Happy Winter Recess!

We wish all of our 5th grade students and families happy holidays and a wonderful New Year! Enjoy your break, and we'll see you all in 2009 (can you believe that?) !!

5-307 Secret Santa

Clss 5-307 will be participating in a Secret Santa this year, with a twist: All items must be homemade and created by the student (with some help from parents). Our Secret Santa will take place on Tuesday, December 23rd. Students will also write a one-sentence clue on Friday to give a hint to their identity.

We have materials such as markers, construction paper and glue if they need to be borrowed by students. Other materials will need to be purchased or found at home.

Some ideas for create-able items include, but aren’t limited to:

*Ornaments *Cookies or other homemade foods *Bookmarks
*Dioramas *Mix CDs (of appropriate songs) *Keychains
*Crafts *Pins/buttons *PhotoFrames
*Poems *Jewelry *Notebooks

WE WANT YOU TO GET CREATIVE!!! THE IDEAS ARE ENDLESS! You can find great ideas by searching the WEB!

In addition, each student will also make a holiday card for their Secret Santa.

On Tuesday, we will have a celebration, and all Secret Santas will be revealed. We will be watching a Winter-themed film and would like each student to bring in one snack item (healthy or unhealthy) of their choice. This could be any of the following:
*juice boxes *cookies *candy *pretzels *paper plates
*chips *fruit *candy canes *popcorn

Winter Festival

The Winter Festival will be held this Saturday, December 6th at PS 154 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. If you're interested in volunteering, please come to the PTA meeting this Friday at 9 am in the MMR.

There will be games, food, prizes and lots of entertainment. Please join us, and bring in any items you may still have that can be donated to Zimbabwe or recycled by our Green Team.



This includes:
*sneakers
*toys
*sports equipment
*school and art supplies
*books
*batteries
*cell phones
*toner cartridges

Middle School Fair

M.S. 88 will be hosting a District 15 Middle School Fair on Thursday, December 11th, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. M.S. 88 is located at 544 Seventh Avenue. This is a great opportunity to learn more about your middle school choices and the application process.

Poll Answer!

Which angle is between 180 and 360 degrees?

A REFLEX angle.

Big Apple Circus

Everyone had a great time on our trip to Manhattan's Lincoln Center for a presentation of the Big Apple Circus on Wednesday, November 19th. We saw acrobats, ballerinas, stunt dogs, horses, musicians, and, of course, Granny the Clown. What a great way to relax after two weeks of testing! View our photographs from the event!

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher meetings are taking place Thursday from 1 -3 p.m. and 5:30 - 8 p.m. Please contact your child's teacher if you haven't received a notice or for more information.

Go Green Skit a Success!

A Quick Thank You to Sehad, Jade, Cranston, Iris, Johanes, Tamara and Gareth, Taryn, Jovani and Brandon K. of Class 5-307 for writing, acting out and creating props for the Go Green Day Recycling Skit. Great job!!! You were a hit!

Thank you also to students, parents and teachers for helping PS 154 go green.

Zimbabwe

Just a reminder that it's Go Green Week - and part of the 3 Rs we've been learning about is REUSING. We can practice reusing by finding items around the house that we no longer need and donating them to Zimbabwe. Some items that you can bring in are:
*Sneakers
*School and Art Supplies
*Sports Equipment
*Books
*Toys
Thank you so much!!!

The Social Studies Test

The 5th grade social studies test will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 12th and Thursday, Nov. 13th. Day 1 consists of multiple choice and constructed response questions, and Day 2 consists of constructed response questions and an essay based on those documents. Each day's testing lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Please use the links on the right to practice, review and prepare!

The Election Results Are In...

Our students participated in and managed the Upper Grade Mock Election on Monday, November 3rd. The results were 144 votes for Barack Obama, 13 votes for John McCain and 1 vote for other. Some photographs of the event are below:

Mock Student Election

The Mock Election will be held for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students on Monday, November 3rd in Room 307. Students have heard both candidates' stances on the issues and will be able to use that knowledge to vote! Results will be tallied and announced at the end of the day! We'll be posting pictures of the event later.

Attention All Actors!

