12/20/24

The fifth graders have worked tirelessly throughout these first four months of the school year. They all deserve a nice, long vacation. I hope everyone has a wonderful break and happy holiday. Look forward to seeing everyone back at school in 2025.

12/19/24

We continued to explore the benefits of protecting the rain forests in ELA. Each of the students read an article and then used a graphic organizer to summarize. They then used that organizer to help craft an essay touching upon the most important details. The fifth graders did a fine job with this.

As a reminder, tomorrow is board game day in A303. Each of the kids is welcome to bring one board or card game to class with them.

12/18/24

Our math time was dedicated to continue to work with adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers. The last two sessions have been strenuous ones, but the fifth graders have risen to the challenge.

Compliments to the members of A303 for their coordinated effort to decorate the classroom door. The finished product looked great.

 

12/17/24

We worked on a chronological structure activity during ELA this morning. The fifth graders were tasked with listing the events that took place in a portion of our anchor text. They then took part in a language dive were they familiarized themselves with some important vocabulary.

Later in the school day, the kids put the finishing touches on our winter classroom door decorating contest. The final outcome was impressive. The judging will take place tomorrow.

12/16/24

Using some of the unfamiliar vocabulary words from our anchor text, the members of A303 began to work on creating a vocab word wall during ELA. This work will continue tomorrow.

Today and tomorrow the fifth graders are going to gameplan and decorate the door for the school wide door decorating contest. They came up with some creative ideas this afternoon and will implement them tomorrow.

12/13/24

The last two days have been valuable ones in math class. After working with some fraction subtraction problems yesterday. The kids turned their attention to adding and subtracting mixed numbers this afternoon. Next week, the members of A303 will take their final math assessment of 2024.

The fifth graders spent some time making birthday cards for a worthy recipient today. Chief Petty Officer William Monfort is turning 108-years-old on December 17. He is one of the oldest living World War II veterans in America. After talking a little about his life, the kids did a nice job of crafting cards. Please share this link, if you know anyone else who would be interested in making cards for this extraordinary man.

https://www.wkrg.com/state-regional/florida/what-floridas-oldest-wwii-vet-wants-for-his-108th-birthday-how-you-can-help/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co+

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. One more week to go until vacation.

12/12/24

Our subtracting fractions lessons was a valuable one. After a few bumps in the road, the fifth graders made some nice progress. We are going to continue to work on these problems tomorrow.

We also spent some time tossing around ideas for what we want the classroom door to look like. The door decorating contest is next week and the members of A303 are keen to win.

12/11/24

We built upon yesterday's work in ELA this morning. The kids read an excerpt from the text and then responded to some questions.

Tomorrow in math class, the kids are going to begin working with subtracting fraction problems. This is an important transition and one that we will spend the next few days on.

12/10/24

The fifth graders were introduced to their anchor text for our second module during ELA. After spending a short amount of time scanning the pictures contained within and making some predictions, we read the first chapter. The kids then worked to respond to some questions about unfamiliar vocabulary words that were present in that chapter.

We met with our book buddies and worked on some coloring pages that will be used by both classrooms in the school wide door decorating contest.

12/9/24

Two weeks left until winter break. In that time, the fifth graders in room A303 have some important things to accomplish. Today, we began digging into rain forests during module two of our EL curriculum. The kids looked to share some background information that they may have had about these important ecosystems and then we looked briefly at our anchor test for this unit. The book The Most Beautiful Roof in the World by Kathryn Lasky will serve as a valuable text for the fifth graders.

Tomorrow we are going to meet with our second grade book buddies one final time in 2024.

12/6/24

We learned another fraction game called Fraction Tracks during our math time this afternoon. Each of the fifth graders used a game board and plastic chips to add fractions with unlike denominators.

Next week, the fifth graders will take a fraction assessment and we will once again meet with our second grade book buddies. I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

12/5/24

The kids continued to add fractions with unlike denominators during math class. Today. we looked to make estimates before solving each of the word problems. With the time left over, the fifth graders played another round of the game Roll Around the Clock.

Tomorrow in ELA class, we will launch the second module which has to do with rainforests.

12/4/24

We spent time in math class playing a fraction game called "Roll Around the Clock". This game saw the kids rolling two dice, that have fractions on the faces and then using different strategies to add these two fractions. The kids then transitioned to completing two workbook pages. The last two days have been filled with excellent conversation and teamwork.

12/3/24

Time was spent exploring the early English settlement of Plymouth during social studies this morning. The kids worked with a graphic organizer to gather some important information about the colony, which we visited on a field trip earlier this school year.

In math class, the members of A303 began adding fractions. Using blank clock faces, the kids worked on a few workbook pages. A productive lesson.

12/2/24

The first week of December will see the fifth graders conclude their group monologue and poster concerning Esperanza Rising. A lot of time and effort have went into this work over the last two weeks and we are all eager to see the finished results.

We are also going to move into the second portion of our fraction unit. We will start adding and subtracting fractions these next two weeks. Some very important lessons are upcoming.

11/27/24

During read aloud, we finished the first portion of Auggie & Me. The fifth graders really enjoyed this story.

I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend.

11/26/24

We continued our work with fractions during our afternoon math session. The kids worked in pairs to play an ordering fractions game and then finished up some outstanding workbook pages from the end of last week.

The fifth graders were also able to meet with their second grade book buddies this morning. Each of the pairings took part in some Thanksgiving themed coloring pages.

As a reminder, tomorrow is an early release day. The school day will conclude at 1130 with grab and go lunches available to the kids.

11/22/24

We concluded the last full school week in November by continuing our work with fractions. The fifth graders looked to compare the values of fractions and then order them. Steady progress is being made with this important subject matter.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

11/21/24

The students used the fraction number line that they created yesterday to help them complete some workbook pages this afternoon in math class. The kids were comparing the values of fractions using those aforementioned number lines as well as visuals. Productive chunk of time.

The fifth graders were also able to continue to make progress with their monologues during ELA time. This work continues tomorrow morning.

11/20/24

Each of the groups that was created in ELA has selected a scene and a character to use as the narrator of a monologue. Over the next two weeks, they are going to work on a script for their performance. Today was a productive day in that regard. I continue to look for quality cooperation and teamwork in the classroom as they are at work on this important piece of work.

11/19/24

During math class, the kids zeroed in on equivalent fractions. To show these relationships they used various grids to show the fractions visually. This was a productive lesson. We spend the second part of the session reviewing some concepts from unit two.

11/18/24

We began two important work areas today. In ELA class, the kids are going to be working to create monologues for characters in Esperanza Rising. This will be the culminating activity for our work with this novel. We are also going to work our way through the first few lessons in unit 3 in math class.

11/15/24

The fifth graders crushed their literary essay writing this week. We used our ELA time this morning having the kids partner up to peer edit each other's writing. They were looking to offer constructive feedback. This was productive and went well.

Next week we will begin our exploration of fractions. This important topic is at the core of fifth grade math and I look forward to working with the fifth graders on these lessons. Their work throughout the first two units has been uniformly strong.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

11/14/24

Each of the students finished a draft of their literary essays. Tomorrow, the kids are going to be partnered up for a peer editing session. They will have certain criteria that they are looking for and will offer their thoughts about each other's writing.

We wrapped up unit two in math this afternoon by taking an assessment. Tomorrow, we will look to enter the world of fractions as we begin unit three.

11/13/24

A fair amount of the fifth graders finished their draft of their literary essays this morning. A few were able to start typing their pieces. The next two days will see the fifth graders assigned a partner to peer edit each other's work. We are doing an excellent job with our focus and attention to detail.

Tomorrow, the kids will take a math assessment which will conclude our work in unit two.

11/12/24

Writing will continue to be our focus this week in ELA. Each of the fifth graders completed their lead paragraphs for their literary essays last week. Many have progressed into their body paragraphs. This week, we will have a lesson on crafting strong concluding paragraphs and we will look to have all members of A303 complete their initial drafts. Later this week and into next, the kids will look to type their piece and publish.

We were also able to meet with our second grade book buddies today. This Wednesday the 13th, is World Kindness Day. Each of the partnerships worked on an activity pertaining to the celebration and then spent some time reading together.

11/8/24

During ELA we focused on drafting body, or proof, paragraphs. The fifth graders carried over yesterday's positive momentum into today's writing session. I was very happy with the diligence that the kids put towards their work.

The members of A303 received back their volume quizzes from last week during math class. They did very well on these.

I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend.

11/7/24

In ELA, the fifth graders analyzed an example of a literary essay using the painted method. We looked to identify main topics, supporting details and focus statements. With the second half of the session, the kids began to draft their lead paragraphs. We will return to this work tomorrow.

During math class, the members of A303 worked in small groups to try to determine the volume of the classroom using cubic feet. This was an exciting lesson.

11/6/24

Working in pairs, the fifth graders looked to craft a draft of a "two-voice" poem. Using previous graphic organizers, the kids told wrote a poem from the perspective of two different characters viewing the same event. This was a productive session. Tomorrow, we are going to turn our attention to literary essay writing.

Math class, saw us continuing to work with volume problems. The kids completed two important workbook pages and then returned to some unfinished material from Monday.

11/4/24

The next few weeks will see the fifth graders working on a literary essay that ties into Esperanza Rising. We spent ELA time today putting the finishing touches on the assessment to mark the end of our reading. 

As a reminder, the kids do not have school tomorrow because of the Thompson being used for town wide voting.

10/30/24

We took a volume assessment during math class. After completing this, we returned to our important work from yesterday where the kids are calculating the volume of irregularly shaped objects.

 On Friday November 1st, we are taking a field trip to the Planetarium at the Museum of Science.

10/29/24

The kids are about halfway through their mid-unit assessment concerning Esperanza Rising. We dedicated our ELA time to responding to the first portion of the test this morning during ELA time. Tomorrow, we will look to have the fifth graders continue their work with this.

 On Friday November 1st, we are taking a field trip to the Planetarium at the Museum of Science.

10/28/24

The fifth graders are going to be doing some important writing this week. They are going to spend the early part of the week responding to an end of novel assessment concerning the last two chapters of Esperanza Rising. Later in the week, we are going to turn our attention to crafting literary essays. That work will be ongoing over the next few weeks.

Tomorrow, the fifth graders are going to meet with their second grade book buddies. And on Friday November 1st, we are taking a field trip to the Planetarium at the Museum of Science.

10/25/24

We wrapped up a productive week by finishing Esperanza Rising this morning in ELA. After concluding our reading of the novel the kids responded to some questions pertaining to a key metaphor that arose throughout the course of the text. Next week, the fifth graders will take their end of unit assessment and then we are going to turn our attention to some writing.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

10/24/24

Today was a writing day for for the fifth graders during ELA time. The kids wrote a paragraph that spoke to the reaction of a character to a key turning point in Esperanza Rising. This lead into another piece of writing which concerned our read aloud book, Wonder. The kids will look to put the finishing touches on these two pieces of work tomorrow morning.

10/23/24

The kids received back their graded division assessment from last week. The grades were quite good. A lot of quality time and effort went into their work in that unit. We continued our exploration of volume problems during this math session.

On Friday afternoon, Arlington School Committee member Bill Hayner is going to visit the classroom to give a non-partisan look into the mechanics of the upcoming election and the ballot questions that Massachusetts voters will be faced with in November.

10/22/24

The fifth graders did a fine job of working to solve volume problems during math class. We began the lesson by having the kids use connecting cubes to create various three dimensional objects that were projected on the overhead. This work will continue throughout the rest of the school week.

10/21/24

The kids had a nice time and learned a lot on our field trip to Plimoth Patuxet this morning. 

Tomorrow, we will return to a normal schedule and continue to progress into unit 2 in math class.

10/18/24

The kids did a wonderful job on their end of unit one assessment in math class. The hard work and diligence that each of the fifth graders put into their work is evident in their grades. Today, we launched unit two. This unit will see the kids working to solve volume problems.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. As a reminder, the kids are traveling to Plymouth for a field trip on Monday.

10/17/24

The fifth graders read another chapter in Esperanza Rising this morning. Then working in pairs, the kids reflected on the reactions various characters had to an important turning point in the novel.

In math class, the kids played a division compare game and then wrapped up the lesson by completing two workbook pages.

10/16/24

The fifth graders met with their second grade book buddies this morning. After reading a book of the second grader's choosing, they took part in some fall themed activities. The fifth graders continue to do a nice job of working with their younger peers.

Our math time was spent taking a short division assessment. This will give me insight into where each of the members of A303 stand as we prepare to move into the second unit of study.

Students received two permission slips for upcoming field trips. These need to be signed and returned to school as soon as possible.

10/15/24

In science class, the kids did some reading about the night sky. Special attention was paid to building our vocabulary base and then we answered some focus questions pertaining to the reading.

Tomorrow, the fifth graders will take a division assessment during math class.

