October 16th Newsletter

Dear Parents,

This week is a busy week! We have our Capital Campaign Kick-Off, School Pictures, an optional weekend hike, Conferences, and we are launching into Case Study 3 of our expedition! Help your student stay organized by checking their agendas and asking them how they are doing on their weekly assignments! We look forward to seeing you over this next week!

Thank you so much,

The 4/5 Team (Leah, Annah, Laura, Sonja, Koren)

 

Table-Talk:

• Which project did you choose for expedition?
• How is the 40 Book Challenge going for you? How are response forms coming!
• What did you think of the Race Exhibit? Was there anything that surprised you or that you have questions about?

**Note teachers will send home an example copy of response forms electronically this week by grade level! Be on the lookout for this email.

 

WONDER Advanced Movie Screening – NEXT WEEK!

The ⅘ team has WON an advanced screening of the new movie WONDER for our class, featuring a live Q&A with stars Jacob Tremblay (Auggie), Daveed Diggs (Mr. Browne), and Izabela Vidovic (Via) as they discuss how to #ChooseKind.

Important: We will not return to school next Thursday, 10/26 until 3:45. This is after carpool is over! ⅘ will run our own carpool upon our return from 3:45 – 4:00. Please drive through the carpool line. A teacher will be outside with a walkie talkie and students will be dismissed from classrooms. We hope this doesn’t cause any hardship for families and we appreciate your flexibility.  

Screening Date: October 26, 2017 (NEXT WEEK!)

Doors Open: 12:00 p.m.

The screening begins promptly at 12:30 p.m.

Return to school: 3:45 p.m. (After carpool)

Cost: FREE for students and parent drivers

A huge thank you to Lionsgate & the Exploris PTO for covering costs! We are incredibly excited to have the opportunity to view this film before it is released to the public.

Note: Cancel/ Do not order from My Hot Lunch Box on Thursday, 10/26.

The catch: URGENT – We need parent drivers in order to go! PLEASE sign up ASAP using this Sign Up Genius. As a thank you for driving on such short notice we have included the cost of your movie.  Please arrive to the school at 11:20 a.m. We will return at 3:45 p.m.

THANK YOU volunteers. We couldn’t do this without you!

 

5th Grade Updates

• Math: This week we will continue our work in Mission 2. Students should be working through lessons 5-8 on Mission 2 of Zearn! Please help your student by making sure they are on pace to finishing by the end of the week, and at the latest the following Monday!

 

• Target Time- This Friday, 5th graders will use the cars the designed last week to learn concepts of force and motion. We are using lessons from a CIBL unit! We are excited to have this hands on learning experience with our students to bring science to life.

 

• Scholastic Weekly News: This will be our third week using Scholastic Weekly News.  Remember, students can access Scholastic News via the web.

• To access the website you will need to:

– Visit www.scholastic.com/sn56

– Click “Log In” and select “I am a student.”

– Use your classroom password TES-5th

• Once you are in the website you can:

– Have articles read aloud to you.

– Watch videos that correspond to most of the articles.

– Play games related to the issue.

– Read & watch videos about breaking news stories,  

• Please note that we aren’t always reading the most current issue. Sometimes you might have to scroll down to “Recent Issues” towards the bottom of the page in order to find the issue that we are reading together.

 

4th Grade Updates

• TenMarks: We have been working hard in class to help the students plan out when they will do TenMarks 3 times a week at home.  Please help them find the space and time to do this work.
  • This week: 1 assessment (completed in class), 2 lessons and a fun Lab called Place Land-ia!
  • Move on to Personal Work once the above assignments are complete.

 

• Studies Weekly: We are completing a Studies Weekly about prehistoric North Carolinians this week. Students are to read the entire paper and have one annotation per article. They should have three “I wonder” statements, and complete the crossword. As they are reading, students should highlight proper nouns to help them with the crossword.  
  

• Writing: Students have begun adapting their interviews into narratives. As they continue this work, students will be influenced by the information from their interviews, and will be asked to reflect on their family’s culture and how it has influenced them.

• Science: We are still exploring different rocks and minerals this week.

• Science Friday: We recognize that this is an area of particular interest for some kids. If your child is especially interested in geology, Science Friday is doing a communal inquiry of “neat rocks” where anyone can share a photo of a “neat rock” they have found and experts will provide you with interesting facts about your submission. Please know this is not a class assignment and participating would be solely extracurricular, this project simply overlaps with what we are studying in class right now and may be a fun way to engage in scientific inquiry with your child. If you are interested in participating, you can find more information here.

 

 

Expedition 1 Update

Students are beginning their final case study for this expedition,  they started today in their groups to discuss what they will create. The topics are: knee braces, concussions, shoe design, and wheelchair design. If you know of any powerful field experiences or knowledgeable experts, please contact your child’s crew teacher.

 

Fall Conferences

It’s nearly time for the first round of conferences. Conferences will be in October. Please remember to be on time to your conference! We look forward to meeting with you over the next week!

• October 16th/17th Annah & Sonja Fall Conferences

• October 18th/19th Laura & Leah Fall Conferences

 

Class Pets

Don’t forget about our animal friends! Lenny and Blizzard are looking for weekend travel destinations!

Lenny the Guinea-Pig sign-up (Sonja’s & Annah’s Crews ONLY) SIGN UP TO TAKE LENNY HOME HERE  

Blizzard the Hedgehog sign-up (Leah’s & Laura’s Crew ONLY) – SIGN UP TO TAKE BLIZZARD HOME HERE!

Overnight Field Experience!

We are excited to share we will be going to Don Lee Environmental Education Center for our overnight field experience in March 2018.  We will ask for parent chaperones at a later date.  The trip promises engaging and exciting activities centered around ecosystems and the Neuse River!  Possible activities: canoeing while studying a pond, seining the Neuse River, salt marsh study, and much much more!

• The trip includes chartered buses to and from Don Lee, 3 meals, and one overnight stay for a total cost of $150.00.
• You may pay the entire amount by winter break, December 15th, or break it into two payments of $75.  First payment due by winter break, December 15th,  and second payment due by January 19th.  

 

Save The Date: Exploris 20th Anniversary Celebration and Capital Campaign Kick-Off

Join us for a family friendly event at Marbles on October 18 from 6:30-8:00 PM! We will have exhibits and celebrate with our school community our first 20 years! K-5 students will be singing.

 

Capital Campaign Volunteers Needed!

Do you want to be part of making the new building extra special? We are looking for volunteers to help with the capital campaign. Contact Kristi Pettibone at kristipettibone@gmail.com if you’re interested.

 

School Pictures- SEE EMAIL FROM SHANNON WHITE

• Picture day at the elementary school will be THIS Wednesday, October 18th (this is a rescheduled date!).
• Picture day at the middle school will be October 17th (this is a rescheduled date!)
• Make-up picture day is October 23 for both campuses.

 

Let’s Go For A Hike

Join Annah at Umstead State Park this Saturday, October 21st for a Hike through the woods. Join us at 9:00 AM and for a picnic lunch after! There will be varying distances of hikes 1, 2, or 3 miles and beyond! Hope to see you all there! Meet us in the parking lot at 2100 N Harrison Ave (see map)

 

WANTED – Recycled materials for the 4-5 Instrument Design Project: 4th and 5th graders will use the Engineering Design Process to create unique instruments from recycled and repurposed materials. We need items from home such as (but not limited to): shoe boxes, Styrofoam boxes, boxes, cardboard tubes, metal grates, plastic bottles, rubber bands, fishing line, duct tape, bottle tops. Please leave on the table in the music space. Thank you! Marg

 

YEARBOOKS ON SALE: Yearbooks are on sale! Click HERE to purchase your 2017-2018 yearbook.

