What We're Learning this Week (March 26-30, 2012)

On Monday, we continued our study  of numerical expressions, but switched it up a little. This week our focus is to practice interpreting verbal or written numerical expressions into algebraic equations and vice versa. We practiced this on Monday. Working with partners, we cut apart several verbal/written expressions and had to match them with the appropriate equation, and solving whenever possible. 

On Tuesday, we continued working on interpreting written and verbal expressions from algebraic equations and vice versa. We also had visitors from Morehead State University come in to do a science lesson with us. Today was just the pre-test so we could show them what we already know about force and motion.  


The rest of the week was busy, busy, busy!! On Wednesday, some members of the O.E.S. Book Club, those who have worked especially hard this year and last, were celebrated with a field trip to the Explorium Children's Museum in Lexington, KY. From there, 3 students were chosen to travel to the WKYT News station for a live, on-air interview about their books. They did an AMAZING job!

McKenna anxiously waiting in the green room before her appearance. 

The girls getting mic'ed up and last minute prep.

Live, on-air interview!

Showing off books in the lobby of the station with Mrs. Hutchinson, Superintendent of Bath County schools.

We want to send out a HUGE THANK YOU to Student Treasures Publishing, the publishing company who sponsored this trip! Thank you for everything you've done and all the help you've given our students to become published authors! This year, Ms. Goldy sent out orders for 281 student authored and illustrated books! We are so excited to get our orders in, as well as continue our partnership with Student Treasures! Many of us already have ideas for next year's books!

Thursday was the only slow day of the week, which allowed us to catch our breath for Friday's festivities. As part of our Spring MAP testing incentive, Friday morning was reserved for the 5th grade kickball tournament. We played all morning in a double elimination style tournament and got to the championship game before we ran out of time. Ms. Goldy's class is an undefeated 2-0, going up against Mrs. Joseph's class who is 1-1. We hope to finish the tournament upon returning from Spring Break. At 1:30, we joined in the BCHS and BCMS, as well as Crossroads Elementary's 5th graders in the annual March Against Drugs. We marched from O.E.S to the high school and watched the program there. 

This is a special march with a very important message that affects the lives of many of our students and their families. 

Enjoy Spring Break and come back well rested and ready to end the 2011-2012 school year on a great foot!

What We're Learning this Week (March 19-23, 2012)

On Monday we continued working on solving numerical expressions following the correct order of operations. We practiced solving problems together on the SmartBoard and checked our work together making sure we were using the operations in the appropriate order: parentheses, exponents, multiplication or division and addition or subtraction. We also worked on our class books as our part of the O.E.S. Student Book Club. Our book is titled "5th Grade Math is as Easy as π (Pi)!" We have worked really hard and are very excited to get these books done. 

On Tuesday we continued working on solving numerical expressions and order of operations. We also worked on our books, in between our Conservation Education class with Mr. Skaggs. 


On Wednesday, we continued our work on numerical expressions by playing...*gasp* GAMES! lol We started off by playing Order of Operations BINGO! Ms. Goldy challenged us by only giving us the answer and we had to find the correct numerical expression. We surprised her and kicked butt at it! After a few rounds of BINGO, we played Order of Operations Who Wants to be a Millionaire? on the SmartBoard. It felt like we live in the studio. Although today was fun and games, we definitely learned and practiced a LOT! :) That's the kind of Math we like!

What We're Learning this Week (March 12-16, 2012)

We're down to our final 9-weeks of school! This year has FLOWN by. As part of our Spring semester, M.A.P. testing is once again upon us. 


On Monday, we reviewed and prepared for testing. We discussed our individual goals, what score it will take to be considered proficient, and test taking strategies. We are a VERY competitive group and have challenges going against other people in our homerooms, people in other homerooms, and other classes as a whole. It's going to be interesting to see who can walk the walk and who just talks the talk!


Ms. Goldy created a sign for us to sign after we are done testing. If we score a 221 or better, we get to sign because we are PROFICIENT (or better). Some of us are only a few points away, some of us have a quite a bit of work ahead of us, and some of us are far past 221. We are trying to beat the current high score of 249 (from the Winter test window) and take down Landan Swartz! Let me just say, there's never been more trash talkin' than there has been the past few days! (All in good fun of course!)

This is the BEFORE picture. BEFORE we tackle the test and show it who's boss! :) 


On Tuesday we M.A.P. tested for Math. It was an eventful day to say the least and overall, we did an AMAZING job! We still have a few classmates who need to test because they were absent, but so far, Ms. Goldy is VERY pleased. 

This is our poster AFTER we kicked the test's butt! Our scores rock! Ms. Goldy did a special shout-out to McKenna Moore who scored a WHOPPING 252! McKenna's score was 31 points above grade level, off the charts, and officially the highest score ever at O.E.S. since we've been doing M.A.P. assessments (3 years)! Although, McKenna didn't win by much because in a close second place was John Wells with a high score of 250! 5th Grade at O.E.S. are an amazing group of kids and Ms. Goldy couldn't be prouder! :)


On another note, we've had another person donate to our classroom grant on Donor's Choose, putting us $50 closer to our goal of getting our two tablet computers for the classroom! Read about our project below and donate to help our cause if you're so inclined! We thank you and are keeping our finger crossed that we get our tablets soon!

View our proposal: http://www.donorschoose.org/jessica.goldy

Tips to help our project:

1. After entering a donation amount, on the review screen, click the link that says "optional 15% donation". Change the 15% to 0% and click "save", as this will allow 100% percent of what is donated to go directly to our project, as opposed to helping fund the site. 

2. On the payment screen, where it says "I have a gift or match code:" enter ZONKER This will allow whatever monetary value donated to be DOUBLED! For example, if you enter $5 along with the code, $10 will be applied towards our project, thereby helping it get funded in half the time.  

What We're Learning this Week (March 5-9, 2012)

This has and continues to be a crazy week! Monday and Tuesday we were out of school due to snow days. On Wednesday, we resumed regular schedule. We started the day by having a "Pep Rally" for the entire 5th grade to pumped up for M.A.P. testing, which will happen next Tuesday and Wednesday. In Ms. Goldy's class and Ms. Deaton's class, we looked at our scores from Winter testing and set new goals for Spring. Our goals, which are what are used to be considered proficient in 5th grade content, are 213 for Reading and 221 for Math. Ms. Goldy and Ms. Deaton also have a little competition brewing, as Ms. Goldy called Ms. Deaton out! It's on! lol


For our M.A.P. incentive party, we are basing it on donations. We are bringing in school supplies to help the tornado victims. The type of party or celebration we have depends on how many items we bring in! We are really excited, as the top two choices as of right now are an in school dance or a kickball tournament between homerooms.


In other news... the projector bulb fairies came! We must have been good the past month, because not one, two, or three came, but 4 fairies visited our classroom yesterday afternoon to oversee the bulb replacement. We are so excited!!!! (Thank you Ms. Jent and Mr. Thatcher!)


The rest of this week we will be reviewing content from earlier in the year to gear up for M.A.P. testing. Ms. Goldy will be out the rest of the week because she is attending a Math conference in Lexington.