Gombert Project Arrow

Week of March 23rd

During the upcoming week, we will transition back to our grammar unit and review action and linking verbs. Students will also examine adverbs and will be taught that these words commonly end in -ly and can modify verbs, other adverbs, and adjectives.

If time permits, coordinating and subordinating conjunctions will be introduced, and they will learn the acronym FANBOYS to assist them in remembering the coordinating conjunctions. The use of interactive learning structures will be integrated to support and maximize student learning. I am looking forward to continuing our grammar journey during the upcoming week.

I hope your children have a wonderful spring break! I also hope the weather cooperates so we can all enjoy some warmer temperatures.

The next weekly update will be sent out on Sunday, April 5th. Take care!

Week of March 16th

It’s been quite the hiatus! I have missed working with students and look forward to classes beginning during the upcoming week. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting the completion of our performance task. I was able to review most of the students’ work and was an extremely proud teacher. I was so impressed by the initiative and responsibility they exhibited. During our short time together, we will share our writing and complete a short visualization project that we began a couple of weeks ago. Have a great week!

Week of March 2nd

During the upcoming week, students will continue working on their performance task for the text "All Summer in a Day." Please be aware that any students who are unable to finish their work by Tuesday, March 3rd, will be responsible for completing the remainder of this task for homework.

IMPORTANT: Please be aware that IAR testing will begin next week. As a result, PA will be canceled from 3/4 through 3/6.

Week of February 23rd

Students will begin the week by participating in a Socratic Seminar for the text “All Summer in a Day.” We had to reschedule this due to a special event that took place in one of the 5th-grade classrooms. After the seminar, students will be given time to reflect on their performance. They will also view a short film adaptation of the story. It is always interesting to observe how the text and the film are similar and different. Afterward, students will complete a Venn diagram depicting their findings.

Later in the week, each learner will complete a performance task connected to “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury. Students will use supporting evidence to write a literary essay. This essay must include a thesis statement, relevant and compelling evidence to support their viewpoint, and logical interpretations. Brief mini-lessons and conferences will be integrated throughout the week to support students in properly interpreting textual evidence. This work will continue into the following week.

Please be aware that this will be a short week due to Teacher Institute Day, which will take place on Friday, February 28th. Have a great week!

Week of February 16th

During the upcoming week, students will be wrapping up their annotations for "All Summer in a Day." I will be conferring with students to ensure that they are understanding and properly annotating the text. We will then move on to our third Socratic Seminar of the year. My prediction is that the students will be extremely excited about this upcoming discussion. I am looking forward to observing their conversations about the text. Have a great week, and enjoy the weather!

Week of February 9th

During the upcoming week, students will make predictions and complete an initial read of the story entitled "All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury. Then, we will preview the annotation expectations and begin the process of annotating the text. We will follow the routine of teacher modeling the annotation process and then transition to independently completing this learning task. I will be conferring with students to ensure that they are understanding and properly annotating the text. Have a great week!

Week of February 2nd

Last week, the class spent some extended time learning about the the importance of using antecedents and pronouns clearly and effectively. During the upcoming week, we will continue learning grammar concepts, with a focus on adjectives and verbs. Students will also begin building background knowledge for the text “All Summer in a Day” by Ray Bradbury. They will review key vocabulary and identify predictions about the story. Have a great week!

Week of January 26th

During the upcoming week, students will continue to learn about the eight parts of speech. They will learn that pronouns take the place of nouns and that there a variety of pronoun types (i.e., subject, object, demonstrative, interrogative, possessive, and indefinite). Students will also learn that an adjective can modify a noun or a pronoun. In addition, we will cover possessive adjectives, and will introduce three special adjectives referred to as articles (a, an, and the). If time permits, learners will also review the meaning of linking and action verbs and explore several examples. The use of interactive learning structures will continue to be integrated to support and maximize student learning. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. Have a great week!

Week of January 19th

Please be aware that students will be continuing their iReady assessment during the upcoming week. As a result, we will only have 1-2 days of Project Arrow. During this time, students will focus on grammar concepts. Have a great week!

Week of January 12th

Please be aware that students will be completing their iReady assessment during the upcoming week. As a result, we will only have one day of Project Arrow. During this time, students will focus on grammar concepts. Finally, second‑quarter progress reports will be sent home on Friday, January 16th. Have a great week!

Week of January 5th

Happy New Year, and welcome back 5PA! I am very excited to see each learner on Monday, January 5th. We will begin our time together by sharing a few highlights from winter break and completing some New Year–themed activities.

