December 21, 2017

Dear Families,

I never get to say this enough, but I am truly thankful for this bunch of 5th graders!! They remind me everyday of why I chose to pursue teaching. With all our different characters, they never fail to put a smile on my face. I'm so proud of each and every student for working hard and putting forth their best effort. I'm excited to see how much more they'll grow in the second half of the school year. With all this being said, I also wanted to extend gratitude to all of the parents and families! These students and I couldn't have done it without all of your support!! You all are the real MVPs!!! 😄

Andddd... it's finally here! The countdown to winter break is officially over! I hope that all of you have the opportunity to spend quality time as a family together. One of the students wrote, "People have different traditions, but family is what matters most on Christmas morning". Regardless of the holiday or traditions your family celebrates this time of the year, I hope that this break serves as an opportunity to recharge and cherish precious moments with loved ones. HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY!!!

Here is what we’ve been working on in each of our content areas:

Literacy

*This week we finished our first module of books under the theme of “finding courage”. Recently, we read two shorter stories during shared reading. The first, called Operation Clean Sweep, was a historical fiction short story that took place during women’s suffrage. The other, a nonfiction short story, detailed the life of Cesar Chavez and his life-long fight for the rights of workers. Both stories prompted some great discussions focused on the issues of injustice and inequality.

Writing

*Students recently produced a written opinion response based on the following prompt: Should NFL and other sport teams use the names/images of Native American tribes? After reading several articles which presented support for both sides, students had to support their own opinion with text support in a well-written, cohesive response.

Math

*Our work in unit 4 and its focus on multi-digit multiplication has continued. Students should now feel confident in utilizing a variety of strategies to multiply. They are getting quite proficient in being able to decide which strategy is most efficient based on the content of the particular problem.

Social Studies

*We have continued to learn about the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance, as well as how patriotism is shown in our country. After winter break, we will learn about the particular liberties we are fortunate to enjoy in the United States, and contrast these liberties with countries such as North Korea, whose citizens suffer without such rights. 

Science

*Our recent learning in science has focused on what people can do to protect the Earth’s systems. We have been studying the different ways individuals, engineers, communities, and governments can protect Earth's systems. In fact, last week we had a fun science investigation where we “mined” for chocolate chips in cookies! The chips represented coal and the cookies represented land in the geosphere that was being damaged by mining. Be sure to ask your student about this fun activity!

Upcoming Events

Dec. 21 (Thursday): Last day of school before winter break, winter parties @ 2:00PM

Jan. 8 (Monday): School resumes

Jan.15 (Monday): No School, Martin Luther King Day

**Please remember to send your child with a healthy snack. Nothing feeds the brain like a healthy snack!
** Please continue to have your child practice their multiplication facts up to 12.

- Ms. Nguyen