Hello parents!
>
> I have a couple of notes for you.
>
> There is a unit 5 math test this friday. Make sure you see your child's
> practive test that comes home in their homework folders on Thursday night.
> These items will be on the test.
>
> Need a snack/drink volunteer for Friday-Yost
>
> We are going to skate at Yost on Friday, December 18, the last day before
> holiday break. The entire 4th and 5th grade will go, which means 85 kids.
> The more parents who come, the better! You don't have to skate, but
> coming to help support the kids and help with getting skate on and off is
> really appreciated! You skate for free if you are interested and skate
> rentals are free for everyone. We will also need a couple of volunteers
> to bring a snack and a drink for our 16 skaters. You can show up at Yost
> at 12:30ish or even ride the bus with us if you like.
>
> Winter Survival
>
> The date is set for Winter Survival. We are going on January 19. We
> leave by bus around 9:15. Parents are welcome to join us on the bus or
> follow by car. We will need 4 or 5 parents to join us and be fire group
> leaders on the trip. This is a great trip! Starting January 11, kids
> will be bringing food and materials lists home to prepare for the big day.
> Keep your eyes open for this info.
>
> thanks
>
> let me know if you have any questions
>
> Nick Mosher
>
>
>
>

Room Notes 12-2-09

Hello parents! A couple of notes about goings on here at Northside. Tomorrow night is Hockey Night. Come support the 5th graders camp fundraising effort. The Book Fair will be open and the free movie is Up. The Yost skating trip is coming up. Come skate with us at Yost Ice Arena on December 18 at 1pm. The 5th graders achieved their goals with their first of 4 behavior rubrics this year. The magic number to move on to the next level was %80 and they got %82. That's good news, but I think they want to do better and they will. The next measured period will be these 3 weeks before holiday break. Winter Survival is coming! This is a really fun trip that parents can be a part of as group fire leaders. We go on an all day trip, by bus, to Green Acres with Environmental Educator Dave Sczeigal (sp?) The date is Tuesday, January 19. We leave Northside at around 9:10ish and return around 2:45. parents are welcome to join us on the bus or follow by car. More info will come after the holiday break as students plan their campfire menues and materials to bring, lists. Thanks Nick Mosher

Hello All,

The next Hockey Night is Thursday, December 3, 2009 from 6-8pm. That's only two weeks away! The added attraction is that it will be combined with the Scholastic Book Fair.  We need certain positions filled to make Hockey Night a success.  Please look at the following positions and email me to let me know where you can help out.  It is our hope that we can get all of the slots filled before Thanksgiving Break. Thank you in advance.

Where we need Help:

Event Coordinator (This person makes sure that volunteers know where to go and that each shift is being relieved)
6-8 pm
1.

Food stand
5:45-6:30 pm                6:30-7:15 pm

1.                  1. Kirsten Parr-Matthews

2.                  2.
7:15-8 pm
1.
2.

Popcorn machine
5:45-6:30 pm
1.
6:30-7:15 pm
1.
7:15-8 pm
1.

Clean Up
8-9 pm 1.
2.
3.
4.

Baked Goods

1. Kirsten Parr-Matthews

2. Susan Pietropaolo
3
4.
5.
6.
7.

=

Camp is a Privilege!

Hi Folks!

Time for a little “You gotta earn it” mentality in the 5th grade at
Northside.

Because of continued behavioral issues during lunch, in the hallways
during transitions, during specials and with teachers in the classrooms,
We’ve decided to make it clear that camp is not a given.

In the classroom today, we had a discussion about the fact that camp is
something earned through responsible behavior throughout the school year.
Students must be held accountable for their behavior in school.  Right now
we are not meeting those expectations.
Today we discussed a series of goals that if met over the course of the
next 6 months, camp will become a reality.  We are still working on those
benchmarks as a class and if you have questions about the specifics, feel
free to call us or email us as the framework gets worked out.

