Welcome Back 2021

 

Welcome Families!

It is so good to have all the scholars back in person.  Thank you for supporting your student in their journey back to a somewhat normal educational setting.  We are masked; we wipe down everything, and we sign in when seated closer than 3 feet.  The new normal...  

At the start of the year, I sent home a copy of my course syllabus with routines, grading policy, and contact information.  You can find a copy of it by clicking here.  I also hope to see you virtually at our Back to School Night on Thursday, September 9th at 6 PM.  See the parent newsletter for times and meet links:  Parent Newsletter

What's Coming Up?

6th Grade:

The sixth graders are reviewing the sign posts that authors use to alert readers to themes and messages in their writing.  They are also beginning their first novel of the year, Bud, Not Buddy, a coming of age novel set during the American Great Depression.  For more on Bud, check out this Goodreads Review.  Books are available for students in quarantine; I have left copies up in the office with Ms. Tucker.

5th  Grade:

The fifth graders are learning about the sign posts that authors use to help alert readers to themes and messages in their writing.  These scholars will begin the year examining primary source documents from the Lewis and Clarke expedition in order to gain an understanding of Native American culture before starting their first novel of the year, Thunder Rolling in the Mountains, a story told from the point of view of Chief Joseph's daughter detailing her tribes' exodus from Wallowa.  If you are interested in learning more about this book, check out Goodreads.  

Questions or Concerns?

The phone in my classroom does not ring through properly.  It is in the process of getting fixed.  If you have questions or concerns, please email me at melissa.anzick@fcps.org.  We can set up a conference online, or I can call you if you need to talk over an issue.  Please, reach out.  No question or problem is too small.

April 14th 2021

 

Quarter 4 is here!

It is hard to believe that we are three quarters of the way through the year.  Your scholars have done such an exemplary job of handling the rigors of virtual and hybrid learning.  Please make sure to praise your kiddo for the resilience they are showing in these unprecedented times.  For those students who are struggling, I am very flexible and willing to work around anxieties and stresses of juggling Meets and assignments; please reach out and let me know how I can best support your student if they need some extra TLC.

5th Grade Update
We are working our way through The Boys' War, an informational text about young boys who served during the US Civil War.  It has been an interesting study. The standards we have been focusing on are identifying main ideas and the details that support the ideas, summarizing text, identify a writer's claims and the reasons and evidence that support the claims. We will wrap that text up in another week and then head back into literary text as we read The River Between Us, a historical novel about a family living through the Civil War.  Our overarching question is "How did the Civil War affect the people of the time?"  If you have not picked up these books for your student, please do so as soon as possible.  They are available here at school.

Current Lessons

6th Grade Update

The 6th graders have finished reading the novel, Blood on the River and are getting ready to transition to Written in Bone, a documentation of a recent archeological dig of Jamestown.  The overarching question for this module is Which had a greater impact on the development and downfall of Jamestown:  social factors or environmental factors?  We have been working on the standards of identifying theme and will begin to make the switch to informational standards of determining the main idea and supporting details, identifying a writer's argument and the evidence to support the argument, as well as developing and supporting our own arguments in writing.  Students will need a copy of the informational text for next week's lessons.  They are available for pick up at school.  We will begin the new text Monday, April 19th.  Hybrid students will get their books when they are in the building for instruction; there is no need to come pick up a copy if your scholar is in the hybrid group.

Current Lessons

Week of February 15th

 

Welcome Hybrid!

I am excited to finally meet some of our scholars in person this week.  As we adjust to a new schedule and new procedures, there are bound to be a few problematic moments; thank you in advance for your flexibility and understanding.  Adjustments will need to be made in the schedule to accommodate mask breaks and preparation for recess/lunch.  I will make sure that our virtual scholars are aware of any changes.  This week will be another big step in our adventures in learning together.

5th Grade Lessons

Our 5th Graders are working their way to the end of The Phantom Tollbooth.  This week we will be working with chapters 12-14.  Learning how to summarize literary text and identify possible themes in literature will continue to be a major focus in this module.  Scholars are also working on summarizing literary text using the Somebody Wanted But So Then... framework.  The song linked will be a way to review and remember this strategy to use independently.  The scholars will also be working on their writing as they craft their own chapter for Milo (the main character of their novel).  Please make sure to check your scholar's Schoology to assure that they are up to date on their assignments.

