WOW…I can’t believe this is my last newsletter! What a great year it’s been….

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!  I will miss each and every C.A.T. student and you—the wonderful parents.  Thanks for all you have done to make this year so memorable and successful.  This is such a fantastic class! 

 

LANGUAGE ARTS:  

This week, we’ve been wrapping up several year end projects, and I’m so proud of the progress that each student has made this year!   We’ve begun a new project where students (rather, teachers) create their own classrooms, complete with a learning game, a discipline/rewards system, incentives program, writing assignments, bulletin boards and more.  Ask your child what kind of class s/he will lead!

MATH: Students completed the necessary boot camp needed to pass 5th grade math!  This week students wrapped up their last math unit and assessment with Ms. Burgess. 

SOCIAL STUDIES: Colonial Day wrapped up our last unit on the American Revolution.  Your child worked hard to understand the life of a colonist and created a detailed journal about each chapter of My Brother Sam is Dead, complete with reflections, vocabulary glossary and summaries. 

SCIENCE:    Family life is official over, as is our last science unit.  Hopefully you weren’t to bombarded at home with information seeking questions……

MISCELLANEOUS:

1.  Colonial Day Photos are up!  Click HERE to view.

2.  A note from Mr. Jacobson:  To ensure this day is fun and safe for your child I recommend the following items:  Sun screen, Hat or visor, Appropriate clothing for physical activities, Extra t-shirt to wear after the games if your child gets dirty/wet, Sweatshirt if weather is cool, Tennis shoes, Refillable water bottle.  * Please have child's name marked on items.

Next Week’s Schedule:

*Mon-Thurs 8:30-9:30:  Variety Show in MPR

*Tuesday, June 9th:  5th grade bowling party (10:45-1:00) ***Lunch Provided

*WEDNSDAY—FIELD DAY!! 9:30-12:15 (See note from Mr. Jacobson)

*Thursday -LAST DAY  Class Party 9:30, Celebration of 5th Grade 11:30 MPR, Lunch on the Green 12:15, Dismissal at 1:55

 

Thank you for a great year!

-Stacia Sanchez

x Language Arts:

Writing:  Students have created their last persuasive writing project.   Each student wrote an essay in the same persuasive fashion as their last essay.   In cooperative groups, students are preparing to debate a given side of an argument and will create a convincing presentation with their “Super Groups”.  (Team members from other classes.) These presentations will take place next Thursday in front of the entire 5th grade.

Reading:  We are finishing up My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier & Christopher Collier.   Set in the time of Colonial unrest and on the brink of the Revolutionary War, Timmy is torn between his Tory Father’s beliefs and his Rebel’s brother Sam’s passion for independence.  Students will finish this journey next week.

Elijah of Buxton  by Christopher Paul Curtis.  Set in the time of slavery, this book illustrates the life of the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada.  This book, too, will be finished next week.  **AR Goals should be met by next Friday, May 29th.**

Science:  As I am sure you know, students have been learning about Family Life during science time.  The program is taught as an extension of our science unit on the human body and its systems. Topics covered are: puberty, personal hygiene, the reproductive system in both males and females, pregnancy, childbirth, HIV/AIDS, good decision making and knowing who to turn to for guidance, questions and advice

Social Studies:  Students continued studying about the Revolutionary War era.  We are learning about how our government and the Declaration of Independence were created.  We are also half way into our unit on States and Capitals.

Math: Students continued to learn about geometry, fractions and coordinate planes with Ms. Burgess. 

IMPORTANT DATES:

Monday May 25 - Memorial Day, no school

Wednesday May 27 - Schoolwide Fair day: International Day

Friday May 29, 3:00 pm - end of AR Trimester 3

Wednesday June 3, 9:30-12:15 - 5th Grade Colonial Day (volunteers needed for a Hat Making Station) *NOTICE TIME CHANGE

Tuesday June 9 - 5th Grade bowling field trip

Wednesday, June 10th: Field Day 9:30-12:15

Thursday June 11 - 5th Grade Culminating Celebration 11:30-12:15, MPR (parents invited); early dismissal @ 1:55 *LAST SCHOOL DAY

 

 

Language Arts:

Writing Students completed their first persuasive writing project, learned how to post writing to their own blog, completed beautiful artist’s projects, and will soon begin a second persuasive writing project.  We have also been practicing our ABC’s of grammar and

Reading: My Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier & Christopher Collier.   Set in the time of Colonial unrest and on the brink of the Revolutionary War, Timmy is torn between his Tory Father’s beliefs and his Rebel’s brother Sam’s passion for independence. 

