Weekly Newsletter 9/30/24 - Week 5

Happy Sunday, parents and guardians. Here is our weekly newsletter for the week beginning 9/30/24;

Free Dress on Wednesday: This Wednesday, October 2nd, is count day. We need ALL students to be in attendance, as this is where we get our funding for each student. In an effort to ENCOURAGE students to come to school, we will have FREE DRESS on Wednesday, October 2nd. Please ensure your child is present on Wednesday, October 2nd. Free dress MUST be school appropriate.

$2.00 Pink-Out Dress Down on Friday: On Friday, October 4th, we will have a PINK OUT dress down for $2.00. If your child would like to participate in the PINK OUT dress down, please be sure to send them in with $2. All proceeds will go to support a cure for breast cancer.

Grades: Grades are updated every Monday morning by 8 am. Please be sure to check your child's grades every week. Missing assignments that earn zero points will greatly impact a grade. Please ensure your child is turning in ALL assignments and that assignments are completed to receive full credit.

Homework: Homework packets will be handed out Monday and will be due on Friday. Please remind students to turn in their homework packet. Late homework will lose 10% per day it is late.

Graded Work: I was hanging onto graded work to hand out at our wing parent meeting, however, with this meeting being cancelled, I will hand back graded work on Monday. Please be sure to ask your child for the graded work if you are interested. I hand back graded work weekly, if not daily. Please be sure to check for this work coming home.

Field-Trip: The schoolboard has approved our fifth-grade field-trip for the year. We will be heading to Washington D.C.! We are all very excited! There will be a fifth-grade parent meeting to discuss ALL details of the field-trip, including cost, travel time, excursions, dates, etc.. I will keep you posted on when this meeting will occur. The trip will not occur until end of May, 2025.

Curriculum: Due to the school closure on Wednesday, we will be taking our Math test on Monday. The math test will cover units 1 and 6. We did a review for this test together as a class on Thursday. Our next topic in math is fractions! In ELA, we will continue reading The Watson's Go to Birmingham. We will also be working with proper usage of quotation marks and begin drafting our personal narrative. In science, we will finish our Matter Cycles and begin to wrap up our Food Webs. For social studies, we will continue to explore the differences in record keeping and story-telling throughout different cultural areas. 

Important Dates (Mark Your Calendar):

Wednesday, October 2nd - Count Day FREE DRESS

Friday, October 4th - "Pink Out" Dress Down $2.00.   Attire must be school appropriate.  Proceeds will go to support the cure for Breast Cancer.

Monday, October 7th - Moral Focus Assemblies.  K-5 8:15 am; 6-8 2:15 pm

Wednesday, October 9th - FIRE DRILL - AM; 

Friday, October 11th - Candy Sale Ends

Wednesday, October 16th - High School Night for 8th Grade 4:30-5:30 pm

Friday, October 18th -  $ 2.00 Dress Down

Monday, October 21st - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS; Regional PD Training for Staff (All Day)

Tuesday, October 22nd - Picture Re-take

Wednesday, October 23rd - Principal Coffee 8:30-9:00 am

Friday, October 25th - $ 2.00 UM vs. MSU DRESS DOWN

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to see how your child is doing during the school day/week. I am here for all of you, as well! Also, as always, thank you for your continued support from home. It makes all the difference in the classroom. Have a wonderful Sunday and I will see everyone tomorrow.

-Ms. Winter

Weekly Newsletter 9/23/24 -Week 4

Happy Sunday, parents and guardians! Here is our weekly newsletter for the upcoming week, beginning Monday, September 23rd:

3-5 Wing Parent Meeting: This Wednesday is our MANDATORY 3-5 Wing Parent Meeting. The meeting will be held from 5-6 pm. We will begin in the gym, then we will head back to individual classrooms, where you will receive your child's work. The meeting will end promptly at 6pm. Unfortunately, I will not be able to meet individually with parents afterwards. If you would like to schedule an in-person meeting, we will be able to do so on this date. Please be sure to come. Again, this meeting is mandatory.

Half Day this Friday: Friday, September 27th is a half-day for students. Students must be in uniform. Dismissal will be from 11am-11:30am. Please ensure you have arrangements for pick-up. It is also our classroom birthday party. We will be celebrating our September birthdays from 10:00-10:30 am. If you would like to send in store bought treats for our celebrations, please feel free to do so. However, please remember that we are a NUT FREE CLASSROOM. 

