  Look for the photos of us at Mix Park.  We will be participating as scientists compiling information to be brought to a larger group.  it will take all of us working well on our own tasks, for the entire grade levels to have accurate data.

This should be fun!  Hip waders, kick nets and tennis balls are part of the fun.

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Liftoff!

Posted on May 12, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.

We spent a lot of today observing the launch and flight day 1 of the Hubble mission sts-125.  We are so blessed to have a relative on board.  Megan McArthur is the robotic arm operator.  We have been cheering her on.  We loved hearing mission control say “Great work” and Mass say “she is running it like an old pro.”  Today she ran the robotic arm over the entire shuttle to survey the shuttle for damage from lift-off.  http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

We are continuing our end of year assessments of math, reading and spelling.  The kids have made a great deal of progress this year!  Way to go!

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Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted on May 8, 2009 by dottst.
Categories: Uncategorized.

We are so excited!  the Mission STS-125 Nasa to Hubble Telescope is Launching at 11:02 on Monday!   We have been viewing pictures taken by the Hubble telescope are are fascinated at the size of the Universe. 

Our field trip is next week.  I have almost all of the permission slips.  Today we found out how we can use other objects to discover where magnets might be.  scientists often use tools we understand to learn about things we don’t.

Our favorite new website is wordle.net.  Be careful.  on the homepage the latest wordles are posted.  I went there once and there was an- off-color wordle displayed.  With the students, I screen it first then go to the create page!  I have been there many times from home and have had no problems!

 

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