Vocabulary Words for September 26-30

1. Photosynthesis: (noun) process where green plants make sugar from carbon dioxide and water when light is present

2. Chlorophyll: (noun) a molecule that absorbs red and blue light and reflects green light

3. Cellular respiration: (noun) process where energy for life is released from food in cells

4. Food Groups: (noun) Six groups needed for a healthy diet: grains, vegetables, fruits, oils, milk, and meat / beans

5. Food Pyramid: (noun) an illustration that shows the recommended amounts of food in each group for a healthy diet

6. Sequence: (verb) to put in order or a series

7. Currency: (noun) paper coins and money

8. Portfolio: (noun) all of the stocks, bonds, or mutual funds owned by one investor

9. Stocks: (noun) ownership or share in a company. If the company does well, the stock goes up in price.

10. Commodity: (noun) products like corn, soybeans, wheat, cattle, gold, oil, etc. used for investing and trading

Weekly Homework for September 26-30

5^th Grade Weekly Homework-Due Friday, September 30, 2011

Dear 5^th Graders and Families,

We are looking forward to a very fun and busy week. The Box Tops class competition has begun so be sure to turn those in this week. The class with the most Box Tops will win a prize party! Friday is the 2^nd annual FUN RUN! It is also October Count and HAT DAY! You do not want to miss this fun day at PRE!

Below you will find your homework for this week. All homework is due on Friday so be sure to budget your time accordingly. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a great week! J

Vocabulary: On the back of this page are words that come from the other subjects we are currently studying. You need to know the definition, the part of speech, and how to use it correctly in a sentence. You will have a vocabulary test on all 10 words on Friday. The format of the test will vary each week.

Word Work/Spelling:  Each night you will need to study your spelling words for homework. The Spelling test will be on Friday. Read the attached letter carefully to discover the spelling words this week and understand the concepts we will be teaching in class. This week we are focusing on silent consonants w, t, b, k, and l.

Reading: In order to become a better reader, you must read! Each night you should read a book of your choice for at least 20 minutes. Based on the one book you are reading this week, create a poster with a FLOW MAP that describes and illustrates the main sequence of events in your book. Be sure to explain your reasoning with examples from the text using a FRAME of REFERENCE. Poster paper will be provided at school. Be ready to share your poster with the class on Friday. Please use colored pencils or crayons (no markers) to color your illustrations. Your FLOW MAP must have at least 5 sequence boxes.

Social Studies: Complete the weekly geography worksheet, questions 26-30. Use the provided maps and other resources such as an atlas, globe, or internet websites.

Writing: In order to become a better writer, you must write! From now until Fall Break, we will be working on taking one of our “seed ideas” through the entire writing process to publish our first piece. You will work on your personal narrative in class and at home. Your teacher will give you specific homework to make sure this is completed on time. Be sure to listen carefully to directions given in class for this exciting project!

PTO Announcements

FUN RUN is this Friday, September 30th

Remember to put the running shoes on the kiddos and get them ready for the 2nd Annual Fun Run.  Children will run at selected times during the day Friday.  This day is also October Count Day (the most important day for your child to be at school because it determines the state and federal funding we receive for each student. For more information see the orange sheet in your child's Thursday folder. 

Please continue to collect pledges; all money is due back to school on October 7th.  We know this is a family effort and we thank all of our parents and grandparents for their support.

Parents and volunteers, please don't forget to bring your cameras to the Fun Run on Friday.  When submitting pictures for the yearbook, please limit the amount of pictures of one specific child.  We are looking for a variety of children for the yearbook.  Please email any pictures to mkelmore@msn.com.  You may also burn pictures to a CD and give it to the school office to be placed in the yearbook mailbox.  Please include your name, phone number and email address to the CD incase I need to contact you.  Thanks for everyone's help!  It is greatly appreciated!

HAT DAY is this FRIDAY! Wear your favorite hat and have some fun!

