Welcome to the world, Connor Kimball!

Mr. Carnes is taking over the reigns of 5K. Thank you for all of your support, generosity, and kindness everyone! Students, I will miss you tons! I'm so proud of all that you accomplished. Keep up the fabulous work with Mr. Carnes and continue being the best class at Pine Hill!

Sincerely,
​Ms. Kimball

From Mr. Carnes:
​
Good Afternoon,

As your children are in chorus right now, I want to reach out to all of you to say "hello" and to let you know how the past few days have been a whirlwind of change and excitement.  Yesterday, about ten minutes before school was to start, Ms. Daley informed me that I may be teaching 5th grade very soon.  About an hour later, Mrs, Kimball was headed out to the hospital and I was told that she would likely not be returning.  Fortunately, I have had the pleasure of spending a significant amount of time both meeting with Mrs. Kimball and observing the class in action. This has helped me to learn the established routines.  The transition has been pretty smooth, so far, and your students have been most helpful with this process.  

Prior to her departure, Mrs. Kimball was nearing completion of or had just completed units in Science, Math, and Writing.  Competing the Science unit, in particular has been awesome!  Students had previously built water filters using a variety of materials.  My first solo lesson involved filtering  mystery water using sand, gravel, cheese cloth, and coffee filters.   After about 45 minutes of experimenting, dismantling, and rebuilding, the room was a little messy (a gross understatement)!  When it came time to clean up, all students jumped in and were most helpful, worked as a team, and accomplished our common goal of returning the classroom to a far cleaner state.

I am most excited about returning to the classroom as a 5th grade teacher.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.  You have a compassionate, fun, and enthusiastic group of children.  I look forward to working with them and with you.

Best to you and happy holidays,
Jim Carnes

Highlights from Last Week

• We had some fun in Science this week. Students learned about absorption and runoff using two different models, one with a crumpled brown paper bag and one with scrunched up felt. We then learned about the amounts of water on earth: what percentage of water is in the ocean, in glaciers, in the ground, in lakes, and in rivers. Students were shocked to learn that only 3% of water on earth is fresh, but then, of that 3%, the vast majority is frozen in glaciers or deep underground --basically inaccessible! Using graduated cylinders, I demonstrated the scarcity of available fresh water on our planet, and then students created graphs to show each amount.
• Students are enjoying our Poetry unit, eager to write poems based on the mentors I show them in class. This past week, they wrote small poems about simple objects and actions, as well as haikus. 
• In Math, we are now wrapping up our unit on Fraction Sense, Addition, and Subtraction. Students developed fraction number sense and a skill for representing a variety of fraction problems using clear visual models. We'll see how those skills translate on our Unit 3 Math Assessment this week.
• The Winter Chorus and Band Concert was a delight! Great performing everyone, and congrats to Mrs. Hodge and Mr. Davis for the fabulous musical work they did with students.
• We visited our first grade Buddies on Wednesday. Fifth graders helped their first grade friends color in books about beavers. Super cute!

What We Didn't Get To
Here is what didn't get covered:

• In Math, many students need to complete the Unit 3 Math Assessment.
• In Writing, we didn't get to developing a mood in our poetry.

Upcoming Special Events

Friday, December 22nd:

• School-wide Pajama Day
• Beatnik Cafe Poetry Recitation, 1:30pm
• Last day before Winter Break! Goodbye to Ms. K, until the end of March.

Please see the Pine Hill Calendar for more.


This Week's Plan

Wow! It's our last week before the Winter Break! Let's earn our vacation by working hard and being active learners for just 5 more days.

Reading
Unit: Poetry
Focus Areas:​

• Metaphors --analyze metaphors in poetry and how the poet uses them for a particular purpose.
• Symbolism --learn how poets use symbols to represent something greater.
• Reciting Poetry --recite poetry using a strong voice, fluency, and passion.

