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I just wanted to thank all of you for being YOU!! It has meant so much to me to be your teacher even if for only a short amount of time. I hope that you recognize how GREAT you are and that you are highly capable of reaching your goals/dreams if you believe in yourself! You have made me smile each day (even if I had to redirect you in some way for being "off-task") and for this I will hold each of you in my heart!!:) Take care of yourself and one another. Remember: Kind people are my "kinda" people!:) Enjoy your Fall Break!!
Mrs. Maurer

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Reminder: Student-Led Conferences are tomorrow and Thursday. Additionally, please send a snack or small lunch with your student tomorrow as we will not have lunch provided due to the all schools Catholic Mass at Notre Dame and our early dismissal. Thank you!!

Due to our D.A.R.E. program, I did not meet with Dornbos HR for Grammar/Writing. My HR continued to write the ending to Up in the Attic from yesterday. Additionally, many papers were distributed for the students' Tuesday Home Folders.

In 5th Grade Science, we discussed the Properties of Minerals and students began their exploration lab with 10 different minerals. We will continue this on Thursday. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Science, we read pp. C20-21 in the textbooks and students completed the "What Are Some Other Ways Fossils Form?" handout. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

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Happy beginning to 2nd Quarter! Celebrate your successes and think of ways to improve one of your areas of weakness.

In Language Arts, students took a needed short break from their personal narratives to write an ending to a Halloween story, Up in the Attic. It is my intention to have all students share their stories this week. We will take full advantage of our time together due to our D.A.R.E. time, our all Catholic Schools Mass, and early dismissal days. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 5th Grade Science, students completed the "Warm-Up"  Earth Science 1&2 handout which focused on content vocabulary. Additionally, students set-up their notebook pages for tomorrow's Minerals "lab". NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade, students completed a summary outline of our textbook reading, "What Can You Learn from Fossils?". NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

*F.Y.I.: If you could please send in a snack with your student on Wednesday, October 23 that would be wonderful. Lunch will not be served that day due to the Mass at Notre Dame and early dismissal.*

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Due to the Color Run, students did not switch classes this morning, other than when they attended Computers. While in class, students completed a self-evaluation form for their conferences next week. Additionally, students wrote thank-you postcards to our military men and women for the holidays. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.
ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND AND STAY SAFE!:)

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In Language Arts, students wrote more of their personal narrative with the goal of having a complete 5 paragraph paper (DORNBOS). In my homeroom, students were to write their 3 body paragraphs. Students were also provided a 6 Trait Checklist as a resource. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 5th Grade Science, we discussed how mountains are formed as the crust is pulled apart, as well as, how to answer possible quiz questions with content specific vocabulary. We also went over reading comprehension questions together from the San Andreas Fault article from yesterday. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Science, students set up their Fossil page of their notebook in order to be prepared for Monday when we begin to learn more about fossils. Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could share some of the remaining "clay stories" from yesterday. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

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Sorry for the delay today! I had no luck at school accessing my account.:(
F.Y.I.: We have our all school Mass with our Houses tomorrow. Students may wear their House shirt or a colored shirt with little or no detail and uniform bottoms.
Also, we have the Color Run on Friday where students should wear a white t-shirt, athletic bottoms and tennis shoes.

In Language Arts (DORNBOS), students completed (yet another) 6-Trait Writing handout as we continue to write a 5 paragraph personal narrative. I am still stressing the importance of having a TOPIC SENTENCE and SUPPORTING DETAILS for each of their paragraphs. Writing is quite the process!:) Unfortunately,  I did not meet with my HR class for LA due to our new schedule not being shared with the computer teachers as of yet. I told the students to be prepared to write a lot tomorrow. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 5th Grade Science, we read an article about the San Andreas Fault and highlighted main ideas and supporting details. Afterwards, students completed a crossword that used the vocabulary and key ideas. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Science, students swapped  their "Clay Stories" with one another so they could look at the details of their created footprints and guess what their story might be about. I think the kids had fun with this.:) NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

We have Junior Achievement tomorrow...I wonder what you get to do tomorrow...:)

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F.Y.I.: We have a new schedule for the remaining of the year and the students did an amazing job today with it! Additionally, I will be sending a letter home tomorrow in the Tuesday Home Folder, as well as your meeting time for Parent Conferences. Please keep an eye out for these important papers.

In Language Arts, students completed yet another "Idea" handout (part of 6-Trait Writing) that worked on end punctuation and Topic Sentences which we went through together. Additionally, students were to write their beginning/introductory paragraph for their narratives after I shared mine aloud with them. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED. I have decided not to continue to do Sentence of the Day,  Red Hot Root Words, nor Paragraph of the Week during this time so that we can focus on 5 paragraph narrative writing.

