Week of September 21st!

Fifth Grade Camp Informational Meeting
September 29th 5:30-6:00p.m.
 
Please plan on attending this important meeting about our annual trip to Camp Storer.  For convenience, we've scheduled this meeting for the half-hour before Curriculum Night begins.  We'll be discussing...
     • The benefits of camp
     • Payment options for families
     • Fundraising Events
     • Your support for this trip
     • Recruiting parent cabin leaders


Camp Health Forms 
In order for students to attend Camp Storer, they will need completed and signed health forms.  We will have all these forms available on September 29th, but if you would like to download them ahead of time, I have updated our camp information site with all the current forms.  Please note that additional forms are necessary for children with asthma, diabetes, or anaphylaxis.  There are also forms for any parents wishing to volunteer as cabin leaders, including a consent form to do a background check.


If you would like to volunteer to be a cabin leader please click here.

WE NEED DADS!
 
Google Accounts
This year we will be completing certain assignments using an online service called Google Classroom.  This requires students to have a Google account created under the AAPS domain.  Many students already have Ann Arbor Public Schools Google accounts from last year.  For those who do not, I will be sending home a form asking for your permission for the district to create one for them. Forms will also be available for your signature at Curriculum Night. 

Please Consider Volunteering for the Mitchell PTO!

Welcome and welcome back to Mitchell, the Coolest School on Earth! 

Please join us next Tuesday, Sept 22nd at 6pm in the Media Center at Mitchell.  This is a crucial meeting to form a new PTO Board and set the schedule for this year's activities and events.  It’s also a great way to hear from our Principals about the happenings at Mitchell.
As we gear up for a new school year, I’d like you all to take some time to talk to your kids about our activities outside of normal school hours.   What was their favorite activity?  Would you be willing to help in the planning and running of that event? We are beginning the 2015-16 school year with one board member and need your help.  We are currently in need of a Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Fundraising Chair, Member-at-large and additional volunteers for PTO events.
If you are unfamiliar, we sponsor activities such as: the school directory, book fairs, Fun Run, Talent Show, Ice Cream Social, Family Fun Night, teacher appreciation events, Fall Fest, Science Olympiad, spirit wear, and restaurant nights.  We do this to create family fun activities for our community as well as fundraise for field trips and extra curricular activities. 
Please consider joining the PTO board for the 2015-16 school year.  No Experience Required!  This is a great time to bring new ideas or expand on old ideas and help lead the Mitchell community.  Many functions do require planning ahead, others require a few hours a year. 

Remember, as a parent/guardian at Mitchell, you are already a member of the PTO.  You may notice early on, things will not be as they have in the past.  Please realize this is not an oversight…activities are volunteer dependent and we’ll need a strong group to make events happen.    

Please contact me at ptomitchell@gmail.com or come to a PTO meeting.  Our first meeting is scheduled for September 22^nd at 6pm in the Media Center at Mitchell.  In the meantime, I’m happy to email you or meet with you or call in the evenings.  As we do our best to raise the next generation of leaders, let’s do it by example! 

Thanks for reading and I hope to see many of you soon!

Stacie Jackson

Mitchell PTO President and 5th grade mom

Week of September 14th

Greetings Families,
What a great first week of school!  We spent lots of time getting to know one another and settling into the routines of our classroom.  This week we will plan for our Hopes and Dreams for 5th grade as well as create our classroom rules to help guide the work we will do together this year.

Planners
Hopefully you have had a chance to see your child's planner.  Planners will go home daily and should be signed by a parent or guardian before returning to school the next day.  This is a good way for you to know what your child is working on in the classroom. 

Home Study Period
Fifth grade students should engage in approximately 60 minutes of study at home each evening.  This time is used to complete the daily math home link, read, write, or practice math skills.  To find suggestions of online tools children might use during this time, please click here.

Curriculum Night
Curriculum Night takes place this year on September 29th.  This is an opportunity for you to learn more about the 5th grade curriculum, find out more about academics at Mitchell School, and meet the teachers and staff.  You will also sign up for your child's parent teacher conference.  Conference dates this year are October 14, October 19, and October 22.

Camp!
Fifth Graders at Mitchell School Storer Camps each Fall.  This is a two-night camping experience.  Please come to the Fifth Grade Parent Camp Information Meeting September 29th at 5:30. (That's just before Curriculum Night!) We'll be discussing...
     • The benefits of camp
     • Payment options for families
     • Fundraising Events
     • Your support for this trip
     • Recruiting parent cabin leaders
Our trip this year will be October 26 - 28.  For more information about Camp Storer, click on the link under Mitchell Community Blogs at the right hand side of the page.

