12/23/21

I hope everyone has a great winter break and a happy holiday. 

12/22/21

We continued our exploration of the colonies during the early stages of the school day. Working in pairs, the students explored the southern colonies and used an organizer to gather important details about the region. 

The fifth graders took part in a number of winter themed activities this morning. Thanks to the help of three of our parents, the kids had a great time playing some games. 

Tomorrow is board/card game day. Each student is welcome to bring one game to class.

12/21/21

The reading groups put the finishing touches on their posters during our ELA time. These turned out great and the fifth graders should feel proud over all they accomplished in our first unit. After the break, we will turn our attention to a non-fiction unit.

There will be no homework this week. Wednesday is show and tell and Thursday is board/card game day.

12/20/21

Our last week before winter break will see us wrapping up our work in unit three of our math curriculum. The students will have two more lessons dedicated to solving addition and subtraction of fractions and mixed numbers and we will end the week playing a math game. I am still going through the math assessments from last week, but from what I have seen to this point, the students did a very nice job. 

There will be no homework this week. Wednesday is show and tell and Thursday is board/card game day.

12/17/21

We wrapped up our final full week before winter break by taking an important math assessment. This piece of work saw the fifth graders solving some addition and subtraction fraction problems. Everyone worked diligently throughout the exam and I'm sure that will be reflected in the results. 

During ELA time, each one of the reading groups continued to work or began their book posters. Some nice cooperation was evident throughout the classroom and the posters are coming together nicely. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. As a reminder, next Wednesday we are going to have show and tell and Thursday is a board/card game day in the classroom.

12/16/21

Every Thursday, the fifth graders have been taking part in a SEL program called Second Step. This innovative program is designed to help students and entire school communities focus on key social emotional learning issues. Today, the members of A303 took part in a lesson focused on being empathetic to other people's perspectives. The students worked well together on these activities. 

As a reminder, next Wednesday the 22nd we will have show in tell in class. On Thursday the 23rd we are going to have board game day. Each student is welcome to bring one board or card game to class with them.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of quiet reading per night and fill out log on a nightly basis. Due Friday 12/17

12/15/21

We continued to work on plotting fractions and mixed numbers on number lines during our math lesson. As we approach the vacation week, the fifth graders will be taking one final assessment next week. Based off of the work being done and the questions being asked in class, it seems as if the kids are going to be well prepared for this work.

Some of the small reading groups have transitioned into a book poster project to conclude our reading unit. Working together, the groups will be making large posters that will hopefully entice other students to read the book in the future. Many of the students are artistically gifted and this will give them a chance to shine. 

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of quiet reading per night and fill out log on a nightly basis. Due Friday 12/17

12/14/21

The students undertook a line plot lesson during math class that furthered our work with adding mixed numbers. I thought that the first two math lessons this week were excellent. Although there were some challenging questions, the students persevered and were able to show their understanding in a variety of ways.

Later in the day, the fifth graders took a school climate survey which will provide valuable insight for the district as a whole.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of quiet reading per night and fill out log on a nightly basis. Due Friday 12/17

12/13/21

This week will see the book groups wrapping up their novels. As part of this process, the fifth graders are going to complete a piece of writing that will summarize their big takeaways from the book and then transition to a project that will see them creating book posters. We will look to have all of this work complete by the day before winter vacation.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of quiet reading per night and fill out log on a nightly basis. Due Friday 12/17

12/10/21

Between getting a class snake and crushing multiple lessons on adding and subtracting fractions, the fifth graders in A303 had an eventful week. Math class saw the students working on a series on word problems and later transitioning to playing a fraction card game. We will look to carry all of this positive momentum over into our final two weeks before the vacation week.

I mentioned this to the fifth graders this week, but on the Wednesday before vacation (the 22nd) we are going to have a show and tell during morning meeting. Each student is welcome to bring something, appropriate for school, that is meaningful to them to the class that day. I would strongly advise students to select an item that is not overly fragile. Please let me know if you have any questions about this.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

12/9/21

We concluded the work we began yesterday concerning subtracting fractions. The strides that many students made within two lessons were apparent. I was impressed with the work that the kids were able to get done during our morning lesson.

Homework

Math - workbook pages 171 and 172, due Friday 12/10

12/8/21

We transitioned into our next lesson in unit three which will see the fifth graders subtracting fractions. Today was a solid first step in this important skill. I noticed students asking quality questions and sharing their thinking throughout the classroom. I look forward to continuing to work on this material as the week progresses.

The kids also voted to name our snake. Snape now has his very own name tag:

Homework

Math - workbook pages 171 and 172, due Friday 12/10

12/7/21

During morning meeting, the fifth graders had a chance to suggest some possible names for our snake. During tomorrow's meeting, we will have a vote and name the newest member of the classroom. The kids remain very excited.

During our ELA time, the last few writer's conferences pertaining to the literary essays were held. These pieces of writing are very good across the board. The kids have worked hard and that is reflected in the quality of the writing. 

Homework

Math - workbook pages 171 and 172, due Friday 12/10

12/6/21

The fifth graders learned about the water cycle during science this afternoon. After watching a short video that included a song, the kids worked in pairs to answer some focus questions and build a model of the cycle. They did a nice job with this work.

During math time earlier in the school day, the students were able to play the fraction tracks game. This game saw the students adding fractions and creating equivalent fractions on the fly to move tokens along number lines. We will also spend some time with this activity tomorrow.

We also have a new member of A303. A corn snake was delivered to us this morning and will be in the classroom for the next two weeks. The kids are going to take part in some writing and science lessons that involve our new friend.

Homework

Reading - read for 20 minutes each night, there is no reader's log this week

Math - students will receive math homework later this week

12/3/21

I want to compliment all of the members of A303 for their effort this week. Their perseverance and hard work in our math classes this week was excellent. The kids looked as if they put their best effort into an assessment that we took this morning. They then turned their attention to playing a fraction game called Fraction Tracks. 

The students also continued to work on an end of unit writing assignment during our social studies time later in the school day. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. 

12/2/21

We continued our work adding fractions during math class. This week has seen the fifth graders make significant progress with this work. I was terribly impressed with the ability of the students to create equivalent fractions and use those to help them solve problems this morning.  

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night. Fill out log on a nightly basis. Log is due on Friday December 3rd.

Math - workbook page 162, due Friday 12/3

12/1/21

The fifth graders continued to make nice progress in our new addition of fractions unit this morning. Over the last two days, the students have paired up to play an adding game called "Roll Around the Clock". This game has been beneficial, as it has allowed the kids to create equivalent fractions. 

We also had another productive writing session later in the school day. Many of the students have reached the publishing phase of their literary essays. A few students had the option of taking part in a free write during this time.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night. Fill out log on a nightly basis. Log is due on Friday December 3rd.

Math - workbook page 162, due Friday 12/3

11/30/21

The last day of November included a fantastic Night Sky enrichment opportunity offered by the Museum of Science. After the presentation, the kids were able to ask some lingering questions. This was a great experience for the students. 

We also continued our work with adding fractions using clock faces. 

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night. Fill out log on a nightly basis. Log is due on Friday December 3rd.

Math - Students will have a piece of math homework later this week

11/29/21

We had an excellent math lesson that focused on strategies for adding fractions. Using blank clock faces, the fifth graders worked on a series of problems. The kids did a fine job with this. We will continue this work throughout the week.

Here is a brief video explaining the clock face method:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEVD4Wz-ec8

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night. Fill out log on a nightly basis. Log is due on Friday December 3rd.

Math - Students will have a piece of math homework later this week

11/24/21

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday and enjoys the long weekend. Look forward to seeing the kids back on Monday, when we will start session two of unit three and begin adding and subtracting fractions. 

11/23/21

The fifth graders spent some time in math creating a batch of equivalent fractions. This skill will greatly help the kids as we begin to add and subtract fractions. This particular work will begin in earnest after the Thanksgiving break.

I also wanted to thanks Mike Adams, a parent of one of our students, for coming in yesterday to talk to the kids about the solar system and get them ready for our virtual night sky enrichment program next week. The fifth graders asked some great questions and learned a lot in a short amount of time. 

11/22/21

This short week will see the fifth graders closing in on the conclusion of their realistic fiction books. The book groups continue to work well together. On Wednesday, I will collect each reader's 3-step journal. 

We are also going to continue our work with fractions as we have two important lessons that will see us comparing values and making inroads into adding fractions.

There will be no homework this week.

11/19/21

We had one final fraction lesson to conclude the school week. The students continued to compare the value of fractions using a variety of different strategies. I was impressed with the language that the kids were using and their ability to share their thinking with partners. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and I look forward to seeing the members of Boys In Motion tomorrow morning for the race. 

11/18/21

Fifth graders had a math lesson focused on comparing the value of fractions. Using both visuals and manipulatives, the kids completed some workbook pages and then used fraction cards to play a comparing game. They continue to impress in this new unit.

Students also rotated through their ACE block schedules. While come of the fifth graders had instruments, others were either in digital literacy class, SEL class or an extra music class.

As a reminder, both math and reading homework is due tomorrow.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night, fill out log on a nightly basis. Due Friday November 19th.

Math - workbook pages 127 and 128 due Friday November 19th.

11/17/21

Members of A303 had another quality writing lesson during our ELA time in the earlier stages of the school day. Conferences are stilling being held and while those are going on there are some last minute refinements taking place amongst the other students. We will have another writing lesson on Friday.

The fifth graders also seem to be enjoying our new read aloud book, Auggie and Me by RJ Palacio. This book contains three novellas centered around supporting characters from Wonder. While we are reading, the kids are gathering some evidence for a future writing assignment. 

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night, fill out log on a nightly basis. Due Friday November 19th.

Math - workbook pages 127 and 128 due Friday November 19th.

11/16/21

It was nice to have a calm, uneventful day at school this morning. We returned to our fraction work in math class. The students looked to create a chart of equivalent fractions and then used this to help them solve some workbook page problems.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night, fill out log on a nightly basis. Due Friday November 19th.

Math - workbook pages 127 and 128 due Friday November 19th.

11/15/21

The last full school week in November will see the kids continuing their work in their book groups as well as with their literary essays. The goal is to have all of the kids have completed both of these key term one pieces of work by the first week of December.

Today we began unit three during math class. This unit will see the fifth graders explore fractions. The students were able to share some ideas and concepts that they already know about fractions.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night, fill out log on a nightly basis. Due Friday November 19th.

Math - There will be math homework later this week

11/12/21

The kids appeared to be rested and ready to work after the holiday day-off yesterday. We had another productive book club meeting and also took an important assessment that concerned volume during math class. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

11/10/21

We are approaching the conclusion of the second unit in math class. On Friday, we will look to have the kids take an assessment. Today we continued to work on some multi-step volume problems and then also were able to fit in some multiplication review.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night. Fill out log on nightly basis.

11/9/21

The students worked on a group volume project during math class. Working in groups of four or five, the fifth graders built a 3D cube using rulers. They then made as estimate as to how many cubes it would take to completely fill our classroom. This then required them to devise a measuring strategy that would allow them to come up with an answer. Good teamwork throughout the lesson.

Homework

Math - volume worksheet due Wednesday November 10th.

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night. Fill out log on nightly basis.

11/8/21

These next few weeks in November are going to be important ones for the fifth graders. We are pushing further ahead with our writing pieces. The students are inching closer and closer to the finish line. As conferences are continuing this week, other students are looking to refine portions of their writing. 

We are also pass the mid way point in our realistic fiction book groups. The students continue to be hard at work and their will be a piece of writing that will be completed this week pertaining to a key turning point in their novels. 

Homework

Math - volume worksheet due Wednesday November 10th.

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night. Fill out log on nightly basis.

11/5/21

We wrapped up the first week of October by continuing work on our planet projects during science class. The fifth graders were also able to meet with their book groups one final time before the weekend. Many groups are getting towards the later stages of their novels and will soon turn their attention to a piece of writing that goes along with the unit.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. 

11/4/21

The fifth graders are hard at work on a planet project during math class. Each student has selected a planet that they are going to research and they make a slide presentation using Explain Everything. They are eager for this activity and they all got off to solid starts today.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night and fill out reader's log on a nightly basis. This is due on Friday November 5th.

11/3/21

The kids finished a science activity in groups this afternoon. Working together they organized planetary cards and then looked to use a graphic organizer to help them classify them further with their unique characteristics. 

We also had another productive writing lesson. I have been impressed with the writers who have conferenced with me this week. Quality work throughout the classroom.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night and fill out reader's log on a nightly basis. This is due on Friday November 5th.

11/2/21

We continued in to part two of the math lesson that was begun yesterday. The fifth graders had another strong day and the results of the work that we completed reflected that. Very impressive work being done on a daily basis by the members of A303.

During read aloud time, many of the students continued to gather evidence from the text to help them build an essay that we will look to complete sometime next week.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night and fill out reader's log on a nightly basis. This is due on Friday November 5th.

11/1/21

The fifth graders began the new month by working through an interesting math lesson that involved finding the volume of solids composed of two rectangular prisms and then combining them. The kids did a great job with this work. We ended the lesson by sharing our some answers and strategies for solving. Great start to the month.

During writing, the kids paid special attention to revising their conclusions of their literary essays. Writer's conferences also continued. We are making significant strides on a daily basis.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night and fill out reader's log on a nightly basis. This is due on Friday November 5th.

10/29/21

We concluded the month of October with a productive math lesson that focused on some multi-step volume word problems. This was a challenging lesson, but one that the kids did a fine job with. Quality discussion time was had at the conclusion of our time as well. 

Compliments to the kids for turning in their reading logs this morning as well. I look forward to reading through these this weekend. 

I hope everyone has an enjoyable and safe Halloween. 

10/28/21

We are approaching the later stages of our read aloud book, Wonder. Within the next two weeks, the fifth graders will be doing some writing about the concluding chapter of the book. Today, some of the kids were able to make predictions as to what they believe will happen at the end of the book.

As a reminder, the reading logs are due tomorrow. 

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night and fill out reader's log on a nightly basis. This is due on Friday October 29th.

10/27/21

Writer's conferences continued during ELA time. The fifth graders are impressing with their early drafts of their literary essays. Many other students spent time focused in on their concluding paragraphs this morning. I can't wait to meet with more writers over the next few weeks. 

We also continued our work with volume problems during math time. The kids also worked hard to solve word problems that incorporated division. 

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night and fill out reader's log on a nightly basis. This is due on Friday October 29th.

10/26/21

The fifth graders had another productive writing session this morning. While I was holding conferences with some of the kids, others were continuing to be hard at work on their body paragraphs. Later this week, we are going to have a mini-lesson on incorporating quotes from the story into their pieces. 

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night and fill out reader's log on a nightly basis. This is due on Friday October 29th.

10/25/21

This is going to be an important week for the fifth graders in math. We have wrapped up unit one and are going to move into our second unit. The fifth graders will begin working on volume problems. To that end, they will be using connecting cubes and other manipulatives to further their understanding. Today's lesson was a good first crack at the new material.

During our science time, the kids put the finishing touches on their solar system models. These models also included unique or interesting facts that the fifth graders learned about individual planets.

Homework

Reading - 20 minutes of reading per night and fill out reader's log on a nightly basis. This is due on Friday October 29th.

10/22/21

The focus of our writing lesson this morning was in working on our first body paragraph. The kids looked to craft a paragraph that touched upon important elements from the first portion of the story, while also incorporating how the start of the story touches upon their overall theme. The kids were once again very productive. I look forward to picking this work back up with them next week.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Let's go Red Sox.

