GATE Recap April 22 – May 3

News For All

FIFTH GRADE – INVENTION MUSEUM – The fifth graders will be presenting their inventions to the University City Community on Tuesday, May 14 from 6:00 – 7:00 at Pershing School.  This is part of a district wide GATE Showcase for all fifth graders.  Please feel free to come and see what is happening in the other schools and at Brittany Woods. 

BOOK ORDERS: The last book order of the year is available.  The order forms are due by May 10.  If you’d like to order on line go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs  our code is: GL7HN.  There is a fun extra form this month: Heroes of Mythology.  On line, you can find this listed on a fly out under the “Place an Order” tab.  Please enter orders by midnight on Friday, May 10.

CLASSROOM LIBRARY:  Please help your children to keep track of the books they sign out from the GATE Classroom Library.  As we get to the end of the year, I’ll be looking to try and get them all back.

FINAL CLASSES:

          Kindergarten – May 30

          First Grade – May 29

          Second Grade – May 28

          Third Grade – May 29

          Fourth Grade – June 3

          Fifth Grade – May 29

         

Kindergarten - Enrichment & GATE - Thursdays

Yesterday’s classes were cancelled due to the Storytelling / Police Dept / Fire Station field trip.  I did get a few minutes in with the afternoon group, but we’ll follow up on those activities next week.

Last week the morning group shared their inventions for transporting acorns up a tree.  Your children are amazing. They had great ideas for making that job much easier on the squirrels.  Their work will come home next week along with all the papers from the Isabel the Inventor unit.  Our next character is Sybil the Scientist but we will start that unit when we return in August.

First Grade – Wednesday Mornings

We were back to our regular schedule this week.  We finished our timeline which the students took back to class to aid in writing their autobiographies.  I am hearing wonderful reports from the teachers about the writing activity.  We also began writing stories that can be used to make a maze like the one we did last week.  Next week we’ll continue our stories.

Second Grade – Tuesday Mornings

Second grade did not meet this week.   Next week we’ll be finishing our candy box research as well as our Patterns in Multiples work that they started two weeks ago.  We are working on explaining our thinking in complete, clear sentences.

Third Grade – Tuesday Afternoons

Due to the music show this week we had a shortened class.  We worked on just the magic squares.  I am hoping everyone will have a magic square to challenge their classmates when they return to class on May 7.

Fourth Grade – Monday Afternoons

We had an exciting time last week with Brian Feld’s demonstration of Sketch Up.  I hope some of you have downloaded the program for the children to practice with.  I have secured the COW (Computer on Wheels) for May 20 and June 3.  I am working on having the children finish their buildings before we leave in June, however, we’ll be designing the city layout when we return in August.  See you all on Monday, May 2.

Fifth Grade – Wednesday Afternoons

The Invention Museum was a huge hit.  We had so many classes lined up that at one point I was turning away students.  We were able to get everyone back and I heard many positive comments from the teachers.

IMPORTANT DATE: Tuesday, May 14 we will have our class because the students will be visiting BWMS on Wed., May 15.  This is also our District GATE Showcase evening.

Next week we are going to begin a mini challenges unit.  The students will be given non-conventional materials and a task to build a structure that can stand on its own.  We’ll also being doing team word challenges and category challenges.  Each week your child should come home with ideas to challenge you as they’ve been challenged in class.

GATE Recap April 8 - 19

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MAP testing has thrown my schedule off a little.  Please be aware of these changes.  First Grade is meeting on Monday, April 22 instead of Wed., April 24.  Second Grade will not meet next week at all.  Third Grade may start a little later than normal depending on how long their Tuesday testing session takes.  Fourth and Fifth grades should be unaffected.

FIFTH GRADE – INVENTION MUSEUM – The fifth graders will be presenting their inventions to the school community on Wed., April 24 from 1:30 – 3:15 in Room 105 (The old Library).  Please come see their wonderful work.

