Updates and announcements
Ms. White and I would like to
thank you all for the wonderful gifts! Our hearts are full and we greatly
appreciate the support from all of you. It takes a village and we couldn’t do what
we do without the support from home.
Welcome back! Our sleepy
students are shuffling into class as I write. They had a well-earned break and are
ready to start our third quarter!
Please check the calendar for
important dates and wish list for things we may need.
Our week in learning
This week, students will review their
knowledge of classifying and diagramming skills, and add a new skill to their
toolbox: identifying and diagramming indirect objects! They will have a
homework packet sent home on Monday from which they should select two whole
problems to complete each night, turning it in each day to show completion, and
due Thursday for a full grade.
Additionally, the beginning of the
third quarter also marks the beginning of our next project! Our fifth graders
will embark on their first research paper at the end of this week! Students
will randomly select an explorer to research and write about. We will be
researching on computers over the next few weeks, but students will also be
required to use at least one book as a source, and they will need to bring that
research to class daily throughout the duration of this project. They should
have their assignments by this weekend. Please look out for a project packet
and signature page coming home this weekend.
In science this week, students will begin their quarter-long unit
on plants. We will begin by reviewing parts of the cell that students are
familiar with, and taking notes on organelles unique to plant cells. Students
will make flashcards for homework this week and will be allowed to use their
flashcards on their plant cell quiz on Thursday.
This week in history, students will start to learn about the age
of exploration. We will cover the importance of the Spice Islands, ways
explorers were able to navigate, and the Portuguese explorers. Please note that
we will be covering slavery and the middle passage later in the unit. I
encourage discussion at home on this sensitive topic.
In math this week, we will begin with a review of semester one,
then move on to a very brief unit on ratio. There will be no math groups this
week.
