Cassell

APRIL NEWS

It is difficult to believe that we are in the last nine weeks of the school year!!  We are currently working very hard to prepare for the CRCT test which will be given from 4/21-5/1.  Please continue to have your child practice online.

We are looking forward to the "All Around Atlanta" fifth grade field trip on April 17th.  Other important dates on our calendar are as follows:

May 1 - IBM Career Day

May 4 - Dodgen Fifth Grade Parent Night ( at Dodgen)

May 5 - Simpson Middle School counselors will be visiting Kincaid during school hours

May 5 - Daniell Fifth Grade Parent night (6:30 p.m. at Daniell) 

May 14 - Simpson students visit the middle school during school hours

May 16 - Simpson Middle School Parent Night (6:30 p.m. at Simpson)   

I want to thank all the parents who have returned the Dodgen and Daniell student enrollment cards.  I will send the Simpson enrollment cards as soon as I receive them.

Please be sure to check your child's VIP folder regularly.  We are continually receiving information about upcoming events from the middle schools this time of year.

I hope all of you have a wonderful,relaxing Spring Break. 

Thanksgiving Lunch

I want to remind you that our Thanksgiving lunch time is different from our regular lunch time.  We will be eating from 11:49-12:19.  We look forward to seeing you then!!

October News

The students and I are very happy that testing is completed, and we can return to our regular schedule.  All of the students worked very hard each day, doing their best on each section of the tests.

We will be completing Chapter 4 in Social Studies the end of the week.  A study guide will be sent home on Friday, so that the students can begin to prepare for the test that will be given on Wednesday, October 8th.

In Science we are continuing the study of electricity with this week's lessons focusing on conductors and circuits.  The students are still talking about the circuits they created with a partner last week!!

Writing lessons for the week will focus upon Persuasive Writing.  We will work on the steps that can be utilized to make up a well-organized, effective persuasive piece.

Thank you to the parents who sent in snacks during testing.  The children really enjoyed having an energy boost before testing began each morning.  I appreciate your time in purchasing the snacks and sending them in with your child.

Also, I would like to remind you that a letter from our room parents was sent home with your child.  One of the components of the letter was to ask if you would be interested in volunteering in any way this school year. A  variety of volunteering opportunities were listed on the last page of the letter.   We appreciate the responses that we have received, and look forward to hearing from those of you who have not had a chance to complete the form.

Congratulations to Emerson, our Character winner for Integrity.  He is a wonderful example of this trait, as he demonstrates responsibility, honesty, and being a good role model each day.  The luncheon will be this Monday, September 29th.

Also, congratulations go to Isadora and Reilly, our newly-elected Student Council representatives . I  am sure they will do an excellent job representing our class on the various projects that will take place throughout the year. 

Update

I want to thank all the parents who attended Open House Thursday night.  I enjoyed having the opportunity to visit with you.  If you were unable to attend, I sent the agenda and handouts home with your child.  Let me know if you did not receive them, and I will send the information again.

It is difficult to believe that we are reaching the halfway point of this nine week grading period.  We had a Social Studies test on Friday that included the branches of government and the qualifications of the President.  We will be concluding our unit on government and citizenship this week with a study of the Bill of Rights and other amendments  to the Constitution.

In Reading, the focus is upon reading nonfiction material to obtain information.  We are working on strategies that strengthen comprehension and improve vocabulary.  Thinking Maps are an integral part of this process.

In English, we are continuing our work on subjects and predicates.  Our first Sitton Spelling lesson will begin this week.  I will issue  a list of priority words and no excuse words which  the students will keep in their binders and refer to when needed.  As a comprehensive approach to Spelling, the students are required to spell these words correctly when they write across the curriculum.

We have been working hard on decimals in Math.  The students have concentrated on the place value of decimals,reading and writing decimals, relating decimals and fractions, comparing and ordering, and decimal equivalents.  They took a quiz on these concepts on Friday, and this will be coming home tomorrow for you to look at and sign.

Thank you so much to those of you who participated in the Boosterthon fundraiser.  Pledges are still being accepted for those students who have not yet brought in their money.  All of us had a great time participating in this important event for our school.

Picture Day for individual student pictures will be this Friday, September 12.  Please remember that if you want to purchase pictures, your child needs to bring in the money on Friday.

As always, I appreciate your support and commitment to your child's education.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Update

Everyone is so excited that we have completed testing!!!!  The students worked very hard each day, putting forth their best effort.

I wanted to let you know about some important upcoming dates. We are continuing instruction in all academic areas and still expect responsible behavior from the students. Expectations were reiterated at our class meeting yesterday morning.

Monday, May 5- Character Ed lunch-- CONGRATULATIONS to Raymond Durr for receiving the Award for Accomplishment!!