In 5th Grade Science, we reviewed what they remembered about erosion, weathering, and deposition, as well, as the Scientific Method that we studied 2 weeks ago.  I then shared a brief 2 paragraphs about the earth and its inner core, outer core, mantle and crust. Lastly, we began to read in the textbook and will continue to take notes on the 3 forces that work on the earth's surface which create earthquakes, mountains, and volcanoes. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Science, we reviewed what they remembered from 2 weeks ago about the properties of minerals, types of rocks and how to determine what layer of sedimentary rock is the oldest and youngest. I then shared a few paragraphs from the text that introduced them to fossils. Students then answered the following question: Imagine you were climbing a mountain and you saw a fossil of a fish! What does this mean? Students were confident that the mountain had to have been submerged in water many, many years ago.:) NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

We have D.A.R.E. tomorrow!:)

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F.Y.I.: Your students are bringing home the 2 important papers that I mentioned today...I read my letter aloud to my homeroom before distributing it to them. The majority of your students handle this announcement well, but a few struggled with it. If you could please talk with your children about this I would be very grateful. Thank you.

We did not have Language Arts due to our D.A.R.E. program (DORNBOS) and the Tuesday Home Folder papers distribution and announcements(MAURER). Tomorrow, we'll be back at our personal narratives.:)

In 5th Grade Science, we read through textbook pp. C6-C9 and answered 2 "warm-Up" questions and drew a diagram of the layers of the earth. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Science, we wrote down the definition of a fossil and answered the question: How can fossils give clues to what Earth was like in the past? Students shared out some really good answers.:) We looked at a photograph of footprints on a beach and discussed how big, what direction, were they human or animal, etc. and then students went into pairs to create a "Clay Story". NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

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In Language Arts, students completed another "Idea" handout (part of 6-Trait Writing) that worked on capitalization and Author's Purpose which we went over after students had completed. Additionally, ORGANIZATION in writing was addressed as well in order to keep their reader interested and following their idea. Students were given the in-class assignment of creating/filling in an outline of what would make up the beginning, middle (2-3 body paragraphs), and end of their personal narrative as part of this prewriting piece. I shared my example of my memorable first experience with attempting to bake in elementary school. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED, unless students did not complete this in-class assignment.

In 5th Grade Social Studies, students received an article "brief"about the Maya, Aztec and Inca which they had to highlight main ideas and key words as we read aloud together. Students then were given a "Quick Check Assessment" in which they were allowed to use their notes, board notes, and this article to complete it.
NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, we discussed the results of our "Weather Report" homework from last night. Students wrote down new vocabulary in their glossary section of their notebook. Lastly, we read about Indiana's climate in the textbook. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

Enjoy your weekend and stay warm!!

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In Language Arts, students completed an "Idea" handout (part of 6-Trait Writing) that required them to correct mistakes in capitalization for 2 short paragraphs. The hope is that the students realized that one paragraph was stronger because the writer felt connected to his story. This was used to begin our personal narrative step-by-step in addition to their list of 5 things that they enjoy. After our discussion of this handout, students were asked to choose 1 of 3 prompts I shared to eventually write their narrative and to select one of their 5 listed items. Lastly, students were given a Writing Rubric which was to be placed in their classroom Writing folder. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In ACC 5th Grade Social Studies, students read about the Aztec and the Inca and created a Venn Diagram to write notes on from our reading. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.
In ENR 5th Grade Social Studies, students finished sharing out their notes on the Early People to complete their notebook chart. Students watched the 3 minute video of the Great Serpent Mound in Ohio as well. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, I explained the homework assignment and students presented their Vegetation Maps from yesterday. "Weather Report" HOMEWORK IS DUE TOMORROW, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019.

Our Junior Achievement Representative visited us today.:) The kids are definitely engaged with this program!

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After reading the students' narratives for the first monthly prompt, I had to address some items of concern so... In Language Arts, we went over all of the parts of a narrative that included the following: author's purpose (to entertain); who the audience/reader is;  a beginning (introduction-use of hook to grab readers attention), middle (body),  end (conclusion/conflict resolved); active voice, time order/transitions, setting, characters (dialogue), and the importance of staying on topic (when addressing a prompt). *We will spend the majority of class time writing each day across all subjects so that they get more practice with this important skill.
NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED (as long as students completed their "Personal Narrative List" at end of class-Dornbos HR)

In ACC 5th Grade Social Studies, students were challenged with Mayan Math and its Base 20 system. It has always been a "fun activity" while studying these early people with my previous classes, however, not so with this class.:( A few students enjoyed the challenge of figuring this out and they should be very proud of themselves!:) Additionally, students watched a 3 minute video of the Great Serpent Mound in Ohio so they could see how impressive these mounds were from so long ago. Additionally, students turned in their Alaska Crossword. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In ENR 5th Grade Social Studies, students shared the special features of The Olmec at the start of class and continued to work in small groups while taking notes on the Maya, The Mound Builders, and The Anasazi. They will share out the special features of each of these groups tomorrow. Students also turned in their Alaska Crossword. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, students wrote down the following vocabulary words in their notebooks: vegetation map, climate (2 parts-temperature and precipitation). In our remaining time, students shared their New State Vegetation Maps with the class. The maps that were presented were very creative!:) NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