Do you have pictures from school activities and field trips?  We need them!

REPLAY IT APP – Parents and students, can you please download the replay it app to your phones or use the website to submit pictures for yearbook? Thank you!

 

Scholastic Book Orders

This year, our students will continue to grow as readers. One of the best ways to get your child excited about reading is to let them pick their own books. Scholastic Reading Club is a wonderful place to look for great books at affordable prices. Plus your order will help our classrooms earn FREE books and resources!

• To order online, sign in or register at: scholastic.com/readingclub
• For first-time orders, enter the Class Activation Code: HNMM7
• Orders will be placed every two weeks as long as the total grade level order meets the $25 minimum.
• Please submit your order by Friday, October 28th.

Weekly Folders

Weekly folders are purple and will come home on Tuesdays. Please go through them on Tuesday nights and return them on Wednesday morning. Read, sign, and return the weekly Reflection Log. Also, we often send home student work that needs to be returned for portfolios. Thank you for reminding your student to bring their folders back right away.

 

Global Arts Schedule

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Annah	Walking Classroom	Art	Music	Movement
Laura	Art	Music	Movement	Walking Classroom
Leah	Music	Movement	Walking Classroom	Art
Sonja	Movement	Walking Classroom	Art	Music

 

My Hot Lunchbox

If you would like to order your child’s lunch through My Hot Lunchbox please see the directions linked here: Hot Lunchbox Instructions

 

Lunch: WASTE FREE

Exploris is a Waste Free Lunch school, which means minimizing trash. Some creative solutions include sending a ziploc for messy food items or transferring yogurt into reusable container with a lid at home to keep lunch-boxes from getting messy. Our goal is to minimize trash. This model aligns with our Green School mission. Thank you for helping with this!

 

Mark Your Calendar!!

Exploris CALENDAR: Please connect your personal calendar to the Exploris Google Calendar by following the link above!

 

• October 16/17 Annah & Sonja Fall Conferences
• October 18/19 Laura & Leah Fall Conferences
• October 18- Elementary School Picture Day
• October 18 Exploris Capital Campaign Kick-Off Event at Marbles
• October 21- Let’s Go For A Hike @ Umstead State Park

 

4th/5th Grade Contacts

Annah Riedel ariedel@exploris.org

Koren Morgan kmorgan@exploris.org

Leah Ruto lruto@exploris.org

Laura Shelton laura@exploris.org

Lori Ellis- Beard lori@exploris.org

Sonja McKay smckay@exploris.org

 

Global Arts Team

Lisa – Movement lisa@exploris.org

Marie – Art marie@exploris.org

Marg – Music marg@exploris.org

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Weekly Newsletter 10/09/17

Dear Parents,

Welcome back from fall break! We will begin our final case study for our first expedition this week. Students will be choosing from four topics: knee braces, concussions, shoe design, and wheelchair designs as we explore ways to improve health and human safety. We will be visiting the Race exhibit on Thursday, October 12th to prepare for our second expedition, there are still a few chaperone spots available please check the sign-up below! Please remember to pack rain gear for your child and please do not order My Hot Lunchbox  that day.

Thank you so much,

The 4/5 Team (Leah, Annah, Laura, Sonja, Koren)

Table-Talk:

• Which project did you choose for expedition?
• How is the 40 Book Challenge going for you?
• What did you think of the Race Exhibit? Was there anything that surprised you or that you have questions about?

Save The Date: Exploris 20th Anniversary Celebration and Capital Campaign Kick-Off

Join us for a family friendly event at Marbles on October 18. Mark you calendars now. More details coming soon!

Capital Campaign Volunteers Needed!

Do you want to be part of making the new building extra special? We are looking for volunteers to help with the capital campaign. Contact Kristi Pettibone at kristipettibone@gmail.com if you’re interested.

School Pictures

• Picture day at the elementary school will be October 18th (this is a rescheduled date!).
• Picture day at the middle school will be October 17th (this is a rescheduled date!)
• Make-up picture day is October 23 for both campuses.

WANTED – Recycled materials for the 4-5 Instrument Design Project: 4th and 5th graders will use the Engineering Design Process to create unique instruments from recycled and repurposed materials. We need items from home such as (but not limited to): shoe boxes, Styrofoam boxes, boxes, cardboard tubes, metal grates, plastic bottles, rubber bands, fishing line, duct tape, bottle tops. Please leave on the table in the music space. Thank you! Marg

Fall Conferences

It’s nearly time for the first round of conferences. Conferences will be in October.

• October 16th/17th Annah & Sonja Fall Conferences

• October 18th/19th Laura & Leah Fall Conferences

Overnight Field trip!

We are excited to share we will be going to Don Lee Environmental Education Center for our overnight field trip in March 2018.  We will ask for parent chaperones at a later date.  The trip promises engaging and exciting activities centered around ecosystems and the Neuse River!  Possible activities: canoeing while studying a pond, seining the Neuse River, salt marsh study, and much much more!

• The trip includes chartered buses to and from Don Lee, 3 meals, and one overnight stay for a total cost of $150.00.
• You may pay the entire amount by winter break, December 15th, or break it into two payments of $75.  First payment due by winter break, December 15th,  and second payment due by January 19th.  

YEARBOOKS ON SALE: Yearbooks are on sale! Click HERE to purchase your 2017-2018 yearbook.

Do you have pictures from school activities and field trips?  We need them!

REPLAY IT APP – Parents and students, can you please download the replay it app to your phones or use the website to submit pictures for yearbook? Thank you!

Donors Choose Project for our Playground

Leah Perry, one of the 2/3 teachers, has started a Donors Choose project for playground equipment and design for the entire elementary school. Click here to learn more about the project and contribute.

5th Grade Updates

• Math:This week we will launch into Mission 2 on Zearn. Mission 2 focuses heavily on Multiplication and Division. Students will receive time in class, but may need to do some work at home in order to meet their weekly goal of completing 4 lessons! Thanks for your support. Also, this week you will see many of their assignments on Mission 1 come home in their Tuesday folders.

 

• Target Time- This Friday, 5th graders will be launching into our Force and Motion unit this Friday we are very excited to move into our second topic in Target Time. If your student showed a particular weakness in Topic 1, The Human Body, they can continue to utilize quizlet as a tool for studying. Their target time notebooks also function as a great study tool. Thanks for your support!

 

• Scholastic Weekly News: This will be our third week using Scholastic Weekly News.  Remember, students can access Scholastic News via the web.

• To access the website you will need to:

– Visit www.scholastic.com/sn56

– Click “Log In” and select “I am a student.”

– Use your classroom password TES-5th

• Once you are in the website you can:

– Have articles read aloud to you.

– Watch videos that correspond to most of the articles.

– Play games related to the issue.

– Read & watch videos about breaking news stories,  

• Please note that we aren’t always reading the most current issue. Sometimes you might have to scroll down to “Recent Issues” towards the bottom of the page in order to find the issue that we are reading together.

4th Grade Updates

• • TenMarks: We have gotten a few questions about personal work versus class assignments in TenMarks. Here is how it works: students will receive 2-3 assignments each week in TenMarks. These come from Laura and Leah. As students finish their assignments, the TenMarks software adapts and creates individual assignments for each student based on skills they need to practice, or concepts they can be stretched in. Once class assignments are complete, students can choose to work on their personal work or games, or jam sessions. Please make sure your child is working in Ten Marks at least 3 times outside of school each week in addition to completing class assignments.
    

