🐾News/Updates 🐾
April ☔️
Language Arts:
Writing: Last week we introduced our Opinion Unit and students spent time forming opinions about various topics. This week we will discuss various ways to take notes as we gather information from resources, and discuss the difference between opinions and reasons.
Students also created poetry during library time in preparation for the upcoming “Poem in the Pocket” day on April 22nd.
Artist Report: Please check Google Classroom for detailed information about this report. The biography report will be written in class at school, so students should be working on research and replicating artwork over the next few weeks.
Reading:
We completed 2 books this week!
First, we finished our class novel The WItch of Blackbird Pond. Ask your child about the differences in early Colonial lifestyle compared to today.
We also finished our book The Watson’s go to Birmingham, 1963. This Newbery Winner is a hilarious, touching, and tragic novel about civil rights and the impact of violence on one African American family, yet shedding light on the era of civil unrest during the 1960’s in the South. Ask your child what s/he learned from this impactful story.
Social Studies: Students have completed researching life in Colonial America and will begin ‘The Road to the Revolution’. This unit and activities will help prepare students for the on-campus field trip “Walk Through the Revolution” in May.
Math: We completed Module 4 this week. **Assessment Attached**
Please sign and return with Newsletter on the Monday (4/15) we return from break.
Science: We’ve continued to learn about Spaceship Earth, and this week we focused on the constellations of the spring.
**Please enjoy the Solar Eclipse on April 8th!**
Design Lab: Students created motorized objects (chassis) using circuits this week. Ask your child what s/he created this week!
Miscellaneous:
Writing: Last week we introduced our Opinion Unit and students spent time forming opinions about various topics. This week we will discuss various ways to take notes as we gather information from resources, and discuss the difference between opinions and reasons.
Students also created poetry during library time in preparation for the upcoming “Poem in the Pocket” day on April 22nd.
Artist Report: Please check Google Classroom for detailed information about this report. The biography report will be written in class at school, so students should be working on research and replicating artwork over the next few weeks.
Reading:
We completed 2 books this week!
First, we finished our class novel The WItch of Blackbird Pond. Ask your child about the differences in early Colonial lifestyle compared to today.
We also finished our book The Watson’s go to Birmingham, 1963. This Newbery Winner is a hilarious, touching, and tragic novel about civil rights and the impact of violence on one African American family, yet shedding light on the era of civil unrest during the 1960’s in the South. Ask your child what s/he learned from this impactful story.
Social Studies: Students have completed researching life in Colonial America and will begin ‘The Road to the Revolution’. This unit and activities will help prepare students for the on-campus field trip “Walk Through the Revolution” in May.
Math: We completed Module 4 this week. **Assessment Attached**
Please sign and return with Newsletter on the Monday (4/15) we return from break.
Science: We’ve continued to learn about Spaceship Earth, and this week we focused on the constellations of the spring.
**Please enjoy the Solar Eclipse on April 8th!**
Design Lab: Students created motorized objects (chassis) using circuits this week. Ask your child what s/he created this week!
Miscellaneous:
- May 6th - Artist Project due!
- May 9th - Bel Aire Open House
- May 22-24th - Nature Bridge Outdoor Ed
☘️March
Language Arts: Writing: We began our opinion/persuasive writing unit this week, as well as introducing students to the Artist report project. Please look for an informative packet on the Artist Report with your child’s homework.
Reading: We continued reading our class novel The WItch of Blackbird Pond. This historical fiction was written by Elizabeth George Speare, who also wrote the previous class novel, Sign of the Beaver. This late 17th century novel illustrates the conflict between freedom, responsibility, family and difficult expectations of the Puritan lifestyle through the eyes of Kit, a 16 year old girl who is new to the colonial lifestyle. Ask your child about the text to text connections made between this novel and other books.
Social Studies: Students continue researching life in Colonial America. Each student has been given a colonial name, occupation, and religion and they are creating both a brochure that includes information about the 13 colonies and a biography of a fictional character.
