Merry Christmas from the Beach Brains!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from the Beach Brains to you! I wanted to express my gratitude and appreciation to you all. Thank you for being involved in your child's education and thank you for making my first year at JTSD a great one! I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us.

Here are just a few reminders as we venture into our Christmas break:

• MyON Contest - MyON is hosting a Celebrate! Reading in the New Year contest and JTSD has chosen to participate. The basic premise is that the school that spends the most time reading on MyON over the holiday break will win a school-wide party hosted by MyON. This is an excellent way to encourage continued reading outside of school and keep your child's brain engaged & learning! The contest started 12/16 and ends on 1/10.
• PTA Reminders - Here are some dates that our awesome PTA wants us to remember.
• 1/6 - School back in session.
• 1/10 - Dinner & Movie @ JTSD. Despicable Me 2 with breakfast for dinner!!
• 1/16 - PTA General Meeting @ 6pm
• Hall of Heroes - Mr. Wilson has 5 openings for the Hall of Heroes comic book club for the spring semester. If your child is interested in joining this club, please contact Mr. Wilson as soon as possible.
• No School - Remember there is no school on 12/20 as it is a teacher work day.

I think that's it! Have a wonderfully relaxing Christmas break!! :)

Mr. Bennett

Thursday Updates!

Good afternoon! Here are some updates to throw out there for the week:

StuCo Events & Dates

• Friday (TOMORROW): Hat Day for 50 cents. Proceeds will be donated to a charity of StuCo's choice. Hat Days will always be the 3rd Friday of every month.
  
• Tuesday: Camo Day & Turkey Gobbling Contest. Get on YouTube to see how the pro's gobble and come ready to get your gobblin' on! 

School News

• No School - November 27-29. Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!!
• All Pro Dad's Breakfast - December 13th. More information will be sent home tomorrow.

It's short & sweet today! :) Please feel free to e-mail me with your questions or comments! Have a great night!!

Mr. Bennett

Halloween Update!

Happy Halloween, everyone!! 

The kids are very excited to dress up and go trick-or-treating, and I bet you are looking forward to the inevitable sugar high! ;)

Here are some announcements for your reading pleasure: 

Fundraiser Pickup (from JTSD PTA)
We have received confirmation from Great American that our delivery will arrive on Thursday, November 14th.

Items must be picked up in the gym between 4:00pm-7:00pm on November 14th.  

If your student qualified for the movie, limo lunch, or "human sundae" we will be sending home a notice next week with the date for the event.  We will also send home a Permission Slip for the Limo Lunch.  Students who qualified for that prize cannot go unless the signed permission slip is returned.  If your student earned the "toilet", we will distribute those at school after the 14th.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this fundraiser a success.  We raised enough funds to purchase the stage curtain for the gym.  We look forward to showing it off once it is installed.

2nd Quarter Learning Goals

Math: Our overall focus will be in Number and Operations.  Topics we will focus on are division of whole numbers, data, probability, and graphing.  We will include problem solving through application of these skills in word problems and real-life situations.  Students will focus on explaining their thinking and understanding problem solving through these standards.

ELA: In Writing, students will review and apply the writing process to compose well-developed text.  Students will continue to work on proper conventions within their writing.

In Reading, students will focus on developing and applying skills and strategies to comprehend analyze and evaluate various fiction and nonfiction texts. 

Science: Students will learn properties and principles of Matter and Energy.  Students will focus on changes in properties and states of matter.  The students will also learn about processes and interactions of the Earth’s Systems.  Students will focus on interactions of weather, water, and environments.  Our third Science Unit will be the composition and structure of the universe and the motion of objects within it.  Our focus will be the motion of objects within the universe. 

Social Studies: Students will focus on geographical and physical features of the United States.

No School

Just a quick reminder that school is not in session on Tuesday, November 5th.

Thanks and have a wonderful day!!

Mr. B

Friday Update

Happy Friday! Here is some news you can use!

