Class Update 12/9/14

Important Reminders:

Tomorrow is an Early Release Day with a 1:40 dismissal time. Please make sure your child knows their plans for going home if they are different from the normal routine.

Friday, December 19th is a half day of school, with an 11:50 dismissal. Lunch will not be served that day.

Classroom holiday parties will take place on the 19th as well at 10:30. Parents are welcome to attend. Please avoid bringing any items with nuts or latex in them to the party due to allergies. Thank you!

Our classroom spelling bee will take place on Thursday, December 18th. Each student received a Spell Check newspaper with grade level lists to study if they are interested in participating the classroom bee (it is optional). The top two winners from our class will move on the the school-wide spelling be that will be held in January.

Class Updates:

We got to take our picture with the Blue Ribbon Award!

In math, we are working on Chapter 5, which focuses on adding and subtracting decimals. We have practiced rounding decimals to a give place value, as well as to the nearest whole number. Students have solved word problems that use decimals and are looking at how decimals can be represented with models. We will be having a Chapter 5 math test on Tuesday, December 16th. Looking ahead we will be multiplying and dividing decimals.

In reading, we are reviewing how to write summaries of what we read. Students are using graphic organizers to record the most important main ideas from the books that should be included in the summary. We will also be exploring how authors include text features in non-fiction writing as a way to elaborate and convey more information to the reader. Students will be choosing text features to include in their next piece of writing for writing workshop as well.

The class has finished their reports on Native Americans as part one of our informational writing unit. For part two, each student has chosen a focused topic from their first report to transform into a larger report of its own.  Some of the children's ideas are to write about specific tribes, Native American artwork, and tepees among many other topics. The class began their research today. They should be conducting research at home as well, as we will be moving quickly through this second paper. I have emailed each student a list of websites that can be used for at home research. Also, this website is a great resource. Students may borrow a social studies book to take home for research or they can take notes from the online social studies book located on this blog under the text books tab.

During our last buddy activity we worked with the second grade students to decorate decks of playing cards with positive messages and words of thanks.  The cards will be mailed to troops serving during the holidays.

Take a look at our class pictures from our field trip to Busch Stadium last week.  The students learned math, writing, and science concepts all through the game of baseball!

Class Update 11/15/14

Important Reminders:

This coming week will be our Blue Ribbon School Celebration Week. Students are encouraged to participate by doing the following activities:
     Monday - wear green and gold
     Tuesday - crazy socks and crazy hair day
     Wednesday - wear blue
     Thursday - dress for success day
     Friday - students will receive their blue ribbon shirts and have a special assembly

The Cookie Dough Fundraiser is going on through November 20th. Information was sent home with students on Wednesday. Thank you for helping to support our school!

On Friday, field trip permission slips were sent home for our next trip. We will be going to Busch Stadium to take part in their CAPS Program, which integrates the game of baseball with hands-on activities linked to the curriculum. The field trip will be on December 2, and there is an $11.00 fee to help cover the cost of the program and transportation. Please send signed permission slips and money back to school with your child as soon as possible. Thank you!

School will be closed from November 26 - 28 for Thanksgiving Break.

Class Updates:

In math, we have started Chapter 4, which focuses on long division using two-digit divisors. The children are learning how they can use multiples and compatible numbers to help them with solving more challenging problems with division. Chapter 4 is short, so we will be having a quiz on Friday, November 21.  Below the kids are working on some real world problem solving skills, as they figure out how to divide a large pile of found "money" equally among a group of people.

In reading, we will be practicing making inferences, which require students to use information from the text, as well as their background knowledge to comprehend the story. Reading groups are continuing to ask inferential questions about their books before, during, and after reading as well.

Students have completed their first drafts of their informational reports on Native Americans, and are busy conducting research to add facts, summaries, paraphrasing, and quotes to their writing. The children are also working hard to make references to geography in their reports and explain the importance of how geography affected the lives of Native Americans. Another goal for students is to add their own thinking into their writing to draw conclusions based on the research they have done. We will soon be redrafting our reports to include all of the new findings and elaboration students have been able to find.

In social studies, most students have now completed their Story Jumper books on Native Americans. Many groups have also presented their books to the class. We will be finishing up presentations this week, as well as beginning Chapter 3 on the Age of Exploration. Students will receive a new set of vocabulary cards that go with the chapter to begin studying at home. Take a look at some pictures of our Story Jumper presentations:

We recently took a field trip to Cahokia Mounds where children learned about early Mississippian Mound Builders. The kids had a great time climbing to the top of Monk's Mound!

Is it November already?

Hello families!

I just realized that I listed all of the dates in my last post for October instead of November. My apologies! All dates should be November. I guess my brain wasn't quite ready for November yet!

Class Update 11/2/14

Important Reminders:

Our Cahokia Mounds Field Trip is Friday, October 7th.  Please make sure students wear comfortable walking shoes that day. It is also important that children be dressed for the weather. A few students still need signed permission slips to be turned in before Friday in order to be able to attend. Please return permission slips with $4.50 to cover the cost of the trip as soon as possible if you have not already done so.  I will be sending a follow-up email on Monday to parents who volunteered to attend the field trip.

The 5th grade music program is coming up on Sunday, October 9th at 4:45 PM. The students have been working hard to practice for the program. Here is a link to a video of one of their songs!
5th Grade Groh Video Link

Our annual Veteran's Day Assembly will take place on Tuesday, October 11th at 9:00 AM.

Wednesday, October 12th is an early release day. Children will be dismissed at 1:40. Please make sure your child knows how they will be going home that day if it is different from their normal routine.

