April Student of the Month

Congratulations to Krystina for being the April student of the month! Way to go, Krystina! :)

Weekly Update

Parents-

I just wanted to give you a brief update on our week!  As you know, we will be going on a field trip to the Pence Springs Airport on Wednesday (May 9).  If you have not signed your child's permission form, you will need to do so in order for them to be able to go.  We will be leaving in the morning at around 8:30 am and we should return around 2:15pm.  The students will need to pack a lunch.  Parents are more than welcome to join us.  However, you will have to provide your own transportation and lunch!  Please send me an e-mail (bkeys@access.k12.wv.us) and let me know if you are going to attend.

We will not be having a spelling test this week or the remainder of the school year.  This week we will be doing different Acuity lessons and next week the students will be taking the WESTEST.  Before you know it, the kids will be graduating from the fifth grade.  I will be sending out information about graduation at the end of next week. 

As always, if you have any questions send me an e-mail.  I hope that each of you has a great week! :)

Spelling Words

Parents-

I wanted to apologize for not having the new spelling words posted until today.  I know that many of you print off the words to help your child study.  The students should have a copy of their words in their assignment journal and we did a handout together in class on Monday.  If you have any questions send me an e-mail.  Have a great day! 

Welcome Back!

I hope that each of you had a FANTASTIC spring break.  I look forward to getting back into the swing of things.  Before we know it, it will be the end of the school year! 

I just wanted to share some of the pictures that I took of the kids working on their Ukrainian pansky eggs.  I enjoyed nothing more then listening to the kids discuss the Ukrainian culture while they created their eggs.  Aside from a few broken eggs and blowing the fuse a couple times, the eggs ended up being a success. :)

I hope that you enjoy the pictures.  Make sure you check out the other photos under the classroom photos tab! 

  

Reading Interest Survey

Hey kiddos! Please help me out by taking the survey below! You can click on the link below and it should take you to the correct website! Make sure that you take your time and please be completely honest. :)

Thanks,

Ms. Keys

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/97V67VL

Sneak Peak Videos!

Weekly Update

Parents-

I hope that each of you had a great weekend.  I just wanted to let you know that report cards went home on Friday and they will need to be signed and returned to me tomorrow.  I was very impressed with their grades this 9 weeks.  I know that they have been working hard, and I am very proud of them.

The 3rd 9-Weeks PAW incentive is scheduled in the afternoon on Thursday, March 29, 2012.  The students will be watching a movie and they are allowed to bring a snack from home.

As a 5th grade, we decided to order self-portrait t-shirts.  The students voted and our classroom t-shirt color is going to be pink.  I sent the information home with your students last week, and the money and order form will need to be turned in by Friday, March 30, 2010.  I will not be able to take late order forms.  If you need another form then please let me know.

As always, you can call or send me an e-mail if you have any questions.

*Have a Great Week*

Our Pets Want to Learn Too! :)

Who says pets can't come to school?  Not Ms. Keys' 5th grade class!  What an exciting week we had with animals.  We would like to thank Ms. Harvey (Mrs. Shanks daughter) for teaching us about Newfoundland dogs and Samuel and Nathan for teaching us a thing or two about baby chickens!  The students had a great time loving on these friendly animals! 

A Special Thanks to Krystina's Dad! :)

We would like to thank Mr. Gore (Krystina's Dad) for visiting our classroom and teaching us a little bit about planes and how they work.  We learned so much, and we are looking forward to our field trip in the near future.  Parents, I will be sending out information in the near future in regards to this field trip.

 

Congratulations Jenna!!

Congratulations to Jenna for being our February student of the month!  Way to go, Jeanna! :)

Weekley Update

Parents-

I do not have a lengthy update this week.  I just finished grading last weeks grammar pages and spelling test and the students did a great job.  I know that they will be very proud of their grades.  

Tomorrow there will be a dance presentation in the afternoon, and Tuesday will be the February student of the month assembly.  I want to also take the time to remind you that report cards go home on March 20th, 2012.  If you have any questions about grades or anything else, do not hesitate to contact me.  

I hope that each of you has a great week.  They are calling for snow tomorrow (or since it is 12:30am I should say today)!! Be careful and safe travels! :)

-Ms. Keys

Congratulations Krystina and Jaden!

Congratulations to Krystina and Jaden for making it to the regional level for their social studies project on the H.L. Hunley.  We are all very proud of you!  Way to go!! :) 

 

Weekly Update

Parents- 

Can you believe all the snow we got?  I hope that the students got the opportunity to play in it, as well as complete one (or two) of the snow packet activities. 

As you are aware, I sent midterm grades home on Thursday, and I will need to have them signed and returned as soon as possible.  I also sent home a parent letter (see blog post below) and a weekly organizational calendar.  The students are not required to fill out the calendar, but I created it in hopes that it would help with their organizational skills.  I know that they stay very busy, so I wanted to help them in their efforts to balance extracurricular activities and their academics.  I will distribute new calendars at the beginning of each week for any of the students that would like them.

I have posted new pictures under the classroom photos tab that I think you will enjoy.  Make sure you check them out! 

