Newsletter
LANGUAGE ARTS
In Reading, we completed our study on
heroes. We continued to look at author’s
perspective and how that influences how
information is delivered. In addition, we
wrapped up our theme of “To be a Hero” by
creating new cover art for a short story which
had that theme. All students completed their
novel study and greatly enjoyed the books for
this round! We will get started on our new novel
studies this week! Lastly for reading, we just
began our new unit on Survival. We’ve already
begun to read a new anthology story about a
man named Chris McCandless who wanted to
test his personal limits to see if he could
survive in the Alaskan Wilderness.
In writing, we spent a great deal of time
on Informative writing and the process that is
required when writing an informative piece. We
began with research and note taking. Students
identified specific information about energy
sources and drafted a business letter for the
purpose of persuading the teachers to use their
source for their roller coasters. Using a
detailed organizer, students prepared for their
writing by organizing their research in a
sequence that made sense to their topic. The
final phase was transferring that outline into a
well-written, multi-paragraph letter on energy
sources. The letters were very convincing and
original!
Math Info:
In Compacted 5.6 math, students are
finishing up the 5th grade
curriculum. On Monday 11/9 all
three classes started with the
beginning of Math 6. During this
unit, students will investigate the
concepts of ratio and rate. We will
use multiple forms of ratio language
and ratio notation and make
connections between ratios and
fractions. Finally, students will
reason about multiplication and
division to solve ratio and rate
problems.
Science & Social Studies
During Social Studies, the students
continued to study different viewpoints.
First, they analyzed primary and
secondary source documents related to
the Boston Massacre and determined
who they felt was to blame for the
event. Second, the students evaluated
viewpoints of Patriots, Loyalists, and
Neutralists during pre-Revolutionary
War time. Finally, the students
participated in a debate where Patriots
and Loyalists tried to convince
Neutralists to join their cause.
In Science the students chose an energy
source to power a roller coaster. They
wrote business letters to persuade theme
parks to “buy” their roller coaster after
they explained why their chosen energy
source would work the best. Lastly,
students worked collaboratively in
groups to roller coasters and create
Google Slides presentations summarizing
all they had learned during the first
marking period.
Halloween Party
Thank you to all of our Room
Parents, parent volunteers, and visitors
that made the Halloween parade and
celebrations a success. The children had
a great time and really enjoyed the
snacks, games, and crafts. We really
appreciate all of the extra time and
effort you put in to make the children’s
last Halloween party a success!
Grandparent’s Day
We are looking forward to
meeting grandparents on this
special visitation day: November
25th from 9:30-11:00. Please
make sure grandparents know the
name of their child’s homeroom
teacher.
Some upcoming events:
November 2 – No School for Students
November 3 – Beginning of the Second
Marking Period
November 11 & 12 – Early Release Days
for Students; Parent-Teacher Conferences
November 12 – Report cards sent home
November 16 – Blue & White Assembly –
9:15-10:45
November 17 – Student portrait make-ups
November 19 – Artist in Residence
November 25 – Early Release Day for
Students; Grandparent’s Day – 9:30-11:00
November 26 & 27 – No School –
Thanksgiving Holiday
Contacting the teacher:
If you need to contact the fifth grade
teachers, email is the fastest method.
Emily Bizzell
[email protected]
Robin Weber
[email protected]
Stephanie Wilhelm
[email protected]
(There are underscores between each
part of the name.)
Parent/Teacher Conferences:
November 11th-12th are the
scheduled days for parent-teacher
conferences. There were sign-up sheets at
Back to School Night. If you were unable
to sign up for a conference, please contact
your child’s homeroom teacher to schedule
one. Please help teachers to stay on
schedule by honoring time limits. Finally,
to coordinate with parent-teacher
conferences, the PTA will be hosting their
book fair November 9th-13th.
**In order to save paper, our monthly
newsletters will be sent electronically. If you
prefer to receive a hard copy of the newsletter,
please contact your homeroom teacher. Thank
you!!**