Mrs.O'Donnell's High Tide

Week of April 28

We have a "bzzzzy" 4 more weeks of school!  These weeks are very important!  We have much more to cover and there are some very important events coming up. 

We have two more days of CRCT testing: Monday and Tuesday 8:00-10:00.

Remember:

Monday:  Several permission forms are going home.  I have listed dates but return the permission ASAP!

Also attached is a reminder of vaccinations needed.  Your child will not be placed into a class for next year if the shots are not up-to-date.  We transfer the records on May 29 so make sure you have turned in the proper paperwork to the office by then. 

Monday,May 5:  Parent Open House for rising 6th graders.  McCleskey 7:00- 8:00 PM

Tuesday and Wednesday, May 6 and 7: Permission for the Healthwise program.  A letter explaining the program is with the permission slip.

Monday, May 12:  Visit and tour of McCleskey, 9:30-11:30. If it is not raining we will walk over.

Friday, May 16: Field Day

Wednesday, May 21: 5th grade awards and reception 8:00-10:00 a.m.  This is a special day so dress in your Sunday best!

Thursday, May 22:  Laughing Matters program and 5th grade Barbecue.  Send the form for the BBQ back ASAP.

Friday, Mary 23: Last Day of School.  Walk of Honor for 5th grade 2:10 in the school hallways 

Our quote for last week was: "Empty pockets never held anyone back.  Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that."  Our illustration winner is Bridie!

Language Arts:

We are writing our outlines for our reports. Next step is writing the rough draft. 

We are going to choose an historical fiction book on WWII to read.  Students will be reading and writing responses to their reading.    Students will use the strategies they learned on picking an appropriate book and will choose a book they like from several titles.

Social Studies:

We have begun our unit on WWII.  There is so much good literature on WWII.  We are going to be reading several picture books and then of course the book they are going to read in Reading.  We just finished a biography on Hilter. 

Science:

We are learning about constructive and destructive forces.  We are going to be checking out erosion on our school campus and in our neighborhoods.

Feed the Hungry

We are in a contest with Mrs. Nelson.  In the first 20 minutes we earned 29,410 grains of rice!  Way to go!!

If you do this at home print out the page that shows how many grains you earned.  If you can't get it to print, have a parent sign off on your total.

To play click on Feed the Hungry

Week of April 14

Welcome Back from Spring Break!! Hope you had a wonderful and relaxing week off!

Character Word of the Week is: Perseverance

Last week's quote illustration winner is Aaron!  Congratulations!  The quote was " When you play, play hard. When you work, don't play at all."

This week's quote is "Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that."

Happy Birthday to Chaselyn! Her birthday was April 4.

Happy Birthday to Will!  His birthday is April 17.

The CRCT is just around the corner!

The dates for the CRCT are April 23, 24, 25, 28, 29. Fifth grade takes a 5 day test.  Get plenty of rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive to school on time.  The test starts at 8:00.  Remember the critical tests are reading and math.  We will let you know which days these tests will be scheduled for.

Other dates to remember:

Wed. April 16: Parent workshop for CRCT 7:45 a.m.

Saturday April 19: Great Nicholson Cleanup 9:00 a.m. until noon

Monday April 21:  Volunteer Brunch 8-10 am

Social Studies:  The Interactive Notebooks will be coming home for a parent signature.  The test will come home in Thursday night papers.  We are going to start our study of WWII.  This is an exciting unit for us. 

Science:  We are continuing our study of Constructive and Destructive Forces.  Continue to take a look at your child's interactive notebook.

Language Arts:

We are continuing our research reports on a U.S. state.  The next step for us is to put our notecards into an outline form.

We are going to have another Sitton lesson this week.  We are going to do the word preview on Wednesday and hand out homework that will be due on Tuesday April 22.  The Word Test will also be on Tuesday April 22.   

Week of March 31

Character Word: Leadership

Important dates to remember this week:

Monday March 31: 5th grade Panoramic Picture-You must prepay if you want one.

Wednesday April 2: Social Studies test and Interactive Notebooks are due.

Thursday April 3: Our Callaway trip is finally here!!  A letter went home last Friday detailing rules and times.  Remember to be on time as the bus can not wait for you. 

Friday April 4: Art Enrichment Day- a day full of demonstrations of many different art forms.  It is a great day!  Thanks to Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Armstrong for their hard work on this day. 

Have a wonderful Spring Break and I'll see you on Monday April 14!

THE CRCT IS COMING!!!!!

