Thursday, May 25, 2017

Last Day!

We have finally made it! We will celebrate the last day of fifth grade tomorrow and it will be packed day.  Students may wear their fifth grade t-shirts to school with uniform bottoms. We will be playing a dodgeball game as a class, so tennis shoes are also a good idea.
 
After that we will have our fifth grade celebration in the MPR and then our class awards.
 
I just want to say thank you to each one of you for making this a wonderful year. The love you have poured into your children shows in the virtue they possess, and we, as teachers, have felt your care and appreciation.  I will miss this group of kids and their parents.

Finally, we practiced a little with origami and I promised the kids I would put the link on the blog.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEuw2G5usMA

Have a wonderful summer!

Love,
Mrs. Anderson

Monday, May 22, 2017

Headlines 5/22/17

I can't believe we are finally here!  The students have worked so hard and we have a fun week ahead. 

Promotion is this Wednesday at 5:30 pm. Please have students to the MPR at 5:15. They should wear dressy clothes, that would be appropriate for church, a wedding, or a nice dinner. 

Our fifth grade celebration will be on Friday, from 9:30-11 am and parents are welcome to attend. We will be signing yearbooks along with some other fun activities our class parents have worked very hard to provide for the students.

As a reminder today and Monday are full days, the rest of the week is half days, with dismissal at 12:00.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding end of the year schedule or activities. 

ELA
We are excited to have our Authors Tea today! Students will be enjoying treats and sharing their tall tales with the class.

In literature we will reading a variety of stories and discussing plots in class.


Science
The last science assessment of the year is on Monday. Don't worry, the students received a study guide on Friday and it will be open note.

History
This week, students will finish writing their plays on Russian Monarchs. Students will get to perform their original plays in their homeroom classes on Wednesday.

Math
This week we will take our last Unit Test covering volume. We will spend the remainder of the week reviewing concepts we learned throughout the year.

Monday, May 15, 2017

Headlines 5/15/17

I hope all the moms enjoyed a beautiful Mothers Day and that your kiddos treated you well! We are wrapping up our last few weeks in school and will continue to work hard and stay focused. I have been encouraging the students to finish strong and work with perseverance and integrity as we close our year.

ELA
In literature this week we will continue studying plot diagramming through short story selections.

In writing we will be taking our Tall Tales through the writing process and will have our stories ready to publish on Friday.

Students were given the root review for roots 75-100 last week. Our final roots test will be Wednesday!

Math
This week we will finish our unit over volume and will take the Great Hearts final Singapore Test. Our last test covering Unit 8 will be next Tuesday.

History
This week, students be tested on their knowledge of the Civil War. The study guides are due today and the test is tomorrow, Tuesday, May 16th. Starting on Wednesday, students will get to learn about Russia’s history and cultural influences. Students will be assigned a famous Russian monarch, Ivan the Great, Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, and Catherine the Great. Students will get to perform their original plays in their homeroom classes next Wednesday.
Science
We are working on the nervous system for the next two weeks.
 





Monday, May 8, 2017

Headlines 5/8/17

Thank you so much for making Mrs. McKernan and I feel so loved and appreciated last week. The notes, gift cards, special treats, and flowers were all so amazing and reminded us how blessed we are to be a part of the Arete community. We are grateful for you!

We are still working hard in class and keeping the students busy as we move toward the end of the year!

ELA
Last week we began writing letters to Abraham Lincoln for our final assessment of Across Five Aprils.  We will be typing these in class on Wednesday. We will also be reading short selections from Core Knowledge and discuss plot mapping this week.

The students have a wonderful start on their tall tales and are enjoying allowing their creative juices to flow. This week in writing we will continue our pre-writing and begin the rough drafts of our stories. We will also be reviewing diagramming and parts of speech on Wednesday.

Students will be reciting  “I like to see it lap the miles,” by Emily Dickinson on Wednesday.

We will have our roots quiz on Wednesday and will introduce the last four roots as well. Our final roots test over 75-100 will be on Wednesday May 17th.


Math
Today we completed the MAP testing in Math. For the remainder of the week we will be studying volume. Our last math groups will be this week from 8:00-9:00. Please let me know if you will be able to help!