Students received two permission slips for upcoming field trips. These need to be signed and returned to school as soon as possible.

10/11/24

The fifth graders continue to explore the most recent chapter in Esperanza. They wrapped up their work with metaphors today and responded to questions. A key point of emphasis today was quoting the text accurately and effectively. 

Students received two permission slips for upcoming field trips. These need to be signed and returned to school as soon as possible.

 I hope everyone has a nice long weekend.

10/10/24

We continued to explore the relationship between multiplication and division this afternoon. The kids are solidifying their ability to solve division problems in a variety of ways by using calculations and visuals. We ended the session by having the kids play a division compare game.

Students received two permission slips for upcoming field trips. These need to be signed and returned to school as soon as possible.

10/9/24

We put special emphasis into looking at a batch of division word problems this afternoon in math class. Each of the fifth graders was tasked with solving a few problems and then sharing their thought process with a peer. There was some nice discussion going on during this time amongst the kids.

Later this week we are going to return to our study of the solar system, more specifically classifying the planets.

10/8/24

Our math time was spent refining the our methods for solving division problems. The kids then looked to create word problems to math various numerical problems they were given. Some nice perseverance during this time.

10/7/24

The two points of emphasis for the members of A3O3 this week will be to work to solve division problems and to compare and contrast. the different viewpoints of characters within Esperanza Rising. We are hoping to take what we have been working on within our multiplication unit and use that to help us think about division strategies during math class. The kids are also going to be responding to some focus questions pertaining to viewpoints during our ELA time.

10/4/24

We took part in an interesting ELA lesson this morning that involved character reactions to changing events. The fifth graders worked together to analyze how different characters in Esperanza reacted to the same events. This was a meaningful lesson that had the kids engaging in a conversation and responding to some focus questions in their workbooks. Next week, we will continue to read deeper into the novel.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

10/2/24

We have reached the midway point of unit one in ELA. Today the fifth graders took their mid-unit assessment which posed questions about Esperanza Rising. The kids have been working hard with this text and they appeared to be in a good frame of mind taking this assessment. We are going to return to the novel on Friday.

During math class, the members of A303 worked with various multiplication strategies and then compared and contrasted the procedures.

There is no school tomorrow (10/3).

10/1/24

We are near the conclusion of unit one in our ELA unit. The kids completed reading a chapter in Esperanza this morning and then they worked in pairs to respond to a question about the story's structure. We are going to take our unit one assessment tomorrow. This will see the kids responding to some focus questions.

9/30/24

Hard to believe that the first month of the school year has concluded. If September was any indication, this school year will be a great one. We are going to continue to progress with Esperanza Rising in ELA class and with our multiplication work in math class in the month of October.

We spent some valuable time during All Block were on some key vocabulary words from the novel. The fifth graders continue to build their working vocabularies.

As a reminder, the kids do not have school on Thursday October 3rd in celebration of Rosh Hashanah.

9/27/24

The fifth graders took a map quiz during our social studies time. The last two weeks have seen them familiarizing themselves with the United States and the capitols. I am sure the hard work that the kids put in will be reflected in the results.

 I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

9/26/24

We continued to explore the sun's role in our solar system during science class this morning. Tomorrow, we are going to look to do a partner science experiment concerning the creation of shadows.

In math class, the kids learned and played a partner multiplication compare game. This was a fun and informative lesson and the kids did a fine job working together on this important material.

9/25/24

The kids returned to their reading of Esperanza during ELA time. We are making excellent strides in dissecting the structure of this story and in building our vocabulary base. The fifth graders also seem to be enjoying the text a great deal. Definitely make a point to ask your child about their thoughts concerning the novel.

9/24/24

The fifth graders did a wonderful job on yesterday's order of operations assessment. The hard work that they were putting into their daily work is reflected in these grades. For the rest of this week, the kids are going to be looking to practice their two digit by two digit multiplication strategies.

We are also going to continue to read deeper into Esperanza Rising while talking about the structure of the story and responding to some prompts.

9/23/24

This is going to be a busy week for the fifth graders. In math class, we are going to have our first quiz of the year, involving order of operation problems. The kids are also going to refine their strategies for solving multiplication problems.

In science class, we are going to start exploring our solar system. We have some interesting experiments and lesson in store for the fifth graders these next two weeks.

9/20/24

We wrapped up a busy, productive week in room A303 this Friday afternoon. The fifth graders crushed another important lesson concerning order of operation problems in math class. The kids were tasked with inserting grouping symbols into a batch of problems to match the given answer. This was a challenging lesson, but the kids worked well in pairs and did a fantastic job.

Our ELA time was spent reading deeper into Esperanza Rising. Each of the fifth graders responded to some focus questions about the latest goings on and then read with a partner. 

The kids deserve a relaxing weekend. I hope everyone enjoys the days off and I will see the kids back at school on Monday.

9/19/24

Some of ELA time was spent looking at effective summaries and their characteristics. We are going to look to have each of the kids craft a short summary of the most recent chapter in Esperanza Rising during our reading time tomorrow.

We also continued our dive into order of operation problems in math class. Each of the students is making some quality progress in their understanding and they are showing that by responding to some workbook pages.

9/18/24

The point of emphasis over the rest of this school week is order of operation problems. During our math time this morning, the fifth graders looked at a series of problems and we practiced solving these step-by-step. I was encouraged by the level of persistence the kids were showing.

9/17/24

We dug into the next chapter of Esperanza Rising this morning during our ELA module block. The fifth graders paid special attention to the story structure of this chapter as well as the idea of what makes a comprehensive summary. Later this week, the kids will respond to a new prompt.

The rest of this week will contain an emphasis on order of operation problems in math class. I am eager to undertake these important early lessons with the members of A303.

9/16/24

The fifth graders returned to their series of number puzzles during our math time. Working in small groups, the kids were able to collaborate on these number sense puzzles. The last two math classes have been excellent.

During social studies time, we explored hemispheres and responded to some clarifying focus questions.

9/13/24

We kicked off a two-part math lesson that will see small groups of students working on number puzzles. Using number sense and their prior knowledge, the kids are going to collaborate and continue to build up their strategies for multiplying numbers. Today was a positive first step and the group work was a strong positive during the time.

It was wonderful to meet with families yesterday evening. Thank you for those that stopped by the classroom. I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

9/12/24

During our math time, the fifth graders worked to identify properties of numbers. Out math vocabulary continues to grow and we worked with prime, composite and square numbers this afternoon. The partner work was quite good as well. At the tail end of next week, the kids will take their first math assessment of the new school year.

