November 13 Update

Posted by Sarah Silver on 11/13/2022

Greetings from Room 402! Please read on for classroom information and curriculum updates.

Classroom Information

Instruments: Daily lessons for Band and Orchestra are in full swing. For specific questions about instruments, please contact Mr. “Z” (Zschaechner) for Band at rjzschaechner@mcpsmt.org or Ms. “K” (Kalasz) for Orchestra at akalasz@mcpsmt.org.

Upcoming Events:

11/15: Lady Griz basketball game*

11/23 -11/25: Thanksgiving break

We will be eating lunch at the game so please send a packed lunch as appropriate.

Curriculum Update

ELA: We will begin our next novel, Esperanza Rising, a historical fiction story set in Mexico and California. Students will have specific reading homework in order to prepare for class discussions. An audio version of the assigned chapter(s) will be provided in Google Classroom for students that need/want the extra support. The class code for access is zaroypo.

**Please make sure that your student is reading every day for 30 minutes.  Students should finish about one chapter book per week.**

Math: We have started Unit 2, which is a focus on decimals and fractions. Students will take the Lesson 6 quiz tomorrow (Monday) - Understanding Decimal Place Value. For specific information on each Lesson, please find the Family Letters on the 5S website here. As you will see, Unit 2 has nine lessons with 3-4 sessions in each lesson, so we will be spending a considerable amount of time exploring, developing and refining decimal and fraction concepts.

Social Studies: Students are learning about the concept of perspective through historical accounts of Christopher Columbus. Next, they will research an additional European explorer to form an opinion and write a persuasive essay about whether that explorer would be considered a hero or a villain or both. 

Science: Students researched and analyzed data to determine the cause of differences in life expectancy between the Madison Valley and Lamar Valley elk herds. Ask your child to explain why the elk in Madison Valley have shorter life spans and fewer numbers.

SEL: This month's focus is on Gratitude.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out as necessary.

In partnership,

Sarah Silver