Friday, December 3rd, 2021

Hello 5th Grade Families!

Happy December! I hope that everyone had a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving break! From spending time with family and friends, traveling, shopping, eating delicious food, and relaxing, the students were excited to share all about their break! Included within this week's update, there is a family letter regarding our upcoming unit in math, which focuses on multi-digit multiplication.

As we begin to wrap up 2021, here's what's going on within our classroom!

Literacy
This week, our shared text featured an excerpt of the novel, Hatchet. The text tells the story of Brian, a thirteen-year-old boy, who encounters a completely unexpected and unfortunate event that leaves 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 focuses on the students' opinions of whether they think video games have a positive or negative effect on children. After researching, students have been utilizing graphic organizers to organize information into reasons and evidence that support their stance. Instead of composing a multi-paragraph essay, students are utilizing Book Creator, an application, to create a digital book based on their research and opinion. Within their digital book, students are required to include elements of analytical writing, such as an engaging introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and an effective conclusion. Ask your student about his/her opinion regarding the effects of video games!

Math
We wrapped up our math unit on decimals and place values by reviewing learned concepts and taking the end of unit assessment. The Unit 3 targets included reading/writing decimals, comparing decimals, rounding decimals, and adding/subtracting decimals. Our upcoming unit encompasses mulit-digit multiplication. Students will be learning how to use the standard algorithm to multiply. In Number Corner, we measured 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.

Science
We are continuing to dive deeper into our unit about the Earth's systems. Recently, we analyzed how farming and industries negatively impact Earth's four systems (biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). We also discussed ways that people could protect the Earth, which involves the conservation of resources, such as fossil fuels. In our recent investigation, we took upon 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.

Social Studies
In the coming weeks, we will learn about probable causes and effects of events and developments in U.S. history, with a focus on Westward Expansion and on the California Gold Rush.  Based on what we learn about Westward Expansion, students will construct and defend an argument of whether or not they would have traveled West.

 

Parent Volunteers Needed

Our class is in need of parent volunteers for our Winter Break party on December 17th.  The party starts at 2:00pm and ends at 3:00pm.  If you are able to volunteer, please contact Becky Salasche at beckysalasche@hotmail.com.

Upcoming Events
Monday, December 6th - Reading MAP Test

Tuesday, December 7th - Math MAP Test

Tuesday, December 14th -  Early Release (Dismissal @ 2pm)
Friday, December 17th - Classroom Winter Parties
Monday, December 20th - Tuesday, January 4th - Winter Break

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

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

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, November 19th, 2021

Happy Friday Families!

I hope everyone is staying warm during this November cold!  But as we deal with the weather, our students continue to work hard, starting the second grading period.

School Progress Reports

***Your child’s progress report is available online. 

Parents, please note:
Your child’s progress report indicates his or her current progress toward an expectation. When a standard repeats in more than one trimester–as is typical in literacy instruction, for example–we do not expect students will master the knowledge and skills indicated until the completion of the last trimester in which the standard is reported on. In fact, it’s likely that many students will earn a score of Developing.

For example, we assess students using text we expect they will be able to master by the end of the school year. For a literacy course standard that repeats, we report each trimester based on your child’s progress toward those end-of-year expectations. This practice gives you consistent information regarding where your child is performing currently, compared to where he or she should be later in the school year or at the year’s end. 

What might you expect to see for a standard that repeats in more than one trimester? You might expect to see a steady progression, such as Not Mastering (1) or Developing (2) in Trimester 1; Developing (2) in Trimester 2; and Mastering (3) in Trimester 3.

Here's What's Happening in Class:

Literacy

We are currently reading a shared text titled Washed Up, are story about three families who encounter various challenges while trying to win a survival reality show.  Within the text, students are working hard to look at the text to help them locate the best evidence to support their thinking.  In the coming weeks, we will explore various texts to help our students practice summarizing (Literary text) as well as analyzing multiple accounts of the same event, while noting similarities and differences in the points of view each party represents (Informational text).

