Headlines, 12/19

I can't believe we are getting ready to end our first semester and that 2016 is coming to a close!  The students have worked so hard this year, and I am incredibly proud of all the hard work they have put forth.

We have some fun activities planned this week in addition to our normal studies.  Our class celebration will be on Wednesday; thank you for all of the donations! Here are a few reminders about schedules:

• Today is a full day with regular dismissal, and tomorrow and Wednesday are half days, with dismissal at noon.
• Winter break starts on Thursday, December 22^nd through Sunday, January 8^th.  School will resume on Monday, January 9^th.
• Quarter 2 Evaluations will be sent to parents on Friday, January 6^that noon.

And this is a special message from Mr. Naaktgeboren!

To 4^th and 5^th grade families:

We are holding a grade-level team competition called “Royalty for a Day” to see who can bring in the most tax credits to support Archway Arete’s extracurricular clubs and sports.  If 4^th and 5^th grades bring in the most tax credits, I will be crowned “King of Clubs” for a day when we return from our holiday break.  As the King, I plan on holding a dodge ball tournament for all my royal subjects!  I will also hand out a special treat at the end of the tournament.  I appreciate all your help in asking friends, neighbors, and family to help support Archway Arete and help us win this competition! 

 Most Gratefully,

Mr. Naaktgeboren, King of Clubs

ELA

We are finishing up our Poetry Unit this week by using all of the poetic devices we have learned to analyze poetry.  Students should also be prepared to recite their poems, Monday December, 19th.

In Grammar we will be reviewing parts of speech through games and activities.

Students should be prepared to take the roots test over 26-50 will on Monday, December 19th.

After break we will begin reading The Secret Garden, so please bring that to school on Monday, January 9th!

Science

We will be analyzing the data from our bacteria cultures. It is fascinating to see binary fission at work.

History

This week, students will learn about the rest of Henry VIII’s wives. Students will start learning about Elizabeth I and the Golden Age of England in January.

Math

Our Unit 4 math test is today covering multiplication and division of fractions.  On Tuesday we will be playing math games to review all the work we have done this year!

Have a wonderful week!

Headlines 12/12

It's so hard to believe this is our last full week of school before winter break.  We have a lot to finish this week, and we have several tests and quizzes, so please remind your student that we are going to have a strong finish to 2016!

ELA:

This week we will continue our final writing assignment for the semester, a five paragraph persuasive essay. On Monday students will be writing their rough drafts and we are very excited to have parent help on Tuesday to help with our editing.  On Thursday we will be typing our essays in class.  We can still use more help on Tuesday, so if you can make it in, please sign up here:http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0e4eaaaf29a75-fifth

In literature we are continuing our poetry unit and will be using the skills we have learned to analyze poetry.  Students should be prepared to recite their poems on December 19th.

This is our last week of roots for the quarter!  Students will receive their root review on Monday and should work on it for the remainder of the week.  The test over  roots 26-50 will be on Monday, December 19th.
Math:
This week we will continue learning about division of fractions and will review for the Unit 4 test.  The Unit 4 Test will be on Monday, December 19th.  Please make a note that we will NOT have math groups this Wednesday.  

Science:

This week we will be studying cell division in preparation for Wednesday’s quiz and analyzing the data from our bacteria experiment.

History

This week, students will learn about other prominent reformers in the field of Science: Galileo and Copernicus. We will finish work on their foldables. Study guides will be due on Thursday, December 15th. The unit test on the Reformation will be on Friday, December 16th

Headlines 12/5

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and was able to enjoy some R&R and quality time with family.  I cannot thank you enough for your patience as I was gone and especially the parents who came in and volunteered their time.  We had a wonderful trip!

We are starting a few new things this week and still have lots to accomplish before the end of the year.  Continue to encourage your student to put forth their best effort as we make a strong finish to the first semester!

Math:
We will be studying how to divide a fraction by a fraction this week and today students will take a short quiz over multiplication of fractions.

ELA:

This week we will begin our final writing assignment for the semester, a five paragraph persuasive essay. We will begin by looking at the organization of the essay and then will do research and begin our pre-writing.

