5-2 Updates ~ 01/28/19

Hello 5-2 Parents ~

Happy Snow Day!!  

It looks like Mother Nature has taken control of our school schedule for the week!  The good news is I will see your kiddos tomorrow, but the rest of the week will probably be cut short by the predicted cold temperatures. While we will be in school tomorrow, we'll probably be staying indoors for recess since the temperatures are predicted to be below zero. 

Since we're talking about winter weather, this is a good time to remind you of our school policy about recess in the winter. If the temperatures are above zero, we will be going outside. Students should have boots that can be worn outside - we've had many students requesting to stay inside because their boots are not waterproof and they did not want them to be ruined. If your child wears these boots to school, please be sure they have waterproof boots to change into for recess.  Unfortunately, we do not have staff available to offer indoor recess options unless all students are indoors. Your child also needs a hat and gloves to go outside on those cold days. I know it can be more challenging to encourage your pre-teen to dress appropriately for the cold weather, but please send them with the appropriate outerwear.  If they do not have gloves, we will send them to our lost and found to find a pair to wear before allowing them outside. Thank you for helping us to keep your child safe and warm!

Important Dates

Global School Play Day ~ Wednesday, February 6th ~ Please send in games or toys with your child for a day of unstructured play!  NO ELECTRONICS, PLEASE!  We are specifically looking for math games during our math block, but the rest of the day is unstructured! For more information on this national movement, please click on this link: https://www.globalschoolplayday.com/

Erin's Law ~ Wednesday, February 13th ~ A presentation about personal body safety is scheduled from 9:10-9:40am, and will be made by our Social Worker, Mrs. Mary Moore. 

Valentine's Day Party ~ Thursday, February 14th ~ 2:15-3:15pm

Due to severe and life threatening allergies, we are asking that you DO NOT INCLUDE ANY FOOD OR CANDY ITEMS with your child's individual Valentines. There are many clever and creative alternatives to food items, including pencils, tattoos, stickers, & bubbles... but the nicest way to say "Happy Valentine's Day" is to write a nice note! 

President's Day ~ Monday, February 18th ~ No School

Math

Your children took the Chapter 5 Assessment on Friday, and the Owl Scorecards were sent home with them this weekend for them to review with you. Please be sure to sign and return these to me tomorrow!

We will begin chapter 6 - Area tomorrow. This is another quick unit - only 3 lessons long, so we will be taking the assessment by the end of next week.

Social Studies

We wrapped up our Social Studies unit on Friday with the Chapter 15 Assessment. The Owl Scorecards for these also went home on Friday - please be sure to sign and return tomorrow!

Science
We will begin our new science unit tomorrow - Investigating Matter.  In this unit, students will:
~ Define matter and identify many of its common properties.
~ Become familiar with the common states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
~ Plan and conduct an investigation to prove that air has weight.
~ Conduct investigations on the physical properties of matter.
~ Show that the weight of matter doesn't change when heated or cooled.
~ Discover the differences between physical and chemical changes
~ Plan and conduct experiments to show weight of matter stays the same when changed.
~ Discover how unusual mixtures have properties unlike other materials.

Reading

We have been learning about text structures and text features found in different types of nonfiction text.  Your child also chose a biography to read for their upcoming Bio Bottle projects.  The biography should be completed by tomorrow.  Please check in with your child to be sure they are on target. Information about the Bio Bottles will come home tomorrow - just a heads up, your child will need a 2 liter bottle and a styrofoam ball.

Writing

We've continued our work in the Response to Fiction unit over the past few weeks. Students are enjoying the engaging story, The Liberation of Gabriel King. It's prompting some excellent discussion about conquering fears and dealing with bullying. They continue to learn how to focus on using the text as evidence to support and explain their claims about character traits in a well-written response to fiction essay.  

"You will never have this day with your children again.  Tomorrow they will be a little bigger than they are today.  This day is a gift.  Breathe and notice.  Smell and touch them; study their faces and pay attention.  Relish the charms of the present.  

Enjoy today.  It will be gone before you know it."

