Welcome Back! 2020!
Hi Everyone,
Happy New Year! It was so great to see your kids again. I missed them! We had a productive first week back. Students did a great job getting right back in the routines. We already set goals for the week, revisited our mission statement, and assessed whether we are reaching those goals. We are back in the swing of things and ready for a great 2020 year of learning!
School Garden Support Organization (SGSO) Leadership Institute
Exciting News! With the support of Mr. Hatt and the Ann Arbor Public Schools, Jenna Bacolor and I have been accepted to attend the School Garden Support Organization Leadership Institute in Santa Cruz, California from January 19-24, 2020. Jenna Bacolor serves as Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Public Schools' Community Division. This role includes leading Rec & Ed as well as district initiatives to support student health and wellness, Farm to School, and global educational partnerships. We will be working to elevate the quality and sustainability of school garden programs in our school district and at Burns Park!
We are one of 20 organization teams that have been selected from 80+ really strong applicant teams to participate in their institute! If you’d like to learn more about what I will be doing, please explore the link here: www.lifelab.org/sgso.
What does this mean? I will be gone Tuesday, Jan. 21 through Friday, January 24. I will return Monday, January 27. Our normal routine will carry on as usual with students highly engaged in instruction. While I am away Ms. Rubin, my student teacher, and Gail Epstein will be guest teaching. Ms. Epstein has subbed for me quite a bit in the last couple of years and knows my routine, teaching style, and expectations. She is an excellent choice and is a parent at Burns Park so she is very familiar with our school.
If you require anything you are welcome to contact me as I will be checking email. I will have internet access and will get back to you at my earliest convenience. If it is pressing, please contact the office. Thank you for your support!
Science
This week in science we had a guest teacher! Corry Buckwalter (a former BP parent and master gardener) came in to teach plant propagation to all four fifth grade classes. This was a fantastic culminating workshop to wrap up our Round and Round It Goes unit! Students learned more in-depth knowledge about how to propagate plants, how to take care of them, and what different types of plants are good for propagation. Every student will get to take a house plant cutting home after they have been established in our class! Check out the class photos to see your child in action!
PLTW
Mrs. Z came to visit us and we started Project Lead the Way this week! She will be in our classroom for 3 days a week until early April. Students will be studying Robotics and Automation! Students explore the ways robots are used in today’s world and their impact on society and the environment. Students learn about a variety of robotic components as they build and test mobile robots that may be controlled remotely. Angelina, Mylo, and Suzi are tasked with designing a mobile robot that can remove hazardous materials from a disaster site. Students are then challenged to design, model, and test a mobile robot that solves this design problem. Check out the class photos page for the fun week we have had!
Writing
We have started a new writing unit and we will be studying and researching School Gardens. :0) Students are learning about all things garden. This will be in conjunction with the grant that we received last year to enhance our garden space for learning opportunities that enrich our curriculum. Next week we will continue to explore more ideas around School Gardens. Students will then pick their research topics and we will get researching and writing!
Reading
Students started a new genre study! We are studying historical fiction with a focus on multicultural themes. We are reading A Single Shard, Esperanza Rising, and Sing Down the Moon. Ask your child what they are reading!
NWEA and TESTING!
The winter scheduled NWEA tests are posted on the homework/events calendar. Please refrain if possible from taking your child out of school for appointments during these times. It is difficult to make up these testing times as they will miss instruction to make up the test. Of course, I understand special circumstances and sickness related issues. But, if you could please try and make sure students are in class for any testing dates, I would really appreciate it. Thank you for your support!
Testing Dates:
Friday, January 17 A.M.
Monday, January 27 P.M.
I allow sugar-free gum or sugar-free mints on test days! I do ask that if students want to share gum or mints that they bring one for everyone. We have 25 total students. They are not required to share but if they would like to please consider sharing with everyone.
A letter from Ms. Rubin - PLEASE READ
Dear Families,
Hi! My name is Lacey Rubin and as many of you may know, I am Ms. Shah’s student intern for the 2019-2020 school year. While I student taught on Wednesdays and Thursdays last semester, I am excited that I will be in the classroom every day from now until the end of April.
The past few months I have learned a great deal and I have loved getting to know each and every student. I spent a lot of time working one-on-one with individual students, helping to grade papers, and learning to prepare and deliver lesson plans. Specifically, I had the opportunity to lead math discussions and a two-day science lesson on composting.
