Tricks & Treats...

SMILE ...as we wait patiently for the new bus...

Punching into work

Mr. Paul (Our Museum Teacher & "Overseer")

Getting background on the mill workers

Watching a video at the museum

A view of Lowell from the past

Working time!

Speed it up!

Teamwork & communication are important.

Punch in to get paid!

Hi Everyone!

I apologize for the delay in posting. It has been a busy couple of weeks. As many of you already know, my family is moving. I am surrounded by boxes and my husband has packed our computer up at home, limiting my access to technology! Luckily, it will be over by this weekend.

Life at Zeh has been great! The children are making wonderful progress and are a joy to teach! Please note that I have added websites to the left of the blog for the children to use (with a responsible adult) to help them practice their facts. It is expected that they will practice at home, as we will be moving into multiplication and division shortly. Additionally, there is a poll for you to respond to at the bottom of the page. Scroll all the way down. Just another feature to try on my blogging journey.

Here is the update from Room 5:

Mathematics: We are working on a money mini-unit. Some children are working on solidifying their skills (counting bills & coins, making change using the fewest bills & coins, word problems, and column addition with money) and another group is working on "The Million Dollar Project". Both groups are using hands-on materials and creating interesting projects that will demonstrate their understanding of money and related concepts.

Science: We have begun our unit on Planet Earth. We did a KWL Chart (and they know a great deal!) and a diagram of the layers of the Earth. We will also sort minerals and perform "tests" like geologists. Next week, we will make a clay model of these layers that the children will be able to bring home. We are working closely with Mrs. Villaflor's student teacher, Mrs. Thompson, who has developed some great projects on this unit.

Social Studies: Our plane will be departing from Mexico very soon! The children will be making an Native American art project using yarn with Mrs. Brush. We will have a very short Mexico quiz on Monday, and then we will be off to Canada. Brrrrr!

Reading: Realistic fiction is moving along. Our three groups are all working on finding the evidence (support) in the text to answer open response questions in a well-developed paragraph. We are also practicing our discussion skills and developing our vocabulary.

Writing: Welcome to 5 Paragraph Land! We have begun our first five paragraph essay of the year. We will be practicing using our graphic organizers and following all the steps of the writing process. The children will be writing about their three least favorite foods. This topic is great for promoting the use of strong verbs and vivid adjectives. The children are pretty expressive about what they do not like and why.

Field Trip: The trip to the Lowell Mills was amazing! The children were active learners and really enjoyed the whole experience...until the bus broke down on the ride home. They handled this transition so well and we were safely loaded onto a new bus in just a few minutes. Thank you to the chaperones who helped to make the trip safe and enjoyable. Thank you to all of the parents for coming to pick up your child at the end of the day.

Our next trip will be on Friday, December 14th, 2007. We will be heading to the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, MA. More info will be coming soon. Click on the link below if you are curious...

http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/

Read Aloud: We finished up with The Doll People and located Auntie Sarah in the attic. The class voted to continue reading the sequel, The Meanest Doll in the World. Ask your child how they think Annabelle and Tiffany should help Callie's Dolls to defeat Mean Mimi. (She is quite the bully!) You can also ask them who their favorite character is in the story.

Halloween: On October 31st, we will have our annual Halloween Parade. Participation is completely optional. Please remember that this is a school-wide (K-5) activity and we should dress appropriately. If your costume has a mask that is too scary and may frighten the younger children, please leave it at home. Also, please leave all toy weapons at home as well. They have no place at school. Please contact Mrs. Ransden, our room mother, if you wish to assist with costume changes or with our craft activity. This is a food-free event. Please do not purchase candy, cupcakes, or drinks to share with the class. I thank you in advance for your understanding with this new change in school policy.

Parent Conferences will be held on Tuesday, November13th and Thursday, November 15th. Each day there will be slots from 1:00-3:00 PM and from 6:00-8:00 PM. Please return your conference request forms by October 26th and remember to include any specialists/support staff that you may wish to make an appointment with.

