Whitville ParenTalk

The 2009-2010 Class are 6th Graders!

2010-06-03T19:40:00.003-05:00

The school year has come to an end and your elementary babies are now headed to middle school. Thanks for allowing me to share your most precious possession during this school year.

2009-12-27T14:50:00.005-06:00

January

Welcome to the 2010: Countdown to 6th Grade

In just a few short months the students in the Whitville Community will leave elementary school and start on the serious journey of middle school and beyond. We have so many things to still cover and such a short time to do it. This is a reminder that we must come to school each day with our minds focused on our goals.

Schools of Choice: Deadline for applications Jan. 22, 2010 at 4:00. Please remember that teacher recommendation letters need to be turned in as soon as school resumes so that they can be returned to you in a timely manner.
Living Museum: Students have recieved the name if the African-American they will be representing in our annual living museum. In art they are creating a book to display the information that they collect about their person. We will go to the computer lab Tues and Thurs to research specific information about our person.
Writing: The OCCT state writing test will be adminstered on February 24th. We will be working on writing every day for 45 minutes after reading block. Assignments for Reader's Workshop will become homework during this time. Students will be working on their book to publish one day a week. Disney Planet Challenge: Thanks to Disney Planet Challenge and Donors Choose we have recieved funding to complete another phase in our quest to creating a wildlife habitat in our outdoor garden. We will be working on some aspect of our Disney Challenge everyday. The project submit date is February 26th

Target Field Trip: YIPPEE!! We have recieved funding to go to the Okahoma Aquarium again this year. Thanks Target!
Biz Town: 5th graders will be at JABiz Town again this year. We will need volunteers. Please be looking for more information in April.OCCT Boot Camp will start the week after the OCCT writing test.
OSTA: I will be presenting at the OSTA technoloogy conference in Oklahoma City, Feb. 8-10. I will be talking to other teachers about Thinkquest.

November Update

2009-11-24T22:09:00.003-06:00

Wow! It has been a busy month and it almost got away before I posted a message for you.
Let's begin with some housekeeping items and a review of expectations for students and parents:
Homework: Parents please monitor your child's homework. Remember that homework is a 1/3 of your child's grade.
Classroom Behavior: I call parents when I have tried everything that I know as a professional educator to help a student redirect negative behavior into a more positive behavior. When I call you I am expecting that the behavior will change or at least be modified in a way that the classroom sees a positve change. If after calling a parent, the child's behavior does not change then I begin documentation that wll result in either suspension from school or placement in an environment where the child can be sussessful.
Progress Reports: I will be sending progress reports home (on a weekly-bi-weekly basis) for some students. I know that many of you are wanting a transfer to a "school of choice" . It is important for you to monitor your child's progress, so that there are not any unexpected suprises during the application process. The guidelines for admission have been fully outlined on the TPS website
Magnet School Transfer Information: Applications are due at ESC by 4:00 pm on January 22, 2010. It is the responsibility of the parent to get the application and all attatachments to ESC on or before the deadline. I will assist you with questions that you may have, however I will not make copies of report cards, or transcripts. Students will be required to sign for their signed and sealed recommendation letters.
Parent Meeting: On Dec. 10th there will be a 5th grade parent meeting to discuss magnet school transfer policies.Please attend if you have questions or need assistance in this area.

October News

2009-10-17T12:26:00.003-05:00

WOW it is already October.

5th Grade Parent Committee: Parents who are interested in starting a Parent Committee for the end-of-the-year celebrations are asked to come to a meeting on Friday, October 30th from 3:00pm- 4:00pm. The fifth grade teachers will be at the initial meeting to offer suggestions and help set up a timeline.

Unit 2 Benchmark Testing: Reading and Math Oct 20- Oct. 22

Red Ribbon Week: October 26-30

Donorschoose.org: Thanks to the generosity of the Kaiser Foundation and various donors my project, "What Can I do for Oklahoma?" has been funded. This project will be tied to the science curriculum and webquest I have developed to meet the requirements for Sensesational Science and Thinkquest.

Classroom Economy: The students are having a wonderful time learning about the realities of having a job, paying rent, and keeping a checkbook. The Whitville Community Gift Shop will open on Monday, Oct. 26th from 11:30am-12:15pm. Our first Market Day will be Nov. 24th. This is the day before Thanksgiving Break.

