Last week of school

June 21, 2010

Wolf Ridge was a success! EVERYONE had a wonderful time and learned a bit about themselves and each other. It was great seeing students in a different environment and watching them achieve goals they had never dreamed possible. It was nice to see the kindness in each student and how well they worked cooperatively.

The ropes course was a challenge for everyone mentally and physically, but they all made it and the zip-line at the end was a great reward. Canoeing was a first for many and it could not have been more beautiful out on the lakes. Ask your son or daughter what a smammal is? They should have some good stories to share.


June 22--all school photo, please wear blue.

June 23---last day for switching for math and reading

June 24--- field day, please read over the flyer that was sent home.

June 14, 2010

June 10, 2010

Dates to remember: June 15, 2010 6th graders will be taking the last part of their NWEA. Be sure to get a good nights rest and do your very best.

June 18th 6th graders going to Wolf Ridge will depart at approximately 9 am. Those students not attending are still expected to be at school. A teacher will be made available to them to work on missing or current work.


June 22 is the all school photo.

June 24th is the last day of school and it will be a fun filled day. Be sure to dress comfortable and wear your tennis shoes.

Social: Due to NWEA testing we will only have one day of social this week. Each student will be assigned a chapter on Immigration and will be finding information on their chapter. Each student will also look for a current article on immigration and the US to share with the class.


Science: Students have wrapped up their ocean animal projects that was due on June 9th. There are several students who still need to get it turned in. We will continue to work on ocean movement and life which is in their science packet. Please look through the Excel Energy workbook and complete the kit.

LA: The personal narrative will be due on June 16th. Don't forget to "show" not tell your story. Use figurative language to add depth to your writing.

Math: Ms. A's math class will be finishing up Course One Text book before the end of the year.

Ms. Wallwork's class will be taking a test on June 17th and finishing up the year on lesson 110 followed by a last test. We are covering slope and exponents this week.

Reading: Ms. A's class will be finishing the novel The Rats of Nimh and working on comprehension.

Ms. Wallwork's reading class will finish up our short speech unit but continue working on presentation and proper audience etiquette. Students will also be put into groups of three and read from the same book. They will then practice their presentation skills by presenting back to the class.

June 7th

The end of school is drawing near, here are a few dates to remember:

NWEA's for 6th graders will be on June 9 and 15th be sure to eat a healthy breakfast and get a good nights sleep.

June 6th is the pancake breakfast feed to be held at the Sauk Rapids legion from 8am - 1pm.

June 8th the band and choir concert to be held at Westwood Community Church. The 3rd through 6th graders will be performing at 7pm.

June 14th is the volunteer appreciation BBQ to be held at Riverside Park from 5:00 to 7:30.

June 16th a select group of choir members will be performing at the Mall of America.

June 24th the last day of school and your field day filled with fun!

Social: On June 9th you will have a test on the Industrial Revolution. Be sure to study the vocabulary.

Science: June 9th your Sea Animal research project is due.

LA: We wil continue to work on our Personal Narrative Writing piece. Don't forget to be descriptive, show don't tell. We will also continue to prep for the NWEA test.

Math: Ms. Wallwork's class will have a test on June 8th. Don't forget to review the vocabulary specific to you for the NWEA test. Ms. A's class is working on percents, compound interest and simple interest, and reviewing proportions and ratio boxes.

Reading: Ms. Wallwork's class will continue to work on the techniques needed to be a good speaker and good listener. Ms. A's class will be starting the Rats of Nimh on June 7th. They just finished up Where the Red Fern Grows.

June 1, 2010

June 1, 2010

Welcome back, we hope all of you enjoyed your time off.

NWEA's will be upon us shortly, be sure to put your best effort into them!

Social: We will be finishing up our unit on the Industrial Revolution. Be sure to look over your vocabulary words in preparation for the test.

Science: Working on science packet

LA: We will not have spelling this week due to the shortened week. We will begin a fun Narrative Writing unit by using music!! We will also be preparing for the NWEA's.


Math: Ms. Wallwork's class is working on angles, positive and negative numbers, and finding the length of a semicircle and its area.


Reading: We will work on public speaking by learning first what a good audience looks like and what a good speaker looks like. Each student will read a short children's story to their peers to practice proper speaking techniques.

4th Quarter is a very exciting time in physical education. The students have finished their spring fitness tests and are anxiously awaiting the 5th annual STRIDE field day. Spring fitness test reports will be sent home in Thursday Folders next week. The majority of the remaining physical education classes will be outside. We will be having units in t-ball/softball and cooperative games. Thank you for helping make this school year great. I am looking forward to finishing the year off with a lot of fun in physical education.

Updates and Reminders:


Pancake Breakfast
It is time for the 2nd Annual STRIDE Academy Pancake Breakfast.

-What: Pancake Breakfast
-When: Sunday, June 6th, 8:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M.
-Where: Sauk Rapids Legion on Benton Drive
-For: Funds to support the growing extracurricular program

May 3, 2010

May 3, 2010

Can you believe it is May already?

Social: This week in social we will be watching Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and continue our coverage of the Industrial Revolution. Vocabulary is due on Friday, May 7th.

Science: Students are taking an Ocean's test Monday, May 3rd. Then they will be continuing with the Xcel Energy project. Each student upon completion of this project will receive a packet containing an energy saving shower head, two energy saving light bulbs,a filter alarm for the air-filter on your furnace, and a water saving faucet for your sink. At times they will be working on this project in homeroom and study hall.


LA: Yes, we will have spelling this week, lesson 21 for most of you and we will continue to cover grammar rules, this week being verbs. It is also our final week of Julius Caesar. Students will have 3 days in class to finish their presentations. We will start presenting on May 11th. Our next unit will cover narrative writing.

Math: Ms. Wallwork's class will be taking a test on Tuesday with Study Island to follow on Wednesday. We will be working in the 7th grade area to continue to work towards growth with our NWEA's. The remaining of the week we will be working with angles.

Reading: Ms. Wallwork's class will continue with the aftermath of the trial of Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird. At the end of the book we will be watching the movie, To Kill a Mockingbird staring Gregory Peck.

Ms. A's class is starting their first novel, Where the Red Fern Grows. They will be doing comprehension and vocabulary questions throughout.


Gym: 1st-6th Grade: The students will be finishing their fitness tests this week. I am very impressed with how hard the students have been working. Keep an eye out for your child’s fitness report in their Thursday folder in early June.

Reminders and important information: Your son or daughter should have brought home a liability release and a health form for Wolf Ridge. These forms need to be turned in before intersession. Also, if your child has a balance due for the trip please ask them for the amount or call Ms. Wallwork at 230-5340 ext 155. This trip is a great way to end the school year with a lot of team work involved.

Remember, any F's on mid-quarter will disqualify you from attending Wolf Ridge.

Our last day of school before intersession is May 14th. Be sure to check out the activities that will be available.

April 26, 2010

It is our last week of MCA testing. We will be taking the math portion on Tuesday and Wednesday. Be sure to get a good nights sleep and eat a healthy breakfast! Have a great attitude and give it your best, you will do fantastic.

Mrs. Swanson's last day is today, Monday, April 26th, Ms. Ahmed will be taking over her classes while she is gone. If you have questions direct them to Ms. A.

Social: Only one day of social this week. Questions for chapter five are due on Thursday and we will be learning a little about Charles Dickens and his contribution during the Industrial Revolution.

Science: We just wrapped up the salinity of the oceans and will be having a test on Thursday. Also, we will be spending one day in science on a new Xcel Energy project. Look for a letter in Thursday folders explaining a bit more. Some time will be used during homeroom and study hall also for this project.


Language Arts: We will return to spelling this week, so don't forget to study your words. Also, we will be finishing up questions for Julius Caesar and working on your individual projects. Be sure to be working on them outside of school.


Math: Ms. Wallwork's math class will be working with scientific notation, solving two-step equations, and inequalities, and finding probabilities. No test in math this week.

Mrs. Swanson's math class will be covering two step equations, area of complex shapes, and identifying rotations, translations, and reflections. No test in Mrs. Swanson's math class either.


Reading: Ms. Wallwork's Literature II class has had some great discussions about To Kill a Mockingbird. Be sure to ask your child about what they have read and learned. We will continue with chapter 13 on Monday along with discussion, comprehension questions, and vocabulary.

Ms. A's class will continue with Tom Sawyer and working on vocabulary and comprehension questions.

