I hope you all have a safe and relaxing holiday break. Today was filled with fun and laughter. Thank you for being such an amazing group of kids. A HUGE thank you for the generous gifts. I was overwhelmed with emotions when I opened all of the cards and presents. The gifts were not necessary, but very much appreciated.
It's hard to believe our year together is almost half way over. Enjoy your long break and come back in January ready for another fun-filled semester. I'll miss you.
Enjoy pictures from our holiday gathering and the holiday sing-a-long.
Today was a day of music! We had our tradtional sing-along this afternoon where we sang songs celebrating Los Posados, Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Afterward we were able to spend some time with Mrs. Fun, an improvisational group. Mrs. Fun was brought to us through the ACE program. It was very enjoyable and got us revved up to try out our own improvs.
The holidays are right around the corner! It's hard to believe it's December already. Mrs. Bartels shared a lot of fun holiday websites for kids with the teachers at Swanson. I organized them and created links for you to explore underneath the homework section on the right side of the blog.
Make sure your homework is done BEFORE you start playing :)
Attention all 5th Grade Parents! Mark your calendars for Wisconsin Hills Parent/Student Information Night
Wisconsin Hills Middle School will be having Parent/Student Information Night on Wednesday, January 27, 2010. For Brookfield Elementary, Hillside and Dixon Elementary, parents and students are invited to attend from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Wisconsin Hills Gymnasium. For Swanson Elementary and private/parochial schools, parents and students are invited to attend from 7:00-8:00 pm in the Wisconsin Hills Gymnasium. The administrative and guidance team will share information at both sessions about Wisconsin Hills and the 6th grade program. In addition, there will be a brief tour following each session. We hope parents and their 5th graders will be able to join us for this informative evening
I had the privelege of attending talent day today during our music class. I was incredibly impressed with the amazing talents you shared with us today. Today's presenters were: Max: played The Entertainer on the piano Tommy B: played Basic Blues on the saxophone Kevin: played Mystical Tarantella on the piano Mia and Gabby: played a duet- Celtic Dance on their violins Jamie: played the guitar Caroline: played Frosty the Snowman on the flute Matt: played a piece his brother taught him on the piano
Bravo 5th graders! The musical gifts you presented were outstanding. If you did not have the opportunity to present today, I hope you're willing to share your talents on Friday.
We started our new science unit today- Food and Nutrition! This morning we talked about the new food pyramid and the importance of eating a variety of foods so that we're giving our bodies the nutrients it needs. The kids learned that food is made from six groups of chemicals called nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals and water.
After discussing the different nutrients we started conducting our first investigation exploring the nutrient fat. Our Fat Test looked at common foods to discover the amount of fat present. We created a controlled experiment, only changing the type of food being tested, and we'll be comparing it to our standard (35 drops of oil).
Now that the food is measured and smeared, we have to wait two days to find out what happens next! Stay tuned!
Be sure to check out the following list of books. They were chosen as favorites by 5th grade students throughout Waukesha County last year. If you have read at least five of these books by next January, you will be able to vote for your favorite. Maybe it will be the winner! Happy reading!
Big Field by Mike Lupica The Calder Game by Blue Balliet The Contest by Gordon Korman Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney Elephant Run by Roland Smith The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass Leon and the Spitting Image by Allen Kurzweil Savvy by Ingrid Law Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume Thea Stilton and the Dragon's Code by Geronimo Stilton Tornado by Betsy Byars Toy Dance Party by Emily Jenkins A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
I am excited to have just started my 11th year of teaching. I taught fourth grade for many years, but I have grown to love teaching 5th grade. As you may already know, I am expecting a baby boy during the first week of September. I will be out on maternity leave until after Thanksgiving. I am anxious to meet all of you and get to know you better then.
Swanson Elementary is a wonderful school & a great place to work. I am honored and blessed to be able to spend every day surrounded by amazing staff and incredible kids!
What math lesson did we tackle in school today? Go to the link below and see if there is a fun game or activity that you can play to reinforce what was taught. Have fun!
When did the Mayfl0wer begin its journey to America? What is the difference between a prime and composite number? How would you describe your diet? Is it balanced and nutritional? What were conditions like on the Mayflower? Why is proofreading your work important? Do you have a suggestion for our first read aloud?
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