Math: We continue working with fractions and decimals in Module 4 this week. Students have begun the last section of this unit, which covers division of fractions. Ask your child about the catchy song they learned to remind them of how to perform this function. Science: In our Solar System unit, students will explore the Earth, sun, moon and stars using observations of shadows and changing patterns in our sky. This week students created their own sundial and discovered how knowing directions and a light source can help tell time. Design Lab: Students created motorized objects using circuits this week. Check out the photo gallery on the CATS website for pictures of these projects!
Miscellaneous: March 18: Staff Development Day. No school for students
March 25: Parent Puberty Talk Meeting on Zoom 6:30-7:00 April 1-5: Puberty Talks (in class) April 8-12 - SPRING BREAK
Language Arts: Writing: We had a great celebration of writing this week! Students showcased their informational writing skills using multimedia tools, and also practiced their speaking and listening skills by presenting their essays in front of parents and students. I was very proud of the hard work each student put towards these projects in trimester 2! Our next (and final) writing unit will focus on opinion/persuasive writing. Reading: Students continued reading “Buddy Books” which has helped them reach and exceed their AR target levels! We continued reading our class novel The WItch of Blackbird Pond which helps students understand how relentless chores and harsh social norms created a shockingly different childhood than that of today’s children. This late 17th century historical fiction illustrates the conflict between freedom, responsibility, family and difficult expectations of the Puritan lifestyle through the eyes of Kit, a 16 year old girl who is new to the colonial lifestyle. Social Studies: Students have been researching what it was like to live in Colonial America. Each student has been given a colonial name, occupation, and religion and they are creating both a brochure that includes information about the 13 colonies and a biography of a fictional character. Math: We continue working with fractions and decimals in Module 4 this week, covering multiplying fractions and converting customary and metric units. Science: In our Solar System unit, students will explore the Earth, sun, moon and stars using observations of shadows and changing patterns in our sky. They will also explore the planets of our solar system and begin to consider what might lie beyond. Miscellaneous: March 18: Staff Development Day. No school for students March 25: Parent Puberty Talk Meeting on Zoom 6:30-7:00 April 1-5: Puberty Talks (in class)
Language Arts:
Writing: Students will be revising the final drafts of their city reports this week now that they have edited with a peer and turned in their first draft. They will also create an abstract cityscape to illustrate the informational essays. We will finish this writing unit with a post assessment so students can demonstrate their informational writing skills.
Reading: Students have completed the class novel, City of Ember, and are currently working on their final project: A one-pager that illustrates the novel and the skills reinforced through reading lessons. Ask your child what s/he chose to put on their own one-pager. We’ve also completed our read aloud, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. We’ve begun a new read aloud, The Watson’s Go to Birmingham, 1963. This civil rights era novel is illustrated through the eyes of a 5th grader living in Flint, Michigan but soon finds a very different way of life in the segregated South.
Science: We’ve completed our unit on chemical chaos. During our last lab day, students learned how to make ‘explosions’ using only 2 ingredients. (Ask your child about them!) Make sure to see the photo gallery for photos and pictures of this fun activity.
Math: Students are nearing the middle of Module 4: Multiplication and Division of fractions, mixed and whole numbers. Mid-Mod 4 assessment will be next Wednesday. Social Studies: Students continue to research one of the original 13 colonies and create a brochure that highlights the history of this colony. Ask your child about the sources of the colony’s economy.
Miscellaneous: *March 18th: No School - Teacher Professional Development Day
NatureBridge:Please register your child online with NatureBridge for the May 22-24, 2024 Outdoor Ed Field Trip. Students must be registered in order to come to Outdoor Ed. Luggage Drivers: Let your teacher know if you can drive luggage to or from camp.
💕February
Week of February 12 - 16th, 2024
Important Upcoming Dates:
*SMILE! Class picture day will be February 14th. Be sure to get the class photo of your child’s last year in elementary school!
February 14th - Valentine’s Day - class celebration. Students are encouraged to make cards for their classmates to pass out on Valentine’s Day. A class list was sent home last week.
NatureBridge Information: Please register your child with NatureBridge HERE for the May 22-24, 2024 Outdoor Ed Field Trip. Students must be registered online in order to come to Outdoor Ed.
Slide Deck of parent information : HERE (for parents only). Luggage Drivers: Let your teacher know if you can drive luggage to or from Here is a packing list and their website.
Midwinter Break: February 19 - 23rd
Curriculum Update:
*February is a special month filled with lots to celebrate and learn about. This includes Chinese New Year, Presidents’ Day, Black History Month, and Valentine’s Day.
Math: We are continuing Module 4 this week, covering fractional part problems and multiplying two fractions.
HERE is a link to the Volume 2 math workbook online.
HERE are the Duane Videos for Module 4 for homework help
Reading: Students continue to read the class novel The City of Ember and the “buddy book” your child is reading with a classmate. They are currently focusing on determining an author’s point of view, writing summaries, and making predictions.
Writing: Students are in the process of conferencing with their peers as they go over their first draft of their informational city report. They are using a writing rubric as well as a checklist to carefully read each other’s papers and provide feedback to one another. When they finish this process, they will have the opportunity to create a slideshow and an art piece to go with their essay.
Students have been doing research for their city reports, organizing information onto their t-chart, and writing their introductory paragraph. Next week they will review appropriate transition words for this style of writing and how to write a topic sentence for each star/main idea paragraph.
Seminars: Each Monday & Thursday, your child will participate in a class that supports or enhances the 5th grade curriculum.
Social Studies: Colonial America: Students have been researching what it was like to live in Colonial America, and are creating a brochure that includes information about the 13 colonies, specifically focusing on a colony of their choice.
Black History Month: Over the course of February, and beyond, we will honor Black History Month. We will reflect on our nation’s history and celebrate the achievements of many important Americans. Eventually, students will choose a Black American to study and complete a mini biography on the successes this person achieved. There are books on these topics/people available in class and the library for students to read at their leisure. Please find a great list of titles to incorporate into your library or nighttime reading routine here.
Language Arts:
Writing: Students have chosen an international city to research. This week the focus was deciding on which 3 main ideas that will be presented in the essay. Ask your child what s/he has chosen to explore and highlight about their city!
Reading: Students continue to read the class novel The City of Ember and the “buddy book” your child is reading with a classmate. This week we completed our class novel The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle! Huzzah! Ask your child about the changes the main character made from the beginning of the book to the end.
Science: What would happen if you drank a cup of acid? Ask your child about the different acids (and strengths) and what REACTS to acid. Students became alchemists and performed several experiments to see what substances reacted to acids.
Math: Students continued to master addition and subtraction of mixed numbers and fractions this week. (See Mid-Mod 3 assessment in newsletter folder.)
Social Studies: We finished our explorer simulation GALLEON! This week! All crews found some kind of treasure, but at a very steep cost. *Please look at the progression of the writing (Log Entries) in your child’s newsletter folder. What an impressive leap from #1 to #4!
Miscellaneous: *SMILE! Class picture day will be February 14th. Be sure to get the class photo of your child’s last year in elementary school. *The Kindness Challenge: Students are encouraged to practice MORE kindness this month, and have brainstormed many ways in which to do this daily.
January
THANK YOU to my amazing students and families for the incredible birthday surprise celebration! What a fantastic way to start the exciting Field Trip Fri-DAY!
Academy of Sciences: We had a wonderful time wandering and enjoying the exhibits during our first off-campus field trip in several years. The planetarium show was spectacular! THANK YOU to Mira L., Tina D., Krishna S., and Nina V. for chaperoning our kiddos on this special outing!
Language Arts: Writing: Students have chosen an international city to research. This week the focus was deciding on which 3 main ideas that will be presented in the essay. Ask your child what s/he has chosen to explore and highlight about their city! Reading: Students continue to read the class novel The City of Ember and the “buddy book” your child is reading with a classmate. This week we completed our class novel The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle! Huzzah! Ask your child about the changes the main character made from the beginning of the book to the end. Science: What would happen if you drank a cup of acid? Ask your child about the different acids (and strengths) and what REACTS to acid. Students became alchemists and performed several experiments to see what substances reacted to acids. Math: Students continued to master addition and subtraction of mixed numbers and fractions this week. (See Mid-Mod 3 assessment in newsletter folder.) Social Studies: We finished our explorer simulation GALLEON! This week! All crews found some kind of treasure, but at a very steep cost. *Please look at the progression of the writing (Log Entries) in your child’s newsletter folder. What an impressive leap from #1 to #4! Miscellaneous: *SMILE! Class picture day will be February 14th. Be sure to get the class photo of your child’s last year in elementary school. *The Kindness Challenge: Students are encouraged to practice MORE kindness this month, and have brainstormed many ways in which to do this daily.