10/21/21

The fifth graders did a very nice job on their division assessment yesterday. To continue that momentum during today's lesson, the students paired up to play a division compare game and then transitioned into working on some word problems. Another quality lesson. 

I look forward to seeing all parents and family members during our curriculum night this evening. 

10/20/21

Members of A303 focused in on the first body paragraph of their literary essays this morning. This important writing lesson saw the fifth graders give a brief overview of their main character and look to firmly establish the theme of their essays. I was able to conference with many writers and I was impressed with the level of discourse throughout the lesson. 

We are also approaching the conclusion of our first read aloud book of the year. By the end of the month, the kids are going to be responding to some prompts concerning the text, Wonder. 

10/19/21

This week will see the fifth graders wrapping up both portions of the iReady online assessment. The kids worked hard on these two important exams last week and with one final push this week, they will have finished both.

These next few weeks will also see the fifth graders working extensively on their literary essays. Each student has selected the story that they will be writing about and the drafting/conferencing will be ongoing. 

10/15/21

We concluded the school week by working on the ELA portion of the iReady exam. Similar to the math exam yesterday, this assessment is a valuable tool and I once again commend the fifth graders for working hard during this testing window. Next week, we will look to have all of the kids cross the finish line with both halves of the test.

Each of the fifth graders also selected the short story that they are going to be crafting a literary essay about. We will be working on writing and refining these pieces over the coming weeks. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Let's go Red Sox.

10/14/21

The fifth graders worked on the math portion of their iReady assessment this morning. I commend the kids for putting their best feet forward on this important assessment. The information gleaned from this exam will better inform my teaching practices as we move deeper into the school year. Tomorrow, we will have the kids look to work on the ELA portion of the exam.

We also had another productive book club session during ELA time. The fifth graders did some writing about traits that their main characters have displayed to this point and then picked up where they left off in their novels.

10/13/21

We continued to refine our strategies of solving division problems this morning. Many of the kids hit on a good strategy of using multiple towers to help them disassemble problems today. I was impressed with the level of perseverance today. 

Book groups were able to meet during our ELA time later this afternoon. The fifth graders continue to impress with their teamwork during this time. 

10/12/21

After the holiday weekend, the fifth graders returned to their literary writing during ELA time. The kids were exposed to two more short stories that they worked to annotate and do some writing about the theme of the pieces. Later this week, the fifth graders will look to select one of those stories to turn into a fully fleshed out literary essay.

We are also going to continue to work on division problems during math time. The kids persevered through some challenging problem sets this morning. 

Later this week, the kids will be taking the math portion of their iReady assessment. This online assessment will serve to show where the kids are with learn math progress at this point in time. Because of this, please make sure all of the kids charge their devices before coming to school in the morning. 

10/8/21

We concluded a productive week by completing the next unit session during math class. The fifth graders did quality work on their most recent multiplication quiz and that carried over into the lesson's work, which saw them moving into division. The next few weeks will allow us to fully explore this important skill.

Our book groups also met and read deeper into their texts. The focus of the after-read writing piece centered around observable character traits of the protagonist in each book.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Let's go Red Sox.

10/7/21

The fifth graders received their most recent math quiz back today. The results were quite impressive. They did a nice job of working through the multiplication problems and explaining their thinking. We continued to progress towards the conclusion of the next session in unit one during the math portion of the day.

It would be helpful for the fifth graders to charge their devices at home before coming to school. We are in the midst of our first writing unit and I would also like the kids to start using Dreambox to supplement their math work. Both of these work items require the kids to use their devices.

10/6/21

The book groups were able to meet again during our ELA time this morning. The first two days have been productive ones. After reading together for the majority of their time, the members of the groups then did some writing about a scene from the book that has stood out to them.

We also continued to work with different strategies for solving multiplication problems. The fifth graders did a nice job on yesterday's quiz and I was impressed with the work that was finished today.

10/5/21

Our ELA time saw the book groups meet to do some reading in their realistic fiction texts. While reading, the students are keeping a journal going. This journal will serve as fodder for various pieces of writing that the kids will be undertaking throughout the course of their work with the novels.

We also took a brief quiz in math class this morning. This quiz required the kids to solve multiplication problems and explain their reasoning. It will allow me a nice insight into where the students are with their progress in unit one. 

10/4/21

The first full week of October began with a bang in A303. The students continued to work with cluster problems in math class. This series of problems has been a great tool for the kids to use as they are attempting to learn different strategies for solving two digit by two digit multiplication problems. Great partner work this morning.

We also had a fantastic writing lesson during our ELA block. The kids are in the process of reading and annotating a series of short stories that will eventually serve as the foundation of literary essays. 

10/1/21

The start of October was a busy one for the kids in A303. The fifth graders completed their reading pre-assessment during our ELA black this morning. Now that this is complete, we can kick off our realistic fiction book groups next week. The kids are eager to start reading.

We also played a multiplication compare game during math class. The students used various strategies to help them solve problems and then kept track of the results on their recording sheets. They finished up the math session by working on two workbook pages.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

9/30/21

The last day of September saw the fifth graders continuing their work with different multiplication strategies. Today's work was a continuation of yesterday's lesson. The kids are doing a nice job with this important content.

We also spent some time working on a writing pre assessment that had the kids read a short story and watch a short video and then write about watch they watched/read. This is a valuable piece of work that will serve to track the progress that the kids are making in ELA over the course of the school year.

9/29/21

We dug deep into the short story "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros during our writing time today. As part of our literary writing unit, the kids are going to be exposed to a wide range of short stories. This piece by Rylant served as a nice example of the type of digging the kids are going to have to do to pull out author's intent and theme. The kids completed a graphic organizer and then did a quick write pertaining to the main idea of the story. 

If anyone is curious, this was the piece we read:

https://www.schuylkillvalley.org/cms/lib/PA02000850/Centricity/Domain/164/TEXT%20Eleven%20by%20Sandra%20Cisneros.pdf

9/28/21

As we move into the next session of unit one in math class, the fifth graders are going to start exploring different methods for solving multiplication problems. Today's lesson was a nice start in that direction. The kids looked to solve two digit by two digit problems. Lots of quality work happened in the classroom today.

We are also going to be starting our first reading book groups this week. The students learned who was in their groups this morning and they also learned which realistic fiction book they will be reading. 

9/27/21

This week will be a significant week for our first writing unit. After working with the short video last week, we are going to be turning our attention to a collection of short stories. These stories will serve as the fodder for the literary essays that the kids will be composing over the next few weeks. Today, the class looked at one story in particular, while I modeled looking for author's intent and main idea points. The kids were invested throughout. 

We also are going to be starting our first book groups very soon. Students will be working together to explore realistic fiction texts. The fifth graders are eager to begin collaborating together. 

Some of the students received a new copy of the emergency information forms. Please return this to the school as soon as possible, if you child brings this home today. They are important documents for the school to have on hand in the office.

9/24/21

We concluded our first full week together by taking part in an informative writing lesson. This literary essay themed lesson saw the kids exploring the Thai youth soccer team in Panyee. After watching a short video, during which the kids were jotting down notes, small groups looked to respond to focus questions that delved into the theme of the story.

Here is the video, in case anyone was interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU4oA3kkAWU

The fifth graders did a nice job with this work. 

We also took our first math quiz during the earlier stages of the school day. This order of operation assessment will gauge how the kids are understanding our first few lessons.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

9/23/21

We spent one more full lesson exploring order of operation problems during math class. This was in preparation for our first math quiz of the year, which we will have tomorrow. 

After having our pictures taken earlier in the school day, we also undertook an interesting free write idea called a "scar map". This activity served as a good way for the kids to gather ideas for potential personal narrative stories. The kids also enjoyed sharing their ideas with a friend later in the period. 

