Sunday, April 28th, 2024

Happy Sunday Families!

This week we began our final cycle of the school year! Summer is just around the corner. As we progress through the final months of school, we will have many special events and dates that will be important to mark on calendars. Please pay special attention to the dates listed at the bottom of the blog updates so that you can stay informed!

Literacy

This week, we began reading a fun book called Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Adventure. We will be comparing fictional texts of similar content and/or topic. The two main characters of the story travel back in time and meet many of history’s famous philosophers and scientists! As we read, we will continue to practice literacy skills such as comparing and contrasting characters and settings, analyzing themes, and using quoted evidence from a text to support responses. Next week, we will read another science fiction story of the same genre called Mayday on the Moon of Jupiter, so that we can compare and contrast how the two stories approach their respective themes. 

Writing

We wrapped up our Real Life Superhero speeches this week! Students have really enjoyed researching, working on their notecards, and presenting about their real-life superhero to the class. We learned so much about individuals, such as Malala Yousafzai, Clara Barton, Albert Einstein, and Muhammad Ali, who made a positive impact on our society. During the rest of the year, we will continue to work on refining our analytical writing skills.

Math

We are in our last unit of math this year! This unit teaches us multiple strategies for dividing whole numbers. Some strategies for division include: ratio table, area model, partial quotients, and the standard algorithm. Students have been working hard to refine their skills to divide multi-digit numbers using a strategy they feel most comfortable with. Within the unit, we will also be learning more about the powers of ten and multiplying and dividing decimals. 

Science

We have begun our final science unit exploring the concept of conservation of matter. This week, students completed a lab where they tested liquids to see which ones would clean the tarnish off a penny. Then, when one penny changed from dark and dirty to bright and shiny, they had the chance to think about where the tarnish went. We are looking forward to many more hands-on investigations later in the unit.

Social Studies

Last week, we wrapped up our final inquiry-based social studies unit of the year. We explored the topic of democracy and generated ideas throughout the unit about how citizens can contribute to keeping a democracy healthy. Students worked in groups on an Informed Action Project based on one of the Five Habits of the Heart. They did a great job!

Upcoming Events

• Tuesday, April 30th - Twin Groves Musical Presentation (5th grade travels to TG)

• Tuesday, April 30th - Early Release (Dismissal @ 2:05)

• Wednesday, May 1st - MAP Testing (Reading)

• Thursday, May 2nd - MAP Testing (Math)

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

• Wednesday, May 15th - Literacy Placement Test

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!

Enzie Pangilinan

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!