Blog Archives

Monday, May 1, 2017

4/29/2017

Happy May (how is it May already???)! We've been super busy in fifth grade and of course we're enjoying our last weeks together. Sending a heartfelt thank you to each of you for your help and support with this year's musical production! We appreciate the effort both you and your children have put forth to make this performance what it is (will be)!!!<3

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
Last week in math we finished up Unit 8. Students practiced dividing fractions and reviewed the major concepts from the unit.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our Poetry unit continued last week! Students learned that readers of poetry uncover a poem's theme in order to deepen their understanding of the poem. We identified the themes of several poems, and also compared and contrasted poems with similar themes.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Last week during WEX we finished up the last of our Writing Short Fiction lessons. Students practiced formatting and punctuation dialogue correctly.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our pioneers are chugging along the perilous Hacker Trail to Oregon. Last week we faced detrimental frontier fates, composed reflective diary entries, and worked cooperatively to make challenging trail decisions.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will begin Unit 9: Coordinates, Area, Volume, and Capacity. Students will practice using ordered pairs to plot coordinate grids, and review the formula for finding the area of rectangles.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our Poetry unit will end this week with the last of our mini-lessons.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
This week during WEX students will begin drafting their short fiction stories. We'll be using our Shape of a Story organizers, laptops, and our writing partners to begin this process.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our Pioneers exploration will conclude this week! We can't wait to see who crosses the Hacker Trail first!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Monday, 5/8.......................................................................................Band Concert @ Hersey 7pm
Thursday, 5/11....................................................................................Garibaldi's Make-A-Wish Night 4:30-8pm
Monday, 5/15..................................................................................Little Mermaid Full Cast Practices Begin 8am
Wednesday, 5/17............................................................................Make-A-Wish Walkathon
Tuesday, 5/23 and Thursday, 5/25..............Little Mermaid Performances

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Monday, April 24, 2017

4/23/2017

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Happy last week of April! We were super busy last week between our field trip to TMS, Poem in Your Pocket Day, and MAP Testing. This time of the school year is definitely the busiest, but also the most fun! We're all looking forward to the last few weeks of fifth grade together!

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
Last week in math we continued moving through Unit 8 with more fraction practice. Students learned how to divide fractions, and practiced finding percents and fractions of whole numbers.

READING WORKSHOP:
Poetry continued last week during reading workshop. Students learned that readers of poetry understand how the stanzas of a poem fit together to build the overall structure and meaning. We examined poetic structural elements and determined how these elements help build meaning. Students also learned that readers of poetry build their understanding of a poem by inferring meaning line by line. We conducted close readings of poems to determine what the poets are really saying.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Last week in WEX our Writing Short Fiction unit continued. Students experimented with their writing, and created believable problems and rising action.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our Pioneers are chugging along across the Hacker Trail. Last week students were forced to adjust their supplies and reduce their wagon loads to 650 BWUs...this was no easy task! They also faced difficult frontier fates and trail decisions! We're all super excited to see what's in store for our final days along the trail!

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will finish up Unit 8, with a final test on Thursday.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our Poetry unit will continue this week!

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Students will continue moving through our Writing Short Fiction unit. We will practice punctuating and formatting dialogue this week.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our Pioneers will face their final trail decisions and compose their last diary entries. We can't wait to see who makes it to Oregon first!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

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Monday, April 17, 2017

4/16/2017

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April is moving right along, and we're as busy as ever in fifth grade! Just when you thought testing was over...well, here comes our MAPs. We will be taking our Reading MAP Test on Tuesday afternoon, and our Math MAP Test next Monday afternoon.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
In math last week students continued moving through Unit 8. We practiced multiplying fractions and canceling diagonals. Students also learned how to multiply fractions and wholes, as well as mixed numbers. In addition, we practiced finding percents and fractions of wholes.

READING WORKSHOP:
Poetry continued last week in fifth grade! We learned that readers ask questions about poems to make connections, make discoveries, and deepen their understanding. Students also learned that readers use background knowledge and content to figure out words and phrases. We unlocked unknown words to gain a sense of the overall meaning of a variety of poems. Finally, students learned that readers compare and contrast poems to draw conclusions about similar themes or ideas.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Students are moving right along in our Writing Short Fiction unit! Last week we further explored our characters and examined the shape of a story..

