FCAT Schedule & Field Trip Info

REMINDER: Our field trip to the Marine Science Center is on Friday! Students need to bring their decorated milk jugs with them on Friday. They will also need to bring either a canned/bottled drink or 75 cents for a drink at the Marine Science Center.

Good News! - Students will not need to bring a lunch to school on Friday! We are ordering pizza for the classes instead!



FCAT time is finally here! And I know you're all just as excited as I am! Actually, we have plenty of reason to be excited since our practice tests have shown that you guys are ready for the BIG TEST! Here is the schedule for the weeks of FCAT:

• Tues, March 10 - FCAT Math (1 hour)
• Wed, March 11 - FCAT Math (1 hour)
• Thurs, March 12 - FCAT Reading (2 hours)
• Friday, March 13 - Make-Ups
• Mon, March 16 - FCAT Science (1 hour)
• Tues, March 17 - FCAT Science (1 hour)

Remember these few basic tips to be ready for the FCAT:

• - Get plenty of rest the night before! Don't stay up late watching "American Idol"!
• - Eat a hearty breakfast (this would be a good time to talk your mom into taking you to Denny's for breakfast!) BTW, don't have too much to drink with your breakfast - you're not allowed any potty breaks during the test!
• - Get to school on time! This is not a good time to get into an argument with your sister over who gets to ride in the front seat!
• - Relax and don't worry! This is only a test! I repeat: This is only a test! Sure, it's kinda important, but you don't need to worry about anything. The world won't stop spinning. The oceans won't rise up and engulf the planet. You won't be kicked out of the country. Just do your best to be successful! That's all anyone expects of you.

Marine Science Center

We have yet another field trip coming up! We'll be going to the Marine Science Center on March 6th - that's two weeks from tomorrow! Permission slips for this trip are going home today.

The good news is that because this field trip is part of the 5th grade curriculum, the entire trip is FREE! Permission slips are due by March 5.

All students need to bring a gallon jug, with the very top part cut off. They should write their names on the jugs and decorate them at home. There will be prizes for the best decorated jugs! Students also need to bring a bag lunch. They can bring money for the gift shop if they like, but they will be responsible for their own money.

You can learn more about the Marine Science Center at http://www.duvalschools.org/msec

End of the Year Trip

Our end of the year trip has been scheduled for June 4th! Permission slips went home today and are due by March 26th. The cost will be $40 for students - this will cover the chartered bus and the park itself. Students will need to bring extra money on the day of the trip to pay for any food or souvenirs that they want to buy during the day.

On the day of the trip, students will need to be at school by 6:45 AM. Buses leave at 7:00 AM, and return to school at 7:30 PM.

I'd like to get as many chaperons as possible! Please let me know ASAP if you can chaperon on the trip. The cost for chaperons is $20 if you are going to drive yourself and $40 if you will ride the bus with us.

Finally, an important reminder - Any students receiving a discipline referral will NOT be allowed to go on the end of the year field trip. Also, any students not meeting their 25 book reading goal by June 4th will not be allowed to go on the trip.

The Battle of Bunker Hill

Bicentenial of Two Great Thinkers!

Tomorrow, February 12th, is the 200th birthday of two of the greatest thinkers of all time. Both Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on February 12th, 1809. The two men grew up to build ideas and principals that had an enormous impact on the way people though about the world.



Lincoln's ideas led to the abolishment of slavery and the eventual freedom of all Americans. 200 years later people are still influenced by the life and legacy of Lincoln, including our most current leader, President Barack Obama, who has modeled much of his campaign and presidency after "Honest Abe". You can learn more about Abraham Lincoln here!



Darwin's was a scientist who was interested in learning all he could about animals and all life on earth, and in the process discovered an incredible connection between animal species. These discoveries led him to develop his theories of the origins of all life on earth. 200 years later, scientists are still finding evidence developing theories of their own based on Darwin's research. You can learn more about Charles Darwin here!

Luncheon

Our monthly luncheon will be THIS FRIDAY, at 1:00! As usual, we encourage all of our parents to stop by and join us for lunch! Hope to see you there!

Field Trip to UNF!

We had a great day at UNF's Wildlife Sanctuary! We learned about tracking animals and how much you can learn about an animal just from its tracks. Here are some pictures from the trip!

Caitlin and her grandpa on the bus ride to UNF

5th Graders at UNF

We learned about four different ways that animals walk: Diagonal walking, pacing, bounding, and galloping

Tyra tries out some diagonal walking

The boys compete in a galloping relay race

Then we studied animal tracks to discover what type of animal might have left them.

Spencer getting a lesson from "Ranger Dude"

We were joined for the day by Savanah and Natalie from Mr. Gibbons's class!

Unfortunately, due to the cold, most of the animals were out of sight. The only animal we could get a good look at was this grasshopper.

We had a great day at UNF! Our next field trip will be in March to the Marine Science Center!