 

• Studies Weekly: We will not be completing an issue of Studies Weekly this week because we are finishing our unit on Christopher Columbus. Students will be crafting a piece of writing to teach other students the real story behind Christopher Columbus.
  

• Writing: Students have begun adapting their interviews into narratives. As they continue this work, students will be influenced by the information from their interviews, and will be asked to reflect on their family’s culture and how it has influenced them.
  

• Science: We are still exploring different rocks and minerals this week. We recognize that this is an area of particular interest for some kids. If your child is especially interested in geology, Science Friday is doing a communal inquiry of “neat rocks” where anyone can share a photo of a “neat rock” they have found and experts will provide you with interesting facts about your submission. Please know this is not a class assignment and participating would be solely extracurricular, this project simply overlaps with what we are studying in class right now and may be a fun way to engage in scientific inquiry with your child. If you are interested in participating, you can find more information here.

 

Expedition 1 Update

Students are beginning their final case study for this expedition, where they will choose a topic and create a prototype based on their learning. Students will break into one of four project groups that will examine ways we can use design to improve human health.  Topics are: knee braces, concussions, shoe design, and wheelchair design. If you know of any powerful field experiences or knowledgeable experts, please contact your child’s crew teacher.

Race Exhibit

4th and 5th grade will travel to see the Race Exhibit at the Museum of Natural Sciences on Thursday, October 12th. If you are interested in joining as a chaperone that day we will be walking to the museum and enjoying a picnic lunch downtown. Please see this Sign Up Genius to sign up as a chaperone. Thank you for supporting our field work.

Students should NOT order from My Hot Lunchbox on Thursday, October 12th!

To read more about the exhibit visit these websites understandingrace.org, naturalsciences.org (click race banner).

RACE Exhibit Schedule

Leah & Laura leave at 9:30- Return 12:15

10:00 Tour = Laura

10:15 Tour = Leah

Annah & Sonja leave at 10:15-Return 1:00

10:45 Tour = Sonja

11:00 Tour = Annah

Scholastic Book Orders

This year, our students will continue to grow as readers. One of the best ways to get your child excited about reading is to let them pick their own books. Scholastic Reading Club is a wonderful place to look for great books at affordable prices. Plus your order will help our classrooms earn FREE books and resources!

• To order online, sign in or register at: scholastic.com/readingclub
• For first-time orders, enter the Class Activation Code: HNMM7
• Orders will be placed every two weeks as long as the total grade level order meets the $25 minimum.
• Please submit your order by Friday, October 13th.

Weekly Folders

Weekly folders are purple and will come home on Tuesdays. Please go through them on Tuesday nights and return them on Wednesday morning. Read, sign, and return the weekly Reflection Log. Also, we often send home student work that needs to be returned for portfolios. Thank you for reminding your student to bring their folders back right away.

Global Arts Schedule

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Annah	Walking Classroom	Art	Music	Movement
Laura	Art	Music	Movement	Walking Classroom
Leah	Music	Movement	Walking Classroom	Art
Sonja	Movement	Walking Classroom	Art	Music

 

Lenny the Guinea-Pig sign-up (Sonja’s & Annah’s Crews ONLY) SIGN UP TO TAKE LENNY HOME HERE  

Blizzard the Hedgehog sign-up (Leah’s & Laura’s Crew ONLY) – SIGN UP TO TAKE BLIZZARD HOME HERE!

My Hot Lunchbox

If you would like to order your child’s lunch through My Hot Lunchbox please see the directions linked here: Hot Lunchbox Instructions

Lunch: WASTE FREE

Exploris is a Waste Free Lunch school, which means minimizing trash. Some creative solutions include sending a ziploc for messy food items or transferring yogurt into reusable container with a lid at home to keep lunch-boxes from getting messy. Our goal is to minimize trash. This model aligns with our Green School mission. Thank you for helping with this!

Mark Your Calendar!!

Exploris CALENDAR: Please connect your personal calendar to the Exploris Google Calendar by following the link above!

• October 10 Elementary School Photos
• October 12 Students attend the RACE Exhibit @ NCMNS
• October 16/17 Annah & Sonja Fall Conferences
• October 18/19 Laura & Leah Fall Conferences
• October 18 Exploris Capital Campaign Kick-Off Event at Marbles

4th/5th Grade Contacts

Annah Riedel ariedel@exploris.org

Koren Morgan kmorgan@exploris.org

Leah Ruto lruto@exploris.org

Laura Shelton laura@exploris.org

Lori Ellis- Beard lori@exploris.org

Sonja McKay smckay@exploris.org

Global Arts Team

Lisa – Movement lisa@exploris.org

Marie – Art marie@exploris.org

Marg – Music marg@exploris.org

 

Weekly Newsletter 9/25/17

Dear Parents,

 

This is our last week before fall break. During expedition students will be engaged in a mini-project, called a performance assessment, where they will work to build a model of the arm. This work will wrap up on Thursday and students will be able to explain key structures and functions of the arm as well as the interdependence between the skeletal and muscular systems. Also, We will have visiting guests and a film crew in the school this week. Hang on tight until Friday because it is going to be a full five days.

 

Thank you so much,

The 4/5 Team (Leah, Annah, Laura, Sonja, Koren)

 

Table-Talk: How many books have you read and have you written your book responses yet, for the 40 Book Challenge?

**Leah’s Crew is turning in Reading Responses this Friday for a first round of checks for the 40 Book Challenge!  

 

Save The Date: Exploris 20th Anniversary Celebration and Capital Campaign Kick-Off

Join us for a family friendly event at Marbles on October 18. Mark you calendars now. More details coming soon!

 

Capital Campaign Volunteers Needed!

Do you want to be part of making the new building extra special? We are looking for volunteers to help with the capital campaign. Contact Kristi Pettibone at kristipettibone@gmail.com if you’re interested.

 

School Pictures

• Picture day at the elementary school will be October 10.
• Picture day at the middle school will be October 11.
• Make-up picture day is October 17  for both campuses.

 

Fall Conferences

It’s nearly time for the first round of conferences. Conferences will be in October. Be on the lookout for a Sign Up Genius email from your student’s crew teacher by Friday.

• October 16th/17th Annah & Sonja Fall Conferences
• October 18th/19th Laura & Leah Fall Conferences

 

PSA: It Is Time for the Personal Hygiene Chat

Do you ever catch a sniff of your kiddo in the afternoons and notice they may need a shower or deodorant? Now take that odor and multiply it by 42… That is our afternoon classroom aroma. If you haven’t done so already, please consider having the personal hygiene chat with your student. We know that kids develop at different times and that families all handle issues of personal hygiene and deodorant differently; however, we hope you will have this conversation with your student sooner rather than later.

 

Ambassadors

Update on Ambassadors, students will be sent letters on Friday. Applications are not accepted after today, Monday, September 25th.

 

YEARBOOKS ON SALE: Yearbooks are on sale! Click HERE to purchase your 2017-2018 yearbook. The price is $30. Price increases after September 30, so don’t wait!

 

Do you have pictures from school activities and field trips?  We need them!

REPLAY IT APP – Parents and students, can you please download the replay it app to your phones or use the website to submit pictures for yearbook? Thank you!

 

5th Grade Updates

• Math: This week we are wrapping up Mission 1. Students are expected to complete all 16 lessons in Mission 1 by Monday, September 25th.  They have made a schedule for completing this work in their agenda. We are allowing students to do this during their morning work and dismissal time at school as well. We will also have a Mission 1 check-in on Thursday, September 28th. Teachers will be pushing in the next two weeks with students on Mission 1 content which included (Place Value, Powers of 10, Decimal Number Operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)) to ensure that students are prepared and ready to move forward onto Mission 2.  