Science
We are reviewing the endocrine system this week and the test will be on Wednesday. Afterwards, we will introduce the nervous system.

History
This week, students will learn about the reconstruction of the South and their government.. This discussion includes the rights that newly freed slaves gained and the discrimination that came afterwards with the Jim Crow laws. This may be sensitive content for some students, so please have a discussion at home if needed. Study guides for the Civil War test went home on Friday. They will be due on Monday, May 15th. The test will be on Tuesday, May 16th.

Monday, May 1, 2017

Headlines 5/1

Happy May Day! We are in the final stretch of school and I know are students will continue to work hard this month.

The spring concert is Wednesday night at the Higley Center for the Arts, students should arrive by 6:30 and will be directed to sit with their classes until the performance begins.

The fifth grade promotion ceremony is on Wednesday, May 24th at 5:30 pm. Students should wear semi-formal clothes to this event. Boys should wear trousers, a collared shirt, and dress shoes, and girls may wear an outfit appropriate for a religious service or wedding, such as a nice dress. Students should arrive by 5:15 and will be directed to sit with their class.  After the ceremony the PSO will have refreshments to enjoy and you will have the opportunity to take pictures with your friends and teachers! Please let me know if you have any questions or if you know your child will not be able to attend. We are excited to celebrate with you!

Each fifth grader will be given a t-shirt as a gift during promotion as well. Please fill out the following survey with your child's shirt size by Wednesday of this week.

Finally, thank you so much for your generosity to Mrs. McKernan and I this morning. We are both so grateful to be working with such amazing families. We greatly appreciate your support and love!


ELA:
This week we will finish reading Across Five Aprils. We will have a culminating Socratic discussion over the book and our final assessment will be a letter written from the main character’s point of view.

We will begin our final writing unit this week! The students will be reviewing characteristics of a tall tale and at the end of the week we will be writing our own.  This should be a fun and creative endeavor for the classes!

Our new poem is “I like to see it lap the miles,” by Emily DIckinson. Recitations will be Wednesday, May 10th.

We will have a quiz over roots on Wednesday!


Math:
The beginning of the week will be a review of ratio and we will test over the unit on Tuesday and start our next unit over Volume on Thursday. We will have math groups this week again from 8:50-9:50 due to the music rehearsal first thing in the morning.

Science:
We will be studying the Endocrine system this week with a special focus on Diabetes.
You can expect a test over the Endocrine System on Tuesday of next week. I suggest that students study their notes and reading nightly to prepare.

History:
This week, students will learn about the Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, problems that arose in the Confederate government, the end of the war, and the death of President Lincoln. We will continue to discuss slavery and we will also be discussing how President Lincoln died. This may be sensitive content for some students, so please have a discussion at home if needed.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Headlines 4/24/17

Happy Monday! We have lots going on this week, so please let me know if you have any questions.

Tuesday and Wednesday this week we will have our Human Growth and Development classes which coincides with the Endocrine Unit.

Friday is the Prep tour from 11am-1pm. Students will be touring the school, will have lunch with Prep students, and will have a short presentation from Mrs. Gillingham. Students may bring their lunch as normal, and if your child buys a lunch it will be brought to them. They are also welcome to bring a few dollars to buy additional snacks or drinks.

ELA
We will continue reading Across Five Aprils this week, and should be finished with the novel by next week.

In Writing this week we will be learning about how to write business letters and we will be doing a grammar review activity on Thursday.

Our new poem is “I like to see it lap the miles,” by Emily DIckinson. We will introduce te poem this week and recitations will be Wednesday, May 10th.

We will have a quiz over roots on Wednesday!


Math
We will continue our study of ratio this week. Due to music rehearsal our math groups on Wednesday will be moved to 9-10 am. We would love your help, please let me know if you are able to make it.

Science
We will be studying the Endocrine system this week with a special focus on Human Growth and Development.

History
This week, students will learn about the Emancipation Proclamation, General Grant, General Lee, Stonewall Jackson, the draft, and women in the war effort. We will continue to discuss slavery. This may be sensitive content for some students, so please have a discussion at home if needed.