I am looking forward to meeting parents and caregivers during tonight's open house. This begins at 6 pm.

9/11/24

One of our goals with their first unit in our ELA curriculum is to build a healthy amount of background knowledge pertaining to the novel. To further that goal, the kids worked in pairs to do a mini-research project about the history of Mexico. This is going to make for a more enriching reading experience and will continue into tomorrow's lesson.

9/10/24

The students began reading the first dozen pages of Esperanza Rising this morning during ELA class. After quickly mentioning our norms for partner discussion and work, the kids dug into the novel. The session was ended with the fifth graders responding to a prompt about the work of fiction.

Multiplication arrays continued to be the point of emphasis during math class in the afternoon. The students had another quality lesson that built on work started in fourth grade.

9/9/24

An important day in A303 this Monday. The fifth graders officially launched unit one of our math curriculum as well as our brand new EL language arts material. We are going to explore and review multiplication during our early lessons in math. Today was a nice reintroduction for the kids to some important concepts that they touched upon last school year.

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan is going to be our anchor text for our EL work. The members of A303 set some expectations and norms for our work this year. This important lesson will pave the way for the steps to come over the next few weeks.

As a reminder, this Thursday the 13th is Open House night at the Thompson. Starting at 6 o'clock and running to 8 o'clock. Please contact the office for further details.

9/6/24

Hard to believe that the first week of school is already in the books. The members of A303 had an excellent three days. We continued our community building during our morning meeting time this morning. Next week, the kids will take part in three new energizers.

We also spent some time working on "Important Me" poems. These will be completed next week and parents will be able to take a look when they visit during Open House next Thursday night.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

9/5/24

Our first full school day together saw the fifth graders continuing to familiarize themselves with the classroom norms and procedures. We had an excellent morning meeting to start our school day. Later in the day we also had a small math lesson that centered on factors and multiples. 

My compliments to the kids on their flexibility and enthusiasm for these early days. We will look to finish the week up on a strong note tomorrow.

9/4/24

The new school year has officially launched. It was great to get to meet the new members of room A303. After having their first gym class of the year, we made our way up to our classroom and began the day with our first morning meeting. This block of time will be a daily part of each day. The kids shared out some of their summer memories with their peers.

We spend the remainder of the rest of this early release day taking part in some get-to-know-you activities and familiarizing the kids with the classroom.

A wonderful first day. Tomorrow and Friday the fifth graders are going to continue to learn about the practices and procedures of the room and continue to learn more about their peers.

6/18/24

It was a pleasure to have the nineteen students that I did in my classroom this year. We had an excellent year together and I will miss them next year. Thank you to all of the parents and families for their support this year. I hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable summer break.

6/17/24

Congratulations to all of the fifth graders. The graduation ceremony this morning turned out well.

Tomorrow is our last day of school. The clap out for the fifth graders will begin at 11:15 and dismissal is at 11:30.

6/14/24

On Monday next week, we will celebrate the grade level with their graduation ceremony. I look forward to seeing families on Monday morning. I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

6/13/24

We began the day with our final math class of the school year. We looked at a series of multi-step math word problems that served as a nice review of some of the concepts we have been working on in the last six months.

The afternoon was spent putting the finishing touches on our fantasy book groups posters. Nice teamwork from the groups.

Tomorrow we are taking our field trip to Launch.

6/12/24

Each of the fifth graders has officially published their informational piece of writing. Much time and effort went into these and the kids should feel proud of the work they produced. On Friday, they will receive a hard copy with a grade attached to take home.

Tomorrow, we are going to spend a significant amount of time focused on our fantasy book projects.

On Friday, the fifth grade classes are going to travel to Launch in Woburn for their final field trip of the school year.

6/11/24

We were able to dedicate some quality time to our fantasy book projects this morning. Later this week, we will also complete our final read aloud book of the year, The Thief of Always.

On Friday, the fifth grade classes are going to travel to Launch in Woburn for their final field trip of the school year.

6/10/24

We began our final full week together this Monday. The two important pieces of work that the fifth graders will be focused on are completing their informational writing conferences and working within their book groups to finish their fantasy book group posters.

On Friday, the fifth grade classes are going to travel to Launch in Woburn for their final field trip of the school year.

6/7/24

Thank you to the parent volunteers who helped make field day a success. I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

6/6/24

We continued to classify polygons during math class this morning. We also had time to review multiplying fractions.

ELA time was dedicated to fantasy book groups. Another two groups finished their novels today and were able to turn their attention to their poster project.

Friday is field day.

6/5/24

We had an enjoyable and informative field trip into Boston this morning. The fifth graders visited the Old South Meeting House and the Old State House. At the Meeting House, the students engaged in a mock debate around the events of the Tea Party. The kids did a great job playing the parts of either loyalists or patriots.

Tomorrow, we will return to our fantasy book groups.

6/3/24

To get us more fully in the Revolutionary War mindset, the kids cycled through a series of stations this morning during an early social studies class. Each of the stations was meant to highlight an important event in the Revolutionary War timeline. The kids did a nice job of working together and are excited for our field trip into Boston tomorrow morning.

 

 

Tomorrow, we will leave the school on buses around nine o'clock and will return to school at 1230. We are asking each fifth grader to bring

5/31/24

A few more fifth graders crossed the finished line and published the final copy of their informational writing pieces this morning. We will look to have all students reach this goal by the end of next week.

Good luck to all of the fifth graders who are involved in the play this weekend. I am sure that things will go very well.

Look forward to seeing everyone back at school in June as we start the final three weeks together.

5/30/24

Bravo to all of the Thompson students involved with the play. We were able to be in the audience this afternoon and the finished product was excellent. The kids should feel proud of their accomplishment and confident heading into this weekend's performances.

5/29/24

We explored the qualities of four sided polygons during math class this morning and also worked in some review of converting metric units of measurement.

 The kids are excited for tomorrow's in-school performance of the play. Many of the members of A303 have been heavily invested in this endeavor.

5/28/24

The kids are going to be working to classify and identify triangles in math class this week. Partner groups did a nice job of collaborating on today's work.

Our social studies time was spent building a timeline of events concerning the Boston Massacre. The kids are enjoying this work, which will continue on Thursday.