I am looking forward to taking on a larger role in the classroom. I will be leading a two-week reading unit as well as lead teaching for two weeks. My involvement in reading groups will increase and I will co-teach science and math with Ms. Shah. While I love getting the opportunity to teach your children, I am learning just as much from them!
During the last few months, I focused on building relationships with the students. My goal is to continue to build these relationships as I spend more time in the classroom. I want the students to know I am here for them, and I will do my best to meet their individual needs and support their success in the classroom.
On any given day, you will see me working with students one-on-one on subjects such as math or writing. Students are starting a new writing research unit and I am looking forward to seeing all of the interesting ideas they brainstorm. I am also part of morning meetings and will continue to be throughout the semester.
While it is important to have a good relationship with my students, I believe it is also important to consistently communicate with the students’ families. I will be sending out a letter introducing my unit and it will be posted on the class blog. If you ever have any questions for me please feel free to email me at lacrubin@umich.edu.
I am looking forward to having an awesome second semester!
Sincerely,
Ms. Rubin
Special Interest Fair
The Special Interest Fair is an event for all of the children at Burns Park in which they produce a small project on a subject that interests them. It's intended to help them learn how to research, gather information and get the creative juices flowing. It’s not a competition, just a way of self-expression.
Science Olympiad still needs coaches!
Dear Burns Park Families,
We still need coaches for the following events for Burns Park Science Olympiad:
Aerodynamics (2nd and 3rd Grade)
Barge Building (2nd Grade)
Circuits (4th and 5th Grade)
Map Reading (2nd and 3rd Grade)
Pasta Bridges (2nd and 3rd Grade)
On Target (2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade)
You do not need to be an expert! The oldest kids participating are fifth graders, and many coaches learn their events in order to coach them. Please check out the event information page on the WESO website to see short descriptions of all events.
Please contact Jane Montas if you have questions or you are willing to help us make sure we can hold these great events for our students: janemontas@gmail.com. If we are unable to recruit coaches for these events, we will not be able to give students the opportunity to learn and compete in these events.
Also please note, student registration has not yet begun for BPSO. You will receive an all-school email next week when registration is open. Practices for most events will be Sunday afternoons between 3pm and 6pm at Burns Park, beginning on February 2. If your student is interested in participating in BPSO, please consider volunteering to coach!
Important Dates - Mark Your Calendars
Friday, January 17 - NWEA Assessment
Monday, January 20 - NO SCHOOL in observance of MLK Day
Tuesday, January 22 - Special Interest Fair
Monday, January 27 - NWEA Assessment
Monday, February 10 - Winter Survival Field Trip (Parents will not be needed on this field trip) / NAAPID Day
Friday, February 14 - Valentine's Day Party (more info. to come...)
Tuesday, February 25 - Early Release Day (Dismissal is 1:29 p.m.)
Tuesday, March 3 - Healthy Hearts Field Trip (5 parents are needed for this field trip - please contact me if you are interested in going!)
Tuesday, March 10 - No School / Election Day
Friday, March 13 - Report Cards Come Home
Monday, March 16-27 - Ms. Rubin's Lead Teaching
Monday, March 30-April 3 - No School / Spring Break
Monday, April 6 - Market Day for Fifth Grade
Have a great weekend!
Happy New Year! It was so great to see your kids again. I missed them! We had a productive first week back. Students did a great job getting right back in the routines. We already set goals for the week, revisited our mission statement, and assessed whether we are reaching those goals. We are back in the swing of things and ready for a great 2020 year of learning!
School Garden Support Organization (SGSO) Leadership Institute
Exciting News! With the support of Mr. Hatt and the Ann Arbor Public Schools, Jenna Bacolor and I have been accepted to attend the School Garden Support Organization Leadership Institute in Santa Cruz, California from January 19-24, 2020. Jenna Bacolor serves as Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Public Schools' Community Division. This role includes leading Rec & Ed as well as district initiatives to support student health and wellness, Farm to School, and global educational partnerships. We will be working to elevate the quality and sustainability of school garden programs in our school district and at Burns Park!
We are one of 20 organization teams that have been selected from 80+ really strong applicant teams to participate in their institute! If you’d like to learn more about what I will be doing, please explore the link here: www.lifelab.org/sgso.