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In Language Arts, students continued to address the monthly prompt from yesterday (as they will get an hour on an Indiana state test. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 5th Grade Social Studies, students took a "Quick Check Assessment" to see what they remembered from our discussion yesterday of ""The Early People" and the vocabulary words we used. More than anything, this was to have the students do a self-evaluation of what behaviors might be taking away from their learning in the classroom. Additionally, students continued to fill in the Early People/Special Features chart in their notebooks. NO ADDITIONAL HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED...ALASKA CROSSWORD/HIGHLIGHTED IS DUE TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, we discussed and read about a Vegetation Map as part of their study of map skills. Additionally, students worked with a partner for 10 minutes to use cardinal directions to solve an Indiana state puzzle page. THE FOLLOWING HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED: Students are to create their own fictional state (naming it) which has three regions (like Indiana) and create a Vegetation Map Key with symbols, rather than colors to represent different plant life in each region. I shared my Snack State which was shaped like a fish in which I included a desert region, a forest region, and a wetlands region. I also included a Gold River which emptied into a lake. Majority of students took home a textbook to reference the pages we read today. THESE BOOKS MUST COME BACK TOMORROW. HOMEWORK IS DUE TOMORROW, WED. 10/9/19.

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In Language Arts, students addressed the following Narrative prompt: You are walking down the hall to your class. Suddenly, you hear a loud noise. Write about what happens next. This is a mandatory monthly writing prompt by the school which can be done in other subjects throughout the year as different author's purposes are presented. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 5th Grade Social Studies, students took notes as we read through Lesson 1: The Early People  in our textbooks together. Additionally, students wrote down and defined new vocabulary. HOMEWORK: Alaska Crossword DUE WEDNESDAY, 10/9/19.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, students wrote down two facts for each Indiana region in their notebooks after reading pp. 28-33 in their textbooks. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

F.Y.I.: HOMEWORK WILL BE VERY LIGHT THIS WEEK FROM ME.

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In Language Arts, students turned in their S.O.T.D. and Paragraph of the Week assignment. Students were given time to review the list of words with a peer since we were unable to play Sparkle yesterday. The "sub- and trans-" Spelling test was then given. In the remaining time together, students worked to complete their vocabulary in-class assignment that was given last week. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.
In 5th Grade Social Studies, students filled in the last parts of their Native American graphic organizer as we begin our study next week. Once finished, students were asked to write about their favorite animal; describing its physical features and why they like it. *Students will learn on Monday why I asked this.:) NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, students glued in Regions and 3 Regions of Indiana pages in their notebooks. Students pulled 2 facts about each region in Indiana and wrote them down on the page.

Homerooms went to Adoration.

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In Language Arts, students turned in their S.O.T.D. and their "revised" paragraph from last night's homework. Students partnered with a classmate to peer edit this paragraph. HOMEWORK: S.O.T.D. , FINAL COPY PARAGRAPH with rough draft/revision paragraph paper, and SPELLING TEST tomorrow. *Majority of notebooks were left in class, so I hope students studied before.*

In 5th Grade Social Studies, students took the Maps/Landforms Test and then worked on Graphic Organizer pieces for our study of the Early People who lived in the different regions of the "United States". NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, students worked on their Interactive Notebooks...we will do this tomorrow due to some challenges with it today. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

Our homeroom had its first Junior Achievement meeting today. Please ask your student about it as I think they did enjoy it.:) I was very impressed that they were able to define the vocabulary that would be used throughout their 5 weeks with our JA Volunteer.

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In Language Arts, students addressed the following Narrative prompt: You are walking down the hall to your class. Suddenly, you hear a loud noise. Write about what happens next. This is a mandatory monthly writing prompt by the school which can be done in other subjects throughout the year as different author's purposes are presented. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 5th Grade Social Studies, students took notes as we read through Lesson 1: The Early People  in our textbooks together. Additionally, students wrote down and defined new vocabulary. HOMEWORK: Alaska Crossword DUE WEDNESDAY, 10/9/19.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, students wrote down two facts for each Indiana region in their notebooks after reading pp. 28-33 in their textbooks. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

F.Y.I.: HOMEWORK WILL BE VERY LIGHT THIS

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In Language Arts, students had a mini-lesson on possessive nouns and received their S.O.T.D. assignment for HOMEWORK TONIGHT. Students' rough draft paragraphs were checked.The majority of our class time was spent on what needs to be included in a paragraph as students will revise their Paragraph of the Week for HOMEWORK TONIGHT AS WELL.  A paragraph must include the following: indentation, topic sentence (main idea that addresses the prompt), supporting detail sentences that are relevant to the topic, and a concluding sentence that restates (in a slightly different way) the topic sentence. Additionally, students were reminded to take home their notebooks to study for their Spelling Test on Friday, October 4, 2019.

