Learning with Leffers

Our semester is quickly coming to an end.  Holiday party envelopes were sent home yesterday.  Please look for these in your child's folder.  We will have a book exchange again this year at our annual Winter Party.  Please wrap a gently used book and send it in by next Weds.    Don't forget to mark you calendar for these exciting events!! Thursday, December 10th  - Choir visits the zoo!! Friday, December 11th  -  Gingerbread House Decorating with Kinderbuddies Monday, December 14th - CES Science Fair 6:30 - 8 pm Gym Weds, December 16th - Holiday Program 9:00 am and 7 pm Friday, December 18th - Last Day of School / Holiday Party @ 1:30 Friday, January 8th - Report Cards Sent

Don't miss this special event!! Science Fair 101 with Rick Crosslin of WFYI’s Indiana Expeditions Monday December 14, 6:30 PM Carmel Elementary School Gym Carmel Elementary is honored to host Rick Crosslin, TV personality and Science Teacher extraordinaire, who will teach us how to do a Science Fair Project. This free event is open to Carmel Elementary 4 th & 5 th grade students and their families. Students will conduct a mini-experiment, and parents will learn how to help. If you plan to participate in the Science Fair, this event is for you! Attendance highly recommended, not required. The Carmel Elementary Science Fair will be held on: Tuesday, February 16, 6:30 PM Registration Open: Dec. 14 through Jan. 8 Science Fair projects are conducted at home with parent supervision over the course of 6 weeks, starting after Winter Break.   If desired, a student may choose to complete the entire project during the 2 week Winter Break. Watch for mo

We are settling back into our normal routine once again.   Here is a quick update of what we have been learning about in class. Reading We just started unit three in Reach for Reading.  Our newest unit is science-based and focuses on food chains and webs.   Students are practicing how to summarize text and how to identify story elements (setting, plot, turning points, etc.) in their reading.  Writing Now that we have wrapped up our research for the Explorer Museum, we have moved on to a few creative projects.  Earlier in the week, students used their knowledge of compound and complex sentence structure to write some nature poems.  We currently are working on writing a few pretend tweets from an escaped farm turkey's perspective. It is a great way to review over informal writing and abbreviations.   Social Studies Our class is reading all about the early English settlements of Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth.  We have been using the laptops to explore the Jamestown Interac

We had the privilege to take part in the annual Carmel Symphony Orchestra's Sounds Exciting Concert .  This concert highlighted the various sections of the orchestra as well as gave our class a little background on how an orchestra works together to perform a piece of music.  As a grand finale, we ended the concert with an audience sing-along of patriotic songs. The conductor, David Bowden, advertised an upcoming concert especially designed for students and parents.  See the link below if you are interested in this educational event. Family Fun! Sunday, January 31st at 3:00 pm Mrs. L

I   am extremely proud of our young Explorers!!  This project was a lot of hard work, but it sparked such interest in this important part of our American story.  History becomes meaningful when students get a chance to act it out. Thank you for all of your support!  Stay tuned for our next unit which focuses on the colonies of Jamestown and Plymouth.  Happy Friday!!    

Clear off your calendar next week!!  We have a lot of special events.  Here is a quick run down of our schedule.  Please e-mail me if you have any questions about our events.   Monday, November 9th - Math Test (Leffers, Williams, Thiel) Tuesday, November 10th - Choir Field Trip to the Tarkington Theater Wednesday, November 11th - Veteran Concert 9:00 am and 7:00 pm Friday, November 13th - Explorer Parade and Museum 11:30 -12:15 Tuesday, November 17th - Palladium Concert 8:30 - 10:00

We have had such a great time researching all about early explorers of the Americas.  Students are very excited to show off  their hard work.  We hope you  will be able to attend our living museum on November 13th from 11:45 to 12:15.  As always, you are welcome to come early (11:30) to watch our explorers parade around the school.  Many students have asked about what their costumes should look like.  Putting together the costume is definitely part of the fun.  There is no need to go out and buy a costume as many everyday items can be used.  Here are some items that students have used in the past.   Have fun and be creative! Shirts Woman's blouse (the more frills the better) Large men's shirt with the collar turned up Large tunic with belt Burlap Sacks Pants Khakis or trousers Sweatpants Running or dress tights Armor (if needed) Aluminum foil Sports helmets covered with foil Cardboard Shoes Riding boots Rain boots Loafers Black Shoes with heels

Our class has been busy researching all about famous explorers.  Each student will dress up and present their explorer research in November.  Here is our flyer for the event. Hear Ye! Hear Ye! New World explorers will be gathering at Carmel Elementary on Friday, November 13th.   Please join us for our annual 5th Grade Living History Museum.   Our annual parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. and the museum will be open from 11:45 - 12:15 in the back hallway of the school.  

