Blog Archives

Monday, May 2, 2016

4/30/2016

Happy May (how is it May already???)! We've been super busy in fifth grade and of course enjoying our last weeks together. Just a reminder...The Lion King morning practices will include both casts, beginning on Wednesday. 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 began Unit 9: Coordinates, Area, Volume, & Capacity. Students practiced plotting ordered number pairs by creating turtle and sailboat graphs. We also played a super fun game, Hidden Treasure (similar to Battleship), to practice working with ordered number pairs. Students used their plotting expertise to discover their partner's "hidden treasure." In addition, we examined the formula for area of rectangles and put it to use in solving area problems.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our Poetry unit came to an end 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. Next, students learned that readers of poetry have a "toolbox" of fix-up strategies they can apply when they come across something that is confusing or unclear. We practiced reading multiple poems to apply these fix-up strategies to help gain understanding. Finally, students used the images, language, and structures of poetry to understand the overall meaning of poems.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Last week during WEX, students moved through the writing process; revising, editing, and publishing their short fiction stories. We met with writing partners to give/receive feedback and made revisions accordingly. Students are just about finished with their stories, and we're looking forward to celebrating their work at our Authors' Party later this week!

SCIENCE:
Talk of Ecosystems filled our room last week as students continued moving through their research plans! We'll be sharing our findings later this morning and updating our "L" (what I've learned) on our KWHL chart!

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will continue moving through Unit 9. Students will examine formulas for the area of triangles and rectangles.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our final Schoolwide unit will begin, Ecosystems. We will also begin our final shared reading experience of the year...Tuck Everlasting literature circles!

PERSONALIZED LEARNING:
With the conclusion of our 5th Grade WEX program, we will use the last of our writing block this year to complete one final round of Personalized Learning. As you can imagine, our class is super excited to begin!!!

SCIENCE:
Our study of Ecosystems will continue this week! Students will examine ecosystem interactions, energy in ecosystems, and food chains and food webs.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, 5/4......................................READING MAP Test @ 1:15pm
Friday, 5/6...............................................Pajama Day
Monday, 5/9............................................The Lion King Ticket Reservations Due!
   MATH MAP Test @ 9:15am
   Band Concert @ Hersey 7pm
Thursday, 5/12........................................Garibaldi's Night 5-8pm
Friday, 5/13.............................................Sports Day
   Robert Crown: Life Begins (am)
Tuesday, 5/17..........................................Beach Day
Wednesday, 5/18....................................MAKE-A-WISH WALKATHON 4-5:30pm
Tuesday, 5/24.........................................The Lion King (Blue Cast) 7pm
Thursday, 5/26........................................The Lion King (White Cast) 7pm
Friday, 5/27.............................................No School (SIP DAY)
Monday, 5/30..........................................No School (Memorial Day)
Thursday, 6/2..........................................5th GRADE TRIP
Friday, 6/3...............................................Spirit Day (morning)
   Ice Cream Social
Monday, 6/6............................................5th Grade Recognition Ceremony @2pm
Tuesday, 6/7............................................LAST DAY OF SCHOOL (full day)

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Monday, April 25, 2016

4/25/2016

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Happy last week of April! We were super busy last week between Mix It Up Day, Poem in Your Pocket, First Grade Buddies, and our final PARCC Assessments. 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 wrapped up Unit 8 with more fraction practice, multiple review sessions, and our final test on Friday. Students also participated in a math BreakoutEDU challenge, Kryptonite! With a lot of problem solving, communication, compromise, and perseverance...students were able to Breakout (with a slight addition of time)!

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, writers began planning, drafting, and revising their short fiction stories!

SCIENCE:
Our Ecosystems unit finally began last week! Students explored their prior knowledge of Ecosystems through the use of a KWHL (What I Know about Ecosystems, What I Want to Learn about Ecosystems, How I will Learn about Ecosystems...and we'll save the What I've Learned about Ecosystems for later). Next, we examined our classroom resources and developed research (essential) questions. Finally, students created learning plans and began researching their topic(s) of interest.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We will begin Unit 9, Coordinates, Area, Volume, & Capacity. This week students will examine coordinate grids and practice finding the area of rectangles.

READING WORKSHOP:
Our Poetry unit will conclude this week!

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Students will continue moving through the writing process; drafting, editing, and revising their short fiction stories. We will meet with our writing partners to elicit peer feedback, and hopefully celebrate our published drafts at an Authors' Party on Friday!

SCIENCE:
Our exploration of Ecosystems will continue this week! Students will finalize their research and present their findings to classmates.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Friday, 4/29...................................................Authors' Party (fingers crossed)
Monday, 5/9..................................................Band Concert @ Hersey 7pm
Thursday, 5/12..............................................Garibaldi's Make-A-Wish Night
5-8pm

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Monday, April 18, 2016

4/17/2016

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Well...five down, two to go! Last week's PARCC Assessments proved to be exhausting, but your kiddos did great! We're all looking forward to Wednesday...our first test free day! Please remember that our "commitment" slip to chaperone the 5th Grade Trip is due by Wednesday, April 20th.