Elijah of Buxton  by Christopher Paul Curtis.  Set in the time of slavery, this book illustrates the life of the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada. 

Science:  Students have been studying the uneven heating of Earth’s surface, convection currents, wind, fresh water, the water cycle, and will soon learn about severe weather.  The final exam in this science unit will take place on Friday, May 8th. Students may use notes on this exam, but will definitely need to study those notes ahead of time! Using a textbook to assist with studying is not a bad idea either.

Family Life:

Family Life instruction begins in all fifth grade classrooms on Monday, May 18th.  The program is taught as an extension of our science unit on the human body and its systems. Topics covered are: puberty, personal hygiene, the reproductive system in both males and females, pregnancy, childbirth, HIV/AIDS, good decision making and knowing who to turn to for guidance, questions and advice.  We encourage our students to continue our conversations with the adults at home, so don’t be surprised if they ask questions or bring up Family Life topics at home!

Social Studies:  Students are studying the Revolutionary War era.  We are learning about how our government and the Declaration of Independence was created.  We are also beginning a new unit on States and Capitals.

Math: Early this month, we will be starting our next unit on problem solving with the coordinate plane.  In this unit students develop a coordinate system for the first quadrant of the coordinate plane and use it to solve problems.  Students use the familiar number line as an introduction to the idea of a coordinate and construct two perpendicular number lines to create a coordinate system on the plane.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They see that just as points on the line can be located by their distance from 0 , the plane’s coordinate system can be used to locate and plot points using two coordinates.  They then use the coordinate system to

explore relationships between points, ordered pairs, patterns, lines and, more abstractly, the rules that generate them.  This study culminates in an exploration of the coordinate plane in real world applications.


IMPORTANT DATES:

 

Tuesday May 12, 9:30-12ish - SBAC Math testing

Wednesday May 13, 8:30-11:30 - Del Mar field trip (no chaperones necessary)

Thursday May 14, 9:30-12ish - SBAC Math testing

Thursday May 14 & Friday May 15, 8:30am - Parent Ed: Middle School Orientation @ Del Mar Gym

Week of May 18 - STAR Science test given

Monday May 18 - SBAC Make-up tests given

Monday May 25 - Memorial Day, no school

Wednesday May 27 - Schoolwide Fair day: International Day

Friday May 29, 3:00 pm - end of AR Trimester 3

Wednesday June 3, 8:30-12:15 - 5th Grade Colonial Day (volunteers needed)

Tuesday June 9 - 5th Grade bowling field trip

Thursday June 11 - 5th Grade Culminating Celebration 11:30-12:15, MPR (parents invited); early dismissal @ 1:55 *LAST SCHOOL DAY

Language Arts:

Writing:  Students are almost finished with their Persuasive/Opinion writing.  Students have created T-charts and drafted their essay.  The final report is due next Friday.  Ask your child about his/her topic!

Reading: WE FINISHED reading The Wednesday Wars!   This book is on our TOP 10 LIST of Favorite Books.  Ask your child about how the characters and plot developed in this remarkable ‘coming of age’ story.  THANK YOU the Winters, the Perassos,  The Barnes, Laura Asiano, Katja O’Brien, Erin Hoppe and Emily Viola for coming in and reading with us during this trimester’s reading groups.  We are grateful!

Elijah of Buxton  by Christopher Paul Curtis.  Set in the time of slavery, this book illustrates the life of the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada. 

*Artist’s Reports:

Your child is continuing to work (at home) on his/her artist report.  This week the first art project,  a reproduction of a famous piece, should be completed.  Here is the suggested timeline:  (*Your child has a calendar with these dates as well.)   March 30-April 3:  A picture is worth a thousand words April 6-10:  Original artwork April 13-17:  Spring Break April 20-24:  Name/Title April 27-May 1st:  Board Assembly May 1st:  Complete Artist’s Report DUE

Math:

Students have begun Unit 5:  Geometry and Volume. 

In this unit students will be learning:

*Concepts of volume*Volume and the operations of multiplication and addition*Area of Rectangular Figures with Fractional Side Lengths*Drawing, analysis, and classification of two-dimensional shapes

Vocabulary:  angle, area, attribute, cube, degree measure of an angle, face, kite, parallel lines, parallelogram, perpendicular, perpendicular bisector, plane, polygon, quadrilateral, rectangle, rectangular prism, rhombus, right angle, right rectangular prism, solid figure, square units, three-dimensional figures, trapezoid, two-dimensional figures

Science:

This month, students are studying the WATER PLANET with Ms. Bradshaw.  They began by examining the solar system and the many objects found there. Currently they are looking at evaporation.

Later this month, students will look at condensation, uneven heating of Earth’s surface, convection currents, wind, the water cycle, and severe weather.

Miscellaneous:

**We had another FANTASTIC field trip!  THANK YOU to Ms. Kelly, Ms. Perasso, Mr. Winter, and Ms. Sande for helping us with our day of discovery at the Lawrence Hall of Science.  Click HERE for the photos (or look on class website in Photo Gallery section)

April 13 - 17: Spring Break

April 19th: 50% of AR goals should ideally be met

April 28th and April 30th: Smarter Balanced Testing

May 1st: Family Life Parent Ed. Meeting (7:30am Bel Aire)

May 7th: Open House

Language Arts:

 

Writing:  Students are having fun with their next writing unit:  Persuasive/Opinion writing.  Students are choosing (or are given) a topic to argue and support.  There is an outline model that you have seen, called a T-chart,  that your child is using to help organize the structure of a persuasive paragraph.  Eventually, this paragraph model will expand into a larger essay.  We will refer to this as an accordion paragraph.) This will be the writing project for trimester 3. 

*Artist’s Reports:

Your child is continuing to work (at home) on his/her artist report.  This week the first art project,  a reproduction of a famous piece, should be completed.  Here is the suggested timeline:  (*Your child has a calendar with these dates as well.)

March 17-20:  Artist’s Reproduction 

March 23-27:  Reflection paragraph about the artwork/painting that was reproduced.  (What was the significance?)

March 30-April 3:  A picture is worth a thousand words

April 6-10:  Original artwork

April 13-17:  Spring Break

April 20-24:  Name/Title

April 27-May 1st:  Board Assembly

May 1st:  Complete Artist’s Report DUE

*Article Writing:

Students researched and read about a current event,  summarized it on a Google Document, and contributed it to the 5th Grade Newspaper.   Ask your child what s/he learned!

 

Reading:  The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt.   Vietnam era novel set in the suburbs of New Jersey. Ask your child what has been happening….There are only a few more months (Chapters) of the school year for our main character, Holling Hoodhood.

Elijah of Buxton  by Christopher Paul Curtis.  Set in the time of slavery, this book illustrates the life of the first child born into freedom in Buxton, Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Science:  (with Ms. Bradshaw)

Students have begun the last science unit in this year’s rotation:  Water Planet. This month your child will learn about the Solar System, focusing on the Sun as our major source of heat, light, and energy. We will then move into the water cycle, specifically evaporation and condensation.

 

 

Social Studies: Students continued to work on a persuasive brochure about a specific colonial group.  Students have been researching all parts of the colonial life:  Schooling, work, religion and economy.

We watched the movie, Jonny Tremain, which illustrates the post colonial unrest and build up to the Revolutionary War.

 

Math:  Students have begun Unit 5:  Multiplying and Dividing with Fractions.  This week students have been practicing dividing fractions by fractions and solving multi-step work problems.

 

Miscellaneous:

March 24th: DeYoung Field Trip (all day)

25th-March 29th: Shrek Performances

March 31st: Lawrence Hall of Sciences Field Trip (all day)

April 13-17: Spring Recess

 

 

Language Arts:

Reading:  The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt.   Vietnam era novel set in the suburbs of New Jersey.  Look for The Witch of Blackbird Pond assessment in Friday folders.

Writing:  Novels and Biographies are complete!  Students are in publishing process of novel.

 

Science:  Chemistry with Ms. O’Leary

•Atoms & molecules

•Chemical reactions

•Chemical formulas & chemical equations

 

Social Studies:  Life in the colonies.  Students will be learning:

·       Where European settled

·       Founding the colonies

·       The role of religion

·       The First Great Awakening

·       Systems that developed in the colonies

·       Slavery in Colonial America

·       Democratic ideas

Math:  Students have begun Unit 4.  This unit focuses on multiplying and dividing fractions and decimal fractions.  We will explore the following concepts:

*   Line plots

·      Fractions as division using models and equations

·      Multiplying fractions by fractions (in fraction form and in decimal form)

·      Dividing fractions and decimal fractions

 

Miscellaneous:

Science Fair - Thurs Feb 12 6-7 p.m. MPR

Pajama Day/Valentiine’s Celebrations - Friday, Feb 13

Mid Winter Break - Mon, Feb 16 - Fri, Feb. 20

End of Trimester 2 / AR - Friday, March 6

Language Arts: 

NaNoWriMo Update:  The novel publishing process has begun!

This week, students:

*set up a CreateSpace accounts for the last step in novel making.  (THANK YOU for helping with this at home!)

*Began the uploading and publishing process of novel completion. 

*Completed 2 of the 3 sections of biography section of their artist report. 

READING/Social Studies:

*We finished our Colonial themed class novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond.  Ask your child what s/he has learned about life in the Colonies.  Students will be studying 3 the regions of the 13 Colonies, (Southern, Middle and New England), and will be creating a persuasive brochure highlighting the regions’ contributions and justifying their historical actions.

Seminars:   Trimester 2 Seminars have begun! Classes Include:  *Reasoning Mind Math *Design Thinking  *Non-Fictions Reading Strategies *Reading/Tech *Tech Enrichment *Reading & Math Enrichment *Building Structures *Creative Writing

Math

*Students are enjoying the new math program, Reasoning Minds, which you have seen at home.  Students are also getting a spiral review with the on-line program Front Row.

Science:

*Students are learning about Chemistry with Ms. O’Leary.  Look for your child’s science assessments to review and sign in his/her Friday folder.

OUTDOOR ED at Walker Creek: 

*A GINORMOUS THANK YOU TO  Rob Barnes, Emily Viola, Claude Perasso, Frank Trushiem, and Ken Hoppe for being such a pivotal piece of our dynamic trip.   It was truly a transformational experience for the class thanks to these hilltop heroes. 

·      Look for your child’s Outdoor Ed journal in his/her Friday folder to see the daily highlights and reflections of Walker Creek. S/he will enjoy walking you through his/her adventures!

Miscellaneous:

*Mid-Winter Break:  February 16-20th

*We will be doing an informal class Valentines exchange party on Friday the 13th.  

Writing:

This month all fifth grade students will focus on both fiction and non-fiction writing as they:

•Are guided through the steps of self-publishing their NaNoWriMo novels

•Review the elements of an “accordion paragraph” learned in September and October

•Review the use of transition words

•Learn how to string several paragraphs together to create a multi-paragraph essay. 

This work will eventually lead to the writing of an artist biography that is 5-6 paragraphs long

Reading:  This week students….

* should be at 50% of AR goal

*continued reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond

*began listening to a new read aloud novel called The Watson’s go to Birmingham 1963

 

Science:

   This month our class will rotate to Ms. O’Leary to learn about chemistry. During this unit they will focus on the following:

·                       Learn that solids, liquids, and gases can be combined to make mixtures.

·                       Compare the mass of a mixture to the mass of its parts.

·                       Separate mixtures by particle size; using screens and filters.

·                       Identify substances by crystal shape

·                       Become familiar with physical properties of common solid and liquid substances.

