Field Trip Info for Greenfield Village!

Greenfield Village Parent Letter by meganmil

Updates for the week

This Friday is Earth Day!  We have many activities at school and some that your family can participate in! Bring your old batteries in for recycling, try to have alternative transportation to school (via foot, bike or scooters), and pack your cold lunch in reusable containers--whatever you pack in, pack out (minimize TRASH!).  

Each Friday, there will be a drawing for those that have turned in their Wizard Walk packets.  Our Wizard Walk is the only Wealthy fundraiser for the year.  This pays for so many grants for teachers and special events that our school puts on.  Please consider donating to our wonderful school!  The Wizard Walk finale will be May 12th during the school day, followed by Family Fun Night that evening!  More details coming soon.

EGRNow information forums will be on Wednesday, May 4th, at noon and 7pm at the Woodcliff Administration Building.  These are informational meetings will answer questions about why our EGR Schools Foundation raises money to support programs that would be cut because of our deficit.  I've been involved with EGRNow since the beginning (before I returned to teaching).  Because our taxes do not go directly to pay for teachers, programs and school-related items, we are reliant on the student per-pupil funding that our state provides.  We still are not back up to what our per pupil funding was back in 2008.  I support EGRNow because I would like the best education for my children and I believe strongly in our school district.  If you have any questions, I'd be happy answer any of them!  I'll get off my soap box now... :)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS!  I'll keep this on the blog and add to it as more things pop up...  

Thursday-Friday, April 21-22nd:  MSTEP Performance Task Test

Friday, April 22nd:  Earth Day, Reproductive Health Forms Due

Tuesday, April 26th:  MSTEP Social Studies Test

Wednesday, April 27th:  Final Book Reports Due

Wednesday, May 4th:  Reproductive Health Parent Meeting (5:30 pm), EGRNow forums (12p, 7p)

Thursday, May 5th:  Transition Day at the Middle School (bring ~$6 for lunch)

Monday, May 9th:  Fifth Grade Farewell ORDER FORM & payment due

Thursday, May 12th:  Wizard Walk & Family Fun Night

Thursday, May 19th:  Greenfield Village field trip

Friday, May 20th:  Field day (in the afternoon)...make up is Friday, May 27th (in case of weather)

Wednesday, June 1st:  LBW race @ high school, 4:30pm

Friday, June 3rd:  Fifth Grade Farewell

Wednesday, June 8th:  Michigan Adventure field trip

Friday, June 10th:  Last day of school (1/2 day)...5th Grade Walk of Fame!

ARGUMENT ESSAYS

When writing an argument essay, you want to make sure the structure of your essay is consistent and strong. You need to let your audience know you are taking a strong stance on an issue.

Body of your paragraphs:  Use your reasons as your topic sentences in order to help your audience understand your stance. Make sure you back each reason up with evidence from the articles you've researched + your understanding of why those pieces of evidence are important (tell in your own words).

Dates to add to your calendar!

Tomorrow!  Spelling Test!

BOOK REPORT #2 is due by Wednesday.  Students must have chosen one of the specific book report projects to work on and have all requirements listed underneath that project description. You can find a link to this on my blog (left hand side:  Ready, Set, Read!).  BOOK REPORT #3 (due date change:  April 27th).  Our last one!  

VALENTINE boxes are due this Thursday.  Our Valentine's Day party will be Feb. 16th.

SWIMMING is this Thursday from 2:15-3:15 (volunteer parents, please come around 2pm).  

MAP (2nd and last round) begins next week (Wednesday morning).   See previous blog post for other specific dates.   

Date change!  M-STEP dates (REVISED):

The dates remain the same, but Wednesday, April 12th, was added to our M-STEP days.  Please try to avoid missing these mornings!  Thank you!

GREENFIELD VILLAGE:  May 19th

You should have received an email from Mrs. Griffith today explaining our fun spring trips planned.  If you are interested in chaperoning our Greenfield Village trip, please fill out the form (click here for link).  You will be put into a drawing and 7 adults (from our class) will be chosen by March 8th.   Thank you in advance for your help!

MICHIGAN ADVENTURE:  June 8th

Chaperones for this event will be organized as we get closer to this date.

MAP testing, Mstep, report cards and Valentines...Oh my!

Save the dates!  If you can, please avoid scheduling doctor/ortho/dentist appointments and/or absences in the MORNINGS (only) on the following dates in February (MAP) and April (M-STEP):

MAP:  Wed, February 17
            Tues, Feburary 23
            Tues, March 1
.
M-STEP:  Tues/Thurs, April 12 & 14
                 Tues/Wed/Thurs, April 19-21
                 Tuesday, April 26th

Report Cards will be available on Skyward this Friday morning.  You should be receiving an email that will announce this and give you a link.  The link is always available on the egrps.org webpage (top right corner in really, really small print).  You will need your password (or request yours again if you have forgotten) to log into your child's account.

Things to remember:  The report card reflects grades for topics covered in each subject area in the first semester. They might have changed since the progress report from two weeks ago because of new grades just received.  If there is no grade, that means that that particular area will be covered second semester.

The social skills section is not graded for obvious reasons.  Instead, we use a special coded language for you to decode :).  The "key" to the codes should be attached to the email...but if not...here it is:

CO=consistently (meaning=all the time, rarely any reminders)
IN=inconsistently (meaning=needing some reminders)
NY=not yet (meaning=needing reminders all the time)

Valentine box challenge...your 5th grader is bringing home more information about designing a Valentine's box that will be due February 11th.  Our party will be on February 16th!

Other dates coming up...
Thursday, Feb 4...Dome Theater science movie (visiting Wealthy Elementary)
Monday-Thursday, Feb 8-11...Laura Purdie Salas, visiting poet
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10th...BOOK REPORT #2 is DUE!
Thursday, Feb 11...swimming from 2:15-3:15, Valentine boxes are due

 ----->Valentine box challenge...your 5th grader is bringing home more information about designing a            Valentine's box that will be due February 11th.  Our party will be on February 16th!

Friday, Feb 12 & Monday, Feb 15...no school, winter break
Tuesday, Feb 16...Valentine's Day Party (2:30-3:15)
Wednesday, Feb 17...MAP testing (morning)