Writing

Our students recently finished their first analytical paper, discussing whether or not students should be allowed to bring and use cellphones during the school day.  Their focus was to write engaging introductory and concluding paragraphs, as well as working to add evidence to support their key ideas.  They made quite the compelling argument!  Currently, our students are creating and defending an argument whether or not video games have a positive or negative effect on children.  They should be interesting read!

Math

Our students are continuing their work with decimals.  They are currently refining their skills in the area of using expanded  decimal notation, comparing decimals, adding and subtracting decimals, and rounding decimals. 

Social Studies

Our students wrapped up their discussions about the various responsibilities and powers of different types of governments, which revolved around the pros and cons of a democracy, a parliamentary government, a monarchy, and a dictatorship.  In the coming weeks, we will learn about probable causes and effects of events and developments in U.S. history, with a focus on Westward Expansion and on the California Gold Rush.  Based on what we learn about Westward Expansion, students will construct and defend an argument of whether or not they would have traveled West. 

Science

We are currently learning about earth systems in science. The unit discusses the four main systems of Earth: the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. In addition to learning about their attributes and characteristics, we are also identifying interactions that occur between the systems. Our most recent investigation involved "mining" chocolate chips, while preserving as much of the land (cookie) as possible.  Our students were rewarded with their own chocolate chip cookie to eat for their valiant efforts!

Upcoming Events

**Wednesday, November 24th - Friday, November 26th: No School (Thanksgiving Break)

Friendly Reminders

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

**Please remind your child to charge his/her iPad every night.  We use the iPad throughout the day.

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

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.  Enjoy your weekend and stay warm!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, Friday, November 5th, 2021 and Halloween Pictures

Happy Friday Families!

It is so hard to believe we are already in November and nearing the end of the first trimester!

 

Here’s a quick update to fill you in on what we have been covering in each of the academic areas:

 

Literacy

This week we read two different articles about whether we should be going to Mars. These articles helped students practice finding the main point, along with reasons and evidence that supported the article. We ended the week by doing more practice with finding the main point, reasons, and evidence by reading articles about using plastics and voting.

 

Writing

We are continuing to work on our “Should Cellphones Be Allowed in School” analytical paper. Students chose a side, and have been going through the writing process step by step, writing the introduction, working on body paragraphs, and then conclusion. They will end with editing their work.

 

Math

We have begun our third unit already- Adding & Subtracting Decimals! We are starting the unit by looking at place value, multiplying and dividing by 10’s and powers of ten. We have also been working on reading and writing numbers. Next, we will be learning how to add and subtract those decimals, along with comparing and ordering the decimals on a number line. We will have our first checkpoint on this unit next week. This unit won’t be reported out on report cards until Trimester 2.

 

Science

We began our second unit, looking at the Earth’s four main systems. We started by learning more about the Biosphere, Geosphere, Hydrosphere, and Atmosphere. Next, we will be diving more into how those spheres affect weather, landforms, and living things.

 

Social Studies

This week, we have been working hard to answer the question, How do declarations of independence from other places in the Western Hemisphere compare with the United States Declaration of Independence? To do this, we have started looking at other types of government, Parliament, monarchy,  and dictatorship. The students have really done well comparing and contrasting them with one another!

 

Upcoming Events

Friday, November 12—Trimester 1 report period ends

Friday, November 19- Trimester 1 Report Cards sent out

Wednesday, November 24th- Sunday, November 28th- Thanksgiving Break

Thank you for your continued support and have a great weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, October 1st, 2021 and Science Investigation Pictures!

Happy October Families!

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

Here are the concepts we are currently/planning to work on:

Literacy
We have finished up our shared text, Night of the Spadefoot Toads, which we used to practice utilizing direct quotes from the text to answer questions as well as determining theme and summarizing. After finishing Night of the Spadefoot Toads, we read a short story called Shells, which we also used to practice quoting, identifying theme, describing how characters respond to challenges they face, and summarizing a text. This week we also completed our first district CFA (common formative assessment), to assess where students are at with the targets we have been practicing in class. Next week will begin a new cycle of study with another short story called Operation Clean Sweep which is a historical fiction about Women's Suffrage. With this story we will begin to look at how the narrator and characters points of view affect the way a story is told. 