Our four student council candidates did a phenomenal job with their speeches.    Each candidate came prepared with numerous ideas and suggestions on how to improve Carmel Elementary.  I am extremely proud of our four candidates, Kendall, Nehemiah, Lenox, and Srinand.  The effort and time they put into their posters and speeches made for a very exciting race and election.  After a very close vote, Srinand and Nehemiah, will represent our class.  Congratulations!!! Mrs. Leffers

We hope you will be able to attend our annual event, Donuts with Dads.  This is a special morning to enjoy donuts and books with your dads, grandpas, and/or uncles.  Check out the schedule to see when to attend. Last Names A-L - Thursday, October 22nd Last Names M-Z - Friday, October 23rd 7:15 am - 8:00am If you have any questions regarding the event, please call or email Rebecca Moncivaez at 831-535-3089, rebeccamoncivaez@gmail.com .

Please check your e-mail as you should be receiving your child's NWEA or MAP report this weekend.  I am including a document from Noblesville Community Schools that provides a general overview of how to read your child's scores.  Please click on the link provided to download this document.  NWEA Sheet for Parents  (Google Doc) Noblesville NWEA Website If you have any questions regarding the report, please contact me.  These reports give us such wonderful feedback on your child's academic growth. Thanks. Mrs. L

This week was full of discovery and exciting learning experiences! Author, Tyler Whitesides , spoke with our class about the power of writing and his new series, The Janitors . Our class participated in a fish bowl discussion over our guided reading topic of immigration. Students used their TCI book and online sources to research about Native American cultural regions. 95% of our math class passed their Rocket Math multiplication tests this week.  Way to go!! Students watched the CHS Homecoming Parade with Mrs. Hall's kindergarten class. We discussed and practiced Habit 5, Seek First to Understand. Have a great weekend!  Enjoy the sunshine! Mrs. L

If you are interested in being a part of our CE Student Council, this is your chance! Complete a nomination application and return it by Tuesday, September 29th .  You will be notified by Friday, October 2nd. If selected as a nominee, create and bring in a poster to display in the classroom by Monday, October 12th. Prepare and give a 2 minute speech to our class on Thursday, October 15th.   Be sure to use information from your application!  Elections will be held in our classroom following the speeches.   If you have any questions about this exciting opportunity, please contact Mrs. Nilo. Mrs. L

Here are some highlights from this short week.  Officer Broadnax spoke with fifth grade about intruder safety and using A.L.I.C.E. to stay safe. Our class read about and examined pictures of Lakota winter counts in social studies.  We received the Golden Paintbrush Award for exceptional behavior in art! Students welcomed Srinand to our class. We were invited to sing "The Star Spangled Banner" on live announcements. In math class we performed experiments to see how fast we reacted to various stimuli.  Students worked with a partner to record their reaction time. We started reading the amazing autobiography of John Bul Dau , a Sudanese refugee. I hope you all have a good book to read on this rainy afternoon.  Have a wonderful weekend! Mrs. Leffers

Our class will perform "The Star Spangled Banner" on tomorrow's announcements.  If you'd like to practice here is a video recommended by Mrs. Baney.

If you are in need of a home computer for your child, please contact Mrs. Douce, CES student services coordinator, at 844-0168 or jdouce@ccs.k12.in.us .  A program called Net Literacy will be donating refurbished computers for families in financial need.  Please contact Mrs. Douce by September 28 th if you are interested. 

Classes are in full swing here in room 20.    Here is a quick look at our week. We started our small group reading on Monday.  All of our books are about the immigrant experience in the U.S.  Students are still learning about character development by tracking how the main character changes throughout the story.  We ended this week with a C.A.T. (Connect Across Texts) discussion.  Students had a chance to meet with other reading groups to discuss similarities and differences in their readings.  Unit 1 math tests went home today.    Our newest unit covers estimation and computation.  Students will review addition and subtraction of multi-digit numbers and practice multiplying whole numbers and decimals in this new unit.  In TCI we are starting a new unit on Native Americans and how they adapted to the various environments of North America.  We will investigate how early Americans used the resources around them to find food and shelter. We ended today down in Mrs. Hall's kinde

  Your child received his/her TCI online username and password this week.  Please check out this online tutorial to learn more about the TCI website. http://www.teachtci.com/resource_center/how_to_videos/student_subscription.html    

This was a perfect week to start Pups Running and our new club, WCES.   Here are some highlights from the week. Students participated in a school bullying convocation that focused on being an "upstander" instead of a bystander. Our math class performed a square number dance and created factor trees to find the prime factorization of various numbers. Students read oral histories from Ellis Island and analyzed the authors' viewpoints. Vision and hearing screenings were given to all new students. We used our knowledge of latitude and longitude to plot and locate various points on a map. The Colts came to breakfast on Thursday to film for their Play 60 initiative.  Our class finished up M.A.P. testing in the lab today. We learned how to use evidence from the text to support our thinking during writing.  Our class dressed as superheroes to show support for Brooks Blackmore.  Donations can be made at https://www.facebook.com/BeBraveBrooks . Thank you for making this

Tonight is the deadline to register for our amazing Pups Running Team!!  Just visit the official site to sign your child up.  Please contact Nurse Diane if you have any questions.

