SBES 5th Grade Blog

Rain, Rain Go Away...

2011-05-19T13:12:00.003-04:00

Our calendar in 5th grade is filling up quickly!

In Social Studies this week, we had some great economics lessons from Mr. Woodward using the Junior Achievement program. The kids have loved it! They have learned about the different kinds of businesses and advertising. They then learned about interviewing for jobs and finally they were asked to create their own businesses with partners and advertise them. We had some really creative ideas!

In Science we are making huge, fabulous timelines of planet Earth. We plotted from the beginning of time through present day!

In Math we just finished our unit on volume and capacity and we will start unit 12.

Today we are attending our band and chorus concert. The kids involved have practiced a lot for this and sound great!

Our Storybook Parade is tomorrow at 2:15. Mrs. Woodward's class is representing the book, Harry Potter, and Mrs. Shane's class, The Warrior's Series.

Please continue to read for 30 minutes each night and practice reading aloud to someone at home!

Concert Tonight!

2011-05-12T08:53:00.000-04:00

Our Band and Chorus concert is tonight at 7 p.m.

In Science this week we started our fossil timelines.

In Social Studies we started our research project on Famous Americans. The kids picked who they wanted to study and are taking notes from websites chosen by Mrs. Gurley-Mozie. This entire project lives on Mrs. Gurley-Mozie's website.

In math we are using formulas to find volume of cylinders, prisms, and cones.

Please keep reading 30 minutes each night!! We continue to work on fluency and comprehension every day in reading.

Enjoy this lovely spring weather!!

What Do May Showers Bring?

2011-05-05T09:30:00.002-04:00

In Science this week we started our unit on Fossils. Mrs. Gurley-Mozie found some really cool sites for us to view and they live on her web page.

In Social Studies, we are participating in a Service Learning project with the 2nd grade. Our 5th graders learned how to use Google Earth with the help of Mrs. Gurley-Mozie and we are going to teach the 2nd graders how to use it. We will show them animals that they are studying in Kenya, Africa!

In Math we are measuring and determining volume of cylinders. We are measuring and using formulas.

In Reading we have been working all week on our DRA's. These are our Developmental Reading Assessments. The kids have done a great job demonstrating their fluency and comprehension with these.

Have a Happy Mother's Day weekend!!

It's Volcano Day!!

2011-04-29T08:36:00.002-04:00

This was Art week in Science. We created all kinds of art this week with volcanoes. We used chalk, pastels, watercolors, and charcoal!

Mrs. Gurley-Mozie came in to introduce the Famous American research project that we'll be working on for the next five weeks in Social Studies. We are excited to start this project that lives on Mrs. Gurley-Mozie's web page.

In Math we are testing today for the end of this unit on algebra. We also learned about circumference, diameter, radius, and Pi.

In writing, we are finishing a five paragraph essay on the celebrity that we'd like to spend a day with. Our writing skills are amazing now!!

Have a beautiful spring weekend!!

Happy Vacation!

2011-04-15T10:13:00.002-04:00

We just finished our unit on the Civil War. We watched a four minute video that you can view on the internet called, The Civil War in Four Minutes. It was from the Lincoln Library. It showed how our country changed so significantly over the four years of the war.

In Science this week we had a quiz on volcanoes. Remember that the volcano projects are due the Friday after vacation!

We completed our persuasive essays in writing and they were AWESOME!! We shared them on Thursday and Mrs. Turpin came in to hear them. She said that she'd have a hard time saying no to any of these requests because they were so well done!

In Math we have started unit 10, working on Algebra! The kids are also learning how to make
line graphs to plot data.

Have a fun, warm, and safe April vacation. Enjoy this time with your families!!

Happy Spring!

2011-04-07T08:53:00.004-04:00

In Science this week we continued our learning about volcanoes. Ask your child about the three types that exist. Our Volcano projects are due April 29th! The kids are very excited about this!

In Social Studies we are learning all about the Civil War. We learned that President Lincoln was assassinated five days after the war ended by an actor at Ford's Theatre. We are also working on a very cool project using Google Earth with the help of Mrs. Gurley-Mozie. Our fifth graders will be teaching others how to use this incredible tool.

We are looking forward to our field trip to Merrill Auditorium next Monday. We will be seeing, We the People.

In Math we finished unit 9, studying area and volume and today we are starting algebra! Wow!

In writing we just finished some really fantastic journals and are now working on some neat persuasive writing!

Have a great sunny week!

Looking Forward to Seeing Everyone at P/T Conferences!

2011-03-18T10:27:00.002-04:00

In Science this week we broke open geodes that Mrs. Cook purchased for us! We also had Pet Rock day where we decorated and designed our own pets with googly-eyes and feathers!

In Social Studies we wrapped-up our reading of the Birchbark House by creating pop-up pages of our favorite scenes from the story. We also studied the states and capitals of the North Central U.S. states. We are taking a quiz on this today.

Please join us at the C.H.O.IC.E.S. Basketball game tonight at 5:00 at LRHS. It is a fundraiser to help pay for the programming and t-shirts. The game will feature the S.A.D. 61 teachers vs. the Bridgton Police Department. The kids will be invited to play games at half-time and, kids wearing their t-shirts get in FREE!

Parent-Teacher Conferences are next Thur. night and Friday morning until noon.

Report cards will be going home on April 1st.

Have a great SUNNY Weekend!!

Welcome Back from Vacation

2011-03-03T09:03:00.003-05:00

We are playing Bingo with our vocabulary words in Science and we're very impressed with their speaking vocabulary!

