It's Holiday Time

Hello Otter Families,

Can you believe it is already a week into December? It is holiday time and we still have much work to do!

We are planning a special Otter Activity for Friday, December 17. It has become an annual tradition for the Otters to celebrate the holiday season by making Gingerbread Houses. We will need lots of help as well as donated items for this fun-filled afternoon. Please check out our WIKISPACE (click here) and sign up where you can. Your child will bring home a note about the activity tomorrow. You may sign up by sending the note back with your child, but we prefer you to sign up online.

The Second Harvest Food Drive is in its second week, and the Otters are now at 72% participation. Our goal is 100% participation, so if your child has not yet brought in a can, please encourage him/her to do so by Friday. Tomorrow is Mrs. Carlson's birthday, and it is a Dartmouth tradition for kids to donate a can in her honor on that day. Please remind your child to bring a CAN FOR CARLSON tomorrow, Wednesday.

Academically speaking, in math, we are continuing to work on fraction operations. We will take a short quiz on the four operations and then proceed to work on decimal operations before our chapter test on Friday, December 17. Tangram projects have been turned in and will be graded soon. Many students have finished or will soon finish using up their first spiral notebook for math. Please make sure that they are supplied with a new one when they run out of pages. Keep the old notebook handy so they may refer to it later in the year if they need to.

In Social Studies we have begun our study of Ancient Egypt. The kids are fascinated with this amazing and exotic civilization. We are tying our study of Egypt into the Language Arts class, where the kids are learning to research and write a report on a topic of their choosing. After gaining background information on their subject, they are to create a project at home to share with the class. The project must be as authentic as possible. The due date for the report is January 7. All work on this major assignment will be conducted at school. The accompanying project is due on January 19. Egypt Night is scheduled for Tuesday, February 1. Please mark your calendar as you won't want to miss this exciting event.

Thank you to many Otter parents who continually support our class. Our biggest need is currently copy paper. Our needs are ongoing so please feel free to contribute anything from my list on the right hand column of this blog at any time.

I hope to see many of you at the Gingerbread House activity.

Mrs. Shimamoto

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello Otter Families,

It was an extremely short week. Today was our first quarter academic awards ceremony. We had a great turnout, and it was wonderful to see so many proud Otter parents in attendance. Thank you for sharing this special event with your children. Our Otters have worked hard this year and the hard work is paying off. This was evident when seventy-five percent of our team was honored for achieving a grade point average of 3.0 or above. Twenty-five percent of our team even earned all A's during the first quarter! Congratulations to all award winners. Special recognition went to our two Outstanding Otters, Rachel Kennedy and Eovaldo Hernandez, for their super effort and tenacity. We are proud of all their hard work.

After the Otter Assembly the kids participated in their first Otter Auction. It was wild and crazy, but I think a good time was had by all. Keep up the good work and keep earning those Otter Bucks. We will have an auction after every quarter.

We ended the day with the Food Drive Assembly. The food drive, which benefits Second Harvest Food Bank, is an annual tradition here at Dartmouth. In the past, Dartmouth staff and students have donated as much as 48,000 pounds of food. The food drive begins on Monday, November 29 and will continue for two weeks. Each day students will report to their homeroom where their donations will be tallied. The Otter goal is to have 100% participation. There is also a 100 can club for anyone who donates 100 pounds of food. Good things to donate are dry goods such as flour, sugar, rice, beans, cereal, or pasta; high protein foods such as tuna, soup, or peanut butter; and canned fruits and vegetables. Please make sure the foods are non-perishable and that the cans or packages are not expired or opened. We don't expect you to go out and buy a lot of food or for you to empty your own pantry. Get your family, friends, and neighbors involved. A great strategy is to write a note, attach it to a bag, and deliver the bag to your neighbors. Tell them when you will be back to pick up their donation. Many people do not have young children in school and do not have an opportunity to participate in a food drive. They are happy to be able to help others in the community.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.