Happy 2024 Everyone! It’s going to be a fantastic year!
Language Arts:
Writing: Students “published” a mini-magazine on a non-fiction subject of their choice. This week’s writing focus has been building an informative essay with topic sentences, main ideas, and supporting evidence. In order to see the formula for this process, students have learned how to use a graphic organizer & T-chart as a visual guide to help organize the information gathered.
Reading: This week we’ve begun our new class novel, The City of Ember. This is a science fiction novel about a city where children get their “assignments” aka “jobs” at age 12. Students have been comparing the unique setting of this novel to other novels and our own world. Ask your child how this city is classified as a ‘dystopian’ society. Reading Groups: THANK YOU to our parent volunteers (Tina D. and Natasha P.) that helped us launch our new book! Buddy books: Next week, students will begin reading a novel with another classmate. This will be a fun way to explore a novel and practice reading skills by discussions and revelations during these reading club times. (Tuesdays & Thursdays)
Math: Students continue to work with addition and subtraction of fractions with unlike denominators. We are currently halfway through Module 3, and will be taking a mid-mod assessment next Thursday. *Please review & sign your child’s Mod 2 assessment in this week’s newsletter folder.
Social Studies/History: Students continue to learn about the European Age of Sail in their Galleon travels. Students learned about the navigational tools and latitude/longitude coordinates that help in locating destinations on the globe.
Science: This week we learned how chemical reactions create new materials that have useful and interesting properties. Your child conducted an investigation to determine if the mixing of various substances resulted in a new substance. In this case, your child discovered how to make a type of “slime” similar to Silly Putty and Play-doh.
Miscellaneous:
Jan. 15th: No school - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Jan. 26th: 5th Grade Field Trip to the SF Academy - Wednesday, May 22 - Friday May 24thPlanetarium Outdoor Ed/Nature Bridge:
December
Language Arts:
Writing: Informational Writing:
Please check in with your child about what non-fiction topic they have chosen to study. Students will be creating their own non-fiction magazine booklets after doing some research about their topic.. The magazine will highlight several common features such as graphs, captions, headings, timelines, etc. found in these types of readers.
Reading: Students continue to read the class novel, Sign of the Beaver. We will be finishing this class novel on Thursday, and will celebrate this on Friday by watching the movie.
Social Studies: This week your child has left the port of their motherland! Based on the thoroughness of the route chosen from Spain & England to the New World justified by advantages/disadvantages of seaworthy travel, your child’s galleon is that much closer to their destination.
Secret Snowman: The big reveal will be Friday, December 22nd, where students will bring one final gift (no more than $20) to give to their snowman in class.
Math: This week we began Unit 3, addition and subtraction of fractions. HERE is a link to the RUSD math page that has the math workbook (should your child leave it at school) as well as homework helper videos. HERE is the link to the Duane site on youtube for homework help for Module 3.
Miscellaneous:
December 20th: 5th grade Snowball Fest on the field!
**Postponed until Friday 12/22 at lunch***
Class Holiday Celebration & Secret Snowman Reveal:
*Friday 12/22 from 1-2:30.
Students will be allowed to wear comfy clothes or PJ's, and will have our S.S. reveal. For the celebration, we will
watch the movie "The Sign of the Beaver" with popcorn and snacks. (Contributions Welcome!)
No parent assistance needed.
December 25 - January 4th- Winter Break
Jan. 8th: No school - Staff Development Day
Language Arts:
Writing: This past month students completed their formal narrative unit. We’re continuing the creative narrative path by illustrating what it would be like to be trapped in a snow globe. Ask your child about the perilous plot they’ve chosen to navigate in this confining space!
Spelling: We’ve begun our class spelling lessons this week. Students have been creating assignments based on these 10 words and took a final assessment on Friday. (See newsletter folder.)
