April 10, 2015
I am so happy to see all the snow melt away. We certainly had a rough winter this year. I just posted a wonderful picture from gym class that their teacher took...check it out!
We just finished our Volume Unit in math and the average test grade was an 85 percent. Currently we are working on comparing and converting customary units of lengths and customary units of capacity. My students made some very creative capacity creatures. I will get these photos up on my website very soon.
I have handed back all the rubrics to the children for their mystery writing projects. There are still many areas of the writing process that we are still working on for research papers. Currently, we are forming opinion pieces on a topic that truly interests each child. The opinion writing is very similar to the expository writing. We are working on creatvie leads, a strong thesis statement, topic sentences that tell what the whole paragraph will be about, researching and gathering facts, statistics, and quotes....and many other lessons. We have already spent 3 hours in the computer lab gathering data and taking notes. Any additional research will have to be done at home. Today we started organizing all our research using a graphic organizer. This graphic organizer can be accessed from The Helpful Websites and Links page of my webwite. The student each need 5 articles (from newspapers, magazines, and informational websites - no blogs) to read through and gather facts, studies, statistics, and quotes. Next week we will start writing our opinion papers. All of the writing needs to be done at school. I know that parents like to help, but unfortunately you haven't had the in-class lessons, so your help can actually be very confusing for your child. The children are really beginning to apply the lessons and their writing is really progressing. I am excited to see these final papers.
Monday is Science Showcase. The doors will open at 7:35 for dropoff and setup. The Science Showcase actually runs from 8:15 to 9:45. I hope to see all of you at this event.
Have a wonderful weekend.
I am so happy to see all the snow melt away. We certainly had a rough winter this year. I just posted a wonderful picture from gym class that their teacher took...check it out!
We just finished our Volume Unit in math and the average test grade was an 85 percent. Currently we are working on comparing and converting customary units of lengths and customary units of capacity. My students made some very creative capacity creatures. I will get these photos up on my website very soon.
I have handed back all the rubrics to the children for their mystery writing projects. There are still many areas of the writing process that we are still working on for research papers. Currently, we are forming opinion pieces on a topic that truly interests each child. The opinion writing is very similar to the expository writing. We are working on creatvie leads, a strong thesis statement, topic sentences that tell what the whole paragraph will be about, researching and gathering facts, statistics, and quotes....and many other lessons. We have already spent 3 hours in the computer lab gathering data and taking notes. Any additional research will have to be done at home. Today we started organizing all our research using a graphic organizer. This graphic organizer can be accessed from The Helpful Websites and Links page of my webwite. The student each need 5 articles (from newspapers, magazines, and informational websites - no blogs) to read through and gather facts, studies, statistics, and quotes. Next week we will start writing our opinion papers. All of the writing needs to be done at school. I know that parents like to help, but unfortunately you haven't had the in-class lessons, so your help can actually be very confusing for your child. The children are really beginning to apply the lessons and their writing is really progressing. I am excited to see these final papers.
Monday is Science Showcase. The doors will open at 7:35 for dropoff and setup. The Science Showcase actually runs from 8:15 to 9:45. I hope to see all of you at this event.
Have a wonderful weekend.
February 3, 2015
Another Snow Day....I can't believe it. We are less than two weeks away from our February vacation. We still have so much work to do. In Math we are finishing up our unit on adding and subtracting fractions. We will be reviewing and completing a study guide on Wed. and Thurs. this week and then taking a formal assessment on Friday. Next week I will begin the unit on multiplying and dividing fractions. A mini-unit on Volume will probably be the last unit we complete prior to the PARCC testing. We will be running through a PARCC practice test early in March. My students have already been to the lab to walk through the PARCC Tutorial. I have included a link on my website if you would like to see the tutorial.
In ELA we are working hard on our Mystery Expository Writing Project. We have been to the lab several days to explore our mystery and take on-line notes. Tomorrow we will have a mini-lesson on the Introductory Paragraph. We will focus on an interesting lead and a strong thesis statement. Then, my students will have time to create their introductory paragraphs. This week we will also have our Read and Relax which we missed with the snow last week and continue with our book clubs. Next week we will focus on organizing all our evidence to support the thesis statement in our Mystery Writing Project. All of the Lit Letters and article summaries that the students have completed this year has prepared them for this kind of analytical writing.
As you can see, we have been very busy in our classroom. If you ever have any questions please don't hesitate to send me an email. I am happy to communicate with you. Happy February!