In the meantime we will continue to fund raise.  Bagel Fridays and Hockey
Nights are still in play.

Thanks for your support
Mr Mosher Mr. Carnegie

306 notes

Hello Folks I have a couple of notes about this week in the classroom. MEAP started today, and the kids did great. We don't have it tomorrow and then we complete the last reading portion on Thursday. Next week we have the science and the math. Remember to make sure your kids get an extra hour of sleep and a good breakfast in the morning. Thanks! There will be a math test on Friday over unit two. On Thursday night a practice test will come home that covers the material on the test. We will have completed it and corrected it on Thursday, so if you go over it Thur. night, the kids should be ready for the test on Friday. as always, if you have any question, please fire away! thanks for the support nick

306 MEAP info

Hi everybody!  I wanted to pass a long a little MEAP info for you as we approach the first week of testing.  The MEAP begins on Tuesday, October 13.  We've been reviewing good strategies for taking the MEAP, as well as assigning homework that practices elements of the Science and Math portions of the MEAP, which we then have gone over in the classroom.  There will be one more piece that comes home tomorrow.  It will be a math packet and it will be the math homework for the night.  This will be the last piece that overtly preps the kids for the MEAP, as the state puts a two week ban on all such material, before the actual test.  We will continue to work on writing about our reading that practices good strategies for not just the MEAP, but also continues to further our success in the classroom.

The first week we will take the reading portion of the test, followed by the math and then science.  If you have any question please let me know.  If you want to continue helping your child practice for the MEAP at home there are many MEAP friendly web sites that you can easily google and find on your computer.  The Michigan.gov site has many released items that are a lot like what they will see on the test.

Thanks

Mr. Mosher

306 Notes

Hi 306 folks! Just a not about our first math test tomorrow. Your child should have brought home a study sheet that reviews the items on the test. Let me know (4769249 or email) if you have any questions. We've gone backwards with lunchtime behavior and when interviewed about it today, our students showed very little recognition of accountability or responsibility for their actions. Instead, they focused on what other grades were doing poorly. So.........we're bringing down the gauntlet folks. We're going to assigned seating during lunchtime, taking them off of thermometer of popsicle party contention and pushing back the beginning of service squad activity. All these things can be earned back with responsible behavior and we will focus on them in coordination with the lunchroom supervisors. that's all for now folks! thanks for the support. nick

Curriculum Night Follow Up

Hi folks  Thank you for coming tonight.  With too little time to get everything out to you I left out a few important pieces of information.  I thought I would share those with you now since I have your emails and a little time to collect my thoughts.  1.  I'm going to write notes and updates on a link Jeri Schneider and I set up last year during 5th grade camp.  The link is on the Northside website, under Mr. Mosher.  This will be a good place to get info and see some pictures of what's going on in the classroom over the course of the year.  2. I regret that I didn't mention something that Kate Hitchcock brought to my attention.  Kate sent me an email that described how she was able to raise $250 this summer collecting and cleaning lost and found clothing at the end of the year, and then selling them through the PTO Thriftshop.  Kate has generously offered to use her status as a Community High School PTO Thrift chairperson, to help Northside and The 5th Grade Camp fundraising effort by organizing some further clothing drives.  Thanks Kate!  3.  Since the discussion about camp was so brief I left out something important.  You should know that we will have a general meeting about camp in the spring, that will tell you more about this wonderful experience and will also give people a chance to volunteer to be chaperones.  If you have any questions about this throughout the year or you are sure you would like to be one of those volunteers, feel free to email either Ralph or me anytime.  4.  Dave Vandermark mentioned a great idea to raise money during hockey night.  He is going to make hockey sticks that say Northside on them, to sell to kids at hockey night.  Note to Ethan's folks.  I couldn't read John's email address, so if you would Winnie, forward this to him and cc me so I can pick up that email.  Also if any of these addresses are wrong or bounce back to me, let me know if you have the address or I will contact you to let you know.  Again, since many things will come up over the year, be sure to check out the blog I set up linked through the Northside Web site so you can keep up with what's up in the 5th grade this year.  Thanks again for your support!  We are engaged in an important partnership to give your children the best educational experience we can this year, so we appreciate you and everything you do to help with this partnership.  Nick Mosher  

Welcome to 2009/2010

Hi Parents

Just linked up this new blog to Northside's web site and I wanted to try it out for you all!  As soon as we get going this year I will post any important information or updates on what's happening in room 306.  I will also post some pictures of what's happening on a weekly basis.  Last year I started this blog to post updates from camp, so be sure to check that out so you can get a look at the Northside camp experience.

Here's a copy of the room notes that are coming home the first day of school.  Enjoy and I will see you all at Curriculum Night, Sept 15 at 6:30 pm.

September 8, 2009

Welcome back Parents and Students,

Hello!  Welcome to  fifth grade! I am very excited to be your teacher at Northside this year.  What a wonderful thing to have some students returning for a second year of room 306, others who I already know from last year, and perhaps most importantly, a very small class size.  We are very fortunate for that, and many other reasons, so let’s aim high. The sky’s the limit. 

We had a successful year last year with the split class and I expect to continue that success this year, with only one grade to teach!  This week we will do a lot to establish organization and community in our classroom.  We will also be going over general rules and procedures, collecting our supplies and getting the class up and running.  Those are first week goals.  Over the course of the year, we will talk about the theme that the privileges of being a fifth grader, are a result of responsible behavior.  We want your children to become mature, independent people and to eventually be ready for the increased responsibilities of 5th grade and beyond.

We will go over daily routines and the home / classroom relationship in detail on curriculum night but here is a brief overview of our homework plan.  Each day they will copy down the classroom assignments in their homework planner.   Homework will be assigned at least 4 out of five days per week.  I expect that homework will be returned ON TIME, NEAT, LEGIBLE and a FINISHED PRODUCT.   On Fridays, the Homework folder and homework sheet will be sent home with a reflection sheet completed by the student and an update on any missing assignments.  This way you and I can keep in close contact so we can tackle any problems immediately.  This Personal Reflection page is to be signed by an adult and returned on Monday morning.

ELMAC Intern

We are also very lucky to be joined this year by Evangeline Harvey, a Master's student in Elementary Education at the University of Michigan.  As a student intern, Evangeline will be helping me plan and teach daily class activities.  Here’s is a note from Evangeline!

My name is Evangeline Harvey and I am working on my Masters in Elementary Education at the University of Michigan.  Having grown up in St. Louis, I studied Social Work at Saint Louis University, finishing my Bachelor degree there in 2007.  Since then I lived in New York City for a year, where I worked for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and StarQuest, a nationally touring children’s dance competition.  I have lived in Ann Arbor since August 2008, where I substitute taught for all grade levels in the surrounding school districts.  I recently completed a summer internship with the Ann Arbor Public Schools’ Summer Learning Institute, where I assisted in teaching third graders literacy and math.  I am so excited to work and learn with your fifth graders this school year and to watch them blossom!I love traveling, playing outside, yoga, and salsa dancing!  I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with your children this year.  I know that they have much to teach me!”

First Homework

The first “homework” of the year is a collage about your child.  I would like each student to make a collage about themselves which they are to put on a page I will be handing out on Tuesday.  This is to be returned by no later than Friday, September 11.  I’ve talked to the kids about how all photos and materials must be first cleared by an adult at home.

 Special Events and Classes

Fifth grade has a very full curriculum.  In addition to reading and writing workshop and Everyday Math, we will be covering the 5th grade curriculum for science and social studies.  One of the special classes that fifth graders have an opportunity to participate in is Instrumental Music.  It is expected that all students will take advantage of this wonderful chance to try an instrument of their choice.  Classes are given twice per week and there will be a spring concert for parents.

