Next week is the 5th grade walk! Parents, please join us for the 5th Grade Awards Ceremony and Walk on Wednesday, May 25th. Plan on arriving by 10:00 AM so that you have time to park (in the side lot; not in the back of the school). We will begin the awards ceremony promptly at 10:30 AM, and will follow immediately with the 5th Grade Walk. Both events will take place on the bus lane blacktop, so you are welcome to bring folding chairs.. We hope to see all of you cheer on our amazing 5th graders as they end their journey as elementary schoolers (sniff!) and transition to middle school. Mrs. Cassella, Mrs. Hinson, Mrs. Ramon, and Mrs. Walstead are so proud of everything they have accomplished this year!

Please read carefully regarding our field trip to the GA Aquarium on Monday, April 18th:

-We will be going to the aquarium gift shop; you may wish to give your student spending $.

-Please double-check with your child about their lunch on Monday. Several students said that they were going to bring their lunch from home. We have already given the cafeteria a count of students who need sack lunches, so it’s very important that students remember their lunch if they said they were going to bring one from home.

-Some students have not returned their form stating how they’re going home on Monday (picked up at 3PM or ASP). Please send this form (or a note) with your child on Monday if you haven’t already.

-Please have your child wear comfortable shoes & clothing; we will be doing a lot of walking!

-If you are picking up your child at 3PM after the field trip, please park in the lots in front of or on the side of the school.

Please read these reminders about field day on Friday, April 22nd:

-Have your child apply sunscreen before coming to school.

-Students may wear a hat and sunglasses while they are outside and participating in field day (not while inside the school building.)

-Students may bring a water bottle outside to field day.

-Students should dress in comfortable clothes and tennis shoes.

We have been working hard and it’s time for some relaxation and fun! This week we have finished our units on the Cold War, figurative language, and electromagnets. When we return from break, we will continue to learn about different natural disasters: their causes, effects, and how to prepare for them.

Some important things to remember:

Spring Break is next week; no school from April 4th-8th; school resumes on Monday, April 11th.

Cell phones- please remember that students are not allowed to have cell phones out at school. Because some students have not complied with this rule, all teachers have been directed by Dr. Luscre and Mrs. Kelly that if students are seen with their cell phones out to confiscate them. Parents will be contacted to pick up the cell phone at school. Please discuss this with your child and help us to reinforce this rule; we want all students to be safe at Big Shanty!

Supplies- Your students are running low/out! Please replenish their supply of pencils, erasers, and glue sticks.

Have a wonderful Spring Break! Have lots of fun and sleep in. 🙂

Hello, Parents! Here are a few reminders and updates on what we’re learning:

Field trips- On April 13th, the 5th grade will see the GA Symphony perform. There is no cost for this trip, but a signed Performing Arts permission slip is required. If we don’t have a signed permission slip on file for your child, we’ll send a new copy home to you.

On April 18th, the 5th grade will go to the GA Aquarium. The cost for this trip is $50.

What we’re learning- In ELA, we are learning about athletes who worked to make positive social changes (for example, Billie Jean King); in Social Studies, we will learn about the Cold War; in Math, the students are learning how to calculate volume, and in Science we’re learning about circuits and electromagnetism.

We survived a full moon Valentine’s Day! This is the last week of school before February Break. Here are a few things to remember:

*Check ParentVue for your child’s progress report; we are at the halfway point of the 3rd 9 weeks of school.

*February Break is next week; no school on 2/21-2/25.

This is what we will be learning for the next few weeks of school:

ELA- writing an opinion piece of the factors of Jackie Robinson’s success

Math- categorizing geometric shapes

Grammar- titles and appropriate punctuation (italics/underline/quotation marks)

S.S.- World War II

Science- chemical & physical changes

Hello, Parents & Students! We were so glad to see everyone’s smiling faces today! We hope that you had a restful, happy break. This week, we will focus on reviewing classroom routines and procedures, and introducing our new units of study for math and reading.

Report cards will be released online (via ParentVue) tomorrow. We will also be sending home a hard copy as well as a report on your child’s performance on the Reading Inventory test this year (an assessment taken several times each year to monitor your child’s reading comprehension.) You do not have to sign the report card or Reading Inventory report, but please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Finally, we are all well aware of the amount of illness going around; both Covid and ordinary flu/common cold. If your child is sick or if they have been exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid, please keep them home to monitor their symptoms. We will make sure that your child catches up on any work they miss.

Hello, Parents! We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are now in the final weeks of the 2nd quarter of this school year. Here is what we are working on:

ELA: In reading, we have been learning about text structure (identifying and comparing and contrasting text structure.) Many students have struggled with this skill. Here is a link to a helpful video about text structure:  Text Structure video from Khan Academy

In writing, we are writing an informational brochure about the rainforest. The students are using what they have learned to either explain why the rainforest is important or to inform people how they can help the rainforest.

In grammar, we are working on using commas after an introductory element. There will be a quiz next Thursday. A study guide will go home next Monday, but here’s a sneak peek:

study guide for commas after an introductory element

Math: We have been learning about adding and subtracting fractions (with unlike denominators.) Here’s a video for support with this skill: Adding and Subtracting fractions with unlike denominators

After we return from December Break, the students will learn how to multiply and divide fractions.

*Don’t forget to practice math at home with Dreambox and Zearn!

Science: We are learning about the parts of a cell and microorganisms.

Social Studies: We just finished our unit on World War I, and we are moving on to the 1930s, then The Great Depression.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you so much for your support!

Hello, Parents! This time of year tends to fly by; it’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is almost here. We wanted to touch base with you about a few things. First, here are some dates to keep on your calendar:

• Friday, November 11th- PTA Fall Dance 2:30-4:00
• Wednesday, November 17th- Progress Reports are released on ParentVue (no paper copies; digital)
• Monday, November 22nd -Friday, November 26th = Thanksgiving Break (no school from 11/20/21-11/28/21)

Next: Thursday Folders; have you checked your child’s? This folder is either yellow (Walstead) or green (Hinson) and contains graded papers and notices from the school. Last week, we sent home a score report of your child’s Iowa Test score. If you’re not sure how to read the score report, you are not alone! They can be confusing, even for veteran teachers! This should make it easier to decipher:

• the percentile score (National Percentile Score) is a number from 1-99. The score represents how well your child did compared to other children of the same age who took this exact test. For example, if your child received a percentile score of 50, that means he or she scored better than or equal to 50% of the students who took this test.
• the grade equivalent is a decimal number from 1.0-12.9, and it represents how well your child did compared to a child taking the SAME test but is in a different grade. For example, if your child received a grade equivalent score in reading of 6.3, it means that if your child and a sixth grader in the 3rd month of school took the 5th grade Iowa test, they’d both have the same score. It does not (necessarily) mean that your child knows 6th grade material/standards.

Please contact us if you have any questions about test scores, or anything else. Thank you so much for your support!