May 8th through 12th

Keenoy Koala News                          5-12-17                                                                         

Dear Families,   

I feel like I should be more excited about having less than two weeks of school left. Each day I wake up and look forward to going to work.  I love teaching, but a major reason that I love it is because of your child and the community that we created together this year.  THANK YOU for all of your support and everything that you have done for me and your child.  Have a wonderful summer.  This will be the last week that I will be sending home a Newsletter and Friday folder Work/Study Habits this year.

5^th Grade Promotion (Graduation)

*This event will be held at Paxton in the gym on Thursday, May 25th beginning at 9:00 am. *The ceremony will take approximately an hour and afterwards there will be time to take pictures in front of the school.

*This is the last day of school and is also a ½ day. 

*Dismissal will be at 12:50 p.m. and you will have the option to take your child home after the graduation ceremony (without being penalized for an absence).

*Students are expected to dress nicely for this event.

5th Grade Party

Thank you to the parents and volunteers that have planned, organized, and will be helping with the 5th Grade Party next week.   I’m looking forward to this fun celebration.

iPads

Students will be turning in their iPads on Monday, Math 22nd.   IPads will be reissued in the fall at each student’s middle school.

Progress Reports

Students will bring report cards home on the last day of school.

5th Grade Countdown Activities

Next week, our countdown to the last day continues.  Thank you for bringing in so many toppings for our ice cream celebration on Thursday.

Monday-Do a special Kahoot!

Tuesday-Let’s Play Games!  Students will play non-electronic games at some point during the day.

Wednesday-Eat your snack whenever you want day!

Thursday-Sip on your favorite drink day!

Friday-Celebrate with your friends day!  Enjoy the 5^th grade party!

Important Dates:

May 19: 5th Grade Party at the ARC

May 23: 5th Grade Talent Show

May 25: 5th Grade Graduation 9:00 am in Paxton Keely gym

May 25: Last day of school

Take Care,

Dan Keenoy

May 1st through 5th

Keenoy Koala News                                         5-5-17

Dear Families,    

I greatly appreciate the goodies and gifts sent in this week for Teacher AppreciationJ This is a terrific class and I will miss each of them.  Thanks again for making 2016-2017 such a wonderful year!

Friday Folders will be sent home for the last time on May 12. I do ask that you sign and send it back to school. The last newsletter will also be May 12. However, students may bring reminder notes home after that date.

Koala of the Week:Madison Munoz

Hello, my name is Madie.  I have a crazy, but amazing family.  My wild silly sister is Claire.  My mom's name is Heidi and my dad's name is David.  Some of my hobbies are camping, fishing, and trail riding.  I play softball on a team called the Lightning.  I also participate in long distance track for Blue Thunder.  My favorite color is teal.  

Toys/Fidget Spinners/Rubik Cubes

As we near the end of the year, it seems like more of these items are being brought from home and creating issues throughout the building.  Mrs. Patton (principal) is sending a letter home today respectfully requesting that these items be left at home during the school day.  Thank you.

End of the Year/Middle School Countdown

Next week, on Wednesday, we will begin our countdown to the last day of school.   Inside the Friday folders, you will find our countdown list. Next Thursday, May 11, we will be having an ice cream day. I will supply the ice cream, bowls, and spoons but would really appreciate donations of some fun toppings (hot fudge, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, sprinkles, chocolate chips, gummy bears….) to make our sundaes special!

5th Grade Promotion (Graduation)

This event will be held at Paxton in the gym on Thursday, May 25th beginning at 9:00 am. The ceremony will take approximately an hour and afterwards there will be time to take pictures in front of the school.

This is the last day of school and is also a ½ day. 

Dismissal will be at 12:50 p.m. and you will have the option to take your child home after the graduation ceremony.

Students are expected to dress nicely for this event.

Rock Bridge Field Trip May 12th (weather permitting)

I have included a reminder checklist for this event in your child’s Friday folder.  If we have heavy rain prior to the trip, (or rain the day of) this event may have to be canceled due to path/water conditions.  A large portion of our hike will be on dirt/grass/gravel paths that could potentially become too muddy.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we do NOT have wet weather like we did this week!

