January 28th

5th Grade Newsletter

January 28th, 2013

Upcoming Dates:
1/28-31- Spring Parent Teacher Conferences (please return if you have not! Thanks.)
2/5/13- Tutoring Resumes! (Note: NO TUTORING the month of January!)
Parents- Please note above the fact that St. James R-1 will be holding their first Spring Parent Teacher Conferences. This is a great opportunity for you to meet and discuss questions, concerns, and progress of your child through their 5th grade year.

Meurer/Siders/Richards—Math: In math we will be working on adding and subtracting decimals as well as rounding and estimating sums and differences with decimals.  We will also be taking a Buckle Down practice MAP test on Wednesday, Thursday and next Monday.  This practice test will be used to assess what areas each student still needs assistance in and the areas where students are doing well.
Richards—Science: We will begin the Weather and Water Cycle Unit with my next group.  Students will be given a cloud observation chart which will be due February 8th.  REMINDER:  Science tests are to be turned in by this Friday.
Siders—Science:  In science, we are currently working on Space and The Solar System.  Students will be doing activities each week to reinforce concepts such as rotations and revolutions/orbits of the Earth & Moon, creation of shadows, and the different moon phases.  Student are also working on a Solar System Travel Book.  Kids have been placed into groups and assigned an object (a planet or the moon, sun, or pluto) and have to research their object.  They will then be creating a travel flyer trying to persuade people to visit their planet using factual information about their assigned object.  When finished students should have a Solar System Travel Book containing a travel flyer for all of the major objects in the solar system.
The final week (February 15th) students will be presenting their travel flyer to the class as well as receiving a take home test for the space unit which will be due by the next Friday.  Students who don’t turn it in by the 22nd will be taking the test during Fun Friday.
Sandusky—ELA:We will be reviewing language and grammar skills quite a bit this week (capitalization, affixes, tense, & punctuation). Wednesday we will have a lesson on how to find information pertaining to questions using an informational text. The students will be completing two activities this week where they are looking at different aspects of Native American culture and answering higher order thinking questions in a journal format. Reading logs will be due on THURSDAY, since there is no school on Friday. Spelling words: Unit 14- aim, less, mile, mean, lame, sales, ageless, aimless, mileage, meaning, nameless, lameness, salesman, meaningless.
  
 Shultz-ELA: Book orders are coming home today! I will not be returning the tests from last week until I complete the intervention with the students who have not mastered the skills. They should come home in next week’s folder. This week, we will have a short quiz on using affixes and answering questions using non-fiction texts. I am, again, sending home a review page for each topic.
Students are going to complete an opinion paragraph during their writing stations in response to the speech by Chief Joseph, “I Will Fight No More Forever.” Students are welcome to log on to their GoogleDoc accounts at home, however, their entire paragraph will be written at school and edited by Mr. Allen or Mrs. Shultz during its production.
Several students have books from the library missing and books from my classroom library. As you have time, please encourage them to look through the house or car for any items that may have been misplaced.
Kemnitzer-ELA:
Reading- We will continue to work on point of view.  The students will  compare and contrast two books on the American pioneer’s point of view about the hardships of their life. We will also be reading a great speech by Chief Joseph and learning how to write and support an opinion.  I am sending home a homework sheet, “The Lewis and Clark Expedition” that will be due by Thursday, January 31, 2013.  Students will be given points for doing this assignment.  If the assignment is not returned by Thursday,  they will be staying in Fun Friday recess to complete it. Many students did not return the homework from last week and will receive a zero if it is not completed.
AR- Students should have completed 35% of their 3rd quarter goal at this time.  Please make sure that your child is reading at least 30 minutes a night.  The end of mid-quarter is February 15.
Writing- Students will be comparing and contrasting the two pioneer stories and learning how to write an opinion paper.
Language - We will continue reviewing commas and learning more about verb tense.
Spelling - This week’s list includes words with the “less and ness” endings.   The list of words are: man, age, aim, less, mile, mean, name, lame, sales, ageless, aimless, mileage, meaning, nameless, lameness, salesman, meaningless, homeless, priceless, hopelessness.
I hope to see you this week at conferences!
Mrs. Kemnitzer