Tomorrow, we are going to explore an interesting youth soccer team that will tie into our larger literary writing unit. 

9/22/21

We launched our first unit of study during our science block this morning. This unit will see the kids exploring the solar system. Our first topic is the sun and its importance to the solar system. The fifth graders worked in pairs to undertake an experiment that saw them trace their shadows with chalk at various times in the school day and make observations in their science journals. The fifth graders seemed eager to learn about outer space.

Our math time was spent continuing to work with order of operation problems. The fifth graders completed a few workbook pages and with the time remaining, some of the kids were able to return to their number puzzles from earlier in the week.

As a reminder, tomorrow is picture day for the Thompson School.

9/21/21

The fifth graders finished up their work with number puzzles during math class this morning. The next few lessons are important ones, as the kids will be working with order of operation problems. A helpful anchor chart that we will be using is the Boss Triangle:

We also spent time working on our first official piece of writing that ties into our read aloud book, Wonder by RJ Palacio. 

9/20/21

After a quality morning meeting, during which we tried a new energizer, we returned to the number puzzles in math class. The fifth graders once again collaborated within small groups to solve problems involving multiples and factors. The groups continued to make significant progress and the level of discourse in the groups was a real positive. 

Later in the school day we responded to some questions about a read aloud story that tied into some of the guiding literacy questions for fictional texts. 

It was a productive day.

9/17/21

We concluded the week by returning to our work with arrays during math class. Today's lesson focused on groups of students working together to solve number puzzles. These puzzles required the kids to create multiplication problems to satisfy a group of rules. There was great teamwork and the fifth graders continue to impress in their early math lessons.

The later stages of the school day saw the members of A303 working on mapping skills during our social studies time. Using maps of both America and the world as a whole, the fifth graders worked to solve some geography questions. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday.

9/15/21

During our social studies time this morning, the kids continued to hone their map reading skills. Using the directions of a compass rose, the kids looked to guide a partner to different countries on a map of the world. They did a nice job with this and there was good cooperation between partners.

We also had another positive math class. The fifth graders are doing an excellent job of working with both multiples and factors of numbers. 

As a reminder, the kids do not have school tomorrow, Thursday 9/16. 

Hopefully all kids will have personalized their writing notebooks in some fashion before school tomorrow. 

9/14/21

The fifth graders continued their work with the first lesson in unit one during math class. The students used graph paper and colored tiles to create both marked and unmarked arrays that represented multiplication problems. I was impressed with the use of the vocabulary that we have started to learn during this lesson. The work will continue tomorrow.

During read aloud time, the students began using a graphic organizer to start tracking some text-to-text connections that they are noticing. Our anchor text is Wonder and the kids are going to be encouraged over the next few weeks to make connections between other books that they have read. The class seems to be enjoying the book.

9/13/21

We undertook our first official math lesson the new school year this morning. This first unit will see the fifth graders working on multiplication problems and concepts. Today's lesson had the fifth graders working with arrays to solve some problems. The kids worked diligently throughout the day's work and I can't wait to see the progress that is made over this first unit.

The members of A303 also had some time to work on their "Important Me" poems. This ELA work is serving as a nice way for the kids to get to know more about each other.

Homework

For Friday 9/17, decorate the cover of your writing notebook with drawings or pictures of things that are significant for you. Here is a picture of my notebook as an example:

6/24/21

It was a pleasure to have the nineteen boys and girls who graduated today in my classroom this year. We had an excellent year together. I enjoyed learning and laughing with them. I hope everyone has a great summer vacation and good luck to all the fifth graders as they get ready to start at the Gibbs next year. 

6/23/21

The fifth graders took part in an enrichment program called Parkour Boston. The kids really enjoyed this outdoor activity and they did a great job with it.

Tomorrow will be the last day of the year. The fifth graders will have their clap out starting at 11:15. Look forward to seeing families tomorrow morning for this. 

6/22/21

Our last full day together saw all of the kids receive a finished copy of their informational papers with a graded rubric attached. The fifth graders worked extremely hard on these over the last six weeks and they should feel proud of their accomplishments. The papers turned out great.

We also spent some time in math class working on some math puzzles in pairs. 

6/21/21

The fifth grade graduation ceremony turned out great this morning. It was nice to see family members in attendance and the kids did a great job.

6/18/21

Our last Friday together saw us wrap up our informational writing unit. The fifth graders were able to share their pieces with some of their peers and received a copy of their final piece. This unit saw the kids working very hard for an extended period. They should all be proud of their finished work.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and look forward to seeing families on Monday for the graduation ceremony. 

6/17/21

The fifth graders took their final math quiz of the year during the early stages of the day. This unit seven assessment concluded our work with multiplying and dividing fractions and whole numbers and visually representing our solutions. The kids did a great job throughout this concluding unit and I am sure the results of this exam with reflect that.

Fifth graders also continued to be hard at work on their informational papers. Many have crossing the published finish line and have moved on to the second part of their project. Others are finishing on a few last minute edits and changes. We will look to have everyone finished by the end of the day tomorrow. 

Tomorrow is also going to be a board game day. The kids are welcome to bring one board or card game to school tomorrow. 

6/16/21

This early release day was focused primarily on writing. The students continue to be hard at work on their informational writing pieces. Writer's conferences also continued today. These pieces are coming along very well and I can't wait to see all of the finished products.

This Friday, the 18th, the fifth graders are going to have board game day in the afternoon. They are welcome to bring one board or card game with them to school.

6/15/21

The fifth graders were able to visit with the principal of the Gibbs this afternoon. This was a nice way for the kids to get to know their new school and they were also able to ask some questions.

We also had a productive writing lesson during ELA time. Many of the fifth graders were able to finish their final drafts and move on to the second portion of this end of unit project.

6/14/21

We began our final full school week together this Monday by revisiting some of the work we have done over the last two weeks concerning multiplying and dividing fractions and whole numbers. Last week, the kids took a short assessment that many did very well on. Later this week, the fifth graders will take their final assessment of the year that will have them working on a variety of problems from unit seven.

In the second portion of the school day, the kids were able to visit with a 

6/11/21

We concluded the week by trying a pictionary like energizer during morning meeting, the kids really enjoyed this one.

Later in the day we returned to our informational writing and we also continued the important work that we have been doing in math class.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

6/10/21

Thankfully, the building and the classroom were much cooler today. We had the students look to complete the final session of their iReady exam this morning. The kids worked hard and I am sure the results will show that.

We also built upon yesterday's important math lesson. This week, the students have been working to divide whole numbers by fractions and representing their thinking with visuals and equations. The last two days have been fantastic. The kids in A303 are really doing well with this important skill.

6/9/21

On our third early release day in a row, the kids were able to get some quality writing done during ELA time. We continue to be on pace to complete our informational writing pieces by late next week. Some of the fifth graders were able to peer edit while writer's conferences with myself were also going on.

Tomorrow the kids will look to take the final ELA iReady exam and on Friday they will look to finish up the math portion of the exam. Please have the students charge their chromebooks overnight so that they are ready to go on Thursday and Friday morning.

6/8/21

It was another early release day due to the heat, but the kids didn't let that stop them as they continued to work on their arrays to solve multiplication problems involving fractions and whole numbers.

Thursday and Friday, we are hoping to complete the final two portions of the yearly iReady exam.

6/7/21

It is hard to believe that we only have three weeks left in this unique school year. There are going to be a number of enjoyable activities for the fifth graders over these last few weeks, and we also have some important work to complete these next few school days. The kids are continuing to make steady progress on their informational writing pieces. Many of the students have completed their first drafts and used today's time to refine and edit their writing. 

