I miss you already

Oh haaaaaay, y'all!

Oh haaaaay, it's summer...yaaaaaaay!!!

To my FORMER 5th graders- oh how I miss you so!

Just thought you should know :)

LOOOOOOOVE YOU!

What have we been up to this summer?  Oh ya know...

...the zoo (in Indy) and the pool so far...and that's about it :)

What have YOU been up to?!?

To my NEW 5th graders- oh how I cannot wait to get to know you!

5.20.15- winner, winner chicken dinner edition

Well, it was FIELD DAY today and if you cannot tell by my title, WE WON THE COVETED SPIRIT STICK!  Yes, that's right...our sweet 5th grade babies won first place in the award for sportsmanship, respect, and spirit.  They did it ALL. ON. THEIR. OWN. and I could NOT be more thrilled, nor more proud!!!  They encouraged each other, but more importantly, they encouraged and cheered for other classes!!!  I am always proud of these kiddos, but today, I am just overwhelmed with pride because this award signifies what I've always known about them- that they are absolutely TREMENDOUS kiddos who are destined for incredible things. Oh how I'll miss them next year!

Let me just tell you about this little stinker...Since we decided blue would be our color shirt- he showed up in THIS.  A handmade DUKE shirt saying, "Just to annoy YOU, Mrs. T!"  So what did I do? Why, wrote, "I Love Mrs. Thomas" in eye black on his face, of course!

LOVE this action shot! How many times did the girls beat the boys?!?  THREE.  Yes...THREE. 

photo cred: Mrs. Kelly

5.15.15 - the end of the week of the tests

Hola gents and judies!  Not much to report on the homework front (can I get a hoooooray?!?), or about our day...but we did take approximately 2345896349.21 tests this week.  Yes, it was the week of the tests.  Science.  Social Studies.  Reading.  Reading.  Reading.  Family Life.  I'm sorry friends, but at least they're behind you now!

5th graders be like...

DO NOT FORGET...

MONDAY is our (Thomas kiddos) day to bring snacks for our treat/ snack potluck in celebration of Monarch Downs. Thomas friends must buy/ bring since we lost to the Schleggers.  Bring anything you wish to donate to our buffet!

Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

P.S., Happy Birthday GAVIN!!!  Our sensationally, extraordinary Gavin turns 11 on SUNDAY! Happy, HAPPY Birthday to you, sir!  Oh how we just L-O-V-E you so!!!

but for real though...

5.14.15

Hold the phone...how is it already the middle of May?  Whaaaaaat is happening?

ALERT:
Please see the bottom of this post for some news about our Monarch Downs party and pics of our Camp Shantituck field trip courtesy of Lynette Hurm

LANGUAGE ARTS
We read the text, Narcissus and students compared and contrasted it to Thor's Magic Hammer (which we read Monday).  Students also worked on completing the several assignments we began over the course of this week (compare and contrast essay, typing memoirs, compare and contrast test, etc.)

HOMEWORK: TYPED MEMOIR DUE TOMORROW

MATH
We had our TerraNova testing reward this afternoon during our Math and Religion time
HOMEWORK: Simple Solutions #s 52 & 53 due tomorrow

SCIENCE/ SOCIAL STUDIES
Students took their Science test over the cardiovascular system
HOMEWORK: TEST in Social Studies TOMORROW

RELIGION
We had our Terra Nova testing reward this afternoon during our normal math and religion times.
HOMEWORK: Family Life test tomorrow

Tomorrow is our second to last Friday of this school year...ahhh!!!  Wear comfy clothes again!
xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

ONLY 5 1/2 days of school left!

Monarch Downs PARRRRRTAYYYY

Since we (Thomas class) LOST the Monarch Downs reading minutes challenge, we must BUY/ BRING IN in the treats for our celebration WITH Mrs. Schleg's class.  This celebration is taking place MONDAY. We will be having a potluck-esque treat/snack buffet and you may bring in your favorite snack or treat to add to our spread (chips & dip, cookies, fruits, veggies, brownies...anything!).  No, you do NOT need 60 of whatever you bring in, just bring in some snack that will go towards our buffet. Thank you!

Camp pics

5.13.15

Well, hello Wednesday, we meet again.

Thank you so very much to our volunteers, PTO, and parents who provided a delicious lunch to us teachers today.  It was absolutely fantastic and such a nice treat to enjoy fare of  the non-cafeteria/ non-frozen entree/ non-leftover variety!  We are truly blessed to have you in our lives!  THANK YOU, PARENTS, for dealing with our crazies while we got to have this lunch as well.  You are rockstars.  ROCK. STARS.

LANGUAGE ARTS
LEARNING TARGET: I CAN compare and contrast myths.
Students continued work upon their compare and contrast essays and worked on a compare and contrast assessment and activity while I continued assessing reading levels in our students.  You will receive these end of the year levels on your student's report card.  So far, students are making tremendous gains and I am thrilled in seeing their progress from September to now!  End of the year 5th graders should be at a level V as beginning of 6th grade on-level is W.
HOMEWORK: memoirs typed and due by Friday

MATH
LEARNING TARGET: I CAN measure, classify, and draw angles and triangles.
Students took an assessment over these past few geometric concepts of focus.
HOMEWORK: Simple Solutions 52 and 53. 

SCIENCE:
Students did, "It's my Body!" with Mrs. Kelly and worked on studying.
HOMEWORK: TEST TOMORROW

SOCIAL STUDIES
Students did, "It's my Body!" with Mrs. Kelly and worked on studying.
HOMEWORK: TEST FRIDAY

RELIGION
Students had Master Gardener
HOMEWORK: Family Life test TOMORROW

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

5.12.15

Resource Tuesday, friends.

