September 25th

Wow!  We have been in school for three weeks already.  This week we worked on visualizing or making movies in our minds as we are reading.  We also learned about "Memory Moments."  We read the book Train to Somewhere (Mrs. Faley tried not to cry) and we analyzed the importance of the "Memory Moment" in the story. Ask your fifth grader about "Memory Moments."



In Writers' Workshop this week we have been working on using advanced shifts in our writing.  We analyzed our own writing pieces and looked for the shifts we use most.  We talked about simple action, description, dialogue, inner story, and similes and metaphors. On Friday, we focused on similes and metaphors.  We read the book I Love You the Purplest and wrote our own similes and metaphors.  We wish you could have been in the room to hear the authors in room 14! 

We have been working on area and volume in math this week.  We learned a lot about the responsibilities of fifth grade and homework.  We went to the computer lab today and learned how to find and print our math homework if we forget it at school.  We also learned how to us the online tools to help with our math homework.  You can click on the link below to access all the Everyday Math resources.  Your child's login and password are inside his or her planner.

connected.mcgraw-hill.com

In science this week, we have been learning about the solar system.  We have been focusing on Pluto.  We learned a way to remember the order of the planets. "My very excellent mother just served us nachos."  

In social studies this week, we have been learning how to take notes.  We have been working taking notes quickly and organizing the information we learn.  We have been learning about the Eastern Woodlands Indians.  

Reminders

• Please make sure your child is reading at home for 30 minutes every night.  This time should be logged in his or her planner.
• Math homework should be completed and returned the next day.  A homework rubric was sent home today.  Homework is graded and does count towards your child's grade.
• Picture day is October 2nd.  Order forms came home today in your child's folder.

September 17th

Parents, please remember that tonight is curriculum night!  We will begin at 7:00 p.m. in our classroom (Room 14).

We have been working hard on our biographies (it's a surprise you will see this evening). We cannot wait for you to read them. 

We took our first field trip to Cranbrook on Wednesday.  We learned all about different amphibians and how our water system works.  Ask your 5th grader all about it. Pictures to come soon.

Today was Constitution Day.  We went in a time machine to September 17, 1787.  We were all framers of the constitution representing our states.  We spent some time debating between the "large states" and the "small states."  After our debate, we came up with "The Great Compromise."  We had to explain why "The Great Compromise" was so great.  Ask your 5th grader!

Week 1

We survived the first week!  We spent a lot of time this week getting to know each other and how to work together.  Everyone shared their "Bag it" homework.  We talked about our vision for our classroom and the kind of place we would like our classroom to be.  We created these hands to show our personalities.  

We read the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds and talked about our goals.  We created our own "dots" and added our goals for the school year.

We are learning how to switch classrooms in 5th grade.  We went to Mr. Reed's class for science and did a team building cup activity.  We went to Mrs. Rhode's class for math and created our math notebooks and took our beginning of the year pretest.