Box Tops

The classroom Box Tops contest begins on Monday, September 26th.  The class that brings in the most Box Tops wins a treat party!  So don't forget to send in your Box Tops with your child to help their class win.  The contest runs until Friday, October 7th!  Last year we used the proceeds from Box Tops to buy a piano for the music room!

ART CONTEST ARTWORK IS DUE FRIDAY

Please turn in your artwork to Ms. Santay by Friday for the Buzz Book Art Contest.  Children should draw and color a picture on an 8 ½ X 11 piece of paper with their name and teacher's name written on the back.  The picture should be about what Pine Ridge means to me.  We will announce the winner of the contest on October 7th and the winning picture will be on the 2011-2012 Buzz Book. 

Earning 4 Learning

Another tip for earning more points for our school:   Buy Southlands gift cards.  Pine Ridge Elem gets 1000 bonus points PER gift card purchased.  You can log them for our school at the time of purchase.  We also get points for the dollar amount you put on the gift card.  PLUS, then you can log the receipts when you spend the gift card.  It's like getting double points!

For information on Intramurals and running club, please see the Pine Ridge website, staff, integrated arts, PE website.

Pine Ridge Website:  pre.ccsd.k12.co.us

Thank you all for your continued support! GO PANTHERS!!!!

Play Performance Invitation

We would like to invite all parents and family friends to our classroom play performances, which will take place this Thursday at 10 a.m. in our classroom. The students will be preforming six short Reader's Theater plays. They have been rehearsing, creating scenery, and incorporating various props into their presentations. They have been working very hard and are excited to share this experience with you. We hope you can make it!

Weekly Homework for September 19-23

5^th Grade Weekly Homework-Due THURSDAY, September 22, 2011

Dear 5^th Graders and Families,

Please return the yellow form that was sent home in the Thursday envelope regarding upcoming Ameritowne events. We would like to know how many students to expect for the PTO presentation.

Below you will find your homework for this shortened week. Everything is due on Thursday because there is no school for students on Friday. Be sure to budget your time accordingly. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a great week! J

Vocabulary: We will not have vocabulary words or a test this week.

Word Work/Spelling: Each night you will need to study your spelling words for homework. The spelling test will be on Friday. This week we are focusing on commonly misspelled words.

1.       beautiful                             11. are

2.       before                                 12. everyone

3.       first                                     13. can’t

4.       went                                    14. everything

5.       enough                                15. don’t

6.       school                                 16. right

7.       when                                   17. write

8.       their                                     18. everybody

9.       they’re                                 19. our

10.   there                                    20. won’t

                                                      

Reading: In order to become a better reader, you must read! Each night you should read a book of your choice for at least 20 minutes. Complete the attached activity worksheet based on the one book you are reading this week. Be sure to explain your reasoning with examples from the text.

Social Studies: Complete the weekly geography worksheet, questions 21-25. Use the provided maps and other resources such as an atlas, globe, or internet websites.

Writing: In order to become a better writer, you must write! This week bring in 3 pictures from home that represent a “seed” story that you want to write about. Write stories in your notebook this week that make the stories in the pictures come alive. Remember to focus on ONE small idea and ONE feeling that this event made you feel. We will choose one story this week to take through the writing process and publish for our friends and family to read.

PTO Announcements

SPIRIT WEAR ORDERS ARE DUE TODAY,MONDAY, SEPT. 19.  LATE ORDERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.  ORDERS WILL BE IN ON OCT. 7TH.   If you would like your order to be a surprise for your child, please mark that you would like us to set the order aside and call you when it comes in.

BLUE PTO INFORMATION SHEETS ARE DUE THURSDAY 22ND.  If orders are not in by the end of the week, we will not be able to add your information to the Buzz Book.  If you do not have a blue sheet to send in, please email the following information to Tonya Barber at Tbarber@msn.com.  We need name, address, email, phone numbers and children's name and grade.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION: We will be having a contest that will run from Monday, Sept 26th to Friday, October 7th.  We will do the counting and hope to announce the winning class the week of October 10th.