Midterm Grades

Parents-

I sent a letter and a calendar home on Thursday in regards to midterm grades.  I decided to post it on the blog just in case you did not get an opportunity to see it.  The calendar that I mention in the letter is not included in this post, but if you would like a copy please e-mail me.  

 February 16, 2012

Parents-

It has been such an exciting year working with your kids.  I truly enjoy their lovable and unique personalities.  As I was calculating midterm grades, I noticed that some of the averages have declined.  It is not a significant decline, but I believe the sooner we handle the problem the better!  While I understand that many of the kids are involved in extracurricular activities, I still believe that it is important to keep academics a top priority!  With that being said, I have created a weekly calendar that the kids can use to keep track of their activities and homework assignments for the week.  I also suggested that they block a time that they dedicate to studying.  I have also explained to the kids how to use this calendar.   I believe that following a schedule may help them with their organizational and time management skills.  I will give each kid a new calendar at the start of the week.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me.  I am open to any and all suggestions!

Thanks,

Ms. Keys

bkeys@access.k12.wv.us 

Pineapple Presentation

Mr. Tabor came to our class to do a presentation on fresh pineapples.  The students learned many interesting facts about pineapples, and they enjoyed the presentation.  Thanks, Mr. Tabor!

Weekly Update

Parents!

I hope that everyone has had a great weekend!  I am looking forward to another exciting week with your children!  Hinton Area has declared Tuesday (Feb. 14) as our "Fun Day" and I have a fun science activity planned.  I know the students will really enjoy it!  All I can say is that I hope that they do not drop the slimy substance we make on your carpet! ;)

I wanted to let you know that midterm grades go home this week!  As of right now, they are scheduled to go home on Wednesday.  Overall, everyone has done a great job.  However, I must stress that with the additional extracurricular activities (cheerleading, basketball, drama, girl scouts, etc.) I have noticed a decline in homework/test averages.  I think it is important that we remember to help teach our little love bugs the importance of time management and organization.  I think if we work together, we can help them with this skill.

Tomorrow (Feb. 13) we will be taking classroom photos.  I sent home the envelope last week, but I have not received very many envelopes back.  If you have lost the envelope, you can still send money with your child, and I will hunt down some extra envelopes for them.

As always, feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns! 

Happy Early Valentine's Day!!

*Swing Your Partner Round and Round*

Physically activity is always fun when there is dancing involved! Mr. Lilly did such a great job teaching the kids how to square dance!! :)

A Little Bit of Laughter

Parents-

I am always taking pictures of the kids, but the silly and funny pictures rarely make it to the blog.  I have decided to start posting more of the "silly" pictures.  Your kids definitely keep me laughing!

Krystina and Taylor

Nate Stole the Girls Headband :)

Ms. Riffe teaching the girls how to french braid their hair before cheerleading practice! :)

Parents-

I hope that each of you had a great weekend.  I just wanted to let you know that I got sick on Friday morning and was not able to be at work.  Therefore, the students did not have their spelling test, and I felt that it was in their best interest to postpone the test until I got back.  With that being said, we will have our spelling test tomorrow.  If you have any question please do not hesitate to contact me.  I hope that each of you has a great week! 

Yay for TechSteps!

Parents-

This week, we got to spend some of our computer lab time working with Microsoft PowerPoint.  The students had to create a PowerPoint slide on a topic of their choice, and then they had to give a one minute speech on their topic using their PowerPoint slide as a guide.

I was impressed with all of the presentations.  They did such a great job!  I have posted pictures under the classroom photos tab. Enjoy! :)    

Weekly Update

Parents-

I sent home report cards on Friday.  Overall, the students did a GREAT job!  I will need to have the envelope that I sent the report card in signed and returned as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns with anything you can always contact me. 

Last week we presented our respiratory system posters.  I took a picture of each group.  They did a wonderful job with their presentations.  I have posted a few pictures below, but the rest of the pictures are under the classroom photos tab. I hope you enjoy!

Digital Imaging Project

Parents!  I wanted to share the digital imaging projects with you that we worked on in class; however, for some reason they will not load properly.  If any of you would like to see the projects then please send me an e-mail (bkeys@access.k12.wv.us), and I will send you the videos.  I am sorry for the inconvenience.  We all know how technology can be sometimes! :)

Snowflake Bentley

This past week we were honored to have a lady from Carnegie Hall come to our classroom and teach the students about "Snowflake Bentley."  The students had such a great time and they learned a lot. 

I wanted to share the video with each of you in case you were interested.  I also posted some pictures under the classroom photos tab.  I hope you enjoy! :)

Weekly Update

Parents- 

This is just an update to let you know that we will have a spelling test tomorrow.  Since school was closed on Friday, we will resume the schedule that was planned for Friday.  The students will also be presenting their digital imaging and social studies projects tomorrow.  I will post pictures of their presentations as soon as a get a chance. 

I will be collecting any snow day activities that were completed.  I will also award those bonus points to grades for this 9 weeks.  As of right now, report cards are scheduled to go home on Friday.  When they are distributed, they will need to be signed and returned as soon as possible.

I hope that each of you had a great weekend. 

Congratulations Jaden and Chris!

Congratulations to Jaden and Chris!  Jaden was the December student of the month, and Chris received recognition for getting 1st place in the county math field day test!  Way to go! :)

Jaden

Chris

Parent Update

Parents!

I hope that each of you has had a great weekend!!  I just wanted to let you know that the grading period ends on Thursday, January 12, 2012, and report cards are scheduled to go home on Friday, January 20, 2012.  Overall, the students did an excellent job this 9 weeks.

This Wednesday we will have a lady from Carnegie Hall visiting our class for a Snowflake activity.  I am excited for the students to take part in this activity.

As always, if you have any questions feel free to contact me at any time.  I hope that each of you has a great week!    

Spelling Word Update

Parents!

I had several students come in today "getting on to me" for listing all 25 words on the blog. :)

I did the blog on Sunday night, and I planned to test the students on all 25 words.  However, after we had a snow day I felt that it would be in the best interest of students to only test them on 15 words.  The list below contains the shortened spelling list.  If you have any questions send me an e-mail!

Shortened Spelling List:

1. uncomfortable
2. discourage
3. unfamiliar
4. disadvantage
5. unfortunate
6. disqualify
7. undecided
8. disability
9. unnecessary
10. dehumidifier
11. disinfectant
12. disenchanted
13. disobedient
14. unpleasant
15. unpredictable

Parent Update

Parents-

As I was planning my lessons for the week, a co-worker informed me that snow was headed our way!  Now, as I am sitting here, I cannot help but smile as the beautiful snow is falling to the ground.  I must say that regardless of the season, God always finds a way to make a magnificent creation!  I think it is safe to say that winter has officially arrived!  

Over Christmas break, I met up with a former teacher of mine who gave me some advice for my snow packets.  Originally, I had a "method to my madness" on how I was setting up the packets.  However, she gave me some great advice on different activities that I should consider including. With that being said, over Christmas break I spent some time "tweeking" my packets.  I will need to reprint my final draft and make copies.  However, it looks like tomorrow may be our first snow day.  That is perfectly okay!  If we do not have school, I just want the students to enjoy another day off spending time with family and friends! 

I want to take the time to update you about the last quiz that the students took on descriptive writing.  Many of the students did great, but I had a few students who did not get one question correct.  I wanted to let you know that if your child did not do good on the quiz, that I do drop the lowest quiz grade.  Also, quiz grades do not count as much as test scores.  On the other hand, we do spend each day reviewing for our weekly quizzes.  As the students were taking notes, I made sure to highlight the important details that they needed to know for their quiz.  However, we all have days when we do not do our best.  Therefore, if your child was one of the students who did not do well, just remember that I do drop the lowest quiz grade. 

I am trying to help build study habits with the kids.  I have explained how important it is to look over material every night for a little while instead of trying to cram at the last minute.  As they are getting older, they will begin to cover more material that will require them to spend a little more time with their studies.  As we start working our way into the second half of the year, I want the students to work on being more accountable for their work.  They are getting ready to head off the middle school, so if we can work together on building these habits, I think we will help the kids out tremendously.   I have confidence that each of them will appreciate this new level of responsibility.  I must say that I am highly impressed with them so far!  I definitely have some smart cookies who LOVE to learn, and they have made this year so enjoyable! 

As always, if you have any question you can send me an e-mail or call me, and my planning is from 2:10-2:40.  I look forward to seeing my kiddos.  I sure have missed them!

Hip-Hip-Hoorraaayy…….We Filled Our Marble Jar

YAY!!  We have officially filled our marble jar!  At the beginning of the year, I placed an empty jar in the classroom and each time the class did something praiseworthy they received a marble.  The week before Christmas break they filled the jar, and I was so proud of them.  As a class, we came up with a list of rewards.  I decided to allow the students to have a small celebration the Thursday before Christmas break.  I also picked two additional rewards that I will share with the class tomorrow.  I hope you enjoy the some of the pictures!  The rest are posted under the classroom photos tab.

 

Fun With Oragami

Our class got the opportunity to spend some time learning about the Japanese culture!  We were very fortunate to have a lady from Carnegie Hall come to our class and share her expertise!  At the end of the lesson, the students got to create "Snapping Jaws" which is a type of origami!  I hope you enjoy the pictures! 

Digital Imaging Project

Parents-

I do not know if your child has told you or not about our digital imaging project that we are doing as part of a social studies unit, but I wanted to update you.  As part of a technology requirement for our Technology Integration Specialist, she has asked to use my class to complete this digital imaging project.  

This project is a technology and social studies lesson that will allow the students to learn different technology and social studies skills.  One of these skills includes the students characterizing and modeling good citizenship by building social networks of reciprocity and trustworthiness. 

The final product for this project will be a photostory that will instruct upcoming fifth grade students on things they need to know on move-up day.  So far, the students have successfully taken their pictures and saved them to a folder on their assigned computer.  

I plan to gather as many grades as possible from this project.  They have been working extremely hard, and I will be excited for them to share their final products with you.  If you have any questions regarding this project, please do not hesitate to contact me!