Johnson Elementary School
Fifth Grade ELA
Mrs. Dunion's page
March 15, 2010
Today we analyzed some poetry for meaning and rhyme scheme. We also worked on perfecting our reading comprehension skills and test-taking strategies.
I will be attending the W.I.S.E. (Women in Science and Engineering) program at Salem State College tomorrow with some of the 6th grade students, but rest assured that I have left plenty of work for the substitute teacher. I am confident that the students will enjoy a successful day.
We are all eager to share the creative masterpieces celebrating the wee leprechauns and all of their delightful shenanigans on the 17th. Hopefully all of the students have been having fun, fun, fun crafting their clever pieces. Realistically, we will not have the time to be able to share all of the stories on St. Patrick’s Day itself, but we will add a sparkle of whimsy and creativity a little at a time each day, until all of the students have the opportunity to read their tales aloud and receive the valuable feedback. Time is of the essence, so we will do our best to make the most of our precious time together.
Read up a storm, and take care, please. Remember to tackle Study Island challenges, too, please. Thank you.
March 12, 2010
Students worked industriously today in class, while I had the opportunity to conference one-on-one regarding the second term’s ELA grades on report cards. I always enjoy being able to share heart-to-heart conversations about current performance and future goals. There did not seem to be any major surprises on the students’ parts, so that is a good thing. Since assessment is open and ongoing, each student should have a fairly accurate and realistic picture of areas of personal strength, as well as particular skill areas, upon which to build. As always, we discussed how extra credit initiatives can go a long way to boost grades, for those students so inclined.
After working independently, once the conferences were completed, we only had a precious few minutes to relax a bit and play some word games together.
For the most part, I truly believe that the students are working hard and that they are blossoming into stronger and more competent readers, writers, thinkers, and problem solvers. How nice! Of course, I view it as my job to gently nudge each and every student along on one’s quest for academic excellence.
Well, on that positive note, have a wonderful weekend, everyone. Take care and enjoy.
March 11, 2010
We were immersed in reading and writing again, today. Fortunately, we were able to squeeze in some of our original March poetry shares. It is always beneficial for an author to hear other people’s reactions and comments about the word choices, descriptions, and imagery. It was interesting how the overarching theme has been the thrill of the warmer days, which are also growing longer and longer. Several of the pieces actually jumped us right over the springtime and found us wallowing in the summertime fun! For me, that would seem a travesty, though, since every ounce of the magic of springtime needs to be embraced and savored. This truly is a beautiful time of the year, even if it technically is not quite spring yet. We all seem to have a touch of spring fever, but we will continue to try to stay focused on our goal of learning as much as we possibly can; which in turn means that we all will also be growing as much as possible, too. How exciting!
I have been so inundated with meetings and report card preparations this week, that I have been a bit remiss in updating our news. On Tuesday, we did hold our school-side spelling bee, as part of the Scripps National Spelling Bee program. All seemed to go well, and the contestants demonstrated a lot of poise, in addition to some strong skill sets analyzing the sound/symbol relationships involved in successfully spelling unfamiliar words. All of the contestants should feel proud of a job well done.
We have been thoroughly enjoying having the spacious new bulletin board (outside our classroom), which was provided this school year through the generous support of our faithful P.T.O. What a perfect spot to share pertinent school updates, such as the recent spelling bee information; as well as to publicly honor the winners from each classroom, grades 4 through 6. Now, it serves as the perfect spot to highlight many of the creative poetry pieces, composed to celebrate the happenings of March. How nice!
Speaking of relishing the glory of being publicly recognized, we were very fortunate that we had 28 pieces from the Johnson School published in last Tuesday’s edition of the N.I.E. News (Newspapers in Education). What a thrill to see one’s words in print. All of the students had worked painstakingly to craft their pieces, which were then submitted to the Daily Item for consideration. Some students felt the disappointment of not seeing their pieces in the newspaper this year, but there is always next year! Also, there was no limit of the number of pieces submitted per student, so those students who submitted several entries truly had better odds of being published. Overall, we were very pleased with the outcome. Last week, all of the students were given copies of their pieces, which had been submitted to the newspaper; so the families could celebrate all of the articles, especially those, which did not get printed. Hopefully, the entire process of composing the manuscripts was a positive learning experience for all of the students. It even seems to be a valuable life lesson that we have no control over which articles actually make it into print, as it is all in the hands of the editors of the Item.