5/24/24

The kids took part in the Wingmasters science enrichment program. Jim Parks brought in birds of prey that have been injured and rehabilitated to share their stories with the fifth graders. The kids were an attentive audience and greatly enjoyed this session. Thanks to Jim and the great work that he continues to do. Here is a link to his program's website:

http://www.wingmasters.net/raptor.htm

 

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

5/22/24

Refinement and editing continue to be the words of the day in our writing class. Each of the fifth graders has finished their draft and while some of the kids are meeting with me, others are peer editing. A lot of time and effort have gone into these informational papers and the work will continue on Friday.

5/21/24

We dedicated quality time this morning to reading deeper into our fantasy novels. Our focus was on identifying character motivations.

On Friday, the fifth graders are going to take part in a science enrichment program involving local wildlife.

5/20/24

We had one final day of work within unit seven. The fifth graders worked once again with division and multiplication of decimals, as well as some more time spent with converting units of measurement. Tomorrow the kids will take an assessment to conclude the unit

5/17/24

Fantasy books and conversions of standard units of measurement were the order of the day this Friday. We are approaching the later stages of unit seven in math class and will look to conclude this section next week.

On Friday May 24, we are going to take part in a science enrichment program in school.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

5/16/24

Congratulations are in order for the fifth graders. They officially completed the last session of this year's MCAS testing this morning. We will return to a much welcome regular school day tomorrow.

5/15/24

We set out this morning on our walking trip to the Gibbs. The kids were able to spend some quality time in the school and met some of their future teachers. The fifth graders were also able to interact with some sixth grade tour guides who answered questions and walked them around the building. Today went very well and the fifth graders made a favorable impression.

Tomorrow, we are going to officially wrap up the second and last science MCAS day.

5/14/24

We worked with standard units of measurement during math class this morning. A productive lesson that we will continue with on Thursday.

Tomorrow we are visiting the Gibbs. We are asking all fifth graders to be at Thompson by 750 so that we can leave promptly.

5/13/24

We completed the first session of science MCAS this morning. The second and final session will be Thursday.

On Wednesday the fifth graders are walking to the Gibbs to tour the building and meet some of their future teachers.

5/10/24

The focus of our social studies work this afternoon were the taxes placed on the colonies by Parliament in the 1700s. We answered some focus questions and some of the kids were able to spend more time working on their informational writing.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. As a reminder, next Monday and Thursday we are going to take science MCAS. And on Wednesday the 15th, we are visiting the Gibbs in the morning.

5/9/24

The kids undertook a math lesson that saw them converting units of measurement. Using references tables, they worked on both metric and standard conversions. Slow going at first, but there was a lot of positive momentum towards the later stages of the period.

Tomorrow we will spend some time reviewing for next week's science MCAS exam.

5/8/24

We were able to dedicate a significant amount of time to continue to work on our informational writing drafts this morning. Each of the kids has a completed draft typed up. Over the next two weeks, the fifth graders are going to refine and sharpen these.

Next Wednesday, the 15th, we are walking to the Gibbs to tour the building.

5/7/24

We began our exploration of division of whole numbers by powers of 10 decimals during math class this morning. The fifth graders persevered through some challenging early questions and this turned into a productive lesson.

In the afternoon, we met with our second grade book buddies.

5/6/24

We are rapidly approaching the end of unit seven in math class. As we get ready for our final assessment, we are going to be doing some converting with various units of measurements later this week. Our focus today was on refining our multiplication of whole numbers by decimal methods.

Tomorrow we are going to meet with our second grade reading buddies.

5/3/24

After another productive fantasy book group session during ELA time, the kids turned in their three step journal packet. This will be an assessment grade towards their report card.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

5/2/24

A large portion of the kids have now completed a draft of their first two body paragraphs. Their focus and attention to their writing was excellent during our ELA time this morning. We are going to look to have everyone done with a draft by tomorrow.

5/1/24

The kids were able to spend a solid hour reading deeper into their fantasy book during our ELA time this morning. Each of the five groups is making quality progress and we had a nice share out at the end of our time today where the kids spoke about some interesting plot developments.

In the morning, the fifth grade had an enrichment program that talked about water pollution, storm drains and how to help avoid water contamination. The fifth graders were a captive audience.

4/30/24

The month of April concluded with the fifth graders continuing to work multiplying decimals by whole numbers in math class. Each of the students worked on a series of math pages and then, if time allowed, they worked in pairs on some review work.

During ELA time, we focused intently on our body paragraphs of our informational pieces. The research papers are coming along slowly but surely. The next two weeks will look to see everyone finish a draft.

Tomorrow, the Thompson School will take part in an enrichment program pertaining to the water cycle and the local storm drains around the school.

4/29/24

We are going to look to get some serious reading done in our fantasy book groups and to continue to progress in our drafting of our informational pieces of writing this week.

In math class, we are also going to conclude unit seven at some point this week.

4/26/24

It was excellent getting to return to our normal routine today. We met with our fantasy book groups during ELA time and finished our study of the French and Indian War in our social studies time. Next week the members of A303 are going to look to wrap up unit seven in math class.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

4/25/24

We completed our math MCAS this morning. Another significant milestone for the fifth graders. The only assessments left are our two science sessions in May.

Tomorrow we are going to look to have each of the members of A303 finish the draft of their lead paragraphs for their informational essays and we are also going to have another fantasy book club session.

4/24/24

The focus of our ELA time was crafting memorable lead paragraphs for our informational writing pieces. Each of the fifth graders drafted this paragraph and then returned to their research. The kids did a nice job with thie work.

Tomorrow, the kids will take the second session of their math MCAS test in the morning.

4/23/24

Compliments to the fifth graders for working through the first session of their math MCAS test this morning. The second and final math testing session will be on Thursday.

Tomorrow we are going to focus on the opening paragraph of our informational writing pieces.

4/22/24

During morning meeting this week, the fifth graders will get to share any highlights of their vacation week with their peers. We are also going to be working in earnest on our informational writing projects and continue to read deeper in our fantasy books this week and next.

As a reminder, the fifth graders are going to be taking the first session of their math MCAS tomorrow morning. The second session will be this Thursday.

4/12/24

We ended the week with a productive math lesson and with each of the fifth graders selecting a topic for their informational writing. After the vacation week, the kids are going to take the math MCAS and we are going to look to dig into our fantasy novels.

I hope everyone has a nice vacation week.

4/11/24

The fifth graders took the second and final portion of their ELA MCAS this morning. Once again, I compliment the kids diligence to this material.

Tomorrow each of the fifth graders is going to select a topic for their informational writing unit. We are fortunate to have over one hundred Revolutionary War texts in the classroom and the kids will utilize their ELA time to peruse these books and make their choice.

