Dear Parents,
I hope you were able to attend the Open House last Thursday night. You would have had the opportunity to look at the students' ABC State Reports, their tessellations, and the letters to next year's students that Mrs. Gutierrez put on the bulletin board.
Yesterday I left all the graded Nutrient packets for Mrs. Gutierrez, and today I updated the grades on the ABC State Reports so she has them when she does the report cards.
Tomorrow is my last half day with the class. Last week Mrs. Gutierrez told me she'd be back full time starting on Thursday. That's wonderful news for the class!
I've really enjoyed my time with the class and have learned to appreciate the uniqueness of each child.
I hope you have a wonderful summer--hopefully we'll get more sun than we've had this spring--and next year I look forward to seeing the students again when I return to substitute teach for the various teachers at Valencia.
Thank you for your support. I've appreciated it a lot!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Dear Parents,
I intended to write yesterday in order to remind everyone that the library books were due today. Six students have overdue books as of today; please make sure the books are returned by Friday.
This morning the students attended the dedication of the new playground. It was a very special event with many dignitaries present. I'm adding a few pictures from this morning's assembly.
Please make sure your child has their running shoes at school tomorrow and Friday. Tomorrow the children will practice the mile run, and on Friday Mrs. Gutierrez plans to do the state physical fitness tests.
Don't forget that tomorrow evening is Open House. Mrs. Gutierrez is getting the room ready for you! You'll see the children's reports, tessellations, and other projects.
That's it for today!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Monday, May 17, 2010
Gray, cloudy Monday, May 17, 2010
Dear Parents,
Today the kids did more running, because next week Mrs. Gutierrez is going to do the 5th Grade Physical Fitness Tests, and a timed mile run is part of it--along with push ups and sit ups. Please make sure your child is wearing sports shoes on Thursday and Friday when they will be practicing their mile run again.
This is the last week the school's library is open. Please make sure your child returns his/her library books on Wednesday. Thanks!
More permission slips were copied for the children again today. Please be sure to return them filled out--and write your child's name in the space provided for it--ASAP this week. (They were given out a week ago, originally.)
All the ABC State Reports that have been turned in have been evaluated and are up on the bulletin board so that you can see them at Open House on Thursday. I hope you are as impressed with the good work that has been done as I am.
That's it for today.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Today the kids did more running, because next week Mrs. Gutierrez is going to do the 5th Grade Physical Fitness Tests, and a timed mile run is part of it--along with push ups and sit ups. Please make sure your child is wearing sports shoes on Thursday and Friday when they will be practicing their mile run again.
This is the last week the school's library is open. Please make sure your child returns his/her library books on Wednesday. Thanks!
More permission slips were copied for the children again today. Please be sure to return them filled out--and write your child's name in the space provided for it--ASAP this week. (They were given out a week ago, originally.)
All the ABC State Reports that have been turned in have been evaluated and are up on the bulletin board so that you can see them at Open House on Thursday. I hope you are as impressed with the good work that has been done as I am.
That's it for today.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Friday, May 14, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Dear Parents,
This morning the students participated in the Walk for the Arts. I've included lots of pictures that I took of the kids as they ran/walked the track. I didn't get everyone, unfortunately, but I tried to get most of the kids. (The pictures are in absolutely backwards order from how they were taken...)
Monday morning the students' science projects are due. Also, if you haven't already turned in your child's permission slip and money for the Beach field trip, please do so. Mrs. Gutierrez has the big envelope and check off list I started.
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
P.S. If you click on the photos, they'll fill your computer screen.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Dear Parents,
Today Mrs. Gutierrez returned for the mornings. The kids were glad to see her again!
This morning I was able to evaluate the projects that were turned in yesterday. It is wonderful to see such high quality work! It's also interesting to see how different children put together their 26 pages of A-Z with the illustrations for each of the 26 topics. The other interesting part is how well the children summarized all the research they did in order to put together paragraphs of their own describing each aspect of their state. The children have spent a lot of time this year learning how to summarize and put other people's writing into their own words and not plagiarizing.
Tomorrow is the Walk for the Arts at 11:15. The children need a filled water bottle with them at school, and they need to be wearing good walking shoes.The children are given 45 minutes to walk in order to raise enough money from their pledges.
Another reminder that we need all the money, permission slips, and "yellow" (now some are white and in either English or Spanish), forms back by next week at the latest.
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Today Mrs. Gutierrez returned for the mornings. The kids were glad to see her again!
This morning I was able to evaluate the projects that were turned in yesterday. It is wonderful to see such high quality work! It's also interesting to see how different children put together their 26 pages of A-Z with the illustrations for each of the 26 topics. The other interesting part is how well the children summarized all the research they did in order to put together paragraphs of their own describing each aspect of their state. The children have spent a lot of time this year learning how to summarize and put other people's writing into their own words and not plagiarizing.
Tomorrow is the Walk for the Arts at 11:15. The children need a filled water bottle with them at school, and they need to be wearing good walking shoes.The children are given 45 minutes to walk in order to raise enough money from their pledges.
Another reminder that we need all the money, permission slips, and "yellow" (now some are white and in either English or Spanish), forms back by next week at the latest.
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Dear Parents,
You should see the tessellations the children made today. They did such a nice job! When you come to Open House next Thursday, you'll be sure to see them.
Today a number of children turned their ABC State Reports in early and earned 5 extra points. Tomorrow is the due date, so that's when all the others are due. If they are turned in on Friday or later, 5 points will be deducted from their score for being late.
Today the students started working on posters about Healthy Eating. Each child had to make a sketch of what they intend to put on their poster, and I had to approve their work before giving them a piece of paper to make their final poster. Some very nice work was being done this morning.
After lunch I'm continuing to read The Lost Prince. The students write a summary of each chapter and draw an illustration to go along with it. Several children said that this daily (nearly every day) summary writing has helped them a lot.
NEEDED: PERMISSION SLIPS FOR THE MAY 28TH BEACH FIELD TRIP, ALONG WITH THE $7.00 PER CHILD TO HELP PAY FOR THE LIFE GUARDS AND FOOD. PLEASE TURN THE PERMISSION SLIPS AND MONEY IN BY FRIDAY!!! Thank you!
Today your child should have brought home the most recent school newsletter. Many students from Room 28 are listed because they have helped in the school garden this year.
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
You should see the tessellations the children made today. They did such a nice job! When you come to Open House next Thursday, you'll be sure to see them.
Today a number of children turned their ABC State Reports in early and earned 5 extra points. Tomorrow is the due date, so that's when all the others are due. If they are turned in on Friday or later, 5 points will be deducted from their score for being late.
Today the students started working on posters about Healthy Eating. Each child had to make a sketch of what they intend to put on their poster, and I had to approve their work before giving them a piece of paper to make their final poster. Some very nice work was being done this morning.
After lunch I'm continuing to read The Lost Prince. The students write a summary of each chapter and draw an illustration to go along with it. Several children said that this daily (nearly every day) summary writing has helped them a lot.
NEEDED: PERMISSION SLIPS FOR THE MAY 28TH BEACH FIELD TRIP, ALONG WITH THE $7.00 PER CHILD TO HELP PAY FOR THE LIFE GUARDS AND FOOD. PLEASE TURN THE PERMISSION SLIPS AND MONEY IN BY FRIDAY!!! Thank you!
Today your child should have brought home the most recent school newsletter. Many students from Room 28 are listed because they have helped in the school garden this year.
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Dear Parents,
Thank you to those of you who sent in the permission slips for the May 28th field trip.
Tomorrow is the last day students can check out library books. Please make sure your child has his/her books to turn in. Overdue books from last week include books from 5 students as of today.
Today's work on tessellations was quite good! Fifth grade is the youngest class I'd ever try something as complex as tessellations. As you may know, M.C.Escher made tessellations famous. There are a number of web sites featuring his work, and there are some web sites that allow people to try to tessellate online.
Today we did have time for the ELA lesson with the emphasis on reading an article with a timeline. We also had time for the lesson on nutrition. The students need to do some research to find out how what they eat fits into the food pyramid. They also are to design a "Healthy Foods" poster.