Another Snow Day....I can't believe it. We are less than two weeks away from our February vacation. We still have so much work to do. In Math we are finishing up our unit on adding and subtracting fractions. We will be reviewing and completing a study guide on Wed. and Thurs. this week and then taking a formal assessment on Friday. Next week I will begin the unit on multiplying and dividing fractions. A mini-unit on Volume will probably be the last unit we complete prior to the PARCC testing. We will be running through a PARCC practice test early in March. My students have already been to the lab to walk through the PARCC Tutorial. I have included a link on my website if you would like to see the tutorial.
In ELA we are working hard on our Mystery Expository Writing Project. We have been to the lab several days to explore our mystery and take on-line notes. Tomorrow we will have a mini-lesson on the Introductory Paragraph. We will focus on an interesting lead and a strong thesis statement. Then, my students will have time to create their introductory paragraphs. This week we will also have our Read and Relax which we missed with the snow last week and continue with our book clubs. Next week we will focus on organizing all our evidence to support the thesis statement in our Mystery Writing Project. All of the Lit Letters and article summaries that the students have completed this year has prepared them for this kind of analytical writing.
As you can see, we have been very busy in our classroom. If you ever have any questions please don't hesitate to send me an email. I am happy to communicate with you. Happy February!
January 3, 2015
Happy New Year to all my students and families. It feels so strange to type 2015. I really cannot believe that it is really January and that we will be heading back to school in two days. I hope you all had a restful break.
First, I want to send out a big Thank You to all the wonderful Holiday gifts and treats that I received, and the class gift as well. I really appreciate your generosity and kind thoughts.
We will ease slowly back into our routines this coming week and go a little light on the homework. This week the students will get a chance to share their Kamishibai stories with their classmates. I will reassess the 5th grade high frequency spelling words during the first two weeks of January, so remind your sons and daughters to keep practicing those important spelling words. I will also formally reassess their reading/reading comprehension level later in the month. We will still be working on capturing the main idea in a reading passage and finding evidence to support that main idea.
The first round of the PARCC testing will take place in March, so I will walk my students through an on-line practice test. The PARCC test does look very different from the MCAS test and multiple texts and/or multiple steps are used to really figure out if a child thoroughly understands the concept being asked. So we will be increasing the level of text we read in the classroom, as well as incorporating multiple texts into our analysis. This process will be challenging for many of my students, but my goal is to get the students a little more comfortable with the format of the new testing. The PARCC testing will all be completed on the computer, so now is the time to encourage your children to practice those typing skills. www.typingweb.com is a free site and a great resource for practice.
Finally, in math we will have a brief review of decimals and then move on to our Fraction Units.
Once again, Happy New Year. I will encourage my students to take advantage of this fresh start to this new year. Let us welcome the year that is new and fresh and cherish each moment it beholds. I hope you have a promising and fulfilling New YEAR!!!!!
Happy New Year to all my students and families. It feels so strange to type 2015. I really cannot believe that it is really January and that we will be heading back to school in two days. I hope you all had a restful break.
First, I want to send out a big Thank You to all the wonderful Holiday gifts and treats that I received, and the class gift as well. I really appreciate your generosity and kind thoughts.
We will ease slowly back into our routines this coming week and go a little light on the homework. This week the students will get a chance to share their Kamishibai stories with their classmates. I will reassess the 5th grade high frequency spelling words during the first two weeks of January, so remind your sons and daughters to keep practicing those important spelling words. I will also formally reassess their reading/reading comprehension level later in the month. We will still be working on capturing the main idea in a reading passage and finding evidence to support that main idea.
The first round of the PARCC testing will take place in March, so I will walk my students through an on-line practice test. The PARCC test does look very different from the MCAS test and multiple texts and/or multiple steps are used to really figure out if a child thoroughly understands the concept being asked. So we will be increasing the level of text we read in the classroom, as well as incorporating multiple texts into our analysis. This process will be challenging for many of my students, but my goal is to get the students a little more comfortable with the format of the new testing. The PARCC testing will all be completed on the computer, so now is the time to encourage your children to practice those typing skills. www.typingweb.com is a free site and a great resource for practice.
Finally, in math we will have a brief review of decimals and then move on to our Fraction Units.
Once again, Happy New Year. I will encourage my students to take advantage of this fresh start to this new year. Let us welcome the year that is new and fresh and cherish each moment it beholds. I hope you have a promising and fulfilling New YEAR!!!!!
