What a Wonderful Week!

An Ode to 5B...

I like 5B.

They are so cool.

I like 5B in or out of school.

I love 5B.

They show respect.

I love that 5B knows what to expect!

I'm proud of 5B.

They are bright in the mind.

I'm proud of 5B for being one of a kind!

Keep up the fantastic everything, 5B! 

As many of you saw, Mrs. Bohach from Luther College stopped by today after school!  We wanted to get together to start planning the rest of the school year!  You had a great opportunity to work one to one with a college student to help you with writing skills and ideas!  We are lucky enough to get a 2nd chance at working with more college students in writing AND READING!  The book clubs we just started this week are books that your college buddies will be reading as well!  We've got all sorts of plans for the rest of the year!  Yeh!!!!  More Skypes, videos and conversations through Google Drive!  Yeehaw!  Gotta love technology when it lets us work at the college level, huh?!

Homework:

Sign and return the note to parents about Coffee Talks and weekly reading assignments (oh, and if they want to donate some juice:)

Book Club Reading  - depending on each group

Cadet Time on Friday...  New room!  Mrs. Halverson for Homophones!  Let's show her how crazy AMAZING 5B is!  

I'll know you checked the blog if you...  come right in, put your snowball on the Smartboard, and sit in the back by the green couch to read from Hostage right away.  We won't do attendance and pledge until 8:40.  So, Tyler and Brady, don't worry about being up in the front until then.  In fact, Brady and Tyler, please set your alarms for 8:40, so I'll stop reading at that point!  

Harlem Shake is a SUCCESS!

Isaiah came over after school today and went STRAIGHT to my iPad!  Good thing we had it on Alaina's camera roll, huh?!  That was a blast this morning!  We have some fantastic days, 5B! I'm glad we got to redo the video!  I think this one turned out even better than the first!

Watch and enjoy the video here!  Share it with your families if you can!  Too funny!
Click Here!

Our cocoa and reading was great today!  Was glad to see so many of you make the goal!  Great effort!!

Quick Updates for Tomorrow:
Band People:  Whole Group Band
Begin book club reading - many of you have due dates for next week:) Excited!
Tomorrow is last day in Cadet Time with Mrs. Suckow :(

I'll know you checked the blog tonight if you ask me, "So, what's this note you're going to send home with us about Coffee Talks?"  Then I'll give you a note explaining something for your families!

Have a good Wednesday night!

Cocoa Day on Wednesday!

Yep!  All of that Listen to Reading has come to an end!  Of course, you can still choose that as a Read to Self job, but you no longer need to write reviews!  Hopefully, you've enjoyed some of the books you've listened to.  I know I'll be serving hot cocoa with marshmallows to several of you.  The required amount of books to be read and completed reviews was/is/has always been 7.  So, if you have completed 7 Mini Book Reviews and they are turned in, prepare your mouths and tummies for a little treat tomorrow!  If you did NOT complete your 7 reviews, then you can watch/listen from home and fill out the reviews and bring them in.  Or just plan on enjoying your marshmallows that you earned for each book:)

  

Now, the ONLY change that I have to make about our yummy activity is that I am not allowed to give out as many "regular sized marshmallows" as I had planned.  So, I'm going to have to do the smaller ones.  :(  Sorry  :(   I didn't realize I couldn't do that... should have checked first, I guess!

Don't forget to bring your "prop" for our Harlem Shake Remake tomorrow!  The first as a blast!  I'll keep Isaiah away from this one!

I'll know you checked the blog if you come in Wednesday morning, and write a poem about the topic that is on the coffee table!  It will be sitting right beside Future Papa!  Don't tell anyone else what you're doing.  Keep writing until I come to you and say "Wow, you're a poet who doesn't know it!"

Hey, 5B, here's a quick challenge for recognizing theme....  Read this story.... ask your family to help you if you want, and write what you think the theme (THEME) is for this short story....  Go to the todaysmeet link at the bottom of the story.  

A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."

"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull.
"They're packed with nutrients."

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Click Here to Write Your Logical Theme - (What is the author  really trying to get across to you?)

It's Official....We have a new member in 5B....

Ok, just so you know, EVERYONE that I tell about our new class pet thinks we are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO STRANGE!   Here's one person's response:

If you are looking at this on an iPod, iPad or other tablet, it probably won't show up.  Just ask someone who was in the video.  

And guess what my reaction to all these people is?

"Yep, I know... That's how we roll." 




Ok.. Blog proof for tonight is to show me that you know that Monday mornings are very busy with attendance, pledge and band.... AND we need to assign new jobs this week!  So, I'll know you checked it if you check your home for your name card for jobs and come see me to find out your next job or if you get some time off:)

DEEP THINKING DAY in LITERACY!!!!

5B,
You'll have to share the poem by Robert Frost we read in class today with your parents/families.  If you have the paper copy, that will work, but if you don't, you can watch the 2 clips on the blog that I shared today.  I was SO crazy impressed that your 5th grade brains could take on such a deep poem with the hidden meanings!

Tell your parents....

Watch out world, here comes 5B!!!

For homework, a few of you have some math homework, and otherwise it was a pretty free night for you.  Don't forget to bring a coffee cup/mug for our "Coffee Talks"!  I'm excited to see/hear some more deep thinking like I saw with "The Road Not Taken."  Let's get the THINKING STARTED, baby!!

And I can't believe it's....

Our week has flown by AGAIN!  Our 2,795 points for Cadet Pride is showing!  But let's get those white tickets under control!  Right?!

Blog Proof Tonight:  Watch this video of a fun game we will do together in the morning!  It's called Kum-Cha.  Click Here  Watch a few times, but I'll be showing you how to do it more slowly tomorrow!

Busy Day Today!

It seems our 3 hour early out days seem to be pretty jammed packed with so many things that our day is over with a blink of an eye! The 2 new websites I showed you today seemed to be a hit!  I'm glad you liked them, but that one icky, yucky, squiggly, octopus crazy one still is HAUNTING ME!!!!  Ugh... for some reason it just gives me the "willies."  Blaahahahahaa!  And the Flip Book website seemed to be a great way for some of you to show off your creativity!  Remember, you could use for a poem or writing piece!

I hope your afternoons went well!  Mine was VERY LONG!  It was a lot of work, required deep thinking and was frustrating at times.  My brain is exhausted!

I'm throwing in the middle of the blog the "proof".  I'm checking to see if some people just jump to the bottom of the blog and not read it all!  So, if you are a regular blog reader, keep it up!  I'll see if I trick anyone out there who is trying fly through the blog!!  Heheeh!  Here's your blog proof.  Go to the this link:  Build Your Own Plantation in Maryland.  Play for a good 5 - 10 minutes.  Let me know what your score was for your proof.  I played for like 4 minutes and had some definite problems like my cattle getting a strange disease, forgetting to put a fence around my crops, and other issues.  I got like 350 for my score/money.  Let's see how well you'd likely survive during the Colonial Times!

Other heads-up...
Band on Thursday
Coffee Talks on Friday

Let's have Josh and Landen do a check of our Cadet Pride tickets on Thursday.  I'm thinking our white tickets may have a strong effect on us this week.  There were several added for some silly behaviors and report card envelopes not being returned!  If you haven't returned it yet, let's make a plan to get it back here for the class!

Also...remind me to have our "class pet" discussion.  We need to get a name and a FISH!  I hope to get him this weekend!

Nighty night!  Don't let the siblings bite!

A little chattier today than the past week and a half...

Anyone feel like they may be a little guilty of the chatty bug inside you today????

Ok, so, we know MISTAKES are PROOF they we are TRYING.  SO....there were some mistakes today.  Tomorrow I'd love to see those of you who were struggling with the chatty bug syndrome to show improvement.




The majority of our class noticed it and is politely saying...

Please...

Remember, Wednesday is an early out.  Mrs. Vandervort will be gone tomorrow, so there will NOT be Tech Class as normal.  I've actually got another "tech project" planned for you though to replace it!  I found a website that I was having a GREAT time with....so much that is the reason why the blog is so late tonight!  Sorry... get sucked into it and didn't realize the time! Sorry!!!

Tomorrow will also be a make-up day for MAPs testing.  There are 3 of our 5B classmates that will need to do this.  I'll have you start pretty quickly in the morning, so you won't miss literacy or math work.  We also have guidance on Wednesday day.  

I noticed the blog checkers were a bigger group today!  Again, I'm truly impressed with those of you who take your OWN time to check the blog.  The reward tomorrow will be a sweet one!  It won't be something you get BEFORE lunch....it will be an AFTER lunch reward:)  Great job!  Help encourage some of your buddies!  I know SEVERAL of you have Internet or devices at home to check the blog... just maybe not being as responsible or filled with effort as you could be!  

Ok.. Blog Proof...Hmmm...  I'll know you checked the blog if you grab your iPad right away.  Find a spot either in the classroom or somewhere in the hallway to record yourself doing "Double, Double, This, This, Double, Double, That, That, Double, This, Double, That, Double, Double, This, That." Be sure the camera is faced AT you so it looks like you are practicing it with YOURSELF!  See my example:  (if you are on an iPad or iPod, the video may not load - laptops should load fine).