Mrs. Shimamoto

AWARDS ASSEMBLY TIME CHANGE

Due to a schoolwide assembly tomorrow, Tuesday, November 22, the time for our awards assembly will be changed from 1:15 to 12:45 p.m.

Sorry for the late notice. We hope you will be able to attend.

Hurray It's Almost Thanksgiving!

This coming week will be a short one. Wednesday, we start our Thanksgiving holiday. I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend filled with family, friends, and food. November is passing quickly and we are already three weeks into the second quarter. Many students are doing an outstanding job and are working hard in all areas. Those who have missed assignments will continue to have an opportunity to earn 90% credit by getting an ASC slip signed by a parent and turning the work in the following day. Students who habitually do not turn in work and who also do not bring in the signed ASC note will be assigned to Saturday school. This is not meant to be a punishment, but is a second chance to make up the work. Failure in sixth grade is not an option.

This Tuesday is our first Otter Awards Assembly. All students who earned a grade point average of 3.0 or above will be recognized. Family and friends are welcome to attend, so please join us if you can. The assembly will be held in the library from 1:15 to about 2:00.

The students will have their first Otter auction during sixth period, immediately following the awards ceremony. We still could use any donated items of "fabulous prizes". If you have anything that you think an 11/12 year old might like, we would love to auction it off. The auctions will be held quarterly so you can send in donations anytime. Thank you to the parents who have already contributed to our upcoming auction.

As far as academics go, we have been very busy in both math and social studies. In math we are working on fraction operations. So far we have studied addition and subtraction of simple fractions and mixed numbers. We are also working on a project involving the application of fraction equivalency concepts. This type of hands-on cooperative problem solving gives students an opportunity to demonstrate understanding by using concepts that they have already learned. The project will be counted in the same category as quizzes and tests as it is an alternative means of assessment.

In social studies we are finishing up our study of Ancient Israel. The students have enjoyed studying this civilization. Many have a great background knowledge of the history of these tenacious people. If anyone has firsthand knowledge of Jewish traditions and/or holidays, such as Hannukah and Passover, the class would love to have you come and share. Please let me know if you are interested. Our next unit will be Ancient Egypt. This is our big unit this year and will culminate with our annual trip to the Rosicrucian Museum and Egypt Night in January. Students will learn how to do a research project in English class with Mrs. Lescroart. They will conduct research and write a report on a topic related to Egypt. The report will be done entirely at school. Students will also be required to make a project related to their topic. The project will be completed at home.

December will fly by with only three weeks before our winter holiday. It is our tradition to have an exciting and fun Otter activity on the last day of school before the vacation. We will need lots of parent help at various times throughout the day, so if you are available, please mark your calendar. We will send home more information about this activity soon.

Thank you to all of you who have supported our class in various ways. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Mrs. Shimamoto

Otter Awards

Announcing the

First Quarter

Otter Awards Assembly

Who: All students who earned a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or higher will be recognized

When: Tuesday, November 24

from 1:10 to approximately 2:00 p.m.

Where: Dartmouth Middle School Library

Family and friends are welcome, please join us if you can

It's November!

Hello Otter Families,

The first quarter is over and done, and we have entered the second quarter without missing a beat. Report cards should have been mailed out. If you have not received yours in the mail already, you should receive it soon. Congratulations to the many Otters who worked hard all quarter. Your efforts have been paid off with outstanding grades. All students who earned a grade point average of 3.0 or higher will be honored in our first awards assembly to be held on Tuesday, November 23. I am not yet sure about the time, but I will post the time and send a note home with your child as soon as I know. Family members and friends are welcome to attend the assembly, so please join us if you can.

Don't forget this Thursday, November 11, is the Veterans Day Holiday (no school for students and teachers...hurray). Friday will be an inservice day for teachers, but the students will have the day off. Enjoy your four day weekend.