Reminders and updates:

Gym:

1st-6th Grade: The students will be starting their Physical Fitness Testing. The tests measure physical fitness by using the following tests: pull ups, sit ups, shuttle run, sit & reach & endurance run/walk. Please encourage your child to do their best. These tests help STRIDE measure the effectiveness of the physical education program and help set physical education goals for next year. Once our testing is finished, you will receive an individual fitness report. These reports are valuable in developing an exercise program to enhance your child's overall level of fitness.


Music:

Kindergarten – 6th grades are busy preparing for their spring concert. Kindergarten – Second Grade concert will begin promptly at 6:00P.M at Westwood Community Church on June 8. Grades 3-6 and the STRIDE Academy Band will perform at 7:00P.M.


The STRIDE Academy Select Choir has been chosen to perform at the Mall of America for their 2010 Music Concert Series. What a great honor! The choir will also perform for our upcoming spring concert. Thanks to all for supporting the Music Program at STRIDE!!

April 12, 2010

The middle school groundbreaking was this past weekend, if you got a chance to check it out, it was wonderful. Mrs. Swanson and Ms. Wallwork walked around trying to decide which classroom to have next year! We are very excited to see the expansion and can't wait to prepare our classrooms.

Social: We have begun our unit on Industrialism, Capitalism, and Socialism Unit. We will start off this week learning how farming became more efficient during the Industrial Revolution.

Science: Our Ocean Structure unit is underway. This week students will work on completing a model of the ocean floor and it's features with a partner and mapping out the ocean floor using the idea of sonar. Students will be assigned their at-home lab for this unit on Thursday and it will be due on Friday, April 23rd.

Language Arts: We are still preparing for MCA's. Don't forget to get a good nights sleep and eat a healthy breakfast every morning. We will begin Act IV of Julius Caesar this week and review literary terms.


Math:

Ms. Wallwork's class will be learning how to collect like terms and multiplying algebraic terms to simplify algebraic expressions.

Mrs. Swanson's class is working on fraction-decimal-percent equivalents, algebraic addition of integers, compound experiments, and ratios problems involving totals. Students will also take another assessment on Wednesday.

Reading: Monday, Ms. Wallwork's class will be previewing To Kill a Mockingbird. We will begin each lesson with the vocabulary and ending with discussion about what we have read. This is a higher content book that will create in-depth discussions.

Specialists:

P.E.: Students will be finishing up a whiffleball unit and will be continuing their preparation for the fitness test.

Music: Students are busy preparing for their spring concert. Please put June 8th on your calendars as this will be the evening that the spring concert will take place at Westwood Community Church. More information will be coming in regards to times! Thanks for your continued support of the music program at STRIDE Academy!

Updates and Reminders:

Information was handed out at conferences about the end of the year trip to Wolf Ridge. Please start filling out this information and returning it as soon as possible. In this weeks Thursday folder you will find the health form that will need to be filled out and returned.

Please remind your child to bring a white t-shirt into school by Wednesday, April 14th. Next week the sixth graders will create t-shirts to wear on MCA testing days. Those dates again are Tuesday and Wednesday April 20 and 21st for Reading and Tuesday and Wednesday April 27 and 28 for Math.

April 6, 2010

Welcome to Spring and the last quarter of this school year! It is exciting to actually have nice spring weather outside. Conferences were held last Thursday, April 1st. If you did not attend your child's conference PLEASE call their homeroom teacher and reschedule.


We are well underway preparing for the MCA's this month. To help you out at home be sure to sign onto Study Island and spend some time working on math and reading.

Social: We will begin our unit on Industrialism, Capitalism, and Socialism. Students will understand the impact the Industrial Revolution and the working conditions for children in England.


Science: Students will begin their final unit for this year on Oceans! This unit is split into two smaller sections, the first is the Oceans: Structure and the second is Oceans: Movement and Life. For the first two lessons students will review the continents and oceans of the Earth and the features of the ocean floor. With a partner students will make a model of the ocean floor. We will need some shoe boxes for this project!


Language Arts: We will continue with MCA prep work, involving a lot of vocabulary. Your packet that was handed out on April 6th is due on April 9th. We are also beginning with Act III of Julius Caesar. Students will be answering questions and journaling about what they read. Julius Caesar will end with a large project of the students choice.

Reading: Ms. Wallwork's class will be learning about the Antarctica this week and also watching a movie about Ernest Shackleton and his quest to become the first man to reach the South Pole.