5th Grade Work Planner with new Hybrid Schedule

6th Grade Lessons

The 6th Graders have finished reading The Odyssey and will begin their new novel, Blood on the River next week.  Students who will be coming into the building for instruction will get their novels from me.  Those families who are continuing to learn virtually will need to come up to school this week to return The Odyssey and pick up Blood on the River to be ready for instruction on Monday, February 22nd.  Scholars are working intensely on their writing this week.  They started writing their own Hero' Adventure or Monomyth last week.  This week's lessons will focus on building in pacing and vivid description to engage the reader.  We will then look at the Narrative Rubric to see where revisions and edits need to be made before submitting the final draft on Friday afternoon.  Please check in with your scholar to see how their writing is coming along.  I have been reading some great stories so far.  Many students are taking advantage of writing conferences with me to get advice or feedback on how to improve their writing or how to express what they want to say.  If your scholar seems to be struggling, let me know.

6th Grade Work Planner with New Hybrid Schedule

Week of January 11th

 

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

It has been so nice to have some sunshine this weekend; this seems like a winter of grey, rainy days.  Your scholars brighten each day, though!  I was excited to get back to them after break.  We are wrapping up quarter 2 this month.  It is a good time to check with your student to see what work, if any, needs to be completed before grades are due on January 27th.  You can find assignments by having your scholar open up their English (6th grade) or Reading (5th  grade) course in Schoology.  Click on grades in the left hand column menu.  All assignments will be listed a dash or an orange hexagon identifies work not completed.  Grades and feedback are listed for completed work.  If there are any excused assignments, they will be marked with a green hexagon.  Thank you for your support!!

This week we will be checking progress with iReady mid year assessments.  Please pay close attention to the schedule changes due to testing.  Remind scholars to be patient and read questions carefully as they test.  Again, thank you for your support!

5th Grade

This week 5th graders will be analyzing figurative language and character development in chapters 4-6 of The Phantom Tollbooth.  If you have not picked up your scholar's copy of the text from school, the text is available as a digital copy in the weekly lessons and in the Reading Course in Schoology.  The story is quite amusing; have your student share some of the events and word play with you.

5th Grade Planner

5th Grade Lessons Slide Show

6th Grade

This week scholars are continuing to study the monomyth or hero's journey as they read Gillian Cross' adaptation of The Odyssey.  We will be analyzing the sections titled Nausicaa and Odysseus the Beggar.  If you have not picked up your scholar's copy of The Odyssey from school, your scholar can access the text in their English course.  As we look at how Odysseus grows and changes through his journey, we are also analyzing the writer's craft.  After wrapping up this novel, scholars will be working on writing their own hero's journey narrative.

6th Grade Planner

6th Grade Lessons Slide Show

Week of January 4th - Happy New Year!

Week of January 4th

It is hard to believe that we are already in January.  Thank you for all of your support and for your thoughtful Christmas gifts and wishes.  I hope you were able to connect with family over the holiday; I really enjoyed seeing some of my family, but it was a much smaller gathering for sure!  Please keep on top of the FCPS information regarding hybrid instruction; with COVID metrics changing, the county is making changes to the hybrid plans that were in line to start quarter 3.

Special Reminder:  I have doctor's appointments on both Monday and Wednesday and have left Asynchronous plans for those days; scholars will need to check their planner in the Schoology English (6th grade) or Reading (5th grade) Course for assigned work.  I will be available both afternoons for small group instruction and for individual student needs.

5th Grade Instruction

Focus Standards for the Week:

• Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
• Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

This week we will continue with our novel, The Phantom Tollbooth.  Scholars will work on understanding and interpreting idioms.  They will also focus on the sensory details that the author uses to help engage the reader.  To demonstrate their understanding of sensory details, the scholars will practice using sensory details in a personal narrative writing piece of our own.  As we discuss the chapters this week, students need to continue to quote the text when explaining what is happening in the story or when sharing inferences or ideas they have developed about the story.  Please encourage your scholar to reference their text when you have discussions at home about their reading.   This is a fun read!  If you would like to read along, there is a digital copy here:   https://mrkingrocks.com/files/phantom.pdf

5th Grade Work Planner

5th Grade Lessons

6th Grade Instruction

Focus Standards for the Week:

• Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

We are quickly making progress through Gillian Cross' adaptation of Homer's Odyssey.  As we move through the story, we are examining the monomyth genre - the hero's journey.  Scholars are reviewing the events in the story and comparing them to the typical story arch of the monomyth.  This week we will look at the difference between hubris and humility and examine the difference between disappointment and failure as well as we look closely at the character of Odysseus and discuss possible themes of the myth.  In addition, we will examine the roles of narration and dialogue to determine their importance in developing the narrative more fully.  If you are interested in reading along, there is a digital copy available in the Schoology Course.  