Writing
We are wrapping up our current work on narrative writing. Students used our shared text as a springboard, to write a story that included a "bullyish" character. This week students completed a district PBA (performance based assessment) where they were asked to write a new narrative based on a given writing prompt. As we begin our new cycle of study in literacy next week, our focus will shift to analytic writing.

Math
Last week students complete their unit one math post test that covered order of operations, writing expressions, and calculation volume of rectangular prisms. This week we moved on to unit 2 with a focus on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. We started the unit by connecting fractions to money values to help students add and subtract. We also introduced using clocks as a model for adding and subtracing unlike fractions. As we proceed through this unit we will also be spending time teaching students to make common denominators in order to add and subtract fractions. In Number Corner, we have continued to reinforce skills regarding volume and to practice skills with fractions and decimals.

Science
We are continuing to learn about ecosystems. In the past couple of weeks we have been learning about consumers and the flow of energy through an ecosystem. We learned that consumers must eat other animals in order to survive. We also learned that the flow of energy starts at the sun and flows to the producers and then to the consumers. On Thursday students conducted an investigation where they were able to dissect owl pellets! Students were amazed by the various bones they found within the pellets. This information allowed us to create food chains that show the flow of energy from the sun to the owl. Next week students will be assessed on the knowledge gained from these lessons and the investigation.

Social Studies
In the coming weeks, our students will explore the various responsibilities and powers of different types of governments.  Our discussions will revolve around the pros and cons of a democracy, a parliamentary government, a monarchy, and a dictatorship.  Of the four governments, our students will work to create an argument of which government best uses their powers and responsibilities for the benefit of its citizens.

Upcoming Events

• Friday, October 1st - Half Day (Dismissal @ 11:45 AM)
• Thursday, October 7th - Early Release (Dismissal @ 2pm) - CONFERENCES
• Friday, October 8th - No School for Students - CONFERENCES
• Monday, October 11th - No School

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

Have a wonderful weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Monday, September 20th, 2021

Happy Monday Families!

We have officially hit our 1 month mark of school! There has been a lot going on in our classroom this past month, and we are looking forward to what the school year still has in store for us. Please read below to find out about all of the wonderful learning that is happening in 5th grade at Ivy Hall!

Here are the concepts we are currently/planning to work on:

Literacy
We are finishing up our shared text, Night of the Spadefoot Toads. Using this text, we are working hard on reading targets. We are practicing utilizing direct quotes from the text to answer comprehension and inferential questions. By identifying important events within the chapters, we are working on our summarizing skills. As we come to a close on the book, we will determine the theme (moral, life lesson) and analyze how the author portrayed the theme.

Writing
Currently, we are in the process of planning and writing our first narrative! Within Night of the Spadefoot Toads, a character named Frankie displayed many characteristics of a bully. Using our shared text as a springboard, students are writing a story that includes a "bullyish" character. In the midst of planning and writing their narratives, students are working on developing elements of narratives, such as plot, point of view, characters, and setting.

Math
We are building up our knowledge of solving numerical expressions using the order of operations and writing numerical expressions. Using a variety of strategies, we are solving multi-digit multiplication problems. Multiplication strategies include the over strategy, doubling and halving, partial products, and five is half of ten. We are also finding the volume of rectangular prisms by using the volume formula (length x width x height) and math manipulatives (Omnifix cubes). In Number Corner, we are reinforcing skills regarding volume and practicing skills with fractions and decimals.

Science
We are continuing to learn about ecosystems. In the past weeks, we learned about the role of producers and how producers make their own food through photosynthesis. During an investigation, we explored the necessities that help plants survive. We learned that it is essential for plants to receive adequate sunlight, water, and air. However, we were surprised to find out that plants do not necessarily need soil to grow!

Social Studies
We began our civics unit, which involves the responsibilities and powers of the government in different times and places. Currently, we are analyzing the reasons why the 13 Colonies wanted to gain independence from Great Britain. We will continue to explore important events and documents that were involved in the Colonies' independence, such as the Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution.

