Mrs. Alabakoff's 4th/5th GradeDearborn Public Schools

Oct 13th Notice for AOL Email Accounts

Dear Parents,

If you are an AOL email user, please be aware that you may not receive email notifications due to AOL policies. We are working to resolve this issue with AOL.

Thank you for your patience while we work with AOL to make sure you get classroom notifications from your teacher.

Sincerely,

Technology Department

Oct 11th Week of October 10th-14th

Reminders:

PTA Meeting tonight 7pm

1/2 day Friday

We are learning:

Spelling–Our focus this week is long and short u.  Please review the words with your child and discuss spelling patterns.  Students are also making connections with other u words in reading and writing.

Daily5/CAFE–We will be finishing up our study of folktales and fables this week and will then move on to myths.  We are learning about the characters and using evidence from the story to identify traits.  We are also working on using that information to draw conclusions.  This week we are also starting book club, where students work in small groups for discussions of their books.  We work on individual strategies and then create a book sharing project at the end of the book.  Lots of fun and learning!!

Writer’s Workshop–This week we started a narrative fantasy piece.  We read “The Flying Dragon Room”  for inspiration.  Students created their plan and are now starting on first drafts.  Our focus is on making our stories very descriptive with adjectives.

Social Studies–Our focus this week is natural resources in Michigan and how people use them.  We will also learn about positive and negative consequences of their use.

We sampled Garden Fresh salsa and chips this last Friday for Michigan Made.

Math–Students are practicing addition with regrouping and this week we are starting on subtraction.  We will work on different strategies for the subtraction as well.  Students usually end up having a favorite that works for them, but it is important for them to know the different strategies.  Subtraction usually gives them more trouble, so it would be helpful for them to practice at home.

Enjoy your week!!

Oct 3rd Week of October 3rd-7th

Wow!  I can’t believe we are in October!  I am really enjoying your children and look forward to watching them grow.

Just a reminder—Make sure your child dresses for the weather.  It has been chilly in the mornings (although I am hearing it will reach 80 this week), and we try to get outside for some fresh air in the morning.

If you have not already done so, please turn in permission slip and money for the trip on Friday the 21st.  Parents are welcome to attend, but they will also need to pay the $10.  We will be walking to catch the shuttle from the Henry Ford Museum.  Looking forward to a great trip!

We are learning:

Spelling–This week our spelling focus is long and short e.  We also have a few content words that go along with what we are learning in other subjects.  Your child should be able to tell you about them.  We work on the spelling patterns for the words, so even if the words are easy to spelling students also need to identify the patterns.  For example, ee and ea make the long e sound.  They should be able to transfer this to their reading and writing.

Daily5/Cafe–Our focus is Check for Understanding when we read.  We are also exploring folktales and learning about character traits.  Students will be making their own webs with partners about the characters in their own books.  We will then move on to fable and explore their characteristics.

Writer’s Workshop–We are working on a descriptive piece about your child’s favorite place.  Students should be including lots of descriptive language.  We first explored the mentor text Saturdays and Teacakes for inspiration and example of good writing.

Math–Tonight a Unit One pretest will be coming home that we will use as a study guide.  Students worked on time, elapsed time, bar graphs and pictographs.  Students even collected their own data and made a bar graph!  We are moving on to addition of multi-digit numbers.

Social Studies–Our first unit is Geography.  We are learning about Michigan’s relative location using a compass rose, as well as what region to which our community belongs.  This week we will be exploring the natural characteristics of Michigan such as landforms, water and natural resources.  We will be making flipbooks!

The students are enjoying Michigan Made as well!  We sampled Hudsonville ice cream this past week!  Delicious!

If you and your child see something that he/she would like to sample and would like to donate, it would be great!  The two third grade classes work together on this, so let me know if you would like to donate an item for one of the Fridays.

Have a sunny week!

Sep 27th OOPS!!

Oops!   The date for the Field trip to the Rouge Plant has to be changed.  We didn’t realize the 14th is a half day!  We are in the process of trying to get a new date, so I did not collect any money or permission slip.  As soon as we get a new date, we will send an updated permission slip.

Thank you!

Sep 26th Field Trip

Thank you!  Thank you!  Nolan and the Sirrines for the Win Schulers Cheese and Crackers!  Delicious!!

Today a permission slip for an upcoming field trip is coming home.  We would like to go to the Rouge Plant to watch the trucks being made.  We will be walking to the Henry Ford Museum to catch the shuttle to the factory.  This is a great trip and it ties in perfectly with our study of Michigan and all products Michigan!!   I know it is short notice but we were able to get the date that we would be able to walk.

If you would like to walk and chaperone the trip please check the bottom.

Please send in the permission slip and money by Thursday because money needs to be turned in by Friday.

Thanks in advance!

Sep 20th Peace Day!

Tomorrow is our Peace Day Assembly!  Remember to wear your pink shirts!!

Sep 14th Testing!

Welcome Back!!

Just testing out the blog.  I noticed that many of you subscribed to the blog which is awesome!

A couple reminders:

If you haven’t already done so, please turn in the permission slip for the firehouse field trip which is on Tuesday the 20th.

Open House is tomorrow at 6:00-7:30.  Hope to see you there!

Looking forward to an awesome year with your children!

Jun 27th A.D.S.A. Administrator of the Year!

Congratulations to Mr. Attee for being named A.D.S.A. Administrator of the Year!  Awesome Job!  We are so fortunate to have you at DuVall!

Jun 14th Pool/Picnic

June 14, 2016

DuVall families,

I would like to thank all of the parents, guardians, and family members who are helping to chaperone the All School Picnic at Dunworth pool and Levagood Park.   Students must report to DuVall at 8:35 so attendance can be taken. If a student goes directly to park, he or she will be marked absent.  Chaperones must sign in the office and wait in the lobby until teachers call down to the office for them to come to class.  We plan on leaving DuVall by 9:15 and will return to school by 3pm.

Please have your child bring a swimsuit and towel. Students may also bring a ball or Frisbee. The pool policy is no life jackets or water toys. Please make sure your child has sunscreen on before coming to school.  Students will not be able to share sunscreen with other students.   If you are not driving your child, please remember to send them with a booster seat if needed. Also, we have been advised by the City of Dearborn to make sure we have only DuVall students from grades kindergarten to fifth grade, who have signed up and paid for the pool can come to the pool due to safety liability.  They will have a staff member at the gate to make sure and will not allow parents to come in with younger children.  Please be aware that you can come to the picnic with younger siblings, but will not be able to enter the pool area.  If you would like to take your child home from the picnic there will be a signout sheet available at the picnic area.

Recommended Route:

In order to avoid any possible traffic problems, a recommended route to the park will be to follow Beech Street to Outer Drive.  Turn Right on Outer Drive and proceed to Cherry Hill.  Turn Left on Cherry Hill.  Proceed to North Silvery Lane.  Turn Right on North Silvery Lane and proceed to our destination

Signing out students:

If you are driving other students to the All School Picnic and need to leave with your child, please return to DuVall any other students you are driving before signing out your child.  If you are only driving your child(ren), you may sign your child(ren) out from the park.  A centralized sign out sheet will be kept near all of the picnic tables.

Weather:

In the event of a short rain, we will monitor the weather throughout the day and make a determination if we return back to the building.  In the event of a thunderstorm or prolonged rain, all chaperones should take all the students they are driving directly back to the school.  The students will report to the gym and go directly to their assigned areas.  Classroom designations have been placed on the walls for each class.  The staff will take attendance.

Thank you for your help.

Mr. Attee

Jun 14th Picnic/Pool

Reminders for tomorrow (Picnic/Pool)

We have been advised by the City of Dearborn to make sure we have not additional children that are not DuVall students or younger than kindergarten to come to the pool due to safety liability.  They will have a staff member at the gate to make sure and will not allow parents to come in with younger children.  Please be aware that you can come to the picnic but will not be able to enter the pool area.

Remember for tomorrow:  Parent drivers/chaperones–Make sure you check with Ms. Cathy to be sure information is in the office.

If you are donating an item for the picnic you can send it in with your child, or if you are chaperoning, can deliver it to the park to the 3rd grade designated area when you arrive.  Please be sure to come to school in the morning, so attendance can be taken.

Swimsuit

Towel

Lots of Sunscreen (bring extra to apply again)

It would be helpful for your child to have his/her supplies in a bag labeled with his/her name.

Students can also bring balls, jump ropes etc.  They will have to be responsible for their own supplies.

Thank you!  Fingers crossed for great weather!!