Dear 5S Community -

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

Classroom Information

Absences and Winter Holidays: Please let me know if your child will be absent either the days leading up to or after the winter holiday.

Winter Celebration: We will be having a winter celebration on Wednesday, December 21. I will send a Sign-Up Genius in the coming days for those interested in providing snacks.

Upcoming Events:

12/20: Winter concert (2:30-3:00)

12/22-1/2: Winter break

1/3/2023: School resumes!

Curriculum Update

ELA: We are about half-way through our novel Esperanza Rising. Students continue to be responsible for reading a chapter each night for homework. Also, they have been busy analyzing and comparing character responses to challenging situations; determining the meaning of figurative language; identifying extended metaphors and connecting them to the book’s themes; and using context clues to determine the meaning of academic vocabulary. Students took the mid-unit assessment on Friday.  

The second half of the unit involves continued exploration and practice with the above learning targets as well as writing and performing a two-voice poem.

ELA WIN: As a fifth-grade team, we have decided to have differentiated reading groups 4 days a week. Students will go to their groups for targeted reading instruction during this time.  These groups have been determined by assessments that were taken this year.  As your child’s data changes, so will the student’s group assignment. The groups are flexible and will last 4-6 weeks.  We will be doing reading groups Monday-Thursday 10:20-10:55.

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

Math: During the first half of Unit 2, students have been practicing reading, writing, and comparing decimals; using expanded form, fraction notation, and the powers of 10 to show connections between place value.  which is a focus on decimals and fractions. Students will review and then take the midi-unit assessment at the end of this week.

The next half of the Unit 2 involves computation of decimals. 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 decimals and fractions concepts.

Social Studies: Students completed their research about a European explorer and wrote a persuasive essay about whether that explorer would be considered a hero or a villain or both. Now, they are learning about the concept of perspective through historical accounts of Thanksgiving and Life in the 13 Colonies, including slavery and relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

Science: Next week, students will explore matter using the Project Lead the Way curriculum with Ms. Ellison.

SEL: This month's focus is on Empathy. One way to think about Empathy is “understanding and connecting with other people’s feelings.” Empathy is a practice that can help us grow strong relationships.  

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

In partnership,

Sarah Silver