Grades: Grades are updated every Monday by 8 am. Please continue to check your child's grades. Missing work greatly impacts a student's grade, so please be sure your child is completing and turning in ALL assignments. 

Homework: Homework will go out on Monday and be due on Friday. Please ensure your child is completing ALL of the homework. If your child has any questions on the homework, please reach out and let me know. I am happy to help with a concept during independent-work time. If the majority of the class is struggling with a page on the homework, I am happy to go over it as a class. Please just let me know.

Curriculum: We have our 3rd math quiz of the unit on Monday. This quiz will cover volume and division story-problems. On Tuesday, students will take a screener for our upcoming unit, which deals with fractions. Screeners are assessments that allow us to see the base understanding of concepts and do not impact the student's grade. Thursday, we will take our End of the Unit Assessment, which will cover all the skills we have learned in this unit. All of these tests are important, so please ensure students are present all school days. In ELA, we will continue reading The Watson's Go to Birmingham. The class absolutely LOVES this book. We will also start on our first writing piece, which is a personal narrative. In social studies, we will continue investigating the differences in cultural traditions among different regions of northern America. In science, we will explore food webs and matter cycles. We will also continue to monitor our classroom compost. The class was very excited to set this up and we are looking forward to monitoring it!

Important Dates (Mark Your Calendar):

Tuesday, September 24 - Candy Sale Kick Off Assemblies  9:00 am - Gr. 5th-8th; 9:45 am - Gr. K- 4th.

Wednesday, September 25 - K-2 Parent Night 3:30 pm; 3-5 Parent Night 5:00 pm

Friday, September 27 - HALF DAY -STUDENTS MUST BE IN UNIFORM - Dismissal at 11:00 am; September Birthday Celebration Day 10:00-10:30

Wednesday, October 2nd - Count Day FREE DRESS

Friday, October 4th - "Pink Out" Dress Down $2.00.   Attire must be school appropriate.  Proceeds will go to support the cure for Breast Cancer.

Monday, October 7th - Moral Focus Assemblies.  K-5 8:15 am; 6-8 2:15 pm

Wednesday, October 9th - FIRE DRILL - AM; 

Friday, October 11th -  Candy Sale Ends

Wednesday, October 16th - High School Night for 8th Grade 4:30-5:30 pm

Friday, October 18th -  $ 2.00 Dress Down

Monday, October 21st - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS; Regional PD Training for Staff (All Day)

Tuesday, October 22nd - Picture Re-take

Friday, October 25th - $ 2.00 UM vs. MSU DRESS DOWN

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to see how your child is doing during the school day/week. I am here for all of you, as well! Also, as always, thank you for your continued support from home. It makes all the difference in the classroom. Have a wonderful Sunday and I will see everyone tomorrow. Go Lions!

- Ms. Winter

Weekly Newsletter 9/16/24 - Week 3

Happy Sunday, parents and guardians. Here is our weekly newsletter for the week, beginning 9/16/24:

3-5 Wing Parent Meeting: On Wednesday, September 25th, there will be a MANDATORY 3-5 wing parent meeting from 5:00-6:00pm. All parents of students in grades 3-5 will meet at 5:00pm in the gym. The meeting will then move to the classroom. ALL parents/guardians are required to be there. The meeting will end PROPMTLY at 6pm. 

Contact: During the school day, I am unable to speak by telephone, as I am in class with 33 students. If you would like to speak with me, please contact me through the NHA School Connect app or email (54.ewinter@nhaschools.com). If you would like to meet in-person, we will have to schedule a time to meet. Thank you for your understanding.

Grades: Grades are updated every Monday by 8 am. Please be sure to check your child's grades regularly. If you have any questions, please be sure to reach out via email or NHA School Connect.

Curriculum: This week in ELA, we will continue reading The Watson's Go To Birmingham. We will also be working on correct verb tense usage, as well as identifying conflict in a text. We will take a math quiz on Monday, then dive into division. For science, we will finish our Matter and Energy in Plants exploration and begin investigating food webs! In social studies, we will learn about the Constitution and storytelling as a historical source. 

Homework: As always, homework packets will go home tomorrow and be due on Friday. I also will be sending home last year's MSTEP information with students. Please be sure to get this from your child. 