4/10/24

The fifth graders met with their fantasy book groups and began their novels this morning. We are focusing on setting and how that is impacting the plot of the story this week. 

As a reminder, tomorrow the fifth graders are going to take the second and last session of ELA MCAS in the morning.

4/9/24

It was nice to return to a regular learning day. We focused on diving unit fractions by whole numbers during our math time. The kids kept up the momentum from last week and I was impressed with the resiliency of the fifth graders during this lesson.

We continued our exploration of the French and Indian War during social studies. The kids are honing their map making skills to track the changing face of the North American continent.

Tomorrow we are going to take the second and final session of ELA MCAS. Please help to ensure that all students arrive at school on time tomorrow.

4/8/24

The fifth graders took the first session of their ELA MCAS this morning. The students worked hard and I compliment them for their attentiveness. The second session will be this Thursday the 11th.

Tomorrow, we are going to have our first fantasy book group session.

This Friday the 12th, we are going to watch a movie in class.

4/5/24

We spent our ELA time looking at an online practice exam in preparation for next week's ELA MCAS.  I commend the fifth graders for their attention to this.

As a reminder, the fifth graders will take their two sessions of ELA MCAS next Monday the Thursday. Please help to ensure that all students arrive at school on time.

Have a nice weekend.

4/3/23

The remaining lessons in unit seven in our math book will have the kids working to divide whole numbers by fractions. Today was an important introduction to this material. The fifth graders worked to use reasoning and representations to solve these problems.

We had one final introductory informational writing session during our ELA time. Next week, each of the students will choose a topic pertaining to the Revolutionary War to explore.

4/2/24

The members of A303 learned who is in their fantasy book groups and the novel that they will be reading together. We also had a productive discussion about the expectations during book group days and the first point of focus during our reading, which will start on Friday.

After lunch, some staff members of the Gibbs were nice enough to visit the fifth graders and speak to what to expect as a sixth grader. This was valuable and the fifth graders asked some good questions.

4/1/24

The first day of April began with the fifth graders using arrays to represent multiplication of fractions. Strong start to the math week and we will look to carry that over into tomorrow's lesson.

Tomorrow, staff members of the Gibbs School are going to visit the Thompson. The Gibbs staff will speak with the fifth graders about what to expect next year. There will also be time for questions.

3/28/24

The fifth graders looked at some examples of informational writing this week. As we move into April, the kids are going to be working on informational writing pieces in earnest. Each of the kids will select a topic pertaining to the Revolutionary War and they will start researching that topic. 

I hope everyone has a nice holiday weekend.

3/27/24

The fifth graders took part in a zoom presentation with the Gibbs language teachers this morning. Each of the teachers shared important information about their respective classes so the incoming sixth graders will be fully informed as to the choice that they make. We ended the time together with some questions.

During math class, we continued our important work of multiplying fractions by both fractions and mixed numbers. Tomorrow, we are going to end the week with a March Madness tournament to crown a champion for our decimal compare game.

Homework

Math - finish workbook page 447, if not done in class

3/26/24

We are going to spend some time over the next few days looking at poems in ELA class. The kids will be exposed to different forms of poetry and will look to respond to some questions pertaining to the poems. We began that work this morning.

Our social studies time was spent exploring the French and Indian War and how that conflict would lead to the Revolutionary War. 

3/25/24

The last week of April is going to see the kids select a novel to work with in their fantasy book groups. They are also going to start their Revolutionary War unit in social studies and writing. It's going to be a busy week, but a productive week.

3/22/24

We previewed our final unit of study for reading this morning. Our fantasy unit will see the kids working with a title or series to explore some common themes and elements of theses popular stories. The fifth graders are excited to get going with this unit.

My compliments for all of the students for completing and turning in their math homework.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

3/21/24

We continued to work with multiplying fractions by whole numbers during math class this morning. Impressive to see the kids carrying over knowledge from prior lessons into this new unit. 

Homework

Math - decimal worksheet due on Friday 3/22

3/20/24

The first few lessons in unit seven will see the fifth graders multiplying fractions by whole numbers using visual representations. Today was a nice introduction to this material and the work will be ongoing throughout the next two weeks. 

Homework

Math - decimal worksheet due on Friday 3/22

3/19/24

We wrapped up unit six during our math time this morning. The fifth graders did an excellent job on yesterday's assessment. We ended the decimal unit by working on some multi step word problems.

This afternoon the fifth graders met with their second grade book buddies to do some reading.

Homework

Math - decimal worksheet due on Friday 3/22

3/18/24

This week we are going to do some preparing for the ELA MCAS which is coming up in April. The fifth graders will have some time to familiarize themselves with the testing website. They are also going to work through the questions of a practice test.

We began this new week with an assessment during math class. This quiz will serve as a indication how the fifth graders are doing with their adding and subtracting of decimals. We are going to conclude unit six later this week.

3/15/24

We began our final trimester today. During math class, the fifth graders took part in one final lesson that saw them solving addition and subtraction of decimal word problems. On Monday, we will take our final assessment of unit six.

The kids were also able to get a significant amount of work done on their 13 colonies projects. Excellent teamwork the last two days. We will look to have all groups done by Tuesday of next week.

Have a nice weekend.

3/14/24

In the afternoon, groups continued to work on their 13 colonies posters. The last two weeks saw the fifth graders collecting information from various sources on graphic organizers. We are looking to have each of the five groups finish their projects by next week.

3/12/24

The final few writers finished their conferences today. Each of the members of A303 has now published their opinion writing pieces. These turned out great. Later this week the kids will receive a copy to take home that has a graded rubric attached.

3/11/24

We began the new week by taking part in a series of science experiments with a representative from the Discovery Museum in Action. The fifth graders worked in small groups to cycle through a series of interesting hands-on activities pertaining to states of matter. They enjoyed this a great deal and learned a lot. Thank you to the parent volunteers for their help this morning.

This afternoon, during math class the fifth graders continued to work to add decimals. We looked to create word problems to match each of the addition problems.

3/8/24

This week saw many of the fifth graders cross the finish line with their opinion writing pieces. It has been excellent getting to hold individual writing conferences with each of the writers. The pieces are detailed and contain passion and energy. The kids should feel proud of their efforts. We will look to have everyone finish up in the middle of next week.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

3/7/24

Today we began exploring addition and subtraction of decimals in earnest during math class. These next batch of lesson will see the fifth graders refining their strategies when comparing the values of decimal amounts. 

On Monday the 12th, the kids will take part in a states of matter series of science experiments put on by the Discovery Museum. This is usually a highlight of the year for fifth grade students.