BOOK ORDERS: The last book order of the year is available.  The order forms are due by May 10.  If you’d like to order on line go to www.scholastic.com/bookclubs  our code is: GL7HN.  There is a fun extra form this month: Heroes of Mythology.  On line, you can find this listed on a fly out under the “Place an Order” tab.  Please enter orders by midnight on Friday, May 10.

CLASSROOM LIBRARY:  Please help your children to keep track of the books they sign out from the GATE Classroom Library.  As we get to the end of the year, I’ll be looking to try and get them all back.

Kindergarten - Enrichment & GATE - Thursdays

This week during the morning session we worked on our writing.  The children used words from the Spring Dictionary they made last week.  Then the children created a machine to get acorns to the top of a very tall tree.  Next week we’ll share our sentences and our acorn collecting machines. 

We’ll be doing the last lesson for Inventive Thinking next week also.

Each week I provide time for the children to choose a book to read.  This week I was able to hear everybody read.  Often the children will choose a book that is too difficult.  This is ok, as long as they are bringing it home to share with you.  In class I’d like them to read books at their own comfort level.  I am working on expanding my Kindergarten level books.  I told them all I want them to read all summer too.  They will be learning about the Summer Reading Program from the U City Library in just a couple of weeks. 

First Grade – Wednesday Mornings

First grade met on Monday last week and will meet again next Monday, April 22.  The students worked with others from the class to make a time line of their day.  We’ll review those and then begin working on our personal timelines.  Each student should have their special events list ready to use in making the timeline.

After timelines we completed a review of the human body unit we’ve been working on for some weeks.  It’s always fun to see just how much they remember after such a long unit.  They did a fabulous job on the review.  You should be able to see this in their binders.

We’ll also finish up our PETS lessons with a fun review and puzzle. 

Classes will resume on Wednesday’s beginning May 1.

Second Grade – Tuesday Mornings

Tuesday became Friday this week.  Only a couple of children forgot their binder which is amazing considering the crazy week they’ve had.  Over the last few weeks we’ve been working on our concept of multiplication. Today we researched all the possible rectangles that could be made from 6, 12, and 24 color tiles.  The children then cut those shapes out of graph paper.  I was so thrilled to see them discover the many arrays.  They also made the connection between these rectangles being similar to the arrays they’ve been learning about in class. After they found all the possible combinations they arranged them on larger papers by size.  The final step is to recommend one shape from each size to a candy company to be used as a box for their new candy.  We’ll be reviewing everything they did when I see them again on Tuesday, April 30.

THERE IS NO CLASS next week.

Third Grade – Tuesday Afternoons

The class is moving along on Hands-On Algebra, but I need to do more guided lessons than in the past.  We are now doing problems with two variables and both positive and negative numbers.  ALL of the students can do this work.  I think they are not trusting their instincts as well as not trying a problem more than once without asking for help.  I am encouraging them to redo the problem a couple of times before checking with me.  Most times the student has not set up the problem correctly.

In Math Around the World we’ve moved on to Lo-Shu squares.  These are also called Magic Squares.  This week we learned the rules of a lo-shu.  Next week we’ll learn how to make our own.

Fourth Grade – Monday Afternoons

Our entire class was spent on deciding which 23 buildings we would incorporate into the new Polyhedraville.  It was an interesting and lively discussion.  Most interesting was each groups top five or ten choices.  Next week we’ll jump back to the geometry side of the unit and work on learning the characteristics of a polyhedron.  We’ll analyze the shapes they made two weeks ago, so make a decision as to what makes a polyhedron a polyhedron.

Fifth Grade – Wednesday Afternoons

This week the children made the advertisement for their invention.  I was so excited to see all the models.  I hope everyone can at least stop by and see the inventions at school on Wednesday afternoon.  We’ll be on display again on Tuesday, May 14 from 6 – 7:30 at Pershing School.  Everyone that can is asked to attend that event.

