August 22

Hello Quest Families!

Welcome to 6th grade!   We are looking forward to getting the school year started with Quest students!  Our new Quest planners ($3.50 per student) have arrived and look fantastic.  New to CBMS this year is iBlock, which will be time each day when students will meet with teachers in smaller groups to address individual goals/needs.  More information to follow.

We are excited to let you know that the Quest team will be taking a field trip on Tuesday, September 9th to Northern Lights Rock and Ice in Essex, VT.  We will be leaving school at 8:00 and returning at 2:00.  Students and teachers will be participating on the ‘challenge by choice’ course as well as completing team building activities.  Through challenges involving group problem solving and personal goal setting, Questers will have the opportunity to grow as both a team and as individuals.  

Attached to this packet are three forms that need to be filled out and returned to Quest teachers by August 29th in order for each student to participate.   We are also asking for each student to contribute $10 towards the cost of the trip.  Please let us know if this is a problem and we can help cover the cost.

Thank you for all of your support,

Melissa, Diane, and Curtis

mwilliams@wwsu.org

ctaylor@wwsu.org 

Permission slip

Waiver form

Health form

June 6

Hello Quest Families!

Field Trip 
On Tuesday, June 17th, Quest students will be taking an end of year field trip to the Reservoir.  Here is a link to the permission slip which is due on Wednesday, June 11th.  Students will be participating in team building activities in the morning and have free time in the afternoon.  Please see the permission slip for information about what to pack.

Step Up Day 
Quest students participated first ever "Quest Step-Up Olympics."  We had relay races, tug-of-war, and capture the flag!  Many students then helped in the cafeteria as "lunch ambassadors."  They sat with the incoming fifth graders to answer their questions.

Talent Show
On Wednesday, June 18th, Questers will have their final team talent show as 5th graders.  This will take place at the end of the day at the outdoor classroom. 

Human Body Websites
For the past few weeks, students have been busy learning about different systems of the human body, careers in the health field, and ways to keep our bodies healthy.  The culminating project of this unit is a website that students have been designing in small groups.  The bulk of the website work has been completed during ESB class time.  At this point, students are to finish their websites during Guided Study or at home.  Students are also welcome to work on these websites after school.  Here is a link to the requirements for the websites.

Last Day of School
On Thursday, June 19th, students will be headed to the pool for most of the day.  At the pool area, students will be able to play different games such as basketball and soccer, as well as swim in the pool.  The first 45 minutes of the day will be spent on teams, closing out the year.  After team time, students will travel with their AGs to the pool.  They will return from the pool with their AGs as well.

Last Week of Homework
Next week  (6/9-6/13) will be the last week for homework assignments.  We will not be assigning homework during the final week of school.

Math
Students have been exploring growing patterns with their first introduction to using variables in mathematics.  This unit involves making tables, graphs, and writing expressions with variables.  We will finish this unit next week.  During the later half of the week, students will be working an engineering task with a partner.  They will have to design and build a skyscraper using only certain materials.

LA
We are finishing the year creating book trailers for our favorite books of 2013-2014.  We are creating these trailers using iMovie.  Students will be expected to read five books over the summer.  We are creating these trailers with the intention that students might get some ideas on what to read for the summer!  The trailers will be linked to the library website, and some will be included in next year's DCF introduction.

May 16th

Hello Quest Families!

In ESB, students are studying one of the Human Body Systems.  We are building 3 dimensional models!  We had planned on having students bring items from their recycling bins at home to make these models, but the students had other plans!!  They were all a buzz when someone mentioned edible systems!!  Going along with the enthusiasm, I piped in, how they could make edible systems out of items such as kale and celery! but I don't think anyone is jumping at that opportunity.....If you have been asked to go shopping for items that look like the heart, that is for this in class project.  We will be completing it on this coming Monday.

To encourage healthy habits, students will be taking the information they learn about their systems, and will be interviewing experts about how the systems work together, and how they can keep these systems healthy.  These interviews are occurring on Wednesday morning.  However.....

We need more people to interview!!

Do you have expertise in any of the following?

• Fitness
• Health care
• Nutrition
• Mental health
• Circulation
• Digestion

Are you a(n):

• EMT
• Nurse
• Health practioner
• Doctor

Do you have time on Wednesday between 8 and 9:45 to be interviewed?

If so, please let us know!  We would LOVE to have you come :)  Just email Curtis, Melissa, or Jen Hill, and we will have it arranged!


LA:  The Word Study unit continues!  Each day students are working on spelling, a word project, or vocabulary / comprehension in Small Steps.  There will be a test each Friday.  Details about the test (spelling list, roots to know for the week) will be linked to the homework board.


Quest Clothing:  The Quest clothing came in, and it looks great!  We will put in another order in the fall if you would like to order, and were unable to this time around!

Homework: We have had some troubles getting homework in from students.  On Friday afternoons, we have implemented a time for either extra recess, or time for those students to do finish homework that did not get finished during the week.  If your student needs reminding, please have them check their planner, or the homework board.

Have a great weekend!