December 20, 2014
December has been a very busy month as we are working hard on our Kamishibais, our Narrative Writing Project. The students are taking their lessons on leads, plot development, climax, and dialogue and developing their own stories. We have spent many days revising and editing our papers. One of our goals is to include some of our "I Spy Vocab" words and our "Word of the Week" vocabulary words into our writing. I can't wait to read their masterpieces!!
In Math we have been studying long division and the division of decimals. We learned about compatible numbers and how useful they are in estimating. We also learned how to use the base 10 blocks to visualize the division of decimals. Although the lesson was challenging at first, the students loved playing with the base 10 blocks and it wasn't long before we had many experts in the class. As some of my students mastered the concept, they then became the teacher and helped some of our struggling math students....A win, win for all!!!
My son is home from college and my family will be visiting for Christmas, so I am so looking forward to some family time. I want to wish all my students and families a wonderful Holiday. I hope you enjoy your time off with your families, and begin the new year refreshed.
December has been a very busy month as we are working hard on our Kamishibais, our Narrative Writing Project. The students are taking their lessons on leads, plot development, climax, and dialogue and developing their own stories. We have spent many days revising and editing our papers. One of our goals is to include some of our "I Spy Vocab" words and our "Word of the Week" vocabulary words into our writing. I can't wait to read their masterpieces!!
In Math we have been studying long division and the division of decimals. We learned about compatible numbers and how useful they are in estimating. We also learned how to use the base 10 blocks to visualize the division of decimals. Although the lesson was challenging at first, the students loved playing with the base 10 blocks and it wasn't long before we had many experts in the class. As some of my students mastered the concept, they then became the teacher and helped some of our struggling math students....A win, win for all!!!
My son is home from college and my family will be visiting for Christmas, so I am so looking forward to some family time. I want to wish all my students and families a wonderful Holiday. I hope you enjoy your time off with your families, and begin the new year refreshed.
November 3, 2014We have started our Narrative Writing project called a Kamishibai. Kamishibai literally means "Paper Theatre." The children learned this week that Kamishibais originated in Japan and were a form of entertainment way before the television was invented. The students will rely on their knowledge of story elements as they create engaging stories. Above is the video we watched in class on Monday. The beginning of the video includes a little history on the Kamishibai and then we listened to the Kamishibai story, "Tom the Red Necked Stint."
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October 20th
Your child will be bringing home progress reports today. Please sign the progress reports and send them back to school with your child.
Your child will be bringing home progress reports today. Please sign the progress reports and send them back to school with your child.
October 14, 2014
Dear Parents/Guardians
Greetings! Our students are off to a great start in language arts and reading. As part of our study of literature this year, students will be writing and presenting book talks about books they have read and loved. Book talks are an excellent way for students to talk about literature and to recommend books to each other.
Each student is required to present a book talk at least once per trimester. I will assign each student a date for his or her book talk. One week in advance, I will give the student a book talk sheet and a rubric. Book talks will be completed at home. They may be typed or neatly hand-written.
Book talks will be graded according to a rubric and need to be turned in on time. After presentations, book talk forms will be filed in a binder in our classroom library, thus providing a source of book recommendations for other students.
I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding book talks. Your students will receive the rubric and book talk form one week before their book talk is due.
Joan Doherty
Dear Parents/Guardians
Greetings! Our students are off to a great start in language arts and reading. As part of our study of literature this year, students will be writing and presenting book talks about books they have read and loved. Book talks are an excellent way for students to talk about literature and to recommend books to each other.
Each student is required to present a book talk at least once per trimester. I will assign each student a date for his or her book talk. One week in advance, I will give the student a book talk sheet and a rubric. Book talks will be completed at home. They may be typed or neatly hand-written.
Book talks will be graded according to a rubric and need to be turned in on time. After presentations, book talk forms will be filed in a binder in our classroom library, thus providing a source of book recommendations for other students.
I will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding book talks. Your students will receive the rubric and book talk form one week before their book talk is due.
Joan Doherty
August 28th,
What an amazing group of children. We have had a wonderful two days. Today we focused on RESPECT. Ask your children about our discussion. I also showed them a wonderful, short video...
What an amazing group of children. We have had a wonderful two days. Today we focused on RESPECT. Ask your children about our discussion. I also showed them a wonderful, short video...
