‘Tis the Season!
It’s official- Winter break has begun. We couldn’t be more thankful for our students and their families this holiday season!
We had such a blast at our Winter Break party today! A special thank you to all parents who donated their time and/or supplies to make this such a fun-filled, memorable event for all of the students. Thank you also for all your kind gifts and gestures.
The science fair is on the way! Students brought home a flyer with all the details, plus some ideas and resource links for experiments. If your child is interested in participating in this event on January 16th, please complete the online registration form (https://tinyurl.com/yahxrs9W ) so the PTA can get an accurate count for planning. The PTA will supply a trifold for each participant. This activity is optional, but it will count as an extra credit assignment in science!
We are gearing up for the 5th Grade Chorus performance, “Gotta Be Jazz,” in February. Mr. Mills has supplied the music for students to practice at home: Gotta Be Jazz. Enjoy!
12/20 Science Fair registrations due (https://tinyurl.com/yahxrs9W )
12/23-1/3 Winter Break – Schools Closed
1/8 Southeast Vocabulary Quiz
1/10 Vocabulary and Spelling Quizzes
1/14 Q2 book report due!
1/16 Science Fair 6:15-7:30
1/20 Student Holiday – school closed for MLK Day
1/23-24 Reading Benchmark
1/24 End of Marking Period 2
1/30-31 Math Benchmark
Classroom News:
Math: In January, we will focus on some new math topics, such as Probability, Mean, Median, Mode, and Range. The PortaPortal has some terrific videos and games if you wanted to preview these topics with your child.
Math 5/6: Our accelerated math students have received a study guide for the 6th grade topics. Their benchmark will include both the fifth and sixth grade math topics.
Reading: Be sure that you are preparing for the Cereal Box Book Report for the second 
nine weeks. Your child should have selected a fiction book and started reading for the book report that is due on January 14. Please be sure that you keep the directions and the rubric in a safe place and reference it for accurate completion of the book report requirements. The rubric must be returned when the book report is turned in. I cannot wait to see the creativity expressed through this book report next month!
After break, we will be comparing and contrasting multiple fiction texts and the characters within each. Then, we will compare and contrast nonfiction texts as well. As we move further into January, we will spend time reviewing and practicing all our reading skills in preparation of the benchmark at the end of the month.
Cubs Read: Students received a reading log for December. Keep up the great practice of reading above and beyond over Winter Break! We will have a special day awarded to each student who has participated at the end of the 2nd nine weeks. Remember to bring your log back in January!
Science: We are looking forward to some hands-on science lessons in January as we review the 4th grade unit on Plants! (SOL 4.4)
Social Studies: We thoroughly enjoyed the Holidays Around the World projects that the 
students presented on Friday. We learned so much about the ways that different people celebrate around the world, as well as right here at home! We will be returning to learning about the Southeast Region in January. We will focus on the economics and significant features/landmarks of the region. Students will have a vocabulary quiz on January 8th. These terms can be found in the social studies notebook.
Writing: We hope you enjoy the Priceless Gifts writing piece that the students created this week. In January, we will continue our pre-writing and rough draft skills with new prompts. Students are expected to be able to write a 5 paragraph essay on a given topic that includes topic sentences, supporting details, transition words, and a conclusion.