Hour Of Code

Why is computer coding and literacy important? We're going to take a look this week.

Let's try it out!

Learn Code (Angry Birds)

Khan Academy

Khan Programming

E.T. Projects

                                                          

Week of 12/2

Homework

Writing About Reading (shared in Google Docs.): remember the "Fab Five"

Reading 20 Min. 

W.W. Lesson 6

Book Group Assignment

*Pictures for Memory Book

The Turkey Tango

Our Turkey Tango was a big success! Matt and Emmie were great sports and showed off their terrific Turkey Tango moves.  Congratulations, Emmie! 

Week of November 12th

Inferring Theme

Here is the link to the video clip we watched in ELA today.  Don't forget to complete your Writing About Reading in Google Docs.  What themes can you infer?

Week of 11/4

Happy Monday! I must say it's great to be back after being away from you all.  I had a good experience being on jury duty and sitting on a trial, but I really missed you! I will share with you some of what I did and learned as a juror.  I'm looking forward to reading and writing with you this week!  Your homework for the week is posted below.  Don't forget to check your google docs. 

Homework: 

Word Study Activities (total of 4 due Friday)

https://www.spellingcity.com/jamattson/

Word Study Activities

Writing About Reading (shared in google docs, due Friday)

*Bonus:  Short Story Writing Challenge

Week of 10/21

Reminders: 

• We will be visiting the Happy Hollow Book Fair on Thursday, October 24th at 2:15 pm. The fair will also be open during the Halloween Movie Night on Friday, October 25th (6-7 pm).

• Short Story Contest entries due Tuesday, October 28th (see link below for directions).

           Halloween Short Story Contest

• Word Study Schedule (see link below).

           Word Study

Week of 10/14

Mattson Reading Homework (Due Friday)

                                                    

Moynihan Reading Homework (Due Friday)    


Halloween Short Story Contest (Tuesday 10/29)


Vocabulary Lesson 3

Week of 10/7

Reading is Thinking


Moynihan Reading Homework (Due Friday)

Mattson Reading Homework (Due Friday)

Word Study Activities

How is a Writer like a Sculptor?

In ELA this week, we had the opportunity to play with clay-dough.  We worked with our clay-dough to compare how a writer is like a sculptor.  We learned that both writers and sculptors go through a process to create a final masterpiece!  We planned, drafted, revised and edited. We let the creator part of us run wild as we worked with our material to build a pencil holder. Check out our final pieces!

                                                             

Week of Sept. 30th

Sept. 30th 
Students received their planners and should continue to use those for daily assignments. Mr. Moynihan and I will continue to review homework in each of our classes. We will no longer be sending homework sheets home.  I've posted it here just in case you need it.

Homework Link

After reading the book, John Henry, we discussed what we know to be true about reading. Here are just some of the things students shared.....

What We Know to Be True About Reading

• Good books are meant to be read over and over again.
• Picture books aren't just for babies.
• You can depend on a favorite author.
• Non-fiction books can be fun to read too.
• We sometimes have a movie playing in our head when we read.
• We like to read slow and make sure we understand what we're reading.
• We like Greek and Roman mythology.
• Rick Riordan is one of our favorite authors.

Week of Sept. 23, 2013

Below are some links that may be helpful for this week's homework. Word Study lists are also posted.  

Homework for week of 9/23



Word Study Homework Schedule


Word Study Lists


Vocabulary Parade

Week of Sept. 16, 2013

Hope everyone had a great weekend! 

Happy Monday! 

Homework week of 9/16

Clay Dough Recipe

Welcome to Curriculum Night!

Check out the link below to see tonight's handouts.

  Curriculum Night Info.

&

Dates to Remember!

Reading Letter

As part of your homework this week, you are going to write a reading letter to me.  This is a way for us to communicate about what you're reading at home and it also helps keep me in the loop.  I'm excited to hear all about your adventures in reading! Check out the outline below and see the example that follows.  Don't forget to share your letter with me in google docs. Your letter is due Friday.  Happy Reading!