Reading: This week we’ve begun a new novel, Sign of the Beaver. This novel helps illustrate the Colonial Era in our Social Studies curriculum, specifically how the European settlers expanded their land territory after the French and Indian War. Ask your child about how the colonists were impacted by this historic battle.
Social Studies: This week students continued to learn about the Age of Sail, and have made their first major steps in their Galleon crews. Team members chose a route from Spain & England to the New World based on the advantages/disadvantages of seaworthy travel. Ask your child about their ‘job’ as a crew member, and why they chose the route they did!
Science: Students are creating CHEMICAL CHAOS! We’ve begun our new science unit, Chemical Magic. This week, students became alchemists and used different ‘potions’ to transform materials. (i.e. pennies). Students transformed old, dirty pennies to shiny, bright ones with the help of one of the magic potions. Where did the ‘tarnish’ go?
Math: This week students continued with the second part of Module 2, dividing 2 & 3 digit dividends by 2 digit divisors with single digit quotients. Students are learning how to interpret the large remainders and how they impact the value of the quotient.
All Module 2 resources are here.
Miscellaneous:
*Congratulations to Modun and Gavin for being our class representatives for the Bel Aire Spelling Bee!
*Reminder: Friday reading groups are available to all parents to join and lead a small group with our new class novel, Sign of the Beaver. Please join us at 8:25-9:15 on any Friday.
Upcoming Dates:
Tues Dec 12th - Fri, Dec 15th: Bel Aire Spelling Bee during lunch recess
December 20th: 5th grade Snowball Fest on the field!
December 25 - January 4th- Winter Break
October
10.27
Language Arts: Writing: Students are excited to be publishing their first writing piece, a personal story of a memorable moment in their life. Students have worked hard throughout the multi-l;ayered process of achieving a final narrative writing piece that grew from a “seed” to a captivating story. Reading: We are nearing the end of our class novel, Blood on the River. This week we engaged in conversations about the events in the story, particularly the concept of Manifest Destiny. We also continued to practice summarizing chapters and using text evidence to justify arguments in reading responses. Additionally, students have been practicing grammar skills by (re)learning fundamental elements of sentence structure: Capitalization, proper punctuation, and coherence. (Again!) Students also learned about the 4 types of sentences: Imperative, exclamatory, declarative and interrogative. Ask your child to give you an example of each one! Science: Students have started to combine what they have learned about plants, animals, and decomposers to see how they interact in an ecosystem. We are gathering information about earth and water decomposers, preparing for the Pond Ecosystem Game. Math: We’ve begun Module 2 which focuses on double digit multiplication and division of whole numbers and decimals. This unit builds on Module 1, where we learned about place value, exponents, and multiplying and dividing decimals. All Module 2 resources are here. One/Two Design Lab Parent Volunteers Needed: Do you have Canva/Google Drive experience and have some extra time? 5th grade is working on a Logo Design Challenge and Ms. Commesso needs a little help transferring the files to print on our new Cricket. She will train you with whatever you need to know. Email Ms. Commesso at kcommesso@reedschools.org if you are interested. Thanks!! Parent-Teacher-Student Conference Week: Thank you for signing up for our upcoming Parent-Teacher-Student conferences. Students are to join us for these conferences as we discuss their strengths and goals for their 5th grade year.. Miscellaneous: Be sure to check out the photo gallery of students’ presentations of the ‘Reporters’ projects, and the latest art activity of cool/warm colored leaf pieces. They’re so beautiful! Tuesday, October 31 - Halloween Parade 1:20 pm, Class party after November 6 - 9th - Parent-Teacher-Student Conference Week November 10th - No School - Veteran’s Day November 20 - 24th - Thanksgiving Break *Please let me know if your child will be leaving school EARLY prior to 10/17.
