Category Archive

A blogsite devoted to Charles Mack readers

It goes without saying, but it’s the families that make Arlene Hein such a special place to be.  Thank you for your generosity towards me this year, for your partnership, and for all the parent volunteers that helped in the classroom, or at parties, or on field trips.  We had a successful year because of you.  I love each one of these kids; they are unique people who will make a difference in our world.  I can’t wait to see them grow.  I will always be watching from a distance, keeping tabs on my kids.  Have a great off track month in July and August and enjoy the last year of elementary school!  With great lovefor the family we created this year-  Marty Hock

Tuesday: Bring a good book, a pillow, and plow through your novel, or sign some yearbooks.  We will also be attending the Wild Predators assembly in  the morning.  You Teach Lessons will begin our day.  I look forward to being a student!

Wednesday: You Teach lessons continued…Bring a board game or hand-held video system for a day of games and fun!  We will also be drawing with our sidewalk chalk.

Thursday: You Teach lessons culminate the week.  We will wrap up the day with National Treasure 2.  Popcorn and drinks are on Mr. E and Mr. Hock!

Friday:  BBQ day at Morse Park.  If parents choose, they can check their child out from their teacher at the park…all others will be walked back to Hein for dismissal at 12:30.

We are in need of chaperones for our upcoming field trip to TJMS.  Mrs. Hock has graciously openned her cooking classroom to our classes.  We will be making chili, cornbread, and homemade honey butter as well as playing outdoor games on Friday, June 5.  I will take as many parent chaperones as possible to help run some stations and make the day go smoothly.  We will be walking to Toby Johnson Middle School at 9:00 AM and returning to Hein by 11:30 AM.  Please free up some time to be with us if you can!

Our field trip to Strikes on Laguna Blvd. should be a great time next Friday, May 29.  We will be leaving the school at 8:45 and arriving back at school around 11:15.  Remember this is a minimum day, so the students will be dismissed at 12:30.  Thanks to Mrs. Adams, Mr. Coleman, and Mr. Wilson for chaperoning our children!

I look forward to seeing everyone tonight for BINGO night.  I think our video game basket will be a big hit!  Thank you to all of the families that donated!

There will be little to no homework the next few weeks so our kids can excel on the California Standards Test.  Make sure they get a good night’s rest, a healthy breakfast, and leave with a great attitude.  Testing will be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings.  Please rearrange any scheduling conflicts, as the more normal the environment, the better the children will do.  Good luck!

An alum, Caitlin Martin, is collecting gently used or new books for her girl scout project.  She is working with Diogenes to help homeless students and to give them a book to keep.  She is looking for books that inspire young preteens and teens.

Make sure you check and sign your student’s progress report tonight!

Our term 3 American poet is Shel Silverstein.  Students will have a choice of three options; they only have to choose one.  The poem must be memorized by Friday, May 22. 

I will be sending home progress reports this Thursday, April 30.  Please review the grades with your child.  A couple caviats…the writing grade is really incomplete in that we are still in the writing process for our latest genre: narratives.  These grades can fluctuate based on their in class essay.  In addition, on the math grade you may notice several EXC (excused) assignments.  This is because I have a small group that has gone ahead of the class a few lessons.  I hope this doesn’t cause much confusion.  Have agreat week!

Email me for details on a summer cooking camp hosted by my wife and Toby chefs.  The camp filled up quickly last year.  It is open to any elementary student.  Fliers will also be sent home in the coming weeks. 

The fifth grade classes will be presenting a tribute to America at our annual PTO Parent performance.  We will be singing patriotic songs and celebrating our American heritage.  Please plan on joining us!

If you’d like to order any books for April, now is the time to send in your completed form and a check made out to Scholastic Books.  Thank you to Mrs. Harder for stepping up to organize this for us all.  Her quick work of the ordering process gives us a quick turnaround on getting our books!

I hope you all had a nice break from the day-to-day grind.  I think both the students and I feel refreshed and ready for the challanges of our last term together.  The time will fly by quickly with CST testing, field trips, family life curriculum and end of the year celebrations (more info on all to follow in time).

