Updates and announcements

We have an exciting quarter ahead of us! Most of our exciting and fun things happen after AZMerit. It will be a wonderful reward for a job well done. Just a preview, we have a second field trip to the Capitol in May, a tour of the Prep side sometime at the end of April or May, and Fifth Grade Promotion on May 22^nd!

Thank you for your patience with the slightly increased homework. We are doing our best to make sure students are not overloaded, but still practice enough to feel good for the AZMerit. We want our fifth graders to feel confident in demonstrating the fifth grade state standards, or things all fifth graders should know by the end of fifth grade.

Our week in learning

Students have learned all of the idioms in our curriculum! We may use this time to catch up on some that we missed.

Students will learn about the roots hyper, hypo, super, and sub. There will be a routine roots quiz over these next week.

Students will recite “Jabberwocky” on 4/3.

In Literature, we will read through chapter 3 in “Across Five Aprils”. Students should be mindful to keep up to date on their journal entries.

In Writing and Grammar, students will continue working on reading passages and answering questions for comprehension. This week, we will focus on scientific texts, analyzing informational texts, analyzing texts across genres, and review fictional texts. Also on Friday, students will take a practice AZMerit Writing test on the computers. This is their final practice run before their AZMerit Writing test on 4/5, so no help will be given.

This week in science, students will continue learning about the different bones in the human body in preparation for a quiz on Friday. The quiz will only be over location on the skeleton, not over the functions. We will also study different types of joints in the human body and where they are located. We will end the week by beginning our study of muscles in the human body. Students should be prepared for a brief quiz over muscles next Thursday.

This week in History, students will discuss various aspects of the War after its inception. Topics will include President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Generals Lee, Jackson, and Grant, and the everyday life of soldiers during the War including the invention of the draft and the Union’s inclusion of African American soldiers.

In math, we will finish a unit on Data Analysis. This week, students will continue learning about pie charts and review. Their test over Data Analysis will be on Thursday. ALL workbook homework assignments will be half of every type of problem. We will have Math Groups most weeks until the end of the quarter. Math groups will be on Wednesday, 8:00-9:15.

Updates and announcements

I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful Spring Break! Mine was spent cuddling with my cats and working on several small quilting projects. I am at that time in my life when many of my friends and colleagues are having babies, so many adorable baby quilts are in the works.

Be sure to check your email for a family survey from Great Hearts.

The tutoring schedule will be the same this quarter up until AZMerit, then we will reevaluate the needs of our students.

Our week in learning

This week, students will learn about the idiom “What will be will be”.

Students will learn about the roots ana, duco, ago, and pendo. There will be a routine roots quiz over these next week.

Students will learn about the poem “Jabberwocky” on 3/20. The recitation will be on 4/3.

In Literature, we will start learning about the dialect in “Across Five Aprils”. Students will start reading on Wednesday, 3/20. Please send in the copy of the book as soon as possible.

In Writing and Grammar, students will continue working on reading passages and answering questions for comprehension. This week, we will focus on informational texts regarding articles, persuasive texts, and historical texts. We will review the essay outline format and there will be a short quiz on Friday. Also on Friday, students will take a practice AZMerit ELA test on the computers.  

This week in science, we will be starting our unit on human anatomy with the skeleton. Students will begin by learning about the different types of tissue that make up bones. We will then study the different bones in the human body.

This week in History, we will continue our unit on the American Civil War and see how the War began with the battles of Fort Sumter and Bull Run. We will discuss the Union’s strategy, put forth by General Scott, and its attempted execution in the east by General McClellan. We will discuss figures such as General Robert E. Lee and the different goals of the Union and Confederacy that determined many of their actions early in the War.

In math, we will start a unit on Data Analysis. This week, students will learn about mean, median, mode, histograms, line graphs, and pie charts. ALL workbook homework assignments will be half of every type of problem. There will be no math groups. Math groups will be sparse this quarter due to AZMerit prep

Updates and announcements

Our field trip to the Renaissance Fair is tomorrow! Students should bring only a backpack to school to hold their lunch, water bottle, and sunscreen. They can also bring a camera and up to $20 for souvenirs or snacks. STUDENTS MUST BRING THEIR OWN PACKED LUNCH. Students are not to buy any weapons, including the wooden swords.

Our week in learning

This week, students will learn about the idiom “Well begun is half done”.

The roots test over #51-75 will be on Wednesday, 3/6.

In Literature, we will finish reading “The Secret Garden”.

In Writing and Grammar, students will review the rubrics with their pets essay on Monday. Students will begin working on reading passages and answering questions for comprehension. This week, we will focus on fiction regarding poetry, drama, and analyzing fiction.

