Class Spelling Bee Winners

Yesterday we held our class spelling bee, in preparation for the school-wide spelling bee in January.

We had 8 students who participated....that's half our class!! I was very proud of their willingness to come in front of the group and try to spell words.

I am proud to announce that our class winner is Sohani! Our runner-up is Jonathan.

Stay tuned to see if Sohani will be our school champion!

The Brass Ensemble

Today we had an assembly for the fourth and fifth graders. The Brass Ensemble from our city's symphony orchestra came today to put on a mini-concert for the students. The symphony does this every year in anticipation of the concert they put on for all the fifth grade students in the entire city.

Today was the Brass group. The Strings came earlier in the school year. I enjoy these musical assemblies, mostly because I played clarinet in middle and high school. I enjoy hearing the different groups.

There were some parts of the program I think stood out to the students. They liked seeing how each instrument played its notes. They enjoyed seeing which instrument could play the lowest notes.

I think the best part was when the musicians demonstrated the different types of mutes. A mute is the piece the musician puts into the bell of the instrument in order to change the sound of the notes. I never knew this, but the role of the "teacher" on Charlie Brown was played by a trombone with a mute in it!

Mrs. Staton

Rhinos

Today I read about rhinos. I know that rhinos have two horns in front of their head and they have dry grey skin. I wonder why they have hair on their ears? Well they have hair on their ears because when they are born they have hair all over their body. I learned that they eat plants and have up to two babies. A rhino's horn is made from the same thing as a human's fingernail. It is called keratin. Rhinos can run at a speed of 30 miles per hour!

There are five species of rhinos. The sad thing is that rhinos are almost extinct. There are only 14,000 left in the whole world. This is because of humans. They hunt the rhino for their horns.

By: Francisco

***Mrs.Staton says "Welcome" to Francisco...the newest member of our class***

Blue Jays

I read a non fiction book about Blue Jays. What I know about blue jays is they have a little blue on their feathers. They have three nails on each claw, and they have black eyes and black beaks. Their predators are owls and hawks. I learned that they can have up to five babies. Jays are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants. Some of them have black and white feathers.They also eat nuts, seeds, acorns, and wild fruit. Many Jays get their name from their color. There's the blue jay, green jay, gray jay, and brown jay. There are 35 species, or kinds of jays. They are related to magpies, ravens, and crows. They have a nickname called "camp robbers" because when people are camping out, the blue jay sneaks over and takes their food to feed her babies.

By: Jamiece

Cheetahs

Today our teacher made us do a K-W-L chart on a book of our choice,I chose ''Cheetahs'' By:Jenny Markert, and this is what I learned about cheetahs.

The Cheetah's most favorite prey are gazelles but they also hunt for hares and other small animals. They're technically cats. They can't roar like lions but they can purr like house cats and yelp like dogs. They can run up to 60 MPH ,they're also carnivorous. They don't have sharp claws to protect themselves like cats, they only have bold claws to stick in the ground so they won't slide.They carry their prey by the throat,and have three to five cubs at a time. Eagles hunt for cheetah cubs when they're alone,and some lions hunt for cheetahs too! This is what I read about cheetahs.

By: Jorge

What we are thankful for...

Today is our last day of school before Thanksgiving break. We wanted to take a quick minute to share what we are thankful for this year.

Jorge: I'm thankful for shelter, because without shelter we would be very cold in winter. I'm thankful for food because without food we would die. I'm thankful for books. Books make you smarter and increase your vocabulary skills.

Chris: I'm thankful for my family, because they've provided so much for me, like food and a home. I'm grateful for the education that is provided for me. The teachers at my school are nice. Finally, the thing I'm most thankful for is being an American, because we have freedom.

Starnice: Three things I am thankful for are my family, my house, and to be able to go to school. I'm thankful for my family because I have people who love me and care for me. I'm thankful for my house because during the storms I don't get wet or scared. I'm thankful for being able to go to school because in the past African-American people couldn't go to good schools like I can now.

Lesly: The first thing I am thankful for is my family. My family is always there when I need them. The second thing I am thankful for is my friends. I can talk to them about anything. I trust them and they are nice to me. I am also thankful to be Mexican. We are proud of our background and we make good food!

Jamiece: I am thankful that America has a holiday when you and your family can get together and have a great time. The second thing I am thankful for is to have a great family. The last thing I am thankful for is that I have great friends!

Matthew: I am thankful for numerous things. One thing that I am thankful for is running water. My aunt went to Kenya, Africa and she said they didn't have running water that was purified. Also I'm glad that I have a mom and dad and that they are healthy. The last thing I am thankful for is that we can come to school and get a good education.

Jonathan: One thing I am thankful for is that my family hasn't had any bad accidents. Another thing I am thankful for is that my family is here to celebrate altogether. Another thing is that we can go to cool places to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Ti: I am thankful for food because if there wasn't any, people would be hungry. I am thankful for friends because without them, people would be lonely. Finally I am thankful for God and Jesus because they made everything and everyone and they protect us.

Kimberly: I am thankful for having to go to school because I get to learn stuff and later get a good job. The second thing I am thankful for is having a family because I can be loved. The last thing I am thankful for is having a house because I don't have to live on the streets.

Adrian: I am thankful for food because when I'm hungry, it is there. I am thankful for my family because when I need them, they are there. The last thing I am thankful for is my best friends Dylan and Jonathan. They are there when I need them too.

