Friday, April 12th, 2024 And Eclipse Pictures!

Happy Friday Families!

Welcome back! With Spring Break past us, it could only mean one thing...the countdown to summer has officially begun! We are looking forward to all the fun and learning that's ahead of us within the last couple months of school! 

Literacy

This week, we read and learned about the Navajo code talkers. During World War II, the code talkers played a crucial role in helping the U.S. Marines send coded messages using the complex and unwritten Navajo language. Using texts from RAZ Kids,  Newsela, and Epic, we are practicing our skill of compiling information from multiple sources together in order to demonstrate a deep understanding about a specific topic. Throughout the readings, we are also working on explaining relationships and interactions, such as cause/effect and problem/solution, while using text evidence as support.

In the upcoming weeks, we will be taking the series of literacy assessments used for middle school placement. The writing assessment will take place on Tuesday, April 16th.

 

Writing

Students have begun working on a research project and oral presentation. Piggybacking off the previous reading we did on real life superheroes such as Richard Martin and Raoul Wallenberg, each student will be asked to choose someone they feel embodies the qualities of a real life superhero. They will conduct research about this outstanding individual and give an oral presentation to the class explaining why they are a real-life superhero. This project incorporates many reading and writing targets for students.

Math

We are continuing to practice skills in the area of geometry in Unit 6. We have been exploring the hierarchy of polygons, with an emphasis on triangles and quadrilaterals. Using academic language related to angles and sides, students have been classifying and describing shapes based on their attributes. Next week, we will review and extend our thinking on the concept of volume, which was covered in Unit 1. Our next math placement assessment will be on Wednesday, April 24th. 

Social Studies

We are wrapping up our final unit next week on Rights & Responsibilities. Students have been working to understand how they can be civically engaged with their democracy…even though they can’t vote yet! Students have started working on their final informed action project in groups where they will create an end product focusing on the Five Habits of the Heart.

*Field Trip Reminder*

We are taking our class field trip on 5/3. If you have not filled out your child’s permission slip, please do so now!

Eclipse Pictures

Upcoming Events

• Tuesday, April 16th - Literacy Placement Test (Writing)

• Thursday, April 18th - Half Day- Dismissal @ 11:45

• Friday, April 19th- No School- Institute Day

• Wednesday, April 24th- Math Placement Test

• Friday, May 3rd- Field Trip- Dunn Museum

• Wednesday, May 15th- Literacy Placement Test (Reading)

Friendly Reminders

• Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night

• Please remember to send your student with a healthy snack - nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!  

• Please continue to have your student practice their multiplication facts up to 12

• Band and orchestra students should remember to be prepared with their instruments and music books on the days of lessons

Thank you for your continued partnership and have a wonderful weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, March 8th, 2024

Happy Friday Families!

It's hard to believe that we've officially entered our final trimester and Spring Break is only a couple of weeks away! Our students have had the opportunity to reflect upon their 5th grade year so far and are looking for finish our school year off strong!

Read below to find out what we're learning in class! 

Literacy

Our students are currently reading several non-fiction texts in order to find cause and effect relationships of events and / or people. Some cause and effect relationships included the causes of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the effects of owning a wild pet, and what the effects were of the Civil Rights Movement. Next week, our students will read about women of discovery, who accomplished great feats and helped pave the way for many young girls and women today! These magnificent women include Bessie Coleman, Katherine Johnson, Mae Jemison, and Wilma Rudolph!

Writing

Our students are in the early stages of planning their analytical choice essays. Their for-or-against topic choices include: Celebrating Christopher Columbus, Learning foreign languages in school, GMO information on food labels, and cell phones in the classroom, just to name a few. Students will utilize multiple resources to research their topic, plan their introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions.

Math

Our students recently started Unit 6, which incorporates skills in the area of geometry. This week, we learned about locating and labeling ordered pairs on a coordinate plane and investigated patterns within a number series. Within the coming weeks, our students will start to explore the hierarchy of polygons, which include triangles and quadrilaterals. We will work classifying shapes based on attributes using academic language related to angles and length of sides.

Social Studies

We started our final unit of study in Social Studies- Citizens' Rights & Responsibilities. Our students are learning about the different branches of government and the system of checks and balances these branches use on on another in order to help balance power. In the coming weeks, our students will explore how our country’s founders established a system of federalism within the United States.

Upcoming Events

• Tuesday, March 19th - No School (Teacher Institute Day)

• Thursday, March 21st - Family Educator Conferences (5:00 - 8:30pm)

• Friday, March 22nd - NO SCHOOL: Family Educator Conferences (10:00 AM-1:30 PM)

• Friday, March 25th - SPRING BREAK BEGINS

• Monday, April 1st - SCHOOL RESUMES

Friendly Reminders

• Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night

• Please remember to send your student with a healthy snack - nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!  

• Please continue to have your student practice their multiplication facts up to 12

• Band and orchestra students should remember to be prepared with their instruments and music books on the days of lessons.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a wonderful weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Saturday, February 24th, 2024

Happy Saturday Families!

Believe it or not, Trimester 2 has come to an end and we are ready to kick off our third and final trimester next week!  Throughout the last few weeks, our students completed several literacy/writing assessments to demonstrate their progress on T2 learning targets.  Students showed perseverance and stamina, and worked incredibly hard! 

Check below to see what we've covered over the last couple of weeks, as well as some of the learning we are looking forward to starting!

Literacy

We just wrapped up our exciting novel, George’s Secret Key to the Universe. The kids enjoyed the plot twists and the character development of George, Eric, and Dr. Reeper all throughout the book! They especially fell in love with George, who discovered the mysteries of the universe while he learned about various aspects such as stars, planets, and moons.  This is the first in a series of several books. Students showed so much interest that they have asked for other books in the series.  Unfortunately our library does not have any copies of the other books, but your local library should have a few copies available! Now would be a great time to build on your child's interest with other books in the series!

Going forward, next week we will begin work on a literacy target which emphasizes finding relationships between concepts and ideas in nonfiction. We will begin by using a non fiction text on black holes, since this is a familiar topic from the George's Secret Key to the Universe book.

Writing

Connecting to the theme of the universe, students finished their own science fiction narratives. They brainstormed characters, events, and others ideas to include within their stories. It was wonderful to see their creative juices flow!  Remember to ask your student all about the sci-fi narrative he/she wrote! We also practiced adding another "chapter" to a given narrative story. Students were asked to re-establish the storyline and characters in their own "chapter 2," and to then add their own unique set of events.

Math

We're currently strengthening our abilities to multiply and divide fractions. Most recently, we have been learning different methods to multiply mixed numbers by a fraction, using both the area model and improper fractions. We've been learning how to solve these problems utilizing models, as well as more traditional strategies.This week we focused on dividing fractions with models. Our Unit 5 assessment will take place early next week. After that, we will begin our next unit on Geometry!

Social Studies

We are wrapping up our second unit in social studies on the Colonial Era. We ended our unit this week by creating a quilt square project. This hands-on activity was designed to demonstrate our understanding of how the complexities of the past can help us meet challenges of the present. Students each chose a topic they felt particularly passionate about. Topics varied from climate change, to animal protection...and many others! Each class will make a class paper quilt comprised of squares made by each student!

Important Dates

Friday, February 23rd- Trimester 2 Ends

Tuesday, February 27th- Early Release

Friday, March 1st--Trimester 2 Report Cards issued

Monday, March 4th- No School--District Holiday

Monday, March 11--Band Concert at Twin Groves 7:00 PM

Friendly Reminders

**Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack.  Nothing feeds the brain better than something healthy!

**Please continue to have your child practice his or her multiplication facts up to 12.

**Band and orchestra students should remember to be prepared with their instruments and music books on the days that lessons take place.

Sunday, January 28th, 2024

 Happy Sunday Families!

What an eventful couple of weeks we have had since returning from winter break with our snow day and the cold weather. It’s hard to believe, but Valentine parties are just around the corner and we are looking forward to many other engaging learning experiences throughout the rest of January and beginning in February.

Literacy

These last two weeks, we continued to practice analyzing multiple perspectives using nonfiction texts. With various reading passages, we compared and contrasted different author's points of view regarding topics such as school uniforms, video games, and rescuing penguin populations. While we read these texts, we continued to practice identifying the author’s main point, and the reasons and evidence that the author uses to support it. We ended this week with our Cycle 4 CFA.

Next week, we will be shifting back to fiction to read George’s Secret Key to the Universe. This text will help us prepare for our next writing unit as well, science fiction! As we read the novel we will be working on a variety of reading skills such as comparing characters, analyzing the point of view, and determining the theme. Please note that Monday - Thursday. This is a great opportunity to check in with your child and ask them about the book!

Writing

Our students recently took their Cycle 4 PBA, which required them to write an analytical piece comparing and contrasting two authors’ points of view. As we move into our new unit, we will be shifting our focus from analytic writing to narrative writing with a science fiction based prompt. This will tie in nicely with our upcoming novel, George's Secret Key to the Universe!

Math

This week we began Unit 5: Multiplying and Dividing Fractions. Students are currently working on creating concrete models to represent numerical calculations. Students really enjoyed using geoboards to help them create and visualize the multiplication problems they were presented with. The models that students have been learning are providing them with a deeper understanding of these concepts.