MARVELOUS MONDAY!!!

If I were Taylor Swift, and I heard about your amazing week last week AND today, I'd be like...

"O.M.G.!  You guys are so amazing!  I, like, wanna write a song about you!  I think I'll call it.... Shake It Up! Oh, wait, that's already one of my songs.  I'll get back to you soon!  But keep up the fantastic work!"

See, even Taylor Swift is amazed by YOU!

Mr. Carver stopped by after school to thank our class for allowing him to Skype with TX schools, and I was playing the 2 JibJab videos. He thought your faces were HILARIOUS!  I hope you did, too!




Simple as a pimple for blog proof tonight!  Go to this TodaysMeet Link (Click Here) and use 1 adjective to DESCRIBE the object I mention.  You CAN NOT repeat someone else's adjective though.  This will prove if you know what an adjective can really do for a sentence!

Oh, and be sure to brag to your families if your MAPs score showed growth from the fall!  If not, it's ok...we'll keep at it!!

Let's Do a REPEAT of LAST WEEK... Perfection!!!

I sure hope you bragged to everyone you know about the amazing week you had!  I know I did.  I'm predicting this week will be the same or even BETTER, knowing you guys!  

I wanted to upload our Harlem Shake video from our celebration activity on Friday, but somehow our video was lost!  I think Isaiah used my iPad this weekend to play a Lego app, and accidentally closed out of the app that we used for our video!!! AHHHHH!!!!!  I told him he would need to do a Harlem Shake video to replace the one he deleted!  So.... here's our family doing the Harlem Shake video...

Click Here...

If we have everyone there on Monday, let's do our video AGAIN, and I'll keep it away from Isaiah this time!  Also, we'll be sure we can see Emily, Andrew and more of Tim this time:)  We can do it after Library or before we head outside for recess or at the end of planners!  I hope to post it to the blog for you to share with your families!  

Here are some events for our week ahead!

Monday

Group Band

New Cadet Time Topic:  Adjectives in Mrs. Wilson's room

MAPs Reading Test - remember, you can bring a single snack or gum to chew during

Wednesday

Early Out

Guidance

Thursday

Group Band

Ok, I've been extremely impressed with those 5B students who have been making an extra effort to check the blog BEFORE walking into the classroom in the morning.  Remember, the Discovery Center is open to you when you get to school.  So, for those of you who check the blog on your own time, I have a special reward for you!  Here's your proof today/tonight...   Visit the link below.  

Click Here for Blog Proof

Read at least the first 2 paragraphs to see what the link is about. Read the rest if you choose 2.  It's a pretty STRANGE topic! The proof will be to answer these questions:  Is this a good idea for the world or not?  Why?  WRITE THEM DOWN and give it to me in the room:)  

Truly a PERFECT WEEK...

5B, you are so impressive (You know it, m-hhhh...)!  It has been probably one of the best week's this whole school year!  I know you've had other great ones, too!  But this has just been too amazing not to brag about to the WORLD!!!

Be sure to brag to your families, your friends, your other teachers, your enemies, your pets, your imaginary friends and of course, yourself!  You've REALLY shown what Cadet Pride looks like day after day after day!  

SO..  in honor and celebration of such a focused, hard-working class, I thought tomorrow, we could do a little extra (and goofy) activity!  If you read this from home, grab something funny, goofy, strange or weird that you can either wear or hold for the activity we'll be doing together!  If you are at school (like in the Discovery Center), ask Mrs. Vandervort if you could borrow something that would be goofy to wear or hold (stuffed animals, hats, hula hoops, anything crazy and strange!).  We'll do it right after Cadet Time, before we start literacy and continue sharing the rest of our passion projects.

I'll know you checked the blog if you add to this TodaysMeet link the item you will be bringing with you for our activity!  And, no, of course, I won't tell you what we're doing yet!  Heheeeheee!

DON'T FORGET SOCIAL STUDIES HOMEWORK!  Middle Colonies...  

Wowser of a Week So Far!

5B, this week as been amazing!  We've been "back at it" for 6 days now, and I have to say....

Let's keep this up!  Today I had to slip a few white tickets in our bucket for some silly behaviors, but overall,  you ROCK MY WORLD!  So proud of you!

I'm going to combine 2 topics we've been discussing in class:  ___________ and __________!  Here's a chance to prove what you know.  Read what I wrote below.  See if you can fill in the blanks!  This is be your blog proof!

