Monday, November 30, 2015

Headlines 11/30

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and was able to enjoy time with family and friends.  We are now in the "crunch" time of our year.  The students and I spoke this morning about working hard for the next three weeks as we prepare for the end of the first semester!


Math: We finished the week by taking our Unit 3 Tests, these should be coming home today or tomorrow and will corrections will need to be made.  This week we will be working on multiplying fractions.  We will be having math groups on Wednesday at our normal time of 8:00-9:00.

Writing/Grammar:  We continued our work on Persuasive Essays last week and I had the chance to look over their outlines.  This week we will be writing rough drafts, editing, and starting our final copies.  We will also be learning about compound subjects, verbs, and conjunctions and learning how to diagram these.

Literature: Most of the class has finished reading Where the Red Fern Grows and everyone should be working on their 100 Point Project.  The final due date for these is this Friday, December 4th.  We will set time aside in class to look at presentations and will give the students a chance to share their projects with their classmates.  Our next unit will last until the Winter Break and will be on Poetry.  Today we will be watching different readings of poems and each student will choose a poem to memorize and present to the class.  These will be due Monday, December 16th. 

Science:  We finished our week by taking an open-note quiz over the Kingdom Animalia.  We are now moving on to Kingdom Fungi.

History:  We began the Reformation by learning about the Printing Press, this week we will be focusing on Martin Luther and his influence on the time.
 
 
 Announcements

 
  • Tutoring has changed formats.  Monday will now be grammar and writing. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be Math.
  • We began our typing program this will continue every Friday from here on out.
 
Important Dates
  • 12/4 100 Point Project Due
  • 12/17-18 Half Day Release
  • 12/21-25 Winter Break
     
 
Sixth Grade Enrollment Information:

Students scheduled to graduate from our academy are not automatically enrolled into 6th grade at our designated recipient school, Arete Preparatory Academy.  You will need to submit a new application to Arete Preparatory Academy during the open enrollment period in order to be considered for enrollment at that academy for the 2016-2017 school year. 

Frequently asked questions:

When can we submit a 2016-2017 application?

The open enrollment period dates for the 2016-2017 school year are Monday, November 30th, through Monday, December 14th, 2015.  

Will we get an application priority status?

Applications received from graduating 5th grade students will be given “Archway Graduate” priority application status on their Arete Prep application. Archway Graduate is the highest priority that Great Hearts Academies offers for students that enroll.

Does my application go back through the lottery?

Although all applications received during open enrollment will enter a lottery, the graduating students from Archway Arete will be given a waitlist number based on the Archway Graduate priority status, the highest priority Great Hearts offers.  

What if we miss open enrollment?

Applications can still be submitted even after the open enrollment period but will not be eligible for the lottery and will be considered post-enrollment applications. These post open enrollment applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis but will still give Archway Graduate priority status. Please be aware post enrollment applications are not guaranteed an offer of enrollment. It is recommended that families apply during open enrollment since initials offers will begin January 19th, 2016.

Can my student go to another Great Hearts academy?

Families may also choose to apply to a Great Hearts academy other than Arete Preparatory Academy but will not be eligible for “Archway Graduate” priority status.  Instead, you may submit a Transfer Request form to your desired academy after your 2016-17 application for that school has been submitted.  You can find a Transfer Request form on the Enrollment page at www.greatheartsaz.org.  If all requirements are met and it is approved, your 2016-2017 application will be marked for “Transfer” priority status. 

Please note: Archway Arete works closely with Arete Prep to ensure that all of the graduating 5th graders have the option to attend Arete Prep. The hope is that all Archway Arete 5th graders will continue on to Arete Prep through graduation. While working closely together to ensure seats are available for all Archway Graduates, there is still no guarantee that each student will receive an offer. For more information about Great Hearts enrollment policies, please visit the ENROLLMENT page at www.greatheartsaz.org or call 602-438-7045 #351.


 

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Headlines 11/17

Even though we had an odd week with Wednesday off, we managed to accomplish quite a bit.  I am also happy to report that the overall behavior and level of respect was greatly improved this week.  Thank you for your support!


Math: Last week we used our knowledge of fractions to practice converting measurements.  We will be reviewing these concepts next week and will take the Unit test on Friday.  Please be sure your child stays for tutoring Thursday if you feel they need some extra support.  We will also be having our math groups on Wednesday from 8:45-9:45 again this week.  After this week we will back to our regular schedule.

Writing/Grammar:  We reviewed parts of speech last week and began talking about methods used to persuade audiences.  The kids had fun looking at some old advirtisements.  Ask them about "Gillete Safety Razor!"  Next week begins the writing process for persuasive essays.

Literature: We have had some wonderful class discussions in our book study.  We are over half way though the book, so I hope that there has been work started on the 100 point project.  The due date will be Tuesday, December 1st.