We have spent a lot of time discussing what it means to be proactive this week.  It has been nice to teach the traits in class and observe students being proactive throughout the school day.  Each day I am observing students who are taking charge by asking questions during lessons, joining after school clubs, and keeping a positive attitude throughout the day. Here is a quick update on our studies. It has been a very busy second week back. Reading We started unit 1 in Reach for Reading this week.  This unit investigates the immigrant experience and discusses how location affects who we are.  The reading strategy of preview and predict is introduced, and students are learning to describe how a character changes in the beginning, middle, and end of a story. Social Studies Geography is the focus of unit one in TCI.  We are practicing how to identify major physical features and landforms on U.S. maps.  We've learned the differences between the terms bay and gulf, cape and penin

We have had a fabulous first week.  Our behavior has been exceptional in the classroom and on the playground.  Here were some of the week's highlights. Highlights Greeting each other during our morning meetings Attending a convocation on the 7 Habits of Happy Kids Learning how to pick "just right books" and distinguish between literary genres Locating and labeling a world map and globe Touring a school bus to learn about transportation safety Presenting All About Me bags to the class Participating in math class Thursday and Friday Celebrating Ian French's birthday!! Next week we will start unit 1 in Reach for Reading and Meet the Teacher night is next Weds. at 7:00.  Please look for a spelling list in your child's folder on Monday. Thanks for making this such a great week! Mrs. L

Today was a fantastic first day back!  It was wonderful to hear about everyone's summertime adventures and experiences. We had a chance to take a school tour, discuss classroom rules, and preview our new textbooks.  Tomorrow we will attend a school convocation in the gym to kick off our new leadership program.  Our lunchtime is much later this school year.  Students are welcome to bring in a snack to eat during our silent reading time.    They may bring in a healthy snack each day or bring in a large bag that they can keep here at school.  Here are some examples of healthy snacks - granola bars fruit popcorn whole grain cereal pretzels dried fruit or nuts whole grain crackers Please let me know if you have any questions about our new snack policy. Mrs. L

Here is our latest schedule update. Monday - Art Tuesday - P.E. Wednesday - Media Thursday - Music Friday - Computer Lab

Please mark August 10th down on your calendars!  We will hold our annual CE Ice Cream Social on August 10th from 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm.  Please stop by the cafeteria for a bowl of ice cream, and don't forget to visit room 20!  The office will be open if you have questions or need to turn in paperwork.  I look forward to meeting you soon! Mrs. L

Thank you for all of the well wishes, notes, and gifts. Graduation is always a bittersweet time.  I will miss my class of 26 fifth graders, but I know that new and wonderful opportunities await them at CMS.  Please do not hesitate to contact me over the summer or next year.  I love to hear about your adventures and celebrations at the middle school. Thank you for making this year a great one! All the best, Mrs. L

Here is rundown of our last few days at CE! Tuesday is our Track and Field Day .  Weather permitting we will be outside enjoying the sunshine.  Feel free to join us on this special day.  Don't forget to check in with the front office before heading out to our events.  Tug-o-war is scheduled from 1:15 until 2:00. Wednesday will be our last day at CE.  Many of our fifth graders will be performing in the annual talent show (8:20 -9:20).   Please stop by the gym to take in the festivities .  We will have a short awards ceremony in the gym at the end of the day and students will do their final walk through the hallways at around 2:15. Please contact me if you have any questions about our end of the year events. Mrs. L

  Our second annual CES Book Swap will start next week.  Students can bring in up to five gently used books on Monday or Tuesday morning between 8-9:30.   Students will receive book credits (one credit for each paperback and two for each hardback).  Mrs. Williams, our media specialist, will give them a receipt and keep a record of the credits for Tuesday's swap.  Starting at 9:45 on Tuesday, students can come down to “spend” their credits on other books.   We hope you can participate in this fun literacy event.  Mrs. L