Math:

Ms. Wallwork's class will begin this week with lesson 81, using proportions to solve percents, finding the area of a circle, and multiplication in scientific notation.

Mrs. Swanson's math class started the week with a reteaching packet from lesson most commonly missed on the benchmark test given. The rest of the week they worked on lessons dealign with functions and graphing functions, transversal, and sums of the angle emasures of triangles and quadrilaterals.

4th-6th Grade P.E.: We will be starting a whiffleball unit. The students will be learning the following baseball and softball fundamentals: swing weight transfer and pivot, crow hops, force outs & tag ups. The students will also be practicing the events for their spring fitness test. They will be doing pull ups, push ups and sit ups. Please encourage your child to practice these events at home. With the change of seasons there is a great opportunity to get outside and be active. Each child should be accumulating at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity per day. With your continued help at home, we will collaboratively be able to ensure that all students are able to attain and maintain a level of health enhancing physical fitness

Updates and Reminders:

Information was handed out at conferences about the end of the year trip to Wolf Ridge. Please start filling out this information and returning it as soon as possible. In this weeks Thursday folder you will find the health form that will need to be filled out and returned.

Please remind your child to bring a white t-shirt into school by Friday, April 9th. Next week the sixth graders will create t-shirts to wear on MCA testing days. Those dates again are Tuesday and Wednesday April 20th and 21st for Reading and Tuesday and Wednesday April 27th and 28th for Math.

Don't forget the groundbreaking ceremony for the new middle school building Saturday, April 10th. Please RSVP to Julie in the office if you plan on attending.

March 22, 2010

Thank you to all those who helped out at Family Fun Night and all those who attended. It was a very successful evening!


Big reminder, conferences are coming up on April 1st. Check your child's Thursday folder for times.


Social: We are finishing up our Enlightenment Unit on March 29th. Students will have learned a little about John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Isaac Newton, and Rene Descartes. All questions need to be turned in by Thursday. Our next unit will cover the French Revolution.


Science: To complete this unit we watched a movie about volcanoes and reflected on how it affects our life and the Earth. On Thursday students will review for their test and turn in their science packet. ALL packets must be turned in on Thursday. The test will be on Monday, March 29th. The 3D Earth project is also due on test day.


Language Arts: There is no spelling this week because we again our working on MCA preparations. Your child should be bringing home vocabulary homework to help him or her to continue to work towards their goal. In Julius Caesar we are on Act II. Students are answering comprehension questions and journaling through pictures.


Math:

Ms. Wallwork's week started with an assessment and will continue with simplifying complex fractions, translating percents of a number into equations, and read and interpret graphs. Our next test is March 31st.



Mrs. Swanson's math is starting the week with another assessment and an investigation on experimental probability. Then students will complete three lessons on geometric formulas, expanded notation with exponents, order of operations with exponents, powers of fractions, and classifying triangles.


Reading: Ms. Wallwork's group is nearing the end of Travels with Charlie, he is currently traveling through California. At one point while traveling he passes through St. Cloud. Next we will be covering some technical reading through the use of magazines and newspapers, such as Time, National Geographic, and the Wall Street Journal.



Specialists: Mr. Heerts fifth and sixth grade students will continue working with and learning notes of the Treble Clef and Bass Clef in music class this week. They will have a test over all notes of the bass and treble clef.

In Mr. Lutterman's gym class the students will be finishing a unit on Friends and Relationships.





Updates and Reminders:

School pictures were sent home. As a parent you must decide to either keep the pictures and pay for them or send them back to STRIDE. A notice was sent home with your child on Tuesday.



MCA testing dates are April 22nd and 23rd for Reading and April 27th and 28th for Math. Mark your calendars now. It is important your child attends school on these days.



The end of the quarter is March 31st. Conferences are on April 1st. Reminders were sent home about your conferences time. If you do not have a time or do not know your time please contact your child's homeroom teacher.



There will be a short break from April 1st to April 5th. Class will resume April 6th.

March 15, 2010

FAMILY FUN NIGHT MARCH 19TH FROM 5-8 PM

Don't forget to attend a fun filled evening this Friday at STRIDE. There will be concessions available and many fun games or activities to choose from. Some of them include: cake walk, bingo, crazy hair, fishing booth, duck pond, sucker pull, golf, karate, and many more. If you haven't signed up to help work and would like to please contact either Mrs. Swanson or Ms. Wallwork.