In ACC 5th Grade Social Studies, students added the physical features/landforms in certain regions on their graphic organizers. STATE CROSSWORD WAS DUE TODAY. HOMEWORK ASSIGNED: STUDY FOR MAPS/LANDFORMS TEST FOR TOMORROW, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2019.
In ENR 5th Grade Social Studies, students color-coded regions on their graphic organizer.  STATE CROSSWORD WAS DUE TODAY. HOMEWORK ASSIGNED: STUDY FOR MAPS/LANDFORMS TEST FOR TOMORROW, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2019.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, we continued our discussion on regions. Students colored an Indiana map and labeled its 3 regions as part of their Interactive Notebook. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

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Today, we did not meet for Language Arts due to our weekly D.A.R.E. program. I did meet with students (DORNBOS) after Ms. Guest's visit to check the Brainstorm that was due, as well as collect the S.O.T.D.. I did not assign a Sentence of the Day for tonight's homework as I needed to do a mini-lesson on possessive pronouns before students would be able to complete the assignment. HOMEWORK IS AUTOMATICALLY ASSIGNED for the Paragraph of the Week. Students are to write their rough draft paragraph on "If I Could Be Anyone.." on the piece of paper that I provided to them today. THIS IS DUE TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, 10/2/19. Additionally, students should be studying for Spelling Test on Friday.

In 5th Grade Social Studies, students finished creating their Regions Graphic Organizer which we will put to use during our 2 weeks in Social Studies. (*It is amazing how fast our time together goes.:)) HOMEWORK: State Crossword is DUE TOMORROW, 10/1/19. STUDENTS SHOULD E STUDYING FOR MAPS/LANDFORMS TEST ON THURSDAY.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, we finished completing our whole group reading on Regions of Indiana and students answered reading comprehension questions based on main ideas and supporting details. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

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In Language Arts, we discussed singular and plural nouns as this was a part of their Sentence of the Day homework tonight. Additionally, students were introduced to their new weekly homework assignment-Paragraph of the Week. Although there were many "ughs" in class at first, when I explained that each night they have to do only one part at a time, they seemed a little more relieved. I informed them that it is important to be able to directly respond to a prompt and include only relevant details to support a topic. THE FOLLOWING HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED: Sentence of the Day (due tomorrow), Paragraph of the Week (BRAINSTORM ONLY- due tomorrow), and Spelling Test (-sub, -trans) Friday.

In 5th Grade Social Studies, students began creating a foldable graphic organizer as we begin our next two weeks of studying the regions of the United States and the early people who lived in each of them. Additionally, students received their first State Crossword (Alabama)and were instructed that they must highlight key words/information as they read before filling in the crossword. Students will get a new State Crossword on Mondays and they will be due on Wednesdays. Lastly, students were shown the exact items (4 types of maps and 9 landforms) that will be on the TEST THIS THURSDAY. *Students were provided with a list of landforms 2 weeks ago and were told to put them in their Social Studies/Science folder and to keep them until I told them they could get rid of them. Unfortunately, some students no longer had them and because this is a big year of being responsible, I may or may not provide another copy to them. HOMEWORK: State Crossword (Due Wednesday) and study for the test on Thursday; you will need to take home your notebook Tuesday and/or Wednesday.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, we discussed how to find the main idea when we read informational text. We then began reading about the regions in Indiana as a whole group and highlighted the main idea (topic sentence) and key words in each paragraph. We will finish our reading tomorrow. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.

Tomorrow, we have D.A.R.E. with Officer Guest so DORNBOS Language Arts will not have class, however, I will check your Brainstorm piece first thing in the morning. I will also provide you with the paper that you will write your first draft on.

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In Language Arts, students were given time to work with a partner to complete the first Red Hot Root Word handout and then we checked responses as a whole group. Students turned NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.

In ACC 5th Grade Science, students completed their Reflection paragraph on what force(s) they believed made the landforms around South Bend or where they live. We then watched Bill Nye the Science Guy-Erosion. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.

In ENR 5th Grade Science, students filled out the CAUSE sections in their notebooks for erosion, weathering, and deposiiton. Students then watched Bill Nye as well. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.
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In 4th Grade Science, students watched Bill Nye's-Rocks and Soil video. Students then filled in items in their notebooks on how each type of rock was formed. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.
Enjoy your weekend!

