Dear families,

Just 4 days left until break! Please note that we have school MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND THURSDAY. There is no school on Friday. Students WILL have assessments on Thursday, so please let us know if your child will not be here.

A big thanks to my homeroom class for your great behavior on our field trip on Friday. The band concert was fantastic! It was a great opportunity to see just how BIG next year's class will be when they get to the middle school :)

Congratulations to my homeroom's spelling bee winners - Lauren Teasley and Hannah Williams! They will move on to the school spelling bee in January. 

My Homeroom Party: Wednesday, 12/18 from 12:15-12:45. 

School Events
Mon, 12/16 Makeup tests for EasyCBM
Tues, 12/17 My homeroom library visit; Governance Council at 2:30
Wed, 12/18 Christmas Party at 12:15
Thurs, 12/19 Social Studies test (economics); Last day of school before break!

Note for my homeroom students who have Mrs. Kennedy for reading:
If you have Mrs. Kennedy for reading, but you are in my homeroom, you can click to her website to read specifics about her reading class. You could also just look at my reading sections below! The only difference is that our classes are swapped.
Mrs. Kennedy's Reading 1 matches MY Reading 2.
Mrs. Kennedy's Reading 2 matches MY Reading 1.

SOCIAL STUDIES
(My homeroom)

My class will be finishing our study of economics this week! For more information. click the "Social Studies" page at the top, and look at all the standards at the bottom of the page.

Monday: SS5E2 and 3. A Question of Money! Read newspaper articles. Create your own currency to trade with other table "countries." What is difficult? How do we fix the problem? (Trade rates)

Tuesday: SS5E2 and 3. Bartering and economics at work.

Wednesday: NO SOCIAL STUDIES! PARTY AT 12:15.

Thursday: Review economics; discuss taxes. Multiple-choice and short-answer test.


LANGUAGE ARTS
POW Topic: None this week.
Shurley English: none this week

All week:
1) Finish passion projects
2) Present passion projects
3) Student choice activities (computer coding, create a new language)

READING 1
HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes every day.

Common Core ELA Standards for Reading 1
RL.5.6. Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
RI.5.6. Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

Phase 2 Conference Questions
Who is narrating the book you are reading? How does the narrator feel about the events being described? How can you tell? (RL.6)

Phase 3: Student Choices

• Continued independent reading
• Passion project
• Prepare to read holiday picture books to K-3 students
• Creative writing (write your own book)
• Computer programming
• Online books and videos
• Edgenuity (reading)

Monday
Read letters from 6th grade pen pals; respond with a new letter.
Afterward, Phase 2 and Phase 3.

Tuesday: Whole Group
"I Survived the Superstorm." Look for examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. (RI.6)
Afterward, Phase 2 and Phase 3.

Wednesday: Whole Group
"Surviving Hurricane Sandy." 
Look for examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Compare and contrast with text from yesterday. (RI.3)
Afterward, Phase 2 and Phase 3.

Thursday: Whole Group
12 Days of Christmas - 2 versions!
Original and Georgia :)
Compare and contrast the two versions (including contrasting the narrator)

READING 2
HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes every day.

Common Core ELA Standards for Reading 2
RL.5.6. Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
RI.5.6. Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

Monday
Read letters from 6th grade pen pals; respond with a new letter.

Tuesday: Whole Group
"I Survived the Superstorm." Look for examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. (RI.6)

Wednesday: Whole Group
"Surviving Hurricane Sandy." 
Look for examples of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Compare and contrast with text from yesterday. (RI.3)

Thursday: Whole Group
12 Days of Christmas - 2 versions!
Original and Georgia :)
Compare and contrast the two versions (including contrasting the narrator)

Dear families,

Only 9 more school days until Christmas break?! Wow! The kids have been working hard, and that hard work is going to continue this week as well. Let's look at what we have in store.

Please note that we have a field trip coming up this Friday! We will be taking buses to Gainesville Middle School to attend their Winter Concert! It's always a wonderful trip and a fun first visit to the middle school as a grade level. We will listen to lots of fun Christmas music! Look for permission slips to come home in the red folder this week.

Also, a note of congratulations to Eli E! He was selected as Centennial's Rotary Student of the Month. He will be honored on Monday at the Gainesville Rotary Club's meeting.



