Sunday, February 24th, 2019

Happy Friday Families,

This week Trimester 2 has come to and end and we are ready to kick off our third and final Trimester next week! Here is what we’ve been working on in each of our content areas:

Literacy

*This week we started a new unit in reading. We have started reading a nonfiction text, “Explorers: Triumphs and Troubles”. In this text we have been learning about different explorers throughout history and the positive and negative impacts of their explorations. While reading this text we are working on looking at how authors use reasons and evidence to support their points. We are also continuing to work on identifying multiple main ideas within a text and the supporting details.

Writing

*In writing we have been working on analyzing the author’s writing style through our Explorer’s books. By understanding the author’s style we can better understand their point of view and purpose for writing.

Math

*Within Unit 5, we are continuing to work on multiplying fractions. We’ve continued to practice multiplying fractions by fractions. The students have continued to work on creating diagrams using the area model. We have also been practicing our skills with fraction multiplication story problems.

Social Studies

*As we move into the third trimester we are beginning our unit on economics. We are looking forward to our trade fair that will occur later in the trimester in relation to this unit. Stay tuned for more information about this exciting event!

Science

*This week we have wrapped up our unit about the Earth, the Moon, and the Stars. Our next unit will be on Matter. Students will start by identifying and comparing and contrasting the various states of matter.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, February 26 -- PTO Special Lunch

Friday, March 1 -- Teacher Institute Day // No School

Monday, March 4 -- No School

Thursday, March 7 -- Early Release - Collaborative Conferences

Friday, March 8 -- No School - Collaborative Conferences

Friendly Reminders

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

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

**Don’t forget to sign up for your collaborative conference. Students are working hard to prepare for these conferences and are excited to tell you about their learning and progress in 5th grade. Use this link for our class:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0e44a4ab2fa6f58-march19

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  Thank you and enjoy your weekend!

Friday, February 8th, 2019

Happy Friday Families,

With the chilly temperatures and the rain and ice, it seems as if Spring can't come soon enough. Trimester 2 is quickly wrapping up, and Trimester 3 is quickly on its way.  

Here is what we’ve been working on in each of our content areas:

Literacy

*We are continuing to read through Angel Island, which discusses the journey and challenges of Chinese immigrants as they entered the United States. To dig deeper into the topic of Angel Island, students also began reading about Li Keng Wong's personal story as a Chinese immigrant. By exposing students to first and second hand resources, we are continuing to explore more about perspective and point of view. As students are reading about Angel Island, many of them made connections to Ellis Island, which they learned about in 4th grade. 

Writing

*Recently, students read Real-Life Superheroes, which they learned about honorable names such as Rosa Parks, Richard Martin, Raoul Wallenberg, and Thomas Barnardo. From these four "superheroes", students chose a person to conduct research and create a Keynote presentation to highlight his/her biography and accomplishments. Be sure to ask your student about his/her chosen superhero! 

Math

*Within Unit 5, we are continuing to work on multiplying fractions. This week, we've practiced multiplying fractions by fractions. The students are working on creating diagrams using the area model and geoboards to represent dimensions and the area of rectangles. As we head into the next week, students will be practicing their skills with fraction multiplication story problems. 

Social Studies

*We are beginning to learn about patriotism. Previously, we've learn about liberty and the Pledge of Allegiance. Connecting those two topics, students will explore the meaning and importance of patriotism. They will also discuss how people in the United States can show patriotism to their nation. 

Science

*We have started our unit about the Earth, the Moon, and the Stars. This week, we learned about the sun and other stars. Students read about how the brightness of star depends on their proximity to the Earth. We even learned that one star (Rigel) is 773 light years away from the Earth. This means that the light left that star 773 years ago! 

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, February 12  -- 5th Grade Band Concert (Twin Groves) @ 6:30 pm
Thursday, February 14 -- Valentine's Day Parties @ 1:45 pm
Monday, February 18 -- President's Day // No School
Tuesday, February 19 -- PTO Book Fair @ 6:00-8:00 pm
Tuesday, February 19 -- Ivy Hall Celebrates Diversity @ 6:30-8:00 pm
Friday, February 22 -- Half Day Dismissal @ 11:45 pm // End of Trimester 2
Tuesday, February 26 -- PTO Special Lunch
Friday, March 1 -- Teacher Institute Day // No School

Friendly Reminders
**Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack. Nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!

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

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.  Thank you and enjoy your weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan