Tasting Kimchee

When we started our new class novel, we learned that the main character of the story is a Korean American who can't stand the smell or taste of kimchee. That is a staple food in every Korean's diet, so her family teases her that she should have her DNA tested!

We decided to find out what she was complaining about and taste kimchee for ourselves. Almost everyone in the class felt brave enough to grab a toothpick and have a taste of the garlicky cabbage mixture. Now that we know what kimchee smells and tastes like, some of us agree with her distaste for the stuff. Others think it tastes pretty good and Julia is overreacting.

Ask your child what he/she thought of their first taste of kimchee!

Take Home Tom

A regular part of our fifth grade routine will be doing an assignment called "Take Home Tom" each Tuesday. It is a series of short stories about a boy named Tom, along with reading comprehension and word-study questions. Having this for a weekly homework assignment is an important way for students to grow in responsibility. It's also a valuable assessment. I can tell how students are doing in various skill areas and plan for new instruction.

For the first few weeks of school, I am planning to do Take Home Tom together in class as a guided practice activity. I think that will help students understand the format of the stories, text features, and pattern of questions.  In a few weeks, I will start giving these to the class on Tuesdays to complete independently as homework. At that point, these assigments will be graded and part of their total reading grade.

Many planners came back to school signed today. Having parents check planners really helps the students develop their organizational skills and grow in responsibility. Thanks for helping us get off to a great start!

Me in a Bag

What a fabulous first day we had! We were introduced to new staff members at an assembly, practiced opening lockers, organized trappers and planners, and became familiar with many of our new fifth grade routines. Lunch was a hit in our new school. I think everyone enjoyed all the food choices. I saw lettuce salad on many students' lunch trays today. Parents, you would have been proud of these healthy eaters! This afternoon, we began two of our regular language arts activities, Daily Language Review and spelling.

Everyone's jaws dropped a bit when I announced there would be homework the first day of school. It is called "Me in a Bag." Each student should select 3-5 objects to put in their bag to bring to school and share. The items should represent them in some way.... favorite things, hobbies, etc. Students can even include a photograph in their bag if they choose.

The items pictured above came from the bag I shared today: the dog statue because I have two pet Boston Terriers, the coffee mug because I am a coffee lover, the green straw because it's my favorite color, the kitchen tool because I spent my summer cooking and trying new foods, and the refrigerator magnet from my family's recent trip to San Francisco.

Your child may want some help brainstorming ideas for objects to bring and share. I am so anxious to see what everyone brings to describe themselves!

Open House

It was great to meet my new students and their families at Open House. What a great turn-out we had! Thanks to all who took the time to stop by. It means so much to the students when they get a little advanced practice with their locker combinations.

Just a reminder: School starts at 8:05 on Monday. 5th graders will come straight to me in homeroom rather than to their first period class. We will do an adjusted schedule for the first three days to help all the students get oriented to the new school year. I am planning for lots of extra time to practice our daily routines and of course, to practice opening lockers! I will also be walking my class to their other classrooms for the first few days until they feel comfortable finding each room on their own.

Monday will be here before we know it. I am looking forward to getting the new year started!