Friday, September 27, 2019

Friday, September 27th, 2019

Happy Friday Families!

Please read below to find out about all of the wonderful learning that is going on in 5th grade at Ivy Hall!

Literacy
*After finishing our novel, Night of the Spadefoot Toad, we read a short story called “Shells” and an excerpt from the book Hatchet. After reading each of these additional texts we have been making connections between all three pieces. We have been comparing and contrasting characters, settings, and events, within and across the three texts. We have also continued to work on using quoted evidence to support our thinking.

*The book fair starts next week with a preview day on Tuesday.

Writing
*Students have continued to work on narrative writing. They have continued to use graphic organizers to plan, then developed their stories through the use of a detailed sequence of events and effective character development. Students have also continued to be encouraged to add dialogue into their writing to enhance the reader’s understanding of their characters, setting, and events.

Math
*This week we began our second math unit focusing on addition and subtraction of fractions. This week we have been utilizing money and time to model the operations. The models have provided a springboard for teaching students to make common denominators before adding or subtracting. As we come to the end of this week students are looking at the models to determine what type of problems they would be useful for.

Social Studies
*Last week we concluded our discussions on why America declared its independence from Britain. As we move forward in the next portion of our social studies unit, our focus will be on the responsibilities and powers of officials in the United States after gaining independence. Much of the conversation will center on understanding the powers and responsibilities of each of the three branches of our government.

Science
*We have continued our unit on ecosystems by learning about the difference between producers and consumers. When learning about consumers we got an opportunity to dissect owl pellets in class. Students thoroughly enjoyed looking through the pellet at all of the bones to see the animals the owl ate. After dissection we discussed the flow of energy through food chains in ecosystems.


What Else Is Happening In Class?
Our students earned the "Golden Shelf Marker" Award for exhibiting exemplary behavior in the Learning Center!



















Our students also dissected owl pellets in Science in order to have a deeper understanding of the flow of energy between living organisms.
























Upcoming Events
*Sept. 30 - No School
*Oct. 1 - Kirberger / Holzhauer Field Trip - BRING A SACK LUNCH
*Oct. 3 - Ice Cream Social / Book Fair - 6pm-8pm
*Oct. 4 - Pangilinan / Dalton Field Trip - BRING A SACK LUNCH
*Oct. 9-14 No School


Friendly Reminders
** Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack. Nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack! Please also remember that we do have students in our room with allergies, so snacks need to be allergy friendly. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding appropriate classroom snacks.
** Please continue to have your child practice their multiplication facts up to 12.


If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your continued partnership and enjoy the rest of your weekend!