We are are thoroughly enjoying our novel, The Birchbark House. We just read about a smallpox epidemic that swept over this loving Native American Family.

We just started some exciting fraction work. We're learning how to multiply fractions!

Please remember our Early Release day on March 16th.

We have planned a CHOICES Basketball game, the SAD 61 Teachers vs. the Bridgton Police Department, for March 18th at 5 pm at LRHS. It is a fundraiser for the program and the t-shirts that the kids receive during the program. Please bring your family and have lots of fun! At half-time we'll have special games for the kids to play!

2011-02-17T08:20:00.002-05:00

In Science we learned the Rock Cycle Song that goes to the tune , Row, Row,Row Your Boat! We had so much fun!

In Social Studies we have continued reading the Birchbark House about a Native American Family and their lives and times through the different seasons. We also continued working with Mr. Jacques on a website called icivics.org. We passed a bill that was signed by the President into law!

In Math we finished our assessment on Chapter 7 and have moved on to Chapter 8 where we are working with fractions. We have compared them, and we will be adding and subtracting them as well as mixed numbers.

We have loved writing this week!! We described our Fantasy Bedrooms! We got to design anything that we wanted using rich, descriptive adjectives. Have you ever seen the show, Extreme Makeover? These are the types of bedrooms that they were writing about! Very Cool!!

Enjoy your vacations with your family next week! Stay safe and have fun!

2011-02-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

In Science we took a quiz on sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks. We used our sample rocks to match our observations.

In Social Studies, students are continuing to read The Birchbark House, a novel that follows a Native American family through the cycle of one full year. We were also lucky to have a guest, Mr. Jacques, who shared an exciting website called iCivics. We learned about Maine's two Representatives in the House and students utilized this website to craft and pass a bill through the House of Representatives.

We are studying poetry in Language Arts and have written Cinquains, practiced onomatopoeia and alliteration, and have chosen a poem to illustrate.

Negative and positive numbers are the topic of Math in this unit. We are learning how they differ, how to add and subtract positive and negative number, and tools such as the number line that can help us understand them better. We will also take a mid-year assessment that will help the teachers make sure that all students are on target and provide any additional help that may be needed.

We have enjoyed six weeks of CHOICES lessons with Officer Phil Jones of the Bridgton Police Department. We learned how to make good choices, how to deal with peer pressure, stress management, and had a lesson on drug and alcohol awareness. We also set goals for ourselves and went out to see his cruiser. We wrote five paragraph essays on everything that we learned and we will celebrate next week with cake, t-shirts from the CHOICES committee, and readings from our essays!

Finally,we will have a panel discussion for fourth and fifth graders on how to be Effective Citizens, sponsored by the Parent Involvement Committee. This will be on Friday, February 18. The panel will include parents who are nurses, EMTs, forest rangers, and other exciting professions. This gives our kids ideas on setting goals for themselves for the future

We Are Working In a Winter Wonderland

2011-02-04T10:10:00.002-05:00

We did a lot this week in Science! We tested our mystery objects from our homemade rocks. We also observed our crystals. We discovered that the shape of the crystal does not ever change!

In math we worked on positive and negative numbers and the order of operations. We learned an acronym that helps us to remember what operation to do first...it is PEMDAS!!!! (Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally :)

In Social Studies, we have started reading a beautiful novel called , The Birchbark House, that will give us a wonderful appreciation for the Native American culture. We also continue to study the states and capitals of the S.E. United States.

Progress reports will be sent home today! Have a wonderful wintery weekend!

1-28-11

2011-01-28T10:09:00.004-05:00

We are now officially half way through the second trimester! Where does time go? Our progress reports will be going home shortly.

In Math we have started a new unit that begins with exponential notation.

In Social Studies we have been talking and learning about the Industrial Revolution and the mills of the 1800's. We looked at a lot of old mills that used to exist, right here in Bridgton! We will move on to map the states and capitals of the South Eastern U.S.

In Science we just completed a cool lab where we make crystals!

We are getting better and better at identifying grammatical errors when we practice with D.O.L.
each week. We have seen huge gains!

We have been enjoying stories in Reading that have marine-life themes. They are full of description and they create all kinds of cool images in our minds! Remember to read 30 minutes each night.

Have a Great Three Day Weekend!

2011-01-13T14:37:00.004-05:00

Please remember that we have Monday off to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther Kings's birthday!

Friday the 21st, we will have a Big Pog Friday for students who have earned at least 25 stars in our STARRS program.

Mid-trimester progress reports will be going home Friday Jan. 28th.

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-07T10:06:00.003-05:00

It's so nice to be back and working hard again in every subject!

In Social Studies we are learning about Westward expansion, The War of 1812, the Monroe Doctrine, and the Indian Removal Act...whew!

In Science we are starting our Rocks and Minerals Unit. So far we have recorded observations on specimens and we have made our own rocks with fossils and mystery minerals inside of them.

In Math we are organizing data using graphs, charts, and tables.

In Reading we are using the strategy....Creating Images, or using our five senses to create pictures in our minds as we read.

Lastly, in Writing, we have had a blast learning to write with voice. We look at a situation from two different perspectives and write how differently we see things from these different points of view. We have really loved this lesson!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-15T15:09:00.001-05:00

With vacation just around the corner, we have been very busy in 5th grade!

In Science , students shared their slide show presentations with the entire 5th grade. They were on Earth's Changing Mission. The graphics and details were excellent and informative!

In Social Studies we completed a unit on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They will have an assessment on this tomorrow. They have done such a great job learning their individual rights as U.S. citizens!

We just completed unit 5 in Math. We had fun collecting data on the snacks that we had in class and then we made percent circle graphs and bar graphs with this data.

On Friday, Dec. 17th at school meeting, 5th grade will be on stage sharing the song, "Yankee Doodle".

Our "Eggs"ceptional breakfast is planned for Tuesday the 21st, at 8:00 a.m.

Winter break starts Thursday, Dec. 23. Have a safe and wonderful break with your families and friends!!

Holiday Concert Next Week!!

2010-12-02T08:27:00.006-05:00

Can you believe that we have a holiday concert next week? It's on Thur. December 9, at 10:00, for grades 3-5.

In Math this week, we started working with fractions and mixed numbers. We are also reviewing standard measure on a ruler.

In Science, we are embellishing our Changing Earth Mission slide shows to include graphics and animations for our topics.

We are learning about the three branches of government in Social Studies. Did you know that you must be born in the U.S. and be at least 35 years of age to run to be a U. S. president?

In reading we shared a story about Harriet Tubman and her life as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. She saved more than 300 slaves!

In writing we worked on writing business letters. We talked about formal closings like sincerely or yours truly.

Please remember that we have an early release day next Wed., Dec. 8th. Have a great weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-17T08:50:00.004-05:00

We wish all of you a wonderful upcoming Thanksgiving Break starting on Wednesday, November 24th. We are thankful to be a part of such a caring school community.

In Math we started dividing using the Partial Quotients Method. Ask your kids about "friendly numbers" and how they use them.

In Social Studies we finished our study of the Revolutionary War and we are making pop-up pages of our favorite events during the war. The Sophomore class at Lake Region High School created books describing events that led up to the Revolutionary War, and they are coming here to share these books with our 5th graders next Tuesday.

We spent this week researching our Earth's Changing Mission Project. Mrs. G.M. has started putting our research on templates.

Our new reading strategy that we are learning is called, Monitoring Understanding. We ask ourselves questions like, "Do I understand what I just read?" and "Should I go back and re-read that passage?"

Have a safe and wonderful holiday with family and friends!

GREAT TO SEE ALL OF OUR PARENTS

2010-11-05T08:17:00.003-04:00

Thank you so much for attending our parent teacher conferences last night. We enjoyed talking to all of you.

The project that we're doing in Science with Mrs. G.M. is called, The Changing Earth, and we are continuing our research. Soils assessments will be next week after some review.

We're having fun making triangles with compasses and measuring angles with protractors in Everyday Math. Ask your son or daughter about tessalations.

In Social Studies this week we read and talked about our candidates for governor. We also learned about the three major political parties. We then listened carefully to the speeches for student council representatives. Then on Tuesday, we voted. The 5th graders at SBES had a majority vote for Elliot Cutler.

We are now asking all of the fifth graders to read for 30 minutes each night!

Please remember that next week is a 3 day week for the kids. Verterans' Day is on Thursday and we have a teacher workshop day on Friday.

Lots of Exciting New in 5th Grade

2010-10-28T10:45:00.004-04:00

We are very excited to climb Bald Pate tomorrow and the weather is cooperating with us! We want to thank all of our volunteers for signing up to help us with the trip! We are also starting an exciting research project that will end in a presentation on the Earth Constantly Changing. LEA came in and did two great lessons on soils to prepare us for our trip.

In Math we have started unit 3 and we have just learned how to use protractors to measure all kinds of angles. We also learned the names of the angles such as acute, obtuse, straight, and reflex.

In Social Studies we are working on an exciting project with the high school that involves using technology as well! Some high school Social Studies students are creating books for our kids that will explain the events that led up to the Revolutionary War. We are using Skype today to video conference with the high school students. We can't wait to do this!

In English, we hare finishing some writing for Halloween, The Mystery of the Missing Class. We have also practiced writing with sequencing and we studied proper nouns.

Please continue to practice multiplication facts! We use them all year long!

Enjoy This Beautiful Fall Weather

2010-10-22T08:04:00.003-04:00

We have started a soils study. Ms. Morrison from LEA has come in this week to enhance our soisl unit. There will be a district assessment following. We'll keep you posted.

In Math we'll start unit 3 next week and it is on Geometry. We'll study the use of protractors and compasses.

Fri. Oct. 29, we have our Bald Pate field trip. All parent volunteers are welcome. Some will need to follow us in their own cars. 2:15. This is also a school meeting day. School Meeting begins at

In Social Studies, Mr. Woodward, Mrs. Woodward's husband and our local selectman, came in to teach a lesson on the ten different ways to be Effective Citizens of SBES, Bridgton, Maine, and the U.S. We will play a game of memory, draw posters, and also be assessed on this lesson.

Have a great fall weekend!!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2010-10-15T08:49:00.004-04:00

After a week of NECAP testing and a long holiday weekend, we started back with lots of excitement!

We are loving our new reading program. We meet every day with our whole group and work on skills like making connections to other reading, our lives, and inferring information that the author shares with only clues from the text. We then need to interpret this information using our background knowledge. We also meet in small groups every day, and practice our fluency and comprehension.

In Science we played Bingo with our vocabulary words and finished our unit on the layers of the Earth.

In Math we learned to multiply with our favorite method, the Lattice Method! We also practiced another method called partial products. In the end, kids can use the method with which they have the most comfort.

