States Games

Fifth graders, this is a fun state game, to stay in practice (parents and big sisters and brothers can play, too).

States Game

Enjoy!

April 21st

Dear 4th and 5th Grade Parents:

STAR testing begins the first week of May, making this an appropriate time to end the 5th grade rotation schedule.

Beginning May 1, 2006 each class will no longer rotate for multiple subjects. Students will continue their learning in their homeroom for the remainder of the year. Please know we will continue to cover all content areas in our homeroom during and after testing.

We have some exciting, fun end of the year field trips and activities to look forward to, to celebrate the students’ hard work this year.

Sincerely,

The Fifth Grade Team
Mrs. Schwartz, Ms. Morioka, Ms. Wilkens, Mrs. Karch


What has been happening in class?

Social Studies:

In Social Studies the fifth graders finished a unit on the beginnings of colonial resistance with Great Britain. The colonies began to govern themselves and use different acts of protest towards the British crown and government. The fifth graders will have a test on Chapter 12 on Monday, April 24th. We will then continue to study the American Revolution and understand the process that was involved in writing the Declaration of Independence. Your child should have received his/her research report back, with a rubric grade. The students will certainly be ready to do a wonderful job with their 6th grade research reports!
The fourth graders have continued to enjoy the social studies academies and are working hard to prepare for the "Gold Rush Day" on June 2nd! The students are almost finished with the novel, BY THE GREAT HORNED SPOON, which correlates beautifully to their history studies. "Gold fever is in the air"!

Reader’s Workshop:

Testing season is here! In just two weeks our favorite students will be proving how much they learned over the course of the year. Before we test them we will be review test taking skills and building our stamina for the test. Part of our review will require test practice at home. On Monday each fifth grader will be given a packet to work on throughout the week, which will be due Friday April 28th. We will not be having a book project this month due to the testing but the reading logs will still need to be turned in on April 28.

Science:

Science has been very rocky lately. We've been studying rocks and minerals, earthquakes and volcanoes, erosion and deposition. The test will be on Friday, April 28. Meanwhile, we have been practicing the testing genre of taking tests in science. We also have been doing an extensive review of both fourth and fifth grade science since 40% of the STAR test is Fourth grade curriculum and 60% is fifth grade curriculum. The students have done an exceptional job with very difficult science concepts and I applaud their hard work and effort!

Writing:

The feature articles have been completed and we are anxiously awaiting the celebrations. Look for the student invitations in the bottoms of the backpacks. Just in case you did not get an invite …. You are cordially invited to attend the publication parties for room B-10 ( Wednesday at 2:25), room B-26 (Wednesday at 10:30), room B-4 (Monday at 11:45).

Math:

Most of the students are learning about either fractions or probablility. Since we are approaching the testing window, we are also reviewing the abundant math concepts we have learned since September. The students have a strong understanding of most of the math standards, they just need to revisit several areas, to stimulate that part of their brain. They seem to have a very confident attitude about math.

Enjoy the weekend!

March

Greeting! Spring Break is just around the corner and we have quite a few deadlines you should be aware of. Thank you for your encouragement and support from home.

Readers Workshop:

This month our favorite readers have been practicing using text organizers to make meaning of non-fiction texts. Text organizers are found throughout non-fiction, from the social studies book to the almanac. Some examples of text organizers include: font size and style, boldface, italics, bullets, colored print, graphics, diagrams, subheadings, summary statements, maps, timelines, and chapter titles. Students have learned quickly that the organizers help us locate information and find the main ideas.

In the week ahead we will be turning our focus to authors craft and style and how they affect the reader. We also continue to practice for the upcoming state tests.

Don’t forget the two important due dates coming up. First, March 31st the reading log is due and lastly April the March book projects are due. Happy reading!


Science:

In science, we are learning about rocks and minerals and different ways to identify them, such as luster, hardness and streak. We have designed a science experiment to see if we can grow our own crystals. We are also discovering how different geographic formations were created and how diverse living things adapt to these different environments. We will be tested on these concepts on Tuesday, April 4th or Wednesday, April 5th. (depending on the rotation)

Writing:

This is our second week of our 4 week Feature Article unit. The students are gathering research and organizing their article into sections using a variety of non-fiction text structures. We will finish research this week, and begin drafting and practicing some non-fiction crafts next week. It is enjoyable to watch and learn from the students! They are excited and doing a wonderful job researching their topics of choice!

When we return from Spring Break, the students will revise, edit and publish their final piece. I am asking that students take their draft home to publish on their computers if one is available. I request that parents assist with typing and formatting only, as the article is graded on their developmental growth in writing. Thank you for your support.
The final article will be due, Friday , April 21.

We will focus on test prep around grammar, punctuation and spelling then moving into Poetry in May.

Social Studies:
In Social Studies we have been working on our Colonial Reports. The students have learned organizational skills, note taking, and research skills. The note taking and research has been done in class to keep their homework to a minimum.
The deadlines for the report are:
The colony section needs to be finished and typed by March 29th.
The specialty section needs to be finished and typed by April 5th.
The entire report needs to be turned in to Mrs. Schwartz in a plastic cover, including the rubric, by April 7th.

**You should be signing the accountability form for each section and your child will be turning it in to Mrs. Schwartz on the dates due.**

We will be starting to learn about the colonists break from Great Britain through forms of rebellion. Mark your children's calendar for a Social Studies Test on Chapter 12 on April 24th


Have A Great Break!
The Fifth Grade Team

Feb. 3, 2006

Happy Friday…. The month of love has arrived and love.. or at least hormones are in the air. As spring approaches the teachers have noticed an increase in the boy/ girl interaction. It might be the right time to discuss with your child what is an appropriate way to hang out with friends from the opposite sex. There has been a few budding romances in the 4th and 5th grade that have been causing a distraction in the learning environment. Please help your child remember the school rules of being appropriate in all of their social interactions.

Puberty Lesson:
The puberty lesson taught by Mr. Callahan and the school Nurse focused on hygiene and the changes the students’ bodies will experiences in the months ahead. Although most students were “grossed out” , everyone was happy to receive the sweet smelling gifts of deodorant and other hygiene products.

Reading:
Ms. Wilkens handed out the latest reading journal this week. Please help your child by reminding them to fill the form out completely to avoid missing Friday Special. The reading logs are due February, 28th, 2006. Speaking of due dates the book project is expected by Friday, February 10th, 2006.

Do you use a calendar or day timer? You use this to organize the details or your life. Authors use a structure in their writing to organize the details and information they are writing. These are known as text structures. Knowing and utilizing text structures, or organizers can help readers understand and make sense of the text. We will be focusing on the five main text structures to assist us in making meaning in non-fiction texts.

Writing:
Fifth graders did an outstanding job crafting, drafting and organizing their 5-paragraph persuasive essays. I feel their writing skills have improved in the areas of word choice, sentence structure, and stamina. We will continue to work on spelling, editing and showing not telling as we move forward. Grading rubrics will go home by next week for this persuasive piece.

B26 will have their publication celebration on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 10:30am in Room B-9. Other classes will hopefully celebrate in the next weeks.

In the next 2-3 weeks we will study another mentor author/writer and practice writing crafts around the expository genre. Students will use their knowledge of a topic to creatively write in a variety of text structures using mentor text to support their work.

Long term we will focus on a non-fiction study. Students will keep a journal of wonders/questions about topics they are curious to learn more about. From their we read a variety of texts to learn the many structures of non-fiction (examples; Q &A, compare/contrast/ problem & solution/ informational, etc). They will then begin writing a non-fiction narrative in the structure of their choice. During this study, a variety of new crafts are introduced to support and extended their writing skills. Thank you for your support.

Science:
We have discovered that all matter is made of atoms and different atoms can form molecules. We're even becoming familiar with the Periodic Table. Auuuugh, although this may conjure up nightmares of Chemistry 101, the students seem to be taking it right in stride. Next week, we will apply what we're learning about chemical and physical properties to the Solar System. It should be out of this world.

Social Studies:
This month we will be studying the court system, the economy & trade, and how the colonies grew, the education and the women’s position in the colonies. We will be concentrating on Philadelphia, Boston, and Charlestown. The students will be comparing and contrasting the distinctive ways of life in the New England colonies, the Middle colonies, and Southern colonies. We will have opportunities to see some wonderful videos from the Colonial Williamsburg Institutes and read pieces of literature that bring this era to life. The students will also be starting a research report on a colony and a trade at the end of February.

Fourth Grade:
Mrs. Schwartz will be working with the fourth graders, this month, to prepare them for the STAR Writing Test coming up in March. It will consist of 3 types of writing: Narrative, Response to Literature, & Response to a non-fiction article. The fourth graders will be having writing assignments for homework too, instead of Wordly Wise during February.

Safety Lessons:
The fifth graders will begin their Safety Lessons with our new police officer. They will be held every Thursday morning for one hour. He will teach us how to be safe as a bicyclist and as a pedestrian. He will inform us about how to make wise choices about drugs, weapons, peer pressure, alcohol and smoking. It is an interesting and practical program.

Community Service Opportunity:
On Friday, February 10, we will kick off our Pasta for Pennies program to raise money with pocket change, for Leukemia and Lymphoma research. It is a fun adventure for the students who make a big impact on the lives of those who suffer with this devastating disease. The top ten classes who collect money will be placed in a raffle to win a free pasta lunch courtesy of Olive Garden. Parents can request a P for P box, to collect money, checks or change, to add to their child's class total. Thanks for your benevolence!

February Calendar:
Please check your student’s backpack or binder for the 4th and 5th grade event calendar.


Enjoy the Weekend!
The Fifth Grade Team

Happy New Year!

Reading: In reading the students made reading resolutions for the new year. Please ask you child about how they plan on maintaining their new reading goal. In addition to making reading goals, the students were introduced to the new book project. The due date for this project is Feb. 10th. Please email me if you have any questions about this project.

Writing: Students have begun investigating and practicing persuasive writing. This week we've focused on "point of view," and supporting facts when having a strong opinion, perspective or position on a topic. We've done quickwrites on school/community/global issues; places we want others to visit; and have creatively written from their favorite fairy tale villain's point of view (redemption!). Students are also brainstorming their concerns or topics they feel strongly about that could lead to convincing or having someone take action on. We will begin outlining and developing statements of positions next week! Many students have wonderful and mature topics they want to explore - it is exciting to see their enthusiasm!

Social Studies: We have finished our unit on Middle Colonies. (New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware). It has been interesting to compare the life in these colonies to the New England colonies. The Swedish, Dutch, German and British influences were felt throught the styles of homes, food words that were adopted by the colonists and the values and befiefs. Friendly relations also existed witht the Native American tribes as the colonists learned many things from them.
To enrich our studies of each life in the colonies, we will have a colonial feast on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 11:35. Your child recieved information about the feast and what he/she should bring.
On Monday, Jan. 9th your child will be taking a Social Studies test on Chapter 8. (A study guide when home early in the week - we went over the answers in class.)

Science: With the crazy weather we've been having in San Diego lately, it is the perfect opportunity to be studying weather. We're learning about tornadoes, hurricanes, cold fronts and air masses. We made mini-tornadoes in Mad Science-Walloping Weather. Our next Mad Science about matter will be on Jan. 24. The Earth Science test will be on Monday, Jan. 23. Have a sunny weekend!