October 1, 2015
Dear Fifth Grade Parents,
I hope you are all doing well! We have been learning so much in the fifth grade. The students really seem to enjoy what they are currently learning! The following is a curriculum update for the week of October 5-9, 2015!
Reminders:
October 2 – No School- Teacher In-service
October 7 – 9am Living Rosary – Led By the 7th Graders
October 19 – 30 – ITBS Testing
October 30 – 2pm Halloween Party
Religion
We have begun Chapter 2, Caring for God’s Creation. In this chapter students will learn about how God wants us to respect and take care of the environment. Students will be receiving a study guide for chapters 2 & 3 on Monday 10/5. We will be completing it during class. Next week we will also be writing a Poem about Caring for God’s Creation. This will be linked with some creative art work!
Math
We have begun Chapter 2, Multiplying by Whole Numbers. I would suggest that students practice the multiplication facts using the on-line math e-book. Just go to Resources and click “games”. There you will find FACT DASH!!! This is a great way to practice the multiplication facts!
10/5 – Ch. 2, Hands on: Use Partial Products and the Distributive Property
10/6 – Ch. 2, The Distributive Property
10/7 – Ch. 2, Estimate Products
10/8 – Ch. 2, Multiply by One- Digit Numbers
10/9 – Ch. 2, Multiply by Two-Digit Numbers
Accelerated Math:
Dear 5th Grade Parents,
I wanted to take this time to introduce myself and let you know how excited I am to be working with your children in accelerated math over these next few months! My name is Ms. Murphy, and I am replacing Mrs. Heuer while she is on maternity leave. Having completed a full-year teaching internship (through Seattle Pacific University) at Holy Rosary, as well as worked as a math and writing service plan provider at HRS, I am very familiar with the school, especially its strong curriculum and amazing teachers! I truly look forward to providing students with the best instructional support that I can and encourage them to attend math study hall (held every Monday during lunch recess in my room).
Please feel free to contact me at mmurphy@holyrosaryws.org with any questions/concerns, or any information that you think is important for me to know about your children. Also, you can check out Ms. Heuer’s website to view weekly homework assignments, messages, etc. That address is: http://math.holyrosaryws.org. Wishing you a wonderful and successful fall!
Sincerely,
Maeve Murphy
Social Studies
We are working on Chapter 4, Why Europeans Left for the New World. Students have become Deep Sea Divers and Research Scientists, excavating artifacts from a sunken ship dating back to the Age of Exploration. During class students will be identifying the artifacts and reading about them in their textbooks. Next they will take notes in their Interactive Notebook much like a Research Scientists would in real life. The test for this Chapter will be on 10/16.
Science
Students will discuss how the thickness of an atmosphere and the design of a parachute affect the speed of the falling parachute. They will observe and analyze a model that demonstrates how atmospheres of different thicknesses affect falling objects. Students will also test three isolated variables used in the design of parachutes.
Language Arts
This week in Language Arts students’ spelling focused on the long o and the long i sounds. In grammar students learned about complete subjects and complete predicates as well as compound sentences. Students continued to work with narratives in writing by specifically focusing on dialogue between characters. Students are working on using precise language in their written dialogue to portray their characters’ personalities and points of view.
Reading
5th graders have been analyzing text for elements of a play, characterization and theme. We’ve also had some fun figuring out idioms. The students worked with partners to illustrate the literal meaning of an idiom and explain its figurative meaning to the class. This was tricky in some cases…we’ll hit this again!
Art Room Update:
The fifth graders recently had the opportunity to learn about Sumi-e painting, which originated in China around 400AD. This very old painting tradition has become a rich part of the cultural legacy of China and other nearby Asian countries. Its principal aim is not to replicate the exact physical appearance of an object, but to capture its essence through careful, deliberate, flowing brushstrokes. Students used this technique to create monochromatic bamboo paintings. We then explored the general differences between Western styled paintbrushes and Eastern styled paintbrushes, and experimented to make various types of Sumi-e brush strokes.
We are now beginning a new unit, focused on color theory. Fifth graders are using the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) to mix secondary and tertiary colors to create their own color wheel. We will be using our new-found color mixing skills to study and replicate the style of abstract expressionist painter, Robert Delaunay.
Art Workshop Opportunity:
A new 6-week after school Art Workshop session will begin on Oct. 20th! Projects will include: Giant cookie frosting paintings, Sculpey figurines, the Upcycled materials inventors’ challenge, ceramic sculpture, and more! This class is held on Tuesdays from 3:00-5:00pm. All 1st-5th grade students are welcome to join. The cost is $160 and includes all materials, snacks, and fun prizes. Scholarships are available based on need – please inquire at time of registration. This is an invaluable opportunity for kids to gain additional arts exposure, explore their creative side, and create lasting memories! For more information, or to register, contact Lacey Reuter: lreuter@holyrosaryws.org