December News!

Hello Families!

Can you believe it is December already? The school year is in full swing and we are busier than ever!

In Reading, we continue to work on our Daily 5 activities and building stamina with our reading and responding to literature while building our vocabulary.  The students are doing a great job sharing their knowledge of what their reading during guided reading groups.

In Math, we just completed a very challenging chapter: dividing whole numbers. We will continue to work on this concept as we move on to adding and subtracting decimals.  If your student is not fluent with their multiplication and division facts please continue to practice nightly with them! 

In Science, we have started our unit on Living Things. The students have been learning about the differences between animal cells and plant cells.  

In Social Studies, we are studying Colonial times. We also have a field trip planned for this week and will be going to the Albany Visitors Center for the Hudson River Trading Games.  Students will be learning about the importance of trading along the Hudson River. 

In Writing, students are working on literary essays at this time.  We hope to see everyone out at the Poetry Night scheduled for this Friday, November 7th at 6:00 til 8:00 p.m.  It's sure to be FUN!

We hope your families have a joyous holiday and a restful break!

Mrs. Flood and Mrs. Gould

We are off to a terrific start!

Welcome to the Grade 5 blog. This blog has been set up to keep you posted on the great things happening here at Pine Hills Elementary School. We are really off to a great start!

Writing: Memoirs~ the students just finished their personal narratives. They worked hard on including internal and external dialogue, show not tell, and descriptive language. We are so proud of them!

Math: We concluded chapter one; place value, multiplication and algebraic expressions. Students should have shared their tests with you by now and had them signed and returned. Please encourage your child to practice math facts each night. Students can go on the websites for this. We like Math Magician and First in Math. Taking 10 minutes each night can really make a difference.

Spelling: We are in our fourth week of Words Their Way. Students should be practicing their words each night. Tests are on Fridays.

Reading: We have worked hard these past 6 weeks implementing routines and procedures for The Daily Five. The philosophy is that students practice three to five reading activities daily. These include: Read to self, Read to someone, Work on words, Write about reading, and Listen to reading. We are off to a great start. Teachers continue to pull guided reading groups daily. Ask your child about what they are reading.

Reading Goals: We have set a goal to read 600 minutes outside of school for the month of October.

The October book Report is due October 29th

Agendas: Students should be using their agendas daily to keep track of their assignments. Please view these nightly with your child. Thank you for all of your support!

This picture is from our trip to the HVCC Nanotechnology College. The children learned about Nano science and were able to participate in centers explaining the science. They had a great time. We plan to bring these centers into the classroom for a more in depth study of Nanotechnology.

June 1st, 2012

Happy Monday!

Students have been working hard in school.

Writing: We are just beginning our new writing unit on poetry. Students are learning the six doors of poetry as defined by Georgia Heard. They are off to a wonderful start.

Book Reports: Book reports are due June 6th. This is the last book report of the year! We thank you for your support with these projects and celebrate our students' creativity and hard work.

This week in math we will be taking our final math assessment and our school will be participating in a field test as well for ELA. And we thought we were done testing!!!

In Science, we are celebrating June - out of this world - Space month. On Monday and Tuesday we will have a scavenger hunt for space clues!

Field Trip: We will be walking to Washington Park on Wednesday, June 20th for a day of team building. Students will need to pack a lunch and snacks. Please pack extra drinks. We will be sending home the permission slips in the near future.

Awards: Grade 5 and 6 will have an Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 13th.

Enjoy your week!

May 17, 2012
Hello Families,
Just a reminder - we have our Field Trip tomorrow!
Please wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather.
We will be back in time for lunch.
Sadly, we will be saying goodbye to one of Mrs. Gould's classmates Medeu! We wish luck and he will be missed!
Book reports are due June 6th -
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs. Flood and Mrs. Gould

Friday, May 4th

Friday, May 4th, 2012

Happy Friday!
*Today Mrs. Gould's Class said good-bye to Miss Sommer, their student teacher. She has done a terrific job and will make a fantastic teacher. She will be missed!
*Field Trips: We are planning two field trips. The first one is Friday, May 18th. We will be touring the USS Slater DE766. The cost is $6.00 per child (which includes the bus fee). We will be sending home the permission slips next week. We are also planning a day at Washington Park.This trip is toward the end of June. We will send information home at a later date.
Book Reports: The last book report of the year is due June 6th.