We also enjoyed watching School House Rock while we worked on the advertisements.  As they finished their work, many students helped to process the box tops and soup labels we’ve collected since Spring Break.  Toward the end of class you would have walked in and see all of them glued to the School House Rock video.  I was thrilled they found it so fun and interesting.

GATE Recap for March 4 - April 5

News for All

NOTE: I realize there is some HTML showing up in this post (or at least on my preview it is)  I am sorry for the distraction. I'm working on removing it, but wanted to get this out to everyone.
 

Book Orders for April are available on line at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. Our class code is GL7HN.  Orders placed on line must be entered by midnight on April 12.  If you'd like to send in a paper order with a check I'll need that by Friday, 12 at 3:30.

Summer Programs for the Gifted – College for Kids is a summer program at St. Louis Community College at Meremac.  It’s a wonderful program that offers short classes in art, math, science, and other areas.  The program runs July 29 – August 2 and August 5 – 9.  I have two brochures or you can call 314-539-5737 for a brochure.  You can also access the classes and information on line at www.stlcc.edu/CFKids  I just received the brochures today and sign ups start on Monday, April 8. 

Conferences -- I saw many of you at conference time.  Thank you for stopping by and seeing what we've been doing. Remember, you are always welcome in our classrooms, we just ask that you check with us ahead of time, just in case there is an interruption to the schedule.

MAP Testing - MAP testing begins Tuesday, April 16.  This will cause a few schedule changes for first and second grade and maybe a couple of late starts for third and fifth grade.  But I am still meeting with each group during testing time.  I am a proctor so I will be unavailable on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 9 - 12.

Fabulous Website - In looking for a way to enrich my first grade human body unit I found a website that has lessons in all areas of our curriculum as well has health and life skills.  I highly recommend this site: e-learningforkids.org/courses.html.  This site is organized by curriculum area and then age level.  Please explore and enjoy.

GATE TESTING - If your child is identified at the Enrichment level and they are in first, third or fifth grade, this is their year for retesting. I will be sending home evaluations and test permission slips later in April.  Testing will take place late April and early May.  There are two possible outcomes from this testing: either your child keeps the Enrichment level or if they qualify, they can move to the GATE level of services.

 

KINDERGARTEN - Thursdays

The morning class has been working through our Primary Education Thinking Skills program (PETS).  We finished with Dudley the Detective and your child should have brought home a folder of the work we did while using our deductive reasoning skills.  We are now learning about Inventive Thinking.  Isabel the Inventor is our memory trigger.  She teaches the students that there can be many right answers, to see ordinary things in unusual ways, unusual and wacky ideas are encouraged and that it's OK to piggy back on someone else's ideas.  This week we created a bicycle for a spider.  Ask your child about their spicycle.

 

The afternoon group has been working on expanding their vocabulary.  Hopefully you saw the papers that came home in February and March. These activities were computer based and used books as support for the vocabulary.  This month we'll begin focusing on common letter and sound families and all the words in those families.  Your child should bring these papers home each week.  We've also been exploring geometry with tangrams and pentominoes.

 

First Grade - Wednesday Morning

First graders have been busy learning about the human body.  We've had lots of fun making skeletons, and recreating our intestines.  We finished up with the unit I was using this week, but we're going a little farther next week. Thanks to Ryan's curiosity we found out that this unit ignored the respiratory system. So, I'm going to touch on that next week and then skin the week after.

 

We have two class changes in April due to the MAP testing schedule.  April class dates are Wednesday, April 10, Monday, April 15, Monday, April 22, and then back to Wednesdays in May.  I will remind the children next week about our Monday class.

 

Second Grade - Tuesday Morning

Second Graders have been very busy learning about multiplication.  Also, we've been writing and deciphering secret codes.  We had a bump in the road last week with the new COCA program, but that's all worked out. Please check the email from Tuesday for our class schedule.  As we continue with the multiplication unit the children will be exposed to many ways we use multiplication in our everyday lives.  We are not worried about memorizing facts. This is about how to use the skill.