Jaquelin: One of the things I am thankful for is having a family. Some kids don't have a mom or dad to spend time with. The second thing I am thankful for is having everything I need. Some kids aren't able to get all the things they need or want to have. The third thing I am thankful for are my friends Lesly, Sohani, and Roberto. They are the best friends a person could have.

Melanie: I am thankful that I am able to help my brother with his homework. I can help him so that he can understand things. Another thing I am thankful for is that I passed the EOG test in 3rd grade and 4th grade. Now I am in 5th grade. My last thing I am thankful for is that I have a best friend that I can talk with.

Michaela: I am thankful for food because some people don't have food. I am thankful for a house and a car because some people can't afford cars and houses. I am thankful for clothes and toys because some people might not be able to afford clothes and toys.

Scott: I am thankful for the Earth because if the Lord made people and not the Earth, then where would we walk, run, or live? I am thankful for food because if we didn't have it we would starve to death. The last thing I am thankful for is my family because I would be alone if I didn't have one.

Sohani: I am thankful that every night I can go to sleep and wake up in the morning and not be sick. I am thankful that I am getting a good education and for a teacher that explains things to me. I am also thankful for being loved and cared for by my family.

Nadaisa: The things I am thankful for are food, clothes, friends, family, and my mom and dad. I am thankful for everything and even God because He is who made us.

Mrs. Staton: I am thankful for so many things. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband. He is my best friend! I am thankful to have a happy and healthy son. He has made 2008 one of the best years of my life. I am thankful that I have a job that allows me to work with such wonderful students each year.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Something you should read.

We just got done reading a book called Number the Stars and it was a very good book. It was about a girl, Annemarie, and she lives in Denmark. Her best friend Ellen is Jewish and they're in war! The soldiers are after all the Jewish people. Ellen stays with Annemarie and if the soldiers come Ellen has a necklace with the Star of David a symbol of the Jewish people.Will the soldiers come, if so will they take Ellen? So when Annmarie's mom and dad try to keep her safe things go wrong. Then they try to escape--will the soldiers find them? When they get there after a few days something happens to Annemarie's mother. She's not home on time--did the soldiers get her?
Read to find out what happens next in Number the Stars!

Kayla

Friday was a different sort of day

Yesterday was definitely not your typical Friday.

For starters, we had a 2-Hour Delay due to a very light dusting of snow. Amazing, since it isn't even Thanksgiving! That right there made for a different kind of day. We still managed to get a lot of work done. I am so proud of how my students are able to "go with the flow" when our schedule gets out of the routine.

We also had a special assembly for 1st Quarter Awards. Mrs. Spencer talked to the students about the importance of being in school each day and doing your best work. She encouraged those who did not receive an award to try to earn one next time.

I would like to say a special congratulations to all the students in our class who received an award!

Perfect Attendance (almost half of our class!!!)
Jaquelin
Melanie
Jamiece
Matthew
Ti
Sohani
Michaela
Jorge

Spanish Awards
Ti
Melanie
Matthew
Chris

Honorable Mention
Kayla
Sohani

B-Honor Roll
Starnice
Michaela
Chris

A-Honor Roll
Matthew

STRAIGHT A's
Jorge

I am so proud of each one of you who received an award. I hope to see each one of you on this list again. For those who did not get an award this time, I hope to see your name mentioned in January!!

Mrs. Staton

A cool series of books

I am also reading The Series of Unfortunate Events. I like these stories because they are so adventurous. They deal with Count Olaf, a greedy man who wants to steal the fortune of the Baudelaires. Their parents are dead. The henchmen are part of Count Olaf's troupe and they also try to help him capture the Baudelaires. So far they have yet to be captured.

My favorite character in this series is Klaus. I like him best because he likes to read a lot and so do I! I have read Numbers 1-9 and I am reading #10. My favorite book so far in the series is #9 The Carnivorous Carnival, because it had a cool scene with some lions.

Chris

What I'm Reading...

Hi! I am reading A Series Of Unfortunate Events. I decided to start the series about a month ago and it is good. In these books Violet, Klaus, and Sunny go place after place and they are always unfortunate. In the beginning Count Olaf is their guardian. He is an evil villain who only cares about money. When Olaf hears about their enormous fortune the Baudelaire parents left behind he uses ridiculous schemes to try to get the fortune. Then he keeps coming back with ridiculous disguises to try to fool the children. He never does though. Through eight books he has failed to get the fortune. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny keep barely escaping by the skin of their teeth. If you want to read a book about 3 kids finding out clever ways to beat a evil villain I would suggest these books to you.

Matthew

A book I read

I just finished this book called Number The Stars. The reason I like this book is because I thought it was so interesting, to see what it was like back in the days when the German soldiers took over Denmark. This was during World War II. I thought it was interesting when King Christian X came out on his horse with guards riding around the neighborhood in the early mornings. That's why people liked him so much! I also learned that the German soldiers did not like the Jews, so they tried to capture and kill the Jews.

I learned that the name of a Jewish symbol is the Star of David. People who tried to help the Jews escape used code words. The code word for the Jews was "cigarettes".

I think if you've never read Number the Stars you should try it.

Sohani

Welcome to our class blog!

We are class of 5th graders, and I am their teacher. We have decided to start a class blog so that we can talk about what we are reading and what our class is learning. We are hoping that by doing this, we can better understand what we are reading and encourage others to try new and different books. We also want to be able to share class events by writing about them.

We are excited to start this new adventure!

Mrs. Staton