The school play "The Adventures of Charlie Brown" will hold its auditions after school Wednesday, November 5th in the MMR.

The Penny Harvest is On!

Please sift through your change jars and piggy banks for pennies. The pennies our school collects will go towards community and global issues - the classes that bring in the most pennies will decide how to spend the money, as well as receive a pizza and ice cream party. The Penny Harvest will continue through Thanksgiving.

Thanks!

Boo Bash!

Please join in our celebration of Halloween at P.S. 154 PTA's annual Boo Bash. We will be gathering in the yard behind the school at 5:15 for a costume parade, with a pizza party following inside the school at 6:00 p.m. From 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. you can show off your groovy moves during the Dancing Bash, with family-friendly music DJ'd by Kenny B. Jammin'.

Other activities include:
*Pumpkin Patch
*Seasonal Crafts
*Face Painting
*Ghoulish Guests
*Tricks and Treats Galore!

Admission is $5 per person, which includes a slice of pizza and a craft or pumpkin.

ELA Predictive

Students will perform their first ELA predictive on Wednesday, October 22nd. The predictives are tests that assess students in literacy and find areas in which they are strong and areas in which students could benefit from more instruction.

Middle School Fair Tonight!

Please join us for the middle school fair in the MMR from 6 - 8 pm. You will hear school representatives discuss the application process, curriculum and programs for their schools.

Other important info:

Middle School Dates:
Early December: middle school directories and applications given to families
December 2-11: Middle School Fairs
January 9: Middle School Applications Due
Early May: Decision letters sent to families
May 15: Appeals due to elementary schools
Mid-June: Appeals decision letters distributed to families

5th Grade Meet and Greet

Come meet the other 5th grade parents in the MMR from 6:30 - 7:30 pm on Tuesday, October 14th.

Nickelodeon's You Pick the President

Along with the rest of our Election Links, which are on the right hand bar of this blog, Nick News gives you information on the Presidential candidates and issues, along with a tutorial on how a person becomes the President.

Learn more at Nick News.

Middle School Fair - Next Wednesday, October 15th ONLY!

There will NOT be a middle school meeting on October 8th - it has been rescheduled for Wednesday, October 15th from 6-8 p.m.

No School - Yom Kippur

P.S. 154 will be closed on Thursday, October 9th, in observance of the Yom Kippur holiday.

Middle School Fair

Middle School Parent Coordinators will be at P.S. 154's Multimedia Room on Wednesday, October 15, 2008, to share information about their school's programs and enrollment procedures. Please join us - light refreshments will be served.

PTA Meeting

There will be a PTA Meeting on Tuesday, October 7th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Multimedia Room. All of the nighttime PTA meetings offer childcare, homework help and pizza for the children at $3 per child. Please join us!!!

Parents as Enrichment Partners

Please join us for Parents as Enrichment Partners this Friday, October 3rd, from 8:45- 9:25 a.m.
If you are interested in sharing something, please let us know!

Big Apple Circus

Permission forms went home recently for the fifth grade trip to the Big Apple Circus on Wednesday, November 19th. We wanted to celebrate all of the hard work students will be putting in to prepare for the 5th grade Social Studies Test.

The price of the trip is $16, and we will be traveling to the Circus, which is held in Manhattan's Lincoln Center, via subway. Students should bring bagged lunches and money to purchase one snack from the concessions, if they'd like - no glass bottles, please! Please email us if you'd like more information, or if you haven't gotten the form.

School Closed Tuesday and Wednesday

PS 154 will be closed Tuesday, September 30th, and Wednesday, October 1st, in observance of Rosh Hashanah.

Curriculum Night

PS 154 will be having its curriculum night on Thursday, September 18th, from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Please join us to learn more about what your child will be studying this year in Math, Reading, Writing, Science and Social Studies, and to hear about our many field trips and Fifth Grade Specific activities (like Graduation!).

There will be two 45 minute sessions: 6:00 pm - 6:45 pm, and 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm to accomodate parents with more than one child at our school. Please call us at 718-768-0057 if you have any questions.

