Ms O'Leary, Math, 5th

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Last week of school updates

Hi all!
We have almost made it to the end of the year! Wahooo! Below are some important dates/ important information. 

Monday 5/25: NO SCHOOL
Tuesday 5/26: Last normal schedule day! Lots of presentations this day. Computers will be checked in this day too.
Wednesday 5/27: Continuation at 2:15-3;15 outside! Parents are invited. We will have awards to hand out to every student.
Thursday 5/28: HALF DAY(11:30 DISMISSAL)! 10am-11am class parties. We will likely play class games! We are not doing a sign up for snacks because of the carnival after school.
Friday 5/29:HALF DAY (11:30 DISMISSAL) 9-10 Move up (4th come up to the pod, 6th go to the 7/8 pod). 10-11 yearbook sign!
You will receive your childs reports for the Q4 by 4pm this day
 
Let me know if you have any questions!
 

Hi all!
 
I cannot believe that we are in the final month of the school year! I wanted to include some important information / reminders for the end of the year.
 
Next week we will be learning how to multiply and divide fractions! We will also be starting a readers theatre to finish out the end of the year. 
 
Reminders for students:
 
Pokémon cards/ trading cards of any sorts are no longer allowed in my classroom. They have created a massive distraction and an increase in conflict.
 
Buying/ Selling/ trading anything is also not allowed at Westgate.
 
If they are bringing a fidget to school, it is a silent one that can fit in one hand.
 
If they choose to bring toys to play with at recess, they are their responsibility.
 
Stuffed animals are also not allowed in the 5/6 pod 
 
Important dates for the end of the year
 
May 11: Health Day (please refer to an email sent by Mrs. Dewer)
May 12th: 5th Grade Field trip (Permission slips will be sent out late next week)
May 13th: 6th grade Field trip (Permission slips will be sent out late next week)
May 25th: No School
May 27th : 5/6 continuation in gym 2:15-3:15
May 28th: ½ day of school & Carnival 2-6pm
May 29th: ½ day and last day
 
 
 
Field trip reminders! They are both outdoor days.
  • Closed-toe shoes 
  • An extra snack 
  • A filled reusable water bottle 
  • Optional: hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, rain jacket if needed 
 
 
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for the support all year!
 
 

Impromptu Joy of Reading day (ELA only)

We have done SO much testing and hard work the last month I want to give the kiddos a chance to breath tomorrow. If they haven't finished MAPS they will finish before moving onto a JOR (joy of reading). 
 
9:15-10:45 students will be doing a Joy of Reading day
students are permitted to bring
- one small stuffed animal and/or blanket (must fit in backpack)
- Book from home
- Some asked if they could wear PJs and I said yes if they would like to!
 
Once ELA is over they will put these items in their backpack for the rest of the day :)
 
I hope your students are excited about this!
 
 
 
 

Carnival Basket 5/6

Our Spring Carnival is coming up on May 28th, and one of the most anticipated highlights is our themed classroom baskets for the silent auction! These baskets are a major part of our fundraising efforts, and we’d love your help in making them truly special.
 
This year, our basket themes are Brunch and A Taste of Italy.
Contributing is easy! We’ve created Amazon and Target registries (links are below) so you can simply click and purchase items. Even better—your items can be shipped directly to the school. If you prefer, you’re also welcome to shop on your own and drop off donations in the lobby during normal school hours.
Short on time? You can donate through the payment portal (please be sure to note which grade your donation is for), and we’ll take care of the shopping for you.
 
Please ensure all donations are received by Friday, May 22nd.
Thank you for helping us make this event a success!

Hi all!
 
I cannot believe that we are in the final month of the school year! I wanted to include some important information / reminders for the end of the year.
 
Next week is MAPS testing! Please remind your students to take their time!
 
Fraction work will continue and we will finish up our HMH module for reading.
 
Reminders for students:
 
Pokémon cards/ trading cards of any sorts are no longer allowed in my classroom. They have created a massive distraction and an increase in conflict.
 
Buying/ Selling/ trading anything is also not allowed at Westgate.
 
If they are bringing a fidget to school, it is a silent one that can fit in one hand.
 
If they choose to bring toys to play with at recess, they are their responsibility.
 