PTA Newsflash: Fall Parties

If you would like help at the Fall Party on October 31st, please go to www.signupgenius.com and search under jtsdvolunteers@gmail.com. At this time we are requesting 8 volunteers per grade level. Only parents who are signed up may attend the party, so sign up ASAP if you would like to come! It is going to be a blast! If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact Stephanie Forsee. 

SBG Fliers

Standards-based grading fliers are being sent home today with your child. Please take some time to look over this information. I'll try to answer your questions about grading at conferences, but this should help make things a little clearer.

P/T Conferences

Conferences are next week! You should get a reminder e-mail from SignUp Genius a day or two before your conference. If you have not signed up for a Parent/Teacher conference yet, please do so at your earliest convenience. I must meet with all parents and I can schedule around what is most convenient for you. Take a look at our Parent/Teacher Conference Sign Up to see if there is a time that works for you. If not, please e-mail me ASAP so we can schedule a conference at another time.

Coats for Kids
Winter is coming soon, and there are many children in our community who will not have coats to keep them warm. Your family can help a child in need by donating a new or gently-used coat to our Coats for Kids program. You can bring in your coats at any time and place them in the collection bin by the front office. Your generosity can change a child's life this winter!

Website
Remember you can find all the latest school news & updates on our website. Just go to http://www.johnthomasschoolofdiscovery.net.

As always, please feel free to e-mail or call me if you have any questions or concerns! Have a great day!

Mr. B

News You Can Use!

Happy Monday! Here's the lastest news from the 5th grade Beach Brains!

Coats for Kids
Hundreds of children in our area will be without adequate clothing in the upcoming winter months. You can make a difference in their lives by donating new or gently-used coats to keep them warm. You may bring in your donations to the school at any time. There will be collection bins to drop off your donations.

Standards-based Grading
Dr. Chastain will be sending home an informational brochure about our standards-based grading system this upcoming Friday, 10/11. We hope this will answer some of our questions before conference time. Speaking of which, if you have not signed up for a Parent/Teacher conference with me, please do so at your earliest convenience using our online sign up sheet.

Half Day - 10/11
Just a reminder that this upcoming Friday, 10/11 is a half day. Students will be dismissed at 12:30pm.

Fundraiser Info
Please send in your fundraising order forms and money to school on Thursday, 10/10. This is the very last day for the fundraiser. Students earning prizes will receive them at a later date, once fundraising orders have been verified and processed.

We're Collecting...
We're collecting Box Tops for Education as well as Little Cesar's box tops. You may send them to school with your child at any time.

From the PTA
We're enlisting 5th and 6th graders to help with a book bingo game at the Chili Cook Off in November. A flier went home last week with the information. If your child is interested in helping to run the game, please return the form you received by Wednesday, October 9th.

That's all I have for now. Thank you for your support and please feel free to e-mail me at any time with your questions and concerns!

Mr. B

Happy Friday!!

Happy Friday! I don't know about you, but I am ready for a nice, relaxing weekend! Here is some news you can use to end a great week of learning!

Spanish Club

The First Cycle of the Spanish Club is starting next week! IF YOU SIGNED UP for the club, but HAVE NOT received an e-mail indicating in which group and which cycle your child has been placed, please contact Maria Surma immediately at agelmetti@hotmail.com  Thank you.

PTA Fundraiser

Our PTA fundraiser is going full force! Thank you for your support as we raise money for our school! As you sell items and fill out coupons, please make sure coupons are signed by you and have your child's name on them.

Next Week

Here's a little taste of what we will be studying in the upcoming week...

• Math - Multiplication of whole numbers & decimals. Please take some time to review multiplication tables with your child. Multiplication is ingrained in ALL of 5th grade math as we work with fractions, division, measurement, geometry. It is CRUCIAL for students to have a solid foundation in multiplication or else they will struggle. Thank you for your support!!
• Science - We will be studying biomimicry, how the structures of animals have inspired modern inventions.
• Reading - We will deepen our understanding of the text by asking questions before we read, while we read, and after we read.
• Writing - We will use the writing process to publish our first quarter narrative piece.
• Social Studies - Map ID continues with the locating the following states on a map: New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, & Ohio.

