9/11/25

During our ELA time this morning, the fifth graders spent some time learning about Mexican history during the time period that our novel is set. This important background lesson will hopefully make for a deeper connection to the novel. The kids also responded to some of the questions concerning chapter one.

It was nice to meet so many of you last night during the open house. Thank you for taking the time to visit the classroom.

9/10/25

During our math time today, the fifth graders worked to identify prime and composite numbers. They relied on their background knowledge and work we've done the last few lessons concerning factors and multiples. I have been impressed with the level of discourse and the willingness of the students to participate in the full class setting. This was a productive lesson. We will look to carry that momentum into tomorrow's work.

I look forward to meeting parents and families tonight during open house hours, from 6 to 8 o'clock.

9/9/25

We began our first unit of study for science this morning. The fifth graders are going to spend some time exploring the water cycle over the next few lessons.

As a reminder, tomorrow night, Wednesday 9/10 is Open House night at the Thompson from 6 o'clock to 8 o'clock. I look forward to meeting families.

9/8/25

Today was a significant day for the fifth graders. We launched our first EL unit of study during our ELA time. This unit will see the kids working with a historical fiction novel. We spent some time talking about what a constructive and productive ELA lesson looks like when working independently and with small groups. These norms will serve us well in the long run. Tomorrow, the kids will be introduced to the novel that we will be reading together.

During our math time, we began working with factors and multiples. The members of A303 had a wealth of background knowledge and this served the discussion well.

Over the rest of this week, the kids are going to be sharing their decorated writing notebooks with their peers.

9/5/25

The fifth graders continued to work on a biographical poem called Important Me during our ELA time this morning. This work is a way for the kids to share some of their interests with their peers. These will be on display during open house on Wednesday the 10th.

Next week, we are going to launch our first unit of study in ELA. I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Homework

Decorate the cover of writing notebook for Monday 9/8. Kids can draw pictures, or attach photographs to the covers of their notebooks to personalize them. 

9/4/25

Today, we began our first math lesson in the afternoon. The fifth graders worked on filling out a multiplication table. We then segued into a worksheet that had them respond to some multiplication problems.

Earlier in the school day, the members of A303 worked with a partner to talk about what makes a great classmate. We then came together as a full group to fill out an anchor chart with some of these suggestions.

Homework

Decorate the cover of writing notebook for Monday 9/8. Kids can draw pictures, or attach photographs to the covers of their notebooks to personalize them. 

9/2/25

We began the 2025-2026 school year at the Thompson this morning. There was lots of energy and excitement in the classrooms and hallways throughout the day. In A303, the new fifth graders began to familiarize themselves with the classroom and the routines. 

The kids began their day with their first morning meeting of the year. During this time, we are going to do some sharing out of highlights of the summer months. Later in the day, the kids took part in two activities to get to learn about their teacher and each other.

This was an action packed day and we are going to continue that momentum into tomorrow. A point of emphasis will be in setting each of the fifth graders up on Goggle Classroom and having them create their Google Drive subject folders.