2009-09-02T20:52:00.007-05:00

September Update

School has been in session for eight days and already we have learned a lot.

Back-to-School Night: Please join us on Sept. 3rd for back-to-school night. You will have an opportunity to look at the school year that has been outlined for your child. I will discuss the following topics:

* curriculum

* discipline

*schools of choice

* communication
* middle school transitions

* and many more topics

I will also have a question and answer session for any topics that I may not remember to bring up but are of interest or concern to you as the parent. I will try to answer all questions or steer in the right directions to find the answer.

OCCT TEST Data Conferences: These conferences will be held on Sept. 10-12. I will be discussing your child's OCCT test data from the 4th grade. It is important to understand the implications of the data and prepare for any remediation that may be needed so that your child has a successful transition to middle school.

Unit 1 Curriculum
In Math we have reviewed expanded, standard, and words forms for numbers. We are now learning about factors, multiples, and prime/composite numbers.
In Reading we have started our SRA Reading groups and are continuing to read and learn skills in our Scott Foresman basal. We are also Reading Dectectives as our book report for the month will focus on the genre of mystery.
In Social Studies we have begun to read about the geography of the United States. We will also review states, capitals, and regions from 4th grade.

In Science we will concentrate on environments and the ecology of Oklahoma.

Learning Journeys

The following learning journeys have been confirmed:
Weather School with James Aydelott on Sept. 11 @ 1:00pm 4th and 5th grade students'

"The Hobbit" on Jan. 22 @ 11:30 am @ the PAC

"JABizTown" March 26th (All Day)

Grants
I wrote and recieved FOX 23's "One Class at a Time" grant. This grant will fund a learning journey to the Tall Grass Prairie or to Oklahoma City.
Last year, I wrote and recieved a grant from Target. That grant was used to take the students to the Oklahoma Aquarium. I have written this grant again and if it is funded the students will again go the Oklahoma Aquarium.

Please check out these two sites as they contain proposals for donations to the classroom.

http://www.adoptaclassroom.com/

http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=307347

Classroom Economy

The classroom economy is up and running. Students received their first paychecks on the 28th of August and they made their first deposit on the 31st of August. Students are previewing the want ads to see what jobs are available in the Whitville Community. Students will fill out job applications on Sept. 4th. Students will also purchase their checkbooks on the 4th.

Please ask your child about the classroom economy, this adventure is designed to mimic real-life economic situations as close as I can. (ie bank, taxes, stock market, police, government, fines, rent, etc.).

Welcome to a New School Year

2009-08-11T13:20:00.010-05:00

Hello to prospective parents and students:
Summer vacation is coming to an end and it is time to start concentrating on the school year ahead. I can not wait to get started and I believe that you will be pleased with the school year that has been planned. Below I have listed a few activities to look forward to:

Power School
The district will be implementing a new program that will allow parents/guardians to have access to their student(s) grades and behavior via the Internet. It is also important to note that this is a courtesy and may not always reflect the most current grade for the student. You as the parent will still need to keep the lines of communication open with me if there is a concern and/or question.

Classroom Economy
This will be a new adventure for the students in Room 15. Economics is an objective that is required in the Social Studies curriculum but it is often touched on lightly through the school year. This year I will be concentrating on students developing a real sense of economics and how it will impact them as citizens. This unit will correlate with the end of the year trip to JABiztown. Be looking for more information soon.

Student Publishing
Students will write and publish their own book this year through StudenTreasures. We will beginning working on the book at the start of the school year and publish on March 26th 2010.

Oklahoma Eco-Regions
Students will learn about the 12 Eco-regions of Oklahoma. I am hoping to take students to the Tulsa Zoo, and the Tall Grass Prairie as a part of this study.

A few things to be thinking about are:

Schools of Choice: Remember that your child's first and second quarter grades are considered during the application period. Attendance and tardies are also looked at. Your child's behavior plays a KEY part and should not be taken lightly. When I complete the recommendation letter I must consider all aspects of the student including their behavior while in the classroom, participating in specials, on fieldtrips, and when there is a guest teacher.

Middle School Transition: 5th grade students will be introduced to a higher level of personal responsibility for their own learning and behavior. Unless there is an issue that requires immediate parent notification (as outlined by the Student Code of Conduct), students will be given the opportunity to fix their academic and behavior issues. This will allow your student to practice and put into operation the behaviors that will allow for a successful transition to middle school.

End of the School Year: If you are interested in being a part of the 5th Grade Parent Committee, please let me know as soon as possible. The end of the year arrives more quickly than we think. The Parent Committee will be responsible for planning the end of the year activites for the 5th grade.

Promotion Activities: Ms. Mitchell will be in charge of the 5th grade promotion exercise. Begin looking for information in March.

March Update

2009-03-21T16:39:00.003-05:00

Hello, I hope that everyone is enjoying their spring vacation. I know that I am. When we return to school it will get hectic really quick! We have a lot to do and little time to do it. With that thought in mind, I need to remind you that behavior issues will be dealt with quickly. My job is to make sure that students are prepared for OCCT's in April. Parents make sure that you remind your child that their job at school is to learn.

We will also finalize the preperations for JABiztown on April 8. A letter will be sent home on Monday, asking for volunteers for the shops. We are in need of 9-10 volunteers. If there are more volunteers than are needed we will conduct a lottery. On April the 6th there will be a training for the volunteers.

February Update

2009-03-01T15:02:00.008-06:00

Hello, February is a short month but it sure has been busy. We are beginning to prepare for BIZTown and state mandated testing. We also have several learning journeys planned.

TESTING
** Parents be looking for testing information which will include study guides and testing tips.
OCCT Writing Test: we will take the writing test on Feb. 25
Benchmark Testing: We will take the Reading and Math benchmarks for Unit 6 on Feb 26
Post Benchmark Testing:March 6-11
OCCT State Testing: We will take mandated state testing April 10-22

Living Museum
Students have recieved their famous African-American and are doing their research on a website that I created: www.whitfpa.pbwiki.com Literacy Night will be on Feb 26 from 5:30pm-7:00pm

Student of the Month
Students achieving student of the month for January and February were: John Holman and Tatyana McBee

LEARNING JOURNEYS
**Parents it is important that you know that only students who are able to control and be responsible for their behavior at school will be allowed to attend learning journeys. It is our thought that if a student has trouble with their behavior in a school setting they are not ready for the learning journey experience.

BIZTown- We will need 14 volunteers for this learning journey. Volunteer information will be sent home next week.

I wrote and recieved a Target Teach field trip grant. We will be taking the students to the Oklahoma Aquarium in May.

Upcoming learning journeys include: Langston 5th Grade Day (May 1); Tulsa Technology (April 24); Tulsa Air and Space Museum (March 6)

January Update

2009-01-09T21:56:00.003-06:00

Welcome Back! I hope that all enjoyed a wondrous holiday celebration and that you were able to achieve some measure of relaxation over the extended vacaction.
A big Whitville thanks goes out to these parent,Ms. Peters; Ms. Jackson, Mr. Davis, and Ms. West, who volunteered their time during our Christmas Celebration. A special thanks goes out to Ms. Morris who provided a gift for all of the citizens of Whitville.

Housekeeping:
* Remember that students are to be in uniform each day. Coats and large sweaters are to be kept in the locker during the day. Shirts under the uniform shirt are to be the same color. Shirts are to be tucked in (boys and girls. This is District Policy.

* DON'T LOOSE YOUR GIFT FROM SANTA!!! Electronics are not allowed in the classroom that includes cell phones.

*Replenish your child's supplies. Check to see that they have adequate paper, pencils, and other supplies.

Schools of Choice Transfers:
If you are interested in your child attending a magnet school, please make sure that you pick up an application, either from the school office or from the Education Service Center. ALL applications are due at ESC on Jan. 31 by 4:00pm. Please read and follow the instructions, on the application, carefully. Applications are not to be brought back to the school or me. It is your responsibility to get the application to the appropriate place (Education Service Center).

5th Grade Parent Meeting: Jan. 14th @5:30pm-?We will discuss the transfer/application process with you. Be sure to bring all your paper work with you. We will look at it and make sure that eveything is in order. (No, we will not send or take-in the application for you). We will also go over the upcoming state tests with you, talk about our upcoming fieldtrips, and the end of the year promotion. Hope to see you there!

Testing:
Gates MacGinitie Reading Assessment: Jan. 6, 2009
Unit 5 benchmark test window is Jan. 23-28.

Upcoming Test:
Writing Test-Feb. 25 (A testbooklet will be sent home as soon as I recieve it from the State Education Department)

Upcoming Events:
Oxley Nature Center: Jan 16
BizTown April 29 (Parents we will need thirteen (13) volunteers to help us out on this day).

News:
I applied for a Target Teach Field Trip Grant and I won it. I wrote the grant for a fieldtrip to the Jenks Aquarium.

December Update

2008-12-14T20:45:00.006-06:00

Spare Change:
The fifth grade raised enough money to feed over 50 homeless persons. Thanks for emptying your pockets so that others needs could be met.

Benchmark Testing:
We have completed Unit 4 benchmarks for reading and math

Schools of Choice:
Transfers are available for schools of choice. You may pick them up at the school or at the Education Service Center. Remember that recommendation letters are to remain sealed and that you can't submit your application until 2ND quarter grades have been submitted/

Holiday party;
We will celebrate Christmas on Dec. 19Th. We need parent volunteers.

December Update

2008-12-14T20:16:00.002-06:00

Spare Change for the Homeless:
Fifth grade students raised enough "spare change" to feed over 50 homeless persons. Thanks students for emptying your pockets so that others needs would be met.

Benchmark Testing:
We have completed benchmarks for unit 4 math and reading.

SRA RMV6: We have almost finished the novel Maniac Magee. Our culminating activity will be to create a movie of our favotite scene. We will use a flip camera and windows movie maker to create our movies.

Holiday Party:
December 19 we will celebrate Christmas. Parent volunteers are needed.

November Update

2008-11-07T20:16:00.006-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Spare Change for a Thanksgiving Dinner
5th grade students will be collecting "spare change" to help provide a Thanksgiving meal to the homeless. We hope to collect enough money to provide at least 50 meals. As of today we have reached 35 meals.

Student-Led Conferencing
Thanks to all the parents that supported their student during conference time. We had a 95% attendance rate! Research supports the fact that when parents are actively involved in their children's education there is a higher success rate for students.
Benchmark Test: Unit 4 benchmarks will be December 5-10

School of Choice Applications:
A. Available for Pick-Up: January 5, 2009 from Hawthorne or from the Education Service Center (ESC) (You must have 1st and 2nd quarter grades with your application. 2nd Quarter grades will be available January 9)

B. Due Date: The application is due to the Transfer Office at the Education Service Center, 3027 South New Haven by January 30, 2009. Applications may be submitted using one of the following two approved methods:
1. Applications must be hand delivered prior to the close of business on the specified due date (4:30 PM); or,
2. Postmarked no later than the specified due date and mailed to the address specified.
C. Completed Applications Required: Incomplete applications as of the due date will not be considered.

D. All recommendation letters will be returned to you in a sealed and signed envelop. Schools of choice will not consider an application if they believe the envelop has been tampered with. Please note that we will not rewrite recommendations after you recieve the first one. Students/Parents are required to sign that they recieved a recommendation letter.

***Parents, teachers are not responsible for sending your application in. We are also NOT responsible for gathering the documentation that you need to apply to a school of choice. We will be happy to assist you but we will not do it for you!***

Progress Reports

Progress reports will be sent home on Nov. 21st.

Below Mastery Signatures

Parents, this is the 2nd quarter of school. Students are expected to become responsible for studying and keeping up with work that is not complete. This is a skill that needs to be mastered before students enter middle school.

Beginning this 2nd quarter all tests and classwork that receives a score of 79% or less will require a parental and/or guardian signature.

Parents (as discussed during conferences) excessive talking can and will effect the grade a student receives!!!

October Update

2008-10-22T22:57:00.007-05:00

No School
Students will enjoy two days off while teachers are provided professional development on October 16 and 17.

Benchmark Testing
Unit 2 benchmarks will be tested on Oct. 3-8
Unit 3 benchmarks will be tested on Nov.-5

Enduring Spirit: Native American Artistic Traditions
Fifth graders will participate in a Gilcrease Goes to School event on Oct. 24th. The presentation will include stories about Native Americans, a brief history of the museum, and proper museum etiquette. Questions and discussions of student's prior knowledge of the subject as well as an introduction to formal art elements will be included.
Enduring Spirits takes a regional look at the art made by native peoples from the Great Plains , Indian Territory, the East, the Southwest, and the Northwest coast.

