Another Busy Week!

     This was another busy week!  We took a series of tests this week called the NWEA MAP tests.  These tests are going to be used by us to see where students need help and also show how much they grow this year in fifth grade.  We are going to learn more about all of the reporting features this Friday during our teacher's inservice and we will be able to share this information with parents during our Parent Teacher Conferences.
     The students have been working on their Olympic project on the days we did not test.  We are having to move back the end of this project and will send information home soon once we find a date to have the presentations.
    Reading calendars can be turned in at any time as soon as 20 days have been recorded.  Please encourage you kids to turn in their calendars.  Achieve 3000 needs to be completed each week by Saturday at midnight.  Two articles and two Thought Questions need to be done and the goal is 75% on the activities.  These articles are written at the student's Lexile level.  Thanks for encouraging your child to complete this weekly.  The other weekly requirement is Think Through Math.  Students are given time in class twice a week during Math Intense to work on this requirement.

The rest of the Olympic Country Flags

   

August 15-19 Olympic Project

   We were busy this week with our new Olympic PBL project.  The students are very busy learning about al of their countries.  Students began digging deeper into research about their countries and some of the Olympians who grew up there.  We will be sending home information on when you are invited to come see their finished projects soon.
     Reminder to help your kids remember to read each night and record it on their reading calendars.  Also, MATH FACTS, Not all students know their math facts.  They need to practice these at home as well!
       This week in science we did a fair test investigation using UV Beads!  They were fun to observe!

UV Beads Investigation

The picking of the countries

Fire Drill

Some of our Country Flags!  

The rest we will have to share next week!

First Full Week in the Books!

       This week the students completed their first full week of 5th grade!  We worked on our first PBL project dealing with the Olympics and we completed our first list of Knows and Need to Knows, wrote our first problem statement and we worked on some fun Olympic themed team building activities.  Students will be placed in all kinds of groups this year and we want to really work hard to provide them with lots of different opportunities.  They might not always "like" their group but we want them all to learn to work with all kinds of different people.  They are probably going to come home at some time this year complaining about their group or a member of their group.  We just ask that you listen to them and encourage them to work through their issues and follow their groups contract and to make sure one of the teachers is aware if things do not improve.  No group will be together for too long.  We have seen great things come from groups who do not start out as friends.  We have great expectations for this group and are very excited to see how they progress this year.
   
     We had a great turn out on Thursday evening for our Meet the Teacher night.  We appreciate all that came and you will find an information packet in the students Monday folder this week.  We are planning on holding an Echo night in September to help parents with understanding this new student management system.  There is a lot to this new program and we are working to learn all we can about it and share with the students.  For now have your students pull up their Echo and share what they know how to do so far.

      We have hit the ground running with this group and our classes as well.  In science they have begun to write in their science notebooks and did some "mystery sample" observations this week.  In math we are working on figuring out what fact families are our stumbling blocks as far as our multiplication and division facts.  (Students not passing the screener will be bringing home flash cards soon to practice.)  In Humanities, we have spent a lot of time working Achieve 3000 and learning how to use this program.  We have also done some Olympic reading and working on highlighting important things as we read and going back to look at the text to answer questions.
 
     We really are enjoying this group of students and we are off to a great start!  We can't wait to share more exciting things with them this year.