10-20-17

10-20-17

Next Friday(10/27) is Halloween.  The school-wide parade will be at 10:30 behind our school on the LCE track.  Feel free to stop by after the parade, just make sure you sign-in at the office.  The kids are planning some activities that will take place following the parade.  If you would like to sign up to send in some snacks or supplies, please use the link below:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4baaab29a6fa7-halloween1

Yearbooks are on sale now (Oct. 16) through Dec. 31 for $12, the lowest price we will offer. We receive a limited number of yearbooks so order now to guarantee a copy. You may order online (www.balfour.com), but please note Balfour charges a $1 processing fee on each order. Or you may order through the school – simply print the attached form that is sent out with the weekly school emails, fill it out and return with your payment to your child’s teacher. Checks must be made payable to PORTAGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. If you do not have access to a printer, please contact the teacher and a paper copy will be sent home.

Conference Time!  Conferences will be held this year on November 14th and 16th.  We will be doing online scheduling again this year.  This will open up at 8am today. You can CLICK HERE  or go to www.schoolbookings.net/code?ecode=ekhj9   If you need a code it is ekhj9.  Please find your child’s teacher and sign up under his/her name.  Remember to not book back to back as you will need time to get to from one classroom to the other.  Also be aware that we are on a tight schedule and we must stick to the time allotted and only one conference per family.  Thank you for your support and understanding.

The last couple of stories haven't been that spectacular so we have been substituting  a lot of our language arts with StoryWorks Magazine.  StoryWorks is a great magazine from Scholastic that has great fiction and non-fiction articles.  As a class, we have been reading articles together and then focusing on inferences, since that is the essential standard for the 1st quarter.  Whether we have a heavy focus on the story in the journeys basil or not, we will still have weekly vocabulary and spelling tests.  We always go over the spelling words and vocabulary words together as a class on Mondays and Tuesdays.  It is every child's responsibility to know the 10 vocabulary words and 20 spelling words. 

Vocabulary Words: unison, uniform, mastered, competition, identical, element, routine, intimidated, recite, qualifying

Spelling Words:  glue, flute, youth, accuse, bruise, stew, choose, loose, lose, view, confuse, cruise, jewel, execute, route, cartoon, avenue, include, assume, souvenir

We wrapped up all 16 lessons from Module 1 this week.  We will spend today(Friday 10/20) and Monday (10/23) taking a review test and going over all the concepts covered.  I will probably have everyone take the End of Module 1 test next Tuesday or Wednesday.  It just depends how long it takes up to go through everything.  Please use the review test to help your child. 

Every students needs to know how to:

1.   Round decimals to the nearest tenth, hundredth, thousandth, or whole number.

2.  Compare Decimals <,>, =

3.  Add and Subtract Decimals

4.  Multiply Decimals

5.  Divide Decimals

Phases of the Moon

We are going to probably take a few weeks and focus on the phases of the moon.  Students need to know all 8 phases of the moon and be able to draw which part of the moon is illuminated correctly.  Students also need to know how the moon has an effect on the tides and the difference between a lunar and solar eclipse. 

10-13-17

10-13-17

The link to sign up for conferences will be live on Monday.  Lake Center will send out a school wide email on Monday as well.  Looks like conferences will be on Tuesday, Nov. 14th and Thursday, Nov. 16th.

www.schoolbookings.net

Parent Code:  ekhj9

Lake Center Dine Out Night

Lake Center Spirit Days

Halloween will be celebrated on Friday, October 27th which is another half day.  October 31st will be used to celebrate a school wide celebration of being 95% referral free.  All students will be able to wear their PJ's to school that day.  I will send out more details about Halloween as I figure out exactly what will be going on that day besides the parade at 10:30.  

This week we read about space exploration and asked the question “How can graphics help you learn about space?” We read an informational text, Blasting Off to Space Academy about a group of children who experience the excitement of space exploration during a space-shuttle mission simulation. 

Vocabulary Words: function, delicate, adjusted, operator, flawed, acute, version, axis, simulate, tethered

Spelling Words:  awake, feast, stray, greet, praise, disease, repeat, display, braces, thief, ashamed, sleeve, waist, beneath, sheepish, release, remain, sway, training, niece

Inferences

Our main comprehension focus for the first quarter has been and will be on inferences.  The students have to be able to quote accurately from a text when drawing inferences and also be able to draw or relate from personal experiences.

Writing

We are finishing up our informational writings on planets this week before we introduce our first persuasive writing next week(hopefully).  

This week was spent on multiplying and dividing decimals by whole numbers.  We are getting close to finishing up our first module in math.  We have 3 more lessons to get through next week and then I'm sure we will spend some time reviewing all the material from the whole module before taking the end of module assessment.  Our main focus this module has been comparing decimals, rounding decimals, multiplying decimals by whole numbers, and dividing decimals by whole numbers.  I would recommend having your child go back and review any past problem sets in their math section of their binder if they need any review.