Mr. Phillips, our Superintendent, joined us again on Friday, and we shared our story endings that we started when he was last here, based on a story that he wrote called, The Land of the Free. This all started with a lesson on taxation without representation. We had a great day sharing our writing and enjoying some M & M cookies! Thank you Mr. Phillips for coming in to share this lesson with us and thank you Mrs. Boody for making some yummie cookies!

Testing All Week

2010-10-05T11:28:00.002-04:00

We are having NECAP testing all of this week. The kids are tested in reading, math, and writing. This lasts all week, Monday through Thursday. Please get lots of sleep and eat a great breakfast each morning.

Friday, Oct. 8th is a Teacher Workshop Day and Monday, October 11th is Columbus Day. No school Friday or Monday. Have a great long weekend and maybe enjoy the Fryeburg Fair!!

NOTICE- NEW PROGRAM

2010-09-23T19:11:00.001-04:00

Title I Four-Year-Old Program
-No cost to participants-
Will be offered to families of
Bridgton, Casco, Naples, and Sebago
Students who are 4 now, or will be 4 years old by
October 15, 2010 are eligible
to be screened
Transportation will be provided from all four towns to
Stevens Brook Elementary School
in Bridgton, Maine
This will be a half-day program - 3 hours each day
Monday – Friday
Screening will be held October 4 and 5, 2010
at Stevens Brook Elementary School
Please call Kathleen Beecher at the
Superintendent’s Office for more information
or to sign up to have a child screened
693-5194 extension 529
647-3048 extension 529
Eligibility criteria will apply to this program.

Happy First Day of Autumn

2010-09-23T09:35:00.004-04:00

In Everyday Math we have learned about the three different ways to add two and three digit numbers. After we learned the three different ways, we got to use the method that we felt most comfortable with.

We are working still on the layers of the earth with a concentration on continental drift and plate tectonics. Each student constructed their own Pangea this week.

In Social Studies we had a very special guest...Mr. Phillips, our Superintendent, who led a simulation of the Stamp Act. (This was when the colonists were overly taxed by King George before the American Revolution.) The kids were given M&M's and they were taken away every time they were told to use specific paper, pencils, and books until the kids decided to protest and boycott. The lesson was lots of fun and we want to thank Mr. Phillips for sharing this lesson with us!

In reading, we have read about and have worked with lots of new vocabulary surrounding the Declaration of Independence. Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was only thirty-three when he wrote that important document that we still live by today?

Please remember to study for Spelling tests every Friday. Please talk about the different ways that you can study with family members and on your own.

We are pleased to announce a new edition to the 5th grade team. Lisa Roberts will be assisting us
and working with students daily. Welcome Ms. Roberts!

Successful Open House!

2010-09-16T08:58:00.002-04:00

Thank you for coming to our Open House last night. We enjoyed meeting all of you!

This week in Math we learned about square numbers like 16, 25, and 49. In another lesson we learned how to unsquare them. Keep studying those multiplication facts! You're doing a great job! It's sooo important because we use them all year long!

In Science we are study on the layers of the Earth and made a great model of it.

In Social Studies we are learning all about all of the taxes that King George put on sugar, paper, and tea and how unfair it seemed to the colonists. The Revolutionary war is about to begin!

Important dates: 9/22/10- Early Release, 9/24/10-School Meeting- now at 2:15.

We are loving our new reading program and all of the reading opportunities that it provides for our students. They are reading, reading, reading!!!

Enjoy your BEAUTIFUL fall weekend!

Happy September!

2010-09-09T08:50:00.001-04:00

We look forward to meeting all of you at Open House on September 15, from 6:00 to 7:30.

We are excited about our new Reading program that's called Literacy by Design. We are learning along with the kids and we are loving all of the components that come with the new program.

In Social Studies, we are studying the American Revolution. We learned about French and Indian War. Did you know that George Washington was only 21 years old when he started leading the colonists in battles?

In Science we are studying the layers of the Earth. Did you know that the Earth weighs about 6.6 sextillion (6,600,000,000, 000,000,000,000) tons! The hottest part of the Earth (the center) has temperatures as high as 13,000 degrees F.

In Everyday Math (EDM) we are looking at arrays like 3 X 4. Please practice your multiplication facts every night because we use these skills all year long in fifth grade!!

Spelling tests will still be every Friday.

Most of your notices will come on Friday afternoons, unless they are urgent.

School meeting will be Friday afternoon, Sept. 24th, at 2:15. Please note, that this is a new time from previous years.

Welcome to 5th Grade 2010 SBES

2010-09-01T13:46:00.003-04:00

Welcome back! We have had a great, VERY HOT start! We'll be sending lots of forms for you to look over and sign tonight, including emergency forms and homework policy. Thanks for sending them back promptly! We look forward to getting to know all of your kids!!

Happy May!

2010-05-17T08:25:00.003-04:00

In math, we have been working on solving algebraic equations and graphing. Some parents have said that they are doing this same thing in their college courses! The students are doing a great job learning how to balance the equations and put the information on a graph.

In social studies, we just finished studying the Civil War, and will be celebrating with a Civil War reenactment, put on by a local Bridgton accountant Tom Chandel and a "former fifth-grade mom," Heather Brown. We started reading a Native-American novel together called, "The Birchbark House."

In science, we are studying fossils. You may have seen our picture in the Bridgton News with Professors Digs-A-Lot and Digs-A-Little!

