The Adventures in Mrs. Ripp's Class

Special Notes –

* We had a fantastic interview yesterday and think we have found my sub.  Paperwork is now being processed and if all goes well she will be in our room for a few days next week as we start to transition.  I am very excited after the interview and think the students will be in very capable hands.

*  Homework and using time well in the classroom continues to be a struggle for some students, I am reaching out to parents as much as needed but now may be a good time to check in with your child and see if they are on top of things.

* For Valentine’s Day students can bring in a Valentine, however, if they do, they need to bring one for everyone in the class.  They can attach a candy or trinket to their Valentine but this is not expected. There is a class list with first names on it on our website.

*  Congratulations to Zach for winning the geo bee – what a great accomplishment!

*  Also congratulations to Colin, Zach, Sydney, Rose and Kevin for representing our district at the Yahara River Writers Contest.  I am extremely proud of all of our students and this year I submitted more entries than I ever have.

*  Next week may be last week before the sub.  We are hoping for good news from the NICU as far as Augustine’s discharge but I will keep you in the loop.  I will return in March. 

*  The PTO is looking for volunteers and prizes for the winter carnival on February 8^th, please contact Sara Vogel or the PTO for more information.

*  Students should pack a lunch for the Kindness Retreat next Friday if they have not ordered one from school.

* I have some dates for you to put on your calendars: No school Friday, January 24th, Read-in party (if we make our reading goal) Thursday, January 30^th, Kindness Retreat field trip all day January 31^st,  Carnival Saturday, February 8^th at 2 PM, Valentine’s Day Party 2 PM February 14^th.

Math – We are close to finishing unit 6, the test remains scheduled for Monday, February 6th.  The next unit is about exponential notation and the subtraction and addition of positive and negative numbers. 

Science – Students are working through the landforms unit, this week we have worked on building mountains out of foam and creating their profiles using topographical maps. 

Social Studies – We have been busy at work on our projects.  The deadline for all our student projects is February 6^th.  As a twist we will also be presenting our projects to another 5^th grade classroom in Vermont via Skype.  These students are therefore the audience we are working with in mind. 

Reading – We have been digging deeper into theme and comparing characters to each other as well as to ourselves.  We have also started new reading partnerships where students meet in groups of 3 as we move toward book clubs.  We are reading at a furious pace as we try to meet our January book challenge, however, with only a week to go we have to read more than 300 books in a week, things are looking dim at the moment but I still think we can do it. 

Writing – Students handed in a sample paragraph to me yesterday so I can see the beginnings of their work.  We have also discussed the two options for the project, a historical research paper or a historical fiction story.  Students choose which one they want to write and seem pretty excited about their topics.  Requirements are posted on our website.  Spelling resumes next week.