Leveled Book Reading Made Easier

Scholastic has a website - The Scholastic Book Wizard - where you can type in a book's title to find it's grade level and guided reading level. On the main page, be sure to check on the "Guided Reading" box near the upper-right corner of the page.

Parents as Enrichment Partners

We welcome any parents to attend and participate in our Parents as Enrichment Partners, which occurs on the first Friday of every month from 8:45 - 9:25 a.m. We will be having our first Parents as Enrichment Partners this Friday, September 12th. We are always looking for parents with hobbies, careers, books or hidden talents to share with our classes. Please call us if you are interested!

PTA Meeting Tonight

Please join us for the first PTA meeting of the 2008-2009 school year. There will be a potluck at 6 p.m., and the meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. Meet our current and new staff members, including our new Assistant Principal, Eric Havlik. You will also be able to learn about volunteer opportunities and meet some of your fellow 154 parents. See you tonight!

Welcome Back!!

It was incredible meeting all of you today. Please remember to bring all parent forms back, along with filled-out Blue Emergency cards.

Welcome 2008-2009 Members of Class 5-307

We are very excited to meet you and are looking forward to all of the wonderful experiences we'll have this year! We can't wait to help you achieve all of your goals and to watch you grow as learners.

Please email us if you have any questions, and we will see you all next Tuesday.

Mrs. Theodorakis, Mrs. Ussery and Ms. Fought

The following is this year's supply list:

• 6 Composition Books
• 1 sturdy plastic pocket folders (orange)
• 8 pocket folders (variety of colors)
• 2 pocket folders with prongs (one green and one blue)
• 1 pack Lined Post-it notes (3 in. x 3 in.)
• 1 pack Lined Post-it notes (3 in. x 5 in.)
• 2 Boxes of Markers
• 3 packs sharpened #2 Pencils
• 1 large pink or white pencil eraser
• 2 Pencil Sharpener with cover
• Pencil pouch (no boxes please)
• 1 Box Colored Pencils
• 1 pack of Blue and Green Pens
• 1 Package of Glue Sticks
• 1 Package of Index Cards 3x5
• 1 Package of Index Cards 5x7
• 4 Expo Markers
• 1 Package Highlighting Markers
• 1 Pair of Scissors
• 2 Packages of Loose Leaf
• 1 Pump-bottle of Hand Sanitizer
• 3 Boxes Tissues
• 2 Rolls of Paper Towels (Bounty Select a Size please)
• 2 containers of Clorox Wipes
• Girls: 1 Box Gallon Size Ziploc
• Boys: 1 Box Sandwich size

*Teachers will also be asking for contributions towards class magazine subscriptions, such as Time For Kids and Storyworks

Wish List:

Roll Scotch Clear Packing Tape

Package of Napkins

Wuasau Astrobrights colored paper 8.5/11 assorted color ream

Practice Your Walking!

Graduation practice for the 5th grade will be at 10:30 - 12:15 on Wednesday, June 18th, and Friday, June 20th, at M.S. 88. Be sure to pay attention, so you know when to stand up, and where to stand up, and how to wave your diploma!

Poconos!

Poconos Pics! More to come....

Congratulations, 5th Grade!

The 5th Grade representatives to American Ballroom Theater's Brooklyn Quarterfinals at P.S. 169 took home Gold on Friday night. Our dancers looked amazing and showed off their graceful dance moves. They will be moving on to the Brooklyn Semi-finals at P.S. 58 on Wednesday, June 11th at 4:30 p.m. Good luck!!

Below are some photos of 307's practice sessions.

Tom Sawyer!

The Drama Team at P.S. 154 will be putting on a play of Tom Sawyer in the multimedia room on Wednesday, June 4th at 7:00 p.m. and Friday, June 6th at 7:30 p.m. The sets look amazing and the students are very excited about the production. If you would like to buy tickets, they are available for a five dollar donation and can be purchased through our PTA.

Ballroom Recital!

The fifth graders put on a phenomenal ballroom dance show in the Multimedia room on Monday. Everyone looked great dressed up and ready to show off their moves. We are hoping to put some video from the show up soon! Our camera went kaput right as the show started, so if anyone has still photos to share, please let us know!