The dates for the CRCT is April 23, 24, 25, 28, 29. Fifth grade takes a 5 day test.  Get plenty of rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive to school on time.  The test starts at 8:00.

Week of March 24

Character Word:  Motivation

Congratulations to Diamond!  She is the character star for March.

Congratulations to Chaselyn for the winning illustration for the quote: "Do. Or do not.  There is no try"  Yoda

This quote was submitted by Lana: "Besides pride, loyalty, discipline, heart, and mind, confidence is the key to all the locks."  The illustration winner was Hans.

Last week's quote was submitted by Bridie: "Bottom line...You don't need to be the best to try your best."  The winner of that quote is Lana.

This week's quote is: " When you play, play hard.  When you work, don't play at all"  Theodore Roosevelt

Thank you for your support of our Callaway trip.  We have all the money for the trip including enough for a snack on the bus.  We will be sending more information soon.

Please return the signature card for the report card in the envelope.  Also return the registration form for 6th grade.  That was sent home the same day as the report cards. 

Friday:  Spirit Day

Friday: Family Dance 6:00-8:00  Hope to see you there!

Monday March 31: 5th grade Panoramic picture.  You must prepay for this picture. 

Parents: Thank you for writing back to your child's letter. They really enjoyed hearing your side. 

We created a powerpoint in which each student read their letter to you.Check out the powerpoint.  It takes a minute to open.

Download i_wanna.ppt

Social Studies: For the last two weeks the students have been buying and selling "Quaggles" in a simulation of the stock market.  On last Friday the stock market crashed.  Many of them found themselves homeless or rather "chairless".  They will be writing a reflection this week of the experience.  We will continue with a discussion of the Great Depression.  It looks like the next test will be Wednesday April, 2.  We want to finish this study before spring break.

Science:  We have just completed our study of electricity and magnetism.  We will begin Destructive and Constructive Forces.

Language Arts: 

In reading we are working on the informational topic of Nutrition. 

In writing we are working on our informational report on our state.

We will be in the media center working on our notes which we will put into an outline.  Check out the site below for information.

State Research

Week of February 25

This is an exciting week at Nicholson!!

First off this is the week for Penny Wars:

Today, not a long time ago…In a Nicholson Star Galaxy, not far away…

PENNY WARS

It is a new age for Nicholson Stars…

Nicholson Stars have joined forces with the RallyKids Foundation to raise money and awareness for CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH.

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THE RULES

Your class wins a PENNY WARS battle scoring the most penny points in a day.

Each penny in your class jug counts as one point. Any other type of money – coin or bill counts subtracts points – by each value.

Examples – a nickel subtracts 5 points

                 a dime subtracts 10 points

                 a dollar subtracts 100 points

                a 50 dollar bill subtracts 5,000 points!

All class jugs will be in the cafeteria. You may drop your coins and bills before school.

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Results will be announced the following day and the winning class will be rewarded.

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PENNY WARS lasts 5 days –

February 25 – 29

Every student will receive an offical Penny Wars Bag with the rules and their first penny to play on Friday, Feb. 22nd. Look for it coming home.

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Good luck,

Nicholson Student Council

IS YOUR BAG PACKED?

THE FORCE IS STRONG AT NICHOLSON!

Our Character Star for February is Alde!!  He exhibited the qualities of acceptance, cooperation, and courtesy! 

Happy Birthday Lana!!  Her birthday is Thursday.

Winner of last week's quote: "There is no one giant step that does it.  It's a lot of little steps" is Lana!

This week's quote is "Do. Or do not. There is no try." -Yoda  In honor of our Star Wars-Penny Wars.

Tuesday Feb 26:  6:30  Our counselors will meet with interested parent on "Helping your child prepare for the CRCT"

Thurs. Feb. 28:  Social Studies Test  Your study guide and interactive notebook are due that day.

Friday Feb. 29:  Spirit Day, Chick-fil-A biscuit Day, and banking day.

Also on Friday: All money for Mathathon is due. 

Monday March 3:  All money for the Callaway Garden field trip is due.  Thank you for your support.  This is also the Book Fair Week.

Tueday March 4: Early Release

Wednesday March 5:  5th Grade Writing Assessment

Thursday March 6: Reading Roundup (in the evening) Details to come!

Language Arts:

We are finishing up a persuasive writing piece based on the book: I Wanna Iguana.

We are going to create a timeline that we will use in Social Studies.  The informational text features are indeed across the curriculum!

Social Studies:

We will be reviewing for our test on Progressives and WWI which will be on Thursday.  The students have a checklist for their interactive notebook and a study guide for the test. 