Important Dates: (Mark Your Calendar):

Tuesday, September 17 - Constitution Day Observance (Lesson Taught during Social Studies)

Wednesday, September 18 -  FIRE DRILL - PM

Tuesday, September 24 - Candy Sale Kick Off Assemblies  9:00 am - Gr. 5th-8th; 9:45 am - Gr. K- 4th.

Wednesday, September 25 - K-2 Parent Night 3:30 pm; 3-5 Parent Night 5:00 pm

Friday, September 27 - HALF DAY -STUDENTS MUST BE IN UNIFORM - Dismissal at 11:00 am; September Birthday Celebration Day 10:00-10:30

Wednesday, October 2nd - Count Day FREE DRESS

Friday, October 4th - "Pink Out" Dress Down $2.00.   Attire must be school appropriate.  Proceeds will go to support the cure for Breast Cancer.

Monday, October 7th - Moral Focus Assemblies.  K-5 8:15 am; 6-8 2:15 pm

Wednesday, October 9th - FIRE DRILL - AM; 

Friday, October 11th - Candy Sale Ends

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to see how your child is doing during the school day/week. I am here for all of you, as well! Also, as always, thank you for your continued support from home. It makes all the difference in the classroom. Have a wonderful Sunday and I will see everyone tomorrow. Go Lions!

-Ms. Winter

Weekly Newsletter 9/9/24- Week 2

Happy Sunday, parents and guardians. Here is our weekly newsletter for the upcoming week, beginning 9/9/24:

Picture Day: This Friday, September 13th, is our first picture day. Picture Day forms went home two weeks ago. If you need a form, please let me know. Students are required to BE IN UNIFORM for picture day. In the spring, we will have an optional dress down picture day. This week, students MUST BE IN UNIFORM all week, and for picture day.

Girls Volleyball: Girls volleyball tryouts will be held this Monday and Tuesday after school. Girls interested in trying out must bring in their completed and signed consent/waiver form. This form will be turned in to Mrs. Rogers after school at tryouts. Please send gym clothes/shoes in with your child if they are planning on trying out. They will be allowed to change before the tryouts begin.

Grades: Grades are updated every Monday at 8am. Please be sure to check your child's grades through the NHA Parent Portal. It is best to stay on top of any missing assignments/homework. Please ensure your child is completing all homework and/or assignments to receive full credit.

Curriculum: This week we will continue reading The Watson's Go to Birmingham. The class is really enjoying this book and already is excited for the movie. I love it! We will also be working on correctly punctuating sentences as well as determining the setting and it's importance in a story. In math, we will be working with strategies to multiply larger numbers and applications of these strategies. For science, we will continuing exploring the transfer of energy in an ecosystem and monitoring our seeds we planted without soil. The class did an incredible job with this experiment! They should have some amazing results! In social studies, we will expand our exploration of different cultural areas and how these areas impacted/shaped the people and traditions within them. Students will present their posters and findings as a group at the end of the week.

Water Bottles: Students are NOT permitted to bring in sports drinks, energy drinks, or coffee. They are only allowed to bring in water bottles containing water. These bottles must be kept in their cubby, due to frequent spilling/drops. If you would like to send your child in with a beverage, please ensure it is water in a water bottle. I have purchased water bottles for the incentive bin, as well, for students who are in need.

Supplies: Please be sure to send in the school supplies with your child. These supplies need to be turned in to me, as all supplies are classroom supplies. I pass these out as needed.

Behavior: Overall, behavior was good this week. The class had a very rough day on Thursday. However, I am proud of their ability to turn it around. Friday was an awesome day and we got everything done! I am really pleased at their strong finish. Please continue to stress the importance of exemplary behavior in honors class. Behavior is a large part of determining each students placement in next year's classes.

Important Dates (Mark Your Calendar):

Monday, September 9th - Moral Focus Assembly K-5 - 8:15; Middle School - 2:15.

Thursday, September 12 - Title 1 Parent Meeting 3:30

Friday, September 13 - PICTURE DAY - Students must be IN UNIFORM

Tuesday, September 17 - Constitution Day Observance (Lesson Taught during Social Studies)

Wednesday, September 18 -  FIRE DRILL - PM;  6th & 7th Parent Night 3:30 pm; 8th Parent Night 5:00 pm

Wednesday, September 25 - K-2 Parent Night 3:30 pm; 3-5 Parent Night 5:00 pm

Friday, September 27 - HALF DAY - Dismissal at 11:00 am; Birthday Celebration Day 10:00-10:30 (Room 15)

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything. I always try to respond in a timely manner. I appreciate all of you and your continued support from home. Have a great weekend and I will see everyone tomorrow morning!