Fifth Grade Events

Important Upcoming Dates:
Friday, May 30th - Poconos Trip
Monday, June 2nd - Ballroom show!
Tuesday, June 10th - Senior Luncheon (9:30 - 1:30)
Thursday, June 12th - Teacher vs. Student Ballgame - Parent Volunteers needed!
Friday, June 13th - 154 Picnic
Monday, June 23rd - 5th Grade Graduation (9:30 a.m.)

Care Packages for U.S. Soldiers

Ms. Sheehan's class is currently collecting items to place into care packages for soldiers currently serving in Iraq. We would like for each student to bring in at least one of the following items to donate:

CANDY

Candy (heat resistant)
Fruit Breezes (throat drops)
Twizzlers

CORRESPONDENCE

Writing Paper and Envelopes
Pens/Pencils

DENTAL

Floss
Mouthwash
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste

DRINK

Coffee (instant)
Coffee Creamer
Gatorade
Powdered Drink Mixes
Tea Mixes (sweet)
KoolAid bursts- to freeze

FOOD (including dry goods, snacks)

Sugar packets
Bars (Clif or Balance)
Beef Jerky
Canned Fruit (pop top cans)
Cereal (in small boxes)
Girl Scout Cookies
Granola Bars
Gum
Oatmeal (instant)
Pop-Tarts
Ravioli (pop top cans)
Tuna Kits

GAMES

Board Games
Checkers (travel size)
Chess (travel size)
Crossword Puzzles
Playing Cards

MUSIC

CD Fanny Packs
CDs
Tapes
DVDs new and used
Hand held electronic games
Sodoku books

PRINTED MATERIALS

Books (novels, short stories)
Newspapers (local)
Magazines

TOILETRIES/HYGIENE

Baby Wipes
Nose spray
Eye Drops
Deodorant
Femine Hygiene Products (for female soldiers)
Foot Powder
Hairbrushes
Hand Lotion
Hand Sanitizers (waterless)
Nail Clippers
Q-Tips
Razors (disposable)
Shampoo
Sunscreen
Tissues (heavy duty - i.e. Puffs)
Travel size body wash
Tylenol (individual packets)

Other

Plastic spoons
American Flags (small)
Baggies (with zip lock)
Batteries (AA, D, ....)
Bug Spray (must be packaged in zip-lock bag)
Duct Tape
Disposable Cameras
Flashlights (mini/mag lite, extra bulbs, lots of batteries)
Fans (battery powered - small - with extra batteries)
Fly Strips
Fly Swatters
Pre-Paid Phone Cards
Shoe Insole Cushions
Socks (cushioned white calf high)

New York Historical Society Trip

We are excited to inform you about the fifth grade’s upcoming trip to the New York Historical Society. Class 5-307 will visit the NY Historical Society on Friday, May 23, 2008. To complement our Social Studies unit on this month, students will participate in a workshop there about Slavery. Students will explore the problem of slavery from emancipation to freedom. We will be traveling via the subway system to and from the NY Historical Society, which is located on 170 Central Park West at 77th Street in Manhattan. We will depart from the school at approximately 10:15 a.m. and return to the school by 2:30 p.m.
There are no eating facilities at the New York Historical Society. If possible, please send your child with a snack he/she could eat before we enter the to tie him/her over until lunchtime. We will eat a quick lunch in Central Park across the street after the workshop, weather permitting. Students may either bring a packed lunch from home, or choose a bag lunch prepared by the school. Be sure to check the appropriate box below.
We would appreciate any parent chaperones that could accompany us to the New York Historical Society. Please check the box below if you would like to join us, and meet us in the school lobby on Friday at 10:15am. Please sign the permission slip below to allow your child to attend the trip. The cost for this trip is $4.00 per student. Chaperones are free. Please send the money in a sealed envelope with the permission slip as soon as possible.

New Gerbil Babies!

Class 5-307's gerbils, Nestor and Nacho, have become parents again! On Sunday, May 4th, three new gerbil pups were born. The two girls and one boy will bring our gerbil total to nine. Congratulations to the happy family!

5th Grade News!

* Ads and dedications for the yearbook are currently being accepting - please look for the notices in your child's take home folder or contact Sabina Magnus at msmagnus@verizon.net for more information.