Writing
Unit: Poetry
Focus Areas:​​​​

• Developing a Mood --using word choice and other poetic techniques.
• Haikus, Cinquains, and other Structures --write poems using a variety of structures.
• Tone --develop the tone of a poem using special word choices and comparisons.
• Peer Conferencing and Publishing --revise and publish your favorite poems.

Math
Unit 3: Fraction Concepts; Addition and Subtraction
Focus Areas:​​​​​

• Unit 3 Math Assessment --on fraction number sense, using models to add and subtract fractions, relating fractions to division, and more.
• Open Response on Fraction Number Sense --practice using number models and language to show and explain your reasoning regarding a fraction word problem.
• Correct the Assessment as a Class --to give students immediate feedback, we'll correct the assessment together.
• Review Through Games --review fraction and division concepts using some Ms. Kimball original games!

Social Studies
We take a break from Social Studies to focus on Science.


Science
Unit: Water on Earth​

• Exploring Water Filters --investigate a variety of materials to filter dirty water. Collect data and analyze.
• Design Your Own Water Filter --using knowledge from the previous investigation, choose materials that will best filter dirty water.
• Water Reclamation --learn how dirty water and sewage is treated in local facilities.
• Water Conservation --research and plan for how individuals and communities can conserve our precious fresh water.

Homework
Please see the Homework Page for more details. Students will need to do the following at home this week:

1. Homework Project: Students turn in their Poetry Inquiry projects on Wednesday. We'll share and recite our poems this week.
2. Reading Response Blog: Students will receive a partner and must read that partner's response on Blog #4. They must write a short response stating at least one thing they thought their partner did well, and provide a specific example. Due by Friday.
3. Independent Reading: Students do not need to log this week, but I encourage them to continue reading 20 minutes per day.
4. Math: There will be a couple of days for math homework early in the week.

Thanks for Reading!
So that's the plan for the week! Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback. ​

Highlights from Last Week

• We launched our short unit on Poetry this week. Students learned about a variety of poetic techniques, such as imagery, similes, personification, word choice, mood, and tone as we read some mentor poems as a class.
• Students finished another investigation in Science on evaporation. We tested 4 variables --heat, wind, surface area, and rocks-- to see if they impacted the evaporation of water. We also conducted a demonstration of condensation, discovering that coldness increased the amount of condensation after water evaporated.
• In Math, students learned how to model addition and subtraction of fractions with unlike denominators. They deftly used fraction sticks and circles to show how you can combine different-sized fractional piece into one model.

What We Didn't Get To
Here is what didn't get covered:

• In Science, we didn't get to absorption and run-off.
• In Writing, we skipped Noticing and Thinking in a Fresh New Way to focus on Poetic Techniques.

Upcoming Special Events

Monday, December 11th:

• Full Grade Chorus Rehearsal, 2:00pm

Wednesday, December 13th:

• Visit with 1st Grade Buddies!

Thursday, December 14th:

• Full Grade Chorus Rehearsal, 2:00pm
• Winter Chorus and Band Concert, Pine Hill Auditorium, 6:30pm

Friday, December 22nd:

• School-wide Pajama Day
• Beatnik Cafe Poetry Recitation, 1:30pm
• Last day before Winter Break! Goodbye to Ms. K, until the end of March.

Please see the Pine Hill Calendar for more.


This Week's Plan


Reading
Unit:  Finish Stories
Begin: Poetry
Focus Areas:​

• Finish There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar --finally, our class read aloud comes to a satisfying ending.
• Determine the Theme of a Story --write about the big message of a story. Focus on how a character overcame conflict and how he/she changed.
• Poetry Structure --read poems and analyze their structures.
• Meaning and Theme in Poetry --determine how various poetic techniques affect the meaning of a poem.
• Oral Expression --learn how to recite poetry with fluency, passion, and voice.

Writing
Unit: Poetry
Focus Areas:​​​​

• Noticing and Thinking in a Fresh New Way --stop and perceive things from everyday life; use line breaks and words to make readers slow down and pay attention.
• Developing a Mood --using word choice and other poetic techniques.
• Structuring a Poem --using rhyme scheme, line breaks, rhythm, and stanzas.

