Week 23 - February 27 - March 3

Read-a-thon - We will be beginning the read-a-thon this Friday. We will have a parent coming into the classroom to explain how everything will run this year. A packet will be going home on Friday. Please be on the look out for this. In reading class we will be wrapping up Historical Fiction and moving on to Science Fiction soon.  


March 8 - This is an early release day. Students will be dismissed at 11:53am. Report cards will go home March 13th.

Social Studies - We are beginning to study Colonial Williamsburg. A special thanks to Steven who lived in this area. He did a short power point presentation for the class about what it was like. The students are also working on creating maps of Africa. This is also part of our social studies unit.

Math - The students are moving on to working with fractions of a whole and fractions of fractions. Your child can continue to practice this work using the Connected Math website or Khan Academy.



Winter Survival - This was a success! Thank you for being patient with the many changes. I was in the middle of posting pictures on the blog when my computer died. I am currently using a loaner computer and hoping to have mine back soon. I will get some pictures up then!

The weather - This continues to be a challenge. There is a lot of mud that ends up in the classroom due to the warm temperatures. Please send your child with an extra pair of shoes (or shoes if he or she is wearing boots). This will cut down on the mud in the room. I have put carpet outside of the classroom for the muddy shoes and boots to sit and dry.

Week 21 - February 12 - 16

Monday - N.A.A.P.I.D/ Parent Involvement Day - It was great to see the parents who were able to make it in for this day. We had a guest speaker for the parents at lunch and the talent show was performed in the afternoon.

Tuesday - Students will have an opportunity to share Valentine's Day cards and/or treats. We will be having a small break in work time to do this. Thank you to the families who have volunteered to contribute to this. We are all set with items being sent in.

Math - Unit 5 is underway. Students are working on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. They will be learning to find a fraction of a whole unit as well as a fraction of a fraction. This is a tricky unit and any extra practice will be helpful. Your child can continue to use Khan Academy to practice.


No School - Monday, February 20th - Presidents Day!

Week 20 - February 6 - 10

I hope everyone had a restful weekend!

Math - We are finishing up Unit 4 early this week. The Unit test will be on Wednesday of this week. It is important that your child is completing homework, classwork, and asking questions when he or she does not understand a new concept. Khan Academy is a great resource for students to practice what we are doing in class. They can also challenge themselves if they fully understand what we are doing. There is always opportunity to complete work on a 6th grade level covering the same concepts.

Reading - Students are now covering historical fiction in reading class. Please support your child in reading at least 30 minutes at night.

Science - We are in need of empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls. Please send these in as you acquire them. It will be much appreciated.

Winter Survival - As they say, the third time is the charm! We are still planning on going on Tuesday, February 21st. Please be sure to review your child's list before the date.

Count Day - This Wednesday, February 8 is count day. 

N.A.A.P.I.D. / Parent Involvement Day - Monday, February 13th is a day for parents to join us at school. You will have an opportunity to follow your child's schedule and enjoy time at the school. 

PATTENGILL EVENTS 2/13/17:  “Becoming Allies for Social Justice through commUNITY" Visit student classrooms during the day (Please sign in at the office for visitor pass) 

• 12:00-12:45 PM Luncheon and and Guest Speaker: Huda Essa, Founder, Consultant Culture Links, LLC. She is the author of Teach Us Your Name, resource guide of strategies and discussion points to highlight ideas for embracing Diversity and Inclusion. 

• 1:30-3:30 School Wide Assembly/ Talent Show

Week 18

I'm hoping that we can be done with rainy weather soon!

Winter Survival - We are still holding out hope for Winter Survival this Wednesday. By now you should have seen your child's group list with the items that he or she needs to bring. Please be prepared for Wednesday, but also be flexible in case we have to change to another day due to inclement weather. The biggest concern in that the wood will be soaked and the fires will not start.

Math - We are working on Unit 4 which included decimals and coordinate grids. So far the students have been doing a great job on it. They can always work on additional problems using Khan Academy or playing games using the Connect Ed. All students have their own user names and passwords. They are taped in the front of the planner.

Science Fair - Students should be well underway with science fair projects. We should be getting project boards this week. The science fair is Wednesday, February 22. Boards and projects should be brought to school that morning. Students who need to work with their partner at school should be doing so by now. If this is a necessity, please ask your child if he or she has done that yet.

Reading - We are continuing to study myths and legends in reading class. All students should be reading for at least 30 minutes every night. Included in this could be reading aloud to a younger sibling or being read to by a parent at night!

NWEA - Our dates and times are: Tuesday, January 24 at 9am for math and Friday, January 27 at 1pm for reading. Please try to avoid scheduling appointments or being late on these dates. Testing is difficult for the kids at times and it can be stressful to be late or miss a test with the rest of the class.