In literature this week we are beginning a short unit over Poetry. We will be studying various poetic devices and students will choose a poem to recite the week of December 19th.

100 Point projects are due on Friday!  If your child has recorded a skit please make sure to either email or send in a thumb drive.  We will begin presentations this week!

Students will be tested over the helping verbs on Tuesday, you can check out the link here to help study!

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=helping+verb+blues+youtube&view=detail&mid=0C0AB49C35090405B2B70C0AB49C35090405B2B7&FORM=VIRE

We will also have our roots quiz on Wednesday.

Science:
In science, we will be learning about cell division and doing a lab about bacteria!

History:
This week, students will learn about other prominent reformers: Zwingli, Calvin, and Henry VII. Students will also learn about actions the Catholic church took during the Counter-Reformation. We will continue working on their foldables. Study guides will go home this week. The unit test on the Reformation will be on Friday, December 16th.

Headlines, 11/21

Time is flying; it's hard to believe that this week we will celebrate Thanksgiving!  This week we have school today and tomorrow and the remainder of the week will be an R&R so you can enjoy the holiday with your family.

This week I will be leaving for London with my family to celebrate my grandfather's 90th birthday.  We are all very excited!  However, I will be out next Monday-Wednesday, so please direct any questions you have to Ms. McKernan. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

ELA

This week in Writing we are practicing our persuasive writing skills by writing an essay from the point of view of the poor Thanksgiving Day Turkey!  We will also take the time to share these essays with the class on Tuesday; hopefully your students won’t request pizza for their Thanksgiving dinner!

We have almost completed Where the Red Fern Grows.  Students should have be working on their projects for the 100 Point Project.  These are due December 9th.

Students will recite, “I Hear America Singing” on Tuesday.  The next roots quiz will be on Wednesday, November 30th.

Math

This week we will introduce Unit 4 which covers multiplication and division of fractions.  We will begin with concrete examples and will then learn the algorithm.  Math groups will be back to the regular time of 8:00-9:00 beginning Wednesday, November 30th.

History
This week, students will review for the history test. Students will be assessed on their knowledge of the Renaissance on Tuesday, November 22nd.

Science:We are finishing our study of cell parts. There is a quiz on Tuesday.

Headlines 11/14

I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing weekend and this fabulous weather!  It's hard to believe that we are in our last week before Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season.

We are so excited to watch our scholars perform this on Wednesday at the winter concert.  Please let Ms. Kaye or I know if you have any questions about the concert.

As a reminder, our winter dress code began today, so boys should be in long pants, and girls should wear long pants or skirts with tights or long socks.  Students are welcome to wear jackets to school, but only uniform sweaters or sweatshirts are allowed in the classroom.  Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this.

We are looking forward to a great week!

ELA

This week in grammar we will continue to review complex sentences and dependent clauses.  We will be taking a grammar test on Thursday covering conjunctions, independent, and dependent clauses.  We will finish the week by learning about persuasive writing with a fun Thanksgiving activity.

We are delving deeper into Where the Red Fern Grows. This week we will continue to focus on comparing and contrasting characters.  Students should have chosen their projects for the 100 Point Project and hopefully have begun working on getting some of the work completed.  This project has a TENTATIVE due date of December 9th.

Students will recite, “I Hear America Singing” next Tuesday and we have our next roots quiz on Wednesday!

Math

This week in math we will be learning to use our knowledge of fractions in word problems.  Out Unit 3 Test will be on Thursday and we will begin our new unit on Friday.  We will be having math groups from 8:45-9:45 on Wednesday.  Please let us know if you are able to help.

History

This week, students will learn about Michelangelo and his great works. Students will also take a look into proper etiquette as described by Machiavelli and Castiglione. Students will be taking home passages from The Courtier and The Prince to read and annotate on Tuesday for our Socratic discussion on Thursday. These passages are very difficult and should be read with a parent or older sibling to ensure understanding. We will also discuss the Renaissance in other parts of Europe and study guides will be sent home. The Renaissance test will be Tuesday, November 22nd. If you plan to be gone, please plan to have your child take the test early.