Math
Unit 3: Fraction Concepts; Addition and Subtraction
Focus Areas:​​​​

• Solving Fraction Number Stories --identify problem-solving strategies and solve a variety of fraction number stories.
• Fraction-Of Problems --find fractions of whole numbers; solve fraction-of problems with fractional answers to continue building readiness for multiplying fractions by whole numbers.
• Review Unit 3 Fraction Concepts for Assessment --here is the Study Guide.
• Unit 3 Math Assessment --on fraction number sense, using models to add and subtract fractions, relating fractions to division, and more.

Social Studies
We take a break from Social Studies to focus on Science.


Science
Unit: Water on Earth​

• Absorption and Run-off --explain how precipitation returns to earth's surface and what happens to water before it collects in oceans, rivers, lakes, etc.
• Amounts of Water on Earth --graphing levels of salt water, fresh water, & water in glaciers.
• ​Human Impact on Fresh Water --how agricultural, industrial, or community practices can pollute our fresh water supply.
• Scientific Models --learn how to draw and label scientific models based on demonstrations we conduct in class.

Homework
Please see the Homework Page for more details. Students will need to do the following at home this week:

1. Homework Project: Students continue working on their Poetry Inquiry project. Students choose a poem to memorize and analyze. Job 1 is due Dec 11, the entire project is due Wednesday, December 20th.
2. Reading Response Blog: There is a new Blog Response #4 for students to respond to by Friday.
3. Independent Reading: Read 20 minutes each day, or 140 minutes total this week and log it in the planner.
4. Math: There will be a math page each night. Students will also need to review for the Unit 3 Math Assessment. Here is the Study Guide.

Thanks for Reading!
So that's the plan for the week! Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback. 

Highlights from Last Week

• In Science, we finished our investigation of creating a model of water on earth. Students learned what is needed to create the water cycle while learning how to collect and analyze data and come to conclusions using scientific evidence.
• We launched our Word Scale Vocabulary Project. Students use online dictionaries and thesauruses to learn new words that can describe a range between two extremes, such as hot to cold or fast to slow. 
• We conducted our class Geography Bee. Students answered questions about US and World Geography. Our two class finalists, Jack and Gabe, faced off in the tie-breaker round, with Jack claiming victory. Congrats to both Gabe and Jack for demonstrating their geography smarts, and to the rest of the class for trying hard and encouraging others. Jack will go on to the school-wide bee this upcoming Friday. Go Jack!
• In Reading, we learned how to summarize a story using a helpful strategy designed to focus on the main ideas. Students summarized our class read aloud, There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom.

What We Didn't Get To
Here is what didn't get covered:

• In Math, we didn't finish Benchmark Fractions, nor did we get to Renaming Fractions.
• In Science, we didn't get to Evaporation.

Upcoming Special Events

Wednesday, December 6th:

• Early Release

Friday, December 8th:

• 1:30pm Pine Hill Geography Bee -Go Jack!

Thursday, December 14th:

• Winter Chorus Concert

Please see the Pine Hill Calendar for more.


This Week's Plan

Special Activities

• Pine Hill Geography Bee --For grades 4-5. Jack will be our class representative.

Reading
Unit:  Stories
Focus Areas:​​

• Summarize a Text --focus on the main ideas and key details.
• Discuss Theme --explain how characters overcame conflict and learned something new and/or changed. Use teacher read aloud of There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar. 

Writing
Unit: Vocabulary Development
Begin: Poetry
Focus Areas:​​​

• Word Scale Project --find unfamiliar words that can more precisely describe a degree of something, such hot and cold or big and small.
• What is Poetry? --introduce the genre and read examples.
• Noticing and Thinking in a Fresh New Way --stop and perceive things from everyday life; use line breaks and words to make readers slow down and pay attention.
• Features of Poetry --use figurative language, rhythm, and line breaks as tools for crafting meaning and expressing feelings.

Math
Unit 3: Fraction Concepts; Addition and Subtraction
Focus Areas:​​​​

• Benchmark Fractions --use benchmarks to estimate sums and differences of fractions.
• Renaming Fractions --rename mixed numbers and fractions greater than 1 by composing and breaking apart wholes.
• Adding and Subtracting Fractions and Mixed Numbers --explore strategies and tools for adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers.
• Unlike Denominators --practice adding fractions with unlike denominators.
• Fraction Capture --learn a new game to practice breaking apart and adding fractions.

Social Studies
We take a break from Social Studies to focus on Science.


Science
Unit: Water on Earth

• Evaporation --explain how water evaporates and the factors that speed up evaporation.
• Condensation --explain how water vapor condensates.
• Absorption and Run-off --explain how precipitation returns to earth's surface and what happens to water before it collects in oceans, rivers, lakes, etc.
• Collect Data and Analyze Results --during and after each investigation, we will learn how to record accurate and detailed data, as well as analyze the results of our investigations and apply them to real world scientific ideas.

Homework
Please see the Homework Page for more details. Students will need to do the following at home this week:

1. Homework Project: I will assign a new homework project later this week called Poetry Inquiry. Students choose a poem to memorize and analyze. Job 1 is due Dec 11, the entire project is due Wednesday, December 20th.
2. Reading Response Blog: Students will write back to their partners on Blog #3 by Friday.
3. Independent Reading: Read 20 minutes each day, or 140 minutes total this week and log it in the planner.
4. Math: There will be a math page each night. 

Thanks for Reading!
So that's the plan for the week! Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback. 

Highlights from Last Week

• Science Fun! We began an investigation about Water on Earth, working in groups to create mini models of water on earth to see if we could discover what is needed to simulate how water cycles on the planet.
• To celebrate the completion of our personal narratives, we had a special writing share, complete with cool music and lighting. Students summarized their stories and shared short excerpts from them.
• Early in the week, students shared their Government in Outer Space homework projects. We listened to songs, chuckled at funny political advertisements, and were entertained by amusing story ideas about aliens in government. Check out some student work here.

What We Didn't Get To
Here is what didn't get covered:

• In Math, we didn't get to analyze our Game Strategies.

Upcoming Special Events

Monday, November 27th:

• Teacher Professional Development Day, No School for Students

Friday, December 1st:

• 5K Geography Bee -Start studying here!

Wednesday, December 6th:

• Early Release

Friday, December 8th:

• Pine Hill Geography Bee

Thursday, December 14th:

• Winter Chorus Concert

Please see the Pine Hill Calendar for more.


This Week's Plan

Special Activities

• Geography Bee --We conduct our class Geo Bee this Friday to determine a class winner. Students can practice here on the National Geographic Bee Website!

Reading
Unit:  Stories
Focus Areas:​​

• Summarize a Variety of Texts --focus on the main ideas and key details.
• Practice Summarizing --with teacher read aloud of There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar. 

Writing
Unit:  Narrative (finish)
Begin: Vocabulary Development
Focus Areas:​​

• Narrative On-Demand --Students will go through the writing process to write an on-demand personal narrative in 50 minutes, showing off their newly learned skills. We'll compare these stories to their initial on-demand narrative from the start if the unit.
• Navigating a Dictionary and Thesaurus --both print and online.
• Word Scale Project --find unfamiliar words that can more precisely describe a degree of something, such hot and cold or big and small.

Math
Unit 3: Fraction Concepts; Addition and Subtraction
Focus Areas:​​​

• Game Strategies --explain how to place digits in a division problem to get the largest possible quotient.
• Fraction Estimation --use fraction number sense to estimate and assess the reasonableness of answers to fraction addition and subtraction problems.
• Benchmark Fractions --use benchmarks to estimate sums and differences of fractions.
• Renaming Fractions --rename mixed numbers and fractions greater than 1 by composing and breaking apart wholes.