Upcoming Events

• Tuesday, September 21st - PTO Special Lunch (Bagel & Bialy)
• Wednesday, September 22nd - PTO Book Fair @ 6:00 PM
• Wednesday, September 22nd - PTO Ice Cream Social @ 6:30 PM
• Friday, September 24th - Ivy Hall Fun Run (staff & students only)
• Tuesday, September 28th - Early Release (Dismissal @ 2:00 PM)
• Friday, October 1st - Half Day (Dismissal @ 11:45 AM)

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

Friday, September 3rd, 2021

Good Afternoon Families!

Our school year is off and running!  It was an absolute pleasure meeting many of you last week at curriculum night.  I hope you found it to be an informative and useful evening.  Your involvement and support are greatly appreciated!  

The link you clicked on is our classroom Blogger page, which will have bi-monthly classroom updates.  Included in the updates will be our current target concepts in all academic areas, classroom events, and important upcoming dates.  An email with a link to our classroom Blogger page will be pushed out every two weeks when our Blogger page is updated.

Here are the concepts we are currently / planning to work on over the next couple of weeks:

Literacy

Our students are greatly enjoying our shared reading book, Night of the Spadefoot Toads.  Because some of the chapters are quite lengthy, students are being required to read portions at home.  They are welcome to use their print copy, or read the story on the Pearson app on their iPads.  Based on the events in the story, our students are currently working on summarizing, which includes identifying characters, settings, events, and the theme.  We are also working on identifying how characters in our class selection respond to challenges.  Home reading logs have been introduced and students are becoming comfortable with the routine of recording their minutes.  Students are welcome to use the Night of the Spadefoot Toads reading towards their daily required reading of 20-30 minutes. 

Writing

Our students are currently learning to understand all of the elements of a narrative paper.  In the coming weeks, students will start to plan an original story, including an effectively written introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and an effective conclusion. 

Math

Our students are currently working on writing and evaluating numerical expressions with parentheses as well as demonstrating their understanding of how to find the volume of rectangular prisms.  The first few weeks have also involved getting used to our math routines. In fact, with the new month starting earlier in the week, we started our daily Number Corner routine. 

Science

Instruction utilizing our TCI science curriculum is well underway!  Our current focus is on understanding the makings of various ecosystems around the world.  This unit ties nicely into the reading we are doing with the Night of the Spadefoot Toads book we are reading during our literacy block.

Upcoming Events

** Monday September 6th - No School (Labor Day)

** Tuesday, September 7th - No School (Rosh Hashanah)
** Thursday, September 16th - No School (Yom Kippur)

Friendly Reminders

** Please remind your child to charge his / her iPad every night.

** 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 do not hesitate to contact me.  Thank you and have a great holiday weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, May 15th, 2021

Happy Friday families!

Now that the weather is finally cooperating, it actually feels like Spring! It’s hard to believe that we are in our final full month of school!

Please be sure to refer to the important upcoming dates at the end of this blog. We have so many exciting activities in the weeks ahead!

Here’s what we’ve been working in this week:

Literacy:

We are finishing up our exciting novel, George’s Secret Key to the Universe. The kids have enjoyed the plot twists and the wonderful character development! Other books within the series would make great summer reading choices! These books by Stephen and Lucy Hawking are really terrific! Throughout the book we've been working on a variety of literacy skills.. As we finish up next week, we will identify the theme of the story and compare it with a book we previously read called Mayday on the Moon of Jupiter.

By now, all 5th grade students have reviewed the requirements for 6th grade summer reading. The project that accompanies the reading will be due during the first week your child returns to middle school in the Fall. There are a variety of great titles to choose from on the provided list, and students should have no trouble finding a book that matches their interests!

Writing:

We have been hard at work on our science fiction stories!Students have planned stories which include elements of science fiction such as time travel, advanced technology, or advanced life forms! Thus far, their stories sound amazing! They are really enjoying the creative aspects of narrative writing! We have also been honing our summary writing skills through our literacy targets.

Math

We have just finished unit 7 in math which focused on division and decimals. During this unit we  worked with powers of ten and then moved into the multiplication and division of decimals. We have been trying hard to make sure that all students are able to solve long division problems using the traditional method. Students who just recently learned this method will need to practice periodically over the summer to ensure retention heading into 6th grade. We are wrapping up the year with the topic of finding volume of rectangular prisms. Those students who already demonstrated proficiency of this skill on the pretest have been engaged in activities to extend their knowledge of the topic.