Upcoming Dates to Remember
9/29 5:30-6:00 p.m. Fifth Grade Parent Camp Information Meeting 
9/29 6:00 p.m. Curriculum Night
10/7 Count Day
10/7-10/9 Scholastic Book Fair
10/9 Movie Night
  

Welcome Back!

It was good to see so many faces old and new at the Welcome Back picnic tonight!  I'm excited to begin our year in 5th grade and learn more about our classroom community.  If you were unable to come to the picnic tonight please feel free to stop by and say hello some time. 

Just a reminder that Mitchell has a new bell schedule this year.  School begins at 8:53 a.m. and ends at 3:59 p.m. 

As you get ready to begin the school year all necessary school supplies will be provided by the school and used as community materials.  If you would like to donate to our classroom please consider:
-kleenex
-hand sanitizer
-sanitizing wipes
-sandwich size resealable bags
-pencils

Looking forward to our year of learning together.  Please contact me with any questions! (734) 997-1216 or padgensa@aaps.k12.mi.us.

PTO needs volunteers! Can you help?

Good morning Mitchell Family!

Hope all you moms out there were pampered and received a lot of love yesterday!!

PTO Meeting –Tuesday, May 12^th- 6PM in the Media Center. Last PTO meeting of year! All are welcome!

Book Fair – May 20-22 - NEXT WEEK!!

This is the last Scholastic Book Fair of the year. It is a Buy One, Get One Free book fair. This is a GREAT opportunity to stock up on books for summer reading.

Consider joining your child for lunch on any of these days and visit the Book Fair!

If you are able to work a shift at the Book Fair, please sign up here: Book Fair Volunteer - May 20-22 Please note that the fair may be closed at certain times, if we are unable to fill volunteer slots

Mitchel Talent Show – May 29^th – 6:30 PM

Come and see what a talented bunch of kids we have at Mitchell Elementary! The kids are practicing hard and looking to put on a great show!

Ice Cream Social – June 5^th – 6-8PM

Join us for a year end community celebration! There will be ice cream, local bands, inflatables, and fun!

If you want to sign up for a short shift to help out, you can do so here: Ice Cream Social - June 5th

Thank you so much for all you do!

Mitchell PTO

Week of May 4th

Greeting Families,

NWEA and MSTEP assessments are upon us.  Your child will take the NWEA on the following dates:

May 11th Reading
May 13th Math

In addition we have been practicing the kinds of problems children will need to be able to solve on the MSTEP for Math.  We have noticed that children need to be able to understand the question, find the answer, as well as navigate the online tools.  If you would like to see the kinds of questions your child will answer or even work through a few together you can access the MSTEP practice using Chrome at https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/ott1.  Click on sample sets and then 3rd grade.

Your child will take the MSTEP on the following dates:

May 18-20 Math
May 26-28 Reading

Help your child by encouraging them to do their best.  I remind students this is just one measure of how they are doing at school.  There are lots of other ways we look at their learning.  A good breakfast and a good night's sleep will help as well.

Other upcoming dates:
May 12th 9:30-11:30 Field trip to Scarlett Pond.  This is a walking trip to study the pond life and the habitat of the pond.  You are welcome to join us on this trip.  Look for a permission slip to go home this week.  Children should be dressed for a wild woods adventure!  Long sleeves and pants will help protect from mosquitoes. Puddle boots will keep feet dry.  If your child does not have puddle boots they should wear shoes that can get wet and muddy.  Please bring dry shoes for the afternoon. 

As I have been reflecting on the progress the kids have made this year and the work that I have seen in the classroom I can't help but feel so proud of this group of students and the community we have built.  This group of kids is incredibly smart, empathetic, and willing to work hard.  While we have this upcoming testing that will interrupt our regular classroom routine I know that we will be able to persevere while continuing to focus on classroom inquiry and our love of learning!

Continue to expect math homework Monday-Thursday with the expectation that children read for 20 minutes each day, including weekends!

Week of April 20

On Thursday we will be traveling to Matthei Botanic Gardens to learn more about biomes.  Our bus will leave at 9:30 a.m. and return at 12:30 p.m.  We will eat lunch upon returning to school.  The weather will be a bit cooler on Thursday.  Please make sure your child is appropriately dressed for the weather.  CLOSED TOED SHOES ARE REQUIRED!

We have begun to practice for the MSTEP.  This is the state standardized test that is taking the place of the MEAP.  This new assessment has three parts.  Two of which are done on the computer in the lab.  The third part takes place in the classroom.  Children can practice the necessary computer skills and types of questions they might answer by clicking the following link.
https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/ott1 This site can only be accessed by using Google Chrome.