Embedded Files
What we get from our efforts is far less than what we become because of our efforts.
What we get from our efforts is far less than what we become because of our efforts.
Onward
Onward
Our Camp Cheley experience has come to an end, sadly. We consider the trip a huge success - one of the best ones we have had in recent years. Students were very well behaved, engaged, and they have shown gratitude. The wealth of positives from the experience will fuel students and teachers throughout the rest of the school year. We will continue to draw upon lessons learned at camp all year, especially the personal qualities developed: resilience, respect, effort, perseverance, kindness, and togetherness. All of us are grateful to have had the opportunity to go to Camp Cheley and return enlightened and emboldened to tackle challenges ahead.
Language Arts
Language Arts
This month, reading and writing focus will be on nonfiction text. Nonfiction text presents a number of complexities that tend to challenge students more so than fiction text. Students read a great deal of nonfiction text, as well as websites, videos, and simulations with our science and social studies work. However, they need more deliberate instruction on the types of text they will encounter and the different features unique to nonfiction text. This instruction helps them become more effective and reading and comprehending informational text.
We will focus on these types of text structures: cause and effect, compare and contrast, sequence, problem and solution, and description.
Once these types of text structures are identified, students can then analyze the text utilizing many of the following skills:
Identify the main idea and the details that support the main idea
summarize text with main ideas and supporting details
make inferences and draw conclusions about concepts and topics, and support those with text-based evidence
understand how authors use claims with evidence and reasoning
integrate information from two or more texts based on the same topic
Writing focus will shift toward the study of personal narratives. With Camp Cheley came a wealth of new ideas for written expression. We will use our Cheley experience to write personal narratives and reflective personal memoirs. The objective is to expose students to the various structures of these types of writing, without the added burden of generating ideas. With fresh new ideas, students can have more intense focus on how to write with expression, meaning, organization, fluency, and purpose.
Though challenging, personal narrative asks students to blend narration with memoir, adding depth and meaning to personal stories. Students will learn how to add inner dialogue, descriptions, emotions, and external dialogue to enhance the audience's experience reading their stories. The ultimate goal for fifth graders is to move their writing from a summation of events to actual storytelling.
Science
Science
For the next few weeks, we will continue our study of weather on Earth - its causes and effects. We will learn about the properties of air, including a mix of permanent and variable gases, pressure, compressed air, and that air can move. After that, we will learn about solar energy and how it heats the earth unevenly, which is the ultimate cause of weather changes.
Coming up, we will discuss the different types of heat transfer (radiation, conduction, and convection); and we will connect those heat transfers to weather (e.g., convection currents which lead to winds).
We will continue this unit by taking a close look at the water cycle and how its changes lead to precipitation in the atmosphere. Next, we look at weather maps and how to read them to forecast the weather. Finally, students will learn the difference between weather and climate.
Exploration
Exploration
We will begin our unit on the Age of Discovery with a special emphasis on the European explorers of the Americas. We will establish a motive for Europeans exploring the world, which included increasing trade routes to Asia.
The time period marks the widespread adoption in Europe of colonialism and mercantilism. Focus will be placed on the perspective that the Age of Discovery marked the arrival of Europeans in North America, who expanded empires by colonizing previously occupied territory but also impacted native peoples.
Students will learn about Marco Polo and his travels to Asia, a primary driver of European exploration of the globe. They also will learn about Prince Henry the Navigator's advancements in technology that made it more feasible to travel by sea around Africa to Asia, but also his promotion of slavery and mistreatment of African people.
Next, we turn our attention to Christopher Columbus and his arrival in North America, a land that belonged to and was already known to indigenous people of North America. We will learn that Columbus intended to navigate west from Europe to get to India but was lost and landed on islands of North America instead. Students will learn about his interactions with, and negative impacts on, indigenous people already calling the Caribbean and North America home.
After Columbus, students will study other explorers whose actions resulted in the eventual settlement and colonization of various parts of the Americas by Europeans, and the demise of some native nations.
Math
Math
Family letters containing overviews of current math content and objectives can be found here:
Unit 2 - Multi-Digit Whole Number Operations (Bridges Unit 4)
Unit 3 - Order of Operations (Bridges Unit 1)
Homework
Homework
Homework for fifth grade is intended to reinforce learning from the classroom and to help develop good habits to ensure future success. Homework will most likely be a combination of two subject areas. As a general rule, homework should not take longer than 30-50 minutes (not including independent reading time) if it is given. Neurotypical fifth graders should be able to successfully accomplish this goal; however, if your student is struggling socially, emotionally, and/or academically, please reach out to your classroom teacher to discuss individual homework plans for your student.
Social Emotional Learning
Social Emotional Learning
Willow Creek is committed to teaching the whole child and has created a focus this year on teaching Social Emotional Learning lessons in the classroom. The program Second Step was adopted by the district and will be in use to guide instruction and discussions throughout the year. Students will learn to have empathy, manage emotions and solve problems in order to promote positive relationships with their teachers and peers and increase their feelings of school connectedness. Studies have shown that as students feel more connected to their school and peers they have more positive academic self-concepts, more motivation for academic success and more overall engagement for learning. Each month we will highlight for you a brief focus for the month to allow for continued conversations at home. The Home Link pages will be linked to this section to support the discussion at home.
October
Important Events
Important Events
Please see the Calendar Page within this website for upcoming important events.
Within the calendar you can find important events, event timeframes, and additional brief notes about many events.
Future Bruins Night
Future Bruins Night
Cherry Creek High School will be hosting its Future Bruins Night on November 20. This is for current fifth through eighth graders and their parents. It is intended to introduce the opportunities that are available for them in the future at Cherry Creek High School.
The following flyer will be mailed home to you in the near future.
2025 CCHS Future Bruins Night Post Card.pdfPage updated
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