December 4, 2012


5th Grade Newsletter

I have been out on Jury Duty, but I expect to be back in the classroom on Friday. Please keep myself and the other jury members in your prayers as we work on deciding the case before us.

Science Fair: Science Fair is a few weeks earlier this year (January 23, 2013), so we are already on a roll. The students have already turned in to me their research reports, question, variables, hypothesis, list of materials, and procedure. PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMPUTER FILE FOR THESE- THEY MUST BE RESUBMITTED IN JANUARY FOR SCIENCE FAIR.

The next date for Science Fair is January 8. This is when I start working with the students on formatting their data into tables on Excel and using Excel to create graphs. The experiment should be done by January 8 so students can use their actual data. If a student does not have their data, I will give that student practice data.

Science Fair Presentations will be January 14-18. For the presentation, a report and board must be completed, and each student will have an assigned day to present the project to me and the class. More information on the report and board requirements will be given on Friday when I return from Jury Duty.

Christian Service: Our school is participating in a Christian service project. We are having a mite box project to support the Holy Childhood Association. The fifth grade students are required to participate. They must return their box to me NO LATER THAN December 21 with at least one coin or dollar in the box. Please encourage your child to earn coins or dollars by doing chores or sacrificing extra snacks to give to these boxes. If you need extra boxes (some students fill multiple boxes), please let me know.

Christmas: The Christmas Cantata is December 20 at 7pm in the Church. This is a required activity so please add this to your schedule. There is a dress requirement for the Cantata: black socks, black pants, and a white shirt or blouse.

Other reminders:

• Wednesday, December 05, 2012: Second Parents’ Club Meeting in the Parish Hall 7pm

• Friday, December 7: Minimum Day, Faculty Meeting

• December 10-14: Scholastic book fair

• Friday, December 21: Minimum Day NO EXTENDED CARE THIS DAY. Last day before Christmas Break

• Monday, January 7: School resumes after Christmas Break

• Visit my blog at http://mrsbecerrasclass.blogspot.com/. You can submit your email and receive all updates- including this newsletter- in electronic form.

October 26 Newsletter

October 26, 2012


5th Grade Newsletter

Carnival: Thank you so much to everyone for making our Halloween Carnival a success. The success is due to all the donated items and hard work the families put forth. Special thanks go to Mr. Watson, who organized the booths, and to Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Luis, and Mrs. Aceves for helping apply zombie makeup. Also, congratulations to the fifth grade students, who were given an honorable mention for their dance, earning themselves not only free dress but ice cream (date TBA). I know everyone worked very hard on the Carnival; I apologize if I missed any important names.

Science Fair: Science Fair is a few weeks earlier this year (January 23, 2013), so we are starting now. I have given the students a Science Project Proposal Form and Research Paper Information. By Friday, November 2, students need to turn in their final draft of the science research. It should be 200 words or more and relate to their science fair project. For instance, a student doing a project on plant growth would research the structure of plants and how plants grow. They have received their rough draft back, with suggestions from me for improvements.

I noticed several students did not include a header. To do this (at least in Windows 2007), click on the insert tab. Then click on “page number”. Choose “Top of the Page”, then “Plain Number 3”. This puts the page number in the upper left hand corner. Then put your cursor to the left of the number 1 on the first page, and type your last name. This should automatically put the correct page number next to your last name on each page.

I also noticed several students did not have the bibliography. I am sending home the instructions again on how to format this.

Also, students must give me a rough draft of their procedure by November 9. This is easier. More information on this assignment will be coming to you next week.

Other reminders:

• Monday, October 29: No School, Teacher Inservice Day

• Friday, November 2: Minimum Day, Faculty Meeting

• Saturday, November 3: Second Parents’ Maintenance Day 7:30am- 1:00pm

• Tuesday, November 20: First Trimester Ends

• Wednesday, November 21: Minimum Day, also Thanksgiving Liturgy 8:30am in the church.

