8.19.15 - Day TWO

Hello Gents and Judies!  Can you believe day TWO is already under our belt?  Already going, going, going!  I tell these babes that as well- they are thiiiiiis much closer to summer.  Ha!  Hardly.  But one can dream, yes?  Besides, I am enjoying all of these days we have promised ahead of us left here in 5th grade.  These kiddos are just far too sweet and I already love them just far too much.  They are just the greatest group! Boy, I am certainly one blessed teacher, for sure!

LANGUAGE ARTS:
We switched classes today!  I did a lot of getting to know you with Mrs. Schleg's students. Then, students self-assessed from their personal narrative prompts they wrote yesterday.  I assured them that they should mostly be in the "not yet" or "starting to" column as they are just beginning of the year 5th graders.  They wrote these pieces on day 1 of 5th grade so little to any at all should be on 5th grade writing level benchmark standards yet so this should show much room for growth.  I want to show them the many things in which we'll be working on this year.

This is one of the four pages the students used today in their self-assessment scoring

this is the rubric I will be using for scoring

HOMEWORK: complete "WHY" journal entry prompt. Bring Loser book to class and make sure it is completed in reading.

MATH:
Students took a pre-assessment over Math.  This is a non-graded assessment but a means of showing me what they remember from 4th grade math and what they already know of 5th grade math.
HOMEWORK: Simple Solutions #s 1, 2, & 3 due FRIDAY, August 21, 2015.

SCIENCE:
Our kiddos got to switch to Mrs. Schleg's room for the first time today!  YAY!  Science and our rhythm of school is beginning as we establish our learning routine.  We are ironing out some kinks with lengths of class time so we have no schedule set in stone yet for you to see, but as soon as we figure that out, we will get it posted.  In class, students talked about things they'd be doing throughout this year with Mrs. Schleg.
HOMEWORK: decorate Science journal and cover with plastic tape (due Monday)

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Students ensured they had textbooks and discussed about what they'd be completing throughout the course of this year.
HOMEWORK: none

RELIGION:
Students discussed the "Stations of the Cross" play they'll be putting on around Easter.
HOMEWORK: decorate Religion journal and cover with plastic tape to preserve (due Monday)

Rain, Rain go away...

As you are well aware, it was a rainy Wednesday :(  Wahhhhh  And thus, we had to have indoor recess.  I do not have many games (it's seriously a sad, sad scene!) for the students to play inside and so I am looking for some board game donations.  Might you be willing to donate some board games to our classroom so we have things to do on rainy (or too cold days once winter arrives) days such as this, please??!!?  I have several "Connect Four" boards and several decks of cards, but that's it.  We are looking for games that can be played quick like, Sorry!, Hungy, Hungry Hippos, Operation, Twister, BopIt!, Simon, etc.

Liam and I took to making origami today during recess.  We both could not remember the art of origami swan making.  Boo on us.  Guess we'll have to conduct some research.  Ahhh...boredom.  

And then there's this cutie...

she makes me smile :)

Electronic Device Forms:

I was going to post the forms on here yesterday from last year, BUT I could not find them on the resource drive to do so and found out there's a reason why I could not locate them... Ms. Stewart (our technology resource coordinator) says that students MUST come to her individually to inquire about the BYOD forms (Bring Your Own Device) and then go through the process from there as she will be emailing parents individually to then obtain the forms.  Apparently, it stems back to some misues of the WiFi and school policy from older students (and maybe younger alike) last year so SMA is cracking down this year on students getting the password.  I am ALL FOR students using their devices in class so if this is something your student is interested in, PLEASE encourage him/ her to go see Ms. Stewart IMMEDIATELY so we can get the ball rolling on this process!

Wish List items (put in order of importance):

Supplies:

1. index cards
2. old magazines/ newspapers

Books:

1. The Mysterious Benedict Society #1 by Trenton Lee Stewart (Website HERE [it's cool!])
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry (website HERE)
3. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (and animated movie of book to watch HERE)
4. Prince Caspian (summary on SHMOOP)
5. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 

We thank you so much for any and all items you are willing to donate to our classroom!  You truly are so kind, helpful, and blessing us with your generosity!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
I AM L-O-V-I-N-G my class this year!
xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

Action shot from yesterday :)

8.18.15 - Day ONE

Hello ALL and WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!  I am so excited to be with your babies this year! I think we have such a wonderful group of kiddos and I just cannot wait to see what this year has in store for us!

How many of you parents felt THIS way this morning?