I am so impressed with the way these art sculptures are turning out!  We have some extremely talented folks around 5th grade, that's for sure!

REMINDERS/ ANNOUNCEMENTS...

LANGUAGE ARTS
HOMEWORK: Memoir to be typed and turned in by FRIDAY; unit test over myths Friday

MATH
HOMEWORK: Simple Solutions 49, 50, & 51 due tomorrow; 52 & 53 due Friday; workbook pages 116-117 due tomorrow.

SCIENCE
HOMEWORK: Study for test Thursday

SOCIAL STUDIES
HOMEWORK: webquest (on Edmodo) due Wednesday; test Friday

RELIGION
HOMEWORK: Family Life test Thursday

CALENDAR

8th grade graduation - Mon. May 18th (7:00PM Saint Bernadette)

Field Day - May 20th

SMA Talent Show - May 21st

Awards Day - May 22nd (3rd - 5th grades at 9:00-10:00AM)

Last Day - May 22nd (1/2 day - dismiss at noon)

As usual, I do hope you have a terrific Tuesday!
xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

Summer Break is only 7 1/2 days away!

5.11.15

Hello all...somebody has a case of the Mondays not naming names or anything...(ahem...me, cough, cough).  Only one more Monday after today.  Ay carumba!

I hope all of you Mothers had a SENSATIONAL weekend celebrating YOU!

LANGUAGE ARTS
LEARNING TARGET: I CAN determine text importance in a myth. 2) I CAN compare and contrast myths.  3) I CAN write a compare and contrast essay.
Students continued practicing the reading of myths and identifying the characteristics found within. They then compared and contrasted two characters in a myth and worked on their compare and contrast essay of two myths due Friday.

HOMEWORK: memoirs to be conferenced and typed BY FRIDAY.

MATH
LEARNING TARGET: I CAN identify congruent and similar figures. 2) I CAN classify triangles. 3) I CAN demonstrate that the sum of the angles of a triangle is 180 degrees.
Students learned and discussed what makes a figure congruent and what makes it similar.  To be congruent, a figure must be the same shape and same size.  We also learned about the classifications of triangles and then interior measurement of angles in a triangle equal 180 degrees.  Triangles can be classified by length of sides (scalene, isosceles, equivalent) or measurement of angles (obtuse, right, or acute).

HOMEWORK: Simple Solutions 49, 50, & 51 due Wednesday; 52 and 53 due Friday. Workbook pages 116-117 due Friday.

GEOMETROCITY

Sadly, we are running out of time :(  The students will not get through this entire process and I am heartbroken, as are many of the friends (others, not so much), but they will need to complete their designs and if we have time next week, they will begin construction in the build-up phase.
Designs for city due by Friday.  Students will be in the build up phase in the week thereafter.

SCIENCE
Students went over guided notes over Chapter 3, Lesson 1 (circulatory system)
HOMEWORK: study for test THURSDAY

SOCIAL STUDIES
Students had their American Revolution review WebQuest and had to complete a coinciding packet.
HOMEWORK: WebQuest packet due Wednesday (on Edmodo- students should have packet printout); Study for test FRIDAY

RELIGION
Students took vocabulary quiz and corrected review.
HOMEWORK: Family Life test THURSDAY

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• 8th grade graduation May 18th at 7:00PM (@ Saint Bernadette)
• Field Day - May 20th
• SMA Talent Show - May 21st
• Awards Day - May 22nd (3rd, 4th, & 5th grade at 9:00 - 10:00AM)
• Last Day - May 22nd (1/2 day- dismiss at noon)

DO NOT FORGET...

BRING IN YOUR SCULPTURES FOR ART CLASS TOMORROW!!!

Have a marvelous Monday evening!
xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

Time is FLYING by.  Only 8 1/2 days of school left.  While it will be nice to have the laid-back schedule of summer, I will seriously miss seeing these 5th 6th grade babies every day!

5.8.15

Friiiiiiday...a collective "wheeeewwww" radiates from within.  It has been one crazy, chaotic week to say the least!

LANGUAGE ARTS
LEARNING TARGET: I CAN identify the characteristics of a Myth within a text. 2) I CAN write a compare and contrast essay.
Greek Gods videos from class- HERE, HERE, Prometheus and Pandora's Box animation HERE, and Athena and Arachne animation HERE

We began learning about the genre of myths.  In my opinion, this is the concept that students often get the most excited about and thus, it's my favorite unit.

We discussed the characteristics of myths (as noted in the Benchmark poster above) and then read two which both exhibited the characteristic of explaining the origin of something in the world and something in nature.  Students then compared and contrasted the two myths and compiled this information in a Venn Diagram.  We then used this Venn Diagram to begin planning an outline for writing a compare and contrast essay.

HOMEWORK: Memoirs are to be typed by next Friday and conferenced with me somewhere in between.

MATH
Students had 4H with Mrs. Priest
HOMEWORK: Math 2 needs to continue working on Geometrocity designs. 

SCIENCE
Students worked on their Monarch butterfly projects.  Speech people did their speeches, poster people presented and hung up posters, and the skit group did their skits.
HOMEWORK: none

SOCIAL STUDIES
Students did notes over the American Revolution from Chapter 8, Lesson 3.
HOMEWORK: test next week

RELIGION
Students had a formative quiz within their Family Life text
HOMEWORK: VOCABULARY QUIZ ON MONDAY!  Also, please bring a card for Ms. Rosie's birthday!

Have a wonderful weekend!  9 1/2 days of school left...ahhhh!!!
xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

Mothers, we are so very grateful for YOU!  Thank you for being YOU.

touche, yes?!?