The children really enjoyed my Newfoundland dog's time in class. Maddie, the dog, received a lot of hugs and pets from the children. She's a real children magnet, and is so good with them. However, when I took her home at noon, she was ready for a nice long nap. Here's a picture of her with most of the children.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Dear Parents,
This morning the students explored tessellating with pattern blocks. They have brought their work home today so you can see what they did after they'd used the real pattern blocks for a half hour. Tomorrow they will learn how to make their own designs that will tessellate, if they are careful and follow directions. :-)
This morning we started lessons on nutrition. There were a lot of questions and sharing of information about what they read today. Tomorrow I hope the children will complete the first packet.
Due to the fact that the math lesson took so long, I postponed the ELA lesson about reading a timeline and applying it to a story until tomorrow.
Today the students received a homework project in Science. The project is called: "My Invention Will Change the World". It is due next Monday, May 17th.
Today the students also received the permission slip for the May 28th Beach Field Trip. Please fill it out, sign it, and return it tomorrow.
Have a great evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
This morning the students explored tessellating with pattern blocks. They have brought their work home today so you can see what they did after they'd used the real pattern blocks for a half hour. Tomorrow they will learn how to make their own designs that will tessellate, if they are careful and follow directions. :-)
This morning we started lessons on nutrition. There were a lot of questions and sharing of information about what they read today. Tomorrow I hope the children will complete the first packet.
Due to the fact that the math lesson took so long, I postponed the ELA lesson about reading a timeline and applying it to a story until tomorrow.
Today the students received a homework project in Science. The project is called: "My Invention Will Change the World". It is due next Monday, May 17th.
Today the students also received the permission slip for the May 28th Beach Field Trip. Please fill it out, sign it, and return it tomorrow.
Have a great evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Mother's Day, May 9, 2010
Dear Parents,
I hope you've enjoyed this wonderful weekend, particularly today.
This week I'll be teaching the students about tessellations with pattern blocks. I'll also start a unit on nutrition, and do work on reading comprehension. In addition to that, I'll resume reading the book, The Lost Prince.
This coming Friday is the Walk for the Arts. This has two aspects to it. The first part is asking families to donate out-grown, but still in good shape shoes that will be sent to Haiti. The second part is about raising money. The children have had a couple weeks now to gather sponsors for the Walk for the Arts. It is hoped that each child will raise at least $25 to help support the SPECTRA art program at our school.
When you're on campus and see David, our wonderful custodian, please thank him for raising the desks in Room 28. (They were too low for many students in the class, and I asked him to raise them for the kids that needed it.) I also asked him to check out the lights, and he replaced all the burned out lights in the classroom, so now the classroom is a lot brighter than it was. He also replaced the burned out light that is outside the door.
That's it for today. I'm looking forward to seeing the kids tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
I hope you've enjoyed this wonderful weekend, particularly today.
This week I'll be teaching the students about tessellations with pattern blocks. I'll also start a unit on nutrition, and do work on reading comprehension. In addition to that, I'll resume reading the book, The Lost Prince.
This coming Friday is the Walk for the Arts. This has two aspects to it. The first part is asking families to donate out-grown, but still in good shape shoes that will be sent to Haiti. The second part is about raising money. The children have had a couple weeks now to gather sponsors for the Walk for the Arts. It is hoped that each child will raise at least $25 to help support the SPECTRA art program at our school.
When you're on campus and see David, our wonderful custodian, please thank him for raising the desks in Room 28. (They were too low for many students in the class, and I asked him to raise them for the kids that needed it.) I also asked him to check out the lights, and he replaced all the burned out lights in the classroom, so now the classroom is a lot brighter than it was. He also replaced the burned out light that is outside the door.
That's it for today. I'm looking forward to seeing the kids tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Friday, May 7, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Dear Parents,
TESTING IS OVER, except for the child who's been absent for a few days this week. The children did very well by staying focused and following directions.
Today the children watched "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler". This afternoon they enjoyed ice cream Drumsticks that Mrs. Calkins was able to go to the store and buy for me. One sad situation, that I didn't know the whole story about, was the child who's allergic to peanuts and can't even be around others who're eating something has has peanuts in it, or has had peanuts on shared equipment. Fortunately, Mrs. Calkins bought a package of ice cream sandwiches which didn't have a peanut allergy warning on it, so she was able to enjoy that. However, because all the other students were eating their Drumstick ice creams with peanuts or processed on the same equipment where peanuts are also processes, the one child had to leave the class. From now on I know that nothing with peanuts can be shared in the classroom again.
Next Thursday the students' ABC State Reports are due. Next Friday is the Walk for the Arts. On Monday I'll send the field trip permission slip for the May 28th Beach Trip. Please note there's a place on it to check if you DO NOT want your child to go into the water. We are paying for 7 State Certified life guards, just in case that's a concern for you.
I hope you receive the Mother's Day booklets your child made for you this week.
Happy Mother's Day!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
TESTING IS OVER, except for the child who's been absent for a few days this week. The children did very well by staying focused and following directions.
Today the children watched "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler". This afternoon they enjoyed ice cream Drumsticks that Mrs. Calkins was able to go to the store and buy for me. One sad situation, that I didn't know the whole story about, was the child who's allergic to peanuts and can't even be around others who're eating something has has peanuts in it, or has had peanuts on shared equipment. Fortunately, Mrs. Calkins bought a package of ice cream sandwiches which didn't have a peanut allergy warning on it, so she was able to enjoy that. However, because all the other students were eating their Drumstick ice creams with peanuts or processed on the same equipment where peanuts are also processes, the one child had to leave the class. From now on I know that nothing with peanuts can be shared in the classroom again.
Next Thursday the students' ABC State Reports are due. Next Friday is the Walk for the Arts. On Monday I'll send the field trip permission slip for the May 28th Beach Trip. Please note there's a place on it to check if you DO NOT want your child to go into the water. We are paying for 7 State Certified life guards, just in case that's a concern for you.
I hope you receive the Mother's Day booklets your child made for you this week.
Happy Mother's Day!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Dear Parents,
OOPS!! Yesterday I attempted to add a live link to the California State Standards in the blog, and today I discovered I hadn't even published it! I'm sorry about that.
Today the children finished the Science Test Part II! Tomorrow they will take the Mathematics tests both Parts I and II. They'll have plenty of time, and a nice long break between tests. (The state says to give them 10 minutes--I don't think that's enough time.)
Tomorrow is our first REWARD DAY! I'm so proud of this class. They have improved so much and in so many ways over the course of the last four weeks. Today they earned their fifth straight 10 in a row. They now act and feel (to me) like any of the good classes I've taught over my many years in the classroom, and that's great.
Tomorrow they will watch "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler", which was made from one of my favorite stories. It's from a Newbery Award Winning book by E.L. Konigsburg. After lunch they will each have a Drumstick ice cream cone to enjoy. Mrs. Calkins has agreed to go to the store to buy them for me since there's no time to do so during my short lunch period.
Today the students were also rewarded for all their good behavior and patience this week--testing takes patience!--by having extra P.E. They had quite a good kickball game.
Please don't forget that the ABC State Report is due one week from today. I'm expecting the children to work on them at home since they have no other homework during testing. (I've also collected all the math books, readers, and social studies books. However, that does not mean that there are no more lessons or assignments. They will be kept busy between now and the end of the school year for sure!)
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
OOPS!! Yesterday I attempted to add a live link to the California State Standards in the blog, and today I discovered I hadn't even published it! I'm sorry about that.
Today the children finished the Science Test Part II! Tomorrow they will take the Mathematics tests both Parts I and II. They'll have plenty of time, and a nice long break between tests. (The state says to give them 10 minutes--I don't think that's enough time.)
Tomorrow is our first REWARD DAY! I'm so proud of this class. They have improved so much and in so many ways over the course of the last four weeks. Today they earned their fifth straight 10 in a row. They now act and feel (to me) like any of the good classes I've taught over my many years in the classroom, and that's great.
Tomorrow they will watch "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler", which was made from one of my favorite stories. It's from a Newbery Award Winning book by E.L. Konigsburg. After lunch they will each have a Drumstick ice cream cone to enjoy. Mrs. Calkins has agreed to go to the store to buy them for me since there's no time to do so during my short lunch period.
Today the students were also rewarded for all their good behavior and patience this week--testing takes patience!--by having extra P.E. They had quite a good kickball game.
Please don't forget that the ABC State Report is due one week from today. I'm expecting the children to work on them at home since they have no other homework during testing. (I've also collected all the math books, readers, and social studies books. However, that does not mean that there are no more lessons or assignments. They will be kept busy between now and the end of the school year for sure!)
