September 22, 2004

5th Grade Newsletter
September 22, 2014

Upcoming Dates:

• September 24-Field trip to Meramec Caverns--$4 with permission slip
• September 26- No School Friday
• October 7- PTO Meeting
• October 9- Skate Night
• October 10-End of First Quarter/Need to be at AR goal

Homework- Cursive Practice ‘Week 6’.

Parents- Please sign and return your child’s permission slip and $4 for the field trip ASAP. We need these so we can have an official head count.

MATH:

Ms. Blankenship - This week we are learning how to multiply decimals using several strategies. Look for our Lesson 11 problem set to come home today (Monday). Please help your child practice this skill at home, using the problem set as an example. We will also be taking a quiz over area and perimeter on Thursday. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at bblankenship@stjschools.org or 573-265-2300 ext. 4321.

Mrs. Watson- This week we will be focusing on adding and subtracting decimals. Students should still be practicing their multiplication facts at home. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me at swatson@stjschools.org or 573-265-2300 ext 4319. You can also check out our class webpage to explore the topics we’ve been covering in class.

SCIENCE:
Tuesday we will be taking our unit assessment over Force, Motion, & Simple Machines.  Today, Monday, we will be reviewing for the test.  I have made online flashcards to help students study and those are available on the class website at nsiders.weebly.com.  To get to the flashcards go to Science -> Force & Motion Review.  On Wednesday we will be taking a field trip to Meramec Caverns to learn about caves and fossils.  Thursday will be a spiral review day going back over the various topics we have learned about so far this year.

ELA:
Mrs. Shultz: I have added my class calendar to my website and other helpful information! www.mrsshultzsclasswebsite.weebly.com

We are completing our first unit’s performance task tomorrow, Tuesday the 23rd. Students will be writing a narrative from the point of view of Honus Wagner. We will begin more intensive small group instruction beginning Thursday. Students should be at 70% of their goal by the end of this week. This quarter, that translates in to about 9 points. Please be here as much as possible and let me know what I can do for you! Please remember, if you would like to contact Mrs. Shultz you can do so by writing a note in the red folder, calling me at x4292 or emailing kshultz@stjschools.org.

Sandusky:Last week I sent notes home with students explaining my expectations, and how grades are taken in my room. If you did not receive one of these please let me know, and I will send them with another. This week we are finishing our Phantom Tollbooth packets (these are a LARGE part of your child’s reading grade). All packets are due by Thursday. Students have known of this due date since last Wednesday. Tomorrow we are covering character traits, and then the packets should be completed. However, I’ve told students that if they would like to take them home to work on or improve them they may. Last week we learned how to completely answer constructed responses using the RACE method, I will be looking for texutal evidence in their responses for them to earn full credit. Reading logs are due Thursday, but if your child needs more time, I will accept them on Monday. I will make sure to include you on my email list for assignments and newsletters, if you send me your email address. Feel free to contact me at:  bsandusky@stjschools.org, or 573-265-2300 ext: 4294 (my plan time is 2:00-2:50, if you call during school hours I may not be available to pick up, but you can leave me a message.)

Engelbrecht: This week we are wrapping up with context clues RI5.4 we will post test on Tuesday. In language we are going to continue working on L5.2 punctuation we will focus commas and next week on quotation marks. Part of standard L5.2 is spelling students were given a list of words last week and they will have a test on Thursday. We are taking our performance event on Monday and Tuesday.  Students are going to learn about Honus Wagner and write a narrative from his point of view. This is part of their first quarter benchmark.  Our read aloud is Wonder. We will finish Wonder on October 3rd. Students will AR test and the book is worth 11 points. By Thursday students should be at or above 70% of their AR goal and 80% or above on comprehension.  I sent home an AR sheet in their Monday folder with their comprehension and percentage of goal. READING LOGS THIS WEEK! Due Monday!!  In October we will start the Pizza Hut Book It Program.  To earn it students must turn in their reading log every week  that month. They will receive a certificate for a  personal pan pizza. If you have any questions please email me at lengelbrecht@stjschools.org or 573-265-2300 ext: 4293. Have a great week!

Week 1

	PE 1	Art	Music1	PE 2	Computers	Music 2
Monday	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht
Tuesday	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson
Wednesday	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship
Thursday	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders
Friday	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz

September 8th, 2014

5th Grade Newsletter
September 8, 2014

Upcoming Dates:

• September 9- PTO Meeting
• September 11-Skate Night at The Zone
• September 26- No School

Homework- Cursive Practice ‘Week 4’.

Parents- PTO is in need of volunteers, if it fits in your schedule we highly encourage your participation. It is a great organization that benefits the kids in our community. They meet once a month at the Mash House.

MATH:

Ms. Blankenship - We will continue working on Module 1, which covers place value from the millions to the thousandths. This week, we will be learning the different ways to write a number. We will also work on comparing and ordering decimals. If you have any questions about anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me at bblankenship@stjschools.org or 573-265-2300 ext. 4321.

Mrs. Watson- We will continue working with place value this week. We will introduce comparing and ordering decimals as well as the different ways to write a number. Feel free to contact me at anytime with questions or concerns. You can also visit our class web page to explore the topics we’re covering.

SCIENCE:
We are continuing our unit over Force, Motion, & Simple Machines.  This week we are discussing the six different simple machines and will begin doing experiments to compare the force of using a simple machine vs. no simple machine.  Students should be bringing homework home today which will require them to find each simple machine at home as well as the rooms with the most and least number of simple machines.