-Ms. Winter

Weekly Newsletter 9/2/24- Week 1

Hey parents and guardians! Happy Labor Day Weekend! Here is our newsletter for the week of 9/2/24:

No School Tomorrow: In observance of Labor Day, there will be no school tomorrow, Monday, September 2nd. We will resume on Tuesday, September 3rd. Class will begin at 8 am, sharp.

Allergies/Medical Conditions: It is important, especially as we begin a new year with new students, that you reach out and let me know if your child has any allergies/medical conditions that I, the classroom teacher, need to be aware of. If this applies to your child, please send me a direct message. I will let the specials teachers/lunch coverage know of these instances. Please be sure to message me, even if you think you have previously let the school know. I want to be sure all students are safe during the school day.

NWEA Testing: For the most part, 5th grade has completed their NWEA testing. We will have make-ups next Thursday and Friday. Students who have not yet finished their tests will be able to complete their tests during the make-up times. I am very proud of the focus and perseverance the class showed during our tests. The scores were pretty good! I am excited to see the growth the class makes this year!

August/ September Birthday Shout-Outs: Now, for our FIRST birthday shout-outs! For our August birthdays we have: Aubrie Anglin (August 11th), Kevin Johnson (August 25th), Tylia Johnson (August 16th), and Darius Whiting (August 16th). For September birthdays we have: Zane Frazier (September 2nd) and Jaylin Steele (September 17th). Happy Birthday to our August and September birthdays! We will have a classroom birthday party to celebrate these birthdays on Friday, August 27. Our birthday party will be from 10am-10:30am. If you would like to send some treats in with your child, please reach out and let me know so we can coordinate snacks.

Behavior: Overall, the class had a very good first week. Students earned several stars throughout the week, as well as incentive card punches. Please continue to encourage your child to keep up their positive classroom behaviors. They're off to a great start!

NHA SchoolConnect: The BEST way to get ahold of me or your child during the day is through the NHA SchoolConnect app. You can message me directly on there. Feel free to message me if you have any questions or want to see how your child is doing. I try to respond promptly to all messages.

Homework: Homework will be sent home on Tuesday. It will be due on Friday. Please be sure your child completes their homework. If you notice they are struggling with a concept, please reach out to me so I am able to aide in their understanding during class. I want to make sure everyone stays up to speed.

Curriculum: This week in ELA we will begin reading The Watsons Go to Birmingham. We will also read some poems and stories about Birmingham, Alabama. In math, we will dive into different multiplication strategies. For Social Studies, we will be unpacking the perceptions of Indigenous American cultures. In science, we will get into our first experiment; growing plants without soil! I am excited for this week's curriculum, as we will be investigating some really cool topics!

Picture Day: Picture Day is Friday, Septmeber 13th. Picture Day order forms went home on Thursday. If you did not receive one and would like one, please let me know so I can ensure your child puts it in their backpack on Tuesday.

Important Dates (Mark Your Calendar):

Tuesday, September 3 - School Resumes; NWEA Testing Continues; AIMSWeb ORF Testing Begins; TECH CLASSES BEGIN

Monday, September 9th - Moral Focus Assembly K-5 - 8:15; Middle School - 2:15

Thursday, September 12 - Title 1 Parent Meeting 3:30

Friday, September 13 - PICTURE DAY

Monday, September 16 - Wing Meeting 3:35

Tuesday, September 17 - Constitution Day Observance

Wednesday, September 18 -  FIRE DRILL - PM;  6th & 7th Parent Night 3:30 pm; 8th Parent Night 5:00 pm

Wednesday, September 25 - K-2 Parent Night 3:30 pm; 3-5 Parent Night 5:00 pm

Friday, September 27 - HALF DAY - Dismissal at 11:00 am; September Birthday Celebration Day 10:00-10:30

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or want to see how your child is doing throughout the day. I am here for all of you as well as the students! I hope you all have a safe and happy Labor Day and I will see everyone on Tuesday morning!

-Ms. Winter