Hello! This is the last week before report cards, so we'll be doing things a little differently. This is the last week for your student to make up any work they are missing before it becomes a permanent part of their grade. Check agendas to make sure your child is caught up. We had a make-up catch-up day on Friday, and most students worked very diligently to get make-up work done. I was impressed with how conscientious many of my students were. However, some chose not to make-up any work. There will be no more class time devoted to make-up work.

We will have no spelling words this week. We'll have the test from last week's words on Monday.

Friday is a teacher workday. No class for students.

A special treat this week and next! Burning Coal Theatre will return and teach our students all about Shakespeare! They were so well received last year that I know we're all looking forward to a triumphant return. 5th grade is this week the 19th-21st. 6th grade will be the following week Oct. 26-28.

6th grade: Remember, being on a sports team is a privilege. If your grade falls below a "C" average, you will be suspended until it rises up to acceptable levels.

Happy Fall, all!

Week of Oct. 11

Hello all!
Our Fairytales unit, somewhat sadly, has come to an end. Although, I'm pretty sure they all lived happily ever after :) Students seemed to enjoy reading, writing and learning about them. Most students wrote a really solid fairytale, although many (especially 6th grade) failed to turn one in on time. Please check with your student (and read their agendas) to see that they turned one in. This was a 200 point assignment. I am enjoying reading the stories!

Reminders to all: Please remind your student of the importance of following the no-talking rule during testing. I am very strict regarding this and will throw out a students test if they talk during testing. It breaks my heart to do it, but students must learn self-discipline. EOG results can be canceled for the entire school if protocol is broken.
Oct 15: the first theme book review and project are due. This assignment includes a book review (typed 1-2 pages, 12 point TNR font), a project and a brief presentation in class (no more than 5 minutes, unless you work it out with me)

Social Studies: Students will complete their Native American unit this week and we will move onto colonial America. Students voted to participate in a writing contest about Paul Revere held by the Daughters of the American Revolution. The essay is due Dec. 1. We plan to have a Thanksgiving celebration in November, melding what we learned about Indians with what we learn about colonial Americans. Should be fun.

5th grade will begin a poetry unit this week, as is reflected in their spelling/vocab words. I will begin to grade spelling tests a little differently this week. Students will now receive 2 points for using the word correctly and 1 point for spelling it correctly, for a total of 3 points a sentence(instead of the current 2). This reflects my emphasis on the importance of meaning. Many of 6th grades words will be the same as last week, as they didn't seem to learn them as well as I'd like them to. Last weeks results will be tossed for the 6th grade spelling/vocab test, unless, of course, your student did well.

6th grade will read a story in the Junior Great Books series and do activities associated with the story, "Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing. We will also do some focused lessons on vocab, as that seems to be a weak spot.

This weeks words:
Spelling/Vocabulary
6A
Week of Oct.11
Patterns: ie/ei and prefix: dis: meaning apart, not. Vocabulary from reading this week
Repeat words from last week:
conceited
seize
retrieval
unwieldy
grievance
deceitful
dissuade
disengage
discord
indispensable
New this week:
contrition
rigorous
sputter
promontory
continuous

Spelling/ Vocabulary
5B
Week of Oct. 11
Pattern: poetry terms
rhyme
haiku
alliteration
quatrain
couplet
sonnet
antagonist
protagonist
denouement
elegy
kigo- means: a seasonal word, used in haiku
hyperbole
resolution
simile
metaphor
ballad
stanza
foreshadowing

Spelling/ Vocabulary
5A
Week of Oct. 11
Pattern: poetry terms
rhyme
haiku
alliteration
quatrain
couplet
sonnet
antagonist
protagonist
denouement
elegy
kigo- means: a seasonal word, used in haiku
hyperbole
resolution
simile
metaphor
ballad
stanza
foreshadowing

Week of Oct. 4

Remember: Students are expected to know spelling and proper usage in a sentence. They receive one point for each and Thursday night's homework is to study for the test!!!!
Spelling/Vocabulary
5A
Week of October 4 Pattern: V/CV and ie /ei

vacant
frequent
veto
deduct
vital
locate
moment
omit
rotate
unite
puny
putrid
conceited
achieve
deceive
leisure
grief
seize

Spelling/Vocabulary
5B
Week of Oct. 4 Patterns: v/cv, ie/ei and prefix: dis: meaning apart, not

puny
putrid
vital
deduct
vacant
conceited
seize
retrieval
unwieldy
grievance
deceitful
receipt
believe
dissuade
disengage
discord
discomfort
indispensable


Spelling/Vocabulary
6A
Week of Oct. 4 Patterns: v/cv, ie/ei and prefix: dis: meaning apart, not

puny
putrid
vital
deduct
vacant
conceited
seize
retrieval
unwieldy
grievance
deceitful
receipt
believe
dissuade
disengage
discord
discomfort
indispensable

Sept. 26

We have completed novel studies of Freak the Mighty and Frindle and are busy working on our new lessons. This week we will continue learning about Fairy Tales in 5th grade and complete our own traditional tale. Then we will mix it up a bit!
6th grade will begin the unit and continue vocabulary study.
The 5th grade Social Studies students are working on a Native American tribe project.

