Good afternoon 5th Grade Families,

Last week, I was excited to return to teaching from my classroom.  It felt a little more authentic, and it was great having my student library to grab books to share.  I’m happy to loan my classroom books to students.  Please encourage your child to ask me about books they are interested in reading, and we can work out a pick up system.  Additionally, Mrs. Hart has shared Longan’s modified book circulation system with the students.  You can find more information about it on the Resource hyperdoc in a previous post.

We’re still practicing resilence with technology challenges.  Students are continuously learning how to manage connectivity issues.  On Friday, I demonstrated how to clear the cache and that seemed to eliminate issues a few students were having with access to activities.  This past week our focus was on the word accountability which fits right in with what we emphasize every year to our 5th graders.  More on that later…

Please read below to get a glimpse of our learning targets this week.

Content This Week:

Math – 5.4 Whole Number Problem Solving (single & multi-step) Multiplication & Division

Reading –

• Reading level assessments
• Characterization through various activities and Read Aloud (Because of Mr. Terupt)
• Introduce & Model Reader’s response (Impressions, Connections & Wonderings)

Word Study – 

• Mentor Text Vivid Vocabulary Unit – First Day Jitters quiz Wednesday, 9/30
• Introduce Mentor Text Vivid Vocabulary Unit – Enemy Pie

Writing –

• Begin Writing Seeds

Science – 5.7 Earth’ Changes

• Erosion, Weathering & Deposition
• The Rock Cycle
• Fossils
• Human Impact

Important Dates & Reminders:

• Wednesday, October 7th @ 1:30 – 3:00 – Student Learning packet pick up.  At this time, I will also be sending home information about class routines & grading policies.
• Independent Reading – Please remind your child to read each day for a minimum of 15-20 minutes.  Reading grades will be determined partially by independent reading responses and number of books completed each nine weeks.
• Asychronous Learning – Virtual Sychronous learning (8:00 – 1:05) is an opportunity for us to connect with students, introduce & share content with students, and begin assessments.  This is not the time for students to complete independent work…unfortunately there is not enough time for that.  Please encourage your child to use their time wisely after virtual class has ended each day.
• DreamBox – This is an math conceptual program purchased by the county with a recommendation of a 60 minute minimum use.  Each nine weeks a classwork grade will be determined based on usage.  Time is provided during math stations, but students will need to also use asychronous learning time to meet this time requirement.  So far, most students are doing great!! 🙂
• Questions – I’m typically “plugged in” for hours after class.  Students can reach me via the Schoology message center or request to join a TEAM meeting with me if they have questions.

Have a great week!