Have a Wonderful Break!

Enjoy the vacation, and we'll see you in 2010! It will be a brand new decade!

Skating!

Please view some photos from the Prospect Park Ice Rink:

Brooklyn Museum

Please check out our photos from the fifth grade field trips to Brooklyn Museum. Thanks to Ms. Stephanie for giving us such a great tour of the Native American-themed artwork.

Parents as Enrichment Partners

Hi Families,

This Friday is Parents as Enrichment Partners. Please come in and join in your child's learning from 8:45 - 9:25 a.m.

The Fifth Grade Teachers

Greenwood Cemetery Photographs

Thanksgiving Celebration

The fifth grade classes will be celebrating Thanksgiving in their classrooms on Wednesday, November 25th. We are looking for families who can bring in one or more of the following:

1. 1/4 lb sliced turkey (one per family)
2. mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes
3. 2 bottles apple or cranberry juice
4. 20 plates or forks or napkins
5. Corn (enough for 20 students)
6. Cups for juice (20)

Please let us know if you can help out, and Thanks so much!

Rock Stars!

305 and 307 were treated to a Rock Show on November 5th when Matthew and Steven Scafuri shared their musical talent and funny banter during Parents as Enrichment Partners. You were awesome!

Elizabeth Mann

Author Elizabeth Mann visited Classes 5-305, 5-306 and 5-307 on November 5th. She shared her inspirations, her writing notebook, and original illustrations from her book The Brooklyn Bridge.
She also answered lots of questions from our current and future story writers. Please check out the photos below, and learn more about Elizabeth Mann HERE!

Scenes from a Play

Please peruse some photographs of the AIS presentation of the Norse Myth "Loki and the Magic Hammer" from Friday, November 13th. The students worked hard to not only get into their roles, put to produce the props as well.

Greenwood Cemetery

Class 5-305, 5-306 and 5-307 will be traveling to the Greenwood Cemetery for a tour of some of their most historic monuments as well as a lesson in memorial symbolism. The trip forms should have come home - please join us if you're available. Click on the Google Calendar to see when your class goes.

To learn more about Greenwood Cemetery, click here.

Social Studies Test

Next Monday and Tuesday, November 16th and 17th, the 5th grade students will take the 5th Grade Social Studies Test, which asks multiple choice and document-based questions about social studies content from grades 3 and 4, as well as asks students to write a document based essay. We have been reviewing the test in class, but you can also review at home using the SS test prep links on the right hand side of this page (scroll down to the bottom!). Please make sure students get proper rest and breakfast for the testing days.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Yes, already! The parent-teacher conferences will be held next Tuesday, November 9th, from 1 pm - 3 pm and 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm. You will be receiving a form this week to sign up. Please let us know if your student has younger brothers or sisters, and we schedule their times close together.

Parents as Enrichment Partners

November's Parents as Enrichment Partners will be this Friday, November 6th, from 8:45 - 9:25 am. We will be playing Math games, and have special guests Steven and Matthew to sing for Mrs. Theodorakis and Ms. Fought's classes. It will be fantastic, so please join us!

Book Fair!

The Scholastic Book Fair is being held in the MMR beginning this Thursday, November 5th through next Thursday, November 12th. You can find all kinds of great books, crafts,posters, bookmarks, pens and erasers and more. Find out when your class will be visiting from your teacher.

Scholastic Book Orders

From Class 5-307 - The Scholastic Book Orders Online are now working!!! They weren't before, but after fixing some settings, you can order online. And each time you order online, we get a FREE book.

www.scholastic.com/bookclubs

User Name: MsFought

Password: bookorder

Boo Bash - This Friday!

Boo Bash

The Boo Bash is a Halloween festival, parade and dance-a-thon scheduled at the school on Friday evening, October 30th. Parade starts around 5:30 p.m.

The Boo Bash kicks off with a parade of children masquerading in costumes and marching outside around the school, followed by fun Halloween activities, craft making, dinner and treats and culminating in a wild D.J. rock'n dance-a-thon.

Picture Day is Friday!

Our class pictures will be taken this Friday, October 23rd, in the MMR. Forms went home with students about two weeks ago. If you need more forms, please let us know immediately. Otherwise, practice your smile!

Book Swap

The Cobble Hill Association is sponsoring a book swap on October 17th from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm at the Long Island College Hospital Sitting Park, Henry and Pacific Streets in Cobble Hill.

You can find great books at book swaps, stoop sales and used bookshops, like Babbo Books on PPW.

Another Middle School Forum!

According to the Brooklyn Courier, there will be a District 15 Middle School Principal's forum at New Voices, 330 18th Street (btw. 6th and 7th Avenues) on October 15th from 7 - 9 p.m.

For more informations, email cec15@schools.nyc.gov. or call 718-935-4267.

The Mannahatta Project

What was Manhattan like 400 years ago when Henry Hudson gazed upon it on his exploration?

View the Mannahatta Project map - a map that shows what Manhattan probably looked like back than. It was created using 3-D modeling by scientists based on the geography and landscape of our city.

Visit the Mannahatta project.

Middle School Stuff

Middle School information went out to 5th graders this week - please check folders and bookbags. You'll find weblinks to local middle schools, as well as those in NYC.

Here is info about the District 15 Middle School Fair:

Thursday, October 22, 2009
5:30 - 7:30 pm
MS 88
544 7th Avenue

Curriculum Night at PS 154

Our school's curriculum night will be next Wednesday, September 30th, from 5:30 - 7:25 p.m. (a note went home today with students!). Curriculum night is a chance to find out more about what your child will be learning and doing throughout the school year. There will be two sessions, so that parents with children in multiple grades can attend more than one session.

The schedule is:
5:30 -6:00 Meet and Greet in MMR
6:00- 6:40 Session One (In Classrooms)
6:45 - 7:25 Session Two (In Classrooms)

We hope to see you there!

Class Parents for 5th Grade

We are currently looking for volunteers to be class parents for the 5th grade. If you are interested, please talk to your child's teacher.

Thanks!

Green Workshops for Kids

Green Brooklyn - Green City 2009

The Council on the Environment of NYC is holding a Green Brooklyn Fair this upcoming Thursday at Brooklyn Borough Hall. This event is FREE, and includes a greenmarket, recycled art making and interactive booths featuring ways NYC is becoming a more sustainable community.

Thursday, September 24, 2009
Brooklyn Borough Hall
209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn
Opening remarks at 11:30am, fair 12pm-6pm

Free and open to the public!

40 interactive exhibitor booths featuring hands-on activities for kids and adults alike!

Workshop Line-Up

State of the Climate: 12pm-1pm

Green Your Business: 1:30pm-2:30pm

Local vs. Organic: 3pm-4pm

For more information visit CENYC.com

Congratulations!

Miles Asher Greller was born at 2:57 am on September 20th - Best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Greller! (sidenote: Miles shares a birthday with Mrs. Milledge's son!)

Green at School

Back to school is time to follow the 3 Rs. National Geographic Kids has some tips to stay green at school:

• Ride your bike or walk to school.
  
• Use last year's school supplies.
• Buy a canvas and cardboard binders instead of plastic.
  
• Buy recycled paper.
• Use reusable water bottles instead of plastic.
• Use a lunch box, not paper bags.
• Donate last year's clothes instead of throwing them away.
• Buy online to avoid driving.
• Buy organic food.
• Turn your computer off when you're not using it.
• Decorate your lunchbox.
• Make your own bookmarks.
• Organize a clothes swap with your friends.
• Carpool to sports.
• Use refillable pens and pencils.
• Reuse your backpack. Decorate it with cool patches.

Scholastic Book Orders!

Dear 5-307 Families,

I have exciting news. You can now place your Scholastic Book Clubs orders online!

Browse all the great monthly Book Club selections at low prices and order online. Plus, our class earns a FREE book every time a parent orders online.

Here’s how it works:

1. Use the information below to access the Scholastic Book Clubs Web site.
2. Browse the titles with your child and place your order with your credit card.
3. Your order will come to me, and your credit card payment will go directly to Scholastic’s secure server. There’s no need to send money to school.
4. After I submit the entire class order to Scholastic, your order will be delivered to our classroom for your child to take home.

