We are excited to kick off another year of school.  As the oldest students in the school, fifth graders have many responsibilities and privileges, such as patrols, SCA, morning news show, and flag patrol.  We look forward to learning and growing with you this year!

                                                - Mrs. Ballard, Mrs. Bell, and Ms. Davenport 

 

Have a “Not-so-Bummer (Boring) Summer!”

Keep your mind “sharp” and really be ready for 5th grade & middle school!

1.    READ – Read a little every day. Set a goal of X number of pages or minutes each day. Read 4 ways: read aloud to someone else, listen to someone else read, get a book on tape and read along, or read silently to yourself. Read “other” material beside just books: magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, advertisements, recipes, etc. Join the book club at the Public Library or a local bookstore.

2. WRITE – Keep a journal, write letters to your friends or relatives, summarize the books you read, movies you see, or take notes on new and interesting things you see and learn over the summer.

3. TRAVEL THE WORLD right from your own home. See how many places you can visit by reading a book, watching a movie, visiting a restaurant, seeing a program on TV, etc. How many countries/continents can you visit in just one summer? Mark each location on a world map and see how far you can go. (Remember, watching Harry Potter takes you to London and Kung Fu Panda will take you to China!)

4. MATH – There are many games you can play that deal with math. We played several card games in class, also board games like Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Sudoku puzzles. And don’t forget tax and tip! Can you figure out the bill, with tax and tip while you wait for your order at the restaurant? (Boy, won’t everyone be impressed!)

5. VOCABULARY – Can you learn one new word each day? Look for words in your reading, writing, TV, etc. Write down the word in a sentence, look up the word and write down its definition. Think of how much smarter you will be after just 20, 40, 60 new words!

6. TV – What can you learn from TV? Well, just about anything! Game shows like Jeopardy and Password are very “thought provoking”. There are shows about science and history on channels all the time. Just listening to the news is interesting and informative (think of all the places you will go). Write down some interesting facts in your journal (yeah, writing!).

7. EXERCISE – Get up and move. Swim (and keep cool at the same time). You might already be involved with a sport like soccer or baseball, but if you are not, remember, biking and hiking are great activities. And if it is too hot, stay inside; turn on the music, and DANCE! Take the dog for a walk (borrow one if you don’t have one).

8. TRY TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW. Learn to play a new game, try a new craft, make something, cook something (with parents help), etc. Check out a book from the library on “how to” do something new.

9. PUZZLES – Try working on puzzle books like crosswords, word finds, etc. (Suduko, too.)

Now, if these ideas don’t keep you busy, I don’t know what will. Of course, do take time to just relax and chill over the summer, too.

 

Have a Happy, Fun, Relaxing, and Stimulating Summer!