• Thursday-Friday, November 22-23: No School, Thanksgiving

October 10, 2012


5th Grade Newsletter



Field Trip: We are going to the McCallum Theater October 16 at 9:30 am to see the Shaolin Warriors. We have enough drivers for this trip already- thank you very much!!! Some students still need to turn in the permission form.

Progress Reports: Progress reports are going out today. I apologize for the delay- I did not review the reports and have them stuffed in envelopes before the end of the day yesterday.

Iowa Assessments: Testing has been completed. Results will be shared with parents at the Conference following the end of the First Trimester.

Science Fair: Science Fair is a few weeks earlier this year (January 23, 2013), so we are starting now. I have given the students a Science Project Proposal Form and Research Paper Information. By Friday, October 12, students need to know their question/topic and turn in the completed form. Please review this with your child, then sign and return the forms. I will give these back to the students for your records

Carnival: Mr. Watson sent a letter home earlier this week to remind parents to sign up for the Carnival booth and for all families to donate $5 to purchase supplies. Please do so by Friday October 12. Also, 5th grade will be performing a dance to Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party” at the Carnival. The theme is zombie party- so students can be in zombie costume or any other costume. The common feature will be faces painted with zombie/skull face, so they can be zombie (head to toe), zombie/doctor, zombie/ballerina, zombie/soccer player, etc. I only ask that the costume is easy to dance in (no zombie/banana or zombie/phone booth, for example). Students will have faces painted here at school so that all fifth grade faces look similar. I need a team of parents that day painting zombie/skull faces on the students. The time is yet to be determined.



Other reminders:

• Saturday, October 20: set up for Halloween Carnival

• Sunday, October 21: Halloween Carnival

• Monday, October 22: No School, Carnival Clean Up Day

• Monday, October 29: No School, Teacher Inservice Day

• Visit my blog at http://mrsbecerrasclass.blogspot.com/. You can submit your email and receive all updates- including this newsletter- in electronic form.



Thank you!

Mrs. Becerra

September 26, 2012


5th Grade Newsletter



Iowa Assessments: Thursday, September 27 is the day 5th grade begins standardized testing. The students will take the Cognitive Assessment Tests that day. Testing continues Monday, October 1 through October 10. See the schedule below.

• September 27:        Cognitive Assessments

• October 1:              Reading Test (Iowa Assessment)

• October 2:              Reading Test (Iowa Assessment)

• October 3:              Written Expression (Iowa Assessment)

• October 4:              Math (Iowa Assessment)

• October 5:               Social Studies (Iowa Assessment)

• October 8:              Math (Iowa Assessment)

• October 9:              Math Computation (Iowa Assessment)

• October 10:            Science (Iowa Assessment)

Please make sure your child is at school on time, is well rested, and has eaten breakfast.

Other reminders:

• 5th grade plans and leads readings and prayers in liturgy on September 27 at 8:30 am in the church.

• Friday, October 5: minimum day for faculty meeting

• Tuesday, October 9: First progress report

• Saturday, October 20: set up for Halloween Carnival

• Sunday, October 21: Halloween Carnival

• Monday, October 22: No School, Carnival Clean Up Day

• Monday, October 29: No School, Teacher Inservice Day

• Visit my blog at http://mrsbecerrasclass.blogspot.com/. You can submit your email and receive all updates- including this newsletter- in electronic form.



Thank you!

Mrs. Becerra

September 12 Newsletter 5th grade

September 12, 2012


5th Grade Newsletter



REMINDER!!:

Parents Club is TONIGHT in the Parish Hall at 7pm. Please be sure to be there and sign in. Attendance is required- remember you will be charged if no one from your family signs in your attendance.



Thank you to all families who attended Back to School Night. I am not able to upload my presentation to my blog- if anyone knows how to do this please let me know. The most pertinent information was sent home on the first day, but if you have any questions email or call me.

I did remind parents to make sure you have your Gradelink log in information. Find this at the office if you don’t have it.