Photo Club

Thank you to all of the students who signed up for the photo yearbook club.  We have closed registration for the club but please continue to send any pictures you may take to Kendra Elmore mkelmore@msn.com.

Earning 4 Learning

Did you know that you can help us earn 1,000 points without even leaving your house?!  Sign up for email at http://www.shoppingpartnership.com/points/southlands_mall.htm   Under the What's New? on the bottom right of this webpage you can click on Sign Up Now! And enter your email information.  Make sure you select Pine Ridge for your school to log the extra 1000 points for Pine Ridge.  You will receive a confirmation email and once you complete the instructions in that email we receive the extra points!  Have all your friends and family do it too and we'll get 1,000 point for each one!

Thanks again to all of you that sent in recipes, we are so excited to begin organizing our new cookbook. 

For information on Intramurals and running club, please see the Pine Ridge website, staff, integrated arts, PE website.

REMINDER:  NO SCHOOL FRIDAY 23RD. 

Cherokee Trail Spirit Bus will be stopping by the school on Wednesday afternoon as part of their Homecoming festivities.  It is always a great time - make sure you ask your kids about it!

Pine Ridge Website:  pre.ccsd.k12.co.us

Thank you all for your continued support. GO PANTHERS!!!!

Student Council Information

 Spirit Days

Fri. Sept. 30  Hat Day

Fri. Oct. 14  Twin Day

Thurs. Nov. 10 Military/USA/Red White and Blue

Fri. Nov. 18  Panther Day/ Blue Out Day

Fri. Dec. 9  Career Day

Fundraising

Oct.   Boo Grams $1.00

Nov.    

Dec.    

Jan.

Feb.   Candy Grams $1.00

Volunteer/Charity Work

Sept.

Oct.  Recycling

Nov.  Food Drive (Grade level competition)

Dec.  Adopt a family

Jan.   Book Drive

Science Test Tomorrow

All science information is reviewed thoroughly in class. This study guide will help you to do well tomorrow on the vascular plants test.

 ·         Know how to read a table and interpret data like in our celery experiment

·         Understand that the control vial of water lets us know how much water was lost due to evaporation.

·         Know that celery with leaves soaks up more water than celery without leaves.

·         Be able to ask questions and make a hypothesis about an experiment regarding celery with and without leaves.

·         Be able to compare and contrast the circulatory systems in animals and plants: Both systems transport food and water to cells. However, in animals blood is transported around and around the body. In a plant, there are 2 one way systems that transport water and food. Xylem transports water and minerals up, and the phloem transports sugar down and to all the cells in the plant.

·         Be able to label pinnate, palmate, and parallel leaf veins. If a plant has the same veins, the same shape, and the same leaf margins then it could have come from the same plant.

·         Leaves that come from the same plant have to have the same type of veins AND leaf margins.

·         Be able to describe how water in the ground travels to the leaves in the top of a tree: Water enters the tree through the roots. The water flows up the roots and tree in the xylem tubes. The xylem tubes carry the water all the way to the leaves at the top of the tree. Excess water is evaporated.

·         When we used red dye in the celery experiment then cut it, it showed a cross section of xylem tubes. The xylem tubes were dyed red to show how the stalk took up water. The xylem tubes transport water through the stalk to the leaves.

Ameritowne Information

We are enjoying our Ameritowne unit in Social Studies and it’s hard to believe, but the field trip is fast approaching! Below you will find some important information about upcoming dates and events regarding Ameritowne. We hope you can join us. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you!

The 5^th Grade Team

·         The field trip is Thursday, October 13.

·         All field trip permission slips and money ($23) is due no later than Wednesday, September 28.

·         We are in need of parent volunteers for Job Trainings on October 4^th and 5^th from 9:30-11:00 here at school. 

·         We are also in need of parent volunteers to help guide Shop Meetings on October 10^th and 11^th from 9:30-11:00 here at school. 