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
How about a 10+ Day: May 5, 2010
Dear Parents,
This afternoon, when we were doing our daily evaluation, one of the students said that he/she (I can't recall exactly who it was who said this first.), that the class was better than yesterday (which was a 10), and asked how we could indicate that. I totally agreed with the children and gave them a 10+!
This morning during ELA testing they handled everything perfectly; the transition from the testing to the next activity before recess they also handled very well. After recess they worked on a special project until it was time to go to the library. They entered the library in front of me, and I couldn't hear a sound as I followed them and they sat quietly waiting for Mrs. Galipeaux to get ready. Mrs. Higginbotham came in to observe them, and her only concern was how many overdue books the class had today. I said that a list of 12 overdue books (too many, for sure), was a lot better than the list that took 1 1/2 pages to print out three weeks ago.
For those of you curious as to what the content is that the children are being tested on, I've decided to give you the URL to the State Standards. You'll find all the standards for grades K-12 in all subject areas listed. You can go through them and find the fifth grade English-Language Arts Standards, the fifth grade Mathematics Standards, as well and the fourth and fifth grade Science Standards. Here is the URL:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
Have a great evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
This afternoon, when we were doing our daily evaluation, one of the students said that he/she (I can't recall exactly who it was who said this first.), that the class was better than yesterday (which was a 10), and asked how we could indicate that. I totally agreed with the children and gave them a 10+!
This morning during ELA testing they handled everything perfectly; the transition from the testing to the next activity before recess they also handled very well. After recess they worked on a special project until it was time to go to the library. They entered the library in front of me, and I couldn't hear a sound as I followed them and they sat quietly waiting for Mrs. Galipeaux to get ready. Mrs. Higginbotham came in to observe them, and her only concern was how many overdue books the class had today. I said that a list of 12 overdue books (too many, for sure), was a lot better than the list that took 1 1/2 pages to print out three weeks ago.
For those of you curious as to what the content is that the children are being tested on, I've decided to give you the URL to the State Standards. You'll find all the standards for grades K-12 in all subject areas listed. You can go through them and find the fifth grade English-Language Arts Standards, the fifth grade Mathematics Standards, as well and the fourth and fifth grade Science Standards. Here is the URL:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
Have a great evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Day of the Teacher Luncheon, May 4, 2010
Dear Parents,
Thank you to those of you who contributed and helped with the delightful luncheon today. I heard several teachers say that it was the best ever! I know that I certainly enjoyed a wonderful taco salad (without the tortilla).
Today the students completed the first part of the ELA test. Tomorrow they'll complete part II, and the two children who were absent yesterday will take the first part of the science test later in the morning.
Today the students earned the THIRD 10 on consecutive days! I think the reward will be Friday afternoon. They voted on what they wanted, and the consensus was a movie and ice cream. I will discuss this with the class some more tomorrow.
Tomorrow is library day, so all the library books are due back tomorrow. Last week we didn't have too many overdue books, so that was terrific!
The ABC State Report is due a week from Thursday, May 13th. I don't accept late reports. If a child is ill on that day, please send the completed report to school with a sibling or bring it by yourself. They've have 5 weeks to work on it. I know that most students have nearly completed their reports.
That's it for today. Enjoy this beautiful weather!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Thank you to those of you who contributed and helped with the delightful luncheon today. I heard several teachers say that it was the best ever! I know that I certainly enjoyed a wonderful taco salad (without the tortilla).
Today the students completed the first part of the ELA test. Tomorrow they'll complete part II, and the two children who were absent yesterday will take the first part of the science test later in the morning.
Today the students earned the THIRD 10 on consecutive days! I think the reward will be Friday afternoon. They voted on what they wanted, and the consensus was a movie and ice cream. I will discuss this with the class some more tomorrow.
Tomorrow is library day, so all the library books are due back tomorrow. Last week we didn't have too many overdue books, so that was terrific!
The ABC State Report is due a week from Thursday, May 13th. I don't accept late reports. If a child is ill on that day, please send the completed report to school with a sibling or bring it by yourself. They've have 5 weeks to work on it. I know that most students have nearly completed their reports.
That's it for today. Enjoy this beautiful weather!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Monday, May 3, 2010
Monday, Monday..May 3, 2010
Dear Parents,
One half of one test(Science)is done, and 2 1/2 entire tests to go! We should complete the last test next Monday! Tomorrow morning the children will take the first half of the ELA test.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Only one child was tardy today!! I took roll while the children were lined up for the Monday morning assembly. It was terrific to have nearly everyone there (two kids were absent today), and only one child was tardy.
This morning my math group did a great lesson on figuring out the formulas with the function charts, and plotting the ordered pairs on the coordinate grid. We then did some review of geometry including figuring areas, volumes, and perimeters. Tomorrow we'll do a review of areas of triangles, and review the differences between radii and diameters.
In ELA we reviewed what predicates, prepositions, and synonyms are. We also went over how to combine compound sentences with either conjunctions or semi-colons. The children asked me to do more reviews with them tomorrow before they take the first half of the ELA test.
Mrs. Guiley said the kids were perfect during the science test. I made sure they had a complicated dot-to-dot to work on when they finished early, if they wanted one, or they were to have a good book to read when they finished early.
The one thing I forgot to do was tell Mrs. Guiley where I had the Blowpops and bubble gum which I always provide classes when they take the CSTs. (There's a lot of research that indicates that chewing gum can help students concentrate and relieve tension during tests. As long as they get rid of their gum before going out to lunch or recess, it's OK with me for them to have it during testing.) I let the children have the Blowpops or bubble gum this afternoon.
By the way, next Friday, May 14th, is the Run for the Arts event. We're hoping that each child will have enough sponsors so that each child can raise at least $25. This is an important way to fund the wonderful SPECTRA program we have at school. As you know, the school districts in this state are hurting. Teachers and other staff have been given pink slips and will not be returning next year. The school district has not had money to fund the SPECTRA program for many years, but the parents and teachers know how valuable it is, so we've set aside a day to do the Run for the Arts to raise the money.
THANK YOU again! We now have five drivers for the May 28th beach field trip!!
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
One half of one test(Science)is done, and 2 1/2 entire tests to go! We should complete the last test next Monday! Tomorrow morning the children will take the first half of the ELA test.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Only one child was tardy today!! I took roll while the children were lined up for the Monday morning assembly. It was terrific to have nearly everyone there (two kids were absent today), and only one child was tardy.
This morning my math group did a great lesson on figuring out the formulas with the function charts, and plotting the ordered pairs on the coordinate grid. We then did some review of geometry including figuring areas, volumes, and perimeters. Tomorrow we'll do a review of areas of triangles, and review the differences between radii and diameters.
In ELA we reviewed what predicates, prepositions, and synonyms are. We also went over how to combine compound sentences with either conjunctions or semi-colons. The children asked me to do more reviews with them tomorrow before they take the first half of the ELA test.
Mrs. Guiley said the kids were perfect during the science test. I made sure they had a complicated dot-to-dot to work on when they finished early, if they wanted one, or they were to have a good book to read when they finished early.
The one thing I forgot to do was tell Mrs. Guiley where I had the Blowpops and bubble gum which I always provide classes when they take the CSTs. (There's a lot of research that indicates that chewing gum can help students concentrate and relieve tension during tests. As long as they get rid of their gum before going out to lunch or recess, it's OK with me for them to have it during testing.) I let the children have the Blowpops or bubble gum this afternoon.
By the way, next Friday, May 14th, is the Run for the Arts event. We're hoping that each child will have enough sponsors so that each child can raise at least $25. This is an important way to fund the wonderful SPECTRA program we have at school. As you know, the school districts in this state are hurting. Teachers and other staff have been given pink slips and will not be returning next year. The school district has not had money to fund the SPECTRA program for many years, but the parents and teachers know how valuable it is, so we've set aside a day to do the Run for the Arts to raise the money.
THANK YOU again! We now have five drivers for the May 28th beach field trip!!
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Beautiful, Sunday morning, May 2, 2010
Dear Parents,
Tomorrow afternoon I hope you'll look over all the corrected papers your child should be bringing home. For three weeks now, I've been giving the students assignments that review all the standards in English-Language Arts(ELA) and Mathematics that they've been taught this year. You may see, however, that your child hasn't mastered certain concepts. If you go over the papers with your child it can help. I'll be going over many ELA concepts in class tomorrow.
