Blog Archives

Monday, October 31, 2022

10/29/2022

HAPPY HALLOWEEN MONDAY!!! 🎃🎃🎃 We are looking forward to a great celebration this afternoon with all of our 5th grade classes together!! Thank you to our wonderful Room Moms, Mrs. Almonte and Mrs. Haines, and all of the parent volunteers for your help! We appreciate you!!

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK 💡
MATH:
Last week in math we continued moving through Chapter 3. Students examined fractions and mixed numbers as division expressions, and practiced converting fractions and mixed numbers into decimals. Additionally, students learned how to add mixed numbers.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our small groups are up and running and we were able to devote our time continuing to focus on growing our fiction comprehension skills. Our whole class mini-lessons focused on finding evidence for themes and making inferences.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our Personal Narrative writing unit began last week! Throughout the week, students explored the characteristics of personal narratives and identified writing ideas based on special objects and interesting events.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Last week in social studies, students examined our next chapter: Slavery in the Americas. As a class, we explored what life was like in South Africa and the European Slave Trade. We also examined triangular trade, surviving the Middle Passage, slavery in the colonies, and what life was like for an enslaved person.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS 📌
MATH:
Students will learn how to subtract mixed numbers, and practice solving real world fraction problems.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our fiction unit will continue this week with our mini-lessons focusing on determining the main idea in texts.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
We will continue moving through our Personal Narrative unit. This week, students will focus on incorporating sensory details and writing about something someone has taught them.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Our American Revolution unit will begin this week as we examine the rising tensions in the colonies.

UPCOMING EVENTS📆
Monday, 10/31: HALLOWEEN PARADE (1:30pm) and PARTY!!
Wednesday, 11/2 @ 11:15: VERBAL REASONING
Thursday, 11/3 @ 11:15: QUANTITATIVE REASONING
Tuesday, 11/8: NO SCHOOL

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Monday, October 24, 2022

10/21/2022

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Last(ish) week of October...how can that be?? Thank you all again for your time last week during conferences! I really enjoyed meeting with each of you!! Due to last week's shortened instruction time, you will find a quick weekly update for this week only below.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS 📌
MATH:
We will continue moving through Chapter 3. Students will examine fractions as division expressions and learn how to add mixed numbers.

READING WORKSHOP:
Fiction will continue to be our reading focus this week! Our mini-lesson topics will include point of view, theme, and historical fiction elements.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
We will begin our third writing unit of the year, Personal Narratives. This week students will explore personal narrative writing and focus their work on special objects, interesting events, and sensory details.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
This week in social studies we will explore the impact of slavery on Africans. Students will learn how Africans responded to enslavement in West Africa, during the Middle Passage, and in the colonies.

UPCOMING EVENTS 📆
Monday, 10/24: Make Me Smile Monday (Fall Colors)
Friday, 10/28: Fort Friday (pm)
Monday, 10/31: HALLOWEEN Parade & Party (pm)

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Monday, October 17, 2022

10/16/2022

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It's hard to believe we're halfway through October already!! Fifth grade continues to be busy and exciting! I am looking forward to meeting with you later this week at our fall conferences! Just a reminder, if you would like to fill out the October Conference Survey form, you can access the link here.

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK💡
MATH:
Last week in math we finished up Chapter 2, and began Chapter 3: Fractions and Mixed Numbers. Students learned how to add unlike fractions using common denominators and equivalent fractions.

READING WORKSHOP:
We officially kicked off our Fiction Reading Unit last week with a few of my favorite mini-lessons! Students examined the structure of fiction, identified words and phrases that show chronological order, analyzed fiction story elements and characters, and explored point of view!

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our writers were super busy last week finishing the remaining edits on their final drafts. Through both peer and teacher conferences, students worked hard proofreading for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. Their final drafts are ready to go, and we can't wait to share our work at this afternoon's Gallery Walk!!

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Our Colonization unit continued last week during social studies! Students worked in their colonial groups and examined the following topics: who settled it, geography/landforms, economy, and type of government. After completing their research, students created a billboard for their colony that will be used later this week to persuade other students to settle in their colony.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS 📌
MATH:
We will continue moving through Chapter 3. Students will learn how to subtract unlike fractions.

READING WORKSHOP:
Fiction will continue to be our reading focus this week! Our mini-lesson topics will include point of view and theme.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Students will share their published pieces this week during our Gallery Walk. We will also spend some time reflecting on our writing work.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
We will wrap up our study of the colonies this week with our billboard presentations, and a whole class examination of the similarities and differences between the colonial regions.