Science

To deepen our understanding of cells, we will be learning the difference between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells. Then, we will begin learning about the various organelles found in eukaryotic cells. There will be a ton of brand new vocabulary so I suggest that students make flash cards of the new terms and study them daily.

Headlines 10/31

I hope everyone is getting excited for our Read-A-Thon on Monday! I still have quite  few openings for you to come in and read to our class, feel free to sign up here:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0e4eaaaf29a75-readathon

Also, we will be going outside from 1:30-2:00 to read with our buddy second grade class on the field.  We are requesting that all the fifth graders bring a towel to sit on with their buddy.  I would also suggest sending in an umbrella for shade and perhaps some bug spray as it can get a little buggy on the grass.

We will have time during the day for both silent reading and for read alouds, so please have your child bring a book to read independently as well.

We are looking forward to a fun filled day of books, food, and fun!

The remainder of the week will be back to our usual routine as we press forward in our learning.

If you did not see it on the school newsletter, the winter dress code has been postponed due to the abnormally hot temperatures (grrrr...). It will now go into effect Monday, November 14.  After this date boys will be required to wear long pants, and girls must wear pants or tights with their skirts.  Hopefully we will see some cooler weather soon!

ELA:

Students have completed pre-writing for their personal narratives, and this week we will begin writing our papers.  We will be moving through the writing process and will type our final drafts in class on Friday.

We are enjoying our first few chapters of Where the Red Fern Grows. We will continue to read and annotate the book in class, and we will also concentrate on finding theme within the story, asking students to find textual evidence to support the theme of the book.

Students were put in groups to memorize, “Casey at the Bat” last week.  We will be performing our recitations on Wednesday, November 9th.  We will also be having our next roots quiz on Wednesday!

Math:

This week we will be reviewing mixed numbers and using fractions in word problems and will also begin multiplication of fractions.  Math groups continue to be a tremendous success thanks to our wonderful parent volunteers who are able to help support us!  We will have a short quiz on Thursday covering addition and subtraction of mixed numbers.

Science:
We have begun learning about the living organisms and how they are organized. Last week we discussed the animal kingdom. This week we will learn about the fungi, plant, protist, and monera kingdoms. There will be a science lab on Wednesday and a take home quiz on Monday. Their classification cumulative test will be on Nov. 7th and they should be working on their study guide a little every night to prepare.

History:
This week, students will study some important Renaissance Popes and Venice. The Catholic Church was an important part of the Renaissance, many took on the role of patrons for the arts, commissioning famous works that shape Western Civilization today.

Headlines 10/25

Good morning!  We are all happy to be back to our regular schedule this week and are looking forward to a wonderful second quarter.  Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with Mrs. McKernan and I this week during conferences.  It is always so good to have the time to learn more about your families and hear about your children from your perspective. 

Last week costume proposals went home for our Read-a-Thon on October 31st.  Please return these by Friday, Oct. 28th.  As a reminder, students may dress up as a classical literary or historical figure.  I am looking forward to seeing lots of creativity!  Please be on the lookout for a sign-up genius coming soon to volunteer for our celebration that day.

Lastly, thank you to all the parents who helped make conference week enjoyable with the delicious lunches and snacks throughout the day!

ELA:

This week in writing we will begin our second formal writing assessment, a personal narrative.  We will start the week by discussing point of view and how to write an introductory sentence to gain the reader’s attention.  By the end of the week students will have completed their pre-writing.

In Literature we will begin Where the Red Fern Grows and will focus on point of view and using the text to describe the setting of a story.  We will also be introducing The 100 Point Project.  This is a long term assignment students will complete during our reading of the novel.  They will have the opportunity to choose several projects to assess their understanding of the story.  More information will be sent home this week.

We will also get back to Spalding, as well as Greek and Latin Roots.  In Poetry we will start our new poem, “Casey at Bat” in honor of the upcoming World Series!  Students will be working in groups and each student will memorize three stanzas of the poem.  We are encouraging use of props as well as lots of enthusiasm!

Math:

This week our focus will be reviewing addition and subtraction of fractions with unlike denominators and mixed numbers. We will also practice using these skills to solve word problems with bar models. We will review during math groups on Wednesday and will take a short quiz on Thursday.