Health

This week, and for the next two weeks, we are learning about nutrition. Next week we will also be learning about making healthy choices for our bodies.

Writing

Next week, students will complete their plan sheet as well as a rough draft of their opinion/argumentative piece of writing.   The topic that they have been researching is Traditional School Calendar Schedules vs. Year-Long Calendar Schedules. 

Our lessons will continue to focus on utilizing evidence to support our thinking, using powerful statistics and/or quotes, and introductions

Reading

Next week I will continue meeting with individuals, small groups, and administering the DRA2.

Math

This week we worked on figuring out elapsed time and temperature changes (positive and negative numbers).

Next week we will start Topic 17 - Equations and Graphs.

*Students will practice adding and subtracting integers.

*Students will identify points on a coordinate plane..

*Students will use tables of values to graph linear equations.

Important Dates:

May 12: Field trip to Rock Bridge State Park

May 19: 5th Grade Party at the ARC

May 23: 5th Grade Talent Show

May 25: 5th Grade Graduation 9:00 am in Paxton Keely gym

May 25: Last day of school

Have a terrific week!

Dan Keenoy

April 24th through 28th

Keenoy Koala News                                                     4-28-17

Dear Families,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful week!  This newsletter will be kept informational since this is such a busy time of year!  Yay…..MAP testing is finished and GO BLUES!    Have a wonderful weekend and stay dry.

Koala of the Week: Olivia Randolph

Hello, my name is Olivia and I have four people in my amazing family (including me)!  I have a wild seven year old brother (Logan), my dad (Mark), and mom (Bridgett).  I also have two dogs named Mickey and Jake.  I like playing softball and volleyball.  My softball team is called the Lightning, and my Volleyball team name is Synergy.  Some of my favorite hobbies are fishing and camping.  My favorite color is blue and animal is the zebra.  I love being in 5th Grade!

5^th Grade T-Shirt

5^th grade students had the opportunity to create a design for the 5^th grade t-shirt.  The top five designs were selected and voted on by 5^th graders to determine the winning design.  Typically, students who buy these t shirts decide to wear them to the 5^th Grade Party (May 19^th).  A local t-shirt company, Diggit, always gives Paxton a great deal by charging only $8.20 per shirt.  If ordering, money and order forms are due by Monday, May 8^th.  Order forms will be sent home today, and cash or checks are accepted.  If writing a check, please make it payable to Dan Keenoy.  Thanks!

5^th Grade Graduation

* This event will be held at Paxton in the gym on Thursday, May 25th beginning at 9:00 am.

* The ceremony will take approximately an hour and afterwards there will be time to take pictures in front of the school.

* This is the last day of school and is also a ½ day. 

* Dismissal will be at 12:50 p.m. and you will have the option to take your child home after the graduation ceremony.

* Students are expected to dress nicely for this event.

Celebration

We enjoyed watching Tuck Everlasting, and thank you for getting the permission forms returned quickly.  Students also liked the brownies and picnic style lunch in the classroom.  I am happy to celebrate their outstanding attitude and effort.  I will miss this special group of kiddos. Everyone in our classroom seems to genuinely enjoy each other’s company and shows kindness towards each other. 

MAP Testing

We completed our MAP testing today (Friday). I appreciate students’ positive attitudes and effort during each testing session. If a student was absent during a testing session, he/she will be completing a make-up session in the next week.   

Economy

Our field trip to BizTown was a huge success! I’m very proud of my students with the work that was completed during the simulation. Thank you SO MUCH for the volunteers who donated their time and energy for this trip.  The class had a lot of fun and this trip would NOT be possible without the help from you.

6^th Grade Orientation

I hope you will take time out of your busy schedule to take your child to Smithton’s orientation night (if your child will not be going to Smithton next year, please disregard). This will give students an opportunity to spend time in their middle school building and begin to learn the layout of the school. This is a parent and child event.  I included a note from Dr. Schumacher (principal at Smithton) in your child’s Friday folder.