Welcome back from a nice break, it appears the nice weather may be here to stay. Over break the new middle school buildling is finally started!!! YEAH! If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Swanson, Mr. Ulbrich, or Mr. Beutel.

Social: Students will begin presenting their power points on Wednesday and finish up next week. Each group is responsible for one chapter and a hand out for each student. Students will be graded on their power points and handouts/assessments. We will then begin our unit on Industrialism, Capitalism, and Socialism.

Science: This week students are studying how plate movement creates different underwater features such as trenches and ridges. Students are also being the teacher by presenting information on volcanoes features. Our next science test will be Monday, March 29th. The science project on the Earth is also due on test day.

Language Arts: No spelling this week, we are devoting some extra time to the MCA's that are coming up in April. We will continue on with Julius Caesar by finishing up critical thinking questions and starting in on Act II.

Math:

Ms. Wallwork's class is working on fractional parts and we began this week with Lesson 71. We will also be finding the area of complex figures and solving ratio problems.

Mrs. Swanson's class is working on area of a circle, solving for an unknown number, using proportions to solve ratio word problems, estimating square roots, and measuring turns.

Reading: Ms. Wallwork's class is a little over half way through Travels with Charlie. We continue to work on vocabulary for the MCA's and the NWEA's. Be sure to study the RIT words that were sent home before break.

Updates and Reminders:

School pictures were sent home this week. As a parent you must decide to either keep the pictures and pay for them or send them back to STRIDE.

MCA testing dates are April 22nd and 23rd for Reading and April 27th and 28th for Math. Mark your calendars now. It is important your child attends school on these days.

The end of the quarter is March 31st. Conferences are on April 1st. Reminders will be sent home of the time you signed up for conferences last fall. If this time works then do not return the slip, if it does not work please inform us of another time.

There will be a short break from April 1st to April 5th. Class will resume April 6th.

February 22, 2010

As you can see by the
picture below,
Julius Caesar is under way!



It is our last week before our spring break! Students will return to class on Monday, March 15, 2010. Enjoy your time off and time with your family. Intersession activities will take place March 1st to March 5th. All-day care is available the second week of intersession so please contact Valarie Weyer for information.

Thursday, March 4th is the second annual Ice Fishing Event for the 5th and 6th grade students. Please have permission slips given to Mr. Thole as soon as possible for your child to attend.

In science students were given their next project to work on. This will be due at the end of March. Information will be sent home in the Thursday folder in case your child would like to work on it during break.

In language we have finished up Act I, scenes 1, 2, and 3. Students will be answering questions related to what they have read and new vocabulary they are learning.

Please make sure to have all work in by Friday so that you are all caught up when you return to school.

Don't forget Family Fun Night, March 19th, 2010, from 5-8pm. We look forward to seeing everyone there. Remember this is how you earn money towards your trip to Wolf Ridge.

February 16, 2010

Congratulations on a job well done at the spelling bee and a special congratulations to Meghan Moran for her 1st place position.


Social: Sixth graders are starting "The Enlightenment" unit. Students are in groups of 4 based on the individual they wanted to report on. They could pick from Isaac Newton, Rene' Descartes, Thomas Hobbes, or John Locke. Each group will be putting together a power point to present to their classmates along with an assessment of their individual of choice.


Science: This week students will learn about the layers of the Earth and receive their final project of the quarter, the 3D Earth Model. This will not be due until after break. Due date will be announced after break. Students will also watch a video on Rocks and Minerals on Friday. The science biography project is due NEXT TUESDAY! February 23rd!


Language Arts: Both classes will be finishing up our Julius Caesar movie this week and then learn a bit about William Shakespeare. No spelling or grammar this week due to the short week. If you would like to work ahead and start studying now, that would be a good idea.


Math:

Ms. Wallwork's class is taking their first test from Course 2 on Tuesday and will be covering ratio boxes and identifying geometric solids.



Ms. Swanson's class started the week by taking their next test. They will then work on constructing perpendicular bisectors and bisectors of a given angle, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing units of measure, and area of the base and volume of rectangular prisms. The next math packet #25 was handed out and will be due February 26th.


