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

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.

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.  

Link to Jethro Letter

Click here.

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.

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.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7EcWqjGB7MkXENaoUliWcdR51mUssIrEuNLyd7m9toZkdfw/viewform?c=0&w=1&usp=mail_form_link>       

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.

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.

Headlines 4/20

I apologize for not getting this out yesterday, but our students did a great job on AZMerit. We only have one more day of testing to go! Thursday we will do part two of both Math and Reading.

I hope everyone had a wonderful break and was able to relax and spend time with family. We are in the last stretch of the year and will continue to work hard for the next few weeks!

ELA:

The students are really enjoying  Across Five Aprils in Literature as they are able to make connections as they study The Civil War in History.

Most of the students did very well on their Grammar quiz last week. Tuesday through Thursday we will be taking a break from due to AZMerit testing, however, Friday we will be learning about friendly letters.

We will have a quiz over roots on Wednesday!

Math:

Tuesday and Thursday we will be testing and we will introduce our new unit covering rato on Wednesday and Friday.

Science:

This week we are finishing the skeletal and muscular systems, and beginning the endocrine system. We scheduled a test on Tuesday, but it is now moved to Thursday.

History:

This week, students will learn about the beginning of the Civil War, advantages and disadvantages of the North and South, why the Civil War was called a “Brother’s War”, the North and South’s war strategies, the battle at Antietam, and General McClellan. We will continue to discuss slavery. This may be sensitive content for some students, so please have a discussion at home if needed.

Headlines 4/10/17

We were very week last week and I was very proud of the hard work our students put forth on the writing portion of AZMerit. I have no doubt that their writing will be a wonderful example of the skills they have learned this year.

As a reminder there is no school on Friday or Monday so that your family can enjoy a relaxing Easter weekend. However we will be taking the Math and Reading portion of AZMerit on the Tuesday and Thursday of next week, so please be sure your child is at school and is well rested!

We are in the midst of planning our end of year celebration for our fifth graders for Friday, May 26th from 9:30-11:00. Be on the lookout for a sign-up for supplies and help coming soon.

Thank you so much for all the donations of pencils, glue, dry erase markers, and Kleenex, I am hoping we are stocked until the end of the year!

Also, as a reminder if you want your child to opt out of the Human Growth and Development lessons, the second page of the letter sent home last week needs to be signed and returned.

We have lots happening in the next few weeks, so please let me know if you have any questions!

ELA:

We will are enjoying reading  Across Five Aprils in Literature and will continue to read and discuss this week.

In grammar and writing we will be taking some time to review noun jobs as well as test-taking strategies. Our noun job quiz was moved to Wednesday of this week!

We will have a quiz over roots 84-85  on Wednesday and poetry recitation of, Barbara Frietchie will be on Wednesday as well.

Math:

This week we will be covering graphing line plots and will do a few short lessons covering volume. On Thursday we will be working in groups to review for AZMerit.

 

History:

This week, students will learn about Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe, The Kansas-Nebraska Act, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas Debates, John Brown and the Election of 1860. The 50 states study guide is due 4/5. The test will be on Wednesday, 4/12. We will continue to discuss slavery.This may be sensitive content for some students, so please have a discussion at home if needed.

Math:

This week we will be covering graphing line plots and will do a few short lessons covering volume. On Thursday we will be working in groups to review for AZMerit.

Headlines 4/4/17

I apologize for  not getting these out yesterday. Our class had a great week last week. We have started a new contest where the students are earning points for making good choices and the teachers earn points when they are not. Our class has beat the teacher and has been working hard to stay focused and work hard at school!

We have lots going on as we head into April, be sure to read all the news below!

ELA

We are enjoying our reading of Across Five Aprils in Literature. This week we will be looking at how the impact of the Civil War has affected our main character.

Due to technical difficulties last week we will be taking the  writing portion of the AZMerit on Friday. Our students have worked hard and are well prepared to do their best! In writing and grammar we will be reviewing all of the noun jobs and will prepare for the noun job quiz next Monday.

We will have a quiz over roots 80-83 on Wednesday. Students have been put in groups for the poem, Barbara Frietchie, which they will be reciting on Wednesday, April 12th.

Math

We are continuing our study of data analysis this week. We will also be learning about how to use percentages and decimals in conjunction with pie graphs. Our unit test will be on Thursday and we will be having math groups on Wednesday from 8:00-8:45. Please let me know if you would like to help out! Our unit test will be Thursday.

Science

We are studying the human body. There is a muscles quiz on Wednesday!

History

This week, students will learn about the life of a slave, Nat Turner, Brer Rabbit, the Missouri Compromise, the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, and the growing differences between the North and South. The 50 states study guide is due 4/5. The test will be on Wednesday, 4/12. We will continue to discuss slavery.This may be sensitive content for some students, so please have a discussion at home if needed.

Headlines 3/27

Good Morning! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I was very excited to welcome my new nephew Brighton Mac to the world on Friday. A brand new baby is the perfect way to bring in Spring, so here is a little glimpse of his sweetness!

