A great day at Wrightsville!

September 2, 2016

Dear Families,

We have had a great start to the new school year.  All of your children are wonderful. Everyone seems to be putting their best foot forward.  Enclosed in the Friday Folder, that went home with your child today, is important information for you about the following:

1.     Our classroom is a peanut and tree nut free classroom.  Bringing treats in for birthdays or other celebrations is fine, but please remember to check the ingredients and to be sure the food is processed in a nut tree environment.  Thanks!

2.     Grade 5/6 Wrightsville Dam Team Building Day Field Trip Permission Form.  Please return this by Tuesday September 6^th. 

3.     All School Hike Sign-Up and Permission Form.  Please return by Friday September 9^th.  Enclosed in that form is information for you if you are interested in chaperoning. 

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PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT:  I hope to see all of you on Parent information night, Tuesday September 6^th from 6PM to 7:30. There will be an information session in our classroom from 6:00-6:25 and another from 6:30 – 6:50.  Both of these sessions will be the same.  I will be speaking about the 5^th and 6^th grade academic program and expectations for students.  This evening is not the usual open house.  It is directed towards parents to inform you of what is going on in your child’s classroom.

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Please remember to return the information packet and the classroom

 blog permission form that was sent home on Monday as soon as possible.  Thanks so much.

             We are beginning our classroom read, Number the Stars, written by Lois Lowry.  This wonderful book takes place during World War II.  Students will be assigned chapters to read and questions to answer related to the text.  Students will be expected to be prepared to discuss what they have read.  We are also reading Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen, as a class read aloud. 

            With the start of the new school year, we have been talking about beginnings in class.  Students were assigned a Quote Response, due Thursday September 8^th , that is related to “beginnings”.  The assignment and the scoring rubric is glued into their writing journal.  Students may neatly hand write their response or type it on the computer.  Ask your child about the quote response! 

In 6^th grade math, students worked on a multiplication and division timed test, as well as a math skills review assessment. 6^th graders also have a POW, or Problem of the Week, called the Railroad Problem, which is due on Tuesday September 6^th.  This assignment requires students to write step by step directions to show how they solved the problem.  Ask your student if they solved the problem!  

5^th graders were also assigned the Railroad Problem and a POW (Problem of the Week) called All that Glitters.  This is due Monday September 12^th. 

In geography, we are learning where the 50 states in the United States are located.  I am impressed with how quickly students were able to learn where the states are located. We will then move to onto Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. This will prepare students for our Ancient Civilizations unit. 

There are always many things to get the year off on the right foot.  We are talking about safe, responsible and respectful behavior and reviewing PBIS behavior expectations for the classroom and the entire school (cafeteria, hallways, playground and the bus). Thank you for supporting your child’s effort to be safe, respectful and responsible.  

Don’t forget that Picture Day is Tuesday September 6^th!

Have a great long weekend.  See you Tuesday evening at the Parent Information Night. 

Ellen Knoedler

Welcome Back!
Welcome to all the 5th and 6th graders and their families to Mrs. Knoedler's classroom! I look forward to a great year of learning and fun.  And remember, you can read anywhere.    

Incredible Graphic Novels

Marvelous! Stupendous! Wonderful!  

These are just a few words 

to describe to Ancient Rome graphic Novels.

More photos to come!

Just a note to let you know that report Cards were sent home with your student on Friday.  They are in an envelope in their Friday folder, if they returned their Friday folder or in their backpack if they have not returned the red Friday folder.

Literacy:  Students are making great progress on their information writing about the person in history.  These should be completed by next Thursday, February 4th.  The Person in History Presentation is due Wednesday, February 17th.  There will be a Celebration of Learning at the school that evening to showcase the Person in History work, as well as other student work throughout the building.  Students will be dressed up as their person and will be speaking as if they were the person.  It should be a great evening!  Please mark your calendars.  Students can and should be working on this presentation at home in order to finish it on time.  The 17th will arrive soon!

Also, a reminder that the U32 information packet forms are due on Tuesday February 16th.  If you have specific questions about courses, please call the U32 guidance department and they will be happy to help you.

Everyone greatly enjoyed the bridge weigh in this afternoon!  The maximum amount held was a record setting 125.7!  Wow!

Have a great weekend, Ellen

January 22, 2016

Mrs. Knoedler’s 6^th Grade Class Newsletter

January 22, 2016

Dear Families,

            The folders for U32 were sent home on Thursday and hopefully you had an opportunity to attend the Parent Meeting last night at U32.  Please return all the information forms to EMES by Tuesday February 17^th.  Thanks so much.

            PERSON IN HISTORY:  Students are progressing with their Person in History profile.  Students should be working on the body or “chapters” of the paper and then on to the conclusion.  Students should be working on this at home. 

The poster presentation boards and another copy of the assignment and the rubric for the poster presentation, 3-D artifact, and the oral presentation were handed out today. Many students chose to leave them in school to work on them here, which is fine, but there may be further research that has to be done and that can be done at home.   Also, students should be working on the 3-D component for the presentation, their monologue for the night of the presentation, and their costume.  February 18^th will be here soon!  This is a huge multifaceted project that cannot be completed in a couple days.  Students should be working at home now.

BRIDGES:  Students were putting the final touches on their bridges today.  They are spectacular!  We will see how much weight they can hold next week.  Stay tuned for the exact time.  Perhaps, you can join us for the weigh in. 

Enjoy the full moon and the weekend. Ellen 

January 8th Newsletter

January 8, 2016

Dear Families,

            It is all about bridges in the 6^th grade.  Students in both 6^th grade classrooms have been mixed up and put into teams of three or four.  Their task is to build a truss bridge, with certain specifications, to see how much weight it can hold.  Teams have a budget of $1,550,000.00.  While that might sound like a lot of money, when each cup of glue costs $500.00, gusset wood costs $75,000.00 each, and  a 36” piece of truss lumber costs $162,000.00,  it goes fast.  Students must come up with a design and their bridge must be an exact replica of the design.  We will be having an evening of bridge testing, the date as yet to be determined, but soon.  Stay tuned!

            We are also in need of more tools.  We need fine saws, wood snippers, and a portable work bench to set up for students to work.  If you have any of these items to loan us, we promise to take good care of them.  Also, if you would like to come in during the day to help students, we usually work on our bridges from 1:45 to 2:45 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Fridays. 

Literacy:  All students have chosen an important person in history for their writing profile assignment and are researching and note taking.  Students are also working on a table of contents and an introduction which should be completed by Tuesday.  Please remember that this information profile will be used for students in their poster board presentation of the person.  This presentation will accompany them as they dress up as their person and “become” the person.  We will have an evening of sharing on Wednesday, February 17^th.  More details on that later, but please save the date.

Math:  In math we are reviewing adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions as well as simplifying  fractions.  The POW (math problem of the week), The Three Pigs,  is due Wednesday January 13. 

All Winter Fitness activities are slated to begin next Tuesday.  Have a great weekend. 

 

                                                Ellen