Homework will continue to be regular, but these first two weeks will include homework time dedicated to studying for their states and capitals test.  I have given every student study guides and practice tests to use as resources.

Mark your calendars…our annual PTO performance will be Tuesday, April 28.  We will be celebrating Americana with songs and readings.

Something new…In my never ending pursuit to stretch my students, I have started a novel study for my high achieving readers.  Several students will be working in a group to read and work on standards-based activities related to the novel, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson.  The work will be completed in class during reader’s workshop.

Here’s to a great end of fifth grade!  Please email me to stay in touch, or swing by our class to talk or help out.  I will always find something for you to do!

One of the standards for the fifth grade is for students to know and identify the states and capitals in the United States.  Students were given a pretest and time to correct errors.  They can study from this test as it will be similar to the real assessment after we return in the Spring.  Spelling counts, too.  They may also take their atlas home to study from, but it must be kept in excellent shape, or you may find a charge from the library at the end of the year.  Good luck Americans!

Please have your child bring their favorite (or latest) book and a pillow for our trimesterly read in.

Sandy has been chosen as our Student of the Month for Leadership, Teamwork, and Initiative.  I want to commend her on her hard work, her cooperative spirit, and her effort.  Nice job Sandy!

Our minimum day is next week on a Thursday…mark your calendars.  School gets out at 12:30 and we will not return until April 6!  Have a wonderful off track month of March!

March 3 will be our first field trip to the B Street Theatre.  The actors at B Street are very kid-friendly and I think this play will engage both the boys and the girls.  I have taken this trip before and most of my kids really enjoy the experience of a live play.  I am really looking forward to an adventure off our campus and a chance to share time with the kids in a fun environment.  Make sure to ask them how they liked the experience!

I have secured a visit from Chef Taro.  Taro will share his family’s immigration story from Japan to America.  He will focus on the perseverance and character traits that helped his family find success.  And, of course, he will be sharing his knowledge of sushi as art and food with our students.  I can not wait for this exciting opportunity on March 4.

I gave the students their February poetry early so they can have two weekends to work on it before the due date of Friday, February 13.  We will be studying a work of Angelou’s entitled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.  Angelou’s poetry is reflective of the African American experience, and this poem is a wonderful metaphor that expresses her heart beautifully.  Angelou presented another of her works at President Clinton’s inauguration, only the second poet to do so; the first poet was Robert Frost at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration.

I will grade students on their ability to deliver the poem in its entirety without error and with appropriate pacing and tone, as well as their posture and confidence in presenting.  Students sometimes ask if they can use arm movements or gestures to help them and this is acceptable.  Being able to speak publicly is a 21st Century skill that I want all students to become proficient at.

Last week Ms. Norberg, our performing arts specialist worked with the students on tableau.  Groups of students had to create a scene from the American Revolution…it was like a freeze frame photo of history.  We saw Paul Revere riding his horse warning of the impending attack.  Sons and Daughters of Liberty came to life in the children’s tableau “skits.”  Ms. Norberg visits our classroom once a month and I really appreciate the way she takes our grade-level standards and brings them to life for children.

In addition, I have taught an art lesson every Tuesday afternoon- or Mrs. Weaver has presented an art docent lesson.  Mrs. Weaver has been a shining light in the lives of our students and I really appreciate her efforts for us.  Last week the students studied and created pointilism, this week we learned about Chinese symbol-writing, and in the coming weeks we will paint history and create Valentine’s gifts.

I know in this world of high stakes testing and standards the arts can be left on the educational curb, but I try very hard to give our kids the most well rounded of experiences.  We want to educate the whole child, right?

A couple of notes…we have been and we will be working with the “heavy” math standards relating to fractions.  It would be wise to check over your student’s homework on a nightly basis to make sure they are embedding the right practices…and yes, they must show their work.

I have also noticed a pattern with spelling tests lately.  Many of my students are not practicing their weekly pattern.  Please check in with them weekly regarding their words.  I’m even getting homework turned in where they are misspelling their spelling words.  This is unacceptable.  Students are staying in for recess to re-do their work.  Please check their homework and reward excellence.

Another quick way to check in with your kiddo is to ask them what they’re learning about in history or science.  Mr. Emmons is doing some exciting investigations and experiements relating to air pressure, while we have had some heated debates in history class over incidents like the Boston Massacre and the American Revolution.  Have them teach you.

We want the students to be independent, but it seems like we need to balance that a little more with responsibility.  I have told the kids this before…The Statue of Liberty on the East coast would be balanced if we had a Statue of Responsibility on the West coast.  Sometimes kids need a more frequent touch- you have signed their last progress report…I’ll let you judge just how much freedom you give them. 

This questioning and support will help our students to achieve.  Just four more weeks until grades are due for report cards!

In an effort to bring rural, New England culture to my students and to help them with their memorization and public speaking skills, I have assigned Robert Frost’s poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evenning.  This classic winter poem is beautifully written and it paints an excellent picture with his descriptive wording.

The poem will be recited by January 16, with a grade assigned to the reading/language arts gradebook.

Other American poets to come…Maya Angelou and Shel Silverstein…

Monday, December 22:

• Gingerbread cookie decorating from 8:15-9:00
• Award’s Assembly for Avery, David and Tiera 9:30-10:00
• What Makes Me…Me? Presentations begin 10:30-12:20 and 1:05-2:00

Tuesday, December 23

• Book Exchange 8:15-9:00
• Polar Express and Pizza 10:30-12:30

In years past, several of my students and their families have bought me gifts for the Holidays.  The generosity of the Hein community has been overwhelming.  With the tough economic times we all face, I’m asking that if you were planning on giving me a gift, that in lieu of that gift, a donation of gloves be given to Avery’s Love 4 Gloves.  It would be wonderful to honor her efforts to provide gloves for the homeless and needy in our community.  Thank you for your thoughts and warm wishes to me and my family this Christmas season.  I really appreciate our partnership.

We are nearing the mid-point of our year and so my students will be taking the MYPAS or Mid-Year Progress Assessment of Standards.  The test is designed to give me helpful feedback on my instruction, where I need to re-teach and where I can accelerate.  This is an important test for us.  If you can schedule appointments after tweleve o’clock, I would appreciate it.  Have a great holiday season.

We are studying perimeter this week, with a test on Friday. 

Monday’s lesson was on conversions in the customary and metric systems.  They must memorize 12 in = 1 ft; 3 ft = 1 yd; 5,280 ft = 1 mi and 10mm = 1 cm; 100 cm = 1 m; and 1000 m = 1 km. 

Tuesday’s lesson was finding the perimeter of polygons and creating a simple formula for each, so a triangle’s formula for perimeter would be

P = S + S + S

a rectangle would be

P = 2l + 2w or P= S+S+S+S

Wednesday is more application of perimeter and its formula and Thursday is a review for the test.  Please check their homework this week. 

Measurement and Geometry has been the 5th grade’s lowest scoring subsection on the CST and I am working hard to improve this area of my instruction.  Any parent feedback is greatly appreciated.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my students and for you, their families.  Thank you for your partnership and support over these past months.

Congratulations to Aden for his placement in our school Spelling Bee.  Aden finished in second place out of over 400 students.  We couldn’t be more proud of our star speller!

We had six Principal’s List students with Straight A’s: Sandy, Tanner, Sarah, Avery, Katie and Aden

Combine that with these outstanding honor roll students who achieved A’s and B’s…Eli, Caleb, Zack, Elise, Rachel, Amrit, Courtney, Derick, Annika

Our special recognition students were Alex, Tiera, and Kiera

Great job to all these students!

Math facts…the key here is automaticity; this means your child needs to be able to tell you the answer within 3 seconds…no figuring, or counting.  As we move into fractions, decimals and more algebra, it is imperative all of our students know their facts for addition, subtraction and multiplication.

Reading…20-30 minutes per day will help them keep their fluency scores and raise them when we return.  The bar is higher for term 2. 

Project…the heritage project- What Makes Me…Me? (see other posts)

Have fun and relax and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday!

Our own fifth grader, Aden, became our latest spelling bee champion at Arlene Hein for A and C tracks.  Aden will have a spell off with the B and D track winner to see who will go on to the district championships.  Our other two contestants, Sarah and Elise, gave valiant tries.  We were proud of all of them!

I have assigned the students a project that ties to our recent language arts theme of “heritage” as well as our social studies standards.  Please ask them to see the outline of the project so that you can help them plan and organize.  The project is not due until December 19, but students may want to get a jumpstart on the project over the break, especially as they may see relatives around the Thanksgiving holiday that may be able to help them with their tasks.  I hope the students enjoy investigating their own personal histories!

Monday-Red Ribbon Week begins with a door decorating contest; Mrs. Weaver is in to help us make caramel popcorn for a Halloween activity

Tuesday-Wear red day for red ribbon week; Spelling Bee at 8:30; Mrs. Weaver in to help us put our caramel popcorn Halloween hands together

Wednesday- red ribbon pledges; SS chapter 6 Middle Colonies test

Thursday- tie a ribbon on the fence; reading, spelling, DLR test (a day early); Award’s Assembly 9:45; Math Test Ch 4 division; movie and pizza lunch afternoon

Friday- Minimum day; No To Drugs Assembly; Halloween/End of Trimester party (Thank you parents!)

Have a wonderful off track time with your kids!  I’ll see you December 1 after Thanksgiving!

Aden, Sarah and Elise will represent our class tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 28) at 8:30 in our school spelling bee for A and C tracks.  Good luck to our contestants!

Friday, October 31 is our end of the trimester celebration (and it falls on Halloween).  We are asking for a small donation to help us with our crafts and goodies.  Your child should have brought home a donation request sheet last Tuesday.  I have a list of what the kids volunteered for (if you can not find it).  Donations are needed by Friday, October 24 (tomorrow) so we can prepare if there is not enough of any one item.  Thank you for your support!

Thank you Mrs. Harder for your support with our book orders!  I have also found the online ordering to be not as helpful as advertised, therefore I will be using the traditional way of ordering books.  Please send in an envelope your child’s order form and check or exact cash.  We hope for a quick turn around.  Book orders will come home in this week’s folders, and THIS FRIDAY will be the cut off so we can order and have them to you before we go off track.

October 31 will be our end of trimester/ Halloween celebration.  It is also a minimum day for our students; school will end at 12:30.  Some parents have stepped up to celebrate our kids hard work.  If you are able to join us, let me know.  We will also be sending home flyers with requests for certain items we will need.  Thank you for helping.

Kiddos will have their report cards in hand on October 31.  We will return to school after Thanksgiving on December 1.

One of our students began a project with her family to provide gloves to homeless families in our area.  Avery gave me a letter and so I will share her words with you: Last Christmas, we gave our dad a pair of gloves which he never got a chance to wear because he suddenly passed away shortly thereafter.  While going through his things, we came across this pair of gloves.  Instead of tossing them aside, we reflected on our father’s character…We would like to honor his legacy by providing those in need with a pair of gloves this season… If you would like to support Avery in her efforts, we will take donations of gloves, mittens, warm hats or scarves.  You can also find out more at www.love4gloves.org or email her family at love4gloves@gmail.com. Thank you for your generosity!

To help the Elk Grove Food Bank our school is participating in the Kids Can food drive from now until October 24.  Our donations last year allowed the food bank to feed needy families in our city through this past August.  So scower through your pantries and donate canned foods, soups and the like.  The food bank has thanked us for our donations of Ramen, but the product does have a shelf life, and it is not as nutritious, so they are asking for canned products if possible.  Thank you for your support.

Three weeks of grades to go…

Please double check the progress report carefully…I do my best to insure their accuracy.  Students still have an opportunity to raise their grades with hard work (or vice versa).  Encourage them to finish strong!