Social Studies
We take a break from Social Studies to focus on Science.


Science
Unit: Water on Earth

• Create a Model of Water on Earth --experiment with the elements that control how water cycles on Earth.
• Evaporation --explain how water evaporates and the factors that speed up evaporation.
• Collect Data and Analyze Results --during and after each investigation, we will learn how to record accurate and detailed data, as well as analyze the results of our investigations and apply them to real world scientific ideas.

Homework
Please see the Homework Page for more details. Students will need to do the following at home this week:

1. Homework Project: There is no new homework project this week. There is an in-class project called "Word Scale" that students may have to finish parts of at home.
2. Reading Response Blog: Students have a partner and must reply to their blog post #3. Due Friday, December 1st.
3. Independent Reading: Read 20 minutes each day, or 120 minutes total this week and log it in the planner.
4. Math: There will be a math page each night. 

Thanks for Reading!
So that's the plan for the week! Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback. 

Highlights from Last Week

• Early this week, we wrapped up our unit on the US Government with group presentations about the 3 branches of government, elections, and the bill of rights. Students then assessed how their group worked together and how they individually contributed to the project. Finally, they created quiz questions about their topic, which I compiled into a final quiz. I hope students enjoyed learning about how their government works! 
• We launched Science this week by learning how to use a science notebook. We also learned about the parts of a pencil as we walked through the 10 steps of conducting a science investigation. I'm looking forward to the many engaging science investigations ahead of us!

What We Didn't Get To
Here is what didn't get covered:

• We didn't get to start our Water unit in Science yet.
• In Math, we didn't get to Fractions on a Number Line.

Upcoming Special Events

Wednesday, November 22nd: 

• Early Release

Thursday, November 23rd:

• Thanksgiving

Friday, November 24th:

• No School

Monday, November 27th:

• Teacher Professional Development Day, No School for Students

Friday, December 1st:

• 5K Geography Bee -Start studying here!

Wednesday, December 6th:

• Early Release

Friday, December 8th:

• Pine Hill Geography Bee

Thursday, December 14th:

• Winter Chorus Concert

Please see the Pine Hill Calendar for more.


This (Short) Week's Plan

Special Activities

• Homework Project Shares --share stories, advertisements, and songs from the Government in Outer Space project.
• P.E. with our First Grade Buddies --Tuesday from 1:20-1:55pm. Mr. Carnes will plan a fun activity that fifth graders can do with their first grade buddies from Ms. Sullivan's class.

Reading
Unit:  Stories
Focus Areas:​​

• Paraphrase and Quote a Text Accurately --we'll learn some more advanced techniques using this important skill.
• Analyze Character Development --with teacher read aloud of There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar. 
• Infer about a Character's Traits --use evidence from the text to describe a character's traits and how that character deals with conflict.

Writing
Unit:  Narrative
Focus Areas:​​

• Peer Conferencing --use a partner to help check for clarity, readability, and effective storytelling.
• Publishing --complete a final draft of your personal narrative to share.

Math
Unit 3: Fraction Concepts; Addition and Subtraction
Focus Areas:​​​

• Fractions on a Number Line --use number lines to represent, compare, and rename fractions.
• Game Strategies --explain how to place digits in a division problem to get the largest possible quotient.

Social Studies
We take a break from Social Studies to focus on Science.


Science
Unit: Water on Earth

• Analyze our investigation of a pencil and complete the work in our Science Notebooks.
• Create a Model of Water on Earth --experiment with the elements that control how water cycles on Earth.

Homework
Please see the Homework Page for more details. Students will need to do the following at home this week:

1. Homework Project: Our project, Government in Outer Space,  is due on Monday.
2. Reading Response Blog: Students will get a partner to reply to their blog post #3, but it's not due until Friday, December 1st.
3. Independent Reading: I encourage students to read 20 minutes each day, or at least 120 minutes throughout the next week, but they do not have to log it.
4. Math: There will be a math page each night. 

Thanks for Reading!
So that's the plan for the week! Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback. Have a great week!​

Highlights from Last Week

• Fifth graders met with their first grade buddies in Ms. Sullivan's class this past week. See pictures of them getting to know each other here on the Student Work Page.
• Author Gregory Mone visited fifth graders this week to share about his work as a science-based writer and the writing process.
• Student teamed up to research and create presentations about a part of the US Government. They'll teach the class about their topic early this week and assess their work for this inquiry-based project.
• We took the Unit 2 Math Assessment on Friday and corrected them in class. I'll finish grading them shortly and they'll be going home for parent signatures.

What We Didn't Get To
Here is what didn't get covered:

• In Writing, we didn't make too much progress --need to learn about strong endings and bring out deeper meaning in our narratives.
• In Reading, we didn't make much progress in our read aloud and analyzing character.
• We still need to present our Government Inquiry Projects to wrap up Social Studies.

Upcoming Special Events

Wednesday, November 22nd: 

• Early Release

Thursday, November 23rd:

• Thanksgiving

Friday, November 24th:

• No School

Monday, November 27th:

• Teacher Professional Development Day, No School for Students

Friday, December 1st:

• 5K Geography Bee -Start studying here!

Wednesday, December 6th:

• Early Release

Friday, December 8th:

• Pine Hill Geography Bee

Thursday, December 14th:

• Winter Chorus Concert

Please see the Pine Hill Calendar for more.


This Week's Plan

Reading
Unit:  Stories
Focus Areas:​​

• Paraphrase and Quote a Text Accurately --when giving evidence to support a point.
• Analyze Character Development --with teacher read aloud of There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by Louis Sachar. 
• Infer about a Character's Traits --use evidence from the text to describe a character's traits and how that character deals with conflict.

Writing
Unit:  Narrative
Focus Areas:​​

• Providing Closure with a Strong Ending --what is closure and how to provide it through realizations, character changes, and big ideas.
• Bringing Out the Heart of Your Story --using flashbacks for backstory or flashforwards for future visions to give your story a deeper meaning.
• Comma Usage --use commas effectively for introductory elements and more complex sentences.
• Interjections --incorporating these fun ways of speaking into dialogue.

Math
Unit 3: Fraction Concepts; Addition and Subtraction
Focus Areas:​​

• Representing Fractions --how to draw models of fractions and what fractions mean.
• Fractions as Division --solve division number stories that lead to fractional answers; write number models to build an understanding of fractions as division.
• Interpreting Remainders --report remainders as fractions.
• Fractions on a Number Line --use number lines to represent, compare, and rename fractions.

Social Studies
Unit: US Government and Civics
Focus Areas:​​

• Government Inquiry Project --present to the class, assess your work.
• Government Quiz --compile quiz questions from presentations and assess your understanding.

Science
Unit: Water on Earth

• We finally launch Science now that we're wrapping up Social Studies for a couple of months.
• Science Notebooks --how to use a Science Notebook, create scientific drawings, record observations, and more.
• Create a Model of Water on Earth --experiment with the elements that control how water cycles on Earth.

Homework
Please see the Homework Page for more details. Students will need to do the following at home this week:

1. Homework Project: Continue working on Government in Outer Space. Due Monday, November 20th. Here is the planner.
2. Reading Response Blog: There is a new Blog #3. See the Reading Response Rubric for expectations.
3. Independent Reading: Read 20 minutes each day (or 140 minutes per week -120 this week) and log the title, author, and time spent reading in your Planner.
4. Math: There will be a math page each night. 

How to Help Your Child
Parents, here are some things you can do at home to help your child succeed with school life this week:​

• Review the Unit 2 Math Assessment with your child when it comes home (likely Tuesday) and have a conversation together about what went well and what could have gone better. Ask your child if they studied for the assessment and if so, how.
• Ask your child to share what they learned from their US Government Inquiry project. Also ask them what they learned from other groups' presentations.

Thanks for Reading!
So that's the plan for the week! Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or feedback. Have a great week!​