A note from Miss Sommer:
I can't thank you enough for involving me in your classroom these past several weeks.
You all really made me realize just how much I love teaching.
It is so much fun learning, and exploring new things, and really training to become great leaders.
With the help of you and Mrs. Gould, I am so excited and pumped to have my own class someday soon. The field trip on May 18th will be a lot of fun, and I can't wait to see you all again! :o) 
As time goes on, and you grow up and finish school, I look forward to hearing about all of the amazing things you will be doing. Just looking at all of the talent and personality in the room I"m envisioning future comedians, fashion designers, engineers, news broadcasters, basketball stars, doctors, and soooooo many other wonderful things that you can accomplish if you set your mind to it.
I hope you remember all of the silly things I did and stories I told, and never be afraid to be yourself.
You all are absolutely fantastic and I will never forget you.
You are ROCKSTARS!!!
                               - Miss Sommer

Friday, April 20th

Happy Friday!
~The ELA testing has finished. The students all worked so hard and we are very proud of them.
~Math: The math test is scheduled next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Fifth grade is testing from 10:15-12:00.
~Book reports were due this week. We began our presentations and as usual, they are beautifully done. The next book report is due June 6th.
~Report cards are going home today. We do not have scheduled conferences, however, if you would like one, give us an email or call.
~ Writer's have been working hard on developing characters and problems for their realistic fiction stories. They are coming along great!
Thank you for all of your support!
Enjoy your weekend!

April 16th

Happy Monday!

We hope you all enjoyed your vacation. This week is the NYS ELA exam. Students will be tested Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:30-12:00. We have sent home a permission slip for a "Healthy Snack". Please sign and return tomorrow. The NYS Math assessment is next week (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). Please encourage your child to go to bed early and eat a healthy breakfast.

Book reports are due this week. We will be presenting them on Friday.

We are beginning our new writing unit~Realistic fiction. This week we are developing our characters. The students are very excited!

Please call or email with questions.
Enjoy your week!

March 26, 2012

Hello Families!
Just a quick update on fifth grade happenings!
Reminder there is no school on Friday, March 30th.
The students have been working diligently these last few weeks on sharpening up their
reading and writing skills, as well as, math. Continue to support them at home by making
sure they are completing their homework assignments and reading at least 40 minutes each
night. We are working on building our stamina for the upcoming ELA test! We hope they are
using the opportunity to get on the computer and try out Reading A to Z and First in Math
at home. They really love doing this at center time in school!
Congratulations to the runner-ups for their selections in the science fair. They included: Xzaviere Byrd, Ferit Brace, Razaun White, and the two winners that went to represent our school Kyle Jakovic and Eli Lee. Great JOB! We are waiting to hear the results in anticipation! The rest of the students did a wonderful job presenting their science fair projects and demonstrations. It was evident how hard everyone worked on them.
Next book reports are due April 16th - students should have a clear idea of what their doing
at this point. Looks like the cold weather is back - stay warm!

March 12th

What a beautiful week! The sun is shining and the weather is warm. It is going to be a great week. Happy Spring!

Science Fair Projects: Science Fair Projects were presented on Monday. Students presented to their classmates. All projects will be on display Tuesday. The judges are coming on Wednesday to announce the winners.

Miss Sommer: Miss Sommer is a student teacher in Mrs. Gould's class. She will be in the class for the next seven weeks. She is not new to our class. Miss Sommer was a student teacher in Miss Lee's third grade class last semester. She also spent many hours in our classroom this past fall. She will work with both fifth grade classes. Welcome Miss Sommer!

March 30th- There is no school Friday, March 30th due to a Teacher Conference Day.