In social studies, we wrapped up our study of early humans and Mesopotamia last week. One of the "big ideas" that we will explore this year is the importance of water to the development of civilizations. Ask your child to explain to you why water was so important. We also talked about the change the early humans went through as they developed from hunter-gatherers, to farmers and villagers, to civilizations. Our next unit of study is Ancient Israel. Many students already know this part of history and they are enthusiastically sharing their knowledge with the rest of the class. Speaking of experts, if you have personal knowledge or experience with any of the civilizations that we will be studying this year and would like to share with the class, please give me a call. It is always exciting to hear about first-hand experiences and the kids love it when adults whom they know come in to class.

Last week, we spent a few days in the computer lab working on a data analysis mini-project. The kids learned how to use Excel to create graphs. We also finished our study of chapter three, fraction concepts. The kids began the chapter test on Friday, but it was longer than I had anticipated and many did not finish in the allotted time. I will give them additional class time to finish on Monday. Chapter tests differ from quizzes as they are summative. In other words, they assess the student's learning at the completion of the unit. There are no revisions allowed and students cannot use their math journals. Our next unit will be operations with fractions and decimals.

In math intervention, we are continuing to build basic skills. In addition, the students are supported in the regular class curriculum with pre-teaching of the day's lesson and homework assistance. Grades for this class are based on effort, attitude, and participation.

As a team, one of our main goals as we progress through this sixth grade year is to be a community of learners. As such, we are working on staying focused as this allows us to efficiently use our class time. Off-task behavior prevents the whole class from learning, so we are working on improving in that area. Interruptions that impede the learning of others will not be tolerated and students who engage in this type of behavior will be asked to write a note home for a parent signature.

This past weekend, I spent a good deal of time reorganizing my classroom. The kids will be surprised to see the changes when they come to school tomorrow. I hope that the new layout will help me utilize the classroom space more efficiently. There will be new seats on Monday!

Thanks to those of you who have sent in donations to the classroom. The students in room 301 and I greatly appreciate your support.

I hope you have a wonderful extended weekend next week.

Mrs. Shimamoto

Happy Halloween

Dear Otter Families,

I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween tonight. Don't forget, it is a school night, so don't stay out too late! Friday was our costume day at Dartmouth. What a crazy day. The kids were so excited all day, and we teachers went home exhausted. Thank heavens for our fabulous Art Vistas moms who bravely came to share an interesting hands-on lesson on cave art. The kids really enjoyed it.

Friday was the last day of the first quarter. Grades will be finalized this week and report cards will be mailed out by the end of the week. Congratulations to the students who worked hard all quarter. Your efforts are reflected in your outstanding grades! Monday marks the beginning of the second quarter, and at that time, grades begin anew. As is our tradition on the Otters team, we will move several students within the team from Mrs. Lescroart's morning group to my morning group and vice versa. Our goal is to give the students an opportunity to meet many teammates as well as to even out the groups. Currently, we have one group that has a disproportionate number of girls and one group is also larger than the other.

In math, we are continuing our study of fraction concepts. Last week we looked at simplifying fractions, as well as improper fractions and mixed numbers and their relationship to decimals. The kids took their weekly quiz on Friday. Many did well, but I think that the distraction of Halloween was just too much for some of them. Grades from Friday's quiz will be reflected on the second quarter grade. Remember, quizzes are meant as formative assessment. This means, that they are only a measure of progress toward mastery of a given concept. That is why revisions and journals are always allowed on quizzes. This week we will spend some time in the computer lab working on a data analysis mini-project.

In social studies, we are wrapping up our study of early humans and Mesopotamia. We will review for and take the end-of-unit test this week. Thanks again to our Art Vistas volunteers for an interesting lesson on cave art, which was tied to our studies in social studies.

In math intervention, we continue to strengthen our math skills with homework assistance, previews of the day's lesson, and skills practice. On good days, when we get through the lesson, the kids are rewarded with math games, which also help reinforce skills.