·         On Tuesday, October 11^th the 5^th graders will be presenting information about Ameritowne at the Pine Ridge PTO meeting. The presentation will begin at 6:30 in the gym. We ask that any and all students who wish to participate be here at 6:00 p.m. Dress is business casual. We will be practicing for this event during the school day. 

Girl Scout Information

Want to learn more about Girl Scouts? Girl Scouts is for girls from Kindergarten to 12th grade. Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Scouting provides a safe place for girls to explore their world - from science, technology and the environment to healthy living, anti-bullying and financial literacy.

Pine Ridge will be having an informational meeting at the school on September 19th at 6:30 PM.

If you can't make the meeting but want more information on Girl Scouts - please email me at ninaminnehan@msn.com

Looking forward to seeing you at this information meeting.

Thanks,

Nina Minnehan
Co-Leader Troop 2551
https://owa.cherrycreekschools.org/owa/redir.aspx?C=50c7578934784011aa569f1f94dce193&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.girlscoutsofcolorado.org

Vocabulary Words: September 12-16

1. cross section- noun- cuts across an object to expose the internal structure (celery)

2. xylem- noun- transports water & minerals up from roots to leaves

3. phloem- noun- transports sugar (sap) down to cells that don’t make their own food

4. classify- verb- put things in groups based on similar properties or behaviors

5. estimate-verb- make a close to or approximate answer

6. philanthropy- noun-the act of giving or showing kindness

7. budget- noun- a plan for how you will spend and save your money

8.  advertising-verb-attracting public attention to a business’s goods or services that they sell

9. compare-verb-to describe how two people, places, or things are similar or alike

     contrast- verb- to describe how two people, places, or things are different

10. setting-noun- when and where the story takes place

Announcements

Chick-fil-A night is Wednesday, September 14 from 4 - 9 pm

Picture Day is on Wednesday, September 14 - payment and completed pay envelopes are due for each child on that day.

Entertainment Books or monies for the books are due back to school, please send in with your children.

Calling all cooks! Remember to submit your favorite recipes for the first edition Pine Ridge Cook Book. You can e-mail your recipes to fmillunzi@netzero.com or drop them in the box in the lobby of the school. Please turn in by Friday September 16th along with cookbook order forms.

Spirit Wear orders are due by September 19 and payment must be included with your order. Orders will be delivered October 7.

Fun Run is approaching... please get your volunteer sheets turned in ASAP!

Please join us for our first PTO general meeting for the school year. This meeting will be on September 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the school and all parents/teachers are welcome to join. We will be reviewing our PTO budget and bylaws and the first grade team will be presenting at this meeting. 1st Grade topic:  Basics of Everyday Math; Online Resources: RAZ kids, spelling city, and helpful tips to teach CAFE at home.

Hope you all have a great week! GO PANTHERS!!!!

Weekly Homework for September 12-16

5^th Grade Weekly Homework-Due Friday, September 16, 2011

Dear 5^th Graders and Families,

Below you will find your homework the week. Everything is due on Friday so be sure to budget your time accordingly. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great week! J

Vocabulary: On the back of this page are words that come from the other subjects we are currently studying. You need to know the definition, the part of speech, and how to use it correctly in a sentence. You will have a vocabulary test on all 10 words on Friday. The format of the test will vary each week.

Word Work/Spelling: Each night you will need to study your spelling words for homework. Spelling tests will be on Fridays. Read the attached letter carefully to discover the 10 spelling words this week and understand the concepts we will be teaching in class. 

Reading: In order to become a better reader, you must read! Each night you should read a book of your choice for at least 20 minutes. Complete the attached activity worksheet based on the one book you are reading this week. Be sure to explain your reasoning with examples from the text.

Social Studies: Use the given maps as well as other reference materials (internet, globes, atlas, etc.) to complete Week 4 (questions 16-20) Geography Questions, due Friday, in a similar manner. There will be a quiz this Friday on the first 4 weeks’ questions.

Writing:  In order to become a better writer, you must write! Here are 2 prompts that we want you to write about in your notebook this week. There are no rules, just write! Remember to underline any words you are unsure of how to spell.

