Happy Friday families!
Now that the weather is finally cooperating, it actually feels like Spring! It’s hard to believe that we are well into into our final full month of school!
Please be sure to refer to the important upcoming dates at the end of this blog. We have so many exciting activities in the weeks ahead!
Here’s what we’ve been working in this week:
Literacy:
We are finishing up our exciting novel, George’s Secret Key to the Universe. The kids have enjoyed the plot twists and the wonderful character development! Other books within the series would make great summer reading choices! These books by Stephen and Lucy Hawking are really terrific! Throughout the book we've been working on a variety of literacy skills. As we finish up next week, we will identify the theme of the story and compare it with a book we previously read called Mayday on the Moon of Jupiter.
By now, all 5th grade students have reviewed the requirements for 6th grade summer reading. The project that accompanies the reading will be due during the first week your child returns to middle school in the Fall. There are a variety of great titles to choose from on the provided list, and students should have no trouble finding a book that matches their interests!
Writing:
We have been hard at work on our science fiction stories! Students have planned stories which include elements of science fiction such as time travel, advanced technology, or advanced life forms! Thus far, their stories sound amazing! They are really enjoying the creative aspects of narrative writing! We have also been honing our summary writing skills through our literacy targets.
Math
We have just finished unit 7 in math which focused on division and decimals. During this unit we worked with powers of ten and then moved into the multiplication and division of decimals. We have been trying hard to make sure that all students are able to solve long division problems using the traditional method. Students who just recently learned this method will need to practice periodically over the summer to ensure retention heading into 6th grade. We are wrapping up the year with the topic of finding volume of rectangular prisms. Those students who already demonstrated proficiency of this skill on the pretest have been engaged in activities to extend their knowledge of the topic.
Science
We are finishing up or unit on Matter with lessons this week that focus on engineering. Students are learning how engineers use constraints and criteria when making new materials. Next week this learning will culminate with a hands-on experiment where students get to take on the role of an engineer and develop their own new substance!
Important Dates and Friendly Reminders:
Mon., May 24th-IAR testing in a.m.
Tues., May 25th-IAR testing in a.m., Mrs. Barnes from Twin Groves will come and speak in the afternoon
Wed., May 26th-IAR testing in a.m.
Thurs., May 27th- 5th Grade Celebration in afternoon (for remote and in-person students), 5th grade drive-by car parade @ 4 p.m.
Fri., May 28th 1/2 Day Ivy Hall Assembly and Celebration
Mon.,May 31-No School Memorial Day
Thurs., June 3- 1/2 day, Last Day of School