Week 16 - January 9 - 13

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a safe, fun, and restful vacation. We are hitting the ground running with a lot going on now that we are back.

Winter Survival - By now your child should know what his or her group is bringing for winter survival and what they will need to help our the group. We are encouraging them to go beyond simple hot dogs for lunch. Creativity is encouraged but not required. We don't want anyone hungry by the end! Each group will need to gather wood, build a fire, cook their lunch, and put the fire out. There will be several environmentalists there to support the children in this work. Because of this, it is not necessary for us to have parent volunteers. If your child has not shared their group list with you, please ask them to do this right away. If you have any questions about the trip, what your child should bring, etc. you may email me and I will get back with you. The trip is from about 9:30 - 2:30 on Thursday, January 12.

Math - We will be starting Unit 4. Students should continue to work on their multiplication  facts as well as Khan Academy.


Science Fair - All students should have chosen an experiment for their science fair project. The Science Fair will be at Pattengill on Wednesday, February 22 from 6:00 - 7:30pm. Students should bring in their completed experiments (including labeled boards) that morning. They will be set up in the gym for the fair. If your child needs time to work with a partner to complete the experiment, compile results, print out information, or anything else, they are welcome to stay in the classroom during lunch recess time to do this.

NWEA - We have a schedule for the winter round of NWEA testing. We will be taking the reading portion on Friday, January 20 at 1pm. We will be taking the math portion on Tuesday, January 24 at 9am. Please be sure your child has had plenty of rest, arrives to school on time, and does not have any appointments during this time if possible. They are both longer tests that can be stressful when not taken with the class or allowed to have enough time to complete with the class.

Week 15 - December 12 - 16

Snow days are great! I hope starting the week off this way has not thrown you off for the rest of the week. We may continue to have some indoor recess days due to the very cold weather. If it warms up enough I have sleds that I like to take out on our fabulous sledding hill. Please be sure that your child has snow pants if you approve of your child sledding. It is no fun sitting in class with soaking wet pants! An extra pair of dry socks in the backpack can also go a long way towards comfort!


Math - We are finishing up Unit 3 and should be taking our final test on Tuesday of next week. Your child can work on Khan Academy practicing adding and subtracting mixed numbers with like denominators. This will help with the work that we have been doing.


Winter Survival is coming! Our Winter Survival trip is Thursday, January 12. That seems like a ways off but it is actually the Thursday that we get back from vacation. If your child will not be able to attend this trip for any reason, please let me know as soon as possible. I will be making groups and they will be deciding on what food and items to bring on the trip. If a group member plans on bringing food and then does not show up, the rest of the group will be missing out. Here is a brief description of the trip. I will be sending home a full letter next week.

The trip is designed to give students experience in working together in small groups while using nature's resources to build a fire adequate for cooking lunch. Planning, cooperation, patience, and perseverance are rewarded with good food and pride in a task (often difficult) successfully done. After lunch, if time allows, games are played which give insight into survival behaviors used by animals.


Reading - We have been working on text structure in reading classes. All students are learning about description, sequence, cause and effect, problem and solution, and compare and contrast. Your child should still be reading nightly for 30 minutes. Please be sure that your child has books to read before leaving school for the break. We have plenty to choose from!







Science Fair - Science fair forms are due Friday, December 16th. I have been going over the ideas with the students to be sure that they have an experiment that is testable, measurable, and open ended. I will continue to support the students who need this in the classroom. Students should be sure to choose an experiment that they will be able to complete in time.

Week 14 - December 5 - 9

Winter weather clothing - Now that we've had our first snow, please remember that we do continue to go outside for recess, even when the temperature is colder. There are not places for your child to stay inside during these times. Please be sure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather. Once there is enough snow (we can't see the grass at all!) we will have opportunities to sled on our great hill. Your child should have snow pants in order to sled.

Book Fair - The book fair begins this week. Our class had an opportunity to check it out on Friday of last week. Family night is this Thursday, and our class will have a chance to shop on Friday.

Technology Night - This Thursday is also Technology Night. Come in to school and see what types of technology are being used in the building. Pizza will be available for purchase from 5:30 - 6:30. Technology visits begin at 6pm.

Class goal - Our class has been working on having a more efficient end of the day. We are currently working on earning a class party. The students have about 10 minutes at the end of the day to write in their planners, clean up their table and floor area, and pack up. This is a sufficient amount of time to do this but the class continues to struggle with this. Every day that the students are able to reach their goal, we are adding a ring to a paper chain in the room. When it reaches the floor, we will have a celebration! In addition, students made estimations on how many links we would need to reach the floor. We will see who has the closest guess!

Math - This unit we are working on fractions. Please have your child work on this using Khan Academy. It can be a difficult unit for many students to understand. Students should be able to order fractions, compare them, and convert from mixed numbers to improper fractions and back.