It's hard to believe that we are into February already! We will be having a busy month. There are a few things you will want to put on your calendar or make note of.
First, your student needs to continue to read daily at home. You should have seen a blue paper come home last week where you can keep track of your child's reading minutes in order to receive a free kite. We're really grateful for the support from the community in encouraging your child to read at home!
The next item you will want to be aware of is our Direct Writing Assessment. The test will be given during the last week of February. Please make sure your child is here if at all possible! We have been working hard in class on preparing for it. Ask your child to explain the 4-square writing method. It really makes organizing a persuasive paper much easier! It's one of those things that I wish my teachers had taught me when I was in school!
Finally, I am already having students asking about Valentine's Day in fifth grade. I try to keep the holiday really low-key. We will be doing Valentine themed math, but other than that it will be school as usual, until the last part of the day. At that time, the students can pass out valentines and any treats they wish to share. We will just kick back, relax, and enjoy each other's company during the last half hour. The one request I have is that if your child brings one valentine, he brings enough for everybody. We have twenty six students and three aides. Your student will be asked to alphabetize everyone in the classroom. This assignment can be used as the class list.
Math--We are ready to begin adding and subtracting fractions! Please have your child explain the process of solving these types of fractions to you each night. That one simple thing will really help cement the process for your child.
Reading- We are continuing to work on our guided reading groups. From eleven thirty until twelve, we are also enjoying working through some reading magazines from Scholastic. These magazines are geared toward fifth and sixth grade students, and include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and a reader's theater selection. The kids really enjoyed last week's issue.
Science-The students will be working in small groups to make electrical circuits this week. It is always a blast to see their excitement as they put together a circuit and see the lightbulb glow. We will be experimenting with switches and adding more than one battery and lightbulb.
Social Studies-The students have learned about the War of 1812, all about our national anthem, and about the Battle of New Orleans. This week we will be learning about the Trail of Tears, and we will begin to learn about the Texas Revolution.
Writing-We are continuing to work on writing persuasive letters. The students will need to type their writing for the Direct Writing Assessment, so any chance you can give your student to practice typing would be of great benefit!
Thank you so much for all of your support!
No comments:
Post a Comment