the SWAMPost

WEEK OF AUGUST 18, 2008

    OPEN HOUSE

Hope to see you at Open House Monday night. The first session is from 5:30 - 6:10, PTA from 6:15 - 6:55, and the second session is from 7:00 - 7:40.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:      

        Andrew - Aug. 18

  Gerardo - Aug. 20

                 Chaz - Aug. 22

THANK YOU

Thank you for all of your donations this past week.  We've received pens, pencils, erasers, post-its, animal crackers, pretzels, candy bars, jump ropes, balls, copy paper, kleenex, hand sanitizer, and a digital scale (we'll be using that this week in Science). I'm sure I have forgotten a few things, but once agin thank you.

MATH

This week we are working on understanding place value in whole and decimal numbers, through the hundredths place. Another skill is analyzing the effect on a product when multiplying by 10, 100, 100. 0.1 and 0.1.

I hope you saw your child's first multiplication and division timed test. For the 100 Club, a 95 on the multiplication test and a 90 on the division test must be achieved in five minutes. For the 100 PLUS club, a 100 must be reached in both multiplication and division. Javan, Gaby, Ryan, Jack, Julia, and Anna have scored 90 or higher.  Anna scored 100!!!!! Way to go, Anna. Javan, Quientin, Ryan, Jack, Julia, and Anna have scored 90 or higher on the division test, with Quientin and Ryan scoring 100!!!  Congratulations!!

SOCIAL STUDIES   

This week we will be making a timeline that we will use throughout the year. Our first job will be to add all the presidential terms to the timeline. In each unit we will add important dates. Hopefully the students will more easily see the whole picture.

LANGUAGE ARTS    

We are busy setting up the routines of Reading Workshop these first two weeks. Many students have already finished reading a book.  Remember our goal is to read at least 25 books this school year.

Today we had a baseline narrative writing assessment. Then we will work on the organization of narrative writing, as well as working on writing responses to literature these first 9 weeks.

Science   

Our first assignment is to learn about the scientific method so that we can use this method in our many experiments this year. Our first unit of study is matter.  

August 11, 2008

WELCOME!!!

It was wonderful to meet so many of you last Thursday night.  Don't forget that we have Open House Monday, August 18th.  We will have a session from 5:30 - 6:10 and 7:00 - 7:40.  The PTA meeting will be from 6:15 - 6:55.  See you there.

I am so excited to start another new year at Nicholson.  This is my 34th year teaching, and my 19th year at Nicholson.  We are going to have a great year reading, learning about our SmartBoard, conducting experiments in science, learning about the history of our country, working on our math facts, thinking through math problems, doing the pledge on the announcements, and writing about all of our experiences. 

Please don't hesitate to call or email me at Randin.Nelson@cobbk12.org whenever you have a question.

SPECIALS TIME

Each fifth grade class will be split for specials.  Since we only have 3 classsrooms, each class will have 6 children that will make up a fourth class for the rotation.  Our 6 children will be Aubrey, Ansley, Lessly, Christopher, Nate, and Gerardo. Most of our class will have the following schedule:

PE - Monday and Thursday

Art - Tuesday

Music - Friday

The schedule for the 6 students mentioned above is:

Music - Monday

PE - Tuesday and Friday

Art - Thursday

NEW THIS YEAR - Our rotating day for specials will be Wednesday.

CRCT practice

Social Studies Websites

1.  Robert E. Lee

2.  U. S. Grant

3.  A Boy's Journey

4. Ellis Island

5.  US Map Skills

6.  State Research

7. More State Research

Math Websites

Timed Test practice

Divisibility Rules

Harcourt Math

Science Websites

1. Animal Classification
2. Water Conservation
3. Cells
4. Static Electricity
5. Electricity
6. Electricity II
7. Electricity III
8. Earth Science
9. Magic School Bus

LA Websites

1. Sitton

2. Homographs

3.  Power Proofreading

4.  Story Pyramid

5.  Grammar Gorillas

6. Commas - Oregon Trail

7. Citations

8. Comma Confusion

Math

We will begin compacting for math classes on Monday, August 20.  Ask your child who their math teacher is.  They will be in this class for 9 weeks .  We will not compact on Tuesdays because of Target.  On those days we will be working on problem solving, using the Hands-On Equations, and calendar and mental math.  This 9 weeks we will work on numbers from hundredths to one million, data, number theory, and multiplication and division of decimals by a decimal.

Multiplication and Division Facts!!!!

On Wednesday we took our first timed multiplication and division test.  The expectation is that your child correctly answer all 100 facts in 5 minutes or less.  Please work on these facts for about 20 minutes each night.  A blank copy of both tests will be sent home on Monday, August 20.  Flash cards work great, as well as the following website http://www.aplusmath.com/Games/index.html