The Start of a Great Year!

Hi everyone,

Last week, I spent several days setting up our classroom, and I'll be going back in on Monday to put on the finishing touches.  I can't tell you how excited I am about this year!  We'll have the Seedfolk Community Vegetable Garden, some new technology in the classroom, and all of your smiling faces!  I guarantee this is going to be a great year.   We'll spend the first week getting to know each other, building a cohesive team, and setting out expectations so you can all be successful fifth graders.  Don't forget your school supplies and story maps...but most importantly, don't forget your GREAT attitudes!  I'll see you all on Tuesday!

Counting the Days!

Hi Everyone!

This week I'll be entering the classroom to set up for the beginning of a great school year!  The PRS "Seedfolk" community garden is looking great and we have lots of veggies growing.  I've been working on lots of new and fun ways to help you learn and I am SOOOOOO excited to get started on August 31.  Our building looks great (Mr. Bob and his team did a great job-the building is so clean and shiny, it seems like a brand new school)!  Make sure you have completed your two story maps (one for the fiction book and a second for the non fiction book) and that you bring them to school on your first day along with your supplies, and MOST improtantly...your smiles and great attitude.

See you soon,

Mr. Weinstein

Growth in the Garden!

Hi all,

With only two weeks until I start setting up our classroom for the new school year, I went by to check on our Community Garden.  We have lots of peas, carrots, pumpkins and cucumbers growing.  It's very exciting and the garden will give us an opportunity to do lots of neat things this year.  We'll be working with Ms.  Jenn's class to care for it, and other classrooms may pitch in, too.  It's a VERY exciting undertaking at PRS and I can't wait to share it with you!

See you soon!

Mr. Weinstein

I've Been Thinking About You!

Hi!

I hope you are enjoying your summer!  I've been doing lots of preparation for our return to PRS on August 31st.  We're going to have a fantastic year!  We'll be doing many things that have never been done before at Potter Road and with your help and hard work, we're going to create a great team!  Make sure you are reading and completing your story maps for your two books (one fiction and one non fiction).  If you need the story maps or book list, you can find them at the bottom of our web-page under General Classroom Documents and Policies and then again under Summer Reading.  Also, make sure you are practicing your math facts!

See you soon,

Mr. Weinstein

And so, the end is near....

Hi All,

This week we will be visiting Cameron Middle School for a tour on Thursday.  We have finished our Engineering Windmills unit.  The kids loved it.  In Social Studies, the children are presenting their Bill of Rights mini-projects. We will have enough time to learn a bit about the Westward Expansion of the United States and the War of 1812.   The Million Dollar Project is due this Friday in Math. See you at our graduation ceremony next Tuesday!

Wind, Money, and Super Heroes-Week of June 1st

Only two weeks left to go!  I can hardly believe it!  The kids have grown (physically, mentally, and socially) so much, I'm going to miss all of them!  

We are in the middle of our Engineering Windmills unit and the kids are really engaged as they work through the Engineering Design Process (Ask-Imagine-Plan-Create-Improve) to build windmills that can lift weights.  In Math, we are beginning our Million Dollar Project.  The children will be given $1,000,000 to spend however they see fit as they learn about budgeting, keeping a balanced checkbook, and giving to charity.  In Social Studies, the students are collaborating with each other to create a small presentation on one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights.In Writing, the students are creating fantasy stories based on pictures by Harris Burdick or their own super hero creation.  In Reading, the students are finishing their Historical Fiction discussion groups and working on their Inspiration timelines.  Enjoy the sunshine!

Week of May 17

As the year winds down, we are working collaboratively on lots of projects.  In the beginning of the year, many of the students had difficulty working with one partner, let alone a small group.  Now, I love watching them problem solve and work together in groups of 2, 3, 4, even 5 classmates. 
In Social Studies/Writing, the students have created Revolutionary websites.  You can click on the links below to see them.  We are also going to be learning about the Constitution and how our government works with checks and balances.
The children are putting the finishing touches on poetry books in writing.  They researched a specific type of poetry and then taught it to their classmates using a collaborative jigsaw model.  For kids who initially complained about writing, they sure do love it now!
Now that were finished with Math MCAS, we will be creating fractions clotheslines to reinforce comparing and performing operations with fractions.  This will be an in school project.
In Reading, the students are participating in Historical Fiction book discussion groups.  In conjunction with this, they are creating a life-sized character study and time line that mixes true historical events and events from their book.
In Science, we will be starting a unit on engineering that teaches the children about properties and materials.  The students will be working with a partner to create working sailboats and windmills.

FYI, Graduation invitations will be coming home in the Friday folders shortly, but mark your calendars for June 15 at 9:30 am.