Ø  Create a DOUBLE BUBBLE Map to compare and contrast 2 characters in a story you are reading. Be sure to describe how they are alike and different. Then turn your prewriting into a paragraph that is as descriptive as possible. Be sure to begin with an engaging lead/grabber that will make the reader want to continue reading the rest of the story.

Ø  Explore your surroundings and nature. Go on a walk and choose 2 objects (leaves, flowers, rock, etc.) Create a DOUBLE BUBBLE Map to compare and contrast the 2 objects. Be sure to describe how they are alike and different. Then turn your prewriting into a paragraph that is as descriptive as possible. Be sure to begin with an engaging lead/grabber that will make the reader want to continue reading the rest of the story. Have fun!

Ø  BONUS: Draw pictures of the two characters and your two objects in your notebook. Sketching and drawing helps you to see more details and be more descriptive in your writing.

Announcements

• Picture Day is September14.
• MAPS testing and DRA 2 testing all next week
• Ms. Reese's math class has a MATH test this Friday on Unit 1. Study guide will go home tonight!
• Grades will begin being posted in Power School next week. Your password and username will be sent home in the Thursday folder this week.
• Scholastic Book orders will also be going home in the Thursday envelope. A great way to help our classroom library!!
• Student Council Speeches and Elections will be tomorrow...Friday, September 9 in the gym.
• Ameritowne speeches for mayor and judge candidates are due next Wednesday, September 14.

Weekly Homework for September 6-9

5^th Grade Weekly Homework-Due Friday, September 9, 2011

Dear 5^th Graders and Families,

We hope everyone had a great long, Labor Day weekend. Thanks to all who sold Entertainment Books. This fundraiser will benefit our 5^th grade fund to help with field trips and other fun activities. If you do not wish to purchase your book, please remember to return it to school this week. Also, if you have not paid the $9 fee money to purchase Weekly Reader News and student planners, we would greatly appreciate it if you could send that in this week as well. Thank you!

Below you will find your homework for this shortened week. Everything is due on Friday so be sure to budget your time accordingly. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Have a great week! J

Vocabulary: We will not have vocabulary words or a test this week.

Word Work/Spelling: Each night you will need to study your spelling words for homework. The spelling test will be on Friday. This week we are focusing on commonly misspelled words.

1.       because                              11. again

2.       people                                 12. really

3.       friends                                 13. could

4.       said                                       14. excited

5.       have                                     15. favorite

6.       they                                      16. was

7.       laugh                                    17. into

8.       until                                      18. to

9.       off                                         19. too

10.   want                                     20. two

Reading: In order to become a better reader, you must read! Each night you should read a book of your choice for at least 20 minutes. Complete the attached activity worksheet based on the one book you are reading this week. Be sure to explain your reasoning with examples from the text.

Social Studies: There will not be a geography assignment this week.

Writing: In order to become a better writer, you must write!

Here are 2 prompts that we want you to write about in your notebook this week. There are no rules, just write! Remember to underline any words you are unsure of how to spell.

Ø  Create THREE BUBBLE MAPS to describe one special person, one special place, and once special object in your life.  

Ø  Write a paragraph describing each of your bubble maps. Be as descriptive as possible. Use as many sensory images as possible!

Spelling Words for September 5-9

Due to the short week, we will not have vocabulary words or a test this coming Friday. 
There will also be no geography this week.

Homework this week will include reading and an activity page that will be given on Tuesday, writing in the writer's notebook, math study links, and studying spelling words.        
The spelling test will be on Friday, September 9.

This week we are focusing on commonly misspelled words:

1. because
2. people
3. friends
4. said
5. have
6. they
7. laugh
8. until
9. off
10. want
11. again
12. really
13. could
14. excited
15. favorite
16. was
17. into
18. to
19. too
20. two

No School!

School will be closed on Monday, September 5 for Labor Day. Enjoy your day off!!

Please be sure to ask your child for the new CSAP letter of explanation that was sent home today.