Report Cards
1st quarter report cards will be sent home on Ocober 24th, so be on the lookout for them!

Student-Led Conferencing
Student-led conferencing will begin on October 27th and continue to October 31. There are no classes for students on October 31. This is an opportunity for your child to take responsibility for their learning by sharing their academic successes and working with you and me to develop goals and strategies for those areas in which they are struggling.PLEASE support your child and attend a conference. (A hard copy sign-up sheet was sent out last week).

Discipline
Please make sure that you are aware of the policies and procedures that are outlined in the Student Code of Conduct book.
Outerwear Policy...page 6
Cell Phone Policy...page 14

Communication
Phone...(918) 925.1340
E-mail... Ms. Whitfield

April 2008

2008-04-06T18:32:00.007-05:00

Dear Parents,

TEST TIME
The time has come for Oklahoma's state mandated test once again. The OCCT will be administered from April 10-25. Hawthorne will begin its testing during the week of April 14-18. Tutoring will be offered those student who need an extra "boost" on the following days: Tuesday (April 8, 15), Wednesday (April 9,16), and Thursday (April 10,17). Letters will sent home for eligible students. Please take advantage of this opportunity for your student to excel.

FIELD TRIP

JABizTown (Formally Exchange City)-April 28 We will need parent volunteers. Information will be sent home this week.

Farmer's Market-April 29 at Mark Twain Elementary

Vo-Tech- May 1

5th Grade Day May 2 at Langston University

PROMOTION and 5th Grade Day

Pictures for 5th grade promotion will be take on April 22nd. LifeTouch will provide red caps and gowns for the students to wear. Price list will be sent home with students as soon as we receive them.

Graduation will be on May 23 at (9:oo in the Hawthorne gym. Families are invited to participate in a celebratory lunch/dinner at the Golden Coral at 21st and Memorial.

5th grade party/dance: All fifth graders are invited to attend a party/dance that will be hosted by the fifth grade teachers (Ms. Whitfield, Ms. Inks, Ms. Catsavis) and the graduation coordinator (Ms. Mitchell). Please note that this event if for 5th grade students only.

NOTE FROM THE TEACHER
Students start to become slack after the state test because they feel that school is over. We also notice that there are more absences. Please remember that there is one more quarter of school and it is important to finish strong. It is extremely important for 5th grade students to remain focused as they are acquiring the skills and content that will help them make a successful transition to middle school. Please know that your student will be expected to accept more personal responsibility in the areas of academics and behavior. This is a necessary process for your student as they mature into responsible citizens. Please assist in this area at home.
Thanks for all that you do and sharing your care,

Ms. Whitfield NBCT

May 2007

2007-06-03T17:53:00.001-05:00

May 22--5th Grade Promotion
May 23--Skateland
May 25--5th Grade Prom
May 29--Student of the Month and Awards Assembly
May 31--All School Picnic

---School is out! Have a wonderful and relaxing summer. --

School will resume on August the 15th. Please check the website www.pwhitfield.com for information about school supplies and back to school night.

February News

2007-02-04T14:21:00.000-06:00

Presidents Day
We will be going to school on February 19th. We are making up one of our snow days.

TPAC Field Trip
4th and 5th grade students will see "Beauty and the Beast" at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on February 16th at 11:30 a.m. We have 50 free tickets so classroom behavior will be the determing factor in student participation.

Gilcrease Middle School
Counselors will be here to talk with 5th graders about the Gilcrease Program on Feb. 5 at 1:00 p.m.

School of Choice Transfer
The deadline has been extended to February 28th. Parents, you are responsible for sending the transfer in to the Education Service Center. The sealed recommendation letter must remain sealed. (We will not provide you with another recommendation). You will need to send a copy of your child's 1st and 2nd quarter grades along with a transcript. (See Ms. Jefferies for a copy of the transcript).

OCCT Writing Test

5th graders will be taking the state mandated writing test on February 21st.

If you have any questions or concerns please call me @ 925-1340 or email me @ whitfpa@tulsaschools.org