History:

This week, students will take an in-depth look into the powerful Medici family. They will work on a foldable to document their findings.

Students will also continue their geography unit by learning about the states in the New England region of the United States. They will have a short geography lesson every other Wednesday.

Science:

This week in science, the students will be acquiring knowledge about the classification of living things. This unit on classification will last approximately two weeks. There will be 2 take-home quizzes and one final assessment. They will receive the final assessment study guide on Tuesday and should work one it and review the material a little but every night to ensure readiness for that final assessment. 

Study Skill of the Week:Vocabulary is an important element of understanding expository text.  This week students should take home their history journals and create vocabulary flash cards with the word on the front and the meaning on the back.  Studying these flash cards for five minutes every night will help them prepare for tests and quizzes!

Headlines 11/18

It was so nice to see everyone's rested smiles yesterday!  Although it was a half day, we accomplished quite a bit and are enjoying all of the science presentations.

Our conferences have been going very well, and I love having the opportunity to get to know your families.  I look forward to seeing the rest of you this week! Due to conferences, we have half days today, tomorrow, and Thursday, and there is no school on Friday or Monday. 

ELA

In grammar we will be competing a final review of compound elements in sentences.  We will take a diagramming quiz over these concepts on Thursday.  

Because of our shortened schedule we will take a break from literature and will continue our read aloud if time permits.  Our next literature study will be Where the Red Fern Grows.  Please begin bringing these to school this week, as we will begin reading on Tuesday.

We will also take a break from Greek and Latin roots as well as Spalding this week.

Science
We are excited to see the hard work that our scholars have put forth on their science presentations this week!

History

This week, students will begin learning about the Renaissance. Students will focus on artisans becoming artists and the powerful Medici family.

Math

We are continuing our study of fractions this week.  We will begin by recognizing fractions in word problems and then will move on to addition and subtraction with unlike denominators. We will have our regularly scheduled math groups on Wednesday.

Update 10/10

I hope everyone is enjoying their first few days of fall break and a bit of R&R.  I sent an email this weekend with the link for conferences, but wanted to also post it here for easy access:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0e4eaaaf29a75-fall

Please take a look and choose a slot if you have not had the chance to do so yet.

Also, if you are interested in a conference with one of our specialists, you can sign up for that here:
 
https://email.schooldeskus.com/OWA/redir.aspx?C=uy5wlu0v902Vmfu3_A8UxyNrWJLg8tMIXQAxQnYkcqL-NA5j4p6sC6hcoBiY2u0Y4jI0e9razyQ.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.signupgenius.com%2fgo%2f20f0c4ea8a92aa7fe3-25specials

Finally, please read on for more information about the Bard Competition:

Archway Arete Students and Families,

Throughout Western civilization, bards have been keepers of tradition, reciting the poetry of their people and passing on oral history. At every grade level, our students practice memorization and recitation of poems in the classroom. This year, we will again be joining our fellow Great Hearts schools in holding a Bard Competition for our 3rd through 5th grade students, whom we will challenge to memorize and recite poetry. Over the course of two rounds and two poems, we will winnow the field to find our school’s most skillful bard. That student will be named School Bard for the year and will represent Archway Arete at the Great Hearts Archway Bard Competition in the spring.  If your student is interested in competing, you can download the competition guidelines and registration form attached. Whether your student participates or not, we invite all of our Archway families to join us for these public recitations, which promise to be engaging reminders of this oral tradition.

If you have any questions about the Bard Competition, please contact Miss Desirae Smith (Dsmith@archwayarete.org) or Miss Hannah Maguire (HMaguire@archwayarete.org).

Registration forms can be found here:
 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxSuyHM9YtLNeW9BaU92TGtzZk0/view?usp=sharing

                                                                                                          Kind Regards,

                                                                                                         Desirae Smith & Hannah Maguire

Headlines 10/1

I hope everyone has enjoyed this rainy Sunday, what a nice break from the heat!  It's hard to believe, but we are getting ready for the last week of the first quarter.  We have a busy week ahead, and are planning on finishing strong!

