Category: Back To School

Back To School

Mid-week Updates

nicoleball

Hello, parents.

We have two days under our belts. I am so proud of your kids! They have demonstrated flexibility and resilience as we’re adjusting to new routines and readjusting as those routines are tweaked and improved. They’ve demonstrated positivity and good humor, and I can tell that we are going to have a great year together. I also wanted to update you on a few topics:

Take Home Folder

  • Your child should be bringing home a blue folder each afternoon and returning it to school each morning. I encourage you to make it part of your nightly routine to have them go through their folder to check for homework or other items that need to be brought completed and brought back to school as well as returned work. As kids move into middle school next year, they will be expected to ownership for completing and returning work, so it is beneficial to help kids develop a basic habit of managing their papers.

Water Bottle

  • Please send your child to school each day with a refillable water bottle. Hydration is always important, but it is even more crucial in the extreme temperatures we’ve been experiencing. We are hoping to use drinking fountains primarily to refill bottles rather than having students drink directly from them when possible.

Lanyard

  • Our amazing and generous PTC has gifted each student with a breakaway lanyard (pictured below). This can be used to hold students’ masks when they have opportunities to remove them during the day.

Weekly Updates

  • The fifth grade team typically posts weekly updates to keep parents informed about curriculum and other news. These will usually be posted to our blogs on Friday or Monday for the upcoming week.
Back To School

Welcome to Fifth Grade!

nicoleball

 

I am so excited to finally welcome you to fifth grade! We are going to have such an amazing year together. I am so excited to meet you and come together as a class.

While you are here, be sure to sign up for email updates. You can sign up in the upper right corner of this blog where it says “Subscribe by Email.” Once you enter your email address and register, you will receive notifications of my blog posts.

It is important that you subscribe to the class blog. Our class blog will be the site for information about school supplies, curriculum, assessment, and much more.  You can find a supply list here.

Love,

Mrs. Ball

Back To School, FYI

Weekly Planner Sheet and Reading Homework

nicoleball

Hello, parents!

Research shows that daily homework has little to no effect on elementary-age students. For the most part, the only daily work your child will have at home is reading. Because students have choice in what they read, they should be more than willing to complete this daily assignment. Here is what is expected of students each day for their reading homework:

  • Bring independent reading book to and from school and home each day.
  • Read for at least 20 minutes outside of school.
  • Record reading on the home reading calendar, which students keep in their take home folders.

I encourage you to talk with your child about what he or she is reading.  Visit this page for some ideas about talking to kids about books, or start with one or more of these questions:

  • Who are the characters in your book? What problem are they facing?
  • When and where does the story take place?
  • Is there a character in the story to whom you can relate? Why?
  • Who is your least favorite character in the story? Why?

Although reading will be the main homework, there will be times when students need to study, finish projects, or practice skills for mastery. You can keep up with what we’re working on in class as well as with any work that may be assigned by checking your child’s weekly planner sheet. We fill this out together daily, and you can also find a copy that is updated daily on the “Weekly Agenda” tab of the blog.

Back To School

Fifth Grade Supply List

nicoleball

Hello, friends.

Wow! Can you believe that July is already here? I realize that we are not even halfway through summer break, but do you know what will start appearing in stores right after the Fourth of July? That’s right: school supplies! Even as an adult, seeing those huge displays of brand new notebooks, folders, highlighters, pens, and pencils fills me with excitement and anticipation for the new school year. In case you are as eager as I am to get your new school supplies, I am including a list of supplies that you will need for the new school year.

I hope you have a safe and fun Fourth of July!

Love,

Mrs. Ball

Classroom Supplies

  • (1) pencil box
  • (4) spiral notebooks (wide rule)
    • red
    • yellow
    • green
    • your choice
  • (4) two pocket folders
    • red
    • yellow
    • green
    • blue
  • (1) 3-ring binder (1 inch)
  • (3) packs of 3”x 3” sticky notes for communal use
  • (4) dry erase markers
  • (1) highlighter
  • (1) scissors
  • (1) package of colored pencils
  • (2) large glue sticks
  • (1) pair gym shoes to be left at school for physical education class

**Please do not bring a large trapper keeper type binder.  These are just too big to store in the desks in our classroom.**

Highly recommended items:

  • extra #2 pencils
  • extra glue sticks
  • erasers
  • colored marking pen for editing/correcting (not black or blue)

If you’d like to help out, below are some additional supplies that you can donate for communal use. Please consider choosing one or two.