10.13
Language Arts: Writing: Students have been working hard as they draft their personal narratives in writing class. They have been learning how to “spice up” their stories” by elaborating on important moments, especially the"BTH "or Big Thing that Happened (climax). Each day we have a mini lesson focusing on an important element of storytelling, such as adding sensory details, dialogue, and “show not tell”. Students will be conferencing and editing with peer partners, then revising for their final draft. Reading: We continued reading our class novel, Blood on the River. This week’s reading illustrated the survivor skills needed to live ‘off the land’ in the New World. Disease, native uprisings and selfish behaviors have culminated in losing half the colony’s population. Ask your child about the factors that have led to the demise of the settlers and predict how the remaining men will survive. We’ve also been reading about another voyage with another main character, Charlotte Doyle in the novel The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. There are several text connections between the two novels. Ask your child about them! Science: We continued to learn about the cycle of life by observing how most organic, living matter eventually ends up as compost material, all thanks to our decomposers. Table groups have observed the process of decomposition in their class terrarium, and how their groups’ factor choice changed the process & speed of food decay. Math: This week we completed Module 1, and finished our last assessment on Friday. (Look for the graded assessment in next week’s newsletter folder.) Module 2 will begin on Tuesday. This module will cover multi-digit multiplication and division of whole numbers and decimal fractions. Social Studies: Students continued to research & create a ‘flip book’ that illustrates the 4 major (regional) Native tribes. Spanish Practice: HERE (see on-line newsletter) is a link to the ofrenda project that has been assigned to your child. Also, if your child is interested in (optional) Spanish practice, they are encouraged to practice (for free!) with a Duolingo account. Please click here and have your child log in with his/her school email address. Miscellaneous: October 16th - No School - Teacher work day October 17-20 - Book Fair in the MPR October 18th from 5PM-7PM: Fall Family Festival at BA! Wednesday, October 25 - Picture Day Makeups Tuesday, October 31 - Halloween Parade 1:20 pm, Class Party afterwards
10.2
Language Arts: Writing: Students began drafting their personal true stories (narratives) in chronological order. They focused on getting to the heart of the story by slowing down and elaborating on the important moment, bit by bit, so readers feel like they are right there with them. They also learned some writer’s craft tricks, such as adding dialogue and using figurative language.
Reading: We continued reading our class novel, Blood on the River. Students are intrigued by Samuel’s journey to the New World while enduring the unfathomable circumstances of traveling by ship across the Atlantic as a servant. The main characters are learning how to become better community members and working together to build the colony. Ask your child what we learned about the best ‘weapon’ to have a protection against an enemy.
Science: This week our class learned more about the cycle of life by observing how most organic, living matter eventually ends up as compost material, all thanks to our decomposers. Table groups will choose a variable, such as heat/salt/saliva, to test the reaction of decay with ordinary food, and will observe how these choices make an impact in the decomposing process. Ask your child later in the week what his/her group’s decision changed the process of food decay!
Math: We will complete Module 1 next week with multiplying/dividing decimal fractions and solving word problems using decimal operations. After reviewing the concepts learned in this module, we will take the Module 1 Assessment on Friday, 10/13.
S.T.E.M./Design Lab:
This week, students put on the final touches increating a logo for their own names using the Canva app. Next D-Lab time will be the last with this activity, and students will create a product with their unique logo.
Spanish Practice: HERE (see on-line newsletter) is a link to the ofrenda project that has been assigned to your child. Also, if your child is interested in (optional) Spanish practice, they are encouraged to practice (for free!) with a Duolingo account. Please click here and have your child log in with his/her school email address.