Mark your calendars. Next week, November 11 is a holiday, and November 12 is an inservice day for teachers. The students will have a 3 day week. The Thanksgiving holiday is also just around the corner. School will be closed on the 24th, 25th, and 26th.

We have yet to schedule our 1st quarter awards assembly but anticipate that it will be sometime in the next few weeks. I will let you know as soon as a date is set. We will also hold our first Otter auction in the near future. Thanks to those who have sent in items for this exciting event.

Happy Halloween.

Mrs. Shimamoto

5 days Until the End of the Quarter!

Dear Otter Families.

Amazingly, we only have 5 more days until the end of the first quarter. All work that is missing due to absence must be made up before Friday! Grades must be turned in by next weekend and report cards should be mailed out the following weekend. Most of the team have worked hard this quarter and have done well adjusting to middle school. Grades will begin anew on November 1, so everyone starts with a clean slate.

In middle school, we do not have parent-teacher conferences. If you have concerns regarding your child's progress, please email me with any questions or to schedule an after-school conference. I am available most days after school to help students, unless I have a meeting. I am very sorry that the past couple of weeks have been so packed with meetings. I really prefer to be able to spend the time with students. This week looks like a better week, with Tuesday as my only meeting day. Your child is welcome to drop in for help any time.

In math, we have been very busy since I last posted on the blog. The kids have taken their first quarter district-wide benchmark exams as well as the end of unit test for Chapter 2. Grades for both are posted on Powerschool. This past week we started our new unit, fraction concepts. We have been working on prime factorization, greatest common factor, and least common multiple. Next we will look at equivalent fractions, mixed numbers, improper fractions, and decimals. Many students have already filled up a spiral notebook with notes and homework. Please make sure they bring a new one to keep their notes neat and organized.

In Social Studies, we finished our unit on Geography. The kids did a beautiful job on their world maps and I am now in the process of grading those projects. Grades should be reflected on the first quarter report cards. This week we will begin an ongoing project related to geography. Ask your child to tell you all about the postcard project. He/she will need your help sending out letters to family and friends. We are also studying the beginning of civilization from prehistoric times through Mesopotamia. Next week we will be treated to our first Art Vistas presentation on Cave Art.

Friday, students may wear their Halloween costumes to school. They can wear the costumes all day as long as it doesn't interfere with their learning. Costumes must be appropriate for school, following school dress code regulations. They should not be violent or risque. There is a costume contest during the morning snack break, but we will not have a classroom party.

With the end of the first quarter, comes our first Otter Awards assembly. The assembly will be held during the school day. I will let you know the date and time as soon as we schedule this important event. All students who achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or higher will be recognized at the assembly. Parents, family, and friends are welcome to attend, so please join us if you can. We will also hold our quarterly Otter Auction, where students can bid their hard-earned Otter Bucks for "fabulous prizes". Speaking of prizes, we are in need of donations. If you have any interesting and inexpensive items that you would like to donate, the kids would love it. Items that have been popular in the past include, craft kits, books, toys, puzzles, sports equipment, games, school supplies, stuffed animals, and gift cards.

Thank you for your continuing support. Your generous donations to our classroom are greatly appreciated!

Until next week,

Mrs. Shimamoto

10-10-10

Hello Otter Families,

It has been another exciting week for the Otters. We are already winding down our first quarter of school with just three weeks left. Please review your child's grade on Powerschool and encourage him/her to continue to work hard.

We had an unusual day on Wednesday with our emergency evacuation. I was amazed at how well the kids did, especially since we were out on the field for two hours before we got the all clear signal. I was so proud of them!

In math, we are preparing for our first district-wide benchmark exam. On Thursday and Friday we worked on practice problems in class in order to get ready. Tomorrow, Monday, the kids will take the test. The benchmark is a measurement of student mastery of the sixth grade standards. Scores will count on the first quarter grades. After the test on Monday, we will finish up chapter 2, integers, and then the end of the unit test will be on Friday.

