5th Grade Survey

5th Graders, I need your help. For our next unit in Library, I would like to do a read a loud of a chapter book but I cannot decide what to read. Help me out by completing the following survey:

Book Survey

Thanks in advance

MCAS Testing

Library class will be held in Room 307 (3rd Floor Computer Lab) during MCAS testing (March 23-April 1st). Students will hold onto their Library books and no overdue notices will be going out during this time.

While prepping for the test, students may check out the following web site for test taking pointers and practice questions:

BPL MCAS Practice Software web site offers sample MCAS questions for students in grades 4, 8, and 10 (but even students in other grades can benefit from their tips and strageties).

MCAS Mentor is a web site for parents with students that are about to take the MCAS. The site includes information about the test, scoring, and standards over by the test. The site also includes practice work sheets.

State of Texas Online Practice Assessment (Math) is an example of the State of Texas Math Assessment for 3rd grade (the questions are similar to 3rd grade math MCAS). Students will get results instantly.

Virginia State Standards of Learning Practice Tests contains questions from the math, science, and technology test for grades 2-8. Students can select the number of questions they want to answer at a time.

State of Texas Online Practice Assessment (Reading) is an example of the State of Texas Reading Comprehension Assessment for 3rd grade (the questions are similar to 3rd grade Reading MCAS). Students will get results instantly.

Dewey Podcast created by Ms. DeMarco's class

Ms. DeMarco's 3rd grade class is here to teach you about the Dewey Decimal System. Each group was responsible for researching and writing about one of the Dewey classes. Students then created a podcast script and rehersed their parts. When all the groups were ready, they recorded their podcast with Mrs. C.

Group 1

Group 2

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Group 4

Group 5

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Group 7

Dewey Podcast Created by Ms. Hamel's class

Ms. Hamel's 3rd grade class is here to teach you about the Dewey Decimal System. Each group was responsible for researching and writing about one of the Dewey classes. Students then created a podcast script and rehersed their parts. When all the groups were ready, they recorded their podcast with Mrs. C.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Group 6

Group 7

Dewey Podcast Created by Mr. Rolli's class

Mr. Rolli's 3rd grade class is here to teach you about the Dewey Decimal System. Each group was responsible for researching and writing about one of the Dewey classes. Students then created a podcast script and rehersed their parts. When all the groups were ready, they recorded their podcast with Mrs. C.

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Group 6

Group 7

Dewey Podcast created by Ms. Cortazar and Ms. Knox's class

Ms. Cortazar and Ms. Knox's 3rd grade class is here to teach you about the Dewey Decimal System. Each group was responsible for researching and writing about one of the Dewey classes. Students then created a podcast script and rehersed their parts. When all the groups were ready, they recorded their podcast with Mrs. C.

Group #1

Group #2

Group #3

Group #4

Group #5

Group #6

Group #7

Awesome job guys!

New Trial Databases

The Whelan LMC is pleased to have with them for the following month trial subscriptions to PebbleGo Animal Database and Encyclopedia Britannica Online. To access these databases- click on the DATABASES on the LMC's web site.

What are we doing in Library this week

Happy Monday.

This will be another busy week for students in the Library. For this week only- on Tuesday, grades 3-5 will be meeting in the Auditorium to have their Nick Page kick off. On Wednesday, grades 2,3, and 1 will switch with my Monday classes (this week on Wednesday I will meet with Ms. Petrone's, Ms. DeMarco's, and Ms. Sutherland's class- Ms. Murphy's, Ms. Hamlet's, and Ms. Clark's will have Spanish instead).

Kindergarten will be learning about animals in the winter. Students will learn what hibernation is and how do animals prepare for it. They will listen to Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. To end our lesson- students will get to play "Which bed does it belong in" on the SMART Board. Fancy words for our Fancy Word Wall include hibernation (deep sleep) and lair (home).

First graders will be talking about what it means to be a citizen and how they can teach our LMC community to become good Library citizens. Last week we read Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann. This week students will be making their Library Tip stars. Each star will have a tip on one side and an illustration of the tip on the other side. These tips will help all Library students be around of Library Media Center behavior and how the Library Media Center is a community space in the school. The stars will be on display in the Library Media Center when they are completed.

Second grade will be wrapping up the parts of the nonfiction book this week with a Smart Response Quiz.

Third grade is working on their Dewey Podcast. Each table will be created a podcast that teaches about one class of the Dewey Decimal System. Students will be researching their class, writing their podcast scripts, and recording their podcast. When the podcast are completed, I will be uploading them onto the LMC's blog.

Fourth grade will be working on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid read aloud. We will enjoy the 1st book of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Greg Kinney. This week we will be reading pages 8-35. Students will be responsible for writing in their own journal (helping them prepare for the MCAS Long Comp. in March). This week writing prompt will be about the student's best prank.

Finally, fifth grade is coming to the end of their Google ninja training. Students will be learning about Boolean operators and how to use them.

Newbies for the week of January 4th

If I Ran the School, edited by Bruce Lasky 811 LAS

Bruce Lansky has written five new poems for this book and selected nineteen others from some of his favorite poets, including Jack Prelutsky, Kenn Nesbitt, Ted Scheu, and Robert Pottle.

Pilgrim Children Had Many Chores, Gina Lems-Tardif; Illustrated by Gina Lems-Tardif's first grade class 974.4 LEM

A simple book about what Pilgrim children did on a daily basis.

Caballitos de Mar (Sea Horses), Carol K.Lindeen 597.6798 (SPA)- Spanish Collection

Describes sea horses, what they look like and where they live.

September 11, 2001: the Day that Changed America, Jill C. Wheeler

Describes the events and immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, in which planes were crashed into the Twin Towers buildings in New York City as well as into the Pentagon building near Washington, D.C.

What are we doing this week in Library?

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday break. So far the students are eager to be back in the Library, for some it has been a while since they checked out new books. This week, the beginning of Library class is dedicated to going ove LMC rules and procedures (not that I think anyone has forgotten). Here is a sampling of who is learning what in the LMC:

Kindergarten will be starting a new theme- Winter. We will be reading stories about activities to do during the winter months, what animals do during the winter, and the Olympics. This week, the students will have a SMART Board activity about things we can do during the winter. They will listen to Ezra Jack Keat's story, The Snowy Day. Students will be able to go onto Starfall (http://www.starfall.com/) and play Ten Little Snowmen.

First graders will be talking about what it means to be a citizen and how they can teach our LMC community to become good Library citizens. This week we will be reading Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman.

Second grade is continuing learning about the different parts of nonfiction books and how they can use that to find information. This week we are going to talk about captions (the sentence underneath a picture that describes what is going on in the picture). Students will have a chance to place Animal Caption Matching (Mrs. C created Quia game).

Third grade is working on their Dewey Podcast. Each table will be created a podcast that teaches about one class of the Dewey Decimal System. Students will be researching their class, writing their podcast scripts, and recording their podcast. When the podcast are completed, I will be uploading them onto the LMC's blog.

Fourth grade will start a Diary of a Wimpy Kid read aloud. We will enjoy the 1st book of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Greg Kinney. Students will be responsible for writing in their own journal (helping them prepare for the MCAS Long Comp. in March).

Finally, fifth grade is coming to the end of their Google ninja training. Students will be learning about Boolean operators and how to use them.

I hope everyone enjoys their week back!

Mrs. C