Miscellaneous: Author Assembly with Colleen AF Veneable ~ Oct 10th October 17-20 - Book Fair in the MPR October 18th from 5PM-7PM: Fall Family Festival at BA! Wednesday, October 25 - Picture Day Makeups Tuesday, October 31 - Halloween Parade 1:20 pm
September
9/29
Language Arts: Writing: This week, students continue to focus on ‘BTH’ (The Big Thing that Happened) during narrative writing exercises. We’ve been focusing on EMOTIONS this week, tapping into past experiences with emotional relevance, and describing these events using vivid adjectives and figurative language to entice the reader. We are starting to strengthen our ‘writing muscle’ by creating “quick writes”. Ask your child about the ‘seeds’ in which s/he picked from past events! Reading: We continued reading our class novel, Blood on the River. Students are intrigued by Samuel’s journey to the New World while enduring the unfathomable circumstances of traveling by ship across the Atlantic as a servant. Students focus on character development and the similarities of Sam and Charlotte, the main character in our read-aloud The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. We have such great discussions about what is happening in the book and what we predict will unfold in the upcoming chapters. Ask your child how the two main characters of our class novels (Charlotte and Samuel) are similar in their perilous oceanic journey! Library: Author Assembly with Colleen AF Veneable ~ Oct 10th Book Pre-Orders for your families are available. (See Backside. Live link on website.) Math: Students have been learning how to multiply decimal fractions in various ways, including area models, traditional algorithms, and repeated addition. Look for your child’s Mid-Module assessment in Friday’s newsletter folder. Please look over this assessment with your child, sign and return Monday. S.T.E.M./Design Lab: This week students completed their graphic designers challenge, creating a logo for their own names using the Canva app. **For our next Design Lab class, please have your child bring in one of the following items (please don’t buy anything new for this project!): •old t-shirt OR • old pair of shorts OR •old hat OR •old pair of shoes OR •old cotton tote The only requirement is the item has to be cotton.**** Science: Students have begun a new unit, The Web of Life. This week your child learned about how the food chain can be found in any environment, even in the middle of a busy city! Students played a “Eat or be Eaten” game with their tablemates, creating long food chains. Ask your child about what s/he learned during this activity! Seminars: We’ve begun 5th grade seminars this week! Students are working with specialists and/or our 5th grade teachers to learn about a variety of topics. Seminars are designed to give remediation and extension opportunities in order to meet the needs of the individual students in the 5th grade. Seminars will take place every Monday and Thursday, giving students the opportunity to work in small, varied groups of classmates. Miscellaneous: *Thank you to Krishna Shah, Doris Chai and Tina Davis for helping out with reading/math groups this week! *October 17-20 - Book Fair in the MPR October 18th from 5PM-7PM: Fall Family Festival Wednesday, October 25 - Picture Day Makeups Monday, October 31 - Halloween Parade & Class party
9/22/23
Language Arts: Writing: We have launched our first writing unit - narrative writing. Students began their pre-writing by creating lists of special people & places, as well as strong emotions that writers consider when writing about personal memories. They wrote & shared several “quick writes” this week. Ask your child about the topics s/he chose to write about! 5th Grade Reporter Presentations: We have begun our weekly 5th Grade Reporters presentations! This week, Nathan and Modun launched this project by enlightening us with fun facts and historical relevance of Lahaina, Hawaii and the legendary Wright Brothers. Ask your child what s/he learned! Reading: Class Novel: Blood on the River. We continued to read about the journey of Samuel and Captain John Smith on their voyage to settle in the ‘New World’. Students continued to mind the details of each character on Samuel’s voyage in order to help formulate ‘character sketches’. This month is National Hispanic Heritage month. This week our class read about 2 influential Hispanic people in our country that positively changed the course of our country’s history: Ellen Ochoa and Cesar Chavez. Ask your child about an admirable trait(s) of these influential people. Library: Author Assembly with Colleen AF Veneable ~ Oct 10th Book Pre-Orders for your families are available. Deadline for these orders should be Friday, September 29th to ensure that the orders are placed and you can be notified for pick up. Please let me know if you will be picking up all of the orders or if you will require families to pick up their orders on their own. Every order will have an attached order form. Please ask families to put their SCHOOL NAME and CLASS in the Comments Section of their online order for ease of distribution on your end. This link includes ALL of the KATIE THE CATSITTER series. Families can select which title(s) they prefer. Social Studies: Students are creating a presentation illustrating a particular group of Indigenous People that inhabited the regions of North America before the European Age of Exploration. Each student group is collaborating on a specific aspect of how these native groups survived in their environment for centuries, focusing on geography, resources, technology (YES, technology!), and cultural influences. Math: We are officially at the midpoint of Module 1, focusing on comparing and rounding decimals. Students took their first Mid-Module assessment on Friday. S.T.E.M./Design Lab: This week, students were challenged to be graphic designers, creating a logo for their own names using the Canva app. Miscellaneous: *Thank you to Molly Lateiner, Doris Chai and Tina Davis for helping out with reading/math groups this week!