 

We'll also be finishing with the PETS visual thinking activities and move on to Evaluative Thinking problems.  I am hoping to finish the second level with the children this school year.

 

Third Grade - Tuesday Afternoon

The third graders continue to learn about algebra through the Hands-on Equations program.  I'm excited with what they are doing and I hope they come home and tell you all about it.  We've moved onto the third level which introduces two variables as well as both positive and negative numbers.  I'm doing a more guided work with these lessons as it's been a little more difficult than the one variable one value problems.

 

We've also been doing our Think and Touch problems.  These problems are in your child's binder and they can show you what we do each day.

 

Our Math Around the World unit is winding down.  We have just a couple more games to learn.  Then we'll have a Math Around the World day where they will be able to play all the different games we've learned.  Hopefully you've played many of them with your child as they've brought them home to share each week.  Next week’s activity is called Magic Squares.

 

One of the children asked about doing more of the PETS lessons and when I went back I realized that they have finished the first and second levels, so I think I'll wait until next school year to start them on the third level.

 

Fourth Grade - Monday Afternoon

Well, we finished the Lewis and Clark unit last week.  The children did an amazing job.  I think they were pleased with their post-test and all that they had learned.  I will be getting all their work that I've kept handed back next week.

Our next unit is Polyhedraville.  In this unit we combine city planning with geometry.  The first few weeks are deciding what it takes to build a city from scratch. So, we are imagining that we will settle one of the first cities on the Moon or maybe even Mars.  But of course we have all the amenities of Earth.  I've asked the children to decide what buildings are necessary in a city.  They should be talking to you about this activity.  They will bring their lists back on Monday and we'll work through them as a class and decide on the 23 structures that will make up our city center.  Each student will be responsible to build one community building and one residential building.

 

I'll keep you posted with our progress and when we have the city completed we'll have a day to show it off to our families.

 

Fifth Grade - Wednesday Afternoons

Fifth graders have been busy working on their personal inventions.  After a few mini-research projects they have begun their own invention.  This week we were able to talk about half of the projects.  The children had wonderful ideas and questions for their classmates.  I was really impressed with their ideas and the thoughtful input given to modify the inventions.  I have told the children these are just ideas and they do not have to implement their classmates’ ideas, but we were all thinking outside the box as we "what if'd" each invention.

 

Next week, we'll finish the discussions.  Actual models of the inventions are due on the 17th of April. On April 24 we'll have an invention museum in the old library so the children can show off their hard work to parents and other students.  This is always a highlight of the unit.

 

Mark your calendar for Tuesday, May 14 when we'll have a District Wide GATE showcase at Pershing Elementary.  At this evening event, all district fifth graders will show of what they've been working on this year in their GATE classes.  I hope you can join us.

 

GATE Recap February 19 – March 1

Kindergarten - Enrichment & GATE - Thursdays

Well thanks to the nasty weather we missed our February 21 class.  I was able to see the children this week though.  We finished our Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) lesson on deductive thinking.  The key ideas in these lessons were: the problems have one right answer, ponder the clues before making a decision, put all the clues together and to be patient, don’t jump to conclusions.  

Our next character is Isabel the Inventor.  Isabel will teach the children ways to brainstorm and to allow them to think of many ideas that are all possible solutions to a problem.  This will help the children see that there are different kinds of problems to be solved and we have to have the skills to know which method we use to solve the problem.  The afternoon group has been working on vocabulary building activities.  Hopefully you have seen the printouts of the words they've been exposed to each week. Keep these lists and revisit them.  Also, ask your child to put them into context.  The four or five big words were all pulled from the story we read that week.  Next week, we’ll read Corduroy as our launch into the lessons.

First Grade – Wednesday Mornings

We began our study of the circulatory system on March 20.  Since we will have had a two week break, next week I will review the information we covered and then we’ll work on a couple of more activities that will help the children with their understanding of just how the blood moves through our bodies.  The symphony concert was wonderful and well worth missing a class.