Homework

Math - workbook pages 384 and 385, due Friday 3/8

3/6/24

We took our first assessment in our decimal unit this morning during math class. After that was completed that kids partnered up to play a new decimal game.

Homework

Math - workbook pages 384 and 385, due Friday 3/8

3/5/24

We spent one final day in math class getting ready for tomorrow's assessment. The fifth graders represented decimals values on both grids and number lines and then compared different values. It certainly seems as if all of the fifth graders are in a good frame of mind heading into this test.

In the afternoon, the members of A303 were able to share their almost completed non-fiction book projects with their second grade book buddies. The younger kids were also able to share a recent piece of work with their older buddies. These projects are coming along nicely and we will look to have all of the fifth graders across the finish line next week.

As a reminder, the book fair starts tomorrow.

Homework

Math - workbook pages 384 and 385, due Friday 3/8

3/4/24

The next two weeks will be important ones for the fifth graders. All of the members of A303 will finish their opinion writing pieces and their nonfiction book projects by next Friday. Today was an opportunity for a few more writer's conferences to take place as well as peer edits. The kids will have an opportunity to share their nearly finished book projects with their book buddies tomorrow.

As a reminder, the book fairs begins this Wednesday in the school library.

3/1/24

The month of March saw the fifth graders once again turn their attention to their writing. Conferences are ongoing. Many students are refining certain areas of their drafts while others have moved into an animal research project concerning adaptations. 

Next week, the fifth graders will be able to share their almost completed nonfiction Google Slide presentations with their second grade book buddies.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

2/29/24

We ended the month of February by placing decimals into number lines in correct orders of value. The kids worked well on this task and they were also able to preview a game that we are going to play tomorrow that will see them creating number lines using decimal cards with a partner.

This afternoon, the fifth graders watched the movie The Parent Trap as part of their all-school reward.

2/28/24

We had a productive writing session during ELA time this morning. Each of the fifth graders has finished an initial draft and they are now in the process of conferencing with me as we look to refine some of the finer points of their writing.

2/27/24

The focus of our science time this afternoon was decomposers and their importance to planet Earth. The kids used a video and a portion of their text to help them respond to a series of focus questions.

During math class, we explored the thousandths place and used grids to represent various values.

Homework

Math - finish pages 359 - 364, if not done in class

2/26/24

After our February vacation, it was nice to see all of the fifth grades back at school today. During morning meeting time, the kids shared a highlight or two from their week off.

We returned to decimals in our math time this morning. Using grids, the kids worked to represent the value of various decimals visually and make comparisons. This important work will be ongoing over the next few weeks.

ELA saw the members of A303 working to finish their drafts of their opinion writing pieces. Conferences are also ongoing.

Homework

Math homework will be given later this week

2/16/24

The last five weeks have seen the fifth graders working diligently and productively. They all deserve a relaxing vacation week. I hope everyone enjoys their time off and for those who are traveling, have a safe trip.

2/15/24

We completed unit five this morning during math class. The fifth graders did a wonderful job on yesterday's assessment and we carried that momentum into our final lesson of this important unit. After the break, we are going to turn our attention to decimals.

Tomorrow, during morning meeting, we are going to have time for show and tell. Each kid is encouraged to bring one item that holds special meaning to them. I strongly advise kids to not bring in something fragile or anything that involves technology. This is optional, but it would be great if each student could bring something in.

2/14/24

After surviving yesterday's snow storm, the kids returned to school this morning for a busy day. We took our second quiz in unit five during math class. This assessment will offer a glimpse into how the kids are doing with their data collection and line graphing.

We also returned to our opinion writing later in the day. Finally, the kids ended the school day by exchanging Valentines.

Two more days until vacation. 

2/12/24

This last week before vacation will see the fifth graders continue their opinion writing. Conferences are ongoing and students are refining their body paragraphs to ensure they have ample evidence to support their claims. We are also going to continue to work on our non-fiction project.

I hope every fifth grader is able to help parents and families with shoveling tomorrow.

2/9/24

Our work this week in ELA was excellent. The kids were able to get much done with their opinion writing drafts as well as their collection of essays for their non-fiction topics. We will look to carry this momentum into our last week before the vacation.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

2/8/24

We continued our work with perimeter and data analyzing during math class. The focus of today's lesson was to see the kids identify points in a graph with their corresponding ordered pairs in a table. Real quality lesson to start our school day.

Later in social studies, we began to explore the middle colonies and collected some information about the day-to-day lives of the residents. 

Homework

Reading - 30 minutes of reading per night. Log due tomorrow 2/9

2/7/24

Our area of focus during our writing session this morning was on crafting strong conclusion paragraphs for our opinion pieces. The kids looked to sum up their thoughts and inject strong emotions into writing. We will return to our writing on Friday.

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes per night. Fill out log on nightly basis. Due Friday 2/9

2/6/24

Our math class saw the fifth graders working with area and perimeter problems. The kids looked to write equations that described the relationship between two varying quantities.

In the afternoon, fifth graders and second graders created Valentine's Day cards for Arlington senior citizens. These turned out great. 

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes per night. Fill out log on nightly basis. Due Friday 2/9

2/5/24

We returned to our opinion writing during ELA. Each of the fifth graders was able to draft their opening paragraph last week. This week, the kids are focused on their body paragraphs. We had a short lesson where we talked about the key components of these paragraphs and then the kids focused on writing.

Tomorrow, the fifth graders will meet with their book buddies to create Valentine's Day cards for local senior citizens. 

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes per night. Fill out log on nightly basis. Due Friday 2/9

2/2/24

We concluded the first portion of our current science unit this afternoon. Each of the kids worked well as part of a smaller group when constructing food chains and food webs. They then responded to some short answer focus questions. Next week, we will push into the second portion of our living systems unit.

Happy Groundhog Day.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

2/1/24

Today was a great writing day for the kids in A303. After drafting a lead paragraph earlier this week, the fifth graders turned their attention to their body paragraphs today. After a mini-lesson explaining what we want to include in these, the kids were off and running. A productive day. We will return to this next week.

1/31/24

The month of January ended with work being done in our nonfiction reading unit. Each of the kids read their books and then gathered some information pertaining to one of our core reading topics. Productive lesson. Tomorrow, the kids will return to their opinion writing drafts.

1/30/24

Today was a significant writing day for the fifth graders. We looked to draft our opening paragraphs for our zoo opinion writing pieces. Over the last few weeks, the fifth graders have exposed to a number of articles, videos and presentations about this important topic. We are going to focus on our body paragraphs supported by quality evidence over the next two weeks.

