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