 

 

• Target Time- On Friday, September 29th students will take a check-in for Topic 1. Students received a quizlet link via email on Saturday morning! They are expected to study this three times through the course of the week. Here is the link in case it is needed- https://quizlet.com/178894447/human-body-systems-flash-cards/

 

 

• Scholastic Weekly News: This will be our second week using Scholastic Weekly News. Please look for your student’s first week’s work in his/her purple folder. We are working on close reading strategies and each student has set a close reading goal for Week 2.  Remember, students can access Scholastic News via the web.

• To access the website you will need to:

– Visit www.scholastic.com/sn56

– Click “Log In” and select “I am a student.”

– Use your classroom password TES-5th

• Once you are in the website you can:

– Have articles read aloud to you.

– Watch videos that correspond to most of the articles.

– Play games related to the issue.

– Read & watch videos about breaking news stories,  

• Please note that we aren’t always reading the most current issue. Sometimes you might have to scroll down to “Recent Issues” towards the bottom of the page in order to find the issue that we are reading together.

 

4th Grade Updates

• • TenMarks: This week your child has three Ten Marks lessons.  Their lessons all cover measuring angles, as we are studying in class..  Please make sure they are working in Ten Marks at least 3 times outside of school each week.  Thank you!

 

• Studies Weekly: Each week, your child will be receiving a new issue of Studies Weekly, which is focused on social studies topics about North Carolina. Your child is responsible for reading and annotating the issue of the magazine, and must complete the crossword puzzle on the last page by Friday.

• Writing: Students have finished crafting their interview questions and should be ready to interview you soon if they haven’t already. As your child interviews you, please make sure they are taking adequate notes so they can be used as we craft our own narratives. Interviews should be completed by Wednesday. Thank you for sharing your culture with our fourth grade students and for participating in this exciting project.

 

 

Expedition 1 Update

Students are completing a performance assessment this week to demonstrate their understanding of the structures and functions of the skeletal and muscular system.

 

When students return they will break into one of four project groups that will examine ways we can use design to improve human health.  Topics under consideration are: braces/casts/splints, shoes, wheelchairs, prosthetics, and/or concussions. If you know of any powerful field experiences or knowledgeable experts, please contact your child’s crew teacher.

 

Race Exhibit

4th and 5th grade will travel to see the Race Exhibit at the Museum of Natural Sciences on Thursday, October 12th. If you are interested in joining as a chaperone that day we will be walking to the museum and enjoying a picnic lunch downtown. Please see this Sign Up Genius to sign up as a chaperone. Thank you for supporting our field work.

 

Students should NOT order from My Hot Lunchbox on Thursday, October 12th!

 

To read more about the exhibit visit these websites understandingrace.org, naturalsciences.org (click race banner).

RACE Exhibit Schedule

Leah & Laura leave at 9:30- Return 12:15

10:00 Tour = Laura

10:15 Tour = Leah

 

Annah & Sonja leave at 10:15-Return 1:00

10:45 Tour = Sonja

11:00 Tour = Annah

 

Scholastic Book Orders

This year, our students will continue to grow as readers. One of the best ways to get your child excited about reading is to let them pick their own books. Scholastic Reading Club is a wonderful place to look for great books at affordable prices. Plus your order will help our classrooms earn FREE books and resources!

 

• To order online, sign in or register at: scholastic.com/readingclub
• For first-time orders, enter the Class Activation Code: HNMM7
• Orders will be placed every two weeks as long as the total grade level order meets the $25 minimum.
• Please submit your order by Friday, September 29.

 

Weekly Folders

Weekly folders are purple and will come home on Tuesdays. Please go through them on Tuesday nights and return them on Wednesday morning. Read, sign, and return the weekly Reflection Log. Also, we often send home student work that needs to be returned for portfolios. Thank you for reminding your student to bring their folders back right away.

 

Global Arts Schedule

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Annah	Walking Classroom	Art	Music	Movement
Laura	Art	Music	Movement	Walking Classroom
Leah	Music	Movement	Walking Classroom	Art
Sonja	Movement	Walking Classroom	Art	Music

 

Lenny the Guinea-Pig sign-up (Sonja’s & Annah’s Crews ONLY) SIGN UP TO TAKE LENNY HOME HERE  

 

Blizzard the Hedgehog sign-up (Leah’s & Laura’s Crew ONLY) – SIGN UP TO TAKE BLIZZARD HOME HERE!

 

My Hot Lunchbox

If you would like to order your child’s lunch through My Hot Lunchbox please see the directions linked here: Hot Lunchbox Instructions

 

Lunch: WASTE FREE

Exploris is a Waste Free Lunch school, which means minimizing trash. Some creative solutions include sending a ziploc for messy food items or transferring yogurt into reusable container with a lid at home to keep lunch-boxes from getting messy. Our goal is to minimize trash. This model aligns with our Green School mission. Thank you for helping with this!

 

Mark Your Calendar!!

Exploris CALENDAR: Please connect your personal calendar to the Exploris Google Calendar by following the link above!

• Monday, September 25 Ambassador Applications Due

• Tuesday, Sept 26 Exploris Board Meeting at the middle school campus
• Oct 2-6 School Closed, Fall Break
• October 10 Elementary School Photos
• October 12 Students attend the RACE Exhibit @ NCMNS
• October 16/17 Annah & Sonja Fall Conferences
• October 18/19 Laura & Leah Fall Conferences
• October 18 Exploris Capital Campaign Kick-Off Event at Marbles

 

4th/5th Grade Contacts

Annah Riedel areidel@exploris.org

Koren Morgan kmorgan@exploris.org

Leah Ruto lruto@exploris.org

Laura Shelton laura@exploris.org

Lori Ellis- Beard lori@exploris.org

Sonja McKay smckay@exploris.org

 

Global Arts Team

Lisa – Movement lisa@exploris.org

Marie – Art marie@exploris.org

Marg – Music marg@exploris.org

Week 6: September 18th-September 22nd

Dear Parents,

We have completed half of our MAP testing and this week will be focused on Math.  Thank you for having your child at school on time and fed a healthy breakfast!  In expedition we have completed our study of the nervous system and are moving on to the skeletal system.  Please look at the table talk questions below and have some good conversations with your child over dinner this week!

Thank you so much,

The 4/5 Team (Leah, Annah, Laura, Sonja, Koren)

 

Table-Talk: Things you could ask about with your students!

• How is handwriting going so far?
• How is TenMarks going this week? (4th grade) How is Zearn going this week? (5th grade)
• What have you learned about the skeletal system?
• How many books have you read and have you written your book responses yet, for the 40 Book Challenge?

 

Race Exhibit

4th and 5th grade will travel to see the Race Exhibit at the Museum of Natural Sciences on Thursday, October 12th. If you are interested in joining as a chaperone that day we will walking to the museum and enjoying a picnic lunch downtown. Please see this Sign Up Genius to sign up as a chaperone. Thank you for supporting our field work.

Students should NOT order from My Hot Lunchbox on Thursday, October 12th!

To read more about the exhibit visit these websites understandingrace.org, naturalsciences.org (click race banner).

RACE Exhibit Schedule

Leah & Laura leave at 9:30- Return 12:15

10:00 Tour = Laura

10:15 Tour = Leah

 

Annah & Sonja leave at 10:15-Return 1:00

10:45 Tour = Sonja

11:00 Tour = Annah

 

Save The Date

Our Capital Campaign Kick-off takes place on Wednesday, October 18th at Marbles Museum. It is a family friendly event! We will share more information in the coming weeks about the event, for now mark your calendars and plan to be there to help celebrate 20 years of Exploris awesome and to launch our school community into it’s next 20!