We had a day much about getting to know you, getting reacquainted with school rules, and setting and getting to know 5th grade rules and expectations.  It is imperative for students to know that we are setting them up for a successful year not only this year, but for success in the years to come.  Next year, they are off to middle school, so we are here to push them to their highest capabilities and help them exceed beyond their greatest potential so that they may be at their very best in the coming years as a student.  We are learning to RESPECT ourselves through the way we dress, the way we complete our work, the way we speak of and to others, and the general way we conduct ourselves in life as 5th graders.  It is going to be one challenging year for these kiddos, but I can already tell that they are up to the challenge and the task at hand!

I must say, I am already so impressed with the work ethic of these kiddos.  So many already have their questions completed that I posted from Loser (which they did not have to do) AND so many already have journal entries complete that I posted as well!  WOWZA!  You guys are ON TOP of things and I L-O-V-E it!

NOW, onto our day...

Students took this "Take a Guess Activity" about me and again, I was so impressed because it was obvious that these kiddos had done their homework about me by reading about me here on this blog.

We took a tour of our classroom and discussed some important features...

This is something we use everyday for students to post a way in which they feel they were successful in some way.  It is very rewarding and warming seeing the ways they feel they succeeded each day.  Ask your student about this.

This is for connections.  I tell A LOT of stories in class relevant to instruction and students often have many comments or connections to them.  This is a place for them to "park" their connections so they can go back to them and tell me about them later!

Mrs. Simon (our 5th grade assistant), then did the same and it was wonderful for her to do because it really helped the students in getting to know her as they had NO background knowledge of her.  She is a HOOT!

Students then worked on an "I am..." collage where they thought of adjectives that described themselves.  This is the one I gave as an example.  It is not too great as I made it very quickly.  Theirs are farrrrrrrr better and I absolutely LOVED how they immediately asked me if they could use a thesaurus and knew that a thesaurus would provide them with synonyms for their adjectives so they wouldn't be so "boring." Precious.

We then had lunch, recess, walk, and then students had some time with the resource teachers before completing a narrative writing prompt for me.  This is for me to assess where they are in their writing abilities in the narrative form.

HOMEWORK: (yes, already) Students need to complete Simple Solutions #s 1, 2, and 3 by Friday, August 21, 2015.  Bring LOSER book with you TOMORROW.

It was a TERRIFIC first day and I cannot wait to see these babes again tomorrow!  That is, if they'll still have me :)

xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

Hello to my NEW (2015-2016) Babies (and their FABULOUS parents too!)

Hiiii to all of you, my new friends, my new classroom family!  Yes, I will refer to you as my babies and yes, we will probably have a dance party or two if the mood should strike us.  I said IF.   I am so very excited to meet you and absolutely CANNOT wait to get to know you!!!  This is your go-to site for all things in our classroom.  Each day, I will post updates about our day in the classroom so you and your parents can feel as if they are a part of our day and any questions about subject matter, homework, or content can be answered through this useful tool.  I have used this since 2010, but the last few years (prior to this past school year of 2014-2105) haven't been updated as periodically as before (sadly, prior to last year, I only had about 4-5 students at home with computers so it wasn't being utilized to the fullest potential as it had in years previous).  Take a tour and become acquainted with how I "roll"- specifically focusing on the years 2010, 2011, and 2012 and this past year of 2014-2015 especially (starting in January 2011, specifically - you can find these in the archives on the left side from the toolbar).  I like to post videos of our day, links to help sites, tips, and highlight homework in case you have any questions. Also, scroll alllllll the way down to the bottom to see many links worthy of your viewing and perusing (and bookmarking, perhaps)

I must interrupt this post to let you know that I have posted some journal entry topics that you can access by clicking the link under the header or by clicking HERE; have posted questions and fun activities having to do with Loser that you can access by clicking HERE (questions about the first 50 pages); former students have posted some advice and testimonials you can access by clicking HERE; FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) for your parents accessed HERE; MORE specific details about my background in teaching HERE; and my projected math syllabus for the year found HERE.  Again, all of this can be found by clicking the specific page links under the header at the top of this blog.  

Now, back to this post...
I thought you'd like to at least know a little bit about me so you can feel at ease with having the semi-new gal on the block here at Saint Mary as a part of your 5th grade school year life.  Thus, I am giving you a few lists/ notes about me in bulleted form (and a few pictures too) so we can start to get acquainted!  You can also click HERE for some FAR more detailed info about me coming from the pages tabs atop this blog under the header.

here I am as a 5th grader on the left (the pumpkin!) and as a 6th grader in the pic on the right (I'm the French Maid, back middle)
I'll try and find my 5th grade yearbook picture...it's a BEAUT!  (totally kidding- it's 100% embarrassing)