In social studies, the kids have taken home their world maps and should be working on them every day. Their homework for the week is to complete small sections of the assignment and then get a parent signature verifying the completion. So far, your child should have finished the islands and mountains. Next are the rivers. In addition, he/she should begin coloring the oceans and seas blue. This is a very time-consuming part of the project as the area to cover is very large. Students can use colored pencils, water colors, or oil pastels. Water colors and pastels seem to be the easiest and neatest. If your child chooses to use colored pencil, please make sure they color neatly with even pressure in one direction. Oil pastels should be set with a coat of hairspray when finished. Otherwise, the color will smudge and make a mess. In class, students took a test on geography and maps with the electronic responders. Results of the test are now posted on Powerschool.

Thanks to all the Otter families for your continuing support.

Until next week.

Mrs. Shimamoto

A BUSY Week for the Otters

Hello Otter Families,

Whew...it was a very busy week for the Otters. Thanks to all of our great sixth grade parents, we had our first social on Friday. We had a record attendance, perfect weather, and it seemed that a great time was had by all who attended (adults included). Thank you to all of you who so generously donated supplies and your time to make this event possible!

It is hard to believe that it is already October. The end of October marks the end of the first quarter and our first report card of the year. Congratulations to the students who are working hard and doing well. For those who have had a rough start, it is not too late to bring up those grades. Please be sure to turn all work in on time, give your best effort, and to make up any work that is missed. If you were absent, make up work should be done as soon as possible.

In Social Studies we have spent the past week working on our globes in class everyday. Thank you to many of our Otter parents for volunteering to help with this big project. You helped to avert many disasters...I couldn't have done it alone. We are now free-hand drawing our islands. I will send this project home early this week for completion. Please make sure your child works on it little by little every night. There will be little additional homework in social studies during this time. I will send home a grading sheet so students will know exactly what they need to do to earn a good grade. Neatness and effort will make a big difference!

In math we are working on the four operations with integers. Last week was addition and subtraction. This week will be multiplication and division. Friday's quiz had mixed results. It seemed that the kids either really got it or they didn't. They will have an opportunity to do quiz revisions. If they need assistance, please make sure they see me for help. I am available most days after school in my classroom.

Thanks again and again for all the support you give your child and our Otter team.

Until next week.

Mrs. Shimamoto

Halfway Through the First Quarter!

Hello Otter Families,

Can you believe that last Friday marked the half-way point for the first quarter of school? That means that at this time, there is a fairly good representation of grades in the grade book and power school. So, now would be a good time to check and review your child's grades with him or her. If your child has any missing work due to absence, please make sure that he or she completes it in a timely manner. I have collected the Social Studies notebooks, but I still need to finish grading the geography and map terms. Those grades should be entered into the system sometime this week. I also have not entered the Chapter 1 math test scores as some children need a little more class time to finish. Those scores should be up online by Tuesday.

In math, we just finished our first Chapter on Algebraic Reasoning. We will start our next unit, Integers, tomorrow, Monday, September 27. In social studies we are working on our World Maps. This is a major project and we will spend class time all this week on it. The children will then bring the maps home for completion. The due date will be sometime in early October. I will post the due date online as soon as I can. Thank you to the many parent helpers who have come in to help us. We could not do it without you!

This Friday is our first 6th grade social after school. We are all looking forward to an exciting and fun time. Thank you to the many Otter parents who have donated items and/or have volunteered to help. The social will take place in the quad right after school, and will go until 4:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at lunch. Tickets will sell for $5.00 and will cover the price of admission as well as all the games. You might want to send a few extra dollars with your child on Friday for miscellaneous snacks and goodies and/or photos with friends. There will be games, prizes, music, and dancing. Students get to choose which activities to do and there is always something for everyone! Please encourage your child to participate...the more the merrier.

