Curriculum Tidbits:
- The class knocked the decimal math test out of the park. Hooray! Our new math unit is fraction multiplication and division. This is generally much easier than our first unit on addition and subtraction of fractions.
- Before we begin our new Bible unit on the Sermon on the Mount, we will spend time learning about the Reformation.
- As our completed memoirs are being printed, I am delighting in their writing! I will (hopefully) have your fifth grader's memoir ready for you to take home with you at conferences, and they are lovely! It has been so fun to read about their experiences! We will have a Writing Celebration on Wednesday as we share our memoirs with our fifth grade classmates.
- For social studies the class will be researching and creating a poster about a colonial occupation.
Other Tidbits:
- I'm looking forward to meeting with each of you during PT Conferences next week Monday (10/21) and Tuesday (10/22).
- Due to CEA and PT Conferences, we will have 11:30am dismissal on Wednesday (10/23) and will not have school on Thursday (10/24) or Friday (10/25).
- On November 18, all three fifth grade classes will travel to Calvin College to meet with award-winning author Gary Schmidt. He will discuss his latest book, Pay Attention, Carter Jones, which is our current read aloud. He will also share where he gets his writing inspiration, how authors craft their stories, and he is always gracious enough to answer our questions. Parents are welcome to join us. (You would drive separately and meet us on Calvin's campus.) The time commitment is flexible, as you can leave when you need to but our time with him begins at 9:30am. Following his talk and lunch, we will likely spend some time on campus.
- We are excited this year to welcome Mandi Hulst as our Math Interventionist. She will be using our Delta Math Screener to identify students who need a little additional help on some targeted skills. These skills are identified as essential for your child to master their foundational math skills as they move throughout the grades. We have determined that if they are lacking mastery in these specific foundational skills it can impact their achievement in middle and high school courses as well as on their ACT/SAT. If your child falls into this category at some point during the school year, they will be pulled out of math for 10-15 minutes up to 2 times per week to work on a specific skill. As soon as they master the targeted skill, they will be moved out of the group. If you have further questions regarding this math intervention, please feel free to contact me.