Reminders

1. Mexico Quiz on Monday, October 29th, 2007
2. Halloween Parade 1:30 PM on Wednesday, October 31st, 2007
3. Book Fair is at 9:10 on Tuesday, November 6th.
4. Read Aloud Night will be on Thursday, November 8th, in our Room. Mrs. Zia and I will be reading at 6:30 PM. Wear your jammies and listen to some great stories!
5. No School on Veterans' Day- Monday, 11/12.
6. Half days (11:30 Dismissal) on Tuesday 11/13 , Thursday 11/15, and Wednesday 11/21.
7. Thanksgiving Break: 11/22-11/26 (Monday is Professional Development Day for Staff)

Thank you and have a great week!

-JoAnne

Looking Ahead to the Long Weekend...

Our ABC Books for The Cod's Tale

Letter Writing to Our Canadian Provinces

Hi Everyone!

It's hard to believe another week has passed! We are already at Columbus Day Weekend and it will be Turkey-time before we know it!

Here's the quick update:

Reading: We are working on our final copies of our ABC books for The Cod's Tale. See pictures above. Each student has their own individual copy that they will take home in a few days. The ABC books are looking fantastic! Starting Monday, we will begin our unit on realistic fiction.

Social Studies: We've finished our economics unit and will have a BIG test next Friday, October 12th. Please use the study guide that your child received on Tuesday to help prepare for this assessment. It is a lot of vocabulary to master, but I am confident that the many activities and projects we have done in class should help to reinforce the concepts. We've also written letters to Canadian provinces this week for our upcoming unit on Canada & Mexico. See pictures above. Hopefully, the provinces will send us back information such as brochures & maps to help us with some research. We will be heading to Mexico first and learning some Spanish from Mrs. Brush!


Mathematics: We will be having a math test on Wednesday, October 10th. Your child received a study guide on Tuesday to help them prepare for this test. I changed the original date from this Friday to this Wednesday to allow us some extra time to explore algebra and number expressions.They may take home textbooks, but must remember to return them to school each day as we use them for class lessons. Our next mini-unit will be on money!

Science: Coming soon! We will begin our unit on Planet Earth!

Field Trip Chaperones: Thank you for volunteering to help us with our trip! We appreciate your time and ENERGY!

Reminders:

1. Please encourage your child to practice multiplication/division facts.


2. Please limit the number of toys that your child brings to school. I am taking many "things" away during instructional time on a daily basis.


3. Math test: October 10th, 2007
4. Book Order Due: October 10th, 2007


5. Economics test: October 12th, 2007


6. Field Trip to Boott Cotton Mills: Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

September 26th, 2007

Our Finished FALL Acrostics

Sponge painting our FALL backgrounds

Hi Everyone!

I enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with many of you at "Get Acquainted Night." I know the children were thrilled to receive "surprise" letters from you in their desks on Friday morning. It was a brief meet and greet, but please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about class or homework.

Here's the quick update...

CLIMB Theater (Creative Learning Ideas for Mind and Body): We had a special treat on Wednesday. Khary & Elizabeth (actors) from CLIMB Theater visited our classroom and performed various skits on bullying and ways to STOP bullies from bothering us. They were energetic and had everyone participating in their skits. They will be visiting all the classrooms K-8 in Northborough this fall. If you want to check out the program, they are offering a parent workshop at Proctor School on October 2nd at 7:00 pm.

http://www.climb.org/

Mathematics: We are wrapping up our study of addition and subtraction. We will have a test next Friday, October 5th. We will be moving on to money next, a favorite topic for many children!

Social Studies: We are almost ready for an economics test. A study guide will be sent home in your child's agenda sometime next week. Our next focus will be on our U.S. neighbors, Canada & Mexico! Mrs. Brush will be leading this unit.

Field Trip: Here is a link for our field trip to the mills, if you are feeling curious...

http://www.nps.gov/lowe/

Writing: We have finished our beautiful FALL acrostic poems and they are hanging in our hall. Check out the photos above of our creative process. We had a blast sponging our poem borders. Super Monkey is almost down to his last mission in Chimp City. We will publish a class book of his/her adventures for you to keep.

