News from Lakeside Preschool and Middle School
Lakeside Staff
February 25, 2010
NEWS FROM LAKESIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL
4th Grade – Mrs. Palen
The month of February in our classroom is Friendship month. We are working very hard to “Treat Others the Way We Want to be Treated.” We read several books and even watched a film on Friendship. Writing an acrostic poem using each other’s names was fun along with using positive adjectives. So when you see a 4th grader, ask them how to be a good friend and they can tell you.
We made final preparations to take State Assessments the end of February. In math the students took a test related to the four Math Standards: Number and Computation, Algebra, Geometry, and Data. In Reading the test will have questions related to the Standards: Reading, Literature, Writing, and Research. As you can see we have had to spend a lot of time learning math and reading lessons to help prepare for these assessments. I am proud of the students as they have worked very hard in their classes to be ready. Our students did their best again this year. These assessments give us a measure of the individual student performance and also give us scores on our performance as a school. These scores determine whether Lakeside School is meeting its Adequate Yearly Progress, a score designed to ensure that we are meeting the requirements of the Federal No Child Left Behind Law.
Thanks for helping your child on testing days come to school well rested, having had a good breakfast, and a great start to the day with a smile!. I’m glad you visit with your child throughout the testing period, asking about the test that they took each day, etc. With your support, interest, and encouragement from home, and the support the school staff offered here, I am sure that our students did very well with this year’s math and reading tests. Together, we will help the students to succeed.
5th and 6th Grade - Mrs. Goth
Mrs. Goth – 5th/6th Science
Both classes have been busy since winter break. The 5th Graders have learned about the earth, soils, fossils, volcanoes, rocks and crystals. The ‘crystal’ garden was fun to do, even if they grew a little too much! Just like the top newspaper is the newest, the fossils closest to the top of the earth are the youngest.
6th Graders have learned about kinds of energy and made ‘marble’ racetracks. The criteria for the racetracks were to make the fastest and the slowest ones with 5 inclines. They did a really great job. Hopefully friction is better understood as a factor that slows you down! Jerry, Marc, Hunter and Kelsey designed the fastest racetrack and Keegan, Jessica, Payge and Chloe designed the ‘slowest’ racetrack.
Mrs. Goth’s 5th Grade: 5th Graders have been working hard preparing for the assessments which are beginning the first week of March and continuing until Spring Break. Remember that a well rested child has the best edge for doing well! They are all trying to gain membership in the 90% or above club (Math and Reading) I was very happy to see all of the parents at the PT Conferences and talk with you. As I told you then, our room has really gone “Green” and it is working very well. They are becoming much more conscious of how their actions affect others and how much nicer it is when we all mind our manners;0) They are reading a lot and trying to get everyone’s ‘yellow’ star inside the classroom! Two students have gone all the way through the levels of AR and are reading for total points now!! Way to go, Taylor and Jayde!!!
Vocal Music – Mrs. Lynn Koops
The junior high students have just finished watching “West Side Story” in music class. “West Side Story” is a classic musical and was enjoyed by all. Now we are working on choir music for contest and concert, and starting solos and ensembles for contest. The middle school students watched the musical “The Sound of Music” and now we are back working in our books and learning music theory. They are doing very well with a tough subject.
Title I – Curt Christians
Focus by my students is improving. Seeing a relationship between focus and attaining goals is also getting better. Organization and study skills are areas of improvement. Sometimes we have problems moving past a question that we don’t understand. Going on to the next one without getting frustrated tends to hold us back.
Students have been working hard with teachers getting ready for state testing.
LM/JHS Library News
4th and 5th graders have started new literary units this month in library classes. The 4th graders have began, Stuart Little,by E.B. White by writing definitions of vocabulary words used in section one of the book. The 5th graders have been enjoying listening to , The Indian in the Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks for the past couple of weeks. Both classes were excited to move on to another great story to learn about and enjoy.
Ten faces are now up on the library’s “Wall of Fame”. This is our special place for readers that accumulated 109 or more A. R. Points. Four of the ten are Middle School students. Congratulations Jayde, Drew, Taylor, and Holly T.. Everyone, keep up the hard work. Happy Reading!! Mrs. Gaston
