Thank you Letter!

Dear 5th Graders,

First and foremost, thank you for accepting me as your student teacher for the past three months. It was a joy being your student teacher at Momilani Elementary. You all made it so easy to teach. All of your hard work and eagerness to learn really motivated me to be the best student teacher to you all. I hope that you all also enjoyed our time together and will remember all the things that I have taught you.

I will most definitely miss your smiles, jokes, "talking in class", questions, and discussions. You all are unique and special in every way. I hope that you all will continue to strive to do your best and become successful in life with a positive attitude. You are super stars in my eyes!

I hope you enjoy the video I had put together! Remember me because I will definitely remember you all and will cherish all the fun times together! Don't forget to say "Hi!" to me if you see me on the street, supermarket, the park etc...! :)

Sincerely,

Mrs. Garces

Our New Officers!!!

Congratulations to our newly elected 4th quarter officers!

Enforcing Underage Drinking Law

Three guest speakers from the Air Force came to the 5th grade class to speak on enforcing underage drinking law.

Students learned to work together to decrease the purchase and consumption of alcohol by underage individuals. Students also learned facts such as:

• Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse by young people alcohol is the primary contributor to the leading causes of deaths.
  
• The State with the highest percentage of traffic deaths involving at least one legally intoxicated drives is Hawaii at 52%.
  
• Alcohol abuse is associated with academic failure and illicit drug use.
  
• Alcohol can cause alterations with the structure and function of the brain.

Assignment:

Please write a reflection on what you've learned and thought about the presentation. Remember to write an introduction, body, and a conclusion.

Assignment of the week!

Students for an on-line homework assignment this week please share/comment on your experience of the HSA testing. Here are some questions that you can write about:

1. How did you feel?
2. How do you think you did?
3. What was the test like? (was it easy or hard) Why, explain your answer?
4. What did you like about the test?
5. What didn't you like about the test?

Remember to write in a paragraph form with an introduction, body, and conclusion.

HSA Testing Tips

Statewide testing window for the Spring HSA 2009 is April 7-24. Momilani's test dates are April 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, and 17 with make-ups from 20-24th.

HSA Testing Tips for Students:

Before the Test Get a good night's sleep. Eat breakfast. Wear comfortable clothes. Clean and wear your glasses. Use good posture for circulation. Use deep breathing for oxygen. Try muscle scrunchers for tension.

Think About It! Tell yourself you're ready! Think positive! Avoid arguments! Block out other worries!

Get Ready! Have your supplies in place. Sit in your regular desk. Listen carefully to directions. Read directions carefully. Raise your hand if you are confused.

During the Test

1. Take on question at a time.
2. Read the entire question.
3. Use context clues.
4. Highlight or underline important points.
5. Eliminate on choice at a time.
6. Mark your answers neatly.
7. Erase wrong answers completely.
8. Be sure to answer all questions.
9. Take short breaks, when necessary.
10. Track questions with answers.

If the test is timed, pace yourself and check your work if there is time.

After the Test

You made it! Reward yourself.

HSA Testing Tips for Parents:

1. Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep before a test, and make sure your child eats properly the day of the test.
2. Maintain a pleasant home environment and avoid unnecessary conflicts. Try to make the morning of the test a pleasant one. Do not add to your child's stress.
3. Ensure that your child is present during testing (children generally perform better when taking tests in their groups rather than at a make-up time).
4. Get your child to school on time the day of the test.
5. Wish your child good luck each morning of the test. Tell your child that he/she is special and that you believe in him/her!
6. Remind your child the test is important. Encourage him/her to do his/her best.
7. If your child is too ill to attend, please call the school office.
8. Remind your child to listen carefully to the instructions from the teacher and to read the directions and each question carefully.
9. Explain to your child the importance of using time wisely. If your child gets stuck on the question, encourage him or her to make the best guess and move on.
10. Tell your child to attempt to answer all of the questions and not to leave any blank.
11. Encourage your child to stay focused on the test, even if other students finish first.

Momilani Spring Olympic!

Written by: Student #6 and #17

On Friday March 20th, 2009 there was a the school's annual Spring Olympics, student's from grades K-6 came out to the field to play a school wide rely games.

The students started with some relay races with a partner using hula hoops, spoon and a plastic egg, walking backwards etc... Students needed to work together to complete the relay. The entire student body were divided into 20 teams all from different grade levels. Students worked hard and cheered on their team. Some teams even created a cheer.

After a long hot day student ended the relay with a refreshing ice pop, mmmmmm... yummy! We hope you enjoy the Spring Olympic slide show.

Science Project

Today students presented their 3rd quarter science project. Students were given a list of topics to chose from and were instructed to write a minimum of one page research paper on the topic. To show their understanding on a mastery level, students were instructed to create a 3D model of their topic. The project was the culminating activity for their Science unit "Earth, Moon and Beyond". All of the models will be displayed at the curriculum fair in May.

Overall, teachers were impressed with all the projects that were presented today. Students were very innovative and creative with the design of their model/display boards. Several students went the extra mile and used flash lights to give their model a little bit more realistic twist to it. You can tell students put a lot of time and effort into their projects. Mrs. Garces and Mrs. Oshiro were very proud of the students. Please view the slide show of the projects that were presented today.

And don't forget to come to the curriculum fair on May 17 from 2pm-5pm in the Cafeteria.

Thank you!