We begin AZMerit this week with the writing assessment on Friday. Please be sure your student is at school on time and has had a healthy breakfast. We have worked hard to prepare for this test and I have confidence that our class will do very well!

ELA

In Literature we will continue,reading  Across Five Aprils. We will will have a class debate about fighting in the Civil War and will continue looking at vocabulary in context.

We will be taking the  AZMerit writing test on Friday. To continue preparing we will be sharing our practice essays with the class and will look at sample persuasive essays.

We will have a quiz over roots 76-79 on Wednesday and will introduce our new poem, Barbara Frietchie. This is a long poem so students will be reciting this in groups on Wednesday, April 12th.

Math

This week the students will learn how to interpret a set of data in many ways- mean, median, mode, histograms, tables, and pie charts.  There will be no math groups this week!

Science

We are studying the human body. There is a skeleton quiz on Wednesday!

History

This week, students will take their Westward Expansion Before the Civil War test. The study guide is due Monday, 3/27. The unit test will be on Tuesday, 3/28. Students will also finish learning about US Geography with the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii. A study guide for the 50 states map test will go home on Wednesday, 3/29, due 4/5. The test will be on Wednesday, 4/12. We will start our unit on the Civil War this week. We are discussing slavery throughout the unit, with an emphasis on the life of a Civil War era American slave this week. This may be sensitive content for some students, so please have a discussion at home if needed.

Headlines 3/21

I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break and was able to relax and enjoy time with family. I must admit, the alarm seemed to go off awfully early this morning!  

Today I spoke to the class about preparing for sixth grade and practicing being a self-advocate in our behavior and study skills. We will accomplish a great deal this quarter!

French and Fine Arts night is Friday, April 7, see the following for more info. It should be a wonderful evening:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxSuyHM9YtLNS3E5NlFvYWRKaVU/view?usp=sharing

ELA: This week in Literature we will begin our next book, Across Five Aprils. Our focus for this book will be integrating our study of the Civil War in History with the novel. We will also be concentrating on vocabulary and defining words using context clues.

In Writing this week we will be preparing for the AZMerit writing test by using all of our block time today to use the writing process to write a five paragraph informative essay.  In order to give students immediate feedback on their writing each teacher will be conferencing individually with students about their essays. Our hope is that this gives them confidence in their writing abilities!

We will use the remainder of the week to review parts of speech, noun jobs, and add predicate adjectives to our diagramming.

Math:

We will finish Unit 11 this week by solving rate problems. We will have math groups on Wednesday and will take the unit test next Monday. If you are able to help with math groups, please let me know. We love having you in our classroom!

Science:

This quarter, we will be learning all about the human body. We will start with the skeletal system this week. There will be a quiz on the human skeleton during the following week.

History:

This week, students will finish learning about westward expansion before the Civil War. Students wil cover the Mexican-American War, and settlers moving further west, such as the gold miners and the Mormons. The study guide is going home Tuesday, and it will be due Monday, 3/27. The unit test will be on Tuesday, 3/28.

Headlines 3/6/17

I can't believe this is the last week of the third quarter. The students have been working hard the last eight weeks and I have been so impressed with their diligence and perseverance.

Our focus this quarter has been becoming a self-advocate and I continue to see the students making improvements in their maturity and level of responsibility.

Last week we had a class conversation about appropriate playground and social behavior. We came up with a list of acceptable and non-acceptable behaviors for our class. I reminded students that we keep our hands to ourselves in line and on the playground, and to be respectful of others' boundaries. We also discussed how to solve problems with others in a constructive way. I am hoping this will help some of the issues that have arisen in the last few weeks!

Here is everything we will be doing this final week!

ELA

This week in Literature we will be using the character studies we have completed to complete a “Most Dynamic Character Award” writing prompt. Students will be writing a persuasive paragraph based on who they believe has changed the most in The Secret Garden. Please be sure your student has the novel, Across Five Aprils, which we will begin when we return from Spring Break.

In Grammar and Writing we will be reviewing similes and metaphors and will use these to describe the virtues.

The Tyger, by William Blake will be recited Wednesday, March 8th.

Science

This week we will continue studying the life of the famous botanist, George Washington Carver.

History

This week, students will continue learning about westward expansion before the Civil War. Students will cover the expansion of canals, invention of railroads, the Trail of Tears, Manifest Destiny, acquiring of Texas, and the settling of the Oregon territory. There is also a geography quiz over the Midwest, Rocky Mountain, and Great Plains regions on Wednesday, March 8th. Students will also be learning about the Southwest region in Geography.

Math

Last week we began learning about finding averages, this week we will begin learning about rate. Math groups are back on this week on Wednesday from 8-9! Please let me know if you are able to help this week. Thank you!

Headlines 2/27

Happy Monday! We have a busy week ahead and a lot to look forward to. I have had a lot of questions about the forecast for tomorrow's field trip. The last forecast I saw is giving a 30% of rain tomorrow.  The Renaissance Faire is a rain or shine event, so I suggest bringing a rain jacket, and umbrella just in case it does rain. 

Have a wonderful week!

ELA:

We will finish reading The Secret Garden this week and will begin a writing assignment based on the character studies we have been working on throughout the book. Our next book will be Across Five Aprils, which we will begin when we return from Spring Break.

