Planners and Home-School Folders

Hello families!  We have had two fun, busy, and productive days together.  You should know that your child now has a green home-school folder and a student planner.  EVERY DAY your child should bring these home, and they should come back to school the following day.  If there's homework, it will be in the planner.  If there's no homework, then the day will also indicate that.  Please email me if you have any questions or concerns at wendym@mpsvt.org.

Start Time on The First Day: 8am

School will normally begin at 8:15 on Wednesdays, but on the first day, we will start at 8.  This is the only Wednesday that will have an 8am start time.  Between 7:30 and 8 your child can go to the library or cafeteria.  Also, though the playground is closed due to lack of supervision, students may spend time outside the front of the building before the school day begins.

Reminder: Open Classroom Visit 5:30-6:30 on 8/19

Our room is slowly transforming from a pile of furniture and boxes into a real classroom.  A small group of students came in on a nice summer day to help unpack our class library, which was a huge help!  I hope that you can make it this Wednesday evening to see the almost finished room.

Welcome To MSMS!

August 10, 2015

Hello 5th graders and families!

I hope you are enjoying your last few weeks of summer.  I can't wait to hear about all the exciting things you did over the break!  I spent a great deal of my summer hiking, camping, running with my dog, and planning for a challenging and engaging new year with you.  Also, I am very pleased to tell you that my husband and I are expecting our first child at the end of December!  I will keep you up to date with information regarding maternity leave as my due date approaches.

I am currently unpacking our new classroom, and I am thrilled with the quality of the new construction.  The 5th grade will host an informal tour of the new spaces on Wednesday, August 19th from 5:30-6:30pm.  I hope that you will attend to get a feel for our new learning spaces, to connect with classmates old and new, and to help ease the transition back to school.

I am very excited for 5th grade at Main Street Middle School, in which we will study geography, molecules and organisms, states of matter, ecosystems, decimals, multi-digit division, non-fiction, and historical fiction among many other things.  Just like last year, math will be with Mrs. Parker, and all other subjects will be taught by me.  We will delve deeply in Revolutionary War studies, integrating visual art, music, movement, and theater into our learning to produce an original musical theater production with the support of teaching artists.  At the end of the year, we will go on a field trip to Boston, Massachusetts, a long-standing 5th grade tradition.  I will give you more information about this as we begin the year.  

As you savor these last weeks of summer, you may also be thinking about how to get ready for another school year.  In our classroom some materials are shared to promote community.  Please consider purchasing pencils, erasers, wide-ruled lined paper, dry erase markers, and tissues for the classroom.  Additionally, each student will need 3 wide-ruled composition books and a 3 ring binder.

In addition to school supplies for learning indoors, we will continue to spend a day every other week outdoors for ECO (Educating Children Outdoors) integrating the natural world into science and literacy curriculum, and each 5th grader will need gear to stay comfortable and safe throughout the seasons.  You will need:  rain pants, a rain jacket with hood, and mud boots (or winter boots) for the fall.  By November 1st you will need:  long underwear bottoms, long underwear top, wool or fleece tops, snow pants, snow jacket, wool or fleece socks (not cotton), boots (insulated and warm), hat (wool or fleece), 2 pairs gloves or mittens (not cotton), neck warmer or scarf (not cotton).  Please let me know if you need help obtaining any of these items.

I maintain a class blog found at:  http://wendyswonderfulclass.blogspot.com/.  I will update the blog weekly during the year and keep families up to date with our learning in the classroom.  You will find important dates and events listed on the blog.  I can also print out updates and send them home if you would prefer, just let me know.

Please feel free to contact me by email at wendym@mpsvt.org.  I will let you know the new classroom phone number during the classroom tour next week, as the phone is not yet hooked up.  I look forward to working with all of you this year.  See you soon!

Your teacher,

Wendy McGuiggan