Reading:

Ms. Wallwork's reading class is well under way traveling across the United States with Charlie and John Steinbeck. We are also continually working on building our vocabulary. Ask your son or daughter about some of their new words they are learning.


Updates and Reminders:

Monday, February 22nd from 4-8 is our Five Guys benefit. Be sure to stop in for a delicious bite to eat!


-The 2nd Annual Family Fun night is March 19th from 5-8pm. Be sure to mark your calendars for the event. It is a great time for family fun.



-Thursday, March 4th is the next Ice Fishing event. Remember this event is FREE for students in grades 5 and 6. Dress rehearsal for the event is on Friday, February 19th. Students should come dressed in all the items they will wear this day.



-PE class this week and next week are completing the C-Motion dance unit.

Big event coming up here at STRIDE, the annual Spelling Bee Monday night at 6:30 was rescheduled for Friday morning.



Social: Students are exploring Greek/Roman gods and goddesses this week and sharing with classmates. On Friday we will begin "The Enlightenment Period." Students will be preparing Power Points and assessments for each chapter and presenting to classmates.


Science: Monday and Friday for science students will teach their classmates about specific vocabulary by becoming the expert of one vocabulary word and sharing it with the class. The focus of these vocabulary words is on the parts of the plates during movements, the types of pressure put on the plates, and what the plates are made of and from. Don't forget to have your child continue to work on their biography project. This is due February 23rd.


Language Arts: Reminder that the students are buying their own copy of Julius Caesar and should turn in $5.11 to Ms. Wallwork this week. If this is a hardship, please let me know and we will take care of it. We will be teaching this unit a bit different, Ms. A and myself will be combining classes. This will allow for a much broader range of discussion and sharing of information. Students will be creating journals with pictures as we read and answering comprehension questions through the play.

Don't forget to study for spelling, unit 18 or 8 (Wallwork) lesson 17 for both levels in Ms. A's class. Don't forget Ms. Wallwork's students need to finish Grammar Rule 23, vocabulary packet, and sayings and phrases.

Sayings of the week: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Don't lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen.


Math:
Because Ms. Wallwork's class did so well on the end of unit exam and bench mark test we will be skipping 60 lessons and start with lesson 61 in Course 2. We will cover polygons, classifying triangles, symbols of inclusion, and adding positive and negative numbers. I expect we will come across new math concepts, because of skipping so many lessons, and we will stop to be sure there is complete understanding of any new concept.


Mrs. Swanson's class is working on comparing fractions by converting to decimal form, finding unstated information in fraction problems, capacity, area of triangles, and using a constant factor to solve ratio problems.



Reading: Ms. Wallwork's class has begun Travels with Charlie and will be plotting his travels across the United States and we will also continue with daily journals.



Updates and Reminders:

Physical Education Skatetime/C’Motion Reminder


From February 16th-22nd, the K-3 Physical Education classes will be participating in a program called Skatetime and the 4-6 Physical Education classes will be participating in a high energy dance driven program called C’Motion. These units are being implemented because of there emphasis as “Lifetime Activities.” If you have not yet turned in your permission slip or fee please do so as soon as possible. Due to insurance purposes, we will be exclusively using Skatetime’s skates, so please do not have your children bring skates to school. Students skating are encouraged to bring all the safety equipment they wish. Wrist guards will be provided.
Skatetime will be a great opportunity to earn volunteer time and also have fun. It would be very nice to have a few extra sets of hands to help tie skates and assist children who may be having a hard time. Contact Mr. Lutterman if you are interested. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns


Luke Lutterman
STRIDE Academy
PE/DAPE & Activities Director
Please return the Wolf Ridge questionnaire.


The St. Cloud Police Department is visiting sixth grade on Wednesday, February 10th. Students are taking part in the KEYS program that offers them knowledge and skills to resist drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure.


There is no school on Monday, February 15th.

February 1st, 2010

Big event coming up here at STRIDE, the annual Spelling Bee Monday night at 6:30. If you are able to attend I know the students appreciate it.


Social: We are finishing up our Ancient Greece and Rome Unit this week with a test on Thursday. Remind your child to have their note-card ready. We will be starting next week with The Enlightenment Period. Small groups of students will be presenting a chapter using power point.


Science: There is only one day of science this week. Students will demonstrate how heat, pressure, and time create a metaphoric rock using starbursts. Don't forget to have your child continue to work on their biography project. This is due February 23rd.