Science:

We are making circuit boards with review questions.  The review questions can come from any subject area. 

Today, not a long time ago…In a Nicholson Star Galaxy, not far away…

PENNY WARS

It is a new age for Nicholson Stars…

Nicholson Stars have joined forces with the RallyKids Foundation to raise money and awareness for CHILDHOOD CANCER RESEARCH.

.

THE RULES

Your class wins a PENNY WARS battle scoring the most penny points in a day.

Each penny in your class jug counts as one point. Any other type of money – coin or bill counts subtracts points – by each value.

Examples – a nickel subtracts 5 points

                 a dime subtracts 10 points

                 a dollar subtracts 100 points

                a 50 dollar bill subtracts 5,000 points!

All class jugs will be in the cafeteria. You may drop your coins and bills before school.

.

Results will be announced the following day and the winning class will be rewarded.

.

PENNY WARS lasts 5 days –

February 25 – 29

Every student will receive an offical Penny Wars Bag with the rules and their first penny to play on Friday, Feb. 22nd. Look for it coming home.

.

Good luck,

Nicholson Student Council

IS YOUR BAG PACKED?

THE FORCE IS STRONG AT NICHOLSON!

Our Character Star for February is Alde!!  He exhibited the qualities of acceptance, cooperation, and courtesy! 

Happy Birthday Lana!!  Her birthday is Thursday.

Winner of last week's quote: "There is no one giant step that does it.  It's a lot of little steps" is Lana!

This week's quote is "Do. Or do not. There is no try." -Yoda  In honor of our Star Wars-Penny Wars.

Tuesday Feb 26:  6:30  Our counselors will meet with interested parent on "Helping your child prepare for the CRCT"

Thurs. Feb. 28:  Social Studies Test  Your study guide and interactive notebook are due that day.

Friday Feb. 29:  Spirit Day, Chick-fil-A biscuit Day, and banking day.

Also on Friday: All money for Mathathon is due. 

Monday March 3:  All money for the Callaway Garden field trip is due.  Thank you for your support.  This is also the Book Fair Week.

Tueday March 4: Early Release

Wednesday March 5:  5th Grade Writing Assessment

Thursday March 6: Reading Roundup (in the evening) Details to come!

Language Arts:

We are finishing up a persuasive writing piece based on the book: I Wanna Iguana.

We are going to create a timeline that we will use in Social Studies.  The informational text features are indeed across the curriculum!

Social Studies:

We will be reviewing for our test on Progressives and WWI which will be on Thursday.  The students have a checklist for their interactive notebook and a study guide for the test. 

Science:

We are making circuit boards with review questions.  The review questions can come from any subject area. 

Week of February 11

Character Word:  Acceptance

Winner of last week's Quote of the Week: "You just can't beat the person who never gives up."  Babe Ruth----Lana!!

This week's Quote of the Week: "There is no ONE giant step that does it.  It's a lot of little steps."  Be thinking of how you would illustrate it. 

Wednesday Feb. 13: Our trip to the Symphony.  This is part of the Performing Arts that you sent back at the beginning of the year. 

Also on Wednesday: Bring your Valentine Boxes.  We will vote on them on Wednesday.

Thursday Feb. 14:  Happy Valentine's Day!!  Bring in your valentines to pass out. 

Candy Grams are on sale Monday and Tuesday of this week.

5th grade t-shirts need to be ordered by Feb. 13

Remember to pay for Callaway Gardens by Feb. 15 if you are paying on the payment plan.  Remember all money must be paid by March 1.  Thank you for your support of this trip.

A look ahead: There is no school for students on February 18 and 19.

5th grade teachers will send home 4 1/2 week grades and progress reports on Wednesday Feb. 20th. 

The Writing Fair is coming! Entries should be submitted by February 14, 2008. Categories include: short stories, poetry, essays, journals, personal narratives, reports, or any other original writing.

Entries will be turned into Nicholson judges on Feb. 15. There will be one entry from each grade submitted to the county writing fair.

GOOD LUCK!

Language Arts

In reading we are continuing to discuss Informational Text.  We are going to be comparing information derived from the text vs. the information in the text features.

Remember that we have a nightly reading log that your child can fill out when they finish their 20 minutes of reading.  Then it needs to signed by you.  Also they need to locate a wondrous word and write the sentence that contains the word.

In Writing Workshop we are analyzing persuasive paragraphs to see how to write strong arguments using supporting examples.  Check out this site for Supporting Examples.

Science

Building an electrical circuit will be our charge this week, along with repairing circuits that aren't working.  For a great website full of information and games, Click Electricity.