Reading: The Cod's Tale ABC Books are up and running. Ask your child which letter they will be writing about for our class book. Realistic fiction will begin soon!

Read-Aloud: We are still trying to solve the mystery of the missing Auntie Sarah Doll in our book, The Doll People. Papa Doll has just been "cat-snatched" by the Captain! Have your child predict if and where Auntie Sarah will be found.

Reminders:

• Fall Fundraiser: Orders are due tomorrow- September 28th!


• Field Trip $ and slip due tomorrow- September 28th! $15.00 check to ZEH P.T.O.


• Picture Day: Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007


• Math Test on Addition & Subtraction: Friday, October 5th!


• Field Trip to Lowell Mills: Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

That's all for now. Thanks & have a great weekend!

-JoAnne Gorham

September 19, 2007

Hi Everyone!

It was great to see so many Zeh faces out at Applefest last weekend. Emma & I certainly enjoyed the parade and the gorgeous cool weather. As you can see, Emma was also quite pleased with the paper bag hat that she made at the Newcomer's Booth. Fall is lurking and it seems hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of summer!

Here are some quick updates on Room 5's activities:

Math: Quiz on Place Value tomorrow. We will begin to review addition & subtraction next. Please keep practicing the multiplication facts. We will be multiplying and dividing very soon!

Social Studies: We are coming close to wrapping up our Economics unit. I have planned a fabulous field trip to the Boott Cotton Mills in Lowell for mid-October. Details to follow.

Writing: I am amazed at the wonderful work that is being produced so early on in the year. The third grade teachers deserve a nod for preparing such creative writers. Super Monkey is alive, well, and flying high in Room 5! We are focusing not only on revising and editing skills, but finding our 5 BEST vocabulary words to share in every paragraph we draft. Stay tuned for more Super Monkey adventures!

Reading: Our nonfiction unit on The Cod's Tale, is coming to a close. We will wrap it up with an ABC book using information we've learned from the text. Our next unit will be on realistic fiction. We will be reading The War with Grandpa and Because of Winn-Dixie.

Language Arts: We are working on a FALL acrostic poem and painting project. We are also looking for new words that help to "paint" vivid pictures in our poems.

Read aloud: We have begun to read The Doll People by Ann M. Martin. It is a fantasy/mystery involving a Victorian doll family and a modern "plastic" doll family. They must work together to uncover the mystery of the missing Auntie Sarah Doll. Ask you child which family they prefer; the Funcrafts or the Doll Family. Perhaps, they have some predictions to share with you.

Homework Help: Agendas are assigned and initialed by a teacher everyday. I encourage you to review them with your child. Feel free to initial the agenda as well. Also, if the homework is on colored paper, it it due on Friday. If it is on white paper, it is due the next day. Please contact me with questions or concerns.

Reminders:

1. Curriculum Night for Parents is Thursday, September 20th from 6:30-7:15 for Grades 3-5 and from 7:15-8:00 for Grades 1-2. Please feel free to drop in, visit with Mrs. Brush & I, and investigate your child's daytime home. I look forward to seeing you there!
2. Fall Fundraiser is at its mid-point. Please return order forms by the end of September.
3. Picture Day for our class is Wednesday, October 3rd. Please have orders in to school if you plan to purchase a photo package.
4. Field Trip to the Boott Cotton Mills will be Wednesday, October 17th for our class only. Mrs. Zia & Mrs. Villaflor will take their classes on Friday, October 19th. The museum was not able to accomodate a group of our size for their guided program on one day. Permission slips are coming soon.

Thanks for all you do to support your child at home. We have had a great couple of weeks and I am really enjoying working with this wonderful class!

-JoAnne Gorham

My First "Real" Week!

Hi Everyone!
First, I just want to say THANK YOU to all the warm wishes for a speedy recovery that were sent my way. Missing the first couple days of school was very traumatic for me as I love to spend time getting to know my new students. I am taking things slow and getting better each day. We were very fortunate to have had a student teacher begin her semester with us. Mrs. Susan Brush is our student teacher from Framingham State College. She will remain with us until December vacation. Please help her to feel welcome to Zeh School.

It was wonderful to return to school on Tuesday and get the children used to our schedule and our daily routines. We have had some great conversations at our morning meetings about weekend activities, rules for our classroom, and jobs that we need to have to keep our classroom running smoothly. The students have a strong sense of community and are well spoken at these meetings.

Just for your planning, our Specialist Schedule is as follows:
Monday: Chorus & Phys. Ed. (wear sneakers/rubber soled shoes)
Tuesday: Library
Wednesday: Art
Thursday: Computer Lab & Phys. Ed. (wear sneakers/rubber soled shoes)
Friday: Music (bring recorder)

So here's what we've been up to in Room 5:

• In writing, we are wrapping up our first project, "The Best Part of Me." You will be able to see our published work on our bulletin board if you are able to attend Curriculum Night on September 20th. For our next topic, we will be working on 3-paragraph essays about the legendary Super Monkey. (A Room 5 Favorite!)
• In reading, we are working on a nonfiction unit and learning about 7 structures of nonfiction text using The Cod's Tale.
• In mathematics, we have begun to review and explore place value into the millions place. We will be playing some games using dice and cards this week to help us practice.
• In social studies, we wrapped up hemispheres/continents/oceans. We will have a short quiz this coming week. Our economics unit is already off to a great start. We have been discussing the 3 types of resources (natural, human, and capital) and are working on a poster project with partners. This should also be on display on Curriculum Night.
• For read-aloud, we are reading, The Classroom at the End of the Hall by Douglas Evans. Ask your child about his/her favorite chapter so far.

Reminders:

1. Please take care to pack morning snacks for your child that are both healthy and nut-free. We have writing and reading block right after snack, so sugar-laden snacks make it difficult for everyone to concentrate! Fruit, veggies, crackers, water, etc. are great choices!
2. There is no school next Thursday, September 13th.
3. Curriculum Night for Parents is September 20th. Hope to see you there!
4. Box Tops are now up and running. We have an envelope in our classroom for them.
5. The Fall Fundraiser is also in progress. Submit orders back to school when complete.
6. Scholastic Book Orders will be sent home next week and be due back to school on Friday, September 14th. If ordering from multiple clubs, you can submit one check made out to Scholastic Book Clubs.
7. Get ready! Applefest is next weekend!

That's all for now. Please post a comment and let me know if this is a helpful tool for you. As I stated before, I am new to blogging and think it is a neat way to post info and keep everyone updated!

Have a great weekend!

JoAnne Gorham

Welcome to Room 5!

Emma at our Lake House

I can't believe that it is August 1st already! Summer is flying by! I have had a great vacation so far. I spent a fabulous week in New York City with Mr. Gorham and lots of time with my family at our summer lake house in Clinton Corners, NY. You can see the picture above of my daughter, Emma. Next week, I plan to spend a few days at Hampton Beach, NH for some beachy fun with my family.

I have been working hard to get ready for the upcoming school year. I will be sending out letters to you this week. Please contact me at jgorham@nsboro.k12.ma.us if you have any questions, concerns, or if you just want to say hello to me! I do check my work email almost everyday...even in the summertime!

So this is my first blog. I hope to use it as a method of updating families on current activities in our classroom as well as letting you know about all the good things that are happening in Room 5. I am still new at this, so I will try my best to post weekly and to include photos of class activities and student work when possible. Please visit when you can and leave comments when appropriate.

I am including the school supply list, for those of you who are still shopping. Please let me know if you are having trouble locating the supplies.

INDIVIDUAL STUDENT SUPPLIES:

A box of crayons

A set of markers
2- highlighters
A supply of sharpened pencils
4- glue sticks
5- hard cover marble notebooks
A homework folder with 2-pockets
A chapter book that has not been read for D.E.A.R. time
A bottle of liquid hand soap or hand sanitizer for classroom use
Clorox Wipes
A pencil sharpener

A pair of scissors
2- jumbo-size stretchable book covers (Ex: Book Sox)
*Please do not purchase binders. They are used for fifth grade students.
PLEASE CLEARLY LABEL ALL ITEMS WITH
YOUR CHILD’S NAME