We are quickly approaching the end of 2013. 

The students will wrap up 2013 with an assessment on Chapter 4 in Social Studies Wednesday and the last of unit assessments in Math and Reading on Thursday.  We will spend Thursday afternoon making our gingerbread houses and getting last minute plans completed.  Friday, we will go caroling and put on a presentation at the nursing home.  Students will share a poem and angels with the residence of the home.  The afternoon will have a movie, popcorn and a little something to drink.

Have a wonderful holiday break with family and friends!

Please enjoy the holidays safely!

 

My angels have been busy at work!  We have now completed 1/2 of this group's 5th grade year!

An amazing concert!  I was very proud of my students and the respectful behavior during the concert. 

We are going to be super busy the next few days!  The class is planning to make angel Christmas ornaments for the residence of the nursing home.  We will go caroling on Friday with the 4th graders.  This should be lots of fun!

Students will be asked to participate in a food pantry drive.  The class may bring any non perishable goods and we will deliver them to the pantry when we go caroling.

Note that we will be having a Science test on Friday!  Last one before the break.  Social Studies will have a test on Tues. of next week.  We would like to wrap up president reports by Wednesday.  Encourage your child to get the report completed over the weekend.

Thanksgiving is behind us and the craziness of the holidays is in full swing!  Students are busy with art projects, lessons and concerts.  The elementary will have their annual Christmas concert on December 9 at 7:00 p.m.   We are also planning caroling and a classroom party. 

With the end of the calendar year coming quickly, the school is making plans for a school calendar for next year.  Please consider taking the school survey to have your preference for school dates considered.  Here are the directions to get involved in the survey.



 

Click here for Option #1 Click here for Option #2 Wishek Public School is making available for patrons to vote on two possible calendars for the upcoming school year. The main difference between the two calendars are the start and end dates of school. Option #1 has a starting date of August 21st and an ending date of May 21st with graduation May 24th. Option #2 has a starting date of August 18th and an ending date of May 14th with graduation May 17th. A couple things to consider before voting. The region track meet is scheduled for May 16th with the option to have it moved to the 15th if bad weather is predicted. This is a major reason why graduation would fall on a Sunday for Calendar #2. The state track meet is May 22-23rd. This is a major reason why graduation would fall on a Sunday for Calendar #1. click here to vote on school calendar. Deadline is December 15th to vote.

 

 



 The blog site and I are getting along again! It is time for an update.
  
We were treated to a display of Science in the gym on Thursday.  The students enjoyed a lyceum that presented many different fascinations of science.

We have had several absences, including the teacher, because of the flu.  Rest, liquids and healthy meals will be an order if we are all going to enjoy the holidays.

The plan is to have a Social Studies test on Chapter 3 on Tuesday.  If I don't feel the students are ready, we may push it into Wednesday.  The week will tell.

Short week!  Have a great Thanksgiving weekend with your families!



Thank you to those of you that could schedule a conference time. Getting a chance to visit with you after the first 9 weeks of school is important to me.  I like the chance to get your perspective of the year.  I plan to make calls this week to see when you can pick up your child's folder and get a chance to touch base.

Students packed 5 days of activity into 4 days last week and will do the same this week!  Hope your Veteran's Day is filled with activities that give gratitude to those that have preserved our freedoms.

On Thursday the students were treated to a field trip to the honey plant.  The field of our farmers would not be as productive if we would not have the bees to pollenate our crops.  David Salwei did a great job of introducing us to the production of honey from bee to market.  Thank you David for the tour.

Students will bring home their State Projects.  A good sign that Presidents reports should have a good start.  We will begin presenting them on December 10.  Timelines should be complete as we used our technology time last week to do the research.

Another 4 day week is ahead of us.  We will again pack it full of activities that will include the AMVets essay contest.  Students will also draw a poster to enhance their essay.

 

Box Top Winners!

5th graders were the top box top savers!  They accumulated 1350 box tops!  Well done group!

 

 

Security State Bank Pumpkin Contest Winners!

 

Our bat pumpkin won the decorating contest at the bank.  We were treated with floats on Wednesday!

 

We enjoyed a play today put on by the 6th graders called "The Curse of King Tut's Tomb!"  The teachers were treated to an "ugly" meal.