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our Pioneer exploration continued last week as we moved along the Oregon Trail. Students really felt the hardships inflicted on the pioneers as they traveled on this perilous journey. Our fifth grade pioneers faced frontier fates and trail decisions, and continued to compose their diary entries of their struggles and accomplishments.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
Unit 8 will continue this week in fifth grade math. Students will examine percents, ratios, and fraction division.

READING WORKSHOP:
Poetry will continue this week as we begin our mini-lessons for the unit!

WRITING WORKSHOP:
Writing short fiction will continue this week. Students will create believable problems and rising action.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Our daily life and struggles will continue along the Hacker Trail this week!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Monday, 4/17...................................................................................................TMS Field Trip (AM)
Tuesday, 4/18.................................................................................................Reading MAP Test @1:15pm
Monday, 4/24................................................................................................Math MAP Test @1:15pm
Tuesday, 4/25..............................................................................................Global Design Day
Wednesday, 4/26.....................................................................................5th Grade Trip Commitment Slips Due!
Thursday, 4/27...........................................................................................Unit 7 Math Test (Anderle)
Friday, 4/28....................................................................................................Robert Crown: Life Begins (PM)

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Monday, April 10, 2017

4/8/2017

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We had a fantastic week back after spring break! Looking ahead at this month, we have a lot going on in fifth grade! Between field trips, assemblies, and Little Mermaid practice....our days are filled! Hopefully you have seen the Parent "Commitment" Slip that was sent home on Friday. This will be used to assist us in our 5th Grade Trip planning. Commitment slips are due back by Wednesday, April 26th.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
Last week in math we began Unit 8, Fractions and Ratios. Students compared and ordered fractions, and reviewed adding and subtracting whole and mixed numbers. In addition, we learned how to multiply fractions.

READING WORKSHOP:
Poetry began last week in fifth grade! Our interactive read aloud lessons focused on what we notice about poetry. We learned that readers pay attention to the look of poetry. Students noticed the variety of ways that poems are structured and how they affect the meaning of a poem. Next, we payed attention to the techniques writers use to create sound in poetry. Students examined the roles of rhythm, repetition, alliteration, and onomatopoeia in poetry. We also learned that readers use the words on a page to create images in our minds. Students practiced visualizing as we listened to "Imagine a Place" by Sarah L. Thomson. We enjoyed this poem so much that we created our own "Imagine a Place" poems and illustrations to create a class book! Finally this week, students determined the author's purpose, inspiration, and big idea of poems from "Locomotion" by Jacqueline Woodson.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our final WEX unit of the year, Writing Short Fiction, began last week! Students used observations to create a believable character, and spent the week getting to know their characters by putting them into mundane situations and describing their interactions.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
After finishing our study of the Diverse People of the West before spring break, we enthusiastically began our Pioneers simulation. First, our class elected Wagon Train masters. Congratulations to Jordan, Xander, Clare, Abby, and Joey on being chosen among their peers as our class leaders! Next, students formed wagon trains and chose their pioneer identities. Pioneers were then faced with the difficult decision of which supplies to take with them on their journey. Narrowing down their supplies to 1000 BWUs (bulk weight units) proved to be super challenging, but they were able to persevere! Finally, students completed their first diary entry, trail decision, and frontier fates to move across the Hacker Trail!

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will continue moving through Unit 8 this week in math. Students will practice multiplying fractions and mixed numbers.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our Poetry unit will continue this week!

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Students will continue exploring short fiction this week. We will create believable problems and rising action.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
We will continue working in our wagon trains to move (hopefully!) across the Hacker Trail.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, 4/12.......................................................................................Spring Photos *Wear 5th Grade Shirt*
Friday, 4/14......................................................................................................No School
Monday, 4/17...................................................................................................TMS Field Trip (AM)
Tuesday, 4/25..............................................................................................Global Design Day
Wednesday, 4/26.....................................................................................5th Grade Trip Commitment Slips Due!
Friday, 4/28....................................................................................................Robert Crown: Life Begins (PM)

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Monday, May 1, 2017

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