It looks like we are in for another hot week at school. It might be a good idea to send your child in with a water bottle (in an effort to "go green" a refillable bottle is best). I allow kids to drink water in my class anytime. All other food and drink is prohibited as it creates a mess in the classroom.

Special thanks goes to my anonymous friend, who so kindly sent me a beautiful birthday surprise last week. Your otter cake was amazing and the third period kids enjoyed it immensely. Thanks also to the families who have donated items to room 301. If you would like to support our team, check out my wish list on the right side of the blog.

I hope there are at least a few Otter families who are finding this blog useful. I am not sure anyone is reading it. In order to give me an idea of who my readers are, PLEASE leave a comment, give me some feedback, and leave your name. Your response is greatly appreciated.

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend.

Mrs. Shimamoto

HELP WANTED - GLOBE PROJECT

The Globe Project Starts on Thursday, September 23. If you would like to help, please sign up on our class wikispace.

In addition to classroom help, I will need several volunteers to cut out templates for the continents. This is a job that can be done from home.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Thank You For Attending Back to School Night

Hello Otter Families,
It was so nice to see so many parents at last night's Back to School Night. I wish I had had more time to meet you individually. Your interest in your child's education is a very important key to his/her success.

As I mentioned last night, there are many opportunities for parents to get involved in the sixth grade. Next week, we are starting our Globe Project in social studies. I could use several adult hands to help the children. No special skills other than a little patience are required. If you would like to sign up go to our (click the link on the colored word) wikispaces page and enter your name wherever you can help.

On Friday, October 1st, we will hold our first sixth grade social. We will need donations and many adult volunteers to make this exciting event happen. Please sign up on our wiki if you can help or donate something.

Academically speaking, we are moving along in math. We are already finishing our first unit covering Algebraic Reasoning. The kids seem to be understanding the concepts and most have been very conscientious about doing their homework. Tomorrow is our weekly quiz on solving algebraic equations. Next week we will practice solving word problems, review for the chapter test, and finally take the end of the unit test.

In Social Studies, we are continuing to work on Geography. Today the children took a test on geography terms using the electronic responders. I think they had fun using them. Ask your child to tell you about it. We are now learning about map concepts in preparation for our globe project.

The students in period two math intervention have been working hard to strengthen their basic math concepts and have also been working hard to reinforce the concepts that we are learning in regular math class. I love seeing them as the experts in class. I hope that experiencing success will help build their confidence in math.

It is important that students arrive in class everyday ready to work. Please make sure that your child brings the required supplies daily. Many children are coming to class without a pencil, red pens, or colored pencils. The list of required supplies is located on the right hand margin of the blog.

Thanks to those of you who have supported my classroom with your generous donations. I really appreciate it! If you would like to donate something , our classroom needs are ongoing. Please check out my wish list on the right side margin of the blog. You can also find a list of important links and upcoming events.

If you have read this blog, please leave a comment in the Leave a Comment Box. You can sign on anonymously but please sign your name so I know who my readers are.

Thank you for your continuing support.

Have a nice weekend.

Mrs. Shimamoto

Happy Labor Day Weekend

Dear Otter Families,

I hope you have had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday weekend. The Otters are becoming a cohesive community, and it is hard to believe that many of them were strangers just two short weeks ago.

Academics began in earnest last week. In math we are studying number sense and algebra concepts. The students took their first quiz on Thursday. The quiz covered numerical patterns, exponents and order of operations. Scores will be posted on Powerschool this week. It is my policy to allow students to learn from their mistakes. With that in mind, students will be given an opportunity to correct their errors for 50% credit back. This will be true for all quizzes but not on end of unit tests. I will explain the procedure for Quiz Revisions when I return the quizzes tomorrow.

