News Flash

Dear Homeroom Parents,

As we return to school, we will be finishing up our review of latitude and longitude. Our next topic will be electricity. In my endeavor to be more hands on in my approach to teaching, I am looking to use household items to create an end of unit electricity test that revolves around application. I am looking for tin foil, batteries, small light bulbs, wire, and toilet paper rolls. If you could reply below any items you can send so everyone doesn't send the same items that would be great. Thank you and Happy New Year!

Look at these Nonfiction Writers: Click on the Pic for Some Great Animal Facts

Technology Surrounds Us

     Over the past two weeks, my classes have started utilizing technology for creation, research, note taking and work completion.  In math, we have been using Notability to do work and start note taking and using my wiki  for building a classroom math glossary.  In ELA, we have been using Google drive to share websites for animal research and searching out proper pictures for animal settings for our soon to be created animal nonfiction books.  Soon, these books will be created in Book Creator, another app on the iPads.  In Social Studies, the students have been researching different guiding questions for the Constitution.   This research has been done through Webpath Express, a Francis Wyman Library link that supplies websites that have been predetermined to be safe and appropriate for students.  This research is being gathered to create iMovie trailers so that students can create their own projects to demonstrate learning.

     Most parents have many questions about how technology is being supported and used in the classrooms.  I don't have all the answers but I strive to be a learner in everything put in front of me.  This week alone, the technology team along with Francis Wyman's Technology Specialist, Ben Schersten came in to help us set up Notability and answer my many questions about how to use the iPads more for math work and completion.  I am looking forward to how this will unfold in the classroom.  The students and I are eager to get started.  For questions and more information, I hope you will all check out both the Francis Wyman Ed Tech Blog as well as the Burlington Public Schools Ed Tech Blog.

Welcome to 103

Dear Parents,

Welcome to 103!  What a wonderful and exciting year we have ahead of us.  We have introduced 1 to 1 iPad use in the fifth grade and we are eager to get started with apps designed for creating products that demonstrate knowledge of fifth grade content.  The new math standards have brought us a math program designed for students to practice taught skills but also problem solve.  Language arts has delivered a writing program that has structure to encourage writing within other content areas and a grammar program that is kid friendly and grade level appropriate.

However, all of these changes are being met by an established fifth grade team that works and plans together to give your children the best we can to succeed both academically and socially.  Your child may see up to four classroom teachers a day, which means that there are four teachers able to meet your child's needs.  This may mean extending thinking, clarifying confusion or simply being someone to talk to.

I use a couple of platforms for working with students and parents.  Students will be working from my wiki where they can create an online dictionary; parents are free to look at this with their children.  Parents can look at this blog for posts and updates to inform what is going on in the class or within the fifth grade. Please look at this blog with your child and see what they have to add.  I love the implementation of Google docs and use them with my class often.  They will take their first classroom click and drag test this year after learning about the ancient civilizations of the Aztecs, the Incas and the Mayas.

I look forward to sharing my year with you and your children.  Please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns or simply to reach out and say hello.  I am easy to get a hold of through email at klynch@bpsk12.org or you can call me at 781-238-6844.  I check my email often but if something is more time sensitive you can call me.

Kim Lynch