Lynchsters Mr. Lynch's 5th Grade Class 

We are attempting to pull off our second full week of school this year, but we’ll make up for it by having a three-day weekend at the end of the week. This is also the second week of the PTO’s Spelling Challenge so we will focus this week’s spelling test exclusively on those words in preparation for Friday’s all-school spelling test.

The Egg Drop was moved to Thursday, October 4 because Friday is an action packed day with an author visit and the Spelling Challenge Test. The Egg Drop will be at 8:45 AM and parents/guardians/grandparents (or even non-school age kids) can come by to watch. I drop the eggs from the roof near the South Entrance so you can meet us outside. Click on Egg Drop 2012 for an extra copy of the Egg Drop packet.

Students who were interested in attending the More Than Money Conference (run by Junior Achievement) wrote letters and turned them in on Friday. I will be taking a squad of eight girls (along with 16 kids from a couple other classes) to Aetna on October 26.

Homework Slips were handed out for the first time on Friday. Before this, I called students up on a daily basis to remind them that they would receive one in the future if they didn’t turn their homework in or forgot to put their name on it. It stinks to get a homework slip just for forgetting to put your name on homework, but it really stinks for the teacher who has to run a forensics lab each day to figure out who owns each piece of homework. Thus, a black & white policy. It’s either turned in with a name or it’s not.

Upcoming Events

Egg Drop – Thursday, October 4, 2012 (8:45 AM)

Sturbridge Village – Friday, October 19, 2012

More Than Money Conference (8 students) – Friday, October 26, 2012

Parent/Teacher Conferences – Monday, December 10 and Tuesday, December 11

On Monday, September 24 the PTO introduced the Spelling Challenge at a school-wide Town Meeting. This is the PTO’s big fundraiser and its goal is to eliminate all the other fundraisers if this one is successful. Next week we will focus on these words in spelling. Click here for information from the PTO’s website.

We are currently learning about factors in math. Here is a brief video that explains how to find the factors of a number. This is one method although there are others.

 

Keeping up the September trend, this will be a shortened week – a four-dayer. There will not be school on Wednesday for Yom Kippur. There will not be any homework on Tuesday night.

I will be taking a small group of students to the More Than Money Fifth Grade conference on October 26, run by Junior Achievement. It takes place at Aetna and I have been taking a group of students to this for the past few years. I am taking students from a few other classes as well so I can only take eight students from our class. (A sub will be with the rest of the class in school.) Students start the day by hearing from a guest speaker and then break up into smaller groups where they will learn about saving, spending, and other relevant economics. The way I select the eight students is by having interested students write me a letter explaining why they deserve to go. The conference is free and lunch is provided, but there is a charge of $5 to pay for the bus.

The Egg Drop will take place on Friday, October 5. We have been discussing this in school and going over materials that would work well. However, I don’t really care what students use to protect the eggs because my goal is to smash each and every egg as I drop them from the roof. As far as I’m concerned, they could use a single piece of tissue. It would certainly make my job easier. My guess though – students won’t let me succeed easily. Click here for the packet that students received –  Egg Drop 2012.

Upcoming Events

Egg Drop – Friday, October 5, 2012

Sturbridge Village – Friday, October 19, 2012

More Than Money Conference (8 students) – Friday, October 26, 2012

Parent/Teacher Conferences – Monday, December 10 and Tuesday, December 11

This is a short week – a three-dayer. On Thursday morning I will be taking interested students on a Bike Ride to school. Mr. Lindberg, and students who want to participate from his class, will be joining us as well. We leave from the Avon Free Public Library at 7 AM and we will bike to school as a group. Students coming along should have properly inflated tires and a helmet. We will leave the bikes in front of the school and parents can pick them up anytime after 8 AM. We would still love to have some parents join us for the ride. It’s mostly flat and it’s a refreshing start to the day.

On Friday we go to Winding Trails where students will participate in some adventure course challenges. These challenges are group based and they will work together on mental and physical tasks. Students should wear sneakers and bring a lunch. Although the forecast for Friday is looking warm, it will probably be much cooler in the morning when we arrive so sweatshirts are recommended. That way, students can shed them as it warms up.

I sent out an e-mail Sunday night about the December Parent/Teacher Conferences. If you did not receive the e-mail let me know and I will resend it. I changed my sign up system to an online one. You pick your conference day/time and you could swap with people or even change your own time if necessary. Click here for the conference sign-ups. The password was sent to you via e-mail, but let me know if you need it again.

Upcoming Events

Bike Ride to School – Thursday, September 20 (7 AM) OPTIONAL

Winding Trails – Friday, September 21

Egg Drop – Friday, October 5, 2012

Sturbridge Village – Friday, October 19, 2012

Parent/Teacher Conferences – Monday, December 10 and Tuesday, December 11

Students survived their first week of school and they are now entering into their only full week of school during the month of September. Open House is on Wednesday night at 6 PM. I will talk about what your child will be doing in class over the next ten months as well as what can be done on my end and the parental end to make this a great year for everyone. I would tell you to also come because there will be a raw bar, hot & cold appetizers, and a coffee station, but if I told you that, I’d be lying. Maybe hard candy. Probably not even that.

If you’re wondering what’s going on academically, we slowly eased into the academics last week. In math we started Unit 1: Number Theory. This includes factors, divisibility, prime numbers, and a few other related concepts. In Reader’s Workshop students are learning the basics of discussion and choice, such as choosing the right book, along with starting Because of Winn Dixie. In Writer’s Workshop, students are learning about what it means to be a writer and in particular, the importance of a Writer’s Journal. In Social Studies we will start with geography this week and students will attend their first Science Lab (taught by Mrs. Luddy) on Monday.

The Supply List you received came with a disclaimer about the supplies being recommended, but not mandatory. This is absolutely true, but there are certain items that I will pick up for students if they are unable to provide them. Just let me know and I will be happy to get them. For example, the tennis balls prevent the chairs from making the most horrific screeching sound every single time they are moved. For the sanity of both myself and the students, if students cannot bring in tennis balls I will just buy them myself.

 

Upcoming Events

Open House – Wednesday, September 12 (6 PM)

Bike Ride to School – Thursday, September 20 (7 AM) OPTIONAL

Winding Trails – Friday, September 21