For example, here is a typical sentence the children were supposed to correct by circling the first letter of each word that should begin with a capital letter and by then adding the correct punctuation marks:
donnas dog, skipper, ran across meyer ave to palm park
There are 9 errors to correct in that sentence. Many children missed a number of them; only a few children got 8 out of 9 corrections made.
Another area where I found many errors was in writing common contractions, such as they're for they are, or it'll for it will.
Still another area where students had difficulty in ELA was adding a second part of a compound sentence after a conjunction such as "and", "or", "for", or "but". The directions said the second part must contain a subject and a predicate. A number of students asked me what a predicate is. This word (concept){predicate} has been taught since 3rd grade at least, and is a word that all students should know and understand at the end of 5th grade.
Once again, please go over the corrected papers with your child. The diagonal mark means the answers are correct, the x means the answers are wrong. The numerator means the number correct, and the denominator means the number of items graded.
Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Tomorrow afternoon I hope you'll look over all the corrected papers your child should be bringing home. For three weeks now, I've been giving the students assignments that review all the standards in English-Language Arts(ELA) and Mathematics that they've been taught this year. You may see, however, that your child hasn't mastered certain concepts. If you go over the papers with your child it can help. I'll be going over many ELA concepts in class tomorrow.
For example, here is a typical sentence the children were supposed to correct by circling the first letter of each word that should begin with a capital letter and by then adding the correct punctuation marks:
donnas dog, skipper, ran across meyer ave to palm park
There are 9 errors to correct in that sentence. Many children missed a number of them; only a few children got 8 out of 9 corrections made.
Another area where I found many errors was in writing common contractions, such as they're for they are, or it'll for it will.
Still another area where students had difficulty in ELA was adding a second part of a compound sentence after a conjunction such as "and", "or", "for", or "but". The directions said the second part must contain a subject and a predicate. A number of students asked me what a predicate is. This word (concept){predicate} has been taught since 3rd grade at least, and is a word that all students should know and understand at the end of 5th grade.
Once again, please go over the corrected papers with your child. The diagonal mark means the answers are correct, the x means the answers are wrong. The numerator means the number correct, and the denominator means the number of items graded.
Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wonderful Friday, April 30, 2010
Dear Parents,
It doesn't seem possible that when the class comes back to school on Monday it will be May already! It'll also be the first day of testing. The students will take part one of their science test on Monday, and they will take part two of it on Thursday.
On Tuesday and Wednesday the students will takes parts one and two of the English-Language Arts test. On Friday and next Monday they will take parts one and two of the mathematics test.
Today was a red letter day! Without question, the students earned a 10 when we did the daily evaluation of the day!!!! The children articulated all the reasons why they deserved a ten, including how well-behaved and hard working they were in the computer lab, how quietly and focused they were during math and language arts class, and how they paid really close attention to the movie about the wild Alaskan outback. A couple children mentioned that I had put a big smiley face on the whiteboard this morning, and that I was smiling more today than previously. :-)
We now have 4 drivers for the beach party field trip on May 28th. We need one or two more, depending upon the size of the vehicles and how many seat belts are available.
This morning 9 students were tardy, and the common complaint was how slow the traffic is on Fridays because of e-waste recycling. I noticed that at 7:30 there were hardly any cars coming down the driveway of the school, and perhaps more people need to leave home earlier so that classes aren't interrupted so much by late comers. I'd certainly be happy to have the entire class at school on time for a change. It's hard to have to correct the roll sheet and the lunch count paper numbers of times once the math class starts at 7:50. (BTW the playground has yard duty people on duty by 7:30 every morning. The cafeteria is open by 7:30 for those who eat breakfast at school each school day.)
Have a great weekend! The weather is perfect, and there's no rain in sight!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
It doesn't seem possible that when the class comes back to school on Monday it will be May already! It'll also be the first day of testing. The students will take part one of their science test on Monday, and they will take part two of it on Thursday.
On Tuesday and Wednesday the students will takes parts one and two of the English-Language Arts test. On Friday and next Monday they will take parts one and two of the mathematics test.
Today was a red letter day! Without question, the students earned a 10 when we did the daily evaluation of the day!!!! The children articulated all the reasons why they deserved a ten, including how well-behaved and hard working they were in the computer lab, how quietly and focused they were during math and language arts class, and how they paid really close attention to the movie about the wild Alaskan outback. A couple children mentioned that I had put a big smiley face on the whiteboard this morning, and that I was smiling more today than previously. :-)
We now have 4 drivers for the beach party field trip on May 28th. We need one or two more, depending upon the size of the vehicles and how many seat belts are available.
This morning 9 students were tardy, and the common complaint was how slow the traffic is on Fridays because of e-waste recycling. I noticed that at 7:30 there were hardly any cars coming down the driveway of the school, and perhaps more people need to leave home earlier so that classes aren't interrupted so much by late comers. I'd certainly be happy to have the entire class at school on time for a change. It's hard to have to correct the roll sheet and the lunch count paper numbers of times once the math class starts at 7:50. (BTW the playground has yard duty people on duty by 7:30 every morning. The cafeteria is open by 7:30 for those who eat breakfast at school each school day.)
Have a great weekend! The weather is perfect, and there's no rain in sight!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Beautiful, Thursday, April 29, 2010
Today the kids did so well all day that they earned a 9.74 on our daily evaluation scale (1 being low, and 10 being perfect). It was lovely for everyone to have a quiet, respectful class, where everyone can concentrate on the work at hand.
THANK YOU, PARENTS!!! Only 6 children were tardy today! That means I only had to stop the math lesson and change the roll sheet six times rather than 10 or 11 times! It's getting better!! I look forward to the days when everyone is at school on time, meaning the kids are all lined up when the bell rings at 7:45.
Today the children are supposed to give you a packet with a letter from Mrs. Higginbotham on top, the letter about our May 28th beach party--with lots of details (read that parents needed!)--is next, then there's the flyer about Open House on May 20th, and lastly there's a notice about special skateboards.
Tomorrow I'm hoping (trusting) that the computers will be working in the computer lab. The students need to take their AR tests, work on their math skills (SuccessMaker), and some need to do more research for their ABC State Report that is due on May 13th.
The only homework is the usual: AR reading for at least half an hour, and working on the ABC State Report. Those who've been absent have make-up work to do.
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
THANK YOU, PARENTS!!! Only 6 children were tardy today! That means I only had to stop the math lesson and change the roll sheet six times rather than 10 or 11 times! It's getting better!! I look forward to the days when everyone is at school on time, meaning the kids are all lined up when the bell rings at 7:45.
Today the children are supposed to give you a packet with a letter from Mrs. Higginbotham on top, the letter about our May 28th beach party--with lots of details (read that parents needed!)--is next, then there's the flyer about Open House on May 20th, and lastly there's a notice about special skateboards.
Tomorrow I'm hoping (trusting) that the computers will be working in the computer lab. The students need to take their AR tests, work on their math skills (SuccessMaker), and some need to do more research for their ABC State Report that is due on May 13th.
The only homework is the usual: AR reading for at least half an hour, and working on the ABC State Report. Those who've been absent have make-up work to do.
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Dear Parents,
The students did so well this morning when we went to the library for the third week in a row. It is a pleasure to be able to sit with them as Mrs. Galipeaux reads a funny story to them. Most of the children did a nice job of getting their new books and settling down to read before it was time to return to the class.
This afternoon about half the children had material for their ABC States Report at school so that they could work on it. Several children asked for plain white paper so they could make the covers for their reports. I had brought colored pencils from home for the children to use since there are none in the classroom. The children were very responsible in their use of the pencils and with the guidelines I set up for them.
This afternoon I attended the staff meeting so I'd be prepared to administer the California State Tests next week. It's basically the same as every other year I've administered the tests, but it was good to know how long the children have for each of the sections. There are two sections for English-Language Arts, two sections for Math, and two sections for Science. Usually, we only test one section a day because each section takes a long time.
Tomorrow you'll receive Mrs. Higginbotham's letter about next week's testing, including what happens if a child arrives at school once the class' test has begun. (The student will not be allowed to enter the class once a test has started, and will have to wait in a designated location.) The state's rules and regulations surrounding testing are rather strict, and we are very aware of them.
