Sunday, May 8th, 2022

Happy Mother's Day to all of our wonderful moms! I hope you're all having a fantastic day!

It is crazy to think we have already reached our last month of the school year! Students have worked hard this week and finished our last round of MAP tests for the year. 

Read below to see what we have been working on!

Literacy

We finished reading our shared text, Jess and Layla’s Astronomical Assignment. It is a science fiction book about two girls who get a homework assignment by their teacher and they end up going back in time to understand more about astronomy and famous astronomers. We started reading another story, Mayday on the Moon of Jupiter, another science fiction story. Next week, we will compare and contrast how the authors of each approached the shared theme that they have.

Writing

We began work on our next informative writing assignment. Students had their choice from a list of topics this time: preparing for a marathon, a special holiday, a new pet, etc. Students started by using multiple resources to research their topic. They have now moved on to planning out their introductions and conclusions, and finally their body paragraphs. They are enjoying getting to pick a topic and doing their own research for it!

Math

We are in our last unit, Unit 7, already! This unit teaches us multiple strategies for dividing whole numbers and fractions. We will be learning more about how the powers of ten affect place value in numbers. Finally, we will be learning multiplication and division of decimals.

Social Studies

We have begun our final unit of study in social studies- analyzing why and how individuals, businesses, and nations around the world specialize in trade. We will be diving into why and how countries need each other for certain goods or services.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, May 11th- 5th Grade Music Show

Thursday, May 12th- 5th graders visit Twin Groves for tours and transition presentation

Friday, May 13th- 5th Grade Spring Fling- 6:30-8:30

Tuesday, May 17th- Early Release

Have a great upcoming week!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, April 8th, 2022

Happy Friday Families!

We did it! We made it to the end of IAR testing! Students worked hard to show all the great things they have learned in both math and literacy. As we have tested each morning, new learning has continued each afternoon! Read below to find out how we're currently expanding our brains! 

Literacy

After returning from spring break, we spent a week reading about influential women in history who showed a sense of discovery and adventure! The women we read about included Mae Jemison, Catherine Johnson, Wilma Rudolph and Bessie Coleman. At the end of the week, we compiled the information we learned about all four women to practice writing and speaking knowledgeably about the subject. This week we continued to work on the same target but with a new topic of Navajo Code Talkers. We read a book from Reading A-Z about the code talkers, watched videos of first had accounts, listened to a picture book called Chester Nez, and started reading a book on Epic. We will continue to learn more about the code talkers next week and conclude with a compilation of the information we gathered from all sources to write and speak knowledgeably about code talkers. Throughout reading about code talkers we are also working on explaining the relationships and interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas or concepts in a historical text based on specific information in the text. Some of the relationships we have looked at so far include cause and effect relationships and problem and solution relationships. We will continue this work next week as well.

Writing

After returning from spring break we started a new writing assignment. Students were given the prompt. In your opinion, what is the best way to read and/or learn information - with a tablet or by using books? Students decided their opinion on the topic, researched to find evidence to support their thinking, wrote core 4 / topic statements, created a t-chart to plan their writing, and are now in the process of starting to draft their essays. We have also taken some time to review the components of a good conclusion, including a core 4 / topic statement, a review of their big ideas, and a lasting impact sentence. We have practiced writing conclusions to go with provided essays and shared out with others. We will continue this work next week as we prepare for our next writing assessment, which is also used for middle school placement, to take place on April 21st.

Math

We have continued our work in Unit 6, which incorporates skills in the area of geometry. Since returning from break 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 shapes based on their attributes. Next week we will review and extend our thinking of the concept of volume, which was covered in unit 1. 

Science

In science we have continued to learn about matter. We have learned about various properties of matter and this week students completed a hands on investigation where they observed the properties of several different types of matter that can be found in many homes. Students visually observed flour, baking soda, baking powder, talc powder, and salt, and recorded their observations. Then students mixed each with water to test their solubility. Next, the students mixed each substance with vinegar to see which ones produce gas / bubbles. Finally, the students mixed each powder with iodine and checked for any unusual color changes. Students really enjoyed acting like a chemist and observing the properties. As we continue in our matter unit we are going to look at chemical changes that can occur when substances are combined. We will have another great hands-on investigation in the coming weeks where students will combine various substances to see if new substances are formed or not.

Upcoming Events

• April 15 - No School

• April 20 - Cycle 5 CFA (Reading)

• April 21 - Cycle 5 PBA (Writing) - Used for Placement and Report Cards

• April 22 - Half Day

• April 26 - Early Release

• April 27 - 3rd Math Placement Task

• April 27 - Pizza Bingo / Book Fair 6:00-7:15pm (See PTO and Principal Messages for more details)

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.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, March 11th, 2022

Happy Friday Families!

It is hard to believe that we have officially entered our final trimester and spring break is only a week away! Through creating their collaborative conference slideshows, the students had the opportunity to reflect upon their 5th grade year so far. They are looking forward to sharing all about their growth and progress during spring conferences next week! 

Read below to find out how we're currently expanding our brains! 