Upcoming Dates

May 1                          Middle School Orientation Night (Smithton 5-6:30; all other middle schools 6-7:30)

May 12                        Field trip to Rock Bridge State Park

May 19                        5th Grade Party at the Arc

May 23                        5th Grade Talent Show

May 25                        5^th Grade Graduation @ 9:00 am in the Paxton Keeley Gym

                                                                                   

Sincerely,

                                                                                    Dan Keenoy

April 17th through 21st

Keenoy Koala News                                                     4-21-17

Dear Families,

I hope that everyone had a great week.  I love everything about this time of year except for the allergies.  We have several students who are struggling with the goodies that Mother Nature is putting into the air.  My own kiddos are doing very well and greatly enjoyed Easter brunch at the Heidelberg last Sunday.  My son conquered the mini cinnamon rolls with several returned trips to fill his plate:)  Afterwards, we traditionally walk around the MIZZOU columns to get a family picture.  I’ve included one of the pics on our classroom blog this week.   Anyway, have another wonderful weekend and GO BLUES! 

Celebration

Our class reached the goal of 1,000 Keenoy Cash last week.  Students decided that they would like to have a repeat of the last celebration.  This included a video and picnic style lunch in our classroom. The difference this time is that I agreed to make them brownies for our picnic.  During our fraction unit, we discussed a lot of recipes and I felt compelled to say I’d make several batches for the class. The movie that they decided on is from our latest read aloud book, Tuck Everlasting.  This is a PG rated Disney movie and I will send a permission form home today. 

 Koala of the Week:  Ella Grant

Hello, my name is Ella and I’m ten years old.  My birthday is on June fourteenth.  There are five of us in my family.  My mom (Kati), dad (Justin), sister (Vera), and brother (Luke).  My dog’s name is Yadi!  My favorite baseball team is the Cardinals.   I like playing softball and play for a team called Stealth.  I play 3^rd base and pitcher.  I also like playing outside during my free time.  My favorite subject in school is math and reading, and love spending time with my family!

MAP Testing

We have completed the Communication Arts and Math portions of the MAP testing this week.  Next week we will complete all testing sessions with Science on Thursday and Friday.  Make-up testing will also be completed next week.   

    

Thursday, April 27             8:30-10:00 (Science)

Friday, April 28                 8:30-9:30 (Science)

*These are estimated times. Since none of the sessions are timed, students will have the time they need (as long as they are making forward progress) to complete each session.

Economy

Last week, students had the opportunity to finalize their preparation for our BizTown trip by meeting with peers in their assigned business.  Tasks that students participated in included: filling out a deposit slip for their first paycheck, writing a check to open a savings account, figuring out their business loan amount, and creating an advertisement for their business that will be read during our trip.  Students seem very excited about their trip next Tuesday, April 25^th. 

I’ve also included an optional BizTown merchandise order form in the Friday folder.  Optional purchase items include a Biztown bag, pencils, t-shirt and others.  Items bought do not directly benefit Paxton Keeley Elementary School.   If purchasing, your child will need to bring the order form and check/cash on the day of the visit. 

Writing

Next week students will investigate the idea of Traditional or Year-Round school scheduling.   The school year includes approximately the same amount of days, but breaks (during the year) are split up much differently. 

Following the conclusion of our research, students primarily focus on choosing and developing three supportive reasons for the side that they favored. We will continue to look at and depict different characteristics of the argumentative essay rubric. We will also practice the format of our argumentative essays by developing well-written beginnings and body paragraphs.

Reading

I continue to meet with small groups each day to support the comprehension skills taught this year.  We will pick back up with a new read aloud book after MAP testing.  I have several great book selection choices in mind, but have not made a decision yet.

Math/Science

With MAP testing taking up the majority of our morning time, we have not had a consistent Math/Science schedule.  My primary focus has been on MAP testing, Reading, and Writing.  We have spent some time reviewing Volume in math and Simple Machines in Science.  These are skills that have been taught during prior years, but I wanted to give them some review in both areas.