To get started, go to the Web address below and enter our class’s personalized user name and password in the sign-in fields on the right side of the page. Note: You do not need to create your own user name and password.

www.scholastic.com/bookclubs

User Name: MsFought

Password: bookorder

Ordering online is the most convenient way to use Scholastic Book Clubs. You can order anytime, right up until the online order due date. You’ll also get instant access to over 500 additional titles plus online-only specials and discounts.

And don’t forget: Every time a parent places an order online, we earn a FREE book for our classroom library!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Melinda Fought 5-307

The First Day

It was great meeting and getting to know all of you today! What a fabulous first day of school!

Fifth Grade Teachers

It's Almost Here....

Can you believe it's almost Back to School time? You'll be starting 5th grade soon - what an exciting year this will be!

I can't wait to meet everyone in Class 5-307. The first day is Wednesday, September 9th. Below is the 5th grade supply list so you can start (or continue) your school shopping.

If you have questions, please feel free to email me at msfought@gmail.com and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can.

See you soon,
Ms. Fought

P.S. 154

5^th Grade Supply List

6 Composition Books

1 sturdy plastic pocket folder with metal prong fasteners in the middle (orange preferred – Five Star makes a good one)

8 pocket folders (variety of colors)

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 (like Crayola or Mr. Sketch)

2 packs #2 Pencils (pre-sharpened, if possible)

Pink or white pencil erasers

Pencil Sharpener with cover

Pencil pouch or small box

1 Box Colored Pencils

1 pack of Blue or Green Pens

1 Package of Glue Sticks

Girls: 1 Package of Index Cards 3x5

Boys: 1 Package of Index Cards 5x7

4 Expo Markers

1 or 2 Highlighting Markers

1 Pair of Scissors

2 Packages of Loose Leaf

1 Pump-bottle of Hand Sanitizer

2 Boxes Tissues

2 Rolls of Paper Towels (Recycled or Select a Size preferred!)

2 containers of Clorox Wipes

Girls: 1 Box Gallon Size Ziploc

Boys: 1 Box Sandwich size

Girls: 5 Blank DVDs

Boys: 5 Blank CDs

Wish List:

1 Package of Recycled White Computer Paper

1 Package of Colored Computer Paper

1 Roll Scotch Clear Packing Tape

1 Package of Napkins

1 Box any size tip or color of Sharpie markers

You may also purchase a Flash Drive for your child to use on the computer

Congratulations!

It's been a hectic few weeks, so there have been few posts!

We are so proud of all of our 5th graders. Best of luck to you in all of your new middle schools.

Come visit us!

India Arie's Beautiful Day

Practice the Graduation Song - Click Here!

Congratulations, Dancers!

We are so proud of the 154 representatives to the Brooklyn Quarterfinals Ballroom Dance competition. They danced beautifully and earned Silver honors at the contest!

Events coming up!

Tuesday: Teachers/Students Kickball is postponed due to rain. More details TBA.
Wednesday: 5th Grade Luncheon
Thursday: Field Day

Next Week:
Possible Teachers/Students Kickball Game

Last Week of School:
Monday: Graduation Practice in the MMR 6th and 7th periods
Tuesday: Graduation Practice at PS 295 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday: Graduation Day starts at 9:30 at PS 295
Friday: Last Day of 5th grade!!

Ballroom Dance Recital

View some pics from our Ballroom Dance Event!

Ballroom Dance Recital - Tonight!

Come dressed in your elegant best for the 5th grade Ballroom Dance Recital. The show starts at 6:30 - students should arrive at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served. See you then!

Visit from Debra

Ms. Penny, a representative from Debra, a non-profit organization that benefits children and adults with EB disease, visited class 5-307 to answer student questions about the disease. We also presented her with a $250 grant that we earned as part of Penny Harvest. As a thank you, Ms. Penny brought bracelets and pens for the students.

Our Author Visit with Lisa Graff

Lisa Graff, author of The Thing About Georgie, came to 5-305 and 5-307 today to discuss her books, her life and her writing. The students created similes, and some students were even given Georgie magnets as a prize. Lisa autographed postcards for everyone. Thanks to Lisa, and for the parents who organized her visit. To learn more about Lisa Graff, visit LisaGraff.com.