Mar 2-Mar 6

Finishing Strong

As we enter the final 9.5 weeks of school, the excitement for middle school and summer is starting to build! This time of year often brings an increase in off-task behaviors as students see the finish line approaching, but we still have important learning and growth ahead. We are continuing to hold high expectations for leadership, responsibility, and positive choices as our 5th graders prepare for their transition to middle school.

Our end-of-year field trip will be to the local park for our annual 5th grade kickball tournament and end-of-year celebration. This is a special tradition and something students truly look forward to. Please note that any student who receives ISS or OSS between now and the field trip will not be eligible to attend. We are hopeful that all students will make strong choices so they can celebrate together. 

Let’s work as a team to help our 5th graders finish strong!

When we return from Spring Break, our 5th graders will officially enter Test Prep Season — but here at Savannah, we’re doing it the Gator way… by turning it into STAAR Wars!

Our goal is to transform what can sometimes feel like a stressful time into something engaging, motivating, and FUN. Through themed review days, friendly competitions, and interactive challenges, students will “train like Jedi” as they master the standards and prepare for STAAR. We want to reduce testing anxiety and replace it with confidence, teamwork, and excitement.

To help bring STAAR Wars to life, our 5th grade team has created a grade-level wishlist with themed items and incentives that will boost engagement during this important season. If you feel led to contribute, we are so grateful!

📦 Please note: Any items purchased from the wishlist will be shipped to a teacher’s home address, as no one will be present at the school during Spring Break. Items will be brought to campus once we return.

Thank you for always supporting our classroom adventures — together, we’ll make this test prep season out of this world! 🌟

STAAR Interim Assessments – What to Expect

Our 5th graders will be taking the STAAR Interim assessment as we prepare for the official STAAR in April. These interims are designed to mirror the format and rigor of the real test and give us an educated prediction of how students are likely to perform in the spring.

For ELAR it will focus on reading standards and multiple-choice style questions. One benefit of the interim is the quick turnaround time—results are typically available within 24–48 hours. Once teachers receive and review the data, individual results will be sent home.

We use this data intentionally. It allows us to identify specific TEKS standards your child has mastered and pinpoint any areas that may still need support. When we return from Spring Break, we will use this information to guide targeted test prep, small-group instruction, and focused review to ensure every student feels confident and prepared for the April STAAR.

As always, thank you for your continued support at home!

Hello Gator Families, 

    As we approach Spring Break, Lovepacs will be providing boxes of food for families in need. If you are interested, please fill out the form below! 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSci5hzBw-NXj3fwF_u2VChR0GvIjtpsyhe98mMf039nA614Qg/viewform?usp=dialog  

In ELAR, students are working hard as they complete the ELAR STAAR Interim, which gives us valuable data to help target specific standards before the official STAAR assessment. Students are also completing their 3rd 9 Weeks Extended Constructed Response (ECR), focusing on clear organization, strong evidence, and thoughtful analysis. In addition, students are continuing their personalized I-Ready lessons, with an emphasis on compare and contrast skills to help strengthen overall reading comprehension and improve their grades in this area. We are proud of the effort students are putting in and appreciate your support at home as we continue pushing toward growth and mastery! 

Unit 3: Fraction Operations

Our Focus

Our Fraction Unit focuses on adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions. The student is expected to add and subtract fractions with unequal denominators, multiply whole numbers times fractions that refer to the same whole number, divide whole numbers by a unit fraction and divide a unit fraction by a whole number. 

Instructional Approach

The students will transition from working with fractions with like denominators to working with fractions with unequal denominators. Finding the factors and multiples of numbers is a very important piece of this process.  Therefore we will be spending lengths of time decomposing and building numbers. The students will use fraction models, decimals, and pictorial models to help them understand how converting fractions to equivalent fractions makes adding and subtracting fractions simpler. We will use repeated addition to represent the multiplication of fractions and whole numbers. We will use strip models to help illustrate the division of unit fractions and whole numbers. 

