FIFTH GRADE

FRIDAY, 12 December 2025

Fish and tales, guest lecturers and student rockers, novels in the rearview and imagined trips budgeted for: we've got it all this week.

Please have your student practice their Winter Sing songs over the weekend. I've posted the lyrics and links to the songs in Google Classroom. Winter Sing is next week, let's do our best and practice a lot!

Important dates + Reminders:

16 December - NOT early dismissal day; full day schedule
17 December - Class holiday party
- Please be on the lookout for emails regarding this from our lovely and incredibly helpful room parents
18 December - Winter Sing @ 17:00
- Early Dismissal day - 14:30 dismissal time (think Tuesday schedule, but on a Thursday)
- 5th grade call time for Winter Sing @16:15 in our classroom
19 December - Winter Break begins!
6 January - Students return to school

Language arts + Social studies

This week ELA: Fablehaven COMPLETED!!

Our first novel of the year concluded. And what a fun one it was! It was a rare opportunity for Ryan to be able to introduce a book that he hadn't read before, so he got to make predictions and be surprised and wowed by the story along with the students. Speaking of whom, they've done a wonderful job tackling the challenge of a novel study workload that they'd not previously experienced. Huzzah for a good book and for rising to the occasion!

Next week ELA: Fiction writing final draft due on Tuesday.

math + Science

This week Math: TILE assessment; multiplying decimals; travel budget project.

In Science, we had an awesome guest join us today -- Mike Couffer! He is a professional biologist, an expert in giant sea bass, and he happens to be one of Teacher Bill's oldest friends. He kindly spoke to the fifth graders about how he became a biologist, what it takes to be one, how we can all be better stewards of the environment, and many other fish related topics.

As a teacher and a parent, Ryan really appreciated three pieces of advice that he gave:

Learn how to write, or else how to communicate effectively.
Your reputation, especially professionally, is everything.
The more challenging something is to complete, the more rewarding its completion is.

Thank you, Mike! And thank you, Bill, for organizing his visit!

Next week Math: Continue decimal multiplication; complete travel budget project.

4 PILLARS OF WELLBEING

We chose wellness buddies this week, a core tool of the Community Pillar. Wellness buddies are there to check in on each other, to ensure that the goals that the students self-created are continued to be striven for.

STUDENT LIFE

Rock band's back with aplomb. Great job, Dynver, Fox, and Izzy!

Also, killing it with the dismissal time dance moves!