During the upcoming week, students will be diving into our grammar unit. Prior to our learning, each individual will be given a pre-assessment to determine their current knowledge of the eight parts of speech. We will then begin reading from our Grammar Voyage textbook and having in-depth discussions. We will cover common and proper nouns, pronouns, and adjectives. In addition to reading from our grammar book, students will engage in some interactive learning routines to help solidify their learning. These routines will also allow students to communicate and collaborate with their peers. I am looking forward to an AWESOME week of learning. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Week of December 15th

During the upcoming week, students will be wrapping up our Socratic seminar discussion for "Ghost Cat" by Donna Hill, as well as completing a reading assessment on the text. They will also work collaboratively with a partner to write a theory about the events that take place in the story. One of the main questions of focus will be: "Is the ghost cat a figment of Jodi's imagination, or is he real?"

For the remainder of the week, students will be participating in collaborative tasks that will be FUN and engaging. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. It has been an extreme pleasure to observe how your children have flourished since the beginning of the year, and I look forward to many new and exciting learning opportunities upon the students' return in January. Enjoy this time and be safe!

Week of December 8th

During the upcoming week, students will be spending the majority of the time annotating "Ghost Cat" by Donna Hill. This will, primarily, be an independent task. However, there may be some time for students to connect to share what they have been able to uncover during their annotation process. This is a complex text, and students will need to do some major critical thinking in order to interpret and understand it. Have a great weekend!

Week of December 1st

I hope that each student had a relaxing Thanksgiving break. I am excited to see the students and look forward to continuing the learning process.

During the upcoming week, we will begin a literary piece entitled "Ghost Cat". I am confident that students will enjoy this piece and engagement will be high. We will begin by viewing images of individuals with various facial expressions. The overall goal of the activity is to allow students to understand that someone's external expressions do not always reflect how they are feeling internally. This will be a major theme throughout the story. We will review vocabulary and complete a cold read. The students will then begin annotating the text and will focus on several literacy concepts which will include Depth and Complexity. Have a great week!!

Week of November 17th

During the upcoming week, I will be administering the IOWA test. Please be aware that NONE of your children will be participating in this testing. As a result, students will remain in their classrooms for the first portion of the week. They will be completing an independent writing task that calls for each learner to complete a written rationale for their theme park project. Each student must complete their writing no later than Thursday, November 20th. If they have not completed this task, it will be assigned for homework. When classes reconvene, students will be sharing their projects with one another.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to you for entrusting your child's education to me. I am extremely lucky to be able to work with such wonderful and supportive parents. It's an absolute honor to work with your children. I hope that everyone has a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving Break!

Week of November 10th

During the upcoming week, each learner will continue working on their performance task. I will be checking in with each learner to determine where they are in the process and will encourage them to complete the task by Friday, November 14th. Students should be putting the final touches on their designs by this date. I am eager to view the final products. Have a great week!

Week of November 3rd

I was very pleased with your children's efforts during our first Socratic Seminar for "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence." Students were prepared and shared some very thought-provoking comments. During the upcoming week, students will begin learning about a performance task for which they will need to create their own theme park. This project is a learning extension and relates to the literary piece entitled "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence" which we have been exploring for the last couple of weeks. I will encourage each learner to let their creative juices flow and to consider what elements will cause their project to exceed the expectations. They will be given approximately a week and a half to work on it during class. However, please be aware that students may have to complete some work at home. We will take some time to share the projects once they are complete. Have a great week!

Week of October 27th

This week, students will spend time learning about the process of Socratic Seminar. Then, we will complete our first seminar of the year. I am confident that we will have a rich discussion about the focus text. Afterward, students will begin learning about a performance task for which they will need to create their own theme park. This project is a learning extension and relates to the literary piece entitled "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence" that we have been exploring for the last couple of weeks. I will encourage each learner to let their creative juices flow and to consider what elements will cause their project to exceed the expectations. They will be given approximately a week and a half to work on it during class. We will take some time to share the projects once they are complete. Have a great week!

Week of October 20th

Please be aware that students will only have one day of Project Arrow this week due to their fied trip to Cantigny Park and an important presentation that will occur on Friday. During our time together, students will continue to work on annotating "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence".

Week of October 13th

Last week, students read "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence"; however, we did not begin the annotation process. Students will spend the bulk of their class time doing a close read of the text and annotating. They will be required to use the Depth & Complexity framework during this process. I will begin by modeling the expectations for students. Afterward, they will be given the option of working with a partner to support understanding of the overall annotation process. If time permits, students will be completing a Depth and Complexity frame and recording their thinking related to ethical issues, big ideas, change over time, and unanswered questions.

