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!