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