In Social Studies we are studying geography. Our first individual project will be a Geography Glossary. This will be the major homework assignment for the rest of this week. For our next activity students will create a world map which we will convert to a three-dimensional globe. I will need several adult hands for this project. No special skills are necessary. All you need to be able to do is to help the kids draw straight lines with a yardstick. We will tackle the globe project during the week of September 20-24. If you can help, please see our class wikispaces page to sign up. The link to the wikispaces page will be posted later this week.

Don't forget, Back to School Night will be held on Wednesday, September 15. I look forward to meeting you then.

Mrs. Shimamoto

One Week Down

Hello Otter Families,

Well, we now have one week of school under our belts. The end of summer was a shock to the system (especially since it was 100 degrees), but the kids (and their teachers) are adjusting nicely and we are becoming a great community. We are a big team this year with full classes and I am proud to say that I think I know all the names now.

Most of the first week was spent getting used to new routines and expectations, and getting to know one another. The kids learned the school rules and brought home a paper outlining the sixth grade homework policy. They also got their lockers and three textbooks, which they will leave at home. As we begin to settle down into a work rountine, students must have their school supplies by this Monday. If this presents a hardship for your family, please have your child come and talk to me. The list of required supplies can be found on the right hand margin of the blog.

Failure is really not an option in the sixth grade at Dartmouth. A major goal of sixth grade is learning organization and responsibility. With that in mind, our Academic Support Center (ASC) system is meant to insure that kids have every opportunity to succeed. It is not a form of punishment. Whenever a student does not bring an assignment on the due date, he/she will bring home a bright pink parent notification slip, which you must sign. If the work comes in the following day with the signed note, he/she will earn 90% credit. If the child comes with the signed note but no work, he/she will be assigned to do the work in the Academic Support Center, which is held in the library after school that day. If the child fails to bring the signed note, he/she will make a phone call home. We appreciate your support in helping your child to be a successful student.

Next week will be a short one. Teachers will attend an in-service day on Friday, September 3; while kids will get the day off. The following Monday is Labor Day, so the students will enjoy a 4 day weekend.

Sixth grade parents often wonder if there are any opportunities to help out at school. Our first big project in social studies, globe making, will take place mid-September. I will send out a notice asking for volunteers as soon as I have dates scheduled. I will need several adult hands for this project. Our first sixth grade after-school social will be held on Friday, October 1st. We will definitely need help with that activity so please mark your calendar if you are interested in volunteering. Your child will bring home a flyer regarding this exciting event in the next couple of weeks.

Back to school night is scheduled for Wednesday evening, September 15. At that time, teachers will share their plans for the upcoming year. I look forward to meeting all of you that night.

Thank you to those of you who left a comment. It is nice to know that someone is reading the blog. I appreciate all your kind words. Thanks also for sharing your children with me this year. I am really enjoying the new Otters!

Mrs. Shimamoto

WELCOME

Hello Otter Families,

Welcome to a new school year. I am looking forward to beginning an exciting year with all of the new Otters. We are a team that knows how to work hard and have fun too. Sixth grade is a time of transition, and the keys to success are organization and responsibility. We will work together to build these skills throughout the year.

Because regular communication between home and school is vital, I will use this blog to keep you up to date regarding the happenings in room 301. If you need to contact me, please feel free to do so either via phone (264-1122 x 301) or email, shimamotoh@unionsd.org

I have given students a list of required school supplies. It isn't necessary to go out right away and get everything, but please try to have them by next week.

The weather forecast for this week calls for a heat wave. Please make sure that you send your child with a water bottle. Because we are making an effort to "Go Green" at Dartmouth, a reusable bottle is best. Students may only drink water in the classroom; no other food or drinks will be allowed.

In this time of budget cutbacks, our classroom is in constant need of supplies. If you would like to support our class, please feel free to send in any item from my wish list. Thanks in advance for your donations.

If you have read this blog, I would appreciate it if you would post a comment. It is nice to know who is reading the blog. You may post as an anonymous user but please sign your name so I know who you are.

I'm looking forward to a great year!

Mrs. Shimamoto