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