September 6, 2024
Dear Fifth Grade Parents,
Thank you for coming to Back to School Night. It was great to see everyone in person! We had a wonderful first week of school and it was fun getting to know all of my students. I am truly blessed to teach at Holy Rosary. I will send this Boomerang Newsletter every Friday to give a general overview of the curriculum that we plan to cover for the upcoming week. Please note that as teachers we monitor and adjust as we go depending upon student understanding of the material.
*Students will be taking the Map Standardized Test the next three Monday mornings (Sept. 9, 16 & 23.) We may need to test at other times during the week as needed for students to finish the tests. They will not have Math and Social Studies class on those days.
Please see the MATRIX for daily homework. Homework will be posted on the MATRIX by 3pm each school day. The MATRIX is on the 5A Classroom webpage under the “Homework/MATRIX” tab.
I hope you have a wonderful relaxing weekend with your family! – Ms. Semandiris
Band
If your child would like to participate in band, there will be an Instrument Rental at Guadalupe Gym on Saturday 9/7 at noon. Band will start next week.
Classes will be:
- Wednesday from 1:45pm – 2:30pm (Please pick up your child at 2:30 at the Parish Center).
- Friday 11:30am – 12:15pm.
Please contact Frances McKamey with any questions you may have! McKameyF@kennedyhs.org
Upcoming Dates:
- Sep 6th – Noon Dismissal
- Sep 13th – Day of the Doughnuts (math & reading challenge)
- Sep 17th – School Pictures (free dress)
- Sep 20th – Noon Dismissal (No BASE)
- Sep 20th-21st – Westfest
- Oct 4th – Glow Bowl (5pm)
Curriculum for the week of September 9 – 13, 2024:
Religion – Ms. Semandiris
We will be spending one class period on our Theme this year : One in the Spirit, Ephesians 4: 1 – 6. Students will reflect on this Bible passage and then create artwork showing how they can share their gifts of the Holy Spirit with others. Next will begin Chapter 1 God’s Plan for All Creation. In this chapter, students will:
- explore all of creation as the gift of God’s goodness
recognize that God reveals himself in a unique way through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
- Define Providence as God’s loving care for all things
- Describe stewardship as the way we appreciate and use God’s gifts
- Examine the gifts of the Earth used in the Seven Sacraments as signs of God’s presence and power.
- Understand humans’ role in stewardship of God’s creation.
Social & Emotional Learning (Second Step Program)
Lesson 1: Empathy & Respect
Students will be able to define empathy and respect. They will learn that having empathy and respect helps them get along with others. This lesson will begin on September 13th.
Math – Ms. Semandiris
Next week we will begin Chapter 1 on Place Value.
Monday – (9/9) MAPS Testing
Tuesday – (9/10) Chapter 1, Lesson 1, Place Value Through Millions
Wednesday- (9/11) Chapter 1, Lesson 2, Compare and Order Whole Numbers
Thursday (9/12) Chapter 1, Lesson 4, Represent Decimals
Friday – (9/13) Aleks Skills Check/Review Lessons 2 & 4
Math -Ms. McGuigan
Next week we will begin Chapter 1 on Place Value.
Monday – (9/11) MAPS Testing
Tuesday – (9/12) Chapter 1, Lesson 2, Compare and Order Whole Numbers
Wednesday- (9/13) Thursday (9/14) Chapter 1, Lesson 4, Represent Decimals
Friday – (9/15) Aleks Skills Check/ Review Lessons 1-4
Math – Mrs. Heuer
Monday: *MAP Testing
Tuesday: *1.2 Comparing and Ordering Decimals
Wednesday: *1.3 Writing Decimals
Thursday: *Initial Knowledge Check (ALEKS)
Friday: *TBD – likely 1.4 Expanded Form with Decimals
Science – Ms. McGuigan
Next week we will be working on our first hands-on experiment. Students will make swingers (pendulums) and observe and make predictions on the behavior of pendulums. Students will gain conceptual understanding of variables by manipulating aspects of the pendulums and predicting the behavior. Students will be recording their observations with graphs.
Social Studies – Ms. Semandiris
We will begin Chapter 1, The Geography of the United States next week. In this lesson students learn the basic skills needed to understand the geography of the United States by creating a series of annotated maps. Students will learn several geography skills including determining location of lines of latitude and longitude and identifying physical features of the United States. Students will be having direct instruction as well as small group work to complete a set of map questions. The answers to these questions are located in their text. Students will also be learning how to do a vocabulary assignment on a google doc.
ELA – Mr. Williams
Hello HRS families! It’s been a joy getting to know your children this past week. Next week we will begin with a social contract activity, in which students build a set of classroom expectations through reflection and discussion. We will then begin an “about me” found poem; students will cut words and phrases out of magazines and organize them into a poem about their interests and personality. We will end next week by beginning unit one, which focuses on narrative writing. We will analyze motifs and themes with our first story, The Giving Tree. Have a great weekend.