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Everyone loves a snow day! Let’s plan a game and get those creative juices going! Mrs. McBride is offering an opportunity to put your skills to work. Games are due Tuesday, January 21st. Find out more details for this month’s challenge here – The Snow Day Game Challenge.

It is time to get those creative juices going again! Mrs. McBride is offering another opportunity to put your skills to work. Find out more details for this month’s challenge here – The Origami Challenge.

It is time to get those creative juices going again! Mrs. McBride is offering an opportunity to put your skills to work. Find out more details for this month’s challenge here – The Pumpkin Character Challenge.

This week we will celebrate “Start with Hello” week, which is a week to remind us how important and powerful it is to get to know one another, make new friends, say hi to new people, and make people feel good if they are feeling sad or alone. Every day you can do a special activity to remember to try and include others. Whether on the school bus, in the playground or in class, it is important to make sure others feel included and welcome.

Sometimes to do this, you need courage. Courage can mean a lot of things and people can act courageously in a lot of different situations. Listen to Bernard Waber’s book, Courage. Think about what courage means to you and how you too can act courageously in every day kind of ways.

Courage is also staring with Hello! Let’s try to be courageous by getting to know new people and by helping others who might need a friend.

During your fifth grade journey, you will learn and grow as students. Some experiences will stick with you for years to come. Think about some things you hope to learn. What are they and how do you hope to achieve them?

SOCSD afforded an amazing opportunity for students in grades 5-8. Malala Yousafzai spoke to our students about the importance of education and especially for girls. She has a new book called, We are Displaced. Please read or listen (scroll to the bottom of page) to her biography – Malala Yousafzai. Watch an interview with her below.

“Malala is a symbol of hope and an inspirational role model, particularly for girls. On her 16th birthday, she gave a passionate speech to the United Nations. She was inundated with awards, culminating in the ultimate honor in 2014, the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Read more here:

• Kids Rights – Malala
• Biography – Malala
• Time – Malala
• Time for Kids: Heroic Returns
• CBS interview “We are Displaced”

What amazed you most about Malala? Post your comment to this blog.

This week at Cottage Lane we are participating in the “Start with Hello” campaign. We are encouraging every student to make a difference with their peers. Whether it is a simple hello or a conversation, we are trying to foster an inclusive community.

Having conversations can be awkward, but Kid President shows us how it’s done! He too is on a mission to meet lots of awesome kids! #YearoftheKid Sometimes meeting new people can be scary. What if they’re too different and we don’t get along? What if things get really, really awkward? Well, Kid President says, embrace the AWKWARD! Check out his video below.

Share a message of positivity by leaving a comment on this blog.

                                                                                                                                                                    September 5, 2019

Dear Parents,

Welcome to 5th grade!  We are looking forward to working with you as partners in educating your child.  This is a year of important transitions, as well as one in which the acquisition of new skills is accelerated. Our goal is to facilitate learning in an exciting and fun way.  As educators, it is our job to see that your child becomes a lifelong learner. We hope to instill a love of learning that will last throughout your child’s years of schooling.  To achieve this, it is essential that we work together to ensure that your child is working to his or her potential in a successful and meaningful way.  It is also imperative to recognize that childhood is a journey, not a race.  It is extremely important to keep in mind that we build on small successes. Each child will progress at his/her own rate.  Maintaining each child’s self-esteem and building a secure foundation for future growth is always a priority in our classroom.  Keeping this in mind, we are certain to achieve success in educating your child.  We look forward to being your partners in this process.

Never forget that there are always ways in which you can help:

*Celebrate your child’s success, no matter how small it may seem.  This will keep your child enthusiastic about learning and proud of his/her work.    

*Look through your child’s Homework Organizer and Homework Folder for important notices and updates on assignments.

*Read with your child regularly. The more your child is exposed to different kinds of literature, the easier it will be for him/her to incorporate new skills in reading and writing in the classroom. 

If there are any questions, which arise during the year, please do not hesitate to contact us. We welcome the opportunity to speak with you. Please write a note or call the school to let us know of a convenient time to call or meet with you.  My E- mail address is jtan@socsd.org. 

Sincerely,

 Mrs. Tan