Literacy

Our current shared text, Real-Life Superheroes, highlights specific individuals who significantly and positively impacted society. Featured superheroes included Richard Martin, Thomas Barnardo, and Raoul Wallenberg. These individuals earned the title of "real-life superheroes" due to their immense amount of bravery, compassion, and selflessness. We integrated other sources, such as articles and books, to gather and organize additional information. Next week, we will be reading about Rosa Parks and her importance during the Civil Rights Movement. 

Writing

To sharpen our analytical writing skills and dive deeper into the topic of our shared text, students will be preparing and recording oral presentations about real-life superheroes. In the planning process, students gathered information from multiple sources about their superhero's biography and legacy. They also utilized index cards to outline the contents of their presentation. In the upcoming week, the students will use their gained knowledge, creativity, and FlipGrid to film a video about their chosen real-life superhero. The twist is that the students will be speaking as if they are the real-life superhero! 

Math

We have recently started Unit 6, which will incorporate skills in the area of geometry. This week, we learned about locating and labeling ordered pairs on a coordinate plane and investigating patterns within a series. We will continue our unit on geometry by exploring the hierarchy of polygons, which includes triangles and quadrilaterals. Using academic language related to angles and sides, students will classify shapes based on attributes. 

Science

Our new unit features the three states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas). We compared the particles within the states of matter based on space and movement. We also discussed that even though matter may change states, matter is neither lost or created. We will continue to investigate the properties of matter in our upcoming investigation. Using balloons, students will analyze that all matter takes up space and has weight. 

Upcoming Events

• Monday, March 14th - Early Release (Dismissal @ 2 PM)

• Monday, March 14th- Family Educator Conferences (@ 5:00-8:30 PM)

• Tuesday, March 15th - No School 

• Tuesday, March 15th - Family Educator Conferences (@ 10:00 AM-1:30 PM)

• Friday, March 18th - No School (Teacher Institute Day)

• Monday, March 21st-Friday, March 25th - No School (Spring Break)

• Monday, March 28th - Classes Resume 

• Tuesday, March 29th - Early Release (Dismissal @ 2 PM)

• Wednesday, March 30th - 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.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a wonderful weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, February 25th, 2022

Trimester 2 has come to an end and we are ready to kick off our third and final trimester next week!  This week, our students completed several literacy/writing assessments to demonstrate their progress on T2 learning targets.  They worked so incredibly hard!

Check below to see what we've covered over the last two weeks:

Reading

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 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!

Writing

Connecting to the theme of the universe, the students just finished their own science fiction narratives. They brainstormed characters, events, and others ideas to include within their stories. It was so neat to see their creative juices flow! Remember to ask your student all about the sci-fi narrative he/she wrote!

Math

We're currently strengthening our abilities to multiply fractions while utilizing the area model and the traditional method. Most recently, we started to learn how to divide by fractions by understanding whether or not division word problems are sharing or grouping division problems.  We're also learning how to solve these problems utilizing models, as well as more traditional strategies.  We will finish up Unit 5 next week!

**Please note: Students will take the second math placement test on Wednesday, March 2nd.

Social Studies

Students wrapped up their discussions about probable causes and effects of events and developments in U.S. history, with a focus on the exploration of the Arctic.  We read about a British explorer, Robert Scott, who historically competed with a team of Norwegians, in a quest to be the first  to arrive in the South Pole. We learned skills in note-taking and research, and put such skills to use on their project, which asked them to describe the causes and effects of a key event in U.S. history.  

Science   

In the coming weeks, we will start to explore the states of matter. The students will learn about identifying the changes in matter and substances. We will also discuss matter by learning how changes in substances affect their weight and how engineers improve materials people use on a daily basis.

Family-Educator Conferences

Please make sure to sign up for a conference.  An email was sent by the district yesterday.  If you did not receive the email, please contact the Ivy Hall front office at 847-459-0022.  Conferences this year will be student-centered, so we ask that your child be present during the conference.

Important Dates

March 4th - Report Cards Issued

March 7th - No School (Pulaski Day) 

March 14th - Early Release / Family-Educator Conferences

March 15th - No School / Family-Educator Conferences

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.

**If students want to play in the snow outside, they must have the appropriate snow gear in order to do so. Please make sure to send your student with snow pants, snow boots, jacket, gloves, and hat. 

**Band and orchestra students should remember to be prepared with their instruments and music books on the days that lessons take place. 

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

Enzie Pangilinan

Monday, February 14th, 2022

Happy Valentine's Day Families! 

I hope you enjoyed watching the exciting game last night!  Valentine's Day is here and we are looking forward to many other engaging learning experiences during the month!  We ended a busy January last week and have hit the ground running into February! 

Literacy 

The excitement for reading our current science fiction novel George’s Secret Key to the Universe has continued! The enthusiasm on the part of students to read each chapter has been evident! Throughout the story we have been working on a variety of literacy targets, such as how the narrator’s point of view affects how the story is told. Because this story, written by Stephen and Lucy Hawking, is the first in a series of books, we strongly encourage students to read others in this wonderful collection. Your local library and book store are sure to have copies available!