What does this mean? I will be gone Tuesday, Jan. 21 through Friday, January 24. I will return Monday, January 27. Our normal routine will carry on as usual with students highly engaged in instruction. While I am away Ms. Rubin, my student teacher, and Gail Epstein will be guest teaching. Ms. Epstein has subbed for me quite a bit in the last couple of years and knows my routine, teaching style, and expectations. She is an excellent choice and is a parent at Burns Park so she is very familiar with our school.
If you require anything you are welcome to contact me as I will be checking email. I will have internet access and will get back to you at my earliest convenience. If it is pressing, please contact the office. Thank you for your support!
This week in science we had a guest teacher! Corry Buckwalter (a former BP parent and master gardener) came in to teach plant propagation to all four fifth grade classes. This was a fantastic culminating workshop to wrap up our Round and Round It Goes unit! Students learned more in-depth knowledge about how to propagate plants, how to take care of them, and what different types of plants are good for propagation. Every student will get to take a house plant cutting home after they have been established in our class! Check out the class photos to see your child in action!
PLTW
Mrs. Z came to visit us and we started Project Lead the Way this week! She will be in our classroom for 3 days a week until early April. Students will be studying Robotics and Automation! Students explore the ways robots are used in today’s world and their impact on society and the environment. Students learn about a variety of robotic components as they build and test mobile robots that may be controlled remotely. Angelina, Mylo, and Suzi are tasked with designing a mobile robot that can remove hazardous materials from a disaster site. Students are then challenged to design, model, and test a mobile robot that solves this design problem. Check out the class photos page for the fun week we have had!
Writing
We have started a new writing unit and we will be studying and researching School Gardens. :0) Students are learning about all things garden. This will be in conjunction with the grant that we received last year to enhance our garden space for learning opportunities that enrich our curriculum. Next week we will continue to explore more ideas around School Gardens. Students will then pick their research topics and we will get researching and writing!
Students started a new genre study! We are studying historical fiction with a focus on multicultural themes. We are reading A Single Shard, Esperanza Rising, and Sing Down the Moon. Ask your child what they are reading!
Math
We have continued Unit 4. In this unit, students are extending their understanding of the base 10- place value system to include decimals. They are reading, writing and representing decimals through the thousandths in a variety of ways and are learning strategies to compare, order, and round decimals. They have also been introduced to the first quadrant of the coordinate grid. Finally, they are applying the whole number algorithms to add and subtract decimals.
Don't forget to look at the Homework Calendar to see when homework assignments are due. Students will be taking the Unit 4 assessment next week and will also take the Unit 4 Cumulative assessment. A review and self-assessment will be coming home for students to complete. We will begin the Unit 5 Pre-Assessment too.
Don't forget to look at the Homework Calendar to see when homework assignments are due. Students will be taking the Unit 4 assessment next week and will also take the Unit 4 Cumulative assessment. A review and self-assessment will be coming home for students to complete. We will begin the Unit 5 Pre-Assessment too.
The winter scheduled NWEA tests are posted on the homework/events calendar. Please refrain if possible from taking your child out of school for appointments during these times. It is difficult to make up these testing times as they will miss instruction to make up the test. Of course, I understand special circumstances and sickness related issues. But, if you could please try and make sure students are in class for any testing dates, I would really appreciate it. Thank you for your support!
Testing Dates:
Friday, January 17 A.M.
Monday, January 27 P.M.
I allow sugar-free gum or sugar-free mints on test days! I do ask that if students want to share gum or mints that they bring one for everyone. We have 25 total students. They are not required to share but if they would like to please consider sharing with everyone.
A letter from Ms. Rubin - PLEASE READ
Dear Families,
Hi! My name is Lacey Rubin and as many of you may know, I am Ms. Shah’s student intern for the 2019-2020 school year. While I student taught on Wednesdays and Thursdays last semester, I am excited that I will be in the classroom every day from now until the end of April.
The past few months I have learned a great deal and I have loved getting to know each and every student. I spent a lot of time working one-on-one with individual students, helping to grade papers, and learning to prepare and deliver lesson plans. Specifically, I had the opportunity to lead math discussions and a two-day science lesson on composting.
I am looking forward to taking on a larger role in the classroom. I will be leading a two-week reading unit as well as lead teaching for two weeks. My involvement in reading groups will increase and I will co-teach science and math with Ms. Shah. While I love getting the opportunity to teach your children, I am learning just as much from them!
During the last few months, I focused on building relationships with the students. My goal is to continue to build these relationships as I spend more time in the classroom. I want the students to know I am here for them, and I will do my best to meet their individual needs and support their success in the classroom.
