Class News 2023-2024

Tuesday, September26, 2023

9/24/2023

Happy Fall and happy last week of September! The weeks are just flying by in 5th grade! I can't believe it's nearly October! 🍁

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK💡
MATH:
Last week in math we wrapped up our final lessons of Chapter 1. Students solved multi-operational problems using the Order of Operations. We also practiced solving real world problems using the four operations.

READING WORKSHOP:
Last week's reading workshop continued to focus on stopping and jotting as we read and discussed our mentor texts. We also spent time examining our reading identities and learned about one another's reading habits during partner interviews. Additionally, we began to examine common themes in fiction.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our Being a Writer lessons last week focused on getting ideas from nonfiction. Students explored nonfiction text and non-book examples of writing throughout the week. Students also spent time conferring with their writing partners as well.

SCIENCE:
We began wrapping up our Earth in Space unit last week with an examination of constellations. Students learned that constellations are patterns of stars that represent the shape of a person, animal, or mythical figure. After studying constellation patterns, students discovered that different constellations are visible during different seasons of the year. Using seasonal constellation charts, we created graphs to represent constellation visibility and analyzed this data to draw conclusions about the patterns we noticed.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS📌
MATH:
We will finish up Chapter 1 this week with a final assessment on Wednesday.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our mini-lessons this week will focus on finding evidence for theme, activating schema, and guidelines for conversation.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
This week we will begin our second writing unit, The Writing Process. Students will select a draft to publish, and begin the revision process.

SCIENCE:
We will wrap up our Earth in Space study this week. Students will review the major concepts from the unit, and examine star patterns and constellations using the Sky View app!

UPCOMING EVENTS 📆
Wednesday, 9/27: Chapter 1 Math Assessment
Friday, 9/29: Earth in Space Assessment
Monday, 10/2: Picture Day 📸

0 Comments

Monday, September 18, 2023

9/16/2023

0 Comments

Fifth grade continues to be busy and exciting! It's hard to believe that a month of school has already passed us by! Time flies when you're having fun!! 💗

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK💡
MATH:
Our mathematicians were super busy last week! Students practiced dividing 2, 3, and 4-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers. We also learned the order of operations, and practiced solving multi-operational problems.

READING WORKSHOP:
We finished up our final signpost of our Notice & Note study last week, and officially put together the structure for our Reading Workshop! Our final signpost of the unit was Memory Moment; when you're reading and the author interrupts the action to tell you a memory. Using an excerpt from Hope was Here, by Joan Bauer, students practiced answering the question, "Why might this memory be important?" We learned that the answers will tell us about the theme and conflict, and might even foreshadow what will happen later in the story. Additionally, students practiced stopping and jotting during our workshop as we read and discussed our mentor texts.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our Being a Writer lessons last week focused on quick writing techniques, point of view, and getting ideas from nonfiction. We practiced writing I could be...poems and explored nonfiction writing topics.

SCIENCE:
Earth In Space continued last week as we examined Earth's rotation and revolution. Students examined several pieces of evidence to prove that the earth is rotating to create daytime and nighttime, and revolving to create seasons.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS📌
MATH:
We will continue moving through Chapter 1. and focus on solving real world multiplication and division problems.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our workshop lessons this week will focus on understanding our reading identities, activating schema, and finding evidence for the theme of a text.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Our first writing unit will come to an end this week. Students will continue to gather writing ideas from nonfiction, and work with writing partners for peer conferences.

SCIENCE:
Our study of Earth and Space will continue this week as we spend our time exploring stars and our sun.

UPCOMING EVENTS 📆
Monday, 9/25: NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, 9/27: Monday Schedule
Monday, 10/2: Picture Day

0 Comments

Monday, September 11, 2023

9/10/2023

0 Comments

We had another great week in 5th Grade!! Your children continue to amaze and inspire me with their flexibility, creativity, and readiness to learn! I can see our classroom community growing stronger each day, and for that, I am extremely grateful! 🥰

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK💡
MATH:
Last week in math we continued moving through Chapter 1. Students practiced dividing whole numbers by 10 and 100. We also began our practice of multiplying be 2-digit decimals.

READING WORKSHOP:
We spent the week examining our next Notice & Note Literary Signpost. Students explored Again and Again moments; when you're reading and you notice a word, phrase, object, or situation mentioned over and over. Using excerpts from Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, students practiced answering the question, "Why does this keep showing up again and again." We learned that these answers will tell us about the theme and conflict, and might even foreshadow what will happen later.

WRITER'S WORKSHOP:
Our writers continue to flourish! Last week students explored a prewriting technique, quick writes, to get their writing juices flowing. We also continued to gather writing ideas from our own lives.

SCICENCE:
Earth in Space continued last week with a focus on Earth's gravitational force. Students used models and evidence to support the claim that gravity pulls objects toward the center of the Earth.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS📌
MATH:
We will continue moving through Chapter 1 with a focus on dividing by 2-digit numbers.

READING WORKSHOP:
We will finish our final Notice & Note Signpost! Additionally, our class will kick off our official Readers' Workshop this week! We will begin establishing roles and routines, while students consider their reading identities and craft their reading lives.