Language Arts: We are finishing up our Descriptive Writing Unit this week and we will be starting Julius Caesar next week. Reminder that the students are buying their own copy and should turn in $5.11 to Ms. Wallwork this week. If this is a hardship, please let me know and we will take care of it. Don't forget to study for spelling, unit 17 or 7 (Wallwork) spelling review (Level 6) and 15 (level 7) for Ahmed's class.


Math:



Ms. Wallwork's class officially finished course one this week, CONGRATULATIONS. All of the students did excellent on the end of unit test and benchmark test. These tests determine where we start in course 2. Looks like this class will be skipping quite a few lessons. I am very proud of the work they have done. Keep it up!!



Mrs. Swanson's Course 1 class is working on exponents, writing decimals numbers as fractions, writing fractions and ratios as decimal numbers, and writing fractions and decimals as percents. They will have a test on Thursday and enrichment day on Friday. The Course 2 class finished the textbook and started on Course 3. Be proud of them.


Reading: Ms. Wallwork's class presented small biographies about different members of the secret annexe where Anne Frank hid. This was a very interesting novel and I think we all learned a lot. We will start out Travels with Charlie by exploring different focal points of the United States. We will continue with our journals each day. I see the students evolving in their journal writing as time goes on.



Updates and Reminders:



Please return the Wolf Ridge questionnaire. Another copy will be sent in your child's Thursday folder.



The St. Cloud Police department is visiting sixth grade on Monday, February 1st, Thursday, February 4th, and Wednesday, February 10th. Students are taking part in the KEYS program that offers them knowledge and skills to resist drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure.

January 25, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Ms. Wallwork!!!

Starting on February 1st, 6th graders will be participating in the St. Cloud Police Departments KEYS to Success program, Knowledge and Education for Youth to Success. There is a letter in their Thursday folders this week explaining more in depth.


Social: Students have covered Augustus, Julius Caesar, and now we will be covering the fall of the Roman Empire. To end the unit each student will be doing a mini project on a Greek God or Goddess or other figure from Ancient Greece or Rome.



Science: Monday students demonstrated how plates move to form rifts, volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain ranges. Wednesday will label the different names of the plates the Earth is made of. Friday students will define transform faults and magma and discuss how hot spots affect the Earth's surface. DO NOT FORGET science biography project are due at the end of February. Students should be continually working on this project.




Language Arts: Ms. Wallwork's class is on spelling 16 this week, don't forget to study. grammar rule 21 covers appositives. Remember they rename a noun. For example: Ms. Swanson, a 6th grade teacher, is having a baby boy. (a sixth grade teacher is the appositive, renaming Ms. Swanson) We are also continuing with our descriptive papers about ourselves. We hope to finish up this unit in the next two weeks. Ms. Ahmed's class is on spelling 15 (Level 6) 14 (Level 7), and grammar rule 20 on commas and colons. They have been studying idioms and will also conclude their descriptive writing project on February 1st. This is the due date for their descriptive writing assignment.


Math:



Ms. Wallwork's class will be having a test on January 26th and finishing up the entire book this week, CONGRATULATIONS. We will start Course 2 next week.





Mrs. Swanson's class is completing lessons on reducing fractions before multiplying, coordinate planes, parallelograms, and multiplying three fractions. They also will take a test on Tuesday. Congratulations to Mrs. Swanson's Course 2 independent study group that has completed Course 2 and will start Course 3 next week.




Reading:



Ms. Wallwork's class is watching a documentary on Anne Frank. They are listening to interviews with a classmate, her father and many other people who had contact with her prior to and while in the concentration camps. Our next book will be Travels with Charlie by John Steinbeck.





Ms. Ahmed's reading class has been reading about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. They have had many great discussions on the subject.




Updates and Reminders:

Tuesday night is the band and piano concert at 6:00pm at Westwood Church.

Please remember to have students come to school in tan khaki pants or skirts and a SOLID polo shirt with no logos. If they would like to have a sweatshirt it should be not hooded, solid, with no logos. All STRIDE Polo's or sweatshirts are okay. Students should not be wearing shorts or capris at this time of the school year.

Students are required to wear a hat, gloves or mittens, and a winter jacket at recess. Boots are HIGHLY recommended.

