MrHowd.com

Students just completed a spelling pretest, so this might be a good time to talk about spelling:

1. The spelling page at MrHowd.com has a lot of information on how spelling works in Room 130.
2. We’ll have 2-3 tests per marking period, and they will be included as part of your student’s writing grade (there’s not a separate spelling grade this year).
3. Your student will not know the words ahead of time in order to study.
4. Your student should study words they have missed on prior tests. We haven’t taken any spelling tests this year, other than the pretest, but your student can study words missed from last year. Your student has a list of these words in their Google Drive. The list is called their Core Word List.
5. See the Core Word List here or print a copy.
6. One way to use the Core Word List is to choose about 10 words each night. Make up a sentence that includes the word and ask your student to spell the word. The sentence is important because that’s how your student learns what the word means. If your student spells the word correctly, cross it off the list! Whittle the list down to just words your student keeps missing and needs to practice.

Our class was fortunate to pilot chromebooks last year. We used them for writing, math, some reading, and other class activities throughout the day.

We are lucky enough to continue the pilot again this year! The 5th grade social studies curriculum has a complete online component that we’ll try, including the text, and online assignments, quizzes, and tests.

We are also going to try incorporating a computer science and programming curriculum into our weekly class activities.

What all that means is that we’ll be using our chromebooks even more this year for learning. If you would like a way to extend that learning at home, and if your student doesn’t already have a chromebook, Groupon is having a steal of a deal right now:

A refurbished Acer C720 for $129.99.

Many review sites say that this is one of the best chromebooks available. I personally have this same model that I use at home, also refurbished, but I purchased it for a higher cost than this sale offers.

While your student can use any computer for any of our classwork, this chromebook is portable, has a keyboard for writing and typing, and the battery lasts over 8 hours. It gets automatic updates and should be useable well into middle school for your student. It can’t install Windows programs and it doesn’t have a DVD player, but it can be used for 95% of what your student will need well into middle school.

Note that while chromebooks can be used offline for reading email, creating documents, and some other things, chromebooks are really meant to be used with a wifi internet connection. (Comcast offers a nice deal on low cost internet for families of students that qualify for free or reduced lunch; learn more about the low cost internet service here.)

I’m not sure how much longer this deal will last. So if you’re interested in a chromebook for your student, you can’t get much better than $130 for this model.

Note: I don’t get any kind of kickback for this. Just trying to promote a great device at a great price that will help students.

Source: Groupon

If your student is going with us to Mackinac, check MrHowd.com throughout the day for live updates and photos from our trip!

Source: Mackinac Island Gal

Important Reminders for our upcoming trip:

• Our trip is Friday, May 9
• The bus is leaving at 6:00 am from the McGrath parking lot.
• Students and chaperones will be meeting in the cafeteria at 5:45 am. (Don’t worry, they can sleep on the bus!)
• Students are welcome to bring electronics on the bus, but they will be responsible for the devices.
• The buses may have a DVD player on them. Students are welcome to bring movies to show on the bus, but the movies must be rated G; games must be rated E and music must be appropriate for school.
• Snacks are welcome on the bus.  We are not scheduling any stops on our trip so students may want to bring a snack in case they get hungry.  With us leaving so early, it is going to be a long time until lunch.
• Breakfast will not be provided. However, the cafeteria will pack breakfasts for students that purchase them before the trip.
• Students are welcome to bring spending money for souvenirs or snack purchases.
• Students may bring a camera during the trip, but other electronic devices will secured on the bus.
• We are taking charter buses so there will be a bathroom on each bus.
• The weather might be cold, windy or rainy.  So please have your child dress appropriately in layers. (Consider a t-shirt, long shirt, sweater, coat, mittens, and a hat)  If they get warm they can always take something off.
• We will have pizza delivered to the buses on the way home.
• Please be at McGrath before 11:30 pm to pick your student up at the conclusion of the trip. For the last several years, we have gotten back early, and in that case, you’ll receive a phone call letting you know.

 Schedule of Events

• Visit the Mackinac Trip page for more information.