I've been using mystery science this year to kind of connect together all of our science standards that need to be covered involving the solar system, moon phases, seasons, and tides.  We've pretty much wrapped up our unit on the solar system.  I still need to review the order of the planets with a handful of students but then we will be hitting the phases of the moon.  We will stop and go into a lot of detail between the phases of the moon and how the moon affects the tides.  Below is a brief description of the unit:  Spaceship Earth.

Mystery 1: Day, Night, & Earth's Rotation

Why does the sun rise and set?

Mystery 2: Earth's Rotation & Time

Who set the first clock?

Mystery 3: Seasons & Earth's Revolution

Why do the stars change with the seasons?

Mystery 4: Seasonal Changes & Sun's Path

How can the sun tell you the season?

Mystery 5: Moon Phases, Lunar Cycle

Why does the moon change shape?

Mystery 6: Planets & Solar System

What are the wandering stars?

This astronomy unit helps students develop a new perspective on the world they’re standing on. They will be given evidence that the Earth beneath our feet is actually moving through space, both spinning on its axis, and traveling in a great orbit around the Sun. They will see how these movements account for the patterns we see in our sky (the paths of our Sun across the sky, the changing seasons, and the changing constellations). Accompanying us on this journey are the Moon and planets, which the students will observe have their own patterns of movement in the sky. Throughout this investigation students will engage in actual and simulated observations of the sky, and they will engage in the process of inquiry: beginning with observations, debating a range of possible causes, and reasoning to possible conclusions.

9-22-17

9-22-17

Sherman Lake

Thank you everyone for filling out all the health forms and returning them to school.   Please send in your money for camp next week if you haven't already done so.  The cost this year is $65.00 and please make sure all checks are made out to Portage Public Schools.

Turtle Trot is on Friday, September 29th.  Fifth grade walks/runs at 11:20.  Please come cheer your child on as he/she runs or walks towards his/her goal.  Keep in mind that you can still continue to raise and collect money for this event until October 13th.  The actual walk/run is just this Friday.

LCe Spirit Wear 2017

Follow the link below to order today

http://tinyurl.com/LakeCenterFall17

Lake Center Mural Project

Last year, Lake Center was awarded a grant to bring in local artist Conrad Kaufman to create some murals with our students.  Last spring, students brainstormed ideas around specific themes that could be used in the murals.  Over the summer Mr. Kaufman designed 67 different mural pieces and next week the students will have the opportunity to paint them with the artist!  The painting will take place during regular Art times.  Please send a large, grubby t-shirt that your child can wear when painting!  We are so excited for this opportunity and can't wait to see the final product all throughout our hallways!

Dibels/Star Reports/WIN

I was probably suppose to send the Dibel and Star reports home today but kind of forgot.  I will be sure to send both home on Monday, along with the WIN letters that let you know what groups your child will be in during WIN time.  If your not familiar with what WIN(what I need) is at our school, please let me know and I can go into further detail.

 

9-15-17

Sherman Lake

Thanks to everyone that made it out to the camp meeting and open house last night.  The most important thing about camp right now is to hand in the health information sheet.  We need all information handed in by Monday, September 18th.  I'm still missing like 6 or 7.  You can also start sending in checks for the cost of camp at any time.  The cost this year is $65.00 and please make sure all checks are made out to Portage Public Schools.

Turtle Trot

All information was sent home today with the kids.  It should all be in their binder.  This is our biggest fundraiser for the year so hopefully everyone can get out their and participate for a good cause.  Kids can start getting sponsors tonight if they want.  The actual turtle trot is on Friday, September 29th.  Fifth grade walks/runs at 11:20.  All donations are due by Friday, October 13th.  I told the class to brainstorm a special event we could do if we collect the most money in the whole school.  The class that collects the most money already gets a pizza party but I told them to think of something creative that's not food related.

Picture day is next Friday, September 29th.

Story:  A Package for Mrs. Jewls

Target Vocabulary: disturbing, interrupted, squashing, specialty, struggled, staggered, wobbled, collapsed, numb, shifted 

Vocabulary Strategy: Using context 

Comprehension Skill: Story structure— examine details about characters, setting, and plot 

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize— briefly tell the important parts of the text in your own words

Grammar:  4 Kinds of Sentences(declaritive, imperative, exclamatory, and interrogative), Simple predicates, simple subjects, sentence fragments, and complete sentences

Lesson 1

Objective: Reason concretely and pictorially using place value understanding to relate adjacent base ten units from millions to thousandths.

Lesson 2 

Objective: Reason abstractly using place value understanding to relate adjacent base ten units from millions to thousandths.

367 x 10

367/10

Lesson 3 

Objective: Use exponents to name place value units, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point.

5-26-17

5-26-17

If you would like to register your child for the Portage District Library summer reading program, click on the link below.

Our all school picnic is next Thursday, June 1st.  Please come join us if you can.  I need to know if your child needs to order a sack lunch for that day ASAP so the cafeteria can be prepared.