In Grammar and Writing we will add the noun job of Predicate Nouns and will add this to our diagrams.

Our  Greek and Latin Roots quiz over roots 51-75 will be Friday, March 3rd.However, we will still be having our weekly quiz on Wednesday. Students were given the review sheet on Friday, and this should be complete by Tuesday.

The Tyger, by William Blake will be recited Wednesday, March 8th.

Math:

After the unit assessment over decimals Monday , we will begin our next unit covering averages and rate.

History:

This week, students will continue learning about westward expansion before the Civil War. Students will cover the exploration of Lewis and Clark, the resistance of the Native Americans and Tecumseh, as well as advances in transportation.

Science:

This week we will be studying the life of the famous botanist, George Washington Carver.

Headlines 2/19

I hope everyone is enjoying their rainy three day weekend! We had a busy week, enjoying Great Hearts Day and Field Day. We were the silver medalists, and we won the most important event, The Tug-of-War!! Thank you to all of you who volunteered your time and resources this week. We are so appreciative of the support you give us.

It's hard to believe we are already in the seventh week of the third quarter and spring break is right around the corner. We have our explorer presentations this week and will be wrapping up our final roots for the quarter.  Enjoy the rest of your break and I will see our well rested scholars on Tuesday!

ELA

This week we will be using part of our Literature time to give our Explorer Presentations. All of the students have signed up for a time slot and should bring their presentation boards the day of their speech.

We will be typing our final drafts of our explorer essays in class and will be reviewing grammar concepts we have covered this year.

We will have our weekly quiz over Roots on Wednesday.  Students should study these nightly! This week we will finish up roots 50-75. The test over these will be Friday, March 3rd.

We introduced our new poem, The Tyger, by William Blake,these will be recited Wednesday, March 8th.

Math

We will finish up our study of decimals this week. We will learn how to multiply and divide a decimal by a decimal, will review, and will take our Unit Test next Monday, February 27th. Our review date falls on a Friday, so will have Math groups on Friday rather than Wednesday. If you are able to help out, please let me know!

History

This week, students will finish the Age of Exploration unit. We will review their study guides on Tuesday. The study guides are due on Wednesday 2/22, and the test is also on Wednesday. Students will be getting their study guides on Monday, 2/13 due on Wednesday 2/22. We will study the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions in Geography. Students will begin learning about westward expansion before the Civil War on Friday, starting with Daniel Boone.

Science

The class will be working on a Written Assessment this week. The students will receive the prompts on Tuesday and brainstorm/plan. On Thursday they will complete the actual assessment. Though they will be allowed to use their notebooks when planning, the assessment will be closed note. The assessment will be graded on breadth of content knowledge and grammatical proficiency.

Headlines 2/13

Happy Monday! We have a fun and active week ahead and are looking forward to enjoying celebrating friendship and fitness!

Great Hearts Day is tomorrow, thank you to parents who have offered to bring in snacks. We will have a normal day until noon, and will spend the remainder of the day in activities celebrating the virtue of friendship.

Friday is Field Day. We are Macedonia and our color is blue. Please encourage your child to wear a blue shirt that day and comfortable shorts or pants. They are welcome to wear athletic clothing and shoes that is free of pop culture references, but brand names are fine! Be sure to bring a water bottle that day and I would suggest sending in a small bottle of sunscreen to apply before we head outside. We will be eating lunch in our classroom that day, so please be sure to send in a sack lunch.

We still need one rolling cooler for our water bottles. If you have one you could share, please just shoot me an email. 

That was a lot of info, so please let me know if you have any questions!

ELA

We are enjoying reading and discussing  The Secret Garden; we will continue this novel study for about two more weeks.

Students should have completed an outline of the body of their paragraph at this point. This week we will be completing our rough drafts and peer and self-editing and will be ready to type essays in class the following week.. Students should be working on their projects at home. We will begin presentations on Tuesday, February 21st. Please let Mrs. Anderson know if you have any questions regarding these!

We will have our quiz over Roots 62-65 on Wednesday.  Students should study these nightly!

We introduced our new poem, I, Too, by Langston Hughes last week. We will recite these poems on Friday, February 17th (Note the date change!).

Math

We are continuing our study of decimals this week and will be practicing multiplying decimals by decimals. As we prepare for AZMerit, we are aiming to complete this chapter in a timely manner and therefore will not be having math groups this week. We will keep you posted on the next time they are scheduled!

History

This week, students will finish learning about the Age of Exploration. We will learn about Sir Francis Drake’s journey around the world, the French and Dutch explorers, and the growth of slavery during the Age of Exploration. Please note that the topic of slavery is very serious and we will be discussing the brutality of the middle passage. This chapter will be discussed with homeroom teachers on Friday. Students will be getting their study guides on Monday, 2/13, due on Wednesday 2/22. The test will also be on Wednesday 2/22. We will go over the study guide on Tuesday, 2/21.

Science

This week in science we will be reviewing plant anatomy, taking a quiz Tuesday, and then learning about Photosynthesis for the rest of the week.