Family Support

• practice multiplication facts

• practicing multiples of numbers

• finding equivalent fractions within the home or real world

• have your kiddo teach you something they have learned about fractions that day

• play online games 

• vocabulary: numerator, denominator, simplify, common denominator, factor, multiple, equivalent

Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators 

• Using models

• Using strip diagrams

• After building the concept, we will show the process of using multiples to find common denominators to add and subtract fractions. 

Multiplying Fractions and Whole Numbers

• Using models

• using repeated addition

Dividing Unit Fractions and Whole Numbers

• using models

We are now in our Earth Processes unit for Science! This unit consists of three lessons:

1. Weather and the Water Cycle

2. Formation of Sedimentary Rocks and Fossil Fuels

3. Formation of Landforms

By the end of this unit, your child will be able to:

• explore how ocean currents can affect weather and climate

• model how sedimentary rock and fossil fuels form

• describe how Earth’s landforms are shaped

At-Home Activity:

To prepare your child for TEKS 5.10, try this short activity:

• In a small bowl, make a mixture consisting of about three parts gravel and one part of a softer substance, such as sugar cubes, hard candy, or croutons. These are your rocks.

• Take turns with your child shaking the bowl several times for 30 seconds. Observe what happens to the softer substance each time. 

Engage your child by asking these questions:

• Why were some of the rocks but not others affected by the shaking?

• What could happen to the bits of rock that broke off?

Science Summary:

Vocabulary for this topic includes atmosphere, condensation, evaporation, precipitation, water cycle, weather, deposition, erosion, fossil fuel, sediment, sedimentary rock, weathering, canyon, delta, and landform.

• The sun’s heating of ocean waters and the flow of ocean currents transfer heat energy around the world.

• Weathering is the breaking down of rocks. Erosion is the process of moving weathered rock and soil from one place to another. Deposition occurs when water drops the sediment it carries. Sedimentary rocks and fossils form when materials are compacted under intense pressures.

• Wind, ice, and running water shape the landforms found on Earth.

Misconception Alert!

If your child has one of these misconceptions, here’s how you can help.

• Misconception 1: Rocks do not change.

To address this, talk with your child about how it is hard to know if you have grown taller unless you measure height over time and compare the measurements. Explain that rocks can be changed by wind and water, but such change takes time. 

• Misconception 2: Weathering and erosion are the same thing.

To address this, have your child tear a sheet of paper. Then tell your child to take a handful of the torn pieces and walk them across the room. Explain that tearing up the paper is modeling weathering, and moving pieces across the room is modeling erosion.

Last week, we wrapped up our unit on Westward Expansion! Students completed their open-book report card assessment, using their notes and resources to demonstrate their understanding of key events, challenges, and the impact of expansion on our nation. We are proud of the effort they put into showing what they’ve learned.

March is Women’s History Month, and we are excited to celebrate the contributions of women throughout history. Students may sign up with their homeroom teacher if they would like to share about a woman in history of their choice during the morning announcements. We look forward to highlighting the powerful impact women have made—and continue to make—around the world!

Each 5th grader now has a Student Data Binder, which will be sent home on selected Fridays, usually in the middle and at the end of each 9 weeks. Binders should be returned the following Monday. Please note: papers should remain in the binder at all times. Inside, you will find an acknowledgment form—parents/guardians should sign this form each time the binder comes home.

Parents also have access to their child’s daily work through Google Classroom. If you need help accessing it, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. At the end of the school year, the binder will be yours to keep as a record of your child’s growth.

This first binder will focus on your child’s Beginning of Year (BOY) assessment information.

✅ Quick Review

📅 Sent home selected days- March 20th

📖 Return the following Monday- March 23rd

📝 Do not remove papers from the binder

✍️ Sign the acknowledgment form each time

💻 Daily work also available in Google Classroom

🎓 Binder is yours to keep at the end of the year