Reading Letter

Directions: You will write a letter to Ms. Mattson in google docs about the book you are reading at home.  Follow the expectations listed below to help you organize your letter.

Paragraph 1:

o   Introduce the book with the title and author.

o   Tell me about how far you are.

o   Tell me what made you choose this book.

o   Tell me any other books you have read in this series or by this author.

Paragraph 2:

o   Give a brief summary of the story so far OR since your last letter.

o   Include any answers to questions you had and anything new that you have discovered or figured.

o   Answer any questions that I have asked you from the previous letter.

Paragraph 3: The most important!

o   Share your thinking on your book. Use two or three ideas from the “possible topics for your letters” section. Include your thinking on strategies that we have been working on in reader’s workshop (ex. noticing author’s craft, asking questions, connections, inferring etc.)

o   Closing.

*Remember, you’re letters should always be in proper format with a date, greeting and closing.

Reading Letter Example:

September 10, 2013

Dear Ms. Mattson,

     I am reading The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman.  I am still on the first chapter of the book, which takes place in September.  I am reading this book with my class during read aloud.  So far, this is the only book I have read by Dan Gutman however, I would like to read the sequel when I am done: Return of the Homework Machine.

     This story begins with four kids: Snik, Judy, Kelsey, and Brenton.  They do not have much in common except they are all in trouble for using a homework machine.   Snik is a class clown and doesn’t care very much about school.  Judy is a know-it-all teacher’s pet and is very studious.  Kelsey is a bit flaky and does not care about her schoolwork at all.  Brenton is a genius. He prefers to spend time on his own, rather than with kids his own age.   At this point in the story, the four are being interrogated by the police department and sharing their sides of the story.

     I really like this story so far.  I wonder if the kids are guilty of what they are being accused of?  I am also thinking that although the kids appear to be very different, it’s possible that they may have more in common than they think.   I am looking forward to uncovering the mystery of the homework machine!

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

Welcome Back!

Welcome to team 13! Our first day of fifth grade has come and gone, and we all passed with flying colors!  We'll be spending the next several weeks establishing routines, and refreshing our learning from fourth grade.  

Important Reminders:
We will be having a daily snack break each morning around 10:30. Please limit snacks to something healthy. (We have several nut allergies in our classroom so please limit snacks to nut-free products.)

Our lunch/recess time will be from 11:50-12:40. 

Specialist Schedule:

Monday: PE

Tuesday: Library/Technology (alternate weeks); Band & String lessons

Wednesday: Music

Thursday: Art

Friday: Band & Strings Ensemble

Typical Weekly Homework Assignments:

(Students will be given an agenda book & homework folder)

Reading: 20 minutes each day

Language Arts: 90 minutes per week      

Math: 90 Minutes per week

Social Studies: 30 minutes per week

Science: 30 minutes per week  

Mark Your Calendars

News & Upcoming Events for the Month of May:

• 5th to 6th WMS Transition Meeting: Wed. May 1st 7:00 pm
• Math MCAS: Tues. May 7th & Thurs. May 9th
• Florence Adler Walk: Saturday, May 11th
• Science MCAS: Mon. May 13th & Wed. May 15th
• Field Day: Thurs. May 30th
• Field Study: Walking Tour of Boston, Friday May 31st

Biography Project

Are you ready? We are about to begin our 5th grade biography project!

The big picture for this project is that you need to read about your person and really get to know them, take notes, write up a mock interview, and then on JUNE 14th, you will dress up as that person and we will hold a biography convention in the gym. 

Each week we will have mini-lessons so that you can gain a better understanding of how to read biographies and so you can learn how to write a quality research paper on a given topic. Each week you will have time in class to work on this project. There will be many hours spent in-class on this project, however YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DO SOME WORK ON THIS PROJECT OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL! We will try to be very clear about what is expected so both you and your parents know what to do and when to do it.  If you have any questions, please ask! I've attached the link to the Biography Website so be sure to check it out!

