Classroom News
SEPTEMBER CLASSROOM NEWS
Dear Families,
Fifth grade is off to an amazing start! Students have adjusted well to classroom routines, to early arrivals, and to their role as leaders in our school. My goal is to send out monthly curriculum updates to fill you in on some of the things we are working on in the classroom. In addition, I will post pictures on Instagram and send out more pressing notes and reminders as needed. Don't forget to request to follow me on Instagram: @arees_room129.
Please take a few minutes to read the below information and let me know if you have any questions.
Math: Our first unit is on place value - including both whole numbers and decimals. Students are working on reading, writing, and comparing decimals into the thousandths place. We will soon talk about exponents, multiplying powers of 10, and rounding decimals. Later this month I will ask students to practice their math facts at home at least 2x over the course of a week. While I will provide login information to XtraMath.org, I recognize that students benefit from different ways of studying and learning their facts, and they are welcome to practice using any method that works for them.
Reading: We started our whole class read aloud, "The Unteachables" by Gordon Korman. Throughout the book we will focus on comprehension strategies such as summarizing, predicting, questioning, and identifying the main idea. Students are also working on their independent reading by tracking their books, making great book choices, and improving their reading stamina.
Social Studies: We kicked off social studies by talking about some of the early settlements in the New World, specifically Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth colonies. Students were very curious about the lost colony of Roanoke and many developed their own theories about what could have happened to the settlers. We are moving into the 13 colonies, learning about differences in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern regions.
Science: Our first unit is all about the Earth & Sun. We started by reviewing Earth's rotation and revolution, and as soon as the sun comes back we will focus on what causes shadows and how they change throughout the day.
Important Reminders
- Thursday, September 12th: Curriculum Night @ Claypit for grades 3-5. Hear from Dr. Harvey in the gym at 6:30 and then meet back in our classroom for a 7:15pm start. Our room is #129 in the back of the library.
- Wednesday, September 18th: Early dismissal @ 11:30 (no lunch)
- Friday, September 27th: Picture Day
- Monday, September 30th: No School, Rosh Hashanah
- Monday, October 7th: Claypit All School Meeting (8:25-8:45)
- Wednesday, October 9th: No School, Yom Kippur
Thank you for reading this! Looking forward to seeing you Thursday night around 7:15.
