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.

5th Grade Committee Meeting

The next 5th grade committee meeting will be held in the MMR at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, March 7th All are welcome - please attend!!!

The Class 5-307 Election

We held our Super Tuesday election on February 12th. Students were placed into groups and took the role of President, Vice President, Art Supervisor and Campaign Manager. Each group created campaign posters and moving speeches to earn their classmates' votes. Everyone did an amazing job, but in the end, Susan and William's group won the election! Afterwards, students reflected on the process, and created bar graphs to show each candidates' percent of the vote.

Have A Great Break!!!

Students will have their Mid-Winter Recess Monday, February 18th through Friday, February 22nd. Students should be researching for their Non-Fiction Feature Articles and for their Biography Projects. Have a relaxing vacation!

Our Trip to the Brooklyn Museum!

Please view some of our photos from the Westward Expansion workshop at the Brooklyn Museum. Thanks again to Stephanie, our fabulous Museum guide.

Brooklyn Museum Trip!

We are excited to inform you about Class 5-307’s upcoming trip to the Brooklyn Museum. on Thursday, February 7th, 2008. To complement our Social Studies unit on this month, students will participate in a workshop about Westward Expansion. We will be traveling via school bus to and from the museum, which is located at 200 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. We will depart from the school at approximately 9:30 a.m. and return to the school by 12:15 p.m. The students will be back at school for their regular lunchtime.
We would appreciate any parent chaperones that could accompany us to the Museum. Please check the box below if you would like to join us, and meet us in the school lobby on Thursday at 9:30 am. Please sign the permission slip below to allow your child to attend the trip. There is no cost for this trip and chaperones are free. Please sign and return the permission slip by Tuesday, February 5th.

5th Grade Presents Bingo!

Please join us in the MMR on Friday, February 1st at 6:30 p.m. for an evening of Bingo Fun for the whole family! Tickets are $6, which includes 2 bingo packets. Tickets are available by calling Laura Colonna at 917-803-3445 or 347-223-4896.

Literary Essay Publishing Share

Please peruse some of our class' publishing share photos. Our students did a fantastic job!

Marble Jar - Ice Skating Trip!

Class 307 will be taking its ice skating trip to Prospect Park's Wollman Rink on Tuesday, January 29th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is 1.50 if you bring skates, 5.50 without skates. We would love to have parents join us, so please email us if you are interested in attending!

PS 154 Middle School Meetings

There will be two informational middle school meeting scheduled - one morning, one evening, for your convenience - that will address middle school questions and concerns.

Both meetings will cover the same topics, so you only need to attend one!

Also, both meetings will be held in the Multimedia Room.

Morning:
Date: Friday, January 25th, 2008
Time: 8:30 a.m.

Evening:
Date: Wednesday, January 30th, 2008
Time: 4:00 p.m.

Topics such as middle school choice, testing, auditions, special education, timelines and schools in other districts. If you have any questions, please contact Kristin Muscatella, Guidance Counselor, or Shikha Dalal, Parent Coordinator at 718-768-0057.

Fraction Links

Please visit the following websites to review fractions, our current Everyday Math Unit.

Find Grampy Game

Addition Fractions - Soccer

Fresh Baked Fractions

Fraction Frenzy!

Fraction Decimal Matching

Fishy Fractions

Fraction Decimal Modeling

Math Test Prep

PS 154 will be holding classes to prepare for the New York State Math Test, which will be held March 4th and 5th, 2008. Ms. Fought will be teaching the 5-307 sessions, which are on Saturday from 9 am - 12 noon. Students will need to bring snacks, and also a statement of whether someone will pick them up at noon or if they have permission to walk home. Classes will start this Saturday, January 12th, and continue through the test. Classes WILL NOT be held February 9th, 16th or 23rd due to the overnight Liberty Science Center trip and Mid-Winter Recess.

Our Next 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 Thursday, January 17th, 2008. To complement our Social Studies unit on this month, students will participate in a workshop there about Westward Expansion. Students will explore the economic and romantic appeal of the West, the frontier experience, and the impact of expansion on Native Americans from multiple perspectives. 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 10:00 a.m. and return to the school by 2:00 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. 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 Thursday at 10:00am. 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 by Friday, January 11th.