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!