PA conferences will take place on Thursday, October 16th from 4:30-8:00 p.m. and Monday, October 20th from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and 4:30-8:00 p.m. If you have not signed up, you can find the links in a previous email that was sent last week. Please be sure to complete the "Parent Homework" questionnaire and have your child turn it in on Tuesday, October 14th, if you have a conference. This will help to guide our discussions during the conference. Have a great week!

IMPORTANT: Please remember that conferences are for parents of students who are new to PA. However, you may request a conference, if you would like.

Week of October 6th

During the upcoming week, students will wrap up a review of the Depth and Complexity icons and will practice using the icons after reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This may be a familiar book to many. Oftentimes, it is beneficial for learners to apply complex reading strategies or skills with simpler texts, especially when learning new concepts. Each learner will be using Padlet, an online discussion board, to showcase how the Depth and Complexity icons relate to the text.

Later in the week, each learner will review vocabulary and complete an initial read of "The Hemulen Who Loved Silence". This will be our first major text of the year, and I am confident that the students will find it to be quite engaging. They will be spending the bulk of their class time doing a close read of the text and annotating. Students will be required to use the Depth & Complexity framework during this process. I will begin by modeling the expectations for students. They will then be given the option of working with a partner to support understanding of the overall annotation process. In the future, students will be responsible for independently annotating. Have a great week!

Week of September 29th

Toward the latter part of last week, students began reviewing theme. We read a text entltled Rosie Revere, Engineer and discussed thematic topics. We then used selected topics to identify theme. Afterward, they were assessed to determine their understanding of how to appropriately identify theme. After independently reading a short piece of text and brainstorming thematic topics, I realized that students needed a mini lesson on the difference between traits and abstract nouns. For example, I noticed some students were selecting words such as compassionate, determined, and loyal. After the lesson, they better understood the importance of using abstract nouns (e.g., compassion, determination, and loyalty). This was an impromptu but necessary lesson. As a result, we are a little behind. We will be focusing on Depth and Complexity during the upcoming week. Please be aware that students will only be attending PA on 9/29 and 9/30. The remainder of the week, they will be participating in CogAT testing. Have a great week!

Week of September 22nd

During the upcoming week, we will be wrapping up our review of plot development. Students will also review the Depth and Complexity icons and will practice using the icons after reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This may be a familiar book to many. Oftentimes, it is beneficial for learners to apply complex reading strategies or skills with simpler texts, especially when learning new concepts. Each learner will be using Padlet, an online discussion board, to showcase how the Depth and Complexity icons relate to the text. I am looking forward to another wonderful week of learning!

Week of September 15th

During the upcoming week, students will be responsible for completing a literature preassessment to determine their current knowledge of theme, change, and their ability to use interpretive thinking. If time permits, we will begin reviewing literary elements and plot development. Each learner will view Pixar Shorts and will be responsible for identifying the different elements of plot that are present. They will also be recording their ideas on plot development organizers to support their understanding. I am looking forward to a great week of learning!

Week of September 8th

Students are making steady progress on their creativity projects despite having a shorter amount of time to work. Please be aware that each learner will continue their iReady assessments during the upcoming week (9/8, 9/10-9/11). As a result, PA classes will be canceled. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. Have a great week!

Week of September 1st

Please be aware that students will be participating in iReady testing on 9/3-9/5. As a result, PA services will be canceled. During the upcoming week, we will continue to work on our introductory project. Students will be encouraged to consider their passions, desires, and interests. We have begun the process of brainstorming ideas. Each learner has been exposed to the components of creativity, and the hope is that they will consider these throughout the design process. Also, I would like to remind any students who have not yet turn in their supplies to bring them in as soon as possilble. Finally, I'd like to remind you about the parent survey. This will help me to learn more about your child. Click HERE if you still need to complete the questionniare. I am looking forward to another wonderful week with your children. Enjoy your weekend!

Week of August 25th

I am extremely excited to begin the 2025-2026 school year, and I am confident we are going to have an awesome year! Students will begin Project Arrow on Monday, August 25th. This week, we will begin to create a community in our classroom through the use of team building activities. They will be encouraged to communicate and collaborate with one another to be successful.

Students will also begin a project that will help them to consider what their passions, interests, and desires are. They will be creating a pictorial representation of these ideas. They will be encouraged to integrate the components of creativity (fluency, flexiblity, originality, and elaboration) throughout the design process. Prior to beginning the project, we will be reading a book entitled Sarabella's Thinking Cap by Judith Byron Schachner. My hope is that this text will inspire thoughtful ideas for their project.

Please be aware that your child brought home a teacher bio, PA schedule, and a supply list last Friday. You can also find a digital copy of the supply list as well as the schedule on the homepage of the PA Google site. Please have your child bring in their supplies no later than Friday, August 29th. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Enjoy the remainder of your weekend!

Page updated

Report abuse