Team Building and Fifth Grade Camp

We will be working on team and community building these first few weeks.

After several cooperative activities, we will participate in a challenge course at Leslie Science Center. 

Many of you know that there is a fifth grade camp.  Traditionally, fifth graders at Northside school have spent a few days and nights at camp.  Camp is an important part of the curriculum because it allows our students to participate fully in several of the lessons from social studies and science classes.  We also practice many team-building skills and fun and engaging activities.  During Curriculum night we will talk a little about the camp experience and answer any questions you have about camp.  We have our trip to Camp Eberhart penciled in for the 4 days after Memorial Day, 2010.

Lunch/Snacks

Our lunch period is from 12:12-1:00.  Room 306 will go out to recess first and then come inside for lunch.  There will be a snack break at some time in the morning.  Please feel free to send your child to school with a healthy snack that may be eaten in our classroom.  Healthy snacks include fruit, veggies, crackers, cheese and granola bars.  Candy and soda pop are not allowed to be eaten as snacks.  I will provide pretzels for kids that are unable to bring a snack on any given day.

Curriculum Night - Sept. 15 6:30-8:00(5 parents 6:30 start in room)

I cannot stress enough the importance of communication between home and school.  Please feel free to contact me for a meeting or just to come in and say “Hi.”  I look forward to meeting you all. (Home Phone 369-2099.  Email moshern@aaps.k12.mi.us)

Sincerely,

Nick Mosher

Goodbye from Camp

Well, that's all folks!

Been a wonderful experience for all.  We finished off with a nature hike, a how well do you know your counselor?-quiz show, some free time and a little lunch making for the ride back.  Right now, your kids are in line, filling their brown bags like tricker treaters, in anticipation of the bus ride home.  I predict serious nap time so expect groggy kids upon arrival.

Like to thank all the parents who helped out in so many ways, right down to the end, where last night's chaperones did the most comprehensive cabin clean up we've ever had.  Nice Job!

see you in 2 or 3 hours!

Next up............end of the year festivities and Graduation!

Last night at Camp

Good evening!

Well, your children are on their way to sweet dreams, we hope, but pretty sure as they seemed pretty beat by the end of the night.  Anne is with the girls and Tom, Dazel and John are with the boys.  Ralph and I left them going off to lights out in their rooms, but we're pretty sure there will be some last giggles and chatter to get out before they finally fall asleep.  

All is good here at camp and everyone has had a great time.  Tonight we had a scavenger hunt, a campfire that featured many of the classic YMCA sing alongs, followed by smores and a final night walk around campus.

In the morning after breakfast we have clean up, one class, make our lunches and then hit the road around 11:45.  We project a 2:20ish arrival but to make sure, why don't you all call Becky in the office and she will have the latest projected arrival time around 2.

See you all in the parking lot and be prepared for some good camping stories!

Hello....it's 18 minutes before dinner and i thought i'd get some shots out to you before we went into the night activities.  Today's activities included wetland communities, topography and astronomy.  We just got finished with a wicked game of capture the flag where the Blue Hats(counselor Tyler's team)took 4 out of 5 games from the green glasses (counselor Kevin).  carnegie and I got in on a little of the action too.....he more than me as these old bones don't quite travel as fast as they used to.

Check out the pictures!  Tonight we finish off with a campfire and a night walk, after the hour of free time.

End of Day 2(Go Wings!)

Hello Folks

Wow, what a day!  After afternoon activities, we cooled off at the lake for an outstanding swim.  It really brought the heat down and gave us all that extra push we needed, heading into the after dinner activities.

Originally we planned to do a night walk and astronomy class after the high ropes and wall climbing activities we started after free time, but because so many of your courageous and beautiful kids wanted to get up there and test themselves on the high ropes, we stayed until every last one had a shot at it.  With darkness falling, our great camp leader, Louis, guided fearless Eddy, through the high ropes (30 feet high) with just enough light to complete the loop.  It was really a great time as a lot of kids surprised themselves, and all of us onlookers.  After the climb we stopped for a late popsicle snack and then headed down to Dave's House for a little peek into the skies, which had cleared after a partly cloudy and very humid day.  We have managed to miss most of the storms that we heard you all had to endure over the course of the day.

Tom is with the boys and Liz, Bethany and Merle are with the girls as they all head down to what should be a very deep sleep (hope, hope).

Good night all, and talk to you tomorrow.

file:///Users/moshern/Desktop/DSCF7257.JPG

Rec Time

There are times in between classes where the kids get choices for freetime/recreation time.  Today, before lunch, the kids chose volleyball and canoeing, over swimming (that's happening before dinner.  The volleyball was a blast, as Bethany joined about 14 of us in a sweaty/sandy hybrid game of volleyball.  Down by the water, Kara joined the rest of the kids and canoed around the lakefront.

all for now, it's time to eat!

Day 2/AM update

Good Morning parents!

The rain has cleared (still more to come later), the giant bullfrogs have left the parking lot and the kids are off on their morning rotations.  On the docket for this morning is Pioneer Life, Horse Science and forest communities.  The kids will work in and out of these until we get to lunch.

We just came back from the lake where one group was making candles, old school style, in the arts and crafts room.  I took a picture of several kids to show you the lake in the background.  It was a very serene moment as the kids are enjoying the relaxed nature of the morning classes after a typical, choppy first night of sleep.  Tonight......they will sleep well!

Mr. C. Notes

......some words from Mr. Carnegie

Hi everyone!  The bus trip was very exciting!  We enjoyed comfortable seats and space.  We started the trip with a few clips of Looney Tunes and viewed the entire movie Tales of Despereaux. The kids enjoyed every moment of the trip.  

I learned something on this trip however.  GPS devices don't always lead you in the right direction.  The bus driver Paul used one to navigate his way to the the camp site.  However we ended up in a camp across from our destination.  We turned around and with my help and a few turns we finally arrived.

Thanks for your time!

Mr. Carnegie

We Campin'

Hi Folks!

All is well here at Camp Eberhart.  As I "blog" the kids are in Klinger Hall (food hall) because of thunder showers, participating in an "egg drop" competition.  The rain is supposed to blow through and we might get out for a game of Capture the Flag.

This has been an outstanding start to what I can see will be a great camp experience.  From the moment we boarded that bus we have been on the move. We hit the ground running when we arrived at camp.  After an orientation and a scrumptious lunch of bbq pork and chicken (don't worry there are always salad and vegi options too) we set off on a big 3 activity rotation of wall climbing, canoes and frisbee golf.  Each group (3 groups of 12) did one activity, watered up (hot day) and then moved over to the next gig.  

The canoeing brought us some great turtle finds.  It was beautiful and not to windy so the kids had a great time.  Frisbee golf is a blast but a bit hazardous as 12 kids play one hole at a time.  Watch out!  The wall climbing was so much fun I think we will do it again.  A lot of kids were able to get to the top of the wall.

Well, picture will come later tonight when we get the kids down.  That job will be up to our wonderful parent chaperones as Mr. Carnegie and I float around to help.  We have a great adult to kid ratio with Kirsten, James, Jim, Dan, Eva, Trish and Michelle, which is great for the what will most probably be the most rambunctious of the kid/sleep nights.  Other parents coming, make sure you thank these "pioneer" parents the next time you see them.

All For Now

Nick Mosher

4 days away

Hi everyone

Ms. Schneider and I are working out a way for us to post pictures and information from Camp Eberhart, so that parents and family will be able to follow what's up with their loved ones while they are gone.  You are no doubt reading this now because you got a note from school that we would be putting pictures up from camp, starting when we get there on Tuesday, May 26, as well as my thoughts and records of events in the form of a blog that we have linked up through the Northside website.

so.......success, and see you all on Tuesday!

Nick Mosher