There once was a word named Herb.

He was known to fall off the curb.

He walked around,

He wasn't a noun.

His actions showed he was a verb!

Here's a heads up for THURSDAY...

We'll have normal Band, normal Cadet time, but at 9:30, you will go to Mrs. Suckow's room for the morning for math and social studies!  We are switching the schedule around so I can do some of those reading tests with you on Thursday afternoon. We'll be having a sub come in for the last part of our afternoon.  We'll be FINALLY sharing our last Passion Projects!  So all of you who need to share..... be ready for Thursday! 

Have a great night!  

Ta-Ta!

Indoor Snowball Fight.... It's ON!!!!!

I'm guessing this is what our indoor fight will be like... thinking you're next to a friend but then...

in the face!  

This is definitely be a fun way to celebrate amazing Cadet Pride! And it's been such a great start back into a new year!  Thanks for such an amazing attitude and effort!

Be sure to finish the New England worksheet for social studies.  That is a definite Cadet Pride example to show off:)  Mrs. Suckow also wants you to DRILL like crazy your multiplication and division facts!  Check out any of the math sites on the blog.  I bet I have several games that would help practice!

Finally, today was our first Cadet Time working specifically on VERBS!  Listen to the Verb Song again on the blog.  It's at the top right of the blog.  Get that part memorized for me!  

A verb is a word that's an action word.

If you can do it, then do it.

If you do it, it's a verb!

I'll know you checked the blog if you can find 10 verbs in my blog post!  This will be a super way to practice.  Some of you are already moving onto Activity #3!  Way to go!  Write down the 10 on a piece of paper and hand it to me in the morning!  

Class Celebration Options Are....

These were the TOP 3 Ideas for Celebrating...

#1:  Watch a Movie Together - These are just examples...We can vote on an appropriate movie!

#2:  Have an Indoor Snowball Fight

#3:  Ice Cream Party - (Just a heads up - we will do something like this later on this year already)

There you have it!  These were the ideas most circled on your voting page today!  Now, we'll have to vote for our TOP one on Tuesday!  Think about the one you think would be the most fun or best way to celebrate together!  

I have to tell you....I'm very surprised the gum-chewing one only got a few votes!  I totally thought the class would love to have that right?!  Proved me wrong, I guess!  

Remember..

Report Card Envelopes

Mistakes Page

Warm Winter Clothing

I'll know you checked the blog if you come in and play patty-cake with someone else in the room.  If you aren't sure what this is or how to play it, here's a link to teach you!  Click Here!  If you can't find a partner, ask someone who as ALREADY done it to be your partner.  Be SURE to see if they checked the blog FIRST!  I'm extremely impressed with those of you who take time and effort every night or morning to get the blog checked!  Keep up that amazing modeling of responsibility!  

I'm OUT of HABIT!!

I OBVIOUSLY need to get back into a routine as much as you guys do!  I thought about blogging all day long, and then I got surprise visitors at my house to cheer on the Broncos (who ended up losing...  :( Sad for my husband), and then I JUST remembered!  Ahh!!!  I need to get back on schedule!  Don't I?

Well, this week will HOPEFULLY be normal and a regular routine for school and classes! I think we are all ready to get....... 

Don't you?  Ok, so since it's SOOOO late and I have cookies in the oven, with a timer BEEPING nonstop, I'll keep it short!  But, I'll be better the rest of the week!  Sorry, sorry, sorry!

Quick Reminders About This Week...

1)  Band on Monday and Thursday - NORMAL

2) Mistakes Page was homework for many of you... please show you have not forgotten the trait of responsibility under our Cadet Pride flag!  We have a class goal to meet - 6,000 points, right?!  Let's keep working at it by getting our work done when asked.  

3) Report cards went home Friday, but we forgot to put on the Planner to have them shared with families and then signed on the envelope and returned!  Please do this as we did the first quarter!  Thanks!

4)  Normal day of switching tomorrow!  You get to take a break from me....Mrs. Suckow misses you, too!  

5)  This week will have a few schedule changes but nothing too major!  

6)  I did NOT get a new class pet yet.  The blue Beta was not there.  I wasn't sure what the class thought I should do.  Will chat in class Monday.  

SO GLAD TO BE BACK!  Glad to have 20 5B Angels (ding...ahhhh) including our newbie, Andrew!

Ok, I'll know you checked the blog if you come in and ask me for the list to VOTE for our class celebration.  There will be a list of the ones that the class starred the most.  Circle 2 of your favorites from the list.  Put your name on it and hand it back to me!  