One big concern is the number of students who are tardy each day. Yesterday 11 students were tardy, and today 10 students were. School does start at 7:45, and it's very disruptive to have students interrupting instruction when they come in late. It means I have to update the roll and the lunch count; it also means the whole class gets distracted as each child comes in late. Our math classes start at 7:50.
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
The students did so well this morning when we went to the library for the third week in a row. It is a pleasure to be able to sit with them as Mrs. Galipeaux reads a funny story to them. Most of the children did a nice job of getting their new books and settling down to read before it was time to return to the class.
This afternoon about half the children had material for their ABC States Report at school so that they could work on it. Several children asked for plain white paper so they could make the covers for their reports. I had brought colored pencils from home for the children to use since there are none in the classroom. The children were very responsible in their use of the pencils and with the guidelines I set up for them.
This afternoon I attended the staff meeting so I'd be prepared to administer the California State Tests next week. It's basically the same as every other year I've administered the tests, but it was good to know how long the children have for each of the sections. There are two sections for English-Language Arts, two sections for Math, and two sections for Science. Usually, we only test one section a day because each section takes a long time.
Tomorrow you'll receive Mrs. Higginbotham's letter about next week's testing, including what happens if a child arrives at school once the class' test has begun. (The student will not be allowed to enter the class once a test has started, and will have to wait in a designated location.) The state's rules and regulations surrounding testing are rather strict, and we are very aware of them.
One big concern is the number of students who are tardy each day. Yesterday 11 students were tardy, and today 10 students were. School does start at 7:45, and it's very disruptive to have students interrupting instruction when they come in late. It means I have to update the roll and the lunch count; it also means the whole class gets distracted as each child comes in late. Our math classes start at 7:50.
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Rainy, wet Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Dear Parents,
Today the students completed their final District Writing Test. They were allowed 90 minutes maximum, and several students used every minute. They had to write a persuasive essay about convincing their parents (YOU) to do something they wanted. I haven't had time to read them yet, but I'm looking forward to it. :-)
Tomorrow all library books must be returned. Today I received a list of overdue books with a note that too many students had overdue books this week.
We still need drivers for the Friday, May 28th beach trip. If you are able to drive/chaperone, please let me know TOMORROW. Thank you.
The only homework the students had today was to work on their ABC State Report and to read their AR book.
Tomorrow the students will have time in the afternoon to work on their ABC books in class. The computers were down today, so we didn't go to the computer lab. On our end of the campus we teachers couldn't even check mail for messages from parents.
Yesterday and today I sent home Progress Reports that reflect the students work the last two weeks. It only includes work completed in math and English/Language Arts. I don't have any AR scores or science grades. If you look over the Progress Reports, you'll notice that much of the work I have been doing with the class has been reviewing the major areas of curricula taught in fifth grade.
That's it for today. Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Today the students completed their final District Writing Test. They were allowed 90 minutes maximum, and several students used every minute. They had to write a persuasive essay about convincing their parents (YOU) to do something they wanted. I haven't had time to read them yet, but I'm looking forward to it. :-)
Tomorrow all library books must be returned. Today I received a list of overdue books with a note that too many students had overdue books this week.
We still need drivers for the Friday, May 28th beach trip. If you are able to drive/chaperone, please let me know TOMORROW. Thank you.
The only homework the students had today was to work on their ABC State Report and to read their AR book.
Tomorrow the students will have time in the afternoon to work on their ABC books in class. The computers were down today, so we didn't go to the computer lab. On our end of the campus we teachers couldn't even check mail for messages from parents.
Yesterday and today I sent home Progress Reports that reflect the students work the last two weeks. It only includes work completed in math and English/Language Arts. I don't have any AR scores or science grades. If you look over the Progress Reports, you'll notice that much of the work I have been doing with the class has been reviewing the major areas of curricula taught in fifth grade.
That's it for today. Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Dear Parents,
Today 11 students were tardy. They weren't in line when the bell rang and the classes assembled at 7:45. Please try to make sure your children are at school on time--before the bell rings at 7:45.
Saturday and Sunday I spent several hours correcting papers which were returned to the students today. I'm concerned by the number of students who've been finding the review material I've been giving them very difficult. Nothing that I've been giving them should be new or strange because all of it covers the fifth grade standards they should have mastered over the course of this school year, and some of it is a review of what they were taught in fourth grade.
Some of the errors students make have to do with not labeling math answers correctly; others have to do with not reading the directions carefully and doing what the directions say.
Tonight's homework includes practice review tests in math, completing the dictionary definitions paper, and they are to work on their ABC State Report. They will have Wednesday afternoon to work on their ABC State Report in class this week and next week. They also should read their AR book for at least a half hour.
Today I explained that during testing (May 4-11) the main homework will be to work on the ABC State Report and do AR reading.
This week the students will be doing the District Writing Test. This is the second one for the school year. The first one was taken in November/December.
A BIG THANK YOU to Mrs. Calkins, Mr. Reyes, and Mrs. Black who've indicated they can drive/chaperone on the beach field trip May 28th. That means we're only short another 2 or 3 drivers depending upon the size of the vehicles and the number of seatbelts available.
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Today 11 students were tardy. They weren't in line when the bell rang and the classes assembled at 7:45. Please try to make sure your children are at school on time--before the bell rings at 7:45.
Saturday and Sunday I spent several hours correcting papers which were returned to the students today. I'm concerned by the number of students who've been finding the review material I've been giving them very difficult. Nothing that I've been giving them should be new or strange because all of it covers the fifth grade standards they should have mastered over the course of this school year, and some of it is a review of what they were taught in fourth grade.
Some of the errors students make have to do with not labeling math answers correctly; others have to do with not reading the directions carefully and doing what the directions say.
Tonight's homework includes practice review tests in math, completing the dictionary definitions paper, and they are to work on their ABC State Report. They will have Wednesday afternoon to work on their ABC State Report in class this week and next week. They also should read their AR book for at least a half hour.
Today I explained that during testing (May 4-11) the main homework will be to work on the ABC State Report and do AR reading.
This week the students will be doing the District Writing Test. This is the second one for the school year. The first one was taken in November/December.
A BIG THANK YOU to Mrs. Calkins, Mr. Reyes, and Mrs. Black who've indicated they can drive/chaperone on the beach field trip May 28th. That means we're only short another 2 or 3 drivers depending upon the size of the vehicles and the number of seatbelts available.
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Friday, April 23, 2010
Beautiful Friday, April 23, 2010
Dear Parents,
Ahhh what a relief! The class was back to normal today! The children's behavior has been improving day after day until yesterday, but today that regression turned around and their behavior was much better than it had been yesterday.
Today the students needed dictionaries to find and write definitions of a list of vocabulary words. I discovered last week that many students lack knowledge of many rather common vocabulary words that fifth graders should know, understand, and be able to use in writing and conversation. The BIG PROBLEM is that most of the dictionaries in the classroom are appropriate for primary grades, but not for fifth graders.
Yesterday I asked the kids to bring to school a dictionary such as The American Heritage Dictionary that has over 70,000 entries. It's rather thick, and it's comprehensive enough to serve the children well from now through university. The one I have is a paperback and cost $5.95 when I got it a number of years ago. They are a good investment, and one the children will need to use for many years. (There are other comparable dictionaries available. I just named the one I happen to have.)
I have a nice big pile of papers to grade over the weekend. The good news is that next week I'll be able to finish nearly all the test prep. lessons, and I'm very glad about that. The only real push at this time is to complete as much as possible of the last two math chapters before the California State Tests of mathematics--which I'm planning to do on Monday and Tuesday, May 10 and 11.
Please return the letter indicating you are able to drive and chaperone the May 28th beach field trip, if you are able to do so. THANK YOU!!
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Ahhh what a relief! The class was back to normal today! The children's behavior has been improving day after day until yesterday, but today that regression turned around and their behavior was much better than it had been yesterday.
Today the students needed dictionaries to find and write definitions of a list of vocabulary words. I discovered last week that many students lack knowledge of many rather common vocabulary words that fifth graders should know, understand, and be able to use in writing and conversation. The BIG PROBLEM is that most of the dictionaries in the classroom are appropriate for primary grades, but not for fifth graders.
Yesterday I asked the kids to bring to school a dictionary such as The American Heritage Dictionary that has over 70,000 entries. It's rather thick, and it's comprehensive enough to serve the children well from now through university. The one I have is a paperback and cost $5.95 when I got it a number of years ago. They are a good investment, and one the children will need to use for many years. (There are other comparable dictionaries available. I just named the one I happen to have.)
