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

Friday, November 13th, 2020

Happy Friday Families!

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

Here's What's Happening in Class:

Literacy

We just wrapped up our story, The Road to Freedom.  It was narrated from the point of view of a young girl who traveled on the Underground Railroad with her mother in hopes of making it North to freedom. We had many valuable discussions related to topics raised within the story.

Writing

Our students finished their first analytical paper and shared them with their classmates.  The topic was 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 arguments!

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 are wrapping up our discussions about the various responsibilities and powers of different types of governments.  Our discussions continue to revolve around the pros and cons of a democracy, a parliamentary government, a monarchy, and a dictatorship.  Of the four governments, students are working to decide which government uses their powers and responsibilities for the benefit of its citizens.

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 creating a clay model of the Earth, showing each Earth's system. 

Upcoming Events

**Wednesday, November 25-Friday, November 27: No School - Thanksgiving Break

**Friday, December 17th - Start of Winter Break

Friendly Reminders

** Please remind your student to turn his or her camera on during class.  This will help your child to stay engaged at the same level they would be during in-person instruction.

** If your child is experiencing issues with his or her iPad, please email our district tech department at elearningsupport@d96.zendesk.com.

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

Enzie Pangilinan

Friday, September 11th, 2020

Good Afternoon Families!

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.

It was an absolute pleasure seeing many of you last week at our virtual curriculum night. I hope you found it to be an informative and useful evening.  Your involvement and support are greatly appreciated!  If you were unable to attend, please refer to presentation, which was emailed to you, or feel free to contact me with any questions!

Here are the targets we are currently / planning on working to master over the next couple of weeks:

Literacy

* Our students are currently working on summarizing fiction texts, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges.  We are also greatly enjoying our first chapter book, Night of The Spadefoot Toads. Because some of the chapters are quite lengthy, students are being required to read portions outside of school hours. They are welcome to use their print copy (which can be be picked up at the Ivy Hall office during the week from 7:45am to 4:00pm) or read the story on their iPads using either the Realize, Epic, or Books app.  Just a reminder, the Epic app shuts down at 3:00pm unless you have a home Epic account.

Writing

* Our students are off to a great start to learning and refining their narrative writing skills.  We are currently learning the ins and outs of how to write narrative pieces.  Soon, our students will plan their own narratives, which will include 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 remote math routines.  

Science / Social Studies

* Our students just wrapped up their first lessons utilizing our TCI online science curriculum.  Our  focus was on understanding the makings of various ecosystems around the world. This unit tied nicely into the Night of the Spadefoot Toads chapter book we are currently reading in Literacy.

*Our students are starting their government unit in Social Studies, which focuses on the responsibilities and powers of government officials at various levels and branches of government and in different times and places.  Over the next two weeks, the focus will revolve around why America declared its independence from Britain.

Upcoming Events

** Monday September 14th - MAP Testing

** Tuesday, September 15th - Early Release
** Monday, September 28th—District Holiday—No school

Friendly Reminders

** Please remind your student to turn his or her camera on during class.  This will help your child to stay engaged at the same level they would be during in-person instruction.

** If your child is experiencing issues with his or her iPad, please email our district tech department at elearningsupport@d96.zendesk.com.

** I am  available during parent office hours for communication via Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:45am - 8:15am.  If the office hours are not convenient for you, please send me an email and I will reply as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Thank you for your continued support and partnership and have a fantastic weekend!

Enzie Pangilinan

Sunday, March 1st, 2020

Happy Friday Families,

This week trimester 2 has come to and end and we are ready to kick off our third and final trimester next week! This week the kids have taken several literacy/writing assessments to demonstrate their progress on T2 learning targets. We also took our unit 5 math post test on multiplication and  division of fractions. 

Literacy

Next week we will start a new module in literacy with a theme of "Exploring New Worlds". To guide our learning we will use a nonfiction text called “Explorers: Triumphs and Troubles”. In this text we will learn about different explorers throughout history and the positive and negative impacts their explorations had on society. While reading, we will be looking closely at how authors use reasons and evidence to support their points. We will also continue to work on identifying multiple main ideas within a text and the supporting details.

Math

We started our new unit in math this week. It will focus primarily on geometry concepts that involve graphing & patterns, classifying quadrilaterals, and finding volume. 

Social Studies

For the last few weeks our learning has focused on analyzing the effects of specific catastrophic and environmental events as well as technological developments that have impacted our nation. We primarily focused on the effects of hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and wildfires, and how technology has been used to help warn and protect citizens from the aftermath of such disasters.

Science

Our next unit will explore the topic of Matter. Students will start by identifying, comparing and contrasting the various states of matter.

Upcoming Events

Monday, March 2 -- No School

Wednesday, March 4 -- Math Placement Test

Thursday, March 5 -- IH PTO Pizza Bingo @ 6:00pm

March 9,10, 11-- Illinois Science Assessment

Tuesday, March 10 -- PTO Special Lunch

Thursday, March 12 -- Early Release, Family/Educator Conferences

Friday, March 13 -- No School, Conferences

Friendly Reminders

**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.

**Don’t forget to sign up for your collaborative conference. Students are working hard to prepare for these conferences and are excited to tell you about their learning and progress in 5th grade.