Definitely the highlight of our week....our first Breakout EDU attempt, and we were successful...with five minutes to spare!
On Tuesday morning, our class participated in the Breakout EDU game, TEAMWORK!
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Breakout EDU creates ultra-engaging learning games for people of all ages. Games (Breakouts) teach teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, and troubleshooting by presenting participants with challenges that ignite their natural drive to problem-solve. (Breakout EDU website.)
It was such an amazing, exciting (at times, frustrating) and engaging experience for all! I am so proud of our teamwork and can't wait for our next Breakout EDU challenge!

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK:
MATH:
Math last week was the only subject to remain intact, and we continued moving through Unit 8. Students practiced finding the percent of a number, and related fractional units to wholes. We also learned about reciprocals, and dividing fractions.

READING WORKSHOP:
Unfortunately, our Poetry unit was paused for PARCC testing. :( We did, however, finish up our incredible read aloud, The Stout-Hearted Seven.

WRITERS' WORKSHOP:
Luckily, we were able to squeeze in a couple of Writing Short Fiction lessons last week. Students practiced using dialogue to show character, and reviewed how to punctuate and format dialogue.

SOCIAL SCIENCE:
Three of our pioneers successfully made it to Oregon via the "Hacker Trail!" It was a close race, but only CLAIRE, MADDIE, and MOLLY survived!

I am so proud of our class and the tremendous amount of care and concern they put into this simulation. They persevered through some tough situations, both along the trail and within their own wagon trains. In spite of the difficulties they faced, students worked cooperatively to solve problems and make decisions. It was truly an amazing learning experience for all!

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
MATH:
We are wrapping up Unit 8 this week with reviews, a Breakout EDU math challenge, and our final test on Thursday.

READING WORKSHOP:
Poetry will continue this week, including a celebration of Poem in Your Pocket Day with our first grade buddies!

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.

SCIENCE:
Our final science unit of the year, Ecosystems, will begin this week!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Monday, 4/18 & Tuesday, 4/19................................PARCC Testing (pm)
Wednesday, 4/20........................................5th Grade Trip Commitment Slip Due
Thursday, 4/21.........................................................Unit 8 Math Test (Anderle)

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Monday, April 11, 2016

4/9/2016

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April is moving right along, and we're as busy as ever in fifth grade! PARCC Testing begins this afternoon, and will continue through next Tuesday. There is one additional change to our schedule as well. We will be taking the ELA round of testing first, and then move on to Math. Also, just a quick reminder that our spring class photo is on Wednesday...please have your child wear his or her fifth grade shirt for the picture. Thanks!

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.

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 created believable problems and rising action.

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 final frontier fates and trail decisions, and continued to compose their last diary entries of their struggles and accomplishments. We are looking forward to see which wagon train arrives in Oregon first...this morning!

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:
Most of our literacy time this week will be spent PARCC Testing. I am hoping to throw in a poetry lesson here and there, if time permits!

WRITING WORKSHOP:
We are also losing some of our WEX time to PARCC Testing this week. However, we should have time to practice using and formatting dialogue.

SCIENCE:
Our final science unit of the year, Ecosystems, will begin this week!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Monday, 4/11-Tuesday, 4/19............................PARCC TESTING (1:15-3:15pm)
Wednesday, 4/13.............................................Spring Class Photo
***Wear 5th Grade Shirt***
Wednesday, 4/20...........................5th Grade Trip Parent Commitment Slips Due
Thursday, 4/21..................................................Unit 8 Math Test (Anderle)

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Monday, April 4, 2016

4/4/2016

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Happy April! We had a great week back after spring break! Looking ahead at this month, we have a lot going on in fifth grade! Please be sure to review the revised PARCC Testing Schedule that is posted at the end of this week's update. Also, fifth graders will be bringing home a Parent "Commitment" Slip today that will be used to assist us in our 5th Grade Trip planning. This slip is due back by Wednesday, April 20th.

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:
Pioneers continued last week as we moved across the Oregon Trail. The pressure is on in 5-1 as wagon trains work together to make important decisions along the 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:
Most likely, our Pioneers simulation will come to an end this week with our final trail decisions, frontier fates, and diary entries. We can't wait to find out which wagon train makes it to Oregon (alive) first!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Tuesday, 4/5..................................................Individual Math Contest #3 (lunch)
Wednesday, 4/6.............................................Robert Crown: Linda & Michael
Thursday, 4/7.................................................Team Math Contest #3 (lunch)
Friday, 4/8......................................................TMS Field Trip (1:30-2:45pm)
Monday, 4/11........PARCC TESTING BEGINS (SEE SCHEDULE BELOW)..........

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Monday, May 2, 2016

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Monday, April 18, 2016

Monday, April 11, 2016

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Monday, April 4, 2016