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FYI: I firmly addressed some of the behaviors that keep occurring in the classroom with my homeroom at the end of the day, with an emphasis on what it means to be respectful/disrespectful. I know that they (as children) need guidance in this and I will continue to model what it looks like to be respectful as I know that they do not mean to be rude or unkind.  I wanted to make you aware of this because some students may take this to heart heavily (as I did as a student) and I would not want this for them. Please let them know that you are aware of this talk this afternoon. Thank you.

In Language Arts, collective nouns were addressed at the start of class as students will encounter these in tonight's homework. Additionally, students were introduced to Red Hot Root Words (finally) and the importance of knowing parts of speech in order to complete these assignments. Students were informed that they will get these every Monday and they will be due on Wednesdays. SENTENCE OF THE DAY WAS ASSIGNED AS HOMEWORK and is DUE TOMORROW.

In ACC Science, we added information to the Soil Movement page in the notebooks. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.
IN ENR Science, students prepared the Soil Movement page in their notebooks for tomorrow's textbook reading and discussion. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Science, students continued their Mineral Identification "lab". We will see if everyone's observations are the same for each mineral. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.

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In Language Arts, abstract nouns, concrete nouns and contractions were addressed at the start of class and students were able to finish last night's S.O.T.D. assignment. After, students began a Spelling activity that will continue into tomorrow as our time with dictionaries/thesauruses was limited. It is amazing how fast our time goes while in class! NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.
***NO SPELLING TEST FRIDAY as students have not worked with these words in class.***

In ACC 5th Grade, students reread and jotted down what they determined were the main ideas and supporting details in their Science textbooks. Students were to then partner with a peer and share each others notes. *Not all students were able to do this so we will start with this tomorrow and move to our whole group discussion and complete the Interactive Notebook page. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In ENR 5th Grade Science, students conducted their three trials for the "Steepness of Slope" experiment as we address erosion, weathering, and deposition and how these forces affect the land around us. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Science, students worked with identifying minerals by looking at color (ooh, sometimes it changed), luster, texture, and hardness. Students used streak plates, nails, pennies and even their fingernails as tools to determine the hardness. They recorded their data as they visited each desk area. Lastly, they ate a "metamorphic rock with minerals":) . HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED-BOTH SIDES OF HANDOUT, DUE TOMORROW, Thursday, Sept. 26.

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PowerSchool Update: I was able to get into the gradebook at school today...fingers crossed that it works at home.:)

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PowerSchool Update: I was able to get into the gradebook at school today...fingers crossed that it works at home.:)

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Tuesday, September 24, 2019
In Language Arts (Maurer Home Room), we took a look at the Spelling List for this week and students marked the 10 words that will be on the test Friday. Students may take notebooks home this week in order to study. We will be working with these words Wednesday and Thursday so to get better acquainted with them. *As everything continues to be new as it is introduce, students will "normally" receive the Spelling list and Red Hot Root Words (which will see for the first time tomorrow) on Mondays with due date on Wednesdays and test on Fridays. SENTENCE OF THE DAY (S.O.T.D.) HOMEWORK IS DUE TOMORROW. **STUDENTS ARE EXCUSED FROM THE ABSTRACT NOUN QUESTION AS WE HAVE NOT TALKED ABOUT THIS TYPE OF NOUN YET.**

In ACC 5th Science, we finished conducting Trial 2 and 3 for the "Steepness of Slope" experiment and students wrote their Conclusion paragraph. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED
In ENR 5th Science, students began their set-up for "Steepness of Slope" experiment. Additionally, I provided students copies of my notes on a Lab Report to save time and catch them up since we have lost 3 days. NO HOMEWORK assigned.

In 4th Grade Science, students completed a "Rock Detective Match" handout in class and we read in our textbooks about minerals. NO HOMEWORK assigned.

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In Language Arts, we "took apart" a sentence to  look at the individual parts of speech. We focused on possessive nouns, proper nouns and common nouns as the students will encounter these in their "Sentence of the Day" homework assignments. HOMEWORK DUE TOMORROW. *DORNBOS Homeroom received their Spelling List and marked the 10 words they need to know for their TEST ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27. We will be working with these words this week as they will receive Red Hot Root Word homework.

In 5th Grade Science (ACC), students took notes on the 3 different types of variables in  an experiment, as well as, filling out a Lab Report for our "Steepness of Slope" experiment. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED. (ENR) 5th Grade discussed the 3 Forces that change the land around us: Erosion, Weathering, and Deposition. Additionally, students wrote their hypothesis for the "Steepness of Slope" experiment. We are trying to get caught up as we have missed class time together for a few days due to NWEA, early dismissal, and a day off. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.

In 4th Grade Science, students worked in their Interactive Notebooks by cutting and gluing items regarding the 3 Types of Rocks and examples of each. We will write a definition for each tomorrow as we ran out of time today. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED.