WRITER'S WORKSHOP:
Writing this week will focus on exploring point of view and getting writing ideas from nonfiction.

SCIENCE:
Our Earth in Space focus for the week will be on Earth's Rotation and revolution.

UPCOMING EVENTS📆
??? I'm not finding any events for this week!! 🤷🏻‍♀️ If something comes up, I will let you know!

0 Comments

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

9/1/2023

0 Comments

Fifth grade continues to be off to an amazing start and our classroom community is growing stronger with each new day. From Smiles & Frowns, Put-Ups, meeting our First Grade Buddies, and developing our Class Charter....to Individual Goal Setting meetings, writing share time, and read aloud discussions...we are learning so much about one another! I am the luckiest teacher ever! 💗

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: 💡
MATH:
Last week in math we continued moving through Chapter 1. Students practiced multiplying whole numbers by 10, 100, and 1000 and examined powers of ten. We also practiced dividing whole numbers by 10, and enjoyed a Building Fact Fluency game day on Friday!!

READING WORKSHOP:
Our reading focus last week continued with Notice & Note as we learned about two more signposts.

Our first signpost of the week was Tough Questions; when you're reading and the character asks himself a really difficult question. Using excerpts from A Long Walk to Water, written by Linda Sue Park, students practiced locating tough questions and answered their own question, "What does this question make me wonder about." We learned that these answers will tell us about the conflict and might give us ideas about what will happen later in the story.

Next, Using an excerpt from Riding Freedom, written by Pam Munoz Ryan, students found and analyzed Words of the Wiser; when you're reading and a character (who's probably much older and wiser) takes the main character aside and gives serious advice. We practiced answering the question, "What's the life lesson, and how might it affect the character?" Answering this question helped us find the theme for the story.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Students continue to enjoy our writing time together! Last week's lessons focused on getting writing ideas from poetry and our own lives. We learned about the importance of incorporating sensory details into our work, examined creative "Scranimal" poems, and explored ideas from personal experiences to use during writing time.

SCIENCE:
Earth in Space continued last week as students created self-made models of Earth. Using their own notes and models, our class worked together in groups to create video explanations proving the Earth's shape!

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: 📌
MATH:
We will continue moving through Chapter 1. This week's lessons will focus on dividing whole numbers by 100 and 1000, and multiplying and dividing by digit numbers.

READING WORKSHOP:
Students will learn about the next Notice & Note Literary Signposts, Again & Again.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
This week in writing we will continue to learn how to get ideas from our own lives.

SCIENCE:
Our Earth in Space focus for the week will be on Earth's gravitational pull.

UPCOMING EVENTS: 📆
Wednesday, 9/6 MATH MAP TEST @ 1:15pm

0 Comments

Monday, August 28, 2023

8/26/2023

0 Comments

Thank you to everyone for your patience and support as we've begun to get our classroom up and running. I feel very lucky to be our class' teacher this year! Your children have embraced the changes that surround Patton School, and I am confident that this strong community we are already building will help keep everyone motivated throughout this exciting year!

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK: 💡
MATH:
We officially began math last week with Chapter 1: Whole Numbers and the Four Operations. Students explored place value and numbers to 10,000,000. We also practiced writing numbers in standard, word, and expanded form.

READING WORKSHOP:
Over the last week, our whole class instruction has focused on the first two Notice & Note Literary Signposts: Contrasts and Contradictions and Aha Moments.
We used the text "Thank You, Ma'm" to examine Contrasts and Contradictions; when you're reading and a character says or does something that contradicts what he has been saying or doing all along. We learned to ask ourselves the question, "Why is the character doing that?" to help make a prediction or inference about the plot and conflict.

Next, students were introduced to Aha Moments. Using an excerpt from Crash, by Jerry Spinelli, students found and analyzed Aha Moments; when you're reading and suddenly a character realizes, understands, or finally figures something out. We practiced answering the question, "How might this change things?" Answering this question helped us realize that if the character figured out a problem, we probably just learned about the conflict; or, if the character understood a life lesson, we probably just learned the theme.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Writer's workshop is off to a great start! Our focus last week was on gathering writing ideas for our own writing. Using inspiring authors as examples, students wrote freely about personal topics of interest.

SCIENCE:
Our study of Earth in Space began last week! We kicked off the unit by exploring evidence to support the claim that the shape of the Earth is round.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: 📌
MATH:
We will continue moving through Chapter 1. This week's lessons will focus on multiplying whole numbers by 10, 100, and 1000.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our study of the Notice and Note Literary Signposts will continue this week! Students will examine Tough Questions and Words of the Wiser.

WRITER'S WORKSHOP:
We will continue to build our writing community this week. Students will explore ideas from poetry, as well as their own lives to write about.

SCIENCE:
Earth in Space will continue this week as we construct arguments and models for the shape of the earth.

UPCOMING EVENTS: 📆
Tuesday, 8/29: BAND LESSONS BEGIN!!
Wednesday, 8/30: Reading MAP Test (pm)
Monday, 9/4: NO SCHOOL (Labor Day)
Tuesday, 9/5: Math MAP Test (pm)

0 Comments

Tuesday, September26, 2023

Monday, September 18, 2023

Monday, September 11, 2023

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Monday, August 28, 2023

Author

Archives