 

Abby Deile was our Lion's Peace poster contest winner with Seth Bettenhausen close behind!

 

Don't forget Parent/Teacher's conferences next week!  Call if you can't make it on Friday and we will set up a time.

Mr. Kuntz has released the guidelines for outdoors:

Below 50 degrees--------------------- Jacket required
Soggy, wet or dreary conditions----------boots required
Definite rain----------------------------------stay inside - games in the classroom
Below 32 degrees no snow or wet conditions--------------------Hat, coat, gloves required.
Below 32 degrees with snow or wet conditions-----------------Hat, coat, gloves, boots and snow pants required.
Below –15 degrees (including wind chill)-------------------------stay inside.

We encourage students to get fresh air and have the opportunity to engage in free play.  Recess is an important event for students.  Weather will continue to cool so we need to be prepared.



 

Please contact me if you are not available for Parent/Teacher Conferences on November 8th!

North Dakota State Assessments are complete! 

 

We will now get back into a somewhat normal routine.  This will mean that we are scheduled for a Social Studies test on Tuesday.  Review can begin this weekend.

 

A few minutes a day need to be spent on Spelling words.  We only do ten words a week. Writing the words once a few days a week will give the students the practice they need.  Please ask your child to spell their words to you if they are struggling with practicing on their own.

 

We are invited to the 6th grade's comedy play on Thursday at 10:00a.m.  Students will be allowed to put on costumes after lunch.  We have been invited to the nursing home for Trick or Treating.

 

One of our main goals in 5th grade is to learn time management.  I am typically at school  until 5:00p.m.  I don't mind allowing a child to stay in the classroom afterschool  if work is not completed.  Most of us are doing a great job deciding how much time each day will be spent on Spelling and Health and which subjects can be completed at home.  Please check the lesson plan on the right to see the guide for what will be accomplished during the week.  I am proud of the accomplishments and the responsibility level of these students.  Parental support means the world to their growth. If you have any questions about the routine or expectations of our class, please bring them to conferences on November 8.  If you are unable to come at that time, please call and we will set up a time that works for you.

Have a great Weekend!

Maps and Apps

    Mrs. Ketterling from the county extension office came to our classroom to do a presentation sponsored by the 4-H.  The students were exposed to geospatial technology and learned about GIS. It was a great way to end our day.

    We will wrap up our week tomorrow.   A short week filled with lots of activity.  Classes are not in session on Thursday or Friday.  Common Core State Standard training for the teacher is planned.

    On Monday we will begin our North Dakota State Assessments.  These tests will be given on Tuesday through Thursday.  Please make sure your child gets a good nights rest and a healthy breakfast before coming to school.  The tests are very important to our students and school.  We need to show our best work.

    State reports are completed and students have been doing their presentations.  I am very impressed with most of the projects.  They will be on display during Parent/Teacher Conferences.

Security State Bank is having a pumpkin decorating contest.  Here is the bat we entered. 

We also made ghosts to decorate our room. Pretty scary!

 

Our class is working with the story "Shiloh".  We will do a book/movie comparative on Friday.  The students are welcomed to bring something to drink and I will pop some popcorn for them to enjoy.

 

We began presenting our state projects.  These projects were a good introduction to research and being responsible for a deadline.  Students are also learning important lessons in time management.

 

On October 17 and 18, we will not have school.  These days are set aside for teachers to take in Professional Development.  Enjoy the 4 day weekend.



 

We spent most of our week completing NWEA testing, unit tests and wrapping up lessons.  Our state reports were completed on today!  Most of us were happy to have this done and are excited to share them with the class.  A few of us will need the weekend to tie up loose ends.

 

Our classroom needed a little Halloween decorating.  The students learned to tie balloons and experienced cheese cloth to make ghosts to hang around the room.

 

The elementary will perform at half time of the Napoleon football on Oct. 19.

 

Make sure students are dressing for the weather.

 

Once again we are out of graham crackers for snack time.  Please send crackers if you have not shared a box with the class.

We are still looking for salt cartons.  Our art project is not possible yet!

NWEA testing has begun!  We will test again on Thursday morning.  It is important to get rest and eat a good breakfast before we write these tests.

Students should be wrapping up state reports this week.  Send completed boxes, tri fold boards will be finished, license plates are done, and travel brochures will also be constructed this week.  By Friday, the students should feel ready to present.