Picture Day; Oct 6
Faculty/Student Volleyball Game: Oct. 1 JCA gym

Vocabulary Words:
This week we will have 18 words, instead of 15. I feel students need to punch up their word skills, so we'll work more on this in class also.


Vocabulary Week of Sept. 27 pattern: VC/CV
5A

gather
servant
berserk
different
chatter
hermit
persist
garment
discard
parcel
distort
horrid
torment
burden
flirted
murmur
squirrel
urban

Vocabulary Week of Sept. 27 pattern: VC/CV
5B
berserk
chatter
persist
distort
horrid
torment
burden
murmur
perturb
squirrel
proclaimed
confined
neighborhood
represented
unrelenting
version
melancholy
descendents



Vocabulary Week of Sept. 27 pattern: VC/CV
6A
berserk
chatter
persist
distort
horrid
torment
burden
murmur
perturb
squirrel
proclaimed
confined
neighborhood
represented
unrelenting
version
melancholy
descendents

For the week of September 20:


5th (Berner’s homeroom)
Vocabulary/Spelling
Students must use words correctly in a sentence for full credit (2 points per sentence)

Focus: VC/CV and Frindle

endures
rebellion
procedure
impatient
remarkable
cascade
athlete
stampede
describe
inquire
incline
backbone
oppose
dispute
consume

5th grade (Dohner’s homeroom)
Vocabulary/Spelling
Students must use words correctly in a sentence for full credit (2 points per sentence)
Focus: VC/CV

endures
cascade
stagnate
octane
confiscate
stampede
confide
pastime
textile
implode
suppose
commune
consume
protrude
dispute

6th grade
Vocabulary/Spelling
Students must use words correctly in a sentence for full credit (2 points per sentence)
Focus: VC/CV


endures
cascade
stagnate
octane
confiscate
stampede
confide
pastime
textile
implode
suppose
commune
consume
protrude
dispute

Hello! Hope all is well with everyone. These weekends go by too fast, don't they?

This week we will finish up Frindle and Freak the Mighty. Unit tests will be given on Friday, if all goes as planned. If we fall behind, and that is a definite possibility, they will be given on Monday of the following week. Vocab words for my classes this week are:


Spelling/Vocab Spelling pattern: VC/CV
Sept. 13-18
Words must be used properly in a sentence and spelled correctly.
5A
1. enchant 9. adverb
2. hectic 10. absurd
3. splendid 11. dictate
4. contact 12. contrive
5. progress 13. connive
6. establish 14. immune
7. abnormal 15. Raleigh
8. informal



Spelling/Vocab Spelling pattern: VC/CV
Sept. 13-18
Words must be used properly in a sentence and spelled correctly.
5B
1. infiltrate 9. adverb
2. indispose 10. absurd
3. jargon 11. contemplate
4. interrupted 12. contrive
5. infantile 13. connive
6. informal 14. immune
7. abnormal 15. Raleigh
8. compensate



Spelling/Vocab Words taken from Freak the Mighty
Words must be used properly in a sentence and spelled correctly.
6A
1. optimum 9. illiterate
2. devised 10. adverb
3. heave 11. dynamic
4. urgency 12. testify
5. tremble 13. prodigy
6. obligation 14. smidgeon
7. furrowed 15. vanquish
8. injustice

Labor Day week

I hope everyone had a great long weekend! My family and I spent a relaxing and wonderful time in Boone, NC, enjoying the fresh, cool mountain air.

The 4 day school week means we won't have a spelling/vocab test on Friday, although we will work on some new words. Several students didn't do as well as they probably wanted to on last week's test, so they will have a second chance this week. We also had quite a few absences, so make-up tests will occur on Friday. Any student may take the test again, but if your student earned less than 80%, it is required. Many did very well, so kudos to those who studied and did great!

5th grade:
We will try and finish up Frindle this week. Be prepared for a pop quiz or two! Literature Circles will continue. I was very impressed with some of the discussions I overheard in my homeroom class last week. Well done! We will write about our personal "Frindles" and try and get others to adopt our word.

6th grade:
We will continue to work on Freak the Mighty, you also, should be prepared for a pop quiz! Vocabulary will figure prominently in out lessons this week. Literature Circles will continue, as will group discussion of the novel.