May 9th

 Teacher Appreciation Week
Thank-you so much for an amazing Teacher Appreciation Week.  From breakfast to lunch, and enough snacks to fill us in between, we were glowing with praise for our PTO and all who contributed to the feasts.  We felt well cared for, and well appreciated.  Thank-you!

Greek Plays
The drama unit was a success!  Students did very well putting on the two plays last week.  We were very proud of their hard work, and their collaboration with each other.  Thank you to all who could make it to see the plays!  If anyone has any photos / videos from these, we would love to see them!

Spelling/Word Study
This last LA unit of the year focuses primarily on spelling and word study.  Students have begun reading Small Steps by Peg Kehret.  This book is a biography of a girl who is diagnosed with polio.  It is a well loved book, and it is a nice fit with our human body unit.  We will be focusing primarily on vocabulary in context with this book, as well as drawing details from a text.  Students will be working in a variety of groups, as well as working independently to complete written assignments.  Students who finish the book early will be reading historical fiction books regarding the Middle Ages.

Students have begun spelling tests.  Students have individual lists which they should study for a test each Friday.  I have chosen words based on words they will most likely use in their writing.  Students will be completing various exercises on these words including dictionary use, synonyms, and different types of sentences using the words.  Originally, the words were going to be based on a pretest, but many students are begging me to "just give me a list!" so we will see if we can come to some sort of compromise!

The POW this week is a Project of the Week based on a word root to which they will be assigned this Monday.  The project is due Friday, although they will have time on Monday to work on it.  Students will begin teaching these word roots to their classmates beginning on Monday, May 19th.  Four students will teach each Monday.  The following Friday, the 23rd, students will be quizzed on their spelling words as well as the four word roots taught in the beginning of the week.  The word roots will be posted on the Homework Board.  The following week, there will be an idiom project which students will complete instead of their regular POW.

Vocabulary, responding to text, reading, spelling, sentence structure, word roots, and idioms will take up our month of May in LA!

Book Orders
Mrs. LaRock distributed book orders last week.  These are due this Friday, May 16th.

ePals
Students who have penpals in Poland received cards this past week.  We forwarded our personal biographies to a class in Ghana who will be choosing epals to match the students in their class.  We will be exchanging recipes with them soon!

Human Body Unit
For the past two weeks, students have been studying cells.  Students have been using microscopes to see a variety of cells, and have been using stop animation to demonstrate the transfer of materials through the cell membrane.
On Monday, we will be starting a project based learning unit on the systems of the human body.  Students will become experts with one of the systems of the human body and work with a health plan group to develop a website.  Throughout this unit, students will also be participating in social learning with a focus on developing skills for working in groups. 

Math
We have been focusing on solidifying our multiplication strategies in Math this week.  Thank you to all adults who took the time to explain their strategies to Questers.  By the end of this year, students should have an efficient strategy for multiplying multi-digit numbers (standard algorithm-the way most of us were taught OR the partial products method).  Next week we will refine our long division strategies with a focus on place value and number sense.  Students will not be introduced to the standard algorithm for division until 6th grade.  They are still at the point of sense making. 


Questions to ask:
When is your chorus or band concert?
What did you see under the microscope?
What is stop-motion animation (Cell membrane project)?
What is Small Steps about?
Do you prefer the standard algorithm or partial products for multiplication?

April 15

Hello Quest Families!

The Plays:
The Odyssey (Blue Group) will perform on Thursday, May 1st at 9:00.  The Greek Heroes (Red Group) will perform on Friday, May 2nd at 9:00.  All are welcome!  We will perform these plays in the cafeteria.

Ferry Beach:
We had a fantastic time visiting the shores of the Maine Coast last week as well as local adventures at the Audubon Center.  Students had a chance to explore a variety of ecosystems by getting their hands (and faces) dirty!  We are all very proud of the Quest students, who did a great job representing their school, classrooms, and themselves.  This experience helped us grow as a team and as individuals.  On Friday, we will be watching a slideshow to reflect on all of the great memories made during Ecology Week.


Missing school:
At this point, we have twelve students who will be missing days around the April break.  We also have 5 - 6 students who have been ill!  While your student is out, your student misses a complex web of whole class instruction, small group discussion, group work and independent reflection.  We are often asked for "packets of work" for time missed.  Instead, we will post the objectives of our lessons on our calendar.  Please have your student check in with us upon their return for any additional work they will need to catch up on.  We will post for the end of this week, and for the week after break.

Missing work: We have a number of students who are missing work.  We will be emailing parents over the next week or so if your student is in that situation.  You can also check PowerSchool to get this information.

Green Up Day:  
On May 2nd, Quest students will be participating in our very own Green Up Day.  This will take place from 12:40-2:15 at and around CBMS.  We will also be greening up along River Road  We are looking for parent volunteers to help us clean up for Spring.  Please email Melissa or Curtis if you are interested in joining.


Enjoy the rest of your April vacation!!

Quest Teachers


What was your favorite meal from Ferry Beach?
Do you have any missing work?
What is your strategy for multiplying decimals?
What book are you reading for independent reading?

March 24

Hello Questers

A big thank you to everyone that made it out for student-led conferences!