Homecoming this week!  Kids have lots of activities to attend.  I will try very hard to make it possible to have minimal homework but using class time is up to the students.

Mid-term reports came home on Friday.  We have 4 weeks to make any improvements to reach our goals.  For many of the students, it reinforced the hard work they have put forth.  I am very pleased with the way this group has settled in for the year. Please sign the report and have your child return it to school.

Plans are being made to begin the NWEA testing.  These tests are important in many ways.  I get an understanding of the skills that we need to brush up on and it gives information about individual needs.  I will post a schedule when it is available.

Our first Social Studies exam was taken on Friday.  Using our outlines and worksheets works well for studying.  Flashcards can be made at home to learn the vocabulary words and understanding the concepts comes from asking questions in class.  We will begin to move through the chapters quicker now that students understand the process.

Notice that we will take a Science test later in the week coming.  Encourage your child to review the material each evening of the week instead of trying to study all the material in one evening.

Our deadline for state reports is coming quickly.  We began working on our shoeboxes this week.  The students exchanged ideas about what they were going to do.  Students didn't get much of the box done but now have a direction.  All boxes can be returned as soon as they are completed.  The written reports should be completed Oct. 7.  We will then begin the presentations.

Science was our highlight this week so far!  Curt Brandner came to our classroom to talk about the vascular systems of plants.  He explained how people in his industry use this science to color flowers.  Students were given daisies to experiment with in the class.  Thank you Curt for connecting our lesson to the real world.

Curt talked to us about the process for stimulating the plants to draw water.

We were given white daisies and mini sunflowers to color.

We were successful in making some very "cool" looking flowers.

 

The students will be performing at half-time of the homecoming football game on Oct. 4th.  Students will need to be at the north end of the field by 7:30p.m.

A note was sent home with the details today.

Our pictures are here.  Please place your orders by Sept. 20th.  I will collect them and turn them into the office.

Shoeboxes for state reports will be put together on Friday the 20th.  Please make sure your child has their box in school before then.

NWEA testing will be happening in the next couple of weeks as we are starting to prepare for our first conferences.   I will post a schedule when we have it completed.

A few quick notes:
   Scholastic online ordering is available.  Our class code is DRDQ7
      Feel free to order books anytime online!

   A pink sheet of paper was sent home yesterday with usernames and passwords for the ND State Library website.  I am hoping that you post this beside your computer and take advantage of this tool along with your 5th grader.

    I will be in Boise, Id for training.  Mrs. Bettenhausen will be our sub.  She will join us again on Monday as my husband has his cardiac follow-up appointment.  I know my students will be a great help to make the days run smoothly.

    Students will need to have their state report packets with them on Friday.  We will use our computer time to work on and develop our state reports and begin printing pictures for our tri-fold boards.

     We do not have crackers for next week.  If you are willing to send some to school, we would appreciate that.
  
     I will send home mid-term reports next week. (Can you believe it?!!!!

We have completed our third week of school and are nearing our first assessment in Social Studies.  The students will use this week to wrap up Chapter 1 and will review on the sixteen for our first test.  Outlines are being completed by students and will be used as their study guide.

The spelling process is different this year.  Each student is developing their spelling list from words that are dictated to the class from a master list.  Your child is working on ten words each week that are matched to their spelling ability level.  We only test on 10 words a week therefore it is important to practice this list.  The list should be in the orange folder in their backpacks on Mondays.

Steve from the North Dakota State Library came to our classroom and spoke to us about using the tutor program offered free of charge.  Students brought information about the program home on Thursday,  Please ask your child about the program.  Contact me if you would like more information.

We are out of crackers for milk break.  If you are willing to share a box with the class, please send them to school

Box Tops can be sent to school along with any empty salt cartons.  Shoe boxes will be needed for our state projects next week.  Students can put their state "scene" together at school for art class.  Our license plates were completed on Friday.  It is a good idea to make sure your child has started gathering information for the report and we will begin constructing our reports in the next week or so.

Week two was a hot one but lots of productive time!  We were treated with popsicles and ice cream to help keep us cool.

Students are doing a great job of adjusting to classroom expectations and routines.  Next week we will pick up the pace. Spelling words will be in our folders on the first day of the week and the test is given the last day of the week.  These words need to be practiced at home.