October 13-24 is our annual Kids Can food drive.  This year our donations will benefit the Elk Grove Food Closet.  Clean out those pantries and donate all of your canned and non-perishable food items for families in need!  Every student that brings in at least one item will be given a Hock Buck for their generosity.

I want to publicly thank Mrs. Tenney, Mrs. Weaver (our art docent), Mrs. Coleman, Mrs. Price, Mrs. Hostettler and Mrs. Sotelo for their support this year.  We have also had our Watch Dogs Mr. Weaver and Mr. Price help out as well.  This has been an amazing year for me and your support is greatly appreciated!

One month to go…we need to begin planning our Halloween/End of Trimester celebration.  If you are interested in helping, please email me.

If you do not have time to help in class, but you’d like to support our students, I have just the job.  I love providing students with opportunities to get good books in their hands, but I hate the logistics of counting the money, organizing the order forms and calling in our orders.  Do you have an hour or so a month to organize our Scholastic orders?  Please respond to this post or email me for more information.

Please let me know by responding to this post how you feel about the homework in fifth grade.  Are you having any issues?  Are kids reading nightly?  Your feedback is appreciated.

If you would like to schedule a conference, please respond to this post or email me at mhockiii@egusd.net.

In an effort to create a uniform and some school spirit for our annual fundraiser, Mr. Emmons and I created t-shirts.  To cover our expenses you may write a check to Arlene Hein for $6 or I will take cash.  The kids can wear these as spirit wear on Fridays after the jog-a-thon.  Thank you for your support.

I sent home a progress report with your child on Monday.  Please sign and return the progress report by Wednesday.  If you have any questions, please email me at mhockiii@egusd.net.

Reading:  Students are to be reading for 20 minutes a night.  They have a book project coming up in October, so their chapter book will need to be finished by October 13.  Please help them plan accordingly.

Spelling:  /i/ pattern practice pages 16-17 and activity 3 due Wednesday; Challenge group has “crime and punishment” words and activities 1, 4, 6, 15

Math: PW 10 #5,6,8,9,15,16,17,20…Decimals to the thousandths place

Writing:  Persuasive 5 papragraph essay on their favorite pet…we have used a graphic organizer, created a rough draft, and now they will type the essay.  Size 12, Arial or Times New Roman font, double spaced.  If they need a computer to type, they can use my computer at school.  If you do not have a printer, email the essay to me at mhockiii@egusd.net.  Do not edit these essays for content…spelling and grammar editing is fine.

Students and families,

My teaching partner at Sims Elementary, Mrs. denise Phillips, has created a blog with her students to foster a love of reading.  Elk Grove students from across our district and students potentially from around the world will be reading The City of Ember and discussing it online.  Each week, the students will all read a section of the book, then respond to a question that Mrs. Phillip’s class will post about that section.  Currently, our club for The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau is officially starting.  Go to http://kidsbookblog.edublogs.org/ for more information or to join this book club!

Please review chapter one’s lessons with your children.  Our focus is place value through the billions period.  Homework is page 32 in their texts.  If you could review their work, I’m sure they will be on track for a successful test.  Thank you!

Now is the time to start checking nightly math homework.  On the the back of the PW (practice workbook) pages is a RW (reteach) page.  The reteach page has the notes of the day’s lesson on the top.  So, in case your child needs a tutor and I am unavailable, look to the RW page (usually on the back) for help.  I always assign around 10 problems.  If your child needs more practice, they can finish the page or have them bring their text home for practice. There are ample problems for practice.

Please initial each piece of student work and send back in the folder with the student the next day.  Students then file each piece of work for the trimester.  This will help them with goal setting and personal responsibility for their grades.  This process also allows you to praise them for good effort and ask probing questions if homeowrk or assessments come back lower than expected.

A spot checked stamp on homework indicates full points unless stated on the assignment.  If you have questions about an assignment, do not hesitate to write me a note or email and  will address it that day.