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As of 9:05PM, I am still unable to create assignments and submit grades in PowerSchool. I have contacted the office to see if they can troubleshoot to solve this problem. I was planning on returning graded papers in the Tuesday Home Folders tomorrow, however, this will not be the case! I am very sorry for this delay!! As there are many papers, I will try to record them from now on in a physical Gradebook so that they will be able to be sent home should this problem arise again. Thank you for understanding!

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F.Y.I.: I just went to put graded assignments in PowerSchool and it is currently down. I visited the website and the representatives are currently addressing the problem and hope to have it back up and running by Monday, September 23, 2019.

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In Language Arts, we did a quick activity with prefixes to get to know some of the more common prefixes used in our "daily" language lives.:) This will ease students into learning the Greek and Latin prefixes, root words. NO HOMEWORK assigned.

I only met with one 5th Grade Science today due to the Reunification Drill/Early Dismissal. We read in our textbooks about weathering, erosion, and deposition and made attempts (ask your student) to fill out cause and effect notes. I think the excitement about the early dismissal and different schedule won out. I know every student will come back strong and ready to learn on Monday after your nice long weekend!:)
ENJOY YOUR TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!

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If you have not already done so, please sign your student's Midterm Report and send it with your child to school. Thank you!:)

In Language Arts, we continued our lesson on prefixes, root words, and suffixes as we prepare for our Spelling Lists and Red Hot Root Words weekly homework assignments. The emphasis is that the students become familiar with these different parts of words so that they will be able to make sense of unfamiliar words when they encounter them in text. NO HOMEWORK was assigned.

In 5th Grade Science, we discussed erosion, weathering, and deposition. We will continue to learn about these forces and their effects on land. Every student finally has their hypothesis about steepness of slope, so we will get to test them on our 2 class models tomorrow and/or Monday!:) NO HOMEWORK was assigned.

In 4th Grade Science, students did a quick review of the 3 different rock types we learned about previously on an "Analyzing Data" handout. Then, we took a look at mineral samples and described them according to the properties we used for our rock observations. Some of these will change when we read more about them on Monday, as we do not meet tomorrow due to the early dismissal. NO HOMEWORK was assigned.

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Today, we had our first D.A.R.E. meeting with Officer Guest. We will meet with her every Tuesday for the next 10 weeks. She shared that there will be a Haunted Hayride on October 24, 2019 that starts at the Martin's in Granger and then goes through the KOA campgrounds. The cost is $3.00/person.

Additionally, Science class was put on hold so that we could acknowledge the importance of the Constitution in our lives. Students learned (briefly) why the Constitution was written and they did illustrations on which Bill of Rights Ammendment they were thankful to have in our country. We will study the Articles in greater length during 4th quarter.
NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.

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REMINDER: PLEASE SEND IN THE PURPLE REUNIFICATION FORM BY TOMORROW, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17.

MID-TERM GRADES COME HOME TOMORROW.

In Language Arts, today was an "introduction" to prefixes, root words, and suffixes. Students will be starting to receive a weekly Spelling List beginning next Monday. The words that make up each list are challenging and include prefixes and suffixes. Students will be given a handout with these words as practice each week. I will walk them through the first one this week as we work with the prefixes sub- and trans-. HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED: "S.O.T.D." which I strongly encouraged students to use the Parts of Speech resource I gave them previously.

In 5th Grade Science, students wrote their hypothesis based on the question from last week: How does the steepness of slope affect how fast a stream flows and the size and amount of material rivers can carry? Two students are helping to build two types of river/stream paths for us to test the hypothesis. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED. Additionally, ENR wrote their Red Cup Challenge journal entry and received "The Scientific Method" handout.

In 4th Grade Science, students shared the properties of each rock from last week and we discussed how we could then classify them into groups according to their observations. Students wrote down the three types of rocks in their notebooks: metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous. HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED ANDIS DUE TOMORROW: Students are to read the article, "Patterns in Rock Formation" and answer the questions on this handout. *This is to see how well they can read and comprehend informational text/nonfiction as a baseline for me.

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REMINDER: PLEASE SEND IN THE PURPLE REUNIFICATION FORM ASAP IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DONE SO AS THIS IS A REQUIRED ITEM BY THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION.

In Language Arts, students were given the entire class period (35 minutes) to write the Final Copy of their Narrative. I informed them (and it was written on the board) that I would only be grading them this time on the following: Capitalization and punctuation; use of SPECIFIC nouns; and a Beginning, Middle, and End (so 3 paragraphs were required). NO HOMEWORK was assigned.

In 5th Grade ACC Science, students finished taking notes on The Scientific Method outline. Additionally, students were to write down the following question on their outline: How does SLOPE affect how fast a stream flows and the size and amount of material rivers can carry? Lastly, they were to write out a hypothesis based on this question as they will test it on Monday (if all goes smoothly with NWEA make-ups). *5th Grade ENR did not meet today due to NWEA.