In reading, we are working on Readers Theater, which we will present at our Pride in Our School day on May 21st.

Spring is in the air!

2010-03-11T09:07:00.002-05:00

Wow, the weather sure has been gorgeous! We look forward to seeing you all at parent-teacher conferences.

In social studies, we have started our research for our famous Americans project. Please look for the finished projects on Mrs. Gurley-Mozie's website. You can also listen to last year's podcasts on the SBES website. Just click to listen! When we complete ours this year, they will be available for one year so you can share them with family and friends.

In reading, we will share our Independent Book Projects (IBP) today! Students know that they have one project to do each trimester. They may pick from any of the novels that they have read for Mrs. Sands and complete three pieces: a book talk, a story map, and a project of their choosing. This is a chance for the students to really show off their creative bones!

In science, we just took an assessment covering rocks and minerals. We are ready to go on to learn about fossils!

In writing, the 5 paragraph CHOICES essay is due next Wednesday, March 17. We have learned about many topics including peer pressure, how to say no, how to deal with anger and stress, drug and alcohol awareness, and goal setting. Officer Phil gave us a tour of his police cruiser yesterday, and it was really exciting! Especially when he sounded his siren!

Don't forget that school meeting has been changed to next Friday, March 19th!

Happy Vacation!

2010-02-11T15:49:00.002-05:00

We made it! We hope you all enjoy your week off, and that you come back ready and rarin' to learn.

We presented our completed science projects, and they were awesome! They get better every single year.

Mrs. Burhite came in to Social Studies to share a very special slide presentation about three famous American presidents. Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. It was wonderful!

In reading, we played a game called "Taboo," that helped us review vocabulary words. It was fun - and challenging!

2/4/10

2010-02-04T08:54:00.002-05:00

In science we are getting ready to present our PowerPoint presentations! We will be presenting next Thursday. If you would like to come see your child present their project, please get in touch with Ms. Shane.

In social studies, we studied the War of 8182 and the Indian Removal Act, also called the Trail of Tears. Then we listened to some Penobscot drumming and looked at some Wabanaki artifacts.

In reading, we have been focusing on comparing and contrasting. We read a story about a family who lived on a ship at sea, and compared that to another story about sea travel. Please ask your child about the weekly vocabulary words.

We just finished a unit on fractions and common denominators in math. We will be taking a test on Friday!

Muffins for Mom / Danish for Dad!

2010-01-28T15:29:00.003-05:00

Thanks so much for coming to our first Muffins for Mom / Danish for Dad breakfast! We had lots of parents attending. It was a huge success!

In reading, we read a play called "The Secret Indredient." We will be taking a test on Friday over vocabulary and comprehension.

In social studies, all of our students created their own businesses and advertised them with the help of Mr. Woodward and the Junior Achievement Program. They were creative and fun!

In science, we are continuing work on our Changing Earth projects. Mrs. Gurley-Mozie came in to help us start organizing our research into slideshows on the laptops.

January Update from Grade 5

2010-01-22T09:03:00.004-05:00

We had a great week in Social Studies! We learned all about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase. Did you know that he negotiated a deal with Napoleon Bonaparte to double the size of our country? Next week, we will start our economic lessons with Mr. Woodward. He will teach a unit called, Our Nation, from Junior Achievement. We will learn about the different kinds of businesses, advertising, and we will even learn how to interview! We will be creating our own businesses and will then create ads for them!

In Science, we are working on a research project called, Changing Earth Mission. We are doing this in cooperation with Mrs. Gurley-Mozie and the end result will be a slide show presentation.

We have been reading about Leonardo Di Vinci and his famous horse. Ask your kiddo to tell you this interesting story! We also did a project pertaining to Renaissance Art. It involved recreating sculpture and watercolor paints.

Fifth grade is the best!

2010-01-13T15:03:00.002-05:00

Things have been going really well since vacation. The students (and teachers!) are well rested and ready for learning.

In writing, we have been working on point of view. Mrs. Sands' class will be presenting their writing at school meeting on January 29th.

In reading, we have taken a break from StoryTown for a couple of weeks to work on our Bio Poem assessment. Ask your child about Paul Bunyan's character traits!

In Science, we have started our "Changing Earth" slideshow presentations. We will conduct research on a given topic and clearly explain how that topic proves the idea that the earth is constantly changing. We will use the laptops to organize our ideas into a slideshow that we will present to our class.

In Social Studies, we just finished writing an opinion paper. We were asked to chose which economic job we would chose to be and why. The choices were cabinet member, supreme court justice, ambassador, president, or vice president.

V-a-c-a-t-i-o-n!

2009-12-22T09:07:00.003-05:00

The fifth grade team would like to wish all of our students and their families a very happy holiday season! We'll see you in 2010!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-16T11:51:00.002-05:00

It's almost vacation time! This Friday is school meeting at 2:00. We hope you can attend. The concert last week was fabulous! It was great getting a chance to see our students shine. Chorus students will be visiting the nursing home on Monday. We will be enjoying the second BREAK party on Tuesday, Dec. 22nd, to celebrate all of the wonderful behavior in 5th grade! The Eggceptional Breakfast will be Dec. 21st at 8:00 am (this is a change from last year's 9:00 time!) The snow date will be Dec. 22nd at 8:00.

In Science, we are making ROCKS! Yes, we know that it takes many thousands of years for rocks to form, but we are simulating the process. Many thanks to Mrs. Turpin who helped us with our labs this week.

