Fifth Grade Times
Welcome Back!
Sept. 2014
We are so excited to be back at school! It is always wonderful to
start the year and energy and enthusiasm are soaring! Students have told us
so many wonderful and exciting things that they have experienced this summer and seem just as thrilled to be back as we are. The 5th grade team
looks forward to working with you this school year in partnership!
Important Dates:
Main Office Phone Number
301-840-8165
Jennifer Peterman
[email protected]
Erin Kleinman
[email protected]
Betsey Wildey
[email protected]
Birthday Reminder:
We are happy to help celebrate
your child’s birthday by having
them bring in a book to read to the
class on their special day! Please
remember that food treats of any
sort and tangible goods are not
permitted in the school.
 September 1st-No
School– Labor Day
 September 4th– Back
to School Picnic
 September 24th– 1/2
day dismissal at 1 pm
 September 25th– No
School– Rosh Hashanah
Curriculum 2.0 Skills
Students are focusing on collaboration and thinking flexibly while completing all academic tasks. Collaboration is the ability to work with other students to achieve a common goal. Students will practice
working with different groups of students, engaging in leadership roles, listening to all group members’
ideas, and expressing their ideas respectfully. Flexibility is the ability to change or modify thoughts
and plans when exploring new concepts or analyzing information. Students will continue to use both of
these skills in all subjects this quarter.
Please visit the following website for detailed information about what students are learning in the First Marking Period!
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/2.0/parent-newsletters.aspx
Homework
Students are expected to read for a minimum of 30 minutes every night. Please indicate that your child completed the assigned reading by initialing each day in their agenda book. Agenda
books will be checked on Fridays. Students will also be expected to complete 6 practice spelling activities every 2 weeks. They will have opportunities to work on these practice activities in school, but are
expected to complete the activities at home if they are not able to complete them in school. Students
will also receive math homework on a weekly basis. These homework tasks will be centered on deep
thinking, problem solving opportunities, and practicing various math strategies. In addition, all students
should be working on memorizing their multiplication and division basic facts to help ensure success in
math. Thank you for your home support in increasing your child’s learning!
Math
Reading
In September, students will learn strategies for multiplying multi digit by multi digit numbers, how to calculate volume of 3-D objects, and
how to write expressions that represent various
word problems. The vast majority of lessons this
year will be taught in a small group format so that
students have a more personalized learning experience. Please help your child attain success in mathematics by studying multiplication and division facts
nightly! You can also ask your child what they
learned in math, and have them show you a strategy
they learned for solving problems. You might even
learn a new strategy yourself!
Students begin the year by studying adventure
stories. Each student will read an adventure novel, as well as listen to adventure texts, to analyze
plot structure and elements, characteristics of
adventure stories, and how the authors’ descriptions of characters and setting impacts the reader’s feelings about the text. Students will then
begin to study traditional literature at the end
of the month by looking at tall tales that were
told in the United States.
MAP-M
All students will take the Map-M test this month.
This test measures students’ progress in math.
Please check your child’s agenda for the date of
this test, and help ensure success by encouraging
your child to get a good night’s sleep before the
test and to eat a full breakfast!
MAP-R
All students will take the Map-R test this month.
This test measures students’ progress in reading.
Please check your child’s agenda for the date of
this test, and help ensure success by encouraging
your child to get a good night’s sleep before the
test and to eat a full breakfast!
Writing
Students are working on writing an original adventure story. They brainstormed ideas for a
main character, a journey their character would
Students began the school year by examining how to take, and setbacks their character might experimake healthy choices in order to keep their person- ence along their journey. After completing the
al well-being in check. They will then begin their
draft, revising the draft by adding dialogue and
study of forces and motion. They will examine vari- transition words, and editing the draft for comous forces and analyze how to classify the motion of mas, students will begin gathering details to
objects. In addition, students will begin to apply
write an informative piece about a specific enerwhat they have learned about forces and motion to
gy source. This informative piece will be used to
help them complete their first quarter inquiry
their inquiry project.
project.
Science
Social Studies
Students will begin their study of the Revoltuionary
War in September by looking at the economic status of the 13 colonies in the Pre-Revolutionary Time
Period. They will then look at the tensions that led
up the Revolutionary War, including the Boston Tea
Party, the Boston Massacre, the Stamp Act, the
debt from the French and Indian War, and the Intolerable Acts. Students will examine multiple perspectives of colonists during the time period to analyze how conflict occurred.
Inquiry Project
Students will work collaboratively to design an
original amusement park ride. They will consider
forces at work, the motion of the ride, and the
energy sources necessary to power the ride.
They will then write an opinion piece discussing
which energy source would be the most efficient
to power their designed ride, and why. Ask your
child about this project as they develop their
ideas!
Fifth Grade Times