In 4th Grade Science, students took a small amount of notes as part of their introduction to The Scientific Method..."It's a Process". Students were given 3 different rocks which they wrote down properties for through their OBSERVATION step. NO HOMEWORK was assigned.

At the end of the day, our fifth graders had a GREAT visit with Father Sunday!!:) We are so blessed to have him as part of Holy Family!

Have a wonderful and safe weekend! GO IRISH!!

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In Language Arts, students spent the majority of our class period peer editing their narratives. Homework was collected, but NO "Sentence of the Day" was assigned for this evening.

In 4th/ACC 5th Grade Science, students wrote their first Reflection entry for "The Red Cup Challenge/Teamwork" experiment we did yesterday. As this was their first attempt, there will be areas in which to improve. NO homework was assigned.

In ENR 5th Grade Science, students completed "The Red Cup Challenge" with success! The students really enjoyed this although they expressed it was hard at first.:) This was a STEM activity which requires higher level thinking.:) NO homework was assigned.

Just to let you know, the homework assignments, in all of my classes, will definitely be coming your child's way beginning next week. I firmly believe that homework is used to reinforce what is learned in class and I cannot assign assignments which I feel have not been thoroughly modeled through guided instruction during my time with your children. I will be completely honest with you, our new schedule and the pacing of lessons has been a challenge for me as well as the majority of my students. If you have concerns/questions, please feel free to email me.

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Students took the Reading portion of NWEA today.

In Language Arts, we revisited SPECIFIC nouns before working on our narratives. Students will share with a classmate (peer editing) tomorrow as part of the Writing Process. Homework was collected and a new Sentence of the Day was assigned for homework. It is DUE TOMORROW.

In Science, 4th and ACC 5th Grade, completed our first experiment called the Red Cup Challenge to see how well students will work in lab groups this year. It was really exciting to see such strong examples of teamwork!!:) Students will write their first Reflection Entry in their notebooks tomorrow.

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In Language Arts, we discussed common nouns and how using SPECIFIC nouns make your writing more interesting for your audience/readers. Students will be using these "mini-lessons" to add to their narratives about "The Day I Came to School and There Were No Rules" this week. HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED TODAY AND IS DUE TOMORROW. These will continue to be practice with Parts of Speech.

In Science,  we continued to set-up our Interactive notebooks and ACC 5th/4th Grade students were shown examples of rubrics for Reflections. They will do these at the end of a lesson, chapter, and/or lab to show what they learned using content specific vocabulary.:) Additionally, we read through the job responsibilities that will be held by students when working in groups. NO HOMEWORK WAS ASSIGNED.
ENR 5th began setting up their notebooks as they are a day behind due to NWEA.

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NWEA began today and will continue through Friday, September 13, 2019.
"Word of the Week" began today...SERVICE (Noun)

In Language Arts, students were given "The Sentence of the Day" as homework which is DUE TOMORROW, Tuesday, Sept. 10. This should not take much time to complete as we have been using them in class. :) Additionally, students shared their "Write Around" stories aloud and we began discussing what is needed in a narrative. Lastly, students began creating their folders to hold all of their future writing samples. It already sounds like I have some amazing authors in the classroom!!

In 4th and 5th Grade, we started to set-up our Science notebooks. I emphasized the importance of "mirroring me" to be successful when starting their notebooks as well as when we start taking notes each and every day. NOTEBOOKS GET GRADED...IF YOU FOLLOW ALONG IN CLASS,  YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL! *ENR students will set-up notebooks tomorrow due to missing class today because of NWEA.

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Oh, my goodness...I forgot 4th Grade Social Studies!! Today, students were given an Indiana map and highlighted three cities and had to write down the directions from Indianapolis using cardinal directions.

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Another PowerSchool update: I have spoken with the office personnel and the lists will be changed next week, so I will put in English grades as soon as possible.
*Students were sent home with a letter from Mrs. Veldman today about ILEARN as well as their test results.*

Today in Language Arts, students wrote their first "Write Around". I am looking forward to having them share their group pieces about "The Day I Came to School and There Were No Rules!".  No homework was assigned.

In Social Studies, students took their quiz and were able to use their notebook notes. I was hoping to have grades recorded, however, many students in my ENR class did not have an entire class period due to attending Adoration. **I informed this class that they would be given additional time next week, however, NWEA starts Monday and I usually do not give quizzes/tests on top of these tests. I will speak with your children and see what they think.**

Have a wonderful weekend!!

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PowerSchool Update: Where I was able to input grades for Social Studies classes (4th Grade-new student not yet in the system), my student lists for English(LA) classes are incorrect. I will put them in as soon as possible as I have to wait until this is corrected through the office. I am sorry for the inconvenience!