We also returned to the topic of food webs during science class this afternoon.

Next week, when we meet with our book buddies on Tuesday, the kids are going to make Valentine's Day cards for local senior citizens.

1/29/24

Heather Gozzard, a veterinarian and former zoo worker, was nice enough to visit the classroom and speak with the kids this morning. Her presentation was engaging and informative and the fifth graders enjoyed every moment of it. They were also able to ask Heather some questions about her experiences working with animals and practice using a stethoscope and medical gauze on stuffed animals. The kids are now going to turn their attention to drafting their opinion pieces.

1/26/24

This week was filled with quality work. Most so in science class. Working in small groups, the fifth graders did a great job of creating food chains and food webs. Today, we wrapped up our work by having the kids respond to some focus questions about the webs they created.

As a reminder, our special guest is coming into the classroom on Monday to talk with the kids about wildlife and zoos/sactuaries.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

1/25/24

We launched unit five in math class this morning. The kids are going to spend the next week working with temperature graphs of various American cities and then analyzing the data. 

In science class, small groups worked to create food webs using a deck of wildlife cards and answering some focus questions. The kids loved today's work.

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes each night

Math - workbook page 269. Due on Friday 1/26

1/24/24

Congratulations to the kids for completing their unit four math test this morning. The last four weeks have seen the fifth graders doing top notch work on a daily basis and I am sure the results will reflect that. Tomorrow, we are going to progress into unit five, which will see the kids working with data that they will analyze and graph.

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes each night

Math - workbook page 269. Due on Friday 1/26

1/23/24

Tomorrow, the fifth graders are going to take their unit four math assessment.

We also finished our excellent lesson on creating food chains during science. On Thursday, the kids are going to build upon that and look to do some work with food webs.

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes each night

Math - workbook page 269. Due on Friday 1/26

1/22/24

We began the new week by meeting Ivy the dog and her owners this morning. The fifth graders enjoyed this presentation and were engaged throughout.

During science class, we reviewed some of the key vocabulary from last week and then began a food chain activity using wildlife flash cards. This will continue tomorrow.

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes each night

Math - workbook page 269. Due on Friday 1/26

1/19/24

We only have a few more lessons in unit four in math class. Fifth graders completed their multi-step word problems this morning. The later stages of the class saw the kids doing some review work for next week's assessment.

On Monday morning, the kids are going to meet Ivy the Determined Dog. They are excited for this enrichment program.

https://www.ivysbook.com/

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

1/18/24

The kids began their living systems unit in science class this afternoon. We are going to be exploring food chains and food webs over the next two weeks and today was a quality introductory lessons to some key vocabulary we will be using.

During math class we continued our work with multi-step word problems. Next week, we will look to conclude the unit with our final assessment.

1/17/24

We began an exciting math lesson this morning. The fifth graders used date tables to solve multi-step work problems. Using both multiplication and division the kids worked in pairs during this lesson. We will continue this work tomorrow.

The students also had time to learn about African elephants before an important writing task tomorrow.

1/16/24

We looked at our next task in our opinion writing unit during ELA. The kids read and annotated an article that spoke to strengths and weaknesses of modern zoos. Tomorrow we are going to look at the challenges faced by elephants in 2024.

This afternoon we met with our second grade book buddies. After reading aloud a picture book on Martin Luther Kings Jr., the kids worked to respond to some short writing prompts. 

1/12/24

We concluded an incredibly productive week by working on our third opinion writing lesson. This one saw the kids balancing two conflicting opinions held by the authors of two articles and looking to decide for themselves which of the two arguments was the more persuasive. We will continue this important work next week. 

It was a pleasure getting to meet with parents this week. Thank you for all who took the time to come in. 

I hope everyone has a nice long weekend.

1/11/24

It was nice to return to a normal school day with the fifth graders. The last two ELA periods have seen the kids exploring an illness that is affecting some animals kept in captivity. Small groups have read an article and watched a short Discovery Channel video and gathered talking points for their upcoming opinion writing pieces. The kids are deeply invested in this material and we are sinking our teeth into these important topics. The work will continue tomorrow.

Homework

Reading - read for at least 30 minutes per night

Math - division worksheet, due Friday 1/12

1/10/24

Our second early release day saw the kids tackle task number two in their opinion writing unit. After exploring two zoos and their efforts to save endangered animals earlier this week, the kids looked at an article that went into detail about some wildlife that are suffering because they are kept in captivity. These first two lessons have been positive ones.

Homework

Reading - read for at least 30 minutes per night

Math - division worksheet, due Friday 1/12

1/9/24

This first day of parent teacher conferences, saw the fifth graders take their division review assessment. When complete, the kids returned to some of the left over work from yesterday's lesson.

Tomorrow will once again be an 11:30 dismissal.

Homework

Reading - read for at least 30 minutes per night

Math - division worksheet, due Friday 1/12

1/8/24

The kids braved the elements to arrive at school today and I am glad that they did. We kicked off our first opinion writing lesson concerning our topic of endangered animals this afternoon. The kids looked at a video about a zoo in Arizona and their efforts to restore the population of a critically endangered animal. They then collected data from the video using an organizer.

Also today, each of the realistic fiction book groups presented their poster to the class. These turned our very well and families will get a chance to look at these during parent teacher conference days.

Homework

Reading - read for at least 30 minutes per night

Math - division worksheet, due Friday 1/12

1/5/24

We officially completed our realistic fiction book unit today. Each of the five reading groups did a great job this week of finishing their two writing pieces and their posters. They turned out very well. Starting next week, we are going to start exploring non-fiction books.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend and that the fifth graders help their parents with the shoveling.

1/4/24

Each of the realistic fiction book groups crossed the finish line with their book posters and writing pieces this afternoon. The last three days have been incredibly productive. Tomorrow, each of the groups will present their posters to their classmates.

We also began looking at our pre-unit opinion writing assessment. This important writing sample is going to preview the upcoming unit and provide me with a baseline where each of the kids stands in regards this important unit.

1/3/24

The kids continued to work on refining their division solving strategies in math class and book groups continued to make steady progress on their posters and pieces of writing. We are looking forward to having all groups ready to present their posters this Friday.

1/2/24

It was great to be back in the classroom together to start the new year. During morning meeting this week, the kids will have an opportunity to share the highlights of their week off from school.

We are also going to look to have all book groups complete their book posters and write up for their realistic fiction novels. On Friday, groups will share out and next week we will launch our non-fiction unit of study.