Writing
Students are in the final stages of writing their science fiction narrative stories. They’ve been inspired by the “George” book we’ve been reading, and have put their creativity and vivid imaginations to work! We have a vast array of storylines—everything from time travel to  space adventures!

Math

We are currently  in the middle of our unit on multiplying and dividing fractions with models. Students are becoming quite proficient in identifying and constructing multiplication models. Next week we will begin working with division of fractions. The models that students have been learning have given them a deeper understanding of these concepts.

*Please Note: We have our first math placement test this Wednesday, February 16th.

Social Studies
We have  spent the last few weeks learning about some important events in history and identifying the causes and effects of these events. We learned about Westward expansion and what motivated pioneers to head West. We also examined the effects of this migration West. In addition, we looked at the causes and effects of exploration in the South Pole. In preparation for a research project next week where students will choose an event in American history to independently research, students have been learning how to conduct a safe and effective internet search.

Upcoming Events 

*Monday 2/14- Valentine’s Day Parties in afternoon

*Monday 2/21- No School
*Tuesday 2/22- Early Release @ 2:00

*Tuesday 2/22-Orchestra Concert @ 7:30

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. 

Monday, January 30th, 2022 and The Math Unit 5 Fractions Algorithms and Models Document Link

Happy Monday Families!

I hope everyone has been staying warm during this cold and snowy January! Read below to find out what we have been up to in class! :) 

Literacy

The last two weeks have been busy ones in literacy! We read two different stories, Beyond the Horizon, and Pedro’s Journal. Both stories dealt with travel and discovery of the West Indies. We used both of these stories to discuss a character’s point of view and how it affects the story. This week, we started an exciting novel called George’s Secret Key to the Universe. It is a science fiction novel that will give us more practice with identifying point of view. Your child will have a chapter or two to read each night of the book for homework. This can count towards their daily 20 minutes of reading. We will also be practicing figurative language over the next couple of weeks.

Writing

To tie in with reading George’s Secret Key to the Universe, students have started planning their science fiction narratives. We are still in the planning stages of writing. We will be working on introducing our characters and setting, making sure events flow, and adding dialogue and sensory details. They are coming up with some creative stories! Ask them to share what they have so far!

Math

We finished our unit on multiplication using the standard algorithm. This week, we started our next unit, which is multiplying and dividing fractions. We will be practicing using different strategies and models to help us along the way.  This unit will not be reported out on report cards until Trimester 3.

I am also sharing a link to a document that has visuals on multiplying fractions. If your student asks for help, you can refer to the strategies in the document.

Unit 5 Fraction Algorithms And Models

Social Studies

We have started to 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.  We have been focusing this week on the impact of the Homestead Act. Based on what we learn about Westward Expansion, students will construct and defend an argument of whether or not they would have traveled West. 

We also completed and filmed Westward Expansion readers' theaters. As soon as they are edited, I will make sure to share them with you, so be on the lookout!

Science

We wrapped up talking about how stars appear to move across the night sky because the earth is constantly rotating. We will wrap up this unit by learning how scientists use tools to help them observe Space.

Upcoming Events

*Monday 2/14- Valentine’s Day Parties

*Monday 2/21- No School

Tuesday 2/22- Early Release

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.

Have a great week!

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, January 14th and Winter Break Party Pictures!

Happy New Year Families!

I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break! Since returning from break we have really hit the ground running as we have steamed to the middle of our 2nd trimester of school! Read below to find out what your student has been up to! :) 

Literacy

After we returned from break, we spent time reviewing standards that were previously taught using various passages. Standards reviewed included comparing and contrasting author's points of views in nonfiction texts, as well as summarizing and quoting accurately in fiction texts. We also spent time looking at multiple meaning words and using context clues to determine their meaning as used within a text. This week students took their end of unit assessments to test on these standards. We are now starting a new book, called Beyond the Horizon, that we will use to continue to practice summarizing, quoting and vocabulary. We will also later use this text with other texts to compare and contrast the authors' approaches to theme. 

Writing

Before break, students finished up an opinion based writing piece about whether video games have a positive or negative effect on kids. After break we worked together to write an analytical piece about the best type of class pet to have. We completed this writing together as a model and review for the end of unit writing assessment that was given this past Thursday. 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.

Math

Students have been working hard to master the standard algorithm of multiplication for both 2 digit by 2 digit and 3 digit by 2 digit problems. Students took a checkpoint on this skill today. We will be spending the next week working on long division. This skill will not be formally assessed for mastery though until closer to the end of the year. After multiplying and dividing whole numbers, our next unit will focus on multiplying and dividing fractions.

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

Before break we began our science unit on the Earth, Moon, and Stars. Students have been learning about stars and how the closer stars are to Earth, the brighter they appear. Students have also learned about constellations and how stars appear to move across the night sky because of the earth is constantly rotating as well as revolving around the sun. Students participated in a hands on activity where they made "a universe in a box" to help them understand why we see different stars in the sky at different times of the year. 

Winter Break Party Pictures

Upcoming Events

*Monday 1/17 - No School

*Tuesday 1/25 - Early Release

*Students can begin purchasing 2nd lunches and snacks at lunch time. Click Here for the principal's blog for more information.

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.

Enzie Pangilinan