Thursday, April 19

Announcements and Reminders 

Friday, April 20th - Report Cards Issued and Thursday Folders coming home

Tuesday, April 24th through Thursday April 26th - PARCC ELA Testing (afternoons)

Monday, April 30th and Tuesday, May 1st - PARCC Math Testing (morning)

Tuesday, May 1st - Panoramic Picture of entire 5th Grade 

Thursday, May 10th - Field Trip to the National Museum of the American Indian

Permission slips will be coming home soon for our trip to Washington DC.  We will need to leave before school starts to make our first group's scheduled tour.  Buses will pull out at 8:30.  We will meet here between 8 and 8:15, and breakfast will be provided for those who need it.  We are also in need of chaperones; we 'd love to have you with us!  Other attractions that we can visit are the National Air and Space Museum and the Botanical Gardens.

We are in need of gently used books for our school-wide spring book give away.  Thanks!

Math

Focus Standards :

5.G.B.3 - Understand that attributes belonging to a category of two-dimensional figures also belong to all subcategories of that category. For example, all rectangles have four right angles and squares are rectangles, so all squares have four right angles.

5.G.B.4 - Classify two-dimensional figures in a hierarchy based on properties.

We will begin to focus on the geometry standards for unit 8 as well as review essential skills and understandings for PARCC testing.

Writing 

We have read excerpts from some excellent memoirs and are starting to gather our own ideas for writing a memoir ourselves.  On the days we do not test, we will begin the memoir writing process.

Reading 

We will be reading and discussing Blood on the River, our class novel, on the days we do not have PARCC testing.  Ask your student about the book!  It is a really great story and is helping us have a deeper understanding of what life was like for the early colonists in America.

Social Studies

Our simulation is going well.  Most groups are getting close to landing in America.  This week we had some fierce storms and lost a ship.  We also saw some beautiful weather with strong breezes that helped others cover many miles.  Some crews are running low on food and have had to resort to using the livestock for meals; life is tough at sea!  Check in with your students and ask them how their journey is going.

Thursday, April 12th

Announcements and Reminders 

• Friday, April 13th - Shrek Permission Slips and Trip Fees Due for Shrek
• Wednesday, April 18th - Shrek, The Musical at OHS
• Friday, April 20th - Report Cards Issued
• Tuesday, April 24th through Wednesday April 26th - PARCC ELA Testing (afternoons)
• Monday, April 30th and Tuesday, May 1st - PARCC Math Testing (morning)

Math 

Focus Standards

• Use a pair perpendicular number lines, called axes, to define a coordinate system, with the intersection of the lines (the origin ) arranged to coincide with the 0 on each line and a given point in the place located by using an ordered pair of numbers, called its coordinates.
• Represent real world and mathematical problems by graphing points in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane, and interpret coordinate values of points in the context of the situation.

We have started working with plotting points on coordinate planes this week and will continue to work on this skill in the week to come.  We will also use the week to work through PARCC activities to prep for the testing to come.

Writing 

We have started studying Memoirs this week to get an understanding of characteristics of this new type of writing.  Next week we will continue analyzing memoirs for characteristics, and in addition we will do some comparing and contrasting of techniques used by the authors to share the message or theme of the memoir. 

Reading 

• RL1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• RL4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
• RL5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem

We will be reading our novel Blood on the River and using text clues to determine the meaning of unknown words.  We will also be looking at character development and how the chapters are used to show us changes or growth in different characters.  If you want to engage your student about the book, try these discussion starters:  https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/blood-river-discussion-guide/

In reading, we will also be looking at the online PARCC practice to help us understand tools and options to use during testing.

Social Studies

Our boats are loaded and we will prepare to set sail tomorrow.  Today the students began a journal to document their experiences.  Ask your student what character they decided  to become for the simulation and what their fears/expectations are for the journey.

Welcome April!! Thursday, April 5th

Reminders and Announcements

Important Dates

• Monday, April 9th - Last Day of Quarter 3
• Tuesday, April 10th - School Closed for Students
• Friday, April 13th - Shrek Permission Slips Due
• Wednesday, April 18th - Shrek, The Musical at OHS
• Friday, April 20th - Report Cards Issued 
• Tuesday, April 24th through Wednesday April 26th - PARCC ELA Testing (afternoons)
• Monday, April 30th and Tuesday, May 1st  - PARCC Math Testing (morning)

Thursday folders will come home tomorrow with the permission slips for Shrek.  Please let me know as soon as possible (Monday at the latest) if you are interested in attending the play.  We have limited seating and may need to do a lottery.

Writing 

We will be working on short constructed responses to our reading next week and will begin to learn about Memoirs the following week so the students can plan what to include in their own memoir writing.

  

Math 

Focus Standards:

• 5.G.A.1 - Use a pair perpendicular number lines, called axes, to define a coordinate system, with the intersection of the lines (the origin ) arranged to coincide with the 0 on each line and a given point in the place located by using an ordered pair of numbers, called its coordinates. Understand that the first number indicates how far to travel in the direction of the second axis, with the convention that the names of the two axes and the coordinates correspond (e.g., x-axis and x-coordinate, y-axis and y-coordinate).
• 5.G.A.2 - Represent real world and mathematical problems by graphing points in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane, and interpret coordinate values of points in the context of the situation.

We will begin Unit 8 next week which focuses on Geometry.  In addition to prepare for PARCC testing, we will begin to look at test release items and review our math understandings and problem solving skills.

Reading 

Focus Standard:

RL10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

We have just begun our next class novel, Blood on the River.  I will be reading the first four chapters aloud and we will have guided discussions together.  The remaining chapters will be read independently and  we will have group discussions centered on character, plot, theme, and determining the meaning of new vocabulary.

Social Studies

Tomorrow we begin packing our boats to sail to America!!  On our journey over seas, we will learn about the hardships and trials of the first colonists.  We are all looking forward to the journey.