*If you haven't already, please submit the estimated number of tickets you may need for the 5th grade graduation.

*The Mother's Day Plant Sale will be held Friday, May 9th, in the yard from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Prices will be from $4.00 - 20.00 and all proceeds will go to the 5th grade.

Parents as Learning Partners!

We would love to have any willing parents to join us Friday morning, May 2nd, to read some of their favorite poetry. Please bring in some of your favorite poems to share on the rug for Parents as Learning Partners at 8:30 a.m.

Yearbook Request!

Student submissions are now being collected for the 5th Grade Yearbook. The submissions can be writing (memories, poems, super-short stories) or artwork (should be a photo of the artwork or the artwork should be able to be scanned). Start thinking of what you might submit over break! These submissions must be turned into Ms. Pattison by Friday, May 2nd.

Spring Break is Coming!

PS 154's Spring Break will begin this weekend and last until Sunday, April 27th. School begins again on Monday, April 28th. We hope that you each have a pleasant, relaxation filled vacation.

Meet a Gerbil Pup!

The gerbils, who started out tiny and red, are already over 2 inches log and have sprouted fur. Three of the four "children" resemble their father, Nestor, and our lone female pup has a dark black coat. Names have already been thrown around (Charcoal), but nothing is official.....yet.

Thank You Jim and Carol (and Kathryn)!

We are so thankful for our creme brulee tutorial. The burnt cream desserts were delicious. You went above and beyond to make it such a special (and yummy) Parents as Learning Partners. Thank you!!!

Parents as Learning Partners!

This Friday, Jim Retting will be coming to Class 5-307 to make Crème brûlée with the students. We are very excited for him to share his cooking expertise with us. Please join us at 8:30 a.m.!

5TH GRADE BAKE SALE!

P.S. 154 will be holding a bake sale on Friday, April 4th, to raise money for the 5th grade. We are looking for baked goods and volunteers starting at 8:20 a.m. in the Cafeteria, Sherman Street side. Please send in money with students on Friday to help the 5th grade reach its goal!

Brooklyn's New Biodegradable Lunch Trays

On March 25th, P.S. 154 held a press conference with councilman Bill DeBlasio to announce a sponsorship of a law to incorporate biodegradable lunch trays into NYC schools. Class 5-307's own Kathryn Retting was on hand to speak to the press. Channels 2 and 5 were on hand to film the event for the local news. Well done!

Four New Additions to Class 5-307

As you may have heard, our gerbils Nestor and Nacho, were thought to be both males. However, Nacho gave birth to four gerbil pups on Friday. They are currently getting acquainted to the new family at Ms. Fought's house, and photos will be up on the blog soon!

Ballroom Begins This Week!

Class 5-307 will begin the ballroom dance program this week! We will be learning all the steps of dances such as the tango, swing and merengue 4th period on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please join us if you feel like moving to the beat. To learn more about the dance program, visit the American Ballroom Theater site. To learn more about the history of dances, visit this site.

The Bodies Trip is Here!

This Wednesday, March 19th, is Class 5-307's trip to the Bodies Exhibit in Manhattan. We will be leaving the school between 9:00 am and 9:30 am and taking the F train to Jay Street and transferring to the A train to the Broadway-Nassau station. Students will need to pack a lunch to eat at the South Street Seaport after viewing the exhibit. We will be arriving back to school at 2:30 p.m. Parents that haven't had a chance to sign up can still buy tickets at the door for $26.50 each. Please join us!!

Thank you!

We wanted to say thanks to all of the families that came out to for Parent-Teacher conferences on Thursday. It was great to see you and talk to you all.

Parents As Learning Partners

Please join us on Friday, March 7th, for Parents as Learning Partners. Kathryn's mom, Carol Retting, will be speaking to and having a discussion with the class about her career.

Parents as Learning Partners begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 9:20 a.m.

The Math Tests are Over!

Congratulations to Class 5-307 for working hard to prepare for their State Math Tests.

State Math Test

Just a reminder that fifth graders at P.S. 154 will be taking the State Math Test on Tuesday, March 4th and Wednesday, March 5th.