Due to the Renaissance Fair field trip, this is a very short week of science! On Monday, students will be outlining their paragraphs about George Washington Carver. Students will write their final paragraphs on Thursday, and have time to present their writing to their peers on Friday. There will be plenty of in-class time for writing, but unfinished outlines or paragraphs will be assigned as homework on Monday and Thursday, respectively.

This week in History, students will finish learning about the precursors to the American Civil War. Topics include the political differences that began separating the United States into North and South and the life of Abraham Lincoln before he was President. On Monday, students will be given a study guide for the quiz they will have on Friday. This quiz will cover items related to the American Civil War before the War began.

In math, we will finish a short, fun unit on Percentage. Students will solve word problems involving finding percentage of a whole and interest rates or percent discounts with increase and decrease. The test for this unit will be on Friday, 3/8. ALL workbook homework assignments will be half of every type of problem. There will be no math groups. Math groups will be sparse this quarter due to AZMerit preparations.

Updates and announcements

I hope everyone had a wonderful quasi-R&R weekend!

Our field trip to the Renaissance Fair is next Tuesday, March 5^th. Just a reminder that students need to bring a backpack to hold their lunch and any appropriate extraneous items, such as a camera (NOT phone or ipad), sunscreen, or an umbrella. Students MUST pack a lunch to eat and should not buy a lunch at the festival.

Our week in learning

This week, students will learn about the idiom “A watched pot never boils”.

Students will learn review roots 51-75 for their test next Wednesday 3/6. The study guides went home last week and will be due Wednesday, 2/27.

In Literature, we will continue reading “The Secret Garden”. We will continue reading through chapter 24. Students will have a journal entry about every two days. If you have not already done so, please send in a physical copy of “The Secret Garden”.

In Writing and Grammar, students will have a small Writing Workshop day on Monday. Students will use their article outlines from last week on exercise to write either a persuasive or expository essay. Students will review the rubrics with their two essays on Tuesday. Students will do the majority of work in class and the homework will be to finish the classwork assignments. On Friday, students will get to practice writing a whole 5 paragraph essay in one sitting with all of the steps. This will be a Writing Workshop where every student will conference with a teacher between steps.

This week in science, students will learn about the life of scientist and inventor George Washington Carver. They will also learn about primary and secondary sources and begin writing an informative or persuasive paragraph about Carver’s legacy. Students will have ample time to complete their work in class, but will be asked to finish outlining their paragraph as homework on Friday if they do not finish in the class time allotted.

This week in History, students will begin studying the Civil War, including the causes that led up to war. We will begin this large unit with conversations of the state of slavery in the U.S. before the Civil War, growing abolitionist sentiment, and the Missouri Compromise. We will also discuss other differences between the North and South, such as their economic situations. Since this unit will take us well into the 4^th quarter, we will have a large quiz at the end of the third quarter discussing the causes of the Civil War.

In math, we will start a short, fun unit on Percentage. Students will read and interpret percentage of a whole, express a fraction with a denominator of 10 or 100 as a percentage, express a decimal as a percentage and vise versa, express a percentage as a fraction and vice versa, and solve word problems with percentage. ALL workbook homework assignments will be half of every type of problem. There will be no math groups. Math groups will be sparse this quarter due to AZMerit preparations.

Updates and announcements

I hope everyone had a wonderful three-day weekend! Mine was spent sick on the couch and in the ASU library with Mr. Lynch working on my classwork and his dissertation. We can both see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Our field trip is coming up in just two weeks! All of the information was on the permission slip that was sent home. Just a reminder that students must pack a lunch to eat that day. We want to keep the day educational and fair, so we ask that students do not buy their own lunches at the fair as not everyone has the means to do so. Chaperones are more than welcome to buy lunch for themselves. J

It looks like last weekend was an R&R on the Prep side, though none of the Archway calendars reflected that. Fifth grade will work on trying to reduce homework on one of the upcoming weekends.

The "Wish List" items are updated.

Our week in learning

This week, students will learn about the idiom “Vice Versa”.

Students will learn about the roots gradus, plus, akros, and kata. They will be quizzed on these roots next week. Students should expect a similar quiz every week over the previous week’s roots.

In Literature, we will continue reading “The Secret Garden”. We will continue reading through chapter 22. Students will have a journal entry about every two days. If you have not already done so, please send in a physical copy of “The Secret Garden”.

In Writing and Grammar, students will conference with a teacher on their persuasive or informative essay outlines from Friday. They will write a final handwritten draft on Wednesday in class. We will outline two more passages on Thursday and Friday in preparation for another essay the following week. Students will do the majority of work in class and the homework will be to finish the classwork assignment.

