News From 5-4
September 3, 2013

Hello 5-4 parents and students! We've had an awesome start to fifth grade the first two weeks of school. For the next couple weeks, we'll continue that excellent learning. Please note that I will be updating the assignments page on our website each night for those who may not have written down all of their assignments. Parents, if you think your child may be missing something, please feel free to look under "For Students" and click on assignments.

A couple reminders:
Field Trip Forms Due- 9/16
Field Trip- 9/20
(We already have 6 parent volunteers for the trip. We can only bring 2, so I will pull names from a hat and let you know. Others can have a chance to chaperone later in the year.)

Here's what will be happening in 5-4 the next couple weeks:

Literacy:
The students are super-excited to begin guided reading. This week they will be introduced to the novel they'll be reading in guided reading groups, as well as routines for all of the key components to our literacy block including: read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, and write about reading. We will focus on the signpost we learned last week, Contrasts and Contradictions, and learn a new signpost, Aha Moments. The students will use these signposts to identify when the author is trying to tell them something important. The will use the anchor questions associated with the signposts to write about what they've read.
During whole class literacy instruction time, we are focusing on plot, setting, story structure, and compare/contrast. These ideas are introduced or reviewed whole class and then used in guided reading groups as well. We are working on subject and predicate including simple and complete subjects and predicates and compound subjects and predicates. We are also working on using commas in a list.

Math:
This week in math we are taking a test on Unit 1: Number Theory. We will finish up this unit working on factor strings and prime factorization. Please don't forget about the wonderful resource www.everydaymathonline.com. Our test will be on Friday, with a review on Thursday. Next week, we'll begin Unit 2: Estimation and Computation. We'll begin with estimation, adding and subtracting whole numbers and decimals, and addition and subtraction number stories.

Social Studies:
Our Chapter 10 history test is tomorrow. Please encourage your child to use his/her study guide and the resources posted on Edmodo in the "Fifth Grade" group to study.  Friday we will begin Chapter 11. We will look closely at several prominent Loyalists and Patriots, as well as examine their key arguments either for or against independence.

WEX: We are continuing to work on "focus" in our writing. The students have been introduced to the four point focus rubric and working to narrow their topic and write about a specific moment. These next two weeks we are working on focusing on details, perspective, setting and sounds. I use outstanding student samples as examples for the class. I also use my own samples to have the class grade using the rubric so they get a better idea of how to score well on the focus rubric.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Kelly O'Kelly