I will be eager to share whatever wonderfully wacky tales of whimsy the students compose celebrating the antics of the ‘wee people’ for St. Patrick’s Day. We have stressed that the stories still need to flow smoothly and follow logically, even though they will no doubt be silly tales. It is refreshing to hear the lively buzz in class about the ideas percolating about the stories.
Well, the rest of the report card responsibilities are calling me, so I need to sign off for today. Take care, everyone. Enjoy!
March 8, 2010
Ah! Another busy day reading and writing together! Today begins the final term of the academic year. It seems hard to believe! We want to be sure to end the year in style, where every student feels successful and proud.
Today we spent time analyzing tone, meaning, and rhyme schemes of several poems, which will be housed in a Poetry section of our binders. Although April seems to be accepted as the official Poetry Month, we are not waiting. While we have been enjoying poetry all year long, we will now be concentrating upon analyzing poems every day. As a result, each student will build quite a repertoire of descriptive poetry to be kept as a handy reference.
Tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., we will be holding the school-wide spelling bee. It is important to note that every participant is already a winner, having earned the right to compete in this next phase of the competition. We trust that each student will do one’s very best handling the pressure.
Enjoy the tease of springtime, everyone. It really is coming! How exciting! Take care.
March 5, 2010
Hip, hip, hooray! I was able to touch base with every student this week to share reading logs and discuss reading habits. I truly wish we had more time together daily, so I could actually enjoy our book chats every week, as originally designed. Such is not the case, however, so we do the best we can with what we are given. The current system does work, as long as the students store completed logs in one designated section of their binders, and keep adding the newer log on top, until the next opportunity to conference presents itself.
I am curious to see the quality of the character sketches, which were written independently in class yesterday and today. Students had the choice to select a topic of interest from any well-known fairy tale or fable, or they could peruse the anthology and select any character from any of the pieces we have already read so far this year. Each student needed to submit a pre-write activity, rough draft (skipping lines and reflecting revisions and edits), a final copy (which was carefully edited for meaning, as well as for mechanics), and a prediction of the score earned for a quality character sketch. I am looking forward to enjoying the fruits of their efforts this week-end, as I work preparing report cards for the second term.
I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful week-end. Be sure to squeeze in lots of reading, writing, and exploring on Study Island, please. Many thanks.
March 4, 2010
Today we played with our power words, reviewed our vocabulary words, and then the students tried to do themselves proud on their vocabulary test. As always, we stressed utilizing effective study skill strategies, rather than focusing simply upon the specific words on this week’s list. Paying close attention to detail, as well as employing sound critical thinking skills, were strongly emphasized.
I was able to conference with more of the students regarding their independent reading habits and achievements. Tomorrow I intend to continue to enjoy quality book chats with the rest of the students, as their classmates work diligently upon the independent writing activity of composing a thorough character sketch.
We still are trying to review our Comprehension / Open Response homework assignment, and it is encouraging to know that we are in for a treat and will be rewarded for all of our efforts by sharing those promising March masterpieces, when the timing is right!
I printed out the class data for Study Island today, and we are going to compare the information tomorrow morning to see how much the students accomplish tonight for homework. Accuracy really is the key to successful use of this valuable learning tool.
For grades four through six, which are participating in the Scripps National Spelling Bee program, the classroom-level spelling bees have now been completed. The ten finalists will compete in the school-wide competition this coming Tuesday, March 9th, at 8:30 a.m. in the café. Everyone is welcome to attend. The winner will then represent the Johnson School at the regional Spelling Bee in Lynn, on March 19th.
Take care, everyone. Read up a storm!
March 3, 2010
What a wonderful day we enjoyed today! All of the students seemed to relate very well with the first grade students, as the 5th graders and lst graders worked together as reading buddies. The older students served as wonderful mentors and encouraged their younger buddies, as they read Dr. Seuss books together. All of the students were enthusiastic, cooperative, and actively engaged in learning. The bookmarks seemed to be a big hit! (No one can ever have too many bookmarks, especially when one is learning how to read!) There was a wonderful buzz of positive energy and celebration of words permeating throughout each of the first grade classrooms. Our half hour visits seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye! We wanted to keep on reading together, but duty called us back to class. We have been invited to return, so hopefully we will join our reading buddies again before the end of the school year. How nice!
In our own class, we had fun challenging who could read The Fox in Socks as quickly as possible, with no miscues. There was a lot of laughter as we stumbled over the tongue twister vocabulary. What a treat! We also discussed Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll, and how Dr. Seuss actually was a sespedalian, who loved inventing impressive words, which actually made sense in a ‘nonsensible’ way!
We still need to review last night’s Comprehension / Open Response assignment, as well as share our clever March poetry. There just are not enough minutes in the day!
We will see how much we can accomplish tomorrow. Of course, we still have a vocabulary test, reading conferences, and some independent writing on the agenda, too, so time will tell. One thing is sure: we will be busy, busy, busy! At least we do not have the opportunity to be bored!
Take care, everyone!
March 2, 2010
What fun, fun, fun! Today seemed like a whirlwind! By the time we finished enjoying the pleasure and power of words with our Guest Readers for Read Across America Day, there was very little time remaining for the first class. We hurriedly completed our clever and catchy Dr. Seuss bookmarks for our First Grade reading buddies tomorrow. We never even had the opportunity to share our own clever poetry celebrating the magic of March, but not to worry. Tomorrow is another day! We do the best that we can with the time we are allowed. I am eager to share the students’ compositions, though! I promised that I would not take a peek at the pieces, until the authors have the chance to read the poetry aloud for the rest of us to soak up and savor. It is difficult, but I will be true to my word!
Tonight we have another Comprehension / Open Response activity. Hopefully these are becoming less intimidating and more within the comfort zone of feeling competent and confident to successfully complete whatever challenges might be presented. I anticipate a quality performance by every student. We will review the strategies and answers tomorrow in class.
Take care, everyone. Happy reading!
February 26, 2010
It was a pleasure to work with the students today. In addition to the typical activities of playing with words, reading, and writing up a storm, the students began creating keepsake bookmarks for the students in first grade. Since March 2nd is Read Across America Day, in honor of Dr. Seuss and his passion for having fun with words, we will visit the first grade classrooms to share the gift of reading. Since there are Guest Readers scheduled for all of the classrooms on Dr. Seuss’s real birthday, we will be reinforcing the belief that enjoying Dr. Seuss books should not be limited to just one day of the year. Therefore, we will visit our young reading buddies on Wednesday morning, March 3rd. It should be a lot of fun!
Any students, who bring in favorite Dr. Seuss books from home for us to share on March 2nd and 3rd will receive extra credit. Please be sure the family name is clearly marked on each book, as all of the books should be returned home on Wednesday afternoon. Many thanks.
Since next week is the last week of the second term, I told students to arrive prepared every day with completed reading logs. While we usually do not have enough time to catch up with our conferences during class, next week the students will be working independently during class time, so I should have the opportunity to touch base with every student. There are no promises as to which day I will be able to meet with any particular student, so I emphatically made the point to bring all completed logs each day.
Well, enjoy the weekend! Take care.
February 25, 2010
I genuinely missed spending time with the 5th grade students today, other than a few minutes before school this morning. I accompanied the 6th grade on a field trip, so the 5th graders worked on some ELA activities, which I had prepared and given to the homeroom teachers to be completed in class. After school, I touched base with both homeroom teachers, and it seems that all went well (just as we all had anticipated).
Tomorrow students can finish up any work not completed, and we will share their sentences beginning with dependent clauses and commas, before the subjects of the actual sentences. The goal behind successfully combining thoughts into compound and complex sentences is to help the students to include sentence variety in their pieces, in order to help increase their power as interesting, effective writers.
We also should be able to complete reading the narrative poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, which we previewed together, and then the students have begun with learning buddies. Then we will share guided reading questions and discussion, to encourage the students to ‘dig deeper’ to make meaning as they read challenging text.
The only homework is to read up a storm and to spend some quality time utilizing Study Island to meet the latest challenges posted.
Enjoy!
February 23, 2010
Hello! We spent an enjoyable day together today reading, reading, reading, with some writing included, too (of course!). Most of the compound sentences from last night’s homework seemed quite well written. It was noteworthy that quite a few of the students, however, did not include a vocabulary word in each sentence, too, as was required. Since the focus of the assignment was upon composing quality compound sentences, which include conjunctions as well as proper punctuation, while combining at least two complete thoughts, this was not a major concern. However, in class today, we discussed how it really is essential to meticulously fulfill all requirements if we hope to earn full credit for our interesting ideas. All too often, students lose precious points, as a result of apparent carelessness or oversights.
Let’s see how thorough the students will be tonight, fully addressing the requirements of the Comprehension / Open Response Practice activity. Attention to detail also impacts editing success, as well as performance on Study Island tasks. Hopefully, fostering this attitude of being ‘fussy’ with details will successfully carry over and positively influence overall performance across the curriculum.
Our extra after-school MCAS Prep classes start tomorrow afternoon. So far, the level of response allows us to all meet on Wednesdays. I will keep you posted should we need to split the group.
Well, go read up a storm, everyone! Remember that the school Librarian is sponsoring a reading contest, so be sure to submit the pages read each week. Let’s do ourselves proud, please. Enjoy!
February 22, 2010
Welcome back to reality, everyone! While vacation was a welcome break, we are eager to get back to work. It is time.
Today we were able to review this week’s vocabulary, since when we first introduced the words on the Friday before our winter hiatus, most of us probably were thinking about different ideas than vocabulary! At any rate, we discussed the meanings this morning, so students should be able to make the study cards to master the list for Thursday. We also played with some Power Word favorites to try to keep us on our toes with more challenging word choices. Then we read a bit, and wrote a bit, and it was time to say, “Good-bye!” It really is amazing how quickly the minutes seem to evaporate into thin air, and the period is over until tomorrow.
Tonight students will be writing 5 compound sentences, with at least one vocabulary word included in each. We will be checking to see if the sentences truly contain at least 2 complete thoughts combined with a comma and a conjunction, and that the ideas flow smoothly. Of course, students are also reading and hopefully attacking some of the ELA Study Island challenges, too. Study Island provides quite an enjoyable method to review key concepts and skills.
Please try to return any remaining MCAS Extra Help sessions permission slips ASAP. We start this Wednesday. Thank you.
Take care!
February 10, 2010
We worked very hard reading and writing, once again today.
We also reviewed the strategies and correct responses from last night’s homework. Then, our time together was over! Time flies when you are having fun!
Three diligent students even stayed for extra help at the end of the day, despite the threat of snow! How refreshing!
February 9, 2010
Plenty of reading and writing…and more reading and writing were the order of the day today. The underlying theme of everything we do is to always be sure to read for meaning.
Many of the Valentines composed for the senior citizens were quite sweet, with heartfelt messages to bring a smile to the faces of anyone reading them. The students seemed to take the challenge seriously to try to bring a sparkle of joy into the lives of others, with nothing expected in return – other than that wonderful feeling of satisfaction, which accompanies knowing one has shared a kind gesture and a piece of oneself to make someone else’s day a bit brighter. I truly believe that the seniors at the Jesmond Nursing Home, as well as those visiting the Tiffany Room, will be pleasantly surprised by their Valentine keepsakes from friends they might not realize they even have. Hopefully the students will remember the incredible power of the printed word to impact the lives of others, as well as the importance of fostering a healthy respect for our elders.
Tonight we will see how well the students apply their strategies and demonstrate active reading practices to successfully master the practice challenge presented by the state. I am hopeful that good habits are being instilled to enable each student to be able to better analyze the questions and draw logical conclusions to select the best answer choices for comprehension questions. For the Open Response challenge, I will be checking to see if the students fully answer what is asked, and justify their positions by citing specific details from the passage presented. Tomorrow in class, we will review the material and determine how well the students have actually performed. Let’s hope for the best!
Of course, there is always reading, in addition to Study Island review and reinforcement on the agenda, too.
Let’s see how far each student can grow.
Take care and enjoy!
February 5, 2010
Phew! Were we ever busy today, since yesterday was absorbed by our writing/designing project with the representative from the Daily Item. We were able to share our Valentines to Mother Earth. Some of the students really ‘got it’, and created artsy pieces, which still shared an important message, reminding everyone to try to take better care of our planet. To these students, I send my sincere thanks and appreciation. On the other hand, some students seemed to have fun with the artwork component, yet conveniently forgot about the writing piece involved in a 5th grade homework assignment. I must admit that I was puzzled by some of the pieces submitted. I am still a bit incredulous that some of the students would think that I would bother to give out the lacey doilies and protective covers, to receive such simplistic attempts at successfully completing the assignment. By this point of the school year, it seems reasonable and fair to assume that all of the students would know the level of expectations and standards I require. I guess it is a good thing that today is Friday, and I can regroup over the weekend to recharge my batteries to be ‘up’ once again for Monday morning.
Some students might have their vocabulary tests to complete over the weekend, since we simply ran out of time during class today. They can work on them at their leisure and submit them on Monday. No problem!
We have one more week before winter break, and we all need to take full advantage of our time together, making sure that we do not allow ourselves to slip into ‘vacation mode’, even a second before next Friday, at 2:16! That will be a challenge.
Happy weekend, everybody! Enjoy.
February 4, 2010
What fun! Today, the editor of the student work component of the Newspapers In Education (N.I.E. News) for the Daily Item visited our classes and co-taught a lesson, guiding the students as they composed clever advertisements for specific companies for the upcoming student edition, in early March.
We are very appreciative that Ms. Laubner took time from her busy schedule to visit the Johnson School and assist us in creating our ads. We discussed how it is always important to know who the audience is whenever we write, as well as knowing the purpose of the writing task. Advertising definitely is persuasive writing, where the students used the information supplied by the companies, as well as their own creativity and sense of style to compose their pieces. The ultimate goal was to try to convince the readers why they should patronize these particular businesses. The audience will be whoever might be reading the newspaper that day, so it was very important that the work be presented legibly and clearly, with some ‘hook’ to capture one’s interest to read the ad in the first place. The students seemed to take the task seriously and created some interesting pieces. Ms. Laubner was very pleased with the level of cooperation of all of the students, as well as the overall quality of the finished products. Now the ads will be delivered to the respective places of business, where the management team of each company actually will choose which ad will be published in the newspaper. We will have to wait until March to see whose work will be selected.
Due to our special activity today, the vocabulary test will be administered tomorrow. For tonight’s homework, the students have the opportunity to show off their creativity and clever ideas by creating eye-catching, and thought-provoking Valentines to Mother Earth. Each individual can decorate a fancy doily to present one’s ideas in one’s own style; just as long as the message of taking better care of our environment is communicated loudly and clearly. I am hoping to display the completed Valentines in the hallway for the rest of the Johnson School community to reflect upon and enjoy. I can’t wait to see what the students decide to compose as powerful tools to share their suggestions and advice for protecting our planet.
Time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy the day!
February 3, 2010
In addition to reviewing the comprehension strategies involved in successful performance on multiple-choice questions, today we reviewed the benchmarks of a quality piece, in relation to last night’s homework open response prompt. From first glance and through class discussion, I am under the distinct impression that most of the students truly rose to the occasion and exerted an honest effort to be thorough and complete. Hooray! We really need these study skills and writing strategies to become internalized, so the students automatically go through the systematic steps, (actively reading and checking off each step along the way) to try to ensure top quality performance in any given situation or challenge. I truly believe that the strategies and skills intrinsic to successful state testing performance, really equate to life skills; which can carry over effectively, leading to competence in just about any academic arena. My focus is always to be in engaged in the process of encouraging each student’s development of the strategies and skills necessary to empower competence and ongoing success. It is quite a challenge to attempt to foster continuous growth for every single student, but it is the underlying scaffolding of everything we do throughout each day. Somehow the challenge can be both energizing and refreshing! I truly love coming to school each day. I feel lucky to be able to make such a statement about the way I spend my days.
Tonight students need to review vocabulary, read up a storm (and record the details), and hopefully make time to venture out onto Study Island, to tackle some to the ELA challenges.
Take care, and enjoy the day!
February 2, 2010
Today we worked up a storm, reading and writing; and then more writing and reading. It was a pleasure to share part of the morning with such interesting and interested students.
We took the time to review some strategies for a successful completion of tonight’s Comprehension / Open Response assignment. We discussed what ‘character traits’ are, as we shared some personality characteristics for one another. We also introduced the handy graphic organizer “Personality Sam”, (for Sam or Samantha) which can really be an effective tool to ensure writing a thorough character sketch, rather than merely focusing upon just one aspect of a particular character. I just completed the assignment myself, so I will be ready to share the students’ viewpoints tomorrow in class. The key point is that students are entitled to their own opinions, but they absolutely, positively MUST justify those ideas, by providing supporting details from the given text. Each response should actually include at least one direct quote from the original article, in addition to paraphrasing the information. When students write down the anticipated scores they have earned, hopefully every student will predict having earned at least a 3 or better (or a 4 point scale, as the state uses for these questions). It really can feel quite satisfying to know one has composed a quality piece, so I hope more and more of the students will catch the urge to strive for that powerful pride associated with competence and excellence.
Enjoy the day!
February 1, 2010
Well, we enjoyed a productive Monday together. After tackling a new Power Word calendar, the students and I reviewed some basics; and then the students spent the remainder of their time writing and/or reading. I enjoyed conferencing with individual students, fine tuning pieces for publication. In what seemed like the blink of the eye, however, it was time to pass along the students to the rest of their day! Oh my!
Homework tonight involves reading / log, reviewing vocabulary, and spending at least 20 to 30 minutes using Study Island, as an effective learning tool. As always, accuracy is the goal, as students strive to achieve the blue ribbons in the various categories, before moving forward to review key concepts via the multitude of game options available. What fun, and yet what valuable learning, too!
Take care, and enjoy the day!
Important Information
Please note that I will be staying for extra review and reinforcement on Wednesday afternoons, from 2:15 - 3:00, each week. While every student is welcome, some students will be requested to stay for the extra support.
Students should also be 'Wowing' their families with cool Power Words each day, and then having an adult initial the monthly Power Word calendar each day. Calendars will be submitted at the end of each month.
We will begin taking our weekly vocabulary test Thursdays
Grade 5 students have officially begun the Power Words piece of our curriculum, so parents should expect to check out the daily calendar and notebook. Hopefully, the students' vocabularies will really take off this year.
Reading logs have been distributed to all students in grades 5 and 6. The goal is to develop a true passion for reading, so students are able to select free-choice materials. 5th graders are expected to read at least 20 minutes per day, while our 6th grader students should be reading at least 30 minutes per day. For all students, this means to read and maintain a log of efforts, 7 days each week. Information regarding proper set-up of the log is listed right on the top of the log, as a reminder. Students have varying due dates, since individual conferencing is split over all of the days of the week. Completed logs for each term should be neatly stored in the appropriate section of the ELA binder.
Greetings to all of the terrific members of the sure-to-be outstanding class of 2010!
I hope everyone is thoroughly enjoying our wonderful summertime vacation. What a gift! Of course, I also hope that reading is a daily habit and a key part of your summer fun. Please be sure to fulfill all of your specified summer reading responsibilities, too. Remember that your signed, completed index cards are due on the first day of class. Thank you, in advance, for your conscientious attention to this matter. I am curious how many completed cards each person submits.
Since a lot of the stores seem to be having sales on back-to-school supplies, I want to give you a ‘heads-up’ and share a list of suggested materials, which I believe will ensure that every student is fully prepared for the start of a wildly successful school year. Some of the materials can be kept in your desk at home, until specific projects are assigned; as I am merely trying to be as proactive with this list as possible. DEFINITELY, do NOT carry all of the supplies to school on the first day. There is no need to overload your backpack. Please be kind to your back!
- A 3-ring binder of your choosing, thick enough, though, to accommodate your assignment notebook (which will be provided by the school), some lined paper, and folders for English Language Arts, notices, and homework
- Folders of your choice to fit in your binder; I would recommend at least 4.
- A package of dividers for your binder
- A pouch for your binder to hold pencils, pens, erasers, etc.
- A ruler, with holes, to fit in your binder
- A 3 hole punch for your binder might also come in handy.
- Reinforcements, so important papers do not accidentally rip out of your binder
- 2 spiral bound notebooks; one for rough drafts and one for possible projects
- A thinner 3 ring binder, (perhaps with a soft cover?) for social studies
- Plenty of pencils, so you will be able to have 3 sharpened pencils available at all times
- If you prefer writing in pen at times, please make sure you use erasable ink.
- Colored pencils
- Markers
- A few Sharpie–type markers, both fine point and regular tipped; I would only bring one of each in my pencil pouch, though, and leave the others home.
- A couple of LOW ODOR erasable markers for use with white boards
- A pair of school-style scissors
- A glue stick, but leave a couple of others at home
- A set of removable page-marker tabs (like mini stickie notes)
- A package of stickie notes (Post-It brand seems to be the most reliable, as I have tried several others and sadly found that they do not really stick very well.) Lined or unlined and whatever color choices work best for you!
- Couple of packages of lined, 3”x 5” index cards (any colors); but store at home
I think this covers everything for now! I know you will need a science binder, too, but Mrs. Tibbo will fill you in on those details.
So, enjoy the rest of vacation. Relax and rest up, so you will be ready and willing to start off the school year with plenty of vim and vigor! (If you don’t know these words, try to use context clues, and I bet you can figure them out. Then, just to be certain, look them up in your trust dictionary. Make them yours! Remember: words give us power.)
I look forward to working together to make this a memorable and positive 6th grade experience. I am eager to see your smiling face on Tuesday, September 1st. Take care and enjoy!