I have a nice big pile of papers to grade over the weekend. The good news is that next week I'll be able to finish nearly all the test prep. lessons, and I'm very glad about that. The only real push at this time is to complete as much as possible of the last two math chapters before the California State Tests of mathematics--which I'm planning to do on Monday and Tuesday, May 10 and 11.
Please return the letter indicating you are able to drive and chaperone the May 28th beach field trip, if you are able to do so. THANK YOU!!
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Dear Parents,
SCHOOL STARTS WHEN THE BELL RINGS AT 7:45! It doesn't start at 8:00 or 8:10 or later. Every day there are students who arrive after I've taken roll.
Our morning routine is: roll is taken, the lunch count is taken, and then I'm supposed to send the attendance folder to the office. Because so many students are habitually tardy/late, I delay sending the folder in. That should not be the case.
Today we had a fire drill. I've discussed the importance of perfect behavior during a fire drill because it's a matter of life and death in the case of a real fire. The children are to get up without talking, go outside, without running,talking, pushing or shoving, and walk quickly to the designated area on the field.
Today's fire drill happened when the children were in science class with Mrs. Bettencourt. There was a lot of talking and "messing" around during the fire drill. I was very disappointed in their behavior.
Later I noticed an almost constant stream of children leaving the science room and going to the restroom. This was unnecessary. The children know that we have recess time so that they can eat their snacks and use the restrooms. Most days only a couple children ask to go to the bathroom throughout the entire day. Today 8 of them left science class to use the restroom.
We now have one driver available for the May 28th beach field trip. If you are able to drive and chaperone that day, please return the letter as soon as possible.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
SCHOOL STARTS WHEN THE BELL RINGS AT 7:45! It doesn't start at 8:00 or 8:10 or later. Every day there are students who arrive after I've taken roll.
Our morning routine is: roll is taken, the lunch count is taken, and then I'm supposed to send the attendance folder to the office. Because so many students are habitually tardy/late, I delay sending the folder in. That should not be the case.
Today we had a fire drill. I've discussed the importance of perfect behavior during a fire drill because it's a matter of life and death in the case of a real fire. The children are to get up without talking, go outside, without running,talking, pushing or shoving, and walk quickly to the designated area on the field.
Today's fire drill happened when the children were in science class with Mrs. Bettencourt. There was a lot of talking and "messing" around during the fire drill. I was very disappointed in their behavior.
Later I noticed an almost constant stream of children leaving the science room and going to the restroom. This was unnecessary. The children know that we have recess time so that they can eat their snacks and use the restrooms. Most days only a couple children ask to go to the bathroom throughout the entire day. Today 8 of them left science class to use the restroom.
We now have one driver available for the May 28th beach field trip. If you are able to drive and chaperone that day, please return the letter as soon as possible.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Dear Parents,
I hope you will be able to attend the Math Night for Parents at school tonight. It begins at 7 p.m.
Tomorrow ALL LIBRARY BOOKS ARE DUE! I trust the children will behave as well tomorrow as they did last week.
As you know, the children are to read for at least a half hour every day at home, and on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday they read for a half hour after lunch. Today the teachers received a chart showing how each class in the school is doing with their A.R. reading. The chart shows how many words have been read. Our class is read over 8,000,000 words since school started August 12. That seems like a lot until one realizes that the fourth grade classes, the other fifth grade classes, and the sixth grade classes have all read many more words than this class has. The other fifth grade class as read 19,000,000 words--11,000,000 more than us. There's no way we can catch up in the next few weeks, but I do encourage you to have your child do more reading at home. Reading is one of the most important things a child can do to improve his/her comprehension, vocabulary, and knowledge.
Today my math group took the test on chapter 25 on integers. Several students got A's on the test. That's great news. I then gave them the math packet on Measurement and Geometry Standard 1. Many children did not do very well, so tomorrow I will do a review of linear measurement, as well as how to figure area and volume of geometric figures. There's a lot to remember in order to have the correct answers--it's not just a matter of calculations.
The next math chapter is on subtracting integers, which is as tricky as dividing fractions. (A lot to remember to do in order to get the correct answers.)
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
I hope you will be able to attend the Math Night for Parents at school tonight. It begins at 7 p.m.
Tomorrow ALL LIBRARY BOOKS ARE DUE! I trust the children will behave as well tomorrow as they did last week.
As you know, the children are to read for at least a half hour every day at home, and on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday they read for a half hour after lunch. Today the teachers received a chart showing how each class in the school is doing with their A.R. reading. The chart shows how many words have been read. Our class is read over 8,000,000 words since school started August 12. That seems like a lot until one realizes that the fourth grade classes, the other fifth grade classes, and the sixth grade classes have all read many more words than this class has. The other fifth grade class as read 19,000,000 words--11,000,000 more than us. There's no way we can catch up in the next few weeks, but I do encourage you to have your child do more reading at home. Reading is one of the most important things a child can do to improve his/her comprehension, vocabulary, and knowledge.
Today my math group took the test on chapter 25 on integers. Several students got A's on the test. That's great news. I then gave them the math packet on Measurement and Geometry Standard 1. Many children did not do very well, so tomorrow I will do a review of linear measurement, as well as how to figure area and volume of geometric figures. There's a lot to remember in order to have the correct answers--it's not just a matter of calculations.
The next math chapter is on subtracting integers, which is as tricky as dividing fractions. (A lot to remember to do in order to get the correct answers.)
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Dear Parents,
A reminder about tomorrow's Math Night for parents. This event was written up in the Valencia View school newsletter you received last week. I believe a separate notice was also sent home about it. It will be from 7:00-8:30 tomorrow evening.
Tonight's homework: Math--study for the Chp. 25 test (tomorrow is the test)
ABC State Report--work on it every night
AR--read for at least 1/2 hour every day at home
Next week the students will be taking the last District Writing Test. I don't know what the topic (prompt) is, but these tests evaluate every aspect of the students' writing: organization, spelling, grammar, form (beginning, middle, end), whether the writing makes sense and is cohesive etc. The students have taken these tests twice before this year, and hopefully, each time they do better and better. The goal is for each child to score in the Proficient or Advanced range.
I hope you saw all the corrected papers that were sent home on Friday, and again today. It's the best way for you to track how well your child is doing at this time.
The California State Testing starts on Monday, May 3rd, and concludes on Tuesday, May 11th. It's a shorter schedule than we've had in the past. Fifth graders take a total of six tests during those seven days. I hope no one is absent, because there isn't much time to schedule make-up tests.
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
A reminder about tomorrow's Math Night for parents. This event was written up in the Valencia View school newsletter you received last week. I believe a separate notice was also sent home about it. It will be from 7:00-8:30 tomorrow evening.
Tonight's homework: Math--study for the Chp. 25 test (tomorrow is the test)
ABC State Report--work on it every night
AR--read for at least 1/2 hour every day at home
Next week the students will be taking the last District Writing Test. I don't know what the topic (prompt) is, but these tests evaluate every aspect of the students' writing: organization, spelling, grammar, form (beginning, middle, end), whether the writing makes sense and is cohesive etc. The students have taken these tests twice before this year, and hopefully, each time they do better and better. The goal is for each child to score in the Proficient or Advanced range.
I hope you saw all the corrected papers that were sent home on Friday, and again today. It's the best way for you to track how well your child is doing at this time.
The California State Testing starts on Monday, May 3rd, and concludes on Tuesday, May 11th. It's a shorter schedule than we've had in the past. Fifth graders take a total of six tests during those seven days. I hope no one is absent, because there isn't much time to schedule make-up tests.
Have a good evening!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
One hundred, four years ago today was the Great San Francisco Earthquake. As I was typing today's date, it suddenly dawned on me that today's date had that meaning.
I just finished recording grades of the papers I finished grading today. When I started grading Thursday's math homework packet I became alarmed because the first paper I graded had so many errors, that I wondered whether or not I was giving the kids review papers that they hadn't even been exposed to previously. Fortunately, as I went through all the papers I discovered that indeed, the students had been taught all the concepts--and some of them I know were taught in grades 3 and 4. Some of the errors were due to students not reading the directions or questions carefully.
