Saturday, April 26th, 2025

Happy Saturday 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 read the stories Secrets of Canyon Cave and The Two Travelers.  We read closely to understand the characters’ points of view and how their personalities and feelings impacted the choices they made. After reading, we discovered a theme and discussed the various strategies the author used to develop a theme.  Ask your child to tell you similarities and differences between the two texts.

Writing

Last week, we wrapped up our Real Life Superhero speeches. Students 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 Ruth Bader Ginsurg and Muhammad Ali, who made a positive impact on society. The kids did a wonderful job! For the rest of the year, we will continue to work on refining our narrative writing skills.

Math

We are in our last unit of math this year! This unit teaches us multiple strategies for dividing whole numbers like partial quotients and the standard algorithm. Students have been working hard to improve their skills to divide multi-digit numbers using the 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. 

Social Studies

We started our final unit of study in Social Studies- Citizens' Rights & Responsibilities. Our students are learning about democracy. They are asking many wonderful questions and having important discussions. Ask your child to explain the three branches of government  to you. 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, April 29th - 5th Grade Music Show at 6:30 pm
• Wednesday, April 30th  - MAP Testing (Reading)
• Thursday, May 1st - MAP Testing (Math)
• Thursday, May 8th or Friday, May 9th - Field Trip to the 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.
• Please continue to have your student practice 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 continued support and have fantastic rest of your weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Sunday, April 12th, 2025

Happy Sunday Families!

It's great to be 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.

 

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've explored the hierarchy of polygons, with an emphasis on triangles and quadrilaterals. Using academic language related to angles and sides, students have classified and described 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. 

Science / Social Studies

We wrapped our last science unit about mixtures and solutions.  Our students loved testing different solutions of baking soda, borax, vinegar and milk to see if any had a chemical reaction.  Next week, we start our final Social Studies unit on Rights & Responsibilities. Students will work to understand how they can be civically engaged with their democracy…even though they can’t vote yet!  

Upcoming Events

• Tuesday, April 15th - Literacy Placement Test (Writing)

• Thursday, April 17th - Half Day- Dismissal @ 11:45

• Friday, April 18th - No School (Good Friday)

• Thursday, April 24th - Math 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 and have a wonderful weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan