And the Winner is....

Oh, 5B... I can't wait to see which 5B Team won this first week!  There are quite a few Blue Team tickets given out this week.  Those are biggies...but the small Green tickets add up quickly.  What you'll find tomorrow is that the White tickets add up even faster!  It's been another great week of behaviors, so I guess it could be any 4 of the teams.  I'm more curious to see which PRIZE the winning team for this week chooses:)

I'll know you checked the blog if you decode the message within the blog.   It will be the name of the song played for the winning team on Friday!!  Your teams all work so hard. Don't get stressed out about it though.  Stick together with your team.  If you don't win this week, you'll probably work even harder to help each other beat out the other teams next week.

Good luck to the IDK's, the #1's, the Scorpions and the Wild Kids!  May the highest points belong to you!!

Short and Sweet....

Another great day in the classroom and hallways of 5B!  Keep it up!  One more Iowa Assessment tomorrow:  Written Expression (like language and editing).

I'll know you checked the blog if you ask me, "So, what do we have to do for the music program?" Kyra, you may know since you've been talking to me about it!  See you guys in the morning!  

It looks like we have a great competition going with the 4 teams!!!  I can't wait to see who will be the first to win!  Also, I can't believe how many effort points I've been giving out!  Auction will take place FRIDAY!!

Massive Effort Points on Monday!

Wow, 5B,
For a Monday and in the afternoon, 5B, you put an amazing amount of effort into your Iowa Assessments! I really thought I'd see more of you daydreaming and spacing out, but I continue to be amazed!  Let's see what tomorrow brings though.  I'll know you checked the blog if you ask me, "So, how many tests do we have today??"

Remember, tomorrow is a Twisted Tuesday, so we have literacy and social studies in the morning.  The newspaper articles you are writing are turning out great!  I can't wait to see you putting it altogether.

Make sure to talk to your parents about your group's inquiry project and needed items.  Always ASK your parents before you borrow/use/take any items from home (yes, even if they are your OWN items).

Also, remember, I moved your Coffee Talks to Thursday (for the Tuesday groups) and Friday (for the Wednesday groups).  Today was another super day... .It got a little crazy at certain points, but I'm sure it's because we were stuck inside most the day with no specials.  You are DEFINITELY earning points for your team!  You'll either be quite HAPPY or quite DISAPPOINTED to see a ticket at your spot in the morning.... some of you do an excellent job of getting your things put away at the end of classes or the day and some of you need reminders.... I guess you'll see which one I'm remind you of on Tuesday morning!

Remember to reread what to do to prove you checked the blog (back towards the top)!  See you soon!

First Day of Testing...... Done in Style....

5B, you really showed off amazing test-taking skills today by earning so many effort points!  I can't believe how many of you earned 6 points already??  Wowser!  The tough part will be to keep up the good attitude, energy and willingness to take each test seriously as you keep taking them each day!  I'm sure you'll continue to amaze me, as always!

Today, (towards the end of the day) got to be a little chattier than normal.  I'm guessing the fire alarm nonsense probably added to this, ya think??  You'll have to tell your families about that craziness today!  Weird!!!

Tomorrow will be a pretty goofy schedule because of IA Assessments, our nutrition visitor, the American Legion visitors, and a change in the music schedule, so be sure to check the whiteboard for these events.  I'll give you a heads up to 2 events though...  Right away, as you come in, you'll be finding out WHO won the Flag Essay Contest from 5B!!  Be ready for photos!!  Then, we'll be heading to music with 5A right away at 8:45, so come right in a be ready to congratulate our talented 5B writer:)

IA Tests for Thursday...
Capitalization and Punctuation in the morning (right after music)
Math Computation in the afternoon

I'll know you checked the blog if you ask me, "So, what are we exactly doing with these point thingys?"  Go ahead and look over the front table by the bulletin board and check out some of the items you may have the opportunity to "purchase"....   See you soon!

4 Days of AWESOME!!!!!!

My goodness, 5B!  I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the past 4 days for our mini spring break!  It was like summer weather, wouldn't you agree??  I hope you spent as much time outside as I did.  Sadly, I think this week won't be as nice....well, at least you won't be too sad being stuck indoors, then, huh??!

Hopefully you got a chance to relax over these 4 days because it will be WORK LIKE CRAZY time when you come back these next 2 weeks.  We have quite a few things to finish up and do.  Here's just an overview of the many events....

This Week
Finish Up Book Clubs for LEAD 21
Meet in Coffee Talks - Unleashed and Power (you are Tuesday - tomorrow)
Publish Articles for Newspaper
Finish up Social Studies Unit
Take Iowa Assessments!
Nutrition Visitor
Find Out Winner of Flag Essay Contest!

Next Week
Inquiry Projects for Literacy
Last Coffee Talks
Finish Publishing Articles for Newspaper
MORE Iowa Assessments
3-Hour Early Out

Sounds like a lot, huh?!  Yes, well..... it is...  Some weeks are mellow yellow.... some weeks are like popcorn in a popper!!  (These next 2 weeks will be this way...hmmm???...that makes me think that maybe we should have some popcorn, don't you think?) Anyone agree??

Well, I'm going to get back to enjoying the rest of the nice afternoon.  We'll keep the same jobs from last week for this week.  Oh, and I'll know you checked the blog if you come in, grab a post-it note, write your name AND about how much time you think you spent OUTSIDE this weekend.  Put in on the guided reading table.

REMINDER!!!!!!!!   Your Time For Kids Booklets are DUE on TUESDAY!!!!  Bring them in (remember, 7 pages = a completed booklet) and get Warheads and pet frog!!   Check over your handwriting, too, because 2 people are going home some new shades!

Another Day of Missing You...

Well, 5B, at least you got to be home enjoying the ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS weather today with the 3-hour early out.  Isaiah is finally feeling better.  He no longer has a fever, is starting to eat again but WAS UP THE WHOLE night!!  My goodness I was tired today.  And that little stinker was NOT willing to take a nap today...  Needless to say, I'm EXHAUSTED!!  Well, I guess tomorrow is the last day of our week, so I bet I can make it through, ya think?!

I haven't seen the notes from Mrs. Olafson yet, but I'm imagining you continued to amaze her (and me, too)!  Hopefully, you wrote down the homework and special events for tomorrow like....
*Parent Vocab Homework, done, signed
*Spelling Test 
*$1 for Hats (if you wish)
*$1 for Shamrock Painting (if you wish)


I was hoping you didn't read Swear to Howdy  without me today!  I wanted to be there when you got to the next part.  Also, I'm hoping I didn't miss anyone's strange thing they can do with their bodies!  I'd love to get through ALL of them on Thursday before our mini Spring Break.

Well, I'm going to let you go and enjoy this perfect weather - I hope you are doing (or did) the same!  See you Thursday!  I'll know you checked the blog if you say, "So, NOW what do we HAVE to do for St. Patrick's Day?  I know it'll be something embarrassing, right?!"  (Heeehehhehee...)  See you tomorrow!

Missed You Monday...

Hey, 5B,
I hope your Monday went ok.  Mine was spent with a sick, very clingy and whiney little boy:(  I don't like missing a day with you guys, but it was obvious that Isaiah needed his mama today.  I plan to be back tomorrow though.  Isaiah is still sick, but his dada will stay home tomorrow.

Hopefully you guys showed Mrs. Olafsen what an amazing class you are.  I haven't seen her notes yet, but I plan to see them later on tonight. I'm sure she bragged about you and your behaviors:)

I'll keep it short this time, since last night's was WAY LONG...  I'm guessing Colter made it back today, and joined in with 5B like he was never gone!   I heard we have a new 5th grade student joining us.  I believe SHE'll be in 5C's class.  Maybe you know more than I do since I was gone today.

Well, have a great night and I'll see you Tuesday morning!  Oh, I'll know you checked the blog if you walk in the room and tell me, "Don't forget our Cadets for a Cause Kick-Off Assembly today!"

Thanks and see you soon!
~Mrs. Sorenson

Winderful Weather, Huh?!

Hey, 5B,
Did you get a piece of that wind this weekend?  My goodness, the wind was strong!  But I love the warm temperatures that was being blown in with it.  Hopefully you got a chance to be outside at some point this weekend.

I don't know if you realize it, but your 3rd quarter report cards come home on Monday!  They'll be sitting at your spot when you come in on Monday morning.  I was so pleased to see so many improved grades from 2nd quarter.  I'm also pretty sure effort grades went up in several subjects.  What a fantastic quarter, 5B!  Let's see if we can keep it going or even improve things even more for the LAST QUARTER of 5th GRADE!!!  Isn't that crazy to think?  My babies.... you're all growing up so fast... :(

A few heads up for this week...
Monday, March 12 - Uh...nothing...
Tuesday, March 13 - Cadets for a Cause Kick-Off Assembly - in gym at 2:35
Tuesday, March 13 - Tech and Literacy Night from 5 - 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 13 - Used Book Drive and Labels to Donate (Boxtops, Milk Moola, Campbells, Etc.)
Wednesday, March 14 - 3-Hour Early Out

Thursday, March 15 - If you bring in $1 to donate to the PTO, you can wear a hat in celebration of "Spring Break".
Thursday, March 15 - If you bring in $1 to donate for Cadets for a Cause, you can get a shamrock stamp on you to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (sold at lunch time and recess)
Friday, March 16 and next Monday, March 20 - NO SCHOOL for Spring Break

As you can see, our week will be filled with extras on top of all of our normal subjects.  You'll be getting another Parent-Partner Vocabulary homework sheet on Monday that will be due on Thursday, along with a spelling test and a weekly assessment!  Yikes!

Another big topic to bring up is Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.  They are now called Iowa Assessments.  We'll be doing "practice tests" these week since they've changed since last year.  Your REAL ones will take place after we come back from Spring Break!  I just thought you'd like to know:)

Wow, this was a long post, huh?! Well, I guess I should let you go then.  Your proof for knowing you check to the blog is to go back through this post and figure out what the hidden message is.  It's 2 words.  The first one is red.  The second one is purple.  Write it down, put your name on it and give it to me as you come in on Monday!

IMPRESSIVE....

Hey there, 5B Top Dogs (wuff, wuff, wuff, wuff)!
Impressive... that's the word that Mrs. Steffen used when describing 5th grade behaviors on Thursday while I was gone!  Yippee!!!!  I SOOOOO love to hear that kind of reaction to spending a day with you!  I  agree, of course!  I was so glad to see the note from the sub today! Thanks for making me proud, and doing what you always do to show Cadet Pride!

My day was a good one, too!  I got to see a really cool school in Ankeny, meet 5th graders LIKE YOU, and learn a few things about LEAD 21.  It was neat to see other 5th graders reading from their book club books and working on their "Theme Questions" like we do, too.  Something we do differently though is our "Coffee Talks."  I didn't see anyone doing anything like that!  Also, they don't have Smartboards or use laptops or Ipads very much, unlike us!  So, I learned some things from them, and they learned some things from us, too!

I'll be checking to see if you memorized the song you learned in writing today.  It does kind of get stuck in your head, doesn't it!  Also, I was wondering what you thought of the video of "Tumbletown Reads"?  Wasn't it hilarious??!!!  I loved it!  I heard you didn't have any time to work on your news/fact sheets, so I'll give you some time on Friday.  Also, I am hoping to have a "Newspaper Staff Meeting" on Friday in writing class, so bring your hats if you haven't yet, and I'll supply the doughnuts for our gathering!  OK?


I'll know you checked the blog if you come in to class on Friday, have seat like normal, wait for the attendance and pledge to be done, then when I ask the class, "Who checked the blog?"  Raise your hand.  I'll have to stand up and do a cartwheel for me!  THAT'S how I'll know you really checked the blog!  Don't worry, if you can't do a cartwheel, it's ok!  You can do a "jump the puddle!"  Can't wait to see my little gymnasts in action!  And guess what? TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!

See ya'll soon!
~Mrs. Sorenson

Movie Monday!!

What a great way to start the week, huh, 5B?  A super way to continue showing Cadet Pride for the movie on Monday is to wear something with Cadet, Crestwood, Cresco, or Blue/White/Black like we did the day of the play to UNI.  I'll do the same thing!

Monday will be a goofy day, no doubt, with some switching with math, science, and social studies.  Then we'll have a short literacy block before we eat.  Because we're leaving at 12:40 for the movie, there'll be no recess OR mentoring.  If you want to sit with your mentees during the movie, I can have you head down to their classrooms to check with their teachers right away in the morning.  Otherwise, you can make a plan for another day this week.

Other than Monday's celebration, this week is actually normal!  Well, as normal as 5B is capable of, heheeee..  Just kidding!

The Buddy Reading on Friday seemed to go very well.  Ms. Russell said her the 1st graders were so excited to come to our room!  I know there were a few students who needed extra reminders..... but I know a class of 5B students who need reminders once in awhile, too:-O  Thanks so much for being FANTABULOUS role models!  I'll try to get the photos of you and your buddies uploaded on the blog for you to see!

OK, I'll know you checked the blog if you pass the word around to come right in the classroom Monday morning and see where your new spots are since it's a new month! You've got to hurry though because we switch for math and science at 8:50 like usual.  I'll have it up on the Smartboard for you so go right ahead.  We'll do tickets, attendance and lunch AFTER we get moved:)