On any given day, you will see me working with students one-on-one on subjects such as math or writing. Students are starting a new writing research unit and I am looking forward to seeing all of the interesting ideas they brainstorm. I am also part of morning meetings and will continue to be throughout the semester.
While it is important to have a good relationship with my students, I believe it is also important to consistently communicate with the students’ families. I will be sending out a letter introducing my unit and it will be posted on the class blog. If you ever have any questions for me please feel free to email me at lacrubin@umich.edu.
I am looking forward to having an awesome second semester!
Sincerely,
Ms. Rubin
Special Interest Fair
REGISTER HERE by January 20th for the Special Interest Fair on Wednesday, January 22nd!
The Special Interest Fair is an event for all of the children at Burns Park in which they produce a small project on a subject that interests them. It's intended to help them learn how to research, gather information and get the creative juices flowing. It’s not a competition, just a way of self-expression.
- Pick a topic: Think about something you enjoy doing, or maybe you want to learn more about a subject. You may do the project with a friend or sibling.
- REGISTER
- If you are unable to register online, let your teacher, Mr. Hatt, or Ms. Wolf know, or email inclusion@bpepto.org, and we’ll get you all set!
- Special Interest Fair chair James Boardman makes each kid a certificate, so the earlier the better for registration.
- If doing the project with a friend then only one of you needs to register. There is an option on the registration to add their name.
- Investigate: Gather up as much info as you can about your subject. Visit the media center, read books, ask your parents to help you search online.
- Create: Please use either a freestanding tri-fold cardboard project board or you may create a free-standing display of your own. Most of the tri-folds measure 48 x 26, and they are available easily online, or at Michael’s or Jo-Ann’s. Mr. Hatt and Ms. Wolf have some extra poster trifolds in their office if you want to check in with them.
- There are a few no-no’s. Sorry!! Absolutely NO LIVE ANIMALS, NO VALUABLES, NOTHING OF SENTIMENTAL VALUE, NO CANDY OR TREATS. The fair will be on display all day without supervision.
Things to Remember: Registration is due on January 20th.
- Project drop off before school: 8:15am-8:50am.
- Class viewing will be from 9am until 3:30pm (Parents are welcome).
- Family and Friends viewing: 6pm-7:15pm.
- Projects to be taken home that evening or will be left in the auditorium for pick up.
- Any questions? Email BPE parent and event coordinator James Boardman at themutster@me.com or inclusion@bpepto.org.
Science Olympiad still needs coaches!
Dear Burns Park Families,
We still need coaches for the following events for Burns Park Science Olympiad:
Aerodynamics (2nd and 3rd Grade)
Barge Building (2nd Grade)
Circuits (4th and 5th Grade)
Map Reading (2nd and 3rd Grade)
Pasta Bridges (2nd and 3rd Grade)
On Target (2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade)
You do not need to be an expert! The oldest kids participating are fifth graders, and many coaches learn their events in order to coach them. Please check out the event information page on the WESO website to see short descriptions of all events.
Please contact Jane Montas if you have questions or you are willing to help us make sure we can hold these great events for our students: janemontas@gmail.com. If we are unable to recruit coaches for these events, we will not be able to give students the opportunity to learn and compete in these events.
Also please note, student registration has not yet begun for BPSO. You will receive an all-school email next week when registration is open. Practices for most events will be Sunday afternoons between 3pm and 6pm at Burns Park, beginning on February 2. If your student is interested in participating in BPSO, please consider volunteering to coach!
Important Dates - Mark Your Calendars
Friday, January 17 - NWEA Assessment
Monday, January 20 - NO SCHOOL in observance of MLK Day
Tuesday, January 22 - Special Interest Fair
Monday, January 27 - NWEA Assessment
Monday, February 10 - Winter Survival Field Trip (Parents will not be needed on this field trip) / NAAPID Day
Friday, February 14 - Valentine's Day Party (more info. to come...)
Tuesday, February 25 - Early Release Day (Dismissal is 1:29 p.m.)
Tuesday, March 3 - Healthy Hearts Field Trip (5 parents are needed for this field trip - please contact me if you are interested in going!)
Tuesday, March 10 - No School / Election Day
Friday, March 13 - Report Cards Come Home
Monday, March 16-27 - Ms. Rubin's Lead Teaching
Monday, March 30-April 3 - No School / Spring Break
Monday, April 6 - Market Day for Fifth Grade
Have a great weekend!