Stuffed animals are also not allowed in the 5/6 pod 
 
Important dates for the end of the year
 
April 30: Washington st clean up
May 11: Health Day (please refer to an email sent by Mrs. Dewer)
May 12th: 5th Grade Field trip (Permission slips will be sent out late next week)
May 13th: 6th grade Field trip (Permission slips will be sent out late next week)
May 25th: No School
May 27th : 5/6 continuation in gym 2:15-3:15
May 28th: ½ day of school & Carnival 2-6pm
May 29th: ½ day and last day
 
Earth week announcement: 
In celebration of Westgate’s Earth Week, we’re excited to take our learning outside! This year’s theme is “Treat Every Day Like It’s Earth Day.” As a school, we’re going back to the basics—focusing on small, meaningful habits that students can continue through the end of the school year and beyond.  On Wednesday, April 29, from 12:45-1:45, students will participate in a series of engaging environmental education stations. 
To help your student have a successful and comfortable day, please send them with the following items: 
  • Closed-toe shoes 
  • An extra snack 
  • A filled reusable water bottle 
  • Optional: hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, rain jacket if needed 
We’re looking forward to a fun, hands-on day celebrating the environment together! 
 
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for the support all year!
 
 

Hi all!
Your kids did a fantastic job finishing CMAS strong this week. If your student was absent and missed a test they will make it up next week.
 
We also chatted about Westgate's policy on buying/ selling/ trading items at school. There has been an increase in this with anything from pokemon cards to scrunchies. If you could please remind your students that this is not allowed at school, that would be very helpful.
 
Exciting news! We now have a portable AC unit in our classroom! Please have students bring a jacket to school with them on Monday as our classroom will be far cooler than it has been all year.
 
Next week in ELA we will be working on Module 9, week 2 looking at more mysteries and understanding the authors purpose. 
 
In math we will continue to work through fractions. I will be sending students home with at least 1 homework sheet for extra practice. This is not required or graded but with fractions being so new it could be incredibly helpful.
 
Thank you for your continued support. Let me know if you have any questions.

Hi all!
 
Reminder that this upcoming week is week 2 of CMAS testing! Students will have ELA testing in the morning. I am so proud of them for last week and I know they will do great this week as well!
 
This week because of testing, in our afternoons (tues, wed, thurs) Miss Muftic and I will both be teaching math instead of Science and Social studies. She will be teaching a hands on fraction activity (goes along perfectly with chapter 8!) and I will be teaching a hands on geometry activity. 
 
On Monday and Friday we will continue to work through chapter 8! Lots of fraction work for your students this week. 
 
We will only have two normal ELA session days and we will continue on with module 9!
 
Other announcements:
 
Last  Spirit Night of the Year - Stay & Play + In-N-Out Cookout Fundraiser April 29th!
Let’s celebrate our students finishing CMAS testing with a fun Stay & Play event! Bring the whole family, enjoy delicious In-N-Out burgers, and let the kids relax and play after all their hard work.
Meal tickets are $8 each - includes a burger, chips, and drink.
Purchase your Tickets on our Payment Portal today: IN-N-OUT Cookout | Westgate Community School
Or
Drop off check or cash with $8 per ticket in an envelope labeled with your name and In-N-Out
Ticket deadline: April 20th — don’t miss out! Tickets will NOT be available at the event!
Pick up your students in carline, then park and come over to the playground area where you can pick up your meal ticket. In-N-Out will begin serving at 4:30pm. 75% of ticket sales support our school and students.

Hi all!
Welcome back for quarter 4! 
 
I was unfortunately at a training Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, so I missed some time with your kiddos. However, the days I was here, they were fantastic!
 
In math we started re learning the basics of fractions. Next week we will go into adding and subtracting with unlike denominators.
 
Next week we also start CMAS. This will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We are testing for math and science next week. The following week will be ELA. Please make sure your students are well rested, on time and prepared for testing. 
 
Fidgets will not be allowed for most students. We chatted today about what fidgeting could look like without an actual fidget. If your students have any questions just let me know.

They are all so incredibly capable. I am so excited to see how they've grown this year!
 
Please keep an eye on this space as the school year wraps up for any important dates! This group of kids is wonderful, and I am so lucky to be their teacher.
 
Have a great weekend and let me know if you have any extra questions!

ELA and Math Last week of Feb

Hi all!
This week was A LOT of Young Ameri Towne prep. So, with the time left in ELA we focused on using evidence from a text in a writing response. 
 
Next week we will start Module 8! 
 
In math we did a lot of chapter 7 review. Again, this is a huge chapter with a lot to learn so I gave students plenty of time to practice, relearn & engage with the material in different ways. Next week we have our final lesson for chapter 7 and then we will test (hopefully) on Wednesday. This way I can grade them and give students a chance to see their feedback before break.
 
Conference:
On March 4, at 4pm you will be receiving an email from me to sign up for conferences. Please note that I am required to shut down signups on March 9th. Please sign up ASAP when you receive the link to avoid any scheduling issues.
 
Thanks so much for the support and let me know if you have any question! 

ELA/ Math updates 2/20

ELA:
We are finishing up Module 7 early next week. Students completed personal narratives (they should have brought a copy home). Then began writing a research trading card on an Olympic athlete of their choice. We have been working on the reading skill of asking and answering questions while reading. Hopefully they are continuing to become more curious readers!
 
Math:
We have had a BIG few weeks in math. Students have learned how to divide decimals by powers of 10's, whole numbers and by decimals. I am incredibly impressed with how hard they have been working. We are going to continue to practice these skills next week! Next week I will also be sending home practice work to reinforce some of the skills. This will of course be optional and not graded. However, the extra practice may help them as they prepare for the test. 
 
Thanks so much for the continued support! As always please reach out with any questions, comments or concerns. Have a great weekend!

ELA and Math -- Last week of January

ELA:
We are finished with Module 6, moving onto Module 7 next week! This week we practiced asking and answering questions while we read.
We finally had a lot of extra writing time to work on our personal narratives! Students seemed to love this extra time and I can't wait to have these published soon. :)
Next week we will start module 7 and will be really focusing on text structure and making predictions.
 
Math:
This week we tested on Chapter 6, division! I will hopefully have these graded by mid next week. We have spent the last few days doing review on chapters 1-5. Next week we start learning how to divide decimals. This is again a huge unit but I know they'll get it. I am going to start sending optional math practice home to reinforce math skills. I won't be grading it and it is not required. 
 

We made it through week one! 
 
It has been so much fun to be back with all of them and hear all the stories from break. 
 
ELA: In ELA this week we worked on our inferencing skills. This is challenging and we will continue to practice. However, your students did a fantastic job! We looked at spelling changes that can happen with root words (ex: sunnier --> sunny). We will continue to work on this next week too.
 
Next week we will have a huge focus on finding the big idea of a text. I am excited to start using more depth and complexity model in class! We had a training on it next week and I am hopeful students will catch on quickly.
 
Math: In math this week we reviewed division basics and started to practice our double- and triple-digit long division. This is a HUGE topic for students, and it causes a wide range of emotions. I know they will all get it eventually, but it will just take a lot of patience and practice. We will have more practice next week before testing!
 
We also are doing a multiplication fact song each week! It has been stuck in all of our heads since Monday. If you would like your students to listen more it is linked below. Next week we will do a song on the number 9.
 
Thank you all for the continued support! Let me know if you have any questions.
 

Welcome Back! Q3

Hi all!
I hope everyone had a healthy and happy holiday season! 
 
I am so excited for this semester! There are many updates, and I will likely forget a few. Keep an eye on these posts in the next week or two for other updates as well. :)
 
ELA: This week we start module six which is all about art! There is a great mix of fiction and nonfiction in this unit. This week we will look predominantly at authors craft with a huge focus on spelling and grammar.
 
In writing we will start personal narratives! This is one of my favorite things to teach and I am so excited.
 
Math: On Monday we will do a 6.1-6.3 review and continue on with chapter six on Tuesday. This chapter is all about division. The test for this chapter will be next Tuesday and there will be a lot of time for student practice inbetween.
 
If you have any questions or concerns going into the next quarter please do not hesitate to reach out. 

Happy Winter Break!

Hi all!
Happy Winter Break! I hope you all have a wonderful, restful time. Your kiddos have worked so hard this quarter. We had a very fun filled week! 
 
If you are looking for school related activities, please have your students read and work on division skills trainers on Big Ideas!
 
Enjoy and I will post a more detailed update when we are back!

Hi all!
 
Next week is a busy week! Important note: On Friday 12/19 at 4pm you will be receiving an email from your child's advocacy teacher with their reports. It is important that if you have questions or comments that you email me. I will be back "in office " responding to emails on January 8th.
ELA:
In ELA this week we caught up on a lot of missing work for the term. We also learned about different elements of plays! Many students enjoyed this and the hope is to do a winter themed readers theatre next week!
 
Next week is busy and we had to reschedule math MAPS to Wednesday. We will read one more story for module 5 and then do a creative project to finish up the week!
 
Math:
In math this week we were able to do a readers theatre around what to do with remainders. This was so fun because students were doing math without even realizing they were doing math. They all worked together SO well and had fantastic final productions. 
 
Next week we will do a bunch of review on division and play some different division games. I will be sending home OPTIONAL review packets for over break. Extra math practice is always a good call! We will be continuing with chapter 6 when we get back from break!
 
As always please reach out with any questions. Your students are wonderful and you should be so proud. Thank you for the continued support!