Basic Information-

• Name: Mrs. Abby Thomas
• Age: 31 (yikes!)
• Birthday: January 6th
• Marital Status: Married --> Husband: Brad
• Children (my heart!): 2 --> Jack, age 3 (Born April 3, 2012); Harrison or "Harry", age 7 months [well, by the time school starts he will be] (Born January 5, 2015)
• From: Winchester, KY
• College: Western Kentucky University (major: Elementary Education, minor: English)

Misc. Information-

• Favorite Food(s): spicy food (especially jalapenos and Buffalo Wing sauce); seafood (any, but ESP. scallops, calamari, and king crab legs); feta and brie cheeses; brownies and cake balls
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• LEAST Favorite Food(s): I DETEST mayonnaise!!!  (Seriously, the sight of it makes me vomit). mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, celery, and any meat from a can (to those I say, NOPE, NOPE NOPE!!!)
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• Favorite Music: broad genre 90s' music will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart (seriously, SiriusXM 90s on 9 is my JAM); ANY Classic Rock, (but ESP. The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, CSNY, CCR, Fleetwood Mac, the Beatles, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Boston);  and Indie/ Folk Rock (the Avett Brothers, the Alabama Shakes, Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros)
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• What you'll find me watching: Grey's Anatomy, the Bachelor/ette, Survivor, Modern Family, Chrisley Knows Best, and constant reruns of Seinfeld (the greatest show of all time. Period.) and the Office
• 
  
• Favorite Sports Team: college-UK (sorry Louisvillians, I am diehard too! Sorry not sorry we've had to stick it to you in some high stakes b-ball games as of late!  tee-hee  And YES, we did indeed go to the Final Four in Indianapolis this past year and YES we did indeed go home super, SUPER sad.  Like, didn't speak the whole way home sad); NFL- Indianapolis Colts (my in-laws are season ticket holders!)
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• Favorite Picture Books: Drummer Hoff; Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon; Click, Clack, Moo; Rainbow Fish
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• Favorite Young Adult Chapter Books: Breathe by Clif McNish; Bud, Not Buddy; The Witches; Loser by Jerry Spinelli; Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• 
  
• Favorite Subjects to Teach: Reading and Math!
• 
  
• First Job: Lifeguard (I did this for 6 summers and will ALWAYS insist that this is the best job ever for a teenager and college age individual!)
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• Reasons I became a teacher: my parents AND grandparents all were; I have always LOVED working with children (I coached middle school cheerleading all through high school, taught preschool in college, first went to college to be a Pediatrician, and absolutely loved school when I was younger)
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• Favorite school years for me: 4th grade (this teacher is who I aspire to be- she was THE BEST!); 5th grade; 7th grade; and 12th grade
• 
  
• 5th grade memories: playing Sonic the Hedgehog2 [click there for some fun!] on my Sega game system pretty much every. single. waking. hour; doing grammar work every single morning to start our day (Grammar control and identifying crimes [as Weird Al parodies] against it are pretty much my most favorite thing ever); becoming an aunt (my niece, Cathryn [whom I call, "Prissy"] is almost 20 and is starting her sophomore year at Murray State University this fall); end of the year dance and lock-in; earning a Presidential fitness award; being a Kindergarten big buddy; winning Districts and Regionals for the 2nd year in a row on our school's Academic Team; cheerleading for pee-wee football and basketball; being a part of D.A.R.E.; being an office worker and teacher mini-assistant; and feeling important as the oldest of the elementary level!  It was such a fun year!!!
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• FUN and/ or Weird Trivia: I am TERRIFIED of vomit (seriously, even after having my own child, I still get squeamish and light-headed...and, if you feel the urge, RUN!  If you puke, I puke and that equals one big smelly mess); I am incredibly into fashion; I can curl my tongue into a weird 'T' shape; I can walk on my hands for an abnormally long period of time; I have been friends with some of the people that were in my wedding since before elementary school; I could read when I was 3; I have had 4 surgeries on my knee and need a fifth; I was a competitive gymnast until I was 10; I was a cheerleader from ages 9 to 18 and was named the Most Valuable Cheerleader and captain of my varsity squad my senior year; I once dyed my hair dark, dark brown and my parents and husband begged me to dye it back blonde; I get annoyed with basic grammar mistakes (your/ you're, then/ than, its/ it's, over usage of apostrophes, etc.) in adults because I always say that my students know better and so should they!
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• Favorite fun sites to check out/ bookmark: 

First off, CLICK HERE for our LOSER activities (it's a pages tab that will constantly be planted atop our blog right under our header).  Seriously GO THERE NOW.  Have you gone there yet?  No really, what are you waiting for?  Scoot!  And f you haven't started reading that book yet, Yiiiiiiiiiikes on you.  HOP, HOP, Hippppppity, HOP, HOP, HOPPPPPP. TO. IT. LIKE. YESTERDAY.  Real talk.

NOW, the FUN sites...
You're getting old (seriously, GO to this!  It. is. so. so. cool.)
GeoGuessr
Incredibox
Ron Winter's Online Drums
Mr. Wolfe's Math; 

IXL 5th grade Math;

Interactive sites for education 

5th grade games - Funbrain

Smithsonian Museum

Satellite fly-bys (plug in your zip code!)

Solar System in 3D

Human Body Games

Cool Math
Akinator (the Web Genie)
Math

 Fact Monster

Reading Planet

Gamequarium

Math Chimp

XP Math

Ben's Guide to U.S. Government

Congress for Kids

Fact Monster World Geography

Figurative Language Baseball

Mr. Nussbaum's Sentence Surgeon

Mr. Nussbaum's Torture the Teacher

Extreme Sentence Surgeon

Fun 4 the Brain

Learning Games for Kids

ABCya!

Prongo games for fun

Knowledge Adventure

Fifth Grade Hands-on Activities
Retro SUPER NINTENDO GAMES online!!!
Chicken on a raft (pointless fun)
Nick Reboot (watch Nickelodeon on the internet just as I watched it on TV back in the day!)

I promise that these sites are so, soooo worth your while!  Be ready to share which sites/ games are your favorite and what you enjoyed most!  Most importantly, warm up those brains for back to school and well, HAVE SOME FUN (while practicing too)!

the Jackman and me last summer (2014) at a wedding in Chicago

Harry and me on July 4th 2015

Mr. Thomas and yours truly... 

Easter 2014

4th of July 2015

My sweet, sweet babes...

4 month photo shoot- Captain Harry the aviator

H was only a few weeks old here, but I LOVE this pic :)

I LOVE H's cute little button nose :)

My boy is Toy Story OBSESSED!

Like I said, I absolutely CANNOT wait to get to know you!  What strange or awesome facts do you have to tell me about you?!?  Hop on over to THIS PAGE to read/ see more :)

xoxo,
Mrs. Thomas

What's up, my baaaabies?!?

It's been a month since I've written you and oh how I've thought of you often and missed you much! What have you been up to?!?  Obviously not in the sun much because apparently we have done something to upset her and she has gone M.I.A. for the summer.  We should send out a search party if she doesn't come back out for a lengthy stay soon because well, momma Mrs. Thomas is L-O-S-I-N-G her T-A-N.  BOOOOOOO on that.  I need some F-U-N in the S-U-N at the P-O-O-L!!!!  You feel me?!?  What have I been up to you may ask?  Well, here you will find out as noted through the pics below.  I have had a few people ask about being a guest blogger, but no one has written me any posts.  PEOPLE, I NEED GUEST BLOGGER POSTS, PLEASE!  And, I know it is not because you are busy as the pool!  All it has done has rain or be cloudy so another excuse may or may not do :)

Harrison has been seriously fancying dips in Jack's mini pool and the big pool at his NanNan and Poppy's house!  He LOVES it!  He gets his little legs a kicking and splashing and just giggles and laughs.  It's so precious!

 He's also been busy being EXCEPTIONALLY cute.  I mean, just LOOK at this ball of preciousness!

we decided to handle a little constipation the all natural way...prunes :)

We went to the wedding of one of Mr. Thomas's dearest friends in Nashville

This is my friend KC.  She was my suitemate in college :)

We attended Saint Mary's Summer Picnic.  I worked the jar booth on Saturday night and got to see several of my favorite people in the entire world.  Spoiler alert: you guys!

We celebrated the 4th with our friends at a cookout and fireworks celebration at their house

Harrison turned 6 WHOLE MONTHS OLD on the 5th.  Can you believe he is already 1/2 a year old?!?  WOWZA.  1/2 year since he was born and 1/2 until he turns one!  He is working SO, SOOOOO hard on sitting up on his own and pushes up realllllly well on his belly.  I know it won't be long before he's up on all fours and then will be working so hard on crawling.  He and Jack have been having to attend cheerleading practice with me since Mr. Thomas has a new job that requires him to travel all around the country and out of town each week, every week (that's a whole new story for a different day) and so H has been a bit difficult to please because he wants to be out doing things, but he's limited to what he can do since he doesn't really want to lie down, but he can't really sit up just yet.  Anyway, here are his monthly themed pics.  I made him Uncle Sam since he turned 6 months the day after the 4th.  He was none too pleased and some are hilarious.  His pain is your gain.  Enjoy.

And finally, my Big Bub that you all Skyped with a few times during the year (remember him...the one that lives in China?!?) is in for the month from China and we picked him from the airport on Tuesday (July 7th)!!!!  We are SOOOOOO pumped to have him home for the month!!!!!!!  YAAAAAAY!!!!