― Jen Hatmaker

Cheers ~
Theresa Fowler

5-2 Updates ~ 01/12/19

Hello 5-2 Parents ~

I hope you all enjoyed some relaxing time with your families over Winter Break!!  I was so happy to see all the smiling faces and exciting chatter as your children entered the classroom on Tuesday - it's always so much fun to hear their stories of all they did on break :)  

The new year brings some new expectations for your student as they are in the final stretches of their 5th grade year!  I will no longer be stamping their assignment notebook every afternoon - students are now expected to check the assignment board every afternoon, and copy down the assignments due independently.   Of course, I will be reminding them of their assignments and responsibilities at the end of every day, but I will no longer check in with each individual student.  They are also expected to turn in assigned homework in the morning of its due date - this includes re-do assignments. While they will still be receiving reminders to turn the assignments in, I will not check in with them individually to turn their work in. If the work is not turned in at the expected time, it will be marked late. We are working to transition them to more independence and ownership of their learning as they begin to prepare for middle school. Encourage them to maintain organization and listen for those reminders!  As always, if you see your child struggling with this transition, please let me know.

Important Dates

Robert Crown ~ Michael/Linda Talk:  Friday, January 18th - 1:15pm

The Linda program provides a unique “girls-only” format for puberty education. It compares female and male reproductive anatomy and introduces the physiological changes that occur during adolescence. Educators address secondary physical changes such as breast development, increased production of sweat and oil, acne, increased body fat, and the growth of body hair, as well as the menstrual cycle.

Program Goals:
Students will…

1. Increase their knowledge of human anatomy
2. Understand that changes are a normal part of human development
3. Increase their comfort in discussing and caring for their changing bodies

The Michael Program provides a unique “boys-only” format for puberty education. It compares female and male reproductive anatomy and introduces the physiological changes that occur during adolescence. Educators address secondary physical changes such as voice change, increased production of sweat and oil, acne, and the growth of body hair, as well nocturnal emissions and spontaneous erections.

Program Goals:
Students will…

1. Increase their knowledge of human anatomy
2. Understand that changes are a normal part of human development
3. Increase their comfort in discussing and caring for their changing bodies

No School ~ Monday, January 21st - MLK Day

Monday Schedule ~ Tuesday, January 22nd ~ We will have Art instead of PE/Music

Math

Your children took the Chapter 4 Assessment (Multiplying & Dividing Fractions) before Winter Break - those tests are scored and should be going home for a sign and return at some point this upcoming week.  I have been working with students who did not master all of the concepts on that assessment, and giving them an additional opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of the standards. At the same time, we have been working on reviewing all of the concepts covered in chapters 1-4 to keep those skills fresh in our minds.

Next week, we will begin Chapter 5 - Algebra.  This is a quick 3-lesson unit, so your children will be testing the following week.

Social Studies

Now that the Revolutionary War is won, we are a free nation...and with that comes the responsibility and struggle of organizing a government. As your children learned this week, there were some significant problems with the Articles of Confederation that resulted in Shays' Rebellion - ask them if they can tell you the strengths and weaknesses! We performed a reader's theater on Shays' Rebellion and completed a project about this important event in our history. Those scorecards should go home at some point this week.  

We moved on to learn about the Constitutional Convention and students learned of the challenges our forefathers faced as they argued the best form of government for our new nation.  Then we dove into the 3 branches of government - ask your child if they can name the 3 branches, the members and main responsibilities of each branch, as well as several key responsibilities.  On Monday, we will begin work on the Branches of Government project to review these concepts.  These projects will be due on Wednesday, when we will play a Power Card game to help us review for the test.  The Chapter 14 Assessment is scheduled for Thursday, January 17th - I will upload the key for the Chapter 14 Organizer to Google Classroom after we review it on Monday to help students prepare for the assessment.

Reading

We wrapped up our Fiction Unit before break with the Summative Assessment. Just as in math, I have been working with students who did not master all of the concepts on that assessment, and giving them an additional opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of the standards. Those scorecards will go home to be signed and returned at some point this week, and then we will begin our Nonfiction Reading Unit.

Writing

We also began our new writing unit Writing in Response to Fiction this week. During this unit, students will gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between reading and writing and will learn essential reading and writing strategies that they will need in order to respond to fiction throughout their educational careers. The students will be reading the book, The Liberation of Gabriel King, by K.L Going.

The Liberation of Gabriel King is a well written and highly engaging historical fiction novel about a friendship between two fifth grade students, Gabriel King, a Caucasian boy, and his friend Frita, an African-American girl. The setting of the story is rural Georgia in 1976, the year of the bicentennial, and Jimmy Carter is President. The author writes about racial prejudice and the presence of the Ku Klux Klan. Frita’s goal is to liberate Gabe from his fears. Together they list their fears and pledge to conquer them one by one during the summer between fourth and fifth grade. 

As always ~ should you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me!

“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”         

Cheers ~
Theresa Fowler