ELA

This week in grammar and writing we will be reviewing conjunctions, compound parts, and compound elements.  We will have a short quiz on Thursday combining all of the parts of speech we have learned so far this quarter.  As a reminder, there will be grammar tutoring on Thursdays (instead of Math) from 3:05-3:40 pm.  

Students received a roots study guide last week, we will review in class on Monday  and will be taking a test over roots 1-25 on Wednesday, Oct. 5th.  

This week in literature we will be completing reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and are looking forward to our literature celebration on Friday.  Thank you so much to all the parents who have signed up to help and bring in supplies! To culminate our reading, we will be writing descriptive paragraphs about a character from the book using textual evidence to support their writing.  

We are currently working on our last poem of the quarter, “Narcissa,” by Gwendolyn Brooks.  Students should be prepared to recite their poem by Wednesday, October 5th.

Math
We have completed Unit 2, and this week will move on to fractions.  We will spend a great deal of time focusing on factors and multiples this week and will use concrete materials to introduce fractions.  This unit relies heavily on a knowledge of both multiplication and division facts.  Please continue to review these nightly if your child is at all struggling.  Using flashcards or a math facts app in the car is a great way to practice.  The more comfortable they are with their math facts, the easier fractions will be!

Science

We are continuing the chemistry unit this week. We will be finishing The Mystery of the Periodic Table and taking an open note quiz on Thursday.

The due date for the Science Fair Essay is quickly approaching! Please ensure that your child is working on the project such that they will be able to turn their essay in the last school day before Fall Break! Students will also be signing up for a project presentation date. They should bring in their poster board on the day they sign up to present. History
This week, students will learn about the decline of the Aztec and Inca Civilizations. The unit test will be on Friday, October 7th. Note that this test is the day before students leave for Fall Break partaking in rest and relaxation! Students will turn in their journals on Friday as well, along with their completed study guides.

Study Skill of the Week:Students can create their own quizzes or tests to help them study for a test. This can be done by taking questions from a study guide, or flashcards, and writing their own test. Students can then take their test for practice. This gets them thinking of possible questions and allows them to test their knowledge themselves.

Homework Survey and Free Fridays!

Please take moment and fill out the following homework survey to keep us informed on how things are going on the home front!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlchh5mKPleiDzDKA28MLJWjnPRigNTXg6PRMhTWjGmX7C8Q/viewform?c=0&w=1

Beginning this week students in fifth grade are working on earning Free Fridays for displaying virtuous behavior in the classroom.  Each day they will either earn or lose a letter from our virtue of the month.  If they spell the entire word by Friday we will have Free Friday (or Thursday this week!) before school.  They may bring games such as cards, checkers, or other non pop-culture games to play before school starts in lieu of morning work. 

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Headlines 9/26

I hope everyone had a restful weekend.  It was so nice to see those of you who attended our Spalding and Singapore night; I hope that the evening was helpful as you guide your students in their homework.

It is hard to believe we are approaching the end of the first quarter!  As a reminder there is no school for students this Friday, and fall break will be the week of October 10-14. 

As stated below, tutoring on Thursdays will now change to grammar and writing.  If your child is struggling with sentence diagramming or the writing process, please be sure to have them attend!

ELA:

Our students worked diligently on their descriptive writing paragraphs last week.  We have discussed how to use the writing process to make revisions and this week we will take our papers to publication by creating a class book.  We will also introduce compound elements and conjunctions in grammar.  We have had several requests for grammar tutoring, so beginning next week, there will be grammar tutoring on Thursdays (instead of Math) from 3:05-3:40 pm.  

We have also completed our 25 roots for the first quarter.  Students will receive a root review which they should begin working on.  We will take a test over roots 1-25 on Wednesday, Oct. 5th.  Please begin studying now!  

In Literature we are almost done reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  We will finish the book this week and are looking forward to literature celebration on Friday, October, 7th.  More details are forthcoming!

All of our students did a lovely job on their recitations last week, and we also introduced our next poem, “Narcissa,” by Gwendolyn Brooks.  Students should be prepared to recite their poem by Wednesday, October 5th.

