Aquatic Safety –  All students should have their booklet completed and bring it with them on test day. Students did not have to complete page 9 or 17.  We will take the test on Wednesday, January 30th.

 For the field trip, each child will need their bathing suit, a towel, and a change of clothes.  The pictures taken by Mrs. Lucas at the YMCA will be used for a slide show at the end of the school year.  Only students at school will be seeing them. If you don’t want your child in any of the pictures, please send a note on the day of the field trip.

Beginning February 1st, GAES will begin the “One school, one book” celebration.  Each grade level will be reading The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney.

MATH

We will continue working with data and statistics this week.  In class we will generate data to use in stem and leaf graphs and apply mean, median, mode, and range concepts.  Tree diagrams are also on the agenda.  Students will working on lots of review this week as well.  The Math Benchmark is next Monday, February 4th and Tuesday, February 5th.  Please encourage your student to prepare for this using notes and resources on the math page of this blog.  The Benchmarks will count as a quiz grade.  Weekly Math (blue logic puzzle) is due Thursday, January 31st.

LANGUAGE ARTS

The Reading Benchmark will be given on Tuesday, January 29th and Wednesday, January 30th.  Please encourage your student to prepare for this using notes and resources on the Language Arts page of this blog.  This Benchmark will count as a quiz grade.  We will be finishing up Epseranza Rising in the next week and a half.  There will be an open book quiz next week.  Word Trek was given out on last Friday, and we will take our test as usual this Friday.  Reading focus skills for this week are point of view, text structures, story vocabulary, and characterization.  The students will finish their Favorite Place to Eat writing this week.

SCIENCE

The Science Fair projects were fantastic!  I will work on grading these this week and send them home.  We will do two experiments in class to practice using the scientific method as well as a snowflake dichotomous key activity.  The students will also work on reviewing for the Science Benchmark that will be given on Friday, February 7th.  This Benchmark will count as a quiz grade.  There is lots of review on the Science page of this blog.

SOCIAL STUDIES

There is a quiz on Chapter 4 vocabulary on Tuesday, January 29th.  You student was reminded to take their Social Studies notebook home with them each day this week to prepare for this quiz.  They will use the information they have learned about the Northeast Region to create a personalized license plate for their chosen state this week.  These are super cute!

IMPORTANT DATES

1/28 – Student Holiday

1/28-2/1 – Kindness Week

1/29 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 1

1/29 – Chapter 4 Vocabulary Quiz

1/30 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 2

2/1 – YMCA Field Trip

2/4  – Math Benchmark Test Part 1

2/5 – Math Benchmark Test Part 2

2/5 – Parent/Teacher Conferences

2/7 – Science Benchmark Test

2/11 – Report Cards go home

2/11-2/14 – Cub Valentine Breakfast

2/19 – Fantasy Book Report due

The Glen Allen Science Fair is Thursday evening!  The students should bring their boards to class with them in the morning.  We will set up before they leave for the day.  Please note that the doors to the school will not be open prior to 6:30.  The students will receive a reflection paper on Monday.  The reflection piece of this assignment is due on Thursday in class.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Our YMCA field trip is Friday, February 1st.  Permission slips and payments are due on Wednesday, January 23rd.  Please know that the receipting program will shut down Wednesday night so late payments will not be accepted.  Let me know if you have questions.

The PTA has created a new event this year for our community – A Cub Valentine Breakfast.

From February 11-14, Cub families can join us in the cafe for donuts and photos from 7:20-7:40 am. For just $3 per person, you’ll get a glazed Krispy Kreme donut and a drink. We will also have a photo booth set up, so you can take a fun valentine themed photo with your family.

Dates are assigned by last name:

2/11: A-E
2/12: F-K
2/13: L-R
2/14: S-Z

NOTE: Gold and Platinum Cub Fund Donors – Four donuts and drinks were included with your donation. No need to register UNLESS you need more donuts and drinks. Just come on your assigned date.

Click the link below to register and pay!

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=6xnpmucab&oeidk=a07efz7fsqrce134a47

MATH

This week we will continue analyzing data using mean, median, mode, and range (5.16 & 6.15).  In class we will generate data using a variety of activities.  In stations the students will practice solving a tangram puzzle and review previously taught skills.  Weekly Math (yellow logic puzzle) is due on Thursday, January 25th.

LANGUAGE ARTS

We will continue reading Esperanza Rising and analyzing character traits and character conflicts, as well as connecting the events in the book with today’s world.  Our discussions have been super interesting!  The students will also work on revising their traveling writings.  Our aim is to show growth in writing since September.  The deadline for book report book approval is Friday, January 25th.

SCIENCE

The students are having a blast with our plant STEM activity.  There is an amazing engineering going on with this project.  I can’t wait to see their final projects!  There is a quiz on plants on Tuesday, January 22nd.  We will also be working on reviewing Ecosystems and Food Chains (4.5) this week.  Please encourage your student to review a little each night for the Science benchmark.  There is a lot to remember for the benchmark on Thursday, February 7th.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We will continue exploring the Northeast this week.  There will be a Quick Check Quiz on Wednesday, January 23rd and a Chapter 4 vocabulary quiz on Tuesday, January 29th.  Your student has notes and definitions in their Social Studies notebooks for both of these quizzes.  We will also start a new project this week that involves designing a license plate for a state in the Northeast Region.

IMPORTANT DATES

1/22 – Plants Quiz

1/23 – Northeast Quick Check Quiz

1/24 – Science Fair 6:30

1/25 – End of the Second Nine Weeks

1/28 – Student Holiday

1/29 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 1

1/29 – Chapter 4 Vocabulary Quiz

1/30 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 2

2/1 – YMCA Field Trip

2/4  – Math Benchmark Test Part 1

2/5 – Math Benchmark Test Part 2

2/7 – Science Benchmark Test

2/19 – Fantasy Book Report due

We will be going to the Math Science Innovation Center on Tuesday, January 15th from 9:30-12:30.  We will return to school in time to have lunch in the cafeteria.

Permission slips for our YMCA Aquatic Safety field trip came home last week.  The cost for this field trip is $4.  You may pay for this field trip online or send in the money.  The deadline for payment and permission slips is Wednesday, January 23rd.  The students have received their aquatic safety booklets and are required to complete each assignment prior to the field trip.  This week’s assignment is to read pages 2-4 and answer questions 1-13 on page 15.  This assignment is due on our PE day this week.  Your student should already have their assignment written down from class last week.

MATH

Last week we practiced all things fractions.  The students also learned how to multiply fractions by a whole number, and as enrichment, we tackled dividing fractions as well.  There will be a test on this information on Thursday, January 17th.  Your student has notes and will have homework to help prepare for this test.  This week we will start working with probability.  The students will identify the probability of outcomes, understand a sample space, and construct tree diagrams to illustrate the fundamental counting principle.  Weekly Math (green logic puzzle) is due on Thursday, January 17th.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Your student received their Word Trek List #15 on Friday and they were told that homework and the test will happen as planned regardless of missed days due to school closing. I reminded them to take this assignment home with them on Friday.   The homework is due Thursday and the test is Friday.  This week we will work with figurative language, homophones, editing, and point of view.  The students need to have their book report book approved by Friday, January 25th.  They also need to bring a book to school each day to read.  This week they will read the book of their choice and complete a reading response in their Reading Response Journal (RRJ).  We have been using assigned passages for this activity.  This time they get to choose the text they would like to read.

We also use our RRJs for our Book Buddy meetings.  We have been meeting with Mrs. Loftis’s class since the beginning of the year.  Our fifth graders put the skill that the second graders are using their RRJs and use it to teach, model, and practice with their buddies.  The skills the second graders are using are also skills that the fifth graders use, sometimes in a different format.  It has been a huge success!  You would be so impressed watching our students be teachers to the younger kids!  They are amazing!  🙂

SCIENCE

We will be reviewing the Plant Unit (4.4) this week.  The students will get review notes for their notebooks.  In Language they will get a Plant RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic).  They will choose two from six choices and write on a particular “piece” of this review material.  They will also work with a partner to construct a labelled flower using a variety of materials.  They will brainstorm and design together first and construct their flower on Friday.  This is going to be super cool!  There will be a quiz on Plants on Tuesday, January 22nd.  The fifth grade will be taking a Science Benchmark that will cover all 5th grade curriculum covered so far this year as well as 4th grade reviewed curriculum.  The Benchmarks are graded!  Your student has lots of notes in their notebooks as well as study guides in the back of their purple folders.  There are lots of great resources on Science page of this blog.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We will begin traveling through the Northeast Region this week.  The students will learn about the climate, natural resources, and the states and capitals in this region.  There will be a Quick Check Quiz of just the states and capitals on Wednesday, January 23rd.  They have study cards to help prepare for this quiz.

IMPORTANT DATES

1/15 – Math Science Innovation Center Field Trip 9:30-12:30

1/16 – Yearbook Ads due

1/17 – Hungry Creek Curriculum Fair 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

1/17 – Fraction Computation Test

1/22 – Plants Quiz

1/23 – Northeast Quick Check Quiz

1/24 – Science Fair 6:30

1/25 – End of the Second Nine Weeks

1/29 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 1

1/30 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 2

2/1 – YMCA Field Trip

2/4  – Math Benchmark Test Part 1

2/5 – Math Benchmark Test Part 2

2/19 – Fantasy Book Report due

Our class will be going to the Math Science Innovation Center on Tuesday, January 15th.  Permission slips will come home this week.  This is a free field trip and will not require any extra chaperones.  Please return the permission slips by Thursday, January 10th.