Science

We are finishing up or unit on Matter with lessons this week that focus on engineering. Students are learning how engineers use constraints and criteria when making new materials. Next week this learning will culminate with a hands-on experiment where students get to take on the role of an engineer and develop their own new substance!

Important Dates and Friendly Reminders:

Monday, May 24th - IAR testing in a.m.

Tuesday, May 25th - IAR testing in a.m. / Mrs. Barnes from Twin Groves will come and speak to our class in the afternoon about middle school

Wednesday, May 26th - IAR testing in a.m.

Thursday, May 27th -  5th Grade Celebration in afternoon (for remote and in-person students) /  5th grade drive-by car parade @ 4 p.m. 

Friday, May 28th - 1/2 Day  Ivy Hall Assembly and Celebration

Monday, May 31-No School  Memorial Day

Thursday, June 3- 1/2 day / Last Day of School 

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

Enzie Pangilinan

Thursday, April 29th, 2021

Happy Thursday, Families!

It’s hard to believe that we are headed into our final month of school!  Over the course of the last couple of months, our students have made it through the bulk of their placement testing. They’ve demonstrated great perseverance and the end is in sight!  We will take the MAP Reading test on Monday and the MAP Math test on Tuesday.  As always, please be sure that your child gets a good night’s rest and has eaten a substantial breakfast.  

Please be sure to refer to the important upcoming dates at the end of this blog. 

Literacy
**We started our new unit this week, which encompasses the theme of "Understanding the Universe". Our grade level text is George's Secret Key to the Universe, written by Stephen Hawking and his daughter, Lucy. The novel tells the story of a boy named George who is discovering the mysteries of the universe while learning about various aspects such as stars, planets, and moons. We started reading the first five chapters this week, and the students are very excited to see how the story will unfold. Using the novel, we will also continue to work on our literacy targets and skills.

Writing
**Connecting to the theme of the universe, the students started to plan their own science fiction narratives. They brainstormed characters, events, and others ideas to include within their stories. Let the creative juices flow! Remember to ask your student all about the sci-fi narrative he/she is crafting up.

Math
**Our students are navigating through our current unit, identifying patterns within powers of ten and multiplication/division of decimals to the hundredths. We recently finished working with powers of ten and will be moving onto the multiplication and division of decimals. The end of our unit will focus on the division of fractions and whole numbers.

Social Studies

**As we start to wrap up our economics unit, our students are critiquing articles with a focus on the U.S. - China Trade War. Within their critiques, they will argue which article provided the strongest, most specific information regarding the United States cutting off trade with China and defend their argument with specific evidence from each text.

Science
**We are continuing to explore the states of matter. The students learned about identifying the changes in matter and substances. Over the next few weeks, we will continue to discuss matter by learning how changes in substances affect their weight and how engineers improve materials people use on a daily basis.

Important Dates

**Friday, April 30th - NO SCHOOL (PM Asynchronous Day)

**Monday, May 3rd - Reading MAP Test

**Tuesday, May 4th - Math MAP Test

**Monday, May 24th - IAR Testing

**Tuesday, May 25th - IAR Testing

**Monday, May 1st - NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)

**Thursday, June 3rd - Last Day Of School

Reminders

**Please have your students come to school with a fully charged iPad and Logitech Crayon. 

**Snacks eaten in-person need to be from the safe snack list.  

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

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Have a fantastic weekend-

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, February 12th, 2021

Happy Friday Families!

It's hard to believe that we are well into February and approaching Valentine's Day! We had a fun virtual party on Wednesday to enjoy the holiday! With Lunar New Year beginning today, and Presidents Day on Monday, there has been so much to learn!  We have also been honoring Black History Month by incorporating the study of the outstanding contributions of many black Americans to our society. Next week in literacy we will spend each day reading and "delving deeper" into the accomplishments of many such individuals. We will be expanding our current literacy topic of "exploration" to include people who have exhibited an unusual sense of discovery and passion in a variety of fields of study. 