 

MAP Testing

This week Koren will facilitate the fall Math MAP test. During this time students will be pulled from class. Please make sure your student has had a good breakfast and arrives to school on time! Thank you for your support!

 

Ambassadors

Paper copies of the Ambassador Application were sent home last week with all students who expressed interest. Annah also sent an electronic copy to all students and parents on Saturday morning. Ambassador applications are due Monday, September 25th. No late applications will be accepted. Over half of ⅘ expressed interest and only 12-15 get chosen annually. Be sure to review the criteria with your student and make sure their application expresses their best work.

 

School Pictures!

• Picture day at the elementary school will be October 10.
• Picture day at the middle school will be October 11.
• Make-up picture day is October 17  for both campuses.

 

Fall Conferences

It’s nearly time for the first round of conferences. Conferences will be in October. Be on the lookout for a Sign Up Genius email from your student’s crew teacher.

• October 16th/17th Annah & Sonja Fall Conferences
• October 18th/19th Laura & Leah Fall Conferences

 

5th Grade Updates

• Math: This week we are mixing up our weekly work cycle! Therefore, Zearn will take place at home this week. Students are expected to complete Mission 1 by Monday, September 25th.  They have made a schedule for completing this work in their agenda. We are allowing students to do this during their morning work and dismissal time at school as well. We will also have two teacher made check-ins in the coming weeks. The dates for these check-ins are Thursday, September 21st and Thursday, September 28th. Teachers will be pushing in the next two weeks with students on Mission 1 content which included (Place Value, Powers of 10, Decimal Number Operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)) to ensure that students are prepared and ready to move forward onto Mission 2.  

 

• Scholastic Weekly News: This week we are beginning to read Scholastic Weekly News. We are very excited about how we are going to use Scholastic News this year. Also, we wanted to share with you some neat features about the Scholastic News website.

• To access the website you will need to:

– Visit www.scholastic.com/sn56

– Click “Log In” and select “I am a student.”

– Use your classroom password TES-5th

• Once you are in the website you can:

– Have articles read aloud to you.

– Watch videos that correspond to most of the articles.

– Play games related to the issue.

– Read & watch videos about breaking news stories,  

• Please note that we aren’t always reading the most current issue. Sometimes you might have to scroll down to “Recent Issues” towards the bottom of the page in order to find the issue that we are reading together.

 

4th Grade Updates

• • TenMarks: This week your child has two exit tickets (assessments) in Ten Marks and one lesson.  Their exit tickets cover Symmetry and 2D Figures.  Their new lesson is on measuring angles.  Please make sure they are working in Ten Marks at least 3 times outside of school each week.  Thank you!

 

• Studies Weekly: Each week, your child will be receiving a new issue of Studies Weekly, which is focused on social studies topics about North Carolina. Your child is responsible for reading and annotating the entire issue of the magazine, and must complete the crossword puzzle on the last page by Friday.

• Writing: We are in the process of crafting our interview questions for the recipes. We hope to finish the questions this week so that your child can begin interviewing you over the weekend or next week.

 

 

Expedition 1 Update

Our second case study will focus on three human body systems: nervous, skeletal, and muscular. As we explore the human body systems, we will place emphasis on their function, and how the systems work together. Throughout this case study, we will also look at examples of what happens when each system fails to work properly, and how modern medicine and engineering address these issues.

 

Scholastic Book Orders

This year, our students will continue to grow as readers. One of the best ways to get your child excited about reading is to let them pick their own books. Scholastic Reading Club is a wonderful place to look for great books at affordable prices. Plus your order will help our classrooms earn FREE books and resources!

 

• To order online, sign in or register at: scholastic.com/readingclub
• For first-time orders, enter the Class Activation Code: HNMM7
• Orders will be placed every two weeks as long as the total grade level order meets the $25 minimum.
• Please submit your order by Friday, September 29.

Weekly Folders

Weekly folders are purple and will come home on Tuesdays. Please go through them on Tuesday nights and return them on Wednesday morning. Read, sign, and return the weekly Reflection Log. Also, we often send home student work that needs to be returned for portfolios. Thank you for reminding your student to bring their folders back right away.

 

Global Arts Schedule

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Annah	w/ Koren	Art	Music	Movement
Laura	Art	Music	Movement	w/ Koren
Leah	Music	Movement	w/ Koren	Art
Sonja	Movement	w/ Koren	Art	Music

 

Lenny the Guinea-Pig sign-up (Sonja’s & Annah’s Crews ONLY) SIGN UP TO TAKE LENNY HOME HERE  

 

Blizzard the Hedgehog sign-up (Leah’s & Laura’s Crew ONLY) – SIGN UP TO TAKE BLIZZARD HOME HERE!

 

YEARBOOKS ON SALE: Yearbooks are on sale! Click HERE to purchase your 2017-2018 yearbook. The price is $30. Price increases after September 30, so don’t wait!

 

Do you have pictures from school activities and field trips?  We need them!

REPLAY IT APP – Parents and students, can you please download the replay it app to your phones or use the website to submit pictures for yearbook! Thank you!

 

My Hot Lunchbox

If you would like to order your child’s lunch through My Hot Lunchbox please see the directions linked here: Hot Lunchbox Instructions

 

Lunch: WASTE FREE

Exploris is a Waste Free Lunch school, which means minimizing trash. Some creative solutions include sending a ziploc for messy food items or transferring yogurt into reusable container with a lid at home to keep lunch-boxes from getting messy. Our goal is to minimize trash. This model aligns with our Green School mission. Thank you for helping with this!

 

Mark Your Calendar!!

Exploris CALENDAR: Please connect your personal calendar to the Exploris Google Calendar by following the link above!

• Monday, September 25 Ambassador Applications Due

• Tuesday, Sept 26 Exploris Board Meeting at the middle school campus
• Oct 2-6 School Closed, Fall Break
• October 10 Elementary School Photos
• October 16th/17th Annah & Sonja Fall Conferences
• October 18th/19th Laura & Leah Fall Conferences

 

Message from Movement

 

Greetings parents and guardians,

 

Students in 2nd through 5th grade will begin Fitness Testing.  They will participate in various activities that measure cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and flexibility which means they will run, push up, curl, and stretch.  They must remember to wear appropriate shoes and clothes and have a water bottle.  These are daily expectations for movement class.

 

The purpose of these assessments is so students can set realistic fitness goals and develop a plan for activities that will help them to reach their goals.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at lferrando@exploris.org.

 

Sincerely,

Lisa

 

4th/5th Grade Contacts

Annah Riedel areidel@exploris.org

Koren Morgan kmorgan@exploris.org

Leah Ruto lruto@exploris.org

Laura Shelton laura@exploris.org

Lori Ellis- Beard lori@exploris.org

Sonja McKay smckay@exploris.org

 

Global Arts Team

Lisa – Movement lisa@exploris.org

Marie – Art marie@exploris.org

Marg – Music marg@exploris.org

Week 5: September 11th – September 15th

Dear Parents,

This week we are launching Case Study 2 in expeditions where we look at 3 major human body systems: Nervous, Skeletal, and Muscular systems. Students will explore and discover how and why these systems work. This week students will also begin their fall MAP testing. Testing will take place this week and next so please send your student to school well rested and having had a good breakfast! This week is the reading MAP assessment and the following week is math!

If you couldn’t make curriculum night that’s quite alright! Today in Tuesday folders we will send home a sheet to families who missed our event on Thursday. You can review with your student and send the sheet back in with a signature!