Nighty Night...Sleep Tight... Don't let the cold give you frost bite!  Heehee... Like my rhyme?!

Another Great Day in 2015! You can sleep in 2 hours later on Wednesday morning!

Nope, I'm not kidding.  I got a text saying it was a 2 hour late start tomorrow due to the incredibly cold temperatures!  But I can pretend that it was a little thank you gift from me to you:)  However you find out the news, don't come to school at regular time!

Since we are experiencing such crazy weather, I thought you'd enjoy learning a few interesting terms and new information about temperatures!  Click Here to Explore and Learn!

I'll know you checked the blog if you can find the section on Wind Chills in the website I have above.  Then calculate what the wind chill would be if....
the temperature was -10 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind speed was 25 MPH. 

What temperature would it feel like outside? You can either email me the answer or write it on a note and hand it to me when I see you next!  I hope to see you on Wednesday!  We have more connecting (fist bump x2) to do!  I'M SO LOVING being back with our family!!

So AWESOME to Be with You... HOPE I see you tomorrow!!

5B,
It was so crazy, amazing awesome to be back together!  You guys showed absolute model behaviors of listening, respect, working with partners/groups, lining up and hallways.  I would LOVE to see a repeat of today for the rest of the week!  Your Cadet Pride videos you worked on showed how much you know about respect at school.  I'll share them with the class tomorrow!

I just LOVED our day today!  The Pictionary game to find out what you got and where you went over break, meeting our new classmate, the Walk and Talk in the hallways, the table graffiti to finish One for the Murphys, Cameron's birthday dance (him wiping out- so glad he was ok!)  and the Whisper Challenge were so much fun with you!  I still need to apologize to Noah for being a terrible guesser on the Whisper Challenge!  OMG... I just couldn't figure it out!  I was having too much fun that I didn't take a single picture to post for you to share with your family!  Man, I'm rusty!  Thanks to all of my "season" partners for great work today!

Thanks for letting me "hog" you today to get reconnected (fist bump, fist bump).  I told Mrs. Suckow she could "borrow" you for a short bit on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it will be good to see 5D in literacy again, too.

Watch the weather and check your phones, devices, etc.  I'm sure the next 2 days will be interesting with weather issues.  I REALLY hope to see you Tuesday, but ya just never know with this snow, blowing and low temperatures.

Reminders...
No Dan Wardell tomorrow - cancelled already
Welcome Andrew to class!  Hopefully Jacy and Jordan will be here, too!
Bring in December Book-It Calendars
Band on Wednesday and Thursday of this week
Big Blast on Thursday
Guidance sometime this week...depending on weather and schedules

I'll know you checked the blog tonight if.... you start brainstorming some names for our new fish friend that we'll adopt into 5B 2015!  You'll be it's mamas and papas!  Click on the TodaysMeet Link Here to share your idea.  Andrew told me one he liked today, so I'll put his idea down in my box!  I'll try to get the blue Beta I was talking about today.  I won't get him until this weekend though.

Have a  great night..  I really am so happy to see everyone.  What an amazing day back!  More fun for tomorrow (hopefully no weather issues)!! Let's not hide that Cadet Pride!!  Woo-hoo!!

First Post of 2015! A New, Fresh ( and REALLY COLD) Start....

Boy, oh, boy, I've missed my 5B Family! (We are family...)

I'm guessing everyone will be excited but tired, ready but not ready, wanting to see people but not quite in the "classroom" mode quite yet!  No problem!  We'll take things VERY slowly, catch up from our vacations, practice "school" kinds of behavior vs. "home" behaviors and of course, and welcome in a new year with all sorts of new possibilities for a successful rest of our school year!

I'll keep it REALLY short, so we can go over all sorts of topics tomorrow together! But here's a heads up to some chats we'll be having...

No Band on Monday - tell anyone you know who is band, please!
So So COLD - be prepared and bundled up!  Indoor recess all week, I'm guessing!
Tuesday (Dan Wardell PBS Kids host) and Thursday (Big Blast)
Exciting news to share....new 5B member joining the family!
Some sad news to share... will tell you in person..... :(

You know it, Baby!

Oh, and the last thing I wanted to share before tomorrow is... Happy 2015!!  And guess where I got to go over break?!

No, I didn't eat all 3 pieces... But I REALLY wanted to!

Oh, I almost forgot!  I'll know you checked the blog if you meet me in the HALLWAY before coming in the room and give me a HUG!  Oh, yeah, gotta earn it!  You can show EXTRA PROOF if you whisper to me in my ear ONE person you got SICK of during your winter break!  (If it's no one, then just say that:)