6th Grade Work Planner

6th Grade Lessons

Week of December 7th

 Wrapping Up and New Beginnings!

Hello families!  

    This week we will wrap up our first novels in both 5th and 6th grade.  The new novels for Module 2 are already available for pick up at FCCS.  You may also turn in your student's copy of the novel from module 1 at that time if you like.  Your scholars have made so much growth during this first module.  I am so excited about seeing them apply the skills they have learned in speaking and writing to this next set of novels.   

    IMPORTANT NOTE:  Digital Notebooks will be turned in by Friday.  We will start a new notebook for Module 2 next week.  Whether we are hybrid or fully virtual, we will continue to use the digital notebook to make it easier to keep track of our work.

5th Grade

The 5th grade will be finishing up their Thunder Rolling in the Mountains book by Friday.  Please make sure you pick up The Phantom Tollbooth this week from FCCS.  We will start reading it on Monday, December 14th.

This week we will be looking back at our essential question:  How does a person's culture affect how their perception and reaction to events going on around them?  We will look closely at characters and the plot of our novel to share our feelings and thoughts about this question.

5th Grade Lesson Slides

5th Grade Planner for the Week

6th Grade

This week sixth grade scholars will be writing an essay to show their comprehension of our novel, Bud, Not Buddy.  They will be analyzing the main character's (Bud's) growth over the period of the story.  In addition, they will be analyzing the characters and events that contributed to the Bud's growth.  This essay will be written in the digital notebook and must be completed by the end of the week.  We will start background for our new novel on Friday this week.  Students will need the hard copy of the book by Monday when their first reading assignment will be given.  Please make sure to get up to FCCS for your scholar's copy of The Odyssey.

6th Grade Lesson Slides

6th Grade Planner for the Week

Thanksgiving Week

 Happy Holiday!  

I know that this year has been a year of challenges and trials, but hopefully, you have found many reasons to be thankful as well.  This year I have learned to be thankful for the simple things like having time to make a hot breakfast every morning, wearing jeans to work, teaching barefoot, having my dog in class, teaching on the go (Seattle and Ocean City), and video meetings with each of you are just a few of those small things.  Would I rather be in class with your scholars?   Absolutely, I would prefer being in person; however, I appreciate the ability we have to learn and grow while still keeping ourselves safe.  Thank you for the support you give to me and to your students as well.  I am very grateful for each of you and for your sweet kiddos; they make my day.  I will continue to look for things to be thankful for as we move forward; I hope you do too.

5th Grade

The students are really doing a great job with class discussions about character motives, mood, and plot.  This week will be short but nonetheless busy.  We will be analyzing Sound of Running Feet's interactions with the settlers and her reactions to them and their ways.  Students should be up to chapters 13 and 14 by now.   I have started setting aside the last day of each week as a Catch Up Day for assignments.  This week's catch up day will be Tuesday.  Please check with your student to make sure they have completed all 4 of the assignments for the quarter so far.  Assignments are listed in the planner on Tuesday's To Do.  Students can also click the grades link in the course menu to see their work as well as grades and feedback.

5th Grade Planner

Lesson Slides/Notes

6th Grade

We are quickly wrapping up Bud, Not Buddy.  This week we will compare Bud's experience with jazz music and the band to our experience listening to jazz.  We will also do a quick comprehension check of chapters 16 and 17.  Please check with your scholar to make sure they are up to date on assignments.  I have started allowing students to get started on their work in class so that I am available to answer questions and give support for writing.  I will continue to keep this up moving forward.  I have also started setting Fridays aside as a Catch Up Day for work.  This week's catch up day will be Tuesday.  Please check with your student to make sure they have completed all 3 of the assignments for the quarter so far.  Assignments are listed in the planner on Tuesday's To Do.  Students can also click the grades link in the course menu to see their work as well as grades and feedback.

6th Grade Planner

Lesson Slides/Notes