10/31/25

Fitting that on Halloween, we spent time in A303 investigating one of the great mysteries of early American history. During social studies time, the fifth graders were presented with the story of the early English settlement of Roanoke. The fifth graders watched a short video and then read an article and answered some focus questions. Lots of enthusiasm for this lesson.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Next week is parent teacher conferences.

10/30/25

The fifth graders undertook an exciting math lesson this afternoon. Working in small group, the kids built one cubic foot using rulers and tape. Once that was constructed, they then turned their attention to determining the volume of the classroom. There was nice teamwork throughout the course of this activity. The second half of the lesson saw the members of A303 working on some volume problems in their workbook.

Homework

Math - double sided word problem worksheet, due on Friday 10/31

10/29/25

Tomorrow during our ELA time, the fifth graders are going to take the first portion of their mid-unit assessment. This test will see the kids responding to questions about metaphors and character reactions. We are also going to meet with our second grade book buddies.

Homework

Math - double sided word problem worksheet, due on Friday 10/31

10/28/25

The kids worked to solve a mystery during science class this morning. Fifth graders were presented with the case of the "sick fish". Using clues in a slide presentation, they attempted to pinpoint the cause of polluted water and suggest a solution. They enjoyed this lesson a great deal.

Tomorrow, during ELA. The fifth graders are going to work on creating a "two-voice" poem. Considerable time has been spent looking at events in Esperanza Rising from the perspective of multiple characters. They are going to work in pairs to generate a poem that will combine two character's points of view. This will be a two day project.

On Thursday, we are going to meet with our second grade book buddies for the second time this year.

Homework

Math - double sided word problem worksheet, due on Friday 10/31

10/27/25

During math class this morning, the fifth graders worked to design rectangular prisms and then find the volume for their creations. We then spent some time refining our division strategies.

Later in the school day, the kids shared their blueprints for water friendly playgrounds during science class. 

Homework

Math - the kids will receive math homework later this week.

10/24/25

A significant milestone for the fifth graders was achieved in ELA this morning. The kids finished reading Esperanza Rising. We began the lesson by making predictions about the conclusion and then dove into the text. After finishing the kids shared their thoughts with peers and then began working on an organizer that explored a key metaphor that cropped up throughout the text. We are going to finish that work early next week and then turn our attention to crafting a literary essay.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

10/23/25

The students did an excellent job working on a series of difficult problems during math class this afternoon. They worked to find the volume of solids composed of two rectangular prisms. Some fits and starts at the start of the lesson, but the kids did a wonderful job of persevering through the work. They are going to take a short assessment tomorrow to gauge their progress.

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes each night and fill out reading log on a nightly basis. Due on Friday 10/24

10/22/25

We spent quality time during math class solving for the volume of rectangular prisms. Using both grid paper and connecting cubes, the fifth graders worked through a series of challenging problems. I was happy with the resilience shown by many of the students during the lesson. We will look to carry that momentum into tomorrow's work.

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes each night and fill out reading log on a nightly basis. Due on Friday 10/24

10/21/25

The fifth graders read the next chapter in Esperanza during our ELA time this afternoon. Earlier in the day, they familiarized themselves with some of the key vocabulary words from the chapter. A productive reading/writing day for the members of A303.

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes each night and fill out reading log on a nightly basis. Due on Friday 10/24

10/20/25

This week, the fifth graders are going to continuing reading Esperanza Rising. We are approaching the final few chapters of the novel. When complete, the kids are going to start work on a literary essay. Our ELA time was spent completing two workbook pages pertaining to character reactions.

Homework

Reading - read for 30 minutes each night and fill out reading log on a nightly basis. Due on Friday 10/24

10/17/25

During science class, the fifth graders continue to work on designed their ideal school playground area. This ties into our work with the water cycle and ensuring clean water within the Arlington community. The kids are being creative and well informed in their planning. We will look to finish these next week.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

10/15/25

The kids continued to explore volume during math class. They are using connecting unit cubes and grid paper to help them determine three dimensional objects' volume. I was impressed with the level of discourse during today's lesson.

Tomorrow, the kids are looking forward to meeting their second grade book buddies for the first time this school year.

Homework

Math - workbook pages 70 and 71, due Friday 10/17

10/14/25

Two points of emphasis this week for the fifth graders will be starting unit two in math class and doing some writing about various character perspectives during ELA time. Unit two will see the kids working on volume problems. Today was a nice start to this important section.

Thursday, the fifth graders are going to meet with their book buddies for the first time this school year.

Homework

Math - workbook pages 70 and 71, due Friday 10/17

10/10/25

The kids wrapped up unit one during math class this afternoon. They took a short division assessment.

Starting next week, their will be some homework given on Tuesday and due on Friday. I hope everyone has a nice long weekend.

10/9/25

The fifth graders are going to take a division assessment during math tomorrow afternoon. In preparation for that, they spent time reviewing various division problems and strategies during our time today. 

Members of A303 also worked in pairs to respond to some focus questions pertaining to yesterday's reading of Esperanza Rising.

10/8/25

The members of A303 used cluster problems to help solve division problems this morning during our math time. This was a similar lesson to one that we had two weeks ago. The fifth graders did a very nice job of using that background knowledge to help them with this important work.

During this busy day, we also were able to read further in our novel Esperanza Rising. The kids are continuing to investigate important scenes and the way that various characters are reacting to events. This work will continue tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow is picture day at the Thompson School.

10/7/25

During our math time this morning, the fifth graders spent some quality time reviewing order of operation problems. They then completed some division work. The last two lessons have been productive and focused.

Our ELA time was spent responding to some questions pertaining to an important metaphor the we encountered in a recent chapter of Esperanza Rising.

This Thursday is picture day at the Thompson School.

10/6/25

A point of emphasis in ELA this week will be analyzing important scenes within a book from the perspective of different characters. The fifth graders finished reading the latest chapter in Esperanza Rising this afternoon. They then worked independently to answer some questions pertaining to perspective. Tomorrow, we will begin our lesson by having the kids share out their thoughts.

On Thursday, the members of A303 are going to meet with their second grade book buddies. We spent some time during morning meeting talking about setting a good example for their younger peers.

10/3/25

We spent out math time this afternoon using our knowledge of multiples of ten to help solve division problems. The kids reinforced the relationship between multiplication and division while working with a partner to complete a few workbook pages.

Next week, the fifth graders are going to meet with their second grade book buddies in Ms. Jensen's class. They are eager for this oppurtunity.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

10/1/25

The second month of the school year began with the kids wrapping up their ELA work from yesterday. They had time to share out some of their findings from chapters 4 through 6 in Esperanza. We then spent some time familiarizing ourselves with some of the important vocabulary words from chapter six.

On Friday, the members of A303 are going to turn their full attention to working with division problems during math class. We have had an excellent last two weeks and have tightened up our multiplication thinking and strategies.