Hungary Creek Middle School counselors and principal, Mr. Moose, will visit our fifth graders this Wednesday.  The students will be given general information about what to expect next year.  They will be bringing home paperwork regarding electives.  During the session the students will have the opportunity to ask questions.  This is always a very exciting time!

Science Fair boards were delivered on Friday, January 4th.  Your student will be bringing theirs home with them on Monday, January 7th.  Please let me know if you have questions about this project.

MATH

We will continue working with fraction computation this week.  Your student will have notes in their notebooks to help with homework.  Weekly Math (blue logic puzzle) is due on Thursday, January 10th.

LANGUAGE ARTS

We will have Word Trek as usual this week.  The students will bring home paperwork for their fantasy book report this week.  This book report is due on Tuesday, February 19th.  All books must be approved by me prior to Friday, January 25th.

SCIENCE

The students will continue to work on their projects that include all of the kingdoms information we have learned.   We will also explore vascular and nonvascular plants.  The Cells and Kingdoms test will be given on Friday, January 11th.   They have a study guide and lots of notes in their notebooks.  Please also encourage your student to use the resources on the Science page of this blog to prepare for the test.

SOCIAL STUDIES

The test for the Southeast Region will be given on Thursday, January 10th.  Next, is the Northeast Region.

IMPORTANT DATES

1/7 – Science Fair Planning Paperwork due (This is a change!)

1/9 – Hungary Creek visit

1/10 – Southeast Region Test

1/11 – Cells and Kingdoms Test

1/15 – Math Science Innovation Center Field Trip 9:30-12:30

1/16 – Yearbook Ads due

1/17 – Hungry Creek Curriculum Fair 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

1/24 – Science Fair 6:30

1/25 – End of the Second Nine Weeks

1/29 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 1

1/30 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 2

2/4  – Math Benchmark Test Part 1

2/5 – Math Benchmark Test Part 2

Happy New Year!!!  I am so thrilled about the exciting possibilities in store for 2019!

The last school day of 2018 was a blast!  Thanks so much to all of the parents who made it possible for us to have such a fantastic day!  A huge thanks for all of the great gifts!  Although thank you notes were given out on Friday, I realize they may not have made it home.  🙂  Please know that I feel super blessed to be in such a generous and supportive community as Glen Allen!

MATH

This week we will begin fraction computation (5.6).  We will begin with a review of finding least common denominator (LCD), computing with like and unlike denominators, converting improper fractions and mixed numbers when needed, borrowing from a whole number when subtracting, and simplifying sums and differences.  In this unit we will be primarily practice using word problems as this is the method that they will be assessed.  The ratio quiz will be given on Friday, January 4th.  Your student has notes in their notebook on this topic.  Please also encourage your student to use the resources on the math page of this blog to help prepare and review.

LANGUAGE ARTS

In Language, we will work on using apostrophes correctly in contractions and possessives.  The students will finish their Priceless Gift writing this week.  We will also continue to read Esperanza Rising.  Text structures, character traits, symbolism, and figurative language are our focus skills.  The biography/autobiography book report is due January 4th.

SCIENCE

We will continue exploring vertebrates and invertebrates this week.  The students will learn the characteristics of many categories within these two areas.  They will be able to classify animals based on their traits.  The students will also begin a digital project that includes all of the information we are learning in this unit.  The test for this unit is scheduled for Friday, January 11th.  Science Fair paperwork is due on Monday, January 7th.

SOCIAL STUDIES

The students will finish presenting their Holidays Around the World projects on Thursday.  Then they will complete their Southeast Region Pack Your Bags projects.  The test for this region is scheduled for Thursday, January 10th.  The students have lots of notes in their notebooks along with study cards for the states and capitals.

IMPORTANT DATES

1/4 – Ratio Quiz

1/4 – Book Report due

1/7 – Science Fair Planning Paperwork due (This is a change!)

1/10 – Southeast Region Test

1/11 – Cells and Kingdoms Test

1/15 – Math Science Innovation Center Field Trip 9:30-12:30

1/16 – Yearbook Ads due

1/17 – Hungry Creek Curriculum Fair 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

1/24 – Science Fair 6:30

1/25 – End of the Second Nine Weeks

1/29 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 1

1/30 – Reading Benchmark Test Part 2

2/4  – Math Benchmark Test Part 1

2/5 – Math Benchmark Test Part 2