Colony Posters

We're working hard on our colony posters!

What do you know about the Thirteen Colonies? Come back later to see what we're learning!

Happy Veteran's Day!

Veteran's Day is a day to honor all of the veterans who have served our country throughout the years. We are grateful for your service and dedication to our country. Mrs. Bailey's class and Spring Trail School honor you on this day and everyday for your part in making our abundant freedoms possible. Happy Veteran's Day...


Thank you for taking the time to honor us with your presence. Our school is grateful for the opportunity to hear your stories...

Some special thank yous from our class...

The Mayor of Carol Stream even came to honor you...

Thank you for visiting our classroom too...

With our red, white and blue, we thank YOU...

Important!

Dear Parents,

Field trip money and permission forms for our October 30th field trip to Naper Settlement were due today. If your child has not yet returned either of these items, please turn them in by tomorrow. The cost of the trip is $14 per student.

If you would like to attend as a chaperone, the cost is $7.50. Please send your money in tomorrow as a confirmation of your desire to attend with us.

Thank you,

Katie Bailey

Wear Blue Tomorrow!

Tomorrow Spring Trail will hold our annual Veteran's Day Celebration. Fifth and Sixth Graders have been asked to wear blue to support the Veterans that will be in the building tomorrow.




So...Don't forget to wear blue tomorrow to help our class honor the veterans and show our gratitude for all they have done to make our lives what they are today!

Mayan Writing

This week in Social Studies, we started learning about Native Americans. The Mayans were an early group of Native Americans in the Western Hemisphere. They developed their own system of writing which involved carving symbols onto stone. What else did we learn about the Maya? You can add information in the comments section if you know or check back later for an updated Maya post.

For now, here's a sneak peek at our Maya "carvings"...

Check back later this week to see the final product!

Social Studies Extra Credit Opportunities

Opportunity #1: Students may submit up to five items for our class' Regions Scrapbook. Students should bring in a picture (one that we can keep) or draw a picture of a place they have been. The picture should include a caption that describes the region/location and characteristics of that place. They should tell how the land or climate of that region effects life there. We will compile each scrapbook item into a class book to help us learn more about our country's regions.



Opportunity #2: Students may read about two letters in the book D is for Democracy and write a summary of the content. This one must be done at school because I have checked the book out from the library.

Please encourage your student to take advantage of this opportunity to raise his or her S/S grade! The last day to turn in this Chapter 2 Extra Credit is this Thursday, October 1st.

E Pluribus Unum!

Throughout the year, our class will work together to write essays. We will focus on topics across the curriculum. For our first essay, we used what we are learning in Social Studies. Please enjoy our essay entitled E Pluribus Unum!

E pluribus unum! This Latin phrase means "out of many, one". It has been the United States motto for over two-hundred years! Even though we are very diverse, we all come together as one. Not only is E pluribus seen in the U.S., you also see it at work in a classroom, neighborhood/community, sports team, and family.

Our classroom shows an example of e pluribus unum. Even though we are diverse, we work together in groups to finish one project. Each person has a different job, but we all work together to keep our one room organized and clean. We work as one line in the hall, moving quietly. Each person does their individual part so our fifth grade class is seen as a bucket filler.

Neighborhoods and communities are another example of "out of many one". Every person has to work to keep it clean. To keep the neighborhood peaceful, we need many volunteers. We also work together to keep our community "green". Everyone must do their part and recycle so the whole neighborhood is kind to the environment.

E pluribus unum is also shown in sports teams. In football the eleven players on the field have to work together as one to score a touchdown. Even though there are 9 players on a baseball field, each position tries to get outs for the team. To score a goal in soccer, each player must pass the ball to other players. The individual team members do their part to score a goal for the team.

Families are another group that demonstrate e pluribus unum. One example is they set the table for dinner. Someone brings the plates and someone else might bring the forks, but they all set one table. Family members do different chores to keep the house clean. Although each person in the family is a different age, they are all still one family.

Families, classrooms, neighborhoods, and sports teams all show examples of our country's motto "E pluribus unum". It takes all kinds of people to allow these groups to be their best. To be a good member of your family, neighborhood, team, or classroom just remember "E pluribus unum"!

President Obama Speaks to Us

Today we viewed President Obama's address to us. We couldn't watch it yesterday because we were in gym. President Obama spoke to us about challenges we face in gaining an education. He also discussed the importance of giving our BEST every day and setting educational goals. Our brains were really working overtime when he encouraged us to imagine the possible contributions our generation will make to our nation and world.

Following the speech, we wrote letters to the President regarding these issues. We'll post pieces of the letters when they are complete so check back soon. If you missed the speech or would like to watch it again go here: C-Span

I encourage parents and role models of students to sit down and discuss their challenges, educational goals and dreams. What did you think of President Obama's speech? How are you going to do your part to make our country and world the best it can be?