Thursday, Nov 1st

Announcements/Reminders 

• Monday, November 5th - School Closed
• Tuesday, November 6th - School Closed
• Wednesday, November 7th - School Opens 4 hours late (Conferences in the evening)
• Thursday, November 8th -  School Opens 4 hours late (Conferences in the evening)
• Friday, November 9th - School Closes 3 1/2 hours early (Conferences in the afternoon)

Reading 

Focus Standards:

• RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• 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 have been working on identifying themes in literature or "finding the heart of the story".  For a look at how I am teaching theme, check out this video:  Teaching Theme

Writing

Focus Standards:

• L.5.2.b - Conventions of Standard English: Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence.
• L.5.1.a - Conventions of Standard English: Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences.
• W.5.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

The students are putting the final edits on their personal narratives.  We have been working on sentence structure and adding variety to our writing with more complex sentence structures.  We are also working on using proper punctuation, especially when using dialogue.

Thursday, October 24th

Announcements/Reminders 

• Monday, November 5th - School Closed
• Tuesday, November 6th - School Closed
• Wednesday, November 7th - Friday, November 9th -Fall Conferences (School is Open with Half Day Schedules) 
• Conference Sign Up Link:  Click Here

Reading 

Focus Standards:

• RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• 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 continuing to work with literary text.  Our discussions focus on identifying key events to summarize the text and on identifying signposts to determine what the author is trying to tell us about the character or plot.

Writing

Focus Standards:

• W.5.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
• W.5.3.b - Text Types and Purposes: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.

This week we are finalizing our story ideas making sure that we have a clear message for our readers and that the message is conveyed through the events and other elements in our writing.

Thursday, October 11th

Reminders and Announcements 

• Mid Term Progress Reports Home Today
• Please send a water bottle to school with your student.  We no longer have fountains in the classroom and the kids get thirsty after recess.  The line at the fountain in the hall is long.

Reading

Focus Standards

•  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.
• RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

We are continuing to identify key events in our narrative reading and explain the importance of those events by showing how they help us understand the characters, plot, or theme.  Reading Groups are now reading novels or anthologies.  As we read, we are practicing note taking skills to assist us in our comprehension and discussions.  

Writing

Focus Standards

• W.5.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
• 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.

Monday through Thursday we are continuing to work on our narrative writing.  Next week we will continue to work on bringing out the heart of the story and bringing forth the story arc.

On Fridays we are writing to respond to reading.  The point of response writing is to help students learn how to communicate and support their thougths about their reading and to proficiently respond to a given prompt.  Some weeks we will write a traditional response paragraph or mini essay.  Other weeks we will respond more creatively.  Tomorrow we will try Black Out Poetry for the first time as a creative way to bring out a message or theme.

Thursday, October 4th

Reminders and Announcements 

• Tomorrow, Friday, October 5th - Mid Term and 2 Hour Early Dismissal
• Friday, October 12 - Mobile Dentist at SRES

If you missed picture day, don't worry.  All children's pictures were taken and you can order copies with this link:  Online Picture Order

Reading 

Focus Standards

• RL.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• 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 will be working with these two standards using novels in small group in addition to our class novel.  Mrs. Johnson's homeroom is working with the novel The Crossover by Kwame Alexander and Ms. Anzick's homeroom is working with Wonder.  We are focusing on understanding how to identify key events and why those events are so important using Sign Posts (see last week's blog for more on this).  As students are ready, we will also be looking at analyzing character and theme as well as author's craft.  For a look at author's craft see the reference below.

A look at Authors Craft with Kwame Alexander

Writing 

Focus Standard
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.

This week we will approach another bend in our writing as we look at finding the heart of the story, the message or theme they want to share with their readers.  Our lessons will focus on how to develop a personal narrative that reads like a story and engages the reader by bringing them into the story.  You can take a look at your student's work by asking them to show you their working document.  At this point, we are NOT deleting anything.  While we may choose to start over, further down the document, as part of the revision process, I want students to keep all writing to refer back to for good parts or essential ideas.

Math Helpers

Some of you have requested references for the strategies we use to teach multiplication and division in math.  The Unit newsletters have helpful links, however, I have included two videos below that may help as well.

Box Method Multiplication

Area Method for Division