School Portraits

School portraits are going home today with your child today. If you have any questions or concerns regarding pictures, please contact Rolland Studios directly. Their contact information can be found on the portrait envelopes. 

Check Out Our Website
You can find more updates & news at the JTSD Web Page (or go to http://www.johnthomasschoolofdiscovery.net)

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!! Have a great weekend!!

Mr. B

Blog Update: Supplies Needed!

Good afternoon! We're ringing in the weekend with a couple updates:

Map ID Quiz - Let's just say I messed up and told the kids to study the wrong states! Yep, it happens - even the teacher makes mistakes. <gasp!> The students modified their states list and will take this week's quiz on Monday. Please encourage them to study!

AR Report Cards - The students are working in a program called Accelerated Reader. This allows students to assess their reading comprehension by taking short quizzes after they read a book. I am sending home each child's report card this afternoon. We took time in class to conference together about what they need to do achieve their goal by the end of the first quarter. Please encourage your child to read at home at least 20 minutes a night. This is key in helping students finish books so they can take quizzes. Since we got a late start in AR this quarter, I will modify their goal a little; however, I will not do that until the first week of October. I want to see what the kids can do in the meantime.

Supplies Needed - We are finishing up our ecosystems & environments unit and will take a test on it some time next week (Tuesday or Wednesday). After we take our test, we will start our first engineering project - building terrariums! To do this we need your help! If you have any gallon-sized glass or plastic jars that you want to get rid of, we need 4-6 of them for our terrariums. These jars can be the containers to snacks like animal crackers or cheese puffs. We need something large enough for the kids to put their hands in. The students can also help out by collecting items like:

• moss
• dirt (especially if you live near a heavily wooded area)
• dead twigs & sticks
• rocks (maybe one or two, medium-size)
• worms and/or rollie pollies
• clovers (not just the flowers, but the roots too!)

We are going to build these terrariums and observe them over a couple months to see how ecosystems grow & change. Thank you for your assistance!

Parent/Teacher Conferences - Thank you so much to those of you who have scheduled your conferences. If you have not done so, please go to our SignUp Genius page and schedule your time at your earliest convenience. If none of the times work for you, please e-mail me and we can figure out a good time for us to meet and celebrate your child's success.

That's all I have for now! Please feel free to e-mail me your thoughts, concerns, and questions! Have a great weekend!

Mr. B

Weekly Class News!

Good afternoon! Here are some announcements to get you over the hump of the work week!

From Nurse Jenny

The season for flip flops is coming to an end and they are breaking. If your child wears flip flops to school, please make sure they have a back up pair of shoes in their bag. We do not have shoes to give your child. Thanks for your help!

From the JTSD PTA

Mark your calendars with the following dates:

• September 28th - Movie at the B&B Theater. Doors open at 9:00 and the movie starts at 9:30. Click this link to access our form. Please give payment to Mr. Wilson no later than 9/20.
  
• November 9th - Chili Cook-off - More details to be released at a later date. Volunteer opportunities are available on SignUp Genius under the e-mail jtsdvolunteers@gmail.com.

From Mr. B's Desk

It's time to start thinking about signing up for Parent/Teacher Conferences. Due to one of my graduate classes beginning on October 15th, I am going to make Monday, 10/14 and Thursday, 10/17 available for conferences. Please use SignUp Genius to schedule your time with me. I will send you a confirmation e-mail once I get everyone scheduled. If neither of these days will work for you, please e-mail me and we can set up a more convenient time for you. 

Please continue to encourage your children to spend at least 15-20 minutes reading each night. This is a critical piece in making them successful at school and in life. We're surrounded by reading! It will also help them achieve their AR goals that we've set in class. 

That's all I have for now. I will update again if I receive other important announcements!

Have a great night!

Mr. B

Beach Brains Buzz: A Much Needed Update

Good morning!

If you tried e-mailing me yesterday and did not get a response, I apologize! It looks like our e-mail went down again. I think I can still send e-mail, but I am not able to receive them at this time. Hopefully, it will be a quick fix! Here are a few updates to send your way:

Class News
Please remind your child that we will have a Map ID quiz every Friday. Encourage them to devote a few minutes every night to study their states with the Stack the States app or other states & capitals apps on their iPads. They also have an outline map that is labeled to help them study.

Please also encourage your child to be reading 20-30 minutes each night. I know this can be difficult with sports schedules and other family events, but if you reference my last blog post, nightly reading needs become a nightly priority to ensure your child's success. Here are some tips to help with at home reading:

• Read in the car on the way to and from sports events
• Have your child read to your younger children to help them build confidence & fluency
• Read with your child before they go to bed. Modeling reading helps them develop an appreciation for reading and builds their comprehension & confidence.
• Talk about your reading - your likes/dislikes, characters' actions, story events. Encourage them to give specific details as they discuss their reading with you.

Here is a brief overview of what we are learning in the coming week or two:

• Math: Decimals as it pertains to place value
• Science: Ecosystems (as they relate to Missouri)
• Reading: We are "practicing" literature circle expectations and will be kicking off our small group lit circles this week.
• Writing: We are writing personal narratives about our names and are practicing the different steps in the writing process.
• Social Studies: Study the locations for Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, and Maryland.

PTA: Save the Dates!
Mark your calendars and plan to attend these family events!

• 9/28 - JTSD Movie Event at the B&B Theaters - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
• 10/4 - Family Dinner & Game Night 
• 11/5 - Family Skate Night @ Skateland - 6-8pm

Beach Brain Buzz: Our First Full Week!

We survived the first full week of school!! Woohoo!! Honestly though, it was a very successful week in spite of "the beginning of the school year madness". Our successes include:

• establishing our classroom community, routines, & procedures;
• launching reading and writing workshops;
• introducing conversions within the metric system, and;
• introducing classification of living organisms.

We will continue working on these concepts in the coming week with the exception of math. We will leave metric conversions for the time being and go on to studies in place value.

Going forward, I do want to encourage you all to visit this blog often. It is my goal to update this on a weekly basis to keep you informed as to the shenanigans going on in our 5th grade classroom. You can receive an e-mail update every time I update the blog by using the "Follow by E-mail" widget on this blog. This way you don't have to remember to check it on your own!

Last, but not least, one of the kids asked me if I wanted the class to start their after-school reading. The answer is a RESOUNDING yes! I'll be sharing more of my thoughts on reading and writing as the year progresses, but I wanted to share an info-graphic I found on Pinterest with you. (Side note: I am a Pinterest-fanatic!) I think it poignantly validates the need to read outside of school. The text size appears to be smaller than ususal, so may need to click the pin to read it better. Regardless, it demonstrates the importance of reading every night. Enjoy! :)

Mr. B

Parent Orientation

Thank you so much for attending Parent Orientation tonight! It was a pleasure to meet you all and if you didn't get a chance to attend, you were missed!! :)

As mentioned, I have a couple "homework" assignments for you to complete before Tuesday if at all possible. 

1. Update your information for the school district. This is an annual review and we appreciate your time to update your information!
2. Make sure you completely fill out your yellow transportation card and turn it in to the JTSD office.
3. Please complete this Parent Questionnaire. I would like to know a little bit about your child as I plan for the first few weeks of school. 

I am really looking forward to getting to know you and your child throughout this school year. I know it's going to be a fantastic year! Please do not hesitate to e-mail me (joshbennett@nixaschools.net) if you have any questions or concerns. 

Have a wonderful night!!

Mr. B