Hello families,

Due to the unexpected closing of HCPS schools, please refer to the information sent home with your child on Friday, the Distance Learning website (https://sites.google.com/henrico.k12.va.us/hcpsdistancelearning/4-5?authuser=0), and the below overview of what your child should be completing while out of the GAES building these next two weeks.

The students also received their next book report paperwork, their next Word Trek list, and their helicopter writing.  The helicopter writing does not need to be worked on unless we are out for a longer period of time.  I sent the Word Trek like I always do on Friday.  We will use our usual procedure and timeline with that.  It will be due the Thursday we come back with the test on that Friday.  The book report was also something I was already planning on sending home and is due six weeks from this week as usual.

This is the message that was sent from gifted services regarding the closing:

Faculty at 4th & 5th Grade Gifted Centers

• The elementary specialists for each content area have created, curated, and provided guides and activities for instruction. Please review and use those instructions and activities.  Here is the teacher guide and the link to student activities. 
• Refer families to our gifted blog: https://sites.google.com/henrico.k12.va.us/giftedparent

There are 4 main assignments your child should complete and bring back with them upon the reopening of school, all of which are in the packet they brought home today.

1. Taking Care of our Earth! Performance Task (bring/submit project and reflection)
2. Choice Board (1 box completed per subject area per week-just bring choice board, not all activities; 8 total done upon return to school)
3. Reading (1 activity completed per category per week; 8 total done upon return to school)
4. Math (1 activity completed per category per week; 8 total done upon return to school)

In addition, we have sent home directions for logging into Clever and MobyMax. These resources allow your child to practice reading and math skills aligned with our current content areas. Students should be completing assignments in Khan Academy as well (accessed through Clever). Please also utilize the PortaPortal to review skills we have been working on to ensure concepts stay fresh over this unexpected break.

From Mrs. Lucas:

The Activity Log should be completed from 3/14-3/20 and turned in when students return to school. The Final 5th grade test review needs to be studied a little each week: 5th Review Study Guide. The test will be April 28th-May 1st. Stay active over break with the Alphabet Fitness Challenge!

Please keep up with email, phone, and text alerts from HCPS. As we get information, we will share updates with you as well.  I will be checking my email regularly so feel free to contact me with questions.

I hope you and your family stay healthy and safe, and I look forward to seeing your kiddos soon!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and didn’t forget to turn the clocks forward!  🙂

MATH

Wednesday, March 11th is the test on triangles and angles.  This is a change from Monday, March 9th.  Your student has notes in their notebook to help them prepare.  Please encourage them to use the resources on the Math page of this blog and the portaportal as well.  We will start working with circles this week!  We will start with parts of a circle.  The students will apply formulas to find circumference, area, and radius and diameter measurements.  To top it all off, Friday is Pi Day!  We will do activities that highlight the magic that is the circle!  Weekly Math is due on Wednesday, March 11th.

LANGUAGE ARTS

We will continue our novel study this week.  The students will be working on tone and mood.  The students will work with a partner to write a short passage in different points of view using a magazine picture.  In writing, the students will write a creative story about a helicopter arriving at school.  This writing will be scored for their County portfolio.  We will continue writing poetry and using quotation marks.

SCIENCE

There will be a quiz on energy, force, and motion on Thursday, March 12th.  Your student has notes and a study guide in their purple folders for this unit.   Please use this site for review of all the 4th grade content: Virginia SOL Resources: Fourth Grade Science  Our next unit is Sound.  We will explore sound waves and the speed of sound through different materials.

SOCIAL STUDIES

There will be a Quick Check Quiz on the states and capitals of the Midwest Region on Tuesday, March 10th.  We will continue traveling through the Midwest Region’s states this week.  The students will begin researching a particular state for a postcard project.  There will be a Chapter 8 vocabulary quiz on Tuesday, March 17th.  Your student has these definitions in their Social Studies notebook.

IMPORTANT DATES

3/3 – Student Holiday

3/10 – Midwest Quick Check Quiz

3/11 – Triangles Test

3/12 – Force and Motion Quiz

3/30 – Student Half-day

Remember that Tuesday, March 3rd is a student holiday!

Thank you for your support of the American Heart Challenge, our 5th Grade Chorus, and the PTA! Thanks so much to Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Muddiman, and Mr. Shah for working with our students to make those awesome corn hole boards!  You guys are amazing!  🙂

Students will be taking the HCPS satisfaction survey during the week of March 23-27. If you do NOT want your child to participate in this anonymous survey, please return the slip we sent home on Monday.

Read Across America Spirit Week 3/2 – 3/6

Monday March 2: Cat in the Hat day: Wear a hat to school

Tuesday, March 3: Student Holiday

Wednesday, March 4: Wacky Wednesday: Wear your clothes backwards, inside out, or mismatched

Thursday, March 5: Sleep Book: Wear your pajamas at school

Friday, March 6: Green Eggs and Ham day: Wear green to school

MATH

We will begin finding area and perimeter with triangles.  There will be a test on all things triangles on Monday, March 9th.  Please encourage your student to use the portaportal and the math page of this blog along with their study guide and notes to prepare for this test.  Weekly Math is due on Wednesday, March 4th.

READING

The students will continue to work with cause and effect, compare and contrast, and point of view.  Our new skill this week is tone and mode.  We will practice differentiating between tone and mood using various passages.  The students have started analyzing poetry.  We will also begin writing poetry this week.  They will create a poetry booklet with a variety of poem types.  In language, we will also focus on using quotation marks correctly.  The students will also work on revising their essays using a color coded system.  Our next essay will be revised and scored for their county portfolio.

SCIENCE

Review of force and motion from fourth grade is on the schedule this week.  The students will have a study guide and notes in their notebook to help remember concepts taught last year.  We will also do an experiment to rediscover the mechanics of potential versus kinetic energy.  There will be a quiz on this material on Thursday, March 12th.  Please encourage your student to use their notes when completing review homework.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We are starting our exploration of the Midwest Region this week.  We will begin with climate and landforms.  There will be a quick check quiz with states and capital matching on Tuesday. March 10th.  Your student will have study cards with this information in their backpacks on Monday.

IMPORTANT DATES

3/3 – Student Holiday

3/9 – Triangles Test

3/10 – Midwest Quick Check Quiz

3/12 – Force and Motion Quiz

3/30 – Student Half-day