Wednesday, May 7- Simpson and Dodgen Middle School visits

Thursday, May 8- PTA meeting at 7:00

Friday, May 9- IBM Career Day

Monday. May 13- Field Day, Grades 3-5

Friday, May 23- Fifth Grade barbeque- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

As always, I appreciate your support and participation in your child's education.  I also want to thank those parents who brought in snacks during testing.  The students really looked forward to them each day.

 

January Update

Ms. Espina and I would like to thank all of you for attending your conference.  We were glad to have the opportunity to discuss your child's progress with you and share insights and information.

CURRICULUM UPDATE

In Math, we are concluding the unit on Addition and Subtraction of Fractions and Geometry.  We will test on Monday, February 4.  The next unit will include Using Decimals, Investigating  Percents, and Modeling the Multiplication and Division of Fractions. 

In Science, the students are continuing the unit on Matter with Mrs. Reid.  When that unit concludes, they will return to our class to study the Classification of Living Things into the five kingdoms, focusing upon the similarities and differences of each kingdom.

We are beginning Chapter 7 in Social Studies which includes the Spanish American War, construction of the Panama Canal,  President Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal, and World War 1.  As you can see, some of the most interesting segments in American History wil be studied in this chapter.   

In Writing, we are working on Persuasive essays.  Some very interesting discussions have been generated, as the students provide pros and cons of some  controversial topics. Sometimes, they have difficulty seeing the validity of the opposition's point of view!!!

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER:

FEBRUARY 4-  Character Ed Lunch- CONGRATULATIONS to TANNER SHARPE, our Character Ed winner for Compassion.  We are very proud of you!

FEBRUARY 6-  EARLY RELEASE- DISMISSALat 12:20p.m.

FEBRUARY 18-  President's Day Holiday-  no school

FEBRUARY 19-  STUDENT HOLIDAY

FEBRUARY 21-  Kincaid Idol

FEBRUARY 22-  Hero Essay due

As always, we appreciate your support.  If you ever have any questions or concerns, please let us know. 

Mrs. Cassell and Ms. Espina

Classroom Update

Thank you to everyone that attended Open House Thursday night.  Ms. Espina and I enjoyed visiting with all of you.

The students are continuing to do a nice job copying their assignments in their Agenda and updating their notebook sections on a daily basis.  We had our first notebook check in Social Studies, and most of the students did very well.  Ms. Espina and I are very pleased with their organizational skills at this point.

We are working on the following topics for the next couple of weeks:

MATH- factors, multiples, prime and composite numbers, multiplication and division of decimals

SOCIAL STUDIES- Reconstruction after the Civil War, followed by the Industrial Revolution and immigration

SCIENCE- We were so excited to have Mr. Morrissey as our guest speaker on Friday.  The students thoroughly enjoyed his lesson on electricity and how to create a closed circuit.  After studying magnetism, we will conclude our unit on September 21st with a unit test.

ENGLISH-a review of nouns, including singular and plural nouns,as well as possessive nouns

READING-comprehension strategies

SPELLING- Sitton Spelling Unit 2

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

Sept. 13 (Thursday) - School Store/Rosh Hashanah/Ramadan

Sept. 15 (Saturday) -East Cobber Parade

Sept. 18 (Tuesday) - Fall Pictures

Sept.19 (Wednesday) - Early Release Day, dismissal at 12:30

Sept. 21 (Friday) - Cougar Pride Day

Ms. Espina and I continue to appreciate your support.  Please feel free to contact us at any time with any questions or concerns you might have.

Cassell's News

Welcome to Mrs.Cassell's blog for 2007-2008.  What a wonderful beginning we are having to this school year!  The students are working very hard to adjust to the routines of fifth grade.  Ms. Espina and I appreciate the efforts of both the parents and students to get this year off to a smooth start.

Please continue to check your student's homework for completion and QUALITY of work.  Discuss the day's assignments with your child before signing the Agenda nightly.  Also, encourage your child to read independently a minimum of 20-30 minutes each night and practice his/her Math facts to ensure mastery of 90% on each timed test.

For the next couple of weeks, we will be working on the following concepts:

MATH- Place value of whole numbers and decimals

ENGLISH- A review of types of sentences, subject and predicate, parts of speech, and narrative writing

SPELLING- Sitton Spelling - No Excuse Words, Core Words, and Unit One

READING- Comprehension strategies and The Kid in the Red Jacket with accompanying activites such as Character Sketches and Summary Writing

SOCIAL STUDIES- The Civil War

SCIENCE- The Scientific Method, Electricity, and Magnetism

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

August 31-Deadline for Summer Reading and Yearbook Early Bird Sale ends

September 3- Labor Day Holiday- School Closed

September 6- PTA General Meeting/ Open House- 6:30-7:30

September 7- Gift Wrap orders due