Thursday, May 24th

Announcements and Reminders 

• Thursday, May 24th - The Jungle Book Performance
• Monday, May 28th - School Closed, Memorial Day
• Tuesday, June 5th - Field Day
• Wednesday, June 6th - TJMS Visit (Permission Slip in Thursday Folder)
• Tuesday, June 12th - 5th Grade Success Celebration Ceremony 9:30-11:00
• Friday, June 15th - 5th Grade End of Year Party
• Friday, June 15th - 2 Hour Early Dismissal and Last Day of School

Math 

Focus Standards:

• 5.NBT.B.7- Add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals to hundredths, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used.
• 5.NF.B.7b- Interpret division of a whole number by a unit fraction, and compute such quotients. For example, create a story context for 4 divided by (1/5), and use a visual fraction model to show the quotient. Use the relationship between multiplication and division to explain that 4 divided by (1/5) = 20 because 20 x (1/5) = 4.

This week we will wrap up Unit 9 by revisiting past standards and checking for mastery of operations with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions.

Writing 

Focus Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.5  With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grade 5 here.)
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.6  With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

We will be finalizing our memoirs this week by editing for grammar, punctuation, verb tense, and spelling.  I am so excited about these writing pieces!  I cannot wait for you to read them.  

Reading 

Focus Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.9  Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.5  Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6  Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.

We are finishing up Blood on the River.  This book has been a very interesting read.  The character makes a lot of growth from the beginning of the book to the end and learns valuable lessons about getting along with others and the importance of working with others.  There has also been great information on interactions between settlers and natives.  

Social Studies

Focus Standards:

• SS.500.50.03.a.1 Explain the viewpoints of Patriots and Loyalists regarding British colonial policy after the Seven Years’ War.
• SS.500.50.03.a.2 Identify and sequence key events between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

We have started a new read aloud:  King George What Was His Problem.  This book is written by a former text book writer.  He saved all the juicy stories for a fun, informational book about the Revolutionary War.

Monday, May 14th

Announcements

•  First, a big THANK YOU to all the moms and dads who went to D.C. with us last week.  You were amazing chaperones and I appreciate you giving your time to help with the trip.  
• Wednesday, May 16th - Parent Volunteer Tea at SRES
• Wednesday, May 16th- 7-8 PM  Author Jewell Parker Rhodes will be at C Burr Artz library for a book talk and signing
• Thursday, May 17th - Mid Term Reports in Thursday Folder
• Monday, May 28th - Memorial Day:  School Closed

Math 

Focus Standard:
5.MD.1 - Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step real world problems.

This week we will be revisiting converting between different units of measurement in both the metric and customary systems.

Writing 

Focus Standards:

• W.5.2.c - Text Types and Purposes: Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
• W.5.10 - Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

This week we are, as Lucy Calkins says. "going deep" with our writing as we begin the revising process for our memoirs.  Students are looking for thoughtful messages in their experiences so that they can elaborate on important parts of their narrative to bring their message out in their writing.

Reading 

Focus Standard:
RL.5.2 - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

We are about half way through our novel study of Blood on the River.  The main character Samuel goes through quite a change as he makes the move to the new world.  Ask your student to tell you about some of the difficulties that Samuel has had to overcome.  As we read, we are looking for commonalities between Samuel and other character we have read about and between him and ourselves as well.

Social Studies

Focus Standard:

Describe/explain how early colonists lived and worked.  Understand how the Native Americans were affected by the settlers.

We will be wrapping up our simulation this week.  There have been more interactions with colonists and the natives and increased hostilities between rival colonies as well.  Making a life in the Americas was no easy task.

Friday, May 4th

Happy Star Wars Day; may the 4th be with you!

Announcements and Reminders 

We are finally back to regular schedules and activities this coming week!!  Homework will resume on Monday.  In addition, there are quite a few events coming up, including some author visits to our great city, so please mark the following dates on your calendar:

• Thursday, May 10th - Field Trip to the National Museum of the American Indian
• Friday, May 11th - Spring Fling!
• Saturday, May 12th  1 PM Authors Mark Barnett and Jon Klassen will be at C Burr Artz Library (Great for younger siblings; although, we really enjoyed a couple of these picture books for morning meeting too!)
• Wednesday, May 16th, Volunteer Luncheon
• Wednesday, May 16th, 7 PM Author Jewell Parker Rhodes will be at C Burr Artz Library to promote her newest book Ghost Boys.  Several students in our class read her last book, Towers Falling.

Regarding our field trip on Thursday:  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.  Eat a hearty breakfast; lunch will be at 2 at East Potomac Park on the way home.  Other attractions that we can visit are the National Air and Space Museum and the Botanical Gardens.

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

Volunteer Opportunity:  SRES is looking for volunteers for Spring Fling and to serve on next year's executive board.  Our PTA provides so much for the students, school, and staff; please consider helping out.

Math 

Focus Standards:

• 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.
• 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.

This coming week we will wrap up Unit 8.  We will look at graphing growth over time using coordinate grids and review classifying shapes.  The unit test will be Friday, May 11.

Writing 

Focus Standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. 

We will continue using the skills we developed in narrative and informational writing to craft our memoirs.  Our lessons will also focus on sentence structure and how to punctuate the complex sentences we are using to add variety and interest to our pieces.

Reading 

Focus Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.5  Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6  Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.

We are focusing on chapters 11- 15 this week in our class novel, Blood on the River.  Students are studying the author's craft as we focus on the standards mentioned above.  We worked on the responses for chapters 1-4 together in Google Classroom; on Monday the students will respond to chapters 5-10 for a reading grade.

Social Studies

Our simulation is coming along very well.  I hope your student has been talking to you about it.  This activity helps students gain the understanding of how the early colonists lived as well as their impact on the neighboring native tribes.  We will be coming to the end of the activity in the next couple of weeks.  It has been a truly enriching experience.