Social Studies

We are learning about Progressives. We already learned about Theodore Roosevelt who was a Progressive. Your child's interactive notebook should be up-to-date, including the borders.  Check it out.

Just for Fun:

Match your wits with other 5th graders and play "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader"

If you read this blog, send your child to me for a chance!

Week of February 4

Character Word: Self-Reliance

Illustration winner of last week's quote: "Why do people say the sky's the limit when there's footprints on the moon?" : Congratulations Diamond!!

This week's quote:

¶    You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.  Babe Ruth

The Writing Fair is coming! Entries should be submitted by February 14, 2008. Categories include: short stories, poetry, essays, journals, personal narratives, reports, or any other original writing.

Entries will be turned into Nicholson judges on Feb. 15. There will be one entry from each grade submitted to the county writing fair.

GOOD LUCK!

Dates to Remember:

Feb. 4-12: Candy Grams on Sale

Feb. 6: Class and Individual pictures: must prepay.  The envelope went home last week

Feb. 6: Early Release.  We dismiss at 12:20

Feb. 8: Bingo Night at 6:30

Feb. 9:  Bridie's Birthday.  Happy Birthday!!

We will be decorating shoe boxes for Valentine's Day.  See the directions and the letter that went home on Monday.  We will be having a contest.  Happy Decorating!!

Language Arts:

We are reading informational text and learning about the features in this type of text.

As part of our Language Arts standards for this 9 weeks we are covering persuasive writing. Our essential question is "How do I write so that others will agree with my opinion?"

We will be using some of the following vocabulary during our unit - persuade, organizing structure, audience, purpose, extraneous details, closure, clear position, opposing views, and reader concerns. Talk to your child about/using this vocabulary.

Science

We have started our study of electricity with static electricity.   We had a hair-raising time with the Van Der Graaf static ball.  We will have some pictures posted in the room.  We also explored static electricity with some experiments.  These experiments are in the Interactive Notebook.

Social Studies

We are learning about "Imperialism" and the United States.  We are going to learn about the role that Theodore Roosevelt played during this time in history. 

The Writing Fair is coming! Entries should be submitted by February 14, 2008. Categories include: short stories, poetry, essays, journals, personal narratives, reports, or any other original writing.

Entries will be turned into Nicholson judges on Feb. 15. There will be one entry from each grade submitted to the county writing fair.

GOOD LUCK!

Dates to Remember:

Feb. 4-12: Candy Grams on Sale

Feb. 6: Class and Individual pictures: must prepay.  The envelope went home last week

Feb. 6: Early Release.  We dismiss at 12:20

Feb. 8: Bingo Night at 6:30

Feb. 9:  Bridie's Birthday.  Happy Birthday!!

We will be decorating shoe boxes for Valentine's Day.  See the directions and the letter that went home on Monday.  We will be having a contest.  Happy Decorating!!

Language Arts:

We are reading informational text and learning about the features in this type of text.

As part of our Language Arts standards for this 9 weeks we are covering persuasive writing. Our essential question is "How do I write so that others will agree with my opinion?"

We will be using some of the following vocabulary during our unit - persuade, organizing structure, audience, purpose, extraneous details, closure, clear position, opposing views, and reader concerns. Talk to your child about/using this vocabulary.

Science

We have started our study of electricity with static electricity.   We had a hair-raising time with the Van Der Graaf static ball.  We will have some pictures posted in the room.  We also explored static electricity with some experiments.  These experiments are in the Interactive Notebook.

Social Studies

We are learning about "Imperialism" and the United States.  We are going to learn about the role that Theodore Roosevelt played during this time in history. 

Week of January 28

Congratulations to Aaron, our character star for January.  Aaron best exemplifies the character traits for initiative and effort.

This week's character words are: Initiative/Effort 

I would like to see all of you remembering the 212 degrees worth of effort!!

Congratulations Alde, winner of this week's quote of the week: "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

This week's quote of the week was submitted by Bridie. "Why do people say the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon?"

Do you have a quote that you would like to submit for our Quote of the Week?

Thank you all for making the effort to come to your conference.  It shows the committment that you have towards your childs education.  I enjoyed speaking to you about your child.  Remember to contact me anytime that you have a question or concern. 

At conferences I sent home the flyer for the January and February Scholastic Book Club.  If you are interested, send in your book order by February 1st. 

CRCT  It's coming...April 23 - May 2 are our testing dates.

Practice, practice, practice. Here's the website sponsored by Georgia Department of Education to improve student achievement on the CRCT.