One of the weird things I've noticed in correcting papers this last week is the tendency of several children to skip problems entirely. They'll do most of the problems on a page but skip two or three. They'll complete most of the pages in the packet, but skip an entire page or two. This is not good. When the children take the state tests in a couple weeks they must not skip any problems. Any question without a filled in "bubble" is marked wrong and counts against them. I will be talking to the class about this problem tomorrow.
What have I learned about this class in the past week:
* There are many intelligent students in the class
* There are many hard working students in the class
* There are many sweet, enthusiastic students in the class
* Most of the students care very much about doing their best in school
* I'm enjoying my time working with the class most of the time
* The class wants to do the "right thing" and be pleased with themselves
Pretty good, right?
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
I just finished recording grades of the papers I finished grading today. When I started grading Thursday's math homework packet I became alarmed because the first paper I graded had so many errors, that I wondered whether or not I was giving the kids review papers that they hadn't even been exposed to previously. Fortunately, as I went through all the papers I discovered that indeed, the students had been taught all the concepts--and some of them I know were taught in grades 3 and 4. Some of the errors were due to students not reading the directions or questions carefully.
One of the weird things I've noticed in correcting papers this last week is the tendency of several children to skip problems entirely. They'll do most of the problems on a page but skip two or three. They'll complete most of the pages in the packet, but skip an entire page or two. This is not good. When the children take the state tests in a couple weeks they must not skip any problems. Any question without a filled in "bubble" is marked wrong and counts against them. I will be talking to the class about this problem tomorrow.
What have I learned about this class in the past week:
* There are many intelligent students in the class
* There are many hard working students in the class
* There are many sweet, enthusiastic students in the class
* Most of the students care very much about doing their best in school
* I'm enjoying my time working with the class most of the time
* The class wants to do the "right thing" and be pleased with themselves
Pretty good, right?
Have a good evening.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Dear Parents,
Last night and today I worked on correcting two math tests from March, and two math test prep. packets from this last week. In addition to that, I corrected a language arts paper I gave the kids yesterday. I have a few more sets of papers to grade tomorrow, but after working for over an hour last night, and about four hours today, I'm finished for today!
A couple of observations about the math papers:
* a number of students are "looking and guessing" at the multiple choice answers rather than working out the problems and solving them correctly.
** multiple-step problems are very challenging for students who don't read the problems carefully and solve them step by step.
*** some students are not careful about filling in the answer circles ("bubbles") carefully. A few students put a slash through the answer circles; some students circle the answer circles; still others fill them in so lightly that it's difficult to see the answers and the scan-tron machines wouldn't pick up the answers if these papers were evaluated that way.
We start the California State Tests in two weeks. I'm trying very hard to make sure the students are as ready as possible for the state tests. Everything we're doing at school is with that goal in mind.
It's a gorgeous day today, and I hope the children have had time to go outside and play! I also hope they are taking time every day to read their AR book for at least a half hour and to work a little on their ABC State Report.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Last night and today I worked on correcting two math tests from March, and two math test prep. packets from this last week. In addition to that, I corrected a language arts paper I gave the kids yesterday. I have a few more sets of papers to grade tomorrow, but after working for over an hour last night, and about four hours today, I'm finished for today!
A couple of observations about the math papers:
* a number of students are "looking and guessing" at the multiple choice answers rather than working out the problems and solving them correctly.
** multiple-step problems are very challenging for students who don't read the problems carefully and solve them step by step.
*** some students are not careful about filling in the answer circles ("bubbles") carefully. A few students put a slash through the answer circles; some students circle the answer circles; still others fill them in so lightly that it's difficult to see the answers and the scan-tron machines wouldn't pick up the answers if these papers were evaluated that way.
We start the California State Tests in two weeks. I'm trying very hard to make sure the students are as ready as possible for the state tests. Everything we're doing at school is with that goal in mind.
It's a gorgeous day today, and I hope the children have had time to go outside and play! I also hope they are taking time every day to read their AR book for at least a half hour and to work a little on their ABC State Report.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Friday, April 16, 2010
Happy, Beautiful Friday, April 16, 2010
Dear Parents,
It's Friday, and three of my boys were back in class today, but another four were out. it's rough on the children when they miss school. I do put all the printed assignments on their desks so that when they return they can do the work and turn it in. It's important for the children to complete all missed assignments from when they are absent.
Most of the children did a wonderful job working in the computer lab this morning. It was exciting for me to see how many were doing online research on their state and taking notes as I'd asked them to do. Some were carefully copying their state flag, or the state bird. Before we left for lunch I asked them what they had learned about their state from the online research, and it was interesting to hear the variety of information they had gathered.
Here is a list of students with their assigned state (The children are not allowed to change or switch states with someone else.):
Trenton: New Mexico
Lizbeth: Hawaii
David: Tennessee
Jasmine: Idaho
Cody: Illinois
Carlos:North Carolina
Kathie:Minnesota
Luca: Oregon
Heidy:Louisiana
Hunter: Michigan
Gavin: Kansas
Chris: Utah
Robert:Arkansas
Devin: South Carolina
Nick: Florida
Lars: South Dakota
Jenny: Maine
Vanesa:Indiana
Clair:New York
Angel: Delaware
R.J. (Rex):Alabama
Ananda:Nevada
Geneva: West Virginia
Donnie: Iowa
Taliha:Vermont
Luke:Pennsylvania
Jesse:New Jersey
Nicole: Massachusetts
Lindsey: Kentucky
This morning several students discovered that "their" state had the same state insect, butterfly, or bird as other states. I think it will be very interesting for the kids to find out so many interesting facts about the individual states in our country.
As I said the other day, the ABC State Report is the only project that should be worked on during the weekends, along with the daily half hour of reading for AR.
Enjoy the weekend!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
It's Friday, and three of my boys were back in class today, but another four were out. it's rough on the children when they miss school. I do put all the printed assignments on their desks so that when they return they can do the work and turn it in. It's important for the children to complete all missed assignments from when they are absent.
Most of the children did a wonderful job working in the computer lab this morning. It was exciting for me to see how many were doing online research on their state and taking notes as I'd asked them to do. Some were carefully copying their state flag, or the state bird. Before we left for lunch I asked them what they had learned about their state from the online research, and it was interesting to hear the variety of information they had gathered.
Here is a list of students with their assigned state (The children are not allowed to change or switch states with someone else.):
Trenton: New Mexico
Lizbeth: Hawaii
David: Tennessee
Jasmine: Idaho
Cody: Illinois
Carlos:North Carolina
Kathie:Minnesota
Luca: Oregon
Heidy:Louisiana
Hunter: Michigan
Gavin: Kansas
Chris: Utah
Robert:Arkansas
Devin: South Carolina
Nick: Florida
Lars: South Dakota
Jenny: Maine
Vanesa:Indiana
Clair:New York
Angel: Delaware
R.J. (Rex):Alabama
Ananda:Nevada
Geneva: West Virginia
Donnie: Iowa
Taliha:Vermont
Luke:Pennsylvania
Jesse:New Jersey
Nicole: Massachusetts
Lindsey: Kentucky
This morning several students discovered that "their" state had the same state insect, butterfly, or bird as other states. I think it will be very interesting for the kids to find out so many interesting facts about the individual states in our country.
As I said the other day, the ABC State Report is the only project that should be worked on during the weekends, along with the daily half hour of reading for AR.
Enjoy the weekend!
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
Dear Parents,
Please note that I write something for this blog everyday--at least so far! Today I had the kids pass back dozens of papers that had been corrected and ready to go home, including two papers the children did this morning in class and I was able to correct while they were in science class. Please look through the corrected papers when you have time.
I'm pleased with how much effort many children are already showing in their reading and note taking for their ABC State Report. When we go to the computer lab tomorrow they will have some time to do research there, but they will not be allowed to print the data they find, they will have to take notes on it.
I'm very pleased with the improvement in classroom behavior this week. On Monday they earned a 7 out of 10 possible points. Their score has been increasing daily. On Tuesday it was an 8.5, Wednesday a 9.25, and today a 9.5. I've told the kids that once they earn three 10s in a row, I will give them some kind of reward. I haven't decided what that is yet, and they are not allowed to ask or tell me. :-)
Yesterday I said that I need help, and I thought my e-mail address was printed on my blog page, but I was mistaken. If you have time and are willing to come in and help grade papers some time during the week (the mornings are the best for me, but any time will do), please let me know. My e-mail address is: tddynewfcruzio.com.