Second Grade – Tuesday Mornings

On March 19, after having had a chance to improve their games, we had another day of game playing.  The children did a fantastic job on these games.  Each time they’ve played them the creators have found things they want to change about the game. I assured them that this was a normal process and that many games still aren’t “perfect” even when they are published.  I also quickly gave them the assignment to find groups of things.  Thank you for helping your child fill out the chart.  We had fun this week hearing all the different items that were used.  On a few of them we looked up information to learn even more about a topic.  I love it when one assignment leads to learning I never could have planned for.  

This week, after filling out a large version of the 2 – 12 chart, the children were asked to write a word problem using one of the items on our list. I’ll be typing these up so everyone can try to solve them.  I also gave the kids more information about our Multiplication Unit that we are starting. This will not be about memorizing the facts or doing equations, although that may happen, but about the concept of multiplication.  Each week we’ll do different activities that will reinforce the concept of how multiplication works and when it should be used. 

The students also worked on cracking a secret code.  They may have brought this home to finish.  Most of the children figured out the message, but they will still need to find the pattern in the code.  Our next step will be creating our own codes and then messages for translation.

Third Grade – Tuesday Afternoons

On March 19 we worked on a new lesson in Hands-On Algebra.  Remember, this is in your child’s binder and you can see each week how they are doing.  IF an answer is circled, that means they were incorrect, but they went back and fixed it.  Many of the children are having a difficult time.  I will likely go back and do some review.  When we talk through problems they all have it, but then they sit and try to do them on their own and they rules seem to fly right out of their heads.

We then went on to our Shongo Networks. I showed the children how to use a mathematical way to figure out if a network could be traced without picking up their pencil. This was sent home as homework and due to the snow day and the fact we didn’t get to it this week, they will now need that assignment on March 5.

The March 26^th class was cut short by the first and fourth grade concert.  We did not get to the Shongo networks.  

Fourth Grade – Monday Afternoons

Well the snow didn’t interrupt fourth grade classes, but the President’s Day holiday still took a day from us.  This week the students finished their timelines then chose an independent project.   Each person has a different project, so check with your child to see what they chose. The projects are due March 4. Please let me know if there is anything you need for this.  I have checked in with most of the children each morning as they are coming in and I’ve not been asked for anything.  As always, written work can be submitted written, typed, via email or on a flash drive. 

Fifth Grade – Wednesday Afternoons

On March 20 we began our Inventions Unit.  I gave the children a very quick research assignment with a short response required.  This week, I had six students NOT turn in the assignment.  Please help your child remember their binder and assignments on Wednesdays.  We also did an in class activity showcasing some interesting inventions and when they were invented.  It was fun to hear what the children thought before we got the real answer. 

This week we talked about the assignment (most important invention) and then moved onto two other assignments. This week’s assignment was to pick an inventor to research. Guidelines were sent home. This may be typed or handwritten but the illustration part of the assignment should be the student’s own work, not a clip art piece.  The second thing we did was begin thinking of what they might invent. They created invention logs, which hopefully you’ve seen already.  There are some fabulous ideas already floating around.  This assignment will be an ongoing project with direction coming from me each week.  Each week, they’ll also have a short research assignment that shouldn’t take more than a half hour to complete.

Below is this week’s short research assignment.

FIFTH GRADE - Research Assignment: Inventors and their Inventions

Your homework is to research an inventor.

Include the following things in your ONE page report.

1.      Name the inventor.

2.      Diagram of an invention developed by this inventor - This must be your own work, no clipart

3.      Background information on the inventor

4.      How and why the invention illustrated in #2 came about.

5.      Did any earlier inventions influence the inventor in this invention?

6.      What difference did this invention make in the world?

7.      What is the source you used to find your information?

You are limited to one page.  You may type or handwrite your report.  Be sure your final report is error free.