Harvest Fest

Diego tried out his IT technician skills capturing footage from the 5th grade Harvest Fest!

Adopt a Turkey!

I am "adopting" a turkey on behalf of the kind, compassionate animal lovers in our class! All of the turkeys below have been rescued and now live at Farm Sanctuary, a farm and animal rights organization in upstate New York. It is costs a lot to care for the farm animals at Farm Sanctuary, on top of all the other work they do rescuing animals and educating people about abuse.  Please help me decide  which beautiful turkey to support this Thanksgiving.  Vote for one by commenting on this post with a name below or by telling me your choice in class.  I'll be adopting one the day before Thanksgiving!

A Wolf In the Gym!

Totally 80's!!

Like, we had a totally, like, tubular time on 80's day and raised serious money for our 5th grade activities!

The 5th grade teachers brought it on for 80's day! 

We can't wait for Tacky Holiday Sweater Day in December.

Thank you to all who participated!

5-301's Dia de los Muertos Celebration

Day of the dead is not scary or sad it is a day to celebrate the loved ones that have past yes but that dosnot make it sad.It is a day to celebrate the HAPPY lives our loved ones spent befor they past.One thing they do at day of the dead is give offerings.They give flowers and suger skulls witch are suger mixed with somthing I dont know the name of in the shape of skulls and then decorated.The more people know that day of the dead is not sad the more people will celebreate it and the more people celebrate it the more fun it will be.
- Anjali

Day of the dead isn't all about sugar sculls and treats. Its about celebrating your lost one's and being with you're family. And people get flowers and put them on graves and dance around them . Also like I said before about the sugar sculls , (witch are awesome.) are these little scull that are made of sugar and they feast and eat dead bread and other yummy snack's. Day of the dead is not like Halloween where you celebrate zombies and stuff like that, it's about getting together with you're family and celebrating the dead.
- Diego

Today we celebrated Day of the Dead. It is a Mexican/Latin American holiday that celebrates the great lives your dead ancestors had. Not to mourn them. I think that Day of the Dead is very different than Halloween but I also think that they have many similarities. I gained this idea because Halloween and Day of the Dead both have many skulls and treats but Halloween is about scary costumes and candy but Day of the Dead is about remembering your dead loved ones and their happy lives and giving them offerings. I think that this effects me because in America we celebrate Halloween and eat a lot of candy and dress up in scary costumes but it doesn't really have a meaning. Meanwhile, in Mexico and Latin America they are celebrating their loved ones and remembering their nice lives. This effects me because America doesn't have a holiday that celebrates our loved ones so we don't have a special time to remember them. This effects the greater world because since we don't have a holiday to celebrate the dead we might pass it on to other countries and then no other country will have a holiday that celebrates their dead loved ones.
- Emma N.

Now when this day comes I won't only feel sad for my family members who have died but I will think of them and talk about all the wonderful memories I have of them.
- Freddie

Today my class and I celebrated Las Dia De Muertos also known as Day of the Dead. Even though the holiday is celebrated for three days, my class only celebrated it for only one. You might think because of the name that Day of the Dead is scary holiday but it isn't. Its a happy one. See day of the dead is not to celebrate the ones that have died and morn over them, its to celebrate the lives that they lived.
- Grace

Today, we learned about Day of the Dead (which was today). I learned that is a very important holiday to Mexicans (and class 5-301). It celebrates loved ones that have passed away to celebrate what great lives they had. Because of this, I think that Mexicans have a very festive ways of celebrating.
I came to the idea that Mexicans have a very festive way of celebrating, because on Day of the Dead they have candies, sell little decorations (such as candle holders, little skulls etc.) eat lots of different foods, and decorate their houses! This affects me because it changed my thinking about remembering people who have died. Instead of remembering loved one dying being a bad thing, it can be a happy thing to celebrate! Because before I thought of the people I knew that have died was a really sad and awful thing, but now I'm going to try to think about how great their lives were.
- Julia

Today the 5th grade had the day of the dead.The idea that I had that why is this a happy latin American holiday. It is a happy holiday because celebrates their ancestors that are dead. this affects me because I can to remember my grandma.
- Paulino

Day of the dead is where you celebrate and honor the people that passed away and it is not scary or depressing it is fun and cheerful and is a way of celebrating with friends and family.
- Skylar

This tradition is not at all like Halloween its not scary its very happy and bright with colors. day.Day of the dead is a tradition that celebrates the spirits of loved ones who passed away.the people leave out offerings like water and food.they eat lots of food like sugar skulls,dead bread,etc. They hide a tiny skeleton inside some dead bread and who ever gets the doll gets a wish that comes true! day of the dead is not morbid its happy!
- Theo

day of the dead isn't supposed to be sad, it's a happy holiday! it may sound like death as in scary stuff and blood but it's celebrating the wonderful past of dead loved ones and it's very colorful. flowers are put around the grave wile people sing and dance. they leave offerings and pray. candy skulls and bread of the dead every one is happy on day of the day!!!
- Vanessa

Thank you so much to Diana for a wonderful read aloud!