We are nearing the end of our botany unit! Study guides will be due the 20th, and our test will be the 21st. Tuesday will be an in-class review day. Because this falls so close to the history test, students have been given ample time to work on their study guide during science to alleviate some of the workload. The science test will be open notes-students may use any of their own notes to help them complete the questions.

This week in History, we will finish our unit on Westward Expansion Before the Civil War. Tuesday will be the last day of formal instruction, when students will discuss the Mormon Trail and the California Gold Rush. On Wednesday, students will discuss readings (read in class) on President Andrew Jackson’s message on Indian Removal in 1830. Study guides are due on Thursday, when we will review the unit, while our test will be administered on Friday.

In math, we will finish a short unit on measures and volumes. Students will solve word problems involving the volume of water in rectangular containers. The test for this unit will be on Thursday, February 22nd. ALL workbook homework assignments will be half of every type of problem. There will be math groups this week on Wednesday, 8:00-9:15. Math groups will be sparse this quarter due to AZMerit preparations.

Updates and announcements

I hope everyone had a restful weekend! We have had family in town for Paul’s last doctoral recital. While it has been wonderful, we are excited to have our quiet house back to ourselves.

Great Hearts Day is this Thursday. We are doing some short teambuilding activities in the afternoon, so we are not in need of any volunteers. It will be a very small classroom event. Please note that we do not hand out store-bought Valentines on this day. Most of the day is spent on academics.

On Thursday, we will be eating lunch with our second grade buddy class and our fifth graders will lead small Socratic discussions on friendship.

Our week in learning

This week, students will learn about the idiom “Tom, Dick, and Harry”.

Students will learn about the roots nonus, decimus, and electron. They will be quizzed on these roots next week. Students should expect a similar quiz every week over the previous week’s roots.

In Literature, we will continue reading “The Secret Garden”. We will continue reading through chapter 19. Students will have a journal entry about every two days. If you have not already done so, please send in a physical copy of “The Secret Garden”.

In Writing and Grammar, students will classify prompts and thesis statements as opinion/persuasive or informative/explanatory. We will also begin formal practice on outlining passages, then using the outline to create an essay outline that aligns with a prompt. Students will do the majority of work in class and the homework will be to finish the classwork assignment.

Students will continue their study of flowering plants and pollination this week, culminating in a plant dissection on Friday! Students will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned about plant anatomy to real plants. There will be a short quiz over parts of the flower on Monday.

This week in History, students will nearly finish our unit on Westward Expansion Before the Civil War. They will understand the various adaptations of transportation that took place, the idea of America’s Manifest Destiny behind their westward march, and the accumulation and exploration of territories such as Texas and the Oregon territory. Students were given study guides for the unit on Thursday, February 7^th. These will be due on Thursday, February 21^st, with the test on Friday, February 22^nd.

In math, we will start a short unit on measures and volumes. Students will convert decimal units into larger and smaller units, and find the volume of rectangular prisms. ALL workbook homework assignments will be half of every type of problem. There will be no math groups this week. Math groups will be sparse this quarter due to AZMerit preparations.

Updates and announcements

Happy week 5! It feels like the quarter is going by so fast!

I notice that many of the math tests with the direction “Correct, sign, return” are not getting corrected, signed, or returned. Starting this week, I will be sending a quick form email to parents whose student needs to complete math test corrections.

Our week in learning

This week, students will learn about the idiom “Time heals all wounds”.

Students will learn about the roots quintus, sextus, septimus, and octavus. They will be quizzed on these roots next week. Students should expect a similar quiz every week over the previous week’s roots.

In Literature, we will continue reading “The Secret Garden”. We will continue reading through chapter 16. Students will have a journal entry about every two days. If you have not already done so, please send in a physical copy of “The Secret Garden”.

In Writing and Grammar, students will learn about predicate adjectives. There will be a short quiz on Thursday.

Students will continue studying the life cycle of plants, starting with gymnosperms and angiosperms. Later in the week we will begin covering the parts of a flower. There will be a short quiz over parts of a flower next Monday, February 11th.

In History, students will gain an understanding of the Louisiana Territory and what Lewis and Clark encountered throughout their journey. They will be able to identify who Sacagawea was and why she was important to the explorers. Students will also present their explorers that were researched and written on in Grammar and Writing. We will end the week with a discussion of the Indian chief Tecumseh, who attempted to unite all Indians against the invading United States.

In math, we will finish our rather lengthy unit on decimals. Students will divide a decimal by 0.1 and 0.01, solve word problems and review. The test for this decimals unit will be on Thursday, 2/7. ALL workbook homework assignments will be half of every type of problem. There will be math groups this Wednesday, 1/23, 8:00-9:15. Math groups will be sparse this quarter due to AZMerit preparations.