We received our 2nd shipment of caterpillars today and all is right in the world again.  Hopefully we can put the caterpillar massacre of 2017 behind us.  My biggest concern now is time.  I'm afraid we will not have enough school days to observe the entire life cycle.  It will be cutting it close.  If anything, I may have the kids bring a clear container or jar in on the last day of school and send everyone home with their chrysalis.

We wrapped up Module 7 this week and the final assessment on measurement is in everyone's homework folder.  Module 8 is our last of the year.  We have around 16 lessons to cover on Time, Shapes, and Fractions and about 12 days to do it.  We may be doubling up on a few lessons to make sure we get through everything.

Language Arts

We finished up our last story for Unit 6 and took our Unit 6 Reading Assessment this week.  Those will be the last scores that will be recorded for reading this year.  We will go back cover a few stories that we skipped but their won't be any recorded grades.

This was the final week for our What a Surprise! unit. We wrapped it up by thinking about this: “How is life now the same and different from life long ago?” We read an informational text about Benjamin Franklin, who made many helpful new discoveries long ago. In addition to Now & Ben, we will read A Model Citizen, where we learned of the many other helpful things Ben Franklin did for his country.

Target Vocabulary: accomplishments, inventions, result, designed, achieve, composed, remarkable, amounts 

Phonics Skills: Reading longer words; final stable syllable -le 

Vocabulary Strategy: Using a dictionary 

Comprehension Skill: Compare and contrast—tell how two things are alike or not 

Comprehension Strategy: Visualize— picture what is happening as you read

5-12-17

5-12-17

I hope everyone enjoys their special day and thank you for all that you do.

It's that time again!  We are having another Box Tops collection contest next week, May 15-19. If you have any at home, send them in with your student!  If you can send them in already clipped and in plastic bags, that would be even better!

ANCHOR RUN 5K

WHEN

FRIDAY, MAY 19TH, 6PM

WHERE

10011 PORTAGE ROAD

PORTAGE, MI

MORE INFORMATION

The 5K Walk/Run (6:00 pm) and 1 Mile Fun Run (6:45 pm) events start and finish at Lake Center Elementary. The course is an out and back course along-side Austin Lake.

All proceeds support the Lake Center Elementary PTO.

This is a fun, family-centered event! Register by May 12th to be guaranteed a t-shirt. Register more than one person in your family and receive a discount on each additional registration! Register now on the Run Sign Up Page

If you would like to volunteer at this event, please visit our Sign Up Genius Page to see what is needed.

Registration for 5K Run/Walk provides each participant a Meal Deal. This includes a hot dog, chips and a drink. Additional Meal Deals may be purchased before or at the event for $3 each.

For more information, visit anchorrun5k.weebly.com or contact Rachel Bryant at rachbry5@yahoo.com

We continued with our unit on surprises as we read two new selections this week. Two of Everything is a folktale from China. A farmer finds an unusual brass pot that doubles everything put inside it. But is that always a good thing? In the traditional tale of Stone Soup, we read about a clever man who figures out how to make soup from a stone. With both stories, we explored the question “What clues help you understand a story character?”

Target Vocabulary: contained, grateful, startled, odd, search, leaned, tossed, village 

Phonics Skills: Reading longer words; vowel diphthongs oi (boil), oy (toy) 

Vocabulary Strategy: Antonyms 

Comprehension Skill: Understanding characters—tell more about characters 

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize— stop to tell important events as you read 

Lesson 9 

Objective: Solve word problems involving different combinations of coins with the same total value.

Lesson 10 

Objective: Use the fewest number of coins to make a given value.

Lesson 11 

Objective: Use different strategies to make $1 or make change from $1.

Lesson 12 

Objective: Solve word problems involving different ways to make change from $1.

Richie has 24 cents. How much more money does he need to make $1?

Shay buys a balloon for 57 cents. She hands the cashier 1 dollar. How much change will she receive?

We should just about be done with our economics unit by the time our caterpillars arrive on Wednesday.  Our focus this week was on natural resources.  Basically anything that we use from nature that helps us produce the goods that we buy.  Some examples of natural resources would be :  the sun, air, plants, oil, coal, fossil fuels, sand, water, animals, etc...

We also discussed capital and human resources this week.  Human resources are the people that build the goods or provide the service.  Capital resources are the tools used to make the goods or help people provide a service.

Anchor Run 5K - 5/19

Half Day of school - 5/26

Student Council Spirit Day (Wacky Hair) - 5/26

Memorial Day - No School - 5/29

School Picnic - 6/1

PTO Meeting - 6/5

Ice Cream Social and Scholastic Book Fair - 6/8

Student Council Spirit Day (LCE Spirit Wear & Sunglasses) - 6/9

5th Grade Farewell at Airway Lanes - 6/14

5th Grade Graduation/Last Day of School/Half Day - 6/15