February 12, 2015
Dear Fifth Grade Parents,
We had a wonderful Valentine’s Day party today. Thanks so much to Beth Hamilton, Celine Leigland, and Meg Petersen for helping with the party. Also, if anyone else donated or prepared something for the party, we appreciate YOU!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful Presidents Day as well as Valentines Day!! The following is a curriculum update for next week February 18 – 20.
Religion
Next week we will begin Lent! Ash Wednesday 2/18, we will have Mass t 8:45am. Students will make Lenten goals in the area of Prayer, Almsgiving and Fasting. In class we will learn what these three mean for 5th graders.
Math
2/18 Ch. 6 Lesson 4, Using Hands On Models to Multiply Decimals
2/19 Ch. 7, Lesson 4, Multiply Decimals
2/20 Ch. 7 L. 1-3 Check My Progress
Social Studies
Next week the Fifth Graders will begin Chapter 9, Life in Colonial Williamsburg. In Chapter 9, we will learn about the daily life of the colonists. Our classroom will become Colonial Williamsburg and students will visit six different locations. We will be working on this Chapter from 2/18 – 2/27. The test for this Chapter will be on 3/2 for 5A and 3/3 for 5B.
Reading
This week the students selected which book they would like to read for our Book Club unit. Most, not all, got their first choice books. Those who got 2nd or and 3rd choices set a marvelous example of how to handle disappointment and how to move on in a positive and productive way! We will be reading in book clubs throughout the month of February. During this time, we will be focusing on story elements and written responses to the reading. Additionally, book clubs provide opportunities to practice working together in groups, which involves negotiation, patience and conflict resolution strategies.
Language Arts
This week students worked on using past, present, and future verb tenses in grammar. Students turned in their opinion essays and began discussing what a problem-solution essay looks like. Students will complete a graphic organizer for a problem-solution essay and write a rough draft next week.
Science
Students will learn how vertebrates and invertebrates are classified. Students will compare and contrast types of invertebrates (mollusks, arthropods, insects), with types of vertebrates (mammals, fish, birds etc.).