1. 5 th Grade News Ms. Smith | ABC Elementary February Help Wanted Whooooo’s New? Important Dates Dear Families, Hello! My name is Ms. Shayna Walker and I am Ms. Smith’s student teacher for the 2013-2014 school year. I have enjoyed getting to know your children during my fall observation semester at ABC Elementary, and am excited to begin my supervised student teaching under the expert guidance of Ms. Smith this spring! I am currently finishing my Masters in Elementary Education with an endorsement in English as a Second Language at William & Mary. I have two children of my own - boy-girl twins in fourth grade. I am sincerely looking forward to spending more time in Mrs. Smith’s classroom with your wonderful children this spring. Should you have any questions or need to get in touch with me, please don’t hesitate to email smwalker@email.wm.edu or leave a message with the front office and I will get right back to you. Thank you for the opportunity to work with such wonderful students! Ms. Walker Would you be willing to lend a hand? Volunteers of all types are always needed. If you can spare the time, schedule an hour to tutor a student in need of a little extra help. Want to volunteer from home? We have always got materials that need to be prepared that can be sent home with instructions. We are also in critical need of a few classroom supplies. If you can help, please send in any of the following: Glue sticks Tissues Composition notebooks If you have questions about supplies, or would like to volunteer your time or talents, email Ms. Smith or Ms. Walker or leave a message with the front office. Thank you for your support of our classroom community! February: 2/18: 100 th Day of School 2/26: Spring Picture Day March: 3/6: Math & Science Night 3/12: Full Day (formerly early release) 3/21: Health Day

2. What’s happening this week in… Math: Converting fractions to decimals Science: Matter Unit Icon card testing continues Reading: Literature Groups Writing: Character Maps Reducing Test Anxiety As third quarter begins and we get closer to SOL testing, we wanted to share some tips for helping your child feel prepared and relaxed during testing season. These tips are adapted from an excellent article available on www.colorincolorado.org. If you would like a printed copy of the article, Ms. Walker would be happy to send one home. www.colorincolorado.org Be prepared: know when the test is taking place and what it is testing. Help your child practice. Ask your teacher if you need assistance finding practice tests. Make sure your child gets enough rest before a test, and has a healthy, filling breakfast. Remain positive: if you stay calm, your child will stay calm too. Colorado, C. (2008). Parent tips: how to help your child prepare for standardized tests. Retrieved from: http://www.colorincolorado.org/ar ticle/23148/. Be a Healthy Role Model Are you trying to ensure that your child eats better as part of a healthy lifestyle? You are the most important role model to your child when it comes to all things nutrition. Fear not! The USDA, via ChooseMyPlate.gov offers the following fun tips for modeling healthy choices: ChooseMyPlate.gov 1.Set an example: eat a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables every day. 2.Go food shopping together: grocery shopping teaches your child about food and nutrition (and offers great math lessons too!). 3.Get creative in the kitchen: cut healthy foods into fun shapes and give foods that children help you create fun names like “Jackie’s Sweet Potatoes”. 4.Reward with attention, not food. ChooseMyPlate.govChooseMyPlate.gov offers many more great tips that you can use to promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle in your home. Visit the website or contact Ms. Walker for printed copies in English or Spanish. Contact Information School Phone: 757-555-5555 Ms. Walker: smwalker@email.wm.edu