6/4/21

We wrapped up the week by returning to a normal schedule. The fifth graders had a healthy amount of time this morning to continue to work on their informational writing pieces. While the kids were working to complete their second body paragraph, I continued to hold writer's conferences.  These papers are turning out great, as the kids are injecting their deep understanding of the time period along with their passion into the writing. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Go Bruins.

6/3/21

Congratulations are in order for the fifth graders who officially wrapped up their MCAS testing today after completing the science portion of the test. It is nice to not have to worry about any more sessions moving forward this year.

We were able to spend some time later in the school day revisiting some of the concepts that we have been working on un unit seven of our math text. The fifth graders worked with partners to solve some word problems concerning distances.

6/2/21

We spent a fair amount of time this morning looking to craft a solid concluding paragraph for our informational writing pieces. The kids did a nice job of including some items from out checklist into their conclusions. I was also able to hold conferences with some of the kids. These pieces are turning out well. 

During out morning meeting we were able to use Kahoot to have the kids respond to some order of operation problems. Fifth graders were a big fan of this online quiz.

6/1/21

The final month of the school year began with some preparation for this week's science MCAS test. The kids looked to complete an online practice test that featured some open response questions. We were able to talk through some of the questions and the kids seem to be in a good place for the exam on Thursday.

We also continued deeper into unit 7 during math class. The kids continue to impress with their ability to solve problems that involve multiplying fractions by whole numbers. We will continue this work throughout the next two weeks.

5/28/21

We concluded the final week of May by continuing to work on word problems that involve multiplying fractions by whole numbers. Using visuals and equations, the kids looked to solve these problems and share their thought process. These first two lessons in unit 7 have gone very well.

The kids in A303 were also able to spend some more time focused on their informational writing pieces. Many of the fifth graders looked to craft their first draft of their concluding paragraph today.

5/27/21

We had another fantasy book group meeting during the early stages of the day. Many of the groups are approaching the later stages of their novels. Today, groups were able to share some of their readers notes that they have been making in their journals with people from other book groups. We will have another book group day to conclude the week tomorrow.

Social studies time saw the kids exploring, in great detail, the Battle of Bunker Hill. We incorporated some math when exploring the numerical characteristics of the battle. The kids seemed to enjoy this work.

5/26/21

On this early release day, we returned to our writing concerning a Revolutionary War figure. The fifth graders were hard at work on their body paragraph that walked the reader through the person's experience of the war.

5/25/21

The kids worked hard on their math MCAS today. It was nice to wrap that up and we will be able to return to a normal routine the rest of this school week. In June, we will take one session of science and that will bring us to the end of MCAS season.

We were also able to spend some time with our Paul Revere comic strip later in the day. 

5/24/21

The last week of May will see the kids continue to work within their fantasy book groups and on their informational writing piece pertaining to a figure from the Revolutionary War. I began to have writer's conferences with some of the students this morning. The early drafts of the writing are coming out very well. I look forward to continuing to meet with the students this week.

As a reminder, tomorrow the fifth graders will be taking their math MCAS test. Please have the kids charge their devices overnight so that they are ready to go tomorrow morning.

5/21/21

We wrapped up another week by completing a writing assignment concerning a key turning point in our fantasy books. After turning this in, the book groups met to continue their reading. Many of the groups are getting to the later stages of their stories and they are eager to see how the books end.

We also spent some time exploring the famous ride of Paul Revere. We looked at a poem written about that event and then the kids began a piece of work that will see them create a graphic novel strip of the ride. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

5/20/21

We spent some time in the earlier stages of the day looking at a practice math MCAS test. Next week, the fifth graders will be taking their one session of the exam. Today was a nice opportunity to look at some of the questions that they might expect to see next week.

The fifth graders were also able to return to their informational writing topics during ELA time. Many of the kids are making some nice progress with their writing. 

5/19/21

We continued to be hard at work on our information writing during our ELA time. The fifth graders have all crafted lead paragraphs over the last two days. Today saw the kids look to gather information pertaining to their figures background before the start of the Revolutionary War.

Science time was spent exploring some extinct animals and learning about ways that humans can help to ensure that other animals are not lost. 

5/18/21

The fifth graders spent their ELA time researching their Revolutionary War figure. Using a number of books in the classroom and some online sources, the kids were gathering this information on their graphic organizers. Later this week, the goal is for the kids to begin crafting their lead paragraph.

We also undertook a math lesson that allowed the kids the choice to play one of the decimal games that we have learned the last three weeks.

5/17/21

This week is an important one of the kids because we are going to be selecting a topic to explore pertaining to the Revolutionary War for our last unit of writing. The informational writing unit is one that will really help to prepare the students for next year. Today and tomorrow, the kids are going to be exposed to a number of books that will allow them to select the one topic that they will pursue. 

With only a few more lessons left in our decimal unit, we also continued to be hard at work on word problems and comparing the values of decimals. The last three weeks have been rock solid and that was reflected in the grades for our most recent quiz. 

5/13/21

This Thursday saw the kids progress deeper into unit six of their math book. We have a few more lessons left in the decimal unit and the kids are doing well. At some point next week we will look to take a quiz that will see the kids adding and subtracting decimals in word problems. 

The fifth graders also did some writing pertaining to critical turning points in their fantasy books. After writing, they shared their thoughts with their groups and then returned to their reading. Many of the groups are approaching the second half of their stories. They really seem to be enjoying the books that they are working with.

5/12/21

 It was nice to return to a normal school day with the kids this Wednesday. The fifth graders looked to complete some multi-step decimal word problems during our math time. This lead into a decimal compare game that the students played with a partner.

On this early release day, we were also able to start to turn our attention to the Boston Tea Party. This will continue tomorrow.

5/11/21

After a morning meeting, the fifth graders buckled in to take the ELA portion of the MCAS test. I compliment the students for working hard through their testing time. I am sure everyone put their best effort in. In two weeks time, we will take the math portion of the exam.

Later in the school day, we wrapped up the work concerning the Boston Massacre that we had started yesterday. The kids really did a nice job with this lesson.

5/10/21

The second week of May began with an interesting lesson about the Boston Massacre. The fifth graders looked at some famous artist renderings of the event and looked to use those to help them answer some focus questions.

Members of A303 also met with their fantasy book groups to read deeper into their novels. Later this week, the kids will be doing some writing about important turning points in their stories.

As a reminder, tomorrow we will be taking the ELA portion of the MCAS test. Please have the kids charge their devices fully tonight so that they are ready to go tomorrow morning.

5/7/21

We finished the first week of May by having the fantasy book groups read with the intention of noting significant turning points in the direction of the plot. The kids took some notes as they were reading in preperation for a piece of writing that we will be doing next week.

The kids also put the finishing touches on their taxation without representation flip books in social studies class. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. As a reminder, the fifth grade will be taking their one session of ELA MCAS next Tuesday the 11th. Please make an effort to remind the kids to charge their devices on Monday night so that they are ready to go on Tuesday morning. 

5/6/21

Fifth graders are working on a flip book that seeks to explore the concept of Taxation Without Representation during social studies time. Pairs of students read an article and watched a short video. They then transitioned to answering some comprehension questions that will eventually serve as the foundation of a flip book. We will finish this work tomorrow.

During math class, the kids were on a multi-step word problem that involved decimals. This problem needed to be solved using both figuring and a visual component. Members of A303 did a nice job with this today.

5/5/21

We were fortunate enough to have a representative of the Concord Museum visit us this morning for a presentation about the Revolutionary War. The kids were a great audience for this virtual enrichment and they seemed to learn a lot.

During math class, we also looked to continue our new session that involves adding decimals. 

5/4/21

The students took a quiz during math class to track their progress through the first session of our decimal unit. When that was complete, we moved into session two. This session began with another math activity that saw partners looking to add decimals using grids.

We also met with our fantasy book groups, will the focus of our reading being potential turning points in the direction of the story. Later this week, the fifth graders will look to do some writing about this.