Class Updates:

In math, we have continued to practice long division, as well as estimating quotients. Moving forward, we will continue to work on long division with increasingly more complex problems. The students will also examine interpreting the remainder in word problems.

In reading, we will be working on the skill of making predictions about what we read, based on evidence from the text. We had a successful celebration of our personal narrative unit in writing. The students were able to read pieces from all four 5th grade classrooms and leave positive feedback for each other. 

Our next unit is on informational writing. The children will be making cross-curriculum connections to what they are learning in social studies about Native Americans in this unit. We have covered how to take notes and paraphrase. In addition, we have reviewed the difference between facts and opinions.  The children have started the pre-writing process by brainstorming what they already know about Native Americans.  This week we will begin the drafting process.

In social studies, students have been working in pairs and trios to complete the research phases of their Native American projects. Most groups have now started to create their digital books on Story Jumper. Students will continue to design their books this week.

We recently took part in our annual Ability Awareness Day. The students heard four presentations about learning disabilities, physical motor disabilities, the CHADS Coalition, and spinal cord injury. Children were able to participate in a variety of hands-on activities that allowed them to better appreciate what differences we all have, and more importantly what we all have in common. Be sure to ask your child about what they learned!

Thank you to all of the parents who helped put on our classroom Halloween Party! The children had a great time - take a look at some of their costumes!

Class Update 10/19/14

Important Reminders:

Parent-Teacher Conferences are October 27th and October 29th. If you have not signed up for your conference via the Sign Up Genius Link, please make sure to do so as soon as possible. If you need me to re-send you the link, please let me know. Thank you!

Report cards will be emailed home to families beginning on Tuesday.

Students have earned a class reward for working together and making good choices over first quarter! We will be having a pizza party on Wednesday. Please send in $2.00 to help cover the cost of pizza. I will be purchasing drinks and cookies for the children as well.  Thank you!

The book fair will be taking place this week and next week. Our class will be visiting to preview the books on Tuesday and purchases may be made beginning on Wednesday.

There will be no school on Friday, October 31st. Our Halloween party will be held on Thursday, October 30th.

Class Updates:

In math, we will be beginning Chapter 3 which covers division concepts. This week we will focus on fact families and relating division to multiplication. We will also review the basic steps to solving long division problems.  It will be helpful for students to review their basic facts in division, as they will be using them regularly throughout the chapter.

In reading, we are learning that good readers ask questions before, during, and after reading to aid in comprehending texts. We will continue to work on questioning by exploring the difference between literal and inferential questions. In writing, we will be doing a fall themed project that helps review synonyms and antonyms. Students will also celebrate finishing their personal narratives by having a "gallery walk" with the other fifth grade classes.  They will have the opportunity to read each's other published pieces and leave positive comments for each other. Our next big unit will be informational writing.

In social studies, we will be starting a project to wrap up our unit on Native Americans. Students will be working in partners to research a specific region or group of Native Americans. Students will use text books, library books, and websites to gather facts. Once they have finished researching, they will create an online book through a website called Story Jumper and present what they have learned to their classmates.

Last week, we met with our second grade buddies to continue to learn about the military. Students listened to a story about the Navy and recorded facts they learned to add to a display in the hall. Buddies also finished projects to see what they had in common with each other and to share some of their favorite things about themselves. Check out some of their finished work:

Chapter 2 Math Help

Here are a few links that are helpful for studying for our Chapter 2 Math Test on Thursday:

Turtle Head Method for Multiplication

Estimating Products Example

Distributive Property

Powers

Class Update 10/5/14

Important Reminders:

Parent-Teacher Conferences - I will be emailing a link for parent-teacher conference sign-ups this week.  We will be using the website Sign Up Genius for this process again this year.  Conferences will be held on Monday, October 27 and Wednesday, October 29.  Please sign up early to have the best selection of available time slots.  Thank you!

Fall Weather - The weather is beginning to change and fall is in the air!  Please make sure your child comes to school prepared for outdoor recess.  We will continue to go outside whenever possible, so a jacket may be needed on cooler days.

Class Updates:

In math, we have been working hard on writing powers to express repeated multiplication problems. The students are also learning how to use powers of ten to simplify the process of multiplying some larger numbers.  We are exploring a variety of methods to compute multiplication problems, including making area models and using the Distributive Property.  This week we will move ahead with estimating products and additional strategies for multiplying large numbers.  Students made prime factorization posters and are playing a variety of games to improve fact fluency.

In reading, we are reviewing all story elements in our reading groups.  In addition, the students are practicing visualizing skills and making connections to what they read.  We are especially focused on making meaningful text-to-world connections.

In writing, the children are finishing up revising their personal narrative drafts.  They have made changes to their stories to ensure they have leads that hook the reader's attention and introduce the setting and characters.  Students have also examined the endings of their writing to ensure they leave their audience with a lasting impression.  The children are utilizing sensory details, dialogue, and strong verbs to elaborate on important parts of the story.  This week we will begin editing for paragraphing and correct spelling and mechanics.

We are learning all about the Native American tribes of North and South America in social studies. So far, we have explored ancient Americans like the Aztecs and the Mound Builders.  Students have compared and contrasted the cultures of the peoples of the Northwest Coast and the Southwest.  We will continue to examine each region of the United States to learn about the homes, food sources, ceremonies, and traditions of the Native Americans of these regions.  Each student has been given a set of blue vocabulary cards to go with the chapter.  Students should be studying the definitions of these words regularly at home.  Please check the homework tab of the blog regularly to see which words students should currently be practicing.

Check out some of our completed My World Projects!