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PowerSchool Update: Where I was able to input grades for Social Studies classes (4th Grade-new student not yet in the system), my student lists for English(LA) classes are incorrect. I will put them in as soon as possible as I have to wait until this is corrected through the office. I am sorry for the inconvenience!

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Today in Language Arts, we took a break from our stories and worked together in groups to play "I Have, Who Has" with Parts of Speech. The hope is that seeing each of them in various sentences helps you to remember what each does when you encounter them in other ways throughout the year (and after).:) Students were given a Parts of Speech handout with definitions to be used as a resource this year. Make sure this stays in your folder.

In Social Studies, we continued to discuss landforms and students were provided with a list of different landforms with definitions. Students were instructed to keep these in their RED folder. The more we work with these, students will be tested at a later date. Additionally, I informed students that the quiz is tomorrow, but not to stress over it as I am confident that they will pass.

In 4th Grade Social Studies, we did an active listening activity as an introductory piece to tomorrow's Indiana Map Skills lesson. The students proved they were really good listeners as their drawings included everything my instructions told them to do...even if their drawings didn't quite look exactly like mine.:) Students please share with your parent/guardian what I'm talking about.

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Good afternoon! Today in Language Arts, students continued working with Parts of Speech and revising their stories by adding adjectives and adverbs to them. REMEMBER: STRONG WRITERS USE STRONG SENTENCES.:) *My homeroom will work on their stories tomorrow as there was not enough time given due to our new schedule.

In Social Studies,  landforms were "introduced" to the ACC students and we discussed the major landforms that are found in the U.S. I was happy to learn that many students have visited the plains, mountains, oceans, etc. with their families! *Students also were made aware of a QUIZ they will take on Friday, September 6, 2019.* Students should have written this down in their planners as I instructed them to do so. NOTEBOOKS AND TEXTBOOKS DO NOT NEED TO BE TAKEN HOME FOR QUIZZES...YOU WILL DO WELL IF YOU DO WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU DAILY IN CLASS.:)

In ENR Social Studies, we continued to work with map vocabulary and definitions. Students were reminded to take notes and write down Q.O.T.D. question and answers daily as these will help them with quizzes and tests. *Students also were made aware of a QUIZ they will take on Friday, September 6, 2019.* NOTEBOOKS AND TEXTBOOKS DO NOT NEED TO BE TAKEN HOME FOR QUIZZES...YOU WILL DO WELL IF YOU DO WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU DAILY IN CLASS.:)

In 4th Grade Social Studies, students continued to work on completing their Indiana map from yesterday, as we are still trying to get use to the pace of 4th grade. I am certain that each day I will see new academic strengths from each of you!:)

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This was the start to our new schedule and the day went by quickly!
In Language Arts, we are still getting practice with subjects, predicates, nouns, verbs and we added adjectives and adverbs today. Students will continue to work with their rough draft story so that they can develop stronger sentences that show rather than tell.:) NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED (except for two students who were absent on Friday.:))
In Social Studies, we are still working with map skills. Today, we read in our textbooks about the different types of maps: political, physical, relief, elevation, historical, and road. Students wrote down these vocabulary words and defined them in their notebooks. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED
In 4th Grade Social Studies, students continued to work with map skills as well. We read through pages H17-H18 and did Q&A when looking at the specific type of map presented. Additionally, students started to fill out Indiana map with some major cities and rivers. NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED

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F.Y.I.: This past week, I received my PowerSchool account, but I was unable to access PowerSchool/PowerTeacher Pro this weekend at home so there are no grades yet for your students' in-class assignments/participation points. Sorry for the delay! I will try to be up-to-date by Friday, September 6.

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Dear Parents and Students,
Greetings! I hope you enjoyed your long weekend! Please visit this each evening as I will share what happened during class and what homework may have been assigned. Although students are responsible for writing this information into their student planners each day, I try to put this information in by 4:30 P.M. to assist those who may have forgotten.:) Additionally, I will post continual reminders of upcoming quiz/test dates, as well as project due dates. Parents, please feel free to contact me at the following email address should you have any questions/concerns: amaurer@hfssb.org
Here's to a great year of learning and student success!!

Weeks 1-3: " Getting to Know You" activities; Rules and Procedures; "Show Me What You (already) Know" in each class. In 5th Grade Social Studies, we discussed the 8 Strands of Social Studies with a focus on Geography and map skills (latitude/longitude). In 4th Grade Social Studies, we began setting up our Interactive Notebooks with a focus on Geography and map skills as well. We will continue to discuss/explore the different types of maps this week. In Language Arts (Grammar/Writing), we have reviewed the 4 Types of Sentences, sentence fragments, and complete sentences (simple subject/simple predicate). Additionally, students made their first attempt at writing a narrative when given a prompt. We will use these rough drafts this week as we learn what a narrative must include.