Dear 5S Community - 

I look forward to seeing you this week for conferences and have a few slots still available if you have not signed up already. Please note that all conferences will be held in person unless you notify me ahead of time via email to meet virtually. Also, feel free to email me with any questions/topics you would like to be sure to discuss. Finally, students are invited to attend their conference and discuss their progress firsthand. 

Trimester 3 will be a busy one with field trips, testing and more. Please note upcoming events and dates. There have been a few changes since I last posted (see highlights). You will receive a paper copy of this schedule at conferences. 

Please read on for classroom information and curriculum updates.

Classroom Information

Upcoming Events:

March 13-16: March Conferences

March 17- March 26: Spring Break

March 28: Social Media Safety Presentation by Kali Matt SOR (see below)

March 29: Montana Shakes (12:00-12:45)

April 4-5: Science SBAC testing (begin @ 9:15 am)

April 11-April 21: Clark Fork Watershed Education Program Presentations 

April 21: Clark Fork Watershed Education Program Field Trip to Milltown Dam

April 25-26: ELA SBAC testing (begin @ 9:15 am)

April 28: Rattlesnake Fun Run

May 5: Band & Orchestra Solo Day

May 8: Leave No Weeds Presentation 

May 10-12: Math SBAC testing (begin @ 9:15 am)

May 17: Leave No Weeds Field Trip to Mount Jumbo (morning)

May 22: Band & Orchestra Concert

May 23: Butte Field Trip (8:15 am - 5:30 pm, specific details to be announced)

May 24: All 5th grade students to Washington Middle School

Other events to be scheduled:

• Washington Middle School to follow up at Rattlesnake

• Last week of school 5th Grade Promotion

Internet Safety Presentation with MPD Detective Kali Matt: March 28, 2023 - exact time TBD: Please join us for an important discussion about internet safety with Det. Kali Matt from the Missoula Police Department. Det. Matt will present information to students about staying safe online and while using social media. We’ll discuss how to keep information private, how personal information is used once it’s online, the consequences of cyberbullying and oversharing online, and how to stay safe from online predators. You are encouraged to join your child’s class for this discussion, but you are welcome to join any class depending on your schedule. We’d love to have you in attendance!

Curriculum Update

ELA: Students finished the Birchbark House with a focus on summary writing, inferring and finding evidence about themes and citing evidence and explaining how a character has changed in response to their challenges faced. This past week, students completed the summative assessment explaining the connections between events in Birchbark House (westward movement, smallpox epidemic, fur trading, and assimilation of Native American youth through education and boarding schools) with actual historical evidence. The task involved research, citing text evidence, explanation and elaboration and writing organization. The students worked diligently over the course of several days!

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

Math: Students worked on decimal computation with a focus on multiplication (Unit 3, Lesson 15 and 16) and division (Unit 3, Lesson 17). We will review this coming week and take the mid-unit assessment. After Spring Break, students will return to fractions with a focus on multiplication and division. For specific information on each Lesson, please find the Family Letters on the 5S website here. 

Social Studies: Students have been learning about the American Revolution, the events leading up to the writing of the Declaration of Independence as well as key battles in the war, specifically the Battle of Yorktown. This coming week, we will combine ELA and social studies to research and reflect on the Constitutional Convention and the Bill of Rights.

SEL: March’s focus is on Cooperation. 

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

In partnership,

Sarah Silver