May is here!! Check out our list of events.  I will continue to add new events as I receive more information. Friday, May 8th       Flower Sale Pick-up 8:30 am - 6:30 pm Weds., May 13th     States and Capitals Test Friday, May 15th     Ruth Lilly Life Begins Monday, May 25     Memorial Day - No school Tuesday, May 26    Track and Field Day / Fifth Grade Party Weds., May 27        Last Day of School

You can help support our CE PTO by purchasing car wash certificates online.  Our schools receives 50% from these sales.  Please visit the site provided for more information on this fundraising opportunity.   https://store.crewcarwash.com/CarmelElementary

Please join  Carmel Middle School  faculty and students on Thursday, April 23rd from 5:30 to 7:30  for the annual Open House. This special event is specifically designed for fifth graders and their families. Entire families are welcome. During this time students will receive a tour of the building and information about school clubs and athletics. Administrators and counselors will also be available throughout the evening for any questions you may have about life at CMS.   I hope you can make it to this informative event! Mrs. L

Next week is short, but busy.  Here are some events to mark on your calendar. All yearbooks must be ordered by Monday (3/30). Science Fair sign-up is due Monday (3/30).  The Science Fair is for our 4th and 5th grade students only. Everyday Math Summer Workbooks orders are due by Thursday (4/2).  These are for students who took 1 st – 5 th grade math. No Pup Running on Thursday (4/2). Spring Break starts Friday (4/3)!!!

From last week's Tiger Tales .... Carmel Elementary School Science Fair Calling all budding scientists!   We are excited to announce the first annual Science Fair at Carmel Elementary! The Science Fair will be held this year on the evening of  Monday, May 11 . The Science Fair is open to  4th & 5th grade students . Sign up via email to participate by March 25 th  Science Fair Coordinator:  Jennifer Alcantara Click on the link below for the complete Science Fair information packet: https://myccs.ccs.k12.in.us/ces/downloads/cms_block_file/102792/file/137155    

Please join us for our inaugural Rebels and Revolutionaries Showcase .  Student-made scrapbooks and game boards will be on display in our classroom from 11:15- 12:00 on Friday, March 27th.  Don't forget to check in at the front office prior to visiting us. We look forward to seeing you. Mrs. L

Learning our states and capitals is a very important part of your fifth grader's study of geography.  Every few weeks your child brings home a new region of states and capitals to study.   I wanted to devote this post to some of the helpful sites we use in class. Here are some resources that can be used at home to enrich your child's study of U.S. geography. Sheppard Software has one of the most extensive sites on the Nifty Fifty. ABCya's Penguin Hop  is our most popular game.  Students enjoy playing against each other. We also use mnemonic devices to help us match our states and capitals. I hope you enjoy these sites! Happy Friday!! Mrs. L

  The 2015 Carmel Elementary Flower Sale is in full swing! This is CE's largest fundraiser, a 30+ year tradition! We count on big proceeds from this sale to create new opportunities that directly benefit our students and our school. From Friday, March 6 th through Monday, March 23 rd , we will be collecting preorders and awarding daily prizes. Your student has received a packet of detailed information. Be sure to look it over together. Please consider helping your child participate to not only reap the rewards, but to feel the pride that is associated with being part of this incredible tradition.   Also, consider SHARING your success this year via social media! Post your student’s excitement and progress throughout the presale using #CEFlowerSale . Search #CEFlowerSale today to view fun posts from other CE families! Questions? Visit flowers4ce.com or email flowers4ce@gmail.com

This week we will start the ISTEP+ practice test.   The practice test is different this year because teachers are allowed to use it for instruction.  This means students get a chance to preview the test terminology and format.  Students also get the added benefit of taking a practice test in each  subject area this week.  We will start the actual ISTEP+ test next week on March 2nd .  Please try to have your child here each day next week.  I encourage everyone to visit the  IDOE site for more information on these tests and to check out sample items. Mrs. L

Celebrate and learn about MLK with these free family-friendly activities from Indy Family Resources .   Many local museums and attractions offer free admission. 

Welcome back!  I hope everyone had a restful break.  This new semester if full of opportunities to explore Carmel Middle School and all it has to offer.  Below are some tentative dates you will want to mark on your calendar.   Please check your e-mail for notices from CMS as these dates get closer.   CCS Parent Information Nights   & Demo Concert  You should have recently received an email from CCS regarding Parent Information Nights about Middle School programming and scheduling. There are three options to choose from, and you only need to attend one. Students are welcome to attend as well and check out a demonstration performance from band, choir and orchestra. The dates are as follows: Clay MS - January 14th at 6:30pm in the Auditorium Creekside MS - January 27th at 6:30pm in the Auditorium Carmel MS - February 4th at 6:30pm in the Auditorium An  Activity Night  is also scheduled.  This is an event for students only.  Students take a tour of our school, play