Biography Site

Poetry

We've become young poets while reading and writing lots of fun and beautiful poems. We are in the middle of our poetry project.The project is, each student picks a theme and you have to create an anthology of 6 poems about your theme and you have to write 3 original poems about the same topic.  We will share our poetry projects soon!

Here's the link to our poetry website!

5th Grade Poetry Site

Boston Massacre Files

Can you figure out for certain what happened the night of March 5, 1770?

Do the images and eye witnesses tell the same story about what happened?

Are the sources reliable?

Click the link to check out the Boston Massacre Files.

Boston Massacre Files

Five Things (Elements of a Short Story)

What's Up In Room 11

           
                                   
                                                            Heading Home Basket
            Our Classroom collected many items to fill a donation basket to be presented for the Heading Home organization. Heading Home provides permanent housing and support services to low-income, homeless and formerly homeless families and individuals in and around the communities of Boston, Cambridge and beyond.

           The Heading Home Basket provides items needed when moving into a new home and will help a family's experience of moving into a new home more welcoming.  Our classroom filled a bathroom basket.  The items we collected were, bath towels, hand towels, soap, shower curains, shower liners, shower rings and, some other bathroom objects. We had a huge basket full of bath items to be presented to a family in need.

                                                           
                                                         The Fifth Grade Play
         This year for the fifth grade play we are doing, "The Trial Of The Big Bad Wolf"!  The play is on March 7th at 7:00 pm.  There will be lots of acting, singing and dancing. Our whole grade will participate. We have been working very hard with all the rehearsals and can't wait to put on a great play for the school and our families. Hope to see the teachers do their role in the play!

Book Groups                     

           We are reading the book The Year The Swallow Came Early. Every week we meet on Thursdays and talk about what happened in the book since we last met. Also, every week we take notes which means we write down questions, connections, predictions, inferences and visual images. Also, we do lots of lifting lines from the text. Lift a line is when you find a line in the text that means something to you or made you think. All of the girls in our book group love the book! We really enjoy Ms. Mattson's selection of books!

Snowman Project

           During  math with Mr. Gees we each had to make a snowman that weighed less than 50 lbs and costed less than $25. But it was hard because each snowball cost different amount of money and different weights all the accessories cost and weighed different amounts. We learned that 16 oz is equal to a pound. Mr. Gees is the best math teacher known to this day! (We also learned Mr. Gees will live to be a thousand years old!)

By: Emma & Makayla

❤AMAZING ANNOUNCEMENTS❤

❤ 2/28 Assessment cafe (6:30 pm at Happy Hollow)

❤ 3/7 Fifth Grade Play (7:00 pm)

❤ 3/8 Screening of “Race to Nowhere”
❤ 3/15 Happy Hollow Talent Olympics

❤ 3/24 WPSF Spelling Bee

"The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf"

*Click on the link below for a copy of your script. Have fun and don't forget to practice your lines! The play is scheduled for Thursday, March 7th.

The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf

Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK Jr. Community Dinner Celebration:  
January 25th at WMS.

5th Grade Memory Book

5th Grade Memory Book Assignment

Use the link below to access the google form for the 5th Grade Memory Book.

**Favorite Memory**
Use your planning sheet to write your favorite memory from Happy Hollow School.  What made a big impression on you during your time here at Happy Hollow? This will go beside your 5th grade photo in the Memory Book, so spend some time thinking about it.  Type it in google docs and share it with me (jaclyn_mattson@wayland.k12.ma.us). 

Some things to think about:
* Your classrooms
*Recess                                                                                 
*Creating or presenting a project
*Working on a service learning project
* Assembly
* Field Trips
* Cultural Enrichment
*School related activities (band, chorus, strings...)

Link to the google form:
5th Grade Memory Book Form

Field Trip to Tsongas Industrial Museum in Lowell

F T Lowell Permission Slip by jaclyn_mattson