5/3/21

We began the second to last month of the school year by undertaking one final lesson in math class that saw the students comparing the values of decimals. Using number lines and grids, the fifth graders continued the work that was begun last week. Tomorrow, the kids will take a quiz to track their progress in this important unit.

The topic of our social studies unit was the Proclamation of 1763. After completing a book about the French and Indian War last week, the fifth graders moved on to the next domino to fall on the road to the Revolutionary War. Using a short video and some maps, the students attempted to create a compromise that would have a avoided further conflict between Great Britain and the colonies. This work will continue tomorrow.

4/30/21

We wrapped up the week and the month of April by having one final lesson involving the comparison of decimal values. The fifth graders had a productive week of math and I was impressed with the continued effort that was in evidence during this final lesson.

An area of focus for our fantasy book group time was in setting. The students were looking for details that would allow a reader to grasp that they were reading a work of fantasy. We concluded the lesson by doing a short piece of writing.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

4/29/21

The kids created maps to track the shifting borders of America after the conclusion of the French and Indian War during social studies time. This activity went very well and it lead into some partner work answering some questions that tied into a video from yesterday and an article that we read today. A great two days of work on this from all of the kids.

We also had another really productive math lesson that continued our work with comparing the values of decimals. The fifth graders looked to use both number lines and hundredths grids to answer some questions.

4/28/21

The focus of our work in math class were number lines, specifically placing decimals onto the number lines. The students continue to work on place value and comparing. Today's lesson went well.

During ELA time, the book groups responded to a writing prompt concerning the main character in their fantasy book. They then had some time to continue to read deeper into their novels. 

4/27/21

The fifth graders launched their Road to Revolution during social studies this afternoon. We will be exploring key events, people and documents during this unit. Today, we explored the French and Indian War by using maps and a short video to help us answer some questions.

Fifth graders also met with their book groups again to read deeper in their fantasy novels. The groups are doing a fantastic job of not just reading with each other but also having meaningful conversations while reading. 

4/26/21

 It was nice to see everyone back at school after the spring vacation week. The kids were able to share some of the highlights of their week off during our morning meeting to start the day.

We continued to progress deeper into our decimal unit during math class. Today, the kids had one final lesson in which they used grids to represent the values of decimals, while also creating a list of equivalent decimals. 

During our ELA session, the fifth graders returned to their fantasy book groups. After spending some time reading a few chapters, the members looked to complete some writing pertaining to their main characters. 

4/16/21

The kids wrapped up their final week before vacation by putting the finishing touches on their 13 colonies group posters. These turned out very well and when we return from vacation, the kids will be able to present them to their peers. 

We also had another great fantasy book club session during our ELA time this morning. The fifth graders are continuing to track their thoughts about the stories and character development in their journals. 

I hope everyone has a great vacation week.

4/15/21

Fifth graders are going to be focusing on completing their 13 colonies project these final two days before vacation. Each of the groups did a nice job today of breaking up tasks so that all group members were involved. 

We also moved into our decimal unit today during math class. The fifth graders are going to be focused in this area over the next few weeks and today's lesson was a quality way to begin the investigation. 

4/14/21

The fifth graders took part in an enrichment opportunity with the Mimebox Theater group. The kids were engaged and they seemed to get a lot out of this zoom session.

The other item on our agenda this Wednesday morning was to play a round of math bingo that allowed the kids to practice some order of operation skills. 

4/13/21

The kids had their second fantasy book group meeting this morning. They continue to use a three step journal template to organize their thoughts about the novels. The first two days have went well. We will return to the books on Thursday.

Fifth graders also had another opportunity to work on their 13 colonies project. The group projects are turning out well and I can't wait to see the finished results later this week. 

4/12/21

The fifth graders started their second full week back in school today. Last week was a productive one across the board and we are looking to have that continue this next five days.

We began our fantasy book groups during ELA time. The kids are going to be reading with a critical eye to pick up on subtle plot changes and character development. While reading, the groups will be keeping track of important information and observation with a journal.

We are also getting close to starting a our decimal unit in math class. This is an important unit of study and one that will see us working on some interesting lessons. 

4/9/21

We wrapped up our first full, in-person week together today. It was a very productive week. The kids continued to progress deeper into their 13 colonies project during social studies. In math class, we completed one last lesson that tied into line graphs and data tables and the fifth graders also finished up their animal adaptation projects which tied up the work we were doing in science. 

It was great to finally have everyone back together and I look forward to seeing everyone again next week. I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

4/8/21

The fifth graders had a good amount if time to collaborate on their 13 colonies project. A few of the groups have started their posters, which will touch upon six key areas of the regions. This work will continue tomorrow.

We also continued to work with line graphs and data tables during math class. The students looked to track the changing heights of some students their age and then plot the data.

4/7/21

This early release day saw small groups continue to work on their 13 colonies project. The students looked to gather information pertaining to the land conditions, economy and natural resources that each region had. I was impressed with the level of cooperation during our social studies work.

We also continued to work with line graphs during math class. Fifth graders have been comparing the temperatures in major international cities. 

4/6/21

Day two of our full in person return saw the students working to interpret the data collected in bar graphs during math class. The fifth graders did a nice job with this. Some students were also able to revisit some of our methods for solving division problems later in the lesson.

The fifth graders also read an excerpt from a fantasy text during our ELA time. This lesson tied in nicely with yesterday's, in which we discussed some of the elements that distinguish a work of fantasy. 

4/5/21

What a great day it was in room A303. All nineteen members of the class were together for the first time this school year. We began the day with a longer morning meeting that allowed the students to get to know one another in greater detail. Each day this week and next, we will be taking part in small activities and share outs to further this goal.

In math class, we have moved into unit 5. This section of our text will see us working with coordinate grids. We had a productive first lesson.

Finally, during social studies class the kids were put into groups. These small. groups will be working on a 13 colonies project over the next two weeks. Each group has been assigned a colony and will look to report on the details of that section.

3/30/21

The students completed their animal adaptations reports and posters during our ELA time this morning. These posters turned out fantastic and when the two cohorts join together next week, we will have kids present their posters. 

We had one final lesson in our division review section of our fourth unit in math class. The kids are really doing a nice job of using the box or array method to solve these problems. 

3/29/21

We are now one week away from the two cohorts returning to the classroom as one. This was our share out topic during today's morning meeting. The kids are excited to have the classroom return to more of a sense of normalcy. 

We continued to work on division problems in unit 4. The students looked to solve some word problems that required them to work through problems with multiple steps.

Fifth graders also spent some time working on their models of the solar system during our science time.

3/26/21

The last Friday of the month saw the fifth graders wrap up their second to last division review lesson. The kids continue to work on refining the box method and they did a great job with that today.

We also continued on our animal adaptation projects during ELA time. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend and as a reminder, the kids in this cohort will not be in attendance for any in-person days next week.

3/25/21

 The Big Brains cohort looked to put the finishing touches on their opinion writing today. Many students have crossed the finish line, while a few others were looking to make some last minute edits during our ELA time this morning. This papers are turning out fantastic.

We also had a chance to return to our solar system during science class. The students concluded the planetary classification activity that we started last week.

3/23/21

The fifth graders completed the second of their introductory solar systems projects with a partner during our science time. Great teamwork in evidence as the kids classified and organized the planets.

We also continued to use the array/box method to solve division problems during math class. 

3/22/21

We began the week by continuing to work on our solar system models. While constructing these, the students are looking for unique characteristics of each of the planets. Tomorrow, small groups will work to classify the planets by their composition, size and other important details.

Math class was spent working on division problems. After revisiting multiplication work recently, it is now time to touch upon some division problems. 

3/19/21

We wrapped up a productive week today. The kids, as a whole, completed their opinion writing final drafts. I was terribly impressed with the dedication that the students put into this important work. I look forward to going through each piece and reading the fifth grader's thoughts concerning animals and zoos.