Science:  We have been learning about the different classifications of animals and we will continue climbing the Animalia ladder this week.

They also enjoyed a hands-on experience with worms!




History:  A study guide should have gone home last week. I apologize for not getting the test date on the blog.  We will be reviewing for the test tomorrow and will take it on Tuesday.  We will begin our new unit covering the Reformation on Wednesday.



The students did a wonderful job memorizing and performing their poem.  Enjoy the recitation!
 
 Announcements

 
  • Tutoring has changed formats.  Monday will now be grammar and writing. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be Math.
  • As of Monday, November 2, the winter uniform guidelines go into effect.  Boys will be required to wear long pants, girls may wear pants or skirts with knee socks or tights.
  • We will begin our typing program on Friday.  To begin this will be in-class work, however, as we progress in the program we may ask for practice at home as well. 
 
Important Dates
  • 11/17 Renaissance Test
  • 11/18 Winter Concert 
  • 11/20 Unit 3 Singapore Test
  • 11/25-11/27 Thanksgiving Break, No School
  • 12/1 100 Point Project Due

Monday, November 9, 2015

Headlines 11/9

The weather has changed and I hope everyone has enjoyed some time outdoors!  We have made good use of our outdoor classroom and hope to continue to do so.  Our week ended a little rocky, and we had a discussion of what respectful scholarly behavior looks like in our classroom.  We discussed showing kindness to all and listening with respect to teachers and our classmates. I am happy to report that today was a much better day.  Please continue to reiterate to your fifth grader that a desire to learn and grow is the foundation of a classical education.  Thank you for all your support :)


Math: This week we will begin learning how to convert measurements.  We will take our time moving through this process as it can be a bit overwhelming for some students.

Writing/Grammar:  This week we will be learning how to diagram compound subject nouns and will begin the writing process for a persuasive paper.

Literature: We have had some wonderful class discussions in our book study.  We are over half way though the book, so I hope that there has been work started on the 100 point project.  The due date will be Tuesday, December 1st.

Science:  We have been learning about the different classifications of animals and tomorrow we will get a chance for a hands-on discussion as we take a look at earthworms!

History:  Our class has had quite the introduction to the Renaissance and we had the opportunity last week to see a mini-gallery of the artists we are studying.  This week we hope to conclude the unit, so be looking for a study guide in the near future.
 Announcements

 
  • Tutoring has changed formats.  Monday will now be grammar and writing. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be Math.
  • As of Monday, November 2, the winter uniform guidelines go into effect.  Boys will be required to wear long pants, girls may wear pants or skirts with knee socks or tight
 
Important Dates
  • 11/10 Picture Retakes
  • 11/11 Veteran's Day - No School
  • 11/18 Winter Concert
  • 11/25-11/27 Thanksgiving Break, No School
  • 12/1 100 Point Project Due

Monday, November 2, 2015

Headlines 11/2

We had a great Monday and no-one appeared to have had a sugar overdose.  After a few gentle reminders that candy is not considered a healthy snack, the day went very well!  I want to say a HUGE thank you to the parents who came in to help on Friday.  You all are amazing and both the students and I are grateful for the time and effort you put into making the Read-A-Thon a huge success. We are a lucky bunch!


Math: The class seems to have a pretty firm grasp on the concepts we are studying.  We will be taking time to review fractions this week and will be testing next week.  If you find your child is struggling, please let me know and be sure they attend tutoring on Tuesday and Thursday.

Writing/Grammar:  We will be writing our final drafts of our descriptive paragraphs and then will be moving to the final step of Publishing.  We also will be going back to grammar, focusing on types of nouns and pronouns.

Literature: I hope everyone is enjoying Where the Red Fern Grows.  In this book we are focusing on using the text-based evidence to answer questions and make inferences.  Hopefully everyone has had the opportunity to look through the 100 Point Project with their students and make project choices.  I would encourage getting a head start on these and making a plan for the timeline in which to complete the project.


Science:  Most students did very well on the Chemistry test and it was clear they studied their notes.  We began our next unit this today on animal classification.

History:  Throughout this unit the we have been practicing various ways of taking notes and studying.  I encourage you to have your child bring home their notes to review the concepts we are learning in class.
 Announcements

 
  • Tutoring has changed formats.  Monday will now be grammar and writing. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be Math.
  • As of Monday, November 2, the winter uniform guidelines go into effect.  Boys will be required to wear long pants, girls may wear pants or skirts with knee socks or tight
 
Important Dates
  • 11/6 Movie Night and Uniform Exchange 
  • 11/10 Picture Retakes
  • 11/11 Veteran's Day - No School
  • 11/18 Winter Concert
 
Enjoy some pictures from the Read-A-Thon!