UPCOMING EVENTS 📆
Tuesday, 10/18: Tranquil Tuesday Pajama Day
Wednesday, 10/19: NO SCHOOL (INSTITUTE DAY)
Thursday, 10/20: NO SCHOOL (CONFERENCES)
Friday, 10/21: NO SCHOOL (CONFERENCES)
Monday, 10/24: Classes Resume & Make Me Smile Monday Fall Colors

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Monday, October 10, 2022

10/8/2022

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We had another fun and productive week in fifth grade! On Tuesday, we kicked off our Colonization Unit with an exciting Breakout focused on the lost colony of Roanoke. It was amazing to see our class put their collaboration skills to the test in order to successfully solve the breakout together (in record time)!!💗

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK💡
MATH:
It was Problem Solving Week last week in math! As we wrapped up the major concepts from Chapter 2, students practiced solving real world multiplication and division problems.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our Launching unit came to an end last week as we finished the last of our mini-lessons. Students compared characters in stories and practiced using nonfiction text features to better comprehend the main idea. Additionally, students reviewed reading log data, reflected on their reading habits, and set new reading goals.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our writers were super busy last week! As we began to move through the writing process, students spent time analyzing and revising their drafts. We revised our writing for overused words and created strong opening sentences. Students also peer conferred with their writing partners, and reflected on their final draft revisions.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Our Colonization Unit officially began last week! After successfully completing our Roanoke Breakout, we began to focus on the essential question of the unit: How were the three colonial regions alike and different?
Students divided into groups based on the six featured colonies in our Social Studies Alive text. Beginning next week, each colonial group will examine the following topics regarding their colony: who settled it, geography/landforms, economy, and type of government. Upon completion of their research, students will create a billboard for their colony and try to persuade other students to settle in their colony.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS📌
MATH:
We will take our Chapter 2 assessment on Tuesday, and move on to Chapter 3: Adding and Subtracting Fractions.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our Reading Workshop groups will officially begin! We will also get started with our Fiction reading unit. This week's mini-lesson topics will include elements of a story, character analysis, and point of view.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
This week our writers will finish up their drafts and proofread for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Students will begin working in their colonial research groups!

UPCOMING EVENTS 📆
Tuesday, 10/11: Chapter 2 Math Assessment
Thursday, 10/13: Throwback Thursday WHO'S WHO GAME
**If you haven't already sent in a picture of your child, please do so before Thursday.**
Friday, 10/14: Flannel or Fall Shirt Friday
Tuesday, 10/18: Tranquil Tuesday Pajama Day
Wednesday, 10/19: NO SCHOOL (INSTITUTE DAY)
Thursday, 10/20 & Friday, 10/21: NO SCHOOL (CONFERENCES)
Monday, 10/24: Classes Resume and Make Me Smile Monday (Fall Colors)

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Monday, October 3, 2022

10/2/2022

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Happy October!! (Can you believe it??) Things are moving along in fifth grade and our class continues to strive to be the best versions of themselves! Below you will find our most recent class picture! 💗

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK💡
MATH:
Last week in math we wrapped up our division practice. Students also learned how to use the order of operations to simply numeric expressions that include parthenses, brackets, and braces.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our readers were busy last week studying their reading lives! We began collecting reading data with our new "reading habits" reading log, and made plans for ourselves as readers by creating a reading "bookshelf." Students also examined our book talk criteria, and began planning for their first book talk of 5th grade! Finally, students spent time reviewing story elements, and how identifying these components of fiction help us better understand what we're reading.

WRITERS'' WORKSHOP:
Our writing focus last week shifted from creators to editors as we examined the writing process. Students began by selecting a draft from their writing notebook to use for publication. After selecting drafts, we spent the remainder of the week revising our work. Students looked for places in their writing that were confusing or needed to be deleted., and met with writing partners to collect peer feedback.

SCIENCE:
We began wrapping up our Earth in Space unit last week with a super fun examination of the planets and constellations. Using the app Sky View, students put to test their knowledge of "objects" in the sky, and participated in a scavenger hunt to learn more about planets and stars. We also reviewed the major concepts from our unit, in preparation for our final assessment activity on Monday..

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS📌
MATH:
This week in math we will practice solving real world multiplication and division problems.

READIING WORKSHOP:
Our mini-lessons this week will focus on characterization, and finding the main idea in nonfiction texts.. Students will also examine their reading log data and set goals.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Writers this week will continue to revise their story drafts. We will focus on revising for overused words and strong opening sentences. Students will also have another opportunity to peer confer!

SOCIAL STUDIES:
Our Colonization unit will begin this week!

UPCOMING EVENTS 📆
Monday, 10/3: Pictures 📸
Wednesday, 10/5: NO SCHOOL (Non-Attendance Day)
**See our Fall Fun Spirit Days below that begin on 10/13!

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