In Social Studies, we acted out the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, called the Bill of Rights. We are becoming experts on our rights and responsibilities as Americans.

In Reading, Mrs. Sands has been checking up on our fluency, and she is proud to report that most of the students in 5th grade have improved! Please remember that your child should be reading from their novel for at least 20 minutes each night. To improve fluency, they should try to read at least one page out loud each night.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T13:50:00.001-05:00

Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

Continuation of Learning in case of school closure

2009-11-19T08:15:00.001-05:00

Please ask our 5th graders to do the following daily:

Read for 45 min. and journal a reflection.

Practice the old style of multiplication for 45 min.
make up examples like the following: 72 x 43

Practice Narrative writing by describing people and places that you know in five paragraphs.

Practice your typing skills on Ms. Gurley-Mozie's website using one of the two programs.

Thanks!

Mrs. Woodward, Ms. Shane, and Mrs. Sands

Almost Time for Turkey!

2009-11-18T11:44:00.003-05:00

In Science, we have been working in groups to try to construct buildings that will withstand an earthquake! We've had to use only the materials given to us, and we tested them on Tuesday. We are still studying earthquakes, and will be doing some informational reading about this naturally occurring phenomenon.

In Social Studies, we are creating pop-up pages to illustrate what we have learned about the Revolutionary War.

Mrs. Sands has assigned an Independent Book Project! The students will need to deliver a book talk in front of the class, complete a story map of their chosen book, and create an interesting project to share about their book. These projects are due no later than December 1st. Have fun!

November 13, 2009

2009-11-12T09:14:00.002-05:00

In Social Studies, we are finishing the study of the Revolutionary War. We are also studying the Middle Atlantic states and capitols. I hope everyone enjoyed their day off to celebrate our country's hard-working Veterans!

We've got some exciting things happening in Science! We are working on a project called "A Whole Lot of Quakin' Going On!" The students are constructing skyscrapers that can withstand an earthquake. They are using straws, skewers, tape, clay, etc for materials.

We are finishing our unit on geometry in Math. Students have learned how to find interior angles of polygons and how to use protractors to measure angles. They also learned about different kinds of triangles. We will be taking the unit 3 test on Monday.

In reading, we read a play called "It Takes Talent." The kids were really excited to read the script, which was very humorous! Each week, we have a new list of vocabulary words to learn. One of the words from this week is "prognostication." Talk with your child about this word!

Happy November!

2009-11-09T08:07:00.002-05:00

Here we are into the first full week of November. Can you believe it? This year seems to be going by so quickly. This week, teachers completed parent-teacher conferences. If you have not yet had your conference, and would like to schedule one, please call the school at 647-5675.

Happy Halloween from the 5th Grade Dream Team!

2009-10-30T09:03:00.002-04:00

We had our first BREAK party today! The kids participated in a fall-themed scavenger hunt outside. Then we came inside to have a party, including a dance to the Monster Mash and a funny Halloween story by Jerry Seinfeld. We ate a feast fit for the masses, thanks to all the wonderful food you sent in for us. The BREAK party is a celebration of good behavior.

Play Ball!

2009-10-21T11:37:00.002-04:00

Mrs. Sands is in full swing of teaching Storytown! This week, the kids read a story called "Line Drive," a biography about a girl who wanted to play baseball in the 1960's, but had to prove herself to the neighborhood boys first. We worked on fluency with choral reading, and we sang a song! Mrs. Sands broke out some John Fogerty, and we sang "Centerfield." Did you know that singing along with lyrics helps with fluency?

The kids really enjoyed their visit with Mr. Woodward and Mr. Phillips. They were very interested in what they had to say about citizenship, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. The students were extremely well behaved, and we are very proud of them!

Our LEA representative came in to lead us in a soil studies unit. We went outside to test the percolation of the soil in the field here at school, which we will compare and contrast the soil on Bald Pate Mountain next week. We are recording the information in our soil journals. All of this information ties in to our theme of the constantly changing earth.

We have taken the unit 2 assessment in math, and are ready to move on to unit three, which focuses on geometry.

The kids have all earned their 200 BREAK points, and are ready for a celebration! We will be having a party next Friday, 10/30/09. More to come on that later.

LEA! Storytown! Citizenship!

2009-10-15T09:13:00.003-04:00

We've got a lot going on here in fifth grade. A representative from LEA will be coming in to science class to help us learn all about soils. We will study the layers of soil, understand how soil is created, and learn properties of soil such as percolation. Our soils studies unit culminates in a hike to Bald Pate Mountain in Bridgton, where we will compare and contrast the soil at the mountain to the soil at school.

Mrs. Sands has started teaching with Storytown! The story for the week was "Ropeburn." We learned about plot, conflict and resolution. Mrs. Sands is very excited to be piloting this program this year! And the kids are excited, too! The students are still expected to be reading independently from their chosen novel as well.

Next week, Mr. Woody Woodward and Mr. Patrick Phillips will come into our social studies class to talk about being an effective citizen. Some of the topics we will discuss include voting, being informed on public issues, obeying laws, respecting rights, paying taxes, participating in civic groups, and community service. We are also still learning about the Revolutionary War.

In math, we are learning about different ways to multiply, including lattice and partial products. Keep studying those times tables!

Crazy Schedules!

