January 8, 2015
Happy New Year!
We are currently transferring to a new web-page provider for the classroom web-pages. Therefore, I am sending out this “hard copy” of my letter this week. Thanks for your patience.
January
1/19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – No School
1/25- 2/1 – Catholic Schools Day – Please sign up your child to read at one of the Masses! See the EFC for the “Sign up Genius”.
Religion
We are currently learning about Ch. 15, The Sacraments of Healing. A study guide will be handed out on Friday for this chapter. The test will be on 1/22.
Math
1/12 Chapter 4 Review
1/13 Chapter 4 Test
1/14 Chapter 4 Test Part 2
Ch. 5, Adding and Subtracting Decimals
1/15 L. 1 Rounding Decimals
1/16 Ch. 5 L. 2 Estimating Sums and Differences
1/19 Ch. 5 L. 3. Problem-Solving Investigation
1/20 Check My Progress Ch. 5 L. 1-3
Social Studies
The fifth graders are working on Chapter 8, Comparing the Colonies. In this chapter they are learning about the New England, Middle and Southern colonies. Students are working in groups to create a billboard advertisement to persuade people in England to come and live in their colony. Presentations will be on Monday 1/12 for 5A and Tuesday 1/13 for 5B. We will have a review for the chapter on Thursday 1/15 and the test will be on Friday 1/16.
Science
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 classroom website. Inventions are due Friday, January 23rd. They will be displayed in the hallway for Catholic Schools Week.
Students are looking volvox, blepharisma, and vinegar eels under the microscope. They are learning the characteristics of each.
Students will take a quiz on these microbes based on the notes they have taken in class Tuesday, January 20th.
Reading
Welcome back and Happy New Year! 5th Graders have been reading a very interesting historical fiction selection while focusing on challenging vocabulary and using details from the story to draw conclusions.
Language Arts
This week in language arts students worked with compound words in spelling, and learned about complex sentences, independent clauses, dependent clauses, and conjunctions in grammar. In writing students chose a topic for a research report. Students found three sources for their topic and began searching for and writing down information from these sources. Students will form an outline and begin the writing process for the research report next week.
Ms. Semandiris