Upcoming Dates

April 25                       Biztown Field Trip (Chesterfield, MO)

April 27^th and 28^th       Science MAP Testing

April 28                       PK Color Run

May 1                          Middle School Orientation Night (Smithton 5-6:30; all other middle schools 6-7:30)

May 12                        Field trip to Rock Bridge State Park

May 19                        5th Grade Party at the Arc

May 23                        5th Grade Talent Show

May 25                        5^th Grade Graduation @ 9:00 am in the Paxton Keeley Gym

                                                                                   

Sincerely,

                                                                                    Dan Keenoy

April 10th through 14th

Keenoy Koala News                                                     4-14-17

Dear Families,

The Blues won the first of many hockey games this Wednesday!  I explained to the students how hockey fans and players often grow playoff beards to show support for their team.  For the last couple of years, I’ve done the same thing.  I’m not sure how excited Jessi is about this idea, but I think it’s fun:)  Anyway, thanks for supporting your child and my teaching.  Have a wonderful weekend and week!

MAP Testing

Again, my apologies for the MAP scheduling confusion last week.  On Monday we begin MAP testing first thing in the morning. It will be important that students (car riders) are on time and ready to go. Any student that is late to school and not a bus rider will have to wait in the office if testing has started for the day. Once our testing session is completed, then the student will be allowed into the room.

    

Next week, students must have a book to read when finished with a testing session. Students will finish at various times and reading a book (not electronically) will be the only option available if a student finishes before others.

    

With MAP testing taking up a portion of each day, students will not have homework the next two weeks (as long as the student has utilized his/her class time wisely).  Hopefully, this means students will be able to go to bed at a decent hour so that a good night’s rest is achieved each night. Students should also eat breakfast (at home or at school) each day. :)

Monday, April 17              8:30-11:00 (Communication Arts)

Tuesday, April 18              8:30-11:00 (Communication Arts)

Wednesday, April 19         8:30-11:00 (Communication Arts)

Thursday, April 20             8:30-11:00 (Math)

Friday, April 21                 8:30-11:00 (Math

Thursday, April 27             8:30-10:00 (Science)

Friday, April 28                 8:30-9:30 (Science)

*These are estimated times. Since none of the sessions are timed, students will have the time they need (as long as they are making forward progress) to complete each session.

Economy

As we get closer and closer to our field trip to JA BizTown we have been focusing more and more on how businesses operate. This week as a class we looked at what different aspects it takes to run a business. We also dove into how and why businesses price certain goods and services the way they do. We will be traveling to St. Louis for our JA BizTown field trip on Tuesday, April 25th.

Writing

Hopefully students shared information with you about their IMovie creation. This project set the stage for creating an argumentative essay.  Students are working on choosing and developing supportive reasons for a reasonable argument with two sides. We will continue looking at and depicting different characteristics of the argumentative essay rubric. Next week we will also practice the format of our argumentative essays by developing well-written beginnings and body paragraphs.  They will learn and turn thesis statements into effective 6^th grade writing beginnings!

Reading

We completed the book, Tuck Everlasting.  Students really seemed to enjoy this story and how the ending solved all of the major problems that hung out there for so long.  Instead of starting a new read aloud book right away, I am using the extra time to meet with three different groups and individual students (while they independent read).

Math/Science

We continued to review concepts in preparation for the MAP test coming up.  We have completed our Measurement Unit in math.

Upcoming Dates

April 17-28^th   MAP Testing

April 25           Biztown Field Trip (Chesterfield, MO)

April 28           PK Color Run

May 1              Middle School Orientation Night (Smithton 5-6:30; all other middle schools 6-7:30)

May 12             Field trip to Rock Bridge State Park

May 19            5th Grade Party at the Arc

May 23            5th Grade Talent Show

May 25            5^th Grade Graduation @ 9:00 am in the Paxton Keeley Gym

                                                                                   

Sincerely,

                                                                                    Dan Keenoy

April 3rd through 7th

Keenoy Koala News                                                         4-9-17

Dear Families,

I hope that everyone had another terrific week.  As I shared last week, it is so hard for me to believe that summer is just around the corner.  I am extremely excited that the St. Louis Blues are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  I have tuned into most games and was fortunate enough to attend a few games this year.  Even my three year old daughter (Gabby) is frequently saying, “Go Blues!”  Have a wonderful week and thank you for everything that you do.

Koala of the Week-Elizabeth Dorman

Hello, my name is Elizabeth.  I have a cat and his name is Truman.  I like to read and I like to swim.  I am currently reading Hollow City and really like that book a lot.  I live with my mom and Truman.  I am really excited about getting a new kitten this summer.