2009-10-02T11:20:00.000-04:00

We've had a couple of crazy schedules here in the last few days, but the kids are handling it quite well. On Wednesday we braved a few little raindrops and headed out to the Bridgton Public Library for a scavenger hunt. The kids had a great time! They got to meet the children's librarian, Annika Black, along with her two helpers Sue and Suzanne. The kids completed a scavenger hunt and received information on how to get a library card. If you haven't visited the Bridgton Public Library, it's a great place. The best part about it is - it's FREE! It's a lovely place to spend an afternoon perusing books with your child.

On Thursday and Friday we participated in NECAP testing which will go until next Tuesday, 10/6. There is no school next week on Thursday and Friday, as teachers have workshops on those days. There is also no school on Monday, 10/12 as it is Columbus Day. The students will return on 10/13 well-rested and ready to learn!

NECAP Testing

2009-09-25T09:12:00.000-04:00

Our new standardized testing for fifth graders will begin next Thursday. We'll be testing on Thursday, Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. Please get plenty of sleep, and eat a great breakfast each morning!!

What a Great Job the Kids are Doing in 5th Grade!!!

2009-09-25T09:03:00.000-04:00

We are very pleased with all of our hard-working 5th graders! In Social Studies this week, we studied the Battle of Bunker Hill and our New England states and capitals. In Science, we constructed a map of the world and turned it into Pangea. In Reading we caught up on world news including informational reading about the H1N1 virus. Lastly, in math, we finished unit one and went onto unit two that starts with estimation.

Great to See You at Open House!

2009-09-18T08:40:00.000-04:00

It was very nice to meet all of our new parents at Open House, and welcome back our parents that we know from other fabulous brothers and sisters!

In Social Studies this week, we started learning about the first battle of the Revolutionary War, the Boston Massacre. We also studied the Bill of Rights in celebration of Constitution Day on Thursday.

In Everyday Math, we learned how to square and unsquare numbers. Keep practicing your multiplication facts. You must know all of them by the end of first trimester to exceed standards!

The reading materials are trickling in slowly but surely. Mrs. Sands went to a training session for Storytown, and is sure that the kids will really like it! Please make sure that your child is reading from their chosen novel at least 20 minutes each night.

In science we are continuing to learn about the layers of the earth. We are working in small groups to read about the individual layers of the earth, and then will present our findings to the class. We are also focusing on informational reading strategies.

5th Grade Social Studies, Reading, and Science

2009-09-11T06:56:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to share my love of Social Studies, history, and geography with all of the 5th graders! This year we will begin by studying the Revolutionary War and all of the important people involved in the fight for freedom. We will also begin mapping all of our U.S. states and capitals and will also stay on top of current events by reading, "Time for Kids" magazine.

In reading, we are still awaiting the arrival of our "Storytown" materials. Until they arrive, we will be working our fluency and comprehension skills. Please talk with your child about the novel they have chosen to read. Ask them questions! Make connections! It all helps. Remember, each student in 5th grade is expected to read from their novel at least 20 minutes each night.

Science class is focusing on Pangaea and the layers of the earth. We started learning about what's inside the Earth beneath our feet. We discovered that the Earth is made up of many layers, and we live on the thinnest layer, the crust.

Math is fun in fifth grade! We started by reviewing rectangular arrays and factors. It is essential that students know their multiplication tables!! Please be reviewing these facts with your child nightly. It's something you can do in 5 minutes after dinner, during a car ride, or when there's a commercial on TV!

NOTES REQUIRED FOR PARENT PICK-UPS

2009-09-08T14:36:00.000-04:00

This is just a reminder that every time you come to pick up your child at school, we need for you to send in a note for permission to do so. Otherwise, kids will be sent home on buses. Thanks in advance for sending them in!!

Welcome to Fifth Grade!

2009-09-01T09:55:00.000-04:00

Mrs. Sands, Mrs. Woodward, and Ms. Shane are back at school, preparing for another fun and challenging year at SBES. We are so excited to meet all of our new students and to begin the 2009-2010 school year. Mrs. Sands will again be teaching reading, but this year she will be piloting a new reading program, "Storytown." Ms. Shane will be back in her role as the fun and creative science teacher, and Mrs. Woodward will share her love for history by teaching social studies.

We are looking forward to another great year here in fifth grade!

DATES TO REMEMBER

2009-05-13T08:48:00.000-04:00

May 22 Pride in Our School Day

May 26 Play at Merrill Auditorium-Paul Revere

May 28 Field trip to the Portland Museum of Art

June 10 Field day at Camp Winona

June 11 Field trip to Scribner's Mill in Harrison

June 17 5th Grade Farewell

June 19 Last day of school

Permission slips and reminders will be going home for all of these events shortly!

Continuation of Learning in case of a school closure

2009-05-04T10:58:00.000-04:00

March Madness!

2009-03-13T09:51:00.000-04:00

The scheduled Parent Teacher conference day on March 26th has been rescheduled as a student day so that we don't have to push the school year into the next week in June. We will be doing conferences like we did in the fall, outside of school hours. Please check with your child for a conference sign up slip, and return it to your teacher as soon as possible.

Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences

2009-03-12T11:51:00.000-04:00

They will be held March 25, and 26 after school. Sign up now to meet with our team!

Science

2009-01-16T10:23:00.000-05:00

We are busy with Rocks and Minerals! We just finished four tests on minerals that real geologists use to identify minerals. They are the luster test, the acid test, the hardness test, and the streak test. We also learned that crystals form in six different ways and all minerals form their particles in one of these ways. Next week we will have a quiz on all of this information.

Dates to Remember

2009-01-08T11:38:00.000-05:00

Jan. 14th-School Meeting (not an ER day)

Jan. 16th-no school-Teacher Workshop Day

Jan. 19th-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday-no school

Study for the GeoBee

2008-11-17T15:31:00.000-05:00

You can all start studying for the Geobee by logging onto www.freerice.com. Change the subject to geography and you can study all of the different countries and capitals of the world! Have fun!

Effective Citizen Lesson with Mr. Phillips and Mr. Woodward

2008-10-23T08:15:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed a fabulous lesson Wednesday on Citizenship! Mr. Phillips, our Superintendent, and Mr. Woodward, one of our town's selectmen, came in and shared a special lesson with us on how to be effective U.S., Maine, Bridgton, and S.B.E.S. citizens. We started with a little magic performed by Mr. Woodward and then we talked about the importance of obeying laws, voting, keeping informed on the important issues, monitoring leaders that we've voted for, and paying taxes to help support roads, schools, teachers, firemen, and police departments! We also talked about doing community service and the groups that volunteer like the Lions Club, L.E.A., the Community Center, churches, Rotary, and the scouts. We also discussed volunteering for the armed services and serving on juries. Wow! Then, we talked about our awesome rights as United States citizens as well as the responsibilities that are connected to them. Mr. Phillips showed us an example of a, "Declaration of Interdependence", that he helped to create with some kids in Blue Hill, Maine. It stated rights and responsibilities like, "the right to learn; the responsibility to let others learn". We loved this project and are going to work on something like it in class. We ended our day with a fun readers' theatre piece about the preamble of the Constitution. We want to thank both Mr. Phillips and Mr. Woodward for helping us to understand the importance of being Effective Citizens!

Science

2008-10-16T09:10:00.000-04:00

The fifth graders are using google docs to construct a slide show presentation about the changing Earth. This is an exciting project and the kids are loving their work on the computers. Perhaps you've seen them practicing logging on at home and e-mailing friends at school. I will let you know when we are done and you can come in and watch the presentations.

September 26, 2008

2008-09-24T06:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Fall! Time to find all of our sweaters and pick apples! It was great to see all of you at school meeting! Thanks for coming when you can.

In Math this week we studied probability. We connected vocabulary like the words almost never, with percentages like 5%, and words like almost always, with 95%. We made estimates and the used calculators to find the actual mean, or average of a set of data.

In Science we constructed a model of Pangaea. We played vocabulary Bingo with our new words.

In Social Studies we looked at the middle colonies. We learned that Pennsylvania was named after William Penn, and it means "Penn's Woods." It was where the first settlement of Quakers was established.

Remember to read 15 minutes each night! We continued to read our novels and focused on prefixes and suffixes to help us with our vocabulary.

Field Trips Scheduled!

2008-09-23T15:03:00.000-04:00

We have our first two field trips scheduled, and they are both Science trips! On October 8th, we will be going to Perham's in South Paris. There, we will visit a real mining quarry and search for neat rocks or minerals. We will then visit the museum and gift shop.

On October 24th, we will be lucky enough to go on a hike! We will travel to Bald Pate Mountain in South Bridgton and hike to the top! This is part of our soil studies unit, and we will examine the changes in soil as we progress up the mountain.

Look for permission slips to be coming home for these two trips in the next few weeks.

Another Great Week!

2008-09-12T09:06:00.000-04:00

Another great week in fifth grade at SBES! We're really in the swing of things now. Please keep in mind that we have some things coming up. Check out our calendar on the right side of the page for upcoming events. September 18th is Open House from 5:30 - 7:00. School Meeting and Early Release is September 24th.

In Math, we're almost ready to take the Unit 1 Test. We've been studying about prime numbers, square numbers, factors and arrays. Keep practicing those multiplication facts!! That's really important.

In Science, we've been learning about Pangaea the Super continent!

Social Studies has been lots of fun this week. We've been learning about New England's economy back in the 1700's. We've also been practicing New England's states and capitals. Be ready for a quiz next Friday!

Reading is going well. Students need to make sure they come to class with their novel each day. Keep looking for those examples of figurative language in your reading!

One Week Down!

2008-09-05T08:59:00.000-04:00

The first week of school was wonderful! We've got all our routines down, and teacher expectations have been given! Now we're reading to delve into learning.

In Science, we started learning about what's inside the Earth beneath our feet. We discovered that the Earth is made up of many layers, and we live on the thinnest layer, the crust.

In Social Studies, we began learning about the 13 original colonies. It's exciting to learn about how our country was founded hundreds of years ago!

Reading presented the opportunity for students to pick their own novels. They are expected to read for 15 minutes each night at home. Students must read 3 books of varying genres per trimester in fifth grade.

In Writing class, we learned some strategies to help generate topics for personal narrative writing. We started some "small moments" stories to keep in our writing journals.

Math is fun in fifth grade! We started by reviewing rectangular arrays and factors. It is essential that students know their multiplication tables!! Please be reviewing these facts with your child nightly. It's something you can do in 5 minutes after dinner, during a car ride, or when there's a commercial on TV!

Welcome to the SBES 5th Grade Blog!

2008-08-21T09:13:00.001-04:00

The 2008-2009 school year is almost upon us, and us teachers are working hard getting our classrooms ready for students on September 2nd! We are excited to start the new school year, and are looking forward to meeting our new students. Please take the time to explore this page and the links on the right. The 5th grade team plans to use this blog to replace our weekly newsletter this year, so check back often to see what's going on in class.