Many students were able to finish their model of the solar system during the later stages of the day. Small groups also worked with planetary cards to classify them by shared characteristics. 

Really solid work across the board, I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

3/18/21

The kids are exploring the planets of our solar system during science class. Today we began our classification of the types of planets. To better help us do this, the kids worked to build a model of the solar system. Tomorrow, small groups will work to classify the planets and other objects in our solar system with a greater eye for detail.

We have also shifted from multiplication to division within unit 4 in math class. This unit is going to allow all of the students to revisit some important concepts before we push into decimals soon. 

3/16/21

The kids spent some time sharing out observations from their night sky observation notebook. This lead into setting up our next activity which will see small groups working to classify planet cards.

We also continued our work in unit 4 in math class. Students worked to solve three digit by two digit digit multiplication problems using the standard algorithm.  

3/15/21

Fifth graders returned to the classroom today and we had a productive day together. The focus of our ELA time was in tightening up our conclusion paragraphs for our opinion pieces. While writer's conferences were going on, other students were peer editing and making some last minute changes. We will have one more writing session tomorrow.

The kids also took a quiz in math class to see where they stand after two weeks in unit 4. This quiz saw the students looking to solve multiplication problems using a variety of strategies. 

3/12/21

We completed another very busy week together this Friday. The students are approaching the finish line in their opinion writing. Many of the kids have finished their writer's conference with me and have peer edited a partner's piece. We will look to have everyone done by next Friday.

The fifth graders also completed their introductory tour of the third and final colonial region during our social studies time. Starting next week, small groups will begin their project concerning of the the regions. This will see the kids reporting on important figures, events and places from the region. 

3/11/21

As we progress deeper into unit 4 during math class, I continue to be impressed with the student's ability to solve multiplication problems using a variety of different methods. The fifth graders will continue to work with these strategies during tomorrow's lesson.

We also visited the New England colonies during our social studies time in the second half of the school day. The students looked to capture some important details about significant figures, events and dates pertaining to the four colonies. We will venture further down the eastern seaboard tomorrow.

3/9/21

Students worked in pairs to watch a video concerning the New England colonies. While watching, the kids looked to gather important information about the colonies using a graphic organizer.

We also worked in math class on solving multiplication problems using the standard algorithm. 

3/8/21

We launched our next social studies unit this morning. This unit will see the fifth graders exploring the 13 colonies. The kids worked on identifying the colonies on a map and then transitioned to watching a video pertaining to the New England colonies.

Our math lesson was centered around working with the standard multiplication algorithm. The kids worked to solve two digit by two digit and two digit by three digit problems.

3/5/21

We finished the first week in the month of March by exploring the colonies that made up the New England region. The kids did some math work and then moved into gathering details about key figures and important dates for each colony.

The earlier part of the school day had the kids working with the standard multiplication algorithm to solve some word problems. This was a productive lesson and I look forward to continuing the work next week. 

3/4/21

The fifth graders worked on their body paragraphs during the early stages of this Thursday. Many of the kids are deep into shaping their gathered evidence into body paragraphs. I was also able to conference with a few writers to check their progress. There was a lot of quality work done during our ELA time.

We also launched unit 4 in math class. This unit will look to see the fifth graders working to solve both multiplication and division problems using a variety of different methods. This is a valuable unit in terms of both refreshing the kids' memories and exploring new concepts.

3/2/21

The kids completed the second half of their iReady assessment this morning. Fifth graders worked through math problems to gauge where they are half way through the school year. The kids did a great job of working through these items the last two days.

We also had another fantastic math lesson. This lesson saw the kids in A303 work through the last fraction unit in unit 3. Tomorrow, when we gather online, we will kick off unit 4.

3/1/21

We began the month of March by working on the ELA portion of the iReady assessment. Tomorrow, we will look to have the kids continue into the math section of the exam.

Fifth graders also had a fantastic writing session this afternoon. Many of the kids finished their introductory paragraphs and are hard at work on their body paragraphs. This work will continue into tomorrow.

2/26/21

We concluded the week with the second portion of our iReady winter exam this morning. The fifth graders worked on the math section. I wanted to compliment all of the kids for their effort in regards to this exam the last two days.

Room A303 also had another fantastic writing session later in the school day. Many of the kids are into their body paragraphs, where we are organizing the evidence that we have gathered the last few weeks. I was also able to hold writer's conferences with many of the kids to go over their lead paragraphs. Some really nice work done over the last two days. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. 

2/25/21

The fifth graders worked on their math mid-year iReady assessment early in the day. The kids worked diligently on this. Tomorrow, we will look to have the kids work on the ELA portion of the exam.

The other area of note was in our writing. Students are hard at work on their opinion writing pieces concerning zoos. Many of the kids were able to finish their lead paragraph and progress into their body paragraphs this afternoon. This work will continue over the next two weeks. 

2/23/21

The fifth graders continued to be hard at work on their opinion writing pieces. Many of the kids have moved into shaping their evidence into body paragraphs. I was able to touch base with many of the students this morning and the writing is coming along nicely. 

Another milestone was crossed in social studies. The members of A303 officially finished their reporting on history unit. The final assessment saw the kids writing about reliable and useful sources for potential generations to learn about the COVID pandemic and its effects on school age children. Quality work across the board during this time. 

2/22/21

It was great to see the fifth graders back in school after the vacation week. We began the day with a share out about fun or interesting events from the week off and then took part in an energizer to start the day.

We had a productive writing session during our ELA time. The kids are hard at work on their final draft of their opinion writing pieces. The goal today was to craft a strong lead paragraph. This work will continue throughout the next two weeks.

2/12/21

We wrapped up the week by putting the finishing touches on our Black History Month research project during ELA. The kids selected two figures from American history to report on and build a timeline of important events in the person's lives. These turned out well.

Members of A303 also completed their end-of-unit social studies assessment. We had a very productive week and the kids should be commended for the work they put in.

I hope everyone has a great vacation week.

2/11/21

We moved into our next nonfiction reading lesson today. We explored the main idea of our anchor text and then used that information to help us in our reading of personal nonfiction texts. The kids ended their ELA time by working on their research project that they began yesterday.

In social studies, the fifth graders are looking to put the finishing touches on their end-of-unit task. This work will see them weigh the pros and cons of different sources and look to choose the best options that would allow them to learn about an important event in recent history. We will continue this work tomorrow.

2/9/21

Today was a big day for the fifth graders. They began to craft their intro paragraph for their opinion essays. The kids looked to identify three key arguments from our recent research that they could use to build their pieces. This work will continue over the next few weeks.

The fifth graders also took a quiz in math class that will gauge their progress with both adding and subtracting fractions. This lead into playing a game called fraction tracks. 

2/8/21

The fifth graders spent some time today taking a school climate survey. This anonymous survey, that all students in the city are filling out, will give the district an understanding as to home the kids are doing with this unusual learning year. 

We followed that up by completing our last writing lesson concerning the lifespans of animals. This particular lesson saw the fifth graders exploring bar graphs and pulling out key data. Tomorrow, the kids will begin crafting their lead paragraphs. 

2/5/21

The fifth graders began writing their opinion pieces during our ELA time. The kids looked to focus on two key supporting details to support their opinion using the numerous sources we have looked at over the last three weeks. 

After we took a quiz in math class, the students then had the option to play one of the two math games we have learned recently involving fractions with a partner. It was another productive session. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. 

2/4/21

The fifth graders began crafting their introductory paragraphs for their research-based opinion pieces during our ELA time. Over the last two weeks, they have been exposed to a number of different videos, articles and books that speak to the challenges faced by animals in the 21st century. Their goal is to write an opinion piece concerning the wellbeing of animals, specifically whether they are better off in the wild or in captivity. This work will continue throughout the rest of the month.