MAP Testing Schedule

Monday, April 17       8:30-11:00 (Communication Arts)

Tuesday, April 18       8:30-11:00 (Communication Arts)

Wednesday, April 19 8:30-11:00 (Communication Arts)

Thursday, April 20      8:30-11:00 (Math)

Friday, April 21          8:30-11:00 (Math

Thursday, April 27      8:30-10:00 (Science)

Friday, April 28          8:30-9:30  (Science)

*These are estimated times. Since none of the sessions are timed, students will have the time they need (as long as they are making forward progress) to complete each session.

Math

Students showed a lot of improvement with their knowledge of area and perimeter last week.  This week we started learning about measurement (weight, capacity, and length).  Students found the metric system much easier to use because of the landmark numbers found within this system.  ______ grams = 8 kilograms is an example of a problem students solved.  Since there are 1,000 grams in a kilogram, you multiply 8 by 1,000 = 8,000 grams.

Economy/Field Trip/BizTown

Our 5th grade classes will be traveling to Chesterfield, MO on Tuesday, April 25. A permission slip is in your child’s folder with more details. The permission slip must be returned next week. Thank you! If you are a volunteer, you will also find an information note in the folder as well.

Students are spending time getting familiar with how to write checks, complete deposit tickets, and keep up with a check register. We have also focused on savings, credit cards, debit cards, and interest. Next week, your child will find out what job he/she will be doing at Biztown.

Writing

This week, we have reviewed and practiced some of the steps needed to write an effective research based argument essay.

*Try and think about a topic that is debated and you can understand both sides to the argument.

* Before taking a Firm stance, keep an open mind and read about the topic from trusted sources.

*Take effective notes thinking about Pros and Cons......for or against.

*Decide on a stance that you want to take.

*Collect "Fast Draft or Quick Write" your position and reasons why.

Reading

Students seem to be really enjoying Tuck Everlasting during read aloud.  We will be finishing this book next week.  We will also spend some time reviewing testing strategies for the MAP test.  There are a couple of online language arts sources that we will explore during our reading time.

Science

Students are learning about the three states of matter as we spend time reviewing science concepts this week.  We have had several great discussions that led to better understanding.  We will continue our work with matter into next week.

Upcoming Dates

April 25    Biztown Field Trip (Chesterfield, MO)

April 28    PK Color Run

May 1     Middle School Orientation Night (Smithton 5-6:30; all other middle schools 6-7:30)

May 12    Field trip to Rock Bridge State Park

May 19    5th Grade Party at the Arc

May 23    5th Grade Talent Show

May 25    5th Grade Graduation -Paxton Keeley Gym 9:00 am.

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Mr. Keenoy

March 20th through 24th

Keenoy Koala News                                                                        3-24-17

Dear Families,

Spring Break is here and the Keenoy family is ready to enjoy our trip to Florida.  I hope that you have a wonderful break and hopefully some well deserved time off.  I will not be sending home Friday folders today due to the extended time off.  Also, this newsletter will be very brief and electronic only. Everything will resume as normal when we return from break.

Kindness Door Decoration
I am very proud of our class participation in the door decoration contest.  We had approximately ten students who volunteered their recess/lunch time each day to design our door.  They showed a lot of cooperation each day and worked together as a team!  The theme of the week was kindness and the door decorations had to represent that theme. Even though we did not win, they clapped for the winning class and demonstrated a positive attitude even though they were disappointed.   To celebrate this tremendous sportsmanship, the class enjoyed a doughnut together this morning!  Below is a picture of their hard work and effort.  Each raindrop has a picture of one of our students inside them.  Great Idea and Poster!!!

Anne of Green Gables
The Koalas have two students (Mariah and Elizabeth) performing in the play, Anne of Green Gables this weekend.  The show is put together by PACE Youth Theatre and shows will run tonight through Sunday, March 26th.  Each show is held at Launer Auditorium, which is on the Columbia College Campus.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit  www.pacecolumbia.com


Have a WONDERFUL WEEK!

Dan Keenoy