Sunday, September 10



September 11, 2011 had a profound impact on the United States and the rest of the world. Each year, I reflect on the events that occurred on that clear September day. As I look back, I see myself sitting in Mrs. Lee’s 5th grade class. Mrs. Lee was reading aloud the classic tale, Island of the Blue Dolphins, when suddenly, our principal, Mr. Hensley, came over the intercom and stated in a solemn voice, “Let us all share a moment of silence." I must admit, I was terribly confused and didn’t truly understand what was going on, but I did have a clear picture in my mind of my teacher's shocked face, her swollen eyes, and the extra tender care she extended to each of us that day. September 11th taught me  about empathy and compassion. I will never forget the lessons I learned that day and the days after. Tomorrow, I am going to share pieces of my story with your 5th graders and let them in on a little bit of history that had a lasting impact on all of our hearts.




Project Parkway: Project Parkway will be meeting this Monday September, 11. Here is a little information about Project Parkway…


  • Launched in 2009, Project Parkway brings together members of the Parkway School District community to help set the future direction of our schools. Any district resident or employee is eligible to participate in the ongoing work of Project Parkway. Under the direction of the Parkway Board of Education, volunteers from the community will have an ongoing role to review the district’s progress toward meeting goals identified in Parkway’s five-year strategic plan. This plan is also called our Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).
All Read: All Read is happening this Thursday at 3:25.


PSO Meeting: PSO will have a meeting this Thursday at 7:00 pm in the MPR. The PSO is the Parent and Staff Organization which supports Highcroft Ridge through feedback, volunteering and fundraising. We encourage all parents to promote Highcroft Ridge by participating in PSO.


Picture Day: Picture Day is right around the corner! Your 5th grader will have their picture taken on Monday September, 25.


Classroom Facebook Page: Are you a facebook user? Please follow the link below and click LIKE to see what’s happening in our classroom! Miss Kohut's Facebook Page

Reading: This week in reading, we will continue to work in our Interpretation Book Clubs. Book clubs will learn to think thematically by first naming the problem that a character facts, then asking, ‘What lessons does the character learn from (that problem)?’ or ‘What might the author want me to know about that problem/issue? Readers will also learn that the best part of reading with others is that it changes you. You end up viewing the text through the eyes of others, and therefore seeing more than you would otherwise have seen. Lastly, readers will learn to link ideas together to build larger theories or interpretations. As they think about how ideas might connect, they ask, ‘Could there be a larger truth or lesson here?’
Read Aloud: Home of the Brave
Writing: This week in writing, we will complete our first draft. Students will wrap up their pieces by learning a few last revision strategies. First, they will learn that authors make characters in personal narratives travel through time and place. Then, students will learn to write an ending that leaves readers with something big at the end. After that, we will take a day to put on the final touches. Students will use their Narrative Checklists, Anchor Charts, and all they have learned so far to make their piece the best piece ever. Lastly, we will take some time to compare our On Demand pieces, the pieces we wrote on the first day of school, to our most recent pieces. Students will celebrate their growth as Narrative Writers and hang their new pieces in the hall!
Math: This week in math, students will continue to use their understanding of place value to read and write numbers using words, standard form, and expanded form with fractions (1/10, 1/100, 1/1,000). Students will also learn to compare and round decimals using place value procedures. Lastly, students will learn that rounding is a process for finding the multiple of 10, 100, and so on, or of 0.1, 0.01, and so on, closest to a given number. We will take time to practice all that we have learned by playing place value games and creating Seesaw videos to show our understandings.  
Important Math Words: Exponent, Power, Base, Value, Word Form, Standard Form, Decimal, Expanded Form, Tenths, Hundredths, Thousand
 Social Studies:This week in social studies, students will learn about many different methods used to buy goods and services, including cash, checks, debit cards, prepaid cards, and credit cards. Also, students will learn that a credit card is the only method for which you buy now and pay later; all other payment methods directly affect your bank balance.
Science: This week in science, students will continue to solidify their understanding of ecosystem connections. Students will play a game to help them understand that organisms, communities, and populations are all connected! Students will also learn about different types of ecosystems including ponds, forests, and prairies.  At the end of the week, we will begin to answer the question, “What is the effect of the amount of water on the growth of seeds?” Students will record their observations.

Monday, September 11
  • Project Parkway, 6:30-8:00 pm, at North High School
Wednesday, September 13
  • Parkway Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, Central Middle School
Thursday, September 14
  • All Read, 3:25 pm
  • PSO Meeting, 7:00 pm
Thursday, September 21
  • PAMEE Meeting, 6:00 pm,  ISC
Monday, September 25
  • Picture Day
Wednesday, September 27
  • Parkway Board Of Education Meeting, 7:00 pm, Central Middle School
Thursday, September 28
  • Jog Jam
Wednesday, October 4
  • Late Start, School begins at 11:05 am
Thursday, October 5
  • Fall Conference Night. 4:30-8:00 pm
  • Mile Run
Monday, October 6
  • No School; Professional Development Day
Monday, October 16
  • Paint Week at Highcroft
Tuesday, October 17

  • Author Visit: Ridley Pearson

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