Other reminders:

• Emergency backpacks and foods are due Friday, September 14.

• Picture day is September 18- uniforms required.

• No school on September 21- Faculty inservice

• 5th grade plans and leads readings and prayers in liturgy on September 27 at 8:30 am in the church.

• Visit my blog at http://mrsbecerrasclass.blogspot.com/. You can submit your email and receive all updates- including this newsletter- in electronic form.





Thank you! See you tonight at the meeting.

Mrs. Becerra

5th grade news

Thank you for a great first week of school, students and families! It has been a pleasure getting to know you and working with you this week.

Thank you to those who have brought facial tissue and paper towels- if you have not done so please bring them next week.

Also, many of you have turned in the $2 for the assignment books- thank you! Please send in the $2 next week if you have not done so already.

There are only a few earthquake backpacks and emergency food items in the classroom so far. Please bring those items as soon as possible. The fifth grade emergency food items are: canned tuna AND beef jerky or canned roast beef, AND canned corn (a total of three items)

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT is Thursday, September 6, from 6:30-8:00. Please meet at the lunch area for prayer and announcements. Remember, this time is for general information and questions. If you would like to speak with me about a specific question or concern about your child, we can make an appointment for another time.

Other reminders:

• Monday, September 3, is a holiday (no school) for Labor Day.

• Wednesday, September 12, is the first Parents Club Meeting. Meet in the parish hall at 7pm.

• Emergency backpacks and foods are due Friday, September 14.



Thank you! Have a great weekend.

Mrs. Becerra

Welcome 5th graders!

I am excited for the new school year to start! I hope you are too. We will work hard together to bridge your way to middle school, but I am planning for us to have a lot of fun too.  We will be learning dance for Halloween, songs for Christmas, field trips- including a trip to Los Angeles to the California Science Center- service projects- including the Divine Mercy Chaplet at Lent, and many hands on activities in the classroom.

I need to give you an updated supply list.  I have subtracted a few things.

#2 pencils/erasers                                              One 11/2 inch 3 ring binder

crayons/colored pencils                                     graph paper

1 ruler with centimeters                                    colored markers

glue/scissors                                                        4 composition notebooks

paper towels/facial tissue (2 of each)

pens- blue or black, also red

4 pocket folders

I have subtracted the 3 inch 3 ring binder, and the control paper.  I have added one more composition notebook, and request more paper towels and facial tissue.

SCIENCE NEWS

Over the summer, I created this blog for my science classes.  The purpose of the blog is to give me a way to give students and families updated information and to store important documents where everyone has easy access.  Also, I would like students and families to be able to give feedback on the information and have questions answered.  This is definitely an EXPERIMENT, which means that I may need to change or drop it if it doesn’t work.

Please visit this blog if you haven’t done so already and leave me feedback.  You can also subscribe to blog updates, which should inform you of any changes in the blog.

So far, the blog contains information about the 2013 OLPH Science Fair and also has supply llsts for each science class.  I am aiming to do more lab activities this year, but I need your help.  Please visit the supply list for your class to see what is needed.

The date for the 2013 OLPH School Science Fair is set!  Mark your calendars- its early this year.  Judging will take place on January 23, 2013.  I will be setting up a schedule as to when different checkpoints of your project are due- your topic, background research report, notebook and full report, etc.  We will start discussions and lessons about science fair as soon as school starts in August!

The school year of 2011-2012 is over, and we are all enjoying summer.  Like any teacher, I am reflecting on the past year- what worked, what could be done better.  I am working on Science Fair 2013 already- setting up schedules, organizing with teachers across grade levels and across the curriculum, and refining instructions and rubrics.  I will be posting information about Science Fair on this blog, and work on making it accessible to the students.

First Post

Welcome to my blog! I am starting this blog as an outreach tool for my students and their families. I will share information and news, as a sort of electronic newsletter. Grow with me in this new adventure!