• Be sure to check out Ellie’s email about Inclement Weather Policies in the event of school cancellations
• This spring in early March we will be traveling to Camp Don Lee for our overnight field trip. Teachers are hard at work to help make sure we have cost, transportation, and programs laid out in the coming weeks. We will communicate with you ASAP on these things. Thanks for your patience and support as we try something new this year!
• Ambassador Applications will go home on Friday to all those who are interested. Annah will be sharing the application with students who are interested. See information below! Deadline for application: Monday, September 25th.
• Each Thursday: Students should bring to school all of the books they finished reading that week as well as the book they are currently reading.  
• If we haven’t received your student’s forms, you will be receiving an email from Koren this week. Just click here to submit forms online.
• Please help your student to have a working pair of earbuds or headphones with them at school every day. So far, we have used them for Tenmarks and Zearn among other things. Walking Classroom starts next week!
• Closed toe shoes that are comfortable for walking are best every day.
• Poncho: Please double check that this lives in your student’s backpack.
• Absent?  Please email your student’s crew teacher, and copy Mae and Koren, to let them know when/why your student will be absent.
• Scholastic Book Orders – Due Friday 9/15/17. See below for more info.
• We have a school-wide community circle every Friday from 8:30-9:00. Students lead the activities that include games and songs. All families are welcome to attend!

 

Thank you so much,

The 4/5 Team (Leah, Annah, Laura, Sonja, Koren)

 

Table-Talk: Things you could ask about with your students!

• How is handwriting going so far?
• How is TenMarks going this week? (4th grade) How is Zearn going this week? (5th grade)
• What are was an activity in morning meeting this week?
• What have you learned about the human body systems so far?
• What book are you reading for the 40 Book Challenge? How many have you read so far?  

 

MAP Testing

This week Koren will facilitate the fall Reading MAP test. Next week students will take the Math MAP test. During this time students will be pulled from class. Please make sure your student has had a good breakfast and arrives to school on time! Thank you for your support over these next two weeks!

 

Don Lee

We are excited to announce that we will be going to Camp Don Lee this March with our 4th and 5th grade students this is an overnight field trip where students will get to engage in learning that aligns with their in class work. We will announce dates, details, and seek chaperones in the coming weeks! We thank you for your support for this new ⅘ adventure to Don Lee!

 

Ambassadors

One wonderful opportunity that is offered at the elementary and middle school campuses is Ambassadors. They are 4th and 5th graders or 7th and 8th graders at their respective campuses that help lead school tours and represent our school when we have school tours. This Thursday/Friday students who are interested can pick up an application. Annah will also send it electronically to all student emails in case forms are lost. The application will clearly state criteria- students should complete and turn in applications by Monday, September 25th. Once applications are turned in a team of teachers and administration will discuss. We will send home letters on Friday, September 29th prior to the start of Fall Break.

 

40 Book Challenge!

Students are learning in the next few weeks how to write their response forms for the 40 book challenge. Examples will be provided in their blue reader’s notebooks. Students will be able to work on their response forms during morning work, dismissal, or at home as needed!

 

TenMarks (4th Graders)

4th grade students have all had three weeks to get accustomed to Ten Marks, our online math portal.  From now on, Ten Marks needs to be considered weekly homework.  Your child needs to work in Ten Marks at least 3 times a week, outside of school.  Each week they will have 2-3 lessons assigned which need to be completed.  The great thing about Ten Marks is that it is adaptive to each child!  After they complete a lesson it will open up additional tasks they need to practice, these are 100% connected to how they performed in the lesson completed.  In other words, the better they do the less adaptive tasks show up!

 

Snapshot of your student’s Ten Marks:

1. A) Students need to work in Ten Marks 3 or more times a week outside of school.
2. B) Students should complete lessons assigned under ‘My Class Work’.
3. C) After My Class Work is completed, students should work through their adaptive work in ‘My Personal Work’.
4. D) Students can also move on to Labs, Jams and earn points which unlock Games.

 

Ten Marks will give the child ‘Hints’ and they can watch a ‘Video’ to assist them when they may be struggling.  Login information was sent home in each child’s Tuesday folders two weeks ago, it is also glued into their math notebooks.  If you have not yet set up your Parent Login, please do so.  You may monitor your child’s progress through this login.

 

Expedition 1 Update

Our second case study will focus on three human body systems: nervous, skeletal, and muscular. As we explore the human body systems, we will place emphasis on their function, and how the systems work together. Throughout this case study, we will also look at examples of what happens when each system fails to work properly, and how modern medicine and engineering address these issues.

 

Scholastic Book Orders

This year, our students will continue to grow as readers. One of the best ways to get your child excited about reading is to let them pick their own books. Scholastic Reading Club is a wonderful place to look for great books at affordable prices. Plus your order will help our classrooms earn FREE books and resources!

• To order online, sign in or register at: scholastic.com/readingclub
• For first-time orders, enter the Class Activation Code: HNMM7
• Orders will be placed every two weeks as long as the total grade level order meets the $25 minimum. Please submit your order by Friday, September 15 to get your books in the first order of the year.  

 

Art Class Supplies Needed

Students need a small-ish sketchbook for art class this year. The ideal size is approximately 5 x 7 inches.  Yes, this is in addition to the sketchbook which was on their supply list.  

 

YEARBOOKS ON SALE: Yearbooks are on sale! Click HERE to purchase your 2017-2018 yearbook. The price is $30. Price increases after September 30, so don’t wait!

 

My Hot Lunchbox

If you would like to order your child’s lunch through My Hot Lunchbox please see the directions linked here: Hot Lunchbox Instructions

 

Lunch: WASTE FREE

Exploris is a Waste Free Lunch school, which means minimizing trash. Some creative solutions include sending a ziploc for messy food items or transferring yogurt into reusable container with a lid at home to keep lunch-boxes from getting messy. Our goal is to minimize trash. This model aligns with our Green School mission. Thank you for helping with this!

 

Weekly Folders

Weekly folders are purple and will come home on Tuesdays. Please go through them on Tuesday nights and return them on Wednesday morning. Read, sign, and return the weekly Reflection Log. Also, we often send home student work that needs to be returned for portfolios. Thank you for reminding your student to bring their folders back right away.

 

Global Arts Schedule

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Annah	w/ Koren	Art	Music	Movement
Laura	Art	Music	Movement	w/ Koren
Leah	Music	Movement	w/ Koren	Art
Sonja	Movement	w/ Koren	Art	Music

 

Class Pets:

Lenny the Guinea-Pig sign-up (Sonja’s & Annah’s Crews ONLY) SIGN UP TO TAKE LENNY HOME HERE  

Blizzard the Hedgehog sign-up (Leah’s Crew ONLY) – coming soon!!

 

Mark Your Calendar!!

Exploris CALENDAR: Please connect your personal calendar to the Exploris Google Calendar by following the link above!

 

• Friday, September 15 Scholastic book orders are due
• Monday, September 25th Ambassador Applications Due
• Tuesday, Sept 26 Exploris Board Meeting at the middle school campus
• Oct 2-6 School Closed, Fall Break

 

Message from Movement

Greetings parents and guardians,

Students in 2nd through 5th grade will begin Fitness Testing.  They will participate in various activities that measure cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and flexibility which means they will run, push up, curl, and stretch.  They must remember to wear appropriate shoes and clothes and have a water bottle.  These are daily expectations for movement class.

The purpose of these assessments is so students can set realistic fitness goals and develop a plan for activities that will help them to reach their goals.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at lferrando@exploris.org.

Sincerely,

Lisa

 

4th/5th Grade Contacts

Annah Riedel areidel@exploris.org

Koren Morgan kmorgan@exploris.org

Leah Ruto lruto@exploris.org

Laura Shelton laura@exploris.org

Lori Ellis- Beard lori@exploris.org

Sonja McKay smckay@exploris.org

 

Global Arts Team

Lisa – Movement lisa@exploris.org

Marie – Art marie@exploris.org

Marg – Music marg@exploris.org

Week 4 Newsletter, September 5th

Dear Parents,

Thanks for your continued support of our classrooms. Even though this is a short week, it will be jam-packed with exciting events. We began by having a field trip to see Dream Big at IMAX today, which wrapped up our STEM challenges. Then, we will begin our next case study for our expedition, which focuses on the human body systems. The Forty Book Challenge also begins this week, so please ask your child about what they’re reading. Please see our additional reminders below:

• FORMS!!! If you have not already, please fill out the beginning of school year forms as soon as possible. They are available online this year. Just click here! Not sure if you have submitted your forms? Email Koren at kmorgan@exploris.org to find out.
• Each Thursday: Students should bring to school all of the books they finished reading that week as well as the book they are currently reading.  
• Curriculum Night: 4/5 STUDENTS and parents are invited to attend Curriculum Night on September 7th. More information below.
• Please help your student to remember to have earbuds or headphones with them at school every day.
• Closed toe shoes are best.
• Poncho: Please double check that this lives in your student’s backpack.
• Absent?  Please email your student’s crew teacher, and copy Mae and Koren, to let them know when/why your student will be absent.
• Scholastic Book Orders – Due Friday 9/15/17. See below for more info.
• We have a school-wide community circle every Friday from 8:30-9:00. Students lead the activities that include games and songs. All families are welcome to attend!

 

Thank you so much,

The 4/5 Team (Leah, Annah, Laura, Sonja, Koren)

Table-Talk: Things you could ask about with your students!

• How was the movie Dream Big?
• How is handwriting going so far?
• How is TenMarks going this week? (4th grade) How is Zearn going this week? (5th grade)
• What are was an activity in morning meeting this week?
• What have you learned about the human body systems so far?
• What book are you reading for the 40 Book Challenge? How many have you read so far?  

 

40 Book Challenge!

The 40 Book Challenge is a year-long project where students will push themselves as readers. The goal is to read at least forty books by the end of the year, though some students will read more, and some less. Every student will be asked to read books from multiple literary genres and write a response about their books. In order to accomplish this goal, students should be reading at least 150 pages each week. Crew teachers will be meeting with each student regularly and crews will meet once a week on Thursdays to share what they’re reading and get ideas for new books. If you have questions about the challenge, or want to know about your child’s progress, please contact your child’s crew teacher.

 

Curriculum Night – Thursday, September 7th

The 4th/5th grade team is structuring our Curriculum Night to be more interactive. Please come WITH your student. Together, you and your student(s) will complete a series of stations to learn more about the school day including this year’s routines and expectations. Choose one of two times for the evening – 5:30 to 6:15 or 6:30 to 7:15.

 

(Note: Regrettably, Sonja is out of school on Thursday and Friday September 7th/8th. She is leading a group of educators from across the state in professional development and speaking at a conference. She will try her best to attend part of the Curriculum Night, but will not be there for most of the evening. Sonja apologizes for not being available to meet with parents that evening and looks forward to seeing everyone soon either at fall conferences if not before.)  

 

TenMarks (4th Graders)

4th grade students have all had two weeks to get accustomed to Ten Marks, our online math portal.  From now on, Ten Marks needs to be considered weekly homework.  Your child needs to work in Ten Marks at least 3 times a week, outside of school.  Each week they will have 2-3 lessons assigned which need to be completed.  The great thing about Ten Marks is that it is adaptive to each child!  After they complete a lesson it will open up additional tasks they need to practice, these are 100% connected to how they performed in the lesson completed.  In other words, the better they do the less adaptive tasks show up!

 

Snapshot of your student’s Ten Marks:

1. A) Students need to work in Ten Marks 3 or more times a week outside of school.
2. B) Students should complete lessons assigned under ‘My Class Work’.
3. C) After My Class Work is completed, students should work through their adaptive work in ‘My Personal Work’.
4. D) Students can also move on to Labs, Jams and earn points which unlock Games.

 

Ten Marks will give the child ‘Hints’ and they can watch a ‘Video’ to assist them when they may be struggling.  Login information was sent home in each child’s Tuesday folders two weeks ago, it is also glued into their math notebooks.  If you have not yet set up your Parent Login, please do so.  You may monitor your child’s progress through this login.

 

Expedition 1 Update

Our first case study from our expedition Every(BODY) is ending up this week. We saw the movie Dream Big at the IMAX today, and we will wrap up our STEM challenges. View the trailer of Dream Big here!

Our second case study will focus on three human body systems: nervous, skeletal, and muscular. As we explore the human body systems, we will place emphasis on their function, and how the systems work together. Throughout this case study, we will also look at examples of what happens when each system fails to work properly, and how modern medicine and engineering address these issues.

 

Scholastic Book Orders

This year, our students will continue to grow as readers. One of the best ways to get your child excited about reading is to let them pick their own books.

 

Scholastic Reading Club is a wonderful place to look for great books at affordable prices. Plus your order will help our classrooms earn FREE books and resources!

 

• To order online, sign in or register at: scholastic.com/readingclub
• For first-time orders, enter the Class Activation Code: HNMM7
• Orders will be placed every two weeks as long as the total grade level order meets the $25 minimum. Please submit your order by Friday, September 15 to get your books in the first order of the year.  

 

Art Class Supplies Needed

Students need a small-ish sketchbook for art class this year. The ideal size is approximately 5 x 7 inches.  Yes, this is in addition to the sketchbook which was on their supply list.  

 

YEARBOOKS ON SALE: Yearbooks are on sale! Click HERE to purchase your 2017-2018 yearbook. The price is $30. Price increases after September 30, so don’t wait!

 

My Hot Lunchbox

If you would like to order your child’s lunch through My Hot Lunchbox please see the directions linked here: Hot Lunchbox Instructions

 

Lunch: WASTE FREE

Exploris is a Waste Free Lunch school, which means minimizing trash. Some creative solutions include sending a ziploc for messy food items or transferring yogurt into reusable container with a lid at home to keep lunch-boxes from getting messy. Our goal is to minimize trash. This model aligns with our Green School mission. Thank you for helping with this!

 

Weekly Folders

Weekly folders are purple and will come home on Tuesdays. Please go through them on Tuesday nights and return them on Wednesday morning. Read, sign, and return the weekly Reflection Log. Also, we often send home student work that needs to be returned for portfolios. Thank you for reminding your student to bring their folders back right away.

 

Scholastic Book Orders

If you are considering purchasing books for your student to read, please consider purchasing through our Scholastic book order account. Orders will be placed every two weeks and are a great way for our classroom to receive free books throughout the year. Online ordering is incredibly easy and you can search for books online without needing a print catalog.

To order books online, sign in or register atwww.scholastic.com/readingclub .  For first time orders, enter the class activation code HNMM7 under Sonja McKay. We earn class books whenever you order! Next Order: Friday, September 15th.

 

Global Arts Schedule

	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Annah	Art	Music	Movement
Laura	Music	Movement	w/ Koren
Leah	Movement	w/ Koren	Art
Sonja	w/ Koren	Art	Music

 

Lenny the Guinea-Pig sign-up (Sonja’s & Annah’s Crews ONLY) SIGN UP TO TAKE LENNY HOME HERE  

 

Blizzard the Hedgehog sign-up (Leah’s Crew ONLY) – coming soon!!