State Tests:
The NYS English Language Arts test will be administered Tuesday April 16th, Wednesday, April 17th, and Thursday April 18th.
NYS Math test will be administered Wednesday, April 25th, Thursday, April 26th and Friday, April 27th.

Book Report:  Book reports are due April 17th but will not be presented until Friday, April 20th. (due to ELA Test)

Tuesday, February 29th! Happy Leap Year!!!

Parents,
Vacation is over and we are back to work! Students have completed their 3rd book report and their next one is due Aptil 17th. Please make sure your child has chosen their new book. They need to let us know the title.

PICTURE DAY is Friday, March 2nd. The slips went home yesterday.

Science Fair permission slips and "the big questions" were due yesterday. Please have a conversation with your child to make sure they have handed them in. :)

We will be sending home problem solving activities for homework. This is in addition to the daily math assignments. Students will receive the sheet on Fridays to be returned the following Friday. This is to help improve problem solving skills. Thank you.

Enjoy your week!

February 13th

The LEADership program started this week. This is a program developed by the City of Albany for gang prevention. Each class has their own representatives from law agencies. We will keep you posted on their visits. Ask your children about these special visitors.

Next week is February Vacation. School is closed from Monday, February 20th through Friday, February 24th. We encourage students to be working on their science projects, practicing their math facts on First In Math and reading.

RAZ- all students have access to the RAZ reading program. This is an online program where they can read books at their level. Please encourage your child to read each night.

Have a safe and happy break!

February 8, 2012

Happy Monday Families!
This week students in fifth grade will be working on the mid-year math benchmark assessments. As always, remind your students to ALWAYS use the strategies they have been taught when taking a test!
Dates to write on your calendar:
5th Grade NYS ELA Exam - Tuesday April 16th to Thursday April 18th
5th Grade NYS Math Exam - Wednesday April 24th to Friday April 26th
Reminders for this week - The Black History Month Potluck is February 9th
Don't forget to sign up for SNN!
Websites to help your student -
Spellingcity.com
Firstinmath.com
Here's to another academically challenging week!
Mrs. Flood and Mrs. Gould:)

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Hi parents!
REPORT CARDS: We have been working hard completing reading assessments...and they are done! :) Report cards will be going home next week. We do not have scheduled conferences this quarter, however we will be available for any parents that would like to meet. Please give us a call and we can arrange a date and time.

The office has changed the Student Information forms and we have sent them home to be filled out. We are asking for all parents to send in new forms even if the information is the same. If you need a new form, please let us know.

SNN: It is our goal that all parents sign up for the School News Notifier. All you have to do is go to the district website and you can register your email or cell phone.It will automatically send you digital information for the district and school. It is great for delays and snow days.

We really appreciate the feedback on the blog!
Enjoy your weekend!

January 17, 2012

Happy Tuesday Families!
This week Fifth grade is working hard. There is no new Spelling list this week. We will be reviewing vocabulary words from Lessons 11 through 15. Your students should be studying their synonym triplet sheets they completed in school to prepare for their vocabulary portion of the Theme tests on Thursday.
In math, we will be finishing up Chapter 6 on decimals and taking the Chapter 6 Post-test. Be on the lookout for the tests to come home for your signatures!


Things to remember: Students should be working on their book reports.
Writing entries are Monday, Wednesdays and Weekends and
should always be labeled with the name, date and H for
homework.
Students need to have black and red pens for writing
daily for both writing and editing purposes.
Students need to have pencils for math.

Upcoming Information to look for: Science Fair Project Information will be coming Soon! Report Cards will be coming shortly! A new blog next week!

Mrs. Gould and Mrs. Flood

Monday, January 9

Parents,
Thank you so much for getting the money and slips in for the field trip. We understand it was short notice, but we think this play is a great opportunity for students to learn. The students will learn about molecules.

Important dates:
Tuesday, January 10-field trip to the Palace.
Thursday, January 12- Martin Luther King Celebration~ We are teaming up with Mrs. Cornell's first grade class singing "Wavin' Flag". Please encourage your child to practice.
Monday, January 16th- School is closed

Check back later in the week for more news from Grade 5! :)