Thank you again for all your help and support. There are a lot of great kids in this class, and I'm enjoying getting to know them day by day.
Tomorrow is Friday; I look forward to seeing the children bright and early when the bell rings at 7:45.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Please note that I write something for this blog everyday--at least so far! Today I had the kids pass back dozens of papers that had been corrected and ready to go home, including two papers the children did this morning in class and I was able to correct while they were in science class. Please look through the corrected papers when you have time.
I'm pleased with how much effort many children are already showing in their reading and note taking for their ABC State Report. When we go to the computer lab tomorrow they will have some time to do research there, but they will not be allowed to print the data they find, they will have to take notes on it.
I'm very pleased with the improvement in classroom behavior this week. On Monday they earned a 7 out of 10 possible points. Their score has been increasing daily. On Tuesday it was an 8.5, Wednesday a 9.25, and today a 9.5. I've told the kids that once they earn three 10s in a row, I will give them some kind of reward. I haven't decided what that is yet, and they are not allowed to ask or tell me. :-)
Yesterday I said that I need help, and I thought my e-mail address was printed on my blog page, but I was mistaken. If you have time and are willing to come in and help grade papers some time during the week (the mornings are the best for me, but any time will do), please let me know. My e-mail address is: tddynewfcruzio.com.
Thank you again for all your help and support. There are a lot of great kids in this class, and I'm enjoying getting to know them day by day.
Tomorrow is Friday; I look forward to seeing the children bright and early when the bell rings at 7:45.
Sincerely,
Ruth Landmann
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Greetings Parents!
By now you should know which state your child "pulled out" of the jar for his/her ABC State Report. The children were able to check out two library books about their state today, and several students read their books during Sustained Silent Reading time (otherwise known as AR time), and shared interesting facts about their state afterwords. A couple of students started taking notes on their ABC State Report guidelines paper, which was very good.
I'm expecting the children to take sufficient notes from their books between today and next Wednesday so that they can return their library books on that day. Other classes will be doing state reports as well, and our class can't "hog" all the books. They are encouraged to do research online both at home and at school when we go to the computer lab this Friday.
The kids were great at the library today! They went in, sat down quietly, and waited patiently for Mrs. Galipeaux to be ready to start. (The word "patient" was an important word in the story she read to the class.)
Today the math homework is a mini-test and a "final" test of the Number Sense part of math curriculum. If a child did not complete the Reading Test practice section in class, that was also homework. Then, of course, the children are to read every day for at least half an hour in their AR book.
The big issue that is of concern with the AR tests is comprehension. It's not just a matter of getting through a book and saying: "I've read it." It's a matter of understanding the entire story, of knowing who the characters are, of understanding the setting, and especially the plot of the story. Sometimes it's a good idea for children to reread a book before taking the AR tests. If the book is very long, perhaps having the child take notes on it would help with comprehension. The children are not allowed to have the books in their laps or on the tables when taking the tests--they are TESTS.
I need help! If you are able to volunteer a half hour or hour a day--preferably in the morning--to help in the classroom, I'd really appreciate that. My e-mail address is located at the top of the blog, and you can e-mail me to let me know when you can help, or you can send a note to school with your child. I have a lot of papers that need to be graded, and I can really use some help with the task.
Thank you! I hope you received the note and copy of yesterday's blog this afternoon when your child got home from school.
Thanks again!!
By now you should know which state your child "pulled out" of the jar for his/her ABC State Report. The children were able to check out two library books about their state today, and several students read their books during Sustained Silent Reading time (otherwise known as AR time), and shared interesting facts about their state afterwords. A couple of students started taking notes on their ABC State Report guidelines paper, which was very good.
I'm expecting the children to take sufficient notes from their books between today and next Wednesday so that they can return their library books on that day. Other classes will be doing state reports as well, and our class can't "hog" all the books. They are encouraged to do research online both at home and at school when we go to the computer lab this Friday.
The kids were great at the library today! They went in, sat down quietly, and waited patiently for Mrs. Galipeaux to be ready to start. (The word "patient" was an important word in the story she read to the class.)
Today the math homework is a mini-test and a "final" test of the Number Sense part of math curriculum. If a child did not complete the Reading Test practice section in class, that was also homework. Then, of course, the children are to read every day for at least half an hour in their AR book.
The big issue that is of concern with the AR tests is comprehension. It's not just a matter of getting through a book and saying: "I've read it." It's a matter of understanding the entire story, of knowing who the characters are, of understanding the setting, and especially the plot of the story. Sometimes it's a good idea for children to reread a book before taking the AR tests. If the book is very long, perhaps having the child take notes on it would help with comprehension. The children are not allowed to have the books in their laps or on the tables when taking the tests--they are TESTS.
I need help! If you are able to volunteer a half hour or hour a day--preferably in the morning--to help in the classroom, I'd really appreciate that. My e-mail address is located at the top of the blog, and you can e-mail me to let me know when you can help, or you can send a note to school with your child. I have a lot of papers that need to be graded, and I can really use some help with the task.
Thank you! I hope you received the note and copy of yesterday's blog this afternoon when your child got home from school.
Thanks again!!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Dear Parents,
I'm hoping the blog will be available to you this evening! I told the class about it today, and I know some will look for it on Valencia's Teachers' page.
Tomorrow all library books are due; please make sure your child returns his/her books to school tomorrow because they cannot check out a new book without returning the "old" one. This is particularly important because tomorrow they will choose a state to create an ABC State Report, so therefore, they need to check out a book about "their" state.
A number of students have not returned yesterday's math homework or review packet homework on time. I'm grading their work and recording their grades in my computer grade book. A zero is worse than an "F", and really devastates a child's grade point average.
Students must read for at least a half hour each day at home. Every week the students have the opportunity to take AR tests when they go to the computer lab on Tuesdays and Fridays. Their AR scores are an important part of their reading grade, but right now many students are not doing well in this area. Please make sure your child is reading for at least a half hour each day.
I look forward to seeing your child tomorrow morning. Please remember that school starts at 7:45, not later.
Thanks!
I'm hoping the blog will be available to you this evening! I told the class about it today, and I know some will look for it on Valencia's Teachers' page.
Tomorrow all library books are due; please make sure your child returns his/her books to school tomorrow because they cannot check out a new book without returning the "old" one. This is particularly important because tomorrow they will choose a state to create an ABC State Report, so therefore, they need to check out a book about "their" state.
A number of students have not returned yesterday's math homework or review packet homework on time. I'm grading their work and recording their grades in my computer grade book. A zero is worse than an "F", and really devastates a child's grade point average.
Students must read for at least a half hour each day at home. Every week the students have the opportunity to take AR tests when they go to the computer lab on Tuesdays and Fridays. Their AR scores are an important part of their reading grade, but right now many students are not doing well in this area. Please make sure your child is reading for at least a half hour each day.
I look forward to seeing your child tomorrow morning. Please remember that school starts at 7:45, not later.
Thanks!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Monday evening, April 12, 2010
Today was a busy day at school. The rain kept it exciting, especially at 1:50 when it started pouring down!
The students have two homework assignments. One is a review packet for math, and the second one is a review packet that the kids started in class. The second was reviewed several curricular areas.
On Wednesday I'm giving the students a social studies assignment that is due on Thursday, May 13th. Each child will choose a different state (not California), and create a ABC booklet with each letter of the alphabet representing one aspect of "their" state.
This morning several children were tardy for class; please try to make sure your child gets up early enough to have a good breakfast and get to school before the 7:45 bell rings.
Thank you!
The students have two homework assignments. One is a review packet for math, and the second one is a review packet that the kids started in class. The second was reviewed several curricular areas.
On Wednesday I'm giving the students a social studies assignment that is due on Thursday, May 13th. Each child will choose a different state (not California), and create a ABC booklet with each letter of the alphabet representing one aspect of "their" state.
This morning several children were tardy for class; please try to make sure your child gets up early enough to have a good breakfast and get to school before the 7:45 bell rings.
Thank you!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Ms. Landmann's new blog
Starting Monday, April 12th 2010, I will substitute for Mrs. Gutierrez's fifth grade class. I'm looking forward to this opportunity to working with fifth graders again. I taught fifth grade for many years. Most recently, I was a fifth grade teacher at Rio del Mar Elementary School here in Aptos for 15 years.
I look forward to getting to know the children in the class. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at school.
I look forward to getting to know the children in the class. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at school.
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