We're nothing if not musical!

There's never a dull moment around the Vielleux Crew, and if you're strolling through the halls you might just see us "throwing our hands up" to the tune of "Layers of the Earth" by Rhythm, Rhyme & Results.  We've listened to it a few times, and the scientific content within the song is amazing.

Listen for yourself:





This is the beginning of our first science unit of the year.  We focus on the Earth's changing surface and begin with models of Earth's layers.  We review the rock cycle and learn about more in depth (just wait until you hear Ricky the Rapping Rock) and then we look at the way the surface changes rapidly and slowly.

Wednesday is our annual trip to The Polar Caves.  We love it there... it's a great time to wander around the wooded paths with friends, and a great time to see the fall foliage.  The kids were a little concerned that there might be "bears in the caves" but we assured them that was not the case.  These caves were actually formed when boulders broke off the side of Hawk's Cliff.  According to the website, "The Polar Caves were formed an Ice age ago. Our caves are granite caves and do not have stalactites or stalagmites, which are found in limestone caves.  Instead they were formed when the glacier moved overhead dropping boulders at the base of Hawk’s cliff.  These boulders formed passageways, which over the years we have built boardwalks through to make a neat experience."


As a reminder, here is what the kids can expect for the trip and a list of expectations and reminders:

• Everyone needs to bring lunch and snacks.  Please, no glass containers and bring drinks that can be closed easily.
• Wear comfortable clothing and footwear.
• Clean out your school backpack so you aren't carrying around extra weight.
• Students may bring electronics, ipods, and amusements for the bus ride.  Students are responsible for their belongings and bring them at their own risk.  All songs must be school appropriate.
• Students may bring no more than $10 spending money for the gift shop and/or rock collecting areas.
• Chaperones may ride the bus or follow in private cars-- it's up to you.  As the green chaperone paper states, please check in with your child's teacher at 8:15.
• Students are expected to stay with the chaperones and meet at the agreed upon time.  Please be prompt.  If a chaperone has any problems with a student, please report it to a teacher right away.
• Chaperones are welcome to bring cameras!  Please share any photos you have with us.  We love pictures of adults trying to get through the Lemon Squeeze.
• Have fun!

Hot off the Presses!

Click on the photos to see the documents.

Order Books Online

The first book order of the year is due on Friday of this week.  For every book you purchase through scholastic, we are able to earn free books for the classroom.  You can order the traditional way by returning the order form to school, or you may order online.

Online Ordering Information
Web address: scholastic.com/bookclubs
Class Activation Code: GVNNZ

Here's how it works:

• SIGN UP at www.scholastic.com/bookclubs. On the parent page, click the "Register" button in the "First Time Here?" section. Register for your own user name and password. When prompted, enter the one-time Class Activation Code shown above. This unique code ensures that your order is sent to me.
  
• SELECT the books you'd like to order -- choose from thousands of titles -- many more than in our monthly flyers.
  
• SEND your order online by the due date and your child's books will be delivered directly to my classroom.

Ordering online is fast, easy, and secure.

What a trip!

Thanks to Jennifer Packard, and the folks at Jesse's Restaurant the fifth graders got to see one local company's effort to reduce its carbon footprint.  Through local gardens (on the Jesse's lawn), and a huge compost pile, Jesse's is reducing, reusing and recycling.

With the impending frost, the fifth graders got to harvest the entire garden.  We found carrots, eggplant, peppers, lettuce, green beans, broccoli and lots of tomatoes.  Then we were treated to a buffet lunch complete with an ice cream sundae.  YUM!  The Vielleux Crew learned about the word "etiquette" in a Daily Language Review assignment, and transformed our new knowledge into a discussion of restaurant etiquette, and more specifically buffet etiquette.  There are some of the rules for this special occasion that we came up with.

• Don't YUCK my YUM (Thanks, Jessica)!
• Take only what you're going to eat.
• If you have to sneeze or cough, do it away from the food.
• Say please and thank you.
• Use your utensils appropriately.
• USE UTENSILS.
• Chew with your mouth closed.
• Use a napkin.

Here are some other photos of our day:

Wanted: Math Fact Masters-- $10 Reward

 

Wanted:  Students who learn their math facts.

Many students have already tried out www.xtramath.org which is a no-frills website designed to help students master their math facts.  Students begin with multiplication and move onto division.  Kids complete a prescribed set of activities and eventually pass.  Each night that they practice, I am sent a notification.  Please make sure they practice for one whole session.  They will be compensated for their work by being given $1VCB for every night they practice.  Once they have completed multiplication mastery, they will receive a $10 bonus!  Flyers will come home on Monday to tell you how to register.  

Preamble Duet

As I greeted the students this morning, a couple of students were eager to show me how hard they had worked on their memorization of the Preamble to the Constitution.  This one was especially energetic!




Of course, everyone else wanted in on the action as well...

Hot Off the Press! September 12th Newsletter

Please click on this link to view the newsletter.

We the People...

Vielleux Crew News-- Hot off the Press!

Click here to see the newsletter

It's THAT Time of Year Again!

It's that time of year again.  BACK TO SCHOOL.  This blog is a way for the kids and parents of The Vielleux Crew to communicate throughout the year.  We'll show you what we're doing in class and I will post documents and other items that the kids might need here.  This blog will evolve and change through the year, but it should always be useful and interesting.


The first thing I would recommend is reading through the Vielleux Crew Handbook, which will help parents and students understand how things work in fifth grade.  The last page should be filled out and returned to me as soon as possible.


A popular question is:  What does my child need on the first day of school?  Comfortable clothes (dressed for the weather), shoes, a snack and a lunch or lunch money.  We do have a snack time every day.  Fifth graders eat lunch at 12:45-- by that time we're ravenous-- and so we stop around 10 to have a snack and refuel our brains.