Here's a recap of what we've been learning about:

Literacy

All week we've been reading and learning about the "triumphs and troubles" of some famous explorers. Our nonfiction text specifically focused on explorers such as Hernan Cortes and Francis Younghusband, and what motivated their respective explorations. Throughout the week we focused on our literacy target of determining the author's main point, the reasons given for these main points, and the evidence to prove their points. 

In writing, we have continued working on our analytical essays about whether Columbus Day should be recognized and celebrated as a holiday in Illinois. For the last several weeks, students have read books and articles from which to collect evidence for their writing. 

Math

We have started unit 5, which focuses on the multiplication and division of fractions. This week we have focused on utilizing concrete models to show the process. We will be moving from multiplying a whole number by a fraction to multiplying a fraction by a fraction. We will also learn visual models to represent our calculations.

Social Studies

Our topic of exploration in literacy has nicely merged with social studies. Here, we have been learning about the South Pole, and why explorers of the past sought to go there. We have read  about a British explorer specifically--Robert Scott , who historically competed with a team of Norwegians, in a quest to be the first  to arrive in the South Pole. We have been learning skills in note-taking and research, and will put such skills to use on our next inquiry project. Here, students will be  given the opportunity to choose a historical event of interest to research and present to peers. 

Reminders: 

*All students should power down their iPads at least several times per week. This helps tremendously towards making sure that they function properly throughout the school day. Also, IPads and logictech crayons should be fully charged at the beginning of every school day.

*In person students should check the weekly doc for supplies needed. PLEASE be sure that students bring a pair of headphones/earbuds to school each day.

Please take note of the important dates below:

**Monday, Feb. 15--No School-Presidents Day

**Friday, Feb. 26--Half Day of school

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Classroom Update - 1/30/2021

Happy Sunday Families! 

With the snow and chilly temperatures it seems as if Spring can't come soon enough!  Please read below to find out the specifics of what we've been working on! 

Reading 

This week, during our shared reading, we continued our theme of “Exploring New Worlds” as we started to read a book titled "Pedro’s Journal". The story depicts the exploration of Christopher Columbus. However, it is told through the perspective of a young boy (Pedro) who traveled with him as a crew member. Much of our learning, as we continue to read, will focus on Pedro's perspective, as well as determining theme. 

Writing 

We are using the above-mentioned story, "Pedro’s Journal", as a springboard for our next analytical essay. Here, students will utilize multiple sources in order to research about Christopher Columbus and his explorations. Based on their findings, they will decide whether they feel that Columbus Day should continue to be celebrated as a holiday. Students will utilize the strategies we’ve learned throughout the year in order to compose a well-written paper which contains evidence and reasons to support their opinions. 

Math 

This week we've been continuing the work we started prior to break with multi-digit multiplication. Upon completion of our unit, students should feel comfortable in utilizing the traditional method, as well as other algorithms such as partial products. Ideally, students will show proficiency in being able to solve two and three digit multiplication problems with accuracy. Those students who have already demonstrated mastery of such skills have been working on extending their skills with related challenges. 

Social Studies 

Students have been learning about probable causes and effects of events and developments in U.S. history, with a focus on Westward Expansion and on the California Gold Rush. Based on our what we learned about Westward Expansion, students had to construct and defend the argument of whether or not they would have traveled West. In the coming weeks, our focus will shift on the exploration of the Arctic. Students will read articles and watch videos about arctic exploration to continue to hone their research skills and their use of multiple sources to support their thinking. 

Science 

We have continued to work on our unit on the Earth, Moon and Stars. We recently completed a section of this unit on the perceived movement of stars in the night sky. Students learned that the stars in the sky seem to move because the Earth is moving. We modeled this movement with students in a circle with various pictures of constellations, a globe, and a person representing the sun. Students saw that in different times of the year different stars and constellations are visible due to the position of the Earth in relation to the sun. In the final section of this unit, students will be learning about the different tools scientists use to observe space. 

Important Dates and Reminders 

*February 15th - NO SCHOOL (President's Day) 

*February 26th - Half Day 

*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