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Today was our Mexican Fiesta! We started by making farolitos (little lanterns) out of paper and reading a book called The Night of Las Posadas, a story about a Las Posadas procession in New Mexico that tells the story of Mary and Joseph looking for shelter.

We then started our own Los Posadas. We went to the cafeteria and the office, and they wouldn’t let us in for shelter, but the parents making our fiesta meal finally let us into our room and we started our fiesta! We sang Noche de Paz (Silent Night) and Cascabel (Jingle Bells). We then went outside for sparklers!

We came back in to take a whack at the piñata. It lasted long enough for everyone to take a swing! Then we headed back to the room to eat. The menu included:

• Mexican-style tacos on corn tostada shells;
• Spicy shredded chicken eaten with torn flour tortillas;
• Nopalitos (prickly pear cactus!);
• Pepinos (cucumbers with lemon juice and salt);
• Mole (chicken in a spicy chocolate sauce!) and tamales made by Abel’s family;
• Bean dip provided by Drew’s family
• Mexican hot chocolate (hot chocolate with cinnamon); and,
• Buñelos (fried flour tortillas with cinnamon and sugar).

Later, we played “Toma Todo,” a Mexican top game much like the Jewish dreidel. Students start with ten beans, then take or put in beans as the top says. The person with the winning amount of beans could select a Mexican pop.

We ended with the McGrath Holiday Sing-Along. Our class sang “Joy to the World” and taught the school how to sing it with motions.

A grande-sized thanks to the parents who helped prepare and serve food today at the fiesta, and for all the generous donations–we had more than enough food and everyone had their fill!

Feliz Navidad!

Spelling: None today.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences of seven or more words each are due on Fridays. There is no cursive assignment this week.

Reading: We read two books about Hanukkah and the dreidel game, and we played the dreidel game. At tomorrow’s fiesta, we will be playing a very similar game called Toma Todo, which is a six-sided top compared to the four-sided dreidel. Special thanks to Dylan’s grandmother who provided the books, dreidels and gelt (Tootsie Rolls)!

Writing: None today due to technology.

Our next piece of writing, a fiction piece, will be due Wednesday, January 19.

Math: We reviewed calculating the sum of the interior angles of a polygon and students completed a MiniQuiz.

Science: We reviewed the clinical trial simulation experiment from yesterday. Homework is to finish the Analysis questions on pp. 14-15.

Social Studies: Students completed a test about routes of exploration.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 0
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 0

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with SnapGrades?

Notes:

• Our Mexican Fiesta party is  tomorrow, Wednesday, December 22, from 8:45-noon. Family members are needed to help with food preparations, set up, cleanup, and with the piñata. We also need help with food donations. Click here to see our volunteer list and add your name to the bottom if you are attending.
• View or edit the “Paper and Coffee” juice volunteer list.
• View our class calendar.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.

Our Mission:
Every student in Room 130 leaves improved and prepared for 6th grade.

Our class applied to the Google Chrome Notebook pilot program. Below, see our application video and 25 reasons why we should be selected.

Spelling: We reviewed common spelling patterns for the /ou/sound: ou, ow.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences of seven or more words each are due on Fridays. There is no cursive assignment this week.

Reading: Today was a reading day in Literature Circles.

Writing: None today due to art and an assembly.

Our next piece of writing, a fiction piece, is due Tuesday, December 21 (moved due to art). Students should be publishing at this time.

Math: We reviewed calculating the sum of the interior angles of a polygon by separating a figure into triangles (knowing that each triangle has sum of 180 degrees for interior angles), or using a math formula. Homework is to complete Journal pp. 91-92. There will be a MiniQuiz tomorrow over this topic.

Science: We completed an activity today to simulate a clinical trial of a medicine. All students received a small cup of yellow lemonade, which we used to represent a headache. Students then tasted some pink lemonade, representing a medicine. Some of the pink drink had extra sugar in it, representing the actual medicine. Some of the pink drink was just a colored version of the yellow drink; this represented a control group. If the pink drink tasted better to students, that represented a cure. If the drink tasted the same, the headache remained. We collected data to see which students received the medicine, and which received the control sample.

Social Studies: We reviewed for tomorrow’s  test about routes of exploration. Here is an online study guide.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 0
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 0

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with SnapGrades?

Notes:

• Our Mexican Fiesta party is Wednesday, December 22, from 8:45-noon. Family members are needed to help with food preparations, set up, cleanup, and with the piñata. We also need help with food donations. Click here to see our volunteer list and add your name to the bottom if you are attending.
• View or edit the “Paper and Coffee” juice volunteer list.
• View our class calendar.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.

Our Mission:
Every student in Room 130 leaves improved and prepared for 6th grade.

Spelling: None today due to completing a fiction reading test.

Cursive: Ten cursive sentences of seven or more words each are due on Fridays.

Reading: Today was a discussion day in Literature Circles.

Writing: Students worked on revising and editing today.

Our next piece of writing, a fiction piece, is due Monday, December 20 (new date). Students should be editing or publishing at this time.

Math: None due to STAR Friday.

Science: None today.

Social Studies: Students learned about the struggle between Spain and France over Florida. They also reviewed the featured explorers of our unit and ranked them in order of significance. Homework is to complete Notebooks pp. 30, 32 if not done in class.

Behavior Update:

• Yellow magnets: 0
• Orange magnets: 0
• Red magnets: 0
• STAR Awards: 0
• Magnets moved this week (goal: 10): 0

Check your student’s Personal and Social Growth grade at SnapGrades to see if your student moved their magnet. Need help with SnapGrades?

Notes:

• Our Mexican Fiesta party is Wednesday, December 22, from 8:45-noon. Family members are needed to help with food preparations, set up, cleanup, and with the piñata. We also need help with food donations. Click here to see our volunteer list and add your name to the bottom if you are attending.
• View or edit the “Paper and Coffee” juice volunteer list.
• View our class calendar.
• View grades, assignments, and attendance at SnapGrades.

Our Mission:
Every student in Room 130 leaves improved and prepared for 6th grade.