School Events
Mon, 12/9 Easy CBM assessment (my reading classes)
Tues, 12/10 My homeroom library visit; essays due (my ELA class)
Wed, 12/11 Italian Ice $2 due
Thurs, 12/12 PTA Performances @ 6 pm
Fri, 12/6 Class Spelling Bee @ 7:45, GMS Winter Concert @ 8:30, POW due (all language arts classes); Italian Ice delivered

Note for my homeroom students who have Mrs. Kennedy for reading:
If you have Mrs. Kennedy for reading, but you are in my homeroom, you can click to her website to read specifics about her reading class. You could also just look at my reading sections below! The only difference is that our classes are swapped.
Mrs. Kennedy's Reading 1 matches MY Reading 2.
Mrs. Kennedy's Reading 2 matches MY Reading 1.

SOCIAL STUDIES
(My homeroom)

My class will be working on government and economics for the next two weeks! For more information. click the "Social Studies" page at the top, and look at all the standards at the bottom of the page.

Monday: SS5CG1 - Explain how a citizen's rights are protected under the US Constitution.
Learn about the Great Seal and its significance to our country. 
Color and label the seal.
Begin Citizenship PPT.

Tuesday: SS5CG2 - Explain the process by which amendments to the US Constitution are made.
Watch "Bill of Rights" BrainPop video.
Finish Citizenship PPT.
Complete Bill of Rights matching activity.

Wednesday: SS5G2 Explain the process by which amendments to the US Constitution are made.
Reflect on what you learned in the last two days (assessment grade).
SS5E1-4 Economic Understandings
BrainPop videos: Money, Supply and Demand, Budgets

Thursday: SS5E1.5 Explain how voluntary exchange helps both buyers and sellers.SS532 Describe the functions of the four major sectors in the US economy.
SS5E3 Describe how consumers and businesses interact in the US economy.
Competition - The Gas Station Game
Fair Trade & Money - The Farmer Story
Budgeting - A Tale of Two Villages
4 Sectors of the US Economy

Friday: SS5E2 Describe the functions of the four major sectors in the US economy.
Create 4-square foldable with descriptions and illustrations.
Computer Rotations: Economics games: Money Metropolis and Financial Soccer

LANGUAGE ARTS
POW Topic: Should kids be allowed to eat junk food? Why or why not?
Monday: Brainstorm. 
Tuesday: Detail sentences. 
Wednesday: Topic and concluding sentences. 
Thursday: Final Copy. 
Friday: Proofread/edit. 

Shurley English: none this week

Monday: Work on opinion paper - should all teachers use passion projects? Why or why not? Writing conferences.
Tuesday: Finish opinion paper. Turn in today.
Wednesday: Introduce new research options for 2014. Work on passion projects. Student conferences.
Thursday: Work on passion projects. Student conferences.
Friday: Work on passion projects. Student conferences.

READING 1
HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes every day.

Common Core ELA Standards for Reading 1
Reviewing all literary and informational standards 1-5 (See reading page at the top for more details.)

Monday: Winter Assessment
All students will be in the computer lab for the winter Easy CBM test.

Tuesday: Whole Group
"No Bill of Rights, No Constitution"
Answer text questions (RI.1, RI.3)
Identify paragraph structures (RI.5)

Wednesday: Whole Group
"How the Coyote Stole Fire"
Compare and contrast parts of a play to parts of a book. How are they alike? How are they different? (RL.5, RL.3)
What is the theme of the play? (RL.2)

Thursday: Whole Group
"What Causes Allergies?" 
What is the main idea of the text? List supporting details. (RI.2)
"Sit, Stay, Save My Life"
How does information from the first text help you understand the second one? (RI.3)

Phase 2: Supported Independent Reading, Conference Questions

• Name another book that reminds you of the one you're currently reading. 
• How did that book prepare you for reading this one?

Phase 3: Student Choices

• Continued independent reading
• Passion project
• Prepare to read holiday picture books to K-3 students
• Creative writing (write your own book)
• Online books and videos
• Edgenuity (reading)

READING 2
HOMEWORK: Read 30 minutes every day.

Common Core ELA Standards for Reading 2
Reviewing all literary and informational standards 1-5 (See reading page at the top for more details.)

Monday: Winter Assessment
All students will be in the computer lab for the winter Easy CBM test.

Tuesday: Whole Group
"No Bill of Rights, No Constitution"
Answer text questions (RI.1, RI.3)
Identify paragraph structures (RI.5)

Wednesday: Whole Group
"How the Coyote Stole Fire"
Compare and contrast parts of a play to parts of a book. How are they alike? How are they different? (RL.5, RL.3)
What is the theme of the play? (RL.2)

Thursday: Whole Group
"What Causes Allergies?" 
What is the main idea of the text? List supporting details. (RI.2)
"Sit, Stay, Save My Life"
How does information from the first text help you understand the second one? (RI.3)