Ethan shared his special day with us...

...and shared some wonderful fruit tarts, too.

Ever After was a hit! Bravo, 5th graders!

We're Number 1! ...And 2... and 3... and 4. {Field Day Fun}

Field day was a blast! 

Our prize ribbons make great forehead bands.

Basketball Dream Team

Happy Birthday Sandi!

We captured some of the fun of Sandi's birthday celebration with our new flip camera! Check it out!

What? Oh, nothing. The First Lady is just sending Danea letters.

Danea received an amazing piece of mail from our First Lady Michelle Obama. This special package was in response to Danea's letter during our last Social Action Cycle!

Science Fiction launching in 3... 2... ok, 5/16/11

Reminder: The Craft Club Continues Tomorrow!

Jon Scieszka Visits P.S. 58!

Jon Scieszka stopped by and gave us the scoop on his interactive science fiction series, Spaceheadz. Along with his amazingly funny story of slogan-spouting alien invaders is a whole slew of Spaceheadz-related web-based fun! The site is managed by his daughter and her partner and allows video and picture submission. Sign up to be a Spaceheadz today and let us know what your name is. Mine's Ultrasoft Tartar Sauce. Sounds yummy! 

Emotional Math Break

Congratulations to our Staffle Raffle Winners

As winners of the recent Staffle Raffle, Justina and Ethan M. joined us for a delicious Thai lunch at Nine D. We had a lovely time! 

Breaking News: The Craft Club Finishes Their Owls!

Great work ladies! Now we move on to cross-stitching.

5-316: What People Are Wearing

Ewan rocks the Alfalfa, styled by Danea with thanks to Mrs. Mitchell's hairspray. 

The resemblance is uncanny.

Our March Birthdays!

Facing History

In our historical fiction unit we learned how a historical setting acts almost like a character in our stories, influencing the story's elements. Surely one of the most heinous villains would be the time of the Holocaust. Through our read aloud, Daniel's Story, our partner books and book club books, we have learned of the shocking and disturbing treatment of Jews during Hitler's reign. These words upset and confused us. It is hard to imagine anyone suffering the acts of evil, let alone millions.

Bret, our beloved Lori Glazer's father, was our special guest this past week. As a son of a survivor of the Holocaust, Bret had so much to share. All of the 5th grade had the opportunity to listen to Bret and partake in a though-provoking activity. The thoughts and feelings we experienced from the activity help us to always remember the horrible details of Nazi Germany. As long as we can remember and be appalled, we can protect the world from future atrocities.

Check out this wonderful resource to see more ideas about how we can protect the world today by examining history: Facing History.

We have wrapped up our Historical Fiction unit and performed our Readers' Theater scenes. Check us out!

We also shared the amazing historical fiction picture books we created.

Congrats for collecting 

the most Box Tops, 5-316!

Darth Pineapple Fever Spreads!

We are Activists!

The end of our unit in Social Studies marks another Social Action Cycle! This is our chance to spread word about a social issue we're passionate about. Our cycle 2 presentations informed all of us of some of  the many, many injustices happening right under our noses. And now we share them with the world. Please take a look at our action pieces and help us spread the word about these important issues.

Animal Rights:

Mollie's video on horse racing was so informative. She challenges us to express our outrage on this abusive "sport" to inspire change.


Nika's heartfelt video made the class aware of the many horrors of puppy mills. Nika gives Lucy, her rescued poodle, and all abused puppies a strong voice.


Olive created a revealing flyer to inform us of some of the shocking practices of puppy mills. After reading her flyer it is hard to see why anyone would support the hidden horrors of puppy mills.

Solva created a t-shirt to spread her message! What a fantastic idea! Her slogan is "All men are created equal, including animals".

Issy's bumper sticker really gets the point across. Animals are not entertainment. Let's continue to spread Issy's message by posting our stickers where all can see.

Cielo also joined the fight against animal cruelty. With Lucy (Nika's dog) and Luna as the stars, we learn the pains of animal abuse.


Gabby's presentation, highlighting state laws regarding animal abuse, was yet another example of how we can spread the word and speak up for the animals.

The Environment:

Jose's flyer let's us know how important it is to recycle. If that is not motivation enough, check out this site for a ton of more reasons and get recycling!

Ethan S. is passionate about keeping this world clean. Let's help him by wearing his slogan proudly. 

Alexander spreads his message about the importance of recycling in his presentation. He reminds that the responsibility of caring for Earth falls on all of us. 

Violence:

Jada's bumper sticker has a strong and clear message.

Food Issues:

Anna's response to McDonalds will be sent shortly. After receiving a response from her first letter, sent during our first action cycle, Anna found there was still much to say.


Dasha and Ethan M. also chose to take action on food issues. They both wrote letters to the other fast food superpower, Burger King.

Freedom of Religion:

Maria created a great bumpersticker to voice her message to the world. 

Television Addiction:

Jack's letter to Panasonic was a great idea! As televisions get bigger and bigger, more productive options for our free time get smaller and smaller.

Steele created a powerful public service announcement on television addiction. His passion for the issue is clear and his message is strong!

Workers' Rights:

Last but certainly not least is Ewan's informative video on the horrible business practices of Wal-Mart. Ewan's reporting is well-researched and his passion is clear. 

Smoking:

Andres created an informative flyer to inform others about the hazards of smoking.