Weekly Update Sept. 29-Oct. 3

Announcements:

NEW Announcements:

-Scholastic reading catalogs have been sent home. On the catalogs you will find our class code. These orders need to be completed online by THIS WEDNESDAY, October 1st. I will be submitting the online order Wednesday evening. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Repeated Announcements:
- If you were unable to sign up for a parent-teacher conference time at the Open House last week, please email me 2-3 times that will work for you. Each conference will be 15 minutes. Times available are Thursday, Nov. 6th between 1pm and 3pm or Friday between 8am and 11am.

- Thank you for all of you who have signed up for Class Dojo. I will be using this app to keep you informed of your child's behavior progress this year. Through this app, your child will also be writing goals for the year (ex: participate more, be more consistent with homework completion, etc). It would be great if both you and your child could sign up for accounts. Please let me know if you would like me to send home another copy of the information sheet.


What are we learning???

Math: Last week, we learned about the unique and rarely seen step graph. As a class, we were able to identify it's specific purposes and create a few of our own along the way! We also began reviewing circle/percent graphs. This week we will continue to discover the purposes of circle graphs while making a few of our own. While trying to keep all of these graphs straight, we have created a Graph Museum where the students bring in real examples of the various graphs along with an explanation. Our first math test of the year will be next Tuesday, October 7th.

Science: In science, we will complete a helicopter experiment where they once again will walk through the scientific method. We will also be looking more closely at independent and dependent variables in experiments. We will have a quiz on the scientific method this Thursday, October 2nd.

Social Studies: In social studies we will continue to learn about early farmers, division of labor, and the first complex villages. Presentations of "yellow pages" will be on Wednesday, October 1st.

ELA: In writing, the students have completed many "flash drafts", 1/2 to 1 page writing entries about a topic that is important to them, in their Writer's Notebooks. We will use these writings to practice skills that they will then apply to their Personal Narrative assignment. In reading, we are reviewing how to discuss books with our peers and how to think about our reading in meaningful ways. The students have enjoyed reading Wonder and have been able to have some wonderful discussions about the theme and plot of the story. As a reminder, Spelling activities are due this Friday, October 3rd and the spelling test will also be given Friday.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Ball

mball@gibraltar.k12.wi.us

Weekly Update Sept. 22-26

Announcements:

NEW Announcements:
- Our class will be visiting the elementary library every Thursday to check out books and also receive Library/Tech lessons from Mr. Scoville. They have learned the ropes of the new and improved library and have registered for a helpful typing program. They are able to practice at home using their school accounts.


-STAR Testing is coming up next week! We will be testing math on Tuesday, Sept. 23rd at 9:40 and reading on Thursday, Sept. 25th at 1:00. It's important for your student to get a good nights sleep before the day of the test and have a hearty breakfast the morning of the test.

-Scholastic reading catalogs will be coming home today. Your student will receive the class code to use when ordering online. Please let me know if you have any questions!

Repeated Announcements:
- If you were unable to sign up for a parent-teacher conference time at the Open House last week, please email me 2-3 times that will work for you. Each conference will be 15 minutes. Times available are Thursday, Nov. 6th between 1pm and 3pm or Friday between 8am and 11am.

- Thank you for all of you who have signed up for Class Dojo. I will be using this app to keep you informed of your child's behavior progress this year. Through this app, your child will also be writing goals for the year (ex: participate more, be more consistent with homework completion, etc). It would be great if both you and your child could sign up for accounts. Please let me know if you would like me to send home another copy of the information sheet.


What are we learning???

Math: We have been reviewing and discussing the various ways data is represented this week. The students have worked very hard identifying the various features and purposes of all the different graphs. We have reviewed line plots, box and whisker plots, broken line graphs, histograms, and bar graphs.

Science: In science, we have been reviewing the Scientific Method. I was impressed that most remembered a pneumonic device from last year for the steps of the Scientific Method! I put their knowledge to the test this week with a coin drop experiment. They had great fun and were able to apply all the steps to their experiment.

Social Studies: In Social Studies, they will begin to talk about Earth's earliest people and way of life. The Ice Age, hunters, gatherers, and farmers will be some of the major topics of discussion.

ELA: Students have now completed two weeks of spelling words and activities. They should now fully understand the expectations of the activities that are due each Friday. In writing, the students have continued to brainstorming people, places, and things that matter to them. They have been building their writing stamina through entries related to these topics in their Writer's Notebook. They have all chosen a topic for their Personal Narrative assignment. In reading, we have reviewed how to choose a "Just Right" book that is neither too easy or too hard. This year, they will be keeping track of each book they read this year in their Reader's Notebook. As a class, we are reading Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. Through this read aloud, I model skills they then repeat during their own quiet reading time. We call this time D.E.A.R. Ask your child what it stands for! :)

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Ball

mball@gibraltar.k12.wi.us

Weekly Update Sept. 15-19

Greetings parents!

So much has been going on in and out of our classroom since we started school almost two weeks ago! I want to share with you what we've been up to and inform you of some important announcements. There will be weekly updates on our blog and information shared throughout the week. Please fill out the attached slip and send it to school with your child on Tuesday so I can best keep you informed when the blog is updated.

Announcements:

- If you were unable to sign up for a parent-teacher conference time at the Open House last week, please email me 2-3 times that will work for you. Each conference will be 15 minutes. Times available are Thursday, Nov. 6th between 1pm and 3pm or Friday between 8am and 11am.

-Last week, students participated in The Viking Way. We went to various stations around school and discussed/reviewed school expectations. Our class really enjoyed it and did a great job showing their understanding of the expectations. Be respectful, be responsible, be safe!

-Students will be writing down their homework in their planner each night. It will be one responsible student's job to stamp it at the end of the day to ensure the homework is written down. Please sign your student's planner each Friday to confirm their homework has been recorded. Thank you for your support!

- Thank you for all of you who have signed up for Class Dojo. I will be using this app to keep you informed of your child's behavior progress this year. Through this app, your child will also be writing goals for the year (ex: participate more, be more consistent with homework completion, etc). It would be great if both you and your child could sign up for accounts. Please let me know if you would like me to send home another copy of the information sheet.


What are we learning???

Math: Since the first day of school, we have learned how to effectively use our Student Reference Math books. We have also reviewed different types of graphs and why we represent data in different ways. The students have done an excellent job recalling how to find the mean, median, mode, and range of given data. This is a skill we will continue to practice and master.

Science: We started the year with expectations for the Science room and lab. Students worked together to review physical/chemical properties and changes of matter. They will be quizzed on this information Tuesday, Sept. 16. This week, we will be diving into the Scientific Method with fun experiments and activities.

Social Studies: The students have been learning about the 5 Themes of Geography and the 5 Themes of Social Studies. They will be quizzed on the 5 Themes of Geography Thursday, Sept. 18. Mr. Burress said they did an excellent job presenting their projects last week!

ELA: Last Friday, our class had their first spelling test! They will receive 10 new spelling words each Monday and are required to complete 3 of 6 given spelling activities by Friday. They will write their new words on the same sheet as the activities descriptions. In writing, the students have been brainstorming people and places that matter to them. This has helped in building a list of topics to write about in their writer's notebook. In reading, we have reviewed theme, annotating, and summarizing. They have practiced these skill as a class, in a group, and individually. I have enjoyed getting to know your child as both a unique reader and writer!

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Ball

mball@gibraltar.k12.wi.us

Open House Night

Hello parents!

It was so wonderful to meet several of you last night at our Open House! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to attend the special event! I hope you found it as enjoyable and meaningful as I did. If you were unable to attend, I look forward to meeting you in the very near future!

Thank you again!
Mrs. Ball

Welcome to 6th grade!

Hello!

My name is Mrs. Ball and I am absolutely thrilled to be your child's 6th grade teacher this year! It has been a true joy and pleasure getting to know each student this past week! I couldn't be more excited for the year ahead of us and l look forward to working with each of you for the benefit of your student.

As you already may know, this is my first year at Gibraltar. I feel a bit spoiled living in such a beautiful area, one that I frequented growing up only for vacations! Prior to moving to Door County, my husband and I lived in Malaysia where he managed a fitness company and I taught at an American International School. The two and a half years we were there, I taught a 1st and 5th grade class. It was an amazing experience, but I am thankful to be back near family once again!

My goal for this blog is to have it be the primary source of information for you and your child. Anything I need to share with your child, whether it be a website or assignment, will be posted here for convenience. Please let me know if you have any suggestion to improve this blog!

I look forward to a growing and enjoyable year ahead!

Mrs. Ball