·                       Measure and weigh solids and liquids, using appropriate tools to make quantatative observations.

·                       Write a plan for separating a mixture of three solid materials and test the plan for effectiveness.

Math:

We are finishing up Unit 3, Fraction theory and the addition and subtraction of fractions. We will review and take our unit test. Then we will dive into Unit 4, Adding and Subtracting of Decimals.

By the conclusion of Unit 4, students should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:

•           model multiplication and division of decimals

•           multiply and divide decimals by powers of 10

•           use estimation when multiplying and dividing decimals

•           multiply and divide decimals with fluency

•           determine relationship between quantities algebraically

•           recognize student errors in multiplication and division of decimals

•           use decimals to solve problems


Students are engaging in many exciting hands on activities and games to help them explore these concepts.                   


Social Studies:

Social Studies

This month in Social Studies we'll be studying Life in the Colonies by answering following Big Questions:

• Why did European nations and American Indians compete in North America?
• How did colonists and American Indians cooperate?
• What major conflicts did European colonists and American Indians have?
• How were American Indians forced off their lands?
• What conflicts occurred among American Indians?
• Who were the leaders in the struggle for American Indian lands?

 

Walker Creek Update:

*Please send your child with a sack lunch on Tuesday, January 20th

*Packing List Attached

*Pease see <<SECRET>> email I sent regarding the purpose of the attached envelope

Upcoming Dates:

*There will be no school on Monday, January 19th in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

*Mid Winter Break is February 16th-20th

Vacation is here!  It seems the year went by swiftly and I'm amazed that 2015 is right around the corner. 

Here are the highlights from your child's last week of school in 2014:

*Editing Novels (please see attached letter) *Completed Variables/Swingers Science Unit

*Finished Galleon 1st phase and log entries (see black folder for writing logs.)

*Continued learning about converting fractions, decimals and mixed numbers

*We are counting on you to help your child with editing his/her novel over break.  We will be moving on to another form of writing in January.  

*Walker Creek Outdoor Ed is happening in January!  We have all completed forms and are looking forward to a very memorable and fun trip.  (*Please see email regarding the first day hike.)

*We had another amazing class party!  Thank you to Orly Petri, Kathy Perasso and all the other parents who volunteered to help make this day so great.

*And lastly, I want to give a warm thank you to our AWESOME writing helpers who came in and tirelessly helped our children edit their novels.  (Zoe Sexton, Kathy and Claude Perasso, Emily Viola, Meredith Jorgensen, James and Samantha Winter)  It was definitely a labor of love!

 

Warmest Wishes to you and your family this holiday.  We'll see you in 2015!

Language Arts

Reading:

*AR GOALS have been met!  Congratulations CATS!  Celebration to follow next week.

*FINISHED!  True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Sign of the Beaver

*New Class Novel:  The Witch of Blackbird Pond.  Ask your child about the time and setting of this book!  THANK YOU to Ms. Viola, Ms. Givas, Ms. O’Brien, and Ms. Winter for reading with us this week.  And a big THANK YOU to all the parents who have read with us this year so far. 

*Chris Van Allsburg author study:  As your child if s/he can name all 7 books we’ve read, and what the ‘formula’ is for a Van Allsburg story.

Writing: As you know, it’s NANOWRIMO time!  Students are creating a novel in the month of November.  See our NaNoWriMo page on the class website for details.

Math:  Decimals, decimal, decimals!

Social Studies:  Students continued on with their Galleon voyages but crew members are perishing in the heat and lack of food.  People are hoarding potatoes.  It’s chaos now that boats are in the doldrums and horse latitudes.  Ask you child how his/her plight is faring on their voyage to the new world.

Science:  We completed our unit about living systems, and our class is now learning about variables with Dr. Alexander.

Miscellaneous:

*PARENT/TEACHER/STUDENT conferences are coming up!  (Nov. 17-21, 12:10 dismissal)  Please sign up on the Volunteer tab on the Parents page of the class website. 

Don’t forget: 

**YOUR CHILD will be present to help conduct our conference this year.