  • tissues
  • disinfecting wipes — lots of disinfecting wipes!
    • We use these daily to clean our tables and other classroom surfaces.
  • extra snacks
    • to be kept on hand for when a child forgets to bring a morning snack.
    • suggestions:
      • chewy granola bars (peanut & tree nut free please!)
      • mini bags of pretzels
      • graham crackers
Back To School, FYI

Great First Day and Talent Sharing Activity Reminder

nicoleball

Hello parents!

We had a great first day today! We spent some time learning about our classroom routines, and we had a great discussion about ways we can make sure that no one feels invisible in our classroom. I was amazed at the thoughtful responses your kids shared.

Tomorrow we will be starting the talent sharing activity described in the handout at our open house last week. Click here to see when each child is scheduled to share. This is a very relaxed time when students can share a hobby or interest with the class. I meant to remind students today, but I totally forgot. If your child is scheduled for Wednesday, and he or she is not ready, please don’t panic or allow your child (or yourself!) to stress out.  We can reschedule as needed. =)

Back To School, FYI

3…2…1…COUNTDOWN TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

nicoleball

Hello parents! I am so excited for the first day of school!  I cannot wait to start this year off with your children!  Here are a few things to help make the first day (and really, the next two weeks) successful:

  1. Get excited!  When our enthusiasm shows, it’s contagious!  I believe in strong beginnings and getting to know one another, the routines, and content we’ll be learning. 
  2. Be flexible! These first days are all about getting the new routines solidified.  This is the time to ask questions, make mistakes, and learn from them.  With every new school year comes a whole new set of expectations. So, let’s grow together and be flexible while we’re learning from one another.
  3. Manage expectations! The first couple of weeks will be all about relationship building.  I believe that great learning cannot properly take place until we establish a foundation of trust, honesty, and collaboration.  That means that the first few days are going to be lighter with team-building and get-to-know-you activities.  Of course, we’ll sprinkle in some content, but don’t expect much homework in the first couple of weeks.

One final and important reminder: The weather forecast for the first few days of school looks H-O-T! Please send your child with a full water bottle labelled with her or her first and last name. We will take plenty of water breaks to stay healthy and hydrated.

We’re going to have a great year and I am so looking forward to getting to know your kiddos more!  Let’s have a great start!

Nicole

Back To School, FYI, General, Weekly Updates

A Great Start

nicoleball

We’ve have a wonderful three days getting to know each other. What amazing kids you have! Much of our time this week has been spent building community and establishing a positive culture of caring and respect in our classroom.

Next week we will begin working hard on our curriculum.  Beginning then, you will see an agenda in your child’s take home folder; we will be filling this out together every day. Please support your child and review this nightly to see what curriculum was covered and if there is any homework to be completed.

Enjoy your weekend!

Back To School

Day One Recap

nicoleball

Hello parents.

Day one was a success! We got to know each other a little bit and started to learn about our classroom culture and routines. One important routine involves the take home folder. All students received a black take home folder. This should go home each night. One pocket is labeled “Notes/Mail.” This is the pocket on the left side of the folder, and things from this pocket should be left at home. The other pocket is labeled “Homework”. This is the pocket on the right side of the folder, and things in this pocket should be completed and sent right back to school. Please help your child establish a routine for making sure the folder is emptied every night.

Back To School

Supply List for Fifth Grade

nicoleball

Hello, friends.

Wow! Can you believe that July is already here? I realize that we are not even halfway through summer break, but do you know what will start appearing in stores right after the Fourth of July? That’s right: school supplies! Even as an adult, seeing those huge displays of brand new notebooks, folders, highlighters, pens, and pencils fills me with excitement and anticipation for the new school year. In case you are as eager as I am to get your new school supplies, I am including a list of supplies that you will need for the new school year.

I hope you have a safe and fun Fourth of July!

Love,

Mrs. Ball

Supply list needed for the classroom:

  • (1) pencil box
  • (4) spiral notebooks (wide rule)
  • (4) two pocket folders (red, blue, yellow, green)
  • (1) 3-ring binder (1 inch)
  • (3) packs of  3”x3” sticky notes
  • (4) dry erase markers
  • (1) highlighter
  • (1) scissors
  • (1) package of colored pencils
  • (1) pair gym shoes to be left at school for physical education class

**Please do not bring a large trapper keeper type binder.  These are just too big to store in the desks in our classroom.**

Highly recommended items:

  • extra #2 pencils
  • (2) large glue sticks

Below are additional supplies that kids often like to bring for their private use.

  • erasers
  • colored marking pen for editing/correcting (not black or blue)
  • small hand pencil sharpener