ELA:
Mrs. Shultz: I have added my class calendar to my website and other helpful information! www.mrsshultzsclasswebsite.weebly.com

This week, we are focusing on learning unknown words by using context clues. We will also be focusing more and more on writing conventions such as punctuation and capitalization. As a class, we will begin reading THe Phantom Tollbooth. This book will reinforce our previous lessons on figuartive language, which are always difficult for fifth graders. Students should be at 40% of their goal by the end of this week. This quarter, that translates in to about 5 points. Please be here as much as possible and let me know what I can do for you! Please remember, if you would like to contact Mrs. Shultz you can do so by writing a note in the red folder, calling me at x4292 or emailing kshultz@stjschools.org.

Sandusky:. This week we are wrapping up RI5.4, L5.4 (Context Clues, Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homographs). Students will be taking a post test on Wednesday over these concepts.We will be starting the book The Phantom Tollbooth as a review for all the figurative language we have learned so far in the year. Each day we will be reading 2-3 chapters and doing some sort of activity to go along with what we’ve read. If your child is absent it is vital that they get the book and read to catch up. I have a limited number of copies to be lent out, so they will need to be returned the following day. Reading logs are due Friday. I will make sure to include you on my email list for assignments and newsletters, if you send me your email address. Feel free to contact me at:  bsandusky@stjschools.org, or 573-265-2300 ext: 4294 (my plan time is 2:00-2:50, if you call during school hours I may not be available to pick up, but you can leave me a message.) If your child comes back with your signature anywhere on this newsletter, they will receive a small reward. :)

Engelbrecht: This week we are reading biographies about famous creative people. We will be focusing on RI 5.1 drawing inferences from a text and RI5.4 context clues. In language we are going to focus on L5.2 working on capitalization and punctuation.  Our read aloud is Wonder; we are blogging to  journal prompts about the text. In AR students should be at 50% of their goal by Friday. READING LOGS THIS WEEK! Due Monday!! If you have any questions please email me at lengelbrecht@stjschools.org or 573-265-2300 ext: 4293.

Week 5

	PE 1	Art	Music1	PE 2	Computers	Music 2
Monday	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship
Tuesday	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders
Wednesday	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz
Thursday	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky
Friday	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht

September 2, 2014

5th Grade Newsletter
September 2, 2014

Upcoming Dates:

• September 4 -Picture Day
• September 5- Early out 11:30
• September 9- PTO Meeting
• September 11-Skate Night at The Zone

Homework- Cursive Practice ‘Week 3’.

Parents- PTO is in need of volunteers, if it fits in your schedule we highly encourage your participation. It is a great organization that benefits the kids in our community. They meet once a month at the Mash House.

MATH:

Ms. Blankenship - We are working on Module 1, which covers place value from the millions to the thousandths and volume. We will also be covering volume this week. If you have any questions about anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me at bblankenship@stjschools.org or 573-265-2300 ext. 4321.

Mrs. Watson- We are working on Module 1, which covers place value from the millions to the thousandths and volume. We will also be covering volume this week.

SCIENCE:
You should find your child’s Matter Test in their Red Folder today.  

We are beginning our unit over Force, Motion, & Simple Machines.  This unit is expected to last about 3-4 weeks.  This week we will be covering Force, Friction, and Work through some in class lessons and a couple of activities and experiments.  

ELA:
Mrs. Shultz: I have added my class calendar to my website and other helpful information! www.mrsshultzsclasswebsite.weebly.com

We have completed our lessons on poetic devices and will spend this short week working in small groups and assessing our knowledge. Our other major project is to complete a biopoem on an inventor. We are doing this as a class in order to conduct effective research and complete a biopoem.  As always, we are busy busy busy! Please be here as much as possible and let me know what I can do for you! * Parents, sign your name here and your student will get a trip to the treasure box in my room! ____________________ Please remember, if you would like to contact Mrs. Shultz you can do so by writing a note in the red folder, calling me at x4292 or emailing kshultz@stjschools.org.

Sandusky:. Extra credit opportunity! Reading logs that are turned in by Friday with two hours of reading will count as 5 points extra credit. This week we will be focusing on L5.4 & RI5.4, both of which focus on context clues. Students will also be responding on the class blog about our read aloud. We will also be looking at boxes created by Joseph Cornell and comparing the images we see to our essential question, “How do we play with language?” I will make sure to include you on my email list for assignments and newsletters, if you send me your email address. Feel free to contact me at:  bsandusky@stjschools.org, or 573-265-2300 ext: 4294 (my plan time is 2:00-2:50, if you call during school hours I may not be available to pick up, but you can leave me a message.)

Engelbrecht: This week students are publishing their  Biopoems about a famous inventor or artist.  Students will be taking their Fall Writing Assessment. It is a 45 minute sample of independent writing, students will not be given the topic as it needs to be a ‘base’ for their writing capabilities.This week we will be continuing with standards L5.5 and RL5.4, both centered around figurative language. We will finish reading the book The Phantom Tollbooth.  Our read aloud is still Wonder. NO READING LOGS THIS WEEK! If you have any questions please email me at lengelbrecht@stjschools.org or 573-265-2300 ext: 4293.

Week 4

	PE 1	Art	Music1	PE 2	Computers	Music 2
Monday	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders
Tuesday	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz
Wednesday	Engelbrecht	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky
Thursday	Watson	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht
Friday	Blankenship	Siders	Shultz	Sandusky	Engelbrecht	Watson