Social Studies

In this unit, we are focusing on the Colonial Era. We discussed the motivations behind why European countries had a strong desire to expand their empires into the "New World" during the age of exploration. We also analyzed the effects and impacts of colonization in North and South America during this time in history. 

Upcoming Events

• Tuesday, January 30 - Early Release (Dismissal @ 2:05 PM)

• Wednesday, February 14th - Valentine’s Day Class Party

• Friday, February 16th - Half Day (Dismissal @ 11:45 AM)

• Monday, February 19th - No School (President’s Day)

• Wednesday, February 21st - PTO Special Lunch

• Wednesday, February 21st - Orchestra Concert @ 7:30 PM

Friendly Reminders

• Since winter weather is here, please make sure your student is properly dressed for recess.

• Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night

• Please remember to send your student with a healthy snack - nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!  

• Please continue to have your student practice their multiplication facts up to 12

• If your child participates in orchestra or band, please remind him/her to bring their instrument on their lesson day

Thank you for your continued partnership and have a wonderful week!

Monday, December 18th 2023

Happy Monday Families!

As we inch closer to Winter Break and the New Year, I can't help but look back on all the wonderful things our students have done so far this school year!  As we reflect on the hard work that they have done so far this school year and the progress they've made, our students will leap into the break and the new year to continue to work towards meeting their academic and social-emotional goals. 

Here are the concepts we are focusing on as we continue to work after Winter Break:

Literacy
Our students just wrapped up reading our shared text, "Angel Island".  The text told about the history and hardships surrounding immigrating through Angel Island in the early 20th century.  As we worked through the text, we practiced identifying while comparing and contrasting the author's point of view and the evidence they used to support their points.  When we return from break, our students will continue to practice this skill using various non-fiction texts and take their end of cycle assessment to test this standard. 

Writing
This week, we started to plan our new analytical essay.   The prompt given was "Write an essay to explain what is similar and different about the author's point of view on Reality TV".  We will continue to focus on students' organization, explaining how the evidence in their papers support the key ideas and the overall thesis, and writing effective and engaging lasting impressions within their conclusions.  

Math
Our students have worked hard to practice various multiplication strategies in order to multiply both 2-digit by 2-digit and 3-digit by 2-digit problems.  We will spend the week when we return from Winter Break to practice applying what was learned and how it relates to the standard algorithm of multiplication.   

Science
We recently wrapped up our studies about the Earth's systems.  We analyzed how farming and industries negatively impact Earth's four systems (biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere).  We also discussed ways people could protect the Earth, which involved the conservation of resources, such as fossil fuels.  In our investigation last week, we took on the role of engineers and used various materials to design a water filter that could remove dirt and produce clean water.  Through this investigation, we explored the consequences of pollution and ways to protect the Earth's systems.  Make sure to see pictures of our engineers below!  The remaining time before break and the week after we return, our focus will be on describing the similarities and differences between the timing of observable changes in shadows, daylight, and the appearance of stars.  

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Upcoming Events

December 21st - January 8th: WINTER BREAK

January 15th: No School (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

Friendly Reminders

*As winter weather approaches, please make sure your student is properly dressed for recess.

*Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night.

*Orchestra & Band Parents: Please make sure your students have their instrument on assigned days.

*Please remember to send your student with a healthy snack - nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!  

*Please continue to have your student practice their multiplication facts up to 12.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Winter Break and that you are able to take time to rest and be surrounded by Peace, Love, and Joy!

Enzie Pangilinan

Tuesday, December 5th, 2023

Happy Tuesday Families!

Can you believe that December has already arrived? I hope you were able to spend some quality time with loved ones last week during our short break! This week we have "hit the ground running" and have been working very hard! Please read below to find out what we are working on in each academic subject!

Please also see the important dates below and take note of the fact that Winter MAP testing will take place on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Testing will take place first thing in the morning on both days.

 As we begin to wrap up 2023, here's what's going on within our classroom!

 

Literacy

Last week, our shared text featured an excerpt of the novel, Hatchet. The text told the story of Brian, a thirteen-year-old boy, who encountered a completely unexpected and unfortunate event that left him stranded in the Canadian wilderness to survive by himself with nothing but a hatchet. Using Hatchet, we discussed Brian's thoughts, actions, and feelings in order to analyze the challenges he faced and determine the overall theme. We also practiced our summarizing skills by identifying the main events and character responses in the text.

 

Writing

Our analytical writing continues to focus on the students' opinions of what type of class pet we should have in our classroom. After researching, students have been utilizing graphic organizers to organize information into reasons and evidence that support their animal. We will be practicing more with writing an engaging introduction, keeping our body paragraphs clear and organized, and writing strong conclusions. Ask your student which class pet they chose and why!