...We talked about all our unique qualities. I AM____________________! The whole team went outside today for two interesting team building activities and the children are loving our Mystery Clean Up. My students also learned one of my forbidden words....STUFF. There are a lot of topics to talk about with your children. I hope you have a wonderful conversation. Please send me an email or a note if I have your permission to post a picture of your child on our website. Thanks so much!
August 13, 2014
Hi and welcome to room B026!!! I am Mrs. Doherty, and I am excited to have you in my 5th grade classroom. This blog is usually meant for your parents, but I am using the blog today to welcome you. I have spent a great deal of time planning this summer, and I can’t wait to try some of the new ideas. Since we will be spending a great deal of time together, we will begin the year with many group activities. I will be setting our classroom up in a semi-circle (horseshoe) shape, so we can have engaging discussions in our classroom. I want you to be an active participant in our classroom and in your learning. As we get to know each other, we will begin to build a positive learning environment and set ourselves up for a successful year!
I am including an updated supply list on the "Items Needed for our Class" page. Please note that I have made a few changes to our classroom supplies. If you have any questions please feel free to email me [email protected] I am looking forward to our first day together on Wed. Aug. 27th.
Let’s have a great year!!
Mrs. Doherty
August
8, 2014
Dear Parents,
I am thrilled to be your child’s 5th grade teacher. I honestly can’t believe that it is already August, and the new school year is rapidly approaching. As I am writing this first blog, I am sitting on the beach in Ocean City, MD with my family, watching enormous waves crash on the shoreline. I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer with your family. Besides spending quality time with my family, I have spent many hours this summer preparing for the new school year.
Again this year, I will be teaching my two favorite subjects Math and ELA. Fifth grade is a wonderful transition year, especially for writing. Your child will have various opportunities to explore narrative, expository, and opinion writing. As the year progresses, we will focus on analytical writing where the students will learn to prove a point, use quotes, and explain their thinking. This kind of writing is challenging at first, but with repeated practice, the students will be thoroughly prepared to begin the middle school curriculum in 6th grade. Also in ELA we will explore book clubs, reading comprehension strategies, vocabulary/spelling, and poetry just to name a few examples.
I am excited this year to implement a framework for mathematics instruction called Guided Math. The key to Guided Math is the ability for the teacher to work with small groups of students, and to reach each student at his or her level of understanding and need. This form of instruction will allow me to closely observe student work, provide support for struggling learners, and afford extra challenges for proficient learners. Since mastery of the fifth grade standards is my goal, I have been designing engaging small group and independent activities to assist each student in attaining these goals.
I look forward to meeting your child on the first day of school, Wed. Aug. 27th. I will provide further details on our curriculum and goals for the year at our Open House, later in September. So savor the last few weeks of summer, and soon our partnership will begin as your child embarks on his or her 5th grade adventure!
Fondly,
Joan Doherty
Dear Parents,
I am thrilled to be your child’s 5th grade teacher. I honestly can’t believe that it is already August, and the new school year is rapidly approaching. As I am writing this first blog, I am sitting on the beach in Ocean City, MD with my family, watching enormous waves crash on the shoreline. I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer with your family. Besides spending quality time with my family, I have spent many hours this summer preparing for the new school year.
Again this year, I will be teaching my two favorite subjects Math and ELA. Fifth grade is a wonderful transition year, especially for writing. Your child will have various opportunities to explore narrative, expository, and opinion writing. As the year progresses, we will focus on analytical writing where the students will learn to prove a point, use quotes, and explain their thinking. This kind of writing is challenging at first, but with repeated practice, the students will be thoroughly prepared to begin the middle school curriculum in 6th grade. Also in ELA we will explore book clubs, reading comprehension strategies, vocabulary/spelling, and poetry just to name a few examples.
I am excited this year to implement a framework for mathematics instruction called Guided Math. The key to Guided Math is the ability for the teacher to work with small groups of students, and to reach each student at his or her level of understanding and need. This form of instruction will allow me to closely observe student work, provide support for struggling learners, and afford extra challenges for proficient learners. Since mastery of the fifth grade standards is my goal, I have been designing engaging small group and independent activities to assist each student in attaining these goals.
I look forward to meeting your child on the first day of school, Wed. Aug. 27th. I will provide further details on our curriculum and goals for the year at our Open House, later in September. So savor the last few weeks of summer, and soon our partnership will begin as your child embarks on his or her 5th grade adventure!
Fondly,
Joan Doherty