We also spent some time looking at complex, non-fiction text during our reading period. The kids looked at an article concerning octopuses and then looked to capture some notes and observations that tied into our overall lesson of working through complex writing. 

2/1/21

The Polar Bear cohort began the first week of February by undertaking the second to last lesson concerning gathering evidence for our opinion pieces. Today and tomorrow, the kids will be looking to gather evidence pertaining to the lifespans of animals, both in the wild and in captivity. 

We also continued to learn more about the sun and the larger solar system during our science work.

1/29/21

We wrapped up our last week of January by looking at our final task in our opinion writing unit. The fifth graders compared the lifespans of elephants in the wild and in zoos by using bar graphs. This lead into answering some comprehension questions. Starting next week, will begin to craft of actual opinion pieces.

Science also saw the students do some reading and watch a video about the earth's rotation and its place in the solar system. The kids worked in pairs to answer some questions.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone back at school in February. 

1/28/21

 The fifth graders journeyed to Swaziland in southern Africa during our writing class this morning. We watched a video and read an article about a miraculous group of elephants and the efforts made by people in Africa and America to save them. This will better inform our opinion writing piece. 

Science saw the students learning more about the solar system, particularly what causes night and day. This work will continue into tomorrow. 

1/26/21

The fifth graders continued their work with fractions and opinion writing. The article that we looked at in our opinion writing unit concerned a group of elephants that were rescued from within Africa and then sent to a zoo in America for a new lease on life. Fifth graders then looked to compile information in their graphic organizer. Two really productive writing lessons in a row for the kids.

We also continued our exploration of the earth and its rotation around the sun. Pairs of fifth graders watched a short video and then used that information to help them answer some questions. 

1/25/21

The start of the last week of January saw the members of A303 continue to progress deeper into our exploration of the conditions of animals in zoos. Today, the fifth graders looked at an article that went into detail about a mental condition that can afflict certain animals. Working in pairs, the students then accumulated valuable details from the article into a graphic organizer. We will continue this important work tomorrow.

We also undertook our next science lesson during the later stages of the day. The focus of the lesson was sunrise and sunset and what exactly is happening during these periods. 

As a reminder, this is the week that the kids should be looking to complete reading Fenway & Hattie. On our online learning day this week, we will look to do some more writing about the book.

1/22/21

The Polar Bear half of the class had a productive end to the school week. We continue to look at resources pertaining to our zoo opinion piece of writing. Today, the kids were tasked will pulling out important facts from an essay and then compiling them in a graphic organizer.

Math time was centered around looking at fractions on the face of a standard clock. This lead into completing some fraction worksheets. 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. 

1/21/21

The fifth graders are hitting the ground running with their opinion writing unit. Today, the kids viewed two videos that spoke of the efforts of zoos in the southwest to save a collection of endangered animals. We also familiarize ourselves with a graphic organizer that we will be using to collect evidence for our final papers.

The heart of our math time today was spent learning a game that helped us learn how to compare the value of fractions. This segued nicely into two workbook pages, in which the kids were able to show their thinking concerning a few word problems. 

As a reminder, the cohort that was in the classroom today will be learning from home tomorrow 
(Friday 1/22).

1/19/21

The start of the new week, saw the Polar Bears cohort at work in math, social studies and writing. Our writing time saw the fifth graders kickoff their opinion writing unit. The kids looked at a video from the Phoenix Zoo, which spoke of their efforts to save the Arabian oryx. This lead into some work using one of our graphic organizers. The kids did a nice job with this.

Math time was a continuation of the fraction work that was begun last week. Students worked on problems that saw them comparing the values of fraction cards.

As a reminder, the students in this cohort will also be in school this upcoming Friday, the 22nd.

I look forward to seeing all of the fifth graders online tomorrow. 

1/15/21

We wrapped up a very productive week together in room A303. The fifth graders had another quality lesson involving fractions. The versatility of the students when it comes to solving these problems has been exciting to see. Kids also had the chance to play an in-between game using fraction cards.

Our ELA time was focused on exploring another anchor source for zoos and the animals that live there. The kids will continue to be exposed to a variety of sources into the next two weeks. I look forward to digging deeper into this topic with the fifth graders.

I hope everyone has a great long weekend and I look forward to seeing everyone back at school next week. 

1/14/21

 We launched our next unit of writing during our ELA time. The fifth graders are going to be looking at the effects that zoos have on wildlife. This will eventually culminate in an opinion piece concerning the best place for animals to live out their lives. We looked at a video about the efforts of workers at the Phoenix Zoo to save the Arabian Oryx. 

The focus of our work in math was on comparing the values of fractions. The kids were partnered and were tasked with creating a number line using fraction cards. They then turned their attention to a few workbook pages. 

Tomorrow, we will continue our work with opinion writing and fractions. 

1/12/21

We had a second productive lesson concerning text structure during the ELA portion of the school day. This lesson saw the fifth graders working to classify non-fiction stories by their text structure format. The kids did a nice job with this.

The fifth graders also kicked off their first science experiment. This lesson saw pairs of fifth graders tracing each other's shadows in the morning and the afternoon and making observations in their science journal. Over the next two weeks, the kids will continue deeper into this unit of study.

1/11/21

 The start of the new week saw the AA cohort working with equivalent fractions during math class. The fifth graders were tasked with shading in arrays to prove equivalence. A solid start to the week and this lesson will serve as a nice foundation for the work that we will do over the next few weeks.

Our ELA time was spent looking at non-fiction text structure. As we are about to begin our next reading unit, this key lesson allowed the students to get exposed to the five core structures. Tomorrow, we will look to continue this work with a small group activity.

As a reminder, there are parent-teacher conferences this Wednesday. The kids should also be reading Fenway and Hattie, in preparation for our author visit next month.

1/8/21

I must admit, I am a little tired after my first full week back. But saying that, what a week it has been. It has been great to finally get to meet all of the students in person and to start to learn with them.

We continued with both our fraction work as well as our investigation into text structure during ELA time. The kids impress with both their participation and their willingness to ask questions. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I will see everyone back at school next week.

Just as a reminder, the kids have all been given a copy of Fenway and Hattie. Along with the book, is a schedule for when the book should be finished by. This book may be read while at home, when the agenda calls for DEAR or Lexia time. The kids are also welcome to read at a quicker pace then the included schedule calls for. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

1/7/21

I was finally able to meet the students in the BB cohort. We began the day with a morning meeting and a fun energizer that the kids seemed to enjoy.

Later in the school day, we continued to progress deeper into our fraction unit. The kids are off to an impressive start. Both with the vocabulary that they are using and their ability to break down complex problems, they are off to a nice start. This work will continue into next week.

We also did some work identifying different types of text structures. This is going to inform our next reading unit and also serve to help the kids as we prepare to kick off our next writing unit. 

A very productive day and I can't wait to see the kids back at school tomorrow. 

1/5/21

 We had a productive day in A303 today. The students continued to be hard at work on a series of volume word problems in math class. The kids are doing a great job of disassembling the problems and then showing their work with both words and calculations. 

Our social studies time saw the kids continue to work on their history journal pertaining to the current times that they are living in. 

We were also able to read deeper into our read aloud book, Auggie & Me by RJ Palacio.

The students also received the book Fenway & Hattie, which they will be reading over those next few weeks. This will culminate with an online author visit in February.

1/4/21

 It was fantastic to be back in the classroom with with the students in cohort AA today. We began the day with a morning meeting that featured an energizer that the kids seemed to enjoy.

We began the school day by revisiting some of the volume concepts that the students had been working on prior to vacation. Later this week, we will look to kick off the fraction unit.

Our ELA time saw the fifth graders watching a video about a remarkable youth soccer team from Thailand. This segued into pulling out some key concepts from the video which tied in nicely with some of the literary writing work the kids were doing back in December.

I look forward to seeing AA kids again tomorrow.