 

Math

We wrapped up our math unit on decimals and place value before Thanksgiving. Our upcoming unit encompasses multi-digit multiplication. Students will be learning how to use the standard algorithm to multiply. In Number Corner, we will measure our height and feet length within inches. Throughout the month of December, we will regularly plot the data onto a line plot. We will also be plotting the data onto a scatter plot to analyze the correlation between height and foot length. For the last few days we have been working on converting customary and metric measurements. We've learned a cool tic-tac-toe strategy to help us convert accurately! Be sure to ask your student how it works!

 

Science

We are digging deeper into our unit about the Earth's systems. We have learned about Earth’s four systems (biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). We will be focusing on how the four systems are constantly interacting. We have some really fun, hands-on investigations in the coming days to support our learning!

 

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, December 6th- MAP Testing (Reading)

Thursday, December 7th- MAP Testing (Math)

Tuesday, December 19th -  Early Release (Dismissal @ 2:05pm)

Wednesday, December 20th-PTO Special Lunch

Thursday, December 21st--Winter parties @2:00

Friday, December 22--No School--Winter Break Begins

 

Friendly Reminders

• As winter weather approaches, please make sure your student is properly dressed for recess.

• Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night.

• Orchestra & Band Parents: Please make sure your students have their instrument on assigned days.

• Please remember to send your student with a healthy snack - nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!  

• Please continue to have your student practice their multiplication facts up to 12.

Thank you for your continued partnership and have a great week!

Enzie Pangilinan

Sunday, November 5th, 2023

 Happy Sunday Families!

What an eventful two weeks we have had with our Halloween celebration and Trimester 1 coming to an end shortly. It's crazy to believe that we're almost through a third of the 23-24 school year! Included in this update, you will find the family letter for our upcoming unit in math on place value and decimals, which we just started at the end of this week. 

Literacy

Last week, we read a nonfiction text titled Explorers: Triumphs and Troubles. This text highlighted the details and impact of various explorers' expeditions throughout history. As we read the text, we worked on identifying the author's main point/s while determining reasons and evidence as support. This week, we continued to practice these skills with a variety of highly engaging texts, such as an article from Newsela titled, “Candy corn note to humans - We are not edible, we taste like feet”. To practice determining the author's main point/s, we ask ourselves, "What does the author MOST want us to know or believe about what was written?"

Next week, after we take our Cycle 2 CFA, we will be shifting back to fiction to read Washed Up and practice determining the theme of the story. We will also look at how to summarize a text using the theme to help guide the summary.

Writing

Our students recently finished their first analytical writing piece, using the nonfiction text from literacy, Explorers: Triumphs and Troubles. Students had very strong opinions about which explorer was the worst! Their focus was to write engaging body paragraphs that include their big ideas and evidence. We also discussed what makes a strong topic sentence and conclusion sentence. Be sure to ask your child to share it with you! They made quite the compelling arguments!

Math

Our students are continuing their work with decimals in Unit 3. They are currently refining their skills in the area of reading, writing, modeling and comparing decimals. Earlier in the week we took a checkpoint in order to gauge how well students are understanding these concepts. Next week, we will be working on expanding, adding, and subtracting decimals. Students are also learning about the metric system during our November number corner collection and will continue to work on conversions after our Unit 3 assessment. 

Social Studies

Students have continued their inquiry based activities focused on exploring the rich history of the Indigenous people of America. We’ve been looking closely and analyzing different resources that describe the First Thanksgiving, looking for ideas that challenge commonly known ideas about the day. Students will be working cooperatively in groups, to research and present information they discover while looking through a variety of books and videos that may or may not accurately represent the First Thanksgiving.

Halloween Pictures!

Upcoming Events

• Monday, November 6 - Beginning Band Concert (@ 7:00pm)

• Monday, November 13 - Orchestra Concert (@ 7:30 PM)

• Thursday, November 16 - Family Reading Night (@ 6:30-7:30 PM)

• Friday, November 17 - Trimester 1 Report Cards Go Live (@ 3:00 PM)

• Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 24 - No School (Thanksgiving Break)

• Tuesday, November 28 - Early Release (Dismissal @ 2:05 PM)

Friendly Reminders

• Please remind your student to charge his/her iPad and Logitech Crayon every night

• Please remember to send your student with a healthy snack - nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!

• Please continue to have your student practice their multiplication facts up to 12

• If your child participates in orchestra or band, please remind him/her to bring their instrument on their lesson day.

Thank you and have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!

Enzie Pangilinan