Please take advantage of reviewing lesson plans on the blog for daily lessons. Remember these plans are a guide and the pace of the week is dictated by the understanding of the students and unexpected interruptions. 

State reports:  Students have been talking about state reports.  I am very excited to hear that they have started their research.  Students will save information on their thumb drives and as we work through expectations begin to piece their project together.  Tri-fold boards will be provided at school. I will not expect students to cite resources.  This will happen next year.

We made models of cells this week and enjoyed our water painting project.  No school on Monday so the activity will begin again on Sept. 3rd!

Please save salt containers when you empty them.  We will need them for an art project in October. Box Tops can be sent to school any time too!!!

 

Time for me to get into the swing of the blog!
    My lesson plans are linked to the right of our updates.  I try to post on Fridays and put any updates here when I can.  Please feel free to call if you have any questions. 458-2892 ext105.  Spelling units and Health lessons will be completed at school.  We will learn to prioritize our workload and manage time to complete all projects.  If your child seems to have excessive homework, we need to talk about strategies to help reduce any frustration.
     Please contact the school to get Powerschool username and password for your child.  You may choose to have your child's grades emailed to you each week.  The secretaries are more than willing to help you through this process.  Your child was also given a username and password to access their online Social Studies book.  I am hoping this will reduce the number of books that need to be carried home.
    Keep an eye on the school announcements as it will update you on all school activities.  The blog will keep you up to date on classroom activities.
     Students have been given their state report packets.  These are not due until the beginning of October.  Some of the work will be completed at school.  Research and planning will be done as homework.  Students were asked to pick their states this week and I am excited to say that work has begun!
    We have had a warm start to our school year but I am very pleased with the production of the students!  We are completing our second week already.  This school year is on a fast pace!

What an amazing first day of school!  I am very impressed with this group of students.  They were asked to set goals depending on the objects in their bag.  Creative and insightful goals were set.
 
Here is a sneak peak of our goal setting.

http://ndcurriculuminitiative.org/media/common_core/ela/g_ela_5_nsd20_npta_parent_guide_20120629.pdf

Please take time to look at this website.  It will help understand the Common Core Standards that have been adopted by our state.

Forgot to post these!!!! Sorry!!!!

 

The 2013 -2014 5th Graders!

Class picnic on 5-16-13

 

Field trip to Aberdeen tomorrow.  Final year reports are in the school bags!

I have copied the 6th grade "needs" list for you!    Print and keep a copy for yourself.  I sent a copy home a few days ago but I am going to guess, many of you have not seen this list. :-)

6^th Grade Supply List
Wishek Elementary School
2013-2014 School Year
Mr. Lutz

Large Box of Kleenex
 (if parents can send extra, that is great. We seem to run out of it rather quickly! )
#2 Pencils
1 box of colored pencils (12 count or more)
Erasers (2-3 medium sized)
Hand sanitizer (Travel Size)
Flash drive (thumb drive, memory stick, USB drive) on a lanyard, labeled with student name.
Calculator (Scientific)
*Example: Texas Instruments TI-30XA which is typically available for less than $10.
Red pens  (2)
Blue or black pens
1 box (24 count) crayons
Scissors
Bottled Glue (1)
Glue sticks (3)
2 Highlighters
1 Package of Washable Color Markers
5 Pocket folders (various colors) with fasteners.
2 packages of lined, index cards
3 Ring Binder
Ruler (needs to have both metric and English units of measure)
Loose leaf paper (1 package of 100-150 sheets)
5 (1 Subject Notebooks)
Student Planner (to be used as an assignment notebook)

** Students need one pair of outdoor shoes and one good pair of non-marking gym (indoor) shoes.

 

May 8, 2013

Getting ready for the long jump!

 

May 10, 2013

5th graders put their efforts together and tied a quilt for the

carnival!  They did a wonderful job!  Someone got a great

blanket for next winter.

 

 

Gateway to Science Challenged everyone's minds!  Was fun but way too short!

 

The State Library tour proved to be a real eye opener!  We saw all the books available

that are stored on rolling shelves and audio books too!  We learned about an online tutor

available through the state library that can help with unclear concepts.

 

Time to catch up!  I am sorry I didn't get a post up last week but needless to say there has been lots of activity.

We started our week with a visit from the Strength Team.  They reinforced what we learn in health class.  The team was very inspirational.

 

Coal Mine Field Trip

 

  The students were able to spend some time learning about the process of producing electricity and synthetic gas.  We drove the bus down into the mine and were amazed at the size of the machinery.  Students were impressed that it would cost $34,000 to change a tire on one of the "smaller" trucks and over $80,000 for a tire on the belly dumps.  Kem Electric paid for our lunch at the gasification plant and pizza for everyone at the park in Bismarck on the way home. 

 

 

 

Elementary Music Concert

 

Students did an impressive job at the music concert.  I was very impressed with the respectful behavior and pleasant manners of the students.

 

 

Ag Day

 

Our local FFA club hosted a farm safety program for the third through fifth grade on Friday.  The students came back to class with all kinds of goodies!  They had a great time!

 

What is up for this week?

 

     We will complete our  end of the year test in Reading on Monday and the NWEA Testing on Tuesday.  It is hard to focus but these tests are important.  Students need to do the best they can.  We will have our track day on Wednesday.  Our goal is to keep the students safe.  Please do not give your child seeds or candy while competing in the meet.  We are always concerned about choking when running.  We can treat the kids at the end if you would like to treat them.  Tummies don't always accept food well after running hard either.

     On the 9th is the Bike safety program after school and Friday is the Carnival.  I am hoping the fleece shows  up in time!  I am having the students tie a fleece blanket for the silent auction.  If you would like to help with the cost of the fleece, please send $2 with your student.

 

 

Field Trip

 

   May 13, 2013 we will travel to Bismarck to tour the state library and Gateway to Science.  I have two volunteers to help me.  Thank you for being so willing.  We will leave when the buses arrive at school and should be home in time to ride the buses home again.  Please have a lunch for your child packed.  Snacks and a drink for the bus trip are ok. Remember they need to be peanut free.  Remind your child that respectful behavior is expected.










Ready for the "end of the year" ride!  Temps are hopefully going up but so has the energy levels.  Students are looking to summer and focus on school work is getting harder and harder.  Our "normal" is now gone!  Our schedule will have lots of interruptions.  Here is a tentative schedule of what will happen until we are dismissed for the summer.

April 22 - 8:35 -Lyceum
April 24 - 26 - Mrs. Christensen will be gone for her daughter's wedding. Mrs. Woehl and Mrs Goebel will carry on the daily schedule.  Test in Social Studies on Wednesday.  Check the lesson plan for what is expected.
April 29 - Strength Team lyceum
April 30 - Coal Mine fieldtrip
May 1 - NWEA Testing
May 2 - Elementary Music concert
May 3 - Ag Day
May 7 - NWEA Testing
May 8 - Elementary Track Day
May 9 - Bike Safety
May 10 - Elementary Carnival
May 13 - Gateway to Science/State Library fieldtrip
May 14 - Kindergarten Program
May 16 - 5th and 6th grade picnic
May 17 - Last Day of School


Please contact me if you would like to chaperone for us during the fieldtrips.  I do drive the bus so the extra supervision is needed.

We will be taking end-of-the-year  skill tests during this time too. 

Our last month will go by very quickly!  I will try to post any changes or additions as they happen.

With Summer coming soon, John and Andy stopped in to talk to us this week about home alone safety!  We also talked about what to do in case of an emergency.  The students learned about the equipment used and when is it proper to call 9-1-1.

            

 



Tom Gibson from the McIntosh Soil Conservation District did a presentation for the 4th, 5th and 6th graders.  He played a game show with us!  It was fun learning about conservation and respect for our natural resources.

 

Brace ourselves for another busy week!  On Monday, we will have the county nurse talk to us about puberty.  Although we have covered the topic earlier in the year, it will be good review and the nurse may be able to answer more of our questions.

 

Our trip to the ambulance was interrupted therefore we will try to get it rescheduled this week.

 

State and Capital tests have been a challenge.  Encourage your child to practice with flash cards or work with www.sheppardsoftware.com.  

 

Thank you parents for sending graham crackers this year.  We ate our last ones today.  If you have not sent crackers this year and are willing to share........... we are ready!