CRCT Online Assessment System

Click above

You will asked to enter your student ID (on yellow sheet given out at conference)

password: education

Use the yellow sheet given out at conferences to help you navigate the site. If you need more help, just let me know.

Items to remember:

If you are interested in the Six Flags Six Hour Reading Club, your form is due on February 27.  Happy reading.

Language Arts:

We are reading informational text and learning about the features in this type of text.

As part of our Language Arts standards for this 9 weeks we are covering persuasive writing. Our essential question is "How do I write so that others will agree with my opinion?"

We will be using some of the following vocabulary during our unit - persuade, organizing structure, audience, purpose, extraneous details, closure, clear position, opposing views, and reader concerns. Talk to your child about/using this vocabulary.

Social Studies

We have talked and read about how difficult it was to live and farm on the Great Plains.  We will transition this into a discussion of other ways the United States expanded their borders outside of the main continent. 

Science

We are beginning the study of electricity and magnetism.  We will start with a hair-raising experience!

Remember you can check our progress through your child's interactive notebooks in both social studies and science. 

Congratulations to Aaron, our character star for January.  Aaron best exemplifies the character traits for initiative and effort.

This week's character words are: Initiative/Effort 

I would like to see all of you remembering the 212 degrees worth of effort!!

Congratulations Alde, winner of this week's quote of the week: "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

This week's quote of the week was submitted by Bridie. "Why do people say the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon?"

Do you have a quote that you would like to submit for our Quote of the Week?

Thank you all for making the effort to come to your conference.  It shows the committment that you have towards your childs education.  I enjoyed speaking to you about your child.  Remember to contact me anytime that you have a question or concern. 

At conferences I sent home the flyer for the January and February Scholastic Book Club.  If you are interested, send in your book order by February 1st. 

CRCT  It's coming...April 23 - May 2 are our testing dates.

Practice, practice, practice. Here's the website sponsored by Georgia Department of Education to improve student achievement on the CRCT.

CRCT Online Assessment System

Click above

You will asked to enter your student ID (on yellow sheet given out at conference)

password: education

Use the yellow sheet given out at conferences to help you navigate the site. If you need more help, just let me know.

Items to remember:

If you are interested in the Six Flags Six Hour Reading Club, your form is due on February 27.  Happy reading.

Language Arts:

We are reading informational text and learning about the features in this type of text.

As part of our Language Arts standards for this 9 weeks we are covering persuasive writing. Our essential question is "How do I write so that others will agree with my opinion?"

We will be using some of the following vocabulary during our unit - persuade, organizing structure, audience, purpose, extraneous details, closure, clear position, opposing views, and reader concerns. Talk to your child about/using this vocabulary.

Social Studies

We have talked and read about how difficult it was to live and farm on the Great Plains.  We will transition this into a discussion of other ways the United States expanded their borders outside of the main continent. 

Science

We are beginning the study of electricity and magnetism.  We will start with a hair-raising experience!

Remember you can check our progress through your child's interactive notebooks in both social studies and science. 

Week of January 22

This week's quote is "Imagination is more important than knowledge" Albert Einstein  We are keeping this quote again for this short week.  I wonder who will win the illustration this week!?

Character Words:  Flexibility/ Creativity

Look for your child's creativity on the wall outside our door.  Their "Life on a Line" timelines and their work from art are on display.

Remember:

This is Conference week.  I am looking forward to seeing you!  Also remember that it is early release so we will dismiss at 12:20 all this week and next Monday.

Friday Jan. 25: NFL Spirit Day. Support your favorite team.  For $1.00 you can buy spirit beads to support Relay for Life.

It is also Chick-fil-A biscuit day. $2.00 for a biscuit.

Happy belated birthday to Nahama! Her birthday was last week.

Happy birthday to Josh!  His birthday is Jan.22.

Science: We finished up diseases and microorganisms in Health.  Hopefully we have all learned some ways to stay healthier!  Ask your child about some of the habits they can start to stay healthier. 

We are going to begin the study of electricity and magnetism.  It should be hair-raising!! 

Social Studies: We also wrapped up our study of Immigration.  We concluded the study with a "Hunting for Facts" scavenger hunt through their book and Interactive Notebook.  We are going to continue social studies with a couple of lessons on Westward Expansion.

Language Arts: We are practicing for the 5th grade Writing Assessment by working on a narrative writing piece.  Your child picked a story starter from Chris Van Allsburg and are writing a story.  They should be finishing them up this week.  We are reading informational books.  Your student picked an informational book of their interest to read.