I hope everyone enjoyed their three day weekend along with the warmer weather. Below you will find some updates for your classes and reminders for everyone.


Social: We will be watching a power point on Julius Caesar and then covering The Age of Augustus. Our big unit is nearing the end, so be sure to answer all questions and keep up on the vocabulary. Our next unit will cover The Enlightenment Period, where you will get to make your own power point presentation.


Science: Our next unit is ready to begin! The unit is on Plate Tectonics: Movement of the Earth. It will be the only unit, other than the biography project, that is part of third quarter. This is due to the length/content of the unit and the amount of class time used to test students for both NWEA and MCAs and prepare them for the tests using Study Island. This week students will begin by using a vocabulary study on important terms to understand how the Earth's plates move.


Language Arts: Spelling 15 this week along with learning about specific placement of commas. We continue to work on our descriptive writing unit by learning better how to use similes, metaphors, and other figurative language.


Math: Ms. Wallwork's class will be learning brand new concepts; compound interest, simple interest, and principal. It would be wonderful if your child could talk to you about interest and using a savings account.



Mrs. Swanson's math class students will work on multiplying and dividing mixed numbers, using prime factorization to reduce fractions, lengths of segments, and complementary and supplementary angles.


Reading: Ms. Wallwork's class is nearing the end of Anne Frank and we will finish off the unit by watching the movie and presenting what we learned about the various people who helped the Frank family in hiding for two years.



Updates and Reminders:

Let’s celebrate our Vikings and come dressed in purple on Friday, January 22nd. Students can where jeans. If students are not participating in Purple Pride Day they will wear the normal uniform of polo and khakis. We Vikings fans will look the other way if you would like to represent another football team. Go Vikes!!!


Students will complete their NWEA testing Wednesday, January 20th in the areas of Reading and Language. Be sure they have a good night of sleep and a healthy breakfast that morning.



In PE class students will begin the C-Motion unit and are finishing their hockey unit. Please look for slips regarding C-Motion and the cost behind this unit.

January 11th, 2010

A fresh start this week for the new quarter. Students will receive their second quarter report card in their Thursday Folders this week.



Social- We are covering the Punic Wars and Julius Caesar this week. Be sure to re-read anything you didn't understand. Be ready for a small pop quiz.



Science- Students will finish sharing their Disease Posters on Tuesday and get their next big project for third quarter. The next project is science biographies. Each student will be assigned a scientist in class Tuesday. They are then required to complete a project following the criteria from their explanation sheet. A copy of this sheet will be in their Thursday folder. This project is not due until Tuesday, February 23rd.



Language Arts- Spelling 14 and 4, lesson and test, and Grammar Rule 19 are due on Thursday due to incentive day, Friday. We are still working on descriptive writing, including similes, metaphors, alliteration, and adjectives. Be sure to know the different areas of figurative language.



Math-

Ms. Wallwork's class is working on unit multipliers, with a test on Thursday. Don't forget we take the NWEA math test this Wednesday. Get plenty of sleep and eat a fabulous breakfast. We have a regular math test on Thursday.



Mrs. Swanson's class is working on subtracting mixed numbers with regrouping, classifying quadrilaterals, prime factorization, division by primes, and factor trees. Students will take another assessment on Wednesday and complete an enrichment day on Friday. The focus for the enrichment day will be decimal numbers. Students will complete a variety of operations using decimal numbers.



Reading- We learned today that Miep Gies died in Amsterdam at the age of 100 on Monday, January 11th, 2010. She was the last known person alive to have helped Anne Frank and her family while in hiding. She worked for Anne's father and found ways to get extra ration cards in order to get the Franks food. As a class we made a rubric for a poster presentation each student will do. Each student will research a person involved with the Franks and present to the class. We also continue to expand our vocabulary, be sure to go over a few words every night.

Next up Travels with Charlie by John Steinbeck.



Updates and Reminders:



The next round of NWEA testing is taking place this week and next week. 6th grade students will test in math on Wednesday, January 13th and Reading and Language on Wednesday, January 20th. Be sure your child gets a good night sleep and eats a healthy breakfast.



The next school board meeting is taking place on Tuesday, January 19th at 6:30pm at STRIDE.



There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 18th.



Students who completed all academic and behavioral expectations are participating in an incentive day on Friday, January 15th.