January 8, 2009

January 8, 2009

Dear Fifth Grade Parents,

Happy New Year! Feliz Ano Nuevo! ???? ??????!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year break. The fifth graders have the main hall bulletin board this month. If you have time, check out the beautiful watercolor and Epiphany poems that we did. This week will be a very busy academic week.

Math
Friday: Stories about a Fraction of a Group
Monday: Lesson 47, Simplifying Mixed Numbers
Tuesday: Lesson 48, Reading and Writing Whole Numbers in Expanded Form
Wednesday: Lesson 49, Solving Two Step Word Problems
Friday: Lesson 50, Finding An Average

Religion
Today we had the Chapter 14 test. Next week we will begin Chapter 15, Forgiveness & Healing. By the end of this chapter the students will have learned to describe the effects of feelings of anger, identify ways of bringing forgiveness and healing into relationships with God and others, and be able to explain why the anointing of the sick is a Sacrament of Healing,

Reading: Since finishing Hatchet, we have launched back into our 5th grade Reading Text. This week we have enjoyed a true adventure story; The Diver and the Dolphins, with a focus on the Target Skill: Steps in a Process. There will be a small Selections Test on Friday, which will cover Vocabulary and Comprehension questions from the story.

Social Studies
In Chapter 7, the students will be learning about the New England Colonies, Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. The fifth graders are busy creating “Billboards” that advertise one of the original 13 colonies. They will be presenting “1 minute” presentations to try and persuade the class to come and live in their colony. 5A will have the presentations next Tuesday 1/13. The interactive notebook pages will be due the same day. We will review this chapter on Wednesday 1/14 and the test will be on Thursday 1/15. Please remind your child to reread the chapter and to study the information in the interactive notebook as well as practice the on-line test to prepare for this test.

Science
Students are learning how to prepare slides to view under the microscope. Students will examine and describe the internal structure of an onion by viewing it under a microscope.
Students will be participating in a special kind of science fair called the Invention Convention. It is designed to promote problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Students will invent a new product or develop a new method for doing something. Instructions and a grading rubric have been handed out in class. A copy is also available on Mr. Schreck’s web site (http://www.holyrosaryws.org/Class/5B/index.php). Inventions are due Friday, January 23rd. They will be displayed in the hallway for Catholic Schools Week.

Language Arts
The “Creative Christmas” assignments the students completed in December are being returned today. These are very fun to read and make adorable keepsakes! The children really enjoyed the freedom and choice involved in this assignment.

This week, we have been working on using singular, plural and possessive nouns correctly. We will continue to practice these concepts next week, and students will be ready to take a test on this material on Tuesday, January 20th.

Next week in class, students will create a poem and illustration about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We will use picture books and information from the internet to learn more about this amazing man’s life and legacy.

Have a great week!

Ms. Semandiris