It’s hard to believe but we have completed one half of the school year already. Welcome to the second semester of 5th grade!

1/29  Student Holiday/Staff Development

2/5 Reading Benchmark Part 1

2/6  Reading Benchmark Part 2

2/6  5th Grade GAR Store – Bring in calendars for the 2nd nine weeks (Nov. – Jan) with total number of minutes calculated

2/8 Parent-Teacher Conferences by appointment (new date)

2/9   Science Benchmark

2/12  Report cards go home

2/16  YMCA Aquatics Field Trip (5L  is still in need of a male chaperone!)

2/19  No longer a student holiday now a regular school day due to snow days

2/21 Family Life

2/21 Math Benchmark Part 1

2/22 Math Benchmark Part 2

2/27 Jump Rope for Heart

Middle School Schedules

I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s time to make that decision regarding your child’s elective for 6th grade. Please use the direction packet that they brought home on Thursday to login and make your selection.  You will see the 7 other selections that have already been entered by the teachers for math, science, English, social studies, reading, PE, and innovation literacy.  The portal is open from 1/30 until 2/9.

What’s Happening in Reading?

In reading we will be working on comprehension skills that include characterization skills, conflict, and plot characteristics. We will also be reviewing for the benchmarks that will take place next Monday (2/5) and Tuesday (2/6).

Book Buffet Book Report

The students are so excited about our book report for the 3rd nine weeks – the return of the great Glen Allen Book Buffet!

Click on this link for the electronic version of the directions and rubric. Book-Buffet Book Report.

The Book Buffet book report was assigned on Tuesday, January 29 and is due on Thursday, March 29. Please be sure your child is managing their time wisely in reading for and completing the book report.  We outlined parameters for good time management and documented it in our book report direction packet in class. Please be sure that your child has returned the form indicating that you have reviewed the directions with him/her. This is due on Friday, Feb. 2.

GAR (Glen Allen Reads – incentive program):  Is your child logging his/her GAR minutes on their calendar? Be sure that they have picked up the January log to keep in their GAR folder. The calendars are always ready for pick up on the reading area bookshelf. The GAR program is a fun way to reward the reading that your child does each day at home. Our next visit to the GAR store will be on February 6th. Students should bring in their GAR calendars on this date with the total number of minutes read calculated.

We are excited to start our semester long unit of Greek and Latin roots! Our first lesson will be the root graph (write) and the prefixes ir/non (not) . I am attaching the cover letter that each student will have in their Word Study binder.  Latin and Greek Cover Letter  All first semester word study papers can be placed in a safe location at home. The students will be amazed at the fact that over 60 percent of all English words have Greek or Latin roots. In the vocabulary of the sciences and technology, the figure rises to over 90 percent! (http://blog.dictionary.com/word-origins/). Your child will bring home the Greek/Latin Root packet on Tuesday and will have the vocabulary and spelling test on the words on Friday. They can go onto Spelling City if they would like to get a head start on the word list!

Spelling City:  Please have your child log onto Spelling City 2-3 times each week to practice the reading vocabulary. This is such a fun way to increase their knowledge and application of the weekly vocabulary words and to review past lists as well. Look for the link to Spelling City on the right hand side of the blog.

Writing

In writing the students will be working on recognizing and utilizing quotations correctly and on interjections. Soon we will move into editing work.

Social Studies:

We are heading to the northeast region in our geography unit in social studies. Students will receive a map to glue into their notebooks along with the northeast flash cards to review the states and capitals.  They will also begin working in their interactive notebook on the the northeast region. It would be beneficial for your child to review this notebook and the flashcards/map periodically throughout the week.  Be sure to go on my Portaportal site for some fun games and songs to help reinforce the 50 states and capitals.  This is located on the bottom of my email, as well as the right hand side of the blog.

YMCA Aquatics Field Trip

The students are so excited about the Aquatics Field Trip on February 16!  We are still in need of one male parent chaperone for this trip (duration of 5L’s trip: 11:20 – 1:05) so please email me ASAP if you are able to assist as a chaperone.  Please be sure that you have sent in the YMCA field trip packet and the $4.00 fee so that we can confirm all of the trip details. Be sure that your child is completing the PE homework in their Aquatics Booklet. The next homework assignment will be due on Friday, 2/2).

Click on this link to practice for the 5th grade performance in March!  (exact date TBD)

  MUSICAL WORLD

Maymont Animal Appreciation Week

Thank you so much for all of your support of the GAES school fundraiser for Maymont last week. The class who raised the most amount will be announced on Tuesday, January 30.

Be sure to click on the curriculum tab to see all that we are learning in the third nine weeks.