9.11-9.15:
Language Arts:
Writing: Students have been polishing up on their narrative writing skills. This week they finished their incredibly meaningful poems titled “Where I’m From,” a poem that details the many parts of our Social Justice standards on Identity. Some of the stanzas include home objects, relatives, foods, and sayings. Please ask your child about the parts of themself they chose to focus on.
5th Grade Reporter Presentations:
Each student has been assigned a date for their Reporter Presentations. We went over the handout together and discussed expectations for this at-home assignment and the calendar with the schedule.
Reading: We’ve begun a new class novel called The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. This historical story documents a young girl on a passage from Europe to the USA, and illustrates nautical life on a voyage with exciting adventures, new relationships and even mutiny! Ask your child what s/he predicts will happen during this 19th century voyage.
We continued our author study on Chris Van Allsburg this week with our 3rd and 4th books, Probuditi and The Stranger. This hilarious story has all the trademark characteristics of his books: The signature plot twists, unusual style of writing and moral lessons on building character. Ask your child about the lessons learned from this week’s book compared to the previously read stories.
We’ve also begun our Accelerated Reader journey this week. Students have set reasonable goals for attaining points by the end of the trimester and are aware of their ZPD (comprehension comfort zone) range of books to read independently. We’ve already begun our mission in hitting our AR target goals with our CVA books as well as several current event sources. Ask your child what s/he learned from reading a non-fiction article!
Social Studies: Students read about and discussed theories involving the disappearance of the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke. Ask your child what s/he thinks about how and why this colony mysteriously vanished….. This activity is an important launch into the our first class novel, Blood on the River, where the setting is this mysterious land on the eastern part of North Carolina.
Math: We will continue Module 1 this week, which focuses on place value and multiplying and dividing whole numbers and decimals by powers of ten.
Miscellaneous
*THANK YOU to all the families that contributed to Friday’s class auction!
*THANK YOU to Doris Chai and TIna Davis for helping with math and reading groups this week! It you are interested in joining our class for reading groups on Friday @ 8:25-9:10, please let me know!
Language Arts:
Writing: Students have been polishing up on their narrative writing skills. This week they finished their incredibly meaningful poems titled “Where I’m From,” a poem that details the many parts of our Social Justice standards on Identity. Some of the stanzas include home objects, relatives, foods, and sayings. Please ask your child about the parts of themself they chose to focus on.
5th Grade Reporter Presentations:
Each student has been assigned a date for their Reporter Presentations. We went over the handout together and discussed expectations for this at-home assignment and the calendar with the schedule.
Reading: We’ve begun a new class novel called The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. This historical story documents a young girl on a passage from Europe to the USA, and illustrates nautical life on a voyage with exciting adventures, new relationships and even mutiny! Ask your child what s/he predicts will happen during this 19th century voyage.
We continued our author study on Chris Van Allsburg this week with our 3rd and 4th books, Probuditi and The Stranger. This hilarious story has all the trademark characteristics of his books: The signature plot twists, unusual style of writing and moral lessons on building character. Ask your child about the lessons learned from this week’s book compared to the previously read stories.
We’ve also begun our Accelerated Reader journey this week. Students have set reasonable goals for attaining points by the end of the trimester and are aware of their ZPD (comprehension comfort zone) range of books to read independently. We’ve already begun our mission in hitting our AR target goals with our CVA books as well as several current event sources. Ask your child what s/he learned from reading a non-fiction article!
Social Studies: Students read about and discussed theories involving the disappearance of the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke. Ask your child what s/he thinks about how and why this colony mysteriously vanished….. This activity is an important launch into the our first class novel, Blood on the River, where the setting is this mysterious land on the eastern part of North Carolina.
Math: We will continue Module 1 this week, which focuses on place value and multiplying and dividing whole numbers and decimals by powers of ten.
Miscellaneous
*THANK YOU to all the families that contributed to Friday’s class auction!
*THANK YOU to Doris Chai and TIna Davis for helping with math and reading groups this week! It you are interested in joining our class for reading groups on Friday @ 8:25-9:10, please let me know!