Hello 5-2 Families :)
I hope you have plans to enjoy this 3-day weekend with your family! It looks like we have some warm temperatures predicted, but let's hope that rain holds off so we can enjoy our last weekend of "summer"!
Important Dates and Information:
09/03 ~ Labor Day ~ Enjoy the day off!
Band ~ Band lesson began this coming week!! If your child signed up for band in the spring, they received information from Mrs. Kuzmanoff today to bring home to you, and you should have received an email with similar information. If you have your child's instrument at home, please have them bring it to school on their lesson day. If you rented an instrument, Mrs. Kuzmanoff will have the instruments for them. Lessons are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursdays, with the whole band lesson at 8:10 on Wednesday mornings (these will not start for several weeks). Your child will be pulled for 30 minute lessons on a rotating schedule so they are not always pulled from the same subject. It is important that your child understands they are responsible for making up the work they miss while they are at their band lesson at home. In other words, on band days, they may have additional homework.
Bike Rodeo ~ Wednesday, 9/12 ~ 3:35-4:45pm. Please note the Bike Rodeo is mandatory if your child would like to ride their bike to school. If they have attended the Bike Rodeo in previous years, they do not need to attend it this year.
School Pictures ~ Monday, 9/21 ~ Say Cheeeeese!
What's Happening in the Classroom
Math ~ We started Unit 1 this week in math! In this unit, students will learn to represent numbers in different forms, and they learn to extend place value to 6 and 7 digit numbers. This chapter also delves into comparing and ordering numbers, negative numbers, and estimation as a way of verifying reasonableness of responses. It's a quick unit only covering 3 lessons, so I anticipate the Unit 1 Assessment to be on Tuesday, 9/11. To help your child prepare for the assessments, please look at the chapter assessment pages at the end of Unit 1 in their student book.
Just as a review of the important information I shared on Curriculum Night, I pre-test the students for every unit. This allows me to differentiate instruction for each lesson based on student ability. I teach math in a workshop model, so students rotate stations. In the rotation, they will meet with me for instruction, spend time in their journals, and practice skills on Khan Academy or Freckle. If they demonstrate mastery on the pre-test, they will work on enrichment and advanced content; if they demonstrate a need for additional support, I will spend more time in instruction with them.
Homework is not graded because it is practice, but it is checked every day. If students do not demonstrate an understanding of the skills covered on their homework, they will be asked to re-do the assignment. Encourage your child to work through their homework each night - even if it is a struggle, they should do their best to complete as much of the homework as they can, but not to worry if they cannot complete it correctly. We do review the homework every morning, so if they do not understand a concept, they will have a chance to discuss it with me.
Most nights, they will be assigned approximately two pages of work for homework - sometimes these assignments will be out of their student book and sometimes they will be out of their work book. These assignments should take them approximately 20-30 minutes of their nightly 60 minutes of homework. If you find that your child consistently takes longer than 30 minutes to complete their math homework, please let me know!
They are also given online assignments on both Khan Academy and Freckle. These assignments are due by the end of the unit. Students are given plenty of time to complete these assignments in class, but if they do not use their time effectively, they may need to complete them at home before the end of the unit.
Social Studies - We began our unit on the Rising Tensions in the Colonies last week with a "letter" from the PTA limiting all classroom celebrations and field trips for the students. (We took away their annual 5th grade field trip) They were angered and immediately began to organize protests and petitions. Students were writing speeches to present to the PTA Board, and creating signs to protest the restrictions. Their reactions were priceless! I almost didn't want to tell them I had tricked them for fear they would revolt on me!
In the end, it was an excellent introduction to the tensions between Britain and the colonies prior to the Revolutionary War as we made connections between the colonists and the students, and the PTA and Britain. We will continue to study six of the major events that led to the Revolutionary War this week as students create posters about the events.
Reading - We began our new Schoolwide Literacy Program last week by learning about the Reading Workshop Model, and establishing routines and expectations. One of the focuses of our Launch unit is how to share our thinking as we're reading in a discussion format. Your children are thinking during our read alouds, and they are learning to be respectful and thoughtful while sharing their thoughts. They have been encouraged to share without raising their hands, but to offer their thoughts more naturally in a discussion as a whole group. This requires they pay close attention to one another in the discussion, waiting for an appropriate time to speak and respond to each other.
Homework is not graded because it is practice, but it is checked every day. If students do not demonstrate an understanding of the skills covered on their homework, they will be asked to re-do the assignment. Encourage your child to work through their homework each night - even if it is a struggle, they should do their best to complete as much of the homework as they can, but not to worry if they cannot complete it correctly. We do review the homework every morning, so if they do not understand a concept, they will have a chance to discuss it with me.
Most nights, they will be assigned approximately two pages of work for homework - sometimes these assignments will be out of their student book and sometimes they will be out of their work book. These assignments should take them approximately 20-30 minutes of their nightly 60 minutes of homework. If you find that your child consistently takes longer than 30 minutes to complete their math homework, please let me know!
They are also given online assignments on both Khan Academy and Freckle. These assignments are due by the end of the unit. Students are given plenty of time to complete these assignments in class, but if they do not use their time effectively, they may need to complete them at home before the end of the unit.
Social Studies - We began our unit on the Rising Tensions in the Colonies last week with a "letter" from the PTA limiting all classroom celebrations and field trips for the students. (We took away their annual 5th grade field trip) They were angered and immediately began to organize protests and petitions. Students were writing speeches to present to the PTA Board, and creating signs to protest the restrictions. Their reactions were priceless! I almost didn't want to tell them I had tricked them for fear they would revolt on me!
In the end, it was an excellent introduction to the tensions between Britain and the colonies prior to the Revolutionary War as we made connections between the colonists and the students, and the PTA and Britain. We will continue to study six of the major events that led to the Revolutionary War this week as students create posters about the events.
Reading - We began our new Schoolwide Literacy Program last week by learning about the Reading Workshop Model, and establishing routines and expectations. One of the focuses of our Launch unit is how to share our thinking as we're reading in a discussion format. Your children are thinking during our read alouds, and they are learning to be respectful and thoughtful while sharing their thoughts. They have been encouraged to share without raising their hands, but to offer their thoughts more naturally in a discussion as a whole group. This requires they pay close attention to one another in the discussion, waiting for an appropriate time to speak and respond to each other.
We set up our Reading Baskets and our Reading Notebooks this week. Our Reading Baskets are where they keep their Reading Notebooks, Reading Folders, several texts, and a few other supplies while at school. They are encouraged to keep both fiction and non-fiction books in their baskets, and to include both books they are currently reading and books they would like to read. Their Reading Notebooks are where they will record notes and information about what they are reading. They will be expected to complete a response for their notebook every night, but they do not need to bring the binder home. They simply need to complete the response and put it in their notebook when the return to school.
Please be sure they are reading every night for at least 20 minutes! The best way to improve your child's vocabulary and comprehension is to have them reading often.
As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns at all.