Math:

This week we will review all of the material in Unit 2, and will take the test on Thursday.  We will complete in class review of multiplication and division on Monday, and will then review order of operations as well as bar models on Tuesday.  During our Wednesday math groups we will complete the Unit Cumulative Review. If your student needs extra help, please be sure they attend tutoring on Monday and Wednesday!

History:

This week in history, we will continue learning about the Aztec culture and cover the Incas. Students will get their study guides on Thursday for their unit test. The unit test will be on Friday, October 7th. Note that this test is the day before students leave for Fall Break partaking in rest and relaxation! Students will continue journaling from the perspective of an Aztec or Inca at the end of each lesson.

Science:

We are continuing the chemistry unit this week. We will be reading The Mystery of the Periodic Table and taking notes throughout. We finally learn how the modern Periodic Table was organized.

The due date for the Science Fair Essay is quickly approaching! Please ensure that your child is working on the project such that they will be able to turn their essay in the last school day before Fall Break!

Headlines 9/19

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and enjoying these cooler mornings and evenings! 

Our students worked hard last week and accomplished quite a bit.  They enjoyed a chemistry lab, took a history test, and learned a new song with our French Prep mentors! 

If you  have  not yet RSVP'd for the Spalding and Singapore night this Wednesday, please let us know if you will be attending.  We plan on going through the basics of each subject as well as allowing plenty of time for Q & A. 

Here is the news for this week!

ELA

This week in writing we will begin our first formal piece of writing, a descriptive paragraph.  Students will choose a topic and will then go through the writing process to revise and edit for a final copy.  In literature we will continue to study characterization by finding textual evidence to support our inferences about the characters.  Students should be working to memorize their poems, and recitations will begin on Wednesday!

Math

All of our students did a wonderful job working through various types of word problems last week! This week we will begin reviewing and practicing long division and multiplication and will review bar models that use these operations.  

History:

This week in history, we will continue learning about the Maya culture. Students will get to participate in a friendly game of pok-ta-pok and engage in a socratic discussion involving the disappearance of the Maya. Students will continue journaling from the perspective of a Maya person at the end of each lesson.

Science:

We are continuing the chemistry unit this week. We will be reading The Mystery of the Periodic Table and taking notes throughout. We will learn about the pitfalls and successes of the early chemists. Our Friday activity will solidify our understanding of elements, compounds and mixtures.   Students should continue be working on their project at home!

Study Skill of the Week:

Starting this week we will begin to introduce new study skills to help the students as they prepare for Prep!  This week we will focus on using flashcards to aid in studying.  Students will practice pulling seven cards to study at one time, putting the cards to the side that they show mastery with, and focusing on the cards that need more review.  They can repeat that process with the remainder of the cards until they have gained mastery of all!

Headlines 9/12

The students worked very hard last week and we were able to accomplish so much in a short week. 

Thank you to all the parents and grandparents who attended our assembly on Friday, and a very special congratulations to Noah Wesson for winning the virtue award for Responsibility.  We are very proud of him! 


ELA

It’s back to grammar this week as we introduce our next part of speech, pronouns.  We will also be reviewing collective nouns and the simple subject and simple predicate.  In literature we will learn how authors use different methods of characterization to help the reader understand characters in the story.  Our new poem, “A Bird Came Down the Walk,” by Emily Dickinson was introduced last week and students should begin memorizing it.  I was very impressed with all of our recitations last week!   

Science

We are starting the chemistry unit this week. We will be reading The Mystery of the Periodic Table and taking notes throughout. Furthermore, we will explore the relationship between acids and bases. In tandem with these studies, the 5th grade class will be working towards a science fair. Each should be conducting an experiment over the next four weeks at home and recording their progress in the project packet. Please contact Ms. Stapleton with any questions.

History

This week in history, we will be reviewing for and taking our unit test on World Lakes (Tuesday). We will set up our notebooks for our new unit on Ancient Meso-American Civilizations and begin studying the Maya. Students will have the opportunity to journal from the perspective of a Mayan person.

Math

Our focus this week will be understanding different types of bar models and how to use those models as a way to help us solve word problems.  We will also be reviewing how to use different mental math strategies.