Spelling due tomorrow (see yesterday’s post)

Reading 20 minutes

Math: PW5 +/- Whole Numbers

Social Studies: Wkbk p 47-48

Spelling:  At grade-level group pages 8 and 9 and another page with at least 5 spelling “stairs”.  Call me if students can not explain the stair strategy.  Challenge group will complete #1, 6, 16, 20 from their list of activities.  Please study these words this week.

Reading 20 minutes a night.  Book orders due Friday.  Check this blogsite if you want to order online

Math PW7 Algebraic expressions

Friday Tests to study for:

Reading- “The Class President”; Grammar- DLR (they have our weekly practice and assessments are created from the practice); Spelling- Short /a/ pattern

Science: Page 148-149 in workbook

Math: Page PW3 “Rounding Whole Numbers”

Reading: 20 minutes per night (as always)

Social Studies: Complete the vocabulary section of notes- ask them about our powerpoint colonial art presentation…

Math: PW 2 comparing/ordering large numbers

Reading: 20 minutes

Spelling: Study for Friday test

Reading: 20 minutes per night this week (any book, magazine, newspaper, etc.)

Math: Place Value page RW1in workbook

Spelling:  At Grade Level group…page 4-5; Challenge Group Activities 1, 4, 6, 15

I forgot Hawk folders!  They’ll be coming home tomorrow!

Our school purchased a wonderful art curriculum last year to give our children exposure to world class artists, their works, styles and techniques.   This is a great opportunity for a parent or parents to come in once a month (or more), teach an art lesson and enrich our children.

I promise to do all the prep work; the lessons are scripted and user friendly and the kids love art.  Will you take on the challenge?  We would really appreciate your partnership as our classroom art teacher.

Every Monday your student will bring home the “Hawk Folder”  with all of the graded work for the week.  Please sign or initial every assignment or test in the folder and send back to school on Tuesday with your child.  The students will then file the work for us to keep throughout the term.  This system is designed to keep you updated on their progress towards the standards, as well as a tool for grade accuracy.  If I make a mistake on a progress report, we can find the actual assignment and make the change.  If the student does not bring the assignment back signed, there can not be any argument over the grade for that work.  Any newsletters, or handouts from the school can be kept at home.  If ever you would like to discuss your child’s progress, please don’t hesitate to email me for an appointment at mhockiii@egusd.net.   Thank you for your partnership!

Parents-  I have created an online account through Scholastic Books so that you can conveniently pay with your credit card.  Orders can be created without sending your child to school with a check or money.

Just log on to www.scholastic.com.  Select “ORDER BOOKS FROM CLASS FLYER”, then type in our class username and password to shop.  Our class username is: Hein5A – and our password is: Hock.

Parents…Don’t forget to mark your calendar for Back to School Night on August 21.  The night will begin from 6:00-6:30 in the multipurpose with an introduction to the school year from Mrs. Westermann.  I will then be available for two sessions: from 6:30-7:00 or 7:00-7:30.   We will be setting our course for the year, sharing my philosophy and getting practical…as well as getting to know you.  If possible, leave your kiddos at home so we can have an adult conversation…plus they will have already heard my “stand up comedy” earlier in the week!

I can hear Mrs. Tiff, my middle school math teacher, exhorting us again and again…”Organization is the key to success!”  I eventually bought in to her philosophy, and now it has become my mantra.  I know the first week of school is a little crazy, but if you can make sure your student has the following supplies we will be well on our way to organization…and to success!

2 red pens

3 inch, 3 ring binder

dividers for math, reading, spelling/vocabulary, writing, social studies, and science

zippered pencil pocket

box of colored pencils

This is my first blog I’ve ever created!  For the first time in several years, I finally feel like I’m ahead of the curve…I’m at least a step ahead of my eighth grade daughter and her technology skills.  I hope you find this blog useful.  Post your questions or comments about anything in fifth grade and I will do my best to be of help.  Remember that blogging is a public domain…everything can be read by anyone who logs on!