Monday, April 13, 2020
Happy Monday! I hope you enjoyed your “Spring Break.” I don’t usually travel during the school year, so I spent it at home. It has been a little over 4 weeks since the virus has changed how we interact with life. I hear some complaining about being “stuck at home.” How about changing that perspective to “safe at home.” I feel fortunate that our safety and well-being is kept as a primary focus by our state and federal government. Yes, it is changing things. However, I hope we all grow a deeper appreciation for what we all have. #Perspective
We will be having a Google Meet tomorrow. If you would like to participate, and I hope you all do, please check Google Classroom (GC) at 11 a.m. for the link. Just like our first Google Meet, I will ask you to mute your microphone when we get everyone settled. Then, I will go through and give everyone an opportunity to share out. On the right side of the Google Meet page is a place for you to text the entire class. If you have a question, concern, or a thought to share, please type it in that place. Those of you that participated last time did a GREAT job of following the expectations. Mr. Troy Patterson is in charge of the district’s technology. He set up these guidelines – please remember to: 
Please continue to check that you have all the work submitted that needs to be submitted. (There are many things still missing from several of you.) AND – do not email it to me. You can figure out all kinds of tricks and maneuvers in your video games – you can figure out how to submit an assignment properly!
- read 30 minutes – as I have posted several times, there are many online book sites that offer free books during this time. Find a great new book to escape in. I have been rereading a Stephen King anthology, Nightmares and Dreamscapes.
- Help your parents – and remember that it’s not just helping with chores around the house, it could be helping a sibling or simply getting out of their hair. (That’s a figure of speech – look it up and let me know what it means.)
- Mrs. Bagnall “returns” from her maternity leave today. Keep checking her blog for lessons and activities: https://iblog.dearbornschools.org/bagnalj/
- Math: Mid-Module Assessment – This was posted in GC, before break but I found another district resource available to us, Edulastic. Please go to the district’s student resource page, click on Edulastic and login from there.
- 180 Days of Language: Days 6 and 7 will be posted in GC. Type your responses on the Google Doc and submit it to me in the assignment by the end of tomorrow.
- 180 Days of Reading Week 26 Days 1 and 2 will be posted in GC. Type your responses on the Google Doc: Day 1 – multiple choice answers only; Day 2 – Complete C.E.R. response (multiple choice and claim evidence reasoning sentences). Submit it to me in the assignment by the end of tomorrow.
- I gave directions for “Code.org” in GC over break. You will need to email me for your secret words to get logged in. Medina already started. The lessons used to be similar to “Angry Birds” but Medina said now they are like “Minecraft.” Most students love this part of 5th grade – I hope you do, too. It is just a beginning to computer technology and coding that you could sign up for in middle and high school.
- Science: Mystery Science posted a new video last week that is very appropriate for today’s world pandemic. Get out your Science journal, take notes, and answer questions as you watch “How Do Germs Get Inside Your Body?” https://mysteryscience.com/mini-lessons/germs#slide-id-8055
- Most of the rest of this week will be on Social Studies. We will begin to alternate between Science and Social Studies each week.