 

Mark Your Calendar!!

Exploris CALENDAR: Please connect your personal calendar to the Exploris Google Calendar by following the link above!

 

• Thursday, Sept 7 Curriculum Parent Night 5:30p.m. – 6:30 p.m. and  6:30pm (two times to accommodate families with multiple children)
• Friday, September 15 Scholastic book orders are due
• Tuesday, Sept 26 Exploris Board Meeting at the middle school campus
• Oct 2-6 School Closed, Fall Break

 

Communication is Key: STAY CONNECTED

 

 

• Remind 101

 

Remind 101 is a texting service where you can receive last minute reminders from the ⅘ team. Majority of our communication will come through our weekly blog. There are two options for signing up.

• Option 1: Go online and fill out rmd.at/45tea The classroom code is @45tea

• Option 2: Alternatively you can text @45tea to 81010

 

2)  4/5 Blog

Our blog is the main way to stay connected with the 4/5 team and classrooms. Using this link you can subscribe to our weekly blog. Starting September, 18th we will only be sent to those who have subscribed. Please go to exploris45.wordpress.com and subscribe to our blog! If you are a 5th grade parent it is the same as last year!

 

4th/5th Grade Contacts

Annah Riedel areidel@exploris.org

Koren Morgan kmorgan@exploris.org

Leah Ruto lruto@exploris.org

Laura Shelton laura@exploris.org

Lori Ellis- Beard lori@exploris.org

Sonja McKay smckay@exploris.org

 

Global Arts Team

Lisa – Movement lisa@exploris.org

Marie – Art marie@exploris.org

Marg – Music marg@exploris.org

Week 3 Newsletter August 28th -September 1st

Dear Parents,

Thank you for sharing your student(s) with us! We had another great week! Highlights included STEM challenges, guest teachers from Shinonome Junior High School, and the start of Explorations. This week students will begin their “regular schedules”. This schedule includes math and ELA in our grade level blocks. Starting this week we will begin sharing about the books we are reading during “It’s Thursday What Are You Reading?” Details below.

A couple of reminders:

• $ Collection: Please send in $11 ($5 donation for your child’s planner, $6 for the viewing of Dream Big (Tuesday, September 5th @11:00 AM, send a snack for morning)
• Each Thursday: Students should bring to school all of the books they finished reading that week as well as the book they are currently reading.  
• Curriculum Night: 4/5 STUDENTS and parents are invited to attend Curriculum Night on September 7th. More information below.
• Closed toe shoes are best.
• Poncho: Please double check that this lives in your student’s backpack.
• Absent?  Please email your student’s crew teacher, and copy Mae and Koren, to let them know when/why your student will be absent.
• Please check your students purple folder each week!

 

Thank you so much,

The 4/5 Team (Leah, Annah, Laura, Sonja, Koren)

 

Table-Talk: Things you could ask about with your students!

• How is Handwriting going so far?
• How is Tenmarks going this week? (4th grade) How is Zearn going this week? (5th grade)
• What was an activity in morning meeting this week?
• What has been your favorite Engineering Design Challenge so far?

 

Curriculum Night

The 4th/5th grade team is structuring our Curriculum Night to be more interactive. Please come WITH your student. Together, you and your student(s) will complete a series of stations to learn more about the school day including this year’s routines and expectations. Choose one of two times for the evening – 5:30 to 6:15 or 6:30 to 7:15.

(Note: Regrettably, Sonja is out of school on Thursday and Friday September 7th/8th. She is leading a group of educators from across the state in professional development and speaking at a conference. She will try her best to attend part of the Curriculum Night, but will not be there for most of the evening. Sonja apologizes for not being available to meet with parents that evening and looks forward to seeing everyone soon either at fall conferences if not before.)  

 

Expedition 1 Snapshot

Our first expedition, Every(BODY), is underway with our final week of STEM challenges.  Students are exploring the engineering design process, focusing on collaboration, engagement, and being risk takers! Next week on Tuesday, September 5th we will view the movie Dream Big (September 5th @11:00 AM) at the IMAX. View the trailer of Dream Big here!

The cost of viewing the film Dream Big is $6.00 per student. (FYI: Dream Big chaperones will receive an informational email later this week.)  

STEM Supplies

We are still collecting STEM supplies for our first expedition. Please consider donating some of necessary items. See the Sign Up Genius for details.  Thank you to everyone who has been sending in materials!!

STEM Supplies Sign-up

 

Art Class Supplies Needed

Students need a small-ish sketchbook for art class this year. The ideal size is approximately 5 x 7 inches.  Yes, this is in addition to the sketchbook which was on their supply list.  

 

YEARBOOKS ON SALE: Yearbooks are on sale! Click HERE to purchase your 2017-2018 yearbook. The price is $30. Price increases after September 30, so don’t wait!

 

My Hot Lunchbox

If you would like to order your child’s lunch through My Hot Lunchbox please see the directions linked here: Hot Lunchbox Instructions

 

Lunch: WASTE FREE

Exploris is a Waste Free Lunch school, which means minimizing trash. Some creative solutions include sending a ziploc for messy food items or transferring yogurt into reusable container with a lid at home to keep lunch-boxes from getting messy. Our goal is to minimize trash. This model aligns with our Green School mission. Thank you for helping with this!

 

Weekly Folders

Weekly folders are purple and will come home on Tuesdays. Please go through them on Tuesday nights and return them on Wednesday morning. Read, sign, and return the weekly Reflection Log. Also, we often send home student work that needs to be returned for portfolios. Thank you for reminding your student to bring their folders back right away.

 

Forms

All back to school forms are online this year. Please complete them ASAP. LINK

 

Global Arts Schedule

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
Annah	Art	Music	Movement	w/ Koren
Laura	Music	Movement	w/ Koren	Art
Leah	Movement	w/ Koren	Art	Music
Sonja	w/ Koren	Art	Music	Movement

 

Lenny the Guinea-Pig sign-up (Sonja’s & Annah’s Crews ONLY) SIGN UP TO TAKE LENNY HOME HERE  

Blizzard the Hedgehog sign-up (Leah’s Crew ONLY) – coming soon!!

 

Mark Your Calendar!!

Exploris CALENDAR: Please connect your personal calendar to the Exploris Google Calendar by following the link above!

• Monday, Sept 4 Labor Day – Holiday – No School
• Tuesday, Sept 5 Dream Big Movie at IMAX (11:00 show, leaving school at 10:00)
• Thursday, Sept 7 Curriculum Parent Night 5:30p.m. – 6:30 p.m. and  6:30pm (two times to accommodate families with multiple children)

 

Communication is Key: STAY CONNECTED

 

• Remind 101

 

Remind 101 is a texting service where you can receive last minute reminders from the ⅘ team. Majority of our communication will come through our weekly blog. There are two options for signing up.

• Option 1: Go online and fill out rmd.at/45tea The classroom code is @45tea

• Option 2: Alternatively you can text @45tea to 81010

2)  4/5 Blog

Our blog is the main way to stay connected with the 4/5 team and classrooms. Using this link you can subscribe to our weekly blog. Starting September, 18th we will only be sent to those who have subscribed. Please go to exploris45.wordpress.com and subscribe to our blog! If you are a 5th grade parent it is the same as last year!
4th/5th Grade Contacts

Annah Riedel areidel@exploris.org

Koren Morgan kmorgan@exploris.org

Leah Ruto lruto@exploris.org

Laura Shelton laura@exploris.org

Sonja McKay smckay@exploris.org

Global Arts Team

Lisa – Movement lisa@exploris.org

Marie – Art marie@exploris.org

Marg – Music marg@exploris.org