Quest Clothing
We will be ordering lovely Quest clothing designed by Siena Mazer (with assistance from Emilee Semprebon and Morgan Longe).  Order forms will be sent home with students later this week. Order Form

Astronomy Test
On Thursday, students will have their end of unit Astronomy test.  Students all have a study guide that was created as a class.  Please review this study guide before the test on Thursday.

Ferry Beach 
Ferry Beach is only 2 weeks away!  A packing list will be sent home with your student this week.  Please let us know when/if questions arise about this trip.  Ferry Beach health forms are due at the end of the week.  We are in the process of placing students in dorm groups as well as study groups.  Both of these groups will consist of only Quest students.  They will have dining groups that will be a mix of Quest, Dream, and Wizard students. 

Math
Students were working on a "Shop Until You Drop" assignment this week, and showed an amazing amount of thoughtfulness when pretend shopping for their families!  We will continue to work with decimal numbers for the next couple of weeks.

Ancient Greece Projects
On Thursday, students presented their Ancient Greece Festival projects.  Students did a fantastic job on these projects.  The progress students made from their Bones and Stones projects was clear.

Questions to ask your student:

What was your favorite Ancient Greece project (not your own)?
What constellation's myth are you researching?
What color are the Quest shirts?
What gifts did you buy for your "Shop Until You Drop" assignment?

March 12

Newsletter for March 12

Hello Questers!

We hope you are all well and if you had to travel, that your travels were safe.

Ferry Beach:  Yesterday, March 18th, two green papers should have come home with all Quest students.  One of the papers was information about the PTO plant sale fundraiser.  The other paper was a health form to be filled out for our Ferry Beach trip.  Please make sure this form is filled out and returned to us at school. 

Genius Hour:  During the last block of each day, students have certain choices.  If a student is not involved in the music opportunities at CBMS, they are asked to read, and do homework.  There is one other choice, and that is Genius Hour.  Students are able to choose a topic they feel passionately about.  They are then given time to research this topic, and to create a presentation for others.  If your student has Guided Study, you might ask them what they might want to work on for Genius Hour!

Coding and Programming:   One of these Genius Hours is taking off.  Beck is beginning to lead classes at the end of the day in coding and programming. (either Mrs. Williams or Mr. Taylor is also in the room) These classes will be offered on Tuesdays and Fridays during Music Block.  Students can choose to be in one or the other, or both if they are available and have their work up to date.  Many students have already signed up for these times to learn about coding and programming, and Beck has shown some excellent teaching skills!  If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to email.

Drama Unit:  The drama unit is up and running!  A reminder to all students (except for the narrators) that lines need to be memorized by March 20th.  Many students have been working on their lines, and some students are "off script."  We are working on developing personal responsibility with this unit.  If a student with a lead role does not memorize the majority of his/ her lines by this time, a replacement may be found for that student's role.

Students have been assigned a production team as well as a speaking role.  Production teams include props, set, costumes, and publicity.  Students are working in these groups to problem solve and devise lists of items we will need to create.  We will begin to create the props, set, costumes, and publicity at the end of this week.  Students may be scrounging around for props such as fake food, or some old sheets, but we do not need anything too fancy for the play!  If you have any interest in helping with any of these teams, let me know! 

Bake Sale: 

Our bake sale was a success!  We earned approximately $150 towards costumes and props for our play.  Thank you to all who sent in goodies!  Thank you to Amelia, Sarah, Ellie, and Eva, and our other student leaders who organized the sale!

Student-led Conferences:  Our conferences will take place on Wednesday, March 19th.  Please make sure to sign up online to hold your spot for the conference.  You can do this on the CBMS homepage.  The sign up deadline is Friday, March 14th.  Don't forget to bring your student to these student-led conferences.

ESB Festival Project:  Students have been developing the beginnings of their Ancient Greek Festival Projects in school.  The remainder of the project should be completed at home.  These projects and their presentations are due on Wednesday, March 19th.  Guidelines for the project can be found on the Quest-Ancient Greece webpage.

Math:  We are in the midst of our unit on decimals.  Students have been exploring the meaning of decimal numbers through ordering and comparing these types of numbers.  Decimals are everywhere, and I encourage you to find examples in your daily lives.  Here are links to different websites that can help students practice at home (Comparing Decimals, Rounding Decimals).

Mr. Weekly is back and #8 is due on Tuesday, March 18.  There will be quiz retakes on Friday, March 14th for students wanting to improve on their first attempt.  Here is a copy of the old quiz for students wanting to review some of the question types. 

Homework Board:
Our Homework Board is improved!  We are now using a Google calendar to map out assignments.  We hope this is helpful with the increase in long term assignment.  Click on any of the assignments to see a description.  Moon journals!  POWs!  Festival projects!  Mr. Weekly!  It's all there.

Questions to ask your student:
What is your Festival Project?
What is one of your lines for the play?
Who won the staff vs. students basketball game?  :